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Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off for Arsenal. Nick Potts/PA

Arsenal beat Wolves despite controversial red; Bournemouth put five past Forest

Alexander Isak scored twice as Newcastle continued their Champions League push, while Everton picked up a big three points at Brighton.

Sky Sports Premier League / YouTube

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Arsenal

ARSENAL OVERCAME THE hugely controversial sending off of teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly to keep themselves in the title race after a 1-0 win at Wolves.

The 18-year-old Lewis-Skelly became the third youngest player to be dismissed in Premier League history when he was shown a straight red card by Michael Oliver in the first half for taking down Matt Doherty in his own half.

But the Gunners overcame adversity to win the game through Riccardo Calafiori’s 74th-minute goal, four minutes after the hosts had also been reduced to 10 men when Joao Gomes was sent off.

Victory keeps Arsenal six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand, and still clinging on to a title challenge.

For Wolves, who had chances to lead when they had a man advantage, it was a fourth defeat in a row and they remain out of the bottom three on goal difference alone.

Arsenal had the rug pulled from under their feet with the game’s huge moment of controversy in the 43rd minute.

Doherty broke up an Arsenal attack and looked to start a counter before being chopped down by Lewis-Skelly in his own half.

Oliver immediately brandished a red card, much to the dismay of the entire Gunners team who surrounded the referee, but replays showed Lewis-Skelly’s studs were high and VAR did not intervene.

Driven on by their sense of injustice, the Gunners were the stronger side, even with 10 men.

The numbers were evened up in the 70th minute as Wolves were reduced to 10 men and they could have no complaints as Gomes picked up a second yellow card for a late challenge on Jurrien Timber.

And four minutes later the inevitable happened as the Gunners took the lead.

A loose ball fell to Calafiori at the back post and he steered across goal into the far corner.

Wolves could have equalised in the final 10 minutes put Raya did well to palm away Rayan Ait-Nouri’s shot after he had been played in.

Sky Sports Premier League / YouTube

Bournemouth 5-0 Nottingham Forest

BOURNEMOUTH COMPREHENSIVELY WON the battle of the European gatecrashers as a hat-trick from Dango Ouattara and strikes from Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo demolished Nottingham Forest 5-0.

In-form Forest had won seven of their last eight matches to climb into in the Champions League places, but they were completely overpowered by Andoni Iraola’s free-flowing Cherries side.

When these sides fought out a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the season, few would have predicted both would be in the European shake-up – or, in Forest’s case, an outside bet for the title – by the end of January.

Forest can probably forget about catching leaders Liverpool now, fun though it was while it lasted.

But their fellow Premier League upstarts Bournemouth are now on the brink of joining them in the top four after registering a fifth win in six matches, while stretching their unbeaten record to 11, with a scintillating display.

They went ahead after only nine minutes when Kluivert collected the ball, from a Cherries throw-in, just inside his own half.

Kluivert spun away from a challenge on the halfway line and, with Forest’s defenders backing off, strode forward.

The Dutchman – brimming with confidence following his hat-trick in the 4-1 win at Newcastle last weekend – was allowed to get to within 20 yards of goal and pinged a superb shot low beyond the dive of Matz Sels.

It was Kluivert’s sixth goal in his last four matches and his 12th of the season.

In the 55th minute the Cherries doubled their lead in style.

A clever chip from Milos Kerkez sent Kluivert scampering down the left, and when he reached the byline he clipped the ball to the far post from where Ouattara looped his header back across goal and over Selz.

Moments later Kluivert had the ball in the net again, but a VAR check showed Ouattara was offside as the duo played a one-two inside the box.

But they did move three ahead within a minute when Ouattara chased Tyler Adams’ beautifully-weighted pass, coolly turned inside centre-half Murillo and clipped the ball home.

Ouattara completed his hat-trick by prodding in number four after Sels spilt Marcus Tavernier’s drive, and Semenyo threaded the fifth into the far corner in stoppage time to wrap up another statement win for the surprise package from the south coast.

Sky Sports Premier League / YouTube

Southampton 1-3 Newcastle United

ALEXANDER ISAK LED an excellent attacking display by Newcastle as his two goals helped to beat Southampton 3-1 at St Mary’s to maintain their Champions League push.

Newcastle’s top scorer was on the scoresheet for the ninth game in 10 in the Premier League, but the division’s bottom side could have lost by more, with Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon outstanding for the visitors.

Saints’ position at the foot of the table looks increasingly hopeless, 10 points adrift and with now only 15 matches to try and avoid not only relegation but the ignominy of returning a record-low points tally.

Judging by the ease with which Newcastle ripped through them, nothing is guaranteed for Ivan Juric’s beleaguered side.

They briefly led here but Jan Bednarek’s 10th-minute header offered temporary and misplaced hope.

Isak quickly levelled from the penalty spot following Joe Aribo’s foul then was the beneficiary of a lovely pass from Jacob Murphy to give his team the lead at the break.

Tonali’s goal to make it 3-1 in the 51st minute was the pick of them. Newcastle also hit the post twice and had one cleared off the line, then Mateus Fernandes provided more painful false promise for home fans with a late effort belatedly ruled out by VAR.

Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Everton

ILIMAN NDIAYE CONVERTED a disputed first-half penalty as Everton moved seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone by beating Brighton 1-0.

Toffees boss David Moyes celebrated victory in his 700th top-flight match as a manager after Ndiaye capitalised when Seagulls defender Joel Veltman was punished for handball following VAR intervention.

Albion players and fans felt Veltman was fouled as he brushed the ball behind with his right hand while going to ground under pressure from Everton substitute Beto.

Referee Tim Robinson disagreed and the ninth-placed hosts were unable to find a way back into the contest, despite relentless second-half pressure.

Everton’s success secured only a second top-flight away victory in 22 games, stretching back to December 2023, to further ease relegation fears following last weekend’s win over Tottenham.

However, a positive afternoon at the Amex Stadium was tempered by the loss of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to an early injury.

Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.

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