Leicester late winner vs Everton; Ljungberg starts with draw

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Norwich City goalkeeper Tim Krul, left, saves a penalty shot from Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, second right, during their English Premier League soccer match at Carrow Road in Norwich, England, Sunday Dec. 1, 2019. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

LONDON – Leicester continued another improbable Premier League title run with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday, while Arsenal great Freddie Ljungberg couldn’t end the Gunners’ winless streak in his first game as interim manager.

Kelechi Iheanacho’s 94th-minute winner completed a comeback victory for second-place Leicester, which is eight points off league leader Liverpool and three ahead of Manchester City.

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Leicester fans got another boost as manager Brendan Rodgers appeared to brush off speculation linking him to the vacant Arsenal job.

“Yes, very much so,” he told BBC radio when asked if he wanted to stay. “I'm at a great club. I absolutely love it here.”

Earlier, Ljungberg got off to a rocky start as a double from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang salvaged a 2-2 draw for Arsenal at Norwich.

Arsenal’s first game since the firing of Unai Emery as coach extended its winless run to an eighth match in all competitions.

Manchester United is another big club struggling this season, and that continued in a home 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.

FOXES ON PROWL

Leicester didn’t play like title contenders for most of its game against Everton, but got the result when it mattered.

Everton led until the 68th minute thanks to Richarlison’s goal, before Jamie Vardy — part of Leicester’s 2016 title-winning team — leveled for the hosts with help from Iheanacho.

Iheanacho scored deep into added time off a pass by Ricardo Pereira. Offside was given, but the video assistant referee system allowed the goal.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity and I knew one day it was going to come so I've been working hard in training every day to make sure I keep up to this standard,” Iheanacho said. "So I'm happy today - getting a goal and assisting Jamie."

WINLESS ARSENAL

Instead of a morale-boosting win over a team second from last in the Premier League, Arsenal had to come from behind twice just to draw.

Norwich snatched the lead in the 21st minute with Teemu Pukki’s deflected shot.

Arsenal seemed to have wasted a chance to level when Aubameyang’s penalty — awarded for handball by Norwich’s Christoph Zimmermann — was saved by Tim Krul. But VAR caught Max Aarons encroaching on the penalty area as the kick was taken, and Aubameyang scored at the second attempt.

Arsenal went into the interval 2-1 down when Todd Cantwell scored in first-half stoppage time off a pass from Onel Hernandez. Cantwell has made a habit of scoring against bigger clubs, with three of his four Premier League goals this season coming against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Aubameyang leveled the game for a second time when he scored on a rebound in the 57th. Norwich nearly took the lead again soon after but Cantwell hit the post.

UNITED UNDERWHELMS

Even by the standards of recent Manchester United seasons, this one is looking disappointing.

United failed to find a cutting edge in its draw with Aston Villa, whose defender Tyrone Mings played a vital role with a goal.

Villa also displayed a style United lacked, typified by Jack Grealish’s excellent top-corner finish for the opening goal and Mings’ volley to make it 2-2.

United’s first goal was a header from Marcus Rashford that went in off the post and goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who was unfortunate to be credited with the own goal.

United is ninth and has won just two of its last nine games in the Premier League.

“We have had the lead in so many games and we haven't been able to win those games. Six or seven times we've been 1-0 up, or 2-1 or 3-2 like last week,” was United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s verdict.

"We should be better at seeing those games into wins."

WOLVES DRAW

Lys Mousset continued his run of good form with his fourth goal in six Premier League games but it wasn’t enough to give Sheffield United the win in a 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

French forward Mousset needed just two minutes to score from a cross by George Baldock, but Wolves leveled through Matt Doherty in the 64th.

Wolves are unbeaten in six games in all competitions and nine in the Premier League, while Sheffield United hasn’t lost in seven games in all competitions and remains unbeaten on the road. Both teams have impressed this season with sixth-place Wolves immediately above Sheffield United.

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