Tottenham Hotspur had their poor run of results extended by Aston Villa, falling 2-1 in a rambunctious game. Ange Postecoglou’s side came in with a slew of absences, most notably in defense, and they were unable to contain Villa for the full 90 despite taking the lead via a rocket from Giovani Lo Celso. That was far from the first chance of the match, however, and this contest could have ended 5-5 with all that both teams created. Dejan Kulusevski - who took up James Maddison’s position - hit the post and Son Heung-min had a hat trick of disallowed goals. Aston Villa had an equalizer chalked off and forced Vicario to make some clever saves before Pau Torres knotted the game with a header in first half stoppage time. Ollie Watkins went on to find the winner after some great interplay with Youri Tielemans, and Unai Emery’s side was able to see out the result. It’s tempting to write off Spurs after these last few losses and assume they’ll begin to slide down the table, but there is certainly still plenty of firepower in the North London side. Villa, on the other hand, find themselves in the Champions League places and look only to be getting stronger, with Jacob Ramsey back in the frame. While there are sure to be bumps in the road for the Birmingham side, they could be a real contender for the top 4. 

Before a ball was kicked at St. James park, you could be forgiven for assuming Newcastle were about to be in for a long afternoon. They’d been thoroughly beaten by Bournemouth last time out, and their injury crisis is still in full swing. Chelsea had been slowly improving. Eddie Howe even named 3 keepers on the bench, which is unusual to say the least. However, Alexander Isak - whose return from injury was one of the Magpies’ few bright spots - latched onto a great ball by young Lewis Miley and got the Tyneside party started. Raheem Sterling would equalize via a great free kick, but 3 second half goals (from Jamal Lascelles, Joelinton, and Anthony Gordon) left Maurico Pochettino’s side to trudge home formally humbled. Reece James also earned himself two yellows while wearing the captain’s armband - it’s really been a season of one step forward and two steps back for the West London club. Newcastle will hope to build on this result, Chelsea will be begging to forget it.

The first match of the weekend was billed as (and often has been) one of the games of the season, with Champions Manchester City hosting Liverpool. The action didn’t quite live up to the hype, and it was a mistake rather than any captivating interplay that gave City the lead. Alisson - far from his best and now injured - misplaced an attempt to release Mohamed Salah, freeing up Nathan Aké to find Erling Haaland, who put his chance away. Jürgen Klopp’s men were able to ride out the rest of the half, regrouping and improving after the break with the arrival of substitutes. Pep’s side struck next, forcing the ball into the net off a set piece, before it was ruled out for a foul on the keeper. A quick, clever counter was Liverpool’s way back in - a heads up pass from Salah and a sublime touch from Trent Alexander-Arnold meant the spoils were shared at the Etihad. A far better scoreline for the Reds, this was a great result for neutrals as it’s looking more and more like there will be a sustained title race this year.

Speaking of said title race, Arsenal took advantage of their rivals’ draw to move into first place after nabbing a late winner away to Brentford. The Bees were worthy adversaries, keeping the match tight despite having to field a very makeshift backline. Thomas Frank’s side was able to largely contain the Gunners, allowing very few truly troubling chances. Aaron Ramsdale rotated in, covering for David Raya who was ineligible due to loan rules. He kept a clean sheet but looked understandably rusty, nearly conceding a horror goal. It’s looking more and more like his future is away from the Emirates. Arsenal’s persistence was ultimately rewarded when Bukayo Saka’s inch perfect cross was nodded home by Kai Havertz - a match winner that feels like the German’s true arrival in North London. Mikel Arteta’s side will continue to face criticism that they’re playing flatly, but the Spanish manager can listen to those critics from the top of the table - for this week, at least.

On Merseyside, Everton came into their contest against Manchester United well and truly fired up in response to their points deduction. Pre match protests fueled a raucous atmosphere only to be deflated by one of the best goals we’ll see in the league this season. In the 3rd minute, Alejandro Garnacho took to the sky and executed a picture perfect bicycle kick, temporarily stunning the Toffees supporters. It’s remarkable to witness a goal live that you’ll be seeing on replays for years to come. Everton eventually recovered and were only kept off the score sheet by some wonderful André Onana saves (with some wayward finishing) and a goal line clearance from the headline grabbing youngster, Kobbie Mainoo, who has United fans believing they have a generational talent on their hands. The Red Devils went on to put the match to bed, with Marcus Rashford smashing home a penalty and Anthony Martial scoring against his favorite (statistically) opponents. This was one of United’s best performances of the season - if the scoreline doesn’t completely tell the story. Everton failed to grab a chance to harness their frustration and lost ground on their relegation rivals. While they’d be down if the season ended today, there will surely be better days ahead for the Toffees. 

