Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal's performance against Brighton and Hove Albion in the EFL Cup did not warrant defeat as he bemoaned their failures in front of goal.

The Gunners were eliminated from the third round of the EFL Cup for just the second time in their last 20 appearances after Brighton responded to Eddie Nketiah's opener with three unanswered goals.

Danny Welbeck's penalty restored parity in the first half before strikes from Kaouro Mitoma and Tariq Lamptey sealed a 3-1 victory at Emirates Stadium, where Brighton have won three of their last four.

Despite a comfortable defeat to Roberto Di Zerbi's Seagulls on Wednesday, Arteta suggested the Premier League leaders did not deserve to lose for a first time at home in nine games.

"The view is that the result doesn't reflect what happened on the pitch, I think it's clear," the Arsenal manager said. 

"In moments where we were clearly on top of the game, we didn't take our opportunities."

Arsenal debutant Karl Hein, a 20-year-old Estonian who joined in 2018, was at fault for Brighton's equaliser as he slipped before rushing out to fell former Gunner Welbeck.

The striker converted his spot-kick to become the first player to score at Emirates Stadium with four different clubs (Manchester United, Arsenal, Watford and Brighton), though Arteta refused to blame Hein.

"I think he deserves the chance. He's the first goalkeeper for his national team and at his age that's not usual," the Spaniard added.

"If I have to play him tomorrow again I would. Errors are part of football."

Another fringe player to come under criticism was Fabio Vieira, who is yet to shine after his move from Porto last transfer window, but Arteta acknowledged the midfielder will take time to adjust.

"I think in front of goal he's been unlucky but every player needs time to adapt. I'm not worried at all," Arteta said.

Arsenal visit Wolves in their final Premier League outing before the World Cup break and will soon have to consider the January transfer window, where Arteta suggested his side could be active.

He added: "That's a window that is open and we'll have to discuss the opportunities that we have and be on the market for opportunities."

Kaoru Mitoma and Tariq Lamptey were both on target in the second half as Arsenal were knocked out of the EFL Cup in the third round after a 3-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Gunners faltered for just a second time in their last 20 appearances in the third round of the competition, despite dominating for large periods at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Danny Welbeck's first-half penalty had cancelled out Eddie Nketiah's opener, before Mitoma and Lamptey struck in the space of 13 second-half minutes to end Arsenal's nine-match home winning run.

Julio Enciso headed just off target before Jeremy Sarmiento fired narrowly wide but Arsenal struck in the 20th minute when Reiss Nelson found Nketiah, who curled a smart first-time finish past Jason Steele.

Debutant Karl Hein's slip offered Brighton their equaliser, though, as the goalkeeper brought down Welbeck, who coolly converted his spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.

A fizzing Nketiah right-footed drive cannoned against the left post after the interval, before Steele kept out Nelson's header with a stretching stop.

Brighton hit the front as Sarmiento danced through the middle before laying off for Mitoma to whip a right-footed effort into the bottom-right corner from inside the area.

Former Chelsea defender Lamptey sealed victory soon after as he drilled under Hein after being teed up by Billy Gilmour.

What does it mean? Gunners blunted by Seagulls

Brighton had lost all five of their all-Premier League clashes in the EFL Cup since reaching the top flight in 2017-18, but produced a resolute showing to earn another victory at Arsenal.

The Seagulls have now won three of their last four trips to Arsenal, having lost all eight of their previous visits to the Gunners between November 1979 and May 2019.

Arteta's side will be frustrated to drop out of the EFL Cup so early on but have much bigger tasks to focus on as they compete for Premier League and Europa League glory.

Welbeck scores on return again

Welbeck showed all of his experience to draw Hein into the foul for the first-half penalty he calmly dispatched by sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

The striker became the first player to score at Emirates Stadium with four different clubs (Manchester United, Arsenal, Watford and Brighton) as he came back to haunt his former side.

Hein mistake proves costly

Hein was made to wait for his first chance at Arsenal since leaving his native Estonia to join from FC Nomme United in 2018. 

But the 20-year-old goalkeeper failed to impress when called upon, with his erroneous decision to rush out before slipping to bring down Welbeck allowing Brighton a way back into the game after going a goal down.

What's next?

