London: Arsenal reignited their Premier League title challenge with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday, while Newcastle secured a spot in the top four thanks to a brace from Alexander Isak.
In other matches, David Moyes had a disappointing return to the Everton dugout as his team lost 1-0 to Aston Villa at Goodison Park.
The win at the Emirates lifts Arsenal to within four points of league leaders Liverpool, who drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, and ended a three-match winless run for the Gunners across all competitions.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Tottenham took the lead through Son Heung-min in the 25th minute, but Arsenal equalised 15 minutes later when Gabriel’s header from a corner deflected off Dominic Solanke for an own goal.
Arsenal completed the turnaround just before halftime, with Leandro Trossard blasting a shot past new Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
Despite numerous chances to extend their lead, Arsenal failed to do so and had a nervous moment when Pedro Porro hit the post in stoppage time.
Arsenal now sits on 43 points after 21 matches, four points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, praised his team’s performance, calling it “outstanding.”
“We had some big chances and big situations. At the end we had to suffer more than we wanted,” he told the BBC.
“When you have opportunities (to close the gap) you have to take them. We are on a really consistent run in the Premier League. It’s about recovery tomorrow and Aston Villa on Saturday, going and going.”
The defeat is another setback for injury-plagued Tottenham, who have taken only five points from their last nine Premier League games and have fallen to 13th in the table.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was critical of his team’s performance, saying, “Nowhere near good enough, especially in the first half. We were too passive.”
Record-chasing Isak
Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak celebrates after scoring against Wolves in the Premier League. (AP)
Newcastle moved into fourth place, ahead of struggling Chelsea, with a 3-0 victory over Wolves, thanks to a record-chasing performance from Isak, who scored for the eighth consecutive league match.
Isak’s deflected shot off Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri put Newcastle ahead in the 34th minute, and he doubled the lead before the hour mark with his 15th league goal of the season.
Anthony Gordon added a third goal for Newcastle.
“I feel amazing,” said Isak, who has Jamie Vardy’s record of scoring in 11 straight Premier League games in his sights.
“Individually I feel free and confident but looking at the team we are doing so well as well, defending and with threats going forward. It is a team and I have to keep contributing with goals.”
At Goodison Park, Ollie Watkins scored the only goal for Aston Villa in the 51st minute, slotting past England teammate Jordan Pickford after being sent through by Morgan Rogers.
Despite their efforts, Everton lacked creativity, which is unsurprising for a team that has scored only 15 league goals in 20 matches this season.
The result lifts Aston Villa to seventh in the table, while Everton remain in deep trouble, just one point above the relegation zone in 16th place.
Everton, who have been in the top flight since 1954, have struggled against relegation for the past three seasons and are once again in a perilous position.
David Moyes, who enjoyed success during his 11-year stint at Goodison Park from 2002 to 2013, was brought back by Everton’s new American owners, the Friedkin Group, after they sacked Sean Dyche last week.
“Obviously it’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” Moyes said. “Sean Dyche left a group of players that have great character and a great attitude.
“I’m really pleased to take over that. What I need to do is add quality and find a way of getting results but you can’t change the whole thing around straight away.”
In another match, Leicester suffered their sixth consecutive league defeat, losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace, which leaves them second from bottom in the table.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored for Palace early in the second half, and Marc Guehi secured the points with a late second goal.
