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• Premier League MD7: Lucky winners and unlucky losers

  There were plenty of thrills and spills across the board in the Premier League as matchday seven ran its course.

  Manchester City and Arsenal both had to come from behind to beat Fulham and Southampton respectively at home, while there were eight goals scored as Brentford overcame Wolves 5-3, with six of those strikes coming in the first half in west London.

  Liverpool kept themselves ahead at the summit thanks to a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, while Manchester United stopped the rot by holding Aston Villa, albeit they have now tallied up their lowest points total after seven games of any Premier League season.

  Leicester City, meanwhile, grabbed their first win of the campaign, while Anthony Gordon endured a miserable return to Goodison Park with Newcastle United. In the final fixture of the weekend, Brighton stunned Tottenham, forging a second-half comeback to win 3-2 at the Amex Stadium.

  So, after all that, who were the unlucky, and lucky, teams based on the underlying metrics?

  Lucky winners: Leicester City

  Leicester finally got their first top-flight win of the season on the board, as they edged out Bournemouth 1-0 thanks to Facundo Buonanotte's excellent run and finish.

  But, it's fair to say it was something of a smash-and-grab for Steve Cooper's team at the King Power Stadium. Leicester had just six shots, with only two of those hitting the target, and they tallied up just 0.79 expected goals (xG).

  On the other hand, Bournemouth had 19 attempts, creating five big chances (a tally bettered only by Brentford's eight and West Ham's nine this week) and accumulating 2.16 xG.

  Bournemouth only have themselves to blame for wasteful finishing – they got just two of their efforts on target – but the Cherries can still consider themselves unfortunate.

  Unlucky losers: Newcastle

  Determined to impress against his former club, Gordon fluffed his lines when his big moment arrived as Newcastle drew 0-0 with Everton on Saturday.

  With James Tarkowski having conceded a penalty by recklessly pulling the shirt of Sandro Tonali, Gordon stