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  Arsenal back to winning ways

Arsenal back to winning ways

AFP
Published : Feb 8, 2016, 8:39 am IST
Updated : Feb 8, 2016, 8:39 am IST

Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey (right) vies for the ball with Harry Arter (centre) of Bournemouth in their English Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth on Sunday. Arsenal won 2-0. (Photo: AP)

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Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey (right) vies for the ball with Harry Arter (centre) of Bournemouth in their English Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth on Sunday. Arsenal won 2-0. (Photo: AP)

Arsenal returned to third place in the Premier League after Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goals ended a four-game winless streak with a 2-0 victory at Bournemouth on Sunday.

Arsenal arrived at Dean Court with their title challenge under threat after a poor run in January capped by a failure to score in their previous three league matches.

But two goals in a minute midway through the first half were enough to move them back level on points with second-place Tottenham Hotspur, five points behind leaders Leicester City, who visit the Emirates Stadium in seven days’ time.

On Saturday, Tottenham enhanced their own title chances by defeating Watford 1-0 courtesy of a 64th-minute goal from right-back Kieran Trippier, who tapped in a delightful left-wing cross from substitute Dele Alli.

Elsewhere, Adam Johnson and Jermain Defoe scored as second-bottom Sunderland came from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw at Liverpool, whose manager Jurgen Klopp was absent due to appendicitis.

Despite losing Dejan Lovren and Joe Allen to injury, Liverpool went 2-0 up through Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana.

But Liverpool’s fans deserted the stadium in droves in the 77th minute in protest at rising ticket prices and Sunderland fought back, Johnson curling in a free-kick before Defoe equalised in the 89th minute.

Everton leapt three places to eighth, above Liverpool on goal difference, with an impressive 3-0 success at Stoke City.

All of Everton’s goals came in the first half, Romelu Lukaku netting an 11th-minute penalty before Seamus Coleman and Aaron Lennon found the net. Southampton closed to within two points of sixth-place West Ham United with a 1-0 home win over Slaven Bilic’s side. Van Gaal dismisses Mourinho link with Man Utd Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has dismissed reports that the club have approached Jose Mourinho about succeeding him at Old Trafford, in comments published by British newspapers on Sunday.

van Gaal, whose contract expires next year, described reports about his position as “nonsense” and said he found it impossible to believe that United were lining up his replacement.

“There has been such nonsense created about me,” said van Gaal.

Location: United Kingdom, England, Bournemouth