A week certainly is a long time in football.
Just six days ago, jaws were on the floor as Liverpool handed in-form Manchester United their heaviest defeat in over 90 years, thumping their old rivals 7-0 at Anfield.
On Saturday, Jurgen Klopp's men went down 1-0 to previously bottom-of-the-table Bournemouth, who bounced back from their agonising last-minute defeat at Arsenal last time out.
Manchester City also had a tough away game at Crystal Palace but came out on the right side of a one-goal outcome to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
Chelsea continued their rise in form with a third win in a week, while Antonio Conte's mood presumably improved as his Tottenham side beat Nottingham Forest.
Stats Perform has taken a look into some Opta data from the pick of the day's action.
Bournemouth 1-0 Liverpool: Reds bubble popped by Cherries
Last week at Anfield, it felt like Liverpool would score every time they surged forward. On Saturday at the Vitality Stadium, they looked like they would struggle to find the net even if Bournemouth had left the field for a few minutes.
This was just Bournemouth's second ever competitive win against Liverpool, and their first since their famous 4-3 victory in December 2016. It was also just their second clean sheet against the Reds and their first since January 1968 (0-0).
Philip Billing's first-half strike was his sixth goal in the league this season, twice as many as he had managed in his previous three campaigns in England's top-flight combined (three in 77 games).
Mohamed Salah was electric against United, but his only moment of note this week saw the Egyptian smash a second-half penalty wide, the first time he had missed the target from the spot in the Premier League (18 scored, two saved prior to Saturday).
The Reds lost consecutive Premier League matches against opponents starting the day bottom of the table for the first time since December 2010-February 2011 (vs Wolves and West Ham respectively), and have failed to win away against all three promoted clubs (D1 L2) in a single Premier League campaign for only the third time, also doing so in 2010-11 (L3) and 2003-04 (D2 L1).
Leicester City 1-3 Chelsea: Potter weaves his magic to get Blues firing again
Before last week, Graham Potter's Chelsea were a mess, having won only two of their previous 15 games.
Seven days later and they are on a run of three wins, completing the league double over Leicester for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
It also meant an end to a run of eight Premier League away games without a victory for the Blues (D4 L4), with this their first win on the road since a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa in October.
This was Leicester's 16th Premier League defeat of the season, with no team having suffered more (Southampton also 16), and they conceded first for the ninth consecutive league game, doing so 14 times in total this season, only Southampton (18) and West Ham (17) have shipped the opening goal of the game more often in 2022-23.
Chelsea's goals came through Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic, with Havertz scoring his first Premier League away goal since October (v Brighton).
Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers has suffered as many as 16 defeats in a single league season for the first time in his career, which was not an ideal way to celebrate his 150th Premier League game as Leicester manager (W64 D29 L57). Only Martin O'Neill has managed more games in the competition for the club (152), while only Claudio Ranieri (44 per cent) has a better win percentage than Rodgers (43 per cent).
Tottenham 3-1 Nottingham Forest: Kane able to reignite Spurs' season
Taking advantage of Liverpool's slip in the race for the top four, Tottenham recovered from their Champions League exit to Milan by easing past Forest thanks to goals from Harry Kane (two) and Son Heung-min.
Despite the 0-0 against Milan at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, none of Spurs' last 24 home league games have been drawn (W17 L7), while today was the first time they have had a two-goal lead at half-time in a Premier League home game since beating Arsenal last May.
Steve Cooper's Forest have lost all four of their league games in London this season by an aggregate score of 14-1. It is the first time they have lost four consecutive league games in the capital since February 1999 (a run of five).
Kane has now scored eight headed goals in the Premier League this season – only former Everton and Newcastle United striker Duncan Ferguson has ever netted more in a single campaign (nine in 1997-98).
The England captain has also scored 20 goals in a Premier League season for the sixth time, with only Alan Shearer (seven) doing so in more different campaigns than the Tottenham striker.
