Arsenal, Mar 05 : Arsenal F.C. moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table after edging past Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 1–0 on Wednesday.
The decisive moment came early at the Amex Stadium when Bukayo Saka found the net in the ninth minute during his 300th appearance for the London club. Cutting in from the right flank, the winger fired a long-range shot that deflected off Carlos Baleba before slipping past Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Brighton dominated possession and created several opportunities but could not break through Arsenal’s disciplined defence, allowing the visitors to hold on for a valuable victory.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his players’ resilience after a demanding run of matches.
“This was a really difficult one after everything we’ve been through in the last few weeks,” Arteta said, highlighting the effort and commitment shown by his squad.
Manchester City held by Nottingham Forest
Title rivals Manchester City F.C. missed a chance to close the gap after a 2–2 draw against Nottingham Forest F.C..
City opened the scoring through Antoine Semenyo, whose volley gave the visitors an early advantage. Forest responded in the 56th minute when Morgan Gibbs‑White cleverly flicked the ball into the net with a backheel.
The visitors regained the lead shortly afterwards as Rodri headed home a corner delivered by Rayan Ait‑Nouri. However, Forest struck again when midfielder Elliot Anderson produced a precise finish to level the match.
City manager Pep Guardiola insisted the title race remains open, noting that his team still has a game in hand.
Newcastle edge Manchester United despite red card
Newcastle United F.C. claimed a dramatic 2–1 victory over Manchester United F.C. at St James’ Park, handing interim manager Michael Carrick his first defeat across two temporary spells in charge.
Newcastle were reduced to 10 players before the break when Jacob Ramsey received a second yellow card for simulation. Despite the setback, the hosts moved ahead through a penalty converted by Anthony Gordon.
United responded in stoppage time of the first half when Casemiro headed home the equaliser. Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale produced several crucial saves after the break before substitute William Osula sealed the win with a curling strike in the 90th minute.
Carrick admitted the performance fell below expectations, saying the defeat was due to a lack of quality rather than the numerical advantage.
Chelsea surge in Champions League race
In another key fixture, Chelsea F.C. came from behind to defeat Aston Villa F.C. 4–1, with João Pedro scoring a hat-trick.
The victory lifted Chelsea to fifth place, three points behind Villa, while Liverpool F.C. slipped to sixth in the standings.
Elsewhere, West Ham United F.C. secured a 1–0 win over Fulham F.C. thanks to a strike from Crysencio Summerville.
The result left both Forest and West Ham level on 28 points, just one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur F.C., who face Crystal Palace F.C. on Thursday.