LONDON: Danny Welbeck scored his first goal for Arsenal to help the Gunners end a run of three successive draws in the Premier League with a 3-0 win at Aston Villa.

Villa twice went close early on before Arsenal turned the gave with three goals in four first-half minutes. Mesut Ozil converted a Welbeck cross for his first away goal in English football. Then Ozil provided the cross from which England striker Welbeck headed his own first goal since his move from Manchester United.

An Aly Cissokho own goal made it 3-0 after only 36 minutes.

Liverpool suffered their third defeat of the season at West Ham who were 2-0 up after seven minutes through Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho.

Mario Balotelli and Adrian were booked following an altercation after the Liverpool striker’s late tackle on the West Ham goalkeeper, who reacted angrily. Balotelli showed his better side when bringing down the cross which led to Raheem Sterling pulling a goal back for the visitors, but West Ham remained superior and Morgan Amalfitano struck a late third.

Papiss Cisse saved under-pressure Newcastle manager Alan Pardew with two second-half goals in a 2-2 draw at home to Hull.

Tigers forward Nikica Jelavic struck just after the break, and then Mohamed Diame made it 2-0 with 20 minutes to go. But substitute Cisse replied in the 73rd and 87th minutes to salvage a point for the Magpies.

Southampton moved up to second, temporarily at least, after continuing their fine early-season form with a 1-0 win away to 10-man Swansea.

Swansea striker Wilfried Bony was sent off after two first-half bookings, and Victor Wanyama’s first goal for the Saints settled the game in the 80th minute.

Burnley and Sunderland took a point from their goalless stalemate at Turf Moor.

Ashley Barnes came within a whisker of claiming Burnley’s first victory of the season, only to see a late effort deflected against the crossbar.

In the lunchtime kick-off, a late equaliser earned QPR a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Stoke.

Stoke, managed by former QPR boss Mark Hughes, had taken the lead after 11 minutes through Mame Biram Diouf, only for Steven Caulker to level just before the break.

Crouch, who played at QPR as a youngster, looked to have secured victory when he swept home from close range after 51 minutes.

However, with two minutes left, Niko Kranjcar clipped in an equalising free kick from 20m.

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