Arsenal maintained their grip on the top of the Premier League table at Christmas after edging Everton 1–0 on Saturday, despite pressure from Manchester City, who also recorded a comfortable win.

The Gunners restored a two-point lead at the summit thanks to a first-half penalty converted by Viktor Gyokeres at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.

The Swedish striker stepped up after referee appeals were initially waved away for a foul on him moments earlier, before Jake O’Brien was penalised for handball in the box.

Mikel Arteta’s side were far from fluent but showed resilience to grind out the narrow victory.

Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi both struck the woodwork after the break, while Everton were left frustrated by what they felt were two unpunished fouls on Thierno Barry inside the penalty area.

Earlier in the day, Manchester City briefly climbed to the top of the table following a 3–0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium.

Erling Haaland scored twice and also provided an assist as Pep Guardiola’s men recorded their seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

Despite the convincing result, Guardiola warned that improvement is still needed if City are to challenge for a seventh league title under his watch.

Elsewhere, Liverpool survived a tense finish to beat nine-man Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 and extend their unbeaten run to six matches.

Spurs were reduced to 10 men in the first half after a dangerous challenge on Virgil van Dijk, leaving them with a difficult task for much of the game.

Alexander Isak, introduced at half-time, scored his third goal since joining Liverpool for a reported £125 million but was later forced off with another injury concern.

Hugo Ekitike added a second for the Reds before Richarlison pulled one back late on, making for a nervy finale at Anfield.

Liverpool climbed to fifth place on the table, while Tottenham slipped to 13th following their fifth home defeat in nine league games this season.

Chelsea remained fourth on goal difference after a dramatic comeback against Newcastle.

A Reece James free-kick and a Joao Pedro equaliser overturned a two-goal deficit, easing pressure on manager Enzo Maresca amid recent speculation about his future.

At the bottom end of the table, Wolves’ miserable campaign continued with a 2–0 home defeat to Brentford, leaving them without a league win this season.

Burnley snapped a seven-game losing streak with a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw at Bournemouth, while Leeds boosted their survival hopes with a 4–1 victory over Crystal Palace.

Sunderland also edged closer to the European places after holding Brighton to a goalless draw, moving up to sixth on the log.

Nigeria’s petition to FIFA challenging the eligibility of several Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) players in the 2026 World Cup playoffs has been described as “very tight” by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko.

He emphasized that the case is grounded in law, not sentiment.

The Super Eagles were eliminated by DR Congo on penalties in Morocco last month, handing the Leopards a place in the intercontinental playoffs scheduled for Mexico in March 2026.

Nigeria has since filed a formal complaint with FIFA, alleging that nine Congolese players were ineligible under DRC’s domestic law, which does not permit dual citizenship.

“Our case is solid. We’re not sore losers; this is about enforcing the law,” Dikko told Arise TV.

“There are suspicions that some procedures were not correctly followed in accordance with the laws of the game. Some players may have misrepresented their status to FIFA to obtain clearance.”

“Just two days ago, FIFA ruled against Malaysia for the same issue, overturning matches where players had procured passports illegally.”

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) maintains that players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, who featured in the playoff, should not have been cleared to represent DRC.

NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi explained, “The petition concerns nine DRC players. FIFA was misled into clearing these players because it is not responsible for enforcing domestic citizenship laws.

“Congolese law prohibits dual nationality, yet some players reportedly hold European or French passports. The process was therefore fraudulent.”

In response, DR Congo dismissed Nigeria’s petition, accusing the Super Eagles of trying to qualify “from the back door.”

In a statement on its official Instagram page, the Congolese team said: “If you can’t win on the pitch, don’t try to win from the back door. The World Cup must be played with dignity, not with lawyers’ tricks. Bad losers.”

The dispute has reignited debate among Nigerian supporters, many hopeful that FIFA’s review could alter the playoff outcome.

Nigeria last appeared at the World Cup in 2018 and missed the 2022 edition in Qatar, raising fears that another absence in 2026 would deepen disappointment.

FIFA statutes allow a player to change national association only once, subject to approval by its Players’ Status Committee.

While FIFA requires a player to hold a passport from the new nation, Congolese law prohibits dual nationality, creating potential legal conflict.

Past cases indicate FIFA could overturn results, deduct points, or impose fines when ineligible players are fielded.

The matter now rests with FIFA, which will determine whether DR Congo violated eligibility rules.

Should Nigeria’s petition succeed, the Super Eagles could be reinstated into contention for the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico, provided fixtures have not yet been played.

“This is not about emotions. It is about the law. If rules have been broken, justice must be served,” Dikko concluded.

Chelsea staged a dramatic fightback to rescue a 2-2 draw against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Saturday, after falling two goals behind in the first half.

Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade put the home side in control with a quick double in the opening 20 minutes.

Chelsea’s defence struggled to cope, allowing Woltemade to slot home twice, first following a mishandled cross from Jacob Murphy, and then from Anthony Gordon’s pinpoint delivery.

After the break, Chelsea turned the game around thanks to Reece James’s stunning free-kick in the 49th minute and Joao Pedro’s brilliant solo effort in the 66th, which saw him convert a long clearance past Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

The draw keeps Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, but questions linger over head coach Enzo Maresca’s future after a turbulent week that saw speculation linking him to Manchester City.

Maresca denied the reports, calling them “100 percent speculation,” and insisted he remains focused on Chelsea.

Chelsea’s slow start was attributed to defensive lapses and poor organisation, issues that Maresca had hinted at after last weekend’s win over Everton.

Newcastle, despite injuries to key defenders like Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, and Tino Livramento, threatened to extend their lead but were controversially denied a penalty when Trevoh Chalobah barged into Gordon.

Maresca, visibly relieved after the equaliser, celebrated with a jubilant jig on the touchline as his side secured a hard-fought point.

The comeback underlined Chelsea’s resilience but also highlighted ongoing concerns over squad rotation and defensive cohesion this season.