Three highlights from the Premier League

LONDON: Arsenal’s nightmare restart to the English Premier League season continued with a last-second defeat at Brighton, while two of England’s lesser lights are seriously aiming for European football.

AFP Sport looks at some of the key things from Saturday’s action.

● Leno piles on Arsenal injury woes

Bernd Leno became the second Arsenal player to be stretchered off the field in their first two matches back after his clash with Brighton’s Neal Maupay shortly before the break in their 2-1 defeat at the Amex Stadium.

Leno screamed in agony, howls of pain that were all the more audible in front of empty stands, as he landed awkwardly following a clumsy challenge from Frenchman Maupay, who seemed to deliberately bump into Leno after the German had come off his line to comfortably claim the ball.

Despite his pain, Leno made his feelings clear to Maupay – who later scored the stoppage time winner – as he was carried off by medical staff wearing personal protective equipment, pointing his finger at him and clearly directing strong words towards the attacker.

Leno’s departure is another blow for Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta after vice-captain Granit Xhaka was stretchered off early in his side’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Wednesday, with his team languishing in 10th, eight points from the Champions League places.

● Record-breaker Jimenez makes Wolves dream

Raul Jimenez left Wolverhampton looking like genuine contenders to qualify for next season’s Champions League after bagging his 14th of the campaign in his side’s 2-0 win at West Ham.

Jimenez headed home the opener in the 73rd minute to establish a club record goal tally for a Wolves player in the Premier League and put them just two points behind Chelsea in fourth.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s team sit sixth and are level on 46 points with Manchester United following their draw at Tottenham on Friday. They will be hoping for a win for their West Midlands rivals Villa against Chelsea.

Jimenez’s goal came from a combination that has worked well for them all season, with substitute Adama Traore setting up the Mexican for the sixth time this season with a brilliant run and cross.

Wolves’ remaining fixtures look relatively simple, with a trip to sixth-placed Sheffield United the toughest looking match before they travel to Chelsea for a potential showdown on the final day of the season. ● Palace eye Europe bow

Another team in the hunt for Europe is Crystal Palace, who won their fourth match in a row with a 2-0 stroll at Bournemouth and moved four points away from the Europa League spot currently occupied by United.

Roy Hodgson’s Palace keep their fourth clean sheet in as many matches and kept a miserable Bournemouth side at bay with a solid display that is becoming a regular occurrence with the south London club.

They have never played in a major European competition, with third place in 1991 not enough for a place in the UEFA Cup, and they have a daunting run of fixtures – they have to play Liverpool, Leicester, Chelsea, United, Wolves and Spurs between now and the end of the season.

“It is possible. We are not far from it,” insisted Luka Milivojevic, who set Palace on their way at Bournemouth with a superb free-kick.