Arsenal fend off rising Man City challenge, Wirtz nets debut Liverpool strike
Arsenal countered Manchester City's mounting threat with a 2-1 triumph over Brighton, securing the Premier League summit once more after Rayan Cherki guided Pep Guardiola's team to success against Nottingham Forest.
Florian Wirtz notched his initial goal for Liverpool as the team edged Wolves 2-1 during a poignant match at Anfield, marking the first encounter between Diogo Jota's old clubs following his passing.
Manchester City's 2-1 success in the early game at the City Ground elevated them to the top briefly.
Yet Arsenal responded promptly, even though they complicated matters against weaker rivals yet again.
The Gunners have struggled to seal matches decisively in the past few weeks, eking out tight victories against Wolves and Everton prior to advancing past Crystal Palace on spot-kicks in the League Cup last-eight stage during the week.
Martin Odegaard's excellent effort represented the sole highlight from the hosts' commanding first period at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta's squad benefited from luck on the crucial second strike when Georginio Rutter deflected Declan Rice's corner into his own goal.
Nonetheless, Arsenal's anxiety mounted after Diego Gomez netted a consolation.
David Raya made an outstanding stop to thwart Yankuba Minteh, enabling Arsenal to clinch a one-goal margin for the seventh occasion across their 13 league successes this term.
Cherki in top shape
Manchester City endured a tough battle for their eighth win in a row, as Forest outperformed expectations despite hovering near the drop zone.
However, the sharp Cherki delivered two brilliant touches to maintain Guardiola's pursuit of Arsenal.
The French player set up Tijjani Reijnders for the initial goal soon after the interval.
Omari Hutchinson converted a slick collective play to equalise for Forest shortly afterwards.
Cherki then rifled in Josko Gvardiol's header on 83 minutes.
"I put on weight post-Christmas but now I have shed every pound," remarked Guardiola, who warned his squad of bench spells if they overate recently. "An absolutely vital three points."
Third-ranked Aston Villa's championship aspirations undergo a rigorous examination later upon visiting Chelsea.
Jota family honours legacy
Two of Jota's three offspring along with relatives served as mascots at Anfield within various homages to the Portuguese star, who perished in a vehicle accident in July.
Regarding play, both outfits have faltered lately, though Liverpool sustained their revival to enter the top four.
Ryan Gravenberch powered in the starter before Wirtz broke his scoring silence since his £100 million ($135 million) transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
Liverpool hold a seven-game unbeaten streak yet lacked assurance versus a Wolves team winless in league play this campaign.
Santiago Bueno responded for the away side, who linger on merely two points after 18 fixtures.
West Ham trail safety by five points following Raul Jimenez's securing of a 1-0 Fulham victory at the London Stadium.
Burnley extend their barren run to nine without a win after drawing 0-0 versus Everton at home.
Brentford rose into the upper half via a 4-1 defeat of beleaguered Bournemouth, powered by Kevin Schade's three-goal haul.