Weekend awards: Best result, goal, save and more!

Football writer Adrian Kajumba looks at the standout players and moments from Matchweek 10.

Best result - AFC Bournemouth 2-1 Man City 

On the face of it, AFC Bournemouth stunning Manchester City and ending the champions' 32-match unbeaten Premier League run was a major shock. 

After all, this was the most one-sided head-to-head in English Football League history. 

Bournemouth had won none of the previous 20 meetings across all leagues, losing 18 of those. In the Premier League, Man City had beaten the Cherries in all 14 meetings with an aggregate score of 45-7, the best 100 per cent record any team had recorded against another in top-flight history.

But given Bournemouth had beaten Arsenal and drawn at Aston Villa in their previous two outings, perhaps it shouldn't really raise that many eyebrows that they had the quality to overcome Man City, making it seven points from matches against three of last season’s top four teams.

That Bournemouth were worthy winners was as pleasing for Andoni Iraola as the historic result itself.

Man City, who did not have a shot on target until the 80th minute, were fortunate to only be 2-0 down before Josko Gvardiol's header set up a grandstand finish. 

As manager Pep Guardiola admitted, Man City could not match Bournemouth’s intensity.

As well as having the higher Expected Goals (xG) total of 2.04 to Man City’s 1.56 - and more big chances, with six to Man City’s three - many of the defensive metrics also confirmed Bournemouth’s superior sharpness.

They edged the game’s ground duels, winning 51 per cent to Man City’s 49 per cent. They regained possession 36 times to the 30 of Man City’s, and they won 16 tackles to Man City’s 14, while securing 12 interceptions to five from Guardiola’s side.

Best goal - Ola Aina 

There was an element of the unplanned about Ola Aina’s screamer against West Ham United. 

“I like to surprise everyone,” the defender said after a wonder strike with his weaker left foot. “It bounced up right and I was knackered anyway so I thought I might as well hit it.”

Aina's sensational strike v West Ham

But Nottingham Forest having joy from long range is actually not that surprising at all. Success from distance has been a feature of their season, along with Chris Wood’s goals and solid defending. 

Aina’s stunner against West Ham, following Callum Hudson-Odoi’s earlier strike, was Forest’s 14th goal from outside the penalty area since the start of last season. Only Man City, with 22, have scored more. 

This campaign alone the same two clubs lead the way for shots and goals from outside the penalty area. Man City's 78 shots have reaped seven goals, while Forest's 60 shots have produced five goals. 

Forest's improvement is clear, given that last season they were down in joint-11th place for attempts from outside the penalty area, with 162, and joint-fourth for goals with nine.

Thanks to efforts like Aina’s they are flying higher in 2024/25, and now sitting third in the table.

Best individual performance - Antoine Semenyo 

Ahead of facing Man City, Antoine Semenyo revealed one of the main things head coach Iraola was “nagging” him about last season was the need to be at the back post more to increase his scoring chances. 

A few hours later, that is exactly where he was to fire Bournemouth ahead. 

As Semenyo also said, Iraola’s advice has “worked a treat”. Three of his four Premier League goals this season have been back-post finishes.

Semenyo's goal v Man City

Semenyo followed his goal against Man City with a key role in Bournemouth’s second, another highlight in one of his best displays of an already impressive individual campaign against, in his words, “the best team in the world".

Not bad for someone who quit football for a year as a teenager after being rejected by Crystal Palace and was playing for non-league Bath City six years ago. 

Of all players at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, Semenyo led the way for total take-ons, with eight, and successful take-ons, with six, while his two shots on target and three chances created were both joint-top.

But it was not just his attacking involvement that stood out. He also typified the work-rate shown by Bournemouth’s players to beat Man City. 

The winger had the second-highest ball recoveries of all players, with six, and his three tackles were joint-second.

Best save - Aaron Ramsdale

At last, some tangible reward for Southampton and Aaron Ramsdale against Everton.

His brilliant reaction save to keep out Michael Keane’s close-range header was one of the pivotal moments in a precious first Premier League win this season for Southampton, and a first clean sheet in 22 top-flight matches, a run stretching back to their 0-0 draw at Manchester United in March 2023.

Ramsdale's save from Keane

Ramsdale was also able to finally celebrate his first shutout for club or country since last November at Brentford, when he was playing for former club Arsenal. 

It has been hard-earned, with the busy Ramsdale having the second-highest saves-per-90 figure in the Premier League of 4.3, narrowly behind Brentford’s Mark Flekken (4.9), who has played one match more.

“He was massive and I’m surprised he’s here still,” Russell Martin said of summer signing and England goalkeeper Ramsdale. “He gives us moments like that [Keane save] and that can be the difference.”

Southampton’s Ramsdale-inspired relief was in contrast to Everton’s frustration. 

Winger Jesper Lindstrom, who also saw his late free-kick kept out by Ramsdale, added: “I said to him, 'You've got long fingers' and he just smiled. He had a good game - I'm fuming.”

Best quote - Alan Shearer

“What a goal that is. That was a cross from the 90s!” Alan Shearer bellowed after Anthony Gordon’s delightful delivery created Alexander Isak’s winner against Arsenal.

Shearer's reaction to Isak's goal

It was understandable why Gordon’s assist took the Premier League’s all-time top scorer back in time.

It was a throwback to the days when it was more common for wingers to play on the same side as their favoured foot, making first-time crosses on the run like Gordon's for Isak easier.

It was also a moment to savour for Shearer, who has seen the sort of service he used to thrive on fade from the game.

In 2003/04 there were an average of 41.89 open-play crosses per match. That figure has fallen significantly to only 23.42 this season.

Newcastle’s winner was a by-product of head coach Eddie Howe’s decision to revisit an idea from earlier in the season and use Gordon as a right-winger.

Given the supply he produces from there, it might be a tactic worth sticking with. 

Two of Gordon’s best three performances in terms of delivering crosses have come from the right wing - against Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, when he sent in nine and seven deliveries respectively.

Gordon also produced his first Premier League assist of the season from that flank against Arsenal. 

Best team move - Spurs 

After initially falling behind to Villa, Ange Postecoglou's side completed the turnaround to go 2-1 up with the move of the match and a goal that showcased one of Spurs' biggest strengths.

Ben Davies dispossessed Ollie Watkins before Pape Sarr, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski combined to set up Dominic Solanke's first goal of the match, seconds after he too was part of Spurs' effort to win the ball back.

Solanke's first goal v Villa

Forcing turnovers is typical Spurs, and they did it before Solanke’s second goal too in the eventual 4-1 win. 

Spurs are the Premier League’s third-best team for pressures resulting in turnovers, with 278, while their 116 high turnovers is a league-best total. 

Solanke is leading the way as their incredible pressing machine and his total of 212 final-third pressures is way clear of his nearest challenger, Man City’s Erling Haaland, who has 156. 

The forward's 381 pressures overall are also only topped by the 384 of Everton’s Dwight McNeil. 

Solanke went six matches without scoring before facing Villa and had a mere three shots in that time, none of which troubled a goalkeeper.

But his work ethic is integral to Spurs’ approach, a big reason for his signing and why Postecoglou “can’t speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team”, whether he is scoring or not.