It was another wild Saturday in the Premier League as Arsenal lost at Bournemouth, Tottenham showed their class and Manchester United eased the pressure on Erik ten Hag.
Here is what we made of it all.
What happened?
Arsenal went down to 10 men early on against Bournemouth and were made to pay as the Cherries came away with a 2-0 victory.
Before that, Tottenham kicked off the day with a brilliant derby win over West Ham. A stunning second half from Ange Postecoglou’s side saw Spurs beat the Hammers 4-1 to heap more pressure on Julen Lopetegui.
Manchester United then came from behind to beat Brentford with Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund earning the Red Devils three invaluable points.
Another side who managed to turn things around were Leicester, who went from 2-0 to 3-2 at Southampton. Jordan Ayew was the hero for the Foxes in stoppage time.
There were four goals and two sendings off at Craven Cottage as Aston Villa beat Fulham 3-1. Raul Jimenez’s early strike for the home side was eventually cancelled out by Morgan Rogers, an Issa Diop own goal and Ollie Watkins’ stunning header.
The ageless Danny Welbeck was Brighton’s hero as his first half goal was enough to see Brighton win 1-0 at Newcastle.
Everton meanwhile made it four games unbeaten with a comprehensive 2-0 win at Ipswich.
Player of the day
He didn’t score or assist and also missed a sitter in the second half.
But every time Antoine Semenyo got the ball against Arsenal this evening, it looked like something was going to happen.
The Bournemouth winger was a consistent menace down the left-hand side and caused Ben White all sorts of problems on a day when the Gunners title dreams took a slight dent.
The 24-year-old’s pace and directness were key elements of the Cherries attack as they claimed a famous win over the north London side.
Stat of the day
After just eight games in 2024/25, Danny Welbeck has already been directly involved in as many Premier League goals (6) than he was in the whole of last season.
He’s been unleashed under Fabian Hürzeler. 💪#NEWBHA pic.twitter.com/2e7idxagZs
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) October 19, 2024
Danny Welbeck has been reborn under new boss Fabian Hürzeler.
The 33-year-old may be older than his coach but Welbeck is performing like a man in his prime of late.
The former Manchester United man contributed his sixth goal of the campaign against Newcastle on Saturday, which is the same number as his entire 2023/24.
What this means
Arsenal stay in third place, level on points with Manchester City and one behind Liverpool, despite playing a game more.
Manchester United are finally into the top half of the table with Erik ten Hag’s men up to 10th after their win over the Bees.
Leicester’s 98th minute winner was the latest since Premier League records began and it means that the Foxes are now up to 13th in the table.
Everton put daylight between themselves and Ipswich with a victory whilst Tottenham moved to within a point of Chelsea in seventh.
Brighton’s impressive victory at Newcastle saw them go to fifth whilst Aston Villa stayed in fourth after their three points in west London.
What they said
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was delighted with his side’s second half performance against West Ham, telling the BBC: “We had to fight hard in the first half. Going a goal down wasn’t ideal but we clawed our way back into it, and it is not easy. West Ham are a big physical side and they have got some speed as well.
“Second half we were outstanding. We upped the tempo and played some quality football, defended when we needed to and got our finishing right.”
Jordan Ayew was beaming after Leicester’s win at Southampton, telling Sky Sports: “It’s just unbelievable, that’s why we play football. We didn’t have a good first half. Second half we got ourselves back together and attacked the game properly. It’s just an unbelievable feeling. It’s a good step forward to move up the table. We’re going to continue fighting and it’s not going to be easy so well done the lads and everyone.”
Brighton coach Fabian Hürzeler was asked about Danny Welbeck after the goalscorer was stretchered off in the second half with a back injury. “No updates,” the tactician told the BBC. “I can’t say any updates. I think he got a knee in his lower back. Let’s wait until later, until tomorrow, then we’ll know more.
Erik ten Hag admitted he was ‘angry’ at half time of Manchester United’s clash with Brentford telling Sky Sports: “Of course we were angry, if you concede a goal like this, it’s not right. But then you have to transfer the anger into quality and that is what they did. The cross from Rashy [Rashford]..brilliant. The finish from Garnacho…brilliant. The second goal, the pass from Eriksen, the flick from Bruno and the finish from Rasmus Hojlund…so beautiful.”
What comes next?
Sunday sees a trio of intriguing games but the undoubted highlight comes from Anfield.
Liverpool have been sensational so far under Arne Slot but the Reds face their first real test tomorrow as Chelsea come to Merseyside.
Enzo Maresca has been working miracles with the Blues so far this term, operating above all the boardroom noise and turning the west London outfit into one of the best side’s in the division.
It’s going to be an absolute corker.