Arsenal Loses to West Ham to Dent Premier League Title Challenge and Has Another Player Sent Off

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta watches from the touchline during the English Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United, in London, Britain, 22 February 2025. (EPA)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta watches from the touchline during the English Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United, in London, Britain, 22 February 2025. (EPA)
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Arsenal Loses to West Ham to Dent Premier League Title Challenge and Has Another Player Sent Off

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta watches from the touchline during the English Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United, in London, Britain, 22 February 2025. (EPA)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta watches from the touchline during the English Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United, in London, Britain, 22 February 2025. (EPA)

Arsenal's Premier League title challenge was dented by an unexpected 1-0 home loss to West Ham on Saturday that featured a fifth red card of the season for Mikel Arteta's team.

Second-place Arsenal squandered a chance to trim the gap to Liverpool to five points as Jarrod Bowen's first-half header secured a win for West Ham, which arrived at Emirates Stadium with just one victory in its last eight games.

There was worse to come for Arsenal, with left back Myles Lewis-Skelly handed a red card following a video review for his foul as the last man. The team's disciplinary record under Arteta has come under scrutiny this season — and might yet cost the Gunners the title, along with key injuries to their attack.

With the likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus out injured, Arsenal had only two shots on target against West Ham.

It leaves Liverpool with an eight-point cushion, having played the same number of games as Arsenal, and that advantage could grow when the leaders play Manchester City away on Sunday.

United rallies for draw at Everton

Manchester United came from two goals down before benefiting from a last-gasp video-review call to draw 2-2 at Everton.

Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte grabbed the 80th-minute equalizer for United with his first goal at club level in four years, eight minutes after Bruno Fernandes started the visitors’ fightback at Goodison Park by curling in a free kick.

United had been on course to slip to a third straight loss — and ninth defeat in 15 league matches since Ruben Amorim took charge in November — after first-half goals by Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure for resurgent Everton.

There was a late scare for United when Everton was awarded a penalty for what appeared to be a foul by Harry Maguire on Ashley Young, who fell to the ground dramatically under pressure from Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt in the third minute of stoppage time.

Following a video review, on-field referee Andrew Madley was advised to view the incident again on the pitchside monitor and he changed his initial decision.

“I think it was a soft penalty, it was clear,” Amorim said.

Champions League-chasing Bournemouth slip up

Fifth-place Bournemouth lost 1-0 at home to Wolverhampton to damage its bid for a finish in the Champions League qualification positions.

Bournemouth defender Illya Zabarnyi's 31st-minute red card was quickly followed by the winning goal by Matheus Cunha for Wolves.

Tottenham won 4-1 at Ipswich to further ease the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou, last-place Southampton lost 4-0 at home to Brighton, and Crystal Palace won 2-0 at Fulham.



MotoGP Champion Martin to Remain with Aprilia for 2026 Season

Third-placed Aprilia Racing's Spanish rider Jorge Martin celebrates on the podium at the end of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, north of Doha on April 13, 2025. (AFP)
Third-placed Aprilia Racing's Spanish rider Jorge Martin celebrates on the podium at the end of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, north of Doha on April 13, 2025. (AFP)
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MotoGP Champion Martin to Remain with Aprilia for 2026 Season

Third-placed Aprilia Racing's Spanish rider Jorge Martin celebrates on the podium at the end of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, north of Doha on April 13, 2025. (AFP)
Third-placed Aprilia Racing's Spanish rider Jorge Martin celebrates on the podium at the end of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, north of Doha on April 13, 2025. (AFP)

MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin will remain with Aprilia for the 2026 season, the Spaniard said on Thursday, having previously announced his intention to leave the Italian team before next season.

Martin won his first MotoGP title last season with Pramac Racing before moving to Aprilia on a two-year contract, but in May the 27-year-old said he had exercised his right to release himself for the 2026 season.

Aprilia reacted to Martin's announcement by saying they were prepared to take the matter to court, but ahead of his long-awaited return to action in Saturday's Czech Grand Prix, the Spaniard put an end to the controversy.

"I'm really happy to be here again. It was a really difficult six or seven months suffering a lot with a lot of injuries but I'm happy to be here and to be back in MotoGP," Martin told reporters.

"Finally, I'm happy to say that I'll continue with Aprilia for 2026."

Martin has raced just once this season after a pre-season crash ruled him out of the first three rounds and a crash in his first race in Qatar led to a collapsed lung and bruised ribs.