Arsenal’s title credentials are defined, while Liverpool stumbled as we look at five things we learned from Gameweek 7 of the 2025/26 Premier League action.

Just over a week ago, there were serious questions asked about Liverpool and their chances of running away with the Premier League title as early as Gameweek 6. As absurd as it sounds to write off everyone else from the race, there was a distinct possibility that the Merseyside outfit would have been eight points clear at the top.

However, after the action on Gameweek 7, Liverpool are trailing Arsenal in the standings by a single point, and there is talk of a mini-crisis rife within the circles of Anfield. The title race is only warming up in our opinion, and there are plenty of twists and turns ahead.

While Arsenal look like a firm favourite for the top-flight crown, Manchester City are making themselves relevant again following yet another victory to continue their unbeaten run since Gameweek 3. Then there are questions about Chelsea and Tottenham, which we will delve into to an extent, as those teams are also looking for a way into the main conversation at the top.

Looking at the different scenarios presented during another busy weekend, there were some important questions about Bournemouth and Crystal Palace as to their intentions this season. Furthermore, Ruben Amorim finally broke his hoodoo, as he got a lifeline of sorts following talk of a sack.

Here we look at a review of sorts of Gameweek 7 of the 2025/26 Premier League season, as there are some key topics to dive into. Our main talking points will look at Arsenal, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Bournemouth, and the Manchester Clubs.

Arsenal are the Premier League title favourites

Mikel Arteta was bombarded with questions about creativity, goalscoring and his team’s ability to get themselves in the thick of the Premier League title race. The Arsenal boss was deemed to be a ‘defensive coach’ following some results earlier in the season.

The ability to not concede goals came back to bite Arteta weirdly, as the many critics of the Spaniard wanted to see this Arsenal side flourishing in the front line by taking the ‘handbrake off’. Arteta responded in the most fitting way possible, showing defensive solidity and refining his attacking play.

The notion that Arsenal could have been eight points behind Liverpool after Gameweek 6 did not come to fruition, as the Gunners secured a top-notch late victory over Newcastle United. Liverpool lost late to Crystal Palace, which turned the tables.

The Gunners ensured this was another weekend where they did not care about other rivals and did their job on the pitch, with a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham United. Despite missing a raft of key players, this Arsenal side looks formidable and barely shows that they are missing those who are unavailable.

This shows the kind of business Andrea Berta conducted in the market, which was thoroughly focused on ‘quality depth’. In truth, none of their signings so far has played look out of sorts, as Arteta continues to refine his system to ensure that his team are defensively resilient and a major attacking threat on the other end.

Given the quality of their squad and their rising levels of performance, it is difficult to ignore Arsenal at the moment. Arteta’s side are now the firm favourites for the Premier League title, while other quarters insist they are in a similar stature when it comes to the Champions League.

Liverpool stumble, but Manchester City look resurgent

Liverpool are in the midst of a mini-crisis of sorts, according to their fans, following a third consecutive defeat across all competitions. Arne Slot’s side have been inconsistent since the start of the season, while many have argued they have had massive bouts of luck that ensured they won their first five Premier League games.

While their fans argued that this is a team that will come good as their new stars click, there has been a contrasting effect of sorts. After their loss to Crystal Palace, Liverpool stumbled to Galatasaray in Istanbul to add pressure to their UEFA Champions League campaign.

The mini-crisis erupted following their late loss away at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, which has seen them slip out of their position at the summit and drop down to second spot behind Arsenal. They must overcome this, with consistent displays, or risk the notion of going further behind the Gunners, as the Gunners look bang in form at the moment and may go on a relentless run.

Meanwhile, Manchester City, who looked down and out after their back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and then Brighton & Hove Albion, have made themselves relevant again. Pep Guardiola’s charges have looked like a resilient force in the league since their ‘defensive’ performance against Arsenal.

Manchester City have won consecutive Premier League games since, and while they suffered a minor setback in the UEFA Champions League, Guardiola’s side looks ready to challenge. The key element is their consistency over large periods, something they have been missing for the better part of a year now.

Chelsea and Tottenham need consistency

Chelsea have gone through a bad period owing to their own silly mistakes as well as some tactical choices. However, they made themselves big in the victory over Liverpool, which has brought about a new lease of life for their fans.

The Blues have a good enough squad to challenge for the Premier League title, even though there will be doubts about their credentials to go all the way and win it. Hence, it is not about clinching the Premier League crown, but staying relevant in a race that may not necessarily go their way.

The same could be said about Spurs, who have looked shaky in the opening parts of the season, but the right word to describe them would be inconsistent. They secured a solid victory over Leeds United following back-to-back draws in the Premier League.

Much like Chelsea, Tottenham are not expected to be in the thick of a Premier League title race, but their primary objective must include a top-four finish. Hence, to stay relevant to achieve their key objective, Thomas Frank needs to have a well-drilled side that is capable of playing consistently and staying in the mix for a top four place or even putting up a challenge for the title to an extent.

Ruben Amorim gets a lifeline

Ruben Amorim has been the main topic of discussion since the start of the season due to Manchester United’s disastrous performances. The key stat has focused on how the Red Devils have not won back-to-back league games since the start of last season, and certainly none under the Portuguese tactician.

Having gone through multiple phases already this season about losing his job, the pressure was at its highest two weeks ago following a disastrous display away at Brentford. However, Manchester United have since recovered and posted an impressive victory over Sunderland.

The win over Chelsea did bring about some confidence back in the under-fire Portuguese boss, but the victory over Sunderland at the weekend has gone on to restore more faith in Amorim. Hence, this win at Old Trafford could be a platform to build for Amorim, and many would not have wanted the international break to come at this stage.

However, his job is still under scrutiny as future results will dictate the direction of travel for the Portuguese boss. A continuation of this current form will likely see Amorim build more at the club, although more losses will now likely make him the next manager to get the sack.

Bournemouth and Crystal Palace need to be taken seriously

Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are two sides acting as disruptors for those big sides that have ambitions to finish in the top four. Starting with the Cherries, following their win over Fulham at the weekend, Andoni Iraola’s side have gone six games without a defeat since their opening day loss to Liverpool.

The win over Fulham temporarily took them to third spot, and had Spurs lost their game, the Cherries would have stayed there. For now, it looks like we must take Bournemouth seriously, as they are showing quality to finish in the top four or at least in the Europa League places.

Similarly, Crystal Palace had a tremendous unbeaten run going, which resembled their best in the club’s history. However, that run came to a disappointing end away at Everton, with the Toffees maintaining their unbeaten start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Palace have shown plenty of promise in the opening part of the season under Oliver Glasner, and they might be one of those disruptive clubs to watch out for. Hence, the Eagles and the Cherries must be taken seriously in this campaign, as they can either take up one of the top four places or severely disrupt plans laid out by top contenders for the Champions League spots.