Three talking points from the Premier League weekend
Arsenal strengthened their hold on the Premier League title challenge by narrowly defeating Crystal Palace on Sunday, while their main competitors Liverpool and Manchester City both suffered losses.
Manchester City hold a position just within the top five, slightly ahead of their local opponents Manchester United, who moved past Liverpool thanks to a third win in a row, overcoming Brighton 4-2 on Saturday.
The recently promoted Sunderland occupy fourth place following an impressive victory over Chelsea, and Leeds along with Burnley also secured wins this weekend, positioning all three to potentially avoid the common fate of immediate relegation to the Championship.
Arsenal's title to lose
Having placed second in the league for the last three years, it seems Arsenal under Mikel Arteta are finally poised to claim their first Premier League trophy in 22 years.
The Gunners once more capitalised on their prowess in set-piece situations and a remarkable defensive performance to secure a 1-0 win against Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
Eberechi Eze netted his debut league goal versus his previous team after Palace struggled to defend a free-kick from Declan Rice.
Arteta's squad has yet to reach peak attacking form, yet this has proven irrelevant due to an unprecedented streak of shutouts for the club.
Arsenal have only allowed three goals across 13 matches in all tournaments, creating a six-point advantage over City and extending their lead to seven points ahead of Liverpool.
"I likely treasure this win more than any other this season," Arteta commented.
In opposition, Liverpool have failed to keep a clean sheet in nine matches following a 3-2 loss to Brentford.
Arne Slot seems unable to stem the defending champions' concerning downturn, and tougher challenges lie ahead with strong Aston Villa and City fixtures before the upcoming international pause next month.
Manchester City's dependence on Erling Haaland's goal-scoring run to revive their title hopes was laid bare in a 1-0 setback against Villa.
No other City player has managed more than a single Premier League goal this term apart from the Norwegian striker.
Front three fire for Man Utd
Ruben Amorim endured almost a year without consecutive Premier League triumphs, but he can now point to clear evidence of improvement after defeating Brighton at Old Trafford for the first time in four years.
The three forwards in United's £200 million ($266 million) summer acquisitions all shone brightly.
Matheus Cunha opened his United account with a goal, Bryan Mbeumo added a brace, and Benjamin Sesko provided a key assist.
"They possess immense talent. However, I particularly appreciate their defensive efforts," Amorim noted.
"We might have endless talent, but without the fight, you stand no chance in this league."
During a weekend where Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Palace, and Nottingham Forest all dropped points after midweek European commitments, United are evidently gaining from focusing solely on domestic games each week.
Aiming for a top-four spot and Champions League qualification next season now feels achievable for Amorim's team.
Promoted trio shake up status quo
Sunderland have made the strongest opening from a promoted team in 17 years by rallying from a deficit to triumph at Stamford Bridge.
Leeds overcame West Ham 2-1, and Burnley scored late to edge winless Wolves 3-2.
Over the previous two campaigns, teams such as West Ham, Wolves, Everton, and Forest avoided the drop thanks to the woes of newly promoted outfits.
Last year, Ipswich, Southampton, and Leicester managed only 59 points and 12 victories combined.
Less than a third into this season, Sunderland, Leeds, and Burnley have already accumulated 38 points and 11 wins together.