Sunderland climbed into the Premier League's top four after Granit Xhaka's deflected strike salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to Everton on Monday.

The Black Cats would have moved up to second with victory, but were outplayed in the first half and trailed to Iliman Ndiaye's brilliant individual effort.

Everton were left to regret not making more of their first half dominance as Thierno Barry missed a glorious chance and Jack Grealish hit the post.

Sunderland took less than a minute of the second period to hit back when Xhaka's strike flicked off James Tarkowski to beat Jordan Pickford on his return to the Stadium of Light.

The home side then looked the more likely to claim all three points but Wilson Isidor fluffed Sunderland's best chance to snatch victory.

A point at least maintains Sunderland's unbeaten home record and their impressive start to a first top flight campaign in eight seasons.

Everton edge five points clear of the bottom three in 14th, but the Toffees glaring lack of a prolific No 9 again cost them victory.

A moment of magic gave the visitors the lead on 15 minutes as Ndiaye danced his way through four Sunderland defenders before firing into the top corner for his fourth goal of the season.

Grealish then hit the post from long range but it is Barry's miss that will live long in the memories of the travelling support heading back to Merseyside.

The Frenchman has still yet to score since his £27 million move from Villarreal in July and will not get a better chance than when he sliced horribly off target with the goal gaping at the back post from Grealish's cross.

 

Granit Xhaka's first Sunderland goal earns us another point 🤝#SUNEVE pic.twitter.com/7MF9rB4Ya8

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 3, 2025

 

Despite a sub-par first 45 minutes, Sunderland were level within 44 seconds of the second half when Xhaka netted his first goal since joining from Bayer Leverkusen.

A share of the spoils takes Sunderland above Tottenham and Chelsea and level on points with Liverpool.

But they will need to be much better to protect their unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light when leaders Arsenal visit on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank said on Monday that Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence have apologised for snubbing their manager and heading down the tunnel after Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Spurs were booed off by their own supporters after failing to win for a fourth consecutive Premier League home game.

Van de Ven, who started the game as captain, and Spence have been two of the better performers in an inconsistent start to Frank's reign in charge.

But they barged past Frank at fulltime as he tried to get them to acknowledge the home fans.

"Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday and just said they wanted to say sorry for the situation," said Frank.

"They didn't want it to look bad or any misconception that you can get in this beautiful media world.

"So there was no disrespect meant at all towards me or the team. They were just frustrated with the performance from us and the booing during the game," added the 52-year-old Dane.

Despite their poor home form, Spurs sit fifth in the Premier League and are unbeaten after three games in the Champions League.

Victory at home to FC Copenhagen on Tuesday would put Spurs in a strong position to make the knockout phase of the Champions League for only the second time in six years.

Winning the Europa League last season masked an otherwise disastrous campaign that saw Ange Postecoglou sacked despite ending the club's 17-year trophy drought.

Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League – their worst season in English football's top-flight since being relegated from the old First Division in 1976/77.

"Of course, we are coming on the back of a bad performance – there is a big flashing light right now. Everyone has a little bit of a struggle to look past that to see some of the very good performances we have had this year as well," added Frank.

"If anyone had said that we would now be 17 points after 10 games and unbeaten in the Champions League – everything is not perfect – but there is a decent foundation.

"Everyone would have taken that situation where we are now in terms of 22 (league) defeats last year (season) and finishing 17th."

Lucas Bergvall is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering concussion in the early stages of the Chelsea game, but Spence and Mohammed Kudus should be fit to feature against Danish champions Copenhagen despite picking up knocks.

Some weeks, picking the standout moment feels like splitting hairs. Erling Haaland’s ruthless brace against Bournemouth, Lucas Paquetá’s thunderbolt versus Newcastle, Lamine Yamal’s Messi-esque magic for Barcelona, or Orlando Pirates’ 20-year-old sensation Cemran Dansin announcing himself with a stunner against Sundowns — all worthy contenders.

But this week, one goal carried more than just beauty. It carried weight. It carried history.

Liverpool were wobbling. Four straight defeats had left the champions bruised, their fans restless, their manager under fire. And then came Mohamed Salah — the man for the big moments — to steady the ship and etch his name deeper into Anfield folklore.

When Emiliano Martínez misjudged a pass, Salah pounced like a predator sensing weakness. One touch, one finish, and the net rippled. Simple, clinical, devastating. But this was no ordinary goal. It was his 250th strike for Liverpool, a milestone that places him alongside the club’s immortals — Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285).

And the records didn’t stop there. That finish also drew Salah level with Wayne Rooney for the most Premier League goal involvements for a single club: 276 (188 goals, 88 assists). Across the league, his tally now stands at 279, joint-third all-time with Frank Lampard, trailing only Rooney (311) and Alan Shearer (324).

Numbers tell part of the story. The roar of Anfield told the rest. This wasn’t just a goal. It was a statement — from a legend who refuses to fade.

Mohamed Salah scored a landmark goal for Liverpool and Amad Diallo of Manchester United got off the mark for the season in the Premier League at the weekend.

Egypt captain Salah notched his 250th goal for the Reds in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa while Ivory Coast winger Diallo bagged his first this campaign to salvage a 2-2 draw for the Red Devils at Nottingham Forest.

Both will soon have key roles to play at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Ivory Coast will be the defending champions.

