Darwin Nunez scored twice as Liverpool went into the World Cup break on a winning note with a 3-1 victory over Southampton at Anfield.

With Jurgen Klopp watching on from the stands on Saturday due to his one-match suspension, Liverpool claimed a victory that lifts them to sixth in the Premier League.

It was not always easy, with Che Adams scoring Southampton's first goal under new boss Nathan Jones to cancel out Roberto Firmino's opener.

But Nunez, who will feature for Uruguay in Qatar, bookended a thrilling opening 21 minutes to make it 2-1, with his second goal late in the first half enough to secure the points.

Firmino was left out of Brazil's World Cup squad this week but continued his fine scoring form after six minutes when his looping header caught Gavin Bazunu flat-footed.

Liverpool's lead lasted only three minutes, though, with James Ward-Prowse's wonderful free-kick headed home by Adams.

Bazunu prevented Liverpool from restoring their lead with a brilliant save in the 16th minute, lunging out to deny Mohammed Salah, but could do nothing to stop Nunez making it 2-1 when he prodded in from Harvey Elliot's weighted ball.

Nunez had his second just before the break, sliding in to divert Robertson's cross beyond Bazunu.

Salah headed over from Trent Alexander-Arnold's centre and Liverpool would have been punished had Alisson not denied Mohamed Elyounoussi at the other end.

Liverpool wanted a penalty when Salah took a tumble after testing Bazunu, though another terrific Alisson stop - this time a dive down to his right to keep out Adams' header - ensured there would be no nervy finish for the hosts.

What does it mean? Reds rediscover their form

Successive defeats to teams starting the day in the bottom three (Leeds United and Nottingham Forest) had left Liverpool's season swiftly spiralling downwards, but Klopp's team have corrected course and will go into the World Cup break in the top six should Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion lose.

New Southampton manager Jones, meanwhile, will hope to use the hiatus to work on his system and approach as the Saints bid to get out of the bottom three when the league restarts in late December.

Nunez hitting his stride 

Maligned in the opening weeks of his Liverpool career, Nunez is starting to hit his stride in English football. He might lack the craft or poise of some of his fellow Reds attackers, yet it is this direct, blood-and-thunder approach that is paying dividends.

The 23-year-old now has five Premier League goals, adding to three in the Champions League. All three of his shots on Saturday hit the target, while he also created two chances.

Robertson matches Baines record

Robertson teed up two of Liverpool's goals, playing in the free-kick that Firmino turned in before supplying a crisp low delivery for Nunez to make it 3-1.

In the process, he joined former Wigan Athletic and Everton left-back Leighton Baines on 53 Premier League assists – the record for a defender in the competition.

What's next?

Both sides are in EFL Cup action after the World Cup, with Liverpool facing Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp has been suspended by the Football Association (FA) for one game with immediate effect, meaning he will be unable to be on the touchline for Liverpool's home match with Southampton.

Klopp was shown a red card for furiously charging towards assistant referee Gary Beswick and berating the official late in a 1-0 Premier League win for Liverpool against Manchester City at Anfield on October 16.

The Liverpool manager subsequently conceded that he "lost it", having also confronted referee Anthony Taylor.

Klopp was fined £30,000 by an independent regulatory commission but avoided a touchline ban.

However, the FA has successfully appealed that decision, and Liverpool's manager will have to watch on from the stands at Anfield on Saturday, in what is the Reds' final game before the World Cup break.

An FA statement read: "An independent Appeal Board has allowed The FA's appeal against an Independent Regulatory Commission's sanction in relation to the recent case involving Jurgen Klopp.

"As a result, the Liverpool FC manager has been suspended from the touchline for one match with immediate effect, fined £30,000, and warned as to his future conduct."

Liverpool got back to winning ways in the league by beating Tottenham on Sunday, before they edged past Derby County on penalties in the EFL Cup third round in midweek.

Southampton travel to Anfield with a new manager in place after appointing Nathan Jones as Ralph Hasenhuttl's successor.

