Ramsey celebrates twice over as Arsenal keep on running
LONDON: Aaron Ramsey marked his 150th Premier League appearance with a first-half winner as Arsenal closed the gap on leaders Chelsea to four points with a difficult 1-0 win over Burnley.
The Welshman pounced to drive the ball home in the 12th minute after a goalmouth scramble in which Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil had seen shots blocked.
It marked an eighth successive league win for the Gunners while Burnley remain in the bottom three, two points from safety.
Christian Benteke scored his eighth goal in six games to hand Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood a winning return to Tottenham.
Sherwood, who was relieved of his duties at White Hart Lane at the end of last season, has since taken the job at Villa with the task of keeping them in the Premier League and this victory will go some way to helping him achieve that goal, although the visitors did see Carlos Sanchez sent off late into stoppage time.
Coincidentally, Sherwood’s last game in charge of Spurs was a 3-0 win over Villa, and he was on the winning side once more as Benteke headed home 10 minutes before half-time to seal a 1-0 victory.
Southampton‘s slim top-four hopes were given a boost as James Ward-Prowse and Graziano Pelle secured a hard-fought 2-0 win against embattled Hull.
The result sees them level last year’s best-ever Premier League points tally of 56 but leaves Steve Bruce’s side worryingly close to the relegation zone with an unenviable run-in lying in wait.
Yannick Bolasie plundered an 11-minute hat-trick as Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew masterminded a 4-1 victory at Sunderland.
The DR Congo international struck on 51, 54 and 62 minutes after Glenn Murray had opened the scoring to hand Palace their first ever top-flight win on Wearside.
Connor Wickham’s 89th-minute strike proved scant consolation for Sunderland, who remain mired in the relegation battle.
Jamie Vardy’s stunning injury-time winner handed basement side Leicester a vital survival lifeline after a 3-2 victory at West Brom.
The striker ran from the halfway line before burying a drive into the corner to close the gap to safety to just three points.
Robert Huth’s late header had made it 2-2 after Darren Fletcher and Craig Gardner scored for Albion while David Nugent levelled in the first half before the Foxes’ late show.
Swansea equalled their best-ever Premier League points haul of 47 as they fought back to stop Everton‘s winning run in a feisty 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium.
Aaron Lennon gave the visitors a 41st minute lead with his second goal in Everton colours, but Swansea equalised after 69 minutes when Seamus Coleman’s handball was spotted by referee Michael Oliver and Jonjo Shelvey scored with a firm spot-kick.
Marko Arnautovic’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser earned Stoke a 1-1 draw at West Ham.
The Hammers looked to have done enough to battle to victory after taking an early lead through a superb free-kick by full-back Aaron Cresswell.
However, after seeing two efforts from Arnautovic ruled out for offside and a header by substitute Mame Diouf hit the post, the visitors snatched a point deep into stoppage time when the Austrian forward crashed the ball into the far corner.
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