Premier League Weekend Review: Arsenal Tighten Their Grip As Liverpool Crumble And Chelsea Close In

‎Arsenal tightened their grip on the title race, Liverpool plunged deeper into crisis, Chelsea continued their impressive resurgence, and Manchester City faltered again.

‎Sportxparte breaks down the biggest talking points from an exciting weekend.

‎Arsenal’s Title Charge

‎Arsenal produced one of their most decisive performances of the season as Eberechi Eze lit up the Emirates with a magnificent hat-trick in a ruthless 4–1 demolition of Tottenham.

‎The Gunners, now six points clear at the top and unbeaten in 15 matches in all competitions, are gathering serious momentum at a pivotal moment in the campaign.

‎Mikel Arteta’s side is playing with a confidence not seen since their “Invincibles” era. Despite early-season injuries and the frustration of a narrow 1–0 defeat at Liverpool in August, Arsenal have launched an emphatic surge.

‎Their 10-game winning run was halted only by a 2–2 draw at Sunderland before the international break but the performance against Spurs showed no signs of fatigue.

‎“We have excellent momentum, but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. Let’s enjoy tonight, but Bayern and Chelsea are waiting. It’s a big week.” said Arteta.

‎With a Champions League clash against Bayern Munich and a top-of-the-table match at Emirates Stadium on the horizon, the next seven days could define Arsenal’s season.

‎Liverpool Hit Rock Bottom

‎If Arsenal are flying, Liverpool are sinking fast.

‎With a humiliating 3–0 home defeat the Nottingham Forest, a team that began the weekend in the relegation zone, Arne Slot’s Liverpool suffered a new low in what has become a nightmare title defence.

‎The Reds have now lost consecutive league matches by three goals for the first time since 1965.

‎The situation around the £125 million signing of Alexander Isak encapsulates Liverpool’s broader malaise. Expected to be a transformative addition, Isak has yet to score in the league and became the first Liverpool player in Premier League history to lose his first four starts.

‎His lack of sharpness, disrupted pre-season, and injury setbacks have all compounded the pressure.

‎Virgil van Dijk admitted the players are letting their manager down, but Slot shouldered responsibility, “I can never come up with enough excuses for the results we have. It is far from good enough, and I’m responsible for that.”

‎Liverpool has now drifted into the bottom half of the table, an unthinkable position for a squad built to defend a title.

‎Chelsea Quietly Becoming Contenders

‎Six wins in their last seven league matches have moved Chelsea into second place after a comfortable 2–0 win at Burnley. While still six points behind Arsenal, the gap could be halved next weekend when the Gunners visit Stamford Bridge in a top-of-the-table clash.

‎Enzo Maresca’s young, relentless side is finally beginning to justify the club’s massive investment across several transfer windows. Chelsea’s squad depth is such that the manager could afford to rest Moisés Caicedo and Estevão without losing control of the match.

‎The only lingering question is whether Chelsea’s early-season exertions, particularly their trip to the U.S. for the Club World Cup in July’s intense heat. But for now, they are the form team chasing Arsenal.

‎Rogers Sparks Villa Comeback

‎Aston Villa continued their impressive climb up the table with a 2–1 comeback win away at Leeds, thanks to a superb brace from Morgan Rogers. Fresh off international duty, where he is keeping Jude Bellingham out of England’s starting XI, Rogers delivered a standout performance.

‎After Leeds’ early opener through Lukas Nmecha, Rogers struck twice: first with a composed finish from Donyell Malen’s cross, and then with a beautifully curled free-kick in the 75th minute.

‎A late Dominic Calvert-Lewin finish was ruled out for handball, allowing Villa to secure their sixth win in seven league games.

‎Unai Emery’s side have surged into fourth place, while newly promoted Leeds have fallen into the relegation zone after losing five of their last six matches.

‎Elsewhere

‎Crystal Palace 2–0 Wolves: Palace picked up three vital points at Selhurst Park.

‎Fulham 1–0 Sunderland: A narrow but deserved home victory keeps Fulham stable in mid-table.

‎Brighton 2–1 Brentford: The Seagulls edged a competitive contest to continue their quiet push for a European spot.

‎Bournemouth 2–2 West Ham: The Cherries roared back from 2–0 down to steal a point.

‎City Slip as Newcastle Punish Their Wastefulness

‎Manchester City’s inconsistency resurfaced as they missed a chance to close the gap to Arsenal. A 2–1 defeat to Newcastle, who had lost back-to-back league games, left Pep Guardiola’s men four points off the top, having played a game more.

‎Harvey Barnes, having missed earlier chances alongside Nick Woltemade, made amends with two crucial goals. After Barnes put Newcastle ahead, Rúben Dias briefly restored parity, only for the winger to flick home the winner minutes later.