Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Olympics
Football
Netball
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Full Noise by SN
Live sport on SN this weekendYoung gun fires City to within sight of EPL summit
AP • February 22nd, 2026 10:00 am
A Nico O'Reilly brace has narrowed the gap at the top of the Premier League to just two points | Photo: AP
Manchester City have cut Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League to just two points with a 2-1 win against Newcastle United.
City's victory at Etihad Stadium on Saturday (Sunday NZT) piles the pressure on the Gunners ahead of Sunday's (Monday NZT) north London derby against Tottenham.
Nico O'Reilly scored both goals in the first half, either side of a deflected Lewis Hall strike, and extended City's unbeaten run in the league to five.
Pep Guardiola's team also moved further clear of second-placed Aston Villa, who drew 1-1 with Leeds United.
City are the team keeping the heat on Arsenal, who have stumbled in recent weeks with only two wins in their last seven.
Nico O'Reilly rose highest to head home City's winner at the Etihad | Photo: AP
Villa's title challenge was hit after being held by relegation-fighting Leeds.
It took an 88th-minute equaliser from substitute Tammy Abraham to rescue a point for the home side.
"We have 51 points ... There are two sides — one is that we lost two points, or that we won one point," Villa boss Unai Emery said.
Villa's draw leaves them seven points behind Arsenal and continued their shaky recent form of just one win in four in the league.
It could have been worse after Aton Stach put Leeds, now seven points clear of safety, ahead from a 31st-minute free kick.
Abraham, a January signing from Besiktas, came on in the 75th and levelled from close range for his first Premier League goal since moving to Villa Park.
Anton Stach's stunning free kick silenced the majority of supporters in Birmingham | Photo: AP
Chelsea were also held to a 1-1 draw by another team battling for survival — Burnley.
Zian Flemming scored in the 93rd minute at Stamford Bridge to salvage a point for the second-last visitors.
Joao Pedro's goal in the fourth looked like being enough for the hosts, who went down to 10 men when Wesley Fofana was sent off in the 72nd.
"You need to be ruthless in this league because if you don't defend set plays well then you get punished," Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior said.
The point moved Chelsea up to fourth — above Manchester United on goal difference. But the race for Champions League qualification could be even tighter by the end of the weekend with Liverpool now having the chance to move level on points with the Blues if they beat Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Elsewhere, James Milner played his 654th game in the league to set a new appearance record for the competition.
The 40-year-old surpassed the previous benchmark set by Gareth Barry, which had stood since 2018, in Brighton & Hove Albion's 2-0 away win, which delivered a setback to Brentford's Champions League challenge.
West Ham United remain 17th and in the relegation zone despite their 0-0 draw at home to Bournemouth.
The Hammers have suffered just one loss in six in their battle to avoid the drop, and are two points away from closest rivals Forest and safety.
