Score: Brentford 3 - 1 United

Take a bow Igor Thiago. What a hit! Maybe he unintentionally slices it, maybe he wasn’t intending to go top bins near post, maybe the Pope does sh*t in the woods. Whatever his intentions, he did and it looked lovely, nearly took the back of the net off. These are the goals you love to see. His second, well Bayindir will not want to see that one again. The catalog of mistakes from the United keeper keeps growing. At this rate, he might give Robert Sanchez a run for his money. Much like Sanchez, Bayindir did make a handful of good saves and even a few very good reflex saves. His, and United’s, issue is clearly between his ears not with his ability.

Manchester did haul themselves back into this game. Sesko getting in just under the line, saving himself a plethora of 007 posts (0 Goals 0 Assists 7 Games played). His was a scruffy goal, going in at the third attempt, but hey, they can’t all be 30 yard belters. They all count exactly the same anyway. After that the game was fairly even for the next 50 or so minutes. Then Nathan Collins has a mare, pulls Mbuemo down in the box. Clear penalty but tell me again how he escapes a red card for DOGSO? Oh, Mbeumo didn’t have possession of the ball… Oh it wasn’t obvious that he would have gained possession had the foul not occurred… Right… Let’s just look at it this way, Mbeumo is pulled back on the shoulder, then still gets a toe to the cross. I’m not sure in what world you can’t identify that pull denied Mbeumo a goal scoring opportunity. At least they didn’t overturn the penalty right, and United equalize from the spot. Enter: Bruno Fernandes—possibly still thinking about hitting his spot kick into the Thames against Fulham—he hits one of the lamest penalties I’ve seen in years. Kelleher goes the right way, all he needed to do was not guess and go early though, makes the save comfortably.

20 more minutes of toil, some back and forth running but not a whole lot of danger. Then the Bees stick one in the back of the net in added time courtesy of Jensen. Job done. Three points. There will be no haircut up in Manchester this month. Maybe The United Strand can dress up as Red Foo for Halloween.

Score: Chelsea 1 - 3 Seagulls

Discipline has been a concern under Maresca. Chelsea picked up yellow cards at an alarming rate last season. It’s now become a major problem. The blues are no longer collecting yellows like pokemon, but they’ve graduated to reds. 2 reds in their last 2 Premier League matches now. In the last 6 months, 80% of Chelsea’s defeats have come when they were reduced to 10 men. One of those 11 v 11 defeats was away against an incredibly in-form Bayern Munich where the blues didn’t play terribly (they didn’t play great either…).

Brighton were at their best. Flowing, pressing, attacking. They never consider themselves out of any game, and they smelled blood as soon as Trevoh was given his marching orders. Danny Welbeck does what Danny Welbeck does, score late against Chelsea. Once that goal went in, there was only ever going to be one winner. Chelsea just about held on for the point until a late goal from De Cuyper and a late late second for Welbeck sealed all three points.

Chelsea really could have been home and dry before the sending off. If not for some top level goal keeping from Bart Verbruggen it easily could have been 3 or 4 to the blues by half time. The big Dutch shot stopper is showing why his name was flying around the Manchester United rumors this past summer. Brighton will do well to keep a hold of him (he’ll do well to avoid Manchester United of course). Given the amount of “business” between the two clubs recently, as well as Chelsea’s clear need for a new goal keeper expect Bart moving to the blues a feature of the January window.

Score: Palace 2 - 1 Liverpool

And then there was only one! How many would have put money on Crystal Palace as the last unbeaten team in the league? The Eagles out Liverpool’d Liverpool in the most dramatic fashion. They scored deep into stoppage time to secure a 2–1 win over the champions, and in doing so, remain the only unbeaten team in the division.

From the off, Palace looked unafraid. On his return from injury, Ismaïla Sarr pounced inside nine minutes after a broken clearance off a Liverpool header, nodding home from close range following a corner scramble. The pattern was clear: Palace would try to take it to Liverpool, not sit back and absorb.

Liverpool, perhaps confident in their late-game pedigree, weathered the early storm. Alisson was called on to deny Munoz, Pino, Mateta—with one shot even rattling the inside of the post. But as the half wore on, it felt like the hosts might double their advantage.

Second half was a different story. The Reds, switched gear, poured forward. Slot made changes, pushing Wirtz, Isak and co into more advanced positions. One big opening came when Isak, in his first Premier League start for Liverpool, drifted inside—but his finish lacked conviction. It looked as though fate might swing their way when Federico Chiesa volleyed in an equalizer in the 87th minute—after a VAR check (and dispute over a possible Mohamed Salah handball) the goal stood. The pendulum had swung.

But Palace weren’t done. Not by a long shot. In the 96th minute (yes, six minutes into stoppage time), they struck again. A long throw caused chaos, Marc Guéhi flicked, and Eddie Nketiah ghosted in behind to chest it down and volley past Alisson. After a nervy VAR review, the goal was confirmed—and Selhurst erupted.

