EPL Review: Caicedo comes good, Forest surge, Arsenal sputter

Following every weekend of Premier League action, theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points to emerge from the slate of matches. Below, we dissect Matchweek 10 of the 2024-25 season.

Caicedo coming good

It didn't take long for many to slap the "flop" label on Moises Caicedo after he joined Chelsea for a British-record £115 million last year. The Ecuadorian, so dynamic as the midfield lynchpin at Brighton & Hove Albion, was expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge and immediately uplift a dysfunctional team that was in transition.

That obviously didn't happen.

Caicedo, who spoke openly about feeling weighed down by the gargantuan transfer fee affixed to his name, looked uncomfortable in Chelsea blue. The confidence he displayed patrolling the midfield for Brighton vanished. But he's starting to get it back now.

With the added stability provided by manager Enzo Maresca, Caicedo is silencing those doubters and proving indispensable to his team. His excellent goal earned Chelsea a point against Manchester United on Sunday, which was a nice bonus for a player who's at his best when his team doesn't have the ball. Caicedo has the most combined tackles and interceptions in the Premier League this season, winning the ball back and doing all the work in midfield that frees up more attack-minded players like Cole Palmer. It's no surprise that he's played the second-most league minutes of any Chelsea outfield player this season.

"The problem with Moi is because the club paid big money, people expect them to be the best," Maresca said after Sunday's draw at Old Trafford. "It is normal to be a bit up and down. We are trying to improve him and he is showing how good he is."

Caicedo is just the latest reminder that snap judgments on transfers are rarely correct. It's natural for players to need an adjustment period, especially when coming into a volatile situation.

If Chelsea are going to keep progressing back to the top of the Premier League, where they expect to be at some point soon after such an enormous expenditure, Caicedo will be a protagonist.

Quick free-kicks 📝

Arsenal already running out of steam?

Arsenal, despite their recent struggles, remain a good team. They've probably been a little unlucky with injuries and absences so far this season, too. Martin Odegaard's unavailability has obviously had a massive impact. But, following Saturday's 1-0 loss to Newcastle United, Mikel Arteta's team is already in danger of reaching a point of no return in the title race. A seven-point deficit isn't unsurmountable, especially with so many points still on the table, but Arsenal's margin for error is evaporating. At a certain point, it doesn't matter how good you are, the randomness of the sport will work against you if you're trying to make up too much ground. Until Odegaard returns, Arsenal need to get more out of Gabriel Martinelli, who hasn't scored or provided an assist in nearly a month. Bukayo Saka is doing his part on one side. Martinelli has to provide a secondary option from the opposite flank.

Nottingham Forest soaring

The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur are all looking up at Nottingham Forest in the table right now. What a difference from last season's relegation scrap. Forest, winners of three straight after a comprehensive victory over West Ham United on Saturday, sit third, their highest position in the Premier League since 1998. They're doing it by playing clean and simple football, with quick and technical wide players providing service for old-school frontman Chris Wood, who is thriving. Since Nuno Espirito Santo's first match in charge of the club, only Erling Haaland has more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than the imposing 32-year-old striker. Nuno can't take all the credit for the recent surge, though, as he's been serving a touchline ban during Forest's three-match winning streak.

No great escape for Man City this time

Not even Manchester City, widely regarded as the best club side in the world, can overcome a slow start every time. Pep Guardiola's men conceded the first goal for the third time in their last four Premier League matches on Saturday, falling behind against Bournemouth in just the ninth minute. Unlike comeback wins over Fulham and Wolves, City, missing several key players amid a mounting injury crisis, couldn't turn things around and fell 2-1, their 32-game league unbeaten streak snapped. Their status as league leaders disappeared, too. City looked slow and sluggish right from the opening minute, with multiple players simply unable to keep up with the energy of their Bournemouth counterparts. Guardiola still hasn't figured out how to keep his machine operating at its usual level without Rodri and admitted that City must learn to "handle" the current injury situation.

Solanke's hard work pays off

Dominic Solanke has had a lukewarm start to his Tottenham career. He went into Sunday's match against Aston Villa with just two league goals on the campaign and hadn't registered a shot on target in his last three outings. The selfless attacker does plenty of hard work off the ball for Spurs, covering ground and pressing opponents in the defensive phase of play, and he often drops deep to create running lanes for his teammates when Tottenham are in possession. All of that is important for the overall health and success of the team. But, ultimately, a striker who cost £65 million and is being tasked with replacing some of the production of club legend Harry Kane is going to be judged on his goalscoring exploits. Solanke, in addition to his other contributions, delivered in that regard on Sunday, too, scoring twice in four minutes, including a delectable little chipped finish, as Tottenham came storming back to score four goals in the second half and beat Aston Villa. Can he kick on from here?

Star performer 🌟

Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)

Semenyo was everywhere against Manchester City. The versatile forward spent time on both flanks, swapping sides and finding joy against both Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker. Neither defender could handle the 24-year-old. Semenyo pinned Gvardiol and spun off him inside the box to score the opening goal of Bournemouth's memorable 2-1 win, and he ran Walker ragged all game. Each time he picked up the ball and drove forward, the home crowd buzzed in anticipation, and the City backline looked vulnerable. Pep Guardiola eventually made a substitution to move Walker into central defense after watching him get continually steamrolled.

The Bristol City academy product looked similarly threatening in the Cherries' recent win over Arsenal but didn't have the goal to show for all of his endeavor. No such issue here. Bournemouth have now taken seven points from their last three matches, sandwiching their aforementioned wins with a draw against Aston Villa. In three consecutive weeks, three of the best teams in the country couldn't get the better of Bournemouth, and Semenyo has been a major reason why they're now up to eighth in the Premier League.

Best XI 😎

(Courtesy: FotMob)

Highlight of the weekend 🎥

Leif Davis' composed volley and Ola Aina's wicked screamer were strong contenders, but Mohamed Salah's winning goal versus Brighton gets the nod. The speed and precision of the counterattack, the scintillating finish from the Egyptian star, and the roar of the Anfield crowd making the camera shake all combine to create a thrilling goal and moment.

Stat of the weekend 🔢

"But can he defend!?!?"

Social media moment 📱

We're dipping into the weekend's FA Cup action here, where the halftime entertainment during Wycombe Wanderers' victory over York City featured a rendition of "Let It Go" from a fan who was out on his bachelor weekend. The Elsa outfit was on point. The singing? Jury's still out.

A mention, too, for Aina, who explained during a post-match interview - while crushing a juice box - that his thunderous goal against West Ham was actually born out of exhaustion. "I was knackered ... so I just thought I might as well hit it." Good decision, as it turns out.

Where we stand 👀

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