Round 9 of the Pre-soccerPost-PandaTV

After 9 rounds, Arsenal has officially established a 4-point lead over the second-placed team. With both Liverpool and Man City struggling, Mikel Arteta’s “Gunners” are proving to be the most consistent and resilient team in England right now.

Liverpool Continues to Decline, Man City Runs Out of Steam

After a 1-2 defeat to Manchester United in round 8, Liverpool seemed to regain confidence by thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League. However, that victory was only a “temporary painkiller.” Back in the Premier League, the Reds disappointed again by losing 2-3 to Brentford in a match where their defense made serious errors.

This was the sixth match out of nine rounds where Liverpool conceded at least two goals, a worrying figure for a team once known for its organization. From winning the first five rounds, coach Arne Slot’s squad has lost four consecutive games, dropping to seventh place with only 15 points, 7 points behind league leaders Arsenal. Pressure on the Dutch coach is mounting, especially with two tough matches against Aston Villa and Man City ahead.

Meanwhile, Man City is not faring much better. After a five-game unbeaten streak, Pep Guardiola’s team unexpectedly fell 0-1 to Aston Villa. This defeat exposed their heavy reliance on Erling Haaland, who has failed to score in three straight matches. It is also the third consecutive time Man City left Villa Park empty-handed. This result pushed the Citizens down to fifth place, below newly promoted Sunderland, and 6 points behind Arsenal.

Arsenal Firmly at the Top

Unlike their direct rivals, Arsenal maintained their steady form by securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace thanks to a crucial goal from Eberechi Eze. This marked the Gunners’ fourth consecutive Premier League win and their sixth clean sheet in nine rounds, demonstrating remarkable defensive solidity.

With 22 points, Arsenal has created a comfortable gap at the summit. Their upcoming schedule is also favorable, facing only two newly promoted teams, Burnley and Sunderland, offering a great opportunity for Arteta’s squad to continue their surge.

The Red Devils Return to the Race, Tottenham Flourishes, Chelsea Falters

Manchester United continues their revival by beating Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford. This is the Red Devils’ third straight Premier League victory and a match where the offense under Ruben Amorim showed clear improvement. With 16 points, MU has climbed to sixth place, just behind Man City on goal difference.

In contrast to Liverpool’s and Man City’s disappointments, Tottenham had a perfect round. The Spurs won 3-0 away at Everton, moving up to third place with 17 points. Notably, Tottenham currently holds the best away record in the league (4 wins, 1 draw).

Meanwhile, Chelsea disappointed by losing 1-2 to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, ending their four-game winning streak across all competitions. The Blues have shown worrying inconsistency and currently sit ninth on the table with 14 points.

On the other hand, Sunderland remains the “phenomenon” of the season. Despite being newly promoted, Regis Le Bris’s team is fourth with 17 points, an incredible achievement.

Main	TR	T	H	B	GD	Pts
1 Arsenal	9	7	1	1	13	22
2 Bournemouth	9	5	3	1	5	18
3 Tottenham	9	5	2	2	10	17
4 Sunderland	9	5	2	2	4	17
5 Manchester City	9	5	1	3	10	16
6 Manchester Utd	9	5	1	3	1	16
7 Liverpool	9	5	0	4	2	15
8 Aston Villa	9	4	3	2	1	15
9 Chelsea	9	4	2	3	6	14
10 Crystal Palace	9	3	4	2	3	13
11 Brentford	9	4	1	4	0	13
12 Newcastle	9	3	3	3	1	12
13 Brighton	9	3	3	3	-1	12
14 Everton	9	3	2	4	-3	11
15 Leeds	9	3	2	4	-5	11
16 Burnley	9	3	1	5	-5	10
17 Fulham	9	2	2	5	-5	8
18 Nottingham	9	1	2	6	-12	5
19 West Ham	9	1	1	7	-13	4
20 Wolves	9	0	2	7	-12	2