Arsenal draw level with Manchester City after Aston Villa end leaders’ perfect run

Arsenal moved level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after beating Everton 2-0 in torrential rain at Emirates Stadium, taking advantage of City’s first defeat of the season at Aston Villa earlier on Saturday.

City’s 2-1 loss at Villa Park brought their perfect league start to an end, while Arsenal reduced the gap to the leaders with goals from Ezri Konsa and Gabriel.

Mikel Arteta’s side now have 21 points after eight games, matching City in a title race already taking shape under the shadow of the independent commission’s findings into City’s alleged 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules. City deny any wrongdoing and have appealed.

Arsenal took the lead in the seventh minute after Martin Odegaard’s corner created confusion in the Everton penalty area. Jordan Pickford saved after the ball was flicked on at the near post, but Everton could not clear and Konsa bundled the ball into the net from close range for his first goal for the club.

The set-piece ended Arsenal’s run of 13 matches in all competitions without scoring from a dead-ball situation, their first such goal since May.

“I’ve come to this stadium for many seasons, I know how tough it is to play against us,” Konsa said. “It’s not surprising to me.

“We are champions and to be champions you’ve got to win games consistently. This is our home and we want to win as many games here as possible.”

Arsenal doubled their advantage in the 68th minute when Ben White, making his 200th appearance for the club, delivered a cross to the far post. Gabriel met it with a header on his 200th Premier League appearance.

Everton are ninth in the table.

At Villa Park, Unai Emery’s side climbed to sixth on 11 points after recording their first home league victory of the season and a third successive league win over Manchester City.

Villa took the lead in the sixth minute when Marc Guehi’s heavy touch gave John McGinn the chance to win possession and set up Nicolas Jackson, who finished into the bottom corner.

Erling Haaland levelled shortly after half-time, heading in Iliman Ndiaye’s clipped free-kick cross.

Jackson restored Villa’s lead on the hour. Ibrahim Mbaye advanced down the right before cutting the ball back to his Senegal international team-mate, whose effort went under the diving Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“It was incredible, we got the win which is the most important thing. Man City are a strong team, the league leaders,” Jackson told TNT Sports. “It’s just the beginning, we’re trying to work game by game.”

Fulham earned their second league win of the season by beating Coventry City 1-0. Oscar Bobb appeared set to be substituted before producing the decisive moment in the 80th minute, moving in from the right past Jack Rudoni and curling a fine finish into the far corner.

Fulham are 12th, with Coventry 19th. Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s late game.