Ben Bloom analyses a breathtaking weekend of Matchweek 10 action in which 14 teams changed position in the table.
Just in case there was any fear of predictability in the Premier League, the top flight threw up a host of surprises over the weekend, with only one of the top six clubs heading into Matchweek 10 emerging victorious.
Manchester City relinquished their grip at the summit as they suffered their first defeat ever against AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal dropped out of the top four with a loss at Newcastle United, to leave Liverpool as new leaders.
Nottingham Forest’s win over West Ham United catapulted them up to third, and there was a first Premier League victory of the campaign for Southampton, who left it late to climb off the foot of the table.
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The gaping void created by club captain Martin Odegaard’s absence was evident yet again as Arsenal’s winless run in the Premier League extended to three matches.
Mikel Arteta’s side are now seven points behind top spot as their hopes of winning a first title in 21 years become less likely with each match.
Alexander Isak scored the game’s only goal to provide a deserved first win for Newcastle in six league outings, but the hosts were aided by Arsenal’s notable lack of creativity.
Isak's winner v Arsenal
So, so good! 😍 pic.twitter.com/jAzT5FFbAt
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) November 2, 2024
The Gunners managed only one shot on target all game, allowing Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope to enjoy his afternoon largely as a spectator.
It is becoming something of a recurring theme for Arteta’s team, who have managed only 37 shots (7.4 per match) in their five Premier League away contests this season – fewer than any team apart from than Brentford (30 shots, 7.5 per match).
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All evidence suggested Pep Guardiola’s side would overcome their injury concerns - the manager had earlier suggested he had only 13 fit first-team outfield players to pick from - to see off a Bournemouth team that had beaten Arsenal and drawn with Aston Villa in recent weeks.
City had never lost to Bournemouth in any competition and were unbeaten in 32 Premier League matches coming into Saturday's match. But goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson ended that run, despite Josko Gvardiol’s late header, which proved to be in vain.
Evanilson's winner v Man City
WHAT. A. MOMENT. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/gYn2qKraqi
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) November 2, 2024
City did not register a shot on target until the 80th minute and defeat extended Erling Haaland’s barren run, with the Norwegian missing a header and subsequent rebound to equalise in stoppage time. His Expected Goals (xG) underperformance of -3.49 since 28 September is almost twice that of any other top-flight player during that time.
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Keeping Wolverhampton Wanderers company in the winless stakes, Ipswich Town surrendered their chance to earn three points for the first time this season when Jordan Ayew grabbed an stoppage-time equaliser in a battle of the promoted clubs.
Leif Davis’s volley was the fifth time Ipswich have taken the lead this season and they looked on track to hold on for victory in a controlled display, only for Kalvin Phillips to see red for a second bookable offence on 77 minutes.
Davis's stunning strike v Leicester
Marking his Town century in style! 🚀#IPSLEI pic.twitter.com/JwXavomkN2
— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) November 2, 2024
It was the second match running that Ipswich have been reduced to 10 men and, as had happened a week earlier at Brentford, they conceded a goal at the death, taking their number of points dropped from winning positions to a league-high 12 this season.
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Arne Slot’s Liverpool side looked to be following Man City and Arsenal to defeat when Ferdi Kadioglu gave dominant Brighton & Hove Albion an early lead. But goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah turned the game around and ensured Liverpool ended the weekend top of the table.
The match was the second time the clubs had met in four days, after Liverpool had triumphed 3-2 in the EFL Cup.
There were a combined 18 changes to the two starting XIs from that first encounter, but Gakpo was one player to retain his spot. His inswinging cross was fortunate to find the net, but added to the two goals he had scored against the Seagulls earlier in the week.
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Nott'm Forest have only narrowly avoided relegation in both seasons since returning to the Premier League, but Nuno Espirito Santo is now fielding questions about qualifying for Europe after ending the weekend in the top three for the first time since September 1998.
Chris Wood, the architect behind their eye-catching early-season form, continued his hot streak by opening the scoring with his eighth Premier League goal of the campaign - second only to Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot award.
Aided by Edson Alvarez’s sending off - his second red card in all competitions the season - in first-half stoppage time, the hosts added to their advantage through Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina to keep West Ham rooted in the bottom half of the table.
Aina's incredible goal v West Ham
Simply stunning. 🤌 pic.twitter.com/TbuKpcQBOE
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) November 3, 2024
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The wait for a first Premier League win on their return to the top flight is over, but Southampton will know further improvement is required if their quest to avoid relegation is successful.
Adam Armstrong’s late winner proved enough to end Everton’s five-match unbeaten league run.
Armstrong's winner v Everton
Crossbar ➡️ counter ➡️ CARNAGE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/z6XzBQA3su
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 2, 2024
But Sean Dyche was left baffled at his side’s failure to earn at least a point after numerous chances went unconverted. Beto struck the crossbar just 25 seconds before Armstrong’s goal, while the Everton forward thought he had scored in the 89th minute, only for the equaliser to be overturned by the VAR for offside.
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Wolves continued their worst start to a Premier League season as Gary O’Neil's side paid the price once again for their leaky defence.
Having conceded at least twice in all but one of their league matches this campaign, the hosts repeated that unwanted trick by shipping goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Guehi to take their season tally to 27 goals conceded - only Ipswich have let in more than 19.
Jorgen Strand Larsen and Joao Gomes ensured Wolves earned a point, but they remain one of only two sides yet to register a league win.
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Half-time had a familiar feeling to it at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after Ange Postecoglou’s men had conceded the opening goal for the 12th time in 14 home league matches in 2024.
But the hosts emerged with renewed vigour after the break and a Dominic Solanke double helped Tottenham Hotspur put four goals past Villa to move within two points of Unai Emery's side in the table.
Highlights of Spurs' comeback win
Dom had himself a day 🤩 pic.twitter.com/j6ZFr2XfUj
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 4, 2024
Remarkably, it was the eighth time this calendar year that Spurs have recovered from conceding first to win at home in the league, equalling the all-time Premier League record with five home matches still to play.
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Taking charge for the second of four matches during his tenure as interim head coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s big celebrations following Bruno Fernandes’s converted penalty were to prove short-lived when Moises Caicedo cancelled things out four minutes later.
Caicedo’s powerfully struck volley capped off another impressive forward foray for the Ecuadorian, who is increasingly showing his worth in breaking up play and aiding attacks.
With only one league fixture remaining before Ruben Amorim’s arrival, Man Utd’s total of 12 points is their worst return after 10 matches since 1986/87, while their nine goals scored is their fewest at this stage of a league season since 1973/74.