We highlight African headline-makers in the major European leagues…

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

Salah scored his 250th goal for Liverpool as the Premier League champions ended their four-match losing league run with a home win against Aston Villa. A misplaced pass from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez gifted Salah his landmark goal in first-half stoppage time. The Egypt forward, 33, has also equalled Wayne Rooney's record for the most Premier League goal involvements for a single club –- 276.

AMAD DIALLO (Manchester Utd)

Diallo scored a stunning volley from outside the box to rescue a point for Manchester United against Nottingham Forest. The Ivory Coast international, 23, struck in the 81st minute at the City Ground for his first club goal of the season and was denied a winner in the closing moments as United's three-match winning streak was ended.

GERMANY

NICOLAS JACKSON (Bayern Munich)

Jackson scored his first Bundesliga goal in Bayern's 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. With star striker Harry Kane rested, Chelsea loanee Jackson started up front. The Senegal international headed in Bayern's second from close range just after the half-hour mark. "My first one, hopefully many more to come," Jackson told the Bundesliga website.

YAN DIOMANDE (RB Leipzig)

Leipzig forward Diomande starred as his side made short work of top-four rivals Stuttgart in a 3-1 home win. The Ivorian forced Jeff Chabot into conceding an own goal before getting his own, cracking a low shot through the penalty box and into the corner. The 18-year-old, who scored a goal and laid on two assists the week before, is fast emerging as a star.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy was the difference in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win at Augsburg, with the Guinea striker scoring the only goal. With 37 minutes gone, he was on the spot to take advantage of a defensive mistake,pouncing on a lost ball and slamming home. The goal was Guirassy's first in the league since mid-September and kept Dortmund within touching distance of the top of the table.

FRANCE

MOSES SIMON (Paris FC)

Paris FC pulled off an upset 1-0 Ligue 1 win at high-flying Monaco thanks to an early second-half goal by 30-year-old Nigeria winger Simon. Maxime Lopez picked out the Nigerian, whose scuffed effort went over the diving Philipp Kohn and into the net after 53 minutes to inflict a first home defeat this season on Monaco.

Arsenal won their fifth successive Premier League match to finish the weekend with a six-point cushion at the top of the table as Liverpool ended their miserable losing run.

Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City climbed to second and Nuno Espirito Santo celebrated his first win in the West Ham dugout.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the Premier League weekend.

SLOT RETURNS TO WINNING FORMULA

Arne Slot went back to basics as he sought to end Liverpool's damaging four-match losing run in the Premier League – and it paid dividends with a 2-0 win against Aston Villa.

The Dutchman spent around £450 million ($592 million) on a clutch of high-profile signings in the summer transfer window but Hugo Ekitike was the only new face to start Saturday's match.

Alexander Isak – yet to score a Premier League goal – and Jeremie Frimpong were missing with injuries while Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz were on the bench.

Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley were picked as the full-backs as the defending champions kept a first clean sheet in 11 games in all competitions.

The home side rode their luck against in-form Villa, who hit the woodwork twice before Mohamed Salah scored his 250th goal for the club following a howler from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

The pressure on Slot has eased but he still has huge decisions to make on how best to use his expensive squad, with a daunting trip to Manchester City next week.

FANTASY GOAL MACHINE HAALAND

It is easy to be blase about Erling Haaland, Manchester City's unique goalscoring machine.

The Norwegian scored twice more on Sunday against high-flying Bournemouth to take his season's tally to 26 goals in 16 games for club and country.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

He is only the third player ever to score two or more goals in four or more consecutive Premier League home appearances, after Robbie Fowler and Luis Suarez.

Bournemouth's David Brooks admitted it is almost impossible to come up with a plan to deal with the marauding 1.95-metre (six feet, five inches) striker.

Haaland had an amusing take when asked how he felt about being substituted when in sight of a hat-trick.

"There were probably a few fantasy managers who were not so happy," he told Sky Sports, referring to the game in which participants win points based on the real-life performances of players.

Pep Guardiola's City are still seeking consistency but with Haaland in this form, they must surely be title contenders.

TOTTENHAM UNREST

Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League and unbeaten in the Champions League this season.

But it seems tensions are bubbling in the camp, with decent results so far masking some sub-standard performances.

Stand-in captain Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence appeared to snub manager Thomas Frank as they came off the pitch following a lame 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on Saturday – their 10th loss against their London rivals in 12 meetings in all competitions.

Frank's team were booed off after they produced only one shot on target all game and recorded their lowest expected goals figure of 0.05 on record (since 2012/13).

The former Brentford boss played down the incident involving Van de Ven and Spence, saying it is "one of the small issues".

"They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated," he added. "We do things in a different way, so I don't think it is a big problem."

But it was an uncomfortable moment and one that he will have to address.

 

Erling Haaland scored twice to propel Manchester City up to second in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday.

The Cherries started the day in second thanks to the longest unbeaten run in the English top flight.

But Andoni Iraola's side were undone by the scintillating form of the Norwegian striker, who took his tally to 13 Premier League goals in 10 games.

The Cityzens are up to second on the Premier League table 🔵🔝#MCIBOU | #SSPremierLeague pic.twitter.com/EY8LkSksIE

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 2, 2025

Haaland's relentless streak is maintaining City's title challenge as they reduced the gap to leaders Arsenal back to six points and edged one point ahead of Liverpool, who they face next weekend.

