ARSENAL moved to the top of the Premier League table with a convincing 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The win spoiled the Premier League return of Ange Postecoglou, who was taking charge of his first match as Forest manager following his appointment.
Martin Zubimendi emerged as the unlikely hero for Mikel Arteta’s side with two brilliantly taken goals from midfield.
The Spanish international broke the deadlock on 32 minutes with a stunning volley from outside the box that gave Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels no chance.
Viktor Gyokeres doubled Arsenal’s advantage less than a minute after the restart, converting Eberechi Eze’s cross with a clinical finish.
Zubimendi completed his brace with a powerful header to seal the three points and take his tally to three goals in four league appearances.
Arteta praised his summer signing, saying the midfielder has brought real authority and presence to the team since his 60 million pound move from Real Sociedad.
Chelsea missed the opportunity to join Arsenal at the summit after conceding a 93rd minute equaliser in their 2-2 draw at Brentford.
The Bees took a deserved lead through Kevin Schade’s first half strike before Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca introduced several substitutes.
Cole Palmer, who started on the bench ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Bayern Munich, levelled the scores with his first Premier League goal from open play since January.
Moises Caicedo then put Chelsea ahead with a spectacular long-range effort that seemed to have secured all three points.
However, Brentford’s threat from set-pieces proved decisive as Fabio Carvalho arrived at the back post to head home in stoppage time and earn a well-deserved point.
Tottenham Hotspur joined Arsenal on 10 points after defeating 10-man West Ham United 3-0 at the London Stadium.
Pape Sarr opened the scoring with a header from a set-piece just after half-time before Tomas Soucek received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Joao Palhinha.
Lucas Bergvall and Micky Van de Ven added further goals to complete a comprehensive victory for Spurs.
Newcastle United recorded a 1-0 home win against Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to debutant Nick Woltemade’s first half header.
The German international, who joined for a club record 65 million pounds, scored the only goal from Jacob Murphy’s cross on 29 minutes.
Bournemouth moved up to fourth position after Antoine Semenyo’s penalty secured a 2-1 victory over Brighton at the Vitality Stadium.
Aston Villa and Everton played out a goalless draw at Goodison Park, with Villa yet to score in their opening four matches.
Fulham defeated Leeds United 1-0 at Craven Cottage thanks to Gabriel Gudmundsson’s 94th minute own goal.
Sunderland continued their solid return to the top flight with a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Premier League continues on Sunday with defending champions Liverpool visiting Burnley and Manchester United travelling to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. – AFP