AP

Cracks appearing in leader Arsenal’s EPL title bid

Feb 10, 2023, 9:55 PM | Updated: Feb 11, 2023, 12:06 pm

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and ...

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)


              Chelsea's Joao Felix reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Chelsea in London, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/David Cliff)
            
              Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur receives medical attention during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
            
              Leicester City players celebrate after Leicester's Kelechi Iheanacho, right, scored his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
            
              Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
            
              Brentford's Ivan Toney, centre right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's first goal goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
            
              Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta, right, gestures during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
            
              Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

The first cracks are appearing in Arsenal’s English Premier League title bid, right before the team’s biggest match of the season.

A 1-1 draw at home to Brentford on Saturday came a week after a lackluster 1-0 loss at Everton.

Hardly the run of results the leader will have wanted heading into the big one on Wednesday, when second-placed Manchester City comes to Emirates Stadium.

Six points separate the teams, though City can reduce that when the defending champion hosts Aston Villa on Sunday. Beat Arsenal, too, and City could even climb into first place — albeit having played a game more.

Arsenal was flat against a Brentford team which — following the playbook of Everton — defended in numbers and hit on the break, leading to lots of sterile possession from Mikel Arteta’s team.

Leandro Trossard’s first goal for Arsenal since his move from Brighton gave the hosts the lead in the 66th minute when he converted a cross from Bukayo Saka.

Ivan Toney claimed Brentford’s equalizer with a close-range header eight minutes later after Arsenal failed to clear a free kick.

It is the first time this season that Arsenal has gone back-to-back games without a win, and this was the just the second time the team has dropped points at home.

“Games are won in margins in this league,” Arteta said, “and when you take the margins away it becomes really difficult. The team had a really strong performance again today but we didn’t get the three points.”

NEWCASTLE HELD

Newcastle has finally hit something of a sticky patch, too.

The Saudi-owned team drew at relegation-threatened Bournemouth 1-1, a week after drawing West Ham 1-1 at home. In fact, Newcastle has had five draws in its last six league games.

Newcastle is clinging on to fourth place but all of these draws will give hope to the chasing pack.

TOTTENHAM’S BAD DAY

Tottenham lost a game and one of its key players.

As if getting thrashed by Leicester 4-1 wasn’t bad enough, Tottenham saw star midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur go off in the second half with what looked like a serious leg injury ahead of a last-16 match against AC Milan in the Champions League next week.

Bentancur gave Tottenham the lead but Leicester replied through goals from Nampalys Mendy, James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho and Harvey Barnes.

Manager Antonio Conte was back in the dugout for Spurs after gallbladder surgery.

FELIX’S FIRST GOAL

João Félix’s second match for Chelsea went better than his first.

The Portugal forward scored his first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw at West Ham on his return from a three-game suspension following a sending-off on his debut a month ago.

Félix guided home a volley off a cross from another new signing, Enzo Fernandez, in the 16th minute only for Emerson Palmieri — a former Chelsea player — to equalize in the 28th.

It was a third straight draw for Chelsea’s expensively assembled team, which is languishing in ninth place.

FACING THE SACK

Southampton manager Nathan Jones’ job is in the balance after Saints squandered a lead in a 2-1 home loss to Wolverhampton, which played more than an hour with 10 men and scored goals in the 72nd and 87th minutes.

January signing Joao Gomes scored the winner to leave Southampton in last place and four points from safety.

Under Jones, who replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl three months ago, Southampton has lost seven of its eight league games.

As the fulltime whistle was greeted by a chorus of deafening boos, Jones headed straight down the tunnel.

“I have never done that in my life before,” Jones said. “In terms of 390 games, I have never done that, but I am not sure if me going round clapping would have shown respect.”

Asked if it was likely to be his last match in charge, Jones replied: “I have no idea.”

Fulham beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 to climb to seventh place, and Brighton was held by Crystal Palace to 1-1.

___

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Cracks appearing in leader Arsenal’s EPL title bid