Arsenal edge out Chelsea, Man Utd beat Leicester

Mikel Merino (centre) scored Arsenal's winner against Chelsea (BENJAMIN CREMEL)

Chelsea's challenge for a place in next season's Champions League faltered in a toothless 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday as Manchester United continued their upward trend with a 3-0 win at Leicester.

Mikel Merino scored the only goal of a disappointing contest at the Emirates as Arsenal pulled clear in second place and to within 12 points of runaway leaders Liverpool.

Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish.

The Blues remain in fourth for now but have five sides from fifth-placed Manchester City to Aston Villa in ninth within four points of Enzo Maresca's men.

Both managers are hoping to be stronger after the upcoming international break.

Bukayo Saka is nearing a return for Arsenal, while Maresca is confident of having Palmer, Nico Jackson and Noni Madueke back when they are next in action at home to Tottenham on April 3.

"We did enough to deserve to win the game," said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. "Now we have the international break so let's take a chance to breathe and bring some players back hopefully."

Arsenal have struggled badly for goals since the loss of Kai Havertz to a season-ending injury forced midfielder Merino into a makeshift centre-forward role.

The Spanish international proved the match winner from a corner as he looped a header from Martin Odegaard's delivery inside the far post on 20 minutes.

Chelsea's Robert Sanchez made a brilliant stop to prevent Merino doubling Arsenal's lead with the best effort of the second half.

But the game petered out with little goalmouth action as a limp performance will do little to quieten the critics of Maresca's style of play among the Chelsea support.

- Leicester set unwanted record -

United extended their unbeaten run in open play to seven games with a comfortable victory at seemingly doomed Leicester.

Rasmus Hojlund ended a 21-game goal drought by firing United in front on 28 minutes.

Alejandro Garnacho was made to wait for his first goal since November as the Argentine was flagged offside early in the second half.

Garnacho, though, was not to be denied with a snap shot that Mads Hermansen should have kept out.

United have won all four meetings against Leicester this season, two of which the Foxes' current boss Ruud van Nistelrooy was in interim charge of the Red Devils.

But the Dutchman has not had the same impact at the King Power.

Leicester have lost 13 of their last 14 league games to fall nine points adrift of safety.

Van Nistelrooy's men also set an unwanted record of becoming the first Premier League side to go seven home games without scoring.

Bruno Fernandes unsurprisingly set the seal on United's win with a stunning strike from the edge of the box for his seventh goal in seven games.

Tottenham kept their season alive by reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but suffered the latest in a series of European hangovers in a 2-0 defeat at Fulham.

Ange Postecoglou's side have won just three times in the 10 league matches that have followed a midweek European fixture.

"It's been a difficult campaign for sure," said Spurs captain Son Heung-min.

"But I feel we've lost too many games that we should have got stuff out of, and this was one of those games."

Victory for Fulham propels Marco Silva's men into the race for Champions League places as they climb to eighth, four points off the top four and three outside the top five.

A top-five finish will almost certainly secure a place in Europe's top club competition next season thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions.

Fulham had to wait until 78 minutes to take the lead when Rodrigo Muniz steered home from Andreas Pereira's pass.

Ryan Sessegnon then curled in a brilliant second against his former club to secure victory late on.

Spurs slip down to 14th, now 10 points off the top half.

kca/lp/nr

Topics

🦁 Man United thump Leicester; Arsenal beat Chelsea; Fulham win

Leicester and Man United faced off at the King Power after two Premier League London derbies on Sunday afternoon, as Arsenal hosted Chelsea and Fulham took on Tottenham.Here's the action as it ...
Yahoo Sports - 2h
Arsenal beat Chelsea; keep alive faint title hopes

Arsenal defeated Chelsea 1-0 for their first win in four Premier League games on Sunday to keep their faint Premier League title hopes alive.
ESPN - 11h
Arsenal closes the gap on Liverpool after 1-0 win against Chelsea in Premier League

Mikel Merino led Arsenal to a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday. Merino's first-half header settled the London derby at the Emirates Stadium and saw second-placed Arsenal ...
Yahoo Sports - 17h
Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

Arsenal secured their first league win in over a month thanks to a first-half Mikel Merino header. Arteta says this is a big game and the players are focused on that. They’re excited to face Real ...
The Guardian - 17h
Arsenal vs Chelsea – Predicted lineup and team news

Arsenal and Chelsea meet in a London derby of huge consequence in the Premier League this weekend.Arsenal’s title challenge has faltered after three without a win and the Gunners are in danger of ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Amorim welcomes break despite Man Utd upturn

Ruben Amorim said his Manchester United players have been stretched to "their limit" despite continuing an upwards trajectory with a comfortable 3-0 win at Leicester on Sunday."It was clear today ...
Yahoo Sports - 11h
Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Gunners cruise to victory against punchless Blues

Arsenal snapped their three-game winless skid with a narrow, but never threatened, 1-0 victory over Chelsea to move within 12 points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Yahoo Sports - 17h
0 tackles, 0 long balls, 0 ground duels: 37-touch United star was dreadful in 3-0 win vs Leicester City – opinion

Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday evening.The Red Devils had a relatively comfortable game at the King Power Stadium. ...
Yahoo Sports - 3h
Arsenal draw at Man Utd as title hopes fade away

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice struck in the second half to cancel out Bruno Fernandes's free kick but Mikel Arteta's men could only muster a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday in a big blow ...
ESPN - Mar. 9

Arsenal edge out Chelsea, Man Utd beat Leicester

Topics

Related

🦁 Man United thump Leicester; Arsenal beat Chelsea; Fulham win

Arsenal beat Chelsea; keep alive faint title hopes

Arsenal closes the gap on Liverpool after 1-0 win against Chelsea in Premier League

Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

Arsenal vs Chelsea – Predicted lineup and team news

Amorim welcomes break despite Man Utd upturn

Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Gunners cruise to victory against punchless Blues

0 tackles, 0 long balls, 0 ground duels: 37-touch United star was dreadful in 3-0 win vs Leicester City – opinion

Arsenal draw at Man Utd as title hopes fade away

More from Yahoo Sports

How Louisville and Kentucky basketball experience compare to recent NCAA Tournament teams

March Madness 2025 will include these former Kentucky high school basketball stars

Vote for Louisville-area girls basketball Player of the Year before polls close Thursday

Vote for Louisville-area boys basketball Player of the Year before polls close Thursday

Start time, TV channel announced for Alabama vs. Robert Morris NCAA Tournament game

More in Sports

How Louisville and Kentucky basketball experience compare to recent NCAA Tournament teams

March Madness 2025 will include these former Kentucky high school basketball stars

Vote for Louisville-area girls basketball Player of the Year before polls close Thursday

Vote for Louisville-area boys basketball Player of the Year before polls close Thursday

Start time, TV channel announced for Alabama vs. Robert Morris NCAA Tournament game