Arsenal go top, DRAMA at the bottom and more

Results, not performances, are all that matter at this stage of the season, and Arsenal proved as much with a nervous 1-0 win over Newcastle United to return to the top of the Premier League table.

The tension on the pitch was mirrored in the stands, and Mikel Arteta’s reaction when the full-time whistle was blown – turning to the stands to shout “Vamos!” while repeatedly punching the air – told its own story about the closing moments.

Watch: Arteta’s full-time reaction

“We know what is at stake”, Arteta told BBC Match of the Day after the win. “The margins are really small. We started the game really well, scored a beautiful goal. I loved the personality of the players. We were so disciplined without the ball, we only conceded one chance from [Yoane] Wissa.”

Arsenal had to dig deep at the end, and the match stats showcase just how little separated the two teams on the day. Newcastle, in fact, recorded more Expected Goals (xG) (0.91), as well as more shots (13) and possession (54.7 per cent).

Newcastle can take heart from pushing the league leaders so close, but this was still a ninth defeat in the space of 12 games.

Arsenal took the lead early following a ninth-minute corner, but it wasn’t the style of corner that we have come to expect from the Gunners. Dummy runs from Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi pulled two Newcastle players out of the box, and Noni Madueke split the gap to find an unmarked Kai Havertz inside the area.

Eberechi Eze still had a great deal to do when teed up by the German on the edge of the box, but his ability from long range needs no introduction, and he finished the move off in style.

Since the start of the 2022/23 Premier League season, Eze has now scored the most goals from outside the penalty area in the competition, with 10.

Arsenal have struggled to get their best attackers on the pitch together this season, and that lack of luck continued with Havertz and Eze both being forced off with injuries either side of half-time. Nonetheless, they can find consolation in the return of Bukayo Saka late in the second half.

Wissa could have pulled Newcastle level when beating the offside trap to get on the end of a Nick Woltemade ball with 10 minutes remaining, but the striker fired over on the volley from just eight yards out.

The fact of the matter is that Arsenal have reacted to last week’s defeat at Manchester City immediately by winning their next game.

“We had a huge reset, and I sensed a change in energy in the dressing room”, Arteta continued. “We enjoyed what we had to do, and now we play the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in the semi-final, which is incredible.”

Arsenal have little time to reflect on Saturday’s win, with their game against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals coming on Wednesday night in Madrid.

City, by contrast, have a nine-day gap from their FA Cup semi-final victory against Southampton to their next Premier League match against Everton on 4 May.

Arsenal could move six points clear with a home win over Fulham next Saturday.

There were dramatic late wins at the bottom of the table for both West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in their respective matches against Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The relegation rivals each earned crucial victories as they battle to retain their Premier League status on an afternoon, but at one stage Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs side actually moved OUT of the bottom three, only to drop back into it by the end of the afternoon.

Both matches were goalless at half-time, but West Ham made the first move when Tomas Soucek utilised his set-piece wiles to create space at the front post before heading home Jarrod Bowen’s corner and the Hammers were heading four points clear of Spurs, who were being held to a 0-0 draw.

Moments later at Molineux Joao Palhinha sent the away end into raptures by instinctively steering in a wayward Richarlison effort to fire Spurs 1-0 up with his fourth goal of the season.

Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall then looked to have broken West Ham’s hearts with a superb half-volley equaliser in the 88th minute as De Zerbi’s side seemed to be heading above their London rivals and out of the relegation zone.

The drama was not over yet and in the second minute of stoppage time, Hammers’ captain Bowen turned provider once again, nodding the ball across goal for substitute Callum Wilson to send the home fans wild with the winner as West Ham matched Spurs’ result to restore their two-point lead.

Watch: INCREDIBLE relegation battle drama unfold

It was Bowen’s 10th Premier League assist of the season, eight of which have come from his last nine appearances. Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, with 18, has more in 2025/26.

“We knew it was going to be tough ’til the end,” West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo told BBC Match of the Day. “It was important we keep believing, fighting ’til the last minute. That is something we have in our character and that is positive for us.” 

