Arsenal came from behind to earn a deserved win at St. James’ Park on Sunday, cutting Liverpool’s lead at the top to just two points. The Gunners had lost their previous three visits to Newcastle without scoring, but Mikel Arteta’s men started brightly this time. They fired three shots – two on target – in the opening six minutes, with Bukayo Saka captaining the side in Martin Ødegaard’s absence. Newcastle briefly steadied themselves as Malick Thiaw and Sandro Tonali tried to stem the pressure, yet Arsenal kept pushing forward, with Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori especially influential. Against the run of play, the hosts struck first when Nick Woltemade headed in Tonali’s cross just after the half-hour mark – only the sixth time a Newcastle player has scored in his first two home games. Arsenal kept their composure and turned the game around after the break to secure all three points, ending their Tyneside hoodoo and boosting their title hopes.  

Bukayo Saka criticised VAR after Arsenal’s first-half penalty was overturned in their 2-1 comeback win at Newcastle. Referee Jarred Gillett initially awarded a spot-kick for Nick Pope’s challenge on Viktor Gyokeres. However, he changed his decision after a lengthy review at the pitchside monitor. Arsenal went on to win the match with Gabriel’s dramatic late header, yet Saka was unhappy with the early call. “There are a few things we can speak about, for example, the penalty,” Saka said. “For me, if we have VAR, it is for a clear and obvious error, and the fact that it took the ref that long to decide shows it is not a clear and obvious error. “It is things like this that always go against us, but today we got what we deserved and that’s why we are all so happy. It doesn’t matter now, does it?”    

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank praised his side’s fighting spirit after they battled back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Spurs trailed to goals that Frank admitted could have been prevented, but late strikes from Richarlison and a Jan-Paul van Hecke own goal salvaged a point. The coach was quick to commend the mentality his players showed. “I think this is our best performance of the season,” Frank said. “We controlled large parts of the game, created plenty of chances, and showed real mental and physical strength to come back.” He also singled out Mohammed Kudus for his influence on the right flank, describing him as “probably our man of the match.”

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice believes his side deserved more than a 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday. He insists the Gunners “dominated” large spells of the contest. Gabriel Martinelli  came off the bench to rescue a point for Mikel Arteta’s men, cancelling out an early opener from Erling Haaland. “When you come off the bench, at that point of the game — 60, 70, 80 minutes — the game’s a completely different game to the start,” Rice said post-match. Reflecting on the performance, the England international added: “I think the feeling of me being on the pitch, knowing my players, the manager’s thoughts, the players’ thoughts, is that, with the ball, it was probably the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve dominated Man City like that, in terms of passing.”

Pep Guardiola admitted he disliked resorting to defensive tactics as Manchester City were held 1-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday. Erling Haaland’s early strike looked set to be enough, but the City boss opted for a cautious second-half approach, switching to a back five and withdrawing both Haaland and Phil Foden. The plan backfired as Arsenal grew into the game, dominating possession before Gabriel Martinelli latched onto Eberechi Eze’s clever pass to equalise in stoppage time with a deft lob over Gianluigi Donnarumma. City’s 32.8% possession was the lowest figure recorded by a Guardiola side in a Premier League fixture, highlighting just how much ground they ceded.

Unai Emery delivered a scathing assessment of Aston Villa’s performance after their 1-1 draw with Sunderland, accusing his side of being “lazy” and straying from their identity. Still winless after five Premier League games, Villa sit 18th with just three points. The match appeared to swing in their favour when Sunderland were reduced to 10 men in the 33rd minute, after Reinildo Mandava was sent off for lashing out at Matty Cash. Cash soon opened Villa’s Premier League account for the season with a superb long-range strike, but Wilson Isidor’s 75th-minute equaliser earned the visitors a point and extended Villa’s dismal start. A visibly frustrated Emery vented post-match: “We were lazy sometimes. Lazy. The goal we conceded, we were lazy. Perhaps that’s because we didn’t play in our style.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca explained that Cole Palmer’s early withdrawal during the loss to Manchester United was down to fitness concerns, not Robert Sanchez’s red card. The England midfielder was substituted inside the opening 20 minutes, sparking suggestions the change was a tactical response to Robert Sanchez‘ dismissal. However, Maresca dismissed that claim, revealing Palmer had been a doubt ahead of kick-off. “Cole tried this morning, he had a test this morning to play this game, he was not 100 per cent fit,” Maresca said. “He made a fantastic effort to play, but after 20 minutes he started to feel something, so we decided to change him.” Quick Hit: Maresca insists Palmer’s early exit was injury-related, not linked to Sanchez sending off.