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The 59-year-old guided the Seagulls to victories over West Ham and Swansea in February.

Brighton, who beat Arsenal on Sunday, are undefeated since 20 January and sit 10th in the table in their first season in the Premier League.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah won the player award after scoring four goals in three games.

The 25-year-old is the joint-highest scorer this season with 24 goals, level with Tottenham’s Harry Kane.

Hughton took charge at Brighton in December 2014 and led them to the Premier League with a second-place finish in last season’s Championship.

He said of the award: “It’s a wonderful achievement for the club and certainly for a group of players that have improved as the season has gone on and knowing that we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

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Source: BBC Sport

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Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said that the Chile international could be involved if the deal had not been completed, but he was again omitted.

Unlike last week, however, when Arsenal lost 2-1 at Bournemouth without the forward, his team-mates made light work of his absence here against a poor Palace side.

The hosts were four goals up inside the opening quarter of the game, with Nacho Monreal, Alex Iwobi, Laurent Koscielny and Alexandre Lacazette all hitting the target.

Luka Milivojevic struck a consolation for the visitors as Wenger’s side won their first match of 2018 to move within five points of the Premier League top four.

Burnley 0-1 Manchester United

Anthony Martial’s third goal in as many Premier League matches earned second-placed Manchester United victory at Burnley as they kept up the pressure on leaders Manchester City.

Having failed to register a shot on target in the first half, Martial fired the winner in off the crossbar nine minutes after the break as United picked up their second win since City’s first top-flight loss of the campaign at Liverpool last Sunday.

It was United’s fourth successive victory to start 2018 while Burnley, who had earned a point at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, slipped to their fourth consecutive loss of the new calendar year.

Though City’s lead remains significant, United fans looking for omens will note this game came 22 years to the day since they trailed Newcastle by 12 points after 23 games, a deficit they eventually overturned en route to the title.

Everton 1-1 West Brom

Oumar Niasse scored the fastest goal by a Premier League substitute this season to rescue a point for Everton against West Brom at Goodison Park.

Just 56 seconds after replacing £28million signing Cenk Tosun in the second half, Niasse volleyed in from debutant Theo Walcott’s assist to cancel out Jay Rodriguez’s seventh-minute opener.

However, Toffees boss Sam Allardyce’s 1,000th game as a manager was marred by an horrific-looking suspected broken leg sustained by midfielder James McCarthy.

It secured Everton’s first point since their dreary goalless draw at The Hawthorns on Boxing Day and prevented the Baggies moving out of the relegation zone.

Leicester 2-0 Watford

Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez fired Leicester to a routine win over Watford as Claude Puel’s powers of recovery continued.

Winger Mahrez – linked with a January move – maintained his fine form with a third goal in six games after Vardy’s first-half penalty put the Foxes ahead.

Leicester move up to seventh in the Premier League while Watford’s struggles continue with Marco Silva’s side having won just once in 11 games.

No such problems for Leicester boss Puel, though, who has now lost just four of his 18 games in charge.

Stoke 2-0 Huddersfield

Paul Lambert made a winning start as Stoke manager as a comfortable home victory against Huddersfield saw them climb out of the relegation zone.

Lambert had only had this week to work with his players but he had visibly lifted them and on Saturday the Potters did not look like a team who had been beaten in eight of their last 11 Premier League outings.

Roared on by a crowd fuelled with optimism, Stoke started brightly but they had to wait until the second half for the goals to come as Joe Allen and then Mame Diouf got their names on the score sheet.

The opener came on 53 minutes, when Charlie Adam set Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting free down the left and his cut back was steered into the bottom corner of the net by Allen.

Xherdan Shaqiri’s lovely flick then set up Diouf for the second goal in the 69th minute, with the Senegalese sliding a shot into the net off the inside of a post.

West Ham 1-1 Bournemouth

Javier Hernandez scored his first goal since October as West Ham and Bournemouth shared the spoils at the London Stadium.

Asmir Begovic denied Marko Arnautovic from point-blank range after 14 minutes and Bournemouth took the lead against the run of play through Ryan Fraser after 71 minutes.

The Hammers equalised immediately, as substitute Hernandez pounced to extend their unbeaten run to seven games. Bournemouth are now unbeaten in five in the league.

