A dominant Arsenal side beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at home on Sunday with second-half goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, as the north London side provisionally moved back to the top of the Premier League standings.
Brighton had won on their last three trips to The Emirates in all competitions but all the first-half action was in their box as Arsenal pressed forward and were thwarted repeatedly, with keeper Bart Verbruggen standing firm.
But Brighton’s resistance came to an end eight minutes into the second half when defender Jan Paul van Hecke accidentally flicked a corner kick into the path of unmarked striker Gabriel Jesus, who headed home at the far post.
Brighton nearly levelled through Pascal Gross who shot wide late in the game, but an Arsenal counterattack in the 87th minute saw Kai Havertz go through on goal to make it 2-0 and give the home side some breathing space.
Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins scored a late winner against his former club as Aston Villa came from behind to win 2-1 at 10-man Brentford on Sunday.
Villa started brightly but spurned several first-half chances with Matty Cash and Jacob Ramsey both putting efforts wide from close range.
Instead, the Bees broke the deadlock just before half-time through Keane Lewis-Potter, who fired home for his first Premier League goal.
Brentford’s Ben Mee was sent off after 71 minutes for a reckless lunge on substitute Leon Bailey, after the intervention of VAR.
Villa made the numerical advantage count six minutes later when Bailey found Alex Moreno unmarked at the back post to level the contest with a cool header.
And the visitors took the lead after 85 minutes through Watkins, who nodded home Ramsey’s corner and sparked a goalmouth scuffle after celebrating in front of his former fans.
Villa’s Boubacar Kamara was also sent off for grabbing Yehor Yarmoliuk by the neck in added time as an entertaining game ended in chaotic fashion.
The win, Villa’s fifth in six league games, put them second on 38 points, with Brentford 12th on 19 points.
Elsewhere Mohammed Kudus scored twice as West Ham defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 at home in the Premier League on Sunday.
Kudus opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and doubled the lead 10 minutes later with Lucas Paqueta providing the passes to set up both goals.
The home side wrapped up the win in the 74th minute when Jarrod Bowen played a one-two with Paqueta, took the ball down the right and, despite being forced wide by Craig Dawson, got his shot across goal and past the keeper.
The win takes West Ham up to seventh in the table on 27 points, ahead of Manchester United on goal difference. United play away to Liverpool later on Sunday. Wolves remain in 13th on 19 points.
The win comes after last week’s 5-0 defeat at Fulham, and sees the Hammers overtake Brighton & Hove Albion who lost 2-0 at Arsenal on Sunday.
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