Boluwatife Kehinde
From Selhurst Park to Stamford Bridge, the Premier League served up a rollercoaster weekend where champions fell, giants cracked, and challengers roared back to life.
The Premier League’s latest round didn’t just deliver shocks — it detonated them. In a weekend that shredded unbeaten runs, crushed confidence, and reignited old power, every twist was a reminder that no one is safe, not even the champions.
It began at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea’s 12-match unbeaten home run was ripped apart by Brighton.
The Blues looked comfortable when Enzo Fernández nodded home Moisés Caicedo’s clever pass, but Trevoh Chalobah’s red card flipped the contest.
Down to 10 for a second straight week, Chelsea collapsed as Danny Welbeck struck twice and Maxim De Cuyper sealed a 3-1 comeback that left Mauricio Pochettino’s men stunned.
If Chelsea’s fall stung, Liverpool’s collapse cut deeper. Perfect until this weekend, the champions were floored in the 97th minute by Crystal Palace.
Ismaïla Sarr’s opener had the Eagles soaring, Federico Chiesa clawed Liverpool level, but Eddie Nketiah’s stoppage-time strike sealed a 2-1 win and a club-record 18-match unbeaten run for Palace.
Arne Slot’s side, undone at the death, now look over their shoulders with only three points separating them from their conquerors.
Meanwhile, Manchester City reminded the league of their ruthless edge. Burnley fought bravely, even equalising before halftime, but City shifted gears after the break.
Matheus Nunes fired them ahead, Maxime Estève twice turned into his own net, and Erling Haaland added a late brace to cap a 5-1 demolition. For Pep Guardiola, it was both a statement win and a warning: City aren’t drifting, they’re lurking.
The weekend’s final sting came in West London, where Brentford sank Manchester United deeper into crisis.
Igor Thiago’s first-half double set the tone, Benjamin Šeško offered hope, but Bruno Fernandes’ missed penalty summed up United’s misery. Mathias Jensen’s stoppage-time rocket sealed a 3-1 defeat, stretching United’s away winless run to eight.
