Arsenal continued to advance steadily towards winning the Premier League title for the first time since 2004, by defeating Leeds United 4-1 at home, while Manchester City, last season's champion, continued its pursuit, achieving a great and deserved victory over its guest Liverpool, with the same result, Saturday, in the ninth stage. twenty.
Arsenal raised its score to 72 points, 8 points ahead of Manchester City, who played one less game and hosts the London team on the current 26 in a match that may determine the identity of the title winner.
At the Emirates Stadium in north London, Arsenal honored Leeds, who faced the danger of falling to the first level (Championship League).
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta decided to rest his winger, Bakayo Saka, who starred in his two international matches for England against Italy and Ukraine in the 2024 European Cup qualifiers, while French defender William Saliba, who was injured in his back, was absent.
Although Arsenal dominated the course of the first half, he waited until the 35th minute for his Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus to open the scoring for him from a penalty kick after he was fouled inside the area.
The goal is Jesus' first since his return shortly before the injury that kept him out of the World Cup with Brazil, specifically since his last goal against Tottenham on the first of last October.
In the second half, the hosts finished off the guests, as defender Ben White added the second goal from close range, taking advantage of a cross from Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli (47), before Jesus added the third goal after a solo effort from Belgian striker Leandro Trossard (55).
Leeds responded by reducing the difference with a powerful shot from the outskirts of the area to Danish Rasmus Christensen (76), but Swiss international Granit Xhaka ended any hope for the guests to return in the match by scoring the fourth goal from a header after a pass from the Norwegian playmaker Martin Odegaard (84).
And at the Etihad Stadium, despite the absence of its Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, Manchester City inflicted a severe loss on Liverpool 4-1.
The Egyptian international, Mohamed Salah, gave Liverpool the lead (17), but the hosts responded strongly through Argentine Julian Alvares (27), Belgian Kevin De Bruyne (46), German Ilkay Gundogan (53) and Jack Grealish (74).
Since its historic 7-0 victory over Manchester United early last month, it lost its next three matches against Bournemouth 0-1 and City today, and against Real Madrid 0-2 in the second leg of the Champions League final.
City enjoys a relatively easier journey than its opponent on paper in the last few meters, but its focus is dispersed in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in an early summit against Bayern Munich and the semi-finals of the FA Cup against Sheffield United, while the Gunners bid farewell to the continental European League and from the Cup.
City achieved its first victory over Liverpool in the league nearly two years ago, after falling against it in the first leg this season in the league with Salah's goal, before taking revenge by excluding it from the League Cup.
"From the first minute until the ninety-third, it was a complete display (...) It was one of the best performances in the last seven years," said City coach Pep Guardiola, since joining the Emirati-owned team.
As for Jürgen Klopp's team, it suffered a second successive loss, to remain seven points away from the last Champions League qualifying position. "Nothing positive can be said about this match," said the German.
City's four goals came despite the absence of Haaland, who scored 42 goals in all competitions this season with his team, due to a thigh injury that kept him out of the international window with his country's national team.
City also missed another striker, Phil Foden, after he underwent surgery to remove his appendix last Sunday, while Uruguayan Darwin Nunes started on the bench for Liverpool due to a minor injury, to be replaced by Portuguese Diogo Jota, along with Salah and Dutchman Cody Khakpo.
City imposed absolute control over the course of the first half, and contrary to the course of the game, Trent Alexander-Arnold took advantage of a defensive loophole to deliver the ball to Jota, who entered the area with his back to the goal, paving it in front of Salah, who followed it with a missile with his left into the net (17).
The pressure of the landowners resulted in the equalizing goal, after the ball reached Grealish on the left side, and he followed it with a cross to Alvares, who slotted it into the net (27).
Within seconds of the start of the second half, City doubled its lead after Alvares delivered a wonderful ball towards the right to Mahrez, who passed it as a peeler to De Bruyne in front of the goal (46).
City confirmed its victory after the ball rebounded from Alexander-Arnold to prepare in front of Gundogan, and he followed it into the net (53).
Klopp made a quadruple change and pushed Benonis, Brazilian Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Greek defender Kostas Tsimikas in an attempt to return the score (70). But the response came with a fourth goal from Grealish, after a beautiful exchange of the ball with De Bruyne inside the area, before he deposited it in the net (74).
In an exciting match full of goals, Brighton turned 3 times behind at home to Brentford, to come out with a 3-3 draw.
Crystal Palace, in its first official match, led by its old-new coach, old Roy Hodgson, snatched a last-gasp victory at home to Leicester City 2-1, scored by Frenchman Jean-Philippe Matita.
Chelsea returned to its disappointing performances, and it fell to its ground in front of Aston Villa with a clean double.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring when he singled out Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arisalapaga and hit the ball over him (18).
Scottish international John McGinn added the second goal with a powerful shot from 20 meters (56).
And the fate of Chelsea coach Graham Potter is in the wind. He took over the job last September, succeeding German Thomas Tuchel, after the former did well at the helm of Brighton's coaching staff in recent years.
Chelsea had made a series of contracts during the winter transfer period, most notably the contract with Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez and Ukrainian Mikhailo Modric, without any improvement in the team that reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where it will face Real Madrid, the defending champions.