Score: Leeds 2 - 2 Cherries

Leeds and Bournemouth played out a 2‑2 draw at Elland Road that left both sides feeling they might’ve had more to take away from the game. Bournemouth took the lead when Antoine Semenyo curled a free‑kick under the Leeds wall in the 26th minute and looked dangerous early. Leeds responded before halftime as Joe Rodon powered in a header from a Sean Longstaff corner to equalise. Early in the second half Longstaff struck again, this time volleying home after Leeds pressure, and it looked like the Whites might just edge it. But deep into stoppage time a 19‑year‑old substitute, Eli Junior Kroupi, popped up at the far post to volley home and snatch a point for Bournemouth. The result maintains Bournemouth’s unbeaten run this season and ends Leeds’ perfect home start even if they’ll feel hard done by to concede so late.

Score: City 5 - 1 Burnley

Manchester City turned what could’ve been a nervy encounter into a full-blown statement with a 5‑1 demolition of Burnley. From the first whistle to the final moments, City showed that when their firepower clicks, no side is safe—even one temporarily back in the game.

Early on Burnley might’ve sensed a chance. Martin Dúbravka parried a Jeremy Doku effort, but in trying to clear the rebound, Maxime Estève flapped disastrously and diverted the ball into his own net in the 12th minute. City’s lead looked soft but real. Burnley responded before half‑time as Jaidon Anthony stabbed home a deft finish, stinging Ruben Dias on the way through, and levelled the contest heading into the break.

The second half was where City took over. On 61 minutes Matheus Nunes curled a thunderous volley into the roof of the net to restore the lead. Just four minutes later, under pressure from Oscar Bobb’s low cross, Estève again misjudged and turned the ball past his own keeper for his second own goal of the afternoon. Now the occasion shifted entirely to City’s hands. And late on Erling Haaland, having waited his moment, delivered—twice in stoppage time—to add gloss and finality to the scoreline.

It wasn’t perfect from City. Moments of sloppiness, some sluggish patches, hints of vulnerability—especially after conceding. But the underlying dominance, the ability to pile pressure, and the ruthlessness in moments of indecision made all the difference. Burnley’s early spirit faded fast under the weight.

This result sends a message: when City are firing, they don’t just win—they dismantle. If they carry this sort of clinical edge into the rest of the campaign, they’re not just contenders—they’re threats.

Score: Forest 0 - 1 Black Cats

Sunderland edged out Nottingham Forest 1‑0 in a gritty, controlled performance that sent a warning shot to the rest of the league—and left Ange Postecoglou still waiting for his first win at the City Ground.

Forest had dominance in possession, peppering the Sunderland box with crosses and shots, but they were continually frustrated by resolute defending and a sharp showing from goalkeeper Robin Roefs. The breakthrough came just before the half hour when a contentious free-kick—later hotly debated—was swung in by Granit Xhaka and met by Omar Alderete, who ghosted in at the far post to nod underneath Matz Sels. The header rippled through Forest’s resistance, and for the rest of the game Sunderland clung to that slender lead.

Forest piled on pressure—Chris Wood, Elliot Anderson, and Omari Hutchinson all had chances—but nothing would break through. The home side looked closer to grabbing an equaliser than Sunderland did to extending their lead. In the closing stages, Forest were forced to question their finishing; Sunderland quietly dared them to make one of those 20‑plus attempts count.

In that sense, Sunderland out‑Forest’d Forest. Forest may have had the ball, the chances, the rhythm—but Sunderland had the steel, and they got the goal when it mattered most. Postecoglou’s side will ask questions about their cutting edge; Le Bris’s men will take the clean sheet and the three points.

Score: Spurs 1 - 1 Wolves

Tottenham 1‑1 Wolves was one of those matches that leaves Spurs fans feeling both relieved and a little uneasy — Thomas Frank has really imprinted himself on Spurs, and that’s not necessarily a wholly good thing.

Spurs came out strongly in the first half. They dominated possession, moved the ball well, had a disallowed goal (Kudus curled one round the keeper only to be flagged offside), bombarded Wolves’ backline with crosses, and generally looked in control. But after the break Wolves landed a sucker‑punch. Santiago Bueno capitalised on a defensive scramble early into the second half to put the visitors ahead. From that moment Tottenham lost a degree of structure, of control and composure — something that wasn’t unseen under Ange Postecoglou, whose Brentford teams were equally likely to beat the eventual champions as they were to slump to uninspired defeats to mid‑table rivals.

Wolves, bottom of the table, had looked like finally getting off the mark, disciplined, organised, defending well, making it difficult for Spurs to find clear openings. So when Joao Palhinha, deep into stoppage time, curled home a fine finish to draw level, it felt more like damage limitation than a sprung victory.

Frank afterwards admitted that after Wolves’ goal Spurs lost “structure and coolness” and that while the first half had promised more, the second half was patchy until the last‑gasp equaliser.

So what do we take from this? Spurs under Frank are stable, harder to break down, more capable of grinding out at least a point — but the uncertainty lingers. The vulnerability when the game slips away, the reliance on grit rather than flair, the shifting from dominance to desperation. Brentford under Frank often oscillated between high peaks and shaky periods; Spurs seem to be following a similar rhythm. A draw’s better than a loss, especially conceding so late, but Spurs supporters will want more consistency, more belief that when in control, Spurs see out games, not let them slip.

Frank’s stamp is clear — organisation, work ethic, some defensive solidity — but Spurs will want to avoid being known as a team that keeps opponents in games so often, rather than a team that finishes them off.

Score: Villa 3 - 1 Fulham

Aston Villa’s 3‑1 win over Fulham was every bit the relief valve the club needed—after too many underwhelming performances, they finally blew off steam. Fulham struck early (Raúl Jiménez nodding in a corner) and looked for a time as though Villa might yet drop another chance. But when Lucas Digne fed Ollie Watkins in behind the defense, he produced a delightful chip over the goalkeeper to restore parity—belied the fact he’d yet to score this season.

That goal changed the mood entirely. Straight after the break, Villa’s captain John McGinn stepped up with a thunderous low drive into the bottom corner, and before Fulham could breathe, Emiliano Buendía followed up with a close‑range finish to make it 3‑1. From that point, they managed the remainder of the match—renewed confidence, sharper transitions, better control.

Fulham had spurts of pressure, but never the cutting edge. Villa’s defensive shape shored up, the midfield closed passing lanes, and the hosts looked comfortable protecting their lead. For Unai Emery, this is more than just three points—it’s a statement: the goals will come, and when they do, Villa can be dangerous again.

Score: Arsenal 2 - 1 Newcastle

At what point does a raised arm go from “expected” to “unnatural”? Gabriel’s arm was raised so far in the air he should have slid in carrying a plaque that reads “your tired, your poor, your huddle masses yearning to breath free”.

Arsenal edged out Newcastle in a tense, tight contest — but the headlines will inevitably gravitate toward the VAR drama. Bukayo Saka and Mikel Arteta were back on the song about “never getting calls,” insisting bias is stacked against them. But in this case, the overturning of Gyökeres’ penalty struck me as correct. After the striker went down, replay showed a faint touch of the ball by Nick Pope before contact, and crucially the fall itself was exaggerated — the kind of “Dealey Plaza reenactment” dive that VAR is supposed to police. The protocol doesn’t just look at contact — it judges whether the attacker’s reaction is grossly outsized. In that sense, the decision to disallow made sense under the rules.

Arsenal were also fortunate Gabriel wasn’t flagged for handball in the box — in many other top European leagues, that would be a penalty. Newcastle will feel aggrieved about that, and the fact those two pivotal moments went in Arsenal’s favor will leave a bit of a taint on the result.

Putting the controversy aside, though, this was Arsenal’s cleanest performance of the season. Their passing was sharper, transitions crisper, and for long stretches they outpaced Newcastle in tempo and intensity. Yet even here there’s unfinished business: they still haven’t consistently found the cutting edge in open play. A lot of their pressure looked dangerous, but the final ball or decisive finish occasionally lacked conviction.

In the end, the three points will feel earned — even if the margins were narrow. For Arsenal, this is progress. But if they’re to mount a real title push, they’ll need to combine improved discipline in key moments with greater ruthlessness in attack.

Score: Everton 1 - 1 West Ham

Everton versus West Ham United delivered exactly what a “David Moyes derby” tends to deliver — a draw that feels as inevitable as it does exasperating. No explosion, no spectacle, just a game heavy on drama and thin on clarity.

From the start, it was cagey. Both sides seemed wary, trying to feel out the other, testing for gaps rather than ripping the game open. Chances were few and far between: a flicked header that grazed the crossbar, a curling shot deflected wide, a scramble in the box that ended with neither side quite claiming dominance.

Moyes’ influence—as always—is all over these meetings. He knows how to squeeze advantage out of balance, how to make games uncomfortable even when his side aren’t at their best. West Ham had a few moments where they looked like they might get something — a quick break, a cross whipped in, a header nodded just off target. Everton, for their part, defended with grit, picked their moments to push, but never seemed fully safe.

Late in the second half, Everton thought they had it. A cross found Gray in the box, and his flick seemed destined for the top corner — but West Ham’s defence, just about, scrambled it away. A minute later, Palace’s ghosts haunted the Toffees as a corner bounce found its way to Rice, who was teed up but blasted over. Chances flared, but the finish stayed elusive.

So it ended 0–0 (or 1–1, depending on which version of the match you watched). The draw is exactly the kind of result Moyes seems to stew towards: neither side truly beaten, neither side really victorious, the balance maintained. His derbies tend not to be flamboyant; they’re intricate, bitter, full of small contests rather than grand gestures.

Everton will say they should’ve done more with their moments; West Ham will believe they carried themselves well enough to snatch something. But in a Moyes derby, that’s all part of the story.