Football writer Alex Keble highlights the hot topics and tactical lessons from Matchweek 7:
- Caicedo performance highlights what Liverpool are missing this season
- Arsenal’s "handbrake" critics are eating their words
- Emery’s use of two No 9s throws Burnley into confusion
- Early goals are the key to Man Utd improving under Amorim
- Wolves reveal familiar tactical issues that are holding Brighton back
- Spurs’ gritty win a sign of how much has changed under Frank
- Semenyo’s late blitz for Bournemouth has put him in the spotlight
- Everton have immediately made the Hill Dickinson feel like home
- Postecoglou’s strategy shift a worrying sign as Forest slip towards relegation zone
- Game of two halves shows the best, and the worst, way to combat Man City
Caicedo performance highlights what Liverpool are missing this season
Arne Slot has lost three games in a row in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career, and it has to be said Liverpool’s dip in form has been coming.
So far this season, Liverpool have been reliant on late goals to correct performances defined by looseness, an inability to control games, and an openness to opposition counter-attacks.
Chelsea’s late winner was familiar, being built around Liverpool’s right-back and scored at the far post, where the left-back should have been. This poses another question for Slot, on what to do with his current full-backs.
Watch Estevao Willian's late winner against Liverpool
But it was the imperious performance of Moises Caicedo that really hammered home what’s wrong at Liverpool in 2025/26.
Caicedo dominated central midfield. As well as scoring a brilliant opener, he was a metronomic presence in possession and the chief destroyer off it. On Saturday, he made more combined tackles and interceptions (five) than any other player on the pitch.
Caicedo's midfield performance v Liverpool
Liverpool tried to sign Caicedo two years ago. A year later, they reportedly tried again to find a No 6 but couldn’t get a deal for Martin Zubimendi over the line.
An elite No 6 would allow Liverpool to slow the game, stay in control, and screen against the fast breaks that have knocked them off the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal’s "handbrake" critics are eating their words
Arsenal are top of the Premier League table because they are able to control games and Liverpool are not.
A lot of pundits will be forced to eat their words after claiming Mikel Arteta has too often failed to take off the handbrake.
In reality he showed caution at appropriate moments. It made sense to play conservatively against Liverpool and Manchester City, and Arsenal were unlucky to only take one point from these matches.
Arsenal have not held back in any of their other five Premier League matches, including Saturday’s 2-0 victory over West Ham United, in which Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze started together in central midfield.
Watch highlights from Arsenal's 2-0 win against West Ham
What followed was a routine home win to leave Arsenal looking calm, measured, and in the right frame of mind to go one step further this season.
Emery’s use of two No 9 throws Burnley into confusion
Unai Emery came up with a novel way to beat Burnley’s back five, fielding Donyell Malen and Ollie Watkins together as No 9s in a 4-4-2 formation at Villa Park.
Marlen scored the goals and on both occasions he found space because he was one of two runners. With Axel Tuanzebe having to get tight to Morgan Rogers, Burnley’s remaining centre-backs were pulled apart by the splitting runs of Watkins and Malen:
This is positive for Aston Villa fans for two reasons. First, it was proof that Emery can still spring a tactical surprise and get it right, following an unnerving first two months of the season in which Villa’s football looked slow and predictable.
Second, it showed that Malen can have a big impact for Villa. He has struggled to fit in since his arrival in January, largely because Marcus Rashford was brought in on loan soon after, relegating Malen in the pecking order to the extent that he was left out of Villa’s UEFA Champions League squad.
Unlike Rashford – or Jhon Duran before him – Malen can drop deep and play between the lines, too, making him a much better fit to play alongside Watkins compared to Villa’s previous No 9s.
Malen and Watkins’ runs meant Villa, for once, were arriving in the final third at speed, in turn allowing Rogers to improve his form.
Early goals are the key to Man Utd improving under Amorim
Manchester United have been racing out of the blocks all season, but their dreadful conversion rate means it usually comes to nothing.
Mason Mount’s early strike at Old Trafford on Saturday allowed everyone to relax - fans included - and carry out the manager’s instructions. This is the template to follow.
Watch Mount's opener for Man Utd
Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 works best when Man Utd are able to fully control matches and dominate possession, which becomes a lot easier with early goals. It might also be considerably easier to do with Mount in the side.
Mount is an intelligent and hard-working player who looks perfect for one of the No 10 roles in Amorim’s 3-4-3. His goal in the eighth minute this weekend could be the catalyst that gets his Man Utd career up and running, following a difficult and injury-hit two years in Manchester.
Man Utd have now won four of their last eight Premier League games, as many as in their previous 21, and although five of their 10 wins under Amorim have come against promoted sides, that is nevertheless a sign of progress.
Scoring early is the secret to a spell of good form for Man Utd.
Wolves reveal familiar tactical issues that are holding Brighton back
It was a devastating end to the match for Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose wait for a Premier League win goes on after Jan Paul van Hecke scored a late equaliser from a set-piece, the 25th Wolves have conceded in the competition since the start of last season.
It’s pretty obvious where Wolves need to improve, then. The same can be said for Brighton & Hove Albion.
Brighton have taken two points from four games when holding more than 50 per cent possession and seven points from three matches when holding less than 50 per cent. That’s 0.5 points per game when controlling the ball and 2.3 points per game when playing on the counter.
Fabien Hurzeler had exactly the same problem last year.
