Week Nine of the English Premier League (EPL) concluded with Arsenal extending their lead at the top of the table following a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
Former Palace star Eberechi Eze, who joined Arsenal in a £67 million summer transfer, scored the decisive goal against his former club. The midfielder capitalized on a set-piece move — Declan Rice delivered a precise free-kick, Gabriel Magalhães headed it down, and Eze finished acrobatically to seal all three points for the Gunners.
The result sees Arsenal move four points clear at the summit with 22 points from nine matches.
At the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth climbed to second place after first-half goals secured a comfortable 2–0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham Hotspur also maintained their strong form with a commanding 3–0 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickens Stadium. A Van de Ven brace and a late strike from Pape Matar Sarr earned Spurs all three points and moved them up to third in the standings.
Meanwhile, Manchester City missed the chance to move second after suffering a shock 1–0 defeat to Aston Villa, courtesy of a Matty Cash goal.
At Molineux, Burnley stunned Wolverhampton Wanderers with a dramatic injury-time winner from Lyle Foster, sealing a 3–2 victory after Wolves had fought back to level the scores late on.
Elsewhere, Manchester United continued their resurgence with a 4–2 win over Brighton, maintaining momentum after a slow start to the season.
However, it was a weekend to forget for Chelsea and Liverpool. Chelsea surrendered an early lead to lose 2–1 at home to Sunderland, while Liverpool suffered their fourth consecutive league defeat, falling 3–2 to Brentford in a thrilling encounter.
With Arsenal in command, the title race continues to take shape as several traditional powerhouses struggle for consistency.
