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Arsenal reclaimed the Premier League top spot with a 2-1 win over Brighton, while Liverpool edged Wolves 2-1 at Anfield. Manchester City remain close as the title race heats up.
Three-time Premier League champions Arsenal won their league clash on Saturday (Dec 27) to move back to the top of the table, holding off the pressure from Manchester City in a tightly fought title race. The Gunners edged past Brighton 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, a result that mattered more than the performance. Manchester City had earlier gone top with a narrow win over Nottingham Forest, leaving Arsenal with no room for error.
Arsenal started on the front foot and were rewarded when Martin Odegaard scored with a clean strike at the 14th minute to give the hosts a first-half lead. Brighton stayed organised and made it hard for the home side to create clear chances. The second goal came in fortunate fashion as Georginio Rutter turned Declan Rice’s corner into his own net, giving Arsenal some breathing space.
Brighton refused to give up and pulled one back through Diego Gomez, setting up a nervy final spell. Arsenal were forced to defend deep, and goalkeeper David Raya played a key role late on with an excellent save to deny Yankuba Minteh. The final whistle brought relief as much as celebration, with Arsenal once again winning by a single-goal margin.
Earlier in the day, Manchester City kept up the chase with a 2-1 away win against Nottingham Forest. Rayan Cherki was the standout performer, setting up Tijjani Reijnders before scoring the late winner himself. Forest briefly drew level through Omari Hutchinson but could not hold on.
Liverpool also claimed an important win, beating Wolves 2-1 at Anfield in an emotional match. Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring before Florian Wirtz netted his first goal for the club. Wolves pulled one back late but remain without a league win this season.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Fulham beat West Ham 1-0, Burnley drew 0-0 with Everton, and Brentford cruised to a 4-1 victory over Bournemouth. With the season moving into a crucial phase, Arsenal remain in control at the top, but the gap at the summit remains tight.