EPL PIX: Arsenal stay top; Ings stars in Hammers' win

IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.

A fine goal from Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli earned Arsenal a narrow 1-0 win at Leicester City on Saturday, giving the Premier League leaders a five-point lead at the top of the standings.

January signing Leandro Trossard arrowed a stunning strike into the net midway through the first half, but the Belgian was denied his second goal for Arsenal after VAR ruled Ben White to have fouled Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward in the build-up.

It took the dominant visitors until the first minute of the second half to break the deadlock, as Martinelli raced onto a Trossard pass and stroked home what proved to be the winner.

The hosts did not look like getting back into the contest, with Arsenal seeing out the win that stretches out their lead over Manchester City, who play Bournemouth later on Saturday. Leicester stay 14th, three points clear of the relegation zone.

Aston Villa grab gritty 2-0 win away at Everton

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins scored a penalty and Emiliano Buendia added a second goal as they beat Everton 2-0 in a frenetic Premier League encounter at Goodison Park on Saturday to leave the home side in the bottom three.

Despite dominating the game for long spells, Everton could not fashion a goal and are now 18th in the table on 21 points, above Bournemouth on goal difference, while Villa are 11th on 31 points.

The best chance of a high-energy first half fell to Everton, with Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez forced into a superb reflex save to deny Amadu Onana's header in the 34th minute.

With Villa pinned back in their own half and struggling to pass the ball out from the back, Everton went even closer in the 54th minute as Tyrone Mings was forced to clear the ball off the line after a goal-mouth scramble.

Villa made a rare foray forward in the 59th minute and Watkins went close with a header but Jordan Pickford showed why Everton awarded him a new four-and-a-half-year contract this week by pulling off a superb save.

There was little he could do two minutes later when Villa were awarded a penalty in the 61st minute after John McGinn was upended in the box by Idrissa Gueye and referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot.

Watkins stepped up and smashed the spot kick down the middle and past Pickford to give his side a lead that was scarcely deserved.

Everton substitute Ellis Simms hooked a volley over the bar in the 77th minute but things went from bad to worse for the home side when they were punished by Buendia for committing too many players forward.

McGinn broke through the middle and angled a pass to Buendia who lashed a shot inside the near post in the 81st minute to double Villa's advantage.

That took the wind out of the sails of the Toffees and Villa were able to contain them as they held on to secure all three points.

Watkins set a club record for Aston Villa by scoring for the fifth Premier League game in a row.

Ings double powers West Ham to big win over Forest

West Ham United striker Danny Ings bagged his first two goals for the club in an emphatic 4-0 win over fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which lifted the east Londoners out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Ings, making his first start since switching from Aston Villa for 15 million pounds in January after four substitute appearances, broke the deadlock in the 70th minute when he struck a Jarrod Bowen cross on the turn past keeper Keylor Navas.

He netted again in the 73rd by bundling home a Said Benrahma cross before Declan Rice curled in a sumptuous shot from outside the area in the 78th to further raise the volume at the London Stadium after a sleepy first half.

Substitute Michail Antonio then deepened Forest's misery by appearing at the back post to head in a cross from Pablo Fornals, completing West Ham's biggest win of the season in all competitions.

The victory took West Ham up to 16th in the standings on 23 points, temporarily easing the pressure on manager David Moyes.

Forest are 13th in the table on 25 points.

Firpo earns Leeds precious win over bottom side Southampton

New Leeds United manager Javi Gracia's reign began with a 1-0 Premier League home victory over bottom club Southampton as Junior Firpo's goal helped the Yorkshire club to snap a 10-game winless run and move out of the relegation zone on Saturday.

Leeds jumped to 17th on 22 points after 24 games, a point above the drop zone, following a first league win since before the World Cup break.

The hosts dominated possession in Gracia's first game since his appointment this week and edged a scrappy first half in which neither side created much of note.

Firpo finally broke the deadlock in front of a raucous Elland Road in the 77th minute, squeezing a tame effort under Gavin Bazunu after being cleverly set up with a flick by Jack Harrison.

Southampton piled on the pressure as they desperately searched for an equaliser, and dead-ball specialist James Ward-Prowse nearly created one as he whipped in a corner in 90th minute, but he was let down by a poor header from team mate Armel Bella-Kotchap.

Southampton, who will have thought their luck was turning after taking three points at Chelsea last week, remain 20th -- three points behind second-from-bottom Bournemouth.