LONDON: Arsenal and Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes suffered a massive blow as both the teams lost their respective matches and surrendered the initiative to Manchester City on Sunday.

The Gunners should have been on a high after Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace just half an hour before kick-off in north London but Aston Villa struck twice in the closing stages against Arsenal to boost their top four bid with a dramatic 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s side would have gone back to the top of the table with a victory, but Leon Bailey put the visitors ahead and Ollie Watkins doubled their lead as Villa boss Unai Emery enjoyed a second sweet win this season over the club that sacked him in 2019.

Arsenal’s first defeat in 12 league games leaves them in second place, two points behind City, while third placed Liverpool are behind Arsenal on goal difference.

With just six games left, champions City are closing in on an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League crown.

City’s rout of Luton Town on Saturday had knocked Arsenal out of first place.

Arsenal were expected to come out all guns blazing to claim the top position but the Gunners produced a spluttering display that could prove fatal to their challenge for a first English title in 20 years.

It has been a dispiriting week for the Gunners, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Bayern Munich in the Cham­pions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, setting up a tricky trip to Germany for the second leg on Wednesday.

After blowing an eight-point lead in the title race last season, Arsenal are in danger of squandering the advantage yet again.

Villa had moved up to fourth place without kicking a ball after Tottenham Hotspur’s thrashing at Newcastle United on Saturday dropped them below Emery’s men on goal difference.

And Villa’s second win in six league games moved them three points clear of Tottenham, who have a game in hand in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.

Arsenal had started brightly and Kai Havertz’s low drive was palmed away by Emiliano Martinez before Gabriel Jesus headed into the side-netting from Bukayo Saka’s cross.

Accelerating onto Martin Odegaard’s pin-point pass, Saka took aim from inside the area, but couldn’t test Martinez from an acute angle.

Arsenal created chances but the superbly-organised Villa remained resolute, reaching half-time on level terms.

The Emirates crowd grew increasingly frustrated as Villa pushed Arsenal back in the closing stages.

And their fears were confirmed in the 84th minute when Emery’s men snatched the lead.

Lucas Digne’s low cross eluded Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, leaving Bailey with the simple task of slotting into the empty net from close-range.

Two minutes and 26 seconds later, Watkins delivered the knockout blow, stealing the ball from Emile Smith-Rowe and clipping a delicate finish past David Raya for his 10th goal in his last 11 league games.

Emery celebrated with a jubilant jig on the touchline, while Arteta stood ashen-faced as Arsenal faced up to a catastrophic loss.

Earlier, Liverpool’s quest for a Premier League title in manager Jurgen Klopp’s final season with the team suffered a huge blow at Anfield after Eberechi Eze scored in the 14th minute to stun the Anfield faithful in the third consecutive disappointing result for Liverpool.

“I would say with the chances we had, we were really unlucky,” Klopp told the BBC. “In the second half, Crystal Palace were lucky we didn’t punish them but that’s why we are stood here with no points and Crystal Palace have three.”

Tyrick Mitchell found Eze unmarked in the box after a beautiful build-up of 21 passes and Eze slotted home with his first touch to put Palace ahead.

“It’s an outstanding win at Anfield, it’s so difficult to win here,” Palace boss Oliver Glasner said. “How they played, especially in the first half, is so nice to see. In the second half, there was a lot of pressure from Liverpool. It’s about being able to express yourself and play with confidence,” he added.

Liverpool, who had 21 shots to Palace’s eight, squandered a bagful of chances including Curtis Jones’s shot on a breakaway that he fired wide, tugging his shirt over his head in disbelief. Liverpool’s talisman Mohamed Salah hammered a close-range strike off a defender in the dying seconds.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2024