Despite a first defeat in 10 games away to Aston Villa last weekend, Pep Guardiola remained confident his side can pose a threat to Arsenal come May.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

There were more encouraging signs for Guardiola as Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden shone in creative roles, while Nico O'Riley became the first City player other than Haaland to score in the Premier League for over a month.

Buoyed by their unbeaten streak since losing at Liverpool on the opening night of the season, Bournemouth started brightly.

However, their brave high line was exposed on 17 minutes when Cherki's header allowed Haaland to gallop clear from inside his own half to slam past Djordje Petrovic.

The visitors levelled eight minutes later when Gianluigi Donnarumma claimed he was impeded as the Italian tried to collect a corner and Tyler Adams thrashed home the loose ball.

But Haaland restored City's advantage before halftime by racing onto another Cherki pass in behind the Bournemouth defence to round Petrovic and slot home his 26th goal for club and country this season.

Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland do the double ⚽⚽

📺 Stream #MCIBOU on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/fLlXXk9ldA

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 2, 2025

The 25-year-old also became only the third player to ever score multiple goals in four consecutive Premier League home games after Luis Suarez and Robbie Fowler.

Guardiola has called for greater contributions from his other attacking players to lessen the goalscoring burden on his prolific No 9.

Still no City player other than Haaland has scored more than once in the league this season, but O'Riley chipped in from full-back to seal the three points.

Foden was the creator this time as O'Riley strode forward before arrowing a low shot into the far corner.

Haaland was denied the chance of a hat-trick as he was replaced by Omar Marmoush eight minutes from time with one eye on facing his former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday.

A double was enough to keep City still within range despite Arsenal's rampant run of nine consecutive wins and seven straight clean sheets in all competitions.

Nuno Espirito Santo celebrated his first win as West Ham manager on Sunday as his spirited team battled from behind to beat Newcastle 3-1 at the London Stadium.

The Hammers remain in the relegation zone after just their second Premier League win of the season but are now just three points behind 17th-placed Burnley, whom they play next week.

Eddie Howe's Newcastle took the lead courtesy of a fine early strike from Jacob Murphy but Lucas Paqueta levelled and an own goal from the unfortunate Sven Botman gave the home team the advantage at halftime.

The visitors made wholesale changes in the second half but were blunt in attack and Tomas Soucek made sure of all three points for West Ham in the closing moments.

Nuno was appointed West Ham boss in late September, just over two weeks after he was sacked by Nottingham Forest, who are also in the drop zone.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

The Portuguese, who has had to be patient in waiting for his first win, said it was "terrific to hear the noise at the London Stadium".

"The players are realising that winning in the Premier League, we have to work very hard," he told the BBC. "We will do it again. The win makes it easier, there are smiles and the legs feel easier.

"We see slight improvements on the pitch. We have to create a platform on the pitch."

TURNAROUND

Murphy put Newcastle ahead in the fourth minute, fizzing a shot from the edge of the area just 26 seconds after Jarrod Bowen's effort clattered off the post at the other end.

Referee Robert Jones awarded West Ham a penalty six minutes later, ruling that Bowen had been brought down by Malick Thiaw, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review as Thiaw had touched the ball.

The Hammers were deservedly level in the 35th minute when Paqueta hammered a sweet strike from outside the box past the sprawling Nick Pope.

And moments before halftime they were in front when a low cross from defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sliced into his own net by Botman, whose attempted interception left Pope stranded.

The Hammers are 45 minutes away from their first win in six Premier League matches ⚒️🫧#WHUNEW | #SSPremierLeague pic.twitter.com/pv4bRRIr0C

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 2, 2025

Howe brought on Fabian Schar, William Osula and Jacob Ramsey for Emil Krafth, Nick Woltemade and Anthony Gordon at halftime, later making further changes.

The visitors dominated possession but Pope was called into action twice in quick succession at the other end as West Ham threatened a third goal.

Hammers midfielder Freddie Potts had the ball in the net with just over 20 minutes remaining but the goal was ruled out for off-side.

Newcastle continued to probe but could not find an equaliser and Soucek had the last laugh, poking home deep into stoppage time.

The Hammers get their first victory under Nuno Espírito Santo 👏🫧#WHUNEW | #SSPremierLeague pic.twitter.com/6oD4iu4N6x

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 2, 2025

It is West Ham's first win at home in the Premier League since February while defeat leaves Newcastle 13th the table and still searching for their first league win of the season away from home.

"It wasn't a great day for us," said Howe. "The away form is something that will be talked about and discussed and is of course something that concerns us."

Wolverhampton Wanderers sacked manager Vitor Pereira on Sunday, ending his tenure after a catastrophic start to the Premier League season that has left the club winless and marooned at the foot of the table.

The Portuguese coach's fate was sealed following Saturday's humiliating 3-0 defeat at Fulham, a result that sparked fury among travelling supporters who directed their anger at both Pereira and the club's Chinese owners.

The timing also proved particularly brutal given that Pereira had signed a contract extension less than two months earlier.

'WE MUST MAKE A CHANGE'

"Vitor and his team worked tirelessly for Wolves and helped guide us through a challenging period last season, for which we are grateful," Wolves' executive chairman Jeff Shi said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, the start to this season has been a disappointment and, despite our strong desire to give the head coach time and matches to find an improvement, we have reached a point where we must make a change."