Jurgen Klopp believes England manager Gareth Southgate should have no concerns about playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

The Liverpool right-back has come in for criticism from sections of the media for his defensive displays this season, with Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville claiming he should not feature in knockout games should the Three Lions make it that far in Qatar.

Alexander-Arnold was named in Southgate's 26-man squad on Thursday, and Klopp has backed his player, pointing to the numerous finals he has played in and trophies he has won.

"It's nice. It's a big tournament, everybody dreams of these kind of things and he was very pleased about the news and I am very happy for him," Klopp said at a press conference on Friday.

Though Alexander-Arnold has been questioned about his defensive work, he has averaged more progressive passes per 90 minutes (9.5) than any other player in the Premier League this season.

The 24-year-old has played in three Champions League finals, winning one, as well as lifting both the EFL Cup and FA Cup with Liverpool last season.

"I know Trent now for long enough, he knows that apart from playing football he has no influence [on selection decisions], it's a lot of talk around him," Klopp added.

"I heard now that Gary Neville said something about in the knockout games [Alexander-Arnold] cannot play or whatever, I'm not sure he said it really or somebody wrote it down and changed the words a little bit.

"He is now 24, he won quite a few finals, that's a very important game where you have to defend, he played finals against Chelsea last year for example, they were incredibly intense and world-class players were in moments better than players they face at the World Cup, definitely.

"[Champions League] finals against Tottenham and Real Madrid, he was always there and he always defended well. I don't know exactly why we have this discussion but it's fine.

"I think he would have been disappointed if he had not been there... I saw his face and realised he was really happy about it."

Klopp's Liverpool host Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday in their final game before the World Cup, with the visitors bringing a new manager to Anfield after Ralph Hasenhuttl was replaced by Nathan Jones this week.

"I actually thought Ralph Hasenhuttl did an exceptional job there," Klopp said. "Everything has its time, but if Southampton showed anything then it was for sure attitude. They were a highly-motivated team, always really going for it.

"Yes, with a new manager there might be an extra few per cent if that's possible but for us that's not our problem because we always expect a really motivated opponent."

Southampton have appointed Nathan Jones as their new manager to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The Saints dismissed Hasenhuttl this week in the wake of Sunday's 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United, a result that left them 18th in the Premier League with just one game remaining before the World Cup break.

Jones, who guided Luton Town to the Championship play-offs last season, was swiftly made a priority target and on Thursday he was confirmed as Southampton's new boss.

The 49-year-old, who also spent a brief spell at Stoke City in 2019, has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal and will face Liverpool at Anfield in his first game at the helm.

"Obviously, I wanted to manage in the Premier League, I've dreamt of that since I've become a coach or a manager, but this club in particular – because of how it's run, because of the structure, because of how they look deeper than just results – really appeals to me," Jones told the club's official website.

Southampton have sacked manager Ralph Hasenhuttl in the wake of Sunday's 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United at St Mary's.

Pressure had been building on the Austrian prior to the thrashing, which left them mired in the Premier League's relegation zone with just 12 points from 14 games this season.

Two of the Saints' three league wins this campaign came in August, and they have suffered six losses in their last nine outings in the competition.

Southampton, who stood by Hasenhuttl in previous seasons despite humbling 9-0 defeats to Leicester City and Manchester United, have now decided to act, dismissing the 55-year-old on Monday.

A statement on the club's website read: "Southampton Football Club can confirm it has parted company with men's first-team manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

"First Team assistant coach Richard Kitzbichler has also today left the club.

"Hasenhuttl, who was appointed in December 2018, departs having made a significant contribution to the club, overseeing some memorable results and also playing a key role in the development of our club infrastructure, identity and playing squad.

"However, we now believe it is an appropriate time to make a change.

"Everyone involved with the club would like to express their sincere thanks to Ralph for all of his efforts, as well as the unwavering commitment he has shown throughout his time as manager."

The club said coach Ruben Selles will take charge of Wednesday's EFL Cup fixture against Sheffield Wednesday, with a permanent successor to be announced in due course.

