Arsenal vs West Ham LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Eddie Nketiah goal completes comeback
Arsenal 3-1 West Ham: The Gunners extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to seven points after a second-half comeback at the Emirates
Arsenal moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table after goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah completed a second-half comeback against West Ham.
The Premier League leaders were missing the injured Gabriel Jesus for the first time this season and trailed at half time after Said Benrahma converted a first-half penalty.
But in the absence of Jesus, Arsenal’s other forwards stepped up when Saka and Martinelli scored in the space of five minutes to flip the Boxing Day fixture on its head, with Nketiah adding a third with a brilliant turn and finish shortly afterwards.
The win was Arsenal’s fourth in a row, moving them seven points clear of Newcastle and eight ahead of Manchester City, and came as former manager Arsene Wenger returned to the club for the first time since his exit in 2018.
Follow all the reaction from the final Premier League outing on Boxing Day below
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
90 mins: There’s going to be four minutes of added time to play. The sting has finally gone out of Aston Villa’s play, that third goal took all the momentum away from the home side.
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
87 mins: Liverpool’s bench isn’t the most experienced but the youngsters being introduced will gain massive value in playing the final minutes of games like this.
Ben Doak comes on to replace Darwin Nunez.
Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
84 mins: Liverpool are heading for three consecutive victories for the first time this season. They needed to win tonight to ease the pressure of reaching the top four and despite some key injuries in the box they’ve got the job done as it stands.
Six minutes plus added time to play.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool (Bajcetic, 81’)⚽️
81 mins: Game over! The ball comes over the top once more for Darwin Nunez who dinks it into the box and follows the ball to the byline before pulling it back into the middle of the box.
The substitute Stefan Bajcetic collects the ball, takes it around Robin Olsen and guides his shot into the back of the net.
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
80 mins: In the final 10 minutes now and there are another couple of changes from Jurgen Klopp. Stefan Bajcetic and Joe Gomez come on to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson.
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
78 mins: Ouch! Aston Villa come down the left wing before whipping a cross into the far side of the box where Leon Bailey flings himself towards the ball.
He misses it and Andy Robertson gets it clear but lands on the Villa forward who stays down and needs some medical treatment.
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
75 mins: Close! Joel Matip wins the ball on the edge of his own box then pokes it up to Mo Salah. Salah looks up and flicks a brilliant ball over to Darwin Nunez who bombs past Ezri Konsa and drives up to the box.
Nunez tries to complete the ball with a shot across goal but laces his effort wide of the far post!
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
72 mins: Alisson comes off his line to punch a cross into the box as far away as possible. Ollie Watkins holds his ground but sticks out an arm to make things uncomfortable for the goalkeeper and the referee judges that to be a foul.
Free kick to Liverpool.
Arsenal vs West Ham confirmed line-ups
Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Nketiah
West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal, Kehrer, Dawson, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Benrahma, Paqueta, Bowen; Antonio
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
68 mins: Liverpool need to take the sting out of Aston Villa’s play. They’ll preferably want to restore their two-goal advantage but will settle for a period of possession.
Ashley Young attempts to chest a cross back to Robin Olsen but gets his direction wrong and ends up putting the ball out of play.
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