EPL Results Week 12: Early Scores and Breakdown of Top Matches

The Premier League is back in action after a weekend off while players were on international duty. Even though there's plenty of football left in the campaign, the intensity fans are seeing on a weekly basis is a testament to the wide-open nature of the table.

Early fixtures for Matchday 12 were highlighted by league-leading Arsenal in action against one of the biggest surprises to this point, Southampton. The latest edition of the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool also took center stage.

Let's check out the results of those matches and the other clashes from the early portion of the weekend. The list is followed by a breakdown of the spotlight fixtures, which both lived up to the hype and allowed the EPL to hit the ground running after the break.

Home Club	Road Club	Result
Everton	Liverpool	3-3
Fulham	Swansea	1-2
Hull	Crystal Palace	0-1
Newcastle	Norwich	2-1
Stoke	Sunderland	2-0
Arsenal	Southampton	2-0
West Ham	Chelsea	0-3

Everton 3, Liverpool 3

The Merseyside derby has such a long and storied history that it takes a special match to leave a lasting impact on the rivalry. Today's back-and-forth battle that went right down to the final minutes certainly qualifies; although, neither side was able to get the three points it was seeking.

Philippe Coutinho scored to give the Reds a lead within the first handful of minutes, which set a breakneck pace early. Kevin Mirallas struck back three minutes later, and then, Luis Suarez gave Liverpool the lead back all before the 20-minute mark.

The Suarez goal came off a free kick as he bent the shot perfectly around the wall and past Tim Howard, who appeared to hesitate slightly on the low curler. It was the type of delivery that makes the Uruguayan such a game-changer for Liverpool.

Emerging star Romelu Lukaku was quiet for the first hour but came to life late to ignite the Everton attack. He took advantage of a perfect deflection to equalize the match in the 72nd and gave the Toffees their first lead 10 minutes later.

Just when it looked like Everton were going to climb the table, however, substitute Daniel Sturridge found space amid a Toffees back line that struggled to mark throughout the match. The striker was able to flick a Steven Gerrard free kick past Howard to earn the draw.

Each side played very well for stretches, making a draw the fair result, but both clubs will walk away thinking they could have earned all three points.

Arsenal 2, Southampton 0

If Arsenal are going to capture the Premier League title, these are the type of performances the Gunners need moving forward. They handled a tricky test from an in-form Southampton with plenty of poise and cruised to the 2-0 win.

The victory wasn't secure until Olivier Giroud scored from the penalty spot in the 86th minute, which marked his second goal of the match. Yet, it always seemed like Arsenal were in control and never in serious danger of dropping the edge.

When Southampton did create chances, they usually came from distance, giving Wojciech Szczesny a chance to make the stop. A few timely blocks at the back also helped in what amounted to a complete team performance for the leaders.

On the flip side, the match was a good measuring stick for the Saints. They were ahead of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, among others, coming into the week. The loss shows there's work to do if they are going to stay at that level all season.

The difference was quite simple. Arsenal were able to take advantage of their chances while Southampton struggled to create golden opportunities and failed to convert on the few they did. That's all it takes in a match between two clubs near the top of the table.

With each passing week, Arsenal further establish themselves as serious championship threats and put more pressure on the chasing teams to keep pace.