The dancing feet of Bukayo Saka, the coming of age of Eddie Nketiah, the groans from Manchester red and blue. If this is to be Arsenal's season, then this was a day they'll not forget in a hurry.

A 90th-minute winner from Nketiah, his second goal of the game, settled a modern classic in this great rivalry. Manchester United gave so much to the game, but Arsenal were outstanding and truly worthy winners. It was 3-2 in the end, and the roars of "Eddie, Eddie" were music to the ears of Nketiah and his manager, Mikel Arteta.

What spirit it was that carried the home players. Feeding off a crowd that believes in them, that senses a championship is incoming, the end of a 19-year wait, Arsenal never stopped driving forward, and finally United cracked.

With a 3-1 win at Old Trafford in September, United had already seen to it that this Arsenal cannot follow in the footsteps of the 2003-04 'Invincibles' and go unbeaten through the Premier League season.

But that remains the only defeat the Gunners have had through 19 games, while this was a fifth loss for United, for whom the title is probably now out of reach, their resurgence having hit a bump in the road.

This was the day when Cristiano Ronaldo made his Al Nassr debut, and we witnessed again how United are better off for being without him, Marcus Rashford hitting another exceptional goal for them. Yet United's newest central striker, loanee Wout Weghorst, was largely quiet, while Antony on the right flank flattered to deceive, and you did not need to look far for a stark contrast.

Nketiah, trusted now by Arteta as a frontman for the big occasion, prowled and hassled United's defence and got his rich reward, while Saka's twinkling toes had Luke Shaw in trouble all afternoon long. Saka hit the goal of the game, while Nketiah poached twice from point-blank range.

Saka became only the third Arsenal player to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances against United, after Freddie Ljungberg and Thierry Henry, those Gunners greats of yore, heroes of Highbury.

They've not celebrated a Premier League title since moving to Emirates Stadium, and this particular race is only half-run, but 50 points from 19 games is some start, putting Arsenal five points clear of Manchester City, and they have a game in hand to boot.

Saka had begun to prowl with intent before the breakthrough came, and it went to United, with Rashford sidestepping Thomas Partey and driving a stunning 20-yard shot into the bottom-left corner.

That was a ninth Premier League goal of the season for Rashford, and he has nine in all competitions since returning from England's World Cup campaign, the most of any player from Europe's big five leagues.

United had not lost after scoring the opening goal in a Premier League game since October 16, 2021, when they went down 4-2 to Leicester City, so this boded well. Yet the 26-game unbeaten streak in such games would soon be in peril.

Nketiah got in front of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to head Arsenal level in the 24th minute, with Granit Xhaka's cross from the left giving the Swiss midfielder his fifth assist of the season.

Arteta, furious Shaw was not booked for a challenge on Saka as that battle heated up, later took a yellow card for his troubles.

Arsenal then roared ahead in the 53rd minute, and it was Saka at his majestic best, one-stepping with the ball at his feet on the right, teasing Christian Eriksen before letting fly with his left foot from 25 yards and fizzing the ball into the far bottom corner.

It was Saka's seventh Premier League goal of the season. He'll be going some to better it.

Up to this point, the watching Gareth Southgate would have been enjoying the contest, but England's manager would not have liked the sight of Aaron Ramsdale flapping at a corner soon after, giving Lisandro Martinez the chance to loop in the header that brought United level in the 59th minute.

"This is retro Man United-Arsenal," bellowed Gary Neville on Sky Sports.

Manchester City must have been loving the look of the 2-2 scoreline between their top-four rivals, with City's earlier 3-0 trouncing of Wolves closing the gap at the top, but Arsenal weren't finished. Saka went close, his strike flicking off Eriksen and clipping the outside of the right post.

Arsenal had 69.9 per cent of possession from the 60th to 75th minutes, staking out their prey but unable to make the kill.

They summoned Leandro Trossard in the 82nd minute, the new arrival from Brighton and Hove Albion entering the fray in place of Gabriel Martinelli.

Shaw was booked in the 83rd minute for getting close enough to Saka to stand on the winger's left foot, and from the free-kick Arsenal developed a glorious chance. The ball came through a thicket of players before reaching Nketiah, whose shot was brilliantly pushed wide by David de Gea.

Heads might have gone down in a previous season, but this time Arsenal kept pressing forward.

And then, in the 90th minute, came their reward. Zinchenko's cutback found Martin Odegaard, and with Fred for close company the captain bundled the ball on for Nketiah to toe in from four yards.

Alex Ferguson and David Beckham had taken their seats at Emirates Stadium in the hope of watching United's rejuvenation gather pace, but instead Arsenal put them in their place, clinching a sixth win in their last eight home league games against the Red Devils.

United are perhaps a season behind Arsenal in terms of emerging from years of gloom.

Erik ten Hag's team are not far away, but here they encountered something approaching a finished product. A north London derby win has been followed by victory over United, and it won't be easy street for Arsenal from here on, but once you clear those hurdles, why fear anything?

Which is one way of saying: it's Manchester City next, on Friday, in the FA Cup. Pass the popcorn.

Luke Shaw conceded Manchester United deserved to lose to Arsenal in dramatic fashion due to their "passive" approach to the second half at Emirates Stadium.

United went down 3-2 to the Premier League leaders on Sunday, dealing a significant blow to their own remote title hopes.

The visitors scored first through Marcus Rashford but trailed early in the second half as Eddie Nketiah's leveller was followed by a fine Bukayo Saka strike.

Lisandro Martinez's header got United back on level terms, only for Erik ten Hag's side to retreat to their own penalty area in a dramatic last stand that saw Nketiah eventually score again to take Arsenal five points clear of Manchester City and 11 ahead of their opponents.

Arsenal had 25 shots to United's six, with those attempts worth 2.9 expected goals, while United's shots had a combined value of 0.3 xG.

The Gunners controlled 65.6 per cent of the possession in a second half in which just 15.8 per cent of the action played out in the home side's third of the field.

For that reason, Shaw had few complaints as he reflected on the defeat on Sky Sports.

"I think in the second half we maybe deserved that," the left-back said. "We were a bit passive and just let them control the game completely in the second half.

"To concede right at the end is obviously gutting. We know they're an extremely good side, and we were fighting all the way to that last second.

"In games like this, you need to be concentrated for the full game, because a little lapse in concentration and you'll concede a goal against a very top side.

"Always coming to Emirates, they start really fast. They had two corners in the first minute. We got through that and started to have a bit more control in the game.

"I felt like we were aggressive and we were winning the ball high up the pitch. The first half went well.

"But the second half we backed off a bit and let them fully have control of the game. They were having chance after chance.

"If it was going to be like that, towards the end of the game they're always going to get one more chance."

Nketiah's winner, which arrived with only 48 seconds of normal time remaining, came from the final shot of the match.

Bukayo Saka urged Arsenal to "stay humble" in the Premier League title race but expressed pride at the "really significant" late victory over Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta's side moved five points clear at the summit, with a game in hand over second-placed Manchester City, after Eddie Nketiah's 90th-minute strike snatched a 3-2 victory over United on Sunday.

The triumph saw Arsenal boost their points total to 50 after 19 games, surpassing their previous best of 45 after as many matches in their title-winning 2003-04 campaign.

When asked about the Gunners' remarkable return at the halfway point in the season, Saka told Sky Sports: "That's really significant. It's something we can be proud of, but we have to stay humble.

"It's only halfway through the season and things can change very quickly. But if we keep playing like we have then we'll be in a good place at the end of the season, we just have to keep it up."

The Gunners fell to a 3-1 defeat at United in September, their only loss of the league campaign thus far, but exacted revenge with a vital victory in their tussle with City for the title.

"You can see how much it means to everyone. They're the only team that have beaten us this season, so we really wanted to beat them for the fans," Saka said.

Nketiah cancelled out Marcus Rashford's first-half opener before Saka produced a moment of magic after 53 minutes to edge Arsenal ahead, firing into the far corner after dancing in from the right flank.

That strike saw the England international join Freddie Ljungberg (between 1998-2000) and Thierry Henry (between 2000-2001) as the only Arsenal players to score in three in a row against United in the competition.

On joining Ljungberg and Henry, the 21-year-old said: "Hello Freddie, hello Thierry – I'm happy. I was so close to getting two, but I'm just so happy I got that first one, and it gave me the confidence to keep shooting."

