Liverpool hold Arsenal as Man Utd lose again

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at the Anfield by Arsenal with the ‘Gunners’ leading the Premier League at Christmas.

Gabriel Magalhães had headed in the early opener in the fourth minute before brilliant Mohamed Salah leveller in the 29th minute.

Liverpool edged possession 51-49, but both sides had 13 shots. Liverpool had three on target to Arsenal’s two and are placed second on the table.

Elsewhere, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus’ second-half goals gave West Ham a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League’s early game yesterday, as the Hammers briefly moved into the top six.

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Bowen bundled home from close range in the 72nd minute after a lovely one-two with Lucas Paqueta, who played in Kudus six minutes later to settle the game with a sharp finish.

In another game, Dominic Solanke scored a hat-trick as Bournemouth ruined the managerial debut of Nuno Espirito Santo at 10-man Nottingham Forest with a pulsating last-gasp 3-2 Premier League victory yesterday.

Solanke completed his treble four minutes into stoppage-time to deny Forest a point after Chris Wood looked to have earned the home side a draw with his fourth goal of the season following Anthony Elanga’s opener.

Forest stayed in 17th place with 14 points from 18 games, two points above the relegation zone, while Bournemouth moved up to 11th with 22 points from 17 matches.

Also, in another game,  Winger Andros Townsend netted his first goal for Luton Town as they beat his former club Newcastle United 1-0 at Kenilworth Road on Saturday to make it three defeats in their last four Premier League games for the Magpies.

Similarly, Tottenham Hotspur ended Everton’s excellent Premier League run with a typically entertaining, high risk-reward 2-1 home victory on Saturday that capped their own impressive December and took them back into the top four.

Goals by Richarlison and Son Heung-min had Spurs 2-0 up inside 20 minutes but things are never straightforward for the home side and, as Everton took command in the second half, they ended up hanging on desperately when Andre Gomes made it 2-1 eight minutes from time.

Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil has joined a long list of Premier League managers complaining about the packed football schedule, including three games in six days for his side with a rare Christmas Eve fixture.