Arsenal claimed top spot in the Premier League on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over West Ham United in manager Mikel Arteta’s 300th match in charge. The win came hours before champions Liverpool slipped to a second successive stoppage-time defeat in London.
Liverpool could have reclaimed first place heading into the international break but were undone at Stamford Bridge when 18-year-old Brazilian forward Estevao scored in the 95th minute to give Chelsea a 2-1 win.
A week ago Arsenal trailed Liverpool by five points, but back-to-back victories over Newcastle United and West Ham combined with Liverpool defeats to Crystal Palace and Chelsea have shifted momentum in Arteta’s favour.
Tottenham Hotspur continued their strong start under new manager Thomas Frank, beating Leeds United 2-1 at Elland Road to move into third place. Arsenal now lead the table with 16 points from seven matches, one clear of Liverpool. Spurs are level on 14 points with fourth-placed Bournemouth, who beat Fulham 3-1 on Friday.
Manchester United also relieved some pressure on manager Ruben Amorim by defeating Sunderland 2-0 at Old Trafford, lifting themselves into the top half of the standings on 10 points.
Arteta’s record now stands at a 58 per cent win ratio, better than Arsenal greats Arsène Wenger, George Graham and Herbert Chapman. Yet the Spaniard admitted before his landmark game that his achievements have not been enough to deliver the league title.
Arsenal had lost their previous two home fixtures against West Ham, setbacks that contributed to last season’s disappointment. This time, however, they were rarely troubled. Declan Rice scored in the 38th minute after Eberechi Eze’s shot was parried by Alphonse Areola, and Bukayo Saka converted a penalty after the break in his 200th Premier League appearance.
The victory was tempered by an injury to captain Martin Ødegaard, who left the pitch in the first half with a knee problem and later departed the ground wearing a brace. “He had a clash knee-to-knee and immediately he was uncomfortable,” Arteta said. “He’s not positive about it. We’ll have to wait and see from the doctors.”
Liverpool’s struggles continued after their midweek Champions League defeat to Galatasaray. Moisés Caicedo put Chelsea ahead with a thunderous strike before Cody Gakpo equalised in the second half. The visitors looked in control but were caught out when Marc Cucurella’s low cross found Estevao free at the back post.
“It has been a tough and disappointing week,” manager Arne Slot said. “After 1-1 we were the dominant team. In the end it was end-to-end and we just have to work harder and not rely on margins.”
Elsewhere, Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus scored his first goal for the club since a £55 million move from West Ham, sealing victory at Leeds after assisting Mathys Tel’s opener. Leeds equalised through Noah Okafor before Kudus struck the decisive goal.
United’s win was secured by Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko in the first half. “I saw today that the players want to do their best and they do not want to change the coach,” Amorim said afterwards.
