LONDON: Arsenal survived a late scare against Wolves on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as Burnley lifted themselves off the bottom with a 5-0 trouncing of 10-man Sheffield United.
The big win for Vincent Kompany’s men briefly sent Everton to the foot of the table but Sean Dyche’s team beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the evening kick-off to edge clear.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, brimming with confidence after their 6-0 hammering of Lens in the Champions League in midweek, raced into a 2-0 lead at the Emirates within 13 minutes.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring and Arsenal doubled their lead when Oleksandr Zinchenko cut the ball back for Martin Odegaard, who picked out the bottom corner as they threatened to run riot.
The home side came agonizingly close to a third goal when Gabriel Martinelli cannoned a shot off the post toward the end of the first half.
But they failed to put the game to bed and were made to sweat when Wolves forward Matheus Cunha found the top corner in the 86th minute to set up a tense finale.
Despite the wobble, Arsenal, last year’s runners-up, held on to win 2-1 and notch their 10th win in 14 league games, which moves them four points clear of champions Manchester City, who host Tottenham on Sunday.
“I can only praise the players,” said Arteta.
“They were excellent. We played against a really good side and generated so much and conceded almost nothing. The scoreline should have been very different. We were very unlucky because we hit the post three times I think.
“At the end we made an error close to the goal — in the Premier League you get punished big time for that. Then it’s game on. Overall I’m really happy with how we performed again.”
At the other end of the table, Burnley put five goals past Sheffield United at Turf Moor.
Jay Rodriguez fired the home side ahead with just 15 seconds on the clock — the fastest goal of the season so far.
Jacob Bruun Larsen extended their lead and Sheffield United’s task was made almost impossible when Oli McBurnie received a second yellow card shortly before the break.
Zeki Amdouni made it 3-0 in the 73rd minute, with Luca Koleosho and Josh Brownhill also finding the net as the floodgates opened.
Paul Heckingbottom’s men are now bottom — stuck on just a single win and they have now conceded five goals or more on three occasions this season.
But Burnley are just two points from safety after only their second win of the season — and Kompany said he hoped the three points would be a launch pad.
“I think the guys have deserved it,” he told the BBC. “They have performed well for a while. This league is brutal.
“I haven’t felt the nerves (from the team). I could barely contain them, they were raring to go. The frustration of last week (conceding two late goals against West Ham) didn’t turn into negativity. It turned into ‘we’ll show people’.”
Luton, just outside the drop zone, sank to a 3-1 defeat at Brentford, with Neal Maupay, Ben Mee and Shandon Baptiste on target for the Bees.
Everton, hit last month with a swingeing 10-point deduction for breaking Premier League financial rules, against which they have appealed, are above Burnley on goal difference.
Dwight McNeil broke the deadlock midway through the second half, smashing the ball into the top corner, as Everton secured a third consecutive away win.
In the late match, Newcastle face Manchester United at St. James’ Park, where a win for either side would lift them to fifth place in the table at the expense of Tottenham.
Nervy Arsenal extend Premier League lead, Burnley score five
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Nervy Arsenal extend Premier League lead, Burnley score five
- Bukayo Saka opened the scoring and Arsenal doubled their lead when Oleksandr Zinchenko cut the ball back for Martin Odegaard
- The home side came agonizingly close to a third goal when Gabriel Martinelli cannoned a shot off the post toward the end of the first half
Mohamed Salah seals AFCON last-16 victory for Egypt over brave Benin
- Salah, whose goals have helped Liverpool win many trophies, is seeking a first AFCON winners’ medal, having twice been a runner-up
AGADIR: Captain Mohamed Salah scored after 124 minutes to clinch a 3-1 extra-time victory for Egypt over plucky minnows Benin in an Africa Cup of Nations last-16 thriller in Agadir on Monday.
Marwan Attia put the Pharaohs ahead in the second half and Jodel Dossou equalized for the Cheetahs, who are 58 places below the record seven-time AFCON champions in the world rankings.
Yasser Ibrahim headed Egypt back in front in the first half of extra time, then Salah broke clear and beat goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou with a shot from outside the area for his 10th AFCON goal.
Salah, whose goals have helped Liverpool win many trophies, is seeking a first AFCON winners’ medal, having twice been a runner-up.
Record seven-time champions Egypt stay in Agadir to face title-holders Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso on Saturday in the quarter-finals.
“Before the game, I said there are no easy teams, and Benin were tough opponents. Egypt are a great team and I want to make my people happy,” said coach Hossam Hassan.
“We are sad about the injury to Mohamed Hamdy, which seems serious. His teammates played for him. We are mentally prepared to play either 90 minutes or extra time.”
Benin coach Gernot Rohr said: “What we saw was a match that was a fight, a real battle, while still playing football. Two teams engaged in a tough contest.
“When you look at the Egyptian players, we do not have the same level. We missed our best striker Steve Mounie. He would have helped us a lot, particularly in aerial play.”
Egypt changed 10 of the team that drew with Angola in their final group match seven days ago with only midfielder Ibrahim Adel retained.
- Marmoush foiled -
Benin lacked captain and former Premier League striker Mounie, who had not recovered from an undisclosed illness.
Egypt had a great chance to go in front after only eight minutes through Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush.
He darted forward from the Egyptian half, gained possession and stayed ahead of two pursuing defenders only to be foiled by Dandjinou, who blocked the ball with his legs, then grasped it.
A collision between Hamdy and Rodolfo Aloko led to a long delay, which ended with the Egyptian being carried off the field. Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh took his place in midfield.
An incident deep in added time illustrated how wary Benin were of Salah. When the captain gained possession just outside the box, he was immediately surrounded by three opponents.
Dandjinou rescued Benin 10 minutes into the second half when he bravely parried a close-range shot from Ramy Rabia after the ball ran loose to the defender following a corner.
As the match passed the hour mark, it began to open up. A Salah attempt to chip the ball into the net was foiled by leaping Dandjinou.
Then, a parry from 37-year-old Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy prevented substitute Dossou giving Benin a shock lead.
Attia ended the goalless stalemate when Marmoush pushed the ball back to the midfielder and, from just outside the box, he side-footed it into the roof of the net.
Benin refused to accept defeat, though, attacked constantly and levelled on 83 minutes through 33-year-old Dossou.
El Shenawy did superbly to palm a Mohamed Tijani cross away from his goal, but the ball fell invitingly for Dossou, and he pushed it into the net.
Egypt regained the lead seven minutes into extra time, and this time Attia was the creator. He crossed after a short corner and a looping Ibrahim header evaded Dandjinou and landed in the net.
Salah then put the outcome beyond doubt with his third goal of the tournament.
