Premier League Matchday 9 is in the books, with one more matchday left before the international break.
Premier League Matchday 9 began Saturday, October 31, with Chelsea defeating a struggling Manchester United team 2-0. It ended on Monday with Everton defeating Newcastle United 1-0. After Manchester City suffered a second straight loss, Arsenal now lead the Premier League table, three points ahead of the Cityzens.
Premier League Matchday 9 showed which teams are heating up and kept reminding us why this league is unpredictable. Some teams’ woes continued in Premier League Matchday 9, while others built momentum by keeping up the results. From heavyweight showdowns to big statement wins, here are the biggest takeaways from Premier League Matchday 9.
Three Key Takeaways From Premier League Matchday 9
1. Arsenal Clear Title Favourites After Win Over Liverpool
Arsenal had some demons to break heading into their showdown against Liverpool, as they hadn’t won at Anfield since 2012. Liverpool entered the game in their best form of the season, winning five straight matches and averaging three goals per game, while the Gunners were coming off an embarrassing elimination to League Two side Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.
Given the teams’ form, Arsenal’s winless streak seemed to be under threat heading into the Premier League showdown. However, the team showed incredible resilience, bouncing back from their Carabao Cup elimination with a huge win over Liverpool in Premier League Matchday 9. They moved to first place in the Premier League table and are now the clear favourites to win back-to-back Premier League titles.
The Gunners showed why they are the defending champions, getting off to a fast start by scoring in 16 minutes. Kai Havertz was clinical in the number nine role, scoring on his only chance. This was huge for Arsenal, who have won all Premier League games this season when scoring first, and in the end, the team extended its streak to five wins.
After the goal, Liverpool threatened to tie the game, with 17 shots, though none went on target. They had an expected goals rate of 1.17 and 56% possession, but Arsenal’s defence held strong, blocking nine of those 17 shots and shutting down a streaking Liverpool attack. Despite controversy over a missed penalty call on Alexander Isak, the Gunners still managed to get a big result in Premier League Matchday 9 on a night when they weren’t at their best, with three shots on target and an expected goals rate of 0.96.
This is the kind of performance that reminds us why Arsenal are champions, as they bounced back from a major disappointment with a huge win over a team in its best form of the season. Now, the Gunners are three points ahead of second-place Manchester City, who are still awaiting their punishment. After this win in Premier League Matchday 9, it’s clear Arsenal are the favourites to repeat as Premier League champions, given their consistency as teams struggle to keep up.
2. Brighton & Hove Albion Continue To Show Full Potential In Upset Win Over Manchester City
Revenge was Brighton & Hove Albion’s main motivation in their second consecutive game against Manchester City, as the Cityzens eliminated the Seagulls in the Carabao Cup midweek.
This would be a tall task, as they had shown signs of regression, failing to win their last three games. On top of that, Brighton had to face Manchester City’s full-strength lineup, something they didn’t have to do in their first game against them. Despite all factors being against them, the Seagulls avenged their Carabao Cup loss with a statement win over the Cityzens as they continued to show their full potential in the Premier League.
Brighton has been the Premier League’s biggest surprise, sitting third in the table with 19 points after winning six of their first nine games. In Premier League Matchday 9, it pulled off an upset against a full-strength Manchester City side that hadn’t been shut out this season. The most impressive thing about the Seagulls’ performance was their quick start, scoring 11 minutes in before holding firm to keep a clean sheet against the Cityzens, who dominated after the goal.
Manchester City were the more dangerous team, with 62% possession, 14 more shots than Brighton, and a higher expected goals rate of 1.92. Even though the Cityzens got unlucky as two shots hit the woodwork, the Seagulls deserve a lot of credit for surviving the onslaught, as goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made seven saves and the defence blocked eight of Man City’s 21 shots. Brighton kept Erling Haaland in check as he had only one shot on target. The offence was clinical, scoring the only goal of the game on their first shot on target.
Brighton has now beaten Manchester City and Arsenal, two of the strongest teams in the Premier League. It has been the league’s most complete team: its attack has scored the most goals (24), and its defence has conceded the second-fewest (seven). As a result, it has the league’s best goal differential (+17).
