A summary of Saturday’s action in the Premier League.
IMAGE: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Daniel Bentley in action with Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Reuters
Arsenal moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League as early goals by Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard fired them to a 2-1 victory at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
In freezing temperatures Arsenal made a lightning fast start and the points always looked secure from the moment captain Odegaard doubled their advantage in the 13th minute.
Saka had given Mikel Arteta’s side the lead in the sixth minute after some intricate link-up play sent him clear.
Wolves re-grouped and gradually began to make a few inroads although Arsenal were untroubled until Matheus Cunha shot powerfully past home keeper David Raya after 86 minutes to set up an unexpectedly nervy climax.
Arsenal have 33 points from 14 games with champions Manchester City, who host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, on 29 and Liverpool and Aston Villa, also in action on Sunday, on 28.
Gordon strikes as Newcastle overpower Manchester United
IMAGE: Anthony Gordon scores the winner for Newcastle United against Manchester United at St James’ Park, Newcastle. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters
Anthony Gordon scored the winner as Newcastle held off a frenzied late push by Manchester United in a deserved 1-0 Premier League victory over their top-four rivals at a chilly St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s team climbed above Manchester United into fifth in the table on 26 points after 14 games as Erik ten Hag’s side dropped to seventh on 24.
The Magpies have won three consecutive games against Manchester United in all competitions for the first time since January 1922.
Gordon scored his sixth goal of the Premier League season in the 55th minute when Kieran Trippier played a ball across the six-yard box after Manchester lost possession in midfield.
Miguel Almiron narrowly missed getting to the ball before a wide-open Trippier swept it in from the back post for Gordon to score.
Newcastle, who drew 1-1 with Paris St Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, dominated the match, peppering United keeper Andre Onana with 22 shots compared with the visitors’ seven.
Manchester United pressed for a late equaliser with a flurry of chances including Harry Maguire’s headed effort that was ruled out for off-side.
Newcastle were a more cohesive and hungry side in halting their opponents’ run of four away wins. Manchester United have lost all five league games against top-half teams this season.
If not for Maguire and fellow defender Luke Shaw, the score may have been more lopsided.
Burnley thrash 10-man Sheffield United for first home win
IMAGE: Burnley’s Sander Berge, Josh Brownhill and James Trafford celebrate after the match. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Reuters
Burnley produced a dazzling display to crush 10-man Sheffield United 5-0 at Turf Moor and secure their first home points of the Premier League season.
Burnley, who started the game bottom of the table and the only team in the top four divisions without a home point, moved them up two places to 18th as United dropped to 19th.
The two teams were involved in a title race in last season’s Championship, but as was the case in that campaign Vincent Kompany’s side possessed more quality and dominated the match.
With fans still settling in their seats, Burnley went ahead after 15 seconds when United failed to deal with Charlie Taylor’s cross and Jay Rodriguez directed a glancing header into the back of the net.
Rodriguez’s goal made him the first player in Premier League history to score in the opening 15 seconds of two separate matches, adding to his strike for Southampton in 2013 against Chelsea.
Jacob Bruun Larsen doubled Burnley’s advantage in the 29th minute after racing on to Dara O’Shea’s long ball, which he controlled with an excellent touch before dispatching a tidy finish past Wes Foderingham.
Brentford beat Luton to surge into top half of table
IMAGE: Brentford’s Shandon Baptiste and Neal Maupay celebrate after the match. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Brentford moved into the top half of the Premier League table – and above West London rivals Chelsea at least for a day – after beating Luton Town 3-1 with three second-half goals at the Gtech Community Stadium.
French striker Neal Maupay, on loan from Everton and back in the starting lineup, broke the ice on a freezing afternoon in the capital by sweeping home from close range in the 49th after a scuffed Ben Mee shot deflected off a defender.
Mee then headed a second, after a 56th minute corner, as Brentford found their flow following a scrappy first half of missed chances.
Luton grabbed one back in the 76th minute through substitute Jacob Brown but Brentford made sure of the three points when Shandon Baptiste, who also came off the bench in the second half, scored from close range in the 81st.
Brentford’s return to winning ways, after last Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal, moved them up to 10th on 19 points and three clear of 11th-placed Chelsea who play at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Luton are 17th on nine and two points clear of the drop zone.
Everton grab full points away at Nottingham Forest
IMAGE: Dwight McNeil scores for Everton against Nottingham Forest, at The City Ground, Nottingham. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters
Dwight McNeil scored his first goal of the season to give Everton a precious three points with a 1-0 away win at Nottingham Forest that moved them off the bottom of the Premier League table.
Everton created the better chances and finally converted one of them when the ball fell to NcNeil at the back post and he drilled his shot into the net from a tight angle.
The Merseyside club moved to 18th in the table with seven points from 14 games.
Had it not been for the 10-point deduction they were hit with for breaching Premier League profitability and sustainability rules they would be in 11th place above Chelsea. Everton on Friday lodged an appeal against the points sanction, the biggest in Premier League history.
For Forest, the defeat will add to the pressure on manager Steve Cooper with his side having won one of their last 10 games as they lie in 15th place with 13 points from 14 games.
Everton’s Portuguese forward Beto put the ball over the bar with an empty net gaping, while at the other end Anthony Elanga fired wide when well placed.
McNeil had a low shot cleared off the line by Murillo, who managed to shovel the ball onto the post and away to safety.
The home side started the second half the brighter and substitute Felipe struck the outside of the post, the closest they came to a goal in the game.
Forest thought they should have had a penalty when Abdoulaye Doucoure grabbed hold of the shirt of Ryan Yates at a corner but the Video Assistant Referee felt there had not been a clear error from the match officials.
