Arsenal gained gained in the Premier League title race on Thursday even without playing, as the other two title contenders, City and Villa dropped points and helped the leaders extend their advantage.
Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton. Erling Haaland scored from the penalty spot to give City the lead. It was his 150th goal for the club. Brighton hit back after the break as Kaoru Mitoma scored the equaliser. City pushed for a winner late on, but Haaland missed a clear chance and shot straight at the goalkeeper.
It was the second game in a row that City failed to win. They had drawn 0-0 at the weekend as well. City now sit second and are five points behind Arsenal. The gap could grow to eight if Arsenal beat Liverpool on Friday.
Aston Villa also dropped points. The third placed side drew 0-0 away at Crystal Palace in a slow game. Ollie Watkins came closest to scoring for Villa when his late effort hit the woodwork. Villa remain five points behind Arsenal.
Chelsea suffered another setback under new manager Liam Rosenior. He watched from the stands as his team lost 2-1 to Fulham. Chelsea went down to ten men in the first half after Marc Cucurella was sent off. Raul Jimenez scored first for Fulham. Liam Delap later equalised, but Harry Wilson struck the winner. Fulham moved up to eighth place.
Brentford climbed to fifth after a strong 3-0 win over Sunderland. Brazilian striker Igor Thiago scored twice. Chelsea dropped below them in the table.
At the bottom, Wolverhampton Wanderers continued their improved form with a 1-1 draw at Everton. Everton ended the match with nine players. Michael Keane, who scored their goal, and Jack Grealish were both sent off late on.
Bournemouth finally ended a long wait for a league win. They beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at home. Antoine Semenyo scored the winner in stoppage time. It was Bournemouth’s first league win in 12 games and sparked big celebrations among the home fans.
