Premier League
Arsenal Beats Toothless Burnley 5-0 To Ignite EPL Title Hope
Arsenal thrashed Burnley 5-0 to maintain their momentum in the title race on Saturday.
At Turf Moor, Mikel Arteta’s boys went on a rampage against the host to secure their fifth consecutive victory, closing the gap to Liverpool to just two points.
Under Arteta, Arsenal have claimed impressive wins against Liverpool and West Ham, including a 6-0 triumph at West Ham, following a successful warm-weather training camp in Dubai, SportXparte reports.
The dominance began early in the match, with Martin Odegaard scoring in the fourth minute from Gabriel Martinelli’s assist.
Bukayo Saka extended the lead with a penalty in the 41st minute, awarded for Lorenz Assignon’s foul on Leandro Trossard.
Saka continued his fine form by scoring again just after halftime, making it six goals in his last four games by rifling a shot into the top corner from Odegaard’s pass.
Trossard added a fourth goal in the 66th minute, while Kai Havertz sealed the victory with a goal in the 78th minute from Jakub Kiwior’s pass.
Manchester City, currently in third place with two games in hand over Liverpool, have the opportunity to draw level on points with Arsenal if they defeat Chelsea in the late game on Saturday.
Tottenham’s hopes of securing a top-four finish took a hit as Wolves pulled off a surprising 2-1 victory in north London, courtesy of Joao Gomes’ brace.
In a league match that marked Tottenham’s first defeat of the year 2024, Gomes opened the scoring with a header after 42 minutes. However, Dejan Kulusevski quickly equalized for Tottenham right after the halftime break.
It was Brazilian midfielder Gomes who ultimately sealed the win for Wolves with a powerful strike in the 63rd minute, capitalizing on a swift counterattack from the visitors.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa capitalized on Tottenham’s stumble by reclaiming fourth place with a 2-1 triumph over Fulham. Ollie Watkins netted goals on either side of the halftime whistle for Unai Emery’s side, while Rodrigo Muniz pulled one back for Fulham, who were unable to find an equalizer.
In another significant result, Nottingham Forest boosted their survival hopes with a convincing 2-0 victory over 10-man West Ham at the City Ground. Taiwo Awoniyi found the back of the net in first-half stoppage time, followed by Callum Hudson-Odoi’s strike just before the final whistle. This win allowed Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to move five points clear of the relegation zone.
West Ham midfielder Kalvin Phillips, on loan from Manchester City, received his marching orders in the 71st minute after receiving two yellow cards within four minutes.
Elsewhere, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe managed to avoid defeat against his former club Bournemouth in a thrilling 2-2 draw at St James’ Park. Dominic Solanke opened the scoring for Bournemouth in the 51st minute, but Anthony Gordon equalized for Newcastle from the penalty spot just seven minutes later. Antoine Semenyo restored Bournemouth’s lead in the 69th minute, only for Matt Ritchie to salvage a point for Newcastle with a stoppage-time equalizer.
