ARSENAL CUT THE gap to leaders Liverpool to two points with a five-goal hammering of struggling Burnley at Turf Moor this afternoon.
The Gunners have won all five of their league games in 2024, scoring 21 goals in the process.
Martin Odegaard opened the scoring after only four minutes, with Bukayo Saka converting a spot kick four minutes before the end of the first-half, after Leoandro Trossard was felled in the box. Saka then killed the game by scoring just two minutes after the break, with Trossard and then Kai Havertz glossing the scoreline against opponents who were totally outclassed.
Burnley’s day was worsened by a potentially serious injury to Aaron Ramsey, who was stretchered off with a knee injury. Dara O’Shea again played all 90 minutes for Burnley – his 17th straight league appearance – but Josh Cullen was an unused substitute.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa leap-frogged Spurs into fourth place with a 2-1 win away to Fulham coupled with Spurs’ 2-1 loss at home to Wolves.
Spurs had claimed back fourth spot from Villa with a last-gasp victory over Brighton last weekend but struggled to break down Gary O’Neil’s side today.
Joao Gomes headed Wolves ahead in the 42nd minute and while Dejan Kulusevski levelled for Tottenham straight after half-time Pedro Neto’s wonderful solo run settled the contest.
Neto raced half the length of the pitch before he teed up Gomes to side-foot home with 63 minutes played to earn the visitors to a fourth win from their last five matches.
Matt Doherty made a late cameo appearance off the Wolves bench.
Ollie Watkins’ double, meanwhile, took Villa past spirited Fulham.
The striker took his Premier League tally to 12 for the season and was the difference maker for Unai Emery’s men in west London.
Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz scored his fourth in three games but Villa dug in during the second half to claim all three points.
Elsewhere, substitute Matt Ritchie came to Newcastle’s rescue as they fought back twice to snatch a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in an incident-packed Premier League game at St James’ Park.
Ritchie had only been on the pitch for seconds when he scored in stoppage time, cancelling out Antoine Semenyo’s stunning strike just as it looked like the visitors would emerge with all three points.
Dominic Solanke’s 16th goal – and third against Eddie Howe’s men – of the season had given the Cherries the lead, but Anthony Gordon levelled with a contentiously-awarded penalty in front of a crowd of 52,224 which included sporting director Dan Ashworth, whose pursuit by Manchester United had thrust him into the headlines this week.
At the bottom, Nottingham Forest won for the first time in 2024 and boosted their Premier League survival chances with a 2-0 success over West Ham, who had Kalvin Phillips sent off.
Forest were teetering just two points above the drop zone after a run of four games without a victory, but goals in added time in either half from Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi put that right against an out-of-sorts Hammers.
Awoniyi struck before the break with a fine finish while Hudson-Odoi converted from close range at the death to give themselves a bit of breathing space at the foot of the table.
They are far from out of danger, though, especially with a possible points deduction for breaking Premier League financial rules hanging over them, but this should boost their confidence.
The Hammers never really showed up at the City Ground and their top-six hopes took another hit, six days on from their home thrashing by Arsenal.
Phillips’ miserable personal season continued as he saw red for two quickfire yellow cards in the second half while David Moyes will come under renewed pressure with away fans displaying a banner asking for their manager to be sacked.
Andrew Omobamidele was a late substitute for Nottingham Forest.
Premier League results
- Brentford 1-4 Liverpool
- Burnley 0-5 Arsenal
- Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa
- Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth
- Nottingham Forest 2-0 West Ham
- Spurs 1-2 Wolves
With reporting by Gavin Cooney
