Arsenal tightened their grip on the Premier League title race after a narrow 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday crowned a weekend of chaos for their challengers.
Liverpool and Manchester City stumbled, leaving Mikel Arteta’s side with clear daylight at the summit.
The Gunners, chasing their first league crown in 22 years, once again leaned on defensive discipline and set-piece precision.
Eberechi Eze’s first league goal of the season, coming after Palace failed to clear a Declan Rice free-kick – proved decisive at the Emirates.
It marked another clean sheet in a remarkable run that has seen Arsenal concede only three goals in their last 13 matches.
“I probably value this victory more than any other this season,” Arteta said afterward, his side now six points clear of City and seven ahead of Liverpool.
Elsewhere, the champions’ fragility was laid bare in a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa, where City’s overreliance on Erling Haaland again came into focus.
No other City player has scored more than once in the league this term, a stark contrast to the balanced threat Arsenal now embody.
Liverpool’s troubles deepened after a 3-2 loss to Brentford extended their run without a clean sheet to nine games.
Arne Slot’s men, once brimming with intensity, now appear weighed down by defensive lapses and a growing crisis of confidence ahead of tests against Villa and City.
The weekend also brought a revival in Manchester. Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United earned a third straight league win, defeating Brighton 4-2 to move above Liverpool and into the top five.
Goals from Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo (two), and Benjamin Sesko’s assist underscored the new attacking fluidity under Amorim.
“We can have all the talent in the world, but if we don’t fight, you have no chance,” the Portuguese boss noted.
Further down the table, newly-promoted Sunderland continued their fairytale start with a comeback 2-1 victory over Chelsea, securing the best opening run by a promoted side in 17 years.
Leeds edged West Ham 2-1, while Burnley struck late to beat Wolves 3-2, leaving all three promoted clubs thriving against expectations.
Just a quarter into the season, Sunderland, Leeds, and Burnley have already amassed 38 points between them, nearly matching the total of last season’s relegated trio combined. For once, the underdogs are refusing to play their part in the usual Premier League script.
