Arsenal Matches City at Premier League Top After Villa Upset
Ezri Konsa and Gabriel scored for Arsenal as Manchester City lost to Aston Villa, ending the leaders' unbeaten run.
By Lina Lewis ·
Arsenal reached 21 points in the Premier League standings on Saturday after a 2-0 victory over Everton at the Emirates Stadium. The result tied them with Manchester City, who dropped to 21 points after their first defeat of the season at Aston Villa.
Heavy rain fell during the match in north London. Ezri Konsa opened the scoring in the seventh minute. He bundled the ball into the net from a yard out after Martin Odegaard's corner was not cleared by Everton. It marked Arsenal's first goal from a set piece since May, ending a 13-game drought in all competitions. Konsa noted that consistency is required for champions.
The second goal came in the 68th minute. Ben White, playing his 200th game for the club, crossed to the far post. Gabriel headed the ball in during his 200th Premier League appearance. Everton currently sits in ninth place in the table.
At Villa Park, Aston Villa defeated Manchester City 2-1. Nicolas Jackson scored twice to secure the win for Unai Emery's side. Jackson put Villa ahead in the sixth minute after a turnover by John McGinn. Erling Haaland equalized after halftime with a header from a free kick. Jackson restored the lead in the 60th minute, finishing a cutback from Ibrahim Mbaye under goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The victory moved Villa to sixth place with 11 points.
City are currently appealing a decision by an independent commission that found 114 breaches of financial rules. The club maintains it did not act wrongly. Jackson told TNT Sports that the team is focusing on playing one game at a time.
Elsewhere in the weekend, Tottenham Hotspur defeated Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer was sent off in the 80th minute. Mathys Tel scored the final goal in the 87th minute, helping Tottenham rise to 12th place. Fulham beat Coventry City 1-0, with Oscar Bobb scoring in the 80th minute to place Fulham in 13th and Coventry in 19th.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City have played eight matches in the league. The points gap between the two teams is now zero.
