Premier League: Arsenal Strengthens its Lead, Liverpool Held by Sunderland

Arsenal, the league leaders, maintained their five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City with a narrow victory at home against Brentford during the 14th round of the Premier League on Wednesday. The "Gunners" scored early with a deft header from Mikel Merino (11'), who has been playing as an improvised striker and had already scored three days earlier in the derby against Chelsea (1-1).

They extended their lead late in the match with a goal from winger Bukayo Saka, whose shot was deflected but ultimately found the net despite Caoimhin Kelleher's efforts (90'+1). Goalkeeper David Raya also played a crucial role in the victory, making a reflex save that deflected Kevin Schade's header onto the crossbar (21'). The only downside for coach Mikel Arteta was the injury to Cristhian Mosquera, a central defender filling in for the two regular starters Gabriel and William Saliba, who are both injured. The London leaders (1st, 33 pts) will head into their match against Aston Villa on Saturday with a five-point cushion over Manchester City (2nd, 28 pts), who won against Fulham (5-4) on Tuesday.

Liverpool and Sunderland had a chance to take advantage of this slip-up, but both teams ended up drawing 1-1 in an entertaining match. After opening the scoring in the second half with a slightly deflected shot from Chemsdine Talbi (67'), Régis Le Bris' team could have hoped for a win, which would have secured them fourth place. However, the Reds avoided a third consecutive defeat at Anfield thanks to an own goal from Nordi Mukiele, following a deflected shot from Florian Wirtz (81').

While the Mersey side players faced challenges—Alisson, for instance, deflected a long-range shot from Trai Hume onto the crossbar (32'), and Wilson Isidor missed a golden opportunity in stoppage time after getting past the Brazilian goalkeeper (90'+4)—they also showcased resilience. Despite struggling with their gameplay, they were unable to capitalize on opportunities created by Dominik Szoboszlai (43') and Alexis Mac Allister, whose header hit the post (44'). It’s clear that this season has been anything but easy for the English champions, a situation that their coach Arne Slot must be acutely aware of as it becomes increasingly precarious.