Former RB Leipzig coach Hasenhuttl replaced Mark Hughes at St Mary's in December 2018, becoming the first Austrian to manage in the Premier League in the process.

Southampton finished 16th in his first half-season in charge, before climbing to 11th in the 2019-20 campaign. However, they failed to improve from there, finishing 15th in each of the last two seasons.

Saints have been hamstrung by a dire defensive record in recent months, keeping one clean sheet across their last 13 home Premier League games, conceding 26 goals during that run.

Youssoufa Moukoko has scored six goals and provided four assists this Bundesliga season for Borussia Dortmund, putting him firmly in the spotlight. 

The 17-year-old has stepped up since Erling Haaland's exit for Manchester City, with Dortmund sitting fourth in the Bundesliga.

The Cameroon-born forward is contracted with Dortmund until 2023, but his impressive displays are attracting interest.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL ENTER RACE FOR DORTMUND'S MOUKOKO

Liverpool have entered the race for Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus already circling, according to SPORT.

Moukoko is out of contract in mid-2023, when many clubs are hoping to sign him on a free transfer.

The teenager has hinted he is content at Dortmund for now, with reports he will hold off until he turns 18 on November 20 to sign a new deal when viewed as an adult under German labour laws.

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid midfielder Eden Hazard could be lured back to the Premier League with interest from Newcastle United and Aston Villa, claims El Nacional.

– Christopher Nkunku's proposed move to Chelsea may be hijacked by Real Madrid, reports El Nacional. The RB Leipzig forward is willing to wait for Madrid before confirming his Blues move.

– Birmingham Live claims new Aston Villa manager Unai Emery wants to bring in forward trio Nicolas Jackson, Yeremi Pino and Samuel Chukwueze from his former club Villarreal in January, along with Pau Torres.

– The Sun reports Tottenham are considering making a January move for Everton winger Anthony Gordon.

– Struggling Premier League club Southampton have decided to sack manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, according to The Athletic.

The World Cup break may be just around the corner, but there remains plenty of life in the Premier League campaign, as another action-packed Sunday showed.

The day was book-ended by two heavyweight clashes, with Mikel Arteta's Arsenal moving back to the top of the table by beating Chelsea in a tense London derby in the early kick-off.

Later on, Liverpool finally clinched their first away win of the Premier League campaign as Mohamed Salah tormented Tottenham.

Elsewhere, Unai Emery made a memorable start to his Aston Villa reign and Newcastle United went third by tearing Southampton apart on the south coast.

Here, Stats Perform looks through the best facts of the day.

Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool: Salah ends Red's dismal away run

Liverpool had failed to win an away Premier League game this season (D2 L3), and needed a result as the prospect of slipping 13 points behind Spurs loomed.

Jurgen Klopp's side may have struggled, but Salah's recent form has been imperious, and he handed the visitors a strong start by drilling home an 11th-minute opener.

Salah then capitalised on Eric Dier's error to double Liverpool's lead, and he has now contributed to 19 goals in 20 games for Liverpool this season (14 goals, five assists). Only last season (28) has the Egyptian recorded more goal involvements in his first 20 appearances of a campaign for the Reds.

Meanwhile, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the 24th different away venue Salah has scored at for Liverpool in the Premier League – only Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen (both 25) have bettered that tally for the Reds.

Harry Kane ensured a nervy finish when he became the first Spurs player to score in six consecutive home Premier League appearances after the break, but Liverpool held firm to claim a huge win. 

Chelsea 0-1 Arsenal: Gabriel earns Gunners another statement win

Sunday's first game saw Arsenal return to the summit with a 1-0 victory against Chelsea, becoming the first team to win 10 away games against the Blues in the competition, and just the second to win on three successive trips to Stamford Bridge (after Blackburn Rovers from 1993-94 to 1995-96).

Gabriel Magalhaes got a touch on Bukayo Saka's corner to decide a hard-fought game – all nine of his league goals for Arsenal have come from corners, and no Premier League player has scored more goals from such situations since he arrived in the division in 2020.

