Arsenal edge out Chelsea, Man Utd beat Leicester

Chelsea's challenge for a place in next season's Champions League faltered in a toothless 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday.

Mikel Merino scored the only goal of a disappointing contest at the Emirates as Arsenal pulled clear in second place and to within 12 points of runaway leaders Liverpool.

Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish.

Both managers are hoping to be stronger after the upcoming international break.

Bukayo Saka is nearing a return for Arsenal, while Maresca is confident of having Palmer, Nico Jackson and Noni Madueke back when they are next in action at home to Tottenham on April 3.

Arsenal have struggled badly for goals since the loss of Kai Havertz to a season-ending injury forced midfielder Merino into a makeshift centre-forward role.

The Spanish international proved the match winner from a corner as he looped a header from Martin Odegaard's delivery inside the far post on 20 minutes.

Chelsea's Robert Sanchez made a brilliant stop to prevent Merino doubling Arsenal's lead with the best effort of the second half. But the game petered out with little goalmouth action as a limp performance will do little to quieten the critics of Maresca's style of play among the Chelsea support.

In other action, Manchester United continued their upward trend with a 3-0 win at Leicester. Rasmus Hojlund ended a 21-game goal drought by firing United in front on 28 minutes. Alejandro Garnacho scored his first goal since November. Bruno Fernandes unsurprisingly set the seal on United's win with a stunning strike from the edge of the box for his seventh goal in seven games.

Tottenham kept their season alive by reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but suffered the latest in a series of European hangovers in a 2-0 defeat at Fulham.