Arsenal get lucky break to go five points clear, Salah returns for Liverpool

LONDON, Dec 13 : Premier League leaders Arsenal needed two own goals, the second deep in stoppage time, to scrape a 2-1 home win over bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers and open a five-point gap while earlier on Saturday Mohamed Salah put aside a tumultuous week to help Liverpool beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0.

The table will show that Wolves remain cast adrift with two points from their opening 16 games, but they played well above their lowly standing and when Tolu Arokodare headed them level in the 90th minute Arsenal were stunned.

After defeat by Aston Villa last weekend, failure to beat Wolves at home would have blown the title race wide open, but when Bukayo Saka swung in a cross towards substitute Gabriel Jesus in the fourth minute of stoppage time, it flew in off the head of the unfortunate Yerson Mosquera.

The final whistle was met with cheers and huge relief with Arsenal's players realising just how close they had come to handing away their advantage to Manchester City, who are in action at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Arsenal have 36 points from 16 games with City on 31 from 15. Aston Villa, who face third-from-bottom West Ham United on Sunday, have 30 from 15.

Chelsea moved up to fourth on 28 as they returned to winning ways with a 2-0 home win against Everton - fit-again Cole Palmer scoring his first goal since September.

Fulham eased away from the relegation zone with a 3-2 victory at Burnley, their first win at Turf Moor in 35 attempts dating back to 1951. Burnley's defeat means they have lost seven successive top-flight games for the first time since 1895.

UGLY WIN

Arsenal may look back on this ugly win as a pivotal moment in their bid to win their first English title since 2003-04.

"We will take the points and