Arsenal dropped points in the title race on a busy Saturday in the Premier League, denied by an Ivan Toney equaliser as Brentford drew 1-1 at Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta's had a better day of it than north London rivals Tottenham, though, as Spurs were thrashed 4-1 at Leicester City, despite taking an early lead.

Elsewhere, Chelsea were denied a win at West Ham after Emerson Palmieri equalised Joao Felix's first goal of his loan spell from Atletico Madrid.

Southampton's woes continued as they were beaten 2-1 at home against Wolves, despite taking the lead and having a man advantage for over an hour after Mario Lemina was sent off for the visitors.

Newcastle United's run of draws continued as they were held 1-1 at Bournemouth, while Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion also could not be separated, and Fulham beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Craven Cottage.

Here, Stats Perform looks at Saturday's biggest games, with the guidance of Opta data.

West Ham 1-1 Chelsea: Blues struggle to handle Hammers

Graham Potter's Chelsea were left frustrated after a late claim for handball was denied at London Stadium, and this draw was the first in nine Premier League encounters between West Ham and Chelsea since a 0-0 in September 2018.

The Blues have drawn three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since February 2012, and remarkably, there were no shots on target in the second half from either side, being just the second Premier League match where that has occurred this season after Southampton v Nottingham Forest in January.

Emerson became the first former Chelsea player to score his first Premier League goal for a club against the Blues since Frank Lampard for Manchester City in September 2014.

On his return from suspension, Joao Felix became the 12th different player to score for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, with no side having had more in 2022-23 (excluding own goals), which perhaps is not a surprise when you consider the number of players they now have.

Arsenal 1-1 Brentford: Toney time dents Gunners' title push

It seemed like business as usual when Leandro Trossard gave the hosts the lead, but this ended up being the first time Arsenal had failed to win a Premier League home game in which they scored first since January 2022. They had won 10 in a row at Emirates Stadium when opening the scoring before this game.

Brentford showed great resilience and have now scored 15 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season, with no side netting more (including penalties).

That could also be something for Arsenal to work on, as each of the last three Premier League goals the league leaders have conceded have come from headers, despite not conceding any beforehand this season.

Only Harry Kane (nine) has found the net away from home more often in the Premier League this season than Brentford striker Toney (seven), whose equaliser broke Gunners hearts.

Leicester City 4-1 Tottenham: Lloris-less Spurs hammered by Foxes

A high-scoring game was hardly a shock at King Power Stadium. There have been 128 goals scored in 34 Premier League matches between Leicester and Tottenham, with the average of 3.8 per game the highest such ratio among fixtures to be played more than 20 times in the competition.

Spurs, who were without injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, have lost two of their last three away games in the Premier League (W1), conceding four goals in each defeat, having only lost two of their previous 14 such games beforehand (W7 D5). The other recent heavy loss was 4-2 at Manchester City.

Despite having a disappointing campaign so far, Leicester here became the first team in Premier League history to score three first-half goals in back-to-back matches when conceding first in each game, having also done so at Aston Villa last time out.

Leicester's James Maddison, who was linked with a move to Antonio Conte's Spurs this week, scored and had an assist. Maddison has been directly involved in 11 goals in his last 10 Premier League starts (seven goals, four assists), scoring in each of his last three league appearances against Spurs.

Southampton 1-2 Wolves: Jones under pressure as Saints lose to 10 men

Head coach Nathan Jones is not the first Jones to struggle at Southampton. Saints have lost five consecutive Premier League home games for the first time since April-August 1998, when they were under the leadership of Dave Jones.

Wolves fought from a goal and a man down to win against their favourite Premier League opposition, having won each of their last five meetings, the first time they have ever been victorious in five consecutive games against a specific opponent in the competition.

It is clear where a big problem lies for Saints, having only kept one clean sheet in their last 28 Premier League matches (1-0 v Bournemouth in October).

Jan Bednarek found his own net, again, and has now scored four own goals as a Southampton player in the Premier League; the joint-most of any player for the club in the competition, along with Jos Hooiveld.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter sarcastically commended West Ham's Tomas Soucek for a "good save" that mystifyingly did not lead to a penalty in Saturday's 1-1 draw.

Former Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri cancelled out Joao Felix's opener at London Stadium before the VAR took centre stage.

