Arsenal back on track after Leeds scare, five-star Chelsea run riot

Arsenal got back on track as the Premier League champions survived a scare to beat Leeds 2-1, while Chelsea’s blistering start inspired a 5-1 rout of Bournemouth on Saturday.

After a shock 3-0 defeat at Brighton before the three-week international break, Mikel Arteta’s side were in danger of a second successive loss when they fell behind at the Emirates Stadium.

James Justin fired Leeds ahead in the 55th minute after Arsenal failed to clear Gabriel Gudmundsson’s cross.

Arteta had admitted Arsenal were nursing a “pain in the tummy” from the Brighton loss.

But Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori found the cure when he converted Ben White’s header from close-range in the 62nd minute.

Arsenal showcased their strength in depth as substitute Bruno Guimaraes drilled the winner from the edge of the area just six minutes after coming off the bench.

Guimaraes’ first goal at the Emirates since his close-season move from Newcastle made it five wins from six league matches for the Gunners.

The north London club sit in second place behind crisis-hit Manchester City on goal difference.

City travel to Liverpool on Sunday for their first match since being found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules.

“Before the game we talked about two things. One, the challenge ahead because Leeds had not lost in the Premier League. And second, to restore our identity and be ourselves again,” Arteta said.

“We weren’t pleased against Brighton and today was an opportunity to put that right. We certainly reacted in the manner we expected.”

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea won for the first time in four league matches.

Jordan Henderson gave Xabi Alonso’s team the perfect start when the veteran midfielder curled home after just 68 seconds to claim his first goal for Chelsea.

The Blues struck again in the third minute as Morgan Rogers’s drive deflected into the net off Bournemouth defender Antonio Silva.

Chelsea were on target just one minute after the interval through Joao Pedro’s clinical finish from Pedro Neto’s pass.

Evanilson got one back for Bournemouth in the 51st minute, deflecting in Moises Caicedo’s miscued clearance as Chelsea’s run without a league clean-sheet extended to 22 matches.

But Joao Pedro put the result beyond doubt, poking in from close-range in the 67th minute for his fifth goal this season.

England midfielder Henderson, 36, bagged his second in the 70th minute with a fierce free-kick, taking free-scoring Chelsea to 23 goals in just eight games in all competitions this term.

Aston Villa’s troubled start continued with a disappointing 2-2 home draw against fourth-placed Brentford.

Yehudi Yarmoliuk blasted Brentford ahead in the 10th minute before Nicolas Jackson hauled Villa level 88 seconds later.

John McGinn struck for Villa in the 77th minute, but Kristoffer Ajer equalised two minutes later to leave Unai Emery’s men with only one league win this season.

Ipswich beat winless Fulham 2-1 at Portman Road as Ryan Sessegnon put the second-bottom Londoners ahead in the 55th minute, but Abdoul Ouattara levelled with an 88th-minute rocket and Dara O’Shea’s header stole the points in stoppage time.

Ten-man Brighton won 2-0 at Sunderland to cement their hold on third place.

Fabian Hurzeler’s men netted through Maxim De Cuyper in the 53rd minute.

Brighton were reduced to 10 men four minutes later for Pascal Struijk’s foul on Wilson Isidor.

But Jaouen Hadjam struck in stoppage-time to make it four wins from six league games for Brighton.

Later on Saturday, Manchester United host bottom-of-the-table Tottenham in a crucial clash dubbed ‘El Sackicko’.

United have won just once in five league games, leaving boss Michael Carrick under pressure.

Roberto De Zerbi is also feeling the heat after Tottenham, who only avoided relegation on the final day of last season, failed to win any of their first five top-flight matches.

Meanwhile, Cole Palmer has signed a contract extension to stay at Chelsea until 2034.

Palmer was already under contract with the Premier League club until 2033 and the England forward’s improved deal extends his time at Stamford Bridge for a further year.

“Chelsea means a lot to me and I think the club is going in the right direction, so I’m delighted to sign and I’m obviously very happy,” the 24-year-old said.

Agencies