Chelsea looked disjointed throughout, managing just five shots as they slipped to back-to-back Premier League defeats for the first time since December 2020 (under Frank Lampard).

Arsenal, however, look like the real deal. Having beaten Tottenham and Liverpool last month, the Gunners have won three consecutive league games against 'big six' opponents for the first time since April 2012. 

It was a miserable reunion with his former side for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had just eight touches before being taken off by Graham Potter just after the hour.

Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United: Emery makes flying start

At Villa Park, all eyes were on Emery as the Spaniard made his Premier League return just under three years after being sacked by Arsenal, and he could hardly have wished for a better start.

Leon Bailey and Lucas Digne put Villa 2-0 up within 11 minutes – the earliest point at which United have trailed by two goals in a Premier League game since October 2018 against Newcastle (10th minute).

Jacob Ramsey's own goal dragged United back into contention before he atoned by making the points safe for Villa, ensuring Emery became just the fourth coach to win his first Premier League game in charge of a team when facing the Red Devils.

On an eventful day for Ramsey, he became the fourth player in Premier League history to record a goal, an assist and an own goal in the same game, after Kevin Davies, Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale.

United have now lost nine away league games in 2022 – their most in a calendar year since 1989 (12).

Southampton 1-4 Newcastle United: Miggy on the mark again as Magpies cruise

Eddie Howe's Newcastle have arguably been the story of the Premier League season to date, and they continued their stunning form by thrashing Southampton 4-1 at St Mary's.

Newcastle have now scored four or more goals four times in their last seven Premier League games, as often as they did in their previous 226 outings in the competition.

Miguel Almiron opened the scoring, becoming the eighth different player to net in four consecutive Premier League matches for Newcastle, and only the second non-Englishman to do so after Papiss Cisse.

Chris Wood and Joe Willock also got on the scoresheet before Bruno Guimaraes bent a 25-yard effort into the bottom-right corner, scoring his eighth goal in 28 league games for the Magpies, having netted just three times in 56 Ligue 1 outings for former club Lyon.

The result piled more pressure on Ralph Hasenhuttl, with Southampton now winless in their last 14 Premier League games against teams starting the day inside the top four (D5 L9).

Callum Wilson left Newcastle United's 4-1 win over Southampton as he was feeling unwell, rather than due to any injury that might have hurt his World Cup chances.

Wilson has emerged as a potential option for England in Qatar after recovering from a fitness concern earlier in the season to score six goals.

But in front of watching Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate at St Mary's on Sunday, Wilson was withdrawn at half-time.

The striker had shown no obvious sign of discomfort before the break, yet his injury history prompted worries of a setback that would stop him playing for his country. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was injured for Everton on Saturday.

However, Newcastle coach Eddie Howe confirmed there was no long-term issue behind Wilson's substitution, with the striker having revealed earlier in the week he was battling a cold.

"Callum wasn't that well in the week and felt light-headed and dizzy, so that's why he came off," Howe told Sky Sports.

"It was a joint decision. He didn't feel he had the energy needed and it was an easy decision to replace him with Chris [Wood], who came on and got the job done."

Kieran Trippier had gone down late in the first half for Newcastle. An injury to the right-back would have represented a major blow for Southgate, who may already be without Reece James and Kyle Walker.

But Trippier stayed on as Wilson was replaced by Chris Wood with Newcastle 1-0 up through Miguel Almiron's eighth goal of the season.

The Magpies number nine was scarcely missed, as Wood netted a rare goal for the second and Joe Willock grabbed the third. Newcastle have had a league-leading 12 different scorers this season.

After Romain Perraud replied for Southampton with a minute to play, Bruno Guimaraes completed the scoring in stoppage time.

It was the fourth time Newcastle have scored four or more in their past seven matches – as many as across their prior 226 top-flight outings – and took them above Tottenham into third ahead of Sunday's late kick-off between Spurs and Liverpool.

