Newcastle showed their determination to be part of the Premier League title race as they provisionally moved up to second with a commanding win at Leicester.
The six-week break has not derailed what is turning out to be a memorable season under Eddie Howe. The Magpies blitzed to the three points at King Power Stadium after a sensational opening 32 minutes.
Chris Wood’s penalty and a sublime strike by Miguel Almiron put Newcastle 2-0 up after only seven minutes, with Joelinton adding a third just after the half-hour mark.
Newcastle’s only defeat in 16 games in the Premier League this season was at Liverpool on the final day of August. This was their sixth league win in a row – Newcastle’s best run since 2012 – as Howe’s side proved that an outstanding first portion of the season was not a flash in the pan.
There is a long way to go, and it remains to be seen whether the Magpies have the quality to keep pace with Arsenal and Manchester City, but with the January transfer window coming up Newcastle fans will be dreaming of at least a top-four finish for the first time in 20 years.
Arsenal come from behind to hammer West Ham
Eddie Nketiah scored the final goal of the match on his first start for Arsenal this season as the Premier League leaders completed a 3-1 comeback win over West Ham.
The hosts dominated possession in the first half but Said Benrahma’s spot kick for West Ham was the only goal at the break.
The Gunners regrouped and Bukayo Saka struck the equaliser eight minutes after the restart before Gabriel Martinelli fired Arsenal ahead.
Nketiah’s goal in the 69th minute ensured the Gunners secured all three points and equalled their longest-ever Premier League home winning streak with a 10th straight victory at the Emirates.
As expected, Nketiah started in place of Gabriel Jesus, who is sidelined with the injury he sustained while playing for Brazil at the World Cup.
Arsenal thought they had gone ahead inside five minutes when Saka found the back of the net, but the ball had taken a touch off Nketiah in the buildup, resulting in an offside call.
Arsenal wasted a good opportunity when Martin Odegaard attempted to set up a one-on-one for Granit Xhaka but instead overhit his pass and the Switzerland skipper could not get to the ball before West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
The Gunners continued to be frustrated by the resilient visitors who ultimately pulled ahead when William Saliba brought down Jarrod Bowen just inside the area, clipping the West Ham player’s left foot. The referee pointed to the spot and Benrahma stepped up, firing into the back of the net as Aaron Ramsdale went to his left to open the scoring in the 27th minute.
Arsenal levelled in the 53rd minute when Odegaard’s effort instead found its way to the feet of Saka at the edge of the six-yard box. Saka wasted no time, slotting into the bottom left corner to level the score.
Nketiah had enjoyed the vocal support of the Emirates crowd from kickoff and fans were rewarded when Odegaard tapped the ball to the 23-year-old Englishman, who neatly pivoted around his marker before firing into the bottom corner as supporters chanted his name.
West Ham lost their fourth straight league game and are one point above the relegation zone.
Harry Kane rebounds with crucial goal
Harry Kane returned to the Premier League and scored a goal to help Tottenham come back from a two-goal deficit in a 2-2 draw with Brentford.
Kane, who missed a penalty in the World Cup quarterfinal loss to France two weeks ago, scored in the 65th minute on Tuesday (NZT).
He headed in a cross from Clement Lenglet for his Premier League record 10th goal for Tottenham on Boxing Day, a traditional day of playing in England on the day after Christmas.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg equalised six minutes later for Tottenham. Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney scored for Brentford.
It was the sixth game in a row in which Tottenham had fallen behind.
The match was the first in the Premier League in more than a month because of the long break for the World Cup in Qatar.
Liverpool close gap on top four
Liverpool extended their winning streak in the Premier League by beating Aston Villa 3-1 to close the gap on the top four.
Liverpool rode their luck against mid-table Villa, who put up a fight but missed chances and lacked the quality when it mattered most.
Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez dummied Andy Robertson’s cross, leading to Villa ‘keeper Robin Olsen and Tyrone Mings colliding and the defender needing treatment. If the stoppage unsettled Villa, it failed to deter the visitors who took the lead once play resumed on five minutes.
Robertson’s corner was only cleared to Trent Alexander-Arnold 40 yards out, he bent a brilliant pass to Robertson who nipped in ahead of John McGinn and rolled a perfect ball for Salah who could not miss.
Nunez’s movement was causing Villa serious issues and Olsen – who didn’t look convincing deputising for World Cup winner Emi Martinez – turned his low effort wide.
The hosts failed to clear a corner in the 37th minute and Salah teed up Van Dijk to rifle in, via a small deflection off Ezri Konsa.
Nunez should have added a third before the break, instead steering at Olsen from close range, but a two-goal cushion gave the Reds a perfect second-half platform.
Ollie Watkins pulled a goal back after 59 minutes, nodding in Douglas Luiz’s cross.
Liverpool took the sting out of Villa and eventually ended their hopes with nine minutes left when Bajcetic showed impressive composure in his first senior goal for Liverpool. He rounded Olsen and squeezed a shot through Mings’ legs after Nunez’s cross.
Fulham take derby spoils
Fulham won a Premier League derby in the capital for only the second time in 29 attempts with victory over nine-man Crystal Palace.
It got worse for the hosts after the interval. James Tomkins – making his first Premier League start for exactly a year – was sent off with a second yellow after 57 minutes.
American defender Chris Richards entered on the hour-mark for Palace in his first appearance since August 27 after recovering from an injury that caused him to miss the World Cup. Fulham captain Tim Ream, who started for the United States in the World Cup because of Richards’ injury, doubled the lead in the 71st minute.
It was Ream’s first Premier League goal. His three prior goals since joining Fulham in 2015 were in the Championship.
Aleksandar Mitrovic headed in his 10th of the campaign 10 minutes from time.
Wolves’ new boss off to winning start
Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui marked his Premier League debut with a dramatic stoppage-time win at Goodison Park that ramped up the pressure on Everton coach Frank Lampard.
A match low on quality appeared to be drifting towards a draw that would have been little use to either struggling side, only for substitute Rayan Ait-Nouri to score on the counter-attack in the fifth minute of added time.
The Frenchman scored late in the midweek win in the English League Cup over fourth-tier Gillingham but his close-range finish to clinch Wolves’ first away win since their visit here in March could prove far more pivotal.
It secured only Wolves’ third league victory of the season, but it succeeded in lifting his side off the bottom of the table and within just a point of 17th-place Everton.
Lampard’s side has now lost six of the last eight and a lack of firepower – Yerry Mina’s seventh-minute goal was only their 12th in 16 league games – proved costly again as Daniel Podence scored a well-worked set-piece equaliser in the 22nd minute.
