LONDON: Arsenal have barely put a foot wrong in the Premier League in 2024 but, as the title race approaches the finish line, they desperately need a favor from Fulham, who host relentless Manchester City this weekend.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, who travel to Manchester United, are one point clear at the top of the table with two matches to play but Pep Guardiola’s men, crucially, have a game in hand.

Nottingham Forest will take a huge step toward safety if they beat in-form Chelsea, who are battling Newcastle and Manchester United for a European spot.

Here’s a look at three talking points ahead of the action.

When the 2023/24 fixture list came out, Sunday’s trip to Manchester United would have seemed a tricky task for Arsenal, but it is not looking that way now.

The Gunners, chasing their first Premier League title for 20 years, are likely to have been dislodged from the top of the table by the time they kick off at Old Trafford on Sunday.

That is because second placed City, in the hunt for a historic fourth straight Premier League title, are in action at Fulham the previous day.

City are unbeaten against the London side in 21 games in all competitions.

Arsenal will be confident they can beat a sputtering United team, who appear increasingly likely to miss out on European football next season after their embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday.

City’s game in hand is next week at Tottenham, where they have never even scored a goal in the league, but Spurs’ form has deserted them and Erling Haaland is back to his marauding best.

Arsenal, boasting a superior goal difference, need City to stumble but the signs are not promising.

Newcastle and Chelsea are both making a late-season charge for a European place, helped by Manchester United’s slump.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle are in pole position to take either a Europa League or UEFA Conference League spot, depending on results in the last few rounds of the Premier League and in the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United.

They could even finish in fifth spot if Tottenham implode further.

Sixth-placed Newcastle, who host Brighton on Saturday, have won five of their past seven league games.

Free-scoring Chelsea were well off the pace just weeks ago, but a run of one defeat in their past 12 league games has given them hope of salvaging a troubled season.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men travel to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest knowing a win will keep alive their hopes of a European spot.

Nottingham Forest learned this week that an appeal against their four-point penalty for breaching Premier League financial rules had been unsuccessful, but they are still close to securing top-flight safety.

If Forest better Luton’s result against West Ham they will be on the brink of securing a third straight year in the top-flight.

It has been a rollercoaster season for Forest, who were charged with improper conduct by the Football Association earlier this month after the club criticized VAR Stuart Attwell on social media following their defeat to Everton.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo said he had “already moved on” after the failed appeal over their points deduction.

They are favorites to avoid the drop but if results go against them this weekend, they could yet face a shootout for survival with Burnley on the final weekend.

Fixtures

Saturday (1400 GMT unless stated)

Fulham vs. Man City (1130), Bournemouth vs. Brentford, Everton vs. Sheff Utd, Newcastle vs. Brighton, Tottenham vs. Burnley, West Ham vs. Luton, Wolves vs. Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea (1630)

Sunday

Manchester United vs. Arsenal (1530)

Monday

Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (1900)

LOS ANGELES: Cleveland and Dallas turned the tables on their top-seeded opponents on Thursday, the Cavaliers shocking the Boston Celtics and the Mavericks silencing the Thunder to level their NBA playoff series at one game apiece.

Donovan Mitchell led a comprehensive Cleveland effort as the Cavaliers powered past the Celtics 118-94 in Boston to make it 1-1 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Dallas star Luka Doncic scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and teammate P.J. Washington poured in another 29 points for the Mavericks, who beat the Thunder 119-110 in Oklahoma City to knot their Western Conference semifinal at one-all.

Mitchell scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half and received plenty of support from “attack-minded” teammates as the Cavs bounced back from a Game 1 rout.

Evan Mobley, 22, got Cleveland going early, scoring 15 of his playoff career-high 21 points in the first half. Mobley added 10 rebounds and five assists and reserve guard Caris LeVert added 21 points off the bench for Cleveland, who had six players score in double figures.

“I like the way that we were just attack-minded,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We didn’t settle for the first quick (shot) that we saw.”

The Cavs fell behind in each of the first two quarters had tied it up 54-54 at halftime.

Mitchell erupted for 16 points in the third quarter as the Cavaliers seized control.

The Cavs, up by 12 going into the fourth, pressed their advantage, as Mitchell drained three straight baskets that included a spinning drive for a hook shot that made it 99-83.

By the time Cleveland pushed their lead to 24 points with less than five minutes to play, fans were streaming out of T.D. Garden arena.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters, with Jayson Tatum finishing with 25 points and Jaylen Brown adding 19.

Brown said the Celtics’ defensive effort was simply “unacceptable.”

“We gave up 118 points,” he said. “On top of that we lost the rebound battle — so we didn’t help ourselves tonight.”

Mitchell, meanwhile, was delighted with what he called a “complete performance.”

“Everybody did their job,” Mitchell said, adding they need to keep the pressure on when the series shifts to Cleveland on Saturday.

“At the end of the day, it’s one win,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to do it at the crib.”

The Mavericks will also head home for game three on Saturday with their series level.

Doncic, playing through a right knee sprain, scored 16 points in the first quarter to set the tone in a bruising battle.

The Slovenian star landed face-first on the court early in the contest when his feet tangled with those of Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort as they raced up court.

Doncic tripped again early in the fourth and came up limping, but stayed in the game and drilled a three-pointer that pushed the Mavericks’ lead back to nine points after the Thunder had cut it to four.

“I think that was one of the hardest games I’ve had to play,” Doncic said. “I’m battling out there. Trying to do my best to help the team win.

“It’s just my mentality to have a great start and then team is going to follow me.”

Doncic, held to six-of-19 shooting in game one, connected on 11 of his 21 attempts in game two.

While star teammate Kyrie Irving had a slow-scoring night with nine points, he handed out 11 assists with two steals and two blocked shots.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 10 of his 17 points off the bench in the third quarter to help the Mavs thwart a Thunder rally.

Oklahoma City erased a 14-point first-half deficit and took the lead for the first time early in the third. They led by as many as three points but couldn’t build any momentum and Dallas took a 10-point lead into the fourth.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder and Jalen Williams added 20.