Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal showed they are becoming "more mature" in a "big win" at Brighton and Hove Albion that put them seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Draws for Manchester City and Newcastle United against Everton and Leeds United respectively earlier on New Year's Eve gave the Gunners a chance to increase their lead at the summit.

They grabbed it with both hands at the Amex Stadium, Bukayo Saka setting them on their way with a goal after only 66 seconds.

Inspirational captain Martin Odegaard doubled Arsenal's lead and Eddie Nketiah added a third goal, with Gabriel Martinelli getting in on the act either side of strikes from Seagulls duo Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson.

Mitoma looked to have set up a tense finale when he found the back of the net for a second time, but a VAR check showed he had strayed offside.

Arsenal are sitting pretty after five consecutive top-flight wins and Arteta thinks they are growing with every victory.

The Gunners head coach said: "The team is getting more mature and that was a big test today."

Arteta added: "It's a big win, I'm really happy. It's a really tough place to come. They are a really good side, they are extremely well coached and they made it tough for us. We made it tough for them as well.

"I think we were excellent, especially in attacking phases when we had the space, and the way they defend they makes it very open and we made the most out of it.

"We had moments that we discussed before where we were going to suffer and defend deeper. There were moments where we should have done better and we put ourselves in trouble, but that's the learning part and every game is a huge test."

The Spaniard knows there is plenty of work to do in the London club's quest to be crowned champions for the first time since 2004 as they turn their attention to face third-placed Newcastle at home on Tuesday.

Arteta said: "It's still a long run to go. My excitement comes from going into the dressing room when the players are talking about what they should have done better today.

"That means that they know that we can still play better and be better, and against Newcastle we have to be better."

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has been fined twice by NFL disciplinary chiefs after his controversial display against the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

In the December 24 game, Jones made a low hit on Bengals cornerback Eli Apple, who described the incident as "a dirty play".

It came as the Bengals defense scooped up an incomplete pass and began to run it back for a touchdown. Unaware the whistle had been blown and the play was dead, both teams acted as if the ball was live.

During the return, Jones positioned himself in Apple's path and dropped at the knees to take him out of the play.

Apple accused Jones of having "done that before", after the Bengals sealed a 22-18 victory.

The NFL's official website, citing NFL Network, reported Jones was fined $13,367 for his block on Apple, plus a further $10,609 for an unnecessary roughness violation, in a separate incident, amounting to $23,976 in total.

Speaking to radio station WEEI on Monday, Jones had defended his actions by saying he was just "trying to stop a fast guy from getting to another fast guy".

"It's a split-second decision and there's a lot that goes into it," Jones said. "You're out there trying to compete, it's a physical game, so I was just trying to help the team win.

"I have all the respect for Eli and the Bengals. They played a great game. So, there's no hard feelings and definitely no intention to hurt anybody on that play.

"I get hit a lot, too. We're all out there playing hard – it's just part of the game."

Arsenal took advantage of Manchester City again failing to win a New Year's Eve game as the Gunners stormed seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

A 4-2 win at Brighton and Hove Albion did the job for Arsenal after Pep Guardiola's men were held 1-1 at home by Everton, meaning City remain winless in all five of their Premier League games played on December 31, drawing four and losing one.

Third-placed Newcastle United also took a stumble, drawing 0-0 at home against Leeds United in what was a league-high fourth goalless stalemate for the Magpies this season.

Elsewhere, Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse became the fifth player to score an own goal and a direct free-kick in a Premier League game and the first since Gareth Bale for Tottenham against Liverpool in November 2012. The Saints were beaten 2-1 at Fulham.

Manchester United edged out Wolves at Molineux, thanks to Marcus Rashford scoring the only goal of the game.

Guided by Opta data, Stats Perform takes a close look at some of the key statistics from the final Premier League games in 2022.

Brighton and Hove Albion 2-4 Arsenal: Saka's fast start sets the tone

Bukayo Saka put Mikel Arteta's men ahead after just 66 seconds, the earliest away goal for the Gunners in the Premier League since May 2013, when Theo Walcott netted after just 20 seconds against QPR.

Captain Martin Odegaard (seven goals, five assists in his last 13 Premier League games), Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli struck to build on that early opener, before a late wobble saw Brighton threaten to make a game of it.

Arsenal are just the fifth side in English top-flight history to pick up 43 points or more from the first 16 games in a season (assuming three points for a win).

The others are Tottenham (46 pts in 1960-61), Chelsea (43 pts in 2005-06), Manchester City (46 pts in 2017-18) and Liverpool (46 pts in 2019-20). The connection between those sides is they each went on to be champions.

