By Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
Arsenal are five points clear at the Premier League summit as the clubs depart for the November international break with Brighton in second place, as Manchester City, Chelsea and now in relegation zone Manchester United continue to struggle.
On a weekend where Arsenal and Brighton kept it simple with wins and their respective seventh clean sheet in 10 games, Manchester City fell to their third consecutive league defeats, while their city rivals will now spend weeks in the relegation zone after at least nine games for the first time in Premier League history.
It was a memorable weekend for some, especially Brighton, who are feeling more and more at home in no man’s land, but the struggle continue for big six members, including Spurs, whose running run was ended in Elland Road.
The good: Arsenal and Brighton win again
It is a familiar sight in the Premier League this season. No team has won more games than Arsenal, and only the Gunners have won more than Brighton, who are placed second after securing their seventh win to move ahead of Manchester City.
Arsenal’s win wasn’t straightforward, but it was one they merited as they completely overwhelmed visiting Hull City at the Emirates stadium, eventually scoring the only goal of the game through a Martin Ødegaard follow-up on Noni Madueke’s shot 18 minutes from time.
Mikel Arteta’s team maybe should have had more goals, but an inspired Konstantinos Tzolakis was to be beaten once, making nine saves, more than any other goalkeeper in a single Premier League match this season.
The Gunners went six points clear after the win on Saturday evening, but Brighton, who moved ahead of City later on Sunday, cut the gap to five thanks to a 2-0 victory over Brighton, courtesy of Diego Gomez’s cracker and a Pascal Gross’ penalty.
Liverpool also returned to winning ways after defeats to Arsenal and Fenerbache, with Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak all on target in a 3-1 victory at Crtstal Palace to move ahead of Chelsea to fourth.
There were also significant wins for Everton, who pile more misery on Coventry City thanks to a Thierno Barry’s masterclass in a 3-1 victory on Friday night, and Bournemouth, who edged another newcomer Ipswich Town, with Leif Davis own goal proving decisive in a 2-1 win.
The bad: Chelsea and Manchester brothers
Manchester United will spend the next 15 days in the relegation zone, a spot they had never occupied after at least nine games in the Premier League era, and since November 1986, a season when they were relegated from the topflight.
A dramatic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday did little to ease the pressure on Michael Carrick, especially after letting the visitors take a two-goal cushion at the start of both halves, and winning just one of 10 league games so far.
With just eight points from their opening 10 games, the Red Devils sits 18th on the log, level on points with 19th, and just one ahead of 20th place Crystal Palace. It is the worst start in the club’s Premier League history.
Meanwhile their city rivals fell to a third consecutive league defeats after Enzo Maresca had kicked off his era with a record breaking seven consecutive wins, the most of any manager to start with a new club.
The Italian failed to understand the demands of the fixture at the City Ground from kickoff, and was duly punished as Nottingham Forest took advantage of the situation to establish a two-goal cushion very early into the contest.
Liam Delap finished the game with a brace as the host gave City no cay back into a game that finished 3-1, and a third straight league defeat for the Mancunians, who drop to third on the log after Brighton’s win on Sunday.
Chelsea’s inconsistency was on display again as they suffered a third consecutive defeat to Sunderland for the second time in their history having been unable to recover from Enzo Le Fee’s first-half penalty for the Black Cats.
It was a victory that ended a run of seven winless games in the Premier League for the host, while it also extend their dominance in the fixture to three straight wins and lift them from the bottom of the standings to 18th.
Tottenham Hotspur’s return to form hit a massive setback as they were edged by Leeds United, who secured what was their first win in the fixture in seven attempts, and move into the top ten as a result.
Meanwhile Newcastle United and Fulham remain without a direction to their season after both teams shared the spoils in a one all draw at Craven Cottage in one of the two afternoon kickoff on Saturday.
Conclusion
As the Premier League pauses for the November international break, the contrast across the table could not be sharper. Arsenal and relentless Brighton head into the hiatus enjoying a moment of clarity and stability at the top.
Conversely, heavyweights like Manchester City, Chelsea, and a stranded Manchester United face two weeks of intense soul-searching, with United now on the verge of parting with manager Michael Carrick.
Whether this interval provides a reset or worsens momentum remains to be seen, but the return of domestic football promises an even more dramatic as teams seek balance and revival in the sprint toward the festive period.