Eddie Nketiah's 90th-minute winner gave Arsenal a thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester United to restore a five-point gap to Manchester City at the Premier League summit.

Arsenal kicked off just two points clear at the top, having seen City win twice since they last played, but they reestablished a more comfortable cushion at the end of a gripping Emirates Stadium encounter on Sunday.

United – themselves maintaining remote title hopes – scored first through Marcus Rashford, only to require a scruffy second-half leveller from Lisandro Martinez after goals from Nketiah and Bukayo Saka had turned the game on its head.

Only Arsenal looked capable of providing a further twist, though, and it came through Nketiah with seconds remaining of normal time, giving the Gunners surely their biggest win of the season so far.

Pep Guardiola defended Erling Haaland's position within Manchester City, arguing the Norway international is not holding his team back this term.

Haaland scored his fourth hat-trick of the Premier League season to blow past last term's Golden Boot tally and reach 25 in Sunday's 3-0 win over Wolves.

Despite his remarkable figures, City are playing catch-up in the title race as Arsenal continue to set the pace.

Some have pinpointed Haaland as a potential issue, with City sometimes adapting to suit his needs rather than vice-versa, but Guardiola knows the talisman's quality. 

"When we lost the Community Shield, all the debates were that he would not adapt to the Premier League," he said.

"When we do not score goals, [people] say he is the problem in this team. We know his quality. We have to adapt some movements for him.

"He is not a player who will take the ball. He has to [have] the balls delivered around him. He's got fantastic players around him. He lives 24 hours for his job.

"He’s not stressed much when it's going well or when it's going bad. His numbers are incredible. But the reality is still that we are behind."

Guardiola issued a scathing attack upon his side's commitment following their 4-2 win over Tottenham earlier this week, having been force to come from two goals down.

Reflecting on a more comfortable victory, the Spaniard acknowledged he had seen improvements, but stressed he would not be getting carried away yet.

"We spoke a little bit what we have to do with the ball," he added. "Without the ball, we didn’t train anything because I would say we didn’t have energy.

"We talk a little bit these days about what we think we miss. It’s just one game. We will see in the future.

"Our football was really, really good. Today we improved. That was just today. We will see what happens in the next games."

John Stones declared "we are the champions for a reason" after Erling Haaland's fourth Premier League hat-trick of the season gave Manchester City a 3-0 win over Wolves.

City boss Pep Guardiola urged his players to show more desire after a 4-2 victory over Tottenham on Thursday, when they were booed off at half-time having fallen 2-0 down at the Etihad Stadium.

There was no discontent from City fans as they outclassed relegation-threatened Wolves, Haaland opening the scoring late in the first half before adding a second from the penalty spot and completing yet another treble early in the second half.

Haaland already has two more goals than the tally of 23 that earned Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min the golden boot last season and the Norway striker has an astonishing 31 in all competitions in his first City campaign.

City moved two points behind Arsenal ahead of the leaders' clash with Manchester United and defender Stones says they are ready to roll up their sleeves in the battle for the title.

He told Sky Sports: "I think it's just about us, I've said it plenty of times. We can be our own worst enemies at times. We have to be focused. We can see where we are and keep taking it game by game.

"We are the champions for a reason and we want to be champions again, so we have to put ourselves in the best place possible. Keep winning games and getting clean sheets and see where it takes us."

Stones felt City showed a great response to a rallying cry from Guardiola.

He added: "We had to be patient to get that goal today and break them down. I thought we did so well after the other day. Especially in the first half we weren't at it and the manager made that clear.

"We knew we had to hit the ground running and get off to a good start, playing with tempo and that set the game.

"I didn't see the comments from Pep. But I knew what he said to us at half-time and what he wants from us and what he knows we can do and us as players when you are not playing as well as you can and in the second half we came out and showed it and got the win.

"We knew that we had to do that from the off and we did. The patience and desire was there and we were scoring goals and creating chances. Obviously a clean sheet is massive now."

Wout Weghorst kept his place in the Manchester United team to face Arsenal as Erik ten Hag backed his newest signing against the Premier League leaders.

The on-loan Dutch striker was retained as the focal point of manager Ten Hag's attack, having made his debut in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Weghorst arrived from Burnley after his previous loan at Besiktas was cancelled.

With Casemiro suspended, Ten Hag brought Scott McTominay into his midfield, the only change from the game at Selhurst Park.

It meant Weghorst would be supported by Marcus Rashford, captain Bruno Fernandes and Antony, with McTominay and Christian Eriksen anchoring the visitors' midfield.

Leaders Arsenal's starting XI was unchanged from their 2-0 derby win over Tottenham last Sunday, with Mikel Arteta's team having had their lead clipped to two points after Manchester City's 3-0 victory over Wolves.

The hosts had new recruit Leandro Trossard on the bench, after Arteta brought in the Belgian winger from Brighton and Hove Albion.

This was the first of two games in hand for Arsenal over City, giving them a chance to reassert their early season grip on top spot.

It was a game where fourth-placed United, however, were looking to complete a league double, having beaten Arsenal 3-1 at Old Trafford in September.

United remain the only side to have beaten Arsenal in the league this season.

Erling Haaland scored his fourth Premier League hat-trick of the season as Manchester City beat relegation-threatened Wolves 3-0 to apply the pressure on leaders Arsenal.

Lethal striker Haaland opened the scoring with a header from close range in a one-sided first half at the Etihad Stadium.

He was on target again from the penalty spot early after the restart and completed his hat-trick four minutes later following a terrible mistake from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa, taking his goal tally for the season to a staggering 31.

City boss Pep Guardiola had demanded more hunger from his side in their quest for more trophies and they responded, moving two points behind the Gunners ahead of their huge clash with Manchester United later on Sunday.

Wolves defended resolutely in the first half, but it seemed only a matter of time before they went behind and Haaland got the breakthrough by rising above Nathan Collins to head Kevin De Bruyne's cross beyond Sa in the 40th minute.

Collins was fortunate not to concede a penalty for a challenge on Jack Grealish, before the centre-back showed great anticipation to head away a rasping drive from the England midfielder that looked destined for the back of the net.

Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui made a triple substitution at half-time, bringing Pablo Sarabia on for his debut along with Matheus Cunha and Joao Moutinho.

Haaland gave City breathing space five minutes into the second half, sending Sa the wrong way from the spot after Ruben Neves upended Ilkay Gundogan.

The Norway goal machine had his treble soon after, Sa inexplicably passing straight to the excellent Riyad Mahrez, who unselfishly presented Haaland with a tap-in.

Haaland was then replaced by Julian Alvarez before Mahrez had a goal ruled out due to being marginally offside and Gundogan headed over from close range as City cruised to victory.

Erling Haaland's extraordinary first season for Manchester City has seen him beat last season's Premier League Golden Boot haul after just 19 games in the competition.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker reached 25 league goals for the season with a hat-trick against Wolves on Sunday.

A first-half header was followed by a penalty early in the second half, before Haaland stroked in a third as Wolves' defending unravelled.

Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min shared the Golden Boot last season, as the Liverpool and Tottenham forwards each managed 23 goals.

Yet Haaland has taken the art of goalscoring to a new level this season, emerging as the league's premier predator.

The Norwegian has scored 18 in 11 league games at City's Etihad Stadium, already a club record for home Premier League goals in a single season.

He went past Sergio Aguero's best home season haul of 16 on Sunday, with Haaland showing no signs of slowing down for Pep Guardiola's side.

This was also Haaland's fourth Premier League hat-trick, making him by far the quickest player to hit so many trebles.

Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was previously the fastest to bring up four hat-tricks, doing so in 65 games.

Phil Foden was a noticeable absentee from Manchester City's squad to face Wolves, while Kevin De Bruyne returned to the starting line-up. 

England midfielder Foden was described as "not fully fit" by several British journalists, with boss Pep Guardiola sure to be asked for further clarification.

Guardiola made two changes to the line-up that beat Tottenham 4-2 on Thursday, with De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte coming in as Julian Alvarez and Nathan Ake dropped to the bench for Sunday's clash at the Etihad Stadium.

The absence of Foden was the main talking point, however, having been an unused substitute for the midweek victory over Spurs, in which City had to fight back from two goals down.

Foden's last start came in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, where he was substituted after 57 minutes.

Victory for City against Wolves would move Guardiola's side two points behind leaders Arsenal, who host Manchester United at Emirates Stadium later on Sunday.

