Twist in title race as Arsenal go seven points clear

Football writer Sam Cunningham looks at the key talking points from Wednesday’s Premier League action.

It was a big night at both ends of the Premier League table, and on a memorable night for Bukayo Saka, the winger showed once again just how influential he has become for Arsenal.

The club added a small detail to the back of his shirt to mark a special occasion: ‘300’ printed under the collar to commemorate his 300th appearance for the Gunners.

At 24 years and 180 days old, he became the fourth youngest player to reach this milestone for Arsenal, behind David O’Leary, Cesc Fabregas and Liam Brady.

It took him just nine minutes to score Arsenal’s 99th goal of the season – one of the luckiest in their 300 games – when his deflected shot wrong-footed Bart Verbruggen and slipped through the Brighton keeper’s legs.

It was the only decisive goal in a difficult match. Brighton made life difficult – Gabriel Magalhaes’ header off the line was one of six clearances in the opening half hour – but Arsenal dug in, worked hard and defended fiercely to claim a victory that puts them seven points clear at the top.

The title, above all, is no longer in the hands of Manchester City, who lost points at home against Nottingham Forest.

Antoine Semenyo has a strong claim to the Player of the Season award as he continues the fine form that earned him a move to his new club Man City, but goals from the Ghanaian and Rodri were not enough to win the match.

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson always said he didn’t like signing players in January because they took too long to settle in, but in their cross-town rivals Semenyo is proving there is value to be found.

The striker scored 10 goals for AFC Bournemouth in the first half of the season and already has seven in 12 games for Pep Guardiola’s side since his January move.

Guardiola has embraced Semenyo’s versatility, playing him both on the wing – where he mainly played at Bournemouth – and as a striker in the front two.

Forest, however, signaled their intent with three shots in the opening 72 seconds, and Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson twice equalized for Forest to earn a contrasting point: vital for Forest to keep them out of the relegation places on goal difference, and damaging for Man City.

Three minutes after Rodri restored Man City’s lead, Crysencio Summerville scored the goal that briefly took West Ham out of the bottom three and left Forest there, before Anderson’s equalizer reversed those positions again.

It was a stunning turnaround from West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. West Ham looked destined for relegation after going on a 10-match winless run from late November to early January.

Summerville scored their first goal of the season as they beat QPR in the FA Cup to end that horrible run of form and they barely stopped, scoring a further six goals in nine games to drag West Ham to safety.

They are now level on 28 points with Forest and one behind Spurs, who have a game in hand.

It remains to be seen how close they remain after facing Man City and Aston Villa in their next two league matches, but for now West Ham fans are entitled to believe that safety is back.

Villa, meanwhile, no longer look like the team that spent half the season as underdogs in the title race. They suffered a bruising defeat against Chelsea with major implications for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Playing Joao Pedro as a fixed striker has been an inspired move from Liam Rosenior since he took over at Stamford Bridge, and the Brazilian has torn Villa apart.

Joao Pedro played mainly as a number 10 at Watford in the Championship and was often found there or on the wing for Brighton & Hove Albion.

His combination of strength, speed and finishing makes him a versatile player (he even played in central midfield for Brighton at times).

Rosenior’s hand was forced by injury to Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson leaving on loan, but Joao Pedro has been a revelation since being named number 9, with 10 goals in 11 games.

He added three against Villa – the second, a superb run and a tricky chip against Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez – and set up Cole Palmer for Chelsea’s fourth.

On the other side, Rosenior made a bold choice by replacing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez with Filip Jorgensen.

“Rob is an exceptional goalkeeper and I have just seen Filip in training and sometimes as a coach you have to follow your instincts,” Rosenior said. BBC Match of the Day. “Filip gave us something different and they will both fight for the rest of the season.”

The Dane vindicated it with a crucial save, raising his arm to stop Ollie Watkins’ powerful first-half shot as Chelsea trailed until Douglas Luiz’s opening goal.

The huge win moved Chelsea to within three points of Villa and Manchester United, who suffered a costly defeat themselves, and only three points now separate the teams between third and sixth place.

It was Carrick’s first defeat as Man Utd manager, having been unbeaten in 10 games spread over two spells as caretaker manager.

Newcastle – 12th – are having a disappointing season and for most of the second half it looked like it would be another victory for Carrick.

In frantic first-half stoppage time, Jacob Ramsey was sent off, Anthony Gordon scored a penalty and then Casemiro equalized.

Who else was it but Bruno Fernandes with the assist for the goal. Only David Beckham has provided more assists for Man Utd in a single Premier League campaign, having scored 15 goals in 1999/00.

See: Fernandes leads the way for Golden Playmaker award

Like Rosenior, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe made a big call to drop first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope for Aaron Ramsdale, and this was vindicated when the former Arsenal goalkeeper made several key saves to keep Newcastle in the game.

Then William Osula came off the Newcastle bench to score a sensational solo goal in the corner, 12 years after winning the Man Utd Football School World Skills Final at the age of 11.