Arsenal play their final Premier League game before the World Cup break at Wolves on Saturday, while Brighton host Aston Villa the day after.

Do you want to head into the World Cup break top of your fantasy league? Well, you're running out of time!

This weekend will be the penultimate round of games before a Premier League hiatus for Qatar 2022, with real-life teams aiming to get themselves in as strong a position as possible ahead of the Boxing Day resumption.

On the fantasy football front, given how tricky and unpredictable everything is likely to be after the World Cup, this is arguably a vital couple of weeks.

That's where Stats Perform hopes to help. They have delved into the Opta numbers to identify four players who appear smart choices beyond your obvious picks such as Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.

Danny Ward (Everton v Leicester City)

This might sound like a rogue choice given he conceded 22 goals in Leicester's first seven league games this term, but the Foxes have improved defensively of late.

That's highlighted by the fact Ward has kept clean sheets in four of his past six appearances in the Premier League, with no one matching that figure since the start of October.

In his first seven games, Ward let in 4.7 goals more than he should have according to Opta, but his goals prevented since stands at 1.0 – he's certainly turned his form around.

Kieran Trippier (Southampton v Newcastle United)

Obviously, the trick to picking defenders in fantasy football is choosing those who are likely to keep clean sheets and also able to offer a threat going forward – Trippier is marking himself out as the ideal candidate.

Since his first Newcastle game in the Premier League, he is one of just five defenders to reach five goal involvements and contribute to at least seven clean sheets. Trippier's also played the fewest minutes of those players.

Six of those clean sheets have been kept this season, with Newcastle's defensive solidity impressing pundits, while his 31 chances created is a Premier League-high for defenders, highlighting his attacking threat.

Leandro Trossard (Wolves v Brighton and Hove Albion)

It's been a peculiar season in general for Brighton, though Trossard's form has been one of few constants.

The Seagulls will hope that last weekend's battering of their former manager Graham Potter's Chelsea side will bring momentum, and that could see Trossard – arguably in the former of his Premier League career – become even livelier.

After all, only four players have more goals (seven) than the Belgian this term, with his record of a goal involvement every 126 minutes roughly twice as good as his previous best over a full campaign (one every 255 minutes).

Callum Wilson (Southampton v Newcastle United)

Eddie Howe has attracted a lot of praise for making Newcastle sound defensively, but they also continue to possess a potent attacking unit and Wilson is central to that.

Not only does he have eight goal involvements to his name this term (six scored, one assisted), Wilson's record of one goal every 117 minutes in the Premier League in 2022 (936 minutes) is his second-best return over a calendar year in the top flight after 2015, when he only played 543 minutes.

He travels to Southampton with huge confidence, having had a hand in three goals against Aston Villa last time out, the first time he's managed that in over two years.

Graham Potter accepts he is always "90 minutes away from a crisis" as Chelsea's head coach, but is shutting out the noise following Saturday's 4-1 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Having gone unbeaten through his first nine games since swapping Brighton for Stamford Bridge in September, Potter suffered his first defeat as Blues boss against his old club.

Chelsea conceded twice as many goals in Saturday's resounding loss (four) as they did in their first five Premier League games under Potter (two), leaving the team open to heavy criticism.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Champions League fixture against Dinamo Zagreb, however, Potter said he is unaffected by external opinions.

"In my job, or where I'm sat, you've got to be careful what you listen to. People can talk and say whatever. It's just part of life," he said.

"You understand at a club like this, you're only 90 minutes away from a crisis and you have to put things into perspective. 

"You have to understand where you've been and what has happened, and look at it as intelligently as you can. 

"Whatever people say from the outside, there's always opinions, there's always people that don't like you, there's always people that will have a different view of how the situation is. 

"You can't control that. All I can do is focus on how I think, what I think and how I act, and let the noise carry."

Although Chelsea lost ground in the Premier League last time out, they are yet to taste defeat under Potter in the Champions League (W3 D1).

If the Blues avoid defeat on Wednesday, Potter will become the first Chelsea boss to go unbeaten through his first five games in the competition since Roberto Di Matteo, who led them to the trophy after doing so in the 2011-12 season.

Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes has only played 27 games for the club since arriving from Lyon, and he has been so impressive that he is now a target of Barcelona.

