Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso was critical of his team's poor start in their 5-2 comeback victory over Heidenheim on Saturday.

The current Bundesliga champions went two goals down inside the opening 21 minutes at the BayArena, before battling back to hammer their visitors.

The teams went in level at half-time, while Patrik Schick completed a hat-trick in the second half to secure their second victory in seven league games.

"The first 20 minutes were hard, hard on the pitch and hard mentally," Alonso told a press conference.

"They bullied us in midfield. We could not find any good situations.

"We then managed to find better solutions after the break, and we were more stable. That was the key to the better second half."

Leverkusen are fourth in the Bundesliga, nine points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. They improved significantly after Heidenheim forward Marvin Pieringer was taken off injured in the 28th minute, having suffered due to his pace prior to that.

"We had a bit of a doubt at the start, it was too hectic, we were too nervous," he added.

"We could relax a bit during the break, and then we saw a much better second half, with more control and more stability. Mentally, we were much better."

Aside from their poor start, Alonso singled out Schick in particular for praise after the game, with his perfect hat-trick having helped win the match for the hosts.

Schick has now scored 3+ goals in a Bundesliga game on three occasions for Leverkusen - only Ulf Kirsten (seven) has done so more times for the club.

"It was a perfect hat-trick. It is so important for a striker to get into this rhythm, to have that feeling and with us having a lot of matches during this time," said Alonso.

Mikel Arteta insisted it was "not a coincidence" that Martin Odegaard's presence led Arsenal to a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in one of their best performances of the season.

Arsenal's win was their 2,000th in English top-flight history, making them just the second side to reach this milestone after Liverpool (2,068).

Odegaard had been sidelined through injury since September with an ankle injury sustained while on international duty with Norway.

He returned to the starting line-up last time out against Chelsea and now has two assists from two since his return after setting up Bukayo Saka for the opener against Forest.

Arsenal ran out comfortable winners after Thomas Partey and Ethan Nwaneri extended their lead and Arteta is confident the influence of his captain helped.

"It's not a coincidence. The team flows in a different way when [Odegaard] is playing," he told BBC MOTD.

"I think we started really well. The sense I was getting in the last 48 hours after the international break, the boys coming together and were all at it.

"It was good to see the impact of the substitutes [Thomas Partey - goal; Ethan Nwaneri - goal; Raheem Sterling - assist]. Everyone has to feel important. It was a good afternoon."

Partey grabbed Arsenal's second just seven minutes after entering the pitch, curling into the left corner from outside the box following Arteta's half-time swap for Jorginho.

Four of Partey's seven Premier League goals have come from outside the box. Of all Arsenal players to score more than five goals in the competition, he’s the only one to net more than half from outside the box.

Arteta had particular praise for fellow goalscorer Nwaneri, who, at 17 years and 247 days, became Arsenal’s second youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer, behind only Cesc Fabregas in August 2004 (17y 113d).

"He is the second youngest [Premier League goalscorer] in our history. That's a story in itself. He's brave. You see the reaction of fans, and they were singing 'he's one of our own'," added the Arsenal boss.

"I think we have to put brick by brick and make sure the cement doesn't get dry. Hopefully, we can build a beautiful thing with him."

Arsenal outplayed their opponents, leading them on expected goals (xG) with a total of 1.4 compared to Forest's 0.4 xG.

"On a day like this, you need to be solid defensively and take your chances. Ultimately it was not good enough, and it was three relatively easy goals for them," James Ward-Prowse told Sky Sports.

"We are going to have to improve our defensive structure."

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was in fighting mode at full-time as he praised the Seagulls' "togetherness" in their 2-1 win away at Bournemouth.

Hurzeler's charges signed off for the international break with a 2-1 home victory over defending champions Manchester City, and they mirrored the scoreline at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday thanks to Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma.

Despite his expansive and high-wire tactical approach receiving plenty of praise so far this season, it was Brighton's mental strength that caught the eye late on, after being reduced to ten players in the 59th minute through Carlos Baleba's red card.

It set up a nervy finale for the visitors, which included a 93rd-minute consolation goal from David Brooks and Antoine Semenyo smacking the bar, but the grit to get the result over the line pleased the Brighton manager.

"We have to see the performance from different viewpoints," he told Sky Sports. 

"From one side of things, it was not the best football game from ourselves, but it was a good game to prove our togetherness, to show we can suffer together and defend together - that's why I'm proud of my team.

"The other side is that we can play better football. In some moments, we were lucky, in some moments, Bournemouth were better. Of course, the red card changes the game for me. That's why I am proud. We can play better football.

"We also had really good moments, we tried to play our from the back even when the pressure was really high. That's why I was pleased with some moments, but not with the whole game."

