Premier League: Historic Man City march on as Manchester United crisis deepens after Leeds stalemate

Matchday 7 of the Premier League season highlighted a stark contrast in fortunes across Manchester. While the blue half, Manchester City, soar at the summit with a historic seven-match winning streak under new manager Enzo Maresca, their neighbours Manchester United are sinking deeper into crisis. A lackluster draw against Leeds United extended the Red Devils' winless run to five matches, slumping them to 13th in the table—just two points clear of the relegation zone. This sharp contrast not only illustrates the opposing trajectories of the two giants but also signals a gathering storm at Old Trafford.

Enzo Maresca makes Premier League history with Manchester City

Remarkably, this historic milestone was secured at the Etihad following a dramatic 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town. The hard-fought three points not only kept Manchester City top of the table but also officially etched Enzo Maresca's name into the Premier League history books.

The Italian tactician has become the first manager in history to win all seven of his opening top-flight matches with a new club. A perfect haul of 21 points from seven games is a resounding statement of intent from the reigning champions, proving their winning machine remains flawless under new leadership.

Arsenal keep up relentless chase as Liverpool stage spirited comeback

Elsewhere, Arsenal kept up their relentless pursuit of the summit with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Despite being frustrated for long periods and registering just a single shot on target all game, the Gunners snatched all three points thanks to an 80th-minute moment of magic from Noni Madueke, consolidating second place with 18 points.

Meanwhile, Liverpool staged a spirited comeback to defeat Brentford 2-1. It was a fiery encounter as Brentford were reduced to nine men following straight red cards for Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt, allowing Andoni Iraola's side to capitalize and move up to 12 points from seven matches.

Brighton demolish rivals, Chelsea cruise but pay heavy price

At the same time, Brighton & Hove Albion demolished rivals Crystal Palace 5-0 in a highly-charged M23 derby. Diego Gómez's sensational 50-yard strike sent the Amex Stadium into raptures and propelled the Seagulls up to third in the table.

Meanwhile, Chelsea secured a convincing 2-0 win over Everton courtesy of a clinical brace from Pedro Neto. However, the Blues' joy was quickly overshadowed by a serious head injury to number one goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was stretchered off and rushed to hospital.

Manchester United in double crisis: Carrick on thin ice as dressing room unrest grows

Meanwhile, Manchester United's double crisis deepened following a lackluster 1-1 draw against Leeds United. The disappointing result extended their winless run to five matches, leaving them languishing in 13th place, a mere two points above the relegation zone.

Although the INEOS group have decided to temporarily back Michael Carrick, they have issued a stark ultimatum demanding he guides United into the top five by January. Internal turmoil has intensified after defender Lisandro Martinez was forced to publicly apologise to the board for criticizing Technical Director Jason Wilcox—an outburst that has instantly frozen his contract renewal talks.

Editorial View

At the end of Matchday 7, the Premier League is dominated by Manchester City, who boast a perfect 21 points under Enzo Maresca's record-breaking tenure. Just behind them, the race for the top four is heating up as Arsenal chase relentlessly three points adrift, with surprise package Brighton & Hove Albion hot on their heels.

In the bottom half of the table, all eyes remain on Old Trafford as Manchester United languish in 13th. With dressing room unrest growing and pressure mounting from INEOS, can Michael Carrick weather the storm to save his job?