Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow on Saturday as West Ham left the Emirates Stadium with a 1-0 victory.
Manchester United’s problems continued unabated as they were forced to fight their way back from a two-goal deficit while Marcus Rashford, the striker they sent out on loan in January, played a key role in Aston Villa’s comeback victory over Chelsea.
The VAR debate rumbled on with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola aiming another broadside at its implementation in his side’s 1-0 home defeat by Wolves.
Angry Arteta
A furious Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal’s title bid is now out of their hands after accusing his players of failing to hit the levels required in their crushing 1-0 defeat by West Ham.
Jarrod Bowen scored the only goal of the game before Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off to leave the Gunners eight points behind Liverpool with 12 matches remaining.
Arteta said: “It’s not in our hands. I am really, really annoyed with the things that are in our hands – which is the performance and the result – and we didn’t do that as well as we possibly could.
“I am very disappointed, and obviously very angry as well. Even though we had 20 shots, I never felt that we were at the standard and the level that we needed.”
Glass half-full for Amorim
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim focused on the positives of their comeback 2-2 draw at Everton after admitting his side “did not exist” in the first half.
Goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure inside the opening 33 minutes gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead, but Bruno Fernandes’ 72nd-minute free-kick changed the momentum before Manuel Ugarte drilled home the equaliser.
Amorim, who looked on as referee Andy Madley overturned his late decision to award a penalty to Everton for a foul on Ashley Young after a VAR review, said: “We just played one half and we managed to draw the game.
“We didn’t exist in the first half. Everything we did in the week…I think the free man was there, I think the space was there, but I think we lost balls we cannot lose.”
Iraola sees red
Andoni Iraola was left fuming by defender Illia Zabarnyi’s dismissal following a VAR review after Bournemouth missed out on a chance to go fourth in the Premier League.
The Cherries lost 1-0 at home to Wolves after playing with 10 men for almost an hour after referee Michael Salisbury was urged to review Zabarnyi’s tackle on Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Iraola said: “When I’ve seen that the VAR takes the decision, if there are six angles, instead of showing the six they show the worst angle, because from five angles you think it’s a yellow card. From one angle you think it’s a red card.
“In slow motion, stopping in the worst moment they have taken the decision. The referee didn’t have any other chance but to show the red card.”
Asensio and Rashford make their mark
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery reaped the rewards of his January swoops for Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford as they combined to shoot down Chelsea.
Manchester United outcast Rashford, who had been introduced as a half-time substitute, set up Paris St Germain’s Asensio for both goals as Villa overhauled Enzo Fernandez’s early strike.
Asked about the impact of his loan signings, Emery said: “The idea when we signed these players was to help us, to improve us, to show their capacity and skills, the commitment to show their work here we need.
“We have to set them with a task but then they have to play with their skills. I think today was very good how we saw in the second half, the performance of Marcus Rashford and Marco.”
What’s on today?
Leaders Liverpool will look to take advantage of Arsenal’s slip-up when they travel to champions Manchester City, who will in turn be desperate to take out the disappointment of their midweek Champions League exit on the Reds.
Earlier, top four hopefuls Newcastle and Nottingham Forest will go head-to-head on Tyneside, with both looking to bounce back from defeats last weekend.
In the Championship, bottom-of-the-table Luton have a chance to climb to within two points of safety when they make the short trip to Watford.