Man City XI: Ederson; Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte; Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri; Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez; Erling Haaland

Dusan Vlahovic only joined Juventus from Fiorentina last January on a four-year deal, but he could be on the move already.

That is part of the immediate fallout from the Serie A giants' 15-point deduction for alleged financial irregularities and false accounting.

Juventus will appeal the court decision but it does leave them in a major battle to remain in European contention, slipping to 10th already, and reports suggest they will have a tough task on their hands to keep hold of some of their key players.

TOP STORY – VLAHOVIC OFFERED TO MAN UTD

Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic has been offered to Manchester United according to 90min, amid the fallout from the Bianconeri's 15-point deduction.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have also been alerted to his availability.

Playing Champions League football is key for the Serbian striker, who has 16 goals in 36 games for Juventus, and the club understands the player's position and could sell in January or at the end of the season.

ROUND-UP

– Jude Bellingham is set to turn down a new Borussia Dortmund contract offer, with Manchester City confident they are in the box seat to land him, reports the Star. Liverpool and Real Madrid are also interested in the England midfielder.

– Arsenal have commenced discussions with Ivan Fresneda as they look to sign the Real Valladolid right-back, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Sport reports that Chelsea are willing to exchange Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech for Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie.

– Roma are set to move for Udinese forward Gerard Deulofeu should they sell Nicolo Zaniolo, claims Calciomercato.

– The Athletic reports Manchester City are discussing a contract extension with Ilkay Gundogan amid interest from Barcelona.

– The Daily Mail claims that Frank Lampard is on the verge of being sacked as Everton manager following Saturday's 2-0 loss to West Ham.

A staple of the European game for the best part of two decades, seeing Cristiano Ronaldo make his Al Nassr bow in Saudi Arabia will undoubtedly be strange for many.

His move was completed in December following widespread reports linking him with a Saudi switch ever since he and Manchester United parted ways the previous month.

Ronaldo featured in a kind of Saudi all-star XI match against Paris Saint-Germain during the week but will make his official Al Nassr debut on Sunday to essentially bring the curtain down on one of the greatest careers in the history of European football.

While writing off Ronaldo is always unwise, a combination of the striker's age and the unsavoury nature of his second spell at United make a return to elite European football seem improbable.

Nevertheless, as a five-time Champions League winner and the top scorer in the history of European football's premier club competition, Ronaldo's legacy as one of the all-time greats is secure.

But with seven top-flight league titles and a plethora of other trophies to his name, Ronaldo's impact on the continental game went beyond his goals on the grandest club stage.

Ahead of Al Nassr's clash with Al Ittifaq, Stats Perform looks back on his seismic impact in European club football.

Ronaldo's Premier League emergence

Ronaldo's return to the Premier League may not have gone to plan – the 37-year-old only scored once in the competition this term before an explosive interview with Piers Morgan led to his Old Trafford exit.

However, the three-time Premier League winner certainly made his mark in England, scoring 103 goals in 236 top-flight games for United.

Having burst onto the scene as a tricky winger, Ronaldo recorded 37 assists in the competition for the Red Devils, who he also helped to their third European title in 2008.

He also claimed his first Ballon d'Or while in Manchester in 2008 after scoring 31 goals in their title-winning 2007-08 campaign – that single-season tally has only been bettered by three players in the competition's history.

Making history with Madrid in LaLiga

Given the way his United spell ended, it remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will be remembered as an Old Trafford legend or not. But there's no doubt about his legacy at Real Madrid, where he really made his name as one of football's greatest as he became Los Blancos' top scorer with 450 goals in all competitions.

Incredibly, the Portugal forward averaged over a goal per game throughout his trophy-laden spell in Spain, hitting the net 311 times in 292 appearances in LaLiga.

Ronaldo scored with 16 per cent of his shots for Madrid, a higher percentage than he managed in the Premier League, Serie A or the Champions League. 

Madrid may be famed for their Champions League accomplishments, but Ronaldo also helped them to two domestic title triumphs in 2011-12 and 2016-17, netting 46 times as Jose Mourinho's side earned 100 points in the first of those campaigns.

Serie A success with the Bianconeri

Given Juventus' failure to win the Champions League, few consider Ronaldo's time in Turin to be an unmitigated success. The raw numbers, however, suggest otherwise.

