Manchester City have come roaring into the Premier League title chase, as Arsenal stutter against Aston Villa, among the stories from Gameweek 16 of the Premier League season.
Gameweek 16 of the Premier League season ended with Manchester City making the headlines alongside Aston Villa as Arsenal stumbled again. The results ensured there is at least a three-horse title race on paper, with Aston Villa now only three points off the leaders.
Aston Villa were probably the biggest storytellers at the weekend, as they made a statement win over leaders Arsenal. A last-gasp goal from Emiliano Buendia sealed the points in a game that was increasingly headed towards a draw, but that defeat was a bitter blow for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta reflected on the tight fixture schedule that was, in part, a bit unfavourable for Arsenal, but Aston Villa could make the same argument. A laboured performance from the Gunners was at least worth a draw, but a chaotic finish in the final act of the game cost them the points.
Meanwhile, Manchester City were once again the major gainers in the title race, as they closed the gap to Arsenal to just two points. Pep Guardiola’s side made a statement win over the impressive Sunderland, and even kept a clean sheet, which will be a relief for the manager who saw his side concede four against Fulham in midfield.
Meanwhile, Chelsea and Liverpool continued their recent struggles to get wins, as the duo continued to suffer. The Liverpool scenario is all the more baffling following Mohamed Salah’s explosive interview in the aftermath of their draw with Leeds United, while Chelsea further distanced themselves from any talk of a title challenge with another timid display away at Bournemouth.
An injury-hit Arsenal stutter and allows rivals to close in
Mikel Arteta was quick to point out the rigorous fixture schedule leading to the Aston Villa clash, as well as the injuries for their result at Villa Park. The Gunners entered yet another pivotal clash without their main centre-back pairing as well as without their third-choice defender.
The backline was still strong enough to sustain the quality posed by Aston Villa, but it was the midfield that lacked the bite there. The likes of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi lacked the sharpness seen in previous games, which may have come to cost the game.
Aston Villa’s winner came late in injury time after a penalty box scramble, as Emiliano Buendia was in the right place to smash it home. Arsenal held a seven-point lead over nearest rivals Manchester City heading into the clash with Chelsea on the Sunday before, but now Pep Guardiola’s side are only two points behind the Premier League leaders.
This is a pressure situation for the Gunners in the Premier League title race, as the next few games could be seen as favourable to a degree for them to keep momentum. Hence, the Wolves game is a must-win clash now from Arsenal’s perspective, and Arteta will hope to slowly have his key defenders back in action as time passes.
Manchester City have come roaring back into the Premier League title race
Manchester City forced their fans to ask some serious questions about their ability to mount a concerted title challenge in the wake of their performances against Leeds United and Fulham. The common theme in those games were the team’s ability to hold a tight defence in the second half, and they banished those thoughts with a stellar display against Sunderland.
Heading into that game against an impressive Sunderland side, there were lingering doubts about whether the newcomers would inflict a different result than expected. However, Pep Guardiola’s men kept their composure to put in a smart performance and roared back into the Premier League title race.
The gap is only three points, and on consecutive weekends, if not matchdays, Manchester City have been the biggest gainers, alongside Aston Villa, in the context of the title race. Now, there will be big hopes from the fans to see their team of the old, and take over the title conversation in a big way.
Whether Manchester City have it in them to put together a long list of good results still remains the question, but the squad has the quality to do so. Moreover, Guardiola has somewhat moved away from being reliant solely on Erling Haaland for the goals, as the burden has been spread across the team.
Aston Villa are proving their worth
Once again, not many would believe where Aston Villa were after five gameweeks, as they languished in 18th spot with only one goal scored to show for their cause and no wins. Since then, Unai Emery has led the team towards a brilliant run of results, as Villa cemented third spot for the time being.
In what has been a competitive atmosphere at Villa Park, the hosts matched Arsenal in their clash and ensured there is parity at all times. Moreover, Emery’s tactics ensured his side took full advantage of what the Gunners lacked in their team due to the rigorous fixture list.
Now, after the Arsenal win, Aston Villa are third on the table, and in a good position to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title. While the outer world will continue to consider them as outsiders in the race, the West Midlands outfit must prove their worth by staying very close to Arsenal and Manchester City.
They have a chance, irrespective of what many might believe, as being three points after these many games is a good thing. On paper, since Gameweek 5, Aston Villa have been the most in-form side in the division, and now, it is all about consistency, if they want to achieve something serious or at least try for the title.
Liverpool crisis deepend amid Mohamed Salah bombshell
The scriptwriters were wondering what to write about the weekend’s action until Mohamed Salah’s bombshell interview with the press. In the eyes of former Liverpool star and Sky Sports Pundit, Jamie Carragher, it is only the fourth time in eight years that Salah has spoken to the press in the mixed zone, and all of those times have been to bring forward his own agenda.
What Carragher claimed did carry some merit, and this time, Salah opened a new can of worms, which may have massive consequences in the short to mid-term. There are reports stating Liverpool are backing the manager in all this, as Salah also stated that his relationship with Arne Slot is all but broken, which led to suggestions that the club might even think about parting ways with the Dutchman.
The situation came about after Slot dropped Salah for a third consecutive Premier League game, which that did not sit well with the Egyptian. There is a huge clash of ego in the background at Liverpool, and there is no clarity whether Slot still has the dressing room under his control.
Beyond the chaos in the background, with suggestions that Salah could feature for the final time in a Liverpool shirt at the weekend against Brighton, the team is still not winning games. The Reds endured another disastrous evening, this time at Leeds United, as they squandered a massive lead to allow the home side to steal a draw.
There will be questions on Salah’s immediate future as he heads to represent Egypt at the AFCON. There are doubts over Slot too, especially if he cannot come mout of this saga as a winner and not bring in the desired results, as some drama is about to unfold at the club in the coming period.
Chelsea continued their downward trajectory in the Premier League
Chelsea were mentioned as title challengers following their draw to Arsenal just over a week ago, and now, they are unable to capitalise on the Gunners dropping points at the top. The Blues endured another tough day on the pitch following their goalless draw at Bournemouth.
Not only were Enzo Maresca’s side unable to create good chances, but there was a lack of bite in the side’s play despite having talisman Cole Palmer back in action. There are now significant doubts over their ability to get things done on the pitch, as those dropped points are likely to cost them any chance of mounting another run at the title.
Chelsea needs to pick up results, and some may attribute their performances to the absence of key star Moises Caicedo. Factually, they have dropped five points in the absence of the Ecuadorian midfield dynamo, as he’s about to miss another game next weekend against Everton.
