Comeback victories were the order of the day in Premier League gameweek seven, where both Arsenal and Manchester City were forced to do it the hard way to stay on the coat-tails of leaders Liverpool.
After the Reds edged out Crystal Palace 1-0 in the lunchtime kickoff to move four points clear at the top, the Gunners produced a second-half turnaround to beat Southampton 3-1, while the Citizens also recovered from conceding first to edge out Fulham 3-2.
Chelsea also find themselves in the Champions League positions despite only managing a 1-1 draw against 10-man Nottingham Forest, but while that stalemate was a terrific watch for the neutrals, Aston Villa and Manchester United's goalless game was not.
The turnaround of the weekend belonged to Brighton & Hove Albion, who fought back from two goals down to sink Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 and end Spurs' winning streak, but Newcastle United had to settle for a point away to Everton in a 0-0 draw.
Elsewhere, Leicester City finally got off the mark for the season with a 1-0 triumph over Bournemouth, West Ham United put in their finest display of the season so far in a 4-1 crushing of Ipswich Town, while Brentford overcame basement side Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-3 in an eight-goal extravaganza.
After a breathless weekend of Premier League action, Sports Mole selects its Team of the Week for the latest round of fixtures.
DEFENCE
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From Jordan Pickford keeping out Anthony Gordon's grudge penalty to some late Robert Sanchez heroics, the guardians of the goals often stole the spotlight this weekend. However, the latter's opposite number - Matz Sels - was equally exceptional in the Forest goal at Stamford Bridge, making a brilliant double save from Cole Palmer and a terrific reaction stop from Christopher Nkunku's header to preserve a point for the 10-man visitors.
Brentford's one-minute magic may have ended at the three-game mark this weekend, but Nathan Collins ensured that their penchant for striking early remains alive, heading in with just two minutes on the board. Defending on both ends was nothing to write home about, but the Irishman also stood out with nine clearances and a 100% success rate from six aerial duels against his former team.
From Ireland to Northern Ireland, another defensive rock at the other end of the experience scale excelled this weekend, as 36-year-old Jonny Evans showed up his more youthful Man United teammates at Villa Park. From the 13 duels he contested, Evans won a phenomenal 12 of them, and there is evidently still plenty of life left in his legs yet.
Speaking of duelling monsters, the timeless Virgil van Dijk barely put a foot wrong when Liverpool eked out a slender win over Palace, a game in which he won eight of his nine aerial battles and also found the mark with nine of his 13 long balls, as the Reds head into the international break looking down on their 19 rivals.
MIDFIELD
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Streets ahead of his rivals in the race for the Playmaker prize, Bukayo Saka overtook Robert Pires's tally of Premier League assists for Arsenal against Southampton, slipping in Kai Havertz before an exquisite cross for Gabriel Martinelli. After registering his sixth and seventh helpers of the PL season, Saka's first-time finish across goal completed the Gunners' latest terrific turnaround.
As Arsenal erased a 1-0 deficit against the Saints, Mateo Kovacic was similarly influential in City's fightback success over Fulham. Aiming to prove that a Rodri-less midfield is still a midfield to be reckoned with, the Croatian arrived on the scene to crash in an equaliser before a slick touch and finish into the far corner for a rare brace.
Joining Saka in this weekend's two-assist club, Mikkel Damsgaard had clearly taken a leaf out of the Arsenal man's crossing book, providing two pinpoint deliveries for Collins and Ethan Pinnock in the extraordinary affair with Wolves. Both of the Dane's assists may have come from out wide, but he is also relishing the freedom of a central role, creating six chances in total on Saturday.
Liverpool wing wizard Cody Gakpo registered just one fewer key pass than Damsgaard at Selhurst Park, as the Dutchman vindicated Arne Slot's decision to hand him his first Premier League start of the season. Not only laying on a slick assist for Diogo Jota's winner, Gakpo made three tackles, three interceptions and completed two successful dribbles in a wonderfully complete performance.
ATTACK
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On a weekend where his parent club Brighton pulled off an outrageous comeback against Tottenham, Facundo Buonanotte stole the spotlight as Leicester belatedly got off the mark for the new campaign, scoring the game's only goal with a thumping strike into the roof of the net and also creating one big chance thanks to some incredibly positive attacking play.
Buonanotte's permanent employers, meanwhile, had Georginio Rutter in particular to thank for their magnificent turnaround against Tottenham, as the former Leeds United attacker expertly picked out the far corner to equalise for the Seagulls before forcing his way to the byline and crossing for Danny Welbeck to complete a fabulous fightback.
No such revival was required for West Ham against Ipswich, where Jarrod Bowen put in the true definition of a captain's performance at the London Stadium. From a first-minute assist for Michail Antonio, a neat finish into the corner and playing a massive part in the Irons' fourth, the 27-year-old finally gave the Irons faithful something to cheer in an otherwise dismal 2024-25 so far.
SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (3-4-3): Sels; Collins, Evans, Van Dijk; Saka, Kovacic, Damsgaard, Gakpo; Buonanotte, Rutter, Bowen
Ben Knapton
