As Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League with a battling 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday, the real drama came at Wembley where Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal included two dubious penalties, one of which was saved, and a late sending-off.
Liverpool were left a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after they were held 0-0 by Everton in Sunday’s Merseyside derby — the fourth draw in six games for Juergen Klopp’s side.
City, who won 1-0 at Bournemouth on Saturday, have 71 points while Liverpool are on 70, with both teams having nine games to play.
It promises to be a tense and thrilling finale to the season but Liverpool, who have frittered away a seven-point lead, will need to regain their momentum quickly if they are to push for their first league title since 1990.
First-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Jorginho earned Chelsea a 2-1 win over struggling Fulham in an entertaining southwest London Premier League derby on Sunday but they had to work hard for the points.
On-loan Argentine striker Higuain
volleyed home Chelsea’s first after a perfectly-timed run on to a 21st-minute cross by Cesar Azpilicueta overlapping with Willian down the right.
Yet barely six minutes later Craven Cottage erupted when Calum Chambers drifted unmarked to the back post and scored from a Ryan Babel cross following a corner. Fulham’s players rushed to celebrate with new interim coach Scott Parker.
The jubilation was short-lived. Brazilian Jorginho put Chelsea back in front in the 31st, thumping in a cut-back ball by Eden Hazard from outside 0the area.
Tottenham’s first league draw of the season allowed Manchester United to make up ground with a 3-2 comeback win that included two goals from Romelu Lukaku and moved them one point above Arsenal into fourth place.
There were also wins for Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United against Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City and Newcastle United respectively.
At Wembley, as the clock ticked down in an eventful north London derby, referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot for the second time when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang went down softly under a challenge from Davinson Sanchez.
But the Arsenal striker’s spot-kick lacked power and direction and was easily parried by Hugo Lloris, with Jan Vertonghen preserving parity with a desperate follow-up clearance from Aubameyang.
There remained time for Taylor to send off Lucas Torreira in the final seconds for a reckless challenge on Danny Rose.
The referee had earlier awarded Spurs a penalty for a contested Shkodran Mustafi foul on Harry Kane, who got up to equalise from the spot after Aaron Ramsey’s breakaway opener.
It was another good derby, a passionate one, it had a bit of everything,” said Kane. “Towards the end of the game, it went a bit crazy.”
With Liverpool playing Everton on Sunday, Manchester City knew they had to win to keep up the pressure and move two points clear.
The outcome was never in doubt once substitute Riyad Mahrez put them in front early in the second half with a shot that Bournemouth keeper Artur Boruc would have been disappointed not to save.
But it was seldom easy for City and manager Pep Guardiola was forced to replace Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones with muscle injuries that are particularly unwelcome with many important games coming up.
The result delighted Guardiola, who put great store by victory after the double injury setback. “[It was] an incredible performance – one of the best performances we’ve ever played,” he said.
Manchester United had to work hard to beat battling Southampton at Old Trafford after Yan Valery put the visitors ahead with a fierce strike before the break.
United’s Andreas Pereira produced an even better strike to equalise before Lukaku scored a brace to ensure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s unbeaten league record as caretaker manager continues.
Palace moved further away from the relegation zone with a 3-1 win at fellow strugglers Burnley thanks to second-half goals from Michy Batshuayi and Wilfried Zaha.
Brighton also did their survival chances a power of good after securing their first league win of the year against doomed Huddersfield.
Watford’s Andre Gray scored a stoppage-time winner as Leicester City began life under new boss Brendan Rodgers in underwhelming fashion, suffering a 2-1 defeat at his former club in the Premier League on Sunday.
Watford clinched victory in the second minute of added time as Troy Deeney received the ball following a poor goal kick by Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel and fed substitute Gray who held his nerve to slide his finish into the net.
Eighth-placed Watford had taken the lead through Deeney in the fifth minute as the striker got his body across Wes Morgan and rose well to head home Gerard Deulofeu’s whipped ball from a free kick for his first goal in 10 matches at Vicarage Road.
Leicester responded after the break as Jamie Vardy ran onto a fine through ball from midfielder Youri Tielemens and dinked his finish over Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster in the 75th minute for his 10th league goal of the season.