The bottom four remains unchanged and while Spurs remain in 18th spot and two points adrift for now, it could have been worse if not for a fantastic late save from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Watch: Kinsky’s stunning late save

“I believe we will stay up”, a defiant De Zerbi said post-match. “If I stay here, it’s because I’m positive. Not because I’m a coach of Tottenham. It’s not important if you’re Tottenham on the pitch, the most important thing is the qualities of the players and the human levels of the players.”

Spurs can be forgiven for believing their season is cursed, given that Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons were both forced off with injuries against Wolves, but they can take solace from securing their first Premier League win of 2026.

Meanwhile, it was a missed opportunity for Everton with regard to their ambitions to bring European football to Hill Dickinson Stadium. After last week’s home defeat against Liverpool, the Toffees have lost back-to-back games to goals scored in the 90th minute or later for the first time since October 2007.

Victory would have lifted them to seventh place, and behind sixth-placed Brighton only on goal difference, but they will instead finish the day in 11th spot.

Wolves played their first match since their relegation to the Championship was confirmed, and proved against Spurs that they nonetheless remain competitive and can still have an impact on the seasons of other teams.

Wolves results and remaining fixtures

Liverpool defeated Crystal Palace 3-1 at Anfield to leapfrog Villa into fourth, but the big question is whether Mohamed Salah’s early departure with injury could mean that he has played his last game for the Reds in what is his ninth and final season at the club.

Salah sank to the floor clutching his left hamstring just before the hour-mark. When substituted minutes later, the Egyptian took his time to leave the pitch, applauding all four stands as he made his way off the Anfield pitch.

Watch: Salah’s standing ovation

With four matches remaining, all eyes will now be on the severity of Salah’s injury and whether he is available. “We simply don’t know, but what we do know is the season is in four weeks over, so there are not a lot of games being played,” Arne Slot told the club’s official website.

“We have to wait and see how his injury is and if he is able to return to play. Let’s hope for the best and that he is available in the last part [of the season].”

Liverpool had earlier put themselves in a commanding position by scoring twice in the space of four minutes and 10 seconds.

The first came through Alexander Isak, who scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool at Anfield, and his first since returning from a four-month injury lay-off following a broken fibula.

Andy Robertson, who like Salah is also leaving the club at the end of the season, is certainly looking to go out on a high and scored for the first time since May 2024.

Robertson’s goal capped a fluid breakaway move that began with a superb save from Freddie Woodman, Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper, who was serenaded to chants of ‘‘England’s No 1’’ by the Kop.

Watch: Alisson reacts to Woodman’s save prior to Liverpool’s second goal

Woodman was again at the centre of attention when Palace pulled a goal back through Daniel Munoz in the second half. He seemed to hurt his right knee while saving from Ismaila Sarr at close range, and Munoz capitalised by firing into an empty net as Liverpool’s defenders appeared to pause, expecting play to be halted.

Despite having a UEFA Conference League semi-final match against Shakhtar Donetsk in Krakow next Thursday, Palace kept their key players on the pitch, but Florian Wirtz put the game to bed in the sixth minute of stoppage time with a scorching strike.

Elsewhere, Ryan Sessegnon celebrated news of a fresh contract extension by scoring the match-winning goal in Fulham’s 1-0 victory at home to Aston Villa in Saturday’s early kick-off.

The goal and subsequent win cap off a great week for Sessegnon, whose contract extension – through to the end of next season – was announced by Fulham on Wednesday.

The win keeps Fulham firmly in the race for European qualification. With four games to go, they are now just two points behind sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, and there is an outside chance that sixth place could be enough to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.

Such a scenario requires Villa to win the UEFA Europa League while also finishing in fifth place in the Premier League.

Villa retain an eight-point buffer to sixth place despite defeat at Craven Cottage, but head coach Unai Emery nonetheless cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side were limited to just one shot on target.

It must be said that this is not ideal preparation for their Europa League semi-final match against Nottingham Forest next Thursday – especially given Forest ran out 5-0 winners at Sunderland on Friday night.