Premier League returns: Arsenal extend lead, Southampton bottom, pressure grows on bosses

Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri, Miguel Almiron of Newcastle and Liverpool's Stefan Bajcetic each scored connected the Premier League's return

Premier League shot resumed with a feast of Boxing Day fixtures, 40 days aft the top-flight broke up for the World Cup successful Qatar.

Southampton present find themselves bottommost of the league pursuing a location decision and Everton were near successful despair aft conceding precocious connected astatine Goodison Park.

BBC Sport looks astatine the main headlines from the Premier League's melodramatic return.

• How the 7 Boxing Day games unfolded

No World Cup hangover for Gunners

Eddie Nketiah, starting successful spot of the injured Gabriel Jesus, scored Arsenal's 3rd connected Monday

Any suggestions the World Cup interruption mightiness stall Arsenal's momentum were quashed successful Monday's last game.

Mikel Arteta's men extended their pb to 7 points aft coming from down to decision the Hammers courtesy of goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah.

"Once we got one, we could each consciousness the ambiance successful the stadium," said Nketiah. "There is that existent unity and transportation with the fans."

Arsenal prevarication seventh points wide of second-placed Newcastle, but Pep Guardiola's City, who are successful third, tin claw the shortage backmost to 5 points with triumph astatine Leeds connected Wednesday (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

"We are present to stay," said Gunners fable Thierry Henry connected Amazon Prime.

Newcastle stay the existent deal

With City not playing until Wednesday, Newcastle moved a constituent supra the Premier League champions into 2nd spot with an awesome triumph astatine Leicester.

The Magpies dominated and went 3-0 up with lone 32 minutes connected the clock. A Chris Wood penalty, positive goals from Miguel Almiron and Joelinton, made it a Boxing Day to savour for the travelling fans.

The Newcastle supporters were heard chanting "we're gonna triumph the league" but does manager Eddie Howe deliberation the same?

"We tin bash anything," said Howe. "The play is inactive young capable for each possibilities to beryllium for us."

Mixed commencement for caller bosses

There are managers inactive trying to find their feet with their caller clubs successful the Premier League and the Boxing Day fixtures brought up differing results for Julen Lopetegui, Nathan Jones and Unai Emery.

Lopetegui got disconnected to a imagination commencement aft Rayan Ait-Nouri scored a melodramatic stoppage-time victor arsenic Wolves came from down to beat Everton 2-1 astatine Goodison Park.

The triumph for the Spanish brag lifted his broadside disconnected the bottommost of the array and into 18th place, 1 constituent down Frank Lampard's Toffees.

While Lopetegui soaked up the adulation from the distant fans, Southampton brag Nathan Jones - taking complaint astatine St Mary's Stadium for the archetypal clip successful the Premier League - had to endure boos from the location supporters aft his Saints were comfortably beaten 3-1 by Brighton.

The relegation scrap has go adjacent harder for Jones arsenic his broadside present prop up the league array pursuing Wolves' victory.

Aston Villa failed to bring Christmas cheer to Villa Park arsenic Emery experienced his archetypal league decision arsenic Villa manager aft Liverpool picked up a 3-1 distant victory.

Pressure grows connected Lampard

Lampard said Everton "deserved" to triumph against Wolves but the information remains the Toffees are firmly successful the relegation combat erstwhile again pursuing their disappointing defeat.

Former West Ham striker Carton Cole said connected Final Score: "I benignant of consciousness atrocious for [Lampard] due to the fact that helium knows what helium wants from his team.

"But helium needs to brushwood up and get a spot much stableness successful midfield - past they tin commencement scoring much goals. Once they bash make - which is erstwhile successful a bluish satellite - they don't enactment it successful the goal. That's wherever you request a ruthless striker."

Meanwhile, ex-England striker Dion Dublin told BBC Radio 5 Live that portion helium is not disquieted for Lampard yet, "another mates of defeats" and his clip astatine Everton could beryllium up.

A cracker to footwear things off

Brentford and Tottenham had acceptable the code for the time with a four-goal thriller successful the aboriginal kick-off.

Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney enactment the Bees connected people for a archetypal triumph implicit Spurs since 1948 earlier Harry Kane launched the fightback successful his archetypal lucifer since missing a punishment successful England's 2-1 decision by France successful the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg made it 2-2 with a curling decorativeness - and neither broadside was capable to find a winner, with Kane heading a accidental against the crossbar.

"What a crippled to reopen the Premier League with," said Brentford brag Thomas Frank, portion Spurs brag Antonio Conte added: "It was an breathtaking game."

How did VAR fare?

New Premier League referees main Howard Webb told BBC Sport past week helium wants to demystify the refereeing process and to amended the existent VAR system.

So however did the usage of the exertion spell connected Monday?

In the precocious evening crippled betwixt leaders Arsenal and strugglers West Ham, referee Michael Oliver awarded a punishment for William Saliba's foul connected Jarrod Bowen, with Said Benrahma converting from the spot.

• Our sum of your Premier League nine is bigger and amended than ever earlier - follow your squad and motion up for notifications successful the BBC Sport app to marque definite you ne'er miss a moment

Late successful the archetypal half, Oliver awarded different punishment for a 'handball' by Aaron Cresswell but aft consultation with the VAR and watching a replay connected the pitch-side monitor, helium rightly overturned the archetypal determination arsenic the shot had intelligibly deed the West Ham full-back successful the face.