Another exhilarating weekend of Premier League action saw surprises, standout performances, and shifting fortunes across the table. Arsenal faltered, Bournemouth stunned Manchester City, and Liverpool rose to the summit in what’s shaping up to be a fiercely contested season. Here’s a look at the latest results and how they impact each team’s ambitions moving forward.
Liverpool rise to the top of the league after seeing off Brighton
Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah struck twice in quick succession to help Liverpool overturn a deficit and secure a 2-1 victory over Brighton at Anfield, propelling them to the top of the Premier League. Arne Slot’s team netted two goals in a span of three minutes during the second half, following Ferdi Kadioglu’s early opener for Brighton.
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Liverpool’s victory puts them at the top of the league, two points clear of Manchester City, who were defeated by Bournemouth. Brighton’s loss prevents them from breaking into the top four, leaving them in seventh place.
Bournemouth topples another giant
Manchester City experienced their first Premier League loss of 2024, falling 2-1 to Bournemouth after delivering a lackluster performance at the Vitality Stadium. Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson scored to secure a well-deserved victory for the Cherries, who had never managed to defeat City in the league before this match.
This marks the second defeat for Pep Guardiola’s team in just four days, following their midweek elimination from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Tottenham. The Cherries, riding a wave of confidence after earning four points from their last two matches against Aston Villa and Arsenal, began the game with great energy and positivity.
Newcastle United stun Arsenal
Elsewhere, Newcastle United achieved a surprising 1-0 victory against Arsenal at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon, thanks to an early header from Alexander Isak. This win, following an impressive League Cup triumph over Chelsea just days earlier, propelled the Magpies to ninth in the Premier League (pending Sunday’s matches) and ended a five-match winless streak in the league.
Arsenal is now on a three-match winless streak in the league and has dropped nearly half the points they lost throughout the entirety of last season, causing them to slip to fourth place—below Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea salvage a late point at Old Trafford; Forest continue their fine run
Moises Caicedo’s stunning second-half strike equalized after Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty, helping Chelsea secure a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the home side’s first Premier League match following the sacking of manager Erik ten Hag.
Fernandes put United ahead in the 70th minute, converting from the spot after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez inadvertently caught Rasmus Hojlund’s foot while diving for the ball. Fernandes sent Sanchez the wrong way, prompting an exuberant celebration from United’s interim manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
However, the atmosphere at Old Trafford quickly changed when Casemiro failed to completely clear a Chelsea corner, allowing Caicedo to unleash a low volley that Andre Onana managed to touch but couldn’t prevent from finding the bottom corner.
Chris Wood continued his scoring streak, playing a crucial role in Nottingham Forest’s impressive ascent in the Premier League. Once the final whistle blew at the City Ground, Forest celebrated a dominant 3-0 victory over a struggling West Ham team that was forced to play the second half with only ten players. Wood, the All-Whites striker, got things started with his eighth goal of the season, laying the foundation for an outstanding team performance.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina joined in on the scoring, elevating them to an impressive third place in the league standings.
Southampton earns first win of the season; Wolves and Palace play an entertaining draw
Adam Armstrong’s late goal secured Southampton’s first Premier League victory of the season, as they edged out Everton 1-0 at St Mary’s Stadium. Armstrong netted his first league goal of the campaign in the 85th minute of a closely contested match, just moments after Everton substitute Beto hit the crossbar at the opposite end.
Earlier, Aaron Ramsdale made a crucial save to keep the score level, denying Michael Keane’s close-range header, while Everton believed they had equalized when Beto skillfully finished past Southampton’s goalkeeper after breaking through the defense.
Wolverhampton Wanderers remain at the bottom of the Premier League despite an exciting 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at home on Saturday, with all the goals coming in the second half. Jorgen Strand Larsen and Joao Gomes scored within five minutes of each other to put Wolves ahead after Trevoh Chalobah had initially given Palace the lead. However, Palace defender Marc Guehi equalized from close range in the 77th minute after a corner was flicked on, leaving Wolves still searching for their first league win of the season after 10 matches.
Leicester salvage a late point at Ipswich; Spurs hammer Aston Villa
Jordan Ayew found the net deep into stoppage time, denying Ipswich Town their first Premier League victory of the season in a dramatic finish against Leicester City. Ayew linked up with Jamie Vardy for a quick one-two before firing past Arijanet Muric to secure a point for the visitors.
Leif Davis’s stunning first-time volley had initially seemed set to clinch all three points for Ipswich. However, the home side, who saw Kalvin Phillips receive a second yellow card for a late challenge on Ricardo Pereira with 12 minutes left, could not hold on to their lead, leaving Ipswich still trapped in the bottom three.
Dominic Solanke netted twice as Tottenham overcame a deficit to secure a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League. The £65 million summer signing increased his league tally for the season with two goals in quick succession during the second half, helping Ange Postecoglou’s team rise to seventh place in the standings.
Solanke first showcased his skill by deftly lifting the ball over the advancing Emiliano Martinez after receiving a pass from Dejan Kulusevski. He then completed the comeback by slotting in a second goal, assisted by Richarlison, effectively sealing the game and thwarting any late fightback from Villa.
Villa initially took the lead with Morgan Rogers scoring the game’s first shot on target in the 32nd minute, capitalizing on Spurs’ failure to clear Lucas Digne’s in-swinging corner.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