First, the technology came to Chelsea's rescue in the 82nd minute as Soucek tapped in a rebound, the goal disallowed due to Declan Rice being offside with the initial headed effort.

Then, Chelsea were convinced they were due a penalty as Soucek blocked Conor Gallagher's effort with his hand in the area.

According to reports, PGMOL – the body responsible for match officials in English football – has since said the decision was correct because it perceives Soucek's arm to have been outstretched to break his fall.

The incident did not go to a VAR review as referee Craig Pawson's decision was deemed satisfactory, and although Potter was initially surprisingly calm about the controversy, he could not resist a pop or two in his post-match press conference.

"I thought it was a good save so you need your goalkeeper sometimes to get you the points," he told reporters.

"It hasn't been given so there's nothing for me to say. I've only seen it briefly as I walked across. It looks like one of those where if it was given, I don't think it would be overturned but it hasn't been given, so I don't know."

He added: "It looked quite a handball to me. I didn't know Tomas could get down that easily and save like that. It's a good stop from him. It's not for me to say about VAR."

Potter was then asked if he just wanted more consistency with such decisions, but the Chelsea boss was sceptical about that even being possible.

"You won't [get consistency] because they're human beings," he said of the VAR officials.

"A different human being in the room and every single decision and action, you won't get the same one again, so it's very hard to get consistency.

"Sometimes they go for you, sometimes they don't. You just have to accept that."

The draw leaves Chelsea ninth in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta revealed Arsenal had lodged a complaint over an Ivan Toney equaliser they felt should have been ruled out in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Brentford on Saturday.

Arsenal missed a chance to go eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table as they were held by the in-form Bees in a London derby at Emirates Stadium.

January signing Leandro Trossard came off the bench to opening the scoring with his first goal for the club in the second half, but Toney denied the leaders with a header after 74 minutes.

There was a long VAR check before Toney's goal was finally allowed to stand, with Ethan Pinnock appearing to be standing in offside position as a free-kick was delivered.

Striker Toney nodded in from close range after the Gunners failed to deal with the set-piece, but Arsenal manager Arteta does not believe the Bees striker's 15th goal of the season should have been given.

The Spaniard said: "I've just looked at it back and it is offside. We will probably get an explanation later on in the week, but today we haven't got that. It’s too late – it's fine, it's a goal. It's irrelevant."

Asked if they had made their feelings clear to the Premier League, he replied: "Yes, we did at the end of the game with them, and we said our views."

Toney hit the crossbar in the first half and Brentford were good value fo a point that extended their winning run to 10 top-flight games.

Arsenal are six points clear of City, who face Aston Villa on Sunday before a mouthwatering battle between the top two next Wednesday, and Arteta praised his players despite not being at their best again following a defeat at Everton last weekend.

He added: "I think it as a really strong performance. I think it's a really tricky team to play against. It is frustrating, but this is the Premier League.

"I'm delighted with how the boys tried, how much they want it. The reaction when they drop two points, they're in a great place."

Son Heung-Min knows Tottenham must learn a "big lesson" from a 4-1 Premier League thrashing at Leicester City on Saturday.

Spurs beat second-placed champions Manchester City last weekend, but they were brought crashing back down to earth at the King Power Stadium.

Head coach Antonio Conte endured a painful return to the touchline after undergoing gallbladder surgery as the Foxes came from behind to strike a blow to Tottenham's bid to secure Champions League qualification.

Rodrigo Bentancur opened the scoring, but two goals in as many minutes from Nampalys Mendy and James Maddison put Leicester in front.

Kelechi Iheanacho gave Brendan Rodgers' side breathing space in first-half stoppage time and Harvey Barnes added a fourth goal on a miserable day for Spurs, who also suffered the blow of losing Bentancur to injury.

Forward Son told BBC Sport: "We started quite well and created chances. After it was 1-1 we conceded a quick second goal and then it was open. It was a difficult game then.

"Leicester were so clinical, they almost scored every chance. It's a very disappointing result.

"I think it's very sad. We knew it was going to be a really hard game. In the Premier League it's never an easy game. It showed the Premier League has a high level. I don't know what I can say, it's very disappointing."

Son did not feel Tottenham were guilty of turning up expecting to return south with three points.

Asked if complacency was a reason for their defeat, he replied: "I don’t think [it was]. We came with a good feeling after beating City. The first minute we were really on it. We should be ready and learn something.

