James Milner breaks Premier League appearance record as Brighton beat Brentford

james milner set the Premier League appearance record during Brighton’s 2-0 victory at Brentford, a milestone that arrived amid a busy weekend of results which included Manchester City’s win over Newcastle and Chelsea’s late collapse at Stamford Bridge.

James Milner reaches appearance milestone in Brentford win

The 40-year-old former England midfielder was named in Fabian Hurzeler's starting XI for what one account described as his 654th Premier League match, beating the record set by Gareth Barry; another account counted 653 games. Milner started the 2-0 win at Brentford — his first Premier League start since 30 December at West Ham — and said his "drive and hunger" had kept him playing at the top level.

Milner on longevity, managers and celebration

Milner said he wants to "contribute to their careers" and that he still feels he can add minutes, conceding he had been "a bit frustrated this year, maybe not getting the minutes" but that he had "proved the last few games that I can still contribute on the pitch. " He told Final Score he would go for a "meal with the family" to mark the achievement.

Milner traced his career back to his debut as a 16-year-old for Leeds in 2002 and listed the managers who shaped him, naming Terry Venables, Sir Bobby Robson, Huzerlers, Jurgen Klopps and Roberto di Zerbis. Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler called Milner a "role model on and off the pitch, " and Micah Richards summed up the feeling with: "You knew Milner would be a success. "

Man City edge Newcastle as title race tightens

Manchester City beat Newcastle to move within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Nico O'Reilly scored twice, either side of a Lewis Hall equaliser, and the manager praised the crowd as "the best crowd of the year, " saying the win was a "Massive [result]. " He added that "70% of the players have never been in that situation" of a close title race, that the squad would rest for three days and then go on to play Leeds, and warned that Newcastle — who earlier thrashed an opponent 5-0 at half-time in the Champions League — pose a difficult test given their physicality and pace since Saudi Arabia took over the club.

Chelsea held at home, other fixtures and live blog note

Chelsea blew another lead at Stamford Bridge and were held 1-1 by Burnley after stoppage-time action, a result summed up by the view that this Chelsea team "isn't ready to challenge. " All three promoted sides have now come from behind to take points off Chelsea at the Bridge; home fans had been chanting "Chelsea, champions" before the match. Commentators said the squad's talent is clear, that under Enzo Maresca they have put together threatening runs, and that past success includes a Club World Cup win in the summer after outclassing Conference League opponents the previous year. Analysts also pointed to a worrying red-card count that "suggests this is a side which either lacks discipline or, at least, composure. " Reports from the weekend also listed Aston Villa 1-1 Leeds and West Ham 0-0 Bournemouth.

Voices from the weekend

Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott, speaking on TNT Sports, reflected on how managers give young players their best positions and how that trust builds confidence, saying "as a young player you want to play and you'll say yes, I'll play anywhere, " and noting that when a manager trusts a player "that will give him so much confidence. " Lescott added that the player he discussed had "scored two goals today" and had shown athleticism and recovery in transitions. The Manchester City manager praised young midfielders for providing the necessary physicality, singling out Nico and mentioning Phil [Foden] and Rico [Lewis], and said Erling [Haaland] had been crucial to the team's performance.

One live-text wrap from the weekend read: "This is all for this live text today but we'll be back for four more important Premier League games. That north London derby could be a cracker. "

Brighton's next confirmed fixture and Manchester City's scheduled trip to Leeds were both flagged by managers as the immediate focus following the weekend's action.