11 days that blew the Premier League title race wide open

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — On Feb. 7 Arsenal players walked off the field after a convincing 3-0 home win against Sunderland with their lead in the Premier League at nine points.

Then things started to go wrong.

By the time Arsenal takes the field in Sunday's north London derby against Tottenham, its advantage over second-placed Manchester City could be just two points.

Over a bruising 11-day period, what was beginning to look like a procession towards a first league title in 22 years was now far less certain. The momentum has shifted in the direction of City, which has very recent form for chasing down Arsenal in the final straight.

Having led the way for so long this season, Arsenal is melting again in the heat of the title race.

If City goes on to win a seventh title in nine years, its dramatic 2-1 victory against Liverpool will likely go down as the defining moment of the season.

Playing at Anfield a day after Arsenal extended its lead to nine points, Pep Guardiola’s chasers simply couldn't afford not to win. Given City had won just one of its previous 23 visits to Anfield, that looked unlikely. So unlikely that one bookmaker paid out on Arsenal being crowned champion even before kickoff.

And when Liverpool took a 1-0 lead in the 74th minute, City's race effectively looked to be run.

What followed was a chaotic finish that included a winning penalty from Erling Haaland in stoppage time.

The gap to Arsenal was shaved back to six points but the result felt far more significant than that.

The league schedule meant City played again before Arsenal's next match and had the chance to further reduce the deficit to three points.

A comfortable 3-0 home win against Fulham did just that, and despite Arsenal having not kicked a ball since its victory against Sunderland, suddenly the feeling was that the Gunners were on shaky ground.

In reality the nine-point advantage was only ever provisional, as City had a game in hand, but the perception was that the title race took a big swing. That perception became far more tangible when Arsenal, playing in the final game of the round that week, was held to 1-1 at Brentford after being a goal up.

If playing after everyone else seemed to work against Arsenal last week, on Wednesday it had the chance to regain the momentum from a rearranged game against last-placed Wolves. Leading 2-0 after 56 minutes at Molineux, Arsenal was cruising towards a nerve-settling win. Wolves had other ideas and teenage debutant Tom Edozie scored in the fourth minute of added time to achieve a stunning draw.

“It’s time to talk on the pitch because anything that we say right now comes from anger, frustration, disappointment, and there’s nothing coming through that is going to benefit and help the team going forward,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

Arsenal is five ahead of City but played a game more.

City can cut the lead to two points again with a win against Newcastle on Saturday.

Arsenal and City are still chasing a clean sweep of trophies; Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and English League Cup.

They meet in the League Cup final next month, which could have a psychological impact on the title race.

City already holds an advantage in that respect given it twice chased down Arsenal to win the title in 2023 and 2024.

There are echoes of those campaigns this term; Arsenal led the standings for the majority of those seasons and is stuttering.

They play each other at City's Etihad Stadium in April and, peculiarly, the title is now in both teams' hands.

If City wins all of its remaining games it will be crowned champion. Arsenal needs to avoid defeat at City and win its remaining games to claim the title.

“(It’s) time to focus on ourselves, improve our standards and improve our performances and it is in our control,” Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka said.

The north London derby will have implications at the top and bottom of the standings. Arsenal is challenging for the titl while Tottenham — under new coach Igor Tudor — is in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.

Manchester United plays Everton on Monday looking to continue its upward trajectory under coach Michael Carrick.

Anthony Gordon scored four times in Newcastle's Champions League win against Qarabag on Wednesday. He could be the biggest threat to City at the Etihad.

Liverpool's Watara Endō is out for “a long time” following an unspecified injury against Sunderland. Teammate Jeremie Frimpong is also out of the game against Nottingham Forest.

Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz face tests before being cleared to play against Tottenham.

United plays Everton in its first game since co-owner Jim Ratcliffe triggered a storm of criticism by saying Britain had been “colonized” by immigrants. United and its supporters were among those who rebuked Ratcliffe over his “offensive" comments. The fans could further let their feelings be known during Monday's game.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester City in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba react during the Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal in Wolverhampton, England, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola celebrates after Manchester City's Erling Haaland scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Fulham in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta reacts during the Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal in Wolverhampton, England, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Bruce Meyer was promoted to interim executive director of the baseball players’ association on Wednesday, a day after Tony Clark’s forced resignation.

It was a move for continuity ahead of the likely start in April of what figures to be contentious collective bargaining with team owners.

Matt Nussbaum was promoted to interim deputy executive director from general counsel.

