As has become customary for this season, it was another dramatic weekend in the Premier League full of twists and turns. Here are the biggest talking points from the latest round of matches.
West Ham setback far from fatal for Arsenal
It was a case of recent history repeating itself for Arsenal: race into a 2-0 lead, in total control, and on course to make a major statement about their title intentions, the Gunners had to settle for a point for a second straight week after West Ham fought back for a 2-2 draw.
It was a similar story at Anfield the previous week, and while the failure to secure maximum points from either match, particularly from such position of strengths, will be the primary concern for Mikel Arteta, the sharp decline in performance mid-match should also set off an alarm bell or two.
After Aaron Rasmdale's late heroics prevented defeat to Liverpool, Said Benrahma's penalty sparked West Ham into life and the hosts went on to dominate. Of course, Bukayo Saka's missed penalty, which would have made it 3-1, was a significant moment but on the balance of the game, it was the Hammers who could perhaps have been disappointed not to win.
Still, talk of Arsenal buckling under the pressure feels premature. The last time the Gunners suffered a wobble, they bounced back with six straight wins, and there's nothing to suggest that they could not do similar this time around.
The draw at West Ham certainly feels like a setback but Arsenal still lead Manchester City by four points, albeit from one more game, and if they avoid defeat at the Etihad, the title is firmly back in their hands.
After all, it is Arsenal with points on the board and City who need to deliver results to close them down. Granted, City's imperious form means they could feasibly win all their remaining games, but one slip and the picture will look far rosier for the Gunners.
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WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski - 6. Forced into a routine save by Martinelli just after the restart. Made a number of decent saves in the second half. AFP -
Aaron Cresswell - 6. Was nowhere to be found as Odegaard found space on the right to score the Gunners’ second goal. Sent in a number of dangerous crosses in the second half. Reuters -
Vladimir Coufal - 6. Switched off at the back post and allowed Jesus a simple tap-in for the Gunners’ opener. Limited the influence of Martinelli in the second half. Reuters -
Kurt Zouma - 7. Did well to stop a Saka cross from finding Odegaard in the 29th minute. Crucial in the air for West Ham in the second half. AFP -
Thilo Kehrer - 7. Failed to get close to White quickly enough to prevent him from finding Jesus in the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal. Played a delightful ball over the Gunners’ defence and into the path of Bowen for the Hammers’ second goal. PA -
Declan Rice - 7. Began the move that led to the Hammers’ opener by pressing high and winning the ball from Partey. Crucial to everything positive the Hammers did in the second half. Getty -
Lucas Paqueta - 7. Fouled by Gabriel to gift the Hammers a penalty in the 32nd minute. Almost gifted the visitors a goal in the 69th minute after his misplaced pass Saka to kickstarted a counterattack for the Gunners. Getty -
Tomas Soucek - 6. Backed off from Martinelli and allowed him to play in the cross for Arsenal’s second goal. Stopped a Saka shot from troubling Fabianski just after the break. AP -
Jarrod Bowen - 8. Brought the Hammers level with a left-footed finish to send the fans into delirium. Sent a teasing ball into the Gunners’ penalty area in the 57th minute but there was no West Ham shirt on hand to take advantage. Getty -
Said Benrahma - 8. Expertly dispatched the penalty that brought the Hammers back into the game. Whipped in a decent cross that caused chaos in the Gunners’ penalty area midway into the second half. Getty -
Michail Antonio - 7. Caused problems for Arsenal defenders early in the game with his directness. Breathed a huge sigh of relief when Saka hit his spot kick wide after he had handled Martinelli’s shot to concede the penalty. Hit the crossbar with a glancing header in the last ten minutes. Getty -
SUBS: Maxwel Cornet (Antonio, 88) - N/A. Flynn Downes (Paqueta, 88) - N/A. Pablo Fornals (Benrahma, 90) - N/A. PA -
ARSENAL RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 6. Made a routine save to keep out Antonio’s header 38th minute. Could have done better for the Hammers‘ second goal. Reuters -
Kieran Tierney - 7. Used in the Zinchenko role, Tierney added defensive solidity to the Gunners’ left flank. Played a dangerous cross across the face of goal in the 64th minute. Reuters -
Ben White - 7. Credited with the assist for Arsenal’s opener with a nice cutback into the penalty area for Jesus. Failed to get the connection right with Saka in the second half. Getty -
Rob Holding - 5. Had a nervy start to the game with a couple of physical battles with Antonio. Made the wrong decision of trying to outrun Benrahma and almost cost the Gunners a goal in the 81st minute. AFP -
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6. Made an excellent last-man challenge to stop Antonio from running through on goal on the half hour mark. Responsible for conceding the penalty that helped the Hammers cut the deficit in the first half. AFP -
Thomas Partey - 5. Lost possession which led to the Gunners conceding a penalty for the Hammers to pull one back. Never fully recovered from that error and got subbed off for Jorginho in the second half. PA -
Granit Xhaka - 6. Had a quiet game in the middle of the pitch for the Gunners. Kept things simple. Reuters -
Martin Odegaard - 7. Heavily involved in the build-up to the Gunners’ first goal and scored the second with a cushioned left-footed finish at the back post. Never stopped trying as the Gunners looked to regain the lead in second half. Getty -
Bukayo Saka, centre, missed a penalty for Arsenal in the 2-2 draw with West Ham. AP -
Gabriel Martinelli - 6. Assisted Odegaard’s goal with an inch-perfect cross to the back post. Antonio handled his shot into the penalty area to gift the Gunners a penalty in the second half. EPA -
Gabriel Jesus - 7. Scored the Gunners opener with a simple tap-in at the back post into an empty net. Dropped very deep to help the Gunners facilitate play from the back. PA -
SUBS: Leandro Trossard (Jesus, 66) - 6. Almost slipped Martinelli through with a deft pass in the 80th minute. Dropped back to help in the build-up as the Gunners chased a winner. Reuters -
Jorginho (Partey, 66) - 6. Helped the Gunners regain control of proceedings in the second half but couldn’t provide the final pass to breach the Hammers’ backline. PA -
Fabio Vieira (Tierney, 85) - N/A. Reiss Nelson (Martinelli, 85) - N/A. Eddie Nketiah (Odegaard, 90) - N/A. Reuters
Have Liverpool turned a corner this time?
