Tottenham did fierce rival Arsenal a huge favor in the Premier League title race on Sunday.
Dominik Solanke scored a second-half double — including one from an outrageous scorpion kick — as Spurs came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with second-place Manchester City, leaving Arsenal with a six-point lead with 14 games left.
It was almost the perfect day for the leaders, with Aston Villa — the other title contender — losing 1-0 at home to 10-man Brentford.
Villa stayed seven points adrift of Arsenal and was in danger of being reeled in by fourth-place Manchester United, which scored a stoppage-time winner through Benjamin Sesko to beat Fulham 3-2 for a third straight league win under new manager Michael Carrick.
Having already overseen victories over City and Arsenal in his short tenure, Carrick appears to have the magic touch at revitalized United.
The same cannot be said of Pep Guardiola at the moment.
This was a huge wasted opportunity for Guardiola’s City, which was up against a heavily depleted Tottenham team and was cruising 2-0 ahead at halftime thanks to goals by Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo. At times, it was almost too easy for City in front of an apathetic home crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
City then collapsed as a revitalized Tottenham fought back. Solanke bundled in Spurs’ first goal — appearing to kick the back of Marc Guehi’s leg, resulting in the ball dribbling over the line — and then grabbed the equalizer with a deft, flying back-flick that looped over City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the corner.
“The first half was difficult — we couldn’t get near them at times,” Solanke said. “The second half was a different story. In the second half, we were great and grew with confidence and belief.”
In the last five games, City has looked vulnerable in losing twice — to United and tiny Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League — and now spluttering against an injury-hit Tottenham.
“It is a setback but we are still there,” Guardiola said. “There are 14 games to go and a lot of points. We will see.”
Arsenal, a 4-0 winner at Leeds on Saturday, might not have a better chance to end its league title drought stretching back to 2004.
Villa loses to 10 men
Villa played for more than half the match with an extra man after Brentford winger Kevin Schade’s straight red card for kicking out at Matty Cash in the 42nd minute after they had challenged for the ball.
In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Dango Ouattara escaped down the right and scored at the second attempt for what proved to be only goal as Brentford weathered a second-half onslaught.
United fans protest
United squandered a two-goal lead earned by goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, with Raul Jimenez — via a penalty — and Kevin scoring to bring Fulham briefly level at Old Trafford.
There was still time for Bruno Fernandes to send over a cross that was controlled by Sesko before he swiveled to curl home a finish in front of the Stretford End.
“It’s the best feeling, I have to say,” Carrick said about the kind of late winners United scored so often under his old manager, Alex Ferguson. “People leave here with more than just, ‘United won today.’ It’s layers on top of that, the emotion and the feeling, and it’s why we all love it so much.”
The match took place after a protest by around 500-600 United fans unhappy at the ownership of the 20-time champions, but the team is finally in a decent league position — fourth place — in its bid to return to the Champions League.
United is five points behind Villa with 14 rounds remaining.
Also Sunday, Crystal Palace — without star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of his possible move to AC Milan — drew 1-1 at 10-man Nottingham Forest, which had Neco Williams sent off in the 45th minute for a handball on the line.
Arsenal and Liverpool
Arsenal and Liverpool rediscovered that winning feeling in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arsenal powered seven points clear at the top of the standings after beating Leeds 4-0. Mikel Arteta’s team ended a three-game winless run in style at Elland Road and strengthened its title charge.
Defending champion Liverpool finally secured its first league win of 2026 by 4-1 against Newcastle. Hugo Ekitike scored two and Florian Wirtz was on target again as two of Liverpool’s big summer signings delivered at Anfield. Ibrahima Konate, playing his first game since the recent death of his father, sealed the win.
Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus were all on target for Arsenal and Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow added an own goal.
“We really wanted to show how much we wanted it,” Arteta said.
Manchester City and Aston Villa can trim Arsenal’s lead back to four points on Sunday.
Chelsea came back from two goals down at home to beat West Ham 3-2 and climb up to fourth, with Enzo Fernandez hitting the winner in the second minute of added time.
Everton left it even later to draw at Brighton 1-1, Beto scoring in the 97th.
Last-placed Wolverhampton lost for the 18th time this season, 2-0 at home to Bournemouth.
Arsenal has Leeds’ number
Having beaten Leeds 5-0 in August, Arsenal enjoyed another romp against Daniel Farke’s team.
Six points and nine goals could go a long way to helping Arsenal’s title bid, which was wobbling in recent weeks.
“It’s very difficult to (win 4-0 at Leeds), let’s see who is the next team that does it, but we did it in a moment when we needed it,” Arteta said.
Against an in-form Leeds that had lost just one of its last 11 in all competitions, the trip to Elland Road was a potential banana skin for the league leader. Especially when forward Bukayo Saka was injured in the warmup and had to be withdrawn shortly before kickoff.
But in his absence Arsenal totally dominated, with Zubimendi heading the visitor in front after 27 minutes and Darlow punching Noni Madueke’s corner into his own net before halftime.
Gyokeres scored for the fourth time in six games in the second half and substitute Gabriel Jesus spun and fired low into the bottom corner late on.
Emotional scenes at Anfield
Konate was in tears on the field after scoring in added time.
The France defender was overcome with emotion on his return to action after the death of his father. The Anfield crowd roared as he wheeled away in celebration and the entire Liverpool team, including goalkeeper Alisson, ran to congratulate him.
“I don’t have words to describe what I feel right now because it was a very difficult moment for me and my family the last two weeks,” Konate told TNT Sports.
It was the center back’s first game since Jan. 17, but with Liverpool short on defensive options due to injuries he said he had to make himself available even though coach Arne Slot told him not to rush back.
“It was important for me to come back and to help the team,” Konate said.
Newcastle led through Anthony Gordon, but Ekitike scored twice in two minutes to give Liverpool a halftime lead. The France striker has 15 goals in his debut season in the Premier League.
Wirtz scored his sixth goal in 10 games after the break before Konate’s late strike.
Enzo delivers for Chelsea
Chelsea trailed 2-0 at halftime to a West Ham fighting for survival, and the decision by coach Liam Rosenior to make seven changes to his lineup looked like a costly one.
But after going behind at Stamford Bridge to goals from Jarred Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, Rosenior acted decisively — making three halftime substitutions — and it paid off.
Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella came off the bench and scored to level the game by the 70th. After West Ham’s Jean-Clair Todibo missed in front of the goal, Chelsea took all three points when Fernandez swept in the winner from inside the box.
“The reaction of the team in the second half tells me that we’ve got something really, really special here if I can utilize the squad in the correct way,” Rosenior said.
The dramatic finish sparked a mass confrontation between the players and Todibo was sent off for violent conduct.
The result left West Ham five points from safety.
Everton seals late draw
For the second time this week Everton fought back to salvage a point. After Monday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds, the Merseyside club left it late to equalize at Brighton, which led through Pascal Gross.
Beto went in as a substitute only in the 89th and produced the crucial goal deep in added time.
It’s back-to-back losses for Wolves after a mini resurgence in recent weeks.
Goals from Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott secured victory for Bournemouth at Molineux Stadium.
Wolves have long looked destined for relegation but had shown signs of rallying under new coach Rob Edwards after five games without defeat. Successive losses to Man City and Bournemouth, however, leave the team 17 points adrift of safety, having played a game more than its rivals.
