The Gunners returned to winning ways by beating Newcastle 2-0. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s return from illness proved to be the catalyst for the Gunners’ win. Meanwhile, Gareth Bale scored a hattrick as Tottenham beat an already relegated Sheffield United, 4-0.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were handed a massive blow in their European hopes last week when Villarreal beat them 2-1 in the Europa League semi-final first leg. Focus shifted back on the Premier League, with the North London outfit looking to secure European football for next season through the domestic route.
Arsenal had fallen to 11th in the table before the match began due to Aston Villa’s win over Everton. The Gunners needed a win not only to boost their European hopes but to also enter the top half of the table. An early Mohamed Elneny strike gave them a massive boost towards their target.
The Egyptian found himself in the right place on the edge of the box during an Arsenal attack. The ball fell in front of him after Aubameyang had scuffed his shot inside the penalty box. The midfielder made no mistake with his half volley and blasted the ball past Martin Dubravka in goal.
Arsenal survived a scare midway through the match as the referee decided not to show Granit Xhaka a second yellow card for a punishable offence. The Swiss midfielder was booked for a cynical foul on Allan Saint-Maximin. He later body-checked Sean Longstaff’s run only to escape a second booking.
The Gunners doubled their lead in the second half through Aubameyang. The forward scored on his return from injury after Gabriel Martinelli picked him in the box with a cross. The Gabonese striker acrobatically diverted the ball into the net to give his team a two-goal cushion. There was to be a late sending off in the match, as Newcastle substitute Fabian Schar was shown a red card for dangerous play.
Arsenal held onto their lead, and as a consequence, are back in the top half of the table. Arteta’s side is currently ninth, one point above Aston Villa in tenth.
In the other Premier League encounter, Tottenham took on the relegated Sheffield United. Spurs came into the match on the back of a loss in the EFL Cup Final. As such, they were looking to bounce back against the side currently rock-bottom of the league.
Gareth Bale ensured that that was the case as he scored a hattrick. The Welshman scored his first of the night in the 36th minute as he converted a Serge Aurier cross past Aaron Ramsdale in goal. He netted his second just past the hour mark from a Son Heung-min assist. The South Korean had a goal disallowed in between Bale’s two strikes.
Bale completed his hattrick in the 69th minute, once again converting an Aurier cross past the goalkeeper. Son scored his side’s fourth goal of the match, curling in an effort from twenty yards out.
Tottenham leapfrogged Liverpool and West Ham following their win and are now fifth in the table. However, they remain five points behind Chelsea in fourth. West Ham, meanwhile, can retake the fifth spot, provided they beat Burnley in their Monday night encounter. Liverpool, on the other hand, will have to wait for the opportunity to do the same after their clash against Manchester United was postponed due to fan disturbance.
Everton also find themselves in the chasing pack for a Champions League position, despite a loss against Aston Villa in their last match. The Toffees are eighth on the table, albeit only four points behind Spurs and with a game in hand.
