Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday to remain three points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, while Brighton & Hove Albion climbed to third place with a commanding 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Noni Madueke scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute at the City Ground, converting Arsenal’s only shot on target to earn the champions all three points.
The result kept Arsenal in second place, while Brighton moved to 16 points, five behind Manchester City, after producing one of the weekend’s most impressive performances.
At the City Ground, Arsenal struggled to break down Forest’s defence before Ibrahim Sangare’s hesitation allowed the visitors to seize their opportunity.
Madueke, introduced as a second-half substitute, dribbled past Daniel Munoz before firing a shot that deflected off Jair Cunha and wrong-footed goalkeeper Matz Sels.
“We’re really happy, we did it all together. We showed grit, determination, and maybe we showed a champion spirit here for that, really pleased,” Madueke told Sky Sports.
Forest almost snatched an equaliser in stoppage time when Murillo beat three players before sending his effort narrowly wide.
The defeat left Forest 18th with five points, having failed to win or score at home in the league this season.
Brighton Run Riot Against Palace
Brighton delivered a dominant display at the Amex Stadium, with Diego Gomez scoring a remarkable goal from inside his own half in the 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Jaydee Canvot’s own goal gave Brighton the lead in the fourth minute before Gomez doubled the advantage three minutes later.
Gomez dispossessed Adam Wharton near the halfway line, took a touch and sent the ball over goalkeeper Walter Benitez into the net.
“When I got the ball I knew the goalkeeper was a little bit ahead,” Gomez told Sky Sports. “When I scored I didn’t know where to run or what to do. I was very happy with the goal.”
Yasin Ayari extended Brighton’s lead in the 10th minute, before Charalampos Kostoulas and Jack Hinshelwood added further goals after the break.
Kostoulas scored shortly after half-time following a deflection from Ayari’s shot, while Hinshelwood completed the rout in the 84th minute by converting the rebound after Benitez had kept out Luka Vuskovic’s header.
The victory lifted Brighton to third place on 16 points, five behind Manchester City.
Manchester United Held by Leeds
Manchester United’s difficult week continued as they drew 1-1 with Leeds United at Elland Road, leaving them 13th in the table with just one win from their last seven league matches.
United took the lead in the 35th minute when Bryan Mbeumo finished from close range after holding off James Justin and connecting with Youri Tielemans’ cross.
Leeds equalised six minutes into the second half through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who controlled a corner with his chest before poking the ball into the net.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke said his side were disappointed to settle for a point despite their second-half performance.
“We are slightly disappointed it is just a point,” Farke told Sky Sports, adding that his team should have maintained their dominance after equalising.
The match followed a turbulent week for United, during which defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club’s hierarchy after Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid.
Martinez questioned the club’s summer investment and singled out director of football Jason Wilcox before later apologising. He nevertheless retained his place in manager Michael Carrick’s starting line-up.
Leeds remained seventh in the standings following the draw.
Bournemouth Secure First League Win
Bournemouth claimed their first league victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Sunderland, moving up to 15th place, while Sunderland remained in the relegation zone in 19th.
Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when Lewis Cook launched a long pass forward, which Evanilson collected before setting up Marcus Tavernier to head home from close range.
Evanilson doubled the advantage three minutes into the second half, rounding goalkeeper Robin Roefs before finishing with his left foot.
The result gave Bournemouth a valuable boost, while Sunderland remained under pressure near the foot of the table.
