Newcastle blank Chelsea 2-0, Arsenal rally to hold Liverpool

Newcastle took a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League with a vital 2-0 victory over top-five rivals Chelsea, while Arsenal fought back from two goals down to rescue a valuable 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Sunday.

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Sandro Tonali put Newcastle ahead after just two minutes at St James' Park before Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson was sent off for an elbow on Sven Botman late in the first half.

Bruno Guimaraes struck in stoppage time to secure the Magpies' seventh win from their last nine league games and lift them into third place in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe's side, aiming to feature in the Champions League for the second time in three seasons, are three points clear of sixth-placed Aston Villa in the race for a top-five finish.

"We hung in there. We got over the line and that's the major thing in a game like today," Howe said.

Fifth-placed Chelsea's first defeat in seven league games leaves their bid to return to Europe's elite club competition in the balance.

The Blues are level on points with sixth-placed Aston Villa and one ahead of seventh-placed Nottingham Forest.

With Manchester United at home and Forest away left on their schedule, Enzo Maresca's UEFA Conference League finalists face a tense finish to their season.

"It's already difficult 11 v 11 in this stadium against this team so playing an hour with 10 players is not easy," Maresca said.