Patrick Vieira volleyed Arsenal to a 1-0 win over Newcastle in the Premier League on Wednesday, cutting Chelsea’s lead to five points.
The Arsenal captain scored in first-half injury time, taking advantage of a ricochet off Jermaine Jenas to dip his shot past Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given.
Chelsea had an eight-point lead after beating Portsmouth 2-0 on Tuesday, while Manchester United climbed to third with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa.
Chelsea lead the league with 49 points, followed by Arsenal with 44. Manchester United and Everton are next with 40 points each.
“We focus on our side and the way we want to play, and our target is to do as well as we can until the end of the season,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “There’s such a long time to go, so many games to play, it’s too early to focus on the results of the other teams.
“I’m very confident, the desire and hunger in the team is stronger than ever. I feel it will be a tight fight until the end.” Newcastle, playing without the injured Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert, haven’t won at home in six matches and have only won once in nine.