Premier League round-up as Manchester City close gap on top spot with a win over Sunderland and Chelsea draw

Tottenham , Newcastle and Everton all also recorded crucial victories as the fixtures continue to come in thick and fast in the Christmas period.

GB News provide a full round-up of all this afternoon's Premier League action.

Manchester City 3-0 Sunderland

Manchester City cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to two points with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday.

Centre-backs Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol set Pep Guardiola’s side on their way with a quickfire double before the break at the Etihad Stadium.

Phil Foden wrapped up the points after 65 minutes but his fifth goal in three games was as much about a moment of magic from Rayan Cherki.

The Frenchman set up Foden’s header, which crashed in off the bar, with a superb rabona cross.

That inspired moment effectively killed off the challenge of Sunderland, who finished with 10 men after substitute Luke O’Nien was sent off in stoppage time.

Prior to Foden’s goal the Black Cats, who began the game in fifth, had been threatening to get back into the game.

Instead, they were left to rue a slow start while City, after holding off fightbacks from Leeds and Fulham in the past week, were relieved to avoid another scare.

They will now head to Real Madrid for their next Champions League outing on Wednesday in a confident mood, knowing their domestic title challenge is firmly back on.

Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea

Chelsea failed to significantly cut the gap at the top of the Premier League as they were held to a goalless draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Defeat for leaders Arsenal earlier on Saturday had given Enzo Maresca’s team the chance to pull to within six points against a Bournemouth side who had been in free-fall after four losses in five, but despite a spirited second-half showing they were left to rue the lack of a decisive final ball to cut through the hosts.

They had been fortunate not to fall behind to an onslaught from the Cherries late in the first half, Robert Sanchez frustrating Andoni Iraola’s team with an inspired showing.

Antoine Semenyo had whacked the ball in the Chelsea net after three minutes but was denied for offside following a lengthy VAR check.

Bournemouth, though, were encouraged, and Marcus Tavernier soon warmed the palms of Sanchez with a powerful drive.

It took 20 minutes for the next serious threat to either goal, Marc Cucurella heading Pedro Neto’s high cross over.

Liam Delap left the field in the 30th minute with his shirt employed as a makeshift sling after grappling at a corner with Marcos Senesi and appearing to land heavily on his shoulder.

Marc Guiu was the surprise choice as Joao Pedro's replacement.

It had been a balanced enough half, but Bournemouth came on strong in the closing stages.

Semenyo beat Gusto and shot for the corner, Sanchez diverted it across the face and sliding in at the far post was Evanilson, stretching for all he was worth but unable to get the ball on target.

Sanchez saved brilliantly from Alex Scott, then again from Semenyo as Chelsea clung nervously on to see the half out.

Neto finally brought a save out of Djordje Petrovic at the start of the second half with a low drive at the near post, then Alejandro Garnacho headed Neto’s deep cross against the post.

Guiu lashed horribly at a loose ball from six yards out, sending it crashing against the roof of the stand behind Petrovic’s goal, before Cole Palmer, given just shy of an hour on his first start since September, shot straight at the keeper.

Chelsea were much improved and now looked the side most likely to break through. Garnacho, anonymous in the first half but suddenly now appearing everywhere, cut in from the left and sent a bullet drive fizzing just wide of the far post.

Maresca played his ace card with 15 minutes remaining, sending on Estevao with a brief to find the final pass that had been missing from his team’s second-half display.

But it was Bournemouth’s own talisman who nearly won it, bringing the best save yet from Sanchez with a powerful near-post hit.

Tottenham 2-0 Brentford

Tottenham secured its first Premier League home win since August with a much-needed 2-0 victory over Brentford.

Pressure had started to mount on Thomas Frank after a succession of poor home displays and a run of three defeats in four matches, but for the visit of his old club he recalled Xavi Simons to great effect.

It took Xavi only 25 minutes to set up Richarlison’s opener before the £52million playmaker got off the mark in his 19th appearance with a fine solo goal in the 43rd minute to clinch Spurs only a fourth home win in the league in 2025.

Frank embraced Brentford boss Keith Andrews before kick-off and multiple members of the visitors’ backroom staff.

Xavi’s recent exclusion had puzzled fans, and he was in the thick of the action in the early exchanges as Tottenham attempted to start strongly after a shambolic opening against Fulham.

Micky van de Ven sent a header over after seven minutes before Richarlison had an effort blocked by Nathan Collins soon after and a wayward strike by Xavi further signalled Spurs’ improved intent at home.

Brentford had offered little by the midway point of the half, but the in-form Igor Thiago provided a warning sign when his snapshot forced Guglielmo Vicario into a decent save.

Tottenham’s encouraging start had still not produced a shot on target but that changed in the 25th minute.