Hurzeler was also left frustrated by Stuart Attwell's decision to dismiss Baleba for a second yellow card with the visitors 2-0 in front.

"It's a clear thing. It can't be a yellow card the second one, never ever," he added. "Hopefully the referee will look at this and make a decision, and they take back the yellow card, because honestly, that's never a yellow card."

Victory moves Brighton up to fifth in the Premier League table - their highest position since mid-October - with struggling Southampton next up for Hurzeler's side.

Sunderland leapfrogged Sheffield United back to the top of the Championship table after their 1-1 draw with Millwall on Saturday.

Aaron Connelly had given Sunderland the lead just 10 minutes in, benefitting from a clearance to beat Lukas Jensen on the volley and claiming his first goal for the club before the players were taken off the field for half an hour due to two medical emergencies in the crowd.

Millwall were a different side when they came back out onto the pitch, with Anthony Patterson having to pull off a string of fine saves to preserve Sunderland's lead.

The hosts eventually got a deserved goal in the 93rd minute though, as Femi Azeez stabbed home Aidomo Emakhi's cross for his first Millwall goal.

It is a fourth consecutive draw for Sunderland, who sit above Sheffield United on goal difference, while Millwall stay eighth.

Elsewhere, Middlesbrough moved back into the playoff places with a thumping 6-2 victory over Oxford United.

A hat-trick from Emmanuel Latte Lath, a double from Finn Azaz and another from substitute Tommy Conway saw Boro score six goals in an away league game for the first time in 64 years.

Greg Leigh had given the hosts a surprise lead, and though Dane Scarlett halved the deficit with his second-half goal to make it 4-2, they could not mount a comeback, leaving them 18th in the table, while Middlesbrough jumped up to fifth.

Meanwhile, Luton Town eased some of the pressure on manager Rob Edwards with their 1-0 win over struggling Hull City to move out of the drop zone.

Mark McGuiness scored the only goal of the match in the 33rd minute, brilliantly volleying his maiden Hatters goal in to help Luton move up to 16th.

Hull could not find a winner, despite Joao Pedro hitting the post in the first half, and they dropped into the relegation zone as their winless run extended to eight matches.

Norwich City are on a run of seven games without a win after playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw with West Brom.

Emiliano Marcondes and an own goal from Torbjorn Heggem gave Norwich the lead after Mason Holgate's early opener, but Josh Maja's 10th goal of the campaign cancelled out their lead just before half-time to earn them a point. 

Borussia Dortmund maintained their perfect home record this season as they eased to a 4-0 victory over nine-man Freiburg at Signal Iduna Park.

Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens were all on target for Nuri Sahin's side, who leapfrogged their opponent to fifth place in the Bundesliga table.

The hosts broke through in the seventh minute as Beier latched onto Ramy Bensebaini's throughball before finishing, while Nmecha's superb long-time strike doubled the lead five minutes before the break.

Freiburg were seeking their first away win over Dortmund since October 2001, and their task became even harder in the 63rd minute when Patrick Osterhage was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

Sahin's side capitalised on their numerical advantage three minutes later, as Brandt floated a delicious free-kick into the top corner.

Bynoe-Gittens then completed the rout in the 77th minute, with the visitors' misery compounded right at the death when Junior Adamu was given his marching orders for violent conduct.

Data Debrief: Home comforts continue for Dortmund

Dortmund have now won all six of their home league games in 2024-25, stretching their streak across all competitions to 11 matches - only topping that with a run of 14 straight wins in 1994.

They are also now unbeaten in 17 home league meetings with Freiburg, who have failed to score in five Bundesliga outings this term - with only St. Pauli (six) unable to find the net on more occasions.

Alexander Sorloth hit an 86th-minute winner as Atletico Madrid defeated Deportivo Alaves 2-1 in Diego Simeone's 700th game in charge of the club.

Atletico went behind early on in Saturday's LaLiga clash as Javi Galan conceded a penalty for a handball, with Jon Guridi sending goalkeeper Jan Oblak the wrong way from the spot to make it 1-0 in the seventh minute. 

But the hosts found a way back when Sorloth's header hit the arm of Abdel Abqar and Antoine Griezmann converted the penalty to draw level in the 76th minute. 

The game looked to be heading for a draw, but Rodrigo De Paul fed Sorloth and the Norwegian attacker squeezed in the winner at the near post four minutes from time. 

Atletico moved up to second place in the Spanish top-flight. Meanwhile, Alaves are 16th with 13 points from 14 matches.

A hat-trick from Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick inspired the Bundesliga champions to come from two goals down to beat Heidenheim 5-2 on Saturday. 

The emphatic triumph saw Xabi Alonso's side extend their unbeaten league run to nine matches, moving them up to fourth but still nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich. 

