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The win, secured by a remarkable set-piece goal from Eberechi Eze against his old team, extended Arsenal’s advantage at the summit of the league table to four points. However, Arteta was prompt to put any championship discussion in check.
Arsenal had a peaceful Sunday after defeating Crystal Palace 1-0, while their title competitors Manchester City suffered an identical defeat at Aston Villa, allowing the north London team to lead the league by four points on Sunday.
Liverpool’s 3-2 loss at Brentford on Saturday allowed Arsenal to extend their lead over Arne Slot’s team by seven points, which they achieved as Eberechi Eze scored the winning goal against his former club.
The city team remained unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions since a shaky beginning to the season, but they faced defeat at Villa Park, where Matty Cash’s goal secured their side’s fourth consecutive league victory, moving them up to eighth place.
Tottenham Hotspur maintained their strong performance on the road with a 3-0 victory against Everton, moving them into third place — defender Micky van de Ven’s first-half header double played a key role in the visitors becoming the first team to secure a win at Everton’s new stadium.
Bournemouth keep defying expectations with a 2-0 win at home against Nottingham Forest, pushing them into second place, while last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers stay without a victory after losing 3-2 at home to newly promoted Burnley.
Arsenal have accumulated 22 points from nine matches, while Bournemouth has 18 points, and Tottenham and Sunderland each have 17.
At the bottom, Wolves are at two points, with 19th-placed West Ham United having four and Forest with five.
Eze spent five years at Selhurst Park before moving to Arsenal in August, and he did not celebrate after showcasing remarkable skill to score Arsenal’s winning goal in the 39th minute following another set-piece goal.
Gabriel directed Declan Rice’s free kick towards his path, and Eze jumped to deliver an immediate shot past Dean Henderson.
“I mentioned to the players that I believe this win is the most significant of the season, as we were fully aware of how challenging it was given the frequency of matches,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
It was a very encouraging weekend for us, particularly since we accomplished what was necessary, and it highlights the challenges of the league, as well as how tough it is to secure these victories.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team had shown signs of being a threat following an extended unbeaten streak but were humbled at Villa Park, dropping six points behind Arsenal.
The sole goal came in the 19th minute when Emiliano Buendia’s corner found Cash just outside the penalty area, and he struck it with his left foot into the bottom-right corner, leaving a helpless City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with no chance.
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, who had netted in his previous 12 games for both his club and national team, managed to score in the 90th minute, but the goal was disallowed because of an offside during the play leading up to it, resulting in City’s third consecutive defeat at Villa Park.
“Our pressing was extremely poor, we reached every duel two seconds late. When our pressing isn’t effective, we don’t perform well,” said Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva.
Sean Dyche’s inaugural Premier League match as the manager of Nottingham Forest concluded with a loss, while Bournemouth continued their impressive beginning to the season.
The forest fell behind under unusual conditions when Marcus Tavernier’s corner directly found the net over keeper Matz Sels. Bournemouth’s second goal was more impressive as Eli Junior Kroupi fired a shot from 30 meters.
Bournemouth, led by Andoni Iraola, have remained undefeated in their past eight league matches.
“It’s astonishing how the season began, but it’s merely the beginning,” said Spaniard Iraola.
Tottenham have secured 13 points from a possible 15 in away matches this season and demonstrated a sharp performance at Everton’s Hill Dickinson stadium.
Van de Ven made history as the first Tottenham defender to net two goals in a Premier League game in 12 years, scoring both with headers from corner kicks in the first half.
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario executed several outstanding saves in the second half, with substitute Pape Matar Sarr securing the victory for Thomas Frank’s team.
“The second half was quite competitive, but winning 3-0 on the road in the Premier League is very impressive,” Frank said.
Wolves made a comeback from being two goals behind at home against Burnley, scoring through Jorgen Strand Larsen’s penalty and a header from Marshall Munetsi. However, Burnley scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time, increasing the pressure on Wolves’ manager Vitor Pereira.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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