🏆 Stunning second half sees Arsenal comfortably beat West Ham | OneFootball

After 43 days the Premier League is back, and we have seven tasty fixtures to look forward to on a packed Boxing Day.

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Arsenal go clear with stunning Boxing Day blitz

Scorers: Saka 53′, Martinelli 59′, Nketiah 69′; Benrahma (PEN) 27′

Arsenal showed their class in a brilliant second half as they beat West Ham 3-1 to go clear at the top of the Premier League.

Bukayo Saka thought he had given the home side a lead inside the opening five minutes but his effort was ruled out for offside.

The Hammers slowly got more of a footing in this game though and had their first attempt on 22 minutes as Said Benrahma forced a save from Aaron Ramsdale.

It was the visitors who had the chance to take the lead on 26 minutes as Jarrod Bowen was fouled inside the area by William Saliba.

And up stepped Benrahma, who slotted home past Ramsdale from the spot.

Mikel Arteta’s side were pushing for an equaliser before half time and thought they had the chance in injury time as the referee pointed to the spot after a suspected handball.

But after looking at the VAR, the decision was overturned as Craig Dawson was deemed to have headed the ball away instead.

Into the second half and it wasn’t long before Arsenal really were level as Saka finished neatly from close range.

Moments later the hosts were ahead as Gabriel Martinelli shot from a tight angle but his effort beat the goalkeeper at his near post and went in.

The Gunners made it three with 20 minutes to go as Eddie Nketiah finished off a stunning team move with a low finish into the bottom corner.

Liverpool close gap on top four

Scorers: Watkins 59′; Salah 5′, Van Dijk 37′, Bajčetić 81′

Liverpool rebounded from relinquishing their EFL Cup crown last week by beating Aston Villa with an impressive display on the road.

They got off to the perfect start on their return to Premier League action as a sublime outside-of-the-boot pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Andy Robertson and his first time pass teed up Mo Salah for a simple finish.

Joël Matip came close to adding a second but the offside flag ruled out his looping header from a free-kick before Darwin Núñez drilled straight at Robin Olsen with a difficult falling volley.

On 37 minutes, they did eventually get the second they deserved when Villa made a mess of dealing with a corner, allowing Salah to tee up Virgil van Dijk and his low deflected volley found the far corner.

The home side started the second half brightly and Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Emi Buendía all went close to pulling one back before Watkins did finally break Liverpool’s resistance with an arching back post header.

However, Liverpool put things beyond doubt when substitute Stefan Bajčetić, who had just 21 minutes of Premier League football under his belt before this one, shimmied in the area and found the net for his first senior goal.

Jürgen Klopp’s side move back into sixth with the win, five points off the top four, while the home side stay 12th.

Newcastle hammer Foxes to go second

Scorers: Wood pen 3′, Almirón 6′, Joelinton 32′

Newcastle moved up to second in the Premier League table by easily swatting Leicester aside on the road on their return to action.

They took the lead after just three minutes when stand-in striker Chris Wood scored from the penalty spot against his former club after Joelinton was crudely hacked down by Daniel Amartey in the area.

And things quickly got even better for the Magpies when Miguel Almirón carried his pre-World Cup form over as he showed no signs of slowing down, sweeping into the corner after a fantastic team move.

Leicester did respond well and came close to pulling one back, only to see the ball cleared off the line only for boos to ring out around the King Power Stadium on 32 minutes when Joelinton thumped home a close range header from a corner.

No more goals followed as Eddie Howe’s side saw it through to move within four points of leaders Arsenal ahead of their game later.

Wolves claim stunning late comeback win

Scorers: Mina 7′; Podence 22′, Aït-Nouri 90+5′

Rayan Aït-Nouri scored a last gasp winner as Wolves came from behind to defeat Everton in Julen Lopetegui’s first Premier League game.

Julen Lopetegui’s Premier League career began with a comeback point for Wolves at Everton on Monday afternoon.

After a long way, Lopetegui finally got underway in the dugout in the Premier League at Goodison Park, where he got an instant indicator of the task at hand as his side fell behind early.

The goal came through Everton’s Yerry Mina, who headed in unmarked following a corner from the right for his first league goal in two years, deputising perfectly for the ineligible Conor Coady.

But Wolves did muster a reaction for their new manager when Daniel Podence was picked out with a deft lob over the top and he coolly steered under Jordan Pickford.

And just as the game looked to be heading for a point apiece, Aït-Nouri  volleyed in a 95th minute winner after Wolves cut the home side open on the counter at the death.

Despite that, they remain in the relegation zone, which Everton are now perched just one point above.

Fulham make Palace pay

Scorers: Decordova-Reid 31′, Ream 73′, Mitrović 80′

Fulham put nine-man Crystal Palace to the sword at Selhurst Park, making them pay for their ill discipline.

Crystal Palace came closest to the opener despite Fulham controlling possession for much of the opening half hour when the home side broke down field and Jordan Ayew was found free in the area but thrashed his strike against the crossbar.

And they were made to pay for that miss moments later when Aleksandar Mitrović picked out Bobby Decordova-Reid with a perfect cross and he steered his header into the corner.

Seconds after the restart, it got even worse for the Eagles when Tyrick Mitchell was shown the first red card of his career with a poorly-timed studs-up lunge in an attempt to make amends for poor control.

Palace were reduced to nine men on 57 minutes when James Tomkins was shown the line for a second bookable offence and the visitors almost took advantage immediately when Andreas Pereira blasted against the post.

But they did put things beyond doubt when Tim Ream blasted into the roof of the net after the ball broke loose following a corner before Mitrović completed the scoring with a close-range header.

Seagulls thrash Southampton in style

Scorers: Ward-Prowse 73′; Lallana 14′, Perraud OG 35′, March 56′

Nathan Jones’ first home league game as Southampton boss ended in disaster as they were soundly dispatched by a brilliant Brighton.

The away side got off to the perfect start on their trip to a sunny St Mary’s as Adam Lallana netted early against his former club, heading in after a fine move – although goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu should have done better after getting a strong hand to the central effort.

He wasn’t to blame for the Seagulls’ second, although it was another self-inflicted wound as Romain Perraud’s clumsy clearance attempt two yards out saw the ball skew into his own net.

Solly March made it 3-0 after half-time as he added a stunning strike to his earlier assist, cutting in off the right and curling a left-footed strike into the top corner from 25 yards.

Southampton did pull one back before the end through captain James Ward-Prowse, who scored from the rebound after his initial penalty attempt was saved.

Saints now fall to the bottom with the defeat, while Roberto De Zerbi’s men move up to sixth.

Spurs earn draw after another comeback

Scorers: Janelt 15′, Toney 54′; Kane 65′, Højbjerg 72′.

Harry Kane scored as Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals behind to salvage a point at Brentford.

Playing in the first Premier League fixture in 43 days, Antonio Conte’s side appeared to be sluggish coming out of the blocks early on.

Vitaly Janelt reacted quickest to the rebound from Mathias Jensen’s shot to force the ball home from six yards out to give Brentford the lead, meaning Spurs have fallen behind in their last nine competitive fixtures.

Kane had a penalty appeal turned down at the start of the second half when Bees defender Ben Mee appeared to be holding on to him as a cross was swung into the box but referee David Coote waved play on.

The hosts went on to double their advantage moments later with Christian Norgaard flicking Bryan Mbumo’s corner into the path of Ivan Toney who poked the ball into the back of the net.

But two goals in seven minutes changed the whole complexion of the game as Spurs pulled together to earn a draw.

First, Kane – playing in his first fixture since missing the decisive penalty in England’s World Cup quarter-final loss to France – rose highest to head home Clément Lenglet’s cross.

The comeback was complete seven minutes when Pierre-Emile Højbjerg slotted into the bottom corner from nine yards out after Dejan Kulusevski’s low cross had deflected into his path.

Spurs looked the more likely to earn the winner late on and were inches away from doing just that when Kane beat Brentford goalkeeper David Raya to a cross but his glancing header was denied by the bar.

Tottenham remain in fourth with a four-point gap over fifth-placed Manchester United while Brentford move up to ninth.

Tuesday’s fixtures