Arsenal opens seven-point lead in Premier League and Liverpool beats Newcastle

Arsenal and Liverpool rediscovered that winning feeling in the Premier League on Saturday.

Arsenal powered seven points clear at the top of the standings after beating Leeds 4-0. Mikel Arteta's team ended a three-game winless run in style at Elland Road and strengthened its title charge.

Defending champion Liverpool finally secured its first league win of 2026 by 4-1 against Newcastle. Hugo Ekitike scored two and Florian Wirtz was on target again as two of Liverpool's big summer signings delivered at Anfield. Ibrahima Konate, playing his first game since the recent death of his father, sealed the win.

Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus were all on target for Arsenal and Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow added an own goal.

“We really wanted to show how much we wanted it,” Arteta said.

Manchester City and Aston Villa can trim Arsenal's lead back to four points on Sunday.

Chelsea came back from two goals down at home to beat West Ham 3-2 and climb up to fourth, with Enzo Fernandez hitting the winner in the second minute of added time.

Everton left it even later to draw at Brighton 1-1, Beto scoring in the 97th.

Last-placed Wolverhampton lost for the 18th time this season, 2-0 at home to Bournemouth.

Having beaten Leeds 5-0 in August, Arsenal enjoyed another romp against Daniel Farke’s team.

Six points and nine goals could go a long way to helping Arsenal’s title bid, which was wobbling in recent weeks.

“It’s very difficult to (win 4-0 at Leeds), let’s see who is the next team that does it, but we did it in a moment when we needed it," Arteta said.

Against an in-form Leeds that had lost just one of its last 11 in all competitions, the trip to Elland Road was a potential banana skin for the league leader. Especially when forward Bukayo Saka was injured in the warmup and had to be withdrawn shortly before kickoff.

But in his absence Arsenal totally dominated, with Zubimendi heading the visitor in front after 27 minutes and Darlow punching Noni Madueke’s corner into his own net before halftime.

Gyokeres scored for the fourth time in six games in the second half and substitute Gabriel Jesus spun and fired low into the bottom corner late on.

Konate was in tears on the field after scoring in added time.

The France defender was overcome with emotion on his return to action after the death of his father. The Anfield crowd roared as he wheeled away in celebration and the entire Liverpool team, including goalkeeper Alisson, ran to congratulate him.

“I don’t have words to describe what I feel right now because it was a very difficult moment for me and my family the last two weeks,” Konate told TNT Sports.

It was the center back's first game since Jan. 17, but with Liverpool short on defensive options due to injuries he said he had to make himself available even though coach Arne Slot told him not to rush back.

“It was important for me to come back and to help the team,” Konate said.

Newcastle led through Anthony Gordon, but Ekitike scored twice in two minutes to give Liverpool a halftime lead. The France striker has 15 goals in his debut season in the Premier League.

Wirtz scored his sixth goal in 10 games after the break before Konate’s late strike.

Chelsea trailed 2-0 at halftime to a West Ham fighting for survival, and the decision by coach Liam Rosenior to make seven changes to his lineup looked like a costly one.

But after going behind at Stamford Bridge to goals from Jarred Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, Rosenior acted decisively — making three halftime substitutions — and it paid off.

Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella came off the bench and scored to level the game by the 70th. After West Ham's Jean-Clair Todibo missed in front of the goal, Chelsea took all three points when Fernandez swept in the winner from inside the box.

“The reaction of the team in the second half tells me that we’ve got something really, really special here if I can utilize the squad in the correct way,” Rosenior said.

The dramatic finish sparked a mass confrontation between the players and Todibo was sent off for violent conduct.

The result left West Ham five points from safety.

For the second time this week Everton fought back to salvage a point. After Monday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds, the Merseyside club left it late to equalize at Brighton, which led through Pascal Gross.

Beto went in as a substitute only in the 89th and produced the crucial goal deep in added time.

It's back-to-back losses for Wolves after a mini resurgence in recent weeks.

Goals from Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott secured victory for Bournemouth at Molineux Stadium.

