LONDON, Sporting Alert – Complete results and scores from the English Premier League games that took place over the weekend in Week 26.
Title contenders Arsenal and Tottenham both grabbed important wins, while chasers Manchester City and Manchester United, and leaders Leicester City all fell to defeats at the weekend.
Arsenal got back on course to win the title this season after edging Leicester City 2-1 at home to cut the difference atop of the English Premier League standings to two points heading into the Week 27 fixtures.
The Gunners sealed the all-important three points through a stoppage time goal from Danny Welbeck, who scored the winner five minutes into stoppage time play.
“In the last two training sessions he was very strong,” Wenger said about the former Manchester United forward.
“Everyone is extremely happy for (Welbeck) because he has been out for 10 months which is an eternity for a player.”
Welbeck added: “It has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me, missing a lot of football … it was difficult.
“To get that winning goal is a beautiful feeling.”
Theo Walcott had earlier cancelled out a Jamie Vardy 45 minute penalty which gave the Foxes a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Leicester City were reduced to 10 players after Danny Simpson was sent off in the 54th minute after the defender picked up two yellow cards in the opening minutes of the second half.
Despite the defeat, the Foxes still lead the Premier League standings with 53 points, with Arsenal and Tottenham on 51 points each.
Leicester City manager plans to give his players some time off from the club this week.
“I said to (the players), `Don’t worry. It’s OK. You are top of the league with two points more,’” Foxes coach Claudio Ranieri said. “They go, I don’t know where. Dubai? Wherever they want.”
“They go, I don’t know where. Dubai? Wherever they want.”
Tottenham moved into second place with a battling 2-1 victory over Manchester City to signal their intentions of catching Leicester City at the top of the league.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Harry Kane scored a 53rd-minute penalty kick to give Spurs the lead, but Manchester City struck back through rising attacker Kelechi Iheanacho, who netted the equaliser in the 74th minute.
Tottenham secured all three points on the day when midfield playmaker Christian Eriksen scored the winner seven minutes from time.
Liverpool also landed a much-needed victory on Sunday after fit-again Daniel Sturridge inspired the Reds to a dominating 6-0 victory over Aston Villa.
Besides Sturridge, James Milner, Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Toure also placed their names on the scoresheet for Liverpool in the one-sided affair.
But the shocker in the English Premier League on Week 26 came on Saturday where relegation-threatened Sunderland beat Manchester United 2-1 to cast further doubt over Louis van Gaal’s future at Old Trafford.
Sunderland took the lead in the third minute of play when Wahbi Khazri scored off the post from a free-kick.
Manchester United got back into the game when Anthony Martial netted a neatly chipped equaliser in the 39th minute to send both teams locked at 1-1 going into the halftime break.
However, an own goal from goalkeeper David De Gea in the 82nd-minute gave the win to the Black Cats.
Elsewhere in the Premier League on Saturday, Chelsea blasted Newcastle United 5-1, Swansea City were edged 1-0 by Southampton, Everton also fell 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion, Watford secured a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, Bournemouth went down 3-1 to Stoke City, while Norwich City and West Ham United ended 2-2.
English Premier League Scores – Week 26
Sunday, February 14
Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 6
Arsenal 2 Leicester City 1
Manchester City 1 Tottenham 2
Saturday, February 13
Chelsea 5 Newcastle United 1
Sunderland 2 Manchester United 1
Bournemouth 1 Stoke City 3
Crystal Palace 1 Watford 2
Everton 0 West Bromwich Albion 1
Swansea City 0 Southampton 1
Norwich City 2 West Ham United 2
Standings on Week 26 – Premier League
Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Leicester City 26 15 8 3 48 29 53
2 Tottenham Hotspur 26 14 9 3 47 20 51
3 Arsenal 26 15 6 5 41 23 51
4 Manchester City 26 14 5 7 48 28 47
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5 Manchester United 26 11 8 7 33 24 41
6 Southampton 26 11 7 8 34 24 40
7 West Ham United 26 10 10 6 40 31 40
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8 Liverpool 26 10 8 8 38 36 38
9 Watford 26 10 6 10 29 28 36
10 Stoke City 26 10 6 10 27 32 36
11 Everton 26 8 11 7 46 35 35
12 Chelsea 26 8 9 9 38 36 33
13 Crystal Palace 26 9 5 12 27 32 32
14 West Bromwich Albion 26 8 8 10 24 32 32
15 AFC Bournemouth 26 7 7 12 30 44 28
16 Swansea City 26 6 9 11 24 34 27
17 Norwich City 26 6 6 14 30 50 24
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18 Newcastle United 26 6 6 14 27 49 24
19 Sunderland 26 6 5 15 32 50 23
20 Aston Villa 26 3 7 16 20 46 16
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