Premier League Boxing Day Round-Up: Joy of six for City and Arsenal keep climbing

Ryan Baldi
27 December 2021
3:00 min read

Sterling scored to settle a nine-goal thriller as City look unstoppable, writes Ryan Baldi

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Man City tightened their grip on the title race by hitting Leicester for six, while Arsenal improved their top-four credentials, writes Ryan Baldi...

"With Liverpool's scheduled Boxing Day bout with Leeds called off for Covid reasons, City extended their lead atop the table to six points. They have now won nine league games in a row and are available to back at 1.292/7 on the Betfair Exchange to retain their crown this term."

Manchester City tightened their grip on the title race after a nine-goal Boxing Day bonanza against Leicester City at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola's side raced to a 4-0 lead by the 25-minute mark, thanks to strikes from and Ilkay Gundogan and a pair of penalties - the first dispatched by Riyad Mahrez, the latter tucked away by Raheem Sterling.

Just as those sympathetic to Leicester's cause began to fear a double-figure drubbing, though, the Foxes snapped into life.

Manager Brendan Rodgers must have delivered rousing half-time speech in the away dressing room as, within 20 minutes of the second period commencing, Leicester hit three goals without reply.

Former City striker Kelechi Iheanacho laid on the first two - assisting James Maddison and Ademola Lookman, respectively - before netting the third himself.

But he Nigerian international's efforts served only to spark the slumbering City back to life. Centre-back Aymeric Laporte re-extended City's advantage on 69 minutes, before, in the 87th minute, Sterling's fifth goal in as many games sealed a dramatic three points for the reigning champions.

With Liverpool's scheduled Boxing Day bout with Leeds called off for Covid reasons, City extended their lead atop the table to six points. They have now won nine league games in a row and are available to back at 1.292/7 on the Betfair Exchange to retain their crown this term.

Elsewhere in the title race, Chelsea recorded only their second Premier League victory in five games, but they were made to work for their full share of the points.

Thomas Tuchel's side were visitors at Villa Park, and a Steven Gerrard-less Aston Villa - the manager was missing due to a positive Covid-19 test - took a 28th-minute lead thanks to a Reece James own goal.

The Blues rallied to a 3-1 win, but not without the help of two Jorginho penalties, coming either side of Romelu Lukaku's first league goal since the last time the two sides met, back in August.

Jorginho has now scored five penalties for Chelsea in his last five appearances. The second of his double against Villa came late into stoppage time at the end of the game, giving the win a more comfortable complexion than reflected in reality.

Chelsea remain third in the table, six points adrift of City. The Blues can be backed at 16.5 on the Exchange in the Premier League Winner market.

Top-four tussle intensifies

Arsenal's 5-0 thrashing of Norwich City at Carrow Road means it's now five all-competition's victories in a row for Mikel Arteta's men.

The Gunners thumped the struggling Canaries thanks to a brace from Bukayo Saka and goals from Kieran Tierney, Alexandre Lacazette and Emile Smith Rowe.

The win sees Arsenal take up comfortable residence in fourth place, owing to West Ham slipping up in a 3-2 home defeat to Southampton.

The Gunners are six points ahead of their closest rivals for the final Champions League-qualification berth and can be backed at 3.55 on the Exchange in the Top 4 Finish market.

Arsenal's closest competitors for that precious last seat at Europe's top table, however, are their in-form north-London rivals Tottenham.

Spurs' remarkable transformation under Antonio Conte continued on Boxing Day as they routed Crystal Palace 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min - three players who, in particular, have looked revived and re-inspired since the Italian tactician's arrival in November - delivered the goals.

Tottenham are undefeated in the Premier League since Conte's appointment. The only blotches on their record in that time are draws against Everton, in the manager's first game at the helm, and Liverpool - in which they held their own against the title contenders.

Coronavirus cancellations mean Spurs have played three games fewer than Arsenal. When that - as well as their sparkling form - is factored in, the six-point gap to their fourth-placed foes appears to shrink.

Spurs are available to back at 3.7511/4 on the Exchange to finish inside the top four this season.

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