In a Premier League weekend where leads were lost, boots were packed and games were postponed, some excellent football emerged.
While Liverpool and Everton watched the action unfold from the sidelines after the The Merseyside derby was claimed by Storm Darragh, the rest of the division picked up. Battles at both ends of the Premier League table drew attention as Chelsea strengthened a title challenge that Enzo Maresca does not want to acknowledge and Southampton’s Russell Martin did his best to ignore the writing on the wall.
Here are the standout performers from a wild weekend on and off the pitch.
Bernardo Silva insisted that Manchester City’s title aspirations can be revitalized with the return to fitness of key players, but Matheus Nunes has been one of the few beneficiaries of this injury crisis.
The Portuguese midfielder has temporarily stepped into an unfamiliar role and got Erling Haaland’s equalizer against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Despite Nunes’ best efforts, the Cityzens dropped more points in a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
After a soul 1-1 draw at home against Arsenal On Sunday, Fulham manager Marco Silva praised the fight, commitment and organization of his players. Left back Antonee Robinson embodied all three of these qualities while wearing the captain’s armband.
While no player will completely remove the threat of Bukayo Saka, Fulham’s high-flying American limited Arsenal’s cheap talisman in a well-rounded display.
Arsenal’s set piece prowess was captured by a telling statistic after a frustrating draw with Fulham. William Saliba’s stabbed equalizer was his sixth Premier League goal from a set piece, and his second of the week. Since the 2022/23 season, only one player has been more prolific at set pieces; his Arsenal teammate Gabriel.
Beyond his dominance in the opposition box, Saliba was in control of Arsenal’s penalty area. Throughout a one-sided game that the Gunners “absolutely dominated”, according to Mikel Arteta, the French centre-back and his fellow defenders limited the hosts to just two shots throughout the game. Unfortunately for Saliba, one such effort beat David Raya.
Enzo Fernandez is more familiar with the rollercoaster of a football career than most. The Argentine was not even included in 2022 World Cup sticker album but finished as tournament champion and best young player.
Less than a month ago, the £107m signing was reduced to the role of the world’s most expensive substitute on the Chelsea bench. However, Fernandez’s wonder strike against Spurs was his third goal in four games, all of which he has started.
Brighton hit Leicester hard for the first 86 minutes of their trip to the King Power Stadium on Sunday, racking up two goals, 14 shots and six on target. come in Jamie Vardy.
That the 37-year-old was still level on the pitch to halve the deficit is testament to Red Bull’s restorative power. Most of the crowd had left, but the timeless terrier was still on hand to equalize for Bobby De Cordova-Reid in the 91st minute.
“Absolute class,” was the verdict of Vardy’s new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
No player at Premier League this season he has scored more goals at home than Bryan Mbeumo. The lively Cameroon international took his tally to an impressive eight for the campaign with the opener in the 4-2 win over Newcastle on Saturday.
Beyond his goals, Mbeumo’s superb hold-up play and silk-lined touch fooled the visitors. Thomas Frank called his striker “unplayable”, an adjective Newcastle’s defenders would have to agree with.
It’s hard to remember that Cole Palmer is enjoying his second full season as a first-team regular.
The former Manchester City academy graduate demonstrated the nerveless edge he has carried throughout his embryonic career to become the The most successful penalty taker of all time in the Premier League with two successful spot kicks against Tottenham. But it was the way he grew into the contest in open play, gradually moving away from the strict man-marking brief adopted by Yves Bissouma, that showed the playmaker is still improving.
