DHAKA: Manchester City were held to a 2-2 Premier League draw by Arsenal in Manuel Pellegrini's final home game, keeping Manchester United's hopes of Champions League football alive.
 
United cut the gap to City to one point by beating Norwich City 1-0 on Saturday and can now go a point clear of their neighbours with victory over West Ham on Tuesday following Sunday's entertaining game at the Etihad Stadium.
 
Sergio Aguero opened the scoring, netting for the sixth straight league game in the eighth minute, but Olivier Giroud's first goal in 16 Premier League appearances restored parity two minutes later.
 
The visitors were forced to withdraw Danny Welbeck shortly after with an injury that will likely give England manager Roy Hodgson cause for concern and City appeared poised to leapfrog Arsenal into third place and all but end United's top-four hopes when Kevin De Bruyne fired in from the edge of the area in the 51st minute.
 
However, Alexis Sanchez opened the door for United by converting at the end of a wonderful one-two with Giroud to score his sixth goal in his last seven league matches and put the Gunners five points clear of Louis van Gaal's men.
 
City could not find a way through the Arsenal defence for a third time and now face a nervous wait to see what United do in the final game at Upton Park ahead of their last-day trip to Swansea City.

BDST: 0853 HRS, May 9, 2016
AKA