Brighton earned a desperately needed win away at Forest, but not without thinning their squad even further. It didn't start well for the Seagulls, who went behind to a quick headed goal from Anthony Elanga. Evan Ferguson equalized for Roberto De Zerbi’s men in the 26th minute, and the visitors pulled ahead in stoppage time through João Pedro. The Brazilian extended Brighton’s lead in the second half with a frankly jaunty penalty kick, which seemed to put the match to bed. However, Lewis Dunk had a moment of madness and talked his way into a yellow card after a VAR awarded penalty for Forest. Not content to stop there, Brighton’s captain earned a straight red for words directed at the ref, Anthony Taylor. Morgan Gibbs-White converted, and it took a solid save from Bart Verbruggen in goal to keep the points safe for the Seagulls. While the win is crucial for De Zerbi, Dunk will miss the next few matches through suspension and both Ansu Fati and Tariq Lamptey had to be subbed off, meaning more strain on the South Coast squad. On the Forest side, Steve Cooper is likely feeling the pressure even with the Midlands side still safe. A win against Everton next time out would be very welcome for both the manager and the supporters, who broadly admire their skipper. 

Fulham nabbed a much needed win at Craven Cottage that wasn’t free from controversy. In a match that ultimately finished 3-2, the hosts went ahead twice only to be pegged back on both occasions. In the first half Alex Iwobi’s opener was quickly canceled by Matheus Cunha, and in the second the sides traded penalties, staying level until stoppage time. It was another penalty - awarded via VAR review - that broke the deadlock, with Willian firing home from the spot in the 94th minute. Gary O’Neill had things to say after the match, revealing that referee Michael Salisbury confided that one of Fulham’s penalties should not have been given and that two Cottagers should have been sent off (Tim Ream for a second yellow and Carlos Vinícius for a straight red). Whether this rises to the egregious levels of other officiating mistakes this season remains to be seen, but it can’t be denied that Wolves have been hard done by on many occasions. The Midlands team will still likely be fine, but I’m sure they could really go for a match without a subsequent apology.

Everton’s points deduction isn’t the only thing spicing up the relegation battle; clubs in and around the bottom three have started picking up points. That was the case for Sheffield United ahead of the International Break, but the Blades were brought back down to ground by Bournemouth - whose recent form has lifted them away from the drop. Dominic Solanke, who’s been the Cherries leading man, finally got some help from his supporting cast - in particular Marcus Tavernier, who scored twice. Justin Kluivert also helped himself to a goal, capitalizing on a poor mistake from Wes Foderingham. Sheffield United netted late, but they were roundly beaten. Andoni Iraola’s side has finally begun clicking, and the Cherries are already 7 points above the drop. Things are noticeably less bright for the Blades, who are 4 points away from safety and looked broadly overmatched by a team they need to keep within touching distance if they have any designs on safety. 

Burnley continued their worrying trajectory against West Ham, eroding under the East London side’s waves of pressure. As seems to be their calling card, the Clarets started brightly and even took a lead through a Jay Rodriguez penalty. While that’s a good habit for Vincent Kompany’s young side, they unfortunately also have their share of bad habits, none worse than not being able to maintain their levels for a full 90. Mohammed Kudus took it upon himself to exploit Burnley’s weakness and put the Hammers on top with two great deliveries: first bossing 4 Claret players to force an own goal, then teeing up Tomáš Souček for a headed winner. Both goals came after the 85th minute. For all this win is an indictment of Burnley’s mettle, it was a solid victory for the Hammers, who have struggled with consistency this campaign. It’s additionally important when you consider that their talismanic frontman, Jarrod Bowen, is set to miss time with an injury. Turf Moor remains unfriendly to its tenants, and it’s getting tougher and tougher to make any case for a Claret survival. 

The biggest surprise in the relegation race perhaps came at Kenilworth Road, where Luton Town recorded their first ever win in the Premier League, hoisting themselves 4 points clear of the drop. Their triumph came at the expense of Crystal Palace, who were unable to take advantage of Michael Olise’s return to the starting lineup - and his subsequent wonder-goal. The Hatters owe heaps of credit to Thomas Kaminski, who has been a critical cog in all of their positive results. Their newly signed keeper raises the floor of where Rob Edward’s team can expect to end up, and allows them to execute their gameplan. Teden Mengi, an unlikely scorer, guided in their opener, only to be pegged back by Olise’s left footed rocket. While the Eagles initially looked the more likely to find a winner, Jacob Brown ensured the Hatters could celebrate all 3 points on home territory. Palace left disappointed, and Roy Hodgson - who’s nearly certain to keep the South London club safe - needs to be sure the Eagles don’t fall into too much of a lull, especially in this busy run of fixtures. While Everton may not be in the bottom 3 for long, Luton are bolstering their chances to steer clear of relegation themselves.