Backed It or Bottled It? Arsenal's Title Race In DANGER and Why Liverpool Fans Are FURIOUS

The cracks in Arsenal’s unrelenting Premier League title chase are starting to show after a rare slip-up in Gameweek 11.

Mikel Arteta’s formidable Gunners were held to a heartbreaking draw away at Sunderland, giving their rivals behind them the chance to close the gap ahead of the final international break of 2025.

But that was not the only drama across a hectic weekend. In Saturday’s early clash, Manchester United and Tottenham played out a chaotic 2-2 draw, with two late goals ensuring the points were shared in north London.

Everton and West Ham picked up big wins later that day before Chelsea cruised to victory against struggling Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

On Sunday, there were plenty more goals on offer. Aston Villa gave Bournemouth a harsh reality check in the Midlands, while there were also wins for Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

And in the blockbuster clash between Arsenal’s closest rivals, Manchester City came out on top, putting in a dazzling display at the Etihad to thrash Liverpool and move four points behind the Gunners.

With players now jetting off to join up with their national teams for one last time this year, BOYLE Sports once again takes a look at who backed it and who bottled it in the latest round of top-flight football.

BACKED IT OR BOTTLED IT? PREMIER LEAGUE GAMEWEEK 11 RECAP

Star of the Weekend

STAR OF THE WEEKEND: JEREMY DOKU

In a team of standout performers, Jeremy Doku shone brightest for City in their 3-0 demolition of Liverpool.

The Belgian winger capped off a Player of the Match display with a stunning solo strike, leaving Giorgi Mamardashvili swiping at the air as his curling effort sailed into the top corner in the second half.

The 23-year-old became the first player to score, win 10+ duels (11), complete 7+ dribbles (7), create 3+ chances (3) and have 3+ shots on target (3) in a single Premier League game since Eden Hazard for Chelsea vs West Ham in April 2019.

That is no coincidence. Doku has worked hard to earn the trust of Pep Guardiola in the last 12 months, having often been criticised for his end product in the final third. His composure and quality in Liverpool’s half on Sunday proved his development is on the right track

Just as questions were being raised over whether Erling Haaland was City’s only capable weapon as they look to challenge for the title, the ex-Stade Rennais man has stepped up.

Flop of the Weekend

FLOP OF THE WEEKEND: EBERECHI EZE

Frustrations boiled over among the Arsenal faithful on Saturday, with the Gunners finding it difficult to play their free-flowing football without summer signing Viktor Gyokeres leading the line.

Instead, much of the visitors’ attacking intent fell on the shoulders of Eberechi Eze, who failed to step up and turn the tide inside a buoyant Stadium of Light.

The former Crystal Palace star has scored just the one goal for his new side in the Premier League this season, and he has not added to his two assists in nearly six weeks.

In the absence of captain Martin Odegaard, Eze has been handed plenty of opportunities for the league leaders - starting each of the last six league matches - but he has been met with increasing criticism from fans online.

Arsenal’s brilliant start has perhaps spared the England international from much slander, unlike other big-money summer signings such as Florian Wirz, Xavi Simons and Alexander Isak. But on the rare occasion that the Gunners do drop points - like in the 2-2 draw with Sunderland - the finger of blame is going to be pointed somewhere.

Of course, there is a lot of football still to be played this season, and Eze may find a way to recapture his Palace form that saw him manage 25 goal contributions last term. Although at a club like Arsenal, those numbers will be an expectation, not a bonus, particularly after the club splashed out £67.5million to sign him.

Biggest Disappointment

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: NEWCASTLE

In a stark contrast to the mood inside the camp of their north-east rivals, there is cause for concern at Newcastle. Another loss on the road under Eddie Howe - this time to Brentford - leaves them just two points off the relegation places.

It looked like the Magpies were on course to finally pick up their first away win of the season in West London after Harvey Barnes opened the scoring 27 minutes into the contest.

But three second-half goals from the Bees ensured Howe’s side remained winless on their travels in 2025-26, extending their longest run in Premier League history and comfortably eclipsing their similar troubles from 2021.

Newcastle’s domestic form has been a complete contrast to their ventures in Europe this term, where they have been free-scoring and formidable against some of the continent’s top dogs.

But against their Premier League opponents, the Tyneside club have been toothless, failing to score more than one goal in each of their last nine away outings.

Howe’s stellar record since taking over at St James’ Park will buy him time to turn things around, but for a club that expects Europe as a bare minimum in their new era, Newcastle cannot afford to continue on their current trajectory.

Performance of the Weekend

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEKEND: MANCHESTER CITY

On Guardiola’s 1,000th game as a manager, City were back to their breathtaking best against the reigning champions.

The win against Liverpool was a perfect performance, and it was taken straight from the Spaniard’s new playbook as the Cityzens look for more innovative ways to reclaim their crown after a dip last year.

Of the thousand games Guardiola has managed, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has won 716 times, a phenomenal record for one of the modern game’s greatest coaches.

And Sunday’s victory over the Reds saw them score three times, despite creating just one big chance. Twice City netted from outside of the box, including Doku’s sensational strike we have already paid tribute to.

All of a sudden, the title race appears to be back in full swing, despite Guardiola’s men losing three times already this term.

City will be hoping Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham can pull off a huge result at the Emirates when the teams return from the international break, as they look to pile the pressure on.

Surprise of the Weekend

SURPRISE OF THE WEEKEND: BOURNEMOUTH

Bournemouth have been a surprise package this season, which is why they feature as a talking point this week.

After a blistering start that saw them keep pace with the early leaders in the division, the Cherries have now lost two Premier League games in a row and are slipping down the table.

Andoni Iraola’s men were handed a stinging 4-0 loss at the hands of Aston Villa on Sunday, their heaviest defeat of the season and a reminder that every opponent presents a tough challenge in England’s top-flight.

It is the first time since May that Bournemouth have lost consecutive games in the Premier League, where they coincidentally fell to the same sides in Villa and Manchester City.

And after creating an open-play xG of just 0.27 in the Midlands, it is back to the drawing board for the south coast side over the international break as they prepare to welcome West Ham on their return.

Moment of the Weekend

MOMENT OF THE WEEKEND: BROBBEY STUNS THE GUNNERS

Sunderland fans will always tell you that they can compete with any team on the planet, and they proved themselves on the biggest stage on Saturday.

After going 1-0 up, the Black Cats looked good value for all three points for much of the night, but after falling behind, the players drew on the famous Stadium of Light crowd to pull themselves back into the contest in the dying moments.

Brobbey’s stunning strike in the 94th minute caused an avalanche of noise on Wearside, with the Dutchman just as delighted to bag his first Premier League goal as the fans inside the stadium were to see his acrobatic finish hit the back of the net.

Sunderland clearly love to face teams from the capital. They have now played five teams from London this season - including Arsenal, Chelsea and Crystal Palace - and are yet to lose under the guidance of Regis Le Bris.

There is still a long way to go for last term’s Championship play-off winners, but perhaps supporters can begin dreaming of European football in 2026.

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