Managing 81 goals in 98 league appearances for a club in perpetual crisis – with a conversion rate of 15 per cent – tells the story of how Ronaldo evolved in Serie A, honing his game as the ultimate penalty-box forward in his advancing years.

Despite a tumultuous period that saw Maurizio Sarri replace Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus stretched their incredible run of Scudetto success to nine consecutive seasons.

That stint ended in Ronaldo's final full campaign at the Allianz Stadium, though he still finished as Serie A's top scorer with 29 goals. 

The Champions League master

For those who believe Ronaldo to be the greatest to have played the game, the Portugal forward's exploits in the Champions League are always the crucial factor.

Ronaldo's record of 140 goals in the competition is unmatched, though his great rival Lionel Messi (129) may have something to say about that if he declines to follow his fellow forward's lead in exiting Europe.

Averaging almost a goal contribution per game (180 in 183 appearances), Ronaldo won an astonishing 115 games in the Champions League, lifting the trophy five times – a joint-high tally.

As Madrid cemented their status as European masters by winning three consecutive titles between the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons, Ronaldo top-scored in the competition every season, consolidating his legacy as the ultimate big-game player.

Mikel Arteta has called on Arsenal to relish the physical side of Sunday's meeting with old rivals Manchester United, as the Gunners look to maintain their lead at the Premier League summit.

Arsenal hold a five-point advantage over Manchester City – who host Wolves on Sunday – at the top of the table, while they also have a game in hand over the defending champions.

A win over United would represent a huge step towards Arsenal's fourth Premier League title triumph – and their first since an era in which they routinely battled the Red Devils for major honours. 

Several meetings between Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and Alex Ferguson's United boiled over as the teams competed for Premier League dominance at the turn of the century, and Arteta says his men must also relish the dirty work in their quest for the title.

"Having that balance and having those qualities in the squad is necessary," Arteta said. "To have the mentality and capacity to control emotions when you play on big stages is very necessary.

"The physical aspect is necessary. Without that, you cannot compete over 11 months in the conditions in which we work. We have tried to build a team that has everything."

Asked whether Arsenal have the resilience to avoid ceding ground to a City side with experience of chasing down their competitors, Arteta added: "We haven't done it in many years.

"To be in the title race, it's something that we have to show we can do. Words mean nothing. We have to do it on the pitch."

While Arsenal have won five of their last seven home league games against United (D1, L1), Erik ten Hag's men are the only team to beat the Gunners in the Premier League this season.

With Arsenal looking to avenge September's 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford, Arteta is braced for a unique atmosphere, saying: "I'm talking to the boys to understand what we're going to experience on Sunday. 

"For us it's very meaningful, for our fans it's very meaningful and we are creating special atmospheres in the stadium. We have to take advantage of that, for sure."

Despite Arsenal's long-running rivalry with United, Sunday's fixture will represent just the third time they have hosted the Red Devils in the Premier League while top of the table.

Both of the two previous such meetings finished level – 1-1 in March 2004 and 2-2 in November 2007.

Liverpool and Chelsea failed to find a cure for their January blues as the out-of-form giants played out a goalless draw in Saturday's headline Premier League clash at Anfield.

While Graham Potter's visitors went close through £89million signing Mykhaylo Mudryk, the contest offered a stark reminder of why both teams are marooned in mid-table, though there was plenty of intrigue to be found elsewhere. 

While Champions League-chasing Newcastle United failed to make further inroads in a stalemate of their own at Crystal Palace, it was a day of contrasting fortunes at the bottom.

West Ham clinched a huge win over Everton as Leicester City were pegged back by Brighton and Hove Albion, leaving both Frank Lampard and Brendan Rodgers under severe pressure.

Here, Stats Perform takes a look at the most interesting facts to emerge from Saturday's Premier League action.

Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea: Reds and Blues fire another blank 

Fans of Liverpool and Chelsea have become accustomed to goalless draws when their sides meet. Saturday's game represented the third consecutive fixture between the teams to finish 0-0.

Liverpool have only recorded a longer such run against an opponent once in their history, playing out four successive 0-0 draws with Everton in 1974 and 1975. Chelsea have never done so.

Jurgen Klopp would have been hoping to see Cody Gakpo hit the ground running when he arrived from PSV earlier this month, but the Netherlands international disappointed once again at Anfield – since his Reds debut on January 7, no Premier League player has had more shots without scoring in all competitions than Gakpo's 12.

