Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to six points after securing a fifth straight win, while Liverpool ended their damaging losing run and Manchester City climbed to second thanks to another Erling Haaland masterclass. Meanwhile, Nuno Espírito Santo celebrated his first victory in charge of West Ham.

Here, AFP Sport rounds up the key talking points from the weekend’s action.

Slot’s Back-to-Basics Approach Ends Liverpool Slump

Arne Slot turned to simplicity to halt Liverpool’s four-game losing streak in the Premier League — and it worked. The Dutchman’s pragmatic reshuffle inspired a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, restoring some much-needed confidence at Anfield.

Despite a £450 million summer outlay, Hugo Ekitike was the only new signing to start. Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong were sidelined through injury, while Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz began on the bench.

Slot opted for trusted names, reinstating Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley as full-backs, and his faith was rewarded with Liverpool’s first clean sheet in 11 matches across all competitions.

Villa struck the woodwork twice before a blunder from Emiliano Martínez gifted Mohamed Salah his 250th Liverpool goal, sealing a win that eases the pressure on Slot.

However, with a daunting trip to Manchester City next on the horizon, tough decisions remain about how to best utilise his expensively assembled squad.

Haaland: Fantasy Football’s Ultimate Weapon

There’s little left to say about Erling Haaland, yet he keeps finding new ways to amaze. The Manchester City striker bagged another brace in the 3-1 win over Bournemouth, taking his total to 26 goals in just 16 matches for club and country this season.

Haaland has now joined Robbie Fowler and Luis Suárez as only the third player in Premier League history to score two or more goals in four consecutive home games.

Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks summed up the challenge simply: “It’s almost impossible to stop him.”

Asked by Sky Sports how he felt about being substituted before securing a hat-trick, Haaland joked:

“There were probably a few fantasy managers who weren’t too happy!”

City boss Pep Guardiola may still be searching for consistency from his team, but with Haaland in this kind of form, the champions remain firmly in the title race.

Tensions Brewing at Tottenham

On paper, Tottenham Hotspur sit fifth in the Premier League and remain unbeaten in the Champions League. But behind the results, signs of unease are emerging within Thomas Frank’s squad.

Spurs were booed off after a lifeless 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, their 10th loss in 12 meetings against their London rivals. They managed just one shot on target and recorded an xG of 0.05 — their lowest since such data began being tracked in 2012/13.

Adding to the frustration, stand-in captain Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence appeared to ignore Frank’s handshake as they were substituted, hinting at tension within the camp.

Frank dismissed the incident, calling it “one of the small issues,” adding:

“They’ve performed very well this season, and everyone is frustrated. It’s not a big problem.”

Still, it was an awkward moment — and one the Spurs boss will need to address as pressure quietly begins to build.