The Premier League weekend witnessed some interesting action as Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea made gains whilst the two Manchester clubs and Tottenham were on the receiving end of bad results. Here is a look at all the big talking points. Bet on football here.
Winners
Liverpool
Liverpool conjured up a late 2-1 win as they denied Brendan Rodgers a happy return to Anfiend as Leicester City manager. This was a match designed to test the Reds’ title credentials as James Maddison scored to cancel out Sadio Mane’s strike with a few minutes to play. However, James Milner converted a penalty in the 95th minute to maintain Liverpool’s 100% record in the Premier League. The Reds have now opened an eight-point lead ahead of Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League table.
Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno Espirito Santo continued his run against City counterpart Pep Guardiola as he became the third-best record of any manager to have faced him three times or more. Wolves grabbed a stunning clean-sheet to win at the Etihad on Sunday thanks to two late goals from Adama Traore. Following a run of three successive losses in September, Espirito Santo has led Wolves on a run of five games unbeaten and won the last three of those to restore a sense of belief in his squad.
Chelsea and Arsenal
Chelsea’s trip to Southampton turned out well as Frank Lampard’s young team showed how competitive they are. Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi all found their names on the scoresheet as they moved to fifth in the Premier League table. Elsewhere, Arsenal managed a narrow 1-0 win against Bournemouth to remain in the top four. An early goal from David Luiz ensured that they took all three points. The two sides would have benefited a lot from the losses by Manchester United and Tottenham.
Matty Longstaff and Newcastle United
Matty Longstaff scored for Newcastle on his Premier League debut as they recorded a 1-0 win over Manchester United at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon. The 19-year-old Geordie midfielder’s 72nd-minute strike ensured that Steve Bruce’s side picked up a huge three points. The win moved them out of the relegation zone but it was even more special for Matty who was playing alongside his brother Sean in central midfield.
Losers
Manchester City
Manchester City lost yet another opportunity to put pressure on league leaders after suffering a shock home defeat against Wolves. City slipped eight points behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race after a 2-0 defeat to Wolves. The hosts were all over the place at the back in the first half and it took a patient Wolves side to later find spaces to exploit. This was their second loss of the season and Pep will have to find a solution to their inconsistency.
Manchester United
Manchester United’s dreadful start to the Premier League season continued as they were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United on Sunday. Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s side are completely lacking in end product up top, and this could be the most uninspired United team we have seen in many, many years. Things really need to change sooner for the Red Devils if they are to remain in the top six.
Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham
Tottenham’s poor record on the road continued as they fell to a 3-0 defeat against a Brighton & Hove Albion. An alarming lack of intensity from Spurs was evident and the central defensive partnership of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld did not look assuring. The fact that they also lost Hugo Lloris to a bad injury after three minutes made a bad day even worse. Mauricio Pochettino needs to find a solution soon enough if they are to compete for European places.