What We Learned From Premier League Matchday 11 as Manchester City Rout Rivals

Manchester City stamped their authority on title rivals Liverpool on Premier League matchday 11.

The calendar brought with it some interesting results and matches across last weekend and the big two were paired against each other.

The top of the division this season so far has been dominated by the one club but things are unlikely to remain that way for the rest of the term.

There will always be momentum swings and the pendulum will move back and forth as the campaign progresses.

So City’s points on Sunday afternoon could prove pivotal to the rest of the year.

There were also potentially monumental results at the other end of the 20 clubs with relegation candidates already seemingly slipping further into the scrap.

Then there were European efforts which faltered while others attempting to climb the table were successful on matchday 11.

We at FootballBlog had a close look at results and performances from this particular weekend on the calendar and identified some interesting takeaways in the top flight…

Manchester United leave it late vs Spurs

Ruben Amorim has had sack calls this season as United boss, but it appears the results are finally beginning to change in his favour.

Granted, a 2-2 draw away at Tottenham is not the ideal result but a point on the board is better than none from a game that just last season would not have come with a late equaliser.

The Red Devils are becoming more difficult to beat this term and that has to be down to the manager and his demands.

The visitors led at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium only to see their lead evaporate and then be turned on its head by Spurs who scored twice late on to lead.

It looked for all the world that the hosts would win the game but Mathijs de Ligt popped up at the death to head in a leveller.

United, as mentioned, would have lost the game last season. But in the midst of a decent five match unbeaten run – with three victories in that time – they look to be improving.

The EPL giants now sit seventh but they are within touching distance of the clubs directly above them from third place down.

They are also now ahead of Liverpool.

Nuno finds winning streak

It sounds like such a small milestone, but two wins on the spin must be seen as a positive for new boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

The sacked Nottingham Forest manager had a tough job ahead of him in picking his West Ham squad up as they sat next to bottom of the league but he has proven himself adept at doing just that so far.

In their most recent fixture the Irons outfought Newcastle United to win 3-1.

And on Saturday afternoon they bested Burnley in what could have been considered before kick-off a relegation six-pointer.

All the chat about the drop might be premature, but it doesn’t take long for a club to find themselves too far gone in the push up the division to realistically save themselves.

The Hammers have now proven to themselves that they can win big points but they have also shown opposition that they are not to be taken lightly anymore.

Sunderland end Arsenal clean sheet run with big point

Arsenal are running rampant at the top of the Premier League with eight wins and two draws from their first 11, with one defeat to Liverpool blemishing their record.

The Gunners had also kept a staggering eight clean sheets in a row in all competitions up until they made the trip to Sunderland to play the high-flyers on their own patch.

Regis Les Bris’ troops have overperformed so far this season as far as expectations and their 2-2 draw with the league leaders goes to show they are legitimate this year.

To end Arsenal’s clean sheet run was no mean feat and they have Brian Brobbey’s late equaliser to thank for earning them a point and keeping the North London club quiet for the most part.

Mikel Arteta knows his side have the mindset to go again in their next outing so he may not be too worried about dropping points vs the Black Cats, all things considered.

Newcastle pressure mounts

Manager Eddie Howe is among those under pressure this season with the Magpies not performing close to the levels of which they can.

Newcastle’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford tells two stories from very different viewpoints.

The first being Newcastle find themselves in a difficult position with their squad 14th in the EPL so far and very inconsistent domestically.

They have lost their last two in the league and while that may not be insurmountable, momentum is everything in the game and they need to pick up points quickly.

For the Bees, meanwhile, they are working under rookie boss Keith Andrews but you’d hardly know it.

The Irishman, 45, is in his first managerial role and it was a massive gamble for the club to hand him the reins for his first real job especially after losing Thomas Frank who was a big hit.

But he is doing an excellent job with the club in 12th with five wins and a draw from 11 fixtures.

Manchester City show title mettle

Manchester City vs Liverpool was the obvious marquee game over the past seven days in English football.

Both clubs are desperate to mount a serious challenge against Arsenal who are out in front by four points, but who started the day ahead by six.

With Arsenal slipping up against Sunderland, City’s 3-0 win over their rivals was a statement to show that Pep Guardiola is ready for the test and that his squad know what is needed to push themselves.

City had the lead thanks to Erling Haaland – would you believe – before Nico Gonzalez doubled it just shy of half-time.

Virgil van Dijk had the ball in the net before the break for the Reds but VAR intervened to rule out his header.

That was seemingly the tale of the action and when Jeremy Doku fired in a stunner from outside the area to seal the points, City knew they had taken a scalp and a big step in their challenge.

The perfect way for Guardiola to enjoy his 1000th game in management.