Arsenal have climbed to the top of the English Premier League (EPL) table after Chelsea pulled off a surprise 2–1 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
Earlier in the day, Arsenal eased past West Ham United with a comfortable 2–0 victory at the Emirates Stadium. Goals from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka in each half sealed the win for the Gunners, who are now unbeaten in their opening seven matches.
The result saw Mikel Arteta’s men move to 16 points, one ahead of Liverpool, who were later stunned by Chelsea in the last match of the day.
Chelsea, managed by Enzo Maresca, took the lead in the first half when Moises Caicedo fired a thunderous shot from distance past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. The Blues maintained the pressure but couldn’t add to their lead before the break.
Liverpool responded early in the second half, as Alexander Isak assisted Cody Gakpo to draw level. However, Chelsea had the final say. Teenage sensation Willian Estevão, introduced in the second half, scored a late winner to give the home side all three points and end Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the season.
The unexpected win by Chelsea helped Arsenal leapfrog Liverpool and claim the top spot going into the October international break.
This is a positive sign for Arsenal fans, who are hoping their team can go one better than last season, when they led the table for most of the campaign but finished second behind Manchester City.
With Manchester City also dropping points in their recent fixture, the title race is already heating up early in the season.
Chelsea’s win also provides a much-needed boost for Maresca, who is still settling into his first season at Stamford Bridge.
As club football pauses for the international break, Arsenal sit top with 16 points, followed by Liverpool on 15. Chelsea have moved into the top half of the table after an inconsistent start to their campaign.
Fans now look ahead to a thrilling return after the break, with big fixtures lined up that could further shake up the top of the table.
