Premier League: Precious draw for Arsenal and important win for Tottenham

AFP

London: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta criticised his side’s inconsistency despite a fightback from three goals down to draw 3-3 at West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday.

A slow start from the Gunners saw Arteta’s men concede three times in the opening 32 minutes as Jesse Lingard, Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek struck for the Hammers.

But own goals from Soucek and Craig Dawson cut Arsenal’s deficit before Alexandre Lacazette’s header rescued a point eight minutes from time.

A share of the spoils from a thrilling encounter did little for either side’s hopes of a top-four finish.

West Ham remain in fifth, but are two points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.

Arsenal’s realistic hopes of Champions League football next season now hinge on success in the Europa League as they are nine points adrift of the top four down in ninth.

“I am very disappointed because I cannot accept my team to play in the manner as we did for certain periods in the first half,” said Arteta.

“What I expect is for us to play at the level we showed in the second half. We could have scored six or seven goals.

“We are all the time in reverse because we have two faces. The first face is about giving goals to the opponent and not doing what we have to do and it is not good enough.”

Hammers boss David Moyes has been accused of not being brave enough to take games to traditional top six opponents despite a season that has surpassed all expectations.

– Lingard strikes again –

But the home side were rewarded for an enterprising start as Lingard smashed into the top corner on 15 minutes to celebrate his recall to the England squad this week.

The on-loan Manchester United midfielder has been rejuvenated since his January move to the London stadium and two minutes later, Lingard’s quick thinking created the second as his free-kick caught Arsenal napping and Bowen beat Bernd Leno at his near post.

The Gunners were all over the place defensively in the opening half-hour and were caught out again when Michail Antonio’s header was deflected in by Soucek.

West Ham were cruising towards three points which would have brought them level on points with Chelsea at that stage.

However, Arsenal awakened from their slumber before the break.

Soucek was credited with a deflected goal at both ends as Lacazette’s fierce strike flicked off the Czech and high beyond former Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

“Unfortunately we gave them a goal before half-time, that gave Arsenal a foot up,” said Moyes.

Bukayo Saka was denied by Fabianski and Lacazette had a lobbed effort cleared off the line by Issa Diop either side of half-time as Arsenal upped the pressure.

But it was another West Ham mistake which got the visitors right back in the game just after the hour mark as Dawson diverted Calum Chambers’s driven cross into his own net.

The home side were penned back inside their own box for much of the second period, but still had two clear chances to seal victory on the break.

Kieran Tierney made two brilliant blocks to deny Bowen and Antonio before Antonio hit the post from point-blank range as he stretched to reach Said Benrahma’s cross.

A week on from being dropped for ill discipline prior to the north London derby, Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was hauled off by Arteta 10 minutes from time as he chased an equaliser.

But Aubameyang was still making his way back to the bench when Lacazette headed home another brilliant cross from the Arsenal right, this time by Nicolas Pepe.

AFP

Tottenham bounced back from a shock Europa League exit to Dinamo Zagreb with a 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday to rekindle their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish.

One route back into the Champions League next season for Spurs disappeared on a miserable night in the Croatian capital in midweek as Mourinho’s men lost 3-0 after extra-time to surrender a 2-0 first leg lead.

The manner of defeat and the harsh words of Mourinho and captain Hugo Lloris afterwards sparked speculation over how long the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss would be given to turn Tottenham’s fortunes around.

Mourinho made eight changes in an attempt to summon a response and got the result he needed, even if the performance still left much to be desired.

Carlos Vinicius was partnered alongside Harry Kane in a change to a 4-4-2 formation, with Gareth Bale and Dele Alli both dropped to the bench despite the absence of Son Heung-min through injury.

Villa were also missing their key player Jack Grealish due to injury and once again his invention was missed as Dean Smith’s men dominated possession before the break without creating many clear-cut chances.

In six games since Grealish picked up a leg injury, Villa have picked up just five points to end their chances of a surprise push for the top four.

Spurs had barely threatened until one long ball over the top opened up Villa on 29 minutes.

Emiliano Martinez rushed outside his box to clear, but the loose ball fell to Lucas Moura, who exchanged passes with Kane before crossing for Vinicius to tap home his first Premier League goal since joining on loan from Benfica in October.

Once they got their noses in front, the visitors were the better side in the second-half.

Kane flashed an effort just wide from the edge of the area before he lured Matty Cash into an unnecessary lunge inside the box as the ball was rolling harmlessly out for a goal kick 22 minutes from time.

Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot for a soft penalty, but Kane did not care about the nature of the award as he sent Martinez the wrong way for his 27th goal of another outstanding individual season, even if it still proves not enough to end Spurs’ 13-year trophy drought.

Mourinho’s men have one more shot at ending that run when they attempt to halt Manchester City’s bid for a historic quadruple of trophies in the League Cup final next month.

And there is still life in Tottenham’s final nine league games of the campaign now as they climb up to sixth and close to within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea.

Villa drop down to 10th, still 10 points adrift of Chelsea.

قنا

لندن: حول أرسنال تأخره بثلاثة أهداف أمام مضيفه ويستهام إلى تعادل ثمين (3-3 ) في المباراة التي جرت بينهما مساء الأمس ضمن مباريات الجولة التاسعة والعشرين من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي لكرة القدم، والتي شهدت استعادة توتنهام ذاكرة الانتصارات على حساب مضيفه أستون فيلا (2 -صفر).

ففي المباراة الأولى، انتزع أرسنال تعادلا ثمينا من مضيفه ويستهام (3-3)، وحرمه من تحقيق فوز تاريخي حيث كان ويستهام يمني نفسه بتحقيق الفوز الرابع على التوالي بملعبه في الدوري الإنجليزي وهو ما لم يحققه الفريق منذ مايو 2002 .

وتقدم ويستهام بثلاثة أهداف عبر كل من جيسي لينجارد وجارود بوين وتوماس سوتشيك في الدقائق (16 و17 و32) ، لكن أرسنال قلب تأخره لتعادل ثمين بفضل هدفين من النيران

الصديقة سجلهما سوتشيك وكريج داوسون لاعبا ويستهام عن طريق الخطأ في مرمى فريقهما في الدقيقتين (38 و61) وهدف بضربة رأس من الفرنسي ألكسندر لاكازيت في الدقيقة (82).

ورفع ويستهام رصيده إلى 49 نقطة في المركز الخامس بفارق نقطتين خلف تشيلسي ، وارتفع رصيد أرسنال إلى 42 نقطة لينفرد بالمركز التاسع بفارق نقطة واحدة أمام أستون فيلا.

وفي المباراة الثانية، استعاد توتنهام ذاكرة الانتصارات بعد هزيمتين متتاليتين، بالتغلب على مضيفه أستون فيلا (2 -صفر).

وسجل الهدفين كارلوس فينيسيوس وهاري كين في الدقيقتين (29 ، 68) .

ورفع توتنهام رصيده إلى 48 نقطة وتقدم للمركز السادس بفارق نقطتين أمام ليفربول وإيفرتون ، فيما تجمد رصيد أستون فيلا عند 41 نقطة في المركز العاشر بعدما مني بالهزيمة الثانية مقابل تعادلين في آخر أربع مباريات خاضها الفريق في البطولة.

ورفع هاري كين رصيده إلى 17 هدفا ليقتسم صدارة قائمة هدافي البطولة مع المصري محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول.