Photo File: Bukayo Saka

Arsenal have gone top of the Premier League table following a convincing 2-0 win over West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, in what was Mikel Arteta’s 300th game in charge of the club.

The Gunners dominated from start to finish, with former West Ham captain Declan Rice opening the scoring against his old side. The England international, who made a high-profile £105 million switch to Arsenal in 2023, pounced on a rebound after West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola parried Eberechi Eze’s fierce drive.

Bukayo Saka doubled Arsenal’s lead in the second half from the penalty spot after Jurrien Timber was brought down in the area by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Arsenal’s captain Martin Ødegaard was once again forced off with injury before halftime the third time this season he has failed to complete a match but Arteta’s team showed the strength in depth needed to maintain a serious title challenge.

The result takes Arsenal one point clear of Liverpool, who are scheduled to play later in the evening against Chelsea. West Ham, meanwhile, remain in the relegation zone, with growing pressure on manager David Moyes.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim earned a much-needed reprieve with a 2-0 win over Sunderland. The Portuguese coach had admitted before the match that he urgently needed results to save his job, having collected only 34 points from his previous 33 league games.

Amorim made bold changes to his squad, handing a debut to goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who kept a clean sheet, and selecting Mason Mount over Matheus Cunha. Mount eased the nerves of the home crowd with a composed finish from Bryan Mbeumo’s cross in the eighth minute. Benjamin Šeško added a second before halftime, reacting quickly to a long throw-in to register his first goal at Old Trafford since his £74 million move from RB Leipzig.

Sunderland thought they had a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty late in the half, but VAR overturned the decision after replays showed minimal contact between Šeško and Trai Hume.

Before kickoff, Old Trafford observed a moment of silence in honour of the victims of a terror attack on a Manchester synagogue earlier in the week.

The win lifts some of the pressure off Amorim heading into the international break, while Sunderland’s dream start to the season came crashing down, ending their four-match unbeaten run.

At Elland Road, Tottenham continued their strong run under manager Thomas Frank with a 2-1 win over Leeds United, bringing an end to the home side’s year-long unbeaten streak in the league. Mathys Tel opened the scoring for Spurs, before Noah Okafor equalised for Leeds. Mohammed Kudus then netted the winner his first goal for the club to secure all three points.

Speaking after the match, Frank said, “That feeling to get over the line, to get three points, was big,” as his side moved up to third on the Premier League table.

Liverpool are expected to try and reclaim top spot later in the evening when they travel to face Chelsea. The Reds are hoping to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray in the Champions League. Chelsea, meanwhile, are also desperate for a turnaround, having gone three matches without a win in the Premier League. The result of the clash at Stamford Bridge could have major implications in the race for the title and top four places.