While Potter has now overseen 16 goalless draws since making his Premier League bow in the 2019-20 season, at least twice as many as any other manager in that time, Klopp was left to curse the identity of Liverpool's opponents on a landmark occasion.

The German has now completed 1,000 games as a manager – 411 with Liverpool, 319 with Borussia Dortmund and 270 with Mainz. However, 10 of his 20 career meetings with Chelsea have been drawn, more than against any other side.

Leicester City 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion: Foxes denied by in-form Ferguson

At the King Power Stadium, Leicester looked to be on course for a crucial victory when goals from Marc Albrighton and Harvey Barnes put them on top following Kaoru Mitoma's stunning opener.

Barnes has scored more Premier League goals (seven) in 18 appearances this season than he did in 32 games last term (six), but the winger was to be outdone at the death as Evan Ferguson headed a late leveller for Brighton.

With three goals and two assists in his five Premier League appearances, Ferguson is averaging a goal involvement every 40 minutes in the competition – the best ratio among players to have played at least 90 minutes this term. 

The result leaves Leicester boss Rodgers facing mounting pressure, with the Foxes winless in their last five league games (W1, D4) after winning five of their previous eight.

West Ham 2-0 Everton: Bowen at the double as Lampard's woes deepen

At the London Stadium, West Ham struck a huge blow in the battle to avoid the drop, ending a run of seven league matches without a win (D1, L6) as Jarrod Bowen's brace sunk Everton.

The England international was on hand for two close-range finishes before the interval as the Hammers escaped the relegation zone. With 21 goals at the venue, Bowen is now level with Michail Antonio as the joint-top scorer at the London Stadium.

Everton, however, are in crisis mode after collecting just 15 points from their first 20 games of the season. Accounting for three points per win across all seasons, this is the Toffees' worst return at this point of a campaign in their history.

Their run of eight league games without a win (D2, L6) is the longest of Lampard's managerial career, casting further doubt on his future at Goodison Park.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Newcastle United: Magpies showcase solidity at Selhurst Park

Newcastle's failure to make the breakthrough against Crystal Palace will not have pleased Eddie Howe, but a sixth consecutive Premier League clean sheet demonstrated the solid streak which has put them in top-four contention.

The Magpies' run of six successive shutouts is the longest managed by a Premier League side under an English manager since Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough went seven games without conceding in the 2003-04 campaign.

Meanwhile, Newcastle's sequence of 15 games without defeat in the Premier League (W9, D6) is now the longest in their top-flight history.

Having also drawn 0-0 in the return fixture at St James' Park in September, Palace and Newcastle have attempted 64 shots between them without scoring in their two Premier League meetings this term – the most of any two sides in a single season on record (since 2003-04).

Erik ten Hag wants the standards to remain high at Manchester United as he aims to rekindle a winning culture.

United face Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday, and while their immediate will be on consolidating a place in the top four, a victory could suggest a title charge is not out of the question.

Prior to a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday, United had won their last seven games across all competitions.

For Ten Hag, it is a case of rediscovering the culture that saw United dominate English football under Alex Ferguson.

"What I want to bring in is some culture from high standards and values," he told reporters.

"And also, I think accountability and transparency. So honestly, they are our values [that] I want to set, want to control.

"I think that is the way we have to cooperate. Internally, but also externally. So for instance, with the media with the fans."

Asked if he has confidence in United's ability to keep improving, Ten Hag said: "Yes, I'm quite convinced of that process. I think we are [going] in the right direction.

"It also means that we have to improve a lot if you want to compete in the future for the top positions because the competition will be really tough."

United beat Arsenal 3-1 at Old Trafford in September, which marks the Gunners' only league defeat of the season.

This is just the third time Arsenal are hosting United in a Premier League match while top of the table, with the previous two meetings ending in draws – 1-1 in March 2004 and 2-2 in November 2007.

The clubs have enjoyed a fierce rivalry down the years, and Ten Hag believes both sides are close to getting back to where they belong.

"I think in the Premier League, you have six, seven teams who all can win the league," he said.

"When you have the right philosophy, the right strategy, I think that many more clubs can compete for positions for the top positions in the league, so that's a great challenge."