Soccer

Premier League wrap - Martinelli winner keeps Arsenal top; City blast six past Forest

Carvalho hands Liverpool late winner; Bournemouth hold Wolves to goalless draw

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring the winner over Aston Villa. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring the winner over Aston Villa. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images
Wed Aug 31 2022 - 21:39

Arsenal 2 Aston Villa 1

Gabriel Jesus’s predatory instincts and a left-footed finish from Gabriel Martinelli ensured Arsenal won 2-1 against Aston Villa on Wednesday as the Gunners kept up their 100 per cent start to the new Premier League season.

The Brazilian pair scored either side of the break to hand Arsenal a deserved triumph as they dominated the match, advancing to a full house of 15 points from their opening five matches of the campaign.

Jesus opened the scoring in the 31st minute with Martinelli grabbing the 77th-minute winner, three minutes after Villa had equalised through substitute Douglas Luiz, who scored directly from a corner.

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It was Villa’s fourth defeat in five games and adds to the mounting pressure on manager Steven Gerrard.

Manchester City 6 Nottingham Forest 0

Erling Haaland continued the blistering start to his Manchester City career by scoring a hat-trick inside 38 minutes as the Premier League champions smashed promoted Nottingham Forest 6-0.

Haaland has scored nine goals in five league games since joining City from Borussia Dortmund and has back-to-back hat-tricks after netting three in Saturday’s win over Crystal Palace.

The Norwegian put City ahead in the 12th minute, latching on to a cross from Phil Foden and hooking it past Forest keeper Dean Henderson.

Henderson’s poor clearance then allowed City to attack with a swift exchange of passes and Foden again provided the assist to Haaland who slotted home from close range.

Haaland completed his treble, leaping to power in a far post header after defender John Stones had nodded a corner back across the face of goal.

Forest were unable to contain an excellent City who made it 4-0 shortly after the break with a fine Joao Cancelo drive from the edge of the box.

Julian Alvarez added two more for City, both powerful strikes, as Pep Guardiola’s side made it four wins out of five games with 19 goals scored.

Bournemouth 0 Wolves 0

Bournemouth drew 0-0 with Wolverhampton Wanderers as their caretaker manager Gary O’Neil made a solid start to his tenure just days after his side conceded nine times at Liverpool.

O’Neil was in the dugout for the first time at any level following the sacking of Scott Parker in the wake of the mauling at Anfield on Saturday, and his side showed a much more robust defensive display against a Wolves outfit that has now scored two goals in five topflight games this season and were booed by a section of their fans at the end of the game.

Bournemouth have four points from their five matches and are in 16th place, while Wolves have three points and are languishing in 18th, though they will rue missed chances to have claimed a first win of the season at the Vitality Stadium.

Record signing Matheus Nunes struck the crossbar with a shot early in the game, while striker Raul Jimenez was one-on-one with debutant home goalkeeper Neto - playing instead of Ireland’s Mark Travers - but put his effort agonisingly wide of goal.

Bournemouth were noticeably more cautious and chances few and far between for them, the best falling to forward Dominic Solanke, whose header at the start of the second half was too close to Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.

Bournemouth travel to fellow promoted side Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while at the same time Wolves host another south coast team in Southampton.

West Ham 1 Tottenham 1

Tomas Soucek earned West Ham United a point against Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-1 draw 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.