Arsenal revived their Premier League title challenge with a commanding 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while Chelsea moved up to third place after a 2-1 win over Leicester.
Arsenal, who had slipped nine points behind leaders Liverpool, came into the match with hopes of reigniting their push for the title after four winless games. The return of Martin Ødegaard from injury proved pivotal, as his assist set up Bukayo Saka for a stunning 15th-minute opener.
Saka turned provider early in the second half, setting up Thomas Partey for a long-range strike that doubled Arsenal’s advantage. Substitute Ethan Nwaneri sealed the win with his first Premier League goal, tapping in Raheem Sterling’s cross.
Chelsea, despite dominating their clash with Leicester, only managed a narrow 2-1 win. Nicolas Jackson put the Blues ahead with his seventh goal of the season, and although they squandered several chances, Enzo Fernandez sealed the points with a header in the 75th minute. Leicester pulled one back with a stoppage-time penalty from Jordan Ayew, leaving them just two points above the relegation zone.
Aston Villa’s struggles continued as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace, marking their sixth consecutive match without a win. Despite a penalty save by Dean Henderson, Villa managed to equalize twice, with Youri Tielemans setting up Ross Barkley for the equalizer.
Brighton’s impressive start under manager Fabian Hurzeler continued with a 2-1 win at Bournemouth, as Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma found the net, despite playing the last half hour with 10 men.
Wolves surged out of the bottom three with a stunning 4-1 win over Fulham, thanks to a brace from Matheus Cunha and goals from Joao Gomes and Goncalo Guedes.
Everton were held to a 0-0 draw against 10-man Brentford, failing to capitalize on an early red card for Christian Norgaard.
In Sunday’s action, Ruben Amorim will take charge of Manchester United for the first time as they travel to Ipswich.
AFP
