PREMIER LEAGUE
PREMIER League leaders Liverpool were comfortable winners at Brentford as Mohamed Salah returned to action with a goal and assist off the bench – but Jurgen Klopp will be concerned after more injury issues.
The Reds won 4-1 in the early kick-off as Salah was called into action in the first half, replacing Diogo Jota, who had brilliantly set up Darwin Nunez for the opener before being taken off on a stretcher.
Midfielder Curtis Jones had already limped off moments before Nunez’s effort with the Uruguay forward himself replaced at half-time.
Salah set up Alexis Mac Allister for the second and grabbed the third himself with Cody Gakpo wrapping up the win after Ivan Toney had momentarily given the hosts hope of an unlikely comeback.
Arsenal maintained the twopoint gap to Liverpool with another eye-catching away victory – Bukayo Saka again starring in a 5-0 thrashing of struggling Burnley at Turf Moor.
Captain Martin Odegaard opened the scoring early on with his first league goal of 2024 and Saka doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Leandro Trossard had been fouled.
Saka now has six goals in his last four games as a fine right-footed finish extended the lead with Trossard and Kai Havertz also getting in on the act.
Aston Villa moved back into the top four as Ollie Watkins hit a brace in a 2-1 win at Fulham.
The England striker scored in either half to seal the points for
Unai Emery’s side, whose clean sheet was ruined by Rodrigo Muniz’s goal not long after the hour.
Villa’s win was enough to take them into the Champions League places as their West Midlands rivals Wolves won 2-1 at Tottenham.
Joao Gomes hit his first goals of the season to secure the points for Gary O’Neil’s side, who completed the double over Spurs in the process.
Tottenham were poor in the first half but looked to be on course to strike back as Dejan Kulusevski levelled seconds after the interval – only for Gomes to wrap up a brace and lift Wolves into the top half.
A rare Matt Ritchie goal saw Newcastle twice come from behind and earn a late 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.
Dominic Solanke took full advantage of a Martin Dubravka error to put the Cherries ahead before Anthony Gordon – operating as a number nine – drew the hosts level from the penalty spot.
Bournemouth restored their lead through Antoine Semenyo only for their former player Ritchie to equalise just moments after coming on as a 90th-minute substitute.
Elsewhere, pressure continues to mount on David Moyes after 10-man West Ham lost 2-0 at struggling Nottingham Forest.
Taiwo Awoniyi struck late in first-half stoppage time with Kalvin Phillips’ poor start to life as a Hammer continuing as he was sent off for two yellow cards before Callum Hudson-Odoi added the gloss at the death.