Premier League: Arsenal down Manchester United; Liverpool drop points
LONDON: Jurrien Timber and William Saliba scored from corners to give Arsenal a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, cutting the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool and ending Ruben Amorim's unbeaten start.
The Gunners threatened from set pieces but little else in a strangely subdued first half, with Thomas Partey unable to direct a dangerous Declan Rice corner that injured defender Gabriel may well have converted.
United goalkeeper Andre Onana twice needed to punch clear from corners, with the second presenting a half-chance for Gabriel Martinelli who sliced his shot high and wide.
The visitors were content to slow the game down and retain possession, but went close before the break as Diogo Dalot dragged his effort wide from a tight angle.
Arsenal were sharper after the restart and took the lead from another Rice corner in the 54th minute, with Timber heading in from a tight angle.
United nearly levelled from a set piece of their own shortly after, but David Raya produced a superb fingertip save at full stretch to claw away Matthijs de Ligt's goalbound header.
Arsenal put the game to bed in the 73rd minute when Partey's header from a Bukayo Saka delivery bounced off Saliba and in for Arsenal's 22nd league goal from a corner since the start of last season.
Premier League leaders Liverpool had their advantage cut to seven points as Fabian Schar's late equaliser earned Newcastle United a thrilling 3-3 draw at St James' Park.
An inspired Newcastle twice led but Mohamed Salah's brace looked like sealing victory for Arne Slot's side, only for a sliding Schar to punish a rare misjudgement by Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the 90th minute.
Until Schar's late intervention the night was once again all about the unstoppable Salah who has now scored and assisted in 37 Premier League games in his career -- a new record.
The Egyptian guided in substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold's pass in the 68th minute after Anthony Gordon had restored Newcastle's lead from Alexander Isak's pass.
Salah then struck the crossbar with a wonderfully improvised effort but was not to be denied as he produced a silky turn in the area to fire a shot past Nick Pope in the 83rd minute.
The 32-year-old has now scored in seven successive Premier League games and moved ahead of Manchester City's Erling Haaland at the top of this season's chart with 13 goals.
Liverpool head into the weekend's Merseyside derby on 35 points from 14 games with Chelsea and Arsenal on 28. Newcastle are 10th with 20 points.
Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne bagged one goal and set up another in his first start in more than two months as City outclassed Nottingham Forest 3-0 to end their four-game losing run in the Premier League.
Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku also scored to help end City's seven-match winless streak across all competitions, and lift Pep Guardiola's men fourth in the table with Forest sixth.
Chelsea's impressive 5-1 win at bottom club Southampton closed the gap to leaders Liverpool, with the home side having Jack Stephens sent off before half time for a hair-pull on Marc Cucurella.
Chelsea move up to second in the standings, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference and are seven off leaders Liverpool.
Aston Villa survived a jittery second half to end an eight-match winless streak with a 3-1 homewin over Brentford.
The result continued Brentford’s poor away form, with Thomas Frank's side having earned one point from seven matches on the road, but the Bees remain high on entertainment value with a total of 52 goals in their 14 league games this season – 27 for and 26 against. Agencies
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