Liverpool extend lead at the top as Arsenal jump back into title race

• Nunez and Jota doubles see off Bournemouth
• Liverpool go five points clear
• Arsenal hit five to see off Palace

Liverpool recorded an impressive win away at Bournemouth while Arsenal got their title challenge back on track with a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.

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Liverpool push on at the top

Liverpool extended their lead at the summit of the Premier League with a commanding second-half performance against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday. Despite challenging weather conditions due to Storm Isha, an evenly contested first half gave way to Liverpool’s dominance, with Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota each scoring twice to secure a well-deserved 4-0 victory. Jurgen Klopp’s side now holds a five-point lead over Manchester City, Arsenal, and Aston Villa, though Manchester City has a game in hand.

The first half of the match saw both teams struggling to create significant opportunities. However, Nunez broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half with a composed finish from Jota’s assist. Nunez was instrumental in the build-up to Liverpool’s second goal, battling for possession to set up Cody Gakpo, who released Jota for a goal. Jota added his second with a low shot, and Nunez sealed the win with the fourth goal in stoppage time, redirecting Joe Gomez’s cross into the net.

Gunners back to winning ways

A day earlier, Arsenal revitalised their Premier League title aspirations with a dominant performance against Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium. After a dip in form towards the end of the previous year, Mikel Arteta’s side, following a week-long winter break in Dubai, returned with renewed energy. Arsenal secured a resounding 5-0 victory, with goals from Gabriel, a Dean Henderson own goal, Leandro Trossard, and two late strikes from Gabriel Martinelli.

The first two goals for Arsenal came from corners, with Gabriel heading in the opener in the 11th minute. A subsequent header from Gabriel struck Crystal Palace goalkeeper Henderson, resulting in an own goal. Trossard added to Arsenal’s lead in the second half, finishing confidently after being sent one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Martinelli then capped off the convincing win with two injury-time goals.

This emphatic victory propels Arsenal to third place in the league, trailing leaders Liverpool by five points. The results from both matches suggest that Liverpool remains in control at the top, while Arsenal has reignited their title challenge with a dominant display.

Premier League betting

Liverpool lead the table by five points from Manchester City and Arsenal. However, should City win their game in hand then the gap to Klopp’s side will be down to two points. Pep Guardiola’s men still remain title favourites having returned to form over the last month. At the time of writing, bet365 have City priced at 8/13 with Liverpool at 5/2 and Arsenal 7/1. Bettors need to analyse Arsenal’s win over a Palace side who performed poorly and assess whether they think the Gunners are back in the race and need to work out if Liverpool can keep on grinding results out on four fronts while they battle against injuries and international call ups.

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