However, worryingly for David Moyes’ men, playmaker Manuel Lanzini went off with a knock in the second half and it is a year since West Ham last won successive Premier League games.

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Source: Talksport

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It looked like Chelsea had come from behind to triumph when Marcos Alonso struck six minutes from time, after Jack Wilshere’s first league goal since May 2015 had been cancelled out by an Eden Hazard penalty.

But the Gunners would not be beaten and Bellerin punished Alonso’s poor clearing header with a fine finish for a share of the points – though there was still time for Chelsea’s Davide Zappacosta to hit the crossbar.

Alvaro Morata had missed a glorious chance to give Chelsea a 14th-minute lead and the visitors were then indebted to a Thibaut Courtois save which pushed Alexis Sanchez’s shot on to both posts.

Wilshere broke the deadlock, but there were doubts over whether the midfielder should have been on the pitch.

Already booked, Wilshere went down looking for a free-kick on the edge of the area and might have received a second yellow card from referee Anthony Taylor for simulation.

The Gunners’ lead lasted just four minutes as Hector Bellerin was adjudged to have fouled Hazard, who equalised with the resulting penalty.

Alonso’s effort appeared decisive, only for Bellerin to strike.

Hostilities between the teams will be renewed in a week’s time, in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.

On an evening when Arsenal’s former arch-antagonist found the target, some in Chelsea blue were ruing his absence.

Ex-Chelsea striker Diego Costa scored in his first game since the FA Cup final loss to Arsenal in May as Atletico Madrid won at Lleida in Spain’s Copa del Rey, while Morata missed a golden opportunity here.

Shkodran Mustafi and, chiefly, Calum Chambers allowed Morata to ghost on to a hopeful hoof from Victor Moses but with time and space to set himself, the striker passed the ball wide of the post.

It was an open contest. Arsenal pushed forwards and Ainsley Maitland-Niles tripped over his own feet in the penalty area, with Moses in close attendance.

Moments later Sanchez found room to strike a low, right-footed shot.

Courtois touched the ball on to a post and it rolled on to the other upright before the Chelsea goalkeeper claimed it.

Alexandre Lacazette was able to turn Gary Cahill in the Chelsea box and force a smart save from Courtois, before Cech tipped over Tiemoue Bakayoko’s effort from a Cesc Fabregas through-ball.

Wilshere was booked for clattering former Gunners captain Fabregas, who claimed his revenge by nicking the ball as his rival shaped to shoot. The Blues midfielder was cautioned before half-time for a challenge on Wilshere.

Fabregas should have given Chelsea a half-time lead but blazed over from a Hazard backheel.

Cech saved with his feet from Hazard before Courtois denied Lacazette again

Wilshere went down looking for a free-kick on the edge of the area following Andreas Christensen’s well-timed challenge.

Fabregas waved for an imaginary second yellow card which Taylor did not produce.

Eight minutes later Wilshere beat Courtois with a thunderous left-footed strike from Rob Holding’s pass.

Courtois continued to frustrate Lacazette and the Gunners were level when Bellerin caught Hazard, who converted from the spot.

Morata again should have scored after muscling his way past Mustafi but clipped the ball wide, leaving Antonio Conte to fall to his knees and pound the artificial grass in his technical area in frustration.

It was jubilation for Conte soon afterwards as substitute Zappacosta crossed and Alonso showed a poacher’s instinct at the near post but fellow full-back Bellerin struck back with an even better finish.

There may have been one further late intervention, but Zappacosta hit the bar.

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Source: BBC

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Martial curled the ball into the net from the edge of the area to break the deadlock before Lingard also bent a shot beyond Jordan Pickford from distance.

Juan Mata hit a post for United while Oumar Niasse spurned Everton’s best chances.

The win ends United’s run of three straight draws, while Everton, now without a win in four, stay ninth.

United looked to be close to their best in the second half, with Paul Pogba providing the assists for both goals.

Lingard’s stunning strike was his seventh in the league this season, all scored in nine appearances since 28 November.

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Source: BBC

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The Reds, without Roberto Firmino and injured duo Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah in their starting line-up, led through Sadio Mane’s second-half strike.

Johann Gudmundsson equalised with a late header, but Estonian centre-back Klavan scored in injury time.

Leicester beat Huddersfield 3-0, with Riyad Mahrez scoring and then assisting Islam Slimani, who was making only his second Premier League start of the season, because Jamie Vardy was out injured. Marc Albrighton scored their late third.

