Premier League action resumed this week after the international break, and it was drama as usual. Manchester United dominated the headlines after they defeated Liverpool. The firing of Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou, just 40 days after taking charge at the club, was another major talking point. With plenty of action taking place, let’s take a quick recap of everything that went down in the top division this past weekend.
Key Match Summaries
Liverpool slumped to a third consecutive defeat in the league as Manchester United picked up a dramatic 2-1 win at Anfield. The Red Devils needed just 90 seconds to take the lead, through Bryan Mbuemo’s thumping finish near the far post. Arne Slot’s men kept chasing the equaliser even though they looked shaky at the back, but Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha wasted golden chances to double the lead. Alexander Isak was denied by Senne Lemmens while Cody Gakpo clipped the far post with his curling effort. Mohamed Salah also missed a golden chance to score before Gakpo finally pulled his side level. However, there was more drama in store as Harry Maguire headed in from close range to steal all three points.
Earlier on Saturday, Chelsea, despite being down to ten men, thrashed Nottingham Forest 3-0. The game came alive after the break as Josh Acheampong headed the Blues into the lead. Three minutes later, they scored again with Pedro Neto scoring a wonderful free-kick. Reece James completed the demolition with a fine volley before Malo Gusto was sent off for a wild challenge.
Over at the Etihad, Manchester City continued their rapid climb in the league standings with a 2-0 win over Everton. Erling Haaland scored twice to make it 11 goals this season and increase his lead over Antoine Semenyo. The Norwegian continues his red-hot form, reaching double figures in just 8 games.
Arsenal continue to sit pretty atop the standings following a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham. It was a first half with little goalmouth action at Craven Cottage before Leandro Trossard finished from close range. Fulham wasted plenty of chances, failing to the hit the target even once from their 9 shots.
Aston Villa handed Spurs their second defeat of the season after claiming a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Rodrigo Bentancur broke the deadlock after just five minutes, but Morgan Rogers put Villa back on level terms. Both sides had chances to score before Emiliano Buendia converted Lucas Digne’s assist from close range to silence the North London crowd.
There was another upset this week as Brighton stunned Newcastle United to prevail 2-1, with Danny Welbeck scoring a brace. The striker has scored four goals already, and he powered the Seagulls to a crucial win as Nick Woltemade bagged a consolation goal. Burnley eased past Leeds United 2-0 with Loum Tchaouna and Lesley Ugochukwu scoring either side of half-time.
Crystal Palace and Bournemouth played out a six-goal thriller which ended 3-3. Eli Junior Kroupi scored a brace while Ryan Christie was also on the scoresheet. Jean-Philippe Mateta was the Eagles’ saviour with a hat-trick, including a dramatic added-time equaliser. Sunderland piled on more misery on Wolves, winning 2-0, whereas Brentford prevailed 2-0 over West Ham.
Standout Players and Performances
Chelsea forward Pedro Neto received the highest SofaScore rating (9.5) after bagging a goal and an assist. His teammate Reece James (8.8) was a rock at the back, making five recoveries, during a stellar display.
Nordi Mukiele (9.3) was Sunderland’s marquee pick with 8 clearances and 7 recoveries. Erling Haaland (9.2) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (9.3) continue to score goals for fun as the Golden Boot race heats up. Danny Welbeck (8.7) and Eli Junior Kroupi (8.8) were also among the best-rated forwards.
League Table & Impact
Arsenal retained their top spot while City rose to second place. Liverpool fell to third place, and Bournemouth sit pretty at fourth. Chelsea, Tottenham and Sunderland are level on 14 points. Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Brighton rounded off the top ten. Villa, Everton and Brentford occupy the mid-table berths, followed by Newcastle, Fulham, Leeds and Burnley. Forest and West Ham remain in the relegation danger, along with Wolves, who are yet to win a game this season.
Injuries and Suspension Updates
Malo Gusto will be suspended for matchday 9 after his red card this week. Enzo Fernandes is nearing full fitness, in some good news for Chelsea. Liverpool will be without Ryan Gravenberch, and City will also miss Rayan Ait-Nouri. United only have Lisandro Martinez as the long-term absentee.
Looking Ahead
More drama awaits on matchday 9 as Chelsea will host Sunderland on Saturday. Manchester United will be up against the high-flying Brighton. City will take on Aston Villa, whereas Spurs will travel to Hill Dickson Stadium to face Everton. The marquee fixture next week will see Arsenal hosting Palace on Sunday.