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.
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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)
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)
