LONDON rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur moved within two points of top spot with dramatic 2-1 wins over English Premier League (EPL) leader Leicester City and Manchester City respectively as the top four clashed Sunday.

    Third-placed Arsenal’s victory was secured by substitute Danny Welbeck in the dying seconds against a Leicester side that took the lead but was reduced to 10 men when Danny Simpson was sent off early in the second half.

    Spurs won at Manchester City with a late strike from Christian Eriksen on his 24th birthday to stay in second spot above Arsenal on goal difference.

    The most open championship race for years saw the two London teams increase the pressure on Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes, who are hanging on to first place with 53 points and 12 matches to play.

    Sunday’s results also moved the pair four points clear of Manchester City, which stays fourth on 47, with Manchester United six points further back and struggling to get close to the Champions League places.

    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side’s win was hugely important as the title race heads towards the home stretch. “It was a pivotal moment today because the mathematics meant we could be eight points (behind Leicester) or it could be two points. That is a great change,” he told Sky Sports.

    “There’s a long way to go, we play a lot of big teams. But we had a bad spell where we couldn’t win for four games and have now won two on the bounce. We have come out of that bad spell and still have a good chance.”

    Jamie Vardy had put Leicester ahead before halftime after he was fouled by Nacho Monreal but the balance of power tilted Arsenal’s way when Simpson was sent off after 54 minutes and the hosts equalized through substitute Theo Walcott in the 70th.

    (SD-Agencies)