ARSENAL CLOSED TO within two points of fourth-place Manchester United after Alexis Sanchez’s 89th-minute goal snatched a 1-0 win at home to third-place Southampton.
Visiting goalkeeper Fraser Forster twice saved superbly from Danny Welbeck and produced a fine stop to repel substitute Olivier Giroud’s header, only for Sanchez to tap in Aaron Ramsey’s drilled cross at the death.
Southampton, beaten 3-0 by City on Sunday, are now just a point above United ahead of Monday’s meeting between the sides at St Mary’s.
In the day’s other game, Sone Aluko cancelled out Romelu Lukaku’s first half opener to earn struggling Hull City a 1-1 draw at Everton.
The hosts looked as if they would get back on the winning track when they took the lead through Romelu Lukaku in the first-half but Aluko’s goal was enough to gain last season’s FA Cup finalists a welcome point, having lost their last four league games.
With just one win all season, they remain deep in trouble fourth from bottom, only out of the bottom three by virtue of a better goal difference over Burnley.
Everton are mired in mid-table mediocrity, in 11th spot, six points off the relegation places and seven adrift of Manchester United who occupy the fourth and last Champions League place.
