EPL biggest talking points: Arsenal stumbles, Liverpool and City 'late drama' to maintain title charge

EPL biggest talking points: Arsenal stumbles, Liverpool and City 'late drama' to maintain title charge

Hassan Abdulsalam 06:52 - 21.10.2024

There were plenty of twists and turns in the Premier League title race during the weekend as Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season while Man City recorded a last-minute victory.

It was a weekend full of drama in the English Premier League as Arsenal's title hopes took a significant hit this weekend as they suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

Arne Slot' Liverpool dug deep to defeat a spirited Chelsea side 2-1, courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones.

Meanwhile, Manchester City secured a vital victory at Wolves in a game enshrined in late drama to keep their title charges alive.

City's controversial win keeps them in the hunt

Manchester City needed a controversial 95th-minute winner from John Stones to see off bottom-of-the-table Wolves 2-1.

Man City players celebrates last minute goal

Stones' header from Phil Foden's corner was initially ruled out for offside against Bernardo Silva, but a VAR review overturned the decision.

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil expressed frustration with the decision, claiming that Premier League match officials are subconsciously biased towards City and other big clubs.

He pointed to similar incidents in previous matches where Wolves have had goals disallowed.

"There's no chance that people are purposely against Wolves. But is there something in the subconscious around decision-making or, without even knowing it, are you more likely to give it to Manchester City than Wolves?

"They are human. I might be miles off, but if I had to upset someone in a street and there was a little guy and a big guy, I'm upsetting a little guy," he said.

Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola defended the contentious last-minute winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

"Bernardo isn't disturbing the position ... Sa had the perfect vision. The taker from Phil (Foden) and the header were magnificent.

Guardiola, Man City manager || Imago

"We are not used to winning games at the end, like (former manager) Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool where it happened many times. It is a good flavour for us," he told Reuters.

Arsenal's discipline costs them

Arsenal's title challenge has been plagued by disciplinary issues this season, and their latest red card proved costly. William Saliba was sent off after just 30 minutes against Bournemouth, and the Gunners were unable to get anything from the game.

Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert scored in the final 20 minutes to secure Bournemouth's victory, leaving Arsenal with their first defeat of the season in all competitions.

Mikel Arteta admitted that his team's ill-discipline has been a major factor in their recent struggles.

Liverpool's resilience shines

Liverpool's impressive start under Arne Slot continued with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield.

The Reds faced a stern test against a Chelsea side that had been unbeaten in their last six league matches.

However, Liverpool's resilience and clinical finishing proved to be the difference. Curtis Jones, making just his second league start of the season, scored the winning goal and earned a penalty that Mohamed Salah converted.

The Premier League title race is set to intensify in the coming weeks as Liverpool will face a crucial test against Arsenal before the next international break, while Manchester City will look to maintain their momentum.

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