Premier League Matchday 8 has come to a close, with teams continuing their push up the table.
Premier League Matchday 8 began Friday, October 23, with Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest tying at one. It ended on Sunday with Leeds United and Sunderland sharing a goalless draw. Despite suffering their first Premier League loss of the season, Manchester City still lead the Premier League thanks to a superior goal difference, even though they are tied with Arsenal.
Premier League Matchday 8 delivered plenty of surprises, as several expected winners failed to deliver. Meanwhile, some teams that struggled early in the season are beginning to climb the standings. From shocking results to impressive performances, here are my biggest takeaways from Premier League Matchday 8.
Three Key Takeaways From Premier League Matchday 8
1. Aston Villa’s Resurgence Continues With Upset Win Over Man City
Aston Villa started the season slowly, with only one point after the first four games. That was a theme in Unai Emery’s squad last season, which finished top four, but after a summer transfer-window rebuild, questions arose about whether Villa could turn it around again.
Their 2-1 win over Manchester City in Premier League Matchday 8 offered an encouraging sign that this team could make another run for a top-four finish.
Villa delivered their best performance of the season, starting fast and scoring in the first six minutes. They took advantage of a careless error by Marc Guehi, who gave the ball to James McGinn inside Man City’s half, who set up Nicolas Jackson for the first goal.
This was huge, as Villa has lost only one Premier League game in the last 30 when they’ve scored first. After the goal, the Cityzens went on the attack, but Aston Villa held firm, kept Man City scoreless, and headed into halftime with a 1-0 lead as momentum swung against them.
Seven minutes into the second half, Manchester City finally broke through with a goal from Erling Haaland to tie the game at one. It looked like the Cityzens were on track to overturn the result in Premier League Matchday 8, dominating possession and continuing to create chances. However, Aston Villa showed incredible resilience when Jackson scored his second goal in the 60th minute to regain the lead.
In the end, the team defended strongly and held on to win over Man City. Despite having only 37% possession and an expected goals rate of 0.61, Villa won because they were clinical: they scored on their only two shots on target, while City scored only one on seven shots on target. Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki made six saves, and the team is starting to click, having won six of their last seven games in all competitions.
After starting the season at the bottom of the table, Aston Villa have climbed to ninth with 11 points in four matchdays, gaining 10 points. Emery’s summer signings are starting to find their form, with Jackson scoring both goals, Suzuki making big saves in goal, and Johan Manzambi leading Villa’s midfield. This resurgence could help Aston Villa return to the top four this season.
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2. It’s Over For Michael Carrick As Manchester United’s Manager After Embarrassing Loss To Bournemouth
After an embarrassing Champions League loss to Como, Michael Carrick’s seat as the Manchester United manager was on the line heading into Premier League Matchday 8. Now, after an embarrassing home loss to Bournemouth in Premier League Matchday 8, the Red Devils must pull the plug on Carrick ahead of this week’s game against Chelsea.
The performance was embarrassing for Manchester United after Carrick promised in a press conference ahead of the Bournemouth game that the team would improve.
To spark his team, Carrick made the bold call of benching his best player, Bruno Fernandes, after he criticised his tactics after the Como loss. He also made three more changes as he focused on retooling his midfield. Instead of bringing a spark to the team, it was the same lifeless Manchester United team that got blown out against Como on Wednesday.
The Red Devils looked disjointed in the first half, failing to threaten in attack and finishing with an expected goals rate of 0.23. After holding Bournemouth to a goalless draw for 37 minutes, their luck ran out when a self-inflicted mistake led to a free-kick cross to break the deadlock, as Manchester United’s defence failed to mark Rayan.
The game started to run away for Manchester United after another self-inflicted mistake allowed Bournemouth to extend their lead to two heading into halftime. Carrick brought on Matheus Cunha after halftime to spark a struggling attack, but the struggles continued in the second half.
In the end, Manchester United lost the game 3-0 despite more possession and shots on target. However, Bournemouth were more clinical than the Red Devils, scoring three goals from four shots on target with an expected goals rate of 2.18. They created six big chances, while Manchester United created none, and the scoreline could’ve easily been worse. Fernandes didn’t play a single minute.
After another embarrassing loss in Premier League Matchday 8, it might be time to pull the plug on Carrick. Manchester United hasn’t won a game in its last eight, with its last win coming on September 10, and now sits 16th in the table as they near the relegation zone.
The team isn’t responding to Carrick anymore, and it may need a new voice to spark it if it wants to avoid more embarrassment this season. Carrick had an incredible run with the Red Devils last season, but perhaps the team needs to move on now.
3. Liverpool Will Be Arsenal’s Biggest Title Challenger After Win Over Brighton & Hove Albion
Premier League Matchday 8 was highlighted this week by the showdown between the league’s dark horses, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion. Brighton have had an incredible start to the season, looking like one of England’s best teams, and heading into this game in third place with 15 points.
After a slow start, Liverpool have found their footing, winning back-to-back games heading into this match. In the end, the Reds got the better of Brighton, showing they are Arsenal’s biggest title challengers as Manchester City face future punishment.
Liverpool got its biggest win under Andoni Iraola, shutting out a Brighton side that was England’s highest-scoring team, with 23 goals. The Reds got off to a fast start, giving Brighton its first league deficit since August 30, when Pascal Gross scored an own goal originally credited to Florian Wirtz 17 minutes in.
Liverpool’s relentless attack didn’t stop, and Alexander Isak doubled the lead on an assist from Bradley Barcola. This forced Brighton to play aggressively as they looked to get back into the game, but the Reds’ defence held strong, and Brighton went scoreless for the first time this season.
Liverpool’s attack delivered an incredible performance, scoring two goals in the first 24 minutes. Barcola, criticised for a slow start with the Reds, made a big impact: his cross led to Liverpool’s first goal, and he then assisted Isak’s second. Isak, also criticised for struggling in his first year with the Reds last season, scored his sixth goal of the season, more than he scored last season, as he continues to look comfortable in Iraola’s system. Lastly, Wirtz continued his hot form when his presence on Liverpool’s first goal prompted Gross to commit an own goal.
Players who have been heavily criticised are starting to make a significant impact and find their form with this team. Despite being outpossessed, Liverpool’s defence delivered its best performance in Premier League Matchday 8, holding Brighton’s high-powered attack to one shot on target despite an expected goals rate of 1.35. Iraola deserves credit for finding the right formula with this team, as everyone is starting to excel in their roles.
The Reds have now won four games in a row across all competitions and sit six points behind Manchester City and Arsenal, who are tied for first. This team has big potential; everything is starting to click. If Liverpool keep up this form, they could go on a run and become Arsenal’s biggest challenger for the Premier League title.
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Extra Time Notes
Premier League Matchday 8 was one of the season’s most surprising matchdays.
The surprises on Premier League Matchday 8 began when Aston Villa, a team that struggled at the start of the season, handed Manchester City its first league loss. Then, Tottenham got its biggest win of the season as the Spurs defeated Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge for the second time in the last 35 years to cap off Saturday’s action.
It didn’t end there in Premier League Matchday 8. Sunday’s action saw another surprising, embarrassing loss for Manchester United to a Bournemouth side that hadn’t won a game until last week. It also saw last-place Sunderland get a result against a Leeds United side that had lost only once, as the game finished scoreless. Teams that got off to slow starts are now climbing the Premier League table after huge statement wins in Premier League Matchday 8.
Premier League Matchday 8 reminded us why this league is Europe’s most unpredictable and competitive: every team has five or more points after eight matchdays. Third place and 12th place are separated by a six-point gap, showing how every match in this league matters. Fulham, for example, went from last place two weeks ago to out of the relegation zone in two matchdays. Expect more urgency from all 20 teams in the next two matchdays before the next international break.
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