"Today should be a big lesson for us."

Tottenham missed the chance to climb into the Premier League’s top four as Leicester City humbled Antonio Conte's team 4-1 at the King Power Stadium.

Head coach Conte was back in the Spurs dugout having missed last week’s 1-0 win over Manchester City after undergoing gallbladder removal surgery.

But the Italian’s presence failed to inspire the visitors. Despite Rodrigo Bentancur's early strike putting Tottenham ahead, Nampalys Mendy equalised with his first Leicester goal, while James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho put the hosts 3-1 to the good at half-time.

Harvey Barnes completed a thumping victory, firing home with nine minutes remaining to move Brendan Rodgers' side six points clear of the relegation zone.

Tottenham broke through in the 14th minute when Ivan Perisic’s corner ricocheted kindly for Bentancur, who slotted into an open net from four yards. But Leicester turned the contest on its head with two goals in three minutes.

Mendy opened his account in emphatic fashion with a thumping 20-yard drive into the roof of the net after Spurs only half-cleared a corner.

The midfielder's strong challenge on the halfway line then released Iheanacho, who unselfishly laid the ball off for Maddison to slide home.

Iheanacho made it 3-1 in first-half stoppage time when he neatly bent a 20-yard shot into the far corner.

Spurs looked to respond after the break when Bentancur, who later limped off injured, tested Danny Ward from distance.

However, Leicester put the result beyond doubt nine minutes from time. Having been denied by VAR in the 70th minute, this time Barnes received the ball from Maddison before calmly threading past Fraser Forster into the bottom-right corner from 20 yards.

Ivan Toney's 15th goal of the season salvaged a 1-1 draw for Brentford to prevent Arsenal from going eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Leandro Trossard's first goal for the Gunners put them in front in the second half at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but the prolific Toney levelled with a header after 74 minutes of the London derby.

Toney also struck the crossbar in the first half before he was an awarded the equaliser following a VAR check as the impressive Bees deservedly extended their unbeaten run to 10 top-flight games.

Arsenal are now six points clear of second-placed Manchester City, who they play on Wednesday, but that is three games without a win for the leaders in all competitions.

Rico Henry wasted a glorious early chance to put Brentford in front when he failed to hit the target from close range after Toney picked him out.

The dangerous Toney was proving to be a real handful and the striker rattled the crossbar with a right-footed strike after combining superbly with Bryan Mbeumo.

Arsenal were struggling to break a well organised Brentford side down and Gabriel Martinelli fired a volley over the crossbar from inside the box when an opportunity came the Brazil winger's way late in the first half.

David Raya denied Buyako Saka at his near post and Martin Odegaard shot straight at the Bees goalkeeper in a bright start to the second half.

Brentford continued to pose a threat and Toney side-footed just wide when he was presented with another good opportunity to open the scoring.

It was Trossard who got the breakthrough four minutes after replacing Martinelli, stealing in to turn in Saka's fizzed cross from inside the six-yard box to raise the roof.

Arsenal's joy was short-lived, though, as Toney nodded into an empty net after Christian Norgaard set him up, the Gunners paying the price for being unable to deal with a set-piece as the goal was allowed to stand following a check for offside.

 

Graham Potter thinks Chelsea were falsely denied a late penalty in Saturday's draw with West Ham, but the head coach refused to openly call out the officials.

The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium, with former Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri cancelling out Joao Felix's opener.

VAR then came to Chelsea's rescue in the 82nd minute as Tomas Soucek tapped in a rebound, the goal disallowed due to Declan Rice being offside beforehand.

But Chelsea were adamant they should have then been given a penalty soon after, as Soucek blocked Conor Gallagher's effort with his hand.

The incident did not go to a VAR review, with referee Craig Pawson's decision ultimately final despite it looking a glaring error.

Potter did not appear as angry as some might have expected, however.

"It looks it [a penalty] but these are the little things you need to go in your favour and at the moment they are not, so that's life," he told BT Sport.

"There is nothing to complain about there. We have to keep working. There were positives and some good attacking moments from players who are adapting to the Premier League.

"That's where we're at. We just have to keep moving forward."

Joao Felix was making his return after receiving a red card on his debut last month, while fellow new arrivals Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke joined him and Kai Havertz in attack.

