Sport

Arsenal’s slim title challenge almost over after Everton draw

Premier League round-up: Aston Villa build Champions League momentum with win over Nottingham Forest; Wolves push Ipswich closer to relegation

Everton's Iliman Ndiaye scores Everton's equaliser from the penalty spot during the Premier League game against Arsenal at Goodison Par. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Everton's Iliman Ndiaye scores Everton's equaliser from the penalty spot during the Premier League game against Arsenal at Goodison Par. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Sat Apr 05 2025 - 17:33

Everton did near-neighbours Liverpool a favour by taking points off Arsenal in a 1-1 draw but judging by the Gunners’ performance they have already checked out of the title race.

With the gap to the leaders still 11 points, Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final at home to Real Madrid has far greater significance for their season and that was reflected in Mikel Arteta’s team selection.

The result offers Arne Slot’s champions-elect the chance to put any doubts about the outcome of the title to bed at Fulham on Sunday.

But Arteta will have left his former Goodison Park home already thinking about Europe after Iliman Ndiaye scored an equaliser from the penalty spot on his first league start in two months due to injury to cancel out Leandro Trossard’s first-half opener.

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Aston Villa warmed up for their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris St Germain with a crunch 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest which boosts their chances of returning to Europe’s biggest stage next season.

Villa’s electric start saw Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen both score in the opening 15 minutes to put them on the road to a seventh successive win in all competitions.

Three of those have been in the Premier League, which has lifted Unai Emery’s men to sixth in the table behind fifth-placed Manchester City on goal difference.

Although their position could change after the weekend’s games are all played, they have momentum as they set sights on a second successive year of Champions League qualification.

They could still do that by winning this year’s competition and now head to Paris for the club’s biggest game since their European Cup quarter-final loss to Juventus in 1982.

Forest have aspirations of their own to be in next season’s Champions League, though they were hurt by a defeat which could have at least been a draw.

Jota Silva got them back into it in the second half but they missed a host of opportunities to level, with Murillo hitting the crossbar in the 90th minute.

Wolves pushed Ipswich closer to the Championship as they came from behind to beat the Tractor Boys 2-1 and leave them 12 points adrift of safety.

Liam Delap prodded Ipswich in front early on but Pablo Sarabia equalised in the 72nd minute before Jorgen Strand Larsen won it with six minutes left to play.

Crystal Palace hung on with nine men to dent the European hopes of their rivals Brighton with a 2-1 win in a match that saw three red cards – all of them for second bookable offences.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s third-minute strike was cancelled out by Danny Welbeck but Daniel Munoz struck again early in the second half.

Palace were reduced to 10 when Eddie Nketiah saw red with 12 minutes to go, and Marc Guehi then followed in the 90th minute before Brighton had Jan Paul van Hecke sent off early in more than 12 minutes of stoppage time.

But Brighton, eighth, stay above Bournemouth, who were held to a 2-2 draw at West Ham as Evanilson scored twice.

His first opened the scoring but two goals in eight minutes from Niklas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen turned it around in the second half before Evanilson’s second in the 79th minute earned a point.