OLLIE WATKINS

Newcastle's rise to becoming a team ready to compete in the Champions League is happening quicker than many would have predicted.

So complete was the humiliation of Erik ten Hag’s first Manchester derby that he chose to protect Cristiano Ronaldo from enduring the shame of being associated with such a performance.

It’s still advantage Manchester City in the English Premier League title race after the league leader and Liverpool won tricky away matches at in-form teams.

West Ham has an unusual situation on its hands.

Tottenham ended a three-match losing run in the Premier League by beating Aston Villa 2-1.

The wait goes on for Manchester City.

Defending leads used to be a forte of Jose Mourinho but not anymore.

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor stadium in Burnley, England, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka received a short pass from goalkeeper Bernd Leno, took a slightly heavy touch onto his weaker right foot, then attempted a dangerous pass across the face of goal around Burnley striker Chris Wood. “It’s the way we play and the way we want to play,” said Arteta, whose side had gone ahead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He was sent off in the teams’ meeting at Emirates Stadium in December and also in their game in January 2017. The team hasn't played in the Champions League since the 2016-17 campaign, missing out last season after a late collapse.

Arteta had billed the coming week, starting with the visit of Chelsea, as a “crucial” period that would determine which direction Arsenal was heading this season. A first league victory in nearly two months was vital, therefore, to boost Arsenal players' fragile confidence — even if it only lifted them into 14th place. “It's something to build on.”It took 90 minutes for the scrutiny that was hovering over Arteta to drift toward his Chelsea counterpart, Frank Lampard. That's three losses in the last four league games for Chelsea, which has dropped to seventh place and whose identity — and best lineup — is increasingly hard to decipher. The result kept Leicester above United in the standings after they started the day in second and third place.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, gestures after Aston Villa's Ross Barkley scores his side's fifth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Liverpool at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. (Peter Powell/Pool via AP)BIRMINGHAM – Premier League champion Liverpool was humiliated 7-2 by Aston Villa to end its perfect start to the title defense on Sunday. Liverpool became the first reigning Premier League champions to concede seven in a game. A poor attempt at a pass was pounced upon in the Liverpool box by Grealish, who laid the ball to Watkins for a simple finish. But within moments the visitors had conceded again, with John McGinn’s volley going past Adrian via a deflection off defender Virgil Van Dijk.