Stay tuned, because the next round of Premier League games is in midweek, so this feature returns on Wednesday. In the meantime, here’s where things stand.
Premier League winners
Liverpool
And we’re back to regularly scheduled programming, as Liverpool take an easy win at Manchester City. They’ve now opened up an 11-point lead on second-place Arsenal, albeit having played one more game. After their midweek draw at Aston Villa, people were saying 'They’re wobbling! We have a title race!' What were they all so worked up about?
Newcastle
They avenged last week’s loss to Manchester City by taking their humiliation out on another team wearing light blue jerseys. Nottingham Forest were in their change uniforms when the Magpies banged four goals past them in the first 35 minutes. They had to hang on for a 4-3 win, but for a little more than half an hour, they did look like a team contending for Europe next season.
Aston Villa’s loanees
Marcus Rashford assisted Marco Asensio on both of Villa’s goals during their come-from-behind victory, even if Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen let the second one crawl under his body. Awfully neighborly of Manchester United and PSG to let Villa borrow these guys. It’s also nice to see Villa back in the winners’ section of this feature, especially after drawing with Liverpool in the middle of the week.
Tottenham Hotspur
Son Heung-min assisted Brennan Johnson on two goals, and Djed Spence added a goal to his excellent recent midfield play for Spurs. The visitors did look shaky when they were up 2-1 against Ipswich, but they ran out with a comfortable 4-1 victory.
Graham Potter
It wasn’t a brilliant tactic to score one first-half goal and then have all 11 players spend the second half behind the ball, but it worked to give West Ham the win over Arsenal.
Brighton’s offense
It’s true that they were playing against Southampton, but still the incisive passes through the middle were great to watch, as the Seagulls’ vaunted wingers produced goals and assists, João Pedro looked comfortable playing as a center forward, and sparingly used Jack Hinshelwood came up with a goal in Brighton’s triumph on the road.
Daniel Muñoz
The Colombian right-winger put Calvin Bassey on a string during his sensational finish for Crystal Palace’s second goal, which gave the visitors a win against Fulham. That’s nine straight unbeaten games on the road for Palace.
Wolverhampton
They have opened a five-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone. They’re not safe yet, but that will ease some anxiety around Molineux Stadium.
Premier League losers
Arsenal
This time I have no problem with the red card shown to Myles Lewis-Skelly, since he brought down Mohammed Kudus with David Raya so far out of his goal. It wasn’t just the teenage midfielder to blame for the loss, though, because the Gunners couldn’t find their way through a defense that had clearly decided to park the bus. With Liverpool having dropped points in midweek, the chance to gain ground was there in plain sight. Now the league leaders have disappeared from sight.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
His record as Leicester’s manager to date: 15 games played, three wins, one draw, 11 losses; 16 goals scored, 36 goals conceded. You can argue that the players and the front office that recruited them are more to blame for that than the Dutchman, but even so: That winning mentality he was supposed to bring, where is it?
Illya Zabarnyi
The Ukrainian defender had played every minute of Bournemouth’s Premier League season until his first-half red card against Wolves for his tackle on Rayan Aït-Nouri. The Cherries went on to lose the game. Streaks always end, but this was particularly painful.
Fourth place
Everyone in the Prem is acting as if fourth place is a relegation place, as Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle, and now Bournemouth have spurned chances to lay claim on that Champions League spot. Currently Manchester City are hanging on to it by virtue of goal differential. England may actually have five teams in the CL next season, but still, fourth place would assure you of European play. You’d like to be sure, wouldn’t you?