Premier League leaders Arsenal were Tuesday held by a Newcastle United who frustrated them to earn a point at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal were hoping to extend their lead at the top of the table to 10 points but found themselves drawn into an attritional and dogged encounter by a Newcastle Untied side with top four ambitions of their own.
Chances were at a premium and Newcastle’s Joelinton arguably wasted the best of all when he headed wide with the goal at his mercy in first-half stoppage time.
Arsenal went close through defender Gabriel and forward Gabriel Martinelli, who both sent headers narrowly off target, while Newcastle keeper Nick Pope made a crucial late save with his legs from Eddie Nketiah.
The game descended into a scrappy affair with seven yellow cards and the deadlock remained unbroken, with Arsenal’s lead now eight points despite being held at home.
Man United thump Bournemouth 3-0
Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, Marcus Rashford scored again as Manchester United stretched their winning run in all competitions to six games with a comfortable 3-0 victory over a hapless Bournemouth.
The England international tapped into an empty net after a Bruno Fernandes pass to score in a three successive Old Trafford league games for the first time.
His goal rounded off the scoring after Casemiro latched onto a Christian Eriksen free-kick with a beautifully cushioned volley to put Erik ten Hag’s side ahead half way through the first half.
They doubled their lead four minutes into the second period as Luke Shaw, playing in his more accustomed left-back role again, swept home an Alejandro Garnacho cut-back to complete a beautiful free-flowing move.
United had started slowly, having a lot of possession in their defensive third but, once they found the opener, a seventh successive home win in all competitions never felt in doubt.
They stay fourth, but join third-placed Newcastle on 35 points, and, perhaps most importantly, have opened up a five-point cushion on fifth-placed Tottenham.
Bournemouth, who failed to have a shot on target until the 57th minute, stay 15th, two points clear of the relegation places.
Fulham compound Leicester City woes
At the King Power Stadium, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s first-half strike was enough for Fulham to beat Leicester 1-0 and move up to seventh in the Premier League.
The sides went into the game in contrasting form, with Leicester losing two in a row following the Premier League’s resumption, while Fulham had taken six points from six.
The opening exchanges went true to form, with the west Londoners dominating their hosts and taking the lead in the 17th minute when Mitrovic lashed the ball past Danny Ward from Willian’s excellent lofted pass.
The opening exchanges went true to form, with the west Londoners dominating their hosts and taking the lead in the 17th minute when Mitrovic lashed the ball past Danny Ward from Willian’s excellent lofted pass.
Brighton thrash Everton 1-4 at Goodison Park
Brighton cranked up the heat on under-fire Everton boss Frank Lampard as they started 2023 with a clinical 4-1 win at Goodison Park.
The Toffees have now recorded just one win in their last 10 matches and sit 16th in the Premier League table, a point above the relegation zone, but with the four teams below them having each played one game fewer.
Kaoru Mitoma set Brighton on their way to victory with his fourth goal in six games before the break and, given the positive manner the hosts had started in, the result remained in the balance.
But Everton simply capitulated in a six-minute period after the restart. Teenage striker Evan Ferguson marked his full Premier League debut with a goal, before Solly March added a third and Idrissa Gueye’s glaring error allowed Pascal Gross to add a fourth.
