Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. Photo: Shaun Brooks
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk scored a first-half volley as they claimed a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United, handing new Blades boss Chris Wilder a losing start on his return to the club.
The win lifts second-placed Liverpool to 34 points, two behind leaders Arsenal, while Wilder faces an uphill battle after taking over Sheffield United as they remain rooted to the bottom of the table on five points after 15 games.
Aston Villa stunned Manchester City with a fully-deserved 1-0 win thanks to a deflected shot from Leon Bailey, leaving the reigning champions in an unfamiliar fourth position and six points off the top.
Unai Emery's Villa, enjoying their best season for years, oozed with confidence and dominated the game throughout, leap-frogging City to third in the table.
City are on 30 points after 15 games - six points behind Arsenal - and without a win in their last four Premier League matches.
Aston Villa moved up to third on 32 points, two behind Liverpool and four behind Arsenal.
Manchester United's Scott McTominay scored either side of halftime to guide his team to a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford.
United dominated in a victory that lifted Erik ten Hag's beleaguered team, who have been hounded by recent reports of unrest in the dressing room, into sixth place on 27 points after 15 games.
Chelsea are 10th on 19 points.
Scott McTominay celebrates a goal. Photo: David Blunsden
Teenage midfielder Jack Hinshelwood saved on the line and then headed a winning first Premier League goal for Brighton & Hove Albion as the south-coast side came from behind to beat Brentford 2-1.
The 18-year-old academy product put the Seagulls ahead in the 52nd minute, after the two sides had been 1-1 at the break, when he nodded into the bottom left corner off a cross from captain and man of the match Pascal Gross.
Moments earlier Hinshelwood had made a block on the line from substitute Yoane Wissa after Neal Maupay also had a shot stopped.
Brighton moved up to seventh on 25 points with Brentford 11th on 19.
Fulham crushed Nottingham Forest in a 5-0, dropping the visitors closer to the relegation zone and piling pressure on their manager Steve Cooper.
Forest have now lost four games in a row and won only once in their last 11 to be 16th, with Fulham 12th.
Bournemouth climbed further away from the relegation zone with a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace.
Bournemouth have now gone four games unbeaten in the league and are up to 15th on 16 points, nine points clear of third from bottom Everton in 18th.
Palace, winless in their last four games, are in 14th , level on points with Bournemouth.
-Reuters