Wolves' nightmare campaign has yielded a measly two points from 10 games, leaving them eight points adrift of the safety zone in what appears an increasingly desperate battle for Premier League survival.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

They have scored the joint-fewest goals in the division while simultaneously boasting the league's leakiest defence.

Pereira becomes the fourth Premier League manager to face the axe this season, joining Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest), Graham Potter (West Ham United) and Ange Postecoglou (Forest).

YOUTH COACHES TAKE INTERIM CHARGE

Wolves said all eight of Pereira's backroom staff had also left the club, and that under-21 head coach James Collins and under-18 head coach Richard Walker would take training until a new manager was appointed.

Pereira's departure ends an 11-month spell in charge after he joined in December 2024, replacing Gary O'Neil with Wolves languishing in 19th place.

The Portuguese coach led them to safety with a run of six straight wins in March and April, finishing 17 points clear of the relegation zone.

Despite a poor start to the current campaign, Shi had publicly backed Pereira earlier this season, rewarding him with a three-year extension after last season's turnaround.

However, results did not improve and the 3-0 defeat at Fulham -- where Wolves were reduced to 10 men in the first half -- was described by Pereira as the "worst performance from my team".

"Today I'm not proud about our work. I don't need anybody to judge my work. I judge my work, I judge myself," he said after the loss.

Pereira's exit marks his sixth straight year leaving a managerial post.

The Portuguese has had short-lived spells across five countries since 2020, managing Shanghai SIPG, Fenerbahce, Corinthians, Flamengo and Al Shabab before joining Wolves.

Wolves next travel to Chelsea on Saturday before the international break.

Liverpool ended a four-game losing streak in the Premier League as Mohamed Salah scored his 250th goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

Salah pounced on an error by Emiliano Martinez to open the scoring before Ryan Gravenberch's deflected effort secured a long-awaited victory that lifts the defending champions up to third in the table.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot's decision to make wholesale changes for Wednesday's 3-0 League Cup exit to Crystal Palace only piled even more pressure on his returning stars to get back to winning ways after six defeats in seven games in all competitions.

Yet they nearly paid for another slow start.

Liverpool had conceded inside the first 15 minutes of all their four consecutive Premier League defeats and were inches away from doing so again when Morgan Rogers blasted a shot off the post from outside the box.

Giorgi Mamardashvili has struggled to fill the void left by the injured Alisson Becker in recent weeks but the Georgian goalkeeper made a stunning stop moments later to turn Maty Cash's deflected effort onto the post.

Villa were cutting through Liverpool's press with ease in the early stages, but soon became architects of their own downfall in playing out from the back.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

The visitors were handed a let off when Dominik Szoboszlai robbed Pau Torres but fired meekly into the arms of Martinez with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Hugo Ekitike did power a header past the Argentine only for a VAR review to show the Frenchman was clearly offside from Szoboszlai's cross.

However, Villa did not heed their warning as a terrible error from Martinez teed up Salah to roll his landmark goal into an unguarded net just before halftime.

The Egyptian's struggles have played a major part in the Reds' difficult start to the season, but he now has five goals in this campaign and sits behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt as the third top goalscorer in the club's history.

Mo Salah has now scored 250 goals for the Reds… Incredible. 👑 pic.twitter.com/QLfjFmcHve

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 1, 2025

The goal also ended Liverpool's seven-game run of conceding first and their confidence began to flow back in a dominant second-half showing.

Villa had won their last four league games, including notable scalps against Tottenham and Manchester City, to begin the day level on points with Liverpool.

However, Unai Emery's men struggled to live with a fired-up Liverpool after the break.

Gravenberch was badly missed due to an ankle injury in last weekend's 3-2 defeat at Brentford.

The Dutch midfielder had fortune on his side for Liverpool's second goal when he surged onto Alexis Mac Allister's pass before his strike deceived Martinez thanks to a deflection off Pau Torres.

A first clean sheet in 11 games rounded off a perfect start to a big week for Slot's men.

Real Madrid visit Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday before a visit to Manchester City next weekend.

A disastrous run has left Liverpool with a mountain to climb if they are to reel in Arsenal to defend their title.

But cutting the gap to the Gunners back to seven points is an important first step to hauling themselves back into the title race.

Mohamed Salah's 250th Liverpool goal ended the Premier League champions' losing streak in a 2-0 win against Aston Villa, while leaders Arsenal beat Burnley to surge seven points clear on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw at struggling Nottingham Forest and Chelsea won 1-0 at London rivals Tottenham.

After losing their previous four league games, and six of their last seven in all competitions, spluttering Liverpool finally showed signs of life at Anfield.

Arne Slot's troubled team were gifted their opening goal in first half stoppage-time when Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez's wayward pass was intercepted by Salah, who slotted into the empty net for his fifth goal this season.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea claim big wins on Saturday 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽️#SSFootball | #LIVAVL pic.twitter.com/NyWKfu9OCF

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 1, 2025

The Egypt forward's milestone 250th goal in all competitions for Liverpool was followed by Ryan Gravenberch's 58th minute deflected strike, wrapping up the Reds' first league victory since they beat Everton on September 20.

