Three talking points from the Premier League weekend
Arsenals advantage over Manchester City in the Premier League title chase stays at five points following both teams securing hard fought wins that were not entirely dominant this weekend.
City narrowly defeated Leeds 1-0 on Saturday increasing the pressure on Arsenal who hit back with a 2-1 triumph against Chelsea relying on their strength in set piece situations.
In the race for qualification to next years Champions League Aston Villa endured a costly loss to the leagues bottom club Wolves while Manchester United and Liverpool picked up pace.
AFP Sport examines three key discussion points from the Premier League weekend:
Corner specialists Arsenal
Strikes from William Saliba and Jurrien Timber brought Arsenals total goals from corners this season in the Premier League to 16 matching the records set for one campaign.
The initial goal was superb Arsenal might be the finest team globally at such plays remarked Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior.
Set piece strikes propelled the Gunners in their initial push for a first league crown in 22 years and Mikel Arteta appreciated regaining that scoring avenue after a period without them.
We have dropped points from long throws recently and not netted from many set pieces Lately today we managed it Having these choices is excellent stated the Spaniard.
The grinding style behind much of Arsenals achievements has drawn some critique.
Artetas squad does not match the visually appealing style of Arsene Wengers championship teams from the early 2000s.
However they have addressed doubts about managing title race tension in the past few weeks following a stutter with draws against Brentford and Wolves.
City hold a match in reserve plus home field benefit when facing Arsenal next month.
Yet that represents Arsenals sole upcoming clash with a top six opponent broadening their route to success.
Semenyos swift influence
Citys spending on Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi has yielded quick benefits drawing Pep Guardiolas team back into contention for the title.
After no victories in their opening four league matches this year they have now chained four wins together making Arsenal concerned that past patterns may recur.
City overtook the Gunners for the title in 2022/23 and 2023/24 and notably clinched their final 14 fixtures to surpass Liverpool in 2018/19.
Semenyos sixth goal in 11 outings since arriving from Bournemouth delivered a uncommon setback for Leeds during their evening match at Elland Road.
It involves precision in details all players are committed It is not absent When you practise that in sessions it carries over to matches and everyone simply aims to triumph said the Ghanaian about adapting to Citys level.
Everyone remains highly concentrated and that mindset change is remarkable Focusing on small aspects and ensuring peak condition.
Guehi has delivered a similarly strong debut in defence providing stability to a backline disrupted by injuries.
Villa lose momentum
Villa face the danger of being overtaken by Englands established powers with greater funds in the Champions League qualification scrap.
Unai Emerys squad hampered by injuries has secured only one win in six outings across all tournaments falling from title hopefuls to fourth spot.
They reached a fresh nadir on Friday as Wolves grabbed their second league success of the term steering clear of a historic low points mark in the Premier League.
Manchester Uniteds 2-1 victory versus Crystal Palace boosted them to third while Liverpool narrowed the gap to three points.
Still Villa possess a major chance when hosting Chelsea on Wednesday.
The leading five positions should secure Champions League berths due to the robust performances of English clubs in Europe this term.
A win against the Blues would extend Villas lead over Chelsea to nine points with nine matches remaining.
We are seeking equilibrium stated Emery We are having a superb season and this is the time I wish to inform our fans now we require the supporters We need their vitality.