Three talking points from the Premier League weekend
Arsenals Eberechi Eze grabbed all the attention with an outstanding hat-trick during the league toppers crushing win over Tottenham.
The struggling title holders Liverpool reached a fresh nadir in their dismal campaign after falling to Nottingham Forest, as Chelsea start to look like Arsenals primary challengers.
AFP Sport examines three key discussion topics from the recent matches:
Arsenal gaining title edge
Leading by six points, without a loss in 15 outings across all tournaments, and lifted by a 4-1 thrashing of Tottenham, Mikel Artetas side now faces their finest opportunity to break their long Premier League championship famine.
The Gunners last lifted the English crown in 2004, and three years in a row as runners-up had sparked questions over Artetas capacity to halt that dry spell.
Ending last term 10 points adrift of Liverpool proved particularly tough, while the winners hefty off-season investments merely reinforced the view that Arsenal were set to fall short once more.
A narrow 1-0 setback at Liverpool in August deeply irritated Arteta, yet the Spaniard stuck by his sidelined squad and has seen his trust pay off with a scorching run of form.
Following their 10-match victory sequence being broken by a 2-2 stalemate at Sunderland prior to the international pause, the Gunners resumed winning ways courtesy of Ezes treble in the demolition of beleaguered Tottenham at the Emirates.
This ideal buildup comes ahead of a demanding schedule that includes hosting Bayern Munich in the Champions League and visiting second-placed Chelsea soon after.
We possess strong drive at the moment, though it is evident just how challenging each Premier League fixture remains. We face a lengthy haul, so let us proceed one match at a time. Let us savour this evening, then prepare for Bayern at home and Chelsea on the road. It will be a challenging period, Arteta noted.
Miserable Liverpool sink further
Liverpools slide towards the lower reaches continues unabated, as a Nottingham Forest team that started the round in the drop zone eased to a 3-0 triumph at Anfield.
Arne Slots efforts to gel his costly revamped roster from the summer transfers persist without success, with Liverpool suffering consecutive league defeats by three goals apiece for the initial time since 1965.
Alexander Isaks poor showing captures the problems confronting Slot.
Brought in for a UK record fee of 125 million pounds almost three months back, Isak has still to net a league strike for the Merseysiders.
Missing pre-season work and a subsequent injury have hindered the Swedish forward, who was substituted by Slot following a fruitless 68 minutes versus Forest.
He marked an unwelcome milestone as the first Liverpool player in Premier League annals to lose all of his opening four appearances.
The clubs skipper Virgil van Dijk admitted the team are failing their coach, but Slot insists he must bear the blame for a slump that has dropped Liverpool below mid-table.
I cannot keep offering sufficient justifications for our outcomes, Slot remarked. That falls well short of acceptable standards, and I take ownership for it.
Could Chelsea push for glory?
Manchester Citys loss at Newcastle on Saturday, combined with Chelseas fifth triumph in six league outings, a 2-0 away victory over Burnley, has lifted the Blues to second spot.
The six-point deficit to Arsenal might shrink by half when the leaders arrive at Stamford Bridge for a pivotal summit meeting next weekend.
The toll from securing the Club World Cup amid the intense July warmth in the United States, while competitors recovered, may eventually affect Enzo Marescas group.
However, Chelseas strategy of accumulating promising youngsters over multiple transfer periods is starting to yield results.
Maresca had the leeway to rest record purchase Moises Caicedo and Brazilian prodigy Estevao on the sidelines during the straightforward win at Turf Moor, keeping focus on an important stretch that also features a Champions League encounter against Barcelona.