Arsenal won their fifth successive Premier League match to finish the weekend with a six-point cushion at the top of the table as tensions erupted at their North London rivals, Tottenham.
Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City climbed to second, but one important detail about the win leaves some cause for concern at the Etihad.
Liverpool, meanwhile, finally hit back — both on the pitch and off it.
Scroll down to see this week’s Premier League Talking Points!
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
TOTTENHAM UNREST ERUPTS
Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League and unbeaten in the Champions League this season.
But it seems tensions are bubbling in the camp, with decent results so far masking some sub-standard performances.
Stand-in captain Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence appeared to snub manager Thomas Frank as they came off the pitch following a lame 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on Saturday — their 10th loss against their London rivals in 12 meetings in all competitions.
Frank’s team were booed off after they produced only one shot on target all game and recorded their lowest expected goals figure of 0.05 on record (since 2012/13).
The former Brentford boss played down the incident involving Van de Ven and Spence, saying it is “one of the small issues”.
“They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated,” he added.
“We do things in a different way, so I don’t think it is a big problem.”
But it was an uncomfortable moment and one that he will have to address.
Former Arsenal footballer Perry Groves said that it was a clear sign of “disrespect” to Frank.
“It wasn’t just a little look. It was a men that stare at goats stare. He was looking at his two players and said, ‘I can’t believe you’ve done that to me,” Groves said on TalkSport.
“So Thomas Frank, and I think he’s a very good manager, but he’s found himself in positions that he’s never been in before.
“Now he’s dealing with bigger egos and for him to get control, he’s got to bring in Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven individually.”
The unrest comes amid scathing criticism for Frank’s side with former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp leading the brutal commentary.
He described the loss as “one of the worst performances I have seen from Tottenham,”
“That was as easy as it gets,” he said. “If it was a boxing match, they’d have stopped it. Tottenham were so poor, they never laid a glove on Chelsea.
“They made it so easy.
“Tottenham just looked pace-less today. They didn’t really have an idea of how to get up the pitch. And it just looked too easy for (Chelsea).”
Reds snap losing streak against Villa | 00:45
REDS FIRE BACK OVER ‘RIDICULOUS’ CALLS
Arne Slot went back to basics as he sought to end Liverpool’s damaging four-match losing run in the Premier League — and it paid dividends with a 2-0 win against Aston Villa.
The Dutchman spent around £450 million (A$903 million) on a clutch of high-profile signings in the summer transfer window but Hugo Ekitike was the only new face to start Saturday’s match.
Alexander Isak — yet to score a Premier League goal — and Jeremie Frimpong were missing with injuries while Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz were on the bench.
Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley were picked as the full-backs as the defending champions kept a first clean sheet in 11 games in all competitions.
The home side rode their luck against in-form Villa, who hit the woodwork twice before Mohamed Salah scored his 250th goal for the club following a howler from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The turn in fortunes on the pitch saw defender Virgil van Dijk use his interview post-match to try turn the narrative off it, too.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Van Dijk came out swinging for those who have been heavily critical of Liverpool’s stuttering title defence.
“What I have noticed over the last couple of weeks especially is that there is a lot of noise that you have no control over and that we have to deal with as a team,” he said.
“Some of those takes are absolutely ridiculous.
“But you have to deal with that. It’s outside noise that can reach certain players, the group. It’s about sticking together.”
The pressure on Slot has eased but he still has huge decisions to make on how best to use his expensive squad, with a daunting trip to Manchester City next week.
Kerr and Carpenter strike for Chelsea | 00:56
‘MESSI LIKE’: VIRAL HAALAND IMAGE GOES VIRAL
It is easy to be blase about Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s unique goalscoring machine.
The Norwegian scored twice more on Sunday against high-flying Bournemouth to take his season’s tally to 26 goals in 16 games for club and country.
He is only the third player ever to score two or more goals in four or more consecutive Premier League home appearances, after Robbie Fowler and Luis Suarez.
Bournemouth’s David Brooks admitted it is almost impossible to come up with a plan to deal with the marauding 1.95-metre (six feet, five inches) striker.
