BOURNEMOUTH SHINE, JACKSON STEALS THE SHOW
Bournemouth run riot at Old Trafford, Jackson's brace ends City's perfect start, and Spurs find their form. Plus, our prediction check and three things from the weekend.
THE RESULTS
GAME OF THE WEEK: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-3 BOURNEMOUTH
WHAT HAPPENED:
Bournemouth delivered a statement performance at Old Trafford, beating Manchester United 3–0 and exposing the defensive weaknesses that continue to haunt Michael Carrick's side. Rayan opened the scoring in the 38th minute, finishing at the far post from Justin Kluivert's free kick. Just five minutes later, Leny Yoro slipped under pressure, allowing Adrien Truffert to set up Marcus Tavernier for a simple finish.
Evanilson added a third in the 71st minute, racing past goalkeeper Senne Lammens after a long ball caught United off guard. Bournemouth had their fourth consecutive win in all competitions, while United's winless run stretched to eight games.
WHY WE CHOSE IT:
Bournemouth's attacking players were relentless. Rayan and Tavernier pressed aggressively, while Truffert capitalized on Yoro's slip and squared for Tavernier to calmly finish the second goal. Evanilson led the line brilliantly, constantly running the channels and stretching United's defense. After having an earlier effort ruled out for offside, he capped his performance with a superb finish from a tight angle to make it 3–0.
United had more possession and took more shots, but Bournemouth were far more clinical. Their attackers made the most of their opportunities, while a disciplined defensive performance ensured the hosts rarely looked capable of getting back into the game.
TURNING POINT:
United's inability to cope with the press.
The biggest difference wasn't just the goals; it was how uncomfortable Bournemouth made United look. The hosts struggled to play out from the back, rushed their passes and repeatedly gave the ball away under pressure. Yoro's costly slip before halftime summed up their afternoon, allowing Bournemouth to double their lead just minutes after opening the scoring.
United needed a strong response after the break, but Bournemouth stayed organized and kept exploiting the spaces in front of them. When Evanilson made it 3–0, the contest was effectively over.
BOT90 VERDICT:
Bournemouth are hitting their stride under Marco Rose. After an impressive 3–0 Europa League win over AC Milan, they followed it up with another convincing victory, making it four consecutive wins without conceding across all competitions. Their pressing, attacking movement, and defensive discipline make them a dangerous opponent.
United, meanwhile, look short of confidence and ideas. Their 4–1 defeat to Como in Europe and this latest home humiliation highlight a team struggling to cope under pressure. These weaknesses are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Final verdict: Bournemouth are flying under Rose, while United are heading in the opposite direction. The Cherries deserve enormous credit for executing their game plan, but Carrick's side have serious problems to solve.
After another miserable afternoon at Old Trafford, has Carrick run out of time?
PLAYER OF THE WEEKEND: NICOLAS JACKSON - ASTON VILLA
WHAT HE DID:
Aston Villa delivered one of the weekend's biggest shocks, beating Manchester City 2–1 at Villa Park. Nicolas Jackson stole the headlines, scoring both goals to end City's perfect start to the Premier League season. An added storyline: Jackson faced Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea boss who had let him leave Stamford Bridge. Jackson couldn't have made a bigger statement.
Jackson opened the scoring in the sixth minute, punishing Marc Guéhi's poor touch before firing into the roof of the net. Erling Haaland equalized shortly after halftime, but Jackson struck again in the 60th minute, his low finish sneaking underneath Gianluigi Donnarumma to seal a huge win for Villa.
WHY HE STOOD OUT:
Jackson's performance was even more impressive given his slow start to the season. Expectations were high after he arrived to replace Ollie Watkins, Villa's reliable goalscorer who left for Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal. Now, Jackson is finding his feet, scoring four goals in his last four Premier League appearances and growing in confidence when Villa need him most.
He finished with two goals from just three shots. Beyond his finishing, Jackson led the line impressively, using his pace to stretch City's defense and his strength and hold-up play to bring teammates into the game. His movement kept defenders occupied throughout, showing he offers far more than just goals.
WHAT’S NEXT?:
For Villa, this was a statement win against one of the Premier League's biggest contenders. For Jackson, it could mark a turning point after a frustrating start to the campaign.
The challenge now is consistency. Jackson has the pace, strength and finishing ability to trouble any defense, but he needs to keep producing performances like this to establish himself as a reliable goalscorer.
