Premier League: Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool win on return
Arsenal came from behind to see off West Ham United 3-1 at home on Monday and move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The club’s former manager Arsene Wenger was back at the Emirates Stadium for the first time since leaving the club in 2018 after 22 years in charge and saw Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah score in an electrifying second-half comeback after a Said Benrahma penalty had given West Ham the lead.
The victory maintained Arsenal’s 100 per cent home record in the league this season and lifted them to 40 points from 15 games, seven clear of second-placed Newcastle United, who have played 16 matches are eight ahead of third-placed Manchester City, who have played 14.
Benrahma sent Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way from the spot to put West Ham in front in the 27th minute after a foul by William Saliba on Jarrod Bowen.
The hosts were awarded a spot-kick at the end of the first half for handball against Aaron Creswell before referee Michael Oliver overturned his decision after a VAR review, ruling that the ball had struck the defender in the face.
Saka equalised from close range in the 53rd minute while Martinelli smashed the ball inside the near post six minutes later to put Arsenal in front.
Striker Nketiah, making his first league start of the season in the place of the injured Gabriel Jesus, added a third in the 69th and Arsenal kept pushing to score again.
Newcastle climbed to second place in the Premier League with a 3-0 win at Leicester on Monday as Harry Kane bounced back from his World Cup heartbreak to earn Tottenham a 2-2 draw at Brentford.
Liverpool also made a winning return from the World Cup break as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic struck in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.
In the first Premier League fixture since mid-November, Tottenham were in danger of a damaging defeat after Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney put Brentford in command at the Community Stadium.
But Kane netted with a 65th minute header to start the Tottenham recovery in his first game since missing a crucial penalty in England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat against France.
Brentford have not beaten Tottenham since 1948 and their long wait for a victory over the north Londoners goes on after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg curled home with 19 minutes left.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte praised England captain Kane for his contribution following his World Cup disappointment.
Tottenham stay fourth in the table, four points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Liverpool closed to within five points of Spurs and with a game in hand to come by inflicting Unai Emery’s first league defeat as Villa boss.
Salah swept home his 15th goal of the season in a frantic opening with chances aplenty at both ends.
The Egyptian then teed up Van Dijk to give Liverpool breathing space before half-time.
Ollie Watkins gave Villa hope with a towering header midway through the second half but Bajcetic’s first senior goal secured a third consecutive league win for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Newcastle’s charge towards a return to the Champions League was not halted by the break as the Magpies scored twice in the first seven minutes at Leicester.
Chris Wood opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Miguel Almiron played a one-two with Bruno Guimaraes and slotted past Danny Ward for his eighth goal in his last eight league games.
Joelinton headed home from a corner in the 32nd minute as Newcastle made it six successive league victories — their best run in the competition since 2012.
At the other end of the table, Everton suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat against relegation rivals Wolves as Rayan Ait-Nouri struck in final seconds for the visitors at Goodison Park.
Yerry Mina gave Everton a seventh minute lead, but in Julen Lopetegui’s first game in charge, Wolves levelled through Daniel Podence’s volley.
Ait-Nouri poked home from close range after Everton failed to deal with a counter-attack in the fifth minute of stoppage-time.
Everton are now just one point above Wolves in the final relegation place.
Fulham won 3-0 at nine-man Crystal Palace, who had Tyrick Mitchell and James Tomkins sent off.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Tim Ream and Aleksandar Mitrovic scored Fulham’s goals.Southampton slipped to the bottom of the table after a 3-1 home defeat against south-coast rivals Brighton.
