England roundup: Arsenal stay on top; Leeds earn crucial victory

LEICESTER, England (AP) — Arsenal maintained its place atop the English Premier League by beating Leicester 1-0 because of Gabriel Martinelli’s objective early within the second half on Saturday.

Leandro Trossard, who had a first-half objective disallowed, slipped a cross by means of to Martinelli and the Brazil winger lower in from the left to poke a low end simply contained in the far put up within the forty sixth minute.

That ensured Arsenal will finish the day the place it started — in first place — with second-placed Manchester City behind by 5 factors going into its match at Bournemouth later Saturday.

Arsenal has bounced again effectively from a three-game run the place the group picked up one level to lift doubts about its title pedigree. Last week, the Gunners twice got here from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-2 away and has received once more within the Midlands.

Arsenal was hardly troubled at King Power Stadium regardless of being with out holding midfielder Thomas Partey once more, though the Ghana worldwide did make it off the bench for the ultimate couple of minutes after a muscle damage.

Trossard, who began up entrance instead of Eddie Nketiah, thought he gave Arsenal the lead within the twenty sixth when he curled a shot into the highest nook from the sting of the world following Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward’s weak punch clear. The objective was dominated out, nevertheless. Replays confirmed Arsenal defender Ben White was holding onto Ward’s proper arm on the time of his punch.

Bukayo Saka additionally had a objective disallowed within the second half, with Martinelli adjudged offside within the buildup.

Leeds 1, Southampton 0

In Leeds, Junior Firpo scored the one objective as new supervisor Javi Gracia launched his Leeds reign in type with a win over fellow struggler Southampton within the English Premier League on Saturday.

The Elland Road membership’s first win since Dec. 26 enabled the group to climb out of the underside three and left Southampton rooted to final place.

Scoring probabilities have been few and much between till Firpo supplied the breakthrough within the 77th minute when he shot low underneath Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu to say his first league objective.

Leeds midfielders Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Brenden Aaronson grew to become the primary trio of Americans to start out collectively for a membership within the league since Fulham goalkeeper Kasey Keller, midfielder Clint Dempsey and striker Brian McBride at Portsmouth in May 2008.

They have been the primary outfield gamers to do it since Dempsey, McBride and defender Carlos Bocanegra for Fulham at Middlesbrough in May.

Aston Villa 2, Everton 0

In Liverpool, Ollie Watkins scored for the fifth successive match as Aston Villa beat Everton 2-0 to finish Sean Dyche’s 100% residence file and drop his group again into the English Premier League relegation zone on Saturday.

Watkins’ 63rd-minute penalty noticed him turn out to be Villa’s first participant to attain in 5 straight video games within the top-flight since Paul Rideout in January 1985.

Substitute Emi Buendia made the win protected eight minutes from time to halt Villa’s three-match dropping run.

In a sport of two goalline clearances by Villa’s Tyrone Mings and Everton’s James Tarkowski, the primary objective was all the time going to be decisive. While it was one among Watkins’ quieter video games, Dyche will need to have seemed on enviously.

The Everton supervisor, who had overseen wins over Arsenal and Leeds in his earlier two video games at Goodison Park, began with Neal Maupay — with one objective in his final 28 league matches — and later changed him with Ellis Simms for simply his sixth top-flight look.

The folly of ending the January switch window with out strengthening up entrance was laid naked because the toothless hosts, who’ve scored simply 17 occasions in 24 league matches, dominated the sport however simply had no menace within the penalty space.

Their woes have been compounded as wins for West Ham and Leeds plunged Everton again into bother simply when it seemed prefer it was edging its method out of it.

Everton has not crushed Villa in eight makes an attempt.

West Ham 4, Notts Forest 0

In London, Danny Ings scored twice on his first begin for West Ham because the group climbed out of the English Premier League relegation zone with a 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Ings, who joined from Aston Villa final month, discovered the web twice in three second-half minutes to carry each his new group out of the underside three and the temper at London Stadium.

Declan Rice added a curling third and substitute Michail Antonio rounded off a much-needed win for supervisor David Moyes.

All the objectives got here within the closing 20 minutes after a cagey first 70 between two goal-shy sides.

West Ham’s livewire winger, Jarrod Bowen, noticed a curling effort deflected broad after which virtually scored direct from the nook, with Keylor Navas palming the ball over his crossbar.

At one other nook, fit-again Lucas Paqueta’s low drive was deflected onto the foot of the put up by Forest defender Felipe.

Ings had an honest likelihood from Vladimir Coufal’s cross, however Tomas Soucek’s soar put him off and he made a multitude of his header in entrance of objective.

Forest was displaying about as a lot ambition because it had in snatching a draw with Manchester City final weekend, though Lukasz Fabianski did must tip Felipe’s header over and maintain a 20-yard shot from Morgan Gibbs-White within the first half.

After the break, Aaron Cresswell’s nook was met by Soucek on the close to put up however his glancing header flew simply over. Then a slick transfer involving Paqueta, Ings and Said Benrahma culminated in Bowen slamming a low shot in opposition to the foot of Navas’ far put up.

Forest’s gamers have been screaming for a penalty when Renan Lodi’s drive hit the hand of Ben Johnson however, for the third match in a row, West Ham obtained away with one — though on this case the shot was in all probability too near penalize.

The Hammers needed to make a change in objective when Fabianski was caught on the aspect of the top by Felipe, with Alphonse Areola approaching in his place.

And they instantly took the lead when Bowen drilled the ball low throughout objective the place it was expertly guided in by Ings within the seventieth.

The objective survived a VAR examine for offside, and shortly Ings had his second, one other poacher’s strike from Benrahma’s cross into the six-yard field.

Suddenly West Ham seemed like a aspect with objectives in it, arguably for the primary time this season.

Rice obtained into the act within the 78th minute, gathering Benrahma’s cut-back and curling an excellent effort over Navas and contained in the far put up.

With Forest on the ropes, Antonio supplied the knockout punch when he headed in a cross from fellow sub Pablo Fornals.