United rally to beat Forest, Arsenal slips as Hammers break Brighton jinx

Jarrod Bowen and James Ward Prowse celebrate after they combined to score against Brighton at the Amex on Saturday. West Ham won 3-1. (Photo credit: GOAL)

Saturday games in the Premier League have twisted the narrative at the top where things matter at the moment, and except Manchester City keeps the 100% record, which they’re very likely to, West Ham would spend a week at the top of the log.

The Hammers beat Brighton for the first time in the premier league at the Amex against all predictions, and you wonder if the odds just won’t stop tilting. Brighton had scored eight goals in two games but struggled to score just one at home to the Hammers, and then reversed the concession roles; they shipped three.

Coach Roberto Di Zerbi opted to drop Jason Steele and opt for his new goalie, Bart Verbruggen, and it didn’t take long for James Ward Prowse to beat the Belgian. Bowen scored quite early in the second half after a breakaway, and Michail Antonio jabbed home on the break five minutes later too.

Arsenal also delivered a shocking result, but you can rightly pin that on Mikel Arteta. Whatever he saw in Kai Havertz that made him invest in him should be dropped in the stands and not even on the bench as the German continues to ruin Arsenal’s plot.

Leo Trossard came in for Eddie Nketiah, and Jacob Kiwior came in for the suspended Tomiyasu, but it was Fulham that drew the first blood after Bukayo Saka’s misplaced pass in the opening minute. That is the third time the Gunners conceded in the opening minute of a game at the Emirates.

Saka did find the back of the net from the spot after substitute Fabio Vieira was hacked down in the Fulham area, and Nketiah thought he had won the points for Arsenal, but Joao Paulinha scored from a corner kick after the visitors were reduced to ten men.

Manchester United came from two goals down to win at home yet again, making it 20 straight home games without defeat. Taiwo Awoniyi became only the third African after Mohammed Salah and Emmanuel Adebayo to score in seven straight games after racing through on goal to beat Andre Onana.

Wily Boly scored two minutes later from a corner kick, and United had it all to do. Casemiro missed a glit-edged chance in the first half to level after Christian Eriksen had halved the deficit as Forest went into the break ahead at Old Trafford.

Casemiro scored quite early in the second half to atone for his first half miss after a neatly worked corner kick, and it went from bad to worse for the visitors when captain Joe Worral was sent off for a professional foul on Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese dusted himself later to score the winner from the spot.