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• Brentford defeat 'my worst game as a coach', says O'Neil

  Gary O'Neil believes Wolves' 5-3 defeat against Brentford was his "worst game as a coach" as the visitors remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. 

  Nathan Collins' second-minute header was cancelled out by Matheus Cunha soon after, only for in-form Bryan Mbeumo to put the Bees in front from the penalty spot. 

  Jorgen Strand Larsen levelled the game once again, but the hosts then raced into a 4-2 lead by the break thanks to efforts from Christian Norgaard and Ethan Pinnock. 

  The final two goals of an enthralling encounter came in the closing stages, with Fabio Carvalho scoring Brentford's fifth before Rayan Ait-Nouri netted a late consolation.

  Wolves are now winless in their first seven games of the 2024-25 Premier League season (D1 L6), their worst run at the start of a top-flight campaign since 2003-04, when they also went without a win in their first seven (D2 L5). 

  They have also managed just one win in their last 17 league matches, but it was the manner in which his team collapsed that left O'Neil feeling downcast.

  "It's the furthest I've seen the group from what we wanted to look like. An unbelievably disappointing afternoon for us. Crazy, crazy goals we gave away," O'Neil said. 

  "There's a lot to think about and a lot to put right. We’ll get straight to work. Some players will be away [on international duty] but we need to find a way for the team to be better than this afternoon.

  "Today was so loose. [We made] crazy decisions with and without the ball. It was a really poor performance.

  "The responsibility is on me. Of course, the players are going to make decisions, but I need to give them something that makes them make better decisions than they made today, make fewer mistakes than we made today. It’s the worst game I’ve been involved in as a coach.

  “I'll do the best I can with the group I have. The club do what they can do off the pitch. My responsibility is to find results. This league can be tough. There are no hiding places. We can do better than that."

  For Thomas Frank and Brentford, they continued their impressive home form in the Premier League this term. 

  The Bees are now unbeaten in their first four home games of the 2024-25 Premier League season (W3 D1), their longest such run at the start of a top-flight campaign since 1936-37.

  Saturday's triumph was also their first home league win against Wolves since a 3-0 win in the Championship back in February 2016.

  They also netted four first-half goals for the second time in the Premier League following their 4-0 win over Manchester United back in August 2022. 

  Brentford continued their lightning starts to matches this campaign, with Collins' opener coming after a minute and 15 seconds, with the Bees falling agonisingly short of scoring inside the first minute for the fourth game running. 

  "We've been practising winning the coin toss all week, and we lost it. That’s why it took us so long [to score]," Frank joked. 

  "AIl jokes aside, we want to get forward as quickly as possible and put crosses into the box. After they made it 2-2, we scored 32 seconds after the kick-off.

  "Offensively - wow! Unbelievable. We seemed to create a chance every time we went forward, and we were such a threat from set pieces.

  "Defensively, I’m mostly angry about the first goal. The second one, we lost the ball - it was quite good play from them. For their third goal we could have done better.

  "We gave less away compared to the West Ham game, but we still need to improve."

• Everton 0-0 Newcastle United: Pickford penalty heroics deny Goodison old boy Gordon

  Everton old boy Anthony Gordon saw a penalty saved on his return to Goodison Park as Newcastle United were held to a 0-0 draw on Saturday.

  Gordon had been Newcastle's spot-kick hero a week earlier, winning and converting a penalty to earn a point against Manchester City, but his failure this time cost the Magpies.

  After James Tarkowski's foolish foul on Sandro Tonali gave Gordon, who left Everton for Newcastle in January 2023, his opportunity from 12 yards, he could not find a way past England team-mate Jordan Pickford.

  The save from Pickford was heartily celebrated by the Everton fans, though their fury was directed at referee Craig Pawson midway through the second half, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin felt he too should have had a penalty.

  Idrissa Gueye missed a huge chance as part of that incident, before Gordon was wasteful again late on as both sides were forced to settle for a point.

  It nudges Sean Dyche's side further clear of the relegation zone, while Newcastle can at least take solace in a place in the top six.

  Data Debrief: Gordon's Goodison nightmare

  Gordon was at the centre of attention right from the outset, jeered by the Everton fans and on the end of a number of heavy challenges from his former team-mates. He won four fouls, more than any other player on the pitch.

  So the Newcastle winger was clearly determined to provide a response when the visitors were awarded a penalty, stepping up as he had against City but this time denied by Pickford. This was Pickford's first Premier League penalty save since May 2023, ending a run of eight consecutive concessions against a man he knows so well from both club and international duty.

  Gordon should have done better late on, too. He had only two shots, but they were worth a combined 0.87 xG – more than Everton's total of 0.73.

• Arsenal 'always find a way' – Arteta

  Mikel Arteta showered praise on his Arsenal players after their 3-1 victory against Southampton, saying his squad will "always find a way" to win.

  The Gunners bounced back from Cameron Archer's opener to earn their 400th Premier League home win on Saturday, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on target. 

  Arsenal enter the international break in third, hot on the heels of leaders Liverpool and level on points with Manchester City. 

  They also continued their impressive record against Southampton, extending their unbeaten run against them in the top flight to 25 matches (W17 D8), but the hosts were made to work for the win. 

  Arteta's side registered 14 shots in the first half with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.15, though their only shot on target came in stoppage time courtesy of Thomas Partey. 

  The introduction of Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino prompted an improvement in attack shortly after Havertz's leveller.

  "The start was exceptional, the dominance, the chances. It was unbelievable not to go one, two, three goals up," Arteta said. 

  "We conceded the goal, and then it was game on.

  "I thought the team reacted with a lot of authority, and I am happy the team can react like this - but not happy after the chances we had that we had to go through that.

  "The substitutes changed the energy and also the feel in the crowd. We won in the end and I think we deserved it. This team always finds a way.

  "The way we started was phenomenal, but we didn't get our reward. We had a difficult context at 1-0 but we did it."

  Arteta also lauded Saka's performance after the England international took his goal involvement tally to nine for the season with his strike coming after two assists.

  This campaign, only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer (10 each) have been involved in more goals than Saka. 

  The 23-year-old has also taken on the role of captain in Martin Odegaard's absence, something Arteta believes Saka is embracing. 

  "For sure. That's the maturity and steps players have to do. He's been in the team long enough to earn the right to have that role. He believes in that," Arteta said. 

  "He has the capacity to change and decide games like many other players. If we want to be at the top, sometimes players have to create those moments, and he's certainly done that again today."

  Southampton, meanwhile, are now without a win in their last 20 Premier League matches, equalling their longest top-flight winless run (a run of 20 between August and December in 1969).

  But they had their moments to level the contest, with Tyler Dibling's deflected effort and Taylor Harwood-Bellis' header striking the woodwork prior to Saka's settler.

  "I feel so much more positive and proud of my team than I did on Monday [after a 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth], and we played against one of the best teams in the country," Russell Martin told BBC Sport.

  "If we play like that in the next block of games, I'd be very happy. I think we're learning and growing, and we're on a journey. But we're doing it under huge scrutiny and the intensity of the Premier League.

  "I have to keep the guys on track and on path. There's a lot to be frustrated about, we don't have enough points on the board and a win yet, but I loved all of our resilience."