Arsenal reclaim top spot as Tottenham and West Ham both win

WOLVERHAMPTON, England, April 25 : Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League on Saturday after scrapping their way to a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United, easing concerns over their dip in form.

The win ended a run of back‑to‑back league defeats against Bournemouth and Manchester City that had cost Mikel Arteta’s side their grip on first place for the first time since October, with Eberechi Eze’s early strike enough to secure a hard‑fought three points.

At the other end of the table, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United earned vital wins in their relegation fight, Spurs edging bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 as Joao Palhinha struck late to end a long winless streak and West Ham beating Everton 2-1.

Palhinha's goal in the 82nd minute lifted Spurs to 34 points, but 17th-placed West Ham ensured the pressure remained firmly on their London rivals, moving to 36 points with four games remaining, leaving Tottenham still in the drop zone, one place behind them. 

Liverpool climbed above Aston Villa into fourth in the table on 58 points with their 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace to help solidify their bid for a Champions League spot next season. 

Villa lost 1-0 to Fulham in Saturday's early game to drop to fifth, trailing Liverpool on goal difference as the battle for European qualification intensifies with the league in its final stretch.

After slipping off the league summit, Arsenal responded to move onto 73 points from 34 games and climb three points clear of City, who have a game in hand.

'ONE DOWN, FOUR TO GO' 

The performance was far from their best and the quality of Eze’s sublime ninth‑minute strike stood in stark contrast to much of a laboured display by Mikel Arteta’s side, who struggled to impose themselves for