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Premier League roundup: Biggest stories from Matchday 9

Kai Havertz. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters

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Premier League roundup: Biggest stories from Matchday 9

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Nov 2, 2026 5:11 PM ET

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The English Premier League wrapped up its ninth weekend of action on Monday with Everton's surprise 1-0 win over Newcastle at St. James' Park.

Arsenal surged into first place on the strength of its 1-0 win over Liverpool, moving ahead of Manchester City on points for the first time this season. Sunderland remained anchored to the bottom of the table with just five points from its opening nine fixtures.

Here are the biggest stories from a big weekend of Premier League action:

Arsenal finally won at Anfield...but at what cost?

You've heard the legend many times before: Arsenal, despite its riches, its trophies and its very real sense of destiny, hasn't managed to win a game at Liverpool's Anfield stadium in 14 years. The last time the club managed it was in September of 2012, and that was so long ago that current coach Mikel Arteta was still an active player in Arsenal's midfield. Talk about a curse.

That curse came to an end this weekend when Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 off a Kai Havertz tap-in to secure the Anfield win it wanted so desperately. You'd think a win like this would galvanize Arsenal, but the way it came—off the back of a terrible, listless performance that stripped Arsenal of all the things that make it interesting—made the whole thing feel like a letdown. Yes, it's good to see Arsenal shaking off its Anfield demons. Yes, it's nice that Arsenal has finally learned how to win while playing ugly. But it's worth pointing out that it's been a long, long time since Arsenal has won by playing beautifully...and that should give Arteta plenty of pause as he gears his team up for the next phase of its title challenge.

@nbcsports Declan Rice snuck this cross past multiple Liverpool defenders, leading to the Kai Havertz finish! #premierleague #arsenal #goal ♬ original sound - NBC Sports

United remained divided

Look: no one, least of all Michael Carrick himself, is arguing that Michael Carrick is a generational managerial talent. He's a competent midfielder-turned-caretaker who's been thrust into a big job at Manchester United on the basis of his long-time connection with the club. But while Carrick isn't a world beater, he also isn't a destructive force, and it feels terribly unfair that he's taking the brunt of the consequences for United's poor performances in 2026.

United's latest collapse, a 2-0 loss to Chelsea, began as a Carrick masterclass. He got his tactics spot-on and his team was the better outfit in the first half. A Lisandro Martinez red card (in one minute and twenty-two seconds flat, no less) changed everything in the second half, and Carrick's men collapsed entirely from there.

When asked if he blamed Martinez for the loss, Carrick gave an unequivocal "no." He remains the only man working to restore this divided United side...and, unfortunately, the most likely man to lose his job because of it.

@athleticfcpod Does Lisandro Martinez have a future at Man United? The Athletic's Michael Cox says he's been the worst player in the Premier League this season... Is there any way back for him after Saturday's red card at Stamford Bridge? #manchesterunited #manunited #premierleague #football #footballtiktok ♬ original sound - The Athletic FC Podcast

Brighton kept up the pace

Another week, another unbelievable Brighton performance. The Seagulls took down Manchester City 1-0 at the Etihad to lift themselves into a surprising—but utterly deserved—third-place position.

Much of the talk around Brighton's rise this season has centered around its attack, and it's easy to see why: its goal difference of +17 is a full seven goals better than its nearest competitor. But goal difference is about more than just how many chances you finish, and Brighton's defense deserves immense credit for the way it has comported itself in 2026/27.

No one deserves more credit than Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, though. City put 21 shots (six of which were on target and five of which were considered "big" chances) in his direction, but Verbruggen kept every single one of them at bay. He's leading the league in goals prevented (4.4) and clean sheets (6) and has one of the highest save percentages around at 78.8%. He's the most in-form goalkeeper in the Premier League without question.

@bhafc Incredible from #BartVerbruggen! ⛔️ #BHAFC #PremierLeague ♬ aura.mp3 - slowed - SLVSHY & DJ ZYRONIX

Man United, Crystal Palace and Sunderland underlined a growing EPL discipline trend

There were four red cards in the Premier League this weekend: one for Man United's Lisandro Martinez, one for Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, one for Sunderland's Omar Alderete and one for Newcastle's Jacob Ramsey. This was the third Premier League weekend of nine in which three or more players were sent off across the slate of matches.

If that total feels high to you, it should. There were 40 red cards handed out in the Premier League throughout the 2025/26 season; there have been 17 handed out in 2026-27 after just nine of 38 matchdays. Sunderland and Crystal Palace have already earned the same number of red cards as they did last season, while Brentford has earned double its previous total. There's a lot factoring into this trend—rule changes, increased pressure in the penalty box and frankly absurd handball calls that someone should probably investigate in the near future—but it's too early in the season to point to any one root cause. It will, however, be fascinating to watch this red card arms race develop...and to see which teams can keep eleven players on the field better than most.

The Premier League will return with Matchday 10 on Friday.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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