Premier League Gameweek 9's Most Dominant Stars: The Elite 10 Who Stole the Show
Did this weekend mark the moment Liverpool definitively dropped out of the title race that many predicted they would control following their massive summer transfer investments?
The Reds suffered a 3–2 loss at Brentford, marking their fourth consecutive Premier League defeat, leaving them seven points behind an Arsenal side that's barely allowing opponents shots on target, much less conceding goals.
Arsenal emerged as the primary beneficiaries of Gameweek 9, while other title hopefuls stumbled, though Sunderland could be positioning themselves for a Leicester City 2015–16 style surge after climbing into the top four with a thrilling late victory at Chelsea.
The weekend delivered plenty of surprises across the league, and here are FotMob's 10 top-rated performers from the action.
6. Matheus Cunha, Dominik Szoboszlai & Quilindschy Hartman: 8.4
Liverpool looked dreadful at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday evening, falling to a Brentford team that continues to be troublesome opponents despite losing Thomas Frank and key attacking players in recent seasons.
Dominik Szoboszlai stood out as one of the few bright spots, driving a Liverpool midfield that struggled against the hosts' physical approach. His efforts in west London ultimately went unrewarded, however.
Szoboszlai's 8.4 FotMob rating equaled that of Matheus Cunha, who netted his debut Manchester United goal in spectacular fashion during their 4–2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. While Cunha wasn't United's standout performer, the Brazilian opened the scoring and has appeared comfortable in Ruben Amorim's attacking trio since recovering from injury.
On Sunday, Burnley secured a dramatic late victory at the winless Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to Lyle Foster's clever finish, but their early dominance came through the partnership of left-back Quilindschy Hartman and striker Zian Flemming.
Hartman appears to be among the summer's most overlooked acquisitions, and his strong seasonal start continued with two assists at Molineux.
5. Casemiro, Đorđe Petrović & Guglielmo Vicario: 8.6
Another three-way deadlock occupies fifth place, with two goalkeepers achieving 8.6 ratings for their Sunday displays.
Bournemouth's Đorđe Petrović made four saves and prevented 0.81 goals during the Cherries' convincing 2–0 triumph over Nottingham Forest. The ex-Chelsea keeper brilliantly denied Morgan Gibbs-White from distance and showed reliability when collecting aerial balls.
Guglielmo Vicario's stops were arguably more impressive, as he built upon his exceptional Champions League showing against Monaco with his first Premier League clean sheet since September 13 against Everton. The Italian's quick reflexes shone as he thwarted a deflected Iliman Ndiaye attempt and an acrobatic Beto effort that could have brought the Toffees back into contention.
Casemiro's midfield performance against Brighton, highlighted by a heavily deflected long-range strike that extended United's first-half advantage, also earned an 8.6 rating. The Brazilian is proving essential alongside Bruno Fernandes in Amorim's double pivot formation.
While his ball distribution was restricted, he finished with 12 defensive actions, including five recoveries.
4. Bruno Guimarães: 8.8
Bruno Guimarães delivered Fulham their fourth straight Premier League loss over the weekend, as his 90th-minute winner secured three points for Newcastle United at home.
The Brazilian made amends for his terrible miss on the hour by accurately converting the rebound from William Osula's saved attempt for his third league goal this season.
The decisive strike certainly enhanced his rating, but Guimarães's midfield performance was filled with determination, ball progression, and creativity. He seized control of the match completely.
3. Micky van de Ven: 9.1
Set-pieces are currently fashionable, and while Thomas Frank's Tottenham Hotspur haven't exactly impressed this season, they're constructed to excel in the Premier League's present environment.
Micky van de Ven capitalized on their dead-ball expertise on Sunday, as Everton suffered their first defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Spurs held a 2–0 halftime lead courtesy of a Van de Ven double, with the temporary captain heading home from two distinct corner sequences. He would have struggled to miss either opportunity, given his proximity to Jordan Pickford's goal when he connected with Rodrigo Bentancur's perfect cross and then Pedro Porro's dangerous inswinger.
He became the first Tottenham defender in 12 years to score twice in a Premier League match, and a clean sheet completed an outstanding performance.
2. Zian Flemming: 9.2
Zian Flemming found the net 12 times in the Championship last season, and the Clarets made his loan deal permanent during the summer.
Nevertheless, the Dutchman had remained on the fringes during the opening two months of his inaugural Premier League campaign, failing to register a single goal contribution in his first five league appearances this season.
Suddenly, Flemming came alive in Gameweek 9. He netted Burnley's opening two goals in their 3–2 victory at Wolves on Sunday, with his first being an exquisite first-time finish from a precise Hartman through ball.
Flemming then overpowered Santiago Bueno to slot home his second before the hosts responded before halftime. Foster's late winner, however, ensured his first-half double contributed to a victorious outcome.
1. Bryan Mbeumo: 9.3
FotMob's top Premier League player of Gameweek 9 was Bryan Mbeumo, whose double against Brighton propelled him to an impressive 9.3 rating.
Man Utd excelled in transition against the Seagulls, and Mbeumo displayed his trademark Brentford excellence at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Following his goal within 70 seconds at Anfield the previous weekend, Mbeumo's momentum continued with two brilliantly executed goals in counter-attacks. He initially beat Bart Verbruggen at the near post to score United's third, then, after Brighton had reduced the deficit at the beginning of stoppage time, the forward eliminated any comeback concerns by clinically beating Brighton's Dutch keeper with a powerful finish after capitalizing on what appeared to be a misplaced Ayden Heaven pass.
United's new signings are beginning to gel, with Mbeumo's early-season persistence and movement off the ball starting to yield regular goal contributions.