Leicester City reclaimed second spot in the Premier League in dramatic fashion as Kelechi Iheanacho’s stoppage-time goal earned them a 2-1 victory over luckless Everton on Sunday.
Jamie Vardy had equalised for Leicester in the 68th minute after Richarlison had given Everton a deserved first-half lead.
A draw would have been a fair result and a boost for under-pressure Everton boss Marco Silva but Foxes substitute Iheanacho fired home after a late counter-attack to seal a sixth successive league win for Leicester.
The goal was initially disallowed for offside but after an agonising VAR wait the decision was overturned, sparking scenes of joy for the hosts and dejection for Everton.
Leicester moved back above Manchester City and are three points ahead of the champions with 32 from 14 games, eight behind Liverpool.
Elsewhere, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suffered another frustrating afternoon as his team were held to a 2-2 draw at home to lowly Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
After a wide open start to the game, Jack Grealish fired Villa ahead in the 11th minute, cutting in from the left and then expertly curling the ball into the far, top corner.
Villa substitute Trezeguet had the ball in the net in the 29th minute but his effort was ruled out for offside and three minutes before the break United got a barely deserved equaliser.
A short corner led to Andreas Pereira floating in a deep cross which Marcus Rashford rose well to head against the post with the ball bouncing in off helpless Villa keeper Tom Heaton.
It was another corner routine which led to United taking the lead in the 64th, this time Fred’s cross was inadvertently headed to the back post by Villa striker Wesley and United’s Swedish defender Victor Lindelof nodded home.
But the lead last only two minutes before Villa got back on level terms, the impressive Matt Targett chipping the ball into the box to an unmarked Tyrone Mings who volleyed home. While the defender looked offside, VAR correctly ruled the goal was valid.
United are ninth on 18 points with Villa 15th on 15.
Earlier on Sunday, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang once again rescued Arsenal as his brace earned them a 2-2 draw at Norwich City in Freddie Ljungberg’s first game as caretaker manager.
The Gabonese striker took his away league tally to six this season as he twice levelled after an impressive Norwich side led through goals by Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell.
While Arsenal showed some backbone to return to London with a point two days after Unai Emery was sacked as manager they are now without a Premier League win for six games — their longest streak within a season since 1994.
They are eighth, seven points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, while Norwich remain second from bottom.
“I want this club to do well, it is only winning that counts,” Swede Ljungberg, a member of Arsenal’s “Invincibles” who won the title in 2003-04 without losing a game, said.
“I wanted to win the game so I am disappointed but I have also seen some positive things.”
REUTERS
