Arsenal are six points clear at the top of the Premier League after a Saturday that did exactly what the table needed. The defending champions beat Hull City 1-0 at home, Martin Odegaard scoring in the 72nd minute, and moved to 27 points from 10 games. That equals their best start to a Premier League season. They have seven clean sheets, and they have now won 19 of their last 20 league meetings with promoted sides. Manchester City, beaten 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, stay on 21 points. It is Maresca's third league defeat in a row.
Forest had not scored a home league goal all season until the sixth minute, when Jair Cunha finished a mistake by Josko Gvardiol. Liam Delap, back at the club where he began, made it 2-0 in the 18th minute and 3-1 in the 73rd. Rayan Cherki pulled one back in the 52nd. City had about 80 per cent of the ball and still lost. They have conceded inside the opening 11 minutes in each of their last three league matches, and they have conceded in each of the last eight. Maresca has not lost three in a row since November 2024. The international break arrives with the alarm already ringing. Friday's preview had Arsenal on 24 points and able to pull clear. They have done it.
Leeds win it late. Fulham and Newcastle share it
The early kick-off went to Leeds. Daniel Farke's side had gone five league games without a win. Harry Wilson and Noah Okafor came off the bench and combined inside two minutes: Okafor had been on the pitch for 97 seconds when he scored in the 79th, and Leeds beat Tottenham 1-0. Roberto De Zerbi's team had been unbeaten in four. They go into the break with a defeat.
Fulham and Newcastle drew 1-1 at Craven Cottage. Jacob Murphy put Newcastle ahead in the 80th minute. Rodrigo Muniz equalised three minutes later. Alvaro Arbeloa and Matthias Jaissle have two league wins between them from their last eight matches. Fulham have failed to score in the first half in six of their last seven league games. The point stops a loss for both sides.
Matchweek 10 So Far
- Friday: Everton 3-1 Coventry. Barry 56, 61. Dewsbury-Hall 81. Gboho 52.
- Saturday: Leeds 1-0 Tottenham. Arsenal 1-0 Hull. Fulham 1-1 Newcastle. Forest 3-1 City.
- Arsenal 27 points. Manchester City 21. The gap is six.
- Sunday, 2pm: Brighton v Brentford, Palace v Liverpool, Ipswich v Bournemouth, Sunderland v Chelsea.
- Sunday, 4.30pm: Manchester United v Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Lampard, the VAR, and a Sunday card
Friday night still hangs over the weekend. Everton came from behind to beat Coventry 3-1, Thierno Barry scoring twice and setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. It was David Moyes's 592nd match as Everton manager, level with Harry Catterick, and a third straight win. Frank Lampard said afterwards that VAR did not do its job. Three checks went against Coventry: a hair pull by James Tarkowski on Caleb Yirenkyi, a challenge by Vitalii Mykolenko on Taiwo Awoniyi at the edge of the box, and a handball appeal against Barry's second goal. Referee Stuart Attwell gave none of them. VAR Tim Wood confirmed the goal. Lampard said he had seen an angle where the last touch came off a hand, and that he was not interested in sounding like a moaner. The result stands. Coventry have lost seven of their first 10 league games.
Today's card can still change the shape of the chase, if not the identity of the leader. At 2pm, Brighton host Brentford, Crystal Palace host Liverpool at Selhurst Park, Ipswich host Bournemouth, and Sunderland host Chelsea. At 4.30pm Manchester United play Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Liverpool lost 3-2 to Fenerbahce in midweek and need a result on the road before the break. Arsenal's six-point lead is already the number the rest of the division is playing against.