Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend | OneFootball

Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend, featuring Aston Villa’s emergence as potential title challengers and Liverpool’s sliding doors deadline day.

Are Aston Villa genuine title challengers?

Aston Villa blew open the title race on Saturday lunchtime. Scoring with virtually the last kick of the game, Emi Buendia’s dramatic goal could shape the narrative of the season. Arsenal’s lead is down to two points, while just a point behind in the rear-view mirror are their weekend conquerors.

Unai Emery’s team continue to fly under the radar, despite a consistent patch of form to rival any team in the division. Their weekend win was an eighth in nine Premier League games, while their performances over 2025 as a whole have been outstanding. Villa sit third for Premier League points won this calendar year (67), just four behind both Arsenal and Manchester City (71).

Villa have not won a league title since 1981 and have not lifted a trophy of any form for 36 years, but could things be different this season?

Sanchez deserves flowers for Chelsea improvement

Chelsea explored a deal to sign a new goalkeeper in the summer. There were talks with AC Milan over Mike Maignan, before Chelsea ultimately decided to stick with their current options.

Chelsea’s search for a goalkeeper suggested Enzo Maresca did not have full trust in Robert Sanchez, but the Spaniard has fought back this season. He was excellent at Bournemouth, making five saves to keep his side in the game.

A goalless draw saw Sanchez earn his eighth league clean sheet, moving level with Arsenal’s David Raya in the Golden Glove race. Sanchez has simplified his game and Chelsea are reaping the benefits.

Wissa return can lift Newcastle

It’s been a long wait for Yoane Wissa. After signing for Newcastle in the summer, Wissa had to wait 96 days for his debut this weekend.

An impressive cameo off the bench saw Wissa look sharp against Burnley and his return is a welcome boost for Eddie Howe, who has been reliant on fellow recruit Nick Woltemade during the season’s opening months.

With Wissa left out of the DR Congo squad for AFCON due to a lack of football, he has the chance to impact Newcastle’s push for Europe. Fresh from scoring 19 non-penalty goals in the Premier League last season, it’s a huge addition for the Magpies.

Stuttering summer signings off the mark

Sometimes it takes summer signings time to settle and the Premier League has been littered with recruits enduring underwhelming starts this season. The struggles of Liverpool’s big-money buys are well-documented, while new arrivals at Tottenham and Everton have also failed to get going.

This weekend offered lift-off for two new faces at those latter clubs. Xavi Simons produced a man-of-the-match performance for Spurs against Brentford, scoring his first goal for the club after creating Richarlison’s opener in the 2-0 win. His goal was a reminder of the Dutchman’s talent, as he recovered from a mistake to charge forward from inside his own half and fire home.

Over at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Thierno Barry broke his duck at Everton. The Frenchman has faced criticism since a £27m arrival from Villarreal, but is now up and running after scoring against Nottingham Forest. The 23-year-old scored 11 goals in La Liga last season and will hope this is the opening of the floodgates.

Was deadline day the sliding doors moment in Liverpool’s season?

Liverpool entered the season with huge optimism. After title success last season, a record-breaking recruitment drive had the Reds billed as the team to beat. But hindsight has shown that despite the British record signings of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, holes were left in the squad.

The failure to land Marc Guehi on deadline day has looked costly, as the club’s current centre-back options have struggled. Few could have envisioned such a drop-off from Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate this season, but the failure to add genuine competition to that defensive duo has been punished.

Arne Slot has not trusted Joe Gomez despite Konate’s concerning run, while Giovanni Leoni was signed as one for the future and suffered an ACL setback on debut.

Deadline day saw Liverpool push hard to successfully sign Alexander Isak, but has the glamour signing been to the detriment of squad balance?

As Konate floundered again this weekend, Guehi was busy scoring the winner to send Crystal Palace into the Champions League places.

Read – Premier League Team of the Week – Simons, Cash, Cherki

See more – Premier League Awards: Villa ignite title race, Salah shock

Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok