Manchester City suffered their first league defeat, Arsenal moved level on points at the top, and Bournemouth scored three at Old Trafford once again. Favourites won just two of the five matches featured in our preview. We compare the results with the recorded 888STARZ odds and look at where the scorelines reflected what happened on the pitch.
Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City
City dropped points for the first time after seven straight wins. Nicolas Jackson scored twice, capitalising on mistakes by Marc Guéhi and Gianluigi Donnarumma. Erling Haaland equalised, but the visitors could not hold on.
888STARZ odds: 4.93 / 4.42 / 1.71 — Aston Villa won at 4.93.
City had the better underlying numbers: 1.79–0.61 xG and 15 shots to Villa’s eight. They also reached the opposition box far more often, but individual errors wiped out that advantage. Our preview highlighted Villa’s strong home record against City. That trend continued, even though the favourites created the better chances.
City remain on 21 points, now level with Arsenal.
Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham
Chelsea’s run of six consecutive Premier League wins over Tottenham is over. Spurs won at Stamford Bridge thanks to a Mike Penders own goal and a Mathys Tel strike. Between those goals, Cole Palmer was sent off for a second yellow card.
888STARZ odds: 1.76 / 4.41 / 4.57 — Tottenham won at 4.57.
Chelsea managed just seven shots to Tottenham’s 15 and trailed 0.43–0.74 on xG. Scoring twice from such a modest xG total also points to clinical finishing rather than a wealth of chances.
Unlike City, Chelsea failed to justify their favourite status even on the underlying numbers. It was only Tottenham’s second league victory of the season, but an important end to their poor derby run.
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton
Liverpool shut out the league’s best attack, although the statistics suggest a closer contest than the scoreline. Brighton took 17 shots to Liverpool’s 13 and led 1.41–0.95 on xG, but managed just one effort on target.
888STARZ odds: 2.19 / 3.99 / 3.25 — Liverpool won at 2.19.
A Pascal Groß own goal and Alexander Isak’s finish put the hosts 2-0 up inside 21 minutes. Liverpool then dropped deeper, finishing with just 36% possession.
Our preview identified the space behind Brighton’s high defensive line as an opportunity. Liverpool exploited it, but the 2-0 scoreline flatters their overall performance. The win lifted them to fourth with 15 points.
Arsenal 2-0 Everton
Arsenal made short work of Everton and took full advantage of City’s defeat. Defenders Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães scored the goals.
888STARZ odds: 1.50 / 4.57 / 7.70 — Arsenal won at 1.50.
The Gunners dominated the underlying numbers, producing 1.77–0.48 xG and 20 shots to Everton’s eight. After several more cautious performances, Mikel Arteta’s side created noticeably more chances.
Arsenal now have 21 points and just five goals conceded, the best defensive record in the Premier League. This time, the favourites’ victory was fully backed up by the statistics.
Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth
Bournemouth extended their impressive record against United. Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson scored as the hosts suffered another heavy defeat at Old Trafford.
888STARZ odds: 2.06 / 3.84 / 3.70 — Bournemouth won at 3.70.
United had 62% possession and took 17 shots to Bournemouth’s ten. Yet the visitors created far better chances, winning the xG battle 2.21–1.17.
We noted Bournemouth’s six-match unbeaten run against United in our preview. That sequence has now reached seven. United sit 16th with just seven points from eight games, and their recent 4-1 defeat to Como is looking less like an isolated setback.
Other Matchweek 8 Results
Newcastle beat Crystal Palace 2-0, while Fulham edged Coventry 1-0 thanks to a late Oscar Bobb goal.
Ipswich drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest, as did Hull City against Brentford. Sunderland and Leeds played out a 0-0draw.
The ten matches produced 19 goals. Sunderland remain bottom with five points, while Coventry and Nottingham Forest have six each.
Premier League Standings After Matchweek 8
What the 888STARZ Odds Showed
Of our five featured fixtures, only two favourites won: Arsenal at 1.50 and Liverpool at 2.19. The other three produced higher-priced winners: Aston Villa at 4.93, Tottenham at 4.57 and Bournemouth at 3.70.
But the reasons behind those results varied. City lost despite a clear xG advantage, whereas Chelsea and United were second-best in both the scoreline and chance quality.
The winning favourites also had contrasting performances. Arsenal were convincing throughout, while Liverpool relied on early goals and Brighton’s poor finishing.
Two winning favourites out of five does not necessarily mean the pre-match market misjudged all three upsets. A losing bet and a poor assessment of the teams are not always the same thing.
What Changed After Matchweek 8
Manchester City and Arsenal are level at the top on 21 points. Brighton remain third with 16, followed by Liverpool on 15. Tottenham and Bournemouth have improved their positions, while Manchester United are just one point above the relegation zone.
Next up, City host Brighton on 31 October, and Liverpool face Arsenal on 1 November. Both fixtures will put the leading teams’ form to a more demanding test.
UEFA Champions League