🙌 pic.twitter.com/oUSJA1qpUr

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 1, 2025

Liverpool's win, which leaves them third but seven points behind Arsenal, was well-timed ahead of a crucial week featuring clashes with Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Arsenal eased past Burnley 2-0, creating a five-game winning streak in the league to position themselves as firm favourites to end their painful two-decade wait to be crowned English champions.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

Viktor Gyokeres headed the Gunners ahead following a Declan Rice corner in the first half at Turf Moor for his first league goal since mid-September – yet more joy for the set-piece specialists.

England midfielder Rice himself headed home to double the visitors' lead in the 35th minute and put them in total control.

"The first half was exceptional – we scored two goals and gave nothing away," Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said.

"That was the platform. We had to make a few changes and didn't have that much control in the second half. Defending was exceptional again, we didn't give anything."

Arsenal, who have now won nine games in a row in all competitions, have enviable options in attack but their team is built on a rock-solid defence that has conceded just three league goals in 10 games this season.

UNITED RESCUE POINT

Manchester United, seeking their fourth straight league win, led 1-0 at the City Ground courtesy of Casemiro's first-half opener.

But Forest, who had not scored a league goal since September 20, roared back after the break as their confidence flooded back.

Morgan Gibbs-White headed the home side level in the 48th minute before Nicolo Savona tapped in just two minutes later to complete a dramatic turnaround.

But Amad Diallo levelled with a sweet volley in the 81st minute to rescue a point for United, who have been much improved in recent weeks after a poor start to the season.

Ruben Amorim, marking a year since his appointment as United manager, was disappointed to drop points but encouraged by his team's mentality.

"I feel in the recent past if we had had this situation (from 1-0 up to 2-1 down) we would have struggled so much more than today," he said.

"My feeling is we played well but we dropped a little bit of energy. When we have the full energy we are the better team."

Forest, who last month appointed Sean Dyche as manager to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou, remain in the relegation zone, four points behind 17th-placed Burnley.

Chelsea maintained their impressive record against Tottenham, winning 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Joao Pedro for a fifth straight Premier League victory over the north Londoners.

Enzo Maresca's fifth-placed side trail fourth-placed Tottenham on goal difference.

Rock-bottom Wolves, reduced to 10 men in the first half following the dismissal of Emmanuel Agbadou, are eight points from safety after a miserable 3-0 defeat at Fulham.

Crystal Palace beat Brentford 2-0 and Brighton pummelled Leeds 3-0.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank refused to condemn Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence after his defenders appeared to ignore him following Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Chelsea.

Joao Pedro's 34th minute strike gave Chelsea a fifth consecutive victory over their London rivals and a 10th win in their last 12 meetings in all competitions.

Frank's team were booed off after they produced only one shot on target in their latest disappointing display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was a third home loss in seven matches under the former Brentford boss, who has been unable to solve the poor home form that also plagued his predecessor Ange Postecoglou in 2025.

Adding to Frank's problems, Van de Ven and Spence headed towards the tunnel after the final whistle and, despite Frank seemingly telling them to thank the Tottenham fans, they walked past the Dane, who stared in their direction before he turned to applaud the crowd.

"I think that is one of the small issues. We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence who are doing everything they can. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, so I don't think it is a big problem," Frank said.

"All the players are of course frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that.

"I think it is about, which is difficult, to be consistent in good times and in bad times. That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that."

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

'FRUSTRATION AND EMOTIONS'

Although they sit in third place in the Premier League – above Chelsea on goal difference – Tottenham fans are becoming frustrated with their manager's prosaic tactics, which stand in stark contrast to the club's 'to dare is to do' ethos.

Asked if he understood the supporters' reaction at the result, Frank said: "Yes, 100 per cent. We all sense the frustration and the emotions. That is part of football."

Frank has always been known as a pragmatic manager willing to sacrifice style for points, a philosophy unlike the attack-minded Postecoglou, who was sacked despite winning the Europa League last season to end the club's 17-year trophy drought.

"I would say that of course hurts massively. I have never been in charge of a team that created that little in one game. That of course I will look into," Frank said of Tottenham's dismal attacking performance against Chelsea.

This was only Chelsea's third clean sheet in 12 matches and boss Enzo Maresca was relived to emerge unscathed for once.

"In any case I am happy with the 1-0, happy with the three points and especially because we kept the clean sheet, but it is something we need for the future. We know we are a team in the end who will score goals, but we need to do better defensively," Maresca said.

"I think the performance was very good. On the ball and off the ball. For sure the way we press was very important."

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said he had never lost faith in striker Joao Pedro after the Brazilian ended an eight-game barren run by scoring the winner in the Blues' 1-0 win at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.

Joao Pedro has been nursing an injury which is still likely to limit his involvement in the squad outside matchdays.

"Joao has never been a problem. The problem with Joao is he is not training every day. He has some problems we need to manage," Maresca said, adding that the return from injury of striker Liam Delap - who was suspended for Saturday's game - would offer more options in attack.

The Italian hailed his midfielder Moises Caicedo who added to his impressive start to the season by stealing possession from Spurs and providing the chance for Joao Pedro to convert in the 34th minute.

"Moi is showing how good he is. He's top. The best thing for him, he's humble, such a good guy and is there to help everyone. Him and Rodri are the best defensive midfielders in the world," Maresca said.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

Spurs coach Thomas Frank lamented the performance of his side who managed only one shot on target.

