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In a crushing 1-0 defeat to West Ham on Saturday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta criticized his players for not meeting the standards set by the league’s title winners.

With their first home defeat of the season, the Gunners were eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, denying them a first league title in 21 years.

Just before half-time, Jarrod Bowen headed in for his 50th Premier League goal to seal the game’s only goal.

Arsenal’s indiscipline also cost them when Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off with 18 minutes remaining — the fifth red card shown to Arteta’s men this season.

With recent losses to Everton and Aston Villa, Liverpool had begun to feel the pressure of title rivals.

However, when they travel to Manchester City on Sunday, they can now have an enormous 11-point advantage.

“It’s not in our hands”, said Arteta on the title race.

The performance and the outcome are two things that are in our hands, and we didn’t do that as effectively as we could, which is really, really annoying.

” I am very disappointed, and obviously very angry as well. Even though we received 20 shots, I never believed that our standards and requirements were adequate.

“We have to be (angry), and I hope we are because we didn’t hit the levels today, and I am very much responsible of that so I am very, very angry”.

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Nearly their entire forward line has been injured, which has devastated Arsenal’s title challenge.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka were again sidelined, forcing midfielder Mikel Merino to deputise as a centre forward.

Arteta, though, refused to rely on that excuse as he demanded more from those who were available.

The Spaniard added, “I completely reject that because I’m referring to the standards of the players and the team that we played today, including myself.”

That was not at the levels required for us to reach in order to have a chance to win the Premier League.

We must examine our own abilities in order to make improvements. The will, the desire, the way we run and the way we want it, (there is) zero question about that.

“But at that level that is not enough. To defeat a really good team and put in the actions that can make threatening moments win games, you must deliver, and that is where we failed today.

Following a costly error from Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen on Saturday, Marco Asensio’s first goals for Aston Villa earned them a dramatic 2-1 victory over stodgy Chelsea.

Chelsea and top four contenders at Villa Park battling it out for Champions League qualification with Enzo Fernandez’s quick-fire opener.

However, Asensio scored after the break when he was initially denied offside before being given by VAR. He had earlier signed on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

The former Real Madrid forward squirmed past Jorgensen’s terrible attempted save to equalize with Villa’s stunning winner.

After Jorgensen replaced Robert Sanchez, who is even more prone to errors, this was Chelsea’s most recent goalkeeping disaster this season.

Chelsea are now one point adrift of the top four in sixth place after being defeated four of their last five games in all competitions.

Bemoaning Jorgensen’s error, coach Enzo Maresca said: “The keeper position is very difficult. Everyone is aware of your error when you make it.

Filip is our keeper at this time, but he made a mistake, and we must work together.

We did not deserve to lose, the author said. Even after the 1-1 we had chances to score.

We had some excellent chances, and “anything can happen in this league unless you’re clinical,” he said.

Seventh-placed Villa, who held leaders Liverpool to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in midweek, are one point behind Chelsea thanks to a result that rekindled their own top four ambitions.

– Fresh blow –

Unai Emery, the manager of Villa, criticized the impact of the signings of Asensio and Marcus Rashford as saying: “We were trying to improve our squad with their skill and quality.

“Asensio can get the tempo we need,” he said. As he did today, he can score goals and receive assists. I need that. Marcus played a fantastic 45 minutes. We now want him to be consistent”.

Chelsea failed to score a single shot on target in a league game last week, losing 3-0 to Brighton, for the first time since 2021.

Maresca was so frustrated that he branded it the “worst performance” of his first season in charge.

Chelsea could still challenge for Champions League eligibility next season, the Italian said confidently this week.

This was a fresh blow to Maresca’s belief as Chelsea capitulated in dismal fashion.

After Pedro Neto’s sharp run and low cross opened Villa’s defense, Fernandez gave the Blues a ninth minute lead with a tap-in.

The Argentine midfielder almost doubled the lead with a curling effort that flew just over, and Tyrone Mings, the Villa defender, deflected his shot into the sidenett.

However, Chelsea once more blew the lead after winning just one of their previous five league games, in which case they had scored the first goal.

Rashford, sent on at half-time, stretched to turn Matty Cash’s cross into the six-yard box, where Asensio poked home as Chelsea appealed for offside.

Initially the 57th minute goal was disallowed, but a VAR review showed Fernandez was playing Rashford onside, allowing Asensio to celebrate.

Palmer sprinted clean through his lines before taking an unnecessary long shot as Ezri Konsa cleared his goal-bound effort.

The 89th minute saw Villa receive the points, which was a significant moment.

Asensio was picked out by Rashford, but Jorgensen’s shot slipped past him as it flew over the line.

In a 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday, Bruno Fernandes led Manchester United to a rally from two goals down to prevent Ruben Amorim with yet another damaging defeat.

With goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure within 33 minutes, United were on the verge of a ninth defeat in their previous 13 league games.

Before Manuel Ugarte’s equalizer saved a point for United, the visitors were unable to find a shot on target until Fernandes’ free-kick curled home after 18 minutes.

After Everton were awarded a penalty well into stoppage time, only for referee Andy Madley to overturn his decision following a VAR review.

Everton moves up to 12th place, while United stays at 15th.

When David Moyes made his second start in charge last month, Everton were in a survival battle, but they have taken 14 of their possible 18 points to ensure that their 71-year reign in the top flight won’t come to an end.

