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League-leading Arsenal have defeated West Ham United 3-1 as England’s high-octane Premier League awoke from its World Cup hibernation with goals, red cards and late Boxing Day drama.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners extended their lead at the top from five to seven points after coming from a goal down at the break at the Emirates in front of former boss Arsene Wenger.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Edward Nketiah strikes saw off the visitors, after Said Benrahma’s 27th-minute penalty, for a 13th victory in 15 league games.
Earlier on Monday at Goodison Park, Julen Lopetegui’s first league match as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers ended in wild celebrations as Rayan Ait-Nouri scored a 94th-minute breakaway goal to beat Everton 2-1.
The substitute’s strike competed a comeback that lifted Wolves off the bottom of the table, replaced by a Southampton side beaten 3-1 at home by Brighton & Hove Albion.
Newcastle United, Liverpool and Crystal Palace also scored three when winning away, the Magpies going second after their 3-0 victory at Leicester City.
At Brentford, Harry Kane scored as Tottenham came back from 2-0 down to draw.
Wolves’ win took them within a point of Everton either side of the relegation cut-off line and added to the stress on Blues boss Frank Lampard who bemoaned his team’s lack of goal threat.
The Toffees, buoyed by their successful tour of Australia during the six-week break, had taken an early lead through Jerry Mina.
But Daniel Podence levelled from a clever free kick before Ait-Nouri’s inflicted Everton’s sixth defeat in eight league games.
“This is only one step,” Spaniard Lopetegui said.
“We are a in a bad position. We have to enjoy our victory but we have not done anything yet.”
Brighton were without World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister but Solly March stepped up. Having created a goal for Adam Lallana, and pressured Romain Perraud into an own goal, he scored himself to put Saints 3-0 down at St Mary’s.
James Ward-Prowse converted a penalty at the second attempt but it was little consolation for new Saints manager Nathan Jones on his home debut.
Newcastle were two up in seven minutes at Leicester through Chris Wood’s penalty and Miguel Almiron. Joelinton added a third just after the half-hour.
“Today was a big test for us and [I’m] delighted [with] how the players started,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said.
Victory moved Newcastle above Manchester City, who visit Leeds United on Wednesday.
Those results meant Liverpool needed to win the tea-time game at Aston Villa.
Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk scored in the first half and while Ollie Watkins halved the deficit after the break, 18-year-old Spanish substitute Stefan Bajcetic made the game safe with his first senior goal.
Crystal Palace defenders Tyrick Mitchell and James Tomkins were sent off either side of Bobby Decordova-Reid’s 31st-minute goal for Fulham at Selhurst Park.
Tim Ream and Alexsander Mitrovic added further goals for the Cottagers who won a Premier League London derby for only the second time in 29 attempts.
At Brentford Ivan Toney, who was omitted from England’s squad for Qatar, scored along with Vitaly Janelt.
Kane began Spurs’ now customary fightback after the seventh match in succession in which they have gone behind. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg then grabbed an equaliser.
“We showed character, but my question is why we have to go down so many times,” Spurs boss Antonio Conte said.
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