Atletico Madrid were eliminated from Europe in midweek after a 2-1 loss at Porto and are looking to bolster their squad.

One player who could be sold is Joao Felix, who Atleti signed for €126million from Benfica on a seven-year deal in 2019.

The Portuguese forward has underwhelmed this season, with only two goals, and has been unsettled at times.

TOP STORY – ATLETICO WILLING TO LISTEN TO JOAO FELIX OFFERS

Cadena SER claims Atletico Madrid have put Joao Felix on the market and are open to offers for him.

Bayern Munich were rumoured to have made a €100m off-season move for Felix, while Manchester United reportedly had a €130m bid turned down in August.

Fichajes reported last month that the 22-year-old had handed in a transfer request, while Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have been linked with him recently.

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid are getting proactive in the pursuit of Palmeiras' 16-year-old talent Endrick, sending officials to Brazil to commence talks over a deal, claims Marca. Endrick cannot officially join Madrid until he is 18-years-old but Los Blancos are eager to get an agreement in place.

– West Ham, Leicester City, Southampton and Brentford are all monitoring Lyon's Brazilian winger Tete, according to The Sun.

– Diario Sport reports Barcelona want to sign Athletic Bilbao centre-back Inigo Martinez as a replacement for the retiring Gerard Pique.

– Leicester are weighing up their options for a Youri Tielemans replacement, keeping tabs on Lorient midfielder Enzo Le Fee, reports 90min.

– La Gazzetta dello Sport reports veteran French forward Olivier Giroud will be rewarded with a new Milan contract after the World Cup. The new deal will run until 2024.

Chelsea have appointed Joe Shields as co-director of recruitment and talent, as chairman Todd Boehly looks to build a "world-class" management team at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have been targeting appointments in key roles since Boehly's consortium took control in May, and revealed Laurence Stewart is to become technical director at the end of his tenure with Monaco earlier this week. 

Shields – who most recently worked as Southampton's head of recruitment following a nine-year spell with Manchester City's academy – will now join him in a new-look management team.

Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali expressed their excitement at the prospect of working with Shields, telling Chelsea's website: "Joe is another great addition to Chelsea, and we're thrilled to have him on board. 

"We have a clear plan and will adopt a modern and data-driven philosophy, focused on elite emerging talent. 

"We're assembling a deep and collaborative management team who are eager to build a continued sustained winner at Chelsea. 

"Joe has a great track record and understanding of the game and emerging talent. 

"We know we have another strong leader and a team player who will help us continue to build our world-class football organisation."

North London giants Tottenham and Arsenal endured frustrating outings as the Premier League saw more twists and turns on an action-packed Sunday.

Spurs' Champions League hopes suffered a blow as they were edged out by Newcastle United in the day's headline clash, with goals from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron helping the visitors to a 2-1 win.

That result saw Eddie Howe's side climb into the top four, and there was another surprise at the summit as leaders Arsenal were pegged back by Southampton in a 1-1 draw.

At the bottom of the table, meanwhile, Fulham increased the pressure on Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch and Leicester City leapfrogged Wolves by trouncing them 4-0 at Molineux.

Here, Stats Perform picks through the most interesting facts to emerge from Sunday's action.  

Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle United: Magnificent Magpies go fourth

Tottenham approached Sunday's match having won eight consecutive league games on home soil, but Newcastle seized the initiative with an outstanding first-half display to end that run and move within two points of Antonio Conte's team.

Hugo Lloris' bizarre error allowed Wilson to put Newcastle ahead, with the France captain hitting the deck as the striker lobbed into an unguarded net from range.

Wilson's goal was his first in the Premier League from outside the penalty area since January 2019 (for Bournemouth v West Ham), and just the second of his 65 goals in the competition to come from more than 18 yards out.

Newcastle were two goals ahead within 10 minutes of that strike, with Almiron scoring his fifth goal in his last five Premier League outings – as many as he had netted in his previous 61. 

