Premier League
Nigerian-Descent Eze Fires Arsenal Back to the Summit
Arsenal arrested their slump in form with Eberechi Eze’s superb early goal securing an ugly 1-0 home win against Newcastle United to reclaim top spot in the Premier League on Saturday.
After successive league defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester City, Arsenal were knocked off the summit for the first time since October by City on Wednesday, but they responded to secure three vital points.
It was far from convincing, and the quality of Eze’s sublime ninth-minute strike was at odds with the rest of a laboured display by Mikel Arteta’s side, but all that mattered for the hosts was getting back to winning ways.
The nervousness around the stadium was apparent throughout a tight contest and there was relief when Newcastle substitute Yoane Wissa blazed a glorious late chance over the crossbar.
With Manchester City otherwise engaged in FA Cup semi-final action, Arsenal took the chance to move to 73 points from 34 games with City on 70 from 33.
“It’s never going to be a path of roses,” Arteta said. “We knew at halftime we wanted to score the second goal but we were not efficient enough. But we did the job.”
Newcastle’s fourth successive league defeat, and 13th in their last 14 league visits to Arsenal, left them in 14th place and with pressure mounting on Eddie Howe, although he said he was pleased with his side’s improved display.
“I can’t be too critical of the players today, it was a much better performance,” Howe said.
Arsenal’s stuttering run in the past month began with a tame League Cup final defeat by Manchester City followed by a surprise loss to second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup.
But it was the back-to-back league defeats and the evaporation of a nine-point lead in the title race that has really spooked Arsenal as they try to land a first Premier League crown since 2004.
ARSENAL SCORE FROM ANOTHER SET-PIECE
While Saturday’s performance will hardly have had Manchester City quaking in their boots, what is not in dispute is Arsenal’s ability to capitalise from set-piece routines.
Eze’s goal was the 17th Arsenal have scored from a corner this season — a Premier League record — but this was a variation on the usual routine.
Twice in the opening minutes they used a short corner rather than the usual high delivery into the area. The first two had little effect although Eze did fire a shot wide from the second.
When another corner came along soon after, the ball was played low into the area to Kai Havertz, who fed it back to Eze just outside the penalty area and in one flowing movement he curled a right-footed shot away from the helpless Nick Pope.
It should have settled Arsenal’s nerves and made for a comfortable Spring evening against a labouring Newcastle whose season has hit the buffers.
In reality, it was never comfortable. Arsenal were strangely passive throughout the rest of the first half and Newcastle occasionally threatened, with Sandro Tonali’s dipping low drive almost catching out David Raya.
Havertz limped off in the first half to be replaced by Viktor Gyokeres and Eze departed early in the second half.
“Muscular niggles, we don’t think they are too much,” said Arteta, whose side face Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in a Champions League semi-final first leg.
With Arsenal seemingly unable, or unwilling, to kill off the game, the anxiety levels grew in the latter stages and had Wissa shown more composure with the goal gaping, Arsenal would have handed another gift to City.
On the plus side, they showed commendable durability, Bukayo Saka returned off the bench after a month out, and Arsenal will have the chance to open the gap to six points when they host Fulham next weekend before City are next in league action.
-Reuters
Eberechi Eze celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/David Klein
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Premier League
Arsenal Paint London Red with Premier League Victory Parade Despite Champions League Heartbreak
Thousands of jubilant Arsenal supporters flooded the streets of north London on Sunday as the club celebrated its first Premier League title in 22 years, putting aside the disappointment of losing the UEFA Champions League final just 24 hours earlier.
The celebrations came less than a day after Arsenal suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest. Yet the setback did little to dampen the spirits of the club’s faithful, who turned out in huge numbers to honour a historic domestic triumph.
Players and coaching staff paraded through north London aboard an open-top bus, proudly displaying the Premier League trophy that Arsenal had finally reclaimed for the first time since Arsène Wenger’s legendary “Invincibles” side lifted it in the 2003-04 season.
Arsenal had wrapped up the title before the final round of fixtures after establishing an unassailable lead over defending champions Manchester City, who eventually finished seven points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s side.
The league crown marked Arsenal’s first major trophy since Arteta guided the club to FA Cup success in 2020 during his debut season as manager. It also ended years of frustration after the Gunners had finished runners-up in the Premier League in each of the previous three seasons.
Red flares, fireworks and the sound of vuvuzelas filled the air as supporters celebrated a long-awaited return to the summit of English football.
“We’re not European champions, but we are champions of England, and that’s what matters right now,” said Arsenal supporter Julien Guillenenat. “We’re happy to celebrate with everyone.”
Another fan, 44-year-old Mathieu Garnier, believes the Premier League triumph has finally removed the psychological burden that had weighed heavily on the team.
“Three years in a row we finished second, and now that pressure is gone,” he said. “These players are going to be flying next season. I really believe that.”