Brighton are struggling at home but have a bright prospect in Evan Ferguson, who at the age of 18 years and 73 days became the club's youngest Premier League goalscorer when he grabbed the Seagulls' second.

Newcastle United 0-0 Leeds United: Out of Toon, Howe's team draw a blank

Newcastle ended the year with an outstanding 2022 record at St James' Park, collecting 41 points from 18 games (W12 D5 L1), with only Liverpool (48) and Manchester City (44) accruing more points on home turf.

This result was a disappointment, but perhaps we should have seen it coming. Despite posting an expected goals (xG) total of 2.01, which confirms they had plenty of chances to take all three points, Newcastle have now not won their final league game in any of the last six calendar years (D5 L1) since beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 in the Championship in 2016.

Leeds, scrapping to stay out of trouble in the bottom half, are unbeaten in four consecutive away league games against Newcastle for the first time (W1 D3), and their haul of four points from their last three trips away from Elland Road matches their total from their previous seven road games (W1 D1 L5).

Manchester City 1-1 Everton: Gray day as Haaland strike is not enough

This looked like being a familiar story when Erling Haaland fired City ahead in the 24th minute, but Demarai Gray's fine second-half leveller rescued a point for lowly Everton.

The result means reigning champions City, who were stunned 2-1 on home soil by Brentford before the World Cup break, have gone consecutive home games without picking up a win for the first time since losing to Leeds and Chelsea in April-May 2021.

Everton avoided defeat after falling behind at the Etihad Stadium for the first time and collected their first league point at the ground since a 1-1 draw in August 2017.

Haaland's 21 Premier League goals so far this term is the highest number scored by any player in a campaign before the turn of the year, and only Harry Kane (26) has managed more in the competition in the calendar year.

Gray's sweet strike in the 64th minute was Everton's first shot of the game, and it gave the former Leicester City winger his first away league goal since he netted in August 2021 at Brighton.

Wolves 0-1 Manchester United: Rash won't go away

Rashford came off the bench to be the hero, having been relegated to a substitute role after sleeping in and turning up late for a team meeting.

That was a rare misstep from the England man, who is showing exemplary form for United just now. Rashford has scored in three consecutive games for United for the first time since November 2019.

Rashford's classy 76th-minute finish gave him a 100th goal involvement in the Premier League (65 goals, 35 assists), and a 12th goal as a substitute in the competition. Only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (17) and Javier Hernandez (14) have netted more off the bench for United in the competition.

Former manager Solskjaer, meanwhile, is the only boss who has reached 10 Premier League wins in fewer matches than Erik ten Hag. It took Solskjaer 12 games, while Ten Hag has needed 16 to reach the total, with his team now up to fourth spot.

United's success gave them a third consecutive away win at Wolves for the first time, while it means they have not lost their last league game of the year since a shock 3-2 reverse to Blackburn Rovers in 2011, winning eight and drawing three of their year-ending fixtures since.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas labelled Vinicius Junior's criticism of the league's anti-racism work "unfair" after the Real Madrid winger vented his frustration on social media.

Madrid beat Real Valladolid 2-0 at the Jose Zorrilla on Friday, but the match was marred for Vinicius.

The Brazil international wrote on Instagram the following day that "racists continue to go to the stadiums and see the best club in the world up close, and LaLiga continues to do nothing".

Vinicius was substituted during the match and almost hit by several objects thrown from the stands as he walked behind one of the goals, with fans appearing to direct racist chants at him.

Tebas rejected Vinicius' claim that LaLiga is doing nothing to drive racists out of the sport, however.

"At LaLiga we have been fighting racism for years," Tebas tweeted. "Vinicius Junior, it is unfair and not true to publish that 'LaLiga does nothing against racism'.

"Find out more. We are at your disposal so that all together we can go in the same direction."

Also included in the tweet from Tebas was the link to a LaLiga statement that insisted the incidents in Valladolid will be reported to the hate crimes prosecutors' office; additionally, it documented previous instances of complaints being filed with legal authorities, in an attempt to disprove Vinicius' criticism.

"Before the publication of Vinicius Jr, a Real Madrid player, on his social networks making a comment in which he alludes to the lack of action measures by LaLiga in the fight against racism, LaLiga has detected racist insults from someone from the stands of the Zorrilla stadium, [which were] published on social networks," the statement began.

"These events will be reported to the anti-violence commission and the hate crimes prosecutor's office, as has been done on other occasions in which LaLiga, after investigating racist behaviour inside and outside the stadiums, has led the fight against this type of act."

