Liverpool 3 Arsenal 1
Liverpool heaped more pressure on Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with a 3-1 victory at Anfield to move back into the top four of the Premier League and leave the Gunners in fifth.
Roberto Firmino fired the Reds, who were beaten at Leicester on Monday night, into the lead on nine minutes before Sadio Mane drilled in a second five minutes before half-time.
Wenger – who has seen his position come under pressure following a poor run including a 5-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in the Champions League – made a change at the break when he sent on Alexis Sanchez.
The Chile forward had an instant impact as his pass set up Danny Welbeck to reduce the deficit on 56 minutes.
However, the Gunners were unable to conjure an equaliser and were hit on the break in stoppage time when Georginio Wijnaldum swept in Divock Origi’s cross.
Liverpool move up to third, temporarily at least, while Arsenal are now two points behind Manchester City, who head to bottom club Sunderland on Sunday, and just one ahead of Manchester United.
In Saturday’s early kick-off United were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Bournemouth in an incident-packed encounter which could result in Zlatan Ibrahimovic facing a ban.
United, who could have moved into the top four themselves with victory, took the lead after 23 minutes through Marcos Rojo.
However, Joshua King equalised from the penalty spot in the 40th minute.
There was then chaos at the end of the first half when Cherries midfielder Andrew Surman was belatedly sent off after pushing over Ibrahimovic, who had caught Tyrone Mings with an elbow.
That followed moments on from Bournemouth defender Mings standing on Ibrahimovic’s head, with referee Kevin Friend taking no action for either incident.
Ibrahimovic saw a penalty saved in the 72nd minute – and the Swedish forward could yet face a retrospective disciplinary charge from the Football Association, along with Mings.
Last season’s champions Leicester came from behind to beat relegation battlers Hull 3-1 for a second win of the week at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes sacked manager Claudio Ranieri following a poor run of form, but recovered to beat Liverpool.
Leicester were behind against Hull after 14 minutes when Sam Clucas bundled the ball in, but Christian Fuchs equalised in the 28th minute.
After Hull winger Kamil Grosicki hit the woodwork, a fine individual goal from Riyad Mahrez put Leicester ahead after 59 minutes.
An own goal from Tom Huddlestone in the final minute completed Hull’s disappointing afternoon as Foxes caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare made it two wins from two games in charge.
Crystal Palace moved out of the bottom three with a 2-0 win at West Brom.
Wilfried Zaha broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half, with a late individual effort from winger Andros Townsend securing three much-needed points for Sam Allardyce’s relegation battlers.
Middlesbrough dropped into the bottom three after they went down 2-0 at Stoke.
Marko Arnautovic put the home side ahead just before the half-hour mark and the Austrian doubled the lead in the 42nd minute.
Fernando Llorente struck a dramatic last-minute winner as Swansea fought back to beat Burnley 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium.
Spanish forward Llorente nodded the Swans into the lead after 13 minutes, but Burnley were level through a 20th-minute penalty from Andre Gray following a disputed handball.
Gray then fired in a second just after the hour, but Sweden defender Martin Olsson drew the home side level with 20 minutes left and Llorente secured all three points with a late header.
Southampton recovered from the disappointment of last weekend’s EFL Cup final defeat by Manchester United at Wembley with a 4-3 win at Watford.
The home side took the lead after just four minutes through a curling shot from captain Troy Deeney, but Dusan Tadic equalised in the 29th minute.
Nathan Redmond put the Saints ahead in first-half stoppage time.
Stefano Okaka swept in an equaliser with 10 minutes left, only for Manolo Gabbiadini to knock in a third Saints goal before Redmond curled in a fourth.
Abdoulaye Doucoure scored Watford’s third goal from close range in stoppage time.
