Nketiah celebrates scoring their second goal with Cedric Soares and Bukayo Saka (Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley.)Arsenal’s five-season exile from the Champions League is closer to ending after Eddie Nketiah’s double secured a 2-1 win over Leeds to strengthen the team’s hold on fourth place in the Premier League on Sunday. If it wins at Tottenham on Thursday, Arsenal will qualify for the Champions League with two games to spare after its fifth-place north London rival dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday.
Arsenal moved four points ahead of Tottenham thanks to Nketiah’s two goals in the opening 10 minutes as Leeds dropped into the relegation zone. The former Leeds loanee capitalized on a poor touch from Illan Meslier and tapped home. Nketiah’s second was a well-taken finish from 12 yards (meters), turning in Gabriel Martinelli’s low cross.
Leeds was reduced to 10 men in the 27th when captain Luke Ayling was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Martinelli. Referee Chris Kavanagh initially booked the defender before upgrading the card after being advised to watch a replay on the VAR pitch-side monitor.
FULL-TIME Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
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Arsenal get their fourth consecutive #PL win, thanks to two Eddie Nketiah strikes. Diego Llorente did pull one back for Leeds, but it wasn’t enough and they slide into the relegation zone#ARSLEE pic.twitter.com/l23BVRsUs1
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 8, 2022
Leeds gave itself a chance of a surprise comeback in the 66th when Diego Llorente turned in a shot at the back post but there was no equalizer from Jesse Marsch’s side.
There is a tight scrap to avoid joining Watford and Norwich in being relegated. Burnley is only above Leeds, and out of the drop zone, due to its superior goal difference with three games remaining, while Everton is a point from danger.
Everton out of EPL relegation zone with win over Leicester:
Everton held on for a 2-1 victory over Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday that gave the team renewed hope of avoiding relegation. The win moves Everton up to 16th in the table with 35 points, one more than Burnley and Leeds and still with a game in hand over its relegation rivals. Leeds dropped into the relegation zone after losing 2-1 at Arsenal.
Vitalii Mykolenko’s volley from the edge of the area put Everton in front but Leicester leveled in the 11th minute after poor defending. Yerry Mina and Seamus Coleman went up for a header, only to collide and allow Patson Daka to run through and beat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
FULL-TIME Leicester 1-2 Everton
A huge result for Everton who move out of the relegation zone. Vitaliy Mykolenko and Mason Holgate with the goals#LEIEVE pic.twitter.com/eGVGRA9NhU
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 8, 2022
Everton regained the lead on the half hour when Mason Holgate nodded in after goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had saved Richarlison’s header. Leicester dominated much of the second half but came up short against Pickford, who managed to protect the lead by turning away multiple scoring opportunities.
West Ham boosts bid for Europa spot by beating Norwich 4-0:
Said Benrahma’s double helped West Ham to a 4-0 victory over Norwich on Sunday that boosted the east London club’s bid to overtake Manchester United and qualify for the Europa League.
Benrahma, who replaced Tomas Soucek in the only outfield change from Thursday night’s Europa League semifinal loss at Eintracht Frankfurt, netted his first goal in the 12th minute with a deflected shot that slipped under goalkeeper Tim Krul.
FULL-TIME Norwich 0-4 West Ham
A convincing win for the visitors thanks to goals from Said Behrahma (2), Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini#NORWHU pic.twitter.com/2MISdBlBut
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 8, 2022
Another error from Krul helped Michail Antonio score in the 30th before Benrahma netted again in first-half stoppage time on a rare start for the Algeria winger. Manuel Lanzini added the fourth from the penalty spot in the 65th after the ball hit the arm of Jacob Sorensen.
West Ham remains in seventh place — enough for Europa Conference League qualification — but David Moyes’ side is only three points from sixth place with two games remaining and one in hand on Man United in the final Europa League spot. Last-place Norwich has already been relegated.
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