Fraser Forster's late penalty save from Andre Ayew was the fourth of his last eight penalties faced in the Premier League that he has kept out.
Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City: Haaland steps up again as Palace fire blanks once more
It was far from a typical dominant Man City display, but Erling Haaland's late penalty earned them three points at Selhurst Park.
Despite their uncharacteristic wobbles this season, City have won five of their last six Premier League games (D1), and are on the longest current unbeaten run in the competition (six games).
Palace defended well in the main, but also became the first team on record (since 2003-04) to fail to have a single shot on target in three consecutive Premier League matches.
The Eagles remain winless in their 10 league games in 2023 (D5 L5), while no side has failed to score in more different Premier League games this season (12).
Haaland scored his 10th away goal of the season in the league – with 18 also scored at home, he is just the second City player to reach double figures both home and away in a single Premier League campaign, after Sergio Aguero in 2014-15 (13 home, 13 away).
No player has scored more penalties in England's top-flight this season than Haaland (five, level with Brentford's Ivan Toney). Only Yaya Toure has scored more from the spot in a single campaign for the Citizens (six in 2013-14).
Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders: Neville calls on hosts to put foot down in derby
Phil Neville believes the Portland Timbers have not picked up the points their performances have warranted this season, but he knows the time has come for them to put their foot down ahead of Sunday's Cascadia Derby against the Seattle Sounders.
Portland sit 12th in the Western Conference standings, below the Sounders on goal difference, after going eight MLS matches without a victory.
Their 10 points through 11 games in 2024 represents their joint-worst return at this point of any MLS campaign (alongside 2014).
Neville, however, believes they have deserved more as they prepare for a run of three home games in their next four.
"I think the first thing to say is we are not making any excuses – the results have not been as good as we wanted," he said.
"We've not got our just rewards but now we look forward to a stretch where we've got to perform better and get better results, we've got to put our foot down on the gas."
The Sounders have also struggled this term, though they have taken four points from their last two MLS games against the Philadelphia Union (3-2) and LA Galaxy (0-0).
They then overcame Louisville City on penalties in the U.S. Open Cup in midweek, and coach Brian Schmetzer hopes they can carry on their momentum from that game on Sunday.
"This club has had a long history in the U.S. Open Cup, I like the tournament. It was certainly a challenge against a good, well-coached Louisville team," Schmetzer said.
"We came out on top and hopefully this propels us a little bit in our league play."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland Timbers – Maxime Crepeau
Portland have conceded at least once in a club-record 17 successive regular-season matches, allowing 37 goals in that time.
Goalkeeper Crepeau has faced 41 shots so far in MLS this term, preventing 1.13 goals according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model, conceding 14 times from 15.8 xGoT faced.
Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz
Ruidiaz has 12 goals in 16 previous MLS matches against Portland (including playoffs), the most goals scored by any player against the Timbers in MLS play.
It's also the most goals scored by any MLS player against a single opponent since Ruidiaz made his debut in the competition in July 2018.
MATCH PREDICTION – PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN
The Timbers are unbeaten in six straight matches against the Sounders (four wins, two draws), the longest streak in all competitions by either team in the MLS era of their rivalry.
Portland have also won their last two home matches against Seattle after the Sounders won four of the previous five meetings at Providence Park.
Seattle's 10 points through 11 matches this season are tied for the second-worst start in club history, having only collected eight points at this stage in 2018. Though the Timbers have been in dismal form themselves lately, this fixture could come at a good time for them.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland Timbers – 41.5%
Seattle Sounders – 30%
Draw – 28.5%
Busby Jr. reappointed as Reggae Girlz head coach; eighteen members of historic World Cup squad return for Brazil friendlies
Hubert Busby Junior has been reappointed as Head Coach of the Jamaica Senior National Women’s Team, the Jamaica Football Federation announced in a statement on Friday.
This is Busby's second stint with the team, having held the position from 2020 to 2021.
