Premier League Weekend: Arsenal Checked, City Climb and Salah Adds to Liverpool Woes
Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League was cut to two points after their 18-match unbeaten run ended in defeat at in-form Aston Villa on Sunday. Manchester City moved into second with a 3-0 win over Sunderland, leaving the top three separated by three points.
Liverpool’s season continued to unravel as they drew 3-3 at Leeds, surrendering the lead twice before forward Mohamed Salah issued a public criticism of his treatment by manager Arne Slot. Below are three talking points from the weekend’s action.
1. Salah Escalates Liverpool Turmoil
Mohamed Salah intensified pressure on Liverpool after being left on the bench throughout the 3-3 draw at Leeds. The Egyptian, dropped for three successive matches, said he was being made a “scapegoat” for the champions’ decline.
Salah, Liverpool’s third-highest scorer with 250 goals, also indicated that next weekend’s match against Brighton could be his final appearance at Anfield amid renewed interest from the Saudi Pro League ahead of January.
The forward’s comments come during a poor run for Slot, whose side have two wins from 10 league games. Liverpool conceded a late equaliser from a set-piece when Ao Tanaka scored in stoppage time, further increasing scrutiny on the manager’s position.
2. Arsenal Show Vulnerability After Villa Defeat
Arsenal’s advantage at the top narrowed sharply after a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa, who have now won nine of their last 10 league matches. Emiliano Buendia’s stoppage-time goal ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run, their first defeat since losing at Liverpool in August.
Recent draws at Chelsea and Sunderland have also slowed Arsenal’s momentum, with Manchester City and Villa closing the gap.
Manager Mikel Arteta said his side must maintain consistency over the full campaign. “We’re going to have to prove that we can cope again and again for another six months,” he said.
Having finished runners-up in the past three seasons, including twice behind late surges from City, Arsenal now face renewed pressure to maintain their lead.
3. Everton Eye European Return After Climbing to Sixth
Everton moved into sixth place after a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, continuing their strong form under manager David Moyes, who returned to the club in January following Sean Dyche’s departure.
Moyes’ return, alongside new ownership and progress on the club’s new stadium project, has contributed to renewed optimism. Everton have not qualified for Europe for seven seasons but now sit above local rivals Liverpool.
Moyes drew parallels with his time at West Ham, where he guided the club from relegation danger to European qualification. “We just avoided relegation at West Ham… and the next year we qualified for Europe, so that can be done,” he said.
Everton have won four of their last five league matches, helped by the form of Jack Grealish and midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, moving to within two points of the top four.