Guimaraes, 24, spent three seasons with Lyon before Newcastle secured his services in a £40million move in January.

He scored five goals in just 11 starts this past Premier League campaign, and has added two goals and two assists this season, with Newcastle unbeaten in the 10 games he has started.

The Brazil international with eight senior caps to his name is a key part of why Newcastle currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League table, but they will now reportedly have to fend off interest from Barca.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA INVESTIGATE A MOVE FOR GUIMARAES

According to The Sun, Barcelona have officially moved on from their chase of Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and are instead focusing their attention on Newcastle's Guimaraes.

The report claims Barcelona were "priced out" of a move for Silva after City slapped a price tag of £80m on him and Guimaraes would certainly not come cheap.

With his contract tying him to Newcastle until 2026, it would need a huge offer to land the 24-year-old. 

While their spending spree will eventually need to be balanced out with some sales, the Magpies are said to be offering Guimaraes a new contract that will pay him £200,000 per week to put any questions about his future to bed.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting both Roma and Juventus are expected to pursue 23-year-old Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, who is valued in the region of €30m.

– According to The Mirror, Sporting will attempt to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo in January, and are preparing a second contract offer despite previously stating they can not afford the Portugal legend.

– Relevo claims N'Golo Kante is seen by Barcelona as a potential successor to Sergio Busquets, with the Chelsea midfielder's contract set to expire at the end of the season.

– It could be a busy January for Barcelona as Sport are reporting they hope to sell Memphis Depay, while Fichajes believe Franck Kessie will push for a move back to the Serie A.

– According to IG Esporte, Brighton and Everton are interested in 25-year-old Monaco left-back Caio Henrique.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is known to be desperate for Lionel Messi to finish his career at his long-time club.

The 35-year-old Argentine forward departed Camp Nou hastily in August last year due to Barcelona's financial issues.

Messi joined the Blaugrana in 2000 and had an association with the club for more than two decades, scoring 672 goals across 778 first-team appearances.

TOP STORY – LAPORTA PLOTTING JANUARY MOVE FOR MESSI

Laporta is planning a move for Barcelona club legend Lionel Messi in the January transfer window, according to Sport.

The report states that Barcelona want to take advantage of the Fair Play situation in January, rather than wait for the off-season where the 1/4 rule will make any move more difficult.

However, Laporta's plan is full of obstacles for the Blaugrana to overcome, not least LaLiga's financial restraints, along with convincing Messi and his current club Paris Saint-Germain to part midway through the season.

Messi has publicly said he has deferred any decisions on his club or international future until after the World Cup.

ROUND-UP

– Sporting CP head coach Ruben Amorim may have distanced the club from links with Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo in midweek but The Mirror reports that the Portuguese club will make a bid for him in January.

– Brighton and Hove Albion are open to selling Moises Caicedo amid interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United but have slapped a £85m price tag on the 20-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder, reports the Sunday Mirror.

– The Express claims that Arsenal are leading the race ahead of Manchester United to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans. The Belgian could move to the Gunners for free, as he is out of contract at the end of the season and unlikely to pen a new deal.

– Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante - whose contract is also up at the end of June 2023 - is a major target for Barcelona who are looking at replacements for veteran Sergio Busquets, reports Relevo.

– Sport claims Barcelona are looking to offload Memphis Depay in January, with Juventus interested in signing the Dutch attacker.

– Wolves are set to approach ex-Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui again, having failed to convince him previously to become their new manager, claims The Sun.

Graham Potter defended his decision to leave Brighton and Hove Albion for Chelsea after Seagulls fans booed him upon his ultimately unhappy return to the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Potter spent three years at Brighton prior to departing for Stamford Bridge earlier this season, transforming them into an entertaining side after taking over a struggling team in 2019.

Saturday was his first return to Brighton with new side Chelsea and Potter was widely jeered by the home fans, who also sang "you're getting sacked in the morning".

Brighton won the game 4-1, dealing Potter his first Chelsea loss and preventing him from becoming the only English manager to go unbeaten in his opening 10 games in charge of the club.

When was asked about his reception after the game, Potter was keen to defend himself.

"I have nothing to say sorry for, I've nothing to apologise for," he told reporters.

