Corner Kicks and Haaland’s Cruise: Arsenal and Man City Maintain Title Pressure as Palace-Bournemouth Delivers a Thriller
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Leaders Grinding It Out: Arsenal and the Set-Piece Specialists
League leaders Arsenal travelled to Craven Cottage and left with all three points, but only after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fulham. The breakthrough, once again, came from the Gunners’ now-patented set-piece routine.
Leandro Trossard’s 58th-minute goal, a close-range finish following a Bukayo Saka corner and a Gabriel Magalhães flick-on, was the difference. While the performance wasn’t a vintage attacking display, Mikel Arteta will be thrilled with the resilience and, crucially, the continued dominance from dead-ball situations. The victory keeps Arsenal firmly atop the table, just ahead of their closest rivals.
The Unstoppable Force: Haaland Double Keeps City in Touch
Over in Manchester, Manchester City kept pace with a routine 2-0 win against Everton. The story, as so often this season, was Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker was in devastating form, netting a second-half brace in a five-minute spell to secure the points and extend his incredible goal tally for the season to 11 in eight league games.
Haaland’s clinical efficiency meant City briefly topped the league on goal difference before the late kick-off. Pep Guardiola’s side looks like a well-oiled machine, and with Haaland breaking records seemingly every week, they remain Arsenal’s most significant threat.
The Thriller: Crystal Palace 3–3 AFC Bournemouth
Undoubtedly the game of the day was the rollercoaster at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth played out a scintillating 3-3 draw. The visitors raced into a two-goal lead, but a phenomenal hat-trick from Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled the Eagles level, including a dramatic penalty deep into stoppage time (90’+6′).
The result saw Bournemouth climb to a remarkable 4th place in the table, underlining the impressive start they’ve made to the campaign. For Palace, Mateta’s treble provided late heroics, but the French striker’s subsequent last-gasp sitter, which he missed with his head, ensured the shared points felt bittersweet.
Other Key Results and Managerial Turmoil
- Nottingham Forest 0–3 Chelsea: Ange Postecoglou was sacked after the defeat. Chelsea scored through Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto, and Reece James.
- Brighton 2–1 Newcastle: Danny Welbeck netted a brace as Brighton overcame their Amex Stadium hoodoo.
- Sunderland 2–0 Wolves: The promoted side continued their strong start, climbing to 7th.
- Burnley 2–0 Leeds: A vital win in the relegation battle for Vincent Kompany’s side.
Weekend Talking Points
- The Title Race is a Grind: Arsenal and City showed that winning ugly is part of the championship formula.
- Managerial Merry-Go-Round: Postecoglou’s exit highlights the unforgiving nature of the Premier League.
- The Best of the Rest: Bournemouth, Brighton, and Sunderland are staking early claims for European contention.
Tomorrow sees another crucial fixture as Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield, an outcome that will further shape the top end of the Premier League table. Stay tuned for all the analysis!
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