Chelsea hold Arsenal as Utd win to end Van Nistelrooy’s interim spell, Ipswich shock Spurs

Pedro Neto dealt a fresh blow to spluttering Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge as the Chelsea winger’s superb strike rescued a 1-1 draw in the London derby on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s side had taken the lead through Gabriel Martinelli’s second-half goal at Stamford Bridge.

But Neto’s equaliser 10 minutes later earned Chelsea a deserved point and left the Gunners without a win in their last four league games.

Neto’s first Premier League goal since his move from Wolves in August kept third-placed Chelsea above fourth-placed Arsenal on goal difference.

Both teams are nine points behind leaders Liverpool, but while Chelsea will be encouraged by their position after exceeding expectations in Enzo Maresca’s first season in charge, Arsenal head into the international break assailed by questions about their malaise.

Beaten 1-0 by Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday, hot on the heels of last weekend’s loss at Newcastle, Arsenal have won just three of their last nine league games.

Chasing a first title since 2004 after finishing second to Manchester City in each of the past two seasons, Arsenal lack the fluency that carried them so close to the trophy last term.

The north Londoners’ only wins in their last seven matches in all competitions came against Shakhtar Donetsk in Europe and second-tier Preston in the League Cup.

Manchester United signed off Ruud van Nistelrooy’s temporary stint in charge with a 3-0 win over Leicester as Ipswich stunned Tottenham 2-1 for their first Premier League victory in 22 years.

Third-placed Nottingham Forest’s fine run came to an end in a 3-1 home defeat to Newcastle.

Ruben Amorim will be in charge for the first time when United return from the international break.

But Van Nistelrooy was able to hand over the reins with a four-game unbeaten run since stepping up to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag.

Bruno Fernandes marked his 250th United appearance in style by smashing in his fourth goal in four games after a neat interchange of passes with Amad Diallo.

Fernandes’ burst into the box also created the second goal as his glancing touch deflected off Leicester defender Victor Kristiansen and in for an own goal.

Diallo’s two-goal showing in a 2-0 Europa League win over PAOK on Thursday earned the Ivorian a start over Alejandro Garnacho.

The Argentine, though, came off the bench to show what he is capable of with a stunning strike into the top corner to round off the scoring.

United remain down in 13th but are now just three points off fifth in a congested table.

Ipswich off the mark: Ipswich will play host to Amorim’s first match in two weeks and go into that game buoyed by their first win since ending a two-decade wait to return to the top flight.

Spurs were finally made to pay for their slow starts at home as they went behind for the 13th time in 15 Premier League games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024.

Sammie Szmodics took advantage of statuesque Tottenham defending to open the scoring with an overhead kick on 31 minutes.

Liam Delap doubled the visitors’ lead in far less spectacular fashion as he lashed in from point-blank range after Radu Dragusin directed a cross towards his own goal.

Spurs had come back to win in eight of the previous 12 matches they conceded first at home this year but this time left themselves with too much to do.

Rodrigo Bentancur reduced the arrears with a powerful header from Pedro Porro’s corner but they fell to a fifth league defeat in 11 games.

Ipswich move out of the relegation zone at Crystal Palace’s expense, while Spurs slip to 10th.

Forest had won three games in a row to sit just behind Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table and their dream run looked set to continue at the City Ground.

Murillo’s towering header from Anthony Elanga’s free-kick opened the scoring.

But Newcastle hit back strongly after half-time.

Alexander Isak’s fourth goal in as many games began the fightback.

Joelinton then curled in a sensational strike from the edge of the box before Harvey Barnes sealed the three points that lifts the Magpies into eighth.

Agencies