This latest round of fixtures just prior to Christmas has been dramatic to say the least. With City continuing to stumble, Arsenal and Newcastle dominating, Bournemouth cruising to victory at Old Trafford and then sealed with a chaotic 9 goal clash between Spurs and Liverpool, it’s given us just about everything we could ask for.

As always, in this post we will be picking out 3 of the biggest talking points of the weekend, along with giving out the game of the week and player of the week awards. If we’ve missed something in this post that you saw over the weekend please do get in touch with us on all the usual places (Bluesky @NextGoalWinner – Instagram @NextGoalWin), and if you prefer an audio round up of the action then do check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner) where we post weekly reviews on there of all the key talking points in the Premier League and around Europe.

Premier League Theatre

Liverpool’s 6–3 victory over Tottenham was pure Premier League theatre, a match that felt like a highlights reel from start to finish. Luis Díaz opened the scoring before Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai added their names to the sheet. Then, as he so often does, Mohamed Salah took control of the second half, scoring twice and setting up another as Liverpool tore through Spurs with breathtaking speed and precision. Tottenham grabbed a couple back through Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, but this was Liverpool’s night from the first whistle.

The win showcased the very best of Arne Slot’s Liverpool, the fluid pressing, the vertical passing, and the relentless attacking intent that has made them must-watch football. Yet it also revealed familiar cracks. Conceding three goals, even in a nine-goal thriller, was a reminder that their defensive balance is still a work in progress. Slot himself admitted as much afterward, praising the ruthlessness in attack but warning that their defensive line needed tightening if they were to sustain a title challenge through the heavy winter schedule.

Still, the victory carried enormous significance. It pushed Liverpool four points clear at the top of the table heading into Christmas, traditionally the point where title credentials start to harden into belief. Salah’s form remains otherworldly, and the chemistry between him, Díaz and Darwin Núñez continues to blossom. For Liverpool fans, this was the kind of performance that fuels dreams, but with just enough warning signs to keep everyone grounded.

City Continue To Slide

Manchester City’s 2–1 defeat at Aston Villa was another sobering reminder that something isn’t clicking for Pep Guardiola’s side this season. Villa struck through Jhon Durán and former City academy product Morgan Rogers, with Phil Foden’s late strike offering only a sliver of consolation. What once seemed unthinkable, City losing multiple league games in succession, has now become a pattern, and the air of invincibility that surrounded them for so long appears to have evaporated.

This loss didn’t come out of the blue. It was City’s ninth defeat in 12 matches across all competitions, and the problems are clear: a midfield lacking control, a defensive unit missing its usual rhythm, and forwards struggling to turn possession into penetration. Guardiola has rotated heavily in recent weeks, but the cohesion that defined City’s treble-winning season looks lost. Their away form has been particularly worrying, eight league matches without a win on the road tells its own story.

Villa, by contrast, looked like a team on the rise. Under Unai Emery, they pressed smartly, attacked with purpose, and showed exactly how to disrupt City’s rhythm. Morgan Rogers’ composure and Durán’s movement exposed City’s back line, while John McGinn and Douglas Luiz controlled the midfield battle. For Villa, it was another statement win confirming their European ambitions; for City, it was another red flag suggesting that their dominance may finally be cracking under its own weight.

Mid-Table Battles

Away from the title race, match week 17 produced drama across the middle of the table, starting with Bournemouth’s stunning 3–0 victory at Old Trafford. The Cherries didn’t just beat Manchester United; they dismantled them. Goals from Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert, and Antoine Semenyo highlighted United’s ongoing issues at set pieces and defensive organisation. It was a performance that exposed the soft underbelly of a team still trying to adapt under Ruben Amorim’s new system. For the Old Trafford crowd, the result was met with disbelief and frustration — another reminder that rebuilding at this level is never straightforward.

United’s defeat was all the more striking because of how comfortable Bournemouth looked. Andoni Iraola’s side were compact, composed, and deadly on the counter, everything United weren’t. Each goal came with an element of control and purpose, and by the final whistle, the boos echoing around Old Trafford told their own story. Amorim faces a long road ahead to restore the discipline and intensity the club demands.

Elsewhere, a managerial debut brought fresh hope in Wolverhampton. Vítor Pereira’s first match in charge of Wolves ended in a 3–0 victory away to Leicester, a result that injected much-needed confidence into a side flirting with the relegation zone. Goals from Gonçalo Guedes, Rodrigo Gomes, and Matheus Cunha gave Wolves a perfect start to life under their new coach, who emphasised sharper transitions and defensive compactness. In a weekend of twists, this one stood out, a clear sign that a new voice in the dressing room can change everything, at least for a while.

These results captured what makes the Premier League so unpredictable. Every week brings a reminder that no team, no matter its budget or history, is safe from being humbled. As the festive fixture list looms, the margins between optimism and panic will only get thinner, and that’s exactly why we love it.

Game of the week: Tottenham Hotspur 3-6 Liverpool What more can you say after a 9 goal clash to round off the weekend and see us into Christmas. A perfectly chaotic game of football is all we can ask for this year.

Player of the week: Mo Salah This time, Salah’s efforts with 2 goals and 2 assists were rewarded with 3 points, and he among the rest of the forward line for Liverpool could have been worthy of the player of the week award, but 4 goal contributions really flexed his attacking abilities.