Kai Havertz helps Arsenal head top with 3-0 Brighton win | OneFootball

Seven Premier League fixtures took place on Saturday. Here’s how it all went down.

Arsenal head top with impressive win

Scorers: Saka (PEN) 32′, Havertz 61′, Trossard 85′

Kai Havertz ensured that Arsenal headed back to the top of the Premier League tree with a 3-0 win over Brighton on the south coast.

Arsenal headed to the AMEX knowing that only a win would see them keep pace with Manchester City, and almost took the lead inside the opening minute when Gabriel headed a Martin Odegaard free kick wide when placed.

In an open start to the game, the hosts looked a threat and some sloppy passing from Arsenal saw the crowd grow into proceedings as the Seagulls sent efforts high and wide of David Raya’s goal.

Arsenal began to exercise some much needed control. Restored to the side, Bukayo Saka fired wide before the first save of the game was forced as Jesus stung the palms of Bart Verbruggen. The Brazilian headed wide moments later when well placed as Mikel Arteta’s side pushed for an opener.

Brighton’s hard defensive work was undone on the half hour mark though, when Tariq Lamptey felled Gabriel Jesus inside the penalty area. Saka stepped up, and fired into the corner to open the scoring.

Julio Enciso forced an excellent save from David Raya with a curling effort as Brighton looked to hit back, but the visitors held onto their slender advantage heading into the break amid boos from the home fans.

The Gunners dominated the early stages of the second half, with Martin Odegaard testing Verbruggen from the edge of the penalty area. After a nervy few minutes, they finally found the all important second goal though, with Jorginho firing the ball across the box for Kai Havertz to poke home, and hand Arsenal some breathing room.

Brighton rang the changes as they tried to find a way back into the game, but couldn’t breach the Arsenal backline and in truth gave Raya very little to do either, with the Seagulls failing to register a shot between the 55th and 85th minute as Arsenal looked to see out the game.

Then, the knockout punch came, courtesy of former Seagull Leandro Trossard. Racing through, the Belgian lifted the ball over Verbruggen to round off the win.

Villa and Brentford share spoils in thriller

Scorers: Watkins 39′, 80′, Rogers 46′; Zanka 59′, Mbeumo 61′, Wissa 68′

Aston Villa’s top four hopes suffered a blow when they let a two-goal lead slip at home to Brentford and were forced to settle for a point with a late equaliser in a 3-3 draw.

Brentford’s Achilles heel did for them once again for the opening goal when a far post cross was pounced upon by Ollie Watkins against his former club to put Villa ahead.

They doubled that advantage 33 seconds into the second half when Morgan Rogers showed sublime footwork to roll the ball onto his left foot from a Youri Tielemans pass and then pick out the corner in stylish fashion before two goals in two minutes turned the game on its head.

Brentford pulled one back on the hour through Zanka who swatted the ball beyond Emiliano Martínez after Mikkel Damsgaard sent the ball back into the danger zone and not content there, they swiftly levelled thanks to Bryan Mbeumo to stun the hosts.

And they weren’t done there as the Bees completed an incredible turnaround by hitting the front through Yoane Wissa with Sergio Reguilón again playing a big part as he had for the previous two goals – doing his parent club Spurs a big favour in the process.

But Villa under Unai Emery cannot be written off, particularly at Villa Park, as Watkins grabbed his 28th goal involvement of the league season (more than any other player in the division) to equalise for the hosts – once more heading home at the back post.

Villa do extend their lead over fifth-placed Tottenham to three points but Ange Postecoglou’s men have two games in hand.

Ward-Prowse Olimpico wins it

Scorers: Sarabia (PEN) 33′; Paquetá (PEN) 72′, Ward-Prowse 85′

James Ward-Prowse scored directly from a corner-kick to help West Ham come back from a goal down to defeat Wolves in Molineux in dramatic fashion.

After half an hour of play, Wolves were awarded a dubious penalty when Rayan Aït-Nouri was fouled in the area by Emerson and from the spot, Pablo Sarabia found the net.

The Italy international thought he had made amends to head the Hammers level after the break but his effort was ruled out for a foul on Nélson Semedo.

But West Ham wouldn’t be denied for long and it was through a penalty of their own that they finally got themselves back on level terms – Lucas Paquetá keeping his cool from 12 yards.

From a much more unconventional set-piece, they then won it as dead ball expert Ward-Prowse lived up to that billing by swinging a corner-kick in which evaded everyone and found the back of the net – after surviving a 99th minute VAR check scare for an equaliser.

David Moyes’ side move level with Manchester United in sixth with the victory, while Wolves remain 11th.

Strange DCL winner sinks Burnley

Scorers: Calvert-Lewin 45+3′

A bizarre winner saw Everton squeeze by Burnley for a big 1-0 win at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.

After a largely uneventful first half, Everton struck for the opener when Dominic Calvert-Lewin followed up his midweek strike by getting on the score sheet again when he charged down a disastrously ponderous goalkeeping clearance to bundle the ball home.

Burnley’s task was made harder when, for the second straight away game, they were reduced to 10 men as Dara O’Shea was sent for an early shower for bringing down Dwight McNeil with a rough challenge and unlike at Chelsea, this proved a bridge too far for the Clarets.

The Toffees move six points clear of the drop zone with victory, while Burnley remain rooted in it: six points from safety.

Bruno keeps Magpies in the hunt

Scorers: Guimarães 81′

Newcastle kept their fight for European football alive as a late winner saw them sink Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage.

Newcastle’s injury concerns continued when, in a low-key first half, they were left sweating when goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka went down on two separate occasions but allayed the fears of many by recovering to play on.

As he kept Fulham at bay, his team eventually broke the deadlock through Fabian Schär with 15 minutes remaining – or so they thought. Following a lengthy VAR check, the goal was disallowed for an apparent infringement from Dan Burn on Calvin Bassey in the build-up.

Fired up by that perceived injustice, the Magpies did soon get their goal, Bruno Guimarães lashing a loose ball home inside the area to send his side within a point of seventh.

Luton leave it late for massive win

Scorers: Clark 73′, Morris 89′; Tavernier 52′

Luton rode their luck before pulling off a massive stirring late comeback at home to Bournemouth to give their survival hopes a huge shot in the arm.

Bournemouth went closest to the opening goal with a blistering free-kick from Marcus Tavernier which rattled the crossbar and the woodwork again came to Luton’s aid shortly afterwards to prevent Justin Kluivert from netting.

But given their fortunes, luck wasn’t going to last forever for Luton and sure enough, they hit the front through a fine finish from Tavernier after the restart.

However, the Hatters conjured up an equaliser as the game ticked into the closing stages when Jordan Clark rifled low into the corner after the ball broke his way inside the area before winning a game they looked so unlikely to just 20 minutes previously when captain Carlton Morris came up with a skipper’s goal in the final minute.

The victory sees Luton move level with Nottingham Forest in 17th as things heat up in the battle for survival.

City cruise to comeback success

Scorers: Mateta 4′, Édouard 85′; De Bruyne 13′, 69′ Lewis 47′, Haaland 66′

Manchester City rallied from an early setback as Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish inspired them to a 4-2 victory over Crystal Palace in the first fixture of the Premier League weekend.

The champions were caught cold with just four minutes played when Jean-Philippe Mateta raced clear after the visitors lost possession and finished brilliantly off the far post.

However, the Palace lead lasted just under 10 minutes before the returning De Bruyne turned on the style with a glorious curling effort to the top corner to restore parity.

Normally so reliable for the Cityzens, main man Rodri came close to a calamitous effort to gift Palace the advantage again but thankfully for the Spaniard, Jordan Ayew’s attempt rattled the woodwork.

Two minutes after half-time, Pep Guardiola’s men completed the turnaround by hitting the front through Rico Lewis as he pounced upon a loose clearance and finished well for his second of the season in this fixture.

City finally put breathing space between the sides and the excellent Grealish was involved again by doing brilliantly to find De Bruyne, who in turn fed Erling Haaland to get back among the goals before the Belgian added his second of the afternoon to make it four with his 100th strike for the club.

Palace pulled one back with another late break forward through substitute Odsonne Édouard.

The win sees City move level with Liverpool at the summit, while Oliver Glasner’s men remain 14th.

Sunday’s fixtures