Arsenal march on, Liverpool snap losing streak, Wolves’ misery continues, Diallo saves Man Utd

Chelsea’s Joao Pedro celebrates scoring their first goal with Alejandro Garnacho during their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur — Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Nov. 1, 2025. (Reuters)
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Updated 02 November 2025
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Arsenal march on, Liverpool snap losing streak, Wolves’ misery continues, Diallo saves Man Utd

  • Chelsea climbed to fourth place in the table on 17 points after 10 games

LONDON, Nov 1 : Arsenal maintained a searing pace at the top of the Premier League with a straightforward 2-0 win at Burnley, while Liverpool snapped a dreadful four-match losing run with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa to climb provisionally to third.
The misery continued for Wolverhampton Wanderers at the bottom as they suffered yet another defeat on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal moved seven points clear of the pack ahead of the rest of the weekend’s action with first-half goals by Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice taking Arsenal to 25 points from their opening 10 games of the season.
Ten-man Wolves were hammered 3-0 at Fulham and prop up the table with only two points as the pressure intensifies on their manager Vitor Pereira.
Manchester United needed a stunning late volley from Amad Diallo to earn a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest who at least avoided a fifth successive league defeat.
Crystal Palace beat Brentford 2-0 while Brighton & Hove Albion were 3-0 winners at home to Leeds United, and Chelsea edged Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.
Arsenal have now gone seven games in all competitions without conceding a goal and were never seriously troubled at promoted Burnley as they produced another clinical display.
Nine of Arsenal’s 16 Premier League goals in their first nine games arrived via a set piece and they were at it again at Turf Moor with yet another corner routine paying off.
Rice swung over a corner in the 14th minute and Gabriel knocked it back across the area for Gyokeres to tap in his first league goal since September.
Arsenal’s second in the 35th minute was only their sixth league goal from open play this season — Rice heading in from Leandro Trossard’s cross after a fast counter-attack.
“The first half was exceptional, we scored two goals and gave nothing away. That was the platform,” Arteta said.
“We didn’t have that much control in the second half. Defending was exceptional again, we didn’t give anything.”
At Anfield, Mohamed Salah became the third player in Reds history to score 250 goals when he struck in first-half injury time, capitalizing on a huge blunder from Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez who played the ball right into the path of Liverpool’s talisman.
Ryan Gravenberch doubled the home side’s lead in the 58th minute when he blasted a shot from the top of the box that deflected off Pau Torres and in past Martinez.
Arne Slot’s men climbed to within seven points of Arsenal with just their second win in eight games across all competitions. Villa fell to 11th in the table on 15 points.


“I think everyone who was here today felt the importance of the game, the players and fans as well,” Slot told TNT Sports. “We showed character and won the game.”
Wolves’ two points from their opening 10 games is not the lowest in Premier League history but it is one fewer than Derby County managed in 2007 at the start of what was the worst ever season in the competition, Derby ending with 11 points.
Ryan Sessegnon, Harry Wilson and Yerson Mosquera’s own goal gave Fulham the points while Wolves played more than half of the match with 10 men after Emmanuel Agbadou was sent off.
Defeat left Wolves eight points away from the safety zone.
“It’s just not good enough and we need to do better. We should be embarrassed,” Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone said.
Manchester United appeared to be on their way to securing a fourth successive league victory after Brazilian veteran Casemiro headed them into a 34th-minute lead at the City Ground.
United, however, capitulated early in the second half when two goals in less than two minutes from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona helped Forest to turn the match on its head.
Diallo at least ensured United did not return empty-handed as he unleashed a blistering strike from the edge of the penalty area nine minutes from time and he also had the chance to snatch victory late in the game.
“We are really disappointed to go home with one point,” Diallo said.
United moved into fifth in the standings while Forest stay 18th after a first point in five league games.
Chelsea striker Joao Pedro got back on the scoresheet for the first time since August when Moises Caicedo stole the ball from Micky van de Ven on the edge of the Spurs penalty box and the Ecuadorian squared for Pedro who made no mistake from eight meters in the 34th minute.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was asked by reporters if he regretted his side not winning by a more emphatic scoreline.
“I am happy with the 1-0, with the three points, especially because we kept the clean sheet,” the Italian said.
Chelsea climbed to fifth place in the table on 17 points after 10 games, one rung below Spurs on goal difference.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his fourth goal in two home league games for Crystal Palace as they beat London rivals Brentford 2-0 to move to eighth.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s seasoned striker Danny Welbeck scored his sixth league goal of the season as his side breezed past Leeds, volleying home the opener in the 11th minute.
Diego Gomez scored twice in six second-half minutes to underline Brighton’s superiority as the south-coast side moved into the top half of the table.


Emirates NBA Cup forming ‘its own identity’, as final 8 teams advance

Updated 11 sec ago
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Emirates NBA Cup forming ‘its own identity’, as final 8 teams advance

  • NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones say players now “understand the value” of the competition

DUBAI: The Emirates NBA Cup continues to gather pace in its second showing, with eight teams advancing to the knockout rounds and league executives highlighting strong global interest, including significant growth in the Middle East.

The quarterfinal lineup features the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. The quarterfinals begin on Dec. 9, followed by the semifinals on Dec. 13 and the championship game on Dec. 16, with both the semifinals and final hosted in Las Vegas.

The Emirates NBA Cup was established in 2023 and its first two events were won by the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.

A tournament that has changed perceptions

League officials say the Cup has quickly established itself as a competitive focal point in the early months of the season. James Jones, NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations, said players now approach the event with far stronger investment than during its launch year.

He explained that although the Cup concept felt unfamiliar at first, its structure and stakes have now become part of the league’s competitive rhythm.

“Once the players began to understand the concept of the Cup, they became excited because it created enhanced competition. The Cup has started to form its own identity. There are multiple ways to win: You can win the Cup, and you can also win the NBA Championship. There is nothing better than having two trophies in one season.”

Growing audiences in the Middle East

Interest in the Emirates NBA Cup continues to rise across international markets. Jones highlighted the Middle East as one of the fastest-growing regions for viewership, with Abu Dhabi’s consistent NBA presence playing a central role. The UAE capital hosted preseason games each year from 2022 to 2025, building a strong regional fan base and elevating awareness of the league.

“Viewership continues to soar,” he said. “Everyone was waiting to see how the league and the players would respond to the Cup, and now they can see that we are fully invested. Our global games, particularly in Abu Dhabi, have made the NBA more familiar to fans in the region. The growth over the last five years has been remarkable.”

This year’s knockout rounds feature several marquee names, including LeBron James and Luka Doncic, with the Lakers, Kevin Durant with the Suns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with Oklahoma City and Jalen Brunson leading the Knicks, among others. Their presence has lifted international engagement as the tournament approaches its decisive stages.

“Big names definitely boost viewership, and their presence also raises the level of competition,” Jones said. “The Cup gives young players a platform to show how good they are. Those moments usually only happen in the playoffs, but now we see them in December.”


McGrady: Cup brings playoff pressure earlier in the season

NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady shared a similar sentiment, praising the Emirates NBA Cup for giving developing teams valuable postseason-style exposure.

“It gives those bottom-feed teams that are struggling to put a roster together, to build a team and make a run to the playoffs, a chance to feel that playoff atmosphere again,” McGrady said. “Because it is in-season, it raises the competitive nature of the league.”

“In terms of competition, it is very competitive, and that is what we want.”

As the quarterfinals tip off on Dec. 9 and the semifinals draw closer in Las Vegas, the Emirates NBA Cup continues to establish itself as one of the most influential features of the NBA calendar, shaping early-season momentum and giving fans a December preview of the intensity usually reserved for the NBA playoffs in spring.