For now, he's silenced some early doubts, delivered a memorable brace and given Villa fans plenty of reasons to believe they're seeing the best of him. If this form continues, Jackson could become one of the most important players in Emery's attack.
3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WEEKEND
ARE TOTTENHAM FINALLY HITTING FORM?
Spurs have won two Premier League games in a row, beating Coventry 3–1 before a 2–0 win over Chelsea. They've climbed to 14th, while the return of creative options like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski has given them a timely boost.
With no European football to juggle this season, Roberto De Zerbi has more time to work with his squad. But should we read too much into these results? Coventry are struggling near the bottom, while Chelsea went down to 10 men. Are Spurs finally turning a corner, or is it too early to get carried away?
LIVERPOOL'S BIG W AGAINST BRIGHTON!
Brighton arrived at Anfield having won four straight league games, scoring 15 goals without conceding. But Liverpool had other ideas, winning a 2-0 victory and giving Andoni Iraola his first Premier League home win. Liverpool’s attacking quartet of Barcola, Isak, Gakpo and Wirtz (Big W) re finally starting to click. Wirtz forced the opener, Barcola assisted Isak, and Gakpo caused problems down the left.
That’s four consecutive wins in all competitions, and Liverpool are beginning to look dangerous again. But Arsenal visiting Anfield next weekend, we’ll soon find out whether Liverpool’s BIG W really is the real deal.
PIERRE PRESSURE IS BUILDING AT PALACE!
It's been a miserable week for Crystal Palace. First, a 5-0 hammering by rivals Brighton, followed by a lifeline in Europe with a 2-2 draw against Beşiktaş. But Newcastle brought them back down to earth with a 2-0 defeat at Selhurst Park.
Palace have won just twice in eight league games, sitting 17th and conceding 19 goals. Quite the fall from last season under Oliver Glasner!
Steve Parish isn’t known for sacking managers at the first sign of trouble, and I’d expect Sage to get more time. But patience has its limits, and the Pierre Pressure is certainly building!
BOT90 PREDICTION CHECK
Manchester United 0–3 Bournemouth
Our Pick: Manchester United 1–2 Bournemouth
We backed Bournemouth to win, but even we didn't expect a 3-0 hammering at Old Trafford! Rayan, Tavernier and Evanilson all scored as United's miserable run continued.
Verdict: Right winner, wrong score. We'll take that one!
Liverpool 2–0 Brighton
Our Pick: Liverpool 2–2 Brighton
We expected goals at both ends, but Liverpool's BIG W had other ideas. A Groß own goal and another Isak finish gave Liverpool all three points and a clean sheet.
Verdict: Got the Liverpool goals right, but Brighton forgot theirs!
Player to watch: Phil Foden
Our Prediction: Foden to score once
After his midweek hat-trick, we backed Foden to find the net again. However, he started on the bench against Villa, came on at half-time and couldn't make the difference.
Verdict: No goal for Foden, and City's unbeaten league run is over!
FROM THE MANAGERS:
MITCH’S TAKE
Manchester United will sack Michael Carrick and turn to Eddie Howe.
United are in freefall, and Carrick has run out of time. The team looks fragile, disjointed, and low on confidence. A change of manager feels increasingly inevitable.
For me, Eddie Howe is the ideal replacement. He's one of England's best managers, and Newcastle treated him poorly after he delivered the 2025 League Cup and Champions League football twice. He would be an excellent choice to steady the ship at Old Trafford and rebuild United's identity. He might not be a flashy appointment, but he's exactly what they need right now.
My call: Carrick will be sacked this week, and United will turn to Howe to get their season back on track.
DAN’S TAKE
Unai Emery for Manager of the Season!
I'm calling this early. Unai Emery will be Premier League Manager of the Season!
Forget the Manchester City result for a moment. Villa underwent a massive summer overhaul, losing key players and bringing in ten new faces. After a slow start, Emery has got them firing again. Manzambi is finding his feet, Jackson is scoring goals, and Suzuki looks a fantastic addition in goal.
That's what makes Emery such a good manager. He's not just buying talented players and hoping for the best. He's building a system, getting everyone to understand their roles and finding ways to win football matches.
It's still early days, but he's done it again.
Forget the usual suspects. My money's on Unai Emery for Manager of the Season!
