“Top Four Talk” is a column by Marco Haynes about the 2024-25 English Premier League in which he breaks down the week’s four most consequential talking points.
The tireless Cherries deliver damage to Man City’s perfect start
An energetic and industrious AFC Bournemouth display was rewarded with a 2-1 victory against Manchester City, sealing last season’s champion’s first defeat in the Premier League this season.
The Vitality stadium has quietly become a fortress against title-hopeful clubs this season. The Cherries handed Arsenal their first defeat in the league with a 2-0 victory in October, and now Man City has joined that list.
The defeat means that every team in the division has lost a game, while it also ended the Citizens’ 14-match winning streak over Bournemouth in the top flight, which was the most consecutive victories by one team over another in the league’s history.
Furthermore, it’s hard not to notice the quality Cherries’ winger Antoine Semenyo oozes when he dribbles towards the opposition goal or finds the back of the net with a tidy finish, which Man City experienced first-hand, as the Ghanaian attacker added a fourth goal to his tally this season.
Cherries’ boss Andoni Iraola set-up a tight defense that limited the Man City attack’s chances, specifically in the first half, with their defensive wall denying the champions a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
After a statement victory against Man City, Bournemouth is looking to pick up momentum in the league when they travel to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday to face Brentford.
Disappointing Arsenal suffer another dent in their title hopes
Manager Mikel Arteta and Arsenal already find themselves seven points behind league leaders Liverpool after a substandard performance in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday at St. James’ Park.
Given Liverpool’s come-from-behind win over Brighton, the Gunners now find themselves desperately chasing the title before we even hit the fixture-crowded month of December. Two defeats on the road now drop Arteta’s team to fifth in the league.
The Gunners were without their captain and chief playmaker, Martin Ødegaard, and it showed during the defeat, with the traveling side only registering one shot on target throughout the match, barely threatening the Newcastle net.
Arteta has his work cut out for him when it comes to dealing with injury woes, as they are now without their Norwegian captain and defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who are also sidelined until mid-November.
Before the two defeats this season, Arsenal had only lost one game in 25 Premier League matches in 2024. Also, this is the first time Arteta’s team has experienced successive defeats on the road in the division since May 2022, losing 3-0 against Tottenham Hotspur and 2-0 to Newcastle.
Arsenal will have an opportunity to turn their poor form around in a statement London Derby against a resurgent Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Aston Villa endure a humiliating loss in North London
Going into November, Aston Villa is beginning to succumb to the intense workload the club has had so far this season. During their 4-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Villains looked tired and second-best in the second half, while the home side came out of the break energetic and scored four goals to complete the comeback
Every team that competes in European competition faces a period where dealing with matches on multiple fronts starts to hit the players with fatigue and injuries, and Villa might be the next victim. After being a goal up at half-time, manager Unai Emery witnessed his side struggle to keep hold of the lead, despite bringing on their super-sub Jhon Durán, who was unable to find the back of the net.
Overall, Emery’s team has performed admirably so far, sitting sixth in the Premier League and were top and unbeaten in the Champions League through matchday three, a competition the club hadn’t graced since Villa won it in 1982, when it was called the European Cup. Villa also suffered a home defeat to Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup last week before Club Brugge served them their first Champions League defeat on Wednesday morning.
But the team’s outstanding run under Emery might’ve hit a serious stumbling block with these three consecutive defeats. While Emery definitely has a record that should make fans confident Villa will rebound, the club has only won once in its previous five Premier League matches. Draws against Bournemouth, Ipswich and an underperforming Manchester United meant that Villa took just three points from a potential total of nine.
Things would get any easier in a hurry, as a tricky trip to Anfield to play league-leaders Liverpool awaits Aston Villa on Saturday, a massive test for Emery’s quest to qualify for Europe again.
Newly promoted Southampton secure first win under Russell Martin
Relief for manager Russell Martin, relief for Saints Fans and relief for Southampton, which narrowly defeated Everton 1-0 to earn the club its first league victory of the 2024-25 season.
Relegation favorites Southampton desperately needed a victory, and they finally got it late on, thanks to Adam Armstrong scoring his first goal in the division. Already 10 matches into the season, sitting 19th in the league and struggling to hold onto leads, Saints fans finally have something to celebrate.
Southampton went on a 22-match winless run dating back to the 2022-2023 season, which ultimately saw them relegated. It was also a club record for going without a top-flight victory, including their time spent in the old First Division before the rebranding to the Premier League.
The win also happened to be Southampton’s 14th against Everton, the most victories the Saints have secured against any opponent in their Premier League history.
Southampton desperately needed some good fortune, as they’re expected to be around the relegation zone by season’s end. After failing to earn three points against fellow relegation-contenders Leicester and only securing a point against Ipswich, both in home matches, the club needed a lift.
This moment might be the confidence boost that manager Russel Martin needed for his team, but the coaching staff still needs to figure out how to get his offense to score goals more regularly. His squad has only found the back of the net seven times, the lowest in the league so far.
Southampton desperately hopes to pick up more points before the international break in an early relegation six-pointer against bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Molineux Stadium on Saturday.
“Top Four Talk” runs every Wednesday.