Arsenal ties Manchester City after Villa upset and rainy win

The Premier League title race tightened on Saturday as Arsenal erased a three-point gap to take sole possession of the top spot with Manchester City. The Gunners defeated Everton 2-0 in heavy rain at the Emirates Stadium, a result that landed on the same day Manchester City suffered its first defeat of the campaign.

Both clubs now hold 21 points after eight matchdays. The tie at the summit comes with added context for the Sky Blues, who are awaiting the outcome of an appeal regarding 114 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules. The club has consistently denied wrongdoing, but the off-field cloud now hangs over the on-field battle for the crown.

Arsenal found an early breakthrough in the seventh minute. Martin Odegaard delivered a corner that Jordan Pickford initially stopped, but the ball was not cleared. Ezri Konsa bundled the rebound in from close range. The goal marked Arsenal's first set-piece score since May, breaking a 13-game drought in all competitions. Konsa, a new signing, said the win was essential for a team aiming for the title.

The second goal came in the 68th minute, combining two players reaching career milestones. Ben White, playing his 200th match for the club, clipped a cross to the far post. Gabriel headed the ball home on his 200th Premier League appearance. Everton finished the game in ninth place.

In Birmingham, Aston Villa secured its first home league victory of the season with a 2-1 win over Manchester City. Nicolas Jackson scored twice for Unai Emery's side. The first goal came in the sixth minute after John McGinn stole the ball from Marc Guehi. Erling Haaland equalized for the visitors with a header from a free-kick shortly after halftime. Jackson restored the lead in the 60th minute, finishing a cutback from Ibrahim Mbaye to slip the ball under Gianluigi Donnarumma. Villa moved up to sixth place with 11 points.

Elsewhere in the division, Tottenham Hotspur defeated fourth-placed Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. The win marked only the second league victory for Spurs at that venue in 36 years. Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders scored an own goal in the 77th minute after punching a corner into his own net. Cole Palmer was sent off for a second yellow card in the 80th minute. Mathys Tel scored the final goal in the 87th minute, running down the left flank to finish low into the corner. Spurs moved to 12th place.

Fulham also claimed a win, beating Coventry City 1-0. Oscar Bobb scored the deciding goal in the 80th minute by curling a shot into the far corner. Fulham now sits 13th, while Coventry remains 19th.