Southampton 1 Arsenal 1
Premier League leaders Arsenal dropped points for only the second time this season after Southampton hit back to snatch a 1-1 draw at St Mary’s.
Granit Xhaka’s second goal in four days following his Europa League winner against PSV Eindhoven set the in-form Gunners on course for a 10th win from 11 top-flight games.
Yet Mikel Arteta’s men were left frustrated after Saints improved in the second period and equalised 25 minutes from time thanks to Stuart Armstrong’s first club goal since March.
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Arsenal thought they had claimed a 79th-minute winner through captain Martin Odegaard but the ball was adjudged to have gone out of play before it was cut back by substitute Kieran Tierney.
The draw was Arsenal’s first in 32 fixtures in all competitions, dating back to a goalless stalemate with Burnley in January, leaving them just two points above Manchester City and with plenty of regrets.
Gabriel Jesus spurned two chances to stretch the visitors’ lead following Xhaka’s 11th-minute opener, while Gunners technical coach Nicolas Jover was booked for touchline protestations shortly after Armstrong’s leveller.
Arsenal’s last visit to St Mary’s — a 1-0 loss — was the third of three successive damaging defeats in April which ultimately cost them Champions League qualification.
The Gunners travelled to the south coast on this occasion as the top-flight’s early pacesetters, albeit their advantage had temporarily been cut to a single point by champions City’s 3-1 win over Brighton on Saturday, and with progression from the Europa League group stage already assured.
Arteta’s men wasted little time in asserting their authority on the contest.
Xhaka had already tested Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu during a dominant opening spell when he emphatically thumped a right-footed half-volley into the roof of the net from level with the penalty spot after the rampaging Ben White played a one-two with Bukayo Saka and crossed from the right.
Southampton had ended a five-game winless run with a nervy 1-0 midweek victory at neighbours Bournemouth.
Yet, with Che Adams — their match-winner at Vitality Stadium — beginning on the bench due to a hamstring concern, they initially lacked attacking threat.
Jesus almost doubled Arsenal’s lead just before the break but his volley following neat interplay with Odegaard was pushed away by Bazunu.
The Brazilian forward had another golden opportunity to give the Gunners breathing space on the hour mark but he dithered and was denied by a last-ditch tackle from Mohamed Elyounoussi after breaking through on goal.
Elyounoussi then made another telling impact on the game as Saints levelled with their first meaningful attempt.
The Norway winger burst forward before delivering a perfectly-weighted through ball for recalled Scotland international Armstrong to calmly slip the ball beyond Aaron Ramsdale and into the bottom left corner.
Aside from the brief joy of Odegaard’s disallowed effort, Arsenal rarely threatened to regain the lead as their title aspirations suffered a setback.
Southampton, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten streak to three games to further ease the pressure on under-fire boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Wolves 0 Leicester 4
Clinical Leicester ran riot to climb out of the drop zone and plunge Wolves into turmoil as Molineux threatened to turn toxic.
Youri Tielemans’ brilliant opener set the Foxes on the way to a rampant 4-0 win and their first away victory of the season.
Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and Jamie Vardy also struck as the Foxes scored with their first four shots.
Bottom of the Premier League at the start of the day, Leicester end it out of the drop zone — and two points clear — after crucial back-to-back wins.
Brendan Rodgers had warned of the harsh realities the season would bring after failing to significantly strengthen in the summer but the Foxes are now upwardly mobile after three wins from five games.
For Wolves, the signs are ominous. They failed to take their chances — despite 21 shots — and were punished in a wild opening which left them playing catch-up.
Managerless, having failed to persuade Michael Beale to leave QPR, with Steve Davis in caretaker charge until 2023 the season is unravelling as Molineux turned on the club’s hierarchy following a fifth defeat in six games.
Second bottom after losing such a crucial basement battle, it is increasingly hard to see a successful survival battle.
Little went right for the hosts in the first half even if they were on the offensive early and Diego Costa, looking for his first Wolves goal, had a shot deflected over.
Daniel Podence and Joao Moutinho also fired wide but Wolves found themselves 2-0 down inside 20 minutes.
There was little to suggest the Foxes — who had lost every away game this season — would take control so quickly but when it came it was emphatic.
Jonny dragged back Harvey Barnes after seven minutes to allow Maddison to swing in a free-kick from the left which was half-cleared to Tielemans 25 yards out.
The midfielder did not hesitate to unleash a stunning first-time half-volley which screamed into the top corner.
A second arrived after 19 minutes when the Foxes cut through Wolves with worrying ease and Barnes swapped passes with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to roll under Jose Sa.
In between, the hosts had created more chances, Danny Ward denying Matheus Nunes and Max Kilman nodding over, but with just five goals this season there was little hope of a comeback around Molineux.
Leicester had begun to stop the rot after losing seven of their opening nine games with a thumping of rivals Nottingham Forest at the start of the month and enjoyed another Midlands tussle, with Wolves’ defence far too accommodating.
Tielemans just missed Barnes’ cross as they exploited gaps at the back and the hosts’ early momentum disappeared.
It was replaced by anxiety and frustration, which only doubled when James Justin blocked Costa’s shot on the line five minutes before the break.
A fine Ward save denied Podence in first-half injury time and they at least kept pressing after the break with Ruben Neves sending a free-kick wide.
But the home fans turned on the club, most notably technical director Scott Sellars, and it got worse when Maddison added a third after 65 minutes.
The midfielder, back after suspension, grabbed his sixth goal of the season when he collected Vardy’s pass, held off Adama Traore, breezed past Nathan Collins and found the bottom corner.
