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On an evening of spectacular targets within the Premier League, it was a pair of tackles that had essentially the most important affect on the hard-fought race for Champions League qualification.
Chelsea’s 3-2 win at Crystal Palace was solely secured due to a outstanding last-ditch problem by heart again Kurt Zouma, who one way or the other made up floor to divert the ball away as Christian Benteke was about to shoot late in stoppage time.
Then, hours later at a rain-soaked Emirates Stadium, Arsenal was main 1-Zero in opposition to Leicester and heading in the right direction for a win that will have thrown open the battle for a end within the prime 4 when substitute striker Eddie Nketiah was handed a straight pink card within the 75th minute for a studs-first lunge on James Justin.
Jamie Vardy equalized 9 minutes later — with a purpose that took some time to be confirmed by the video assistant referee — to seal a 1-1 draw, dealing an enormous setback to Arsenal’s unbelievable hopes of climbing into the highest 5.
The two outcomes left Chelsea in third place and a degree away from Leicester, which lastly dropped to fourth after a poor run of leads to the league since late January. Manchester United is 4 factors again in fifth place, which is able to safe qualification for the Champions League if second-place Manchester City fails to overturn its two-year European ban.
Arsenal stayed seventh, 5 factors behind United with solely 4 video games remaining. United’s sport in hand is in opposition to Aston Villa on Thursday.
ARSENAL BLOW
It was a contrasting night time for 2 of Arsenal’s shiny younger hopes because the crew’s Champions League ambitions took successful.
Bukayo Saka, a gifted 18-year-old winger, enhanced his fame with an excellent cross to tee up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang within the 21st minute for the striker’s 20th league purpose of the season.
Arsenal delivered considered one of its finest halves beneath Mikel Arteta and will have been additional forward by the time one other extremely rated teen, 21-year-old Nketiah, got here on as a substitute for Alexandre Lacazette and confirmed poor self-discipline by lunging at Justin within the heart of the sphere 4 minutes later.
The referee initially confirmed a yellow card however modified his choice to a pink after viewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
“I know Eddie, he is not an aggressive player,” Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez mentioned. “He slipped and did not want to injure him, and the red card is harsh.”
Vardy’s purpose was his league-leading 22nd of the season and left Leicester seven factors away from sixth-place Wolverhampton, which performs its sport in hand in opposition to Sheffield United on Wednesday.
RELIEVED LAMPARD
Chelsea supervisor Frank Lampard was extra relieved than overjoyed after his crew nearly managed to carry onto its lead in opposition to Palace.
Moments earlier than the sort out from Zouma, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had flung himself to his proper to tip onto the put up a header from Scott Dann.
“Not good for your nerves,” Lampard mentioned.
Chelsea rushed right into a 2-Zero lead by the 27th minute at Selhurst Park via targets by Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic, the American winger’s third in 5 video games to keep up his nice kind because the restart.
After Wilfried Zaha pulled a purpose again with a 25-meter screamer, substitute Tammy Abraham regained the two-goal benefit for Chelsea just for Benteke to arrange what proved to be a frantic finale by scoring a house purpose for the primary time since April 2018.
NORWICH DOOMED
Last-place Norwich might be relegated as early as Saturday after squandering an early result in lose 2-1 at Watford and slip 10 factors adrift of security with solely 4 matches remaining.
For Watford, it was an enormous win — it is first because the restart — that moved the fourth-from-last crew 4 factors away from the relegation zone.
Danny Welbeck scored the successful purpose with an overhead kick from close to the penalty spot within the 55th minute. Watford battled again from conceding a fourth-minute purpose to Emiliano Buendia, with Craig Dawson scoring the equalizer from a nook within the 10th.
Norwich’s relegation will likely be sealed if it loses at house to West Ham on Saturday.
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