Arsenal share spoils with Brighton as both preserve unbeaten starts
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta with his two players after a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Photo/Arsenal via X
The Premier League's Saturday fixtures delivered a series of dramatic draws and late comebacks, with some of the season's most exciting moments unfolding across the pitch.
In the early kick-off, Brighton & Hove Albion ended Arsenal’s perfect start to the season with a 1-1 draw at the Emirates. Arsenal took the lead in the 38th minute through Kai Havertz after a well-placed assist from Bukayo Saka.
However, Arsenal’s fortunes shifted when midfielder Declan Rice was sent off early in the second half, leaving them down to 10 men.
Brighton capitalised on the numerical advantage, with Joao Pedro equalising in the 57th minute.
Despite chances for both sides, neither team could find a winner, resulting in both clubs preserving their unbeaten starts to the season.
Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers earned their first point of the season after a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Forest took an early lead when Chris Wood headed in a goal in the 10th minute, but Wolves quickly responded.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde levelled the score just two minutes later with a stunning strike. The remainder of the match saw limited goal-scoring opportunities, with both teams ultimately sharing the spoils.
One of the day’s most dramatic encounters took place at Goodison Park, where Bournemouth completed a late comeback to beat Everton 3-2. Everton appeared to be in control after Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put them 2-0 up by the 59th minute.
However, Bournemouth mounted a stunning turnaround, scoring three times in the final minutes. Antoine Semenyo began the revival with an 87th-minute goal, followed by Lewis Cook’s equaliser in stoppage time.
Luis Sinisterra then sealed the victory with a strike deep into added time, leaving Everton winless and rooted to the bottom of the table.
At Portman Road, newly-promoted Ipswich Town earned their first point of the season with a 1-1 draw against Fulham. Ipswich struck first in the 15th minute with a goal from Liam Delap, but Fulham equalised midway through the first half when Adama Traore slotted home.
Both teams pressed for a winner, but Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric made crucial late saves to ensure the draw.
In London, Brentford secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over Southampton. Bryan Mbeumo netted twice for the Bees, with Yoane Wissa adding a third to wrap up the win. Southampton’s Yukinari Sugawara managed a late consolation goal in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late as Brentford cruised to victory.
Aston Villa returned to winning form with a 2-1 home victory over Leicester City. Amadou Onana opened the scoring in the first half, and Jhon Duran added a second just after the hour mark.
Leicester's Facundo Buonanotte gave the visitors hope with a 73rd-minute goal, but Villa held on for the win, leaving Leicester still searching for their first victory since returning to the Premier League.
The day concluded with a dominant performance by Manchester City, who extended their perfect start to the season with a 3-1 victory over West Ham United.
Erling Haaland was once again the star, notching his second consecutive hat-trick. He opened the scoring in the 10th minute before West Ham equalised through a Ruben Dias own goal.
Haaland restored City's lead with a close-range strike in the 30th minute and sealed the win with a composed finish in the 83rd. City now leads the Premier League table with three wins from three matches, continuing their flawless run.
The results leave Arsenal and Brighton maintaining their unbeaten records, while Bournemouth’s late heroics were the talk of the day.
Everton and Leicester, meanwhile, face growing concerns as they continue to struggle at the start of the season.
