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Rediff.com  » Sports » EPL PIX: Arsenal, Chelsea held: Leicester thrash Spurs

EPL PIX: Arsenal, Chelsea held: Leicester thrash Spurs

February 11, 2023 23:24 IST
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Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.

IMAGE: The players of Arsenal and Brentford clash during the Premier League match at Emirates Stadium in London, on Saturday. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Arsenal's new signing Leandro Trossard scored his first goal for the Premier League leaders but they were left frustrated as Ivan Toney secured a deserved 1-1 draw for Brentford on Saturday.

 

The Belgian forward replaced Gabriel Martinelli just past the hour mark with his side struggling and made an almost instant impact to convert a low cross by Bukayo Saka.

An eight-point lead in the table beckoned for Mikel Arteta's side but they never looked comfortable against an enterprising Brentford who should have been ahead by halftime.

Toney, guilty of missing a sitter in the first half, pounced in the 72nd minute to nod in Christian Norgaard's cross.

Despite dropping points for the second week in a row Arsenal lead the table by six points from champions Manchester City with both clubs having played 21 games.

IMAGE: Ivan Toney, centre, celebrates scoring the equaliser for Brentford. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Arsenal have 51 points with City, who host Aston Villa on Sunday, on 45. The top two meet at The Emirates on Wednesday.

The Bees, who are eighth with 34 points from 22 games, were full value for their point and exposed some worrying cracks in Arsenal's facade as the hosts pursue a first title since 2004.

Home boss Mikel Arteta kept faith with the side that lost 1-0 at Everton last weekend but for the second week running they misfired.

Arsenal rode their luck in the first half with a well-drilled Brentford comfortable at the back and dangerous whenever they attacked. The match was only minutes old when Rico Henry sliced horribly wide from a low cross.

Brentford then carved open the Arsenal defence again in the 24th minute when Bryan Mbeumo's cut-back was perfect for Toney but he fired against the woodwork with the goal gaping.

Arteta gathered his players around him and barked out instructions during one break in play and the home fans were grumbling when Ben Mee had another chance for Brentford.

Saka poked a shot from a tight angle at visiting goalkeeper David Raya and the hosts did finally put a flowing move together shortly before the break when Martinelli volleyed over.

Toney drilled a shot just wide after the break and Brentford looked set to rue their first-half misses when Saka slid a low pass across the area for Trossard to slot home.

Brentford were finally rewarded though as Toney headed in and a VAR check for offside found in favour of the visitors.

Leicester come from behind to thrash sorry Spurs

IMAGE: Kelechi Iheanacho, centre, celebrates scoring the third goal for Leicester City against Tottenham Hotspur. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of securing a Premier League top-four finish suffered another blow as they were thrashed 4-1 by Leicester City on Saturday.

Looking to build on their victory over champions Manchester City last weekend, and chasing a fourth successive win in all competitions, Spurs raced into an early lead at the King Power Stadium through Rodrigo Bentancur's close-range finish.

The hosts quickly turned the match on its head, however, with Nampalys Mendy hammering an equaliser home in the 23rd minute before James Maddison's second goal in as many games completed the turnaround two minutes later.

Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho added a third in first-half stoppage time to extend Leicester's lead, with the timing of that strike seemingly killing off Spurs' hopes of getting anything from the contest.

The visitors offered very little in attack after the break, with Harvey Barnes adding a fine fourth nine minutes from time, securing Leicester a third successive win in all competitions to move them up to 13th in the standings.

A poor Spurs remain fifth, one point off the top four having played two games more than Newcastle United in fourth, with Eddie Howe's side in action against Bournemouth later on Saturday.

Big spenders Chelsea held at West Ham

IMAGE: Joao Felix opens the scoring for Chelsea in the 16th minute against West Ham United. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United on Saturday as Joao Felix's opener was cancelled out by ex-Blues defender Emerson Palmieri, leaving Graham Potter's expensively assembled team still a long way from a top-four spot.

Felix, returning to the team after the on-loan Portuguese winger was sent off in his Chelsea debut last month, side-footed home in the 16th minute after a pinpoint pass by British record signing Enzo Fernandez, one of Stamford Bridge's many new faces.

Chelsea sought to extend their lead but it was their former wing-back Emerson who equalised in the 28th minute when he arrived unmarked at the far post to meet a headed flick-on by Jarrod Bowen and shoot past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

In a second half of few chances, Tomas Soucek put the ball in the back of the net in the 82nd minute but Declan Rice, who headed the ball on to the Czech, was ruled offside by VAR.

A few minutes later, Chelsea appealed in vain for a penalty, claiming substitute Conor Gallagher's shot was stopped by Soucek's hand.

The draw meant Chelsea have now won only one of their last seven league games - and they have not won away since October. They stayed ninth in the table, nine points behind fourth-placed Newcastle who have played a game less.

Chelsea coach Potter said he saw positives in the performance of his players, especially in the first half when the Blues, as well as scoring through Felix, had the ball in the back of the net twice but both were ruled out for offside.

"It was a step forward for us in terms of the previous game and lots to go forward with," he told BT Sport.

"We had real control of the game and it was a cheap goal from our perspective. That lifts the crowd and makes it more difficult but that is something we have to manage better. We will get better from the experience."

West Ham climbed up to 15th but are only two points ahead of Everton, the highest placed team in the relegation spots.

West Ham manager David Moyes said he was happy that his side survived Chelsea's early dominance.

"If you had given me a point after 20 minutes I’d have shook your hand and walked away. We didn’t start well and they were good but we made some basic errors defensively," Moyes told the BBC.

"I was hoping it was going to be our day but we had a couple of close calls as well. We take the point and it keeps a bit of a better run going right now."

Ten-man Wolves hit back to stun Southampton

IMAGE: Joao Gomes scores the second goal for Wolverhampton Wanderers past Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Ten-man Wolverhampton Wanderers came from a goal down to claim a valuable 2-1 victory at Premier League bottom club Southampton with debutant Joao Gomes scoring late on Saturday.

Wolves were trailing to Carlos Alcaraz's first-half opener and had Mario Lemina sent off in the 27th minute.

But they levelled through Jan Bednarek's 72nd minute own goal and Gomes struck in the 87th minute.

Southampton remain rooted to the foot of the table with 15 points while Wolves are on the rise and have 23, five points clear of the relegation zone.

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