Bukayo Saka scored after only 66 seconds as ruthless Arsenal beat Brighton and Hove Albion 4-2 to go seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Draws for Manchester City and Newcastle United earlier on New Year's Eve gave the Gunners a chance to stretch their lead at the summit.

Mikel Arteta's side ended 2022 in style at the Amex Stadium, Saka setting them on their way early on and Martin Odegaard adding a second goal in the first half.

Eddie Nketiah put them three goals up right at the start of the second half and Gabriel Martinelli got in on the act after Kaoru Mitoma pulled one back.

Evan Ferguson's first Premier League goal was too little, too late as the leaders extended their winning run to five top-flight games despite a late rally from Brighton that saw Mitoma have a goal ruled out.

Jordi Alba and referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had both "forgotten" about the Barcelona defender's first yellow card prior to his dismissal against Espanyol on Saturday.

Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by their Catalan rivals on what was a bittersweet day for Alba, who became only the 12th different player to make 300 LaLiga appearances for the club.

Alba's landmark outing was marred as the left-back received two yellow cards in the space of five minutes after Espanyol's leveller, with Lahoz losing control of the latter stages.

Lahoz, who was in charge of Argentina's fiery World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands earlier this month, also sent off Vinicius Souza, while only a VAR review saved Leandro Cabrera after he was initially shown a red card for a stamp on Robert Lewandowski.

Alba will now serve a one-match suspension, meaning he will miss Barca's clash with Atletico Madrid at Civitas Metropolitano on January 8.

The Spain international revealed he received his second yellow card after voicing his frustration at a challenge involving Andreas Christensen and Joselu, whose penalty cancelled out Marcos Alonso's earlier header at Camp Nou. 

"I did not understand the expulsion and I told him so," Alba said, in quotes carried by Mundo Deportivo. "I went to Mateu to tell him that Joselu had made [Christensen's] bed, nothing more.

"He thought it was the first yellow, and he showed me the second. For me, it is not even a card.

"I am aware that sometimes I make mistakes and protest too much because I am very impulsive, and I have to correct this aspect, but this time, it was not the case."

Sergi Roberto, who wore the captain's armband during Saturday's derby, concurred, telling Movistar: "Alba had forgotten his first card. We were all a little surprised."

Although Barca returned to the top of LaLiga on goal difference, they were punished for not converting their superiority into maximum points, having enjoyed over three quarters of the possession and registered 21 shots on goal.

"In the second half, we wanted to go for the second goal and to have the game more controlled," Sergi Roberto added. 

"The game stopped a lot with the expulsions, the cards, and then we were not able to play our way anymore."

Pep Guardiola remains optimistic about Manchester City's performances despite Demarai Gray's stunning equaliser denting the champions' title hopes on New Year's Eve.

Gray picked out the top-right corner with Everton's first shot of the game after 64 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, cancelling out Erling Haaland's opener in a stop-start 1-1 draw.

Having lost to Brentford before the World Cup, City have now failed to win in back-to-back home league games for the first time since May 2021 and remain without a Premier League victory on December 31 (D4 L1).

While City's dropped points handed Arsenal the initiative in an intriguing battle at the top of the table, Guardiola saw no reason to criticise his team's performance.

"Great game. We've played really well in the last three games and it makes me feel optimistic," he told BBC Sport.

"Dropping points at home is always tough, but I'm always trying to make our game good, and we have continued to do it.

"I would say they had eight at the back. In that situation, it's about movement and attacking at the right moment. In general we did it. We didn't allow them transitions. 

"They made a fantastic goal and when that happens you say congratulations, but in general we did really well."

However, defender John Stones was less positive, bemoaning City's failure to find a second goal against a resilient Everton side.

"I don't really know what to say. I feel like we've lost two points," the former Toffees centre-back said. "That's football. 

"We controlled the game for the majority of the time and had a lot of chances, but we couldn't seem to get that goal.

"It's difficult to take after the game. We showed great character to keep fighting and pushing. It was a bit of a scrappy game.

"We conceded two shots all game, but it's overlooked because of that incredible goal. On reflection, we'll be more positive when we look back, I'm sure."

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was not interested in revisiting the drama around Cristiano Ronaldo after the striker completed his move to Al Nassr.

The 37-year-old left United in November when the two parties agreed to terminate his contract following a very public disintegration in their relationship that began at the end of last season.

Ronaldo did not go on United's pre-season tour owing to personal reasons, a situation accompanied by widespread reports of the Portugal great wanting to leave.

