LEEDS, England, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Premier League leaders Arsenal ended their mini-slump with an emphatic 4-0 victory at Leeds United on Saturday to move seven points clear as champions Liverpool crushed Newcastle United 4-1.
Martin Zubimendi's header and an own goal by Leeds keeper Karl Darlow put Arsenal in command before halftime, and Viktor Gyokeres's volley and a clever finish by Gabriel Jesus wrapped things up after the break.
Arsenal's first victory in four Premier League games moved Mikel Arteta's side to 53 points from 24 matches with Manchester City and Aston Villa, who both play on Sunday, on 46.
"To win 4-0 here is very difficult, let's see when the next time that happens. Big credit to the boys," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who withstood a second-half soaking as the rain hammered down at Elland Road, said.
"The team showed a real dominance, resilience and character and obviously quality. I really liked the attitude of the team."
Chelsea are fourth in the table after battling back from two goals down to beat West Ham United 3-2 in a feisty London derby, while Liverpool are a point behind in fifth after their first league victory in more than a month.
Bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers slipped closer to the drop as they lost 2-0 at home to Bournemouth, a result that left them 17 points behind Nottingham Forest who occupy the spot immediately above the relegation zone.
Everton moved up to eighth after Beto's goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time earned them a 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bukayo Saka's withdrawal due to a hip injury in the warm-up did not bode well for Arsenal whose loss at home to Manchester United last week following consecutive 0-0 draws had raised questions about their nerve as they seek their first title since 2004.
With Leeds having lost only once in their last 10 league games it looked like being a real test of the leaders' mettle.
They passed it in style, however, as the depth of their squad was again apparent with Saka's replacement Noni Madueke making a huge impact. It was his cross that Zubimendi met to put Arsenal in front after 27 minutes and his corner which was fumbled into his own goal by Darlow.
The raucous Elland Road crowdtried to lift their side but there was no way back after substitute Gabriel Martinelli did brilliantly down the right and whipped in a low cross that Gyokeres met with a volley past Darlow.
Martinelli's fellow Brazilian Jesus, also off the bench, then showed sparkling footwork before curling in a clinical finish in the 86th minute.
CHELSEA COMEBACK
West Ham, mired in the relegation zone, capitalised on a sloppy first half from Chelsea, taking a seventh‑minute lead when Jarrod Bowen's cross drifted in at the far post, and they doubled their advantage half an hour later through Crysencio Summerville.
Boos rang around Stamford Bridge at the break, but manager Liam Rosenior then made three changes, and they paid immediate dividends.
Substitutes Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella lifted the hosts back into the match, Pedro heading in a Wesley Fofana cross in the 57th minute before Cucurella levelled with a diving header after a rebound off the bar.
Chelsea completed their comeback in stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez ghosted into the box to meet a Joao Pedro pass and seal a dramatic turnaround that lifted the Blues to fourth with 40 points.
"I would have booed us in the first half," Rosenior said. "Our performance was nowhere near the level it needed to be. To see them so happy 45 minutes later makes me very proud. Hopefully, this is a huge breakthrough for the squad."
At Anfield, Newcastle started briskly and Anthony Gordon put the visitors ahead in the 36th minute.
Hugo Ekitike turned the game on its head, however, with goals in the 41st and 43rd minutes, scoring his first with a stab home at the near post.
Liverpool fans were still celebrating when Ekitike latched onto a ball down the line from Milos Kerkez, and poked it into the far corner past goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Florian Wirtz struck in the 67th minute and Ibrahima Konate, who was back after missing two games to attend his father's funeral, scored deep into stoppage time to complete the rout.
Liverpool are fifth in the table with 39 points, as Newcastle fell to 10th.
"We came here with confidence, but I think tonight is also about team spirit," Ekitike told TNT Sports. "Everybody tonight were running everywhere, it's not about the ones you see on the score sheet."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman and Lori Ewing; editing by Ed Osmond)
