Marc Cucurella has urged Chelsea to show a killer instinct after their failure to finish off Sunderland in Saturday’s damaging 2-1 defeat. Enzo Maresca’s side have squandered eight points from winning positions already this season and the latest let-down came at Stamford Bridge when Sunderland‘s Chemsdine Talbi‘s snatched a stoppage-time winner. Chelsea had led through Alejandro Garnacho‘s fourth-minute strike, his first goal since arriving from Manchester United, but the Black Cats equalised in the 22nd minute through Wilson Isidor. The Blues were unable to regain the lead despite dominating possession for long periods as they delivered the latest in a growing list of toothless displays.

Everton have confirmed that defender Jarrad Branthwaite will undergo surgery. The surgery will resolve a complication in his recovery from a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old England international, who has been out since August. He was set to return soon before medical staff identified the issue. The procedure is scheduled for Tuesday, the club announced. “Following specialist consultation, it has been determined the defender will undergo a surgical procedure tomorrow to address the issue,” Everton said in a statement. Branthwaite, who signed a new contract in July keeping him at Goodison Park until 2030. He will begin a structured rehabilitation programme after the operation under the supervision of the club’s medical team.

Nuno Espírito Santo conceded that “we have a problem” after West Ham United’s miserable start to the Premier League season. They lost 2-0 at home to Brentford on Monday night. Goals from Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen earned the visitors their first away win of the season, while West Ham’s display drew boos from those fans who remained inside the London Stadium. Nuno’s first home game in charge was overshadowed by a boycott from supporters’ groups protesting against the club’s board. The loss means the Hammers have now lost all four home matches to begin a league campaign. “Not good enough. Poor,” Nuno admitted after the match. “Fairly, Brentford won the game, they were the better team. “I think we are all concerned. You can see our own fans are concerned. Concern becomes anxiety, becomes silence. We have a problem.” The defeat leaves West Ham 19th in the table, ahead of only bottom-placed Wolves on goal difference. It came just hours after former boss Graham Potter, sacked last month, was announced as the new manager of Sweden.

Liverpool’s title defence is unraveling fast, with manager Arne Slot under pressure to halt a worrying slump. Liverpool lost 2-1 at home to Manchester United on Sunday. It is their fourth straight loss in all competitions. It marked United’s first win at Anfield since 2016 and Liverpool’s worst run since 2014 under Brendan Rodgers. After a strong start, seven straight wins, Slot’s side have seen performances deteriorate sharply. The champions now look short on confidence, control, and cutting edge. Slot admitted he is searching for solutions as injuries, fatigue, and defensive lapses continue to pile up.

Arsenal came from behind to earn a deserved win at St. James’ Park on Sunday, cutting Liverpool’s lead at the top to just two points. The Gunners had lost their previous three visits to Newcastle without scoring, but Mikel Arteta’s men started brightly this time. They fired three shots – two on target – in the opening six minutes, with Bukayo Saka captaining the side in Martin Ødegaard’s absence. Newcastle briefly steadied themselves as Malick Thiaw and Sandro Tonali tried to stem the pressure, yet Arsenal kept pushing forward, with Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori especially influential. Against the run of play, the hosts struck first when Nick Woltemade headed in Tonali’s cross just after the half-hour mark – only the sixth time a Newcastle player has scored in his first two home games. Arsenal kept their composure and turned the game around after the break to secure all three points, ending their Tyneside hoodoo and boosting their title hopes.  

Bukayo Saka criticised VAR after Arsenal’s first-half penalty was overturned in their 2-1 comeback win at Newcastle. Referee Jarred Gillett initially awarded a spot-kick for Nick Pope’s challenge on Viktor Gyokeres. However, he changed his decision after a lengthy review at the pitchside monitor. Arsenal went on to win the match with Gabriel’s dramatic late header, yet Saka was unhappy with the early call. “There are a few things we can speak about, for example, the penalty,” Saka said. “For me, if we have VAR, it is for a clear and obvious error, and the fact that it took the ref that long to decide shows it is not a clear and obvious error. “It is things like this that always go against us, but today we got what we deserved and that’s why we are all so happy. It doesn’t matter now, does it?”    

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank praised his side’s fighting spirit after they battled back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Spurs trailed to goals that Frank admitted could have been prevented, but late strikes from Richarlison and a Jan-Paul van Hecke own goal salvaged a point. The coach was quick to commend the mentality his players showed. “I think this is our best performance of the season,” Frank said. “We controlled large parts of the game, created plenty of chances, and showed real mental and physical strength to come back.” He also singled out Mohammed Kudus for his influence on the right flank, describing him as “probably our man of the match.”