The latest round of Premier League action brought plenty of drama and surprises as teams continue to battle for early-season momentum. Manchester United’s woes worsened, piling pressure on Erik ten Hag as another setback raised fresh doubts about their form and squad depth. Meanwhile, Manchester City demonstrated why they are the league’s standard-bearers, delivering a dominant performance to reinforce their position at the top of the table following a 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Liverpool.
Manchester City takes the lead in the PL race as Arsenal and Liverpool trade blows
Manchester City fought their way back to the top of the Premier League as Erling Haaland’s lone goal secured a 1-0 win over Southampton at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland missed two excellent opportunities to extend City’s lead in the second half, but they held on to secure the win and reclaim the top spot. Meanwhile, Southampton remains at the bottom of the table with only one point from their first nine games.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah scored in the 81st minute as Liverpool fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw with title rivals Arsenal on Sunday. Bukayo Saka initially put Arsenal ahead, but Virgil van Dijk equalized to level the game. Mikel Merino restored Arsenal’s lead with his first goal for the club, yet Salah’s late strike ensured the teams shared the points. The draw leaves Arsenal trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and sitting four points behind second-placed Liverpool.
Man Utd and Tottenham continue to struggle
Jarrod Bowen netted a disputed 90th-minute penalty, securing a crucial 2-1 victory for West Ham over a wasteful Manchester United at the London Stadium, allowing the Hammers to overtake Erik ten Hag’s side in the standings. Casemiro had seemed to salvage a point for United after substitute Crysencio Summerville exploited poor finishing from the visitors to give West Ham an initial lead.
While the result relieved some pressure from West Ham boss Julian Lopeteigui, his counterpart Eric Ten Hag continues to be under scrutiny regarding his future.
Crystal Palace ended their five-match losing streak against Spurs as Jean-Philippe Mateta, back in the starting lineup, delivered a crucial performance that revitalized the team’s season and relieved some of the pressure on head coach Oliver Glasner. Ange Postecoglou’s team delivered an unusually lackluster performance in South London, struggling against Palace’s relentless off-the-ball intensity and rarely posing a scoring threat after conceding. The result highlighted Tottenham’s continued inconsistency and dismal away form that has haunted them from last season.
Ipswich suffers a heartache at Brentford; Forest continue to impress
Bryan Mbeumo’s last-minute strike handed Brentford a thrilling 4-3 victory over 10-man Ipswich Town at the Gtech Community Stadium. Kieran McKenna’s men seemed set for their first win of the season after first-half goals from Sam Szmodics and George Hirst gave them a 2-0 lead. But momentum shifted before halftime as Yoane Wissa scored and forced an own goal from Harry Clarke, who later conceded a penalty. Mbeumo converted from the spot, and Clarke’s challenging day continued with a second yellow. Liam Delap’s late goal brought Ipswich level, but Mbeumo’s stoppage-time finish sealed Brentford’s win, lifting them to ninth as Ipswich remain winless in 16th.
Leicester City suffered a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the King Power Stadium on Friday night. The teams were tied at halftime after Jamie Vardy equalized Ryan Yates’ opener, but defensive errors from the Foxes allowed Forest to score twice more early in the second half, leaving Leicester with little hope of a comeback.
Aston Villa held by Bournemouth; Everton salvage a late point against Fulham
Following their 2-0 victory over Bologna, which marked their third consecutive win in the Champions League and sent them to the top of the 36-team table, Villa found themselves held by an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Mark Travers, earning a 1-1 draw for his side. However, they broke through the 25-year-old goalkeeper in the 76th minute when Ross Barkley, coming off the bench, converted a cross from Leon Bailey. The Cherries, though, had the last word at Villa Park, as Evanilson headed in a Marcus Tavernier free-kick to equalize in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Beto’s late equalizer in stoppage time earned Everton a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Goodison Park. Alex Iwobi had given Marco Silva’s team a well-deserved lead in the 61st minute. Fulham were nearly caught off guard in the first half when an offside call negated Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s effort after Idrissa Gueye hit the woodwork. That proved to be Everton’s best chance until Beto found the net with a close-range header in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Chelsea see off Newcastle; Wolves come from behind to snatch a point at Brighton
Chelsea claimed another Premier League victory, climbing to second place with their win over a resilient Newcastle United. The Magpies came close to earning a point, generating several excellent scoring opportunities throughout the match. But it was another Cole Palmer show, scoring a winner early in the second half and continuing Chelsea’s purple patch.
Wolves staged a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the 85th minute to secure a point at Brighton, thanks to a dramatic equalizer from Matheus Cunha in added time. While Gary O’Neil’s team is still without a win, they have climbed off the bottom of the Premier League, demonstrating their resilience and leaving their manager confident that they will “definitely be fine this season.”
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.