The first 25 minutes were arguably as fluent as Chelsea have ever been in the league since Potter's appointment in September, with Joao Felix at the centre of many of their most threatening passages of play.

Enzo Fernandez also caught the eye in midfield, with his sumptuous cross teeing up the 16th-minute opener, and Potter felt there were certainly positives to take in despite the disappointing result, a third successive league draw that leaves them ninth.

"I think you saw the potential in the first half," he said to BBC Sport. "You can't control what people say from the outside, you see it how it is and carry on working.

"They are a good group and we are excited with the team and the potential, but it is still a work in progress.

"The second half was more of a reflection of where we are in terms of integrating new players and getting players up to speed in the Premier League."

On Fernandez, he added: "It is his second game. He is a young player but you can see his quality and his personality.

"Like Joao Felix, Madueke and Mudryk, he will get better the more we understand them and they understand us. It is a process that you can't really short circuit."

Chelsea now turn their attention to the Champions League with a trip to Borussia Dortmund up next on Wednesday.

Late VAR drama saw Chelsea spared and then angered as they drew 1-1 away to London rivals West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tomas Soucek had what briefly looked to be a late winner chalked off before the midfielder got away with a clear handball in his own box to leave the visitors stunned.

Chelsea had earlier enjoyed arguably their best spell since Graham Potter's appointment during the first 25 minutes, Joao Felix netting a well-worked opener on his return from suspension.

But former Chelsea full-back Emerson Palmieri levelled soon after, and while the visitors dominated much of the following hour, their woes in front of goal meant they were at the mercy of VAR towards the end.

Chelsea's purposeful start had West Ham struggling, surviving an early scare when Joao Felix saw a goal disallowed for offside.

But he did put the visitors in front in the 16th minute, tapping in Enzo Fernandez's curling cross from deep on the left.

Kai Havertz's ruled out goal soon after seemed to jolt West Ham – who lost Lucas Paqueta to a shoulder injury – into life.

The equaliser arrived before the half-hour, Emerson pouncing after Jarrod Bowen flicked on Vladimir Coufal's right-wing delivery.

Chelsea were back in the ascendancy after half-time, but clear-cut chances were hard to craft.

It briefly looked like Chelsea would pay for that.

Rice headed on a free-kick delivery and Soucek converted the rebound, but the England man clearly strayed offside.

West Ham had an escape of their own a few moments later when Conor Gallagher's shot struck the hand of the falling Soucek, but no penalty was awarded as Chelsea drew a third straight league game for the first time since February 2012 under Andre Villas-Boas.
 

What does it mean? Chelsea's problems in front of goal continue

They at least managed to avoid going three league games without scoring, which would have been their first such drought since 2007 (four games), but this was hardly an emphatic response.

Joao Felix was sharp and they did of course have a couple of goals ruled out for offside, but otherwise big chances were rare – their opener was Chelsea's only opportunity worth more than 0.14 expected goals.

Chelsea won their first three Premier League games under Potter, scoring seven goals in the process, but they have now won just two of their subsequent 13 (D6 L5), netting only eight goals in this run.

Joao Felix shows his class

His red card against Fulham last month was a big blow to Chelsea, as demonstrated by this performance.

Joao Felix was particularly lively in the first half, scoring after having one chalked off. On top of that, his three shots was a match high, while none of his Chelsea team-mates tallied more key passes (two) either.

Madueke off the boil

Noni Madueke was another who looked quite busy, but his decision making in the final third was poor before he was withdrawn in the 68th minute, having not created a chance for a team-mate.

Key Opta Stats:

- West Ham and Chelsea have shared the points for the first time in nine Premier League encounters since a 0-0 draw in September 2018.
- The Hammers have failed to win 10 of their last 11 London derbies in the Premier League (W1 D2 L8), conceding at least once in every game in this period (20 goals against in total).
- There were no shots on target in the second half between West Ham and Chelsea, the second Premier League match with none after half time this season, after Southampton v Nottingham Forest in January.
- Emerson became the first player to score his first Premier League goal for a club against Chelsea having previously appeared for the Blues in the competition since Frank Lampard for Man City in September 2014.
- Joao Felix became the 12th different player to score for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, no side have had more in 2022-23 (excluding own goals).

What's next?

Chelsea go to Germany in the Champions League on Wednesday to face Borussia Dortmund. West Ham have another derby on February 19 as they travel to play Tottenham.

A late VAR reprieve came to Chelsea's rescue as they drew 1-1 away to London rivals West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tomas Soucek appeared to have secured the Hammers a comeback win in the 82nd minute, but a review showed Declan Rice was offside just before a crucial flick-on to spare Chelsea another defeat.

The Blues had earlier enjoyed arguably their best spell since Graham Potter's appointment during the first 25 minutes, Joao Felix netting a well-worked opener on his return from suspension.

But former Chelsea full-back Emerson Palmieri levelled soon after, and while the visitors dominated much of the following hour, their woes in front of goal meant they were at the mercy of VAR at the end.

Under-fire Liverpool must prove their desire remains intact when they host Everton in Monday's Merseyside derby, says goalkeeper Alisson.

Last week's 3-0 thrashing at Wolves extended Liverpool's wait for a first Premier League win of 2023, leaving Jurgen Klopp's men mired in mid-table and 11 points adrift of a top-four place. 

Only once in the Premier League era have Liverpool started a calendar year with a longer winless run (five games in 2017), while they have also failed to score in their last three league outings. 

Liverpool's struggles have led to suggestions a team which almost landed an unprecedented quadruple last season needs to be rebuilt, while some have even called Klopp's position into question.

Speaking to the club's website ahead of Monday's huge derby, Alisson said: "It's a difficult moment – we recognise that. 

"I think the first step you need to make for changing the situation is recognising your real situation. 

"We are doing that. For this week, we have time, we are working hard. We know the importance of a derby. 

"We know the importance and the meaning for us to have a good performance, to show to our supporters that we still have the desire inside of us. We are going to do that and try to win the game."

Despite Liverpool's negative results, Alisson believes there have been some positive signs in recent games, and he is backing Klopp's team to turn their miserable season around.

"During the matches, we have a few good moments, so we can say we are playing at 75, 80 per cent of what we can play," he added. 

"We have to put [in] more, we have to give extra things for the team – not only in terms of football but in excitement, in attitude, supporting team-mates, everything that is in your hands to try to change our situation. 

"We understand that and we're going to use everything that we have in our hands to turn around this moment, this situation. I believe it is just a moment and we're going to get out soon." 

Liverpool and Newcastle United are reportedly among the Premier League teams exploring a potential move for Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah – and the interest could be mutual.

Tah, 26, is in his eighth season in Leverkusen after arriving ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, racking up 283 appearances in all competitions and earning 16 senior international caps for Germany.

After five consecutive seasons finishing in the Bundesliga's top-six, Leverkusen have struggled this campaign, with just seven wins and a negative goal difference after 19 games, leaving them 10th.

Facing an uphill battle for any European football next season, the club will reportedly struggle to convince Tah to stick around, especially with plenty of interest from his desired landing spot in the Premier League.

 

TOP STORY – TAH SETS HIS SIGHTS ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE

According to 90min, Tah is "keen to take his talents to England at the end of the season".

He has two more seasons on his contract, tying him to Leverkusen until 2025, leaving the club with a difficult decision about whether to hang on to one of their top players or cash in and use the funds to improve the squad.

As well as Liverpool and Newcastle, West Ham are also understood to have touched base with Leverkusen about Tah's availability in January, while his name also came up in discussions with Tottenham, but they are said to prefer his centre-back partner Piero Hincapie.

 

ROUND-UP

– The Mirror is reporting Tottenham are admirers of 26-year-old Leicester City midfielder James Maddison

– According to El Nacional, Real Madrid have held talks with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp about potentially taking over from Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season, and Klopp is said to have requested the Spanish giants pursue Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.

Milan have an interest in signing 27-year-old Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita, per the Mirror, while the Daily Mail adds the Italian side are also impressed by 21-year-old Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun, who has 14 Ligue 1 goals for Reims this season.

Manchester United and Newcastle are said to be two of many clubs keeping a close eye on 18-year-old Royal Antwerp prospect Arthur Vermeeren, per the Daily Mail.

– Fabrizio Romano is reporting United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all held talks with the agent of 20-year-old Barcelona forward Ansu Fati.

Thiago Silva has signed a one-year extension to remain at Chelsea until the end of the 2023-24 season.

The Blues targeted youth in the January transfer window, splashing out huge sums of cash on Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile as part of a spending spree.

Of the seven permanent first-team additions to arrive at Stamford Bridge last month, only Mudryk is aged over 21. Joao Felix, at 23, is the oldest player to have come in during Chelsea's splurge, though he signed on a loan deal from Atletico Madrid.

Experience, then, will be crucial for Graham Potter, and Chelsea on Friday confirmed they had finalised an agreement with 38-year-old Silva.

The former Milan and Paris Saint-Germain defender had been set to become a free agent at the end of the campaign, but will now stay on for another year.

"I am honestly so happy to continue my career with the Blues," Silva told Chelsea's official website.

"When I signed my first contract here, it was to just do one year. Now it is already the fourth!

"I could not have imagined that, but really it is a very special moment for me to sign and stay at Chelsea."

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali added: "We're delighted that Thiago has decided to continue with Chelsea.

"He's a world-class talent, as he's proven over many years for club and country, and his experience, quality and leadership skills are vital to our vision going forward.

"We're thrilled he has extended his contract with us, and we look forward to more success with him ahead."

Silva, who has played 74 Premier League games since joining Chelsea in 2020, has won the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup during his time in west London.

The Blues are enduring a disappointing campaign and need a turnaround in fortunes if they are to secure European football.

Potter's team have won just two of their last 12 league games and sit ninth, 10 points adrift of the Champions League places, ahead of a trip to West Ham on Saturday.

Daniel Levy acknowledges he has made mistakes in the transfer market with Tottenham, but believes the club are still growing financially.

The Premier League outfit saw a 22.7 per cent increase in total revenue for the year ending June 2022, as disclosed in their annual financial results.

That has not assuaged fan concerns over the club's transfer policy however, with Spurs still experiencing a silverware drought despite spending more than £500million since April 2019.

Levy, who has been the target of vocal criticism over the direction Tottenham have gone under his leadership, defended his work this week but acknowledged his gambits had not always paid off.

"Our spend levels show we have invested in the team," he said. "However, we walk a fine line between long-term investment and short-termism.

"This is why our recruitment must be first class as mistakes at this level have a financial and sporting impact for future seasons.

"We have felt, and continue to feel, the financial impact of supporting player purchases which have not worked out as planned.

"We have taken steps to improve this area of operations, and we believe the recent transfer windows reflect this.

"Our aim has always been to combine the financial stability of the club with remaining competitive on the pitch. We have to do what is right for us and sustainable in the long term."

Tottenham have bought several players in recent seasons that have failed to live up to their price tags, including Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko.

The former broke the club's spending record in a £55.45 million deal, but is now on loan at Napoli after struggling to impress in north London.

Off the pitch, 2023 has offered plenty of excitement for Chelsea supporters. However, the same cannot really be said for the on-pitch fare being served up by Graham Potter's men this year.

The Blues' return of six points and three goals from six Premier League games since the turn of the year is hardly commensurate with their estimated £291million outlay in the January transfer window, and they need to turn a corner soon.

West Ham are in similar need of an upturn, with David Moyes' side just one point clear of danger and embroiled in a tense battle to beat the drop.

That means there is plenty at stake for both as Chelsea travel for Saturday's derby meeting with the Hammers, and there is certainly no love lost between the London rivals.

Stats Perform picks out the standout Opta numbers ahead of a game that both West Ham and Chelsea will hope marks a turning point in their disappointing seasons.

Chelsea bid to end goalscoring blues

Having followed up a 1-0 home victory over Crystal Palace with 0-0 draws against Liverpool and Fulham, Chelsea are looking to avoid making unwanted history on Saturday.

Chelsea could record three successive goalless draws for the first time in their league history next time out, with their plethora of big-money arrivals so far failing to click in the final third.

Last week's stalemate against Fulham represented the 17th goalless draw Potter has overseen since the start of his first Premier League campaign in 2019-20 – more than any other boss during that run.

Those hoping Chelsea's opponents step up to provide the entertainment may be disappointed. West Ham have underperformed their expected goals figures by almost 10 goals this season (18 goals from 27.9 xG) – the biggest negative difference in the Premier League this term.

Can Joao Felix lead the way?

Chelsea will hope the solution to their goalscoring issues is provided by Joao Felix's return to action, with the Portugal international eligible once again after last month's debut red card against Fulham led to a three-match ban.

Joao Felix has never scored more than 10 goals or contributed more than five assists during a single season for parent club Atletico Madrid, but there are signs he could evolve into a more prolific player at Chelsea.

The 23-year-old was averaging a goal involvement every 120 minutes for Atleti this season prior to being loaned out, his best figure since joining the Spanish giants in 2019.

Joao Felix also averaged a goal every 191 minutes for Rojiblancos this campaign, a ratio not bettered by any Chelsea player in the Premier League this term. 

Hammers chase rare derby delight

West Ham have not garnered much enjoyment from their recent meetings with cross-city rivals.

The Hammers have lost eight of their last 10 London derbies in the Premier League, the exceptions being a draw against Tottenham and a win over Fulham, though both of those results came this season.

However, West Ham have alternated between winning (four times) and not winning (D1 L2) in their last seven home Premier League games against Chelsea, and the teams' last meeting at the London Stadium saw Arthur Masuaku hit a late winner for the hosts in December 2021.

If that represents a negative omen for the hosts, Chelsea could be set to make history – victory would make the Blues the first team to win 150 London derbies in the Premier League. 

Late drama incoming?

No Premier League fixture can lay claim to containing the levels of late drama witnessed in meetings between these two teams.

There have been seven winning goals scored in the final five minutes of Premier League games between West Ham and Chelsea, more than in any other fixture in the competition's history.

The last three meetings between the teams have been settled by a goal scored in the final five minutes, with Kai Havertz doing the honours 88 minutes into September's return fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Christian Pulisic was the last-minute hero as the Blues also edged the previous clash last April, and given their recent shortcomings, the visitors will not mind if they are made to wait again on Saturday. 

Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City's Premier League rivals to beware any future investigation into their own money matters.

City have been accused of over 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between the seasons of 2009-10 and 2017-18, with an independent commission to review the cases against them.

Guardiola believes City's Premier League rivals are responsible for the allegations they face, saying every one of the other 19 teams in the league want to see his team punished.

For his part, Guardiola is convinced City have done nothing wrong, but he said he could not be sure others would be so squeaky clean.

"They open a precedent right now," Guardiola said. "What they have done to us, be careful, be careful in the future.

"Because many clubs can make a suggestion, and there are a lot of clubs that can be accused like we are being accused, without maybe being innocent.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future. I can have a feeling.

"Would they push to get rid of us in the competitions? That is obvious, because they believe we didn't behave properly, and we can accept that, but let us defend when we believe we did it properly."

Guardiola said City bosses are more confident than ever about having adhered to the rules, having previously faced a case brought by UEFA over financial fair play.

In 2020, City had a two-year ban from European football overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They were fined €10million for a failure to cooperate with UEFA investigations, but the ban was lifted.

Guardiola would rather focus on on-pitch matters, and urged his players to "defend this club as well as possible".

"Why should they be distracted? I'm confident in my players," Guardiola said.

He played down talk of a recent dip in form, although City have lost three of their last six games, with an EFL Cup exit at the hands of Southampton followed by a derby defeat to Manchester United and a loss at Tottenham.

Aston Villa visit the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, a repeat of the meeting on the final day of last season when City came from 2-0 behind to win 3-2 and secure the Premier League title for a fourth time in five seasons.

"We lost to Spurs – the rest was quite good," Guardiola said of his team's form. "We know the situation. We know we have to make more consistency and we'll try to start on Sunday.

"Normally we didn't give up in previous seasons in the toughest moments, and we were there, and I have the feeling we will continue to do it.

"We try to do our best on the pitch like everyone else. The players will be focused on our games, that's for sure."

Would there be extra motivation given the off-field goings-on?

"No," said Guardiola. "When games are coming back everyone is going to do the job they have to do, ourselves on the on pitch and the lawyers in the court.

"We are not alone when we are together, but against 19 teams we are alone, that is for sure."

He said the perceived opposition to City by their Premier League rival clubs would not be a fuel this weekend.

"You have to play good, we have to beat Aston Villa," Guardiola said. "If 19 clubs [and the case against City] are going to help us beat Aston Villa? We have to do it like always we have done it.

"We did it on the pitch. If they want to take it off the pitch, OK, but let us defend."

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