Guirassy scores 2 and Dortmund cuts Bayern's Bundesliga lead to 6 points

BERLIN (AP) — Serhou Guirassy scored twice as Borussia Dortmund cut Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga lead to six points on Sunday with a 3-2 win over last-place Heidenheim.

Guirassy scored one penalty, followed up with a goal, and then missed another penalty, sending the spot kick well over the bar in the 85th minute to leave a question mark over his penalty-taking abilities.

The Guinea star missed a penalty against Villarreal in the Champions League, and another against St. Pauli in the first Bundesliga game of the season.

Heidenheim missed a host of late chances to equalize and Dortmund held on to capitalize on Bayern Munich’s surprise 2-2 draw at Hamburger SV the day before.

Waldemar Anton broke the deadlock when Heidenheim goalkeeper Diant Ramaj was unable to hold on to a corner under pressure from Guirassy. Anton pounced on the loose ball to fire it in from close range.

Heidenheim players and coach Frank Schmidt were upset, however, as Eren Dinkçi had a similar goal ruled out at the other end after he put Dortmund ’keeper Gregor Kobel under pressure and he dropped the ball. That was ruled a foul.

There was still time before the interval for Julian Niehues to score for Heidenheim after Mathias Honsak surged down the left and Dortmund’s Filippo Mané pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury.

Mané was replaced by Niklas Süle for the second half, but the home fans were stunned when Niehues scored again with a deflected shot after Arijon Ibrahimović ran past four Dortmund defenders to set him up.

Heidenheim had further cause to complain when Niklas Dorsch was penalized for hand ball in the 67th, giving Guirassy the chance to equalize from the spot. It wasn’t certain he’d take it given his previous record, but Nico Schlotterbeck gave him the ball and Guirassy duly scored.

Guirassy then scored again less than a minute later with a low shot inside the right post. They were his seventh and eighth league goals of the season. It should have been more.

Ermedin Demirović scored in the last minute for Stuttgart to beat Freiburg 1-0 and move fourth, the last place for Champions League qualification.

Demirović controlled Deniz Undav’s cross from the left and then hit the ball with a brilliant strike under the crossbar near the right post.

Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel denied Bruno Ogbus a response and the home team held on for the three points, capitalizing on Leipzig’s defeat at home to Mainz the day before.

Stuttgart moved three points ahead of Leipzig with 14 rounds remaining.

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Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy misses to score against Heidenheim's goalkeeper Diant Ramaj during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Heidenheim in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy celebrates after he scored his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Heidenheim in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy scores his side's second goal from the penalty spot against Heidenheim's goalkeeper Diant Ramaj during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Heidenheim in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Heidenheim in Dortmund, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Freiburg's Derry Scherhant, right, and Stuttgart's Bilal El Khannouss, left, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Stuttgart's head coach Sebastian Hoeness gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's Matthias Ginter, right, and Stuttgart's Deniz Undav, left, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's head coach Julian Schuster gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Stuttgart's scorer Ermedin Demirovic, front second right, and his teammates celebrate the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg in Stuttgart, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)

Tottenham did fierce rival Arsenal a huge favor in the Premier League title race on Sunday.

Spurs came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with second-place Manchester City, leaving Arsenal with a six-point lead with 14 games left.

It was almost the perfect day for the leaders, with Aston Villa — the other title contender — losing 1-0 at home to 10-man Brentford.

Villa stayed seven points adrift of Arsenal and was in danger of being reeled in by fourth-place Manchester United, which scored a stoppage-time winner through Benjamin Sesko to beat Fulham 3-2 for a third straight league win under new manager Michael Carrick.

Having already overseen victories over City and Arsenal in his short tenure, Carrick appears to have the magic touch at revitalized United.

The same cannot be said of Pep Guardiola at the moment.

This was a huge wasted opportunity for Guardiola's City, which was up against a heavily depleted Tottenham team and was cruising 2-0 ahead at halftime thanks to goals by Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo. At times, it was almost too easy for City in front of an apathetic home crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

City then collapsed as a revitalized Tottenham fought back. Dominic Solanke bundled in Spurs’ first goal and then grabbed the equalizer with a deft, flying back-flick that lopped over City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

In the last five games, City has looked vulnerable in losing twice — to United and tiny Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League — and now spluttering against an injury-hit Tottenham.

Arsenal, a 4-0 winner at Leeds on Saturday, might not have a better chance to end its league title drought stretching back to 2004.

Villa played for more than half the match with an extra man after Brentford winger Kevin Schade’s straight red card for kicking out at Matty Cash in the 42nd minute after they had challenged for the ball.

In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Dango Ouattara escaped down the right and scored at the second attempt for what proved to be only goal as Brentford weathered a second-half onslaught.

United squandered a two-goal lead earned by goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, with Raul Jimenez — via a penalty — and Kevin scoring to bring Fulham briefly level at Old Trafford.

There was still time for Bruno Fernandes to send over a cross that was controlled by Sesko before he swiveled to curl home a finish in front of the Stretford End.

The match took place after a protest by around 500-600 United fans unhappy at the ownership of the 20-time champions, but the team is finally in a decent league position — fourth place — in its bid to return to the Champions League.

United is five points behind Villa with 14 rounds remaining.

Also Sunday, Crystal Palace — without star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of his possible move to AC Milan — drew 1-1 at 10-man Nottingham Forest, which had Neco Williams sent off in the 45th minute for a handball on the line.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Tottenham's Dominic Solanke (19) is congratulated after scoring his side's 2nd goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in London, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Pelham)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in London, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Pelham)

Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko, left, scores his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Fulham in Manchester, England, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Manchester United's Matheus Cunha, right, celebrates with Manchester United's Amad Diallo, left, and Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Fulham in Manchester, England, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Brentford's Dango Ouattara scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Brentford, in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Nigel French/PA via AP)