Noni Madueke struck an 80th-minute winner as Arsenal edged Nottingham Forest 1-0 to remain three points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by rivals Leeds United at Elland Road, while Brighton thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0 and Bournemouth defeated Sunderland 2-0.
Madueke Snatches Late Winner for Arsenal
Arsenal needed a late intervention from Madueke to secure maximum points against a determined Nottingham Forest side at the City Ground.
The visitors struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, with Madueke’s decisive effort proving to be their only shot on target.
The breakthrough came in the 80th minute after Ibrahim Sangare hesitated while attempting to clear the ball.
Madueke, introduced as a second-half substitute, capitalised on the mistake, dribbling past Daniel Munoz before unleashing a shot that deflected off Jair Cunha and wrong-footed goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The winger expressed satisfaction with Arsenal’s determination to secure victory despite their difficulties in front of goal.
“We’re really happy, we did it all together. We showed grit, determination, and maybe we showed a champion spirit here for that, really pleased,” Madueke said.
Forest nearly snatched a stoppage-time equaliser when Murillo dribbled past three Arsenal players before firing narrowly wide.
The defeat left Nottingham Forest 18th in the standings with five points, having failed to score or secure a home victory at the City Ground this season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, remained three points behind Manchester City in the title race.
Leeds Hold Manchester United at Elland Road
Manchester United were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road, extending their difficult start to the Premier League campaign.
Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring in the 35th minute, holding off James Justin before finishing from close range.
The goal came after the United forward had missed earlier opportunities.
READ ALSO: Manchester City Thrash Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield
Leeds responded six minutes after the restart through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who controlled the ball with his chest following a corner before poking home the equaliser.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but neither could find the decisive breakthrough.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke expressed disappointment that his side failed to capitalise on their second-half performance.
“We are slightly disappointed it is just a point,” Farke said.
“Second half, we got the equaliser, we should have kept up the dominance, too many strikes went over the crossbar but it was overall a solid performance.
“We took it as a compliment that we have done many things right over the last month if we were seen as favourites against Manchester United.”
The result left Leeds seventh in the standings, while Manchester United occupied 13th place after recording just one victory in seven league matches.
United defender Lisandro Martinez retained his place in Michael Carrick’s starting line-up despite publicly criticising the club’s hierarchy following their 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Martinez had questioned the club’s summer investment and singled out director of football Jason Wilcox before subsequently apologising.
Brighton Thrash Crystal Palace
Brighton produced an emphatic performance to demolish Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Amex Stadium, with Diego Gomez scoring a remarkable goal from inside his own half.
The hosts took the lead in the fourth minute when Jaydee Canvot turned the ball into his own net.
Three minutes later, Gomez doubled Brighton’s advantage in spectacular fashion.
The midfielder dispossessed Adam Wharton near the halfway line before spotting goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line and launching a long-range effort into the net.
“When I got the ball, I knew the goalkeeper was a little bit ahead,” Gomez said.
“When I scored, I didn’t know where to run or what to do. I was very happy with the goal.”
Yasin Ayari extended Brighton’s lead in the 10th minute, giving the hosts a commanding three-goal advantage.
Brighton continued their dominance after the interval, with Charalampos Kostoulas adding a fourth shortly after the restart.
Kostoulas reacted quickest when Ayari’s deflected effort fell into his path, allowing the Greece international to find the net.
Jack Hinshelwood completed the rout in the 84th minute, converting the rebound after Benitez had kept out Luka Vuskovic’s header.
The victory lifted Brighton to third place with 16 points, five behind league leaders Manchester City.
Bournemouth Secure First League Victory
Bournemouth recorded their first Premier League victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Sunderland.
The hosts made a flying start, breaking the deadlock in the sixth minute through Marcus Tavernier.
Lewis Cook launched a long ball towards Evanilson, who raced forward before delivering a cross for Tavernier to head home from close range.
Evanilson doubled Bournemouth’s advantage three minutes after half-time, rounding Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs before slotting the ball into the net with his left foot.
The victory lifted Bournemouth to 15th place, while Sunderland remained in the relegation zone in 19th position.