When Ronaldo did eventually report to pre-season training, he and several team-mates left Old Trafford before the end of the friendly with Rayo Vallecano, conduct Ten Hag described as "unacceptable" from all involved.

Ronaldo was then dropped from the squad entirely for the October clash with Chelsea after he refused to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham, but the final straw came a few weeks later when he took part in a remarkable interview with Piers Morgan, taking the opportunity to publicly criticise the club and Ten Hag.

That unsurprisingly led to his contract termination and Ronaldo finally signed a reported two-and-a-half-year deal with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr on Friday, but Ten Hag simply refused to talk about his former player after Saturday's 1-0 win over Wolves.

"I don't talk about the past, let's talk about the future," Ten Hag told reporters.

"We made a good step today. First time we are in the top four, but it means nothing because it is a long way to go.

"We have to live from game to game, get in the position to win something."

Ronaldo may have been the first to draw the wrath of Ten Hag at United this season, though he was certainly not the last.

Marcus Rashford found himself benched for the trip to Molineux after missing the start of a team meeting due to oversleeping.

The England forward came on for the second half and scored United's winning goal, with the narrative ultimately reflecting quite well on both Ten Hag and Rashford, the former for his decisive leadership, and the latter for his response.

United defender Luke Shaw was keen to salute the manager's commitment to discipline, suggesting it was a departure from some of his predecessors.

"At a top club like this, it has to be like that," he told BT Sport. "I think that people can't do whatever they want and maybe that's been part of the problem in the past, with people getting away with silly little things.

"The manager takes all of that into consideration. Like you've seen today, if you're not keeping the standards high then you won't play."

United's victory ensured they will end 2022 fourth in the Premier League, just two points behind Newcastle United, after climbing above Tottenham.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa showed no initial sign of concussion and there was no violation of protocol in allowing him to play on against the Green Bay Packers, an official review has determined.

The NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) issued a joint statement on Saturday after delving into the circumstances once it emerged Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in last Sunday's game. It was a concussion that was not detected until the next day.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Wednesday that film from the Packers game had been reviewed, leading team officials to question Tagovailoa on how he felt after a particular hit, sending him to see the doctors after inconsistencies in the quarterback's behaviour caused concern.

Tagovailoa will sit out the game against the New England Patriots on New Year's Day, with Teddy Bridgewater set to start in his place.

Star quarterback Tagovailoa also missed two games in October after another concussion, where he was hospitalised during a 27-15 Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after being whipped around and flung to the ground by the Bengals' Josh Tupou, causing his head to snap back onto the turf.

In that instance, the Dolphins were heavily criticised for having Tagovailoa on the field just four days after an incident in a 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills, where he was pushed to the ground by linebacker Matt Milano, with his helmet slamming into the turf.

In a statement widely reported by US media on Saturday, the NFL and NFLPA said they had completed a review of the application of the concussion protocol in the Christmas Day game.

"The joint review determined the protocol was not triggered," the statement said. "The protocol is initiated when a player receives an impact to the head and exhibits or reports signs or symptoms suggestive of a concussion.

"The review established that symptoms of a concussion were neither exhibited nor reported until the following day at which time the team medical personnel appropriately evaluated and placed Mr Tagovailoa in the concussion protocol."

The Dolphins are 8-7 for the season following their 26-20 loss to the Packers, in which Tagovailoa threw three interceptions, and have now suffered four losses in a row.

McDaniel said this week that Tagovailoa's health holds more importance than the games that lie ahead.

"This is a private time for him to focus on his health. This is a human being. His health is the first and only priority," McDaniel said.

If Manchester United could bottle their end-of-year form, perhaps their struggles over the past decade would have long been consigned to history.

Substitute Marcus Rashford's goal gave United a 1-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday, continuing a theme of strong form at this time of year.

The Red Devils have not lost their final league game in a calendar year since suffering a 3-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in 2011, winning eight and drawing three of their 11 matches since.

Here, Stats Perform looks at United's impressive run, as Erik ten Hag aims to mastermind a resurgence for the team who were last champions of England in the 2012-13 season.
 

Blackburn's birthday blues for Ferguson

Alex Ferguson turned 70 on December 31, 2011. His team neglected to deliver a worthy present, though, as they stumbled to a 3-2 home defeat against Blackburn, who began the day at the foot of the Premier League.

United would have gone top with three points, usurping neighbours Manchester City, but Yakubu's two goals put Blackburn into a shock 2-0 lead, and although Dimitar Berbatov replied with a double, Grant Hanley headed a winner for Steve Kean's team.

