Title race blown wide open after Arsenal's loss at Villa

Arsenal stunned by Aston Villa, Man City thrash Sunderland as title race becomes three-horse battle; Liverpool & Chelsea collapse further.

Ruben Diaz celebrates after powering Manchester City in front against Sunderland on Saturday. City won 3-0 to move within two points of Arsenal. (Photo credit: Goal)

Arsenal’s loss at Villa and Manchester City’s emphatic win over Sunderland blew the title race wide open; however, Chelsea and Liverpool are completely out of it.

The league this season is proving to be bipolar. One win can see a team climb greatly, and one loss can tumble a team badly. As things stand, we have a three-horse race of Arsenal, Manchester City and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.

Arsenal knew it was never going to be an easy game. Villa came prepared, and Unai Emery’s game management helped Aston Villa to do what only one team had been able to do in the whole of Europe this season, which is to beat Arsenal.

Villa started well and missed glorious chances early on before eventually going ahead through Matty Cash. The ball was fired in at the near post with Ben White lost in space. Arsenal had a few chances in the first half, but all were either repelled by Emi Martinez or poorly finished by the Arsenal lads.

The second half was a different ballgame. The Gunners upped their game, and Villa couldn’t keep up. As always, Arsenal’s goal had Bukayo Saka written all over it. Saka’s low cross was parried to the path of Leandro Trossard, who tapped home seamlessly.

It became an end-to-end affair from there on, but it was Emery’s late sub, Emiliano Buendia, who bundled the ball home after some ping-pong in the Arsenal area. The loss was only Arsenal’s second this season, and it has sent Villa three points off the Gunners.

Manchester City beat Sunderland 3-0 at the Etihad, and the only anomaly in that is that Erling Haaland didn’t get on the score sheet. Phil Foden is the form player of the Premier League right now; is he ready to fire City to the title again?

Liverpool managed to lose their advantage at Elland Road as they settled for a 3-3 draw. There are lots of things happening with Liverpool; Mohammed Salah’s form and indiscretion is one, and the entire club’s body language is another.

Liverpool led 2-0, then got pegged back to 2-2. Liverpool led again, only to concede late on to settle for a 3-3 draw against relegation-threatened Leeds United. Is there any coming back for the champions this season? How will they handle Salah’s interview that seems to throw Arne Slot under the bus?

For Chelsea, you rarely know what to expect. Chelsea has gone three straight games without a win. The Blues drew at home to Arsenal last weekend, lost at Leeds and then played a goalless draw against Bournemouth on Saturday. Are they serious about the title at all?