Premier League Talking Points: Manchester City Thrashes Liverpool As Arsenal Falter

‎The Premier League title race intensified over the weekend as Manchester City delivered a statement 3-0 victory over Liverpool, Arsenal faltered late against Sunderland, and Chelsea’s Estevão continued his meteoric rise.

‎From Doku’s dazzling brilliance to Arteta’s frustration and Estevão’s growing, here are the key talking points from the round of fixtures.

‎Doku Shines Bright as City Humble Liverpool

‎Manchester City made their intentions crystal clear in the Premier League title race, cruising past struggling champions Liverpool to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal.

‎The spotlight belonged to Jeremy Doku, who delivered a breathtaking performance on the right wing arguably his best in City colours.

‎The 22-year-old Belgian tormented Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley all afternoon, turning the young defender inside out with his blistering pace, close control, and newfound finishing precision.

‎Bradley, who had impressed against Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior in midweek, found himself powerless to contain Doku’s directness and flair. Within minutes, Doku had already forced a penalty, setting the tone for a dominant display at the Etihad.

‎Although Erling Haaland missed from the spot, the Norwegian quickly made amends, finding the net before Nico González doubled the lead before half-time.

‎Doku sealed City’s emphatic 3-0 victory with a thunderous strike late on a performance that earned him man-of-the-match honours in Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th managerial game.

‎”He’s taken his game to the next level,” said former City defender Micah Richards.

‎”He’s got that conviction now.”

‎The win leaves City trailing Arsenal by just four points, and with Haaland and Doku in scintillating form.

‎Arteta Left Frustrated as Arsenal Slip at Sunderland

‎Elsewhere, Arsenal’s 10-match winning streak came to a heartbreaking end at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland snatched a last-gasp 2-2 draw dramatically.

‎The Gunners looked on course for victory after Bukayo Saka cancelled out Daniel Ballard’s opener and Leandro Trossard fired them ahead. But deep into stoppage time, Arsenal’s defensive resilience, which had seen them keep eight consecutive clean sheets, finally cracked.

‎Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey pounced on a flick from former Arsenal academy graduate Dan Ballard, stabbing home a 94th-minute equaliser that stunned Mikel Arteta’s side.

‎A visibly irritated Arteta admitted after the match that the late lapse left him feeling physically sick.

‎”A pain in my tummy because I don’t want to concede any goals! It put the game in a difficult position,” he said of Ballard shattering the streak.

‎”The last feeling it’s disappointment and frustration because we wanted the three points.

‎”We knew that Sunderland would be very disruptive. We have to deal with situations that are obviously difficult to deal with. We conceded a goal that is not in our standards.”

‎The result leaves Arsenal with a narrow lead at the top but serves as a stark reminder that even small lapses can prove costly in a title race this tight.

‎Estevão Heats Up as Chelsea Rise

‎At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s teenage Estevão continued his rapid development, inspiring the Blues to a 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

‎The 18-year-old Brazilian, who has been adjusting to life in England since his move from Palmeiras, once again made a decisive impact off the bench.

‎With the game goalless at half-time and the crowd growing restless, Malo Gusto broke the deadlock early in the second half. But it was Estevão’s introduction that truly lifted the atmosphere.

‎Within two minutes of coming on, he set up João Pedro for Chelsea’s second goal before Pedro Neto sealed the win with a third.

‎The performance drew high praise from manager Enzo Maresca, who acknowledged the youngster’s growing influence and the crowd’s connection to him.

‎”I can understand first half people were not happy because we didn’t score. Then, when Estevao came on the energy raised because people love that kind of player,” he said of the 18-year-old.

‎”You can see his talent. We are trying to help him adapt and give him the right minutes.

‎”He arrived from Brazil, he needs time to adapt, but he’s going to start games for us in the future.”