Mikel Areta's Arsenal scored two stoppage-time goals to claim a breathless Premier League win over Leicester City at the Emirates on Saturday.
After seeing Newcastle United battle to a point against Manchester City at St James' Park eaelier in the day, the Gunners knew a victory here would draw them level with the table-topping side they drew 2-2 with last weekend.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard appeared to have sent them on their way. But James Justin's deflected header and brilliant volley after the interval – supported by an inspired Mads Hermansen in goal – left the hosts rocking.
However, Trossard's volley from a corner cannoned in off Wilfred Ndidi to put Arsenal ahead in the fourth minute of added time before Kai Havertz struck a scrambled fourth as Arsenal to second spot level with City on 14 points after six matches. Liverpool could go top if they beat Wolves in Saturday's late game.
“We were unbelievable today,” said Areta. We deserved to win with many more goals. Starting the second half the way we did, conceding the first goal makes things harder and then with the equaliser the team showed unbelievable character to keep pushing, creating chance after chance. We suffered more than we should have but this is football.
“We felt it should have been many more and it wasn't and suddenly it is 2-2 but we had to deal with a very good team with difficult circumstances and we stayed really composed."
Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer has become the first player in the 32-year history of the Premier League to score four goals in the first-half of a match.
The England international's flurry of goals came in a 20-minute span in Chelsea's 4-2 win against Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer scored in the 21st, 28th, 31st and 41st minutes, with the haul including a penalty as well as a long-range free kick that completed his hat trick. He managed had a four-goal haul for Chelsea last season in a 6-0 win over Everton in April, also at home.
The playmaker joined Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in scoring at least three goals in a game three times for Chelsea in the league.
The game against Brighton was only Palmer's 39th league appearance for Chelsea after joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2023. He scored 22 goals last season, second only to City's Erling Haaland (27), and already has six goals in this campaign.
“I know Cole Palmer from many years ago, I had him at Manchester City in the under-23s,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. The best thing is the way he is as a human is the same way. This doesn't change his life and that is the best thing for him.
“You'd have to be blind if you didn't see those kind of things with Cole. I said that he scored four but he could have scored more, I say always to be ambitious and hungry to score more.”
Relief for Everton as Merseysiders seal first win
Dwight McNeil's two goals secured Everton's first win of the season after a rare comeback as they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park.
Not since October 2022 had the team recovered from going behind to pick up three points and after twice squandering 2-0 leads to lose in the last month it was a relief for manager Sean Dyche to experience the other side.
Trailing to Marc Guehi's early goal the game swung in the space of nine minutes at the start of the second half.
Just 77 seconds after the restart McNeil curled home from 25 yards after Ashley Young intercepted a pass deep in Palace territory before firing past Dean Henderson after bringing down a cross from half-time substitute Jack Harrison.
It ensured a week which had begun with positive off-field news as the Friedkin Group agreed a deal to buy out majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri ended with an important success on the pitch.
“I’m delighted for the players, they worked very hard to change a scoreline around,” said Dyche. “You know there’s been question marks over many things and of course there’s been a bit of relief there for me today and relief for the players and that’s a human thing.
“There’s a lot of demand here that we put on ourselves and we have to answer to that and I thought we did today. We certainly did enough to win the game and that’s what was important.”
Fulham end Forest's unbeaten start, Brentford into record books
Raul Jimenez's controversial penalty clinched Fulham a 1-0 win at the City Ground and halted Nottingham Forest's unbeaten Premier League start.
Jimenez converted his 50th goal in the English top-flight early in the second half after a lengthy VAR check, which ended with referee Josh Smith viewing the pitchside monitor.
Forest had won two and drawn three of their previous five matches and their highest crowd in over a decade – 30,139 – was denied a first home league win since April.
But Forest's fans were left frustrated as a second VAR decision went against them and Fulham, now unbeaten in their last five league games, had their measure.
“It's great to see him back at that level again after that bad incident when he was at Wolves,” Fulham manager Marco Silva said about Jimenez. “It was tough for him to come back [from a skull fracture in 2020]. From the first moment in this club he showed his hard work and his quality. It's nice to see him score and be decisive for us.”
Brentford raced into the Premier League record books but still only had a point to show for it after a 1-1 draw with West Ham.
The Bees went ahead after only 37 seconds through Bryan Mbeumo to become the first team to score in the first minute of three consecutive matches.
But, just like in the previous two games, they were unable to hold on to their early lead and Tomas Soucek grabbed a second-half equaliser for the Hammers.
