Brighton won a hard-fought victory against Newcastle United, scoring 1-0, courtesy of Danny Welbeck’s fifth seasonal goal. While the Magpies had control over most of the game, their inability to capitalise on opportunities led to their downfall. Thanks to some stellar saves from Brighton’s goalkeeper, Bart Verbruggen, the Seagulls managed to secure the three Premier League points. The victory was however dampened by an injury to Welbeck who was stretchered off after a tackle from Fabian Schar.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa overcame Fulham with a 3-1 victory, regaining their winning momentum in the league, after two drawn matches. Fulham took an early lead in the game with Raul Jimenez’s fifth-minute goal, but Villa quickly bounced back. Morgan Rogers scored the equalising goal, and then after a missed penalty by Fulham’s Andreas Pereira, Ollie Watkins secured the lead for Villa. Joachim Andersen’s red card only worsened matters for Fulham, as Villa further extended the lead due to an own goal by Issa Diop.
In another match, Leicester City defeated Southampton 3-2, thanks to a last-minute goal by substitute Jordan Ayew. Goals from Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo initially spelled hope for Southampton, but Leicester’s incredible second-half comeback, marked by goals from Facundo Buonanotte and a penalty by Jamie Vardy, followed by Ayew’s decisive goal, piled on more pressure for Southampton’s manager Russell Martin. Southampton continues to linger in their precarious situation, now having failed to secure a Premier League win in their last 21 matches.
Their most recent Premier League success was indeed against Leicester, however, their past encounters indicated a lack of favourability, casting a shadow on their chances of victory – predominantly due to the severe defeats of 4-1 and 5-0 against Leicester in the previous Championship season and the impressive 9-2 aggregate of Leicester manager Steve Cooper over Martin from their past confrontations.
In a match at Portman Road, Everton claimed a 2-0 victory over Ipswich, marking their first Premier League win on an away ground for the season, leaving Ipswich yet again unsuccessful in their pursuit of their first win since their promotion.
Everton demonstrated a clinical finish, with Iliman Ndiaye scoring the first goal in the 17th minute, followed by Michael Keane’s contribution to the scoreboard extending Everton’s lead just before the half-time break. A missed scoring opportunity by Jack Clarke for Ipswich and a dismissed penalty in the first half left them on the backfoot.
Aro Muric was arguably the most busy between the two goalies on the ground. In contrast, Everton’s England goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, faced minimal challenges due to a well-coordinated defensive structure of Everton.