Arsenal missed the chance to restore a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League as Southampton came from behind to draw 1-1 at St Mary's.
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| Image: Stuart Armstrong's composed finish earned Southampton a point at St Mary's |
After Manchester City's 3-1 win over Brighton on Saturday, Arsenal knew only a win would be enough to regain a healthy advantage at the top of the table and they made the perfect start when Granit Xhaka's fine right-footed strike from a Ben White cross put them ahead in the 11th minute.
But despite their dominance in the first half, Arsenal's lead remained a slender one and they were made to pay when Stuart Armstrong's composed finish, following good work from Mohamed Elyounoussi, pulled Southampton level after the break (65).
Player ratings
Southampton: Bazunu (7), Elyounoussi (7), Lyanco (6), Caleta-Car (6), Salisu (6), Perraud (6), Ward-Prowse (6), Diallo (7), S Armstrong (7), Aribo (6), A Armstrong (6).
Subs: Walcott (6), Adams (6), Edozie (n/a).
Arsenal: Ramsdale (6), White (7), Saliba (6), Gabriel (7), Tomiyasu (6), Partey (6), Xhaka (7), Odegaard (6), Saka (6), Martinelli (6), Jesus (6).
Subs: Nketiah (6), Tierney (6), Vieira (n/a).
Man of the match: Mohamed Elyounoussi.
The result sees the Gunners move two points clear at the top but prevented their winning run from extending to nine games in all competitions.
Tottenham Lose 2-1 To Newcastle
Newcastle's revolution under Eddie Howe gathered pace as first-half goals from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron landed a statement 2-1 win at Tottenham on Super Sunday.
Wilson put Newcastle ahead in the 31st minute, when, after chasing down a Fabian Schar through ball, he collided with Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who went down after contact with the Newcastle forward.
The striker was first to the loose ball and lobbed both Lloris and Eric Dier to grab the opener, with a VAR check confirming no foul had been committed.
Newcastle doubled their lead five minutes before half-time through Almiron. Lloris' poor attempted pass was headed down by Sean Longstaff to Almiron, who dribbled past Ryan Sessegnon and Clement Lenglet before he fired under the Spurs goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Leicester Thump Wolves 4-0
Leicester are off the bottom of the Premier League and out of the relegation zone after thrashing woeful Wolves 4-0 at Molineux.
Youri Tielemans' stunning strike put the Foxes ahead early and when Harvey Barnes added a second soon after, Brendan Rodgers' side were on their way to their first away win of the Premier League season.
The returning James Maddison made it three and there was even time for Jamie Vardy to come off the bench and make it four with his first goal of the campaign. Remarkably, they were Leicester's only four shots in the first 85 minutes. Wolves had 21 without scoring.
The problem cost Bruno Lage his job and interim head coach Steve Davis seems unable to solve it. If he cannot, it may cost Wolves their Premier League status. They drop to 19th. Leicester are up to 16th.
Aston Villa 4-0 Brentford
Danny Ings nets twice as Villa feel benefits of managerial change to thrash Bees.
Douglas Luiz almost made it four direct from a corner before the break but Ollie Watkins did add to the jubilant atmosphere around Villa Park after it, firing home at the third attempt after he had twice been denied by the post and David Raya.
Brentford's best effort came through Bryan Mbeumo, who missed an open goal when sidefooting a rebound wide from six yards, but they were soundly beaten by four goals for the second away game in succession, while Villa eased their relegation worries with a first win in five matches.
Player ratings
Aston Villa: Martinez (7), Cash (7), Mings (8), Konsa (8), Young (7), Luiz (7), Dendoncker (7), Watkins (8), Buendia (7), Bailey (9), Ings (9).
Subs: McGinn (7), Ramsey (6), Coutinho (6), Chambers, Archer (n/a).
Brentford: Raya (6), Ajer (3), Zanka (5), Pinnock (4), Roerslev (4), Onyeka (4), Janelt (6), Jensen (5), Henry (5), Mbeumo (4), Toney (5).
Subs: Canos (5), Dasilva (6), Damsgaard (5), Wissa (5), Baptiste (5).
Man of the match: Leon Bailey.
How Villa got their swagger back to batter Brentford
A lack of goals, poor defensive errors and all-round poor play had underpinned the final weeks of Gerrard's era and he would have looked on as stunned as anyone at Villa's performance after a limp loss at Fulham on Thursday.
From scoring only four home goals all season, they were three up with less than 15 minutes gone and gave Danks the perfect start when a training-ground move from a corner was turned home by Bailey.
Villa blew their opponents away as much as their own fans with a second inside seven minutes, as Bailey found Ings' run across the near post and the former England striker beat Raya with an emphatic finish.
A penalty and a Mings own goal had played a part in Gerrard's downfall at Fulham, and there was some redemption when the centre-back earned a spot-kick of his own soon after a clear tug from Ajer in his own box.
Up stepped Ings to send Villa Park delirious before the clock had ticked into its 15th minute.
From there, the game was as good as won with more than an hour left but Villa's unfamiliarly high intensity and pressing continued, and Luiz could have added to his collection of direct corner goals but for the width of the woodwork.
Thomas Frank had seen enough of an abject Brentford performance by half-time and brought on Josh Dasilva and Sergi Canos, but saw only minor improvement after the break.
Instead, it was former Bees striker Watkins who grabbed the fourth goal of the game, meeting Bailey's low cross well before first Raya and the post denied him, only for a kind bounce to present him a simple finish at the third time of asking.
From there it really was game over, with the pace of the match dented and only Mbeumo's shocking miss seriously threatening to add any more goals to an eyebrow-raising scoreline.
Danks could not have dreamt of a better start to life as Villa's caretaker but it was another nightmare on the road for Frank, whose Brentford side have now shipped 15 goals in six winless games away from home.
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