The Premier League title race looks to be going to the wire. There’s no sign of an end-of-season collapse by Arsenal this time.
Keeping the pressure on Manchester City, Arsenal beat Bournemouth 3-0 in the lunchtime kickoff Saturday for a fourth straight win in the league.
It pushed Arsenal four points clear of second-place City, which has two games in hand — the first of which was against Wolverhampton later Saturday.
Last season, Arsenal’s title challenge faded in the spring as a fast-finishing City clinched a third straight league championship with three games to spare.
Twelve months on and the title race is heading into the final week of the season. Indeed, given the form of the top two, it is likely to be decided in the last round of games on May 19.
Bukayo Saka converted a penalty in the 45th minute before second-half goals by Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice gave Arsenal victory at Emirates Stadium.
BURNLEY IN TROUBLE
Burnley slipped closer to the drop thanks to its 4-1 loss at home to Newcastle combined with relegation rival Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win at last-place Sheffield United.
It left next-to-last Burnley five points adrift of Forest, which occupies the place directly above the relegation zone.
Burnley has to win both of its remaining games — away to Tottenham and then at home to Forest on the final day — to stand a chance of staying up. Even that won’t be enough if Forest avoids defeat at West Ham next weekend, given Burnley’s goal difference is so much worse than Forest’s.
Luton is third from bottom and now three points behind Forest. As it stands, the three teams that were promoted last season are going straight back down to the Championship.
Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak all scored for Newcastle, which climbed above Manchester United and into sixth place in its bid to qualify for Europe. Newcastle could even catch Tottenham, which is four points further ahead in fifth ahead of its trip to Liverpool on Sunday.
Man United visits Crystal Palace on Monday.
Sheffield United was already sure of being relegated before playing Forest, which came from behind through a double from Callum Hudson-Odoi that came either side of Ryan Yates’ goal.
In the other match Saturday, Brentford and Fulham drew 0-0.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
