Arsenal tightened their grip at the top of the Premier League with a confident 2–0 win over Brentford, restoring their five-point advantage and extending an impressive unbeaten run to 18 matches in all competitions.
Mikel Arteta rang the changes after the draw with Chelsea, bringing in Ben White, Noni Madueke, and skipper Martin Ødegaard. The switch paid off early. In just the 11th minute, White surged forward from right-back and whipped in a perfect cross for makeshift striker Mikel Merino, who guided a firm header into the net.
Forced into the No. 9 role due to injuries to Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Viktor Gyökeres, Merino has embraced the responsibility—this was his 13th goal of 2025, more than any other Arsenal player this year.
Bukayo Saka wrapped up the victory in first-half stoppage time. Played through cleverly by Merino, the winger squeezed his finish past Caoimhin Kelleher and over the line despite the goalkeeper’s desperate touch.
Brentford spent long spells on the back foot but nearly levelled earlier in the half, with Kevin Schade’s header tipped onto the crossbar by David Raya. Arsenal’s only real concerns were knocks to Cristian Mosquera and Declan Rice, both withdrawn as precautions.
The win also marked Arsenal’s eighth straight home victory, setting a confident tone as the title race continues to heat up.
Liverpool Saved by Late Own Goal as Sunderland Push Slot to the Brink
Elsewhere, Liverpool needed a huge slice of fortune to avoid a damaging home defeat, drawing 1–1 after Sunderland threatened to pile fresh pressure on head coach Arne Slot.
The visitors took a deserved lead in the 67th minute when Chemsdine Talbi’s long-range strike took a wicked deflection off Virgil van Dijk, wrong-footing Alisson and nestling in the corner. Sunderland had already come close—Trai Hume rattled the bar in the first half, while Omar Alderete hit the post after the interval.
Slot once again opted to start without Mohamed Salah, leaving the Egyptian on the bench before introducing him at half-time to inject some spark. Liverpool rarely threatened, with Alexis Mac Allister’s earlier effort against the woodwork their only real moment of danger.
Relief finally came in the 81st minute. Florian Wirtz let fly from distance, and the shot deflected off Nordi Mukiele for a cruel own goal that rescued a point for the hosts.
Sunderland almost delivered a sting in stoppage time, but Wilson Isidor’s breakaway effort was brilliantly cleared off the line by Federico Chiesa—saving Liverpool from a disastrous result.
Leeds Stun Chelsea to Snap Losing Streak and Shake Up the Title Race
At Elland Road, struggling Leeds produced their performance of the season, beating Chelsea 3–1 to end a four-match losing run and hand the Blues a major setback in their title push.
The defeat drops Chelsea to fourth, nine points behind leaders Arsenal, and heaps pressure on Enzo Maresca following a flat and error-strewn display.
Leeds, meanwhile, delivered exactly the response needed to ease tension around manager Daniel Farke. The hosts dominated the first half and stormed ahead with first Premier League goals for both Jaka Bijol and Ao Tanaka.
Bijol, a summer signing from Udinese, powered in a sixth-minute header from Anton Stach’s corner after Leeds carved out four early chances. Tanaka doubled the lead just before the break, smashing home after Enzo Fernández was dispossessed near his own area.
Maresca’s changes at half-time sparked a brief revival. Pedro Neto, introduced at the interval, volleyed in from a Jamie Gittens cross five minutes into the second half to halve the deficit.
But Chelsea’s hopes collapsed in the 72nd minute through a disastrous mistake. Tosin Adarabioyo under-hit a pass back to Robert Sánchez, allowing Noah Okafor to pounce and square for Dominic Calvert-Lewin—who tapped in for his second goal in as many games.
Chelsea pushed late on, with returning star Cole Palmer combining with Alejandro Garnacho to create a gilt-edged chance, but Palmer dragged it wide.
Leeds held firm to seal a vital win—only their second in nine matches—and climbed out of the relegation zone into 17th place. Chelsea, overtaken by Aston Villa in third, now face renewed pressure as the title race threatens to slip away.
