LONDON (AP) — Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, with Mikel Merino scoring the decisive goal with a first-half header in the London derby at the Emirates Stadium. This win brought Arsenal within 12 points of league leaders Liverpool, who were playing Newcastle in the English League Cup final on the same day.
In another London clash, Fulham defeated Tottenham 2-0. Arsenal’s hopes for the title have dimmed in recent weeks, but the victory helped them close the gap on Liverpool. Manager Mikel Arteta emphasized the importance of winning matches to improve their position in the league standings.
Merino’s goal came in the 20th minute when he rose to head in Martin Odegaard’s corner kick, beating Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. This win marked Arsenal’s first league victory since February 15. The loss for Chelsea, who are in fourth place, prevented them from extending their one-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester City and improving their chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
Meanwhile, Tottenham suffered another setback, adding pressure on coach Ange Postecoglou as they fell to Fulham in their 15th league defeat of the season. Postecoglou acknowledged the challenges faced by Tottenham this campaign and stressed the need to bounce back after the international break.
Rodrigo Muniz opened the scoring for Fulham in the 78th minute, followed by a goal from Ryan Sessegnon ten minutes later. Fulham sits in eighth place, trailing Chelsea by four points in the race for a Champions League spot.
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