The mood darkened further when Vardy grabbed his first goal of the season with 10 minutes to go, tapping in Timothy Castagne’s cross after Kilman’s wayward pass.
Leeds 2 Fulham 3
Bobby Decordova-Reid and Willian scored second-half goals as Fulham won 3-2 at Elland Road to send Leeds spiralling into the Premier League’s bottom three.
A fourth straight defeat has further cranked up the pressure on Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, whose side’s winless run was extended to eight matches.
It started well for the under-fire American when Rodrigo headed Leeds in front, but they were pegged back before half-time by Aleksandar Mitrovic’s header.
Leeds had most of the possession in the second period as they strived to regain the lead, but there was no end product and they were punished by Decordova-Reid’s header and Willian’s sliding finish.
Leeds substitute Crysencio Summerville reduced the deficit in the first minute of added time, but it was not enough and by then Marsch had already endured chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ from his own fans.
Fulham maintained their impressive progress under Marco Silva after Thursday night’s 3-0 home win against Aston Villa had lifted them up to ninth in the table.
They now sit eighth after their fifth league win of the season following promotion under Silva last May.
Leeds’ accustomed flying start had Fulham scrambling inside their own penalty area as Luis Sinisterra and then Jack Harrison were crowded out.
But the only shot at goal during an encouraging opening spell for Leeds came from Sam Greenwood, making only his second start for the club, and that flew over the crossbar.
Fulham were denied an opener with their first attempt and against the run of play in the 14th minute when Harrison Reed’s low shot was brilliantly blocked on the goal line by Marc Roca and then cleared by Robin Koch.
Leeds were then rewarded for their breakneck start. Brenden Aaronson picked out Harrison and his shot deflected off Fulham skipper Tim Ream to the far post where Rodrigo headed home his fifth goal of the season.
The home side’s lead was short-lived though as Mitrovic’s near-post header from Andreas Pereira’s corner flew through Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier’s grasp.
Fulham’s riposte — and Mitrovic’s ninth league goal of the season — silenced Elland Road and the home fans held their breath soon after when Pereira raced clear following a clearance from a Leeds corner.
But Meslier, making his 100th Whites appearance, made amends for his earlier gaffe with a superb block to keep the scores level at the break.
Leeds flew out of the blocks again after the restart. Rodrigo’s shot was held by Bernd Leno and Aaronson’s effort curled off target.
Rodrigo and Luke Ayling both fired wide as Leeds’ chances mounted, before the latter rescued his side twice at the other end, thwarting Joao Palhinha and blocking another goalbound shot.
Leno produced a smart block to deny second-half substitute Patrick Bamford, but Fulham turned the game on its head when the unmarked Decordova-Reid headed them into the lead from Pereira’s cross.
A large section of home fans called for March to go and chanted ‘sack the board’ before Willian turned home Reed’s 84th-minute cutback, while Summerville’s stoppage-time effort for Leeds was mere consolation.
Aston Villa 4 Brentford 0
Aston Villa made a resounding start to life after Steven Gerrard as a 15-minute blitz paved the way for a 4-0 win over Brentford at Villa Park.
Gerrard was fired late on Thursday night following the 3-0 defeat at Fulham, with first-team coach Aaron Danks thrust into caretaker charge and he got the perfect response from the Villa players as they ran riot in the opening quarter of an hour.
Leon Bailey’s strike and Danny Ings’ brace blew the Bees away and put them on course for just a third win of the season, with Ollie Watkins’ goal on the hour adding the gloss on a memorable afternoon.
It must have been painful viewing for Gerrard in the unlikely event he was watching, having constantly called on his front players to deliver more in the final few weeks of his reign.
Perhaps a performance like this coming immediately after the former England captain’s exit speaks volumes, but it reinforces the capabilities Villa have and any possible new manager will be enthused.
It may be too early for Danks to be considered a candidate but he has shown he is a safe pair of hands while the search continues, with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim still the heavy favourite.
Bees boss Thomas Frank is also among the bookmakers’ favourites for the role, but his chances will not have been boosted by the dismal showing of his team as they await their first away win of the campaign.
Danks, who made the bold decision to drop captain John McGinn, could not have dreamed of a better start to life in the Villa dugout as his side surged into a 3-0 lead.
They needed only 63 seconds to go in front as a well-worked corner routine saw Douglas Luiz tee up Bailey, whose low shot 12 yards out found the bottom corner.
It got better six minutes later as Ings doubled the lead, on hand to score his first league goal since August when he converted Bailey’s low centre.
Villa were incessant and made it 3-0 in the 14th minute after being awarded a clear penalty when Kristoffer Ajer pulled down Tyrone Mings at a corner, with Ings sending the resultant spot-kick down the middle.
Brentford, who were hammered 5-1 at Newcastle in their previous away game, were shell-shocked and they were lucky to be only three down as Villa continued to press.
Luiz flashed an effort just wide after making space for himself before the hosts were denied by the heroics of Bees goalkeeper David Raya, who produced three quick-fire saves on the stroke of half-time.
First the Spaniard got a fingertip on a wicked Luiz corner to tip it on to the post, then got up to brilliantly claw Watkins’ effort away before also keeping out a low Matty Cash shot.
Villa were able to add a fourth after the break as Watkins got on the scoresheet after an hour.
He finally converted at the third attempt after the dangerous Bailey played him in, with Raya again having produced two magnificent saves to deny him.
Villa were able to take their foot off the pedal and see out an impressive win with ease.
