With another fortnight of international football behind us, the Premier League returned for Gameweek 8, and most teams wasted no time picking up where they left off in England’s top flight.
The weekend began with Chelsea’s 3-0 rout of Nottingham Forest, which led to Ange Postecoglou being dismissed by Evangelos Marinakis 18 minutes after the full-time whistle. It was a predictable end for the former Tottenham boss, who failed to win any of his first eight games in charge.
Manchester City had no problems overcoming Everton at the Etihad, with Erling Haaland in fine form once again for Pep Guardiola’s side. Arsenal followed suit, grinding out a tough 1-0 win at Craven Cottage to maintain their place at the top of the table.
On Sunday, Tottenham lost another home game under Thomas Frank and slipped behind their rivals in the top four race, with Aston Villa picking up their fifth consecutive win in all competitions in the process.
Finally, Manchester United picked up a historic win at Anfield, stunning Liverpool and raising more questions about Arne Slot’s side and their title defense. In the aftermath of another weekend of chaos in the Premier League, who backed it and who bottled it on the pitch? BOYLE Sports has all the answers.
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Premier League Gameweek 8 Recap
Star of the weekend
Star of the Weekend – Danny Welbeck
Had Jean-Philippe Mateta not fluffed his lines and scored a fourth for Crystal Palace to beat Bournemouth, he would be the headline act as our Star of the Weekend. Instead, Brighton’s Danny Welbeck gets the nod after rolling back the years and bagging a brace in the huge win over Newcastle.
The 34-year-old put in a vintage display that reminded spectators of his prime years in an Arsenal and Manchester United shirt, and even prompted some pundits to call for his return to the England setup.
In his 101 Premier League starts since turning 30, Welbeck has bagged 36 goals, just five less than he scored in his 20s, with 18 fewer starts. The win helped Brighton climb into the top half of the table and preserved their stellar home record against the Magpies, which now stretches to nine matches.
There were a lot of standout performances across the top flight this weekend, but there is perhaps no better recipient of the recognition than a man who has now scored in 17 different Premier League seasons.
Flop of the Weekend
Flop of the Weekend - Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou may be receiving another big payday after being sacked as Nottingham Forest boss, but there is no doubt that he is the weekend’s biggest flop. After just 39 days in charge, the Australian now holds the record for the second-shortest reign in Premier League history, behind Sam Allardyce’s 30-day stint at Leeds.
Forest announced the decision just 18 minutes after the full-time whistle blew in the 3-0 home loss to Chelsea, another brutal moment from controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis. It was Postecoglou’s fifth loss in as many attempts against the Blues, having been beaten four times by them during his Tottenham spell.
Only three months ago, the 60-year-old was being handed an award by his ex-employer for becoming the first Greek coach to win the Europa League, but it was a partnership that was always doomed to fail.
Although of the total 81 games he managed in the Premier League, Postecoglou never oversaw a goalless draw. You entertained us all, mate.
Biggest Disappointment
Biggest Disappointment - Tottenham
Tottenham’s home form is becoming a serious concern under Thomas Frank, with Aston Villa the latest team to collect three points in North London.
Even the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns, who compete in the NFL, have more wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than Spurs this month. It was a passive performance from the hosts, who struggled to create any chances and looked far too conservative in front of an irritable home crowd.
Despite going 1-0 up inside five minutes, two beautiful goals from Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia ensured Spurs have now dropped 19 points from winning positions at home since the start of last season, more than any other side.
Even Sunderland, who only returned to the top flight in August, have as many wins at their own ground in the last 11 months as Tottenham, a mere three. After having such a positive start under their new head coach, the reality of Spurs’ 17th-placed finish last season is beginning to seep through the cracks.
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Performance of the Weekend
Performance of the Weekend: Manchester United
Not many teams go to Anfield and walk away with three points, especially Manchester United.
Bryan Mbeumo’s strike was only the second time in Premier League history that a goal had been scored inside two minutes between the two famed rivals, but it was Harry Maguire’s header that stole the show.
Despite allowing the hosts back into the game, the Red Devils were excellent and showed real fight - something that has been missing under Ruben Amorim - to find a winner.
The victory means United now sit just two points behind Liverpool in the table, and Amorim becomes just the third manager to win his first two away games at the reigning Premier League champions. It is also the first time the Portuguese head coach has recorded back-to-back wins since moving to Manchester, and it could not have been more timely.
With Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha now looking the part, things are suddenly looking up for the Red Devils. They have ticked off Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City in their first eight games, and sit in a comfortable position heading into the hectic winter schedule.
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Surprise of the Weekend
Surprise of the Weekend – Mateta’s Crucial Miss
Crystal Palace were in the ascendancy. Jean-Philippe Mateta had just scored a penalty to complete his hat-trick and drag the Eagles level in the 97th minute against Bournemouth, before being handed a golden opportunity to snatch the win.
Most fans would have bet that, having made his France debut and scored during the international break, the forward would have had no problems turning home a first-time cross in the dying seconds at Selhurst Park.
But the in-form striker blazed his effort over the bar, stunning the South London crowd and giving Bournemouth a huge let-off in the thrilling 3-3 draw. Incredibly, Mateta had a total of 11 shots against the Cherries, accumulating 3.48xG, more than any other player has had against a Premier League side in the last five seasons.
The 28-year-old actually had more xG than any other team has managed at all so far in 2024-25, with the exception of Manchester United, who exceeded that total against Burnley.
Perhaps we are being too harsh on the Palace star; however, he has raised his own standards in the last 12 months and will, unfortunately, face criticism when he makes mistakes as crucial as his miss on Saturday afternoon.
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Moment of the Weekend
Moment of the Weekend - Maguire’s Heroic Header
Harry Maguire is a Manchester United hero. The Englishman loves a late goal, and he stepped up in another crucial moment for his club against their fiercest rivals.
His late header sparked wild celebrations from the traveling support, and Maguire was the last United player left on the pitch after full-time, soaking up the love from the small section of fans inside Anfield. The defender has now scored six goals for his club since the start of last season, all of which have been either an equaliser or a winner.
Maguire and the jubilant United fans will take pleasure in knowing the centre-half has bagged a Premier League goal at Anfield before both Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, despite the latter pair costing a whopping £240million in the summer.
To score against your biggest rivals, in their own house, to hand them their fourth loss in a row? Outside of lifting silverware, there can be no better feeling for Maguire and Manchester United right now.
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