The decisions were made by the Major League Baseball Players Association executive board during an online meeting. Both votes were unanimous.

“Bruce and Matt are talented and experienced and respected by players,” said Scott Boras, an agent for many top stars. “Players trust their leadership to continue to advance the longstanding positions of the MLBPA.”

A 64-year-old veteran labor lawyer, Meyer joined the union staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a 99-day lockout that led to a five-year agreement in March 2022. The deal barely avoided what would have been the first loss of regular-season games since 1995. He was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.

Meyer spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal.

Three members of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee, Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito and Ian Happ, were among the players who in March 2024 advocated for the ouster of Meyer in an effort led by former union lawyer Harry Marino. Clark backed Meyer, the effort failed and those three players were dropped off the subcommittee that December.

The subcommittee voted 8-0 against approving the 2022 labor contract and Meyer had advocated pushing management for a deal more favorable to the union. Team player representatives, the overall group supervising negotiations, voted 26-4 in favor, leaving the overall ballot at 26-12 for ratification.

The current subcommittee includes Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Brent Suter.

A former All-Star first baseman who headed the union since 2013, Clark resigned Tuesday just months ahead of the expected start of bargaining for a labor contract to replace the deal that expires Dec. 1.

He was asked to resign by the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel discovered evidence Clark had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail was not announced.

“The information that really led to this came out within the last ... 72 hours or so,” Meyer said earlier Wednesday. “So this is not something that has been kind of sat on. When the information came out, the players on the subcommittee made their feelings known. And Tony, to his credit, he’s always been about the players first and Tony decided to take the action he did in the interest of the players.”

Clark did not respond to a text message seeking comment.

The start of the annual tour of spring training camps by union officials was pushed back a day and began Wednesday with the Kansas City Royals.

“Just on a personal level I think we’re all fairly devastated by things that have happened in the last 48, 72 hours,” Meyer said. “I’m not going to go beyond that in terms of personal feelings, but it’s fair to say that we were all personally upset, concerned about Tony. But I think this was something that the players determined had to happen at this particular point in time.”

Meyer, hired by Clark in 2018, headed the 2021-22 negotiations that led to an agreement on March 10 that ended a 99-day lockout. Meyer was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.

“I don’t anticipate that anybody’s going to be leading negotiations other than me,” Meyer said.

Clark’s departure took place during a probe by the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, into the union's relationship with OneTeam Partners, a licensing company founded by the union, the NFL Players Association and RedBird Capital Partners in 2019.

“There have been some issues hanging over, as you know, and in some respects it’s good to get them out of the way sooner rather than later,” Meyer said.

“OneTeam and its employees are not, and have never been, targets of the Eastern District of New York’s investigation and have been fully cooperative,” the company said in a statement. “Any reporting that characterizes the EDNY investigation as targeting OneTeam is inaccurate.”

Meyer said the union’s entire executive board of 72 players was eligible to vote for executive director: the executive subcommittee, 30 major league team player representatives and 34 minor leaguers, who have been represented by the union since 2022.

MLB appears on track to propose a salary cap, which possibly could lead to a work stoppage that causes regular-season games to be canceled for the first time since 1995.

“We don’t expect anything to change in terms of bargaining,” Meyer said. “We’ve been preparing for bargaining for years. Players have been preparing. Players know what’s coming. At the end of the day leadership is important and leadership comes and goes, but what remains is the players. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine the direction of the union. At the end of the day, it’s the players who determine our priorities and bargaining. Those priorities obviously have not changed and will not change.”

The union said it will resist a salary cap.

“Our position and the historic position of this union for decades on a salary cap is well known,” Meyer said. “It’s the ultimate restriction. It’s something that owners in all the sports have wanted more than anything and in baseball in particular there’s a reason for that, because it’s good for them and not good for players.”

Meyer spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal & Manges before joining the NHL Players Association in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policy and legal.

He wouldn’t directly address whether the union intends to restrict the hiring of family members.

“I think it’s fair to say there are issues that will be addressed,” Meyer said. “There are various issues that will be evaluated, re-evaluated with the advice of counsel and, as always, at the direction of players.”

Nussbaum, 47, succeeded Ian Penny as general counsel in July 2022. He was hired by the union in 2011 as staff counsel.

Blum reported from New York.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - Major League Baseball Players Association Senior Director, Collective Bargaining & Legal, Bruce Meyer answers a question at a news conference in their offices in New York, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark answers a question during a news conference in New York on March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)