Arsenal held at Brighton while Man City bounce-back continues

Arsenal blew a accidental to marque up important crushed connected Premier League leaders Liverpool with a disappointing 1-1 gully astatine Brighton.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Premier League runners-up implicit the past 2 seasons, travelled to the southbound seashore connected Saturday hunting a 4th consecutive league win.

Seventeen-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, successful for the injured Bukayo Saka, enactment them connected people for each 3 points successful the archetypal half.

But Joao Pedro levelled from the punishment spot pursuing a clash of heads betwixt the Brazilian and William Saliba conscionable aft the hr mark, prompting a furious absorption from Arteta.

“We’re besides precise disappointed with the punishment and the mode it was given,” Arteta said. “I’ve ne'er seen that successful my life, and Saliba touches the ball, truthful it’s ne'er a punishment for me.”

Arsenal’s William Saliba fouls Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro to concede a punishment [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]

The 1-1 gully means the second-placed Gunners are 5 points down Liverpool, having played 2 games more, with Arne Slot’s in-form leaders hosting crisis-hit Manchester United connected Sunday.

“We knew it was going to beryllium competitory and challenging,” added Arteta. “But we did compete, and it wasn’t our champion day.

“We’re playing each 3 days arsenic well, and contiguous we mislaid excessively galore elemental things. Doing the elemental things, we person to bash them right, and contiguous wasn’t to those standards.”

Man City instrumentality to winning ways against West Ham

Manchester City, who bushed Leicester past week for conscionable their 2nd triumph successful 14 games, person present won successive matches for the archetypal clip since October aft pummelling West Ham 4-1 earlier connected Saturday.

The defending champions took an aboriginal pb against West Ham done a Vladimir Coufal ain extremity and Erling Haaland headed successful Savinho’s heavy transverse soon earlier the break.

The Norwegian claimed his 2nd 10 minutes aft the interval, dinking the shot implicit Alphonse Areola aft a good walk from Savinho, to instrumentality his league haul to 16 goals, 1 down Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Phil Foden made it 4-0 earlier Niclas Fullkrug grabbed a consolation for Julen Lopetegui’s men, who suffered a 5-0 mauling by Premier League leaders Liverpool past week.

Arsenal's gully astatine Brighton means Liverpool tin spell 8 points clear, with a crippled successful hand...

They look Man Utd time astatine 16:30 GMT 🔜 pic.twitter.com/CTvSfzmHPZ

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 4, 2025

Despite their shocking tally of results, sixth-placed City are conscionable 2 points down fourth-placed Chelsea, but Guardiola said his squad were inactive not backmost successful the groove.

“I’m precise pleased for the result, but you cannot inquire maine if the aged City is back,” helium said. “If you saw the game, we are not.

“You saw galore times during the years what we person done with the opponents.”

Newcastle, Chelsea and Aston Villa up their chase; Tottenham falter

In the aboriginal kickoff, Newcastle United came from down to clinch a 5th consecutive Premier League triumph and heap much misery connected injury-hit Tottenham Hotspur. The location broadside went up successful the 4th infinitesimal done Dominic Solanke.

Newcastle levelled 2 minutes aboriginal erstwhile Anthony Gordon arrowed an effort into the bottommost corner, but Postecoglou stood successful disbelief connected the touchline looking astatine referee Andrew Madley aft Joelinton intercepted Lucas Bergvall’s walk with his manus successful the build-up.

VAR deemed Joelinton’s limb to beryllium successful a earthy presumption and the interaction to beryllium accidental. In-form Alexander Isak scored what turned retired to beryllium the victor towards the extremity of the archetypal period.

The 2-1 victory, watched by caller England manager Thomas Tuchel, leaves Newcastle successful 5th spot, which whitethorn yet beryllium capable to unafraid a spot successful the Champions League adjacent season. But Spurs person slumped to 12th successful the array aft 5 defeats successful 7 matches.

Postecoglou said helium was arrogant of his players but was the “angriest I deliberation I person ever been successful my career”.

“I deliberation it’s clear,” said the Australian. “Now whether radical hold with maine oregon not, whether it wasn’t handball oregon it was accidental, I’m conscionable not funny successful immoderate of that discussion.

“I cognize what everyone wants maine to say, but each I’ll accidental is that connected immoderate different day, connected a just and adjacent playing ground, we would person won that game. Simple arsenic that.”

Alexander Isak scores Newcastle United’s 2nd extremity past Brandon Austin of Tottenham Hotspur [Alex Pantling/Getty Images]

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea were breathing down Liverpool’s necks conscionable 2 weeks agone but person taken lone 2 points from 4 games implicit the festive period.

Cole Palmer gave the visitors a first-half lead, but they could not capitalise connected their possession and Jean-Philippe Mateta levelled successful the 82nd minute.

“Two weeks ago, 3 weeks ago, we were talking astir the rubric contention … but this infinitesimal of the season, I knew that is going to hap successful immoderate play for immoderate team, that you person immoderate infinitesimal that you are not capable to triumph games,” said Maresca.

Aston Villa bushed relegation-threatened Leicester 2-1 astatine home, with goals from Ross Barkley and Leon Bailey.

Brentford recorded their archetypal league triumph connected the roadworthy this season, smashing hapless Southampton 5-0, and Bournemouth bushed Everton 1-0.