Justin Kluivert scored the first ever Premier League hat-trick of penalties as Bournemouth won 4-2 at Wolves on Saturday and Kevin Schade also scored three in Brentford’s 4-1 victory over Leicester.
Nottingham Forest moved into the top six thanks to a 1-0 win over Ipswich, while Newcastle were denied by Daniel Munoz’s 94th minute equaliser for Crystal Palace in a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.
Arsenal can move into second if they avoid defeat at West Ham later. Kluivert made history at Molineux to curtail Wolves’ mini-revival.
The Dutchman opened the scoring, Jorgen Strand Larsen replied for Wolves before Milos Kerkez made it 2-1 for the visitors inside eight minutes.
Kluivert made it 3-1 just 10 minutes later and completed his hat-trick 16 minutes from time after Evanilson also set a record by winning a third penalty.
Strand Larsen pulled another goal back for Wolves, but Gary O’Neil’s men slip back into the relegation zone.
Brentford continued their stunning home form to thrash the Foxes in front of Leicester’s in-coming manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Facundo Buonanotte had put the visitors in front in west London. But Brentford roared back to make it six wins and one draw from seven home league games this season.
Yoane Wissa started the comeback before Schade took centre stage.
The German had only scored two Premier League goals since joining the Bees in 2023 but matched that tally in 24 minutes to put the home side in front before half-time.
Schade then rounded off the scoring to show Van Nistelrooy the scale of the task that awaits him ahead of his first game in charge at home to West Ham on Tuesday.
Chris Wood’s emphatically struck penalty was enough to get Forest back to winning ways and leave Ipswich still in the bottom three. Palace edged out of the relegation zone on goal difference thanks to late drama against Newcastle.
Marc Guehi, who had been the subject of multiple bids from Newcastle during the transfer window, put the Magpies in front early in the second half with an own goal.
However, the England defender redeemed himself as from his cross Munoz powered home a header at the back post.
Meanwhile, Southampton were denied victory by a controversial VAR decision in a 1-1 draw at high-flying Brighton on Friday.
Flynn Downes had just cancelled out Kaoru Mitoma’s opener for Brighton when Cameron Archer thought he had put the Saints 2-1 up.
A VAR check of more than four minutes eventually decided Archer was onside but penalised Adam Armstrong, who was offside but did not touch the ball, for interfering with play.
Southampton had to settle for a first away point of the season as a result and remain bottom of the table, four points adrift of safety.
A point was enough to lift Brighton up to second on alphabetical order ahead of Manchester City, who face leaders Liverpool in the pick of the weekend’s action on Sunday.
Brighton were left to rue not making more of a dominant first-half display.
Georginio Rutter hit the post and fired another effort wide, while Mitoma wasted a huge chance in the opening stages.
Brighton’s pressure finally paid off on the half hour mark when Mitoma stooped to head in Tariq Lamptey’s cross.
Southampton levelled 13 minutes into the second half with the impressive Tyler Dibling the architect.
The teenager’s square ball teed up Armstrong, whose shot was blocked, but the loose ball found its way to Downes, who hammered home first time from the edge of the area.
Eight minutes later Dibling wriggled clear of three Brighton players inside his own half and then spread the ball to Fraser.
His low cross evaded Armstrong and was finished at the far post by Archer - only to be chalked off to the dismay of boss Russell Martin.
“I’m fed up talking about decisions,” said Martin.
“We were told it affects Bart Verbruggen ability (to play the ball) and if Adam’s run moved Verbruggen from his position then I would understand the decision, but he hasn’t moved.
“I cannot see how it has affected the goalkeeper.”
Agencies