SHANE LONG SCORED his first Premier League goal of the season on an otherwise exasperating day for Southampton, who blew a two-goal lead in a 3-2 defeat at home to Wolves.
Jan Bednerak gave Saints a lead that Long doubled on the 35-minute mark, making more worthy the praise manager Ralph Hasenhüttl showered on him on the build-up to the game.
Wolves, however, mounted an improbable second half comeback, kick-started by a Pedro Neto goal seven minutes after half-time. Raul Jimenez then levelled the game from thge penalty spot before completing the job with a second goal 15 minutes from time.
The result lifts Wolves to sixth, five points from fourth-placed Chelsea, who play Newcastle in the evening kick-off.
Sheffield United are a point and place behind Wolves following a 1-1 draw away to Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side, missing the suspended Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Brazilian prospect Gabriel Martinelli.
Chris Wilder’s high-flying side forced an equaliser through John Fleck seven minutes from the end, however, which means they are four points ahead of Arsenal, who are languishing in tenth place.
Bournemouth’s relegations fears deepened greatly with a 1-0 defeat away to bottom-placed Norwich, with Steve Cook’s splayed, goal-saving handball the game’s key moment.
With goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale caught outside of the box and Todd Cantwell’s shot heading into an empty net, Cook did his best Luis Suarez impression in slapping the ball away from goal. He was sent off, and Teemu Pukki converted the spot-kick.
Bournemouth couldn’t find an equaliser in spite of Norwich’s Ben Godfrey seeing red 15 minutes from the end, and Eddie Howe’s side are now just three points from the foot of the table, as many points as they are from safety.
The respective returns of Ramsdale and Pukki meant Irish youngsters Mark Travers and Adam Idah dropped out of their respective squads.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, failed to clamber out of the drop zone as they drew 1-1 with Brighton.
Leandro Trossard took the lead for a Brighton side for whom Aaron Connolly played the first two-thirds of the game. Connolly was back on the subs bench when Jack Grealish scored an equaliser, assisted by Douglas Luiz.
Villa remain a point from safety and 17th-placed Watford, who are level on points with West Ham United. David Moyes’ present side drew 1-1 at home to his former club Everton, for whom Irish captain Seamus Coleman played 90 minutes. Darren Randolph, meanwhile, made his second debut for West Ham with Lukasz Fabianski absent with a hip injury.
Issa Diop gave the Hammers a lead five minutes from the break, which they surrendered within four minutes to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
