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With Halloween weekend now behind us, Matchweek 9 of the Premier League served up plenty of frights, with red cards, upsets, Manchester City losing at home to Brighton, and even Arsenal winning at Anfield. Here, we'll run you through the key games from the weekend.
Brighton stun Manchester City as Verbruggen steals the show
Manchester City's fine form came to a shuddering halt on Saturday with a shock home defeat to Brighton. The game finished 1-0 in a contest that was more reminiscent of a siege than a soccer game. 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 in a penalty shootout at the same stadium. However, it was Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen who stole the show. The Dutch stopper put in a stellar 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 team couldn't find a way past him, and they have now lost back-to-back league games. Brighton, meanwhile, won at the Etihad for the first time ever and moved to within two points of City and Arsenal at the top of the standings, with the Gunners heading to Anfield on Sunday.
Manchester United woes continue
Manchester United's poor start to the season continued on Saturday with a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The game began with United on top, and both teams 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 shown a red card for catching Wesley Fofana with his arm, and Cole Palmer converted the resulting penalty kick. The defeat leaves Michael Carrick's team 17th in the standings and piles yet more pressure on the United head coach. Elsewhere among the league's strugglers.
Sunderland suffer heavy defeat at the hands of Coventry
Coventry City climbed out of the relegation zone on Saturday, beating last-place 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 kick. Omar Alderete's late red card capped a miserable afternoon for Régis Le Bris' team.
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 in all competitions without conceding a goal. 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. USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams played the full 90 minutes and covered more ground than anyone else on the field, while fellow American Brenden Aaronson came off the bench for the final six minutes for Leeds.
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' team ended their four-game winless run against an opponent that has struggled for goals all season. Forest head coach Oliver Glasner will need to solve his team's attacking problems 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 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 team reduced to ten men after Jean-Philippe Mateta's 13th-minute red card. USMNT center back Chris Richards played all 90 minutes for Palace in a losing effort, as the Eagles dropped into the relegation zone. Roberto De Zerbi's team are now climbing the standings, and it looks as though their difficult start to the season could be behind them.
Arsenal end their Anfield drought
Arsenal took full advantage of City's slip on Sunday, heading to Anfield and coming away with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liverpool. Arsenal spent long spells without the ball, but the hosts failed to capitalize on their possession. Kai Havertz's 16th-minute goal, set up by Declan Rice, was enough to secure the victory and hand the Gunners their first Premier League win at Anfield since 2012. Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty kick in the first half when Jurrien Timber held onto Alexander Isak's jersey for a little too long, but VAR failed to spot it, and Isak's complaints were mild at best. Liverpool pushed hard for an equalizer and Florian Wirtz rattled the crossbar with a free kick, but Andoni Iraola's team failed to register a single shot on target. Havertz's strike also saw him overtake Ilkay Gündogan as the Premier League's all-time leading German goalscorer, and Mikel Arteta's team now sit three points clear at the top of the standings.
Newcastle booed off as Everton strike again
Matchweek 9 wrapped up on Monday night, and Newcastle United's poor run continued with a 1-0 defeat at home to Everton. The game began with a sleepy feel, with the hosts booed off at halftime, before springing into life early in the second half. Lukáš Horníček saved Tyrique George's initial effort, but Thierno Barry was on hand to tap in the rebound and hand David Moyes' team the lead. Newcastle pushed for an equalizer, but their night got worse in stoppage time when substitute Jacob Ramsey picked up two yellow cards in quick succession. Everton claimed their first away league win of the season and their second win over Newcastle in four days, moving up to seventh, while Matthias Jaissle's team slip to 13th.
