Premier League
Arsenal go nine points clear, Man Utd win again under Carrick
- Summary
- Gyokeres nets double in Arsenal win over Sunderland
- Caretaker boss Carrick stays perfect with Man Utd
- High-flying Aston Villa stumble at Bournemouth
- West Ham earn vital win in battle to avoid relegation
Arsenal marched nine points clear in the Premier League title race as Viktor Gyokeres hit two goals in a 3-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday as Manchester United made it four wins out of four for coach Michael Carrick in their top-four push.
Third-placed Aston Villa dropped further behind Arsenal as they drew 1-1 with Bournemouth while Chelsea’s Cole Palmer bagged a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers, including two penalties.
Eighteenth-placed West Ham United earned three vital points in their bid to avoid relegation, Crysencio Summerville and Taty Castellanos sealing a 2-0 win at second-from-bottom Burnley whose survival hopes now look remote.
Everton scored two late goals as they came from behind to win 2-1 at Fulham, the win lifting them to eighth.
The celebrations at the final whistle at The Emirates were loud and long as joyous Arsenal fans displayed their belief that a first title since 2004 is now in sight.
Sunderland proved a tough nut to crack but Arsenal remained patient and were rewarded with a fourth successive victory in all competitions.
Arsenal dominated the first half at The Emirates but had to wait until the 42nd minute to get ahead when Martin Zubimendi’s sweetly-struck low drive crept inside the post.
Gyokeres has struggled at times during his first season in north London since his move from Sporting, but he swept in a clinical finish in the 66th minute to make it 2-0.
Gabriel Martinelli then played in the Swede for his second deep into stoppage time.
No Premier League player has scored more goals across all competitions since the turn of the year than Gyokeres (six) and Arteta praised the Swedish striker’s resilience.
“He doesn’t seem too affected by the real highs or the lows and that’s what we need – stability. He’s very demanding of himself. He’s constantly trying to improve,” Arteta said.
Arsenal have 56 points from 25 games with Manchester City, who face Liverpool away on Sunday, on 47 from 24. Villa also have 47 points but their challenge is fading.
ROMERO SENDING OFF HELPS MAN UTD
Manchester United are on 44 points after their 2-0 home win against Tottenham Hotspur, who played three quarters of the game with 10 men after captain Cristian Romero was sent off for a tackle on Casemiro.

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – February 7, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur’s Souza in action with Manchester United’s Amad Diallo REUTERS/Phil Noble
Bryan Mbeumo put United in front 10 minutes after Romero’s dismissal, applying the final touch to a clever corner routine involving Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo.
Fernandes wrapped up the points in the 81st minute.
While caretaker manager Carrick’s resurgent United are well-placed for a return to the Champions League, Tottenham are slipping too close to the relegation zone for comfort after their run without a league win extended to seven.
They have 29 points in 14th place, six ahead of West Ham, who are in the last relegation place.
Villa, who could have gone second, took the lead in the 22nd minute at Bournemouth when Morgan Rogers linked up with Jadon Sancho before powering a shot high into the net.
The hosts earned their 10th league draw of the season, though, as Brazilian teenager Rayan scored his first goal in English football.
Chelsea’s Palmer became the first player in Premier League history to score three hat-tricks in the first half of a match, having also done it against Everton and Brighton and Hove Albion.
He now also has more Premier League hat-tricks than any other Chelsea player, after grabbing a fourth.
Palmer put Chelsea ahead from the spot in the 13th minute after a foul on Joao Pedro and repeated the trick in the 35th minute after another foul on the same teammate.
Palmer’s hat-trick came as he fired home from Marc Cucurella’s pass. New manager Liam Rosenior has now won four successive league games with his side bouncing back from their League Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal on Tuesday.
Chelsea are fifth with 43 points, four points above champions Liverpool in sixth.
In the late game, Brentford’s Dango Ouattara struck in the 85th-minute for a 3-2 victory at Newcastle United in a see-saw contest, with the win moving Keith Andrews’ side up to seventh.
At the bottom, Wolves and Burnley look doomed to relegation with eight and 15 points respectively, but West Ham are now only three points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
-Reuters
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Premier League
Maguire handed suspended prison sentence for 2020 brawl

England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court over a 2020 incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.
In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence against public employees after his arrest in a brawl in which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire, who was detained for two days following the incident and denied any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on multiple charges.
In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing nullified Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.
Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery. The 32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. His legal team will appeal against the guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.
Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences related to the incident and received suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.
-Reuters
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Premier League
Timber header earns Arsenal crucial win over Chelsea

Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.

Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.
Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.
-Reuters
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Premier League
Manchester United climb to third in Premier League table with come-from-behind win over Palace

Manchester United produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Crystal Palace 2–1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with captain Bruno Fernandes inspiring the turnaround that lifted the hosts into third place in the Premier League standings.
Trailing inside four minutes after a dominant start by Palace, United responded through a Fernandes penalty before his pinpoint free-kick was headed home by Benjamin Sesko to seal victory against the 10-man visitors.
The win extended interim manager Michael Carrick’s unbeaten run to seven matches since taking charge in mid-January. United now have 51 points from 28 games and are unbeaten since the January 5 dismissal of Ruben Amorim, climbing into third for the first time since May 2023. Palace remain 14th on 35 points.
“It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of games to go still, and it is important that we don’t feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can.”
Palace, under Oliver Glasner, were electric in the opening half hour, capitalising on sluggish United play. Defender Maxence Lacroix powered home a header from a corner after muscling past Leny Yoro, scoring the earliest goal United have conceded this season.
The visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Daniel Munoz latched onto an Ismaila Sarr through ball, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens produced a crucial save.
United gradually found their rhythm before the break. Sesko forced Dean Henderson into action with a header from a Fernandes cross, and the Palace keeper also tipped a Fernandes free kick over the bar.
The turning point arrived in the 57th minute when Fernandes converted from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was dragged down by Lacroix. Following a lengthy VAR review, Lacroix was shown a red card, reducing Palace to 10 men.
Eight minutes later, Fernandes’ delivery again proved decisive as Sesko rose highest to nod home the winning goal.
United pushed for a third, with Casemiro’s volley drawing a diving save from Henderson and substitute Amad Diallo testing the keeper from distance in stoppage time. Joshua Zirkzee saw efforts blocked, while Kobbie Mainoo’s fierce strike drifted narrowly wide.
Carrick praised his team’s resilience. “The biggest thing for us to take from the game is really the first time that we have been in that situation going in at halftime,” he said. “Being in that position and how we react and showing that personality and belief… to then come back as we did in the second half is the biggest thing for me today.”
Palace pressed late but could not find an equaliser. Glasner admitted his side had let the game slip. “It feels like there was more possible today. A great first 30 minutes, but the red card changed it completely. The second goal just happened too quickly.”
For United, the victory reinforces growing belief under Carrick that a top-four finish—and a return to Europe’s elite competition—is firmly within reach.
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