"I would say that of course hurt massively," the Dane said when asked about Spurs' lack of attacking threat. "I've never been in charge of a team that has created that little. I will of course look to make that better. Today we didn't hit the level."

Spurs, who have won only one of their five home games in the league - a 3-0 victory over Burnley in their opening match - host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday. Chelsea travel to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag on Wednesday.

Joao Pedro finally brought a halt to his Chelsea goal drought as the Brazilian striker sealed a 1-0 win to extend Tottenham's dismal record on their home turf on Saturday.

Enzo Maresca's side took the lead when Joao Pedro netted late in the first half of the London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was his first goal in nine games in all competitions dating back to his last strike against Fulham on August 30.

The 24-year-old has netted only three times for the Blues since signing from Brighton in a £60 million ($78 million) move in the close-season.

The World Champions cruise into the top four 🔵🔝#TOTCHE | #SSPremierLeague pic.twitter.com/cW5aeqU5mV

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 1, 2025

Chelsea's third win in their last four Premier League games lifted them into fourth place, behind third-placed Tottenham on goal difference.

Tottenham haven't won at home in the league since beating Burnley on the opening weekend of the season in August.

Their wretched home league form in 2025 started under Frank's predecessor Ange Postecoglou and the former Brentford boss is yet to find a cure.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

Although they lost in the League Cup fourth round at Newcastle in midweek, Tottenham have fared much better on the road this season, with an emphatic 3-0 win at Everton in their previous top-flight game.

But Tottenham fans are beginning to show signs of discontent at Frank's prosaic tactics, which stand in stark contrast to the club's 'to dare is to do' ethos.

Frank was hit by an early injury blow when Lucas Bergvall suffered a head injury and was replaced by concussion substitute Xavi Simons.

Bergvall appeared to plead with Tottenham's medical staff to let him stay on and when they refused, he angrily pushed one of the medics before Frank intervened to diffuse the situation.

SLOPPY SPURS

Alejandro Garnacho carried Chelsea's main threat in the first half as the Argentine forward tested Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario from distance.

Vicario went down with a knee injury midway through the half, but he was able to continue after treatment and immediately came to Tottenham's rescue.

Pedro Porro's clearance rebounded off Garnacho to Joao Pedro inside the area and Vicario stood tall to repel his low strike.

But Joao Pedro wasn't to be denied and he made amends for that miss with Chelsea's opener in the 34th minute.

Moises Caicedo tenaciously harried Simons and Micky van de Ven on the edge of the Tottenham area, winning possession and poking the ball towards Joao Pedro, who lashed into the roof of the net from six yards.

Frank was furious with Tottenham's sloppy defending, kicking a water bottle in disgust on the touchline.

Having ended his barren run, Joao Pedro nearly struck again when he took Malo Gusto's pass and unleashed a powerful effort that Vicario tipped over.

Rodrigo Bentancur could consider himself fortunate to escape with a booking after the Tottenham midfielder's ugly challenge on Reece James was deemed "not serious foul play".

Tottenham finally forced Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez into action on the stroke of halftime with a Mohammed Kudus blast, but the Spaniard was equal to it.

Enzo Fernandez, unmarked 10 yards from goal, headed wastefully over from James' cross soon after the interval.

Frank's side were guilty of conceding possession far too easily, with their lack of attacking impetus leaving their supporters increasingly frustrated.

The fans' angst mounted as Vicario had to tip over from Pedro Neto's fierce strike and Tottenham never seriously threatened a late escape.

Mikel Arteta labelled Arsenal's first half display in Saturday's 2-0 win against Burnley as "one of the best" in his reign as the Premier League pace-setters extended their lead at the top.

Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice bagged first-half goals at Turf Moor to give Arsenal a ninth successive win in all competitions.

The Gunners' interval advantage would have been more commanding but for two saves from Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who twice denied Bukayo Saka.

Arteta rated it as the first opening 45 minutes of his spell as Arsenal boss, which began in 2019.

These moments ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9JanYuvOZo

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 1, 2025

"We started the game exceptionally well. I think the first half is one of the best that we've played, scored two goals, generated another two or three big chances and conceded nothing," he said.

"And that was a platform, because in the second half we dropped the standards, especially with the ball, and with our intentions to play more forward. But again, defensively, we were exceptional."

Burnley failed to lay a glove on the north Londoners, with their first effort on goal coming through Florentino Luis' header in the 73rd minute before substitute Marcus Edwards' free-kick hit a post deep in stoppage time.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

Gyokeres struck the opener from a corner as Arteta's side also extended their league-leading set-piece goals tally this season, excluding penalties, to 12.

He was singled out for special praise by Arteta after ending a five-game goal drought in the league.

We keep moving. pic.twitter.com/NUGkU5lUTH

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 1, 2025

But the Sweden striker could be doubtful for Tuesday's Champions League game at Slavia Prague after being replaced at halftime due to a muscle strain.

"I think it was one of the best games that he's played for us," Arteta said of the summer signing from Sporting Lisbon.

"Overall, his performance was exceptional, apart from the goal, and we had to take him off because he was feeling a little niggle, muscular.

"His high press, his positioning and his touches, his threading in behind, the way he linked play, the way he gets us from this situation to transition.

"He was in a really good moment. It's a shame that he felt something."