While Harry Kane pulled one back after the break, Newcastle held on to ensure they went fourth after 12 games of the season – this is the latest point at which they have occupied such a lofty position since April 2012, when they sat fourth after 35 matches of the campaign.

Southampton 1-1 Arsenal: Armstrong denies Gunners four-point lead

Arsenal went to St Mary's looking to re-establish a four-point lead over Manchester City at the summit, but saw their run of 27 Premier League games without a draw halted as they slipped up.

Granit Xhaka converted Ben White's cross to put Arsenal ahead – with four goals this season in all competitions, Xhaka is enjoying his joint-best goalscoring campaign with the Gunners, and he has scored in back-to-back games for the club for just the second time (also in September 2016).

However, Stuart Armstrong replied with his first goal in 21 league games as the Saints fought back – each of his last seven Premier League goals have now come at St Mary's.

Arsenal were unable to find a late winner, meaning they dropped points after opening the scoring in a Premier League game for the first time since New Year's Day (1-2 v City), ending their run of 18 straight wins when scoring first.

Wolves 0-4 Leicester City: Lethal Foxes leapfrog sorry hosts

At Molineux, Wolves' nightmare campaign continued as a clinical Leicester side ran out 4-0 winners despite recording just five shots to their hosts' 21.

Wolves have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, failing to score four times during that run, and are enduring their worst ever goalscoring start to a season in the competition with just five goals in 12 games. 

Leicester took the lead through an incredible effort from Youri Tielemans, who picked out the top-left corner to score the Foxes' seventh goal from outside the penalty area this season – the most of any side in the Premier League.

Harvey Barnes, Jamie Vardy and James Maddison then added some gloss to the scoreline, with the latter doing his hopes of an England call-up no harm with another fine display.

Maddison has amassed 28 goal contributions in the Premier League since the start of last season, a tally only bettered by Kane (37) among English players.

Leeds United 2-3 Fulham: Pressure builds on Marsch as Willian shines

Leeds joined Wolves in the bottom three after Fulham dealt them a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat at Elland Road, piling more pressure on beleaguered boss Marsch. 

Leeds have collected nine points from their 11 games this season, their fewest at this stage of a campaign since 2003-04 (eight), when they went on to be relegated from the Premier League. 

Meanwhile, Fulham have posted back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April 2019 under Scott Parker (a run of three), having failed to win consecutive matches at any point in their last top-flight season (in 2020-21).

Willian's 84th-minute strike ultimately proved decisive for Marco Silva's men, on the day the former Chelsea and Arsenal winger made his 264th Premier League appearance.

Among Brazilian players, only Manchester City great Fernandinho has appeared as often in the competition. 

Mikel Arteta acknowledged Gabriel Jesus would be "disappointed" with a profligate showing as Arsenal were held at Southampton on Sunday.

The Gunners were in the ascendancy at St Mary's as Granit Xhaka opened the scoring in the 11th minute, finding the net in consecutive games for just the second time in his Arsenal career.

Jesus twice could have extended Arsenal's lead in the first half, blasting narrowly wide before being denied by Gavin Bazunu when through one-on-one.

The Brazil forward was also thwarted by a last-ditch Mohamed Elyounoussi block after the interval; the Saints midfielder teed up Stuart Armstrong shortly after as the home side battled to a 1-1 draw.

Arsenal manager Arteta suggested Jesus, who attempted a game-high four shots without beating Bazunu, would be the first to vent his frustrations after misfiring in front of goal.

"I'm sure today he will be disappointed knowing Gabi," Arteta said. "He's having the chances, and he's always there. It's a shame he couldn't put them away."

Arsenal moved two points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit, although that lead could have been four points if not for an underwhelming second-half performance.

The Gunners ended a 27-game run of matches without a draw in the Premier League, with Arteta recognising his side slipped below their high standards after a strong opening 45 minutes.

"I think the team looked really fresh at the start," the Spaniard added. "I put it more down to the way we played. We should have played better in the second half."

