Arsenal continued their winning start to the Premier League season with a dogged 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli scored the crucial goals either side of Douglas Luiz’s reply for Villa to ensure Mikel Arteta’s men made it five wins from five.
At the Etihad Stadium, Erling Haaland scored his second hat-trick in as many games as rampant Manchester City outclassed newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.
After his 19-minute three-timer against Crystal Palace at the weekend, there was a comparatively pedestrian 26 between his first and last goals this evening.
Yet if the two games are combined, Haaland scored an incredible six times in an hour given the Norwegian was replaced six minutes before the end of the Palace game. It takes his overall tally for the season to nine.
Joao Cancelo added a fourth when he drove home Bernardo Silva’s fine pass across the penalty area before Haaland’s strike partner Julian Alvarez took centre stage.
On his full Premier League debut, the Argentine produced a fine finish to beat Dean Henderson after being set up by Riyad Mahrez.
Then, after Kevin de Bruyne had nicked possession inside his own half and burst forward 50 yards, Alvarez picked his spot and finished high into the roof of the Forest net after Mahrez’s shot had been deflected into his path.
Meanwhile, Liverpool snagged a dramatic stoppage-time winner through Fabio Carvalho to beat Newcastle United 2-1 at Anfield on Monday night.
The hosts, fresh off a 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth that led to the sacking of Cherries coach Scott Parker, went into half-time trailing 1-0 after the Magpies’ new arrival Alexander Isak smashed a close-range shot into the roof of Alisson’s net just before the break.
Liverpool levelled the score on the counter right at the hour mark when Roberto Firmino beat Nick Pope with a first-time shot after being picked out by Mohamed Salah in the centre of the penalty area.
Isak’s debut came to an end three minutes after the equaliser when he was replaced by Chris Wood, and the visitors struggled to get the ball up to him as Liverpool pressed forward relentlessly, peppering their goal with shots.
Newcastle defended stoically, but Carvalho made the most of their failure to clear a corner, thumping his shot into the roof of the net on 98th minute to snatch a win that lifts Liverpool to fifth in the table on eight points, with Newcastle 11th on six points.
The game between West Ham and Tottenham ended in a stalemate as Tomas Soucek earned West Ham United a point against Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Wednesday after an own goal had given the visitors the lead.
Thilo Kehrer diverted Harry Kane’s low cross into his own goal in the 34th minute after unbeaten Tottenham had also had a penalty overturned by a VAR check.
West Ham responded well though and Tottenham could have no complaints at having to settle for a draw.
Soucek thumped home a close-range finish in the 55th minute after which both sides could have snatched a winner with West Ham going closest in stoppage time.
Third-placed Tottenham have 11 points from their opening five games, four behind leaders Arsenal.
West Ham, who got their first win of the season at the weekend, are in 14th place with four points.
