Palmer nets 4 first-half goals, Haaland kept scoreless and Arsenal leaves it late to beat Leicester

Chelsea knew it was getting a talented player by signing Cole Palmer from Manchester City last year.

But maybe not this good.

Palmer created some history on Saturday when he became the first player to score four goals in the first half of an English Premier League match. His flurry of strikes came in Chelsea's 4-2 win over Brighton that further strengthened the belief that the London team will be a force this season after spending more than $1 billion on players over the past two years.

Palmer was one of the club's expensive signings — he cost at least 40 million pounds ($50.7 million) — but that looks a bargain now. His 22 league goals last season was second only to Man City's Erling Haaland and also included a four-goal haul against Everton, and he is already up to six goals in this campaign in just six games.

Palmer is also a regular in England's squad, scoring the team's goal in the 2-1 loss to Spain in the European Championship final in July.

How City could have done with having Palmer a few hours earlier on Saturday, when the champion drew at Newcastle 1-1 to drop points for the second straight weekend. Haaland was kept scoreless in a league game for the first time this season and stayed on 10 goals. Defender Josko Gvardiol netted for City instead.

Arsenal took advantage of its big rival’s slip-up by beating Leicester 4-2 thanks to two stoppage-time goals — an own-goal and a close-range finish by Kai Havertz.

Arsenal joined first-place City on 14 points but both could be overtaken if Liverpool beat Wolverhampton away in the late game.

Brentford became the first Premier League team to score inside the first minute in three straight games, but couldn't hold on after Bryan Mbeumo's strike and drew with West Ham 1-1.

Everton gained its first win of the season in beating Crystal Palace 2-1 and Fulham won at Nottingham Forest 1-0, with Mexico striker Raul Jimenez scoring in a third straight game.

It was City’s first league match since influential midfielder Rodri was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury sustained in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal last weekend and the champions were far from their fluid best without the Ballon d'Or contender.

Haaland barely got a chance at St. James’ Park, so couldn't tie the record of City great Sergio Aguero in scoring in each of his first six games of a Premier League season.

Gvardiol was a frequent scorer late last season in his forays forward and put City ahead in the 35th minute, collecting Jack Grealish’s inside pass before cutting inside onto his weaker right foot and shooting low into the corner.

Anthony Gordon converted a penalty for Newcastle’s equalizer in the 58th after the England winger — playing as the central striker in the absence of the injured Alexander Isak — was tripped by City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes after running through on goal.

Arsenal's players were left dejected by conceding a stoppage-time equalizer at City last weekend.

Six days later, they were celebrating late goals after Leicester, a promoted team without a win so far, threatened to pull off an unlikely draw at Emirates Stadium from two goals down.

Gabriel Martinelli and Trossard scored for Arsenal in the first half, only for the Gunners' usually obdurate defense to surprisingly let in two goals by Leicester right back James Justin. Justin's second was a stunning volley with the outside of his right foot that went in off the far post.

Arsenal went back in front in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Leandro Trossard volleyed a deep corner by Bukayo Saka toward goal, though it needed a deflection off Wilfred Ndidi to find a way into the net. Havertz bundled in the fourth in the ninth minute of added-on time.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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Arsenal's Leandro Trossard celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Chelsea's Cole Palmer (centre) celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game with team-mates during a British Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Brighton at Stamford Bridge, London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

Chelsea's Cole Palmer, right, celebrates with his teammate Malo Gusto after scoring his side's 3rd goal during a British Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Brighton at Stamford Bridge, London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, left, celebrates with teammate Jack Grealish after scoring his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon goes to ground after a foul by Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon shoots to score the equalizing goal from a penalty spot during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring the equalizing goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland, left, battles for the ball with Newcastle United's Dan Burn, center, and Lewis Hall during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Dan Burn, left, and Manchester City's Erling Haaland battle for the ball during the Premier League match between Newcastle and Manchester City, at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)