Manchester City lost at home for the second league match in a row, and Brighton took the points with a goal that arrived before the crowd had settled. Yasin Ayari scored in the 11th minute. City, who began the season with seven straight wins, are now on 21 points from nine games, the same total Arsenal carry into Sunday from eight.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-0 and left Michael Carrick with a longer argument to make. Morgan Rogers scored in the 50th minute, running from midfield past Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez and lifting the ball over Senne Lammens. In the 63rd minute Martinez was sent off for a second yellow after a VAR review of an elbow on Wesley Fofana. Cole Palmer scored the penalty a minute later. Xabi Alonso's side had lost their previous league game and gone out of the Carabao Cup. Saturday put them back on the board.
Why United's afternoon collapsed
The first half was goalless, and both sides had goals ruled out for offside: Estevao for Chelsea, Matheus Cunha for United. After the break Chelsea took the game away. Rogers's goal was the one that will be replayed. The red card ended any realistic route back for United, who have now gone nine matches without a win in all competitions, the longest such run of Carrick's short tenure.
United arrived in 16th, and a defeat at a rival does nothing to lift them. Carrick was appointed to steady a club that had already lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth a week earlier. The sending-off will draw the headlines. The larger fact is the sequence: no league win to interrupt it, and a trip to Chelsea that asked for control and produced a red card.
The rest of Saturday, and Anfield at 4.30pm
Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 2-0, with headers from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke. Palace played most of the match with ten men after Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off in the 13th minute. Coventry beat Sunderland 3-1, through Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni, with Enzo Le Fee replying from the penalty spot. Omar Alderete was dismissed deep in stoppage time.
Bournemouth beat Leeds 2-0, Evanilson and a late Amine Adli. Brentford beat Nottingham Forest 2-0, an own goal by Nikola Milenkovic and a second from Igor Thiago. Hull and Ipswich drew 2-2. Aston Villa and Fulham drew 1-1, Nicolas Jackson's opener cancelled out by an own goal from Zion Suzuki. The result at the Etihad left Brighton third.
Saturday's Premier League Scores
- Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United (Rogers 50, Palmer 64 pen). Martinez sent off.
- Manchester City 0-1 Brighton (Ayari 11).
- Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace (Gray 25, van Hecke 73). Mateta sent off.
- Coventry 3-1 Sunderland. Bournemouth 2-0 Leeds. Brentford 2-0 Nottingham Forest.
- Hull 2-2 Ipswich. Aston Villa 1-1 Fulham.
- Sunday: Liverpool v Arsenal, Anfield, 4.30pm.
Arsenal travel to Liverpool with seven wins and one defeat from eight games. Liverpool have won four, drawn three and lost one. A home win would pull them closer to the pair on 21 points. A defeat would leave Arsenal with a game in hand and a clearer path at the top. Friday's preview set the table as City and Arsenal level. Saturday moved only one of them, and it moved City sideways. The Sunday match decides whether Arsenal go clear.