Arsenal closes gap on City as Villa secures upset

Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday after defeating Everton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. The victory erased a three-point deficit to Manchester City, who suffered their first loss of the season at Aston Villa.

Both clubs now hold 21 points following eight matchdays. The tie at the summit intensifies the title race while Manchester City continues to deal with an off-field financial dispute.

Arsenal built its lead in the seventh minute. Martin Odegaard delivered a corner that Jordan Pickford initially saved, but Ezri Konsa tapped the loose ball into the net from close range. The strike marked Konsa's first goal for the club and ended a 13-game drought for set-piece goals for Arsenal.

Gabriel added a second goal in the 68th minute. Ben White, playing his 200th match for the Gunners, crossed to the far post for Gabriel to head home on his 200th Premier League appearance. Everton remains in ninth place.

At Villa Park, Nicolas Jackson scored twice in the 2-1 win over Manchester City. Jackson broke the deadlock in the sixth minute after John McGinn set him up. Erling Haaland equalized just after halftime with a header from a free kick. Jackson restored the lead in the 60th minute, finishing a cutback from Ibrahim Mbaye under goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Aston Villa now sits sixth with 11 points and has won three consecutive league matches against City.

Manchester City is appealing a ruling that found 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules. The club denies wrongdoing while focusing on its on-field performance. "It's just the beginning; we're trying to work game by game," Jackson told TNT Sports.

Tottenham Hotspur also gained ground by beating Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer was sent off in the 80th minute, and Mathys Tel scored in the 87th. Tottenham moved to 12th, while Chelsea dropped from fourth place.