MOSCOW: Zenit St Petersburg consolidated their lead in the Russian Premier League with a narrow 1-0 win over strugglers Arsenal Tula on Sunday.
Zenit, who ended their two-match winless streak, are eight points clear of second-placed FC Krasnodar with five matches remaining, while defending champions CSKA are in third, four points further adrift.
Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel scored the only goal of the game after just 17 minutes when he headed the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box off a well-struck free-kick by Brazilian star Hulk.
"These are a very, very important three points," Zenit manager Andre Villas-Boas said as his side bounced back from their Europa League quarter-final exit to Sevilla on Thursday.
"There's only 15 points remaining and it's a very significant win for us.
"Today we looked tired as we used up a lot of energy in the Europa League quarter-final.
"Arsenal made some attacking substitutions and caused us some trouble towards the end."
Elsewhere, Dynamo Moscow's hopes of reaching next season's Champions League suffered a new setback as they were held to a 2-2 draw at FK Rostov.
Russia forward Alexander Kokorin had put Dynamo 1-0 in front after 21 minutes as he pounced on a rebound after Balazs Dzsudzsak's shot and worked his way into the area to fire the ball into the net.
Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun levelled six minutes after the interval, converting the rebound after Dynamo 'keeper Vladimir Gabulov deflected Gabon midfielder Guelor Kanga's powerful shot.
In the 77th minute full-back Christopher Samba put Dynamo back in front with a header from a Mathieu Valbuena corner but three minutes later Rostov defender Bastos levelled again, turning in Maxim Bordachev's shot that had struck the crossbar.
"The draw seems to be a fair result," Dynamo head coach Stanislav Cherchesov said.
"But we're disappointed with it anyway."
Only the top two qualify for the Champions League and Dynamo are seven points adrift of Krasnodar in second spot.
In Sunday's early game, Russia's most successful club Spartak Moscow beat Rubin Kazan 1-0 to stay in the race for a place in European football next season.
Dutch midfielder Quincy Promes scored the winning goal in injury time to send Spartak into sixth place, just two points behind Dynamo in the fourth and final European spot.
"Rubin's defence is very well organised and we needed plenty of patience to break it down," Spartak head coach Murat Yakin said.
"But today we were the better side and won deservedly."
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