Arsenal loanee Lucas Perez scores again to seal vital win for Deportivo La Coruna and Espanyol beat Real Betis
- Perez scored fourth goal in his last five games in 3-1 victory on Monday night
- Former Chelsea striker Loic Remy had put Las Palmas ahead against Deportivo
- Espanyol opened a seven-point gap on the bottom three by seeing off Real Betis
Strugglers Deportivo La Coruna and Espanyol both claimed important wins to pull away from the La Liga relegation zone.
In Gran Canaria, Deportivo were facing a Las Palmas team who, despite their own lowly position in the table, beat the Galicians 4-1 in the Copa del Rey last week.
Former Chelsea striker Loic Remy put the islanders on the right track towards emulating that outcome when he fired Jonathan Viera's assist beyond Costel Pantilimon after only seven minutes.
Lucas Perez has four goals in five games for Deportivo following disappointing spell at Arsenal
However, goals either side of the break from Celso Borges would give Cristobal's Deportivo side the upper hand.
Federico Cartabia set the Costa Rican up for his first effort and it fell to Lucas Perez to provide the ball that Borges tucked over the line in the 54th minute.
Then, in the 69th minute, Arsenal loanee Perez converted a penalty to rubber-stamp the result.
Former Chelsea striker Loic Remy had given Las Palmas an early lead against Deportivo
It was a fourth goal in Perez's last five outings for the club he has rejoined after a disappointing spell in the Premier League with Arsenal.
Espanyol opened a seven-point gap on the bottom three by seeing off high-flying Real Betis 1-0.
The Andalusian visitors to the RCDE Stadium had won five of their nine league games heading into this clash, but on Monday night they failed to score in a game for the first time since the opening day.
The destination of all three points was decided by Gerard, the Villarreal academy graduate who capitalised on an opportunity presented to him by Pablo Piatti in the 55th minute.
Gerard celebrates scoring the winner for Espanyol against high-flying Real Betis
Most watched Sport videos
- England manager Sarina Wiegman slams coach-player relationships
- Jason and Travis Kelce bicker: 'We're in the same weight class!'
- Heartwarming moment NY Red Bulls players give their coats to mascots
- New York Jets star Sauce Gardner claims Jewish people 'run the world'
- Travis and Jason Kelce CLASH over who would win a drinking contest
- Gareth Southgate comments on design change of new England shirt
- Fake clip claiming to show Swift and Kelce falling off a swing
- YouTuber buys Marcus Rashford's wrecked £700k Rolls-Royce
- Kate Abdo's partner broken speaks on Carragher's 'loyalty' joke
- Man United want Gary O'Neil to join their coaching staff
- A brawl erupts between Sydney Roosters and Rabbitohs fans
- David Seaman on Southgate, England & EURO 2024