Aston Villa and Chelsea dropped crucial points in draws, hurting their title and Champions League hopes, while Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle cut Arsenal’s lead to two points in the race.
English Premier League: Manchester City (Image Credits: Premier League/ X)
Aston Villa and Chelsea both dropped valuable points in the Premier League on Saturday after being held to frustrating draws, dealing blows to their respective ambitions this season. Villa’s hopes of keeping pace in the title race suffered a setback as they were held 1-1 at home by relegation-threatened Leeds United. Unai Emery’s side struggled to break down a determined Leeds team and found themselves trailing in the 31st minute. Aton Stach stunned the home crowd with a well-taken free kick that put the visitors ahead and shifted the pressure firmly onto Villa.
For long periods, Villa looked short of ideas and urgency. With time running out, Emery turned to Tammy Abraham, who had joined the club from Besiktas in January. The substitute made the difference. In the 88th minute, Abraham reacted quickest inside the box to score from close range, rescuing a point and sparing Villa from what would have been a damaging defeat. It was his first Premier League goal since returning to England, and it could yet prove important. Still, the draw leaves Villa seven points behind leaders Arsenal, and their recent form — just one win in four league games — is a growing concern.
Tammy Abraham marcou pela primeira vez com a camisa do Aston Villa na Premier League e salvou um ponto contra o Leeds.
— Leonardo Bertozzi (@lbertozzi) February 21, 2026
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Chelsea also endured a tense afternoon at Stamford Bridge, drawing 1-1 with Burnley, another side fighting for survival. The home team started brightly, with Joao Pedro scoring in just the fourth minute to give Chelsea an early advantage. However, the game turned in the second half when Wesley Fofana was sent off in the 72nd minute, leaving Chelsea to defend with 10 men.
Burnley took full advantage deep into stoppage time. Zian Flemming struck in the 93rd minute to snatch a dramatic equaliser, silencing the home supporters. While the point lifted Chelsea into fourth place on goal difference, they have played a game more than some of their rivals. With Liverpool and Manchester United still to play, the race for Champions League qualification remains wide open. Elsewhere, Brentford’s European hopes suffered a blow after a 2-0 home defeat to Brighton, leaving them five points off the top-four places.
Manchester City moved closer to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 win over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Nico O’Reilly played an important role in the victory as City secured three valuable points. The result means City are now just two points behind league leaders Arsenal. Both teams have played the same number of matches so far. Arsenal will face Tottenham on Sunday, giving them a chance to respond. For Newcastle, it was another disappointing result. They remain in 10th place with 36 points. They are four points behind seventh-place Brentford and nine points behind fifth-place Manchester United.