Of those involved that day, two players remain at United, with David de Gea still first choice as goalkeeper. Phil Jones, the other survivor, was a player United picked up from Blackburn, expecting great things. He is still at United, but you would hardly know it, given Jones has not made a first-team appearance this season.

Come the end of the 2011-12 campaign, Manchester City took the title on goal difference from United, a first English league crown in 44 years, while Blackburn were relegated.

Ferguson's birthday and New Year's Eve celebrations began on a bum note, and United have made sure to finish the year in a more assured manner ever since.

Signing off on a high

Ferguson's last Christmas and New Year stretch as United boss saw his team harvest 10 points from four games from December 23 to January 1.

On their final outing in 2012, an own goal from Gareth McAuley and a late clincher from Robin van Persie secured a 2-0 win at home against West Brom on December 29.

That was the beginning of the 11-game unbeaten stretch in year-ending league games for United, and it was another important stepping stone on their march to winning the title by 11 points.

Since then, United have had year-end league wins against Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Bournemouth, Burnley (twice) and Wolves (twice), while managing draws against Tottenham, Chelsea and Southampton.

Is United's run a record?

It's not even a club record. United had a run of 13 unbeaten year-end league games between 1955 and 1967, so Ten Hag's team have some way to go to beat that tally.

Manchester City put together a 14-game unbeaten streak in their final Premier League fixture of the year from 2002 to 2015. It came to an end on New Year's Eve in 2016, when Georginio Wijnaldum's early header earned Liverpool a 1-0 win over Pep Guardiola's men at Anfield.

Demarai Gray's stunning equaliser dented Manchester City's Premier League title bid and eased the pressure on Frank Lampard as Everton claimed a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Lampard's struggling team looked set for more misery when Erling Haaland continued his incredible goalscoring form in the first half, sweeping home to hand City the lead.

Everton failed to register a single shot until the 64th minute, but they only needed one chance as Gray whipped a brilliant effort into the top-right corner to cap a devastating break.

Pep Guardiola's men looked startled by Gray's intervention, as their failure to find a winner handed Arsenal the initiative in the title race on New Year's Eve.

Haaland went close early on when he hit the side-netting from a tight angle after rounding Jordan Pickford, but he was not to be denied 24 minutes in.

Jack Grealish's neat work down the left allowed Riyad Mahrez to square for Haaland, who finished beyond Pickford in a crowded penalty area to put City ahead.

Former Everton defender John Stones hit the post with a diving header as half-time approached, and City appeared destined to add to their lead as they pinned the Toffees back. 

However, the visitors silenced the Etihad with their first attempt of the game after the hour mark, with Gray breaking clear and recovering from a stumble to arc a terrific effort into the far corner from the left of the area.

Pickford denied Mahrez from close range as City threw players forward in desperation late on, but Everton stood firm through 11 minutes of stoppage time to claim a huge point towards their survival bid – much to the delight of Arsenal.

Xavi refused to blame referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Espanyol but acknowledged the feisty Catalan derby "totally got out of control."

The Blaugrana were forced to settle for a point on their return to action following the World Cup despite a dominant display at Camp Nou, where Joselu's penalty cancelled out a header from Marcos Alonso.

The contest descended into chaos as Lahoz, who was in charge of Argentina's fiery World Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands this month, prolifically handed out cards during the bruising final exchanges.

Jordi Alba was dismissed for two bookable offences on his 300th LaLiga appearance for the Barca, while Vinicius Souza  after, and Leandro Cabrera was fortunate to stay on the field having appeared to stamp on Robert Lewandowski.

But while Xavi, who was booked by Lahoz, was disappointed by the official's performance, the head coach insisted Barca only had themselves to blame for failing to convert their superiority into three points.

"Mateu is a referee who controls the matches, and today escaped him," he is quoted as saying by Marca. "Today, the match has totally got out of control.

"He is a referee who gives you the feeling that he dominates and controls the game. But today, it was not like that. I don't blame him for anything. The tie is our fault. I have to look for my own, for what I can control.

"I can't control the referee. I have said it many times. The referee would have to come out and speak and say what he has seen and what the players have told him. Jordi has told me that he has not said anything to him.

"We have created chances. From the 30th minute, we have slowed down, the intensity. We haven't attacked so well, perhaps. My feeling is that we should have won well. The penalty is an unfortunate move for us.

"We are angry with ourselves. In football, there are times when you are better, and you don't win. The team has generated a lot of danger in corners. It's a pity and we're upset."

Barca are level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table but have a better goal difference.