A round-up of Sunday's 2pm Premier League action, as Leeds drop into the relegation zone as a result of their defeat to Arsenal and Everton's victory in Leicester.
Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
Arsenal’s quest for a return to Champions League football continued as they laboured to a 2-1 victory over 10-man Leeds with Eddie Nketiah’s brace sending the visitors into the Premier League relegation zone.
The clash at the Emirates Stadium was always going to have repercussions at both ends of the table and the result leaves the Gunners on the cusp of a top-four finish.
Nketiah, on loan at Leeds during the 2019-20 campaign, appeared to all-but seal the points in the opening 10 minutes before Luke Ayling was dismissed to add to the woes of Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, whose side at least registered a goal through Diego Llorente.
The defeat saw Leeds drop into the bottom three at just the wrong time of the season, with Chelsea next up on Wednesday night.
For Arsenal, whose manager Mikel Arteta signed a new three-year deal on Friday, they now know victory at the home of north London rivals Tottenham on Thursday will ensure a first season of Champions League football for five years.
Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
— Sporting Life Football & Infogol (@InfogolApp) May 8, 2022
‣ xG: 2.72 - 0.68
Leicester 1-2 Everton
‣ xG: 1.80 - 1.72
Everton move out of the relegation places after a second successive win. Leeds' loss puts them in deep drop zone trouble. pic.twitter.com/Nj1JSrOeEv
Leicester 1-2 Everton
Mason Holgate fired resurgent Everton out of the Premier League relegation zone with the winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Leicester.
The defender’s header secured back-to-back league wins for just the second time this season as the Toffees moved above Leeds, who were beaten at Arsenal on Sunday, and Burnley.
Vitalii Mykolenko’s stunning opener was cancelled out by Patson Daka – following comical Everton defending – but the Toffees recovered to give themselves a huge lifeline.
It was just their second away win in the Premier League this season and first since August.
Trailing Burnley by five points before beating Chelsea last week, the Toffees are now a point above the bottom three after the Clarets lost to Aston Villa and Leeds’ 2-1 defeat to the Gunners.
Everton also still have a game in hand and it represents a dramatic turnaround but they needed three fine second-half saves from Jordan Pickford to earn the points.
Norwich 0-4 West Ham
West Ham brushed off their European exit and reignited the race for the Premier League top six with a thumping 4-0 win at Norwich.
The Hammers arrived at Carrow Road licking their wounds after their painful Europa League semi-final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night.
But Norwich, condemned to relegation by defeat at Aston Villa last weekend, were less Frankfurt and more Frank Spencer with goalkeeper Tim Krul having a nightmare.
Manchester United’s 4-0 defeat at Brighton has left the door open for West Ham to snatch sixth place and qualify for the Europa League again next season. Thanks to Norwich’s generosity they are now three points behind United, with a game in hand and a superior goal difference.