"I did a good job, you can see the team's a good team. I took over when they were fourth from bottom in the Premier League, probably third-worst team [in the division].

"There's a lot of money been raised in terms of player sales and there's a lot of good players on the pitch.

"I hope for their sake the next manager does as good a job and that's as brilliant for them."

Nevertheless, Potter could not hide how difficult it was to suffer such a thrashing in this of all games.

"Of course, the scoreline and the defeat is a painful one," he continued.

"We didn't really recover. Once the crowd were so engaged it was a difficult one for us. The scoreline was painful. Brighton played a good game, especially in the first half.

"You can always look at goals and think you can do better. We have to take responsibility a bit in the first half.

"We have had a lot of football but that's no excuse. We couldn't quite get to that level. We didn't take our opportunities in attack and they did.

"We had some opportunities to attack them too but unfortunately we missed the pass or didn't execute, then the scoreline was a painful one. When you lose you can always do better."

Graham Potter suffered a crushing first defeat as Chelsea head coach on his return to former club Brighton and Hove Albion, who claimed a thrilling 4-1 win at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Potter was aiming to become the first English boss in Chelsea's history to go unbeaten in his first 10 games, but the Seagulls were ravenous as they earned new coach Roberto De Zerbi his maiden win.

Chelsea's defeat was essentially confirmed by half-time after Leandro Trossard's early strike was added to by own goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah.

Kai Havertz pulled one back just after half-time, but magic was in short supply for Potter and the Blues as Pascal Gross added gloss to the scoreline late on.

De Zerbi's side were straight on the front foot and scored in just the fifth minute.

Kaoru Mitoma's incisive run was followed by an intricate pass into the box for Trossard, who showed exceptional composure to round Kepa Arrizabalaga and slam home.

It was 2-0 soon after, as Loftus-Cheek miscued a clearance from a corner and found his own net.

Moises Caicedo was denied by the post just after the half-hour mark, but Brighton still managed to extend their lead before the break – Chalobah poking Pervis Estupinan's pass beyond Kepa.

Potter withdrew Kepa for Edouard Mendy at the break and Chelsea quickly got themselves a lifeline – Havertz nodding in Conor Gallagher's cross.

The goal was a precursor to prolonged Chelsea pressure, but no comeback followed and Brighton got a fourth in stoppage time, Gross pouncing on the rebound after Julio Enciso tested Mendy's palms.

Graham Potter believes his Chelsea team strike it lucky more often than the Brighton and Hove Albion side he left behind for the Stamford Bridge top job.

Potter, who is wary he could get a mixed reception when he takes Chelsea to the Amex Stadium on Saturday, suggested an element of good fortune is the main difference between the teams.

He left the Seagulls in early September to succeed Thomas Tuchel in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Since then, Potter has helped engineer a turnaround in form with the Blues, going unbeaten across his first nine games, while his successor at the Amex Stadium, Roberto De Zerbi, is yet to win a match.

The Englishman does not feel Brighton – who have never beaten Chelsea in 10 previous Premier League meetings (D4 L6) – have been any less deserving of points since his departure, however.

"We all want to win," Potter said. "The difference is luck. We've won our games, and maybe had a bit of luck, and Brighton haven't had too much.

"Both of us are under pressure because it is a Premier League game, and both of us want to win. They're a good team. Apart from luck, they'd have more points."

Potter reaffirmed he is unconcerned by Raheem Sterling's lack of goalscoring form, with the England forward having failed to score in the Premier League since August.

"I would say no, I'm not," Potter said, when asked about the drought. "Raheem's quality speaks for itself.

"It's better for me to think about the team and how we can attack better and create more chances."

Potter felt plenty of goodwill from locals on the south coast following his move to west London, but he is not sure how he will be received on his return

"The timing wasn't great for anybody and sometimes that happens," Potter said. "Most people I've spoken to from Brighton have been supportive, but I'm not naive, that's not universal."

Todd Boehly's quotes when announcing Graham Potter as Chelsea's new head coach last month said much about his burgeoning reputation.

Having dispensed with the services of one of just two men to bring the Champions League trophy to Stamford Bridge in Thomas Tuchel, Boehly described Potter as a "proven innovator in the Premier League", and someone with "skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch".

Potter certainly had big shoes to fill, but it has been a case of so far, so good for the Blues boss.

Nine games into his tenure, Potter has yet to suffer defeat, leading Chelsea to fifth place in the Premier League and into the Champions League's last 16 ahead of Saturday's return to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ahead of Potter's reunion with the Seagulls, Stats Perform reflects on his coaching journey and asks whether his strong start with Chelsea represents a sign of things to come.

From humble beginnings: Potter's stunning journey at Ostersunds

When Potter – whose modest playing career saw him feature in each of the top five tiers of English football – made an unconventional move to Sweden in 2011, few would have expected him to progress quite so rapidly.

Potter was recommended to fourth-tier side Ostersunds by Graeme Jones, then Roberto Martinez's assistant at Swansea City, and they would not regret taking him on. Within seven years, Potter was masterminding Europa League wins against Galatasaray, Hertha Berlin, and most noticeably of all, Arsenal.

Having led the side to three promotions in five seasons, Potter oversaw a Svenska Cupen triumph in 2017, earning the chance to face some of Europe's biggest names.

Ostersunds' 2-1 success at the Emirates Stadium in February 2018 put Potter on the map, despite Arsene Wenger's men triumphing 4-2 on aggregate at the end of their round-of-32 tie. 

Despite his limited resources, Potter became the first English coach to beat the Gunners in a European tie at the Emirates, while Ostersunds were the first Swedish team to win away at an English side since 1995, earning their boss a move to Swansea.

Making waves at Swansea ahead of Brighton move

Swansea were considered one of the Premier League's best-run clubs for much of their seven-year spell among the top flight between 2011 and 2018, but Potter inherited a team unprepared for a promotion challenge following relegation that May.

The Swans allowed several key men to leave in Potter's first transfer window, but the new boss made a big impact: Swansea may have finished nine points adrift of a Championship play-off spot, but a controversial 3-2 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals put him on the radar of Premier League clubs.  

Despite only spending one season in Wales, Potter was key to the development of the likes of Dan James and Joe Rodon, both of whom went on to join top-six clubs. 

When Brighton were in the mood to change their style of play in 2019, Potter's sterling work on a limited budget in Wales put him high on their shortlist.

Seagulls soar to new heights: Potter's Premier League bow

In the 2018-19 season, Chris Hughton's Brighton staved off relegation by two points, scoring a mere 35 league goals across a dull campaign. Potter's subsequent arrival was not universally welcomed, with several pundits highlighting his lack of top-level experience, but he quickly made them eat their words.

Although finishes of 15th and 16th in his first two campaigns may not have demonstrated obvious progress, Potter's ability to implement a progressive style was clear: having averaged 41 per cent possession in Hughton's final season, Brighton averaged 52 per cent the following year. 

The 2021-22 campaign saw Potter conduct some of his finest work to date, presiding over a ninth-place finish while losing just 11 games. Only Liverpool (two), City (three) and Chelsea (six) were beaten on fewer occasions. 

In addition to the top three, only Tottenham and Wolves posted better defensive records than Brighton last term, and their energetic pressing style was demonstrated by the fact only Liverpool and City won possession in the final third more often than the Seagulls.

Brighton saved arguably their finest performance for Potter's final match, scoring five goals in a top-flight game for the first time (in 364 outings) as they hammered Leicester City 5-2.

The Seagulls fell victim to their own success as Potter was lured to Chelsea four days later, and there are signs he has made an impact quickly in London.

Potter shakes off Chelsea blues with unbeaten start

Potter arrived at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea languishing three points behind Brighton in the early-season standings. He will return to the AMEX Stadium boasting a six-point advantage over his former club, but Chelsea was not a happy place when he took over. 

Many fans felt Tuchel deserved more time following his excellent management of last-season's off-pitch troubles, and while an estimated £250million transfer outlay demonstrated Boehly's intent, their recruitment felt muddled and short-sighted.

Take, for instance, the decision to reunite Tuchel with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, spending £10.3m on a 33-year-old striker before changing coach less than a week later.

Potter, however, has made light of any concerns, becoming just the second Englishman to go undefeated through his first nine games in charge of Chelsea.

While Chelsea dropped out of the top four following a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Saturday, the Blues' exceptional European form has seen them wrap up top spot in Group E with a game to spare – a commendable achievement given they failed to win their opening two games.

Potter's willingness to switch between a 4-3-3 shape and the 3-4-3 system favoured by Tuchel has helped him to manage his talent-filled squad, while a return of five clean sheets in nine games demonstrates Chelsea's defensive solidity.

At Brighton, meanwhile, Potter's absence has been keenly felt. While his successor Roberto De Zerbi has earned plaudits for the Seagulls' style, he is yet to oversee a victory in five Premier League games (D2 L3).

Should Potter lead Chelsea to a positive result at his former home, De Zerbi will become just the third coach in Brighton's history to not win any of his first six league matches.

Saturday will represent the earliest date in a Premier League season by which a coach has managed for and against the same club. If the teams' contrasting runs of form are anything to go by, it may come far too soon for Brighton.

At Stamford Bridge, meanwhile, things appear to be looking up, and Potter's meteoric rise may be far from over.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter praised his side for qualifying for the Champions League last-16 with a game to spare having lost their opener to Dinamo Zagreb.

The Blues booked their ticket for the knockout stages with a 2-1 away win over Salzburg, after impressive strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz in each half, either side of Junior Adamu's goal.

Chelsea had lost their opening game of the group stage, 1-0 at Dinamo Zagreb, leading to Thomas Tuchel's dismissal, but under Potter have bounced back with 10 points from four games, including strong away wins at Milan and Salzburg, securing top spot in Group E.

"Very [satisfied]. It’s not easy to win here as you can see from the record they have and the quality of the team," Potter told reporters.

"We had to play well and I thought we did. We created some good chances in the first half and were unlucky not to go more than 1-0 up.

"Then one action, with the quality at this level, and it’s 1-1. I thought our response was really good then, so I am delighted to go through, delighted with the performance of the players. I thought they were fantastic tonight.

"To go through with a game to spare is brilliant considering where we started the competition."

Havertz's 64th-minute winner was a spectacular left-foot strike that cannoned in off the crossbar.

The goal was the German's first this season in the Champions League, and third in all competitions. It was also Havertz's first goal away from Stamford Bridge for the Blues since April.

"His quality is there; he’s an incredibly talented player," Potter said. "He’s been nearly there and obviously, scoring a goal like that is bound to help.

"I wouldn’t be able to score a goal like that to be fair, I can only imagine. It’s a fantastic strike and an indication of the quality he has, so I’m really pleased for him."

Potter brushed off concerns about his side's wastefulness in front of goal, having had 15 shots, including 11 on target, while he hinted they may rotate their squad for their final group game against Dinamo having already qualified.

The Blues take on Potter's former club Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, followed by Dinamo (November 2), Arsenal in the Premier League (November 6) and Manchester City in the EFL Cup (November 9) in quick succession.

"We're at home at Stamford Bridge [against Dinamo] and we'll try our very best," he said. "We want to win every game we play, that is the mentality we have to have.

"But clearly, we have a game at the weekend and another game the weekend after, so maybe we can rotate a little bit. But we will try our best."

Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland will be a "genius" if he can break the Premier League scoring record, and hailed the impact of Borussia Dortmund on the striker's development.

The Norway international has scored 17 top-flight goals in 11 outings since his move from Dortmund, managing a brace in Saturday's 3-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Haaland also became the first City player to score in seven consecutive home games in all competitions since Sergio Aguero in the 2017-18 season.

Alan Shearer and Andy Cole both scored 34 goals in a single campaign, sharing the English top-flight record, with Guardiola expecting Haaland to surpass that mark if he can continue his impressive form.

"If he continues to score with this rhythm, he will be a genius, with the average every game, he's going to break the record," the City manager said.

"But football, maybe you score then a few days later you stop scoring, I don't know.

"All the strikers I have ever seen, [Samuel] Eto'o, [Lionel] Messi, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Thomas] Muller, [Sergio] Aguero, their ambitions to score goals, goals and more goals is normal, it has to be like that."

While the 22-year-old forward will eye breaking more Premier League records, Haaland's attention must first turn to a reunion at Dortmund in the Champions League.

City have already qualified for the knockout stages of UEFA's flagship club competition but will progress as Group G winners with victory at Signal Iduna Park.

Tuesday will mark a memorable return for Haaland, who scored 86 goals in 89 appearances during his two-and-a-half-year spell at BVB, and Guardiola credited the influence of the Bundesliga side on the striker's progression.

"It will be good [the reception he gets]. Salzburg in Austria, then Dortmund, he scored a lot of goals as well," the Spaniard added.

"At Dortmund, that period helped, the managers he had, the team-mates he had. In a few years, he will be a better player again from the [City] team-mates he plays with, definitely."

With a goal against his former side, Haaland would become just the sixth player to score in five or more consecutive Champions League outings on as many as three separate occasions, joining Cristiano Ronaldo (5), Messi (3), Lewandowski (3), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (3) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (3). 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants more from Kevin De Bruyne who he says is not playing at his top level despite a stunning goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

The two-time Premier League Player of the Season fired in City's third goal with a curling right-foot shot from just beyond the box to seal the points in the 75th minute.

Since De Bruyne's Premier League debut for City in September 2015, he has scored more goals from outside the box than any other player in the competition in this period (24).

The goal was the 31-year-old Belgian's second of the Premier League season while he has also contributed nine assists, yet Guardiola is expecting more.

"He can be better. He's not playing at his top level, not yet," Guardiola told reporters.

"He made a fantastic goal but he's not playing his best. He knows. I don’t have to tell him. His dynamic still is not perfect, he knows that. I spoke with him. The goal is outstanding.

"Thanks to him we didn’t suffer in the last 15, 20 minutes when the game was more open… Kevin made a masterclass action so we win the game."

Erling Haaland continued his remarkable form with a first-half double, meaning he became the first City player to score in seven consecutive home games in all competitions since Sergio Aguero in February 2018.

The Norwegian showcased his pace and physicality to open the scoring in the 22nd minute, before emphatically converting a 43rd-minute penalty with a powerful strike.

"I would say that [Haaland]] has the quality in bigger spaces, he can do it and in smaller spaces he can do it," Guardiola said. "This is the reality.

"He is fantastic. The numbers and everything, the way he kicked the penalty, the quality, he did it."

Haaland's goal which made it 2-0 was City's 600th in the Premier League under Guardiola, making him the third manager to achieve that feat behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

Manchester United scrambled a draw at Chelsea without Cristiano Ronaldo as Casemiro's late heroics saved the day for Erik ten Hag.

That was the climax to a four-game Premier League programme on Saturday, and it was one that saw Liverpool slip up at their bogey ground, Manchester City go past 600 Premier League goals in the Pep Guardiola era, and Everton finally find some scoring form at Goodison Park.

City have closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to one point, ahead of the Gunners' trip to Southampton on Sunday.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best facts from the day's Premier League action.

Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United: Casemiro saves the day for Red Devils

Jorginho's 87th-minute penalty looked set to be the winner, but Casemiro had other ideas, heading home to earn a point for United in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Only Arsenal (12) and Chelsea (9) have had more different Brazilians score a Premier League goal for them than United, after Casemiro became the eighth on their list. The goal, time at 93:28, was United's latest equaliser in a league game since Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored at the death in April 2017 against Everton (93:41).

Jorginho has now scored 19 of his 22 penalties in the Premier League for Chelsea, with only Frank Lampard having netted more spot-kicks for the Blues in the competition (41).

Setting aside the late drama, the outcome should come as little surprise. No Premier League fixture has been drawn as often as Chelsea against United (26 draws). Seven of the past nine such meetings have finished level now, including each of the past five.

Chelsea are now winless in their past 10 Premier League games against United (D7 L3) – only against Blackburn Rovers (12 games between 1992 and 1998) and Arsenal (19 between 1995 and 2005) have they ever had a longer winless run in the competition.

Raheem Sterling lasted 79 minutes before being replaced. He has now faced United 24 times in all competitions in his professional career, more than any other opponent, but has never scored past them, despite attempting 38 shots across those games (15 on target).

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool: Klopp rattled by City Ground slip-up

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp picked fault with his team's finishing after this painful defeat, pointing to misses by Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk, but this was just the latest in a line of disappointments in Nottingham for the Anfield giants.

Liverpool have never won in six Premier League away games against Forest (D3 L3), making the City Ground the only stadium where the Reds have played more than once in the competition and never won.

Taking in results from the pre-Premier League era, Liverpool have failed to win on any of their past 13 league trips to Forest (D7 L6).

This was their first visit on league duty since 1999, with a once-fierce rivalry having been on hold during Forest's time outside the top flight. The outcome gave Forest a first home success in the competition over Liverpool since a 1-0 victory in March 1996.

Liverpool have cause for concern: they have failed to win any of their first five away games in a Premier League season for the first time since 2006-07 under Rafael Benitez, and they have three league defeats in 2022-23 already, one more than in the whole of the 2021-22 campaign.

Match-winner Taiwo Awoniyi became the first Forest player to score in each of his first three Premier League starts at the City Ground, lifting Steve Cooper's team off the foot of the table.

Manchester City 3-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: Haaland matches Aguero, De Bruyne goes level with Silva

Erling Haaland has gone off hat-tricks, but doubles will do fine for now. With two goals against Brighton, he became the first City player to score in seven consecutive home games in all competitions since Sergio Aguero in February 2018. The Norwegian has 15 goals in those seven matches. His second goal was City's 600th in the Premier League since Guardiola took charge for the 2016-17 season.

Kevin De Bruyne was no bystander in this victory, putting the seal on the success with a fine second-half strike after Leandro Trossard closed the gap. De Bruyne has been directly involved in 153 Premier League goals for City (59 goals, 94 assists), with Saturday's effort putting him level with David Silva's goal involvements tally for the club (60 goals, 93 assists) and behind only Aguero (231 – 184 goals, 47 assists).

City have won 10 consecutive Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium, including all six this season. This is the fifth time they have begun a Premier League campaign by winning their opening six home matches (also 2007-08, 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2018-19).

While City thrive, Brighton are fading. Roberto De Zerbi has become the fourth manager/head coach to fail to win any of his first five league games with the club, after Barry Lloyd (first 12), Don Welsh (first 8) and George Curtis (first 5).

The Seagulls remain winless away to City in all 13 league visits in their history (D2 L11), losing their last nine.

Everton 3-0 Crystal Palace: Toffees end slide, pass goals milestone

After consecutive losses to Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle United, Everton got back on track thanks to goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anthony Gordon and substitute Dwight McNeil.

Calvert-Lewin's opener was Everton's 1,500th goal in the Premier League, making the Toffees the seventh side to reach that total and the first since Manchester City in January 2021.

It was raining goals by recent Everton standards, with Frank Lampard's team having only managed three goals in total across their five previous Premier League games this season.

Erling Haaland got back on the goal trail as his first-half double helped Manchester City to a 3-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The Norwegian was kept quiet as City fell to their first defeat of the Premier League season at Liverpool last Sunday, but he bounced back in convincing fashion by putting the Seagulls to the sword.

Haaland was the beneficiary of an Ederson assist when he tapped into an empty net for his first, then rifled home a penalty to double up shortly before half-time.

Leandro Trossard dragged Brighton back into contention after the break, but Pep Guardiola's champions weathered the storm before Kevin De Bruyne made the points safe with a trademark long-range strike.

City toiled as Brighton kept things tight in the opening 20 minutes, but the hosts benefitted from a more direct approach when Haaland latched onto Ederson's lofted ball before shrugging off Aaron Webster to score the opener.

Lewis Dunk denied De Bruyne with a last-ditch block following a give-and-go with Jack Grealish 10 minutes later, but the Brighton defender was at fault when Haaland extended City's lead.

After a lengthy VAR review ruled Dunk had tripped Bernardo Silva in a crowded penalty area, Haaland blasted the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner, giving Robert Sanchez no chance.

However, Brighton needed just eight minutes to half the arrears after the break, as Trossard cut inside from the left before beating Ederson at his near post from 18 yards out, Solly March with the assist.

Trossard then forced Ederson into a reflex save as Brighton continued to push, but their efforts were undone when De Bruyne picked out the top-left corner with 15 minutes remaining, having been teed up by Silva.