Arsenal moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table after their 4-2 victory over Brighton, while Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton.
On New Year’s Eve at the Amex Stadium, goals from Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Eddie Nketiah, and Gabriel Martinelli helped Mikel Arteta’s team win the league for the fifth time in a row.
After only two minutes, the Gunners took the lead when Martinelli’s shot was deflected to England forward Saka. Saka took a clever touch and then put the ball past Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Arsenal had full control of the game, and Danish midfielder Odegaard scored a powerful goal after a corner kick was cleared to the edge of the Brighton penalty area.
In the 47th minute, Nketiah scored Arsenal’s third goal when he poked the ball in after Sanchez dropped Martinelli’s shot.
In the past, Brighton’s goal by Kaoru Mitoma in the 65th minute would have shook Arsenal’s nerves, but the current team is tougher.
Evan Ferguson scored Brighton’s first league goal in the 77th minute, but it didn’t matter because Martinelli scored the fourth goal six minutes later. Odegaard made a great long pass, and Martinelli scored off of it.
“It’s a big win against a really good side,” Arteta said. “We know the other results, but we know our success will be from what we do.
“This is what we want to continue, to improve as a team and play better, to dominate all the areas like today.”
The fact that Arsenal’s ninth win in their last 10 league games came just hours after second-placed City lost at the Etihad Stadium made it even better.
Erling Haaland gave Pep Guardiola’s team the lead, but Everton’s Demarai Gray scored an eye-catching goal to tie the game.
City has lost two of its last three league games and is in danger of losing the title it has won four times in the last five years.
Haaland put City ahead in the 24th minute with his 27th goal in 20 games since he moved to City from Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.
Riyad Mahrez set up the goal with a brilliant run and a perfect pass to the Norway striker. The striker then put the ball past Jordan Pickford in a brutal way.
But Everton tied the game against the run of play in the 64th minute when Gray stole the ball from City midfielder Rodri and curled a shot into the top corner. This gave Frank Lampard, whose job was on the line, some much-needed breathing room.
Guardiola stayed positive, saying: “Dropping points at home is always tough. But we played really good in the last three games and it makes me feel optimistic.”
Photo by EPA/Vince Mignott
