London: Chelsea’s hopes of securing a Champions League spot suffered a setback as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on Sunday, while Fulham stunned Tottenham with a 2-0 victory.

At the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Merino's lone goal sealed the win for Arsenal, strengthening their hold on second place and narrowing the gap to league leaders Liverpool to 12 points.

Chelsea struggled in attack, missing key playmaker Cole Palmer due to illness. The loss leaves the Blues clinging to fourth place, with five teams—including Manchester City in fifth and Aston Villa in ninth—within just four points of Enzo Maresca’s side.

With Kai Havertz sidelined for the season, Arsenal have been forced to deploy Merino in a makeshift forward role. The Spanish international capitalized on a Martin Odegaard corner in the 20th minute, sending a looping header inside the far post.

Chelsea offered little in attack but came close when David Raya spilled Marc Cucurella’s shot, only for the ball to roll narrowly wide. At the other end, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez pulled off a fine save to deny Merino a second goal in an otherwise uneventful second half.

The loss will add further pressure on Maresca, with Chelsea fans increasingly critical of his tactical approach.

Fulham Punish Spurs' Europa League Fatigue

Tottenham, fresh off their Europa League quarter-final qualification with a win over AZ Alkmaar, suffered yet another league setback at Craven Cottage.

Fulham’s victory moves them up to eighth place, just four points off the top four and three away from the top five—positions that could secure Champions League football next season due to English clubs' strong European performances.

Spurs, however, have struggled to balance domestic and European commitments. Ange Postecoglou’s side have won only three of their 10 Premier League matches following Thursday night fixtures.

Fulham dominated the contest but had to wait until the 78th minute to break the deadlock, as Rodrigo Muniz converted an Andreas Pereira assist. Former Spurs player Ryan Sessegnon then curled in a superb strike to seal the win.

Manchester United will round off Sunday’s action with a trip to Leicester, as Ruben Amorim’s side looks to maintain their push for European qualification.