Saturday’s Premier League Takeaways delivered drama, delight and despair across an action-packed Matchweek 9, with Brighton & Hove Albion claiming a famous victory at Manchester City, Chelsea returning to winning ways and Tottenham Hotspur continuing their strong run of form.
There were also important wins for Brentford and Bournemouth, while several teams were left to reflect on costly missed opportunities and growing problems.
Brighton show they can compete with the elite
Brighton produced one of the performances of the weekend as they secured a historic 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
At the final whistle, Brighton’s players collapsed to the turf, exhausted but delighted after surviving sustained pressure from the home side.
The celebrations reflected the importance of the result, but the victory could mean much more for Fabian Hurzeler’s team.
Brighton have built their impressive league position through attractive attacking football and entered the weekend as the Premier League’s top-scoring side with 24 goals. Against City, however, they demonstrated another side to their game.
Instead of dominating possession, Brighton showed resilience and defensive discipline.
They had just 38 per cent possession, a major change from their recent defeats to Liverpool and Chelsea, when they controlled far more of the ball. This time, their backs-to-the-wall performance was enough to secure a memorable victory.
It remains too early to describe Brighton as title contenders, but their supporters can certainly begin to dream after seeing the team demonstrate such determination against one of the division’s strongest sides.
Manchester City, meanwhile, were left frustrated by their failure to take their chances.
They registered 20 shots and accumulated 1.92 Expected Goals (xG) but failed to score, ending a Premier League match without a goal for the first time since 17 January.
Chelsea find a solution without Joao Pedro
Chelsea responded strongly with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United, while Xabi Alonso appeared to find an answer to the attacking problems caused by Joao Pedro’s absence.
Before Saturday, Chelsea had lost both matches Joao Pedro missed this season without scoring.
Danny Welbeck led the line during the 3-0 defeat at Brentford, while Morgan Rogers played up front in the 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
Against Manchester United, Alonso made another adjustment by deploying Pedro Neto through the middle.
The decision paid off.
The attacking players around Neto exploited Manchester United’s defensive weaknesses, with Rogers and Cole Palmer scoring. Estevao also had two goals ruled out for offside.
Rogers moved level with Joao Pedro as Chelsea’s top Premier League scorer with five goals.
Palmer reached another major milestone by scoring his 50th Premier League goal in 105 appearances. He became the third-fastest Chelsea player to reach the landmark, behind Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Diego Costa.
Manchester United showed encouraging signs early in the match and were arguably the better team during the first half. Matheus Cunha had a goal ruled out before the visitors’ defensive problems returned after the break.
Rogers found space through the middle of the defence to open the scoring before Lisandro Martinez was sent off for a reckless challenge. Palmer then converted the resulting penalty.
United fans continued to chant in support of Michael Carrick, but his side are now winless in nine matches across all competitions, increasing the pressure on the manager.
Brentford keep their remarkable scoring run alive
One of the more impressive Saturday’s Premier League Takeaways came from Brentford, who strengthened their position near the European places with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Following Manchester City’s defeat, Brentford became the only Premier League team to have scored in every league match this season.
That consistency has been crucial in another encouraging campaign under Keith Andrews.
With just one defeat so far, alongside five draws and three victories, the Bees moved into sixth place and sit only two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
Nottingham Forest, however, continue to struggle in front of goal.
Despite having 15 shots, Forest failed to score for the fifth time in the league this season and dropped into the relegation zone.
Bournemouth hit top form under Rose
Bournemouth continued their excellent run with a 2-0 victory over Leeds United.
The result made it six consecutive wins in all competitions, with every victory coming without conceding a goal.
After some difficult early results under Marco Rose, when late goals often undermined positive performances, Bournemouth have found an impressive rhythm.
Their recent form suggests they are capable of balancing domestic and European football while continuing to build on the foundations established under Andoni Iraola.
Eli Kroupi added a moment of quality after returning to the side, producing a late assist involving a nutmeg and a no-look pass.
Leeds, meanwhile, remain short of goals. They have scored only twice in their last five matches and are without a win during that run.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin thought he had opened the scoring, but his effort was ruled out for handball.
Spurs find a steady rhythm
Tottenham Hotspur secured their third consecutive Premier League victory with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Palace’s task became more difficult after Jean-Philippe Mateta received an early red card, but Spurs supporters will have been particularly pleased by the calm and controlled nature of their performance.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side looked increasingly organised and confident.
It was Tottenham’s first run of three consecutive Premier League wins since February 2025, with the team beginning to show greater cohesion and understanding.
The players are building stronger relationships on the pitch, while confidence and trust are also growing among supporters.
For Crystal Palace, Mateta’s dismissal creates another significant problem.
The striker, who was their top Premier League scorer last season with 12 goals, will miss three matches. His absence is a major blow for a Palace side that have failed to score in each of their last three league games.
Fulham benefit from Suzuki’s costly mistake
Aston Villa and Fulham played out a 1-1 draw in another eventful contest.
Zion Suzuki produced a number of high-quality saves, while Johan Manzambi set up Nicolas Jackson for the opening goal, which was the striker’s sixth of the month.
However, Suzuki’s mistake from a corner changed the outcome.
The goalkeeper dropped the ball into his own net, rescuing a point for Fulham after their forwards had struggled to convert several good opportunities.
Fulham produced an xG of 2.2 but failed to make the most of their chances.
It continued a familiar story from their season. Before the match, Fulham had scored 3.2 goals fewer than their Expected Goals total and had consequently collected 3.2 fewer points than expected.
Greater composure in front of goal could help Fulham climb the table.
Promoted sides continue to fight
The promoted teams also produced some important results.
Coventry City strengthened their chances of survival with an impressive 3-1 victory over Sunderland.
Their home form could prove crucial, with Coventry recording two major wins in their last three matches at the CBS Arena, including a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United.
Hull City and Ipswich Town, meanwhile, played out an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Both teams moved onto 11 points, creating valuable distance between themselves and the bottom three.
Sunderland’s position is becoming increasingly concerning after another defeat.
The bottom side have now lost to both Ipswich and Coventry this season, while their European commitments could add further pressure. A midweek match against Dinamo Zagreb gives them less preparation time before Chelsea visit next weekend.
A Saturday packed with drama
From Brighton’s famous victory at the Etihad to Chelsea’s response against Manchester United, Saturday’s Premier League Takeaways provided plenty of memorable moments.
Brighton showed impressive resilience, Chelsea found an attacking solution, Bournemouth continued their remarkable winning run and Tottenham demonstrated growing stability.
At the other end, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland were left facing difficult questions after another dramatic day of Premier League football.