Swansea City came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 and Tottenham Hotspur’s misery continued with a 2-1 home defeat by Stoke City, making it a nightmare Sunday for north London.
Alexis Sanchez struck his sixth league goal in four games to give Arsenal the lead at Swansea but Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis replied to hand Arsene Wenger’s team their second league defeat of the season.
Tottenham slipped to their fourth home defeat of the campaign while resurgent Newcastle United recorded their fourth successive league win with a 2-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion.
Everton drew 1-1 at Sunderland in yesterday’s other match.
A drab game at the rain-soaked Liberty Stadium sprung into life in the second half when Danny Welbeck cut inside and showed excellent composure to lay the ball off to Sanchez with the goal begging.
The Chile forward slotted his 12th Arsenal goal in all competitions this season to give the visitors the lead with 63 minutes gone.
The lead lasted 12 minutes as Sigurdsson powered a sublime free-kick into the top corner of the net to spark a Swansea comeback.
Three minutes later, with the home crowd roaring the Swans on, substitute Gomis gave the hosts the lead with one of his first touches, rising high to nod in Jefferson Montero’s cross.
Victory for Garry Monk’s side catapulted them to fifth place in the league standings with 18 points from 11 games, one place above Arsenal.
Having won at Asteras Tripolis in the Europa League three days earlier, the rigours of juggling continental and domestic competition again proved too much for Spurs against a Stoke side who had previously won just once on the road this season.
Former Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic scored his first Premier League goal with a brilliant solo effort to give Stoke City the lead at White Hart Lane after six minutes.
Things went from bad to worse for Mauricio Pochettino’s side when Jonathan Walters tapped in Mame Biram Diouf’s pass 12 minutes before the interval.
Spurs desperately tried to mount a comeback in the second half and Nacer Chadli’s powerful drive made it 2-1 with 13 minutes left but it was too little too late for the home team.
The defeat piled more pressure on Pochettino with Spurs lying 12th in the table on 14 points. Stoke climbed to ninth with 15 points.
Goals from Ayoze Perez and Fabricio Coloccini ensured Newcastle’s recent revival continued at the Hawthorns.
Perez scored his third goal in three games with a sublime backheel from a Daryl Janmaat cross to put the visitors ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Netherlands right-back Janmaat then crossed for defender Coloccini to double the lead after 62 minutes with a header from close range.
Newcastle are now eighth on 16 points, a remarkable turnaround for a team that only recorded their first win of the season last month.
Summaries
Sunderland 1
Larsson 67;
Everton 1
Baines 76p;
HT: 0-0. Att: 43,476.
Swansea City 2
Sigurdsson 75; Gomis 78;
Arsenal 1
Sanchez 63;
HT: 0-0. Att: 20,182.
Tottenham 1
Chadli 77;
Stoke City 2
Bojan 6; Walters 33;
HT: 0-2. Att: 35,699.
West Brom 0
Newcastle 2
Perez 45; Coloccini 62;
HT: 0-1. Att: 26,476.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Chelsea | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 11 | 29 |
| S’thampton | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 5 | 25 |
| Man. City | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 12 | 21 |
| West Ham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 14 | 18 |
| Swansea | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 18 |
| Arsenal | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 13 | 17 |
| Man. United | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 16 |
| Newcastle | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 16 |
| Stoke City | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
| Everton | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 18 | 14 |
| Liverpool | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
| Tottenham | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 14 |
| West Brom | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 13 |
| Sunderland | 11 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 19 | 12 |
| Hull City | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 11 |
| Aston Villa | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 11 |
| C. Palace | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 9 |
| Leicester | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 18 | 9 |
| QPR | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 22 | 8 |
| Burnley | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 7 |
FA Cup – first round
Blyth vs Altrincham - 4-1
Braintree vs Chesterfield - 0-6
Coventry vs Worcester - 1-2
FC Halifax vs Bradford - 1-2
Forest Green vs Scunthorpe - 0-2
Gosport vs Colchester - 3-6
Norton vs Gateshead - 0-4
Notts County vs Accrington - 0-0
Portsmouth vs Aldershot - 2-2
Stevenage vs Maidstone - 0-0
Wrexham vs Woking - 3-0