Well, that was certainly a weekend of Premier League football, wasn’t it? Saturday warmed all of us up nicely for a goal filled Sunday. Dissecting all of this won’t be easy, but that is what we’re here for. With that in mind, here’s a review of the biggest talking points from matchday 14.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Arsenal keep hold of top spot
It wasn’t necessarily pretty but it didn’t have to be. Arsenal claimed a 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday afternoon to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
The Gunners went 2-0 up inside of 15 minutes against Wolves with Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard adding to their tallies for the season. It did appear as though another blowout could be on the cards following the 6-0 win over Lens in mid-week.
However, the visitors managed to wrestle back some control of the game. Wolves had 47% possession after the break. Gary O’Neil’s side claimed a consolation goal late on with Matheus Cunha scoring his fourth of the season.
The pressure was on Mikel Arteta and his players. They more than held their own. They look the real deal.
A statement victory for Burnley
Burnley moved off the bottom of the table with an emphatic victory over fellow strugglers Sheffield United.
Jay Rodriguez fired the hosts into an early lead, scoring after just one minute, before Jacob Bruun Larsen doubled the lead before the break.
Vincent Kompany’s side then scored three goals in a seven minute blitz in the second half. It was a deserved win but the scoreline flattered Burnley. They created four big chances with an Expected Goals total of just 1.81.
Sheffield United are now bottom of the table and have the worst defensive record in the Premier League.
Another Anthony Gordon masterclass
Another home win for Newcastle United, another match-winning goal scored by Anthony Gordon.
It is becoming the norm now, isn’t it? He did it against Arsenal a few weeks back and he did it against Manchester United. The former Everton forward also scored against Liverpool earlier in the season and Chelsea last weekend.
He is quickly becoming the man for the big occasion at St James’ Park.
In truth, Eddie Howe’s men battered the visitors. They had 22 shots to eight, four big chances to zero and finished with an Expected Goals total of 2.50. The Red Devils carved out opportunities worth just 0.48 Expected Goals.
Newcastle leapfrogged Man United into sixth position and are now just three points off of a top four spot.
No clean sheet for Brighton
The Seagulls travelled to Stamford Bridge without a clean sheet in the Premier League since May. They are now 18 games without a clean sheet following a 3-2 loss to Chelsea.
The Blues took an early lead with Enzo Fernández nodding home. It was a bit of a surprise seeing the 5ft10 midfielder rise highest to flick the ball into the net. It was also a surprise to see Levi Colwill climbing highest at the back post to double the lead. It was his first goal for the club and it arrived against the team he spent last season with.
Facundo Buonanotte halved the scoreline before the break before Conor Gallagher was sent off.
Fernández added his second from the penalty spot and though Brighton scored late on through João Pedro to make it 3-2, Roberto De Zerbi’s men suffered another loss in the Premier League.
The Seagulls dominated the ball (68%) but struggled to create anything. It is becoming the story of the season for Brighton.
Chaos at Anfield
It was a remarkable game between Liverpool and Fulham.
The Reds scored four goal of the season contenders in the 4-3 win over Marco Silva’s side. At one stage, it appeared as though they would lose their incredible Anfield record. Bobby De Cordova-Reid caught Kostas Tsimikas sleeping at the back post to give the visitors a 3-2 lead with 80 minutes on the clock.
Harry Wilson and Kenny Tete had earlier cancelled out a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick and an Alexis Mac Allister worldie.
Wataru Endo scored an equaliser from the edge of the box with 86 minutes on the clock before Alexander-Arnold fired home what turned out to be winner 60 seconds later.
Liverpool weren’t great, and they missed all four of their big chances, but did enough to deserve all three points. They’re now up to second.
Spurs stun Manchester City
Tottenham scored first and last in a pulsating 3-3 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad.
Heung-Min Son scored early on to give Spurs the lead. Which was good timing, after we published a special FotMob feature on his finishing, on Sunday morning. The Tottenham skipper then equalised for City. Which was less good.
Phil Foden restored the lead for the champions before Gio Lo Celso scored for the second successive week. Jack Grealish thought he’d won the game in the 81st minute but there was drama in stoppage time. Dejan Kulusevski scored with his only shot of the game to claim a point of Ange Postecoglou’s men.
It was a real smash and grab for Spurs. They carved out chances with an xG of just 0.49. They managed to score three of their four shots on target. By comparison, City had four big chances and an xG of 2.5.
The reigning champions have now dropped points in successive points at home.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.