Newcastle beat fellow strugglers Stoke City 1-0, with Ayoze Perez scoring from close range.

Brighton and Bournemouth played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the first Premier League game of 2018 – in a match with 42 shots, the record for a top-flight game this season. The Cherries twice came from behind, with Callum Wilson scoring a scrappy 79th-minute equaliser.

In the 17:30 GMT game, which is on BBC Radio 5 live, Everton are at home to Manchester United.

Premier League match reports

Brighton 2-2 Bournemouth

Burnley 1-2 Liverpool

Leicester 3-0 Huddersfield

Stoke 0-1 Newcastle

Source:BBC

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A David Silva double and goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero gave Manchester City a 4-0 win at bottom club Swansea, as Pep Guardiola’s side extended their record-breaking winning streak.

Manchester United recovered from Sunday’s derby defeat by their title rivals with a 1-0 success over Bournemouth, Romelu Lukaku scoring only his second goal in his last 10 league games.

Sam Allardyce continued his undefeated start as Everton manager with Wayne Rooney’s tap-in enough to beat Newcastle, who sit a point above the relegation zone.

And Leicester boss Claude Puel enjoyed a happy return to his former club Southampton as his side recorded a fourth successive league win with a resounding 4-1 victory at St Mary’s.

Tottenham beat Brighton 2-0 to move up to fourth, with Liverpool a point behind after being held 0-0 at Anfield by West Brom.

West Ham remain in the relegation zone – level on points with 17th-placed Albion – despite a goalless draw against Arsenal, who are seventh.

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Source: BBC

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Arsenal 2-1 Swansea City

Aaron Ramsey scored the winner – his 50th goal in all competitions for Arsenal – as the Gunners fought back after going a goal down to seal a 2-1 victory over Swansea at the Emirates.

Sam Clucas gave the Swans a 1-0 lead at half-time, before Sead Kolasinac and Ramsey responded to move the north London outfit into the top four.

Crystal Palace 2-2 West Ham United

If one player is going to save Palace from relegation this season, it’s Wilfried Zaha. With almost the last kick of the game, deep into injury time, the winger scored to add a hugely valuable point to the Eagles’ board.

West Ham had gone into the dressing two goals up through Javier Hernandez and Andre Ayew, but Luka Milivojević gave the home side hope from the penalty spot, before Zaha rocked Selhurst Park in the 97th minute.

Liverpool 3-0 Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield stood firm in a first half that saw Mohamed Salah have a penalty saved, but Liverpool’s attacking quality took over in the second period.

Daniel Sturridge grabbed the first of the game soon after the break, before Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum sealed the victory for the Reds and a rare clean sheet win.

Watford 0-1 Stoke City

A Darren Fletcher volley sealed Stoke’s first win away from home of the season, as the pressure eased somewhat on Mark Hughes in a stormy contest at Vicarage Road.

Fletcher scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute, as the Potters moved away from the drop zone. The Hornets simply ran out of ideas, leaving Marco Silva with plenty to dissect.

West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Manchester City

Despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise, this was a comfortable, deserved victory for City at the Hawthorns.

Pep Guardiola’s side were punished for two errors at the back by Jay Rodriguez and Matt Phillips in each half, but goals from Leroy Sane, Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling further confirmed the title leader’s class.

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Source: Talksport

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Defender Luiz received a straight red card for a late challenge on Sead Kolasinac in the 87th minute after the Gunners had earlier had Shkodran Mustafi’s headed goal disallowed.

The Blues’ best chance came from Pedro, who poked wide in the first half.

The result ended Arsenal’s five-match losing streak in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insisted the debacle of the 4-0 loss at Liverpool in August – a performance that provoked fierce criticism of both manager and players – was an “accident”.

The words were greeted with cynicism by those who had been at the scene of identical Arsenal ‘accidents’ at Anfield three times in the past four years and wondered whether Wenger was again at odds with the reality of the Gunners’ plight.

Arsenal’s display on Sunday, full of steel and discipline as well as attacking intent, gave the Frenchman’s theory plenty of weight as they stood toe-to-toe with the champions and were the better side for spells.

The trick now is for Arsenal to provide further evidence that this excellent performance – at a ground which has been a stage of unrelenting misery is recent years – is the rule and the display at Anfield is the exception.