Crystal Palace brushed aside London rivals Brentford in a comfortable 2-0 home win in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta's header and a Nathan Collins own goal.

Mateta gave Palace a deserved lead in the 30th minute after Jefferson Lerma headed Yeremy Pino's booming freekick back across goal for the French striker to nod home his sixth league goal of the campaign.

Palace's second came six minutes after the break via the old-school method of a long throw into the box from Lerma, which the unfortunate Collins headed into his own net.

Palace's win, their first in four league games, puts them seventh on 16 points from 10 games, while Brentford slip to 12th with 13 points.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

Viktor Gyokeres ended his Premier League goal drought as leaders Arsenal beat Burnley 2-0 to move seven points clear at the top on Saturday.

Gyokeres put the Gunners in front with a predatory header and Declan Rice increased the visitors' advantage before halftime at Turf Moor.

The Sweden striker had gone five games without scoring in the top-flight as part of a disappointing spell of two goals in nine matches in all competitions.

Gyokeres got back on track with his first league goal since September 13 and his sixth in all competitions since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in the close-season.

Arsenal's lead in the title race is likely to be trimmed by the time the rest of the weekend's games are played, but a blistering run of nine successive victories in all competitions has served as a significant statement to their rivals.

📈 @Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League with a win over Burnley! pic.twitter.com/wvAIKwSTYn

— Premier League (@premierleague) November 1, 2025

Mikel Arteta's side have won eight of their 10 league games and their parsimonious defence has not been breached for seven successive matches in all competitions.

After finishing as Premier League runners-up for the last three seasons, Arsenal are determined to finally win their first English title since 2004 and their first trophy of any kind since the 2020 FA Cup.

Questions were being asked about Arteta's ability to lead Arsenal to the title before the start of the season, but the Spaniard has taken advantage of champions Liverpool's collapse to put his team in a strong position.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

Currently in the midst of a hectic run of seven matches in just 22 days, the Gunners return to action in the Champions League at Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

RELENTLESS ARSENAL

Arsenal's remarkable prowess at dead balls has seen them nicknamed "Set-Piece FC" this season.

They were the first team in Europe's top five leagues to score 10 goals from set-pieces in the current campaign and they struck in familiar fashion in the 14th minute.

After Gabriel Magalhaes combined with Rice to set up Eberechi Eze's winner against Crystal Palace last weekend, the same duo laid on Gyokeres's opener.

Rice's in-swinging corner reached Gabriel and the Brazilian knocked it back to Gyokeres for a clinical close-range header.

It was the eighth time Arsenal had scored from a corner so far this season – the most ever from a team in their first 10 matches of a Premier League campaign.

Burnley had no answer to Arsenal's aerial barrage and Jurrien Timber should have doubled the lead when he met another Rice corner with a header that flashed over.

Arteta's men were pouring forward in waves and they went close again when Gyokeres teed up Bukayo Saka for a strike that was palmed away by Martin Dubravka before Leandro Trossard's follow-up was cleared off the line.

Arsenal's relentless pressure produced a second goal in the 35th minute when Trossard's chipped cross was headed emphatically past Dubravka by Rice.

Gyokeres was unable to finish the match as Mikel Merino replaced him at the break in a fresh fitness scare for the injury-hit Gunners.

But Arsenal were so dominant that Burnley were unable to muster a single shot in the first hour as the visitors cruised to victory in commanding style.

A stunning volley from Amad Diallo earned Manchester United a battling 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.

Looking to continue their revival under Ruben Amorim, United appeared to be on their way to securing a fourth successive league victory after Brazilian Casemiro headed them into a 34th-minute lead.

United, however, capitulated early in the second half when two goals in less than two minutes from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona turned the match on its head.

The visitors responded well but were frustrated in their efforts to restore parity until Diallo unleashed a blistering strike from the edge of the penalty area nine minutes from time to secure a point for his side.

Diallo almost snatched victory at the death as United missed the chance to climb to second in the standings with a win, the point helping them move into fifth, above rivals Manchester City who play on Sunday. Forest stayed 18th.

An incredible Amad strike secures a point for @ManUtd 👊 pic.twitter.com/ecaiDGeofR

— Premier League (@premierleague) November 1, 2025

On paper, the City Ground appeared like the perfect place for United to continue their resurgence back up the table. With new boss Sean Dyche at the helm, Forest came into Saturday's clash on a four-game losing streak, all without scoring.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

The visitors started like a side on the up. Close season signing Benjamin Sesko should have done better from a Bryan Mbeumo pull-back before the Slovenian arrowed another strike wide.

Home supporters were incensed at the decision to award United the corner that led to the opening goal. Boos rang out from all corners of the stadium as Casemiro headed in his third goal of the season.

DIALLO GOLDEN CHANCE

Diallo had a golden chance to double his side's lead late in the first half, blazing over from a good position, profligacy that proved costly as United fell apart after the restart.

The United wing-back was no match for Gibbs-White as the Forest live wire headed past goalkeeper Senne Lammens to net the home side's first league goal since September 20.

With the crowd lifted, 92 seconds later the turnaround was complete. United failed to deal with another long ball into the penalty area and it fell for Savona who earned redemption with a close-range finish.

United responded well, with Bruno Fernandes' fizzing strike hitting the post on the hour mark, before Diallo's shot from the edge of the penalty area, after Forest had only half cleared a corner, broke the hosts' resistance.

