ARSENAL extended a flawless start to their Premier League title defence thanks to Bruno Guimaraes’s stunning strike in a 2-0 win over Sunderland, while Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham were all held at home on Saturday.
Newly-promoted Hull remain unbeaten and third in the table after a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge as Liverpool failed to find a way past struggling Fulham in a goalless encounter.
Tottenham’s wait for a league goal goes on despite a £300 million ($405 million) splurge on new players as they drew another blank in a stalemate with Everton.
Arsenal were also indebted to David Raya’s penalty save from Enzo Le Fee as they opened up a three-point lead over Manchester City after four wins from their opening four games.
Just over two minutes later, Guimaraes silenced the Stadium of Light with his first Arsenal goal that arrowed into the top corner from long range.
Bukayo Saka’s penalty with the final kick of the game sealed another impressive win for Mikel Arteta’s men.
City can move back alongside leaders Arsenal if they win the Manchester derby against United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
But a significant gap is already beginning to open up between Arsenal and the rest of the title contenders.
It was a familiar tale for Chelsea as the front three of Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer dazzled, only for the Blues to be undone by an inability to defend.
In five games against top-flight opposition since Xabi Alonso took charge, Chelsea have scored 16 times and conceded 12.
“(It’s) maybe entertaining, but I hope one day you’ll say it was a boring game and we win and we don’t give these entertaining moments,” Alonso said after his side fell five points off the top.
Hull were the last side in the Premier League to concede, but after three clean sheets they were finally breached when Rogers drilled in at the near post on seven minutes.
Mohamed Belloumi took advantage of Chelsea’s slackness at the back to strike twice before half-time.
Joao Pedro drilled a Palmer cross into the top corner to bring Chelsea level just after the hour mark.
But the home side could not find a winner as Hull’s honeymoon back in the Premier League goes on.
Liverpool remain unbeaten under Andoni Iraola, but there were boos at Anfield after Fulham picked up their first point under Alvaro Arbeloa.
A forward line featuring three £100 million players in Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak failed to click against the Cottagers’ leaky defence.
“When you draw, especially at home, you can’t be happy,” said Iraola, who blamed fatigue after his side’s Champions League exertions against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
“Today we lacked a bit of freshness and we did not do enough offensively to make the difference.”
Sixth-placed Liverpool are already six points adrift of Arsenal.
Tottenham’s big-spending window was supposed to ensure there would be no repeat of the 17th-place finishes of the previous two seasons.
But they sit just inside the relegation zone as a barren run in front of goal showed no sign of ending.
Aston Villa are also stuck in the bottom three after Nottingham Forest struck late to exact revenge for defeat in last season’s Europa League semi-finals.
Eyebrows were raised at the club-record £45 million Forest reportedly paid Chelsea for Liam Delap after he failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge.
But Delap proved his worth with a long-range strike into the bottom corner to open the scoring.
Alysson levelled with Villa’s first league goal of the season, but Igor Jesus secured Oliver Glasner’s first win as Forest boss.
Glasner’s old club Crystal Palace’s poor start to the campaign continued with a 3-2 home defeat to Ipswich.
The visitors were aided by Axel Disasi’s first-half red card as Zian Flemming’s first goal for the Tractor Boys snatched all three points in stoppage time.
Brentford remain unbeaten thanks to Kevin Schade’s double in a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.