Arsenal missed the chance to regain their four-point lead at the Premier League summit after Stuart Armstrong's second-half equaliser held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw at Southampton.

The Gunners had enjoyed their best start to a top-flight campaign and dominated the first half on Sunday at St. Mary's Stadium, with Granit Xhaka opening the scoring.

Arsenal continued to look good value for their lead, with Gabriel Jesus spurning a couple of chances, but Southampton fought back as Armstrong levelled in the 65th minute.

Martin Odegaard saw a late strike ruled out as Arsenal moved two points clear of second-placed Manchester City, while Southampton extended their unbeaten run to three games and climbed into 15th.

Gavin Bazunu denied a fizzing Xhaka drive and Odegaard whipped narrowly wide, though Arsenal's early dominance soon paid dividends after 11 minutes.

Ben White overlapped down the right and clipped in a low centre for Xhaka, who expertly fired into the roof of the net.

Jesus almost doubled the lead but blasted just wide and should have sent Arsenal in two goals ahead at half-time when he volleyed straight at Bazunu one-on-one following a smart Xhaka throughball.

A last-ditch Mohamed Elyounoussi thwarted Jesus after the interval before the midfielder teed up Armstrong at the other end, with the Scotland international sliding past Aaron Ramsdale.

Odegaard thought he had grabbed a late winner, only for the assistant to flag for a goal-kick after Kieran Tierney failed to keep the ball in play in the build-up.

What does it mean? In-form Gunners falter

Arsenal's failure to grind out wins was a regular flaw in recent seasons, yet they went some way to easing those concerns with some resolute performances in the nine victories from their opening 10 league games.

Mikel Arteta's side appeared set to earn yet another narrow triumph, though an underwhelming second-half showing – coupled with a lack of clinical finishing – saw them drop points for just the second time this season.

With Chelsea to follow in November and City showing no signs of relenting in their title pursuit, Arteta will be frustrated to drop points at Southampton, who had lost seven of their last 11 Premier League home games.

Great Granit

Xhaka's impressive form for the Gunners continued as the Switzerland international scored his fourth goal in all competitions this season, matching his best return for Arsenal in a single campaign.

The Gunners have never lost in 18 games when Xhaka has scored (W15 D3), though Arsenal will be frustrated to not leave the south coast with victory here.

Jesus fails to deliver

Jesus has been a leading figure within a new-look Arsenal side, blending his hard-work ethic with an eye for goal up top, though the Brazil international failed to fire for the Gunners at Southampton.

The forward attempted a game-high four shots but only found the target with one of those, squandering presentable opportunities in either half in a disappointing showing.

What's next?

Arsenal head to PSV in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Nottingham Forest on Sunday, while Southampton visit Crystal Palace the day before.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta "will always be grateful" to Pep Guardiola for the time they spent together at Manchester City.

Arteta was Guardiola's assistant for three years before taking the top job at Arsenal in 2019.

The duo now find themselves going head-to-head at the top of the Premier League, with the Gunners leading the way, one place ahead of chasing champions City.

Arsenal travel to Southampton on Sunday looking to restore their four-point advantage following City's 3-1 win against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Speaking ahead of the game at St Mary's, Arteta expressed his gratitude for his time at City and the things he learned working under Guardiola.

"I learned a lot about being at the top from Pep," he said. "The standards that are set at the club are not only to win, but to win in a certain way every three days, and be extremely demanding and critical, and at the same time supportive, so it's a good mixture.

"It was incredible to be part of that team and the evolution and how that team was built. I will always be grateful."

The Spanish pair still speak regularly, but Arteta revealed: "Obviously we are not going to be talking about things related to our teams but of course we can speak about football as we did in the past and that's not going to change."

Arsenal have surprised many with their impressive start to the campaign, following up throwing away Champions League qualification at the end of last season to start this one with nine wins from 10 Premier League games.

They head to the south coast having won their last eight in all competitions, and Arteta explained how he manages to stay relaxed about everything.

