Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions received a major lift after both Liverpool and Manchester City stumbled again in a dramatic weekend of fixtures. While the Gunners were not in action, results elsewhere helped widen the gap at the top as two major rivals dropped crucial points.
Liverpool’s struggles continued with a heavy 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, deepening the club’s unexpected mid-season crisis. The defending champions, who were dominant last season, have now slipped to 11th place and sit eight points behind leaders Arsenal, despite having played an extra game. Coach Arne Slot admitted the performance was unacceptable, acknowledging the magnitude of the team’s poor run as Forest scored through Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Manchester City also missed a chance to pressure Arsenal, falling 2-1 to Newcastle at St James’ Park. Despite Ruben Dias equalising in the second half, the defending champions were undone by two goals from Harvey Barnes, who punished City’s defensive lapses and sealed City’s fourth defeat of the season.
Chelsea capitalised on the slip-ups by defeating Burnley 2-0, moving into second place and closing the gap to Arsenal to just three points. Elsewhere, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Fulham, and Bournemouth all secured important results in a competitive weekend that reshaped positions across the league table.
Liverpool’s season continues to spiral, with only one league win since late September. Even with Alisson’s return from injury and Alexander Isak starting for the first time in weeks, the Reds were unable to stop Forest from dominating large spells of the match. Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone with the win, securing back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged his team’s inconsistent form but reminded supporters that there is still “a long way to go” in the title race. Newcastle’s victory ended their two-game losing streak and demonstrated resilience against top-six opposition.
Crystal Palace surged to fourth place after defeating Wolves, while Brighton extended their strong run thanks to Danny Welbeck’s continued scoring streak. Fulham also earned a vital home victory against Sunderland courtesy of Raul Jimenez’s late goal.
Across the league, the latest round of matches saw major movement in the standings, with Arsenal emerging as the biggest beneficiaries despite not kicking a ball.