Manchester City are six points behind Arsenal after a swing weekend in the Premier League, with a looming summit meeting that could determine the destination of the title.
Long-time Premier League leaders Arsenal suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth, while Manchester City took full advantage, thrashing Chelsea 3-0.
At the other end of the table, Tottenham are two points from safety after a 1-0 loss at Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi’s first match in charge.
AFP Sport looks at three key talking points from the Premier League weekend:
Will Arsenal blow the title again?
Arsenal remain favourites to win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, but the mood at the Emirates has shifted dramatically.
After losing just three of their first 49 matches this season, the Gunners have now lost three of their past four games.
Weeks ago, Arsenal were chasing a quadruple, but they were defeated by Manchester City in the League Cup final and lost to second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup.
Manager Mikel Arteta described Saturday’s defeat as a “big punch in the face,” admitting that the club’s long wait for the English title adds pressure.
Arteta takes his team to face City next week, knowing a defeat could mean a fourth consecutive runners-up finish.
City boss Pep Guardiola will be equally pleased with the manner of his team’s 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge, as well as the result itself. City are smelling blood.
Spurs staring into the abyss
While the title race dominates headlines, Tottenham’s relegation battle is the story of the season if they go down.
Roberto De Zerbi now has a clearer picture of his task after Spurs’ 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.
History paints a grim picture: only three sides – Derby, Sunderland, and Swindon – have had longer winless runs to start a calendar year in the Premier League than Tottenham in 2026 (14 games), and all three were relegated.
De Zerbi insists his players have the quality but lack confidence.
“We have to be stronger than this moment, and positive, because we have the qualities enough to win the game, and when we win the game, we can see everything’s different,” he stated.
Meanwhile, relegation rivals West Ham and Nottingham Forest continue to pick up points, keeping Spurs under immense pressure.
Can Liverpool teen Ngumoha save Slot?
Liverpool boss Arne Slot compared 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha to Mohamed Salah after the teenager scored a brilliant opener in a priceless 2-0 victory against Fulham.
Ngumoha now holds the Liverpool record as the youngest Premier League scorer at Anfield, having already been the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer.
The victory strengthened Liverpool’s grip on fifth place and offered Slot some relief after heavy losses to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Slot’s position has been openly questioned just a year after he led Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English title. Achieving at least a top-five finish to secure Champions League football is vital, and Ngumoha could be the spark.
“He has such a special quality which you don’t see a lot in football anymore – dominating the one-v-one situation,” said Slot.
“And that’s exactly what he did when he scored his goal, twisting and turning before finishing like Mo Salah.”
