Once again the Premier League served up a feast of drama, excitement and most importantly, goals, during Gameweek 10. There was no early match on Saturday, but the flurry of 3pm kick-offs did not disappoint, with fans being treated to 14 goals across five games.
That included a dominant display by Brighton, who cruised to victory against Leeds, while league leaders Arsenal kept another clean sheet in their win away to Burnley.
Crystal Palace and Fulham also picked up wins, with Wolves’ loss at Craven Cottage proving to be the final straw for head coach Vitor Pereira, who was sacked a day later. In Nottingham, Forest played out a thrilling draw against Manchester United, whose three-game winning run came to an end.
Chelsea and Tottenham played out a fiery derby in the evening slot, with the Blues coming out on top again in a low-quality clash. On Sunday, West Ham returned to form with a huge win over Newcastle, before Erling Haaland led Manchester City to victory against Bournemouth with another breathtaking performance.
Across a weekend of controversial moments, which stars backed it on the pitch and who bottled it on the biggest stage? As usual, BOYLE Sports has all the answers.
Backed It or Bottled It? Premier League Gameweek 10 Recap
Star of the Weekend
Star of the Weekend: Gabriel
We know Erling Haaland scored another brace for Manchester City in their win over Bournemouth, but Gabriel deserves recognition for his influence on Arsenal’s impeccable run this season. The Brazilian centre-back was at it again for the Gunners in their 2-0 win away to Burnley, perhaps proving why he is one of the best defenders in Europe. Usually, we would focus on his defensive abilities - and he did help his side keep yet another clean sheet - but it is his talent in the opposition box that is stealing the headlines this term. Since joining in 2020, no centre-back has been directly involved in more goals than the 27-year-old powerhouse ( 21 ).
He added his third assist for Viktor Gyokeres on Saturday, with the other 18 coming in the form of goals. As if his attacking talents were not enough, Gabriel has been part of a defence that has conceded just three goals across 10 Premier League games this season. Alongside William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber, the Gunners' backline are embodying the famous Sir Alex Ferguson quote: ‘Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles’.
Flop of the Weekend
Flop of the Weekend: Nick Woltemade
Newcastle were never at the races on the road at West Ham, and one of the most surprising moves of the game was seeing Nick Woltemade’s number held up at half-time of the 3-1 loss. There was an air of confusion amongst both Newcastle and West Ham fans inside the London Stadium when the German striker did not emerge for the second half, particularly considering the huge impact he has had on the Magpies since arriving from the Bundesliga.
Eddie Howe may hide behind the defence of player management amid a hectic schedule for the Champions League side, but that does not change the fact that Woltemade - alongside most of his team-mates - were miles off it against the Hammers. The 23-year-old managed a single touch in the opposition box and had just 14 touches in total in the first 45 minutes, and his reward was being replaced by William Osula.
Woltemade’s tame performance was the first stain on an almost perfect start to life in the north-east, with the German proving to be the perfect replacement for Alexander Isak up until now. Newcastle are now winless in their last eight Premier League away games and sit in the bottom half of the table, 13 points off top spot.
Biggest Disappointment
Biggest Disappointment: Tottenham
Tottenham’s timid display at home in the 1-0 loss to Chelsea culminated in a chorus of boos at full-time as their winless run in north London continued. Thomas Frank’s side created just 0.05xG against one of their fiercest rivals, the lowest-ever tally in the club’s Premier League history.
With just three shots and zero big chances created, it was another worrying sign that Spurs have regressed from an attacking unit under Ange Postecoglou to a side that are far too safe under the former Brentford boss. Chelsea have now won six times at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, more than any other side to visit the venue.
In fact, the Blues haven’t lost away to their London rivals since they moved into their new home in 2019. Having won just one of their last 13 games against the Club World Cup champions, this weekend was an opportunity for Spurs to finally end their poor streak and restore a feel-good factor among the fanbase. Instead, they crumbled and put in one of their worst performances in recent years.
After Frank called on supporters to ramp up the atmosphere ahead of the game, he now has more questions to answer, and likely a few less fans on his side.
Performance of the Weekend
Performance of the Weekend: West Ham
West Ham needed a big result to really kickstart the Nuno Espirito Santo era, and they delivered exactly that against Newcastle. The Magpies were the perfect opponents for the Hammers to end their 248-day winless run at home, and there were a few standout moments of quality from the hosts.
Lucas Paqueta’s long-range strike to turn the game on its head forced the biggest cheer of the afternoon inside the London Stadium, alongside the full-time whistle confirming the three points. The Brazilian bagged his fifth West Ham goal from outside the box , with only Mark Noble ( 8 ), Frank Lampard ( 7 ), Manuel Lanzini ( 6 ) and Paolo Di Canio ( 6 ) scoring more from distance.
In fact, 33% of Paqueta’s total goals for the East London side have come from that range, and it was the exact moment of quality that West Ham fans have been asking for as they battle to save their season. There is still a long way to go for Nuno’s men to get back to a place where fans feel they should be, but comfortably beating a side that regularly competes in the Champions League is a fantastic first step that will give the entire club a boost heading into the winter period.
Surprise of the Weekend
Surprise of the Weekend: Manchester United
Plenty of Manchester United fans have been claiming that they are ‘back’ after winning three games in a row, making it a slight surprise that they didn’t blow Nottingham Forest out of the water during Saturday afternoon’s 2-2 draw.
The Red Devils seemed to revert to standard on their travels, despite taking the lead against a new-look Sean Dyche side. Ruben Amorim named an unchanged starting XI from the team that beat Brighton last weekend, the first time he has done so across 37 Premier League games in charge of the club.
But it was a toothless performance compared to the display against the Seagulls, with United relying on a moment of magic from Amad Diallo to rescue a point. The wing-back’s 10th goal for the club was timely, but the result was not, particularly with the Red Devils having the chance to move up to second in the table.
Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha’s performances in particular were surprising, after having such a huge influence on their side’s recent return to form. It is worth pointing out that United did not lose the match, and they have certainly made big strides compared to how their season started.
Moment of the Weekend
Moment of the Weekend: Salah’s Relief as Liverpool Fight Back
Liverpool could not afford another loss at home to Aston Villa, and Mohamed Salah chose the perfect moment to remind fans of his quality after a rough patch under Arne Slot. The Reds cruised to a 2-0 win against the Villans, with the Egyptian King grabbing his 276th goal involvement for the Premier League champions.
He has now equalled the great Wayne Rooney when it comes to scoring and creating goals, and his 188th strike for Liverpool allowed the fans inside Anfield to breathe a huge sigh of relief. On the stroke of half-time, the famous ground erupted and gave the hosts the confidence they needed in the second half to go out and put the game to bed - courtesy of Ryan Gravenberch’s second-half strike.
Now, with the four-game winless run behind them, Liverpool can push full steam ahead as they attempt to claw back ground on runaway leaders Arsenal.
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