Arsenal and City share Premier League lead after split weekend
A rainy night win in north London erased a three-point gap, while Aston Villa ended Manchester City's undefeated streak with a 2-1 upset.
By Alina Campbell ·
Rain soaked the Emirates Stadium on Saturday as Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory over Everton to close the gap at the top of the Premier League. The result arrived the same day Manchester City suffered their first defeat of the season, leaving both clubs with 21 points after eight matchdays.
Arsenal struck early to establish control. Martin Odegaard delivered a corner into the box where Jordan Pickford stopped the initial effort, but Ezri Konsa pounced on the rebound to score from one yard out in the seventh minute. This marked the club's first goal from a set piece since May, snapping a 13-game drought in all competitions.
Konsa emphasized the importance of consistency in the title race. "We are champions and to be champions you've got to win games consistently," he said. "This is our home, and we want to win as many games here as possible."
The second goal came in the 68th minute through a pair of players celebrating career milestones. Ben White, making his 200th appearance for Arsenal, clipped a cross to the far post for Gabriel to head home. Gabriel also reached his 200th Premier League appearance with that strike.
At Villa Park, Aston Villa held off a late rally from Manchester City to win 2-1. Nicolas Jackson scored twice for Unai Emery's side, ending City's unbeaten run. Jackson's first goal came in the sixth minute after John McGinn broke away from Marc Guehi. Erling Haaland equalized for the visitors with a header from a free kick, but Jackson restored Villa's lead in the 60th minute.
City now await a decision on their appeal following an independent commission finding 114 breaches of financial rules. The club denies wrongdoing. "It's just the beginning; we're trying to work game by game," Jackson told TNT Sports. The result moved Villa up to sixth place with 11 points.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur traveled to Stamford Bridge to beat Chelsea 2-0. Mathys Tel scored the winner in the 87th minute, while Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders punched a corner into his own net in the 77th. Cole Palmer was sent off in the 80th minute. Fulham defeated Coventry City 1-0, with Oscar Bobb scoring in the 80th minute to move Fulham to 13th.
