IT was the last touch of the match and it tipped the English Premier League title match on its head once again.
Arsenal’s stirring come from behind 2-1 win over top of the table Leicester City threw yet another spanner in the works of a Premier League season that has had as many twists and turns as a spiral stair case.
Arsenal is now the title favourite at $2.60 with CrownBet.com.au, with Leicester blowing out to $3.75, after being $2.80 before the start of the weekend’s rounds.
The Gunners, fourth and five points behind before the match, recovered from a dubious penalty awarded to the Foxes’ man of the moment Jamie Vardy – the Premier League’s golden boot favourite at $2.75 with CrownBet.com.au – to cut the lead at the top to just two points.
The game took a turn for the worst when City defender Danny Simpson was sent off for a second booking early in the second half.
Substitute speedster Theo Walcott equalised with 20 minutes to go after a glorious header on flick down from the beautiful Frenchman Olivier Giroud, setting up a grand slam finish.
And it looked like the compact Leicester defence, led by powerhouse Robert Huth, would hold out for a share of the points, despite the relentless attack of an Arsenal side with its tail up and an extra man on the pitch.
But the high hopes quickly turned to agony when Mesut Ozil played in a wonderful set piece from a free kick that should never have been, the ball grazing off the head of man of the moment Danny Welbeck in the 94th minute and past a despairing Kasper Schmeichel into the Foxes’ net.
It was the last touch of the match and just about Welbeck’s first touch for some 10 months, the athletic striker subbed on for his first action since April last year.
The goal was the 100th for Arsenal after the 90th minute, more than any other club in Premier League history and it left manager Arsene Wenger beaming.
“It keeps us in it with many other teams,” Wenger said.
“There is a long way to a go and we play a lot of big teams.
“We came out of a bad spell after four games without a win – we now win two games on the bounce (they defeated Bournemouth 2-1 last round).
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri was proud of his team’s performance and said his still on top and not fretting just yet.
“We want to fight match after match,” Ranieri said.
“We know the matches are hard.
“Now there are so many teams who want to win the league like Arsenal or want to avoid being relegated.
“Every match is different and tough.
”It was a fantastic match, very fast.
“We know Arsenal are a fantastic team, they move the ball very quickly and are full of skill, but we had to concentrate.
“We tried to counter attack, have a fast transition and we controlled the match very well.
“They scored with the last chance.
“They were smarter than us and that is football.
”We showed a good performance, it is our third defeat in the Premier League.
“It is good, we are still top of the table, got two points more – we have to fight, carry on and smile.“
There are only two other teams in with a chance of winning the title and both Tottenham and Manchester City played each other on the weekend too.
And the Spurs are now the $3.25 second favourites with CrownBet.com.au after their stirring away win over the Sky Blues, 2-1, leaving them second on the table.
A 53rd minute penalty from Vardy’s nearest golden boot challenger Harry Kane ($3.75 with CrownBet.com.au) gave Spurs the lead, but that was cancelled out by 19 year old wunderkind Kelechi Iheanacho in the 74th minute.
It set up a grand stand finish and it was Tottenham that had the better of it, star Christian Eriksen’s strike with seven minutes to go giving them a deserved 2-1 win – and piling on the pressure for City.
Both Tottenham and Arsenal are on 51 points, behind Leicester City on 53, with City now further back on 47 and languishing after three straight losses, including two straight at the Emirates.
Manchester United, six points further back on 41, put paid to its miserable season with a meek 2-1 loss to Sunderland. Young buck Anthony Martial fired in again, after Wahib Khazri struck in just the third minute for Sunderland, but the Red Devils’ hopes were dashed when Martial attempted goal line clearance rebounded off goal keeper David De Gea and into the net.
Elsewhere, Chelsea continued its rise under new manager Guus Hiddink with a 5-1 walloping of Newcastle, a double to Pedro punctuated by goals to Diego Costa, Willian and Bertrand Traore. Any thoughts of the Pensioners doing the unthinkable and falling out of the Premier League are now but a distant memory as they are now nine points clear of the drop zone, thanks to a two month unbeaten streak that dates back to December 15.
And Aston Villa all but consigned itself to relegation, firming into $1.01 with CrownBet.com.au after it was embarrassed, 6-0, at the hands of Liverpool. The Reds, who have so often failed to find the goals this season, opened them up with six individual goal scorers – Daniel Sturridge, James Milner, Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Toure.
Speaking of goal scorers, Vardy leads the way on 19, with the second favourite Kane on 16, equal with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, who is $5.50 for the golden boot. The ever present City star Sergio Aguero ($4.25), leads a glut of three men on 14 goals – Watford surprise packet Odion Ighalo ($26) and potential Leicester City PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez ($41).
English Premier League title race market
Arsenal ($2.60)
Tottenham ($3.25)
Manchester City ($7)
Manchester United ($81)
Chelsea ($301)
Everton ($501)
Liverpool ($501)
Southampton ($501)
West Ham ($501)
Crystal Palace ($1001)
Odds provided by Crownbet.com.au
English Premier League golden boot race market
Harry Kane ($3.75)
Sergio Aguero ($4.25)
Romelu Lukaku ($5.50)
Odion Ighalo ($26)
Olivier Giroud ($26)
Diego Costa ($34)
Riyad Mahrez ($41)
Jermaine Defoe ($81)
Wayne Rooney ($101)
Alexis Sanchez ($151)
Roberto Firmino ($151)
Anthony Martial ($151)
Andre Ayew ($151)
Kevin De Bruyne ($151)
Georginio Wijnaldum ($151)
Yaya Toure ($201)
Christian Benteke ($251)
Daniel Sturridge ($251)
Graziano Pelle ($251)
Phillipe Coutinho ($251)
Raheem Sterling ($251)
Theo Walcott ($251)
Wilfried Bony ($251)
Odds provided by Crownbet.com.au
