Arsenal sink Hammers to move into top four
GABRIEL MARTINELLI and Emile Smith Rowe fired Arsenal to a 2-0 victory over West Ham and into the top four of the Premier League.
Brazilian forward Martinelli, profiting from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s enforced absence from the squad with a rare run in the Gunners starting line-up, tucked in his second goal of the season early in the second half.
And substitute Smith Rowe doubled the lead late on after Alexandre Lacazette had missed a penalty.
It was enough to inflict defeat on an increasingly weary-looking West Ham side, whose own charge for a Champions League spot has slowed to a crawl in recent weeks.
To add to their problems they were reduced to 10 men when Vladimir Coufal was sent off for bringing down Lacazette, who saw his subsequent penalty saved by Lukasz Fabianski.
At Selhurst Park, draw specialists Crystal Palace and Southampton could not be separated after an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Wilfried Zaha fired the hosts into an early lead but James Ward-Prowse and Armando
Broja turned the game on its head with first-half goals in the space of four minutes.
Jordan Ayew had the final say on proceedings, however, when he ended his goal drought to equalise in the 65th minute and give both teams a share of the spoils following their eighth draws of the campaign.
Brighton’s winless run
stretched to a club-record 11 Premier League games after Romain Saiss’ first-half strike earned Wolves a deserved 1-0 success at the Amex Stadium.
Defender Saiss volleyed home a delightful pass from Ruben Neves in added time at the end of the opening period to give Bruno Lage’s visitors a first victory in five outings.