Wenger’s team selection was an improvement on the fiasco of Anfield, where Alexandre Lacazette and Kolasinac were inexplicably left out when threat and physical presence were essential.

Arsenal’s manager cut an agitated figure in his technical area for much of the game, spending time in dialogue with the officials nearby, but there was much for Wenger to be satisfied with as they more than matched Chelsea.

Luiz continues Mane debate

Luiz was shown a straight red card for his reckless challenge on Kolasinac near the touchline with only three minutes left.

And yet the Brazil international may have feared dismissal earlier in the half when his flying overhead kick caught Laurent Koscielny near the face in the penalty area – before referee Michael Oliver issued a yellow card.

The incident revived the debate sparked by Sadio Mane’s dismissal for Liverpool at Manchester City last Saturday, when his high boot injured keeper Ederson.

Social media was instantly alive, especially with Reds fans highlighting what they regarded as an injustice.

Jon Moss was the referee at Etihad Stadium and was clearly implementing the law that says: “Serious foul play – a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force…”

Oliver clearly deemed this not to be the case with Luiz’s challenge on Koscielny – but it will not stop the debate.

Chelsea left frustrated

The Blues have recovered impressively with four straight wins after the opening-day home defeat by Burnley – but Stamford Bridge was seething with frustration at the final whistle here.

Arsenal were clearly the happier side, although they will feel irritated they could not get three points as Chelsea were kept out with a performance containing a resilience the Gunners are often accused of lacking.

Pedro wasted Chelsea’s best chance, while Alvaro Morata showed plenty of good touches but also a willingness to go to ground too easily under physical challenges.

The hosts’ mood was summed up by manager Antonio Conte’s animated fury in the closing moments, especially after Luiz’s red card.

It was not the best of the days for the champions.

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Source: BBC

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The 34-year-old rifled his first Bournemouth goal in 16 years, as the Cherries came from behind to sink visitors Brighton 2-1.

Solly March’s header had Brighton dreaming of a second successive Premier League win but Andrew Surman coolly levelled before England poacher Defoe stole the victory.

Defoe last scored for Bournemouth on a loan spell in May 2001, and the veteran exhibited all his stunning staying power to settle this south coast derby.

Bournemouth were in real danger of losing five successive Premier League matches for the first time when March capped a flowing move, but manager Howe’s men responded in style to kick-start their season.

Defoe has turned out for West Ham, Tottenham, Portsmouth, Toronto FC and Sunderland since his loan stint on the south coast as a teenage goalscorer of rich promise.

A full generation of strikers has come and gone in between, but still Defoe keeps on delivering, adding again to his impressive haul that included 15 Premier League goals with the Black Cats last term.

The Cherries’ success leaves Crystal Palace as the final top-flight team still seeking points, with Defoe securing a crucial boost to boss Howe.

Super sub Jordon Ibe laid on both goals in a clinical cameo that will raise hopes of the former Liverpool starlet finally making good on his £15million transfer fee.

A nervy first-half saw Shane Duffy play in Josh King and Harry Arter hand possession straight to Davy Propper. Neither man could produce a finish however, leaving the clash deadlocked at the break.

Bournemouth wasted 65 per cent of first-half possession and almost paid an immediate price after the break, when Dale Stephens hit the bar after a Brighton corner.

The emboldened visitors then struck with a clinical and eye-catching move, Pascal Gross chesting down to Anthony Knockaert who immediately played the ball back into the German’s path.

March then despatched Gross’ whipped cross with a smart header, sucking all the air out of Bournemouth and their fans.

Here was the killer instinct Howe’s hosts craved so desperately, cruelly distilled into a goal magicked from little more than three touches.

Howe had asked his men for fight though, and that steel showed itself in an equaliser of high quality.

Surman traded passes with Ibe, collecting the replacement’s neat backheel, cut inside Lewis Dunk’s rash challenge – and coolly side-footed home.

With the match finally alight, Ibe had a rasping shot blocked by Dunk, while Brighton’s new talisman Gross was desperately seeking medical attention.

Gross eventually found his feet and returned to the pitch – but not before Ibe had played in Defoe, who turned, scurried on and buried a drive past Seagulls goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. A timely finish from a timeless striker.

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Source: TalkSport

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