A goalline clearance was needed to keep out Diallo's rasping effort in stoppage-time, but defeat would have been harsh on Forest.

Second-place Bournemouth will attempt to continue their surprising Premier League start when they visit fifth-place Manchester City on Sunday.

The Cherries (5-1-3, 18 points) join league leaders Arsenal as the only EPL sides to lose just once through nine games, with arguably their most impressive victories coming in late August at Tottenham and home against Brighton in mid-September.

Antoine Semenyo has become the latest striker to blossom under manager Andoni Iraola. Semenyo's six league goals follow the career-best 11 he scored in 2024-25.

And while the Cherries have outperformed metrics like expected goals so far, City manager Pep Guardiola isn't about to write off the legitimacy of their position in the table or weigh in on whether they can maintain their spot.

"That's a question for Iraola," Guardiola said. "I would say it's just nine games but also in previous seasons they're consistent. The team, manager, players, a tough opponent, but we know that."

Guardiola would be as much of an authority as anyone, having led City (5-3-1, 16 points) to six league titles in total, including four in a row in an unprecedented streak that was halted with Liverpool's triumph last season.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

His side is currently six points back of Arsenal – and two behind Bournemouth – after seeing a five-match league unbeaten run broken last weekend at Aston Villa.

City have one of the world's top scorers at their disposal in Erling Haaland, who leads the EPL with 11 goals and was cleared to return Sunday after a minor knock in the Villa defeat.

And they've remained unbeaten in both their other competitions so far, taking seven points from three UEFA Champions League matches and recently seeing off second-tier Swansea City 3-1 in the EFL Cup fourth-round tie in midweek.

Bournemouth haven't had to balance multiple commitments since a second-round EFL Cup defeat way back in August, and perhaps that shows in a virtually clean injury report.

Brazilian striker Evanilson was the only question after he was forced to miss last weekend's 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Iraola says he'll be available Sunday.

"So now it's very difficult for me to make decisions because I have to leave some players out of the squad," Iraola said. "But it's good, because we are in a lovely place in that sense and we can approach the game in different ways, and I will have to think very well (about) what's going to be the possible starting XI and the options from the bench."

Premier League chiefs have blamed the reduction of Boxing Day matches this season on the expansion of European competitions.

Fixtures on December 26 have been a traditional part of the Premier League's Christmas schedule, but this year only one game will be played when Manchester United host Newcastle.

With Boxing Day falling on a Friday, the Premier League will instead play seven games on Saturday, December 27 and two on Sunday, December 28.

Aware that the lack of action on Boxing Day will prompt complaints from football traditionalists, the Premier League was quick to lay the blame on UEFA.

European football's governing body has overseen increases in the number of clubs competing in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

"The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season - impacting an important tradition in English football," the Premier League said in a statement on Friday.

"There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions - which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.

"This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition - fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.

"With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls."

UEFA's European competitions now stretch across 10 midweek matchdays rather than six, with the Premier League having to adapt its schedule around the increased continental action.

Concerns over player welfare after the extra games were added led to world football's governing body FIFA saying there should be a minimum rest period of 72 hours between matches.

"As with previous years - and in keeping with our commitment to clubs - special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played across the festive period," the Premier League said.

"This will allow greater time for players to recover, with the rest periods between rounds 18, 19 and 20 being increased to ensure that no club plays within 60 hours of another match."

The Premier League plans to return to a bumper festive schedule on Boxing Day next year.

"The League can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day - as the date falls on a Saturday," the statement said.

Pep Guardiola is confident Manchester City will contend for the Premier League title if Rodri can rediscover his best form after returning from injury.

The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner missed most of last season following knee surgery and has been plagued by fitness issues so far this term.

City have lost three of their opening nine league games to slip six points behind leaders Arsenal.

Yet, Guardiola's men have only lost once in their last 11 games in all competitions to start strongly in the Champions League and reach the League Cup quarterfinals.

Rodri is set to be involved for the first time in nearly a month when City host second-placed Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

"I think he (Rodri) will be ready to help. I don't know if he will be able to play from the beginning, but hopefully he can be with us," Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

Pep 💬 (Injury updates) Yeah, [Erling Haaland is fit].

I think he [Rodri] will be ready to help. I don't know if he will be able to play from the beginning, but hopefully he can be with us. pic.twitter.com/H8rf2PhZD1

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 31, 2025

Erling Haaland is also fit despite picking up a knock the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend that halted City's momentum in the title race.

"Still, we're not our best but we're close," added Guardiola.

"I've said before that we have the smell when I see the team and the training dressing room, how we apply and how we want to do things.

"I have the feeling Rodri can become his best, we'll be a team that's difficult to beat.

"Will we be still close to the (title) fight? I don't know but from the beginning since the Club World Cup in the United States, I'm optimistic about what this team can do this season."

-- NIGERIA ONLY --

City begin the weekend two points behind Bournemouth, who are on an eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Guardiola has been particularly impressed by the Cherries after they cashed in on three of their preferred back four last season.

Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi joined Liverpool, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively for combined fees in excess of £150 million.

"They are top. How co-ordinated they are with the hierarchy with the sporting directors, with the managers and with the players," said Guardiola.

"They have a clear philosophy and that doesn't change."