He was removed from the position when the JFF requested FIFA to investigate unsavory media reports originating in Europe. FIFA subsequently cleared Busby.
“The Jamaica Football Federation is pleased to announce that after careful consideration and due process, our technical committee has recommended the immediate reappointment of Hubert Busby as head coach of the Senior Women's National Team,” the JFF said in Friday’s release.
“Based on his vast experience and knowledge of the squad, we think he is the perfect individual to take the team through the next stage of its development,” it continued.
Xavier Gilbert, who was acting in the role of Head Coach since October 2023, will revert to his previous role as assistant coach.
Busby's first task will be to take charge of the 23-member squad which will play two international friendlies against Brazil on June 1 and June 4 in Brazil.
Eighteen members of the group for the two games were members of Jamaica’s history-making 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup squad, while former Liverpool midfielder Jade Bailey makes a return to the team which is missing prolific striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw and Kalyssa 'Kiki' Van Zanten due to injuries.
The squad is set to depart for South America on May 26.
Squad: Chantelle Swaby, Konya Plummer, Jade Bailey, Denesha Blackwood, Kayla McKenna, Allyson Swaby, Drew Spence, Atlanta Primus, Vyan Sampson, Peyton McNamara, Page Bailey-Gayle, Trudy Carter, Kameron Simmonds, Tiffany Cameron, Sydney Schneider, Rebecca Spencer, Niya Cardoza, Liya Brooks, Amelia Van Zaten, Jody Brown, Israela Groves, Davia Richards, Lauren Reid
Los Angeles FC v Vancouver Whitecaps: All eyes on Western Conference summit after cup exploits
After midweek cup triumphs for both teams, all eyes turn to MLS this Saturday as Western Conference hopefuls Los Angeles FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps meet at BMO Stadium.
Ahead of Saturday's contest, Vancouver sit fourth in the West with 18 points from 10 games, with LAFC three points further back despite playing an additional match.
Vanni Sartini's hosts were in Canadian Championship action on Wednesday, beating Calgary 2-1 in the first leg of a quarter-final tie with a starting lineup containing five Canadian players.
Sartini believes the experience of that match will serve his young players well, saying: "We want to do well in that competition and it fits with what we want to do, which is developing a lot of young players, guys who haven't played a lot for us.
"I'm really happy that we could play five of them, also because I think in this competition, if they have to give one per cent more to win, they will because it's their national competition."
LAFC, meanwhile, beat the Las Vegas Lights 3-1 to reach the last 16 of the U.S. Open Cup, a tournament they have never previously won.
Forward Kei Kamara scored his first LAFC goal in that match, and he hopes it will serve to kickstart his campaign.
"It was a battle but it's good for us to come here and get the win and move onto the next round," he said.
"Personally, it was nice to get a goal and wash that drought off, even though it was in the cup, to pick the team up and help us into the next round."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga has scored seven goals in six career matches against the Whitecaps in all competitions, including scoring in all four MLS encounters with them (including playoffs).
The only player to score in five straight MLS meetings with Vancouver is Raul Ruidiaz, who did so between 2020 and 2022.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White
White has scored in each of the Whitecaps' last three away matches. Only three players in team history, including White himself in 2023, have scored in four straight on the road in regular-season play.
MATCH PREDICTION – LOS ANGELES FC WIN
LAFC have won four of their last six matches against Vancouver in all competitions (one draw, one defeat) with all four wins coming in the CONCACAF Champions Cup or MLS Cup Playoffs.
In regular-season play, LAFC have won only one of their last eight against the Whitecaps, drawing three and losing four. However, they are favourites to improve on that record here.
Saturday's hosts are unbeaten in nine straight home matches (seven wins, two draws) dating back to the end of last season. LAFC have previously recorded three runs of 10 or more home matches without defeat in their history, and they will fancy their chances of repeating the trick.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Los Angeles FC – 56.8%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 18.5%
Draw – 24.7%
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