Manchester City made a significant statement in the Premier League title race, beating troubled champions Liverpool to take advantage of a stumble by leaders Arsenal.
Emerging teenage star Estevao Willian had the antidote to Chelsea’s anxiety as the Blues bolstered their own title ambitions.
Here we look at three talking points from the weekend’s action.
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ARTETA IRKED BY ARSENAL SLIP AS DARK ARTS REVEALED
Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Sunderland left him with a stomach ache as he bemoaned their rare defensive collapse.
Brian Brobbey stabbed home from Dan Ballard’s header in the fourth minute of stoppage-time to end Arsenal’s 10-game winning run in all competitions.
Former Arsenal defender Ballard had put Sunderland ahead before Bukayo Saka equalised and Leandro Trossard blasted the Gunners into the lead.
It emerged after the match that part of Sunderland’s plot to stop Arsenal was won before the match even started.
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The Black Cats leaned into the dark arts, moving the advertising hoardings in to try and impact Arsenal’s ability to cause chaos with long throw-ins.
“Yeah, we tried to find the details to win the game,” Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris admitted.
“They are really strong on set pieces, we were good as well. It was absolutely obvious this threat was really important for this game and in the end it was balanced.”
Losing their impressive run of eight consecutive clean-sheets was a bitter blow for Arteta.
“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 shut-out 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 advertising boards were moved in to try and impact Arsenal’s long throw ins.
The advertising boards were moved in to try and impact Arsenal’s long throw ins.Source: Getty Images
LIVERPOOL CRISIS GETS EVEN WORSE
Liverpool was already said to be in crisis last month when they were reeling from consecutive league losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United and Brentford.
Back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and against Real Madrid during the week signalled that the Reds might’ve turned a corner.
That was until a sobering 3-0 loss to Manchester City that relegated the Reds to third-favourite for the title at best, behind Arsenal and City.
But so deep are Liverpool’s problems that Manchester United legend Roy Keane said that they should no longer even be mentioned in the title race discussion.
“At this moment you can’t be considering Liverpool for the title,” he said. “That’s five losses now. The type of goals they’re giving away... people keep on talking about their attacking players, but defensively they are all over the place.
“The amount of goals they’re giving up... this will feel like the worst defeat. Some of the other games they lost last minute, tight games, but that one will be a sore one.”
He added: “It’s crisis time for Liverpool.”
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher particularly singled out Ibrahima Konate, the Reds’ centre back who is in poor form.
“I don’t understand at all what Konate is trying to do,” Carragher said. “When Liverpool concede a goal or have a problem, he’s at the heart of it.
“Too often this season, he’s gone missing away from home.”
Central to Liverpool’s stuttering title defence is the fact that they still have not found the formula to make their summer signings shine, despite spending around £390m (A$787m) alone on five outfield players.
The Daily Mail’s Ian Ladyman wrote that “their failure to integrate is destroying their season”.
“It’s pointless ignoring the fact that Liverpool signed five outfield players for a combined cost of around £390m in the summer and right now are not getting anything remotely resembling a tune out of any of them,” he wrote.
“There is the heart of the problem. Liverpool have lost good players and have not yet been able to replace what they took with them when they went.
“Looked at in those terms, why is anybody surprised Slot’s team are struggling in a competitive league such as this?”
Ibrahima Konate is feeling the heat.
Ibrahima Konate is feeling the heat.Source: AP
DAZZLING DOKU CLICKS FOR CITY
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley locked down the threat of one of the world’s best in Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior in midweek, but the right-back had no answer for a sublime display from Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku.
The Belgian winger has shown signs of finally adding end product to his pace and trickery this season and produced arguably the best performance of his three seasons with City to inspire a vital 3-0 win over the Reds on Sunday.
After shining in the Champions League against Real, Bradley was torn to shreds by Doku, who set the tone by winning an early penalty.
Even though that was missed by Erling Haaland, City were not stopped for long as the Norway striker and Nico Gonzalez netted before halftime in Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th match in management.
Doku rounded off his man-of-the-match display with a blistering strike as City laid down a marker in the title race.
“He’s taken his game to the next level,” said former City defender Micah Richards. “He’s got that conviction now.”
City trail Arsenal by just four points and, with Doku and Haaland in red-hot form, another title charge is brewing at the Etihad Stadium.
Jeremy Doku was on fire against Liverpool.
Jeremy Doku was on fire against Liverpool.Source: AFP
ESTEVAO HEATS UP
Chelsea’s Estevao Willian has struggled to adapt to the London weather after moving from Brazil, but the teenage star is in red-hot form on the pitch.
Estevao has been Chelsea’s stand-out performer in the first half of the season and he delivered another influential cameo in Saturday’s 3-0 win against bottom of the table Wolves.
Chelsea were booed off at halftime after being held goalless, but Malo Gusto broke the deadlock before Estevao came on to set up Joao Pedro’s goal less than two minutes after his introduction.
Chelsea came out firing after half time boos.
Chelsea came out firing after half time boos.Source: Getty Images
Pedro Neto tapped in Chelsea’s third to catapult them into third place, six points behind Arsenal, but it was Estevao who earned special praise from Blues boss Enzo Maresca.
“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 to 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.”