Pedro Porro played his part with a wonderful ball over the top after a positive run by Xavi, who had the presence of mind to pick out Richarlison at the back post to slam home.

It was Spurs’ first shot on target in the first half of a Premier League game in five weeks, and just reward.

The second arrived after 43 minutes, following a moment of magic by Xavi.

The Netherlands attacker initially lost possession to Mikkel Damsgaard, but won it back instantly from Sepp van den Berg and carried from the halfway line to leave Yehor Yarmoliuk trailing behind before he drilled into the bottom corner to open his account for Spurs.

Newcastle 2-1 Burnley

Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon scored for the second time in five days as Newcastle eased to a 2-1 Premier League victory over 10-man Burnley at St James’ Park.

Guimaraes found the back of the net direct from a corner and Gordon converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time, minutes after Lucas Pires had been sent off for bringing down Anthony Elanga.

The visitors responded with a last-gasp penalty from substitute Zian Flemming.

The victory was exactly what the Magpies, who belatedly handed a debut to £55million summer signing Yoane Wissa as a late substitute, needed ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Bayer Leverkusen and next weekend’s derby at Sunderland, although it came courtesy of a patchy performance in front of a crowd of 52,041.

Indeed, the Clarets set out their stall from the off, winning two early corners which were both cleared by Nick Woltemade and forcing goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale into a third-minute save after Tino Livramento’s attempted clearance came back off Jacob Bruun Larsen and ricocheted towards goal.

Lyle Foster sent a dipping shot over from distance as the visitors continued to prosper, but the hosts finally started to find their feet.

Defender Maxime Esteve was in the right place at the right time to deny Woltemade after Joe Willock had combined with Guimaraes and Jacob Ramsey to set him up, and Elanga called upon former Magpie Martin Dubravka to make his first save of the game with a 16th-minute attempt on the turn.

Ramsdale continued to look uncomfortable amid a set-piece assault, but it was Dubravka who was relieved to see Gordon’s 28th-minute shot clip his far post and drop safe.

However, the Slovakia international was beaten three minutes later when he came for and failed to get a touch to Guimaraes’ left-wing corner under pressure from Gordon and could only look on as the Brazilian’s delivery sailed over his head and into the net.

Guimaraes wasted a 36th-minute free-kick with a wayward strike after Kyle Walker had crudely felled Gordon, but Malick Thiaw had to block a Bruun Larsen effort seconds later with the visitors very much still in it.

Dubravka kept out Elanga’s 41st-minute drive after Ramsey and Gordon had staged a pacy counter-attack, but it was the Sweden international’s pace which caught out full-back Pires, who clipped the wide-man as he chased down Gordon’s through ball two minutes later and was sent off.

But he was picking the ball out of his net once again deep into stoppage time when, after referee Stuart Attwell had been advised to go to the monitor, he awarded a penalty for handball against Lesley Ugochukwu which Gordon dispatched with the minimum of fuss.

Dubravka tipped over Guimaraes’ instinctive strike, blocked substitute Lewis Hall’s shot and then had to save from his own defender Esteve as he got his head to Elanga’s ball in before Gordon skimmed the bar with a well-struck 73rd-minute attempt.

Burnley got their reward just before the end when Ramsey was adjudged to have handled and Flemming struck from the spot.

Everton 3-0 Nottingham Forrest

Everton moved to within a point of the top four with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

David Moyes came out on top in the battle with his Toffees predecessor Sean Dyche as his faith in the young striker was finally rewarded.

Thierno Barry's 17th appearance since his £27million move from Villarreal and his sixth successive start since his manager decided to put his trust in the Frenchman rather than the more experienced Beto.

Neither forward had offered him much in the way of a threat, with just one league goal between them, and for 45 minutes, Barry’s contribution was negligible.

He comfortably lost the physical battle with Nikola Milenkovic, whose own goal after just 82 seconds had put the visitors on the back foot.

But teed up by Iliman Ndiaye in an added-time counter-attack, Barry produced a first-time finish of which watching former Everton striker Gary Lineker would have been proud.

A fourth win in five games lifted Everton into the European shake-up, already a remarkable achievement from Moyes managing a team whose strikers have struggled to score and which was down to its last pair of senior midfielders due to a couple of suspensions and an injury.

When Forest were last on Merseyside a fortnight ago, they embarrassed Liverpool at Anfield, but on their return, they were left red-faced on a particularly painful afternoon for Dyche, who, despite twice saving the club from relegation amid financial troubles and points deductions, never won over fans.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall turned Dan Ndoye before firing in a cross which Milenkovic could only divert into the same net.

Everton had not lost any of the previous seven league matches after taking the lead, winning five, but they were helped by a poor Forest, which did not register a shot on target until Jordan Pickford turned away Elliot Anderson’s effort moments before Barry’s goal.

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