Amorim acknowledged before the game that Moyes, who was fired from Sporting Lisbon in 2014 after only a short time in charge of the club, was doing a better job than he had before.

When the sides last met in Amorim’s first home league game, United cruised to a 4-0 win at Old Trafford, but he has managed just three victories in 13 Premier League games since.

Before moving to a new 53, 000-capacity stadium next season, Everton have just five more games left to play at Goodison Park.

The home team and fans are determined to make the most of what has been left since 1892, putting pressure on a United side that was lacking in confidence right off the bat.

Shambolic defense

However, comedic United defending gave Everton the lead in the 19th minute.

Before the ball eventually broke, the Red Devils had several chances to shoot over Andre Onana and into the ground.

Since Moyes’ return, the striker has transformed, scoring five goals in his last four Premier League starts after scoring just four goals in his first 44 starts for the club.

Beto also played a significant role in the second half, opening up the United defense before feeding Jack Harrison with a low cross.

Harrison’s shot into the air was too sharp for Onana, who only managed to parry it before Doucoure outmuscled Harry Maguire to head in the loose ball.

Everton’s early lead was denied by Doucoure’s fine save as they attempted to increase it.

But, not for the first time, Fernandes was United’s one source of inspiration.

The Portugal international’s free-kick wrong-footed Jordan Pickford to kickstart the fightback.

The equalizer came on Beto’s headed clearance, and this was his first goal for the club thanks to another Fernandes free kick.

In a thrilling finale, both teams had chances to win.

Pickford tipped over Fernandes’ dipping effort from the edge of the box, while Beto placed a header too close for Onana.

However, United were fortunate to escape when Ashley Young appeared to have been pulled down by a group of Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt in more time.

After missing his team’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland is still doubtful for Sunday’s Premier League game against Liverpool.

The Norwegian was chosen for the Santiago Bernabeu but did not play as City, who were defeated 3-1 on Wednesday to fall to 6-3 on aggregate, were outclassed.

“Tomorrow we will know”, said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Guardiola does now have a backup option should Haaland not make a full recovery before the league leaders, thanks to the signing of Omar Marmoush in January.

“It’s better to have Erling on the pitch than not”, he added. “Of course with Erling we are stronger”.

The battle for supremacy between Guardiola’s City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool marked an era in the Premier League.

However, in his first season in charge, Arne Slot succedes to Klopp to ensure that the Reds are on course to win the title.

“For me it’s an exceptional team. I have said many times, they have been the biggest rival in my tenure here”, said Guardiola.

“Arsenal has been involved in this capacity for a while, but I couldn’t have imagined that Liverpool would be in a position like that.”

Arsenal have a game in hand and are the favorites to close the gap at five with a game against West Ham on Saturday, while Liverpool are eight points clear of them.

City’s reign as champions of the title is almost over, with Liverpool currently 17 points adrift in fourth place.

Injuries have played a major role in City’s decline.

Rodri and Manuel Akanji may not play again this season, while John Stones is expected to spend another few months on the sidelines after limping off against Madrid early in the season.

Guardiola cited a stringent schedule as the culprit, and cited Tottenham, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and other teams that have been dealing with a number of severe muscle injuries this year.

Due to their participation in the Club World Cup, City’s season could get longer, with only one more Premier League season beginning one month later.

Guardiola expressed concern about a repeat situation in the upcoming season that might undermine City’s ability to bounce back and compete for major titles.

“Of course, I’m concerned. So, next season, everybody will be fit? I don’t know what’s going to happen”, he added.

“We already have a lot of players who can’t sustain what we have in the past,” he said. Week in, week out, playing a dozen different competitions, travels. Without the problems.

” More than 50 games, it’s too much for the players. The human body cannot support it without a medical issue because it is too much.

Manchester United were drawn Friday to play Real Sociedad of Spain in the last 16 of this season’s Europa League, while Rangers will take on Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, and Tottenham Hotspur face AZ Alkmaar.

Ruben Amorim’s United struggled this season in the Premier League, but they finished third in the Europa League’s league phase.

The first leg of their tour will take place in San Sebastian on March 6, before returning to the same venue a week later when they play a Real Sociedad side that won the play-off round against Midtjylland of Denmark.

In recent years, the two organizations have met several times in European competition, with United winning a play-off tie in 2021 before both teams each won away from home in the group stages of 2022/23. In 2013, they also faced off in the Champions League group stage.

Whoever prevails will face FCSB or Lyon in a last-eight tie. In their final game of the group, United defeated the Romanians 2-0 at home last month.

In a match that Mourinho and Manchester United won in 2017, Fenerbahce will welcome Rangers, who have already lost to 2022, to Istanbul for the first leg of their tie. He also won its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, as Porto boss in 2003.

Mourinho could face one of his former clubs in Roma, where he won the Europa Conference League in 2022, in the quarter-finals.

However, Claudio Ranieri’s Roma face a tough task in the last 16 against Athletic Bilbao, who are determined to go all the way to this season’s final, which will be played at their San Mames home on May 21.

Spurs will travel to the Netherlands to face AZ, who they defeated 1-0 in the league match in October, in the first leg of their last-16 game.

If they win, Ange Postecoglou’s team could be back in the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, with the victors in that tie playing either Ajax or 2022 tournament winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

Spurs and Manchester United will not play in the final four, but the Old Trafford outfit could face Rangers or Fenerbahce under Mourinho’s control in the final.