Arsenal held to goalless draw by Forest
Arsenal took a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League after a scoreless draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday following an exhilarating 2-0 derby victory for Manchester United that dealt a devastating blow to Manchester City's title hopes.
Arsenal could have gone nine points clear with a win at Forest, but Sean Dyche's side fought tooth and nail to secure the draw, becoming only the second team to prevent Mikel Arteta's side from scoring in the Premier League this season.
"We tried to at the end find a goal. I don't think we conceded a single shot, again. But that's the margins and we didn't find a way to win it," Arteta said.
However frustrating the draw might have been for Arteta's side, Pep Guardiola's City suffered a whole lot worse as former United player Michael Carrick's return for a second stint as interim manager lifted the gloom over Old Trafford with a deserved victory.
Second-half goals by Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu rewarded a dominant display by the hosts who moved temporarily into the top four before Liverpool later dropped them to fifth. Second-placed City have now gone four Premier League games without a victory.
Arsenal have 50 points from 22 games with City on 43 from 22. Aston Villa, who host Everton on Sunday, also have 43.
Man United sweep past Man City
A transformed Manchester United kicked off interim manager Michael Carrick's second stint in charge with an exhilarating 2-0 derby day defeat of Manchester City in the Premier League at a vibrant Old Trafford on Saturday.
Carrick's attack-minded side swept away the gloom hanging over the club with second-half goals by Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu underlining their dominance of a disappointing City whose title hopes suffered a crushing blow.
Mbeumo, just back from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Cameroon, finished sweetly in the 65th minute and Dorgu got on the end of Matheus Cunha's cross to put the home fans in dreamland 10 minutes later.
But for a superb display by City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and three disallowed goals, United would have enjoyed a far greater margin of victory while the visitors barely threatened as goal machine Erling Haaland hardly got a look-in.
Not only was it a humbling loss for City against their cross-town rivals, it put a huge dent in their hopes of reeling in Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
For United it was the perfect start to Carrick's tenure as they moved provisionally into fifth place with a display that will add weight to the argument for his long-term appointment.
"It's unbelievable, being here with our people, with the fans, the way we have suffered during the season but today we faced up and showed who we are," United defender Lisandro Martinez told Sky Sports.
"Michael (Carrick) said use the energy of the people and today we did it."
One victory in their previous six league games, and draws against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley had hastened the end of Ruben Amorim's reign.
But United emerged from the malaise in stunning fashion with former midfielder Carrick unleashing the kind of attacking display combined with defensive tenacity that was part of the club's DNA when he won five Premier League titles as a player.
Had substitute Mason Mount's stoppage-time goal not also been ruled offside or Diallo not been denied by the upright after a thrilling run, United would have enjoyed their biggest derby win since 1995 and it would not have flattered them.
United's intent was obvious from the start and they should have gone ahead when Harry Maguire headed against the crossbar from close range from a corner.
The busy Donnarumma came to City's rescue with a smart save to deny Dorgu and shortly afterwards Diallo did find the net after rounding the Italian but was adjudged offside.
Fernandes was the next to have his joy cut short by an offside call as he showed great footwork and composure to score after being played through.
The hosts might have been fearful of a City response after the break but it never arrived.
Donnarumma produced a superb double save, keeping out Diallo's powerful strike and then reacting instinctively to block Casemiro's attempted chip with his outstretched leg.
But United were relentless and when Fernandes opened up City's defence once again with a slide rule pass, Mbeumo never looked like missing as he guided his shot past Donnarumma.
When Dorgu made it 2-0 the mood was euphoric around the stadium while City boss Pep Guardiola looked on stunned.
His side could have few complaints apart from in the 10th minute when United defender Diogo Dalot was fortunate not to see a red card for an ugly studs-up tackle on Jeremy Doku.
City managed only one effort on target -- a header by Max Alleyne superbly saved by Senne Lammens -- as United snuffed out Haaland and Antoine Semenyo.
"The better team won. They were better. When a team is better you have to accept it," Guardiola said. "They had the energy we didn't have, so congratulations."
Chelsea beat Brentford in manager Rosenior's league debut
New Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior oversaw a 2-0 win for the Blues over west London rivals Brentford in his first Premier League match since taking charge at Stamford Bridge, settled by a Joao Pedro strike and a Cole Palmer penalty.
After a run of nine league games with only one win – most of which was under former coach Enzo Maresca who left the club on January 1 – Rosenior had to watch as Brentford wasted a string of chances.
It was Chelsea who found the net, however, when Pedro turned and fired a bullet shot into the top corner of Caoimhin Kelleher's net in the 26th minute.
Palmer doubled Chelsea's lead from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after Kelleher failed to control the ball and tripped substitute Liam Delap.
The win pushed Chelsea up to sixth in the table, leapfrogging Brentford who had been unbeaten in six games.
Liverpool pay the penalty as Burnley draw extends winless run
A Florian Wirtz strike was cancelled out by Marcus Edwards as Liverpool were left ruing a missed penalty by Dominik Szoboszlai in a 1-1 draw with lowly Burnley, the hosts' fourth Premier League stalemate in a row.
Liverpool dominated possession and had 11 shots on target while Burnley had one, but the champions now sit seven points below the top three.
Waves of attacks kept 19th-placed Burnley's backline pinned deep in the first half and Liverpool could have led when Cody Gakpo was brought down by Florentino Luis, but Szoboszlai's spot-kick rattled the crossbar.
Sustained pressure paid off in the 42nd minute, however, when Hugo Ekitike scampered into the box and his close-range shot bounced off the keeper before reaching Curtis Jones who set up Wirtz to finish, as the German scored his fourth goal in his last six appearances.
Liverpool almost doubled their lead in the 55th minute when Wirtz found Gakpo who beat the keeper, but was denied by Bashir Humphreys' goalline clearance.
Sloppy defending almost cost the hosts, with Ibrahima Konate nearly scoring an own goal trying to intercept a cross from Edwards, but keeper Alisson Becker palmed it away.
The home fans' relief was short-lived, however, as Burnley levelled after 65 minutes when Edwards broke into the box chasing a through ball and fired home.
Liverpool pushed forward and Ekitike found the net in the 77th minute with a close-range finish but the strike was disallowed for offside, and the ball had also hit the French forward's hand.
Late substitute Alexis Mac Allister wasted the chance to net a winner for Liverpool when he shot wide from 15 yards out, before he blocked Jaidon Anthony's added-time attempt at the other end to keep the score at 1-1.
Liverpool visit Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday and Burnley, winless in their last 13 English top-flight matches, host Tottenham Hotspur next Saturday.
Key Points:
- Arsenal stretch their lead at the top to seven points despite the draw against Forest.
- Manchester City managed only one effort on target against Manchester United.
- Liverpool suffered their fourth successive league draw.
© 2026