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With Halloween weekend now upon us, the Premier League served up plenty of frights on Saturday, with red cards, upsets, and mounting pressure on plenty of managers. Here, we'll run you through the key fixtures from Saturday.
Brighton stun Manchester City as Verbruggen steals the show
Manchester City lost again on Saturday afternoon with a shock home defeat to Brighton. The game finished 1-0 in a contest that was more reminiscent of a siege than a football match. Yasin Ayari's 11th-minute goal, which came after a Matheus Nunes error, was enough to secure the victory and gain revenge for Brighton's midweek Carabao Cup defeat on penalties at the same ground. However, it was Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen who stole the show. The Dutch stopper put in a sterling performance at the Etihad, frustrating City's attackers for 90 minutes and making seven saves. Despite late pressure from Iliman Ndiaye, Nico O'Reilly and Jérémy Doku, Enzo Maresca's side couldn't find a way past him, and they have now lost back-to-back league games, with Brighton winning at the Etihad for the first time ever and moving to within two points of City and Arsenal.
Manchester United woes continue
Manchester United's poor start to the season continued on Saturday after a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The game began with United on top, and both sides had goals ruled out for offside in the first half, with Matheus Cunha and Estevão both denied. Chelsea struggled to make the most of their chances until Morgan Rogers' brilliant solo run and chip over Senne Lammens early in the second half gave them the lead. United's afternoon then got worse when Lisandro Martinez was sent off for catching Wesley Fofana with his arm, and Cole Palmer converted the resulting penalty. The defeat leaves Michael Carrick's side 17th in the table and piles yet more pressure on the United boss.
Sunderland suffer heavy defeat at the hands of Coventry
Coventry City climbed out of the relegation zone on Saturday, beating rock-bottom Sunderland 3-1. Goals from Sakamoto, Awoniyi, and Rudoni were enough to knock the stuffing out of the Black Cats, who struggled to force their way back into the game despite Enzo Le Fée's penalty. Omar Alderete's late red card capped a miserable afternoon for Régis Le Bris' side.
Rose's Bournemouth make it six in a row
Marco Rose's Bournemouth continued their superb run on Saturday, making it six wins in a row without conceding in all competitions. Taking on Leeds at the Vitality Stadium, the Cherries took the lead when Evanilson pounced on a James Trafford error, before Amine Adli sealed all three points in stoppage time after a superb assist from Junior Kroupi.Nottingham Forest continue to look toothless up front
There was more misery for Nottingham Forest on Saturday as Brentford beat Nottingham Forest 2-0. A Nikola Milenković own goal and a deflected strike from Igor Thiago meant Keith Andrews' side ended their four-game winless run against a team that has struggled for goals all season. Forest boss Oliver Glasner will need to solve his side's attacking frailties quickly if they are to have any chance of climbing out of the relegation zone this season.
Spurs make it three in a row
There were happy faces at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the final whistle finally went against Crystal Palace. Spurs made it three Premier League wins in a row for the first time in 20 months, with goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke sealing a 2-0 win over a Palace side reduced to ten men after Jean-Philippe Mateta's 13th-minute red card. Roberto De Zerbi's side are now climbing the Premier League table, and it looks as though their difficult start to the season could be behind them. The Italian coach will be hoping to carry this momentum into the international break, while Palace drop into the relegation zone.