Wolves have long looked destined for relegation but had shown signs of rallying under new coach Rob Edwards after five games without defeat. Successive losses to Man City and Bournemouth, however, leave the team 17 points adrift of safety, having played a game more than its rivals.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch, left, Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, right, celebrate after scoring their side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super)

Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super)

Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and West Ham United in London, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Everton's Harrison Armstrong, left, and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Everton in Brighton, England, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth in Wolverhampton, England, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Leeds' Joe Rodon, left, and Arsenal's Declan Rice challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Arsenal in Leeds, England, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gives instructions to his players during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Arsenal in Leeds, England, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres, right, celebrates scoring his side's third goal of the game with team-mate Jurrien Timber during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Arsenal in Leeds, England, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka stands on the pitch during warmup before the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal in Nottingham, England, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lamine Yamal put on another show as he scored Barcelona’s opener and tormented defenders all game long to spearhead the La Liga leader to a 3-1 win at Elche on Saturday.

Yamal scored in the sixth minute and passed for Marcus Rashford to put the victory beyond doubt late in the second half. Elche pulled level briefly in the first half before Ferran Torres re-established a 2-1 advantage just before halftime at Martínez Valero Stadium.

Their goals let Barcelona open a four-point gap over second-placed Real Madrid before it hosts Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

It was a third game in a row that Yamal has scored for Barcelona. The 18-year-old Spain star also found the net in a 3-0 win over Real Oviedo last weekend and in a 4-1 victory over Copenhagen on Wednesday to propel his team into the Champions League round of 16.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised Yamal, saying he still “has potential to reach another level.”

Elche has surprised in its return to the top-flight this season with its attack-first mentality despite having a modest squad. It has lost only once at home in 11 previous matches including a 2-2 draw with Madrid.

And coach Eder Sarabia, a former Barcelona assistant, didn’t shy away from trying to match Barcelona’s firepower.

But the hosts were lucky to be only a goal down by halftime after a whirlwind first half by the visitors. In addition to the goals by Yamal and Torres, Elche defender Víctor Chus cleared shots by Raphinha and Torres off the line, while Dani Olmo and Torres hit the woodwork a total of three times.

“We played a fantastic game today – except in the final meters,” Flick said. “Normally in the first half we would have decided this game.”

Yamal got Barcelona going early when Olmo, making his third consecutive start for the injured Pedri, recovered a ball and fed a long pass into open space with Elche’s left back out of position. Yamal did the rest by dribbling past former Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña and netting his 13th goal in this campaign.

Elche striker Álvaro Rodríguez equalized against the flow of play, beating goalie Joan Garcia one on one after Germán Valera set him up behind Barcelona’s high defensive line.

Barcelona responded by pouring forward, ending the game with 30 total shots to Elche's nine.

Torres hit the woodwork in succession when his volley hit the crossbar only to ricochet off his shoulder and back onto the post, and a Yamal pass was wasted by Fermín López on the edge of the six-yard box when he fired high.

Torres put Barcelona back in front in the 39th when he culminated an exquisite team passing move. The striker played Frenkie de Jong clear in the box, De Jong drew Peña and returned the ball to Torres to blast into the top of the net.

Rashford went on for Raphinha at halftime and scored in the 72nd after Yamal romped clear on the break before squaring a pass that an Elche defender touched before the former Manchester United forward rammed it home.

The loss left Elche in 12th.

Atletico Madrid was held to a scoreless draw at relegation-threatened Levante, three days after it fell at Bodø/Glimt 2-1 in the Champions League. The result left third-placed Atletico 10 points behind Barcelona.

Atletico striker Alexander Sorloth was taken to a hospital after he knocked heads with a Levante player in the first half.

Gerard Moreno scored twice to secure fourth-placed Villarreal a 2-2 draw at Osasuna, which dominated the first half.

Winger Víctor Múñoz and striker Ante Budimir scored for Osasuna.

Oviedo ended a 15-match winless run after edging Girona 1-0 at home thanks to a second-half goal by Ilyas Chaira. Oviedo, which was promoted this season, hadn’t won since late September. Oviedo remained in last place at six points from safety.

Girona's defeat ended a streak of three wins and a draw.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)