Every Premier League weekend brings its share of surprises, overreactions, and storylines that dominate the headlines. After another fascinating round of fixtures, here are five bold conclusions from Matchday 9 ;some may fade, others might just prove true.
Arsenal Look Ready to Rule Again
After nine matches in the 2025–26 campaign, Arsenal already appear to be pulling away from the rest. Mikel Arteta’s side lead the table and have conceded only three goals so far. Crystal Palace managed a single shot on target on Sunday, their only real test for David Raya in the last three league games.
The Gunners are on course to break Chelsea’s long-standing record of just 15 goals conceded in a Premier League season, set 21 years ago. While Arsenal continue to dominate, their rivals are faltering. Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea all lost on the same matchday for the first time since December 2015.
That particular season ended with Leicester City lifting the title on 81 points, ten clear of the chasing pack. This year feels similar, not because Arsenal are underdogs, but because the competition looks weaker. Bournemouth, Tottenham, and Sunderland complete the current top four. It is difficult to imagine any of them sustaining a title challenge. It is still October, but the race might already be decided.
Aston Villa Could Be Arsenal’s Biggest Threat
Aston Villa may sit a few points behind, but their recent form has been excellent. They have recorded four consecutive victories, the second-longest winning run of the season after Liverpool’s five straight wins at the start of the campaign.
Villa’s momentum could soon lift them into the top three. They trail Arsenal by seven points, and the Opta supercomputer gives them only a 1.5 percent chance of winning the league, yet their form makes them a team to watch.
Villa have often troubled Arsenal in recent seasons. They drew 2–2 at the Emirates last January after coming from two goals down and did the double over the Gunners in 2023–24, a season Arsenal finished two points behind City.
In their latest outings, Villa defeated Tottenham away and halted Manchester City’s strong run with a resolute 1–0 win. They blocked ten shots in that match, their highest total in a Premier League fixture in the past five seasons. With two meetings against Arsenal coming up in the next two months, Villa could influence the title race.
Dyche Faces a Major Task at Forest
Nottingham Forest’s season has been turbulent. They switched from Nuno Espírito Santo’s counterattacking football to Ange Postecoglou’s possession-based approach midway through last term, a transition that failed badly. Now, under Sean Dyche, they are attempting another drastic change toward direct football.
At Bournemouth on Sunday, Forest played 16.8 percent of their passes long, their highest figure in any Premier League game this season, but still suffered a 2–0 defeat. Dyche may argue that Bournemouth’s goals came from a combined 0.03 expected goals, with Marcus Tavernier scoring directly from a corner and Eli Kroupi netting from nearly 30 yards. Critics, however, could point out that Forest created only 0.37 expected goals, the 11th-lowest single-match total by any side this season.
Forest are back in the relegation zone and have not won since the opening weekend. Dyche’s priority will be restoring defensive structure and belief, but the early signs suggest the transition may take time.
United’s Front Three Finally Find Their Rhythm
Manchester United supporters have been waiting for their new-look attack to click, and Saturday’s performance offered encouragement. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring against Brighton with his first goal for the club, ending a run of 25 shots without scoring — the longest drought by any Premier League player this season.
Benjamin Sesko then provided the assist for Bryan Mbeumo’s third goal, before the former Brentford man added another late on. All three attackers registered a goal involvement as United recorded their third consecutive league victory within a single season for the first time since February 2024.
United now sit just two points off second place, with Mbeumo in red-hot form after four goal contributions in his last three games. Their next six fixtures against Forest, Tottenham, Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Wolves are all winnable if the trio maintain this momentum. United’s supporters finally have reason to believe again.
Eli Kroupi’s Value Is Rising Fast
Few Premier League fans had heard of Eli Kroupi a month ago, but the 19-year-old French forward is quickly becoming one of the breakout stars of the season. He has scored four goals in his last three matches for Bournemouth, showcasing both instinctive finishing and spectacular long-range ability.
Kroupi currently leads the league in outperforming his expected goals by the largest margin at plus 2.4. Among players who have played at least 50 minutes, he is also scoring more frequently than anyone else, averaging a goal every 41.3 minutes.
Bournemouth’s transformation has been remarkable. Despite selling three regular defenders and forward Dango Ouattara in the summer, they sit second in the table. Their strategy of developing young players for major profit continues to pay off, and Kroupi looks like their next big sale. At this rate, a Champions League club could be preparing a 70 million pound offer before long.
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