LONDON: Arsenal missed an opportunity to remind Premier League leaders Liverpool about them when they were held 1-1 at Brighton.

Liverpool kick off their new year on Sunday at home to Manchester United when they have the chance to move eight points clear of their pursuers with a game in hand.

Champions Manchester City began their year with a second successive victory as something like normal service resumed for Pep Guardiola’s side and Newcastle narrowed on the top four with a narrow victory at Tottenham.

After an autumnal slump, Arsenal have re-emerged as the most likely side to push Liverpool in the second half of the season and victory at Brighton would have cut the gap to three points.

They looked on course for a fourth successive league win when teenager Ethan Nwaneri gave them a first-half lead but Arsenal were pegged back when Joao Pedro converted a penalty just past the hour mark on the south coast.

Arsenal have 40 points from 20 games, with Liverpool on 45. Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace left them in fourth place with 36 points from 20 games, one point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest who face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: “We’re playing every three days. I understand how much we want to (win), but in terms of the quality and the consistency and doing the simple things right against a competitive team, we didn’t do enough today,”

Chelsea’s pre-Christmas surge faded further in a 1-1 draw away to Crystal Palace. The Blues have taken only two points from their last four games.

Cole Palmer gave them a deserved first-half lead at Selhurst Park but they failed to kill off the game before Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late leveller for the hosts.

Manchester City, having managed only one win in nine Premier League games, have now won their last two after an Erling Haaland double inspired a 4-1 thrashing of West Ham. City are sixth in the table on 34 points, 11 behind Liverpool.

Manager Pep Guardiola said: “I am so happy and will sleep better until the next game.”

Newcastle made it five wins in a row as they came from going a goal down to beat injury-hit Tottenham.

Tottenham, who have now won only once in their last eight league games, went ahead after four minutes through Dominic Solanke but that lead lasted only two minutes until Anthony Gordon levelled for the visitors.

Alexander Isak bundled in Newcastle’s winner before halftime, meaning he has scored in seven successive Premier League games.

Newcastle have 35 points, one behind fourth-placed Chelsea, while Tottenham languish in 12th place after their longest run at home without a win (six games) since 2008.

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