Haaland had an amusing take when asked how he felt about being substituted when in sight of a hat-trick.
“There were probably a few fantasy managers who were not so happy,” he told Sky Sports.
Pep Guardiola’s City are still seeking consistency but with Haaland in this form, they must surely be title contenders.
Guardiola paid Haaland some of the highest praise possible after the match, saying that his talismanic striker is currently operating at “(Lionel) Messi levels”.
“It’s like when you play with Messi or Ronaldo, their influence is so big … You see the numbers of that guy (Haaland)? Of course he’s that level.
“The difference is Messi and Ronaldo have done it for 15 years, but this is the level. The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, it’s like ‘I am going to score’.
“He has that hunger. It’s top. I’ve said many times how incredibly coachable and manageable he is.
“I am tough sometimes with him, but he is open-minded. He lives for the goals and sometimes the pressure cannot sustain 90 minutes, but that’s normal.
“Without him it would be tough to be honest, but we are lucky that Omar (Marmoush) is back, and we have fit players, it’s good.”
On Haaland, however, City is proving dangerously reliant.
During the match, a staggering graphic showing City’s source of goals this season went viral on X.
The post displayed Haaland’s PL tally of 13 leading the way.
Next on City’s list?
Maxime Esteve — who plays for Burnley and had the misfortune of conceding two own goals at the Etihad last month.
No other City player has scored multiple goals this domestic campaign.
NEWCASTLE ‘UNRECOGNISEABLE’
Newcastle United, ranked by Forbes in May to have a team value of A$1.6 billion, is now without a win on the road in eight consecutive Premier League games, following a 3-1 defeat to West Ham.
Not only does the loss extend that grim record, but the fact it came against a relegation-threatened side, who had not yet won under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo, shows how troubled the Magpies are away from St James’ Park.
Newcastle is 13th on the table, with draws to 10-man Aston Villa, promoted side Leeds, and Bournemouth their only points away from home.
Manager Eddie Howe said in the latest defeat, his team was unrecognisable, and put his players on notice.
“The dynamism wasn’t there,” Howe said. “The physicality and the energy were missing. We scored early and could have grabbed hold of the game but we didn’t and let it slip away.
“It didn’t look like a Newcastle team that we’ve seen in recent seasons. The body language, the collective spirit on the pitch, loads of little things weren’t there. It was a by-product of us just not being where we needed to be mentally.”
He added: “I could have taken anyone off.
“That is a reflection of where we were at that stage of the game. It is very rare for me to feel that way.
“I don’t think I have since I have been Newcastle manager.”
Mata scores first goal for Victory | 01:15
WOLVES SACK COACH, SHOCK REPLACEMENT EMERGES
Wolves sacked head coach Vitor Pereira on Sunday after failing to win any of their opening 10 Premier League games.
Pereira signed a new three-year deal in September after guiding Wanderers to safety last season.
However, a return of just two points so far this campaign has put the club’s eight-year stay in the top flight at serious risk.
A 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday left Wolves eight points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table.
“Wolves have parted company with head coach Vitor Pereira, after a winless start to the 2025/26 season,” the club said in a statement.
“Upon his arrival at Molineux last December, Pereira and his coaches made an immediate impact, guiding the team to a successful second half of the Premier League campaign.
“However, results and performances this term have fallen below acceptable standards, and as a result a change in leadership was deemed necessary.”
After finishing 16th last season, Pereira had to cope with losing talismanic forward Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, while full-backs Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo also departed in the close season for Manchester City and Fenerbahce respectively.
Fan frustration has been building towards the club’s Chinese owners Fosun for some time over a perceived lack of investment in the squad.
Pereira had been a fan favourite in his early months in charge, often going to celebrate victories with supporters in pubs close to Molineux.
But that relationship soured this season and he had to be escorted away from an angry confrontation with supporters following last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Burnley.
“Unfortunately, the start to this season has been a disappointment and, despite our strong desire to give the head coach time and matches to find an improvement, we have reached a point where we must make a change,” added Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi.
Those in the frame to replace Pereira staggeringly include Gary O’Neil, who was sacked by the club less than a year ago, as well as Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards.