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EPL PIX: Spurs held to draw by Arsenal as City go back on top

Last updated on: March 02, 2019 23:36 IST

IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Saturday

Arsenal

IMAGE: Arsenal's Lucas Torreira is sent off for this challenge on Tottenham's Danny Rose. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Hugo Lloris got down low to keep out the substitute's poor kick and rescue a below-par Tottenham who had equalised in the 74th minute through Harry Kane's spot-kick.

 

Arsenal, bidding to close the gap to their arch-rivals to one point, had taken the lead in the 16th minute when Aaron Ramsey broke clear after a mistake by Davinson Sanchez.

Kane had a first-half header ruled out for offside but Tottenham struggled to create chances as a third Premier League defeat in succession for the first time since 2012 loomed.

Alexandre Lacazette had wasted a good chance to make it 2-0 to Arsenal, but it was the man who replaced him, Aubameyang, who cost his side victory with a poorly-struck penalty after Sanchez was adjudged to have fouled him.

A niggly game ended with Arsenal's other substitute Lucas Torreira being red-carded for a high tackle on Danny Rose.

Mahrez strikes as Man City beat Bournemouth to go top

Manchester City

IMAGE: Manchester City's Raheem Sterling in action with Bournemouth's Artur Boruc . Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Substitute Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal as Manchester City beat Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday to return to the top of the Premier League.

The home side showed champions City plenty of respect in the opening 45 minutes, defending deep and forcing their opponents to probe patiently for openings, and they conceded little in the way of goalscoring chances.

City manager Pep Guardiola was forced to replace the injured Kevin De Bruyne with Mahrez at halftime, and he was quickly followed by defender John Stones, who was substituted early in the second half with a thigh problem.

The visitors continued to probe and their patience finally paid off when David Silva teed up Mahrez, who lashed home a shot with his right foot to break the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half.

Bournemouth were unable to raise their game and goalkeeper Artur Boruc pulled of a number of fine saves.

He was quick off his line to thwart a breakaway attempt by Raheem Sterling and Aguero clipped the underside of the crossbar before Boruc beat away a close-range header from Mahrez.

"We made one of the best performances we have played. They were very organised, but they didn't have one shot. We created a few chances. People should understand how difficult it is to attack 11 (defending) players," Guardiola said.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe was disappointed to see his side's defensive efforts undone by what he termed an "ugly" goal.

"You want to be competitive and that was the way for us to make the game tight, show toughness and mentally hang in. The only frustration is their goal was ugly, which is very unlike them," he said.

The win put City top on 71 points, two ahead of Liverpool who face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Sunday. Bournemouth, who have lost four of their last five, remained 12th on 34 points.

Lukaku shines as Man United rally to beat Southampton

Manchester United

IMAGE: Manchester United's Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring their third goal with team mates. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku continued his rich vein of form by scoring two goals, including a late winner, to give his side a comeback 3-2 home win over Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.

It took the Belgian's tally to four goals in two games after he netted a brace in Wednesday's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace, with playmaker Andreas Pereira grabbing the other for the hosts in a rip-roaring clash at Old Trafford.

The result lifted United back into fourth place on 58 points from 29 games, one ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal who were held to a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the early kickoff.

Sixth-placed Chelsea, who are on 53 points, have two games in hand and visit second bottom Fulham on Sunday.

Lukaku, who has endured dips in form during what has been a turbulent season at Old Trafford with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer taking over from Jose Mourinho as caretaker manager in December, was back to his lethal best.

Having weathered an early storm in which United missed three gilt-edged chances, Southampton took the lead in the 26th minute when Yan Valery scored his first goal for the club in spectacular fashion.

The 20-year old French wing-back, who joined Southampton from Ligue 1 side Rennes during the close season, unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 metres which beat United's stunned keeper David De Gea at the near post.

The home side equalised in the 53rd minute as the lively Pereira teed himself up for a long-range shot and curled it brilliantly past Saints keeper Angus Gunn.

Six minutes later, Pereira released Lukaku with fine footwork and the striker side-stepped a defender before he drilled a low shot with his weaker right foot into the bottom corner of the net.

James Ward-Prowse appeared to have snatched a point for the Saints with a stunning free kick from 25 metres before a frantic finish as Lukaku sent the home crowd into raptures.

A slick move ended with Lukaku turning his marker on the edge of the penalty area and drilling in another right-foot shot into the bottom corner in the 88th minute.

Gunn saved a poor stoppage-time penalty by Paul Pogba but the Frenchman's blunder did not dampen the mood at Old Trafford after Solskjaer stretched his impressive league start to 10 wins and two draws.

Andone header gives Brighton first league win of 2019

A 79th-minute header from Florin Andone secured Brighton & Hove Albion's first Premier League win of 2019 as they beat seemingly doomed Huddersfield Town 1-0 to stem their recent slide down the table.

Andone rose to meet Anthony Knockaert's chip to power home from near the penalty spot just when it looked like Brighton's familiar failings in front of goal might again deny them.

Before the game, locally-born world boxing champion Chris Eubank Jr was introduced to the crowd in the hope that he would inspire a fighting performance from a side who had secured just two points since the start of the year.

But Brighton again struggled for a knock-out blow in a lucklustre first half with Iranian Alireza Jahanbakhsh providing the only excitement when his 41st-minute shot fizzed against the bar.

Huddersfield, who beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek, were forced into a change with Aaron Mooy replacing the injured skipper Jonathan Hogg.

The Australian had little chance to shine as Brighton cranked up the pressure after the break with Andone having one effort well saved by Jonas Lossl before he finally beat the keeper for the win that moves Brighton five points clear of the drop zone.

Huddersfield remain adrift at the bottom, 13 points behind 17th-placed Southampton.

Palace climb away from troube with 3-1 win at Burnley

Crystal Palace moved further away from the Premier League relegation zone with a 3-1 win at fellow strugglers Burnley on Saturday thanks to second half goals from Michy Batshuayi and Wilfried Zaha.

Palace took the lead in the 15th minute when Jeffrey Schlupp's pull-back struck Burnley defender Phil Bardsley and ricocheted into his own goal.

Burnley dominated the rest of the opening half with Chris Wood forcing a fine reflex save out of Wayne Hennessey with a fierce shot and the Clarets peppering the Palace box with crosses from deep.

But three minutes after the re-start, Palace struck again when full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka's pass was blasted home, first-time, by Batshuayi.

The game was wrapped up in outstanding fashion by Zaha who tormented the Burnley defence, twisting inside and out, before firing a low shot past Tom Heaton.

An Ashley Barnes header gave Burnley a late consolation and although subtitute Peter Crouch went close to a second, Palace's lead was never in real danger.

Wolves deepen Cardiff's relegation plight with 2-0 win

Wolverhampton Wanderers put their recent shaky Premier League form behind them to ease past Cardiff City 2-0 on Saturday and leave the Welsh team in the relegation zone after a third straight defeat.

Desperate for a win to help their quest for Premier League survival, Neil Warnock's side started strongly with plenty of possession and could have had the first goal when Wolves keeper John Ruddy fumbled the ball on the line from a corner.

But Nuno Espirito Santo's Wolves showed why they are seventh in the Premier League, quickly imposing their fast-breaking and slick-passing game in front of an appreciative crowd of 31,309 at the Molineux stadium.

Portuguese striker Diogo Jota smashed in the first goal from close range in the 16th minute after great link-up play and an assist by fellow forward Raul Jimenez. Two minutes later, Jota repaid the favour, laying up the ball for Jimenez to fire into the bottom left-hand corner for 2-0.

Wolves, who squandered numerous chances for a bigger scoreline, needed the result after a surprise mid-week defeat at Huddersfield and two draws in their previous Premier League outings. Cardiff now sit third from bottom, with 10 goals conceded in their last three games.

The gulf between the teams was illustrated in the first half when Jota cheekily put the ball between the legs of Cardiff's burly Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who looked bemused.

Source: REUTERS
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