Matchweek 10 of the Premier League is not yet over with Aston Villa travelling to Nottingham Forest on Monday evening. Over the weekend, though, we witnessed some thrilling games, as Arsenal reclaimed the top spot with a 3-2 win over Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
A total of 32 goals were scored across the 9 games, which featured no draws. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the talking points from Premier League Matchday 10.
- Arsenal underline their title credentials
Arsenal took a big step toward proving their title credentials with a riveting 3-2 win over Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners’ attackers caused plenty of problems for their opponents’ backline, exploiting chinks in the Jurgen Klopp-managed Liverpool side. The opening goal inside the first minute gave them great confidence and, while Liverpool came back twice to level things up, Mikel Arteta’s side always looked the favourites to pick up three points.
Conceding twice did show Arsenal’s vulnerabilities too and they are yet to keep a clean sheet at home, but Arteta has built a team that is showing signs of mounting a genuine title challenge this term.
- Casemiro makes his mark on first Premier League start
It is fair to say Casemiro would have been frustrated to not start games as regularly as he would have liked to for Manchester United following his big money summer switch from Real Madrid, but Erik ten Hag’s decision to ease in the midfielder is paying off.
Starting his first Premier League game for Manchester United against a tricky Everton side, Casemiro showed his class in midfield. The Brazilian international did make a few sloppy passes and showed lapses of concentration—partly guilty for Everton’s opener—but he atoned for his mistake by winning possession in midfield and releasing Cristiano Ronaldo for his club career’s 700th goal.
Casemiro is still adjusting to the demands of the Premier League but he showed signs at Everton of what is going to come once he gets to full speed.
- Ronaldo reaches landmark 700 club career goals
After a dismantling at the hands of Manchester City, Manchester United bounced back on Sunday at Goodison Park and ended Everton’s six-game unbeaten run. Substitute Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner in the first half, in what was his landmark 700th club-career goal.
Ronaldo, 37, came on for the injured Anthony Martial in the 29th minute and scored the eventual winner at the stroke of half-time. It was only his first Premier League goal of the season as he fights to win a regular place in Erik ten Hag’s team, but a pivotal one that helped the Red Devils avoid a potential banana skin at Goodison Park. The Portuguese further demonstrated there is still life in his boots and, while he has nothing to prove to anyone in the most incredible of playing careers, he will take heart from silencing a few naysayers.
- Pressure back on Brendan Rodgers
A 4-0 victory for Leicester City over Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest had taken some immediate pressure off of Brendan Rodgers. And when Leicester City scored early through Patson Daka at Bournemouth, there were signs from Rodgers’ side of turning things around.
Having led for nearly 70 minutes and on course to secure their back-to-back Premier League wins, though, the Foxes’ collapsed in a matter of four minutes and conceded twice to Bournemouth that brought back pressure on Rodgers.
Leicester has only four points to show from nine games and the 2-1 loss to Bournemouth—a fifth consecutive away defeat—once again showed why losing points from a winning position has become such a norm they cannot seem to eliminate out of their system.
- Manchester City unplayable at home
Manchester City continued their superb scoring streak at home by cruising to a 4-0 win over a hapless Southampton side on Saturday, bringing its tally to 24 goals in just five league games at the Etihad Stadium this term.
Erling Haaland took until 65 minutes to get on the scoresheet, but the damage was done way beforehand as Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez ensured the goals flowed for the champions. The Sky Blues are proving no match at home and Pep Guardiola will want it to continue for a very long time.
