MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 11:13:18| >> :120:4175:4175:

PL roundup: VAR controversy as Arsenal held, Saints end winless run

Granit Xhaka's moment of madness allowed Chris Wood to score an equaliser.

Arsenal's European hopes suffered a self-inflicted blow in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Burnley at Turf Moor.

The Gunners were dominant and led through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's sixth-minute opener but contrived to gift the Clarets an equaliser in the 38th minute.

Granit Xhaka picked up a short pass in his own area from goalkeeper Bernd Leno and inexplicably kicked the ball against Burnley forward Chris Wood, watching in horror as it flew into the net.

Arsenal were awarded a late penalty for handball when Nicolas Pepe's volley hit Erik Pieters and struck the crossbar.

The Burnley defender was also shown a red card but both decisions were overturned after replays showed the ball struck Pieters' shoulder.

Goals from James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams gave Southampton a long-awaited and much-needed 2-0 victory and plunged Sheffield United nearer to relegation.

A first win in 10 matches stopped Saints' alarming slide and moved them 10 points clear of the bottom three, but the rock-bottom Blades look more unlikely by the week to pull off the greatest of escapes.

The defeat leaves Chris Wilder's side 12 points adrift of safety with just 10 matches remaining to save themselves.

Ward-Prowse netted from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute after Nathan Tella was brought down and Adams' superb strike four minutes after half-time gave Saints breathing space.

Romain Saiss' extraordinary miss forced Wolves to settle for a 0-0 derby draw at Aston Villa.

Romain Saiss holds his head in his hands after his dreadful miss
Romain Saiss holds his head in his hands after his dreadful miss (Peter Cziborra/PA)

The defender fired over an open goal from a yard out after Conor Coady hit the post.

Emi Martinez also denied Coady in the second half at Villa Park as the hosts drew for just the fourth time this season.

Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa hit the woodwork for Villa during a dominant first half but they lost their way after the break and relied on Saiss' howler to claim a point.

ID:438158: cacheID:438158:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:13383:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock pictured in February 2021
Read Next:
Neil Warnock jokes about 'Steve Cooper's dad' influencing referees
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!