What a strange season this has been for Liverpool. A slow start to the campaign appeared to end with a 9-0 win over Bournemouth in their fourth match, but that ultimately failed to deliver a prolonged run of positive results, despite wins over City and Tottenham.
Then came the historic 7-0 humiliation of rivals Manchester United, only to meekly lose to Bournemouth the following week, escape with a goalless draw against struggling Chelsea, and be outclassed by City.
This time? Monday night's 6-1 thrashing of Leeds United was once again Liverpool at their devastating attacking best, but given what has come before this season, it can hardly be used as an indicator that Jurgen Klopp's side have finally turned a corner.
Their next game is at home against a Nottingham Forest side without a win in their last nine, so it should present an ideal opportunity for Liverpool to follow up with another emphatic victory. At the same time, the Reds could conceivably lose as the defensive problems which have plagued their season resurface. Considering their inconsistency, neither outcome should surprise.
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LEEDS UNITED PLAYER RATINGS: Illan Meslier – 2. A forgettable night for Meslier who picked the ball out of the net on six occasions, though much was down to a shocking defensive display. Reuters -
Junior Firpo – 2. Firpo’s mistake was the crucial one as he failed to clear his lines with any conviction, allowing Alexander-Arnold to assist the opener. Struggled to cope with Salah, whom he left wide open in the second half when scoring his brace. PA -
Pascal Struijk – 2. Looked to give up on tracking Salah for Liverpool’s second and lacked communication with Firpo on his side. PA -
Robin Koch – 3. Started brightly by marking Gakpo tightly, but in the end was part of a torrid defensive display. Beaten too easily by Robertson on Salah’s brace. Reuters -
Rasmus Kristensen – 3. Kept Jota quiet early on but eventually lost track of him. Played Nunez onside for Liverpool’s sixth goal of the game. Reuters -
Marc Roca – 4. Seemed to get unnecessarily dragged out to wide areas where he delivered crosses that were easily dealt with. Reuters -
Weston McKennie – 4. Sloppy in possession and provided little assurance after the opening goal. Had to do more to block off the areas around the penalty area, as seen with Jota’s unchallenged volley. AFP -
Luis Sinisterra – 6. Looked to make things happen when on the ball and got his reward when tackling Konate in his own half before an excellent finish. Worryingly for Leeds fans, Sinisterra was later forced off with an injury. Getty -
Brenden Aaronson – 5. Unlucky with an effort before the hour mark that was inches from finding the top corner, and always tried to get Leeds going in the right direction. Reuters -
Jack Harrison – 4. Struggled to create anything meaningful with play that saw attacks break down when the ball got to him. Must be much more accurate with his passing. Reuters -
Rodrigo – 4. Had a half-chance from a set piece but lacked conviction with his header. Anonymous in the second half. Reuters -
SUBS: Crysencio Summerville (Rodrigo 66’) – 5. Scored the decisive goal in the previous fixture at Anfield, but there was no chance of heroics this time around. Always looked to play progressively despite having a lack of options at times. AP -
Georginio Rutter (Aaronsen 66’) – 5. Rarely found himself in possession after being introduced for Aaronsen in the 66th minute. AFP -
Wilfried Gnonto (Harrison 77’) – N/A. Did nothing when introduced as Liverpool continued to control the game. Reuters -
Adam Forshaw (Sinisterra 77’) – N/A. Introduced in the 77th minute after Sinisterra went down after appearing to tweak something. PA -
LIVERPOOL PLAYER RATINGS: Alisson – 6. Commanded his area to claim the ball and positioned well to save from Rodrigo. Lost his cleansheet after a poor error from Konate allowed Sinisterra to chip past him. Getty -
Andrew Robertson – 6. Pressed well and didn’t get beaten on his side, though his best moment of the match was his involvement for Salah’s brace when he breezed past Koch with an impressive first touch. Reuters -
Virgil van Dijk – 7. Anticipated the danger instantly to track balls coming in behind and looked comfortable when winning his duels. AP -
Ibrahima Konate – 5. - Impressive outside of one moment of madness that saw him too slow to react, failing to clear the danger amid pressure from Sinisterra. AFP -
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7. Got Liverpool off and running after winning back possession before assisting the opener. Regularly found space in midfield to help transition the ball forward. AP -
Fabinho – 6. Alert to developing situations and blocked off the central areas of the pitch well. Kept things simple with his passing. Reuters -
Curtis Jones – 7. A third Premier League start in a row for Jones who capped it off with a superb pass to Jota for Liverpool’s third. A solid display from midfield where he took good care of the ball. PA -
Jordan Henderson – 7. Slow to get going but benefitted when spaces began to open. Worked hard to win the midfield battle and keep Liverpool on the front foot. Reuters -
Diogo Jota – 8. A wasteful 30 minutes from Jota saw him not wake up until late on in the first half, winning back possession before putting the ball perfectly on Salah’s left-foot to finish with class. Then helped himself to two goals in the second half. Getty -
Cody Gakpo – 8. Showing signs of progress in the false nine role, where he linked play elegantly on the front line. Rarely gave away possession and was patient with his decision-making. Opened the scoring and picked up an assist after finding Salah for his brace. Getty -
Mohamed Salah – 8. The Egypt international was in clinical form at Elland Road, with two finishes that came from the top drawer. That is the sort of lethality that the Reds need him to show if they are to make the top four. EPA -
SUBS: James Milner (Henderson 81’) – N/A. Back at the club where he made his professional debut. PA -
Darwin Nunez (Gakpo 81’) – 7. Put the icing on the cake with a well-timed run and finish past Meslier. EPA -
Luis Diaz (Gakpo 81’) – N/A. Back after a long time out through injury, and much appreciated by the Liverpool fans in the away end. EPA -
Roberto Firmino (Jota 82’) – N/A. Came on for Jota in the 82nd minute. EPA -
Thiago Alcantara (Fabinho 85’) – N/A. More beneficial minutes for Thiago who has just returned from injury. Getty
Aston Villa's Emery revival leads to European push
In a season which has seen a record number of managerial changes in the Premier League, Unai Emery is the prime example for when it works.
The Spaniard arrived at Aston Villa at the start of November with the club 15th in the Premier League table. In the 18 games under Emery, Villa have won 12 and lost just four to surge up the standings. Their latest victory – a 3-0 breeze past Newcastle – was their fifth in a row and has thrust Villa into European contention.
Emery insisted that the top four, and with it Champions League football next season, is beyond Villa but he's not fooling anyone. Villa are six points behind fourth-placed Newcastle, who have played one game fewer, but there are still plenty of points up for grabs from the remaining seven or eight games.
Even if the top four is ultimately beyond Villa, a place in the Europa League or Europa Conference League looks very much on the cards. Wherever Villa end the season, the future looks bright under Emery.
Lampard's inability to spark Chelsea a blessing in disguise
No supporter enjoys watching their team lose. Even when there is disgruntlement aimed at the manager, board or owner, fans still want their team to win each and every match.
That said, Frank Lampard's inability to spark Chelsea into life since his surprise return could be a blessing in disguise. Chelsea's season was dead and buried long before the club's greatest goalscorer returned to the dugout, but three straight losses in his first three games – the latest a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton – should dash any hope of a more permanent appointment.
Had Lampard emulated Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who while in caretaker charge of United in 2018/19 led the club to 11 wins 13 games to earn the gig full-time, he might have forced his way into contention for the Chelsea job beyond the end of the season.
After getting their last managerial appointment so wrong, Chelsea can ill-afford to make the same mistake again, and whoever the club feel is the answer, Lampard isn't it. His short spell so far should confirm that, even if the Blues pull off a Champions League miracle against Real Madrid.
Bournemouth the unlikely relegation candidate to pull clear
A relegation battle that only a few weeks ago involved as many as nine clubs appears to be increasingly concentrated on fewer teams, and one of those expected to be in the thick of the scrap is in fact pulling clear.
Of the clubs expected to ultimately suffer the drop, Bournemouth were prime candidates. Instead, the south-coast side have won four of their last five to surge to 14th in the table and six points clear of danger.
Saturday's last-minute 3-2 win at Tottenham was the sort of result and performance that should safeguard Bournemouth's top-flight status, against all expectations.