The Seagulls showed in Premier League Matchday 9 that their hot start isn’t a fluke and that they can bounce back from setbacks, after a three-game winless streak before Matchday 9. This team continues to show its full potential as manager Fabian Hurzeler keeps pulling the right pieces together to get the best out of his team. Brighton is not intimidated by teams with more talent, and it should be among the best teams in the Premier League as the season progresses.
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3. Manchester United Face Relegation Threat After Loss To Chelsea
Despite an embarrassing loss to Bournemouth on Matchday 8, Manchester United decided to stick with manager Michael Carrick ahead of their showdown with Chelsea on Premier League Matchday 9. This was an interesting decision, given the team’s struggles throughout the season and Carrick’s inability to turn things around for the Red Devils.
The decision backfired as Manchester United suffered its third straight loss on Matchday 9 and went nine matches without a win for the first time since 1988-89. After this loss, and given the patience Manchester United’s ownership is showing Carrick, the possibility of the Red Devils facing relegation is starting to set in as the team sits in 17th place with seven points, tied with Crystal Palace, one spot above the relegation zone.
After benching Bruno Fernandes against Bournemouth, Carrick brought him back into the starting lineup in hopes of revitalising the team. It almost worked, as the Red Devils were the better team in the first half and were unlucky not to take a lead into half-time. They had three great scoring opportunities, but VAR ruled one offside. However, Manchester United went into half-time without scoring because they couldn’t capitalise on their chances, as Fernandes and Amad Diallo missed two sitters one-on-one against Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders.
Their inability to score came back to punish the Red Devils in the second half, as the Blues came out flying and scored five minutes in through a Morgan Rogers goal. Everything fell apart for Manchester United after the goal as Chelsea dominated possession, and just as we neared the 63rd minute, Lisandro Martinez’s immaturity let the team down.
Martinez received back-to-back yellow cards in four minutes and made the bone-headed decision to elbow Wesley Fofana in the face on a Chelsea corner. After a VAR review, the referee correctly awarded a penalty to the Blues and showed Martinez a red card, leaving the Red Devils with 10 men for the rest of the game. It was all over from there for Manchester United as Cole Palmer slotted away the penalty to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead, and the margin of the loss could’ve been worse, but VAR ruled Estevao’s goal out for offside.
The Red Devils’ second-half meltdown in Premier League Matchday 9 speaks to how Carrick has lost this team. Instead of building on the first-half momentum, the team came out flat in the second half and made simple mistakes that let Chelsea score two goals. On the first, the defence let Rogers run through the middle of the field with no one challenging him before he scored, and then Martinez made a bone-headed mistake, giving away a careless penalty to the Blues.
Now, after this loss in Premier League Matchday 9, Manchester United continue to show no signs of improving under Carrick, as they haven’t won a game since September 10. No one in the locker room is stepping up to rally this team, and experienced players like Martinez continue to let the Red Devils down. The situation at Manchester United is getting worse with each passing match, and unless things change, the Red Devils will face the threat of relegation if they don’t deliver results soon.
Extra Time Notes
Premier League Matchday 9 was full of excitement, with every match featuring a goal or more and none finishing with a three-or-more goal difference.
Premier League Matchday 9 also showed which teams are getting hot and making a run in the table. Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur, who got off to slow starts, are now hitting their top form as both teams won in Premier League Matchday 9 to make it three straight league wins, and they have moved from the bottom of the table to the top 10 in three matchdays.
The biggest surprises of the Premier League season continue to impress as Brighton and Brentford got big statement wins in Premier League Matchday 9. They show no signs of regression and will remain threats in the race for the top four this season. The biggest disappointments also continued as Manchester United and Newcastle United continued to underachieve this week. Now, it’s fair to wonder if things will turn around for these teams.
However, the biggest takeaway from Premier League Matchday 9 is that Arsenal is the team to beat, as they got a big win over one of their title threats, Liverpool. With one matchday left before the international break, teams will look to get a big result this week as they look to head into the break with momentum.
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