Adding to the festivities was Arsenal’s women’s team, who joined the celebrations after their successful FIFA Champions Cup campaign this season.
Midfielder Declan Rice, signed from West Ham United in 2023 for a club-record £105 million, said the title triumph had silenced many of the club’s critics.
“People were pointing and laughing at us before,” Rice told Sky Sports. “What happened? They’re not laughing anymore. I love this team, I love this manager, and to see the joy we’ve brought to the fans is incredible.
“Next season we’re coming back for more.”
Despite the pain of falling short in Europe, many Arsenal supporters remain optimistic that the club will soon challenge again for continental glory.
Twenty-two-year-old fan Theo Grant believes the Champions League disappointment will only strengthen the squad’s resolve.
“Honestly, this loss will give the players even more motivation,” he said. “We’ll be back. I believe we’ll reach the final again next season.”
For Arsenal supporters, however, Sunday was not about what might have been in Europe. It was about celebrating the end of a 22-year wait to be crowned champions of England once again.
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Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at Chelsea on Tuesday and still face the risk of relegation from the Premier League in their final game of the season this weekend after goals either side of halftime from the home side’s Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos.
Fernandez let rip with a dipping shot from over 25 metres that Antonin Kinsky could not get close to in the 18th minute, electrifying the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge as the home fans revelled in the misery of their North London rivals.
The Argentina midfielder turned provider for Chelsea’s second goal in the 67th, cushioning a high ball into the feet of Santos, who scored from close range.
Richarlison got one back for Spurs in the 74th minute, but the defeat means Tottenham remain two points above West Ham United, who currently occupy the last relegation spot.
However, Spurs have a much better goal difference, meaning a draw at home to Everton on Sunday would all but guarantee their Premier League survival.
Chelsea, fresh from announcing former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso as their next manager after a limp 2025/26 campaign, climbed to eighth place, which offers a berth in the UEFA Conference League next season
The Blues, who lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, are one point behind Brighton & Hove Albion, who currently occupy the last of the Europa League spots.
Spurs had only themselves to blame for Tuesday’s defeat.
After Mathys Tel hit the post with a header in the 11th minute, they allowed Chelsea to dominate until Richarlison’s goal raised their hopes of rescuing the point they needed.
Substitute James Maddison looked sure to equalise in the 84th, but Chelsea defender Jorrel Hato stretched out a leg to block his angled shot.
The win was Chelsea’s first in the Premier League since March 4, giving their fans something to celebrate after a miserable run that included six consecutive league defeats.
It also means Spurs have only won once at Stamford Bridge since 1990.
-Reuters
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Arsenal F.C. have been crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City F.C. were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Bournemouth, ending the most dramatic title race of recent seasons and completing a remarkable transformation under manager Mikel Arteta.
The title triumph marks Arsenal’s first league championship since the legendary “Invincibles” side led by Arsène Wenger went unbeaten throughout the 2003-04 campaign.
For Arteta, it represents the crowning moment of a rebuilding project that began when he replaced Unai Emery in December 2019. The Spaniard inherited a struggling Arsenal side but gradually rebuilt the club into genuine title contenders, guiding them to second-place finishes in each of the previous three seasons before finally ending Manchester City’s dominance.
Arsenal appeared in danger of suffering another late collapse after surrendering a nine-point lead earlier in the campaign, particularly following City’s crucial victory over them at the Etihad Stadium in April.
However, the momentum shifted again when City stumbled with a draw against Everton, allowing Arsenal to seize control of the race.
The North London club responded impressively, winning four consecutive matches without conceding a goal, including Monday’s tense 1-0 victory over Burnley F.C. that piled pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side heading into their trip to Bournemouth.
City’s failure to secure victory finally confirmed Arsenal as champions, triggering emotional celebrations among supporters gathered around the Emirates Stadium.
Fans watching the decisive match in nearby pubs poured onto the streets at the final whistle, while thousands more marched toward the Emirates within minutes of the title being secured.
Arteta had admitted before the match that he expected it to be difficult watching City’s game because of the enormous stakes involved, but the Spaniard ultimately witnessed the completion of one of the most significant managerial achievements in modern Arsenal history.
The Gunners will officially receive the Premier League trophy after their final game of the season against Crystal Palace F.C. at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Arsenal’s triumph could yet become part of an even greater achievement.
The club now have the opportunity to complete a historic double when they face Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in the UEFA Champions League final on May 30.
Only five English clubs have previously managed to win both the league title and the European Cup in the same season, with Manchester City the last side to achieve the feat in 2023.
The title success also signals a changing of the guard in English football.
With Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City after a decade in charge, Arteta — once his assistant at City — is poised to become the longest-serving manager across England’s top four divisions, underlining how dramatically his status has risen since arriving at Arsenal less than seven years ago.
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