Premier League Week 9: Notable takeaways

Another action-packed weekend of Premier League football is in the books. There were plenty of talking points from gameweek nine as a few players stole the show for their respective clubs. However, the main headlines involved two notable rivalries in Manchester and London.

Results in other games sparked an interesting shakeup in the Premier League standings as well, especially in the top half of the table. Multiple teams are still chasing the title, while others are fighting hard to secure a place in Europe.

Let's take a look at some key takeaways from this weekend's Premier League matches.

Arsenal Deserve Top Spot

Mikel Arteta is smiling from ear to ear with the way his Arsenal side have started the season. The Gunners dominated arch rivals Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium, winning 3-1. Arsenal were excellent on both ends of the pitch.

Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka both scored for Arsenal against Tottenham.

Arsenal created 22 chances and scored three goals against a Tottenham side that had only conceded seven goals coming in to the game. Arsenal proved once more that they deserve to be league leaders.

Arteta's men were criticized for not being able to play under pressure in big games last season. It will be interesting to see what they do against Liverpool next weekend.

Newcastle United & Brighton Mean Business

Newcastle United put four past Fulham in London as they cruised to a comfortable victory, while Brighton remain in the top four after their draw against Liverpool.

The Magpies displayed a sense of urgency from the opening minute, and goals from Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron (x2) revived the confidence that was missing in recent weeks.

The Seagulls did well to score two early goals at Anfield, but they did an even better job maintaining their composure to find a late equalizer against Liverpool.

Brighton fans witnessed a smooth transition as their new manager Roberto De Zerbi picked up where Graham Potter left off. Newcastle United and Brighton are earning their results through solid performances every week.

Lack of Creativity for Liverpool

Liverpool took a step in the wrong direction as far as the title race is concerned. Jurgen Klopp's men continue to dominate most statistical categories, but are lacking the killer instinct they had in previous seasons.

Mohamed Salah failed to score for Liverpool this weekend.

As has been the case against a few other opponents earlier this season, the Reds seemed out of sync when trying to break down Brighton's defense. There seems to be a lack of leadership across Liverpool's front line at the moment.

Roberto Firmino did well to score a brace that kept the home side in the game, however, he is more of a playmaker rather than a goal scorer. Till Mohamed Salah finds his form, Liverpool could struggle to stay relevant in the Premier League title race.

Manchester Derby or Exhibition?

The defending champions rolled over Manchester United with ease and further confirmed that they are the team to beat once again this season despite the resurgence of Arsenal.

Erling Haaland celebrates his hat-trick vs. Man Utd

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden were unstoppable as they both celebrated hat-tricks against their arch rivals. Manchester United are still trying to find their identity under Erik ten Hag.

City could be set for another exciting season after their 6-3 win over United. The Red Devils will hope the team can bounce back and get a run of wins before players fly to Qatar for the World Cup next month.