MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City reduced Arsenal's lead in the Premier League to two points on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.
The win intensifies the pressure on Arsenal, which is set to face Tottenham in a crucial north London derby on Sunday.
City's Performance
Nico O'Reilly netted both goals for Pep Guardiola's squad, extending their unbeaten streak in the league to five matches.
This victory also positioned City further ahead of second-place Aston Villa, which managed only a 1-1 draw against Leeds. Chelsea remains in fourth place after a similar draw with Burnley.
City's recent form contrasts sharply with Arsenal, which has recorded just two wins in its last seven league matches.
Guardiola and his players celebrated the significance of the win, embracing each other following the final whistle.
Aston Villa's Draw
Aston Villa's aspirations for the title suffered a setback as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Leeds, who are battling relegation.
Substitute Tammy Abraham scored an equalizer in the 88th minute, salvaging a point for Villa. However, the draw leaves Unai Emery's side seven points behind both Arsenal and Manchester City.
Emery reflected on the match, stating, “There are two sides — one is that we lost two points, or that we won one point. We have 51 points. Today, we lost two, or we won one. At this point, hopefully, we can get the next matches, understanding this point better.”
Villa has struggled recently, recording only one win in their last four league games.
Leeds initially took the lead with a goal from Aton Stach in the 31st minute from a free kick.
Abraham's goal marked his first in the Premier League since joining Villa Park from Besiktas.
Leeds remains seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Chelsea's Late Equalizer
In another match, Zian Flemming scored in the 93rd minute to secure a draw for Burnley against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Joao Pedro had given Chelsea an early lead in the fourth minute, but they were reduced to ten men when Wesley Fofana received a red card in the 72nd minute.
Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior commented, “You need to be ruthless in this league because if you don’t defend set plays well then you get punished. I felt we were very happy — and it’s not the way I want to play — just to maintain possession, I want us to go for more goals.”
The draw allowed Chelsea to maintain fourth place, ahead of Manchester United on goal difference, but the competition for Champions League qualification remains tight.
Manchester United is set to play against Everton on Monday.
Milner Breaks Record
James Milner set a new Premier League record by making his 654th appearance in the competition.
The 40-year-old surpassed the previous record held by Gareth Barry since 2018 and expressed his intent to continue playing, saying, “I’ll keep pushing, let’s see where that takes us.”
Milner's performance contributed to Brighton's 2-0 victory over Brentford, which hindered Brentford's Champions League ambitions.
Goals from Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck secured the win for Brighton before halftime.
Adams Returns to Action
U.S. international Tyler Adams made his return for Bournemouth, participating in his first match since suffering a left MCL tear on December 15.
Adams started in the 0-0 draw against West Ham, playing for 66 minutes before being substituted for Ryan Christie.
West Ham's recent performance has seen them avoid defeat in their last six matches, although they remain two points away from safety in 17th place.
West Ham has played one game more than their closest rival, Nottingham Forest.
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