5 months ago
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Mikel Merino rescued Arsenal arsenic the Premier League leaders battled to a 1-1 gully against 10-man Chelsea successful a heavyweight rubric clash, portion Alexander Isak yet scored his archetypal top-flight extremity for troubled Liverpool successful a 2-0 triumph astatine West Ham connected Sunday (November 30, 2025).
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was sent disconnected successful the 38th infinitesimal astatine Stamford Bridge for a crude foul connected Merino that caught the midfielder connected his ankle.
Despite Caicedo’s dismissal, Trevoh Chalobah headed Chelsea from Reece James’ country into the pb successful the 48th minute.
But Merino’s close-range header from Bukayo Saka’s transverse successful the 59th infinitesimal ensured Arsenal emerged unscathed from a bruising brushwood betwixt the rubric rivals.
Arsenal are 5 points wide of second-placed Manchester City, who bushed Newcastle connected Saturday (November 29, 2025), and beryllium six points supra third-placed Chelsea.
The Gunners stay the favourites to triumph their archetypal Premier League crown since 2004, but Chelsea’s combative show suggested they could look arsenic the biggest menace to the Gunners’ rubric aspirations.
Arsenal are unbeaten successful 17 games successful each competitions, winning 14 of those matches, portion Chelsea person gone 7 matches without losing successful each competitions.
“I deliberation we showed we are heading successful the close direction. We were a overmuch amended squad than them 11 v 11 but with 10 players, it is hard but we dealt with it outstandingly,” Chelsea brag Enzo Maresca said.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta added: “Two teams that play with a batch of strength and aggression, you could consciousness it successful each tackle.
“We scored a superb goal. We had 2 oregon 3 large chances. It’s been a monolithic week emotionally and physically.”
Isak had failed to people successful his 5 top-flight appearances since making a British grounds £125 cardinal ($165 million) determination from Newcastle successful September.
The Sweden guardant banished that drought with lone his 2nd extremity successful 11 games successful each competitions for the Reds, pursuing his maiden onslaught successful a League Cup triumph against second-tier Southampton.
Cody Gakpo bagged Liverpool’s 2nd extremity successful stoppage clip to unafraid their archetypal triumph successful 4 games successful each competitions.
“It’s precise important for america arsenic a squad that we went 1-0 up, but I deliberation it was besides important for him due to the fact that I deliberation it was his 3rd oregon 4th accidental of this game,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Manchester United hits back
Joshua Zirkzee scored his archetypal Premier League extremity successful astir a twelvemonth earlier Mason Mount grabbed the victor arsenic Manchester United came from down to bushed Crystal Palace 2-1.
Ruben Amorim’s broadside trailed to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s archetypal fractional punishment astatine Selhurst Park, but Zirkzee and Mount netted aft the interval to unafraid United’s archetypal triumph successful 4 games.
United recovered from their lacklustre commencement acknowledgment to Zirkzee’s archetypal extremity successful the Premier League since helium netted against Everton successful December 2024.
“I could spot that Palace were getting bushed astatine the extremity of the archetypal fractional and knew they would endure if we scored,” Amorim said.
Unai Emery praised his Aston Villa players for turning their play astir aft a 1-0 triumph against bottommost of the array Wolves moved them into the 4th place.
Boubacar Kamara’s stunning onslaught secured Villa a seventh triumph from 8 league games — a stark opposition to the commencement of the run erstwhile they failed to triumph their archetypal 5 games and scored conscionable 1 goal.
“Of people I was disquieted and I was responsible. I tried to stock my worries with the players 2 months ago. The astir important happening is however they responded to my message,” Emery said.
Fabian Hurzeler was blessed to erase atrocious memories from the City Ground aft Brighton won 2-0 astatine Nottingham Forest.
The Seagulls avenged the 7-0 decision they suffered present backmost successful February, with the triumph helping them ascent to 5th place.
Maxim De Cuyper and Stefanos Tzimas scored for Brighton, and Hurzeler said: “We arrived present with immoderate memories regarding past play but we came to cleanable the air.”
