Premier League latest: Arsenal back on top after stinging the Bees

Early pace-setters Arsenal have returned to the top of the Premier League table following a comfortable 3-0 victory over Brentford.

Mikel Arteta’s side moved a point clear of Manchester City and Tottenham after bouncing back from their defeat to Manchester United in style.

William Saliba opened the scoring for the visitors after 17 minutes from a Bukayo Saka corner before Gabriel Jesus converted a Granit Xhaka cross to send the Gunners into the half-time break 2-0 up.

Summer signing Fabio Vieira, who was deputising for the injured Martin Odegaard, netted his first goal for the club in the 49th minute to secure all three points.

The match could hardly have been in sharper contrast to the last time the Gunners visited Brentford, in which Mikel Arteta’s team were beaten 2-0 to pile pressure on the Spaniard at the beginning of last season.

Arsenal started the season as 50-1 shots to win the title for the first time since 2003-04 but are as short as 10-1 to win the league and 4-9 to finish in the top four.

Fresh from winning Manager of the Month honours for August, Arteta also made history by bringing on the youngest player in Premier League history as Ethan Nwaneri, who only turned 15 in March, came on in the latter stages for Arsenal.

The league leaders face a tough challenge after the international break, with their first two league games against rivals Tottenham and Liverpool.

Meanwhile Brentford, who remain in the top half despite their disappointing defeat, visit Bournemouth in the first match after the break.

In the other game of the day, two sides who had managed just one win and seven goals between them before yesterday’s encounter faced off as Everton hosted West Ham.

The Toffees picked up a crucial first three points of the campaign in an attritional performance that was lit up by a fine finish from Neal Maupay, his first for his new club, to secure a 1-0 win.

The Hammers toiled in search of an equaliser and came closest through Said Benrahma, whose second-half shot hit the inside of the post.

The clean sheet was Everton’s first in the Premier League this season and came without first-choice stopper Jordan Pickford, who missed out through injury and was replaced by Asmir Begovic.

The result means that West Ham have scored just three times in their opening seven games and lie in the relegation zone, along with Nottingham Forest and Leicester, going into the international break.

The Hammers are 8-11 for a bottom-half finish having finished seventh and they are 8-1 in place to go down.

Bournemouth are 4-9 favourites for relegation with big-spending Forest next at 4-6 and Leicester 15-8.

David Moyes’ men return to action against fellow strugglers Wolves, with Everton visiting Southampton in their next game. Frank Lampard’s side are now up to 13th in the Premier League table.

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport