Key takeaways from the Premier League action
Arsenals advantage at the summit of the Premier League has narrowed to two points following the Gunners 18 game unbeaten streak being halted by a sharp Aston Villa side.
Manchester City capitalised on this by dismantling Sunderland 3-0 to climb back ahead of Villa into second position with the leading trio now only three points apart.
Liverpools dismal campaign hit fresh lows as they surrendered the lead twice in a 3-3 stalemate against Leeds before Mohamed Salah unleashed a fiery post game outburst regarding his handling by manager Arne Slot.
AFP Sport examines three key discussion points from the Premier League round:
Salah ignites Liverpools turmoil
Benched for the entire 99 minutes at Elland Road Salah let loose in his media comments afterwards.
The Egyptian star asserted that he has become the fall guy for the defending champions alarming drop off after Slot omitted him from the last three fixtures.
Liverpools all time third leading scorer with 250 goals hinted that the upcoming Brighton clash might mark his final appearance at Anfield amid renewed Saudi Pro League rumours before the January window.
Salahs tirade compounded Slots difficulties after Liverpool allowed a late concession from a free kick with Ao Tanaka slotting in for Leeds during added time.
Slots position hangs in the balance following a poor streak of just two victories in 10 league outings and the uncertainty surrounding Salah presents yet another challenge he did not need.
Potential weaknesses emerging in Arsenals setup?
Arsenal held a six point lead atop the table before the latest matches but now face pressure from Manchester City and Aston Villa after repeating a pattern of struggling to secure away wins in crucial encounters.
Villa notched their ninth victory in the last 10 league outings courtesy of Emiliano Buendias injury time strike which handed Arsenal their initial loss since the August defeat at Liverpool.
Draws in the intervening games against Chelsea and Sunderland indicate that Mikel Artetas squad remains firmly in the mix despite seeming superior throughout the campaign so far.
"We are five months into the season and we have managed thus far. Yet we must demonstrate we can handle it time and again for the next six months that is the standard" Arteta remarked.
"If we believe we will hold a 10 point lead at this stage I suspect we are in a fantasy."
Having placed second for three consecutive seasons including two late charges by City it is no surprise if Arsenal start feeling the nerves.
Everton eyeing continental spots
Everton occupy an unexpected spot above bitter foes Liverpool after rising to sixth with a 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest coinciding with Sean Dyches comeback to Merseyside.
The Toffees were fighting demotion when David Moyes stepped in for Dyche back in January.
However Moyes reinstatement coupled with fresh ownership and a new home ground has sparked renewed hope at Everton over the last year.
During the Scots initial tenure European action was commonplace at Goodison Park though Everton have missed out on European qualification for seven years running.
"I aim for us to push for European contention" stated Moyes drawing parallels to his West Ham journey from survival scraps to UEFA Conference League success.
"We dodged the drop at West Ham a few years back and qualified for Europe the following season so it is achievable."
Fuelled by a revitalised Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury Halls midfield contributions Everton have triumphed in four of their past five outings narrowing the gap to the Champions League places by two points.