"First of all, I try to sleep well. Rest is really important," he said. "I try to look after my diet as much as I can. I don't exercise as much as I should do, I have to be very critical of myself in that sense.

"And then I have to keep a clear mind and to do that, spending time with my loved ones is something that really helps me, my wife, my children. And really thinking, meditation, something like that helps you."

It is too early to declare the Premier League a two-horse race for the title, but the blows Manchester City and Arsenal continue to trade are making for increasingly compelling viewing.

Arsenal will have to respond on Sunday after City's latest majestic showing against sorry Southampton.

Chelsea look re-energised under Graham Potter, while Eddie Howe continues to weave his magic at Newcastle United, who scored more goals than even City on Saturday.

Antonio Conte's Tottenham only needed one goal to round off the day by maintaining their impressive start to the campaign at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Before attention turns to events at Emirates Stadium, Stats Perform picks out the best data from Saturday's matches.

Chelsea 3-0 Wolves: Manager-less visitors far from cloud nine

The sacking of Bruno Lage did nothing to improve Wolves' fortunes, as their run of winless away Premier League games was stretched to nine (D2 L7).

That is their longest such run since going 10 games (D4 L6) without a win on the road in January 2012.

On top of that, Wolves remain winless in nine league away games with Chelsea (D3 L6)

Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the Blues and has now found the net twice in his last three league games, more than in his previous 12 matches in the competition. The German has netted in consecutive home league games for the Blues for the first time.

Mason Mount laid on two of the goals for Potter's men, marking the first time he has recorded two assists in a single Premier League games since a meeting Leicester City in February 2020.

Manchester City 4-0 Southampton: KDB the assist king for rampant champions

Pep Guardiola's men will be in the rare position of hoping Liverpool deliver a result against Arsenal on Sunday, after the champions leapfrogged the Gunners back to the top of the table.

Erling Haaland was on the scoresheet again, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, though he did only register one goal in this one-sided affair.

The Norway star is just the second player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games for Manchester City, after Sergio Aguero (May-September 2019).

Kevin De Bruyne provided the assist for Phil Foden to double City's lead after Joao Cancelo opened the scoring. De Bruyne's 94 assists mean he now has the outright most for City in the Premier League, overtaking David Silva (93).

City's incredible prowess in front of goal saw them become the first team to score at least four goals in five consecutive top-flight home games since Tottenham in September 1963 (a run of six).

Newcastle United 5-1 Brentford: Bruno the talk of the Toon

The Magpies are fifth after a dominant performance at St James' Park, and their fans can perhaps afford to hope of challenging at the top consistently for the first time since the days of Bobby Robson.

Newcastle's five-goal effort followed a 4-1 win at Fulham, making it the first time they have scored four-plus goals in successive Premier League games since September 2001, when Robson was in charge and oversaw wins over Middlesbrough and Manchester United. This was also the first time Newcastle have scored five in a Premier League game since May 2016 (5-1 vs Tottenham), a game that came after their relegation to the Championship was already confirmed.

Worries about the second tier look to be a distant memory now. Newcastle have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games (W5 D5), while only City (66), Liverpool (61), Tottenham (61) and Arsenal (55) have won more points than the Magpies (52) in the competition this calendar year.

Newcastle's remarkable form under Howe is down in no small part to Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazil midfielder scored a fine double in this one and now has more goals (7) than any other Newcastle player since making his Premier League debut in February.

Brighton and Hove Albion 0-1 Tottenham: Conte defeats another compatriot

Conte is one of four Italian managers to lift the Premier League trophy and enjoyed success against another trying to make his way in England as Spurs saw off Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton side.

Conte is now unbeaten in all seven of his Premier League matches against fellow Italian managers (W6 D1) and has seen his sides keep clean sheets in four of their last five such games.

Son Heung-min teed up Harry Kane for the game's only goal, making it the 43rd time they have combined for a Premier League goal, extending their own record.

Kane has scored 12 goals in his last 12 league games, and has found the net in each of his last four, his joint-longest scoring streak in the competition and the seventh time he has achieved that feat.