+ A
A -
AFP
London
Toby Alderweireld gave Tottenham a late 2-1 win over Arsenal as Jose Mourinho’s men climbed above their north London rivals, while Aston Villa boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Mourinho had endured a barrage of criticism as Tottenham slipped out of the race to qualify for the Champions League with just one win in three games. But thanks to Alderweireld’s winner with nine minutes left, Tottenham took the local bragging rights and got back in contention for a place in next season’s Europa League.
Tottenham are eighth, two points above ninth placed Arsenal and two behind Sheffield United as they try to avoid missing out on European action for the first time since 2009-10.
“We are happy because we made the fans happy, we are happy because we are still in the fight to win a Europa League position,” Mourinho said.
“To be honest, Mikel (Arteta) found a way for them to play, to be stable and to improve. We felt that we should adapt slightly to them and we did it very well.
“Arsenal had 48 hours more than us to rest, so it was hard but it came from their hearts, this effort, this battle.”
In the first north London derby at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Alexandre Lacazette put Arsenal ahead in the 16th minute with a stunning strike.
The French striker dispossessed Serge Aurier outside the Spurs area before unleashing an unstoppable effort inside the top near corner of the goal.
Arsenal’s lead lasted just three minutes as Sead Kolasinac’s sloppy pass gifted Son Heung-min the ball.
Son easily eluded David Luiz before chipping over onrushing keeper Emiliano Martinez.
It was the South Korean forward’s 17th goal of the season and his first since the coronavirus hiatus.
In the 82nd minute, Belgian defender Alderweireld rose above a cluster of Arsenal players to meet Son’s corner and plant his header past Martinez.
At Villa Park, Dean Smith’s side kicked off languishing seven points from safety, but Egypt winger Trezeguet scored twice to keep them in with a chance of avoiding relegation.
Villa’s first win in 11 league games lifted them into 18th, within four points of fourth-from-bottom Watford with three games left.
Second-bottom Bournemouth will go one point above Villa if they beat Leicester later on Sunday.
Smith’s men got an early stroke of luck when Palace defender Mamadou Sakho had a goal ruled out by VAR for handball Villa snatched the lead in first half stoppage-time when Conor Hourihane’s free-kick picked out Trezeguet, who side-footed home at the far post.
Violent conduct
Trezeguet got Villa’s crucial second goal in the 58th minute, finishing clinically after Hourihane nodded the ball forward.
Palace striker Christian Benteke was sent off for violent conduct after the final whistle.
At Molineux, Wolves stayed in the Champions League hunt with a 3-0 win against woeful Everton.
Raul Jimenez’s penalty and Leander Dendoncker’s header a minute either side of half-time put the game out of Everton’s reach.
Results: Aston Villa 2 (Trezeguet 45+4, 59) Crystal Palace 0; Tottenham 2 (Son 19, Alderweireld 81) Arsenal 1 (Lacazette 16); Wolves 3 (Jimenez 45+2-pen, Dendoncker 46, Jota 74) Everton 0.
London
Toby Alderweireld gave Tottenham a late 2-1 win over Arsenal as Jose Mourinho’s men climbed above their north London rivals, while Aston Villa boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Mourinho had endured a barrage of criticism as Tottenham slipped out of the race to qualify for the Champions League with just one win in three games. But thanks to Alderweireld’s winner with nine minutes left, Tottenham took the local bragging rights and got back in contention for a place in next season’s Europa League.
Tottenham are eighth, two points above ninth placed Arsenal and two behind Sheffield United as they try to avoid missing out on European action for the first time since 2009-10.
“We are happy because we made the fans happy, we are happy because we are still in the fight to win a Europa League position,” Mourinho said.
“To be honest, Mikel (Arteta) found a way for them to play, to be stable and to improve. We felt that we should adapt slightly to them and we did it very well.
“Arsenal had 48 hours more than us to rest, so it was hard but it came from their hearts, this effort, this battle.”
In the first north London derby at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Alexandre Lacazette put Arsenal ahead in the 16th minute with a stunning strike.
The French striker dispossessed Serge Aurier outside the Spurs area before unleashing an unstoppable effort inside the top near corner of the goal.
Arsenal’s lead lasted just three minutes as Sead Kolasinac’s sloppy pass gifted Son Heung-min the ball.
Son easily eluded David Luiz before chipping over onrushing keeper Emiliano Martinez.
It was the South Korean forward’s 17th goal of the season and his first since the coronavirus hiatus.
In the 82nd minute, Belgian defender Alderweireld rose above a cluster of Arsenal players to meet Son’s corner and plant his header past Martinez.
At Villa Park, Dean Smith’s side kicked off languishing seven points from safety, but Egypt winger Trezeguet scored twice to keep them in with a chance of avoiding relegation.
Villa’s first win in 11 league games lifted them into 18th, within four points of fourth-from-bottom Watford with three games left.
Second-bottom Bournemouth will go one point above Villa if they beat Leicester later on Sunday.
Smith’s men got an early stroke of luck when Palace defender Mamadou Sakho had a goal ruled out by VAR for handball Villa snatched the lead in first half stoppage-time when Conor Hourihane’s free-kick picked out Trezeguet, who side-footed home at the far post.
Violent conduct
Trezeguet got Villa’s crucial second goal in the 58th minute, finishing clinically after Hourihane nodded the ball forward.
Palace striker Christian Benteke was sent off for violent conduct after the final whistle.
At Molineux, Wolves stayed in the Champions League hunt with a 3-0 win against woeful Everton.
Raul Jimenez’s penalty and Leander Dendoncker’s header a minute either side of half-time put the game out of Everton’s reach.
Results: Aston Villa 2 (Trezeguet 45+4, 59) Crystal Palace 0; Tottenham 2 (Son 19, Alderweireld 81) Arsenal 1 (Lacazette 16); Wolves 3 (Jimenez 45+2-pen, Dendoncker 46, Jota 74) Everton 0.
