Three key discussion points from the Premier League weekend
Arsenals push for their first Premier League crown in 22 years hit a snag due to Manchester Uniteds impressive 3-2 win at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, drawing Manchester City and Aston Villa closer in the championship battle.
Both City and Villa secured 2-0 triumphs over Wolves and Newcastle during this round of matches, leaving them merely four points adrift of the leading Gunners.
That United success propelled them into the top four spots, displacing Liverpool, as the title holders saw their extended streak without a loss unravel during the visit to Bournemouth.
AFP Sports examines three key discussion points emerging from the Premier League action this weekend:
Carrick's touch revives Manchester United
Michael Carrick appeared set for a tough initiation with fixtures against Manchester City and Arsenal marking his opening two outings in charge.
The ex-Red Devils player stepped back to Old Trafford leading a team that had managed only one victory across their previous seven encounters.
Yet Carrick has already notched up two standout wins, fuelling early talk about whether the 44 year old might stick around in the job past the current campaign.
Manchester United fell into a similar pitfall earlier when Ole Gunnar Solskjaers strong interim spell in 2019 led to a three year contract.
Carrick has much more to demonstrate, though his launch into the effort to restore Champions League action at Old Trafford after a three year absence could hardly have gone smoother.
"Im relishing the role. Its an incredible spot to occupy," Carrick commented.
"We arent letting these two big wins go to our heads, its all about the upcoming challenges, staying level headed and focusing on the tasks ahead this week."
Exhausted Liverpools woes exposed
A run of 13 matches without defeat across all tournaments had stabilised matters for the English title holders, but the persistent troubles bubbling beneath the surface became glaringly obvious at Bournemouth.
For the third occasion this term, Arne Slots squad shipped a stoppage time decisive goal, marking their seventh league loss of the season.
Short staffed in the rear guard already, Liverpool suffered yet another central defender departure when Joe Gomez limped away, compelling midfielder Wataru Endo to fill in at the back.
Slot pointed to tiredness as the reason his team faded in the closing 10 minutes, having clawed their way back to parity after trailing 2-0.
In spite of investing close to £450 million ($614 million) during the summer window, Liverpool have kept their depth alarmingly thin in key positions.
Ongoing absences of Alexander Isak, Giovanni Leoni, and Conor Bradley have robbed Slot of viable choices in both defensive and attacking roles.
Mohamed Salah returned from the Africa Cup of Nations to a warm reception amid the scarcity of attacking threats, even after his recent outspoken criticism of Slot.
The Dutch coach mentioned on Friday that he anticipates no further additions to the Liverpool roster before the transfer period closes.
Nevertheless, the club faces a genuine danger of exclusion from next seasons Champions League as consequences mount.
Slots charges have gone five league fixtures without a win and dropped to sixth position, trailing both United and Chelsea.
Franks tenure at Tottenham on borrowed time
Thomas Frank might have received a temporary reprieve from the Tottenham hierarchy, but the Danish manager remains far from gaining the trust of supporters openly up in arms over his record and approach, merely seven months in.
Cristian Romeroes powerful header rescued Spurs from yet another humiliating setback and blocked Burnley from their initial Premier League success since October on Saturday.
Still, the 2-2 stalemate failed to ease the growing unrest among the away fans, who once more demanded the ex-Brentford leaders dismissal.
Tottenham have triumphed only twice in 14 recent league outings, sliding to 14th in the standings.
"My ongoing note to the supporters, as Ive consistently stated, is that were putting in maximum effort to steer things positively and well persist with that," Frank remarked.
All the same, it seems inevitable that his stint in north London will end soon enough.