Premier League talking points: De Zerbi loses first Spurs game as Arsenal falter

[p]Long-time leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] slumped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/bournemouth-OtpNdwrc/summary/stats/?mid=jcHwYvNG"]to a shock 2-1 home defeat[/a] by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] on Saturday and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a] took full advantage, thumping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] 3-0.[/p][p]At the other end of the table, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a] are two points from safety after a 1-0 defeat at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] in Roberto De Zerbi's first match in charge.[/p][p][i]AFP Sport [/i]looks at three talking points from the Premier League weekend:[/p][h2]Will Arsenal blow title again?[/h2][p]Arsenal remain firm favourites to win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, but the mood music at the Emirates has changed dramatically.[/p][p][b]After suffering just three defeats in their opening 49 matches of the season in all competitions, the Gunners have lost three of their past four.[/b][/p][embed guid="c5a23284-4030-4ff6-8e11-f95a03459d3f" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2043385191461208258" social-type="twitter" /][p]Just weeks ago Arsenal were on course for a unique quadruple but they were well beaten by Manchester City in the League Cup final and lost to second-tier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Southampton[/a] in the FA Cup.[/p][p]Arteta described [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/bournemouth-OtpNdwrc/summary/stats/?mid=jcHwYvNG"]Saturday's defeat in front of their disgruntled fans[/a] as a "big punch in the face", admitting the club's long wait for the English title added to the pressure.[/p][embed guid="00a5e8b7-47fb-48b9-bfcd-180ce6e11928" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2043004421345296701" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Spaniard takes his team to face City next week knowing a defeat could spell disaster and condemn them to a fourth straight runners-up finish.[/p][p]City boss Pep Guardiola will be as delighted with the manner of his team's win at Stamford Bridge as with the result. They smell blood.[/p][h2]Spurs staring into the abyss[/h2][p]The Premier League title race between Arsenal and Manchester City is headline news, but if Tottenham go down it will be the story of the season.[/p][p]Former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a] boss Roberto De Zerbi now has a clearer picture of the size of his task after his team's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/sunderland-WSzc94ws/tottenham-UDg08Ohm/summary/stats/?mid=pxlmliDE"]1-0 defeat at Sunderland[/a].[/p][p]History makes grim reading for the Italian, who is the third manager of the London club this season.[/p][embed guid="d16fb241-7813-4115-9ad7-22fb9ce36490" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2043344133356507275" social-type="twitter" /][p]Only three sides - Derby, Sunderland and Swindon - have had longer winless runs to start a calendar year in the Premier League than Tottenham in 2026 (14) and all three were relegated.[/p][p]De Zerbi believes his players have the quality but are lacking confidence.[/p][p][b]"We have to be stronger than this moment, and positive, because we have the qualities enough to win the game, and when we win the game, we can see everything's different," [/b]he said.[/p][p]But while Spurs flounder, relegation rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-ham/Cxq57r8g/"]West Ham[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] continue to pick up points.[/p][h2]Can Liverpool teen Ngumoha save Slot?[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] boss Arne Slot compared [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ngumoha-rio/rejpF30d/"]Rio Ngumoha[/a] to the departing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mohamed Salah[/a] after the 17-year-old scored a brilliant opener [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fulham-69ZiU2Om/liverpool-lId4TMwf/summary/stats/?mid=jJ4pUVLr"]in a priceless 2-0 victory[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a].[/p][p][b]Ngumoha was already the club's youngest goalscorer and he now holds the Liverpool record as the youngest Premier League scorer at Anfield.[/b][/p][embed guid="f8e46d1f-deb7-41d7-bb11-da741daec94f" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2043048988308320652" social-type="twitter" /][p]The win strengthened Liverpool's hold on fifth place after a calamitous Premier League title defence and it gave Slot some respite after heavy losses to Manchester City and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a].[/p][p]Slot's position as manager has been openly questioned just a year after he led the Reds to a record-equalling 20th English title.[/p][p]He must, at a bare minimum, engineer a top-five finish, which would guarantee Champions League football next season and Ngumoha could be the spark.[/p][image alt="Standings" id="f4497f03-d6b0-4a82-bfae-cf47dd91dace" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="1d826210-e9c2-4ac2-bd53-f3407a4e3fd0" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][b]"He has such a special quality which you don't see a lot in football anymore - dominating the one-v-one situation," [/b]said Slot.[/p][p][b]"And that's exactly what he did when he scored his goal, making the ball free by twisting and turning and then hitting it in like a Mo Salah finish."[/b][/p]