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Slot passes first test and Arsenal see red again - Five talking points from Premier League Matchday Eight

Ash Rose
Slot passes first test and Arsenal see red again - Five talking points from Premier League Matchday EightJulian Finney/Getty Images
Liverpool beat in-form Chelsea but Southampton implode - all the big stories from this weekend's Premier League action.

The Premier League returned after the October international break, and it's Liverpool who still sit on top of the pile after their win over Chelsea at Anfield. 

Their grip on the title race strengthened slightly as Arsenal suffered a slip-up on the South Coast, while three teams are still looking for that first elusive win. 

Here are all the big talking points from Matchday Eight. 

Slot passes first test

It was built as the first testing task for Liverpool boss Arne Slot, but the 2-1 win over Chelsea proves that the Reds are very much in a title hunt - at least in these early stages of the season. This wasn't a statement victory, as at times Liverpool weren't at their best, but they overcame a Chelsea side who were yet to lose away from home in the Premier League this season. 

What is most impressive in Slot's early period is how controlled his team look, a stark contrast to the all-action, emotional football they played under Jurgen Klopp last year. They are also the league's steeliest defence. Nicolas Jackson's goal yesterday was only the third they've conceded in the league this season - a basis that shows why they are top of the table. 

Only Pep Guardiola has won 10 of his first 11 games in charge of a Premier League club, and it looks like Slot could be about to continue to rival the Spanish boss this campaign. 

Red is not the colour 

It wasn't a good weekend for Arsenal as they suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 2-0 to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. Mikel Arteta's men were hindered by the sending off of William Salbia on the half-hour, who became the third Gunners player to be sent off this season already. 

Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard have also seen red in the first eight games, and each time, it has led to Arsenal dropping points. In fact, going back further, since Boxing Day 2019, Arsenal have accumulated 18 red cards, five more than any other team in that period. 

The most frustrating thing for Arsenal fans is that this season, it hasn't come from 'red mist' moments, but more small mistakes where players should know better. It's something that they need to rectify because if they lose to Liverpool next weekend, they'll already be seven points behind them in the title race. 

Saints and sinners 

There remain four Premier League teams without a win so far this season - with Crystal Palace to play on Monday - but it was easily Southampton that felt they should have had their first three points. The Saints went 2-0 up against fellow newly promoted side Leicester but succumbed to a last-minute defeat as the Foxes turned the game on its head in the second half. 

It would have been a bitter loss to swallow for Russell Martin, who's starting to feel the pressure on the South Coast. Games against those teams who are expected to be around you in the table are vital in relegation battles, and they can ill-afford to throw games away as Southampton did on Saturday. It gets worse for Saints, too, as next weekend they visit The Eithad, where Martin may have to throw away his principals to preserve his side's morale. 

VAR vs. Wolves 

Wolves are another side still looking for their first win, but Gary O'Neil's men can feel somewhat unfortunate after Sunday's defeat to Manchester City. It took a 95th-minute John Stones winner to finally see off the home side, but it's the fact that it came with a slice of VAR controversy that made it harder to accept for O'Neil. 

Bernardo Silva was eventually adjudged not to be interfering with the goalkeeper's line of sight for Stones' header, but it was the latest kick in the teeth for Wolves, who have made no secret of their dislike for VAR. O'Neil even hinted in his post-match interview about referees' having an 'unconscious bias' towards the bigger teams. That may not be a good look, but it's an understandable frustration for a manager who feels like decisions are constantly not going in his favour. 


Minding the gap 

The defeat for Southampton and Ipswich's home loss to Everton means there have been just two wins (Leciester's victories over Bournemouth and Saints) from the promoted sides so far this season. This comes after the three promoted teams last season all went on to be relegated and shows a worrying gap that seems to be widening between the Premier League and the Championship. 

Never before have the three promoted sides been relegated in two successive Premier League seasons, but other than some green shoots from the Foxes, it doesn't feel out of the realms of possibility it could happen again in 2025. 
 

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