City go top, Hammers in 4th; Gunners avenge FA Cup exit
- 27 Jan 2021
Manchester City moved back again to the top of the Premier League on Tuesday after a 5-0 thrashing of West Brom. Earlier, in a Tuesday late tie, West Ham edged Crystal Palace 3-2 after being a goal down to occupy the fourth Champions League place.
Arsenal meanwhile aided their push towards the European places with a 3-1 win at Southampton.
City have now won 11 consecutive games since West Brom earned a shock 1-1 draw at the Etihad last month.
Pep Guardiola’s men have hit top form since and did not miss the presence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne in blowing away the Baggies by scoring four goals before half-time.
Ilkay Gundogan opened the floodgates by curling home from the edge of the box before Joao Cancelo’s controversial strike doubled City’s lead.
The West Brom defence was distracted by a wrongly raised offside flag before the Portuguese full-back found the net, but the goal stood after a VAR review.
Gundogan then took his tally to seven goals in his last eight league games before Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling rounded off the scoring.
GUNNERS ON THE ASCENDANCY: Guardiola’s former assistant Mikel Arteta is also enjoying a fine run of form as Arsenal have taken 16 from the last possible 18 points.
The Gunners avenged their FA Cup loss to Southampton at the weekend despite falling behind after three minutes to Stuart Armstrong’s sweet strike.
Nicolas Pepe quickly levelled before Bukayo Saka rounded Alex McCarthy and slotted home to give the visitors at half-time lead.
“I think we were good from the start. We conceded a goal from a corner but responded straight away,” said Arteta.
“It showed a lot of intelligent and resilience from the team in the way they managed the game.”
Alexandre Lacazette sealed a vital three points 18 minutes from time as Arsenal moved up to eighth and within five points of the top four.
HAMMERS RAID PALACE: Tomas Soucek scored twice in a 3-2 win at Crystal Palace after being a goal down when Wilfried Zaha put Palace in front after just three minutes.
But the stronger mentality that David Moyes has lauded in West Ham this season showed as Soucek struck twice in 16 minutes to turn the game around.
Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has scored more Premier League goals from midfield than the Czech since he joined from Slavia Prague a year ago.
Craig Dawson headed in Jarrod Bowen’s corner 25 minutes from time to make it 3-1 before Michy Batshuayi scored a late consolation for Palace.
A sixth consecutive win in all competitions takes Moyes’s men above Liverpool in the table and Jurgen Klopp’s struggling Reds will be wary of their trip to the London Stadium on Sunday.
West Ham may have surprised many with their strong showing in the Premier League this season but Moyes warned they have yet to realise their full potential.
The Hammers’ 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday was their sixth successive victory in all competitions and lifted them into fourth place in the table and a Champions League spot.
Moyes has been in the game long enough to know that dream may not be realised -- their best ever showing was fifth in 1999 -- but is justifiably proud of turning around their fortunes.
When he returned for a second spell in December 2019 they were just a point above the relegation zone.
Their next challenge is hosting out-of-sorts champions Liverpool on Sunday.
“We are getting better and we are an improved team, but I think we are not scratching the surface yet,” said Moyes.
“I think we have so much more we can give.
“Part of a manager’s job is to raise expectations at your football club but I will not try and be stupid because West Ham have done it too often and maybe got it wrong.
“I am going to be a bit more steady and sensible if I can.”
At the other end of the table, Newcastle lost 2-1 at home to Leeds to stretch their winless run to 11 games
Raphinha slotted home Rodrigo’s cut-back to give Marcelo Bielsa’s men a deserved half-time lead.
Miguel Almiron levelled with Newcastle’s first goal for five games early in the second half, but parity lasted only four minutes before Jack Harrison’s sensational finish with the outside of his left foot claimed all three points for the visitors.
Newcastle have a seven-point cushion over the bottom three, but have now played two games more than Fulham in 18th.
English Premier League results
on Tuesday: Crystal Palace 2 (Zaha 3, Batshuayi 90) West Ham 3 (Soucek 9, 25, Dawson 65); Newcastle 1 (Almiron 57) Leeds 2 (Raphinha 17, Harrison 61); Southampton 1 (Armstrong 3) Arsenal 3 (Pepe 8, Saka 39, Lacazette 73); West Brom 0 Manchester City 5 (Gundogan 6, 30, Cancelo 20, Mahrez 45, Sterling 57)