However, Leverkusen found themselves behind inside the opening 10 minutes when Niklas Dorsch was teed up by Marvin Pieringer inside the box. 

Heidenheim doubled their advantage soon after through Mathias Honsak, who danced his way beyond three defenders before finishing into the bottom left corner. 

But two goals in two minutes from Exequiel Palacios and Schick drew the hosts level, with Leverkusen able to take a hold of the contest after the interval. 

Schick notched his second of the game seven minutes after the restart to put Leverkusen ahead when he brilliantly flicked Florian Wirtz's cross beyond Kevin Muller. 

The Czech striker completed his hat-trick with a header in the 71st minute, with Granit Xhaka sealing the win with a curled finish into the far left corner. 

Data Debrief: Patrik hero

Ahead of kick-off, Leverkusen were dealt a huge injury blow with in-form striker Victor Boniface potentially ruled out until next year, but they needn't have worried. 

Schick grasped his opportunity with both hands, putting on an impressive display and ending the game with more shots on target (four) and more touches in the opposition box (13), while also accumulating a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 1.37 to Leverkusen's 2.05 total. 

He has now scored three or more goals in a Bundesliga game on three occasions for Leverkusen, with only Ulf Kirsten (seven) having done so more times for the club.

Ten-man Brentford held Everton to a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park for their first away point in the Premier League this season.

A red card to Christian Norgaard meant the visitors played the whole duration of the second half with a numerical disadvantage, but they kept Everton in check for a well-deserved point.

Mark Flekken was on top form to twice deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin before the break, though Yoane Wissa squandered a great chance for Brentford prior to Norgaard’s dismissal for a challenge on Jordan Pickford.

Yet Sean Dyche’s team, who have struggled for goals all season, failed to make their advantage count after the break, with a long-range strike from Idrissa Gueye and a handful of opportunities for substitute Beto the closest they came to breaking the deadlock.

Everton sit 15th with 11 points from 12 matches, while Brentford moved at least temporarily, into 10th.

The Toffees have a tough December coming up, starting with a trip to Ruben Amorim's Manchester United, while Brentford face Leicester City in their next outing.

Ten-man Brighton maintained the pressure on the Premier League’s top four by holding out for a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth.

The Seagulls scored early in both halves, with goals from Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma sealing the points at the Vitality Stadium.

Just four minutes had elapsed when Joao Pedro put Fabian Hurzeler’s side in front, tucking away the rebound after Kepa Arrizabalaga could only parry Georginio Rutter's fierce drive.

The Brazilian then turned provider in the 49th minute with a delightful throughball to release Mitoma, who slotted home.

Brighton had to play the final half an hour with a numerical disadvantage after Carlos Baleba was sent off for a second bookable offence, and Bournemouth pulled one back in stoppage time through David Brooks.

Antoine Semenyo then rattled the crossbar with the final kick of the game, as the visitors just about held on to move level on points again with Chelsea and Arsenal, who they trail on goal difference.

Data Debrief: Buoyant Brighton build on momentum

Having come from behind to beat reigning champions Manchester City before the international break, Brighton built on that momentum to prevent Bournemouth from winning four successive Premier League home games for the first time in their history.

Joao Pedro played a starring role once more with another goal and assist, meaning he has now been directly involved in eight goals in his last nine league appearances.

The Seagulls have now collected 13 points since the start of October, with no other side registering more during that time.

Matheus Cunha scored two goals and assisted one as Wolves stunned Fulham with a 4-1 victory at Craven Cottage, making it back-to-back Premier League wins for the visitors.

Alex Iwobi's fantastic long-range curler put Fulham ahead in the 19th minute but Cunha – a bright spark in a so far demoralising season for Gary O'Neil's men – poked home a 31st-minute equaliser.

Cunha turned provider as Joao Gomes put Wolves ahead early in the second half, with the Brazilian duo later trading roles when Cunha added his second with an astonishing finish from the edge of the box.

Fulham were forced to finish the game with 10 men due to Joachim Andersen sustaining an injury after they had used all their substitutes, and Goncalo Guedes came off the bench to add a fourth for Wolves.

The victory lifts them outside the relegation zone on nine points, while Fulham drop two places to ninth, four adrift of the top four.

Data Debrief: Clutch Cunha ready to lead Wolves' survival push

Cunha will justifiably grab the headlines in the coming days after a superb all-round display at Craven Cottage. His opening goal calmed the visitors' nerves before the break as a deft touch and finish ensured the away side went in level.

However, his link-up play in the second half really caught the eye, with a sharp pass to tee up Gomes and a late goal that took the game away from Fulham.

