Arsenal survive late drama as Tottenham’s worries deepen
In Scotland a hard-fought draw between rivals Celtic and Rangers meant the initiative remains with Hearts in a three-way race for glory, but neither Old Firm club are ready to admit defeat.
Manchester United continue to have the winning formula under interim head coach Michael Carrick.
Heart-stopping finale but Gunners go on
Arsenal re-established a five-point lead at the Premier League summit with a 2-1 win over Chelsea, but only after a conclusion that put manager Mikel Arteta through the wringer.
William Saliba and Jurrien Timber scored from Arsenal’s deadly corner routines, either side of a Piero Hincapie own goal, with Pedro Neto’s red card seemingly making the result safe.
But Chelsea mounted a late surge, Alejandro Garnacho denied by David Raya’s diving save and Liam Delap scuppered by an offside flag, pushing Arteta’s nerves to the limit.
“The save that he (Raya) made in the last action, from what ended up being an unbelievable shot, I got the right angle and my heart almost stopped. But David’s hand was there to bring it back to life,” he said.
“I try to stay calm, but obviously we weren’t getting the dominance and the sequences of play that we wanted and would expect against 10 men. Everybody’s suffering because the margins are so small.”
Tudor fury as Spurs slide continues
Tottenham’s interim coach Igor Tudor lashed out at the referee after his side slipped to a fourth straight defeat at the hands of Fulham.
Spurs’ relegation worries deepened with a 2-1 loss at Craven Cottage, where goals from Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi outmatched a second-half effort from Richarlison.
Tudor felt aggrieved about the opening goal after Raul Jimenez’s push on Radu Dragusin went unpunished in the build-up and he singled out match official Thomas Bramall for criticism which could land him in disciplinary trouble.
Tudor told BBC’s Match of the Day: “I didn’t like the referee today, too much of a home team referee.
“I didn’t feel well with him. All the decisions were on their side. He doesn’t understand football, the feeling of what is wrong and what is right.
“Nine out of 10 people will say it’s a foul, I believe, because it’s so obvious. He (Jimenez) was not thinking about the ball, he was thinking how to cheat, so he cheated the player with pushing and they scored the goal. So it’s cheating and there’s the foul.”
O’Neill: Celtic still fighting for title
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill admitted a thrilling Old Firm draw was a “great result” for Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts but is sure his side are still in the race.
Rangers were on track to beat their rivals after Youssef Chermiti’s first-half brace, but Kieran Tierney’s header and a injury-time equaliser from Reo Hatate, whose initial spot-kick had been saved, made it 2-2.
That was perfect news for Hearts, who sit six points in front of Danny Rohl’s Gers and two more ahead of Celtic, but O’Neill was defiant as he marked his 74th birthday.
“I think today’s result – if you belong to Hearts – then you’ll think it’s a great result for them,” he said.
“But even so, we’re not out of it. There is a bit of frustration, but I think we are still in the title race when it looked pretty daunting at half-time. There’s still plenty of heart and desire to try and retain the championship.”
Rohl added: “We have a six-point gap, still nine games to go. I will say this again and again, this year it’s about the final match day, not today. And we will fight for every point until the end.”
Carrick hails United spirit
Interim head coach Carrick praised his side’s character after a sixth win from seven games moved Manchester United up to third.
United were 1-0 down to Crystal Palace as Maxence Lacroix headed the visitors into an early lead at Old Trafford but turned things around through second-half goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko.
Lacroix’s red card was the turning point, handing Fernandes the chance to level from the penalty spot and gifting the Red Devils a numerical advantage, but Carrick focused on the mental strength of his players.
“We spoke to them at half-time about being in that position, how we react, and showing that personality and the belief,” Carrick said.
“Football is tough at times and this league is tough so you’re not always going to have it your own way, but to come back like we did and turn the game in our favour is the biggest thing for me to take from it for sure.”
What’s on today?
Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough travel to mid-table Birmingham. The second-placed Teessiders are looking to cut the gap to leaders Coventry to five points.
In LaLiga, Real Madrid host Getafe and have the chance to narrow Barcelona’s lead to a single point.