Brighton's PL record with possession over/under 50 per cent, 24/25
Possession share Record Points per game Over 50% 5W 8D 9L 1.05 ppg 50% or less 10W 5D 0L 2.33ppg
Key: W=Wins, D=Draws; L=Losses.
Brighton need to find a way to break down a low block and score goals when in command of the ball. If they rely solely on fast breaks, they will hit a ceiling.
Spurs’ gritty win a sign of how much has changed under Frank
Plenty of teams this season will fall short at Elland Road, where a powerful and direct Leeds United will do everything they can to make life difficult for the visiting side.
Thomas Frank decided not to play Leeds at their own game. Instead, Tottenham Hotspur were conservative in their setup, happily dropping back and inviting the hosts onto them, a strategy that neutralised Leeds' own breaks and made the physical battle in midfield far less important.
There is no way an Ange Postecoglou team would have played like that; would have dug in, hit on the break, and come away with three points.
In fact, there is no "Big Six" team happy to be as reactive as Spurs have been under Frank. He represents a significant style change in the Premier League, although the Spurs manager was keen to point out that tactics are secondary to character.
"If you want to build any successful team, you need mentality, character, cohesion and togetherness no matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona," he said. "Whatever the style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win and I think we’re building that more and more in the team."
Semenyo’s late blitz for Bournemouth has put him in the spotlight
In the rise of any Premier League player there is one explosive moment, usually televised, that finally gets neutrals to pay attention and anoint a new star.
Antoine Semenyo’s dazzling run and finish on Friday night, which he followed up with a further assist and goal to complete the turnaround, was the event that took his status to the next level.
Watch Semenyo's brilliant goal against Fulham
Semenyo has five goals and four assists in seven Premier League appearances this season. Only Erling Haaland (10) has more goal involvements to his name.
Most goal contributions in the PL 25/26
Player Total Haaland (MCI) 10 Semenyo (BOU) 9 Grealish (EVE), Joao Pedro (CHE), Anthony (BUR), Kudus (TOT) 5 Ekitike (LIV), Sarr (CRY), Richarlison (TOT), Gakpo (LIV) 4
Semenyo deserved more attention than he got for a strong 2024/25 campaign, in which he scored or assist 16 times in the Premier League, but with AFC Bournemouth now riding high in the table, the 25-year-old is finally getting love.
Andoni Iraola’s side ended Friday in second place – the club's highest ever position in the table – and are only two points behind current leaders Arsenal.
Thanks to Semenyo, dreams of playing in Europe for the first time look realistic.
Everton have immediately made the Hill Dickinson Stadium feel like home
Jack Grealish’s late winner sent the Hill Dickinson Stadium into delirium, the noise emulating Goodison Park at its best for the very first time.
Already, and thanks in no small part to moments like these, it feels like home.
Historically, Premier League teams have struggled with the move to a new stadium, but these Grealish-inspired performances and results (two wins and two draws so far at home) have made Everton’s transition look easy.
It helps that the stadium is superb, with great acoustics to capture the joy of late winners like Grealish’s goal on Sunday.
Watch as Everton end Crystal Palace's 19-match unbeaten run
And it helps that David Moyes has so quickly put this team together. Since his first game back in charge in January, only six teams have won more Premier League points than the 42 of Everton.
Ending Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run is no mean feat. The Toffees have a team, and a stadium, fit for European football.
Postecoglou’s strategy shift is worrying sign as Forest slip towards relegation zone
Nottingham Forest have lost five and drawn two of their first seven matches in all competitions under Ange Postecoglou, and although defeat at St James' Park is not necessarily a bad result – and certainly not as damaging as the 3-2 loss at home to FC Midtjylland on Thursday – there were some ominous signs.
Already, Postecoglou is approaching the point he reached after 18 months at Spurs, when the expansive attacking football is put to one side in favour of a fire-fighting approach.
Forest were defence-first at Newcastle, looking to frustrate in a quiet and conservative first half.
But even that did not help. Forest have lost six of their 10 matches in all competitions this season. It took 28 games of the 2024/25 season to hit that number.
Postecoglou’s personal record is even more painful. He has lost 30 of his last 49 Premier League matches.
Thankfully, the international break is a chance for Postecolgou to reset - and to teach his core principles to the Forest players.
Game of two halves shows the best, and the worst, way to combat Man City
Man City scored early at the Gtech Community Stadium and then breezed through the opening 45 minutes, playing with a composure and rhythm reminiscent of the height of Pep Guardiola’s side in 2017/18.
Watch Haaland's early goal at Brentford
It was a worrying sight for their title rivals and, maybe, an indication that Man City can return to the sort of form we haven’t seen in well over a year.
But in the second half, Brentford changed tactics, abandoning the low block and beginning to press high. They harassed the Man City central midfielders and created a more even game, with the subsequent throw-ins allowing Brentford to push the visitors back and apply some attacking pressure.
It was a case study in how to play against Man City, and how not to play against Guardiola's side.
The days of sitting deep and allowing Guardiola’s side to follow their prepared patterns of play are over. We now know that to combat Man City you have to bravely disrupt their passing, as Brentford eventually proved.
Then again, the hosts were helped by Rodri’s injury, after which Man City lost some of their composure.
Fans wait on news of his hamstring injury with bated breath. As we saw in 2024/25, Guardiola simply cannot afford to lose Rodri.