A debate between which of his two goals was better underlines just how impressive he was against Marco Silva's team. He has a total of 10 direct Premier League goal contributions so far this season (seven goals, three assists), meaning he has been involved in half of Wolves' strikes. 

He also has 26 goal involvements in his last 29 Premier League starts, scoring 17 and assisting nine. If Wolves are to survive, he will hold the key.

Ross Barkley’s late headed equaliser helped Aston Villa earn a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Villa Park, although their winless run now stands at four matches in the league.

Unai Emery’s side could not shake their poor form as they were forced to come from behind twice at home to an injury-hit Palace team.

Ismaila Sarr got the visitors off to a flying start with his first-ever league goal for the club on four minutes as he slotted home on the break, though Ollie Watkins brought the hosts level in the 36th minute.

Villa could have gone ahead as Youri Tielemans saw a penalty saved just before half-time, but it was Palace who took advantage through Justin Devenny. The 21-year-old put visitors back in front in first-half stoppage time.

The hosts left it late to snatch an equaliser as Barkley headed home from Tieleman's corner off the left with 13 minutes to go.

Aston Villa go seventh in the table, while Crystal Palace drop below Wolves and into the relegation zone in 18th.

Data Debrief: Sarr and Watkins lead from the front

Watkins has been directly involved in 50 goals in 80 Premier League appearances at Villa Park (35 goals, 15 assists), now the outright most of any Villa player in the competition (Gabriel Agbonlahor, 49).

At the other end, Sarr scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the second time in his career, previously doing so versus Liverpool in February 2020.

Both players led their respective sides for expected goals (xG), with Sarr accruing a total of 0.69 from the right wing, while Watkins totalled more than penalty-taker Tielemans with 1.29 xG. 

Bukayo Saka’s inspired performance helped Arsenal return to winning ways in Mikel Arteta’s 250th game in charge as they swept aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Saturday.

Saka scored one and set up another to cap a fine individual display in what was an excellent team performance from the Gunners.

Having danced into the box to drill home a crisp finish for the opener, Saka turned provider for Thomas Partey early in the second half, with the midfielder curling the ball into the left-hand corner.

Ethan Nwaneri combined with fellow substitute Raheem Sterling to slide home his first Premier League goal and add further gloss late on.

Arsenal’s victory saw them go level with Chelsea on 22 points, but they remain in fourth place, while Forest drop down to sixth after back-to-back league defeats. 

Data Debrief: Gunners reach landmark triumph

Arsenal have often relied on Saka to produce moments of magic since his integration into the first-team, and it seemed fitting that his display would help the Gunners to their 2,000th victory in English top-flight history. 

Only Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (14) has been involved in more Premier League goals this season than Saka (12 – four goals, eight assists), with his impressive performance backed up by the match statistics. 

The England international registered more shots (six) and more touches in the opposition box (13) than any of his team-mates, while his four chances created was a total only bettered by Martin Odegaard (six). 

But there was also a special moment for substitute Nwaneri. At 17 years and 247 days, he is now Arsenal's second-youngest Premier League goalscorer, behind only Cesc Fabregas against Blackburn Rovers in August 2004 (17y 113d).

Inter hammered lowly Verona 5-0 away from home on Saturday to move top of the Serie A table, with all five goals coming in the first half.

The hosts could easily have taken the lead through Casper Tengstedt just six minutes in as he struck the post after causing chaos in the box, but Inter sparked to life after that.

Joaquin Correa rattled the crossbar moments later, and then opened the scoring after 17 minutes, finishing off a lovely team move by chipping Lorenzo Montipo.

Having set up the opener, Marcus Thuram added a quick-fire double; twice in three minutes, he took the goalkeeper out of the game with clever play before picking out the back of the net.

Substitute Stefan de Vrij fired their fourth past Montipo before Yann Bisseck managed to pick out the top corner despite initially tripping over the ball in the 41st minute.

The second half was a subdued affair, though Correa almost scored another, but instead smacked the crossbar for a second time.

Inter leapfrogged Napoli, who do not play until Sunday, as they moved into first with 28 points. Verona are 14th on 12 points.

Data Debrief: Full-throttle first half

It was a pretty much perfect first half from Simone Inzaghi's side, and it gave the manager a chance to rest some key players with a Champions League tie ahead of them in midweek.

Inter scored five goals in the first half of an away league game for only the second time in their history in Serie A - after the 5-1 score against Sampdoria in the first 45 minutes of play back in March 1964.

The visitors scored with all five of their shots on target in the first period and outperformed their 2.79 expected goals (xG) by some margin.

Correa has scored in a Serie A game 756 days after his last goal in the top-flight, on 29th October 2022, against Sampdoria, at Meazza. Meanwhile, all three of his away goals have come against Verona at Bentegodi.