Arsenal open up seven-point lead in Premier League as Man City held by Everton

London, England | Xinhua | Arsenal opened a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a 4-2 win away to Brighton, while Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Everton.

Arsenal were 3-0 up before Brighton pulled a goal back, with Bukayo Saka opening the scoring in the second minute and Martin Odegaard scoring a second in the 39th minute.

The Gunners got off to a flying start in the second half as well, with Eddie Nketiah scoring two minutes after the restart.

Kaoru Mitoma netted a consolation goal for Brighton in the 65th minute.

Gabriel Martinelli scored a fourth for Arsenal in the 71st minute, before Evan Ferguson ended the scoring six minutes later.

👏 @Arsenal go seven points clear at the top#BHAARS pic.twitter.com/g4qyKaG5Le

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 31, 2022

Demarai Gray scored a magnificent individual goal as Everton saved a point few would have expected from their visit to play Manchester City.

Erling Haaland put the home side ahead in the 24th minute with his 21st league goal of the season, but Pep Guardiola’s side never killed off their rivals and Gray’s long range shot, after cutting in from the left, saved an unlikely point in the 64th minute.

Leeds United produced a dogged defensive display to end Newcastle United’s six-game winning run, with a 0-0 draw at Saint James’ Park.

Leeds were forced to defend for most of the match, but held firm in a game played under continual heavy rain.

Marcos Rashford came off the subs’ bench to score the winning goal as Manchester United triumphed 1-0 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The striker, who admitted he had been dropped after oversleeping and arriving late at a team meeting, drilled home in the 77th minute when it had looked as if an improved Wolves would hold on for a point.

Fulham continued their excellent return to the top-flight, while piling the agony on bottom of the table Southampton with a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage.

James Ward Prowse was unlucky to deflect an Andreas Pereira free kick into his own goal in the 52nd minute, before scoring an excellent free kick to level the score four minutes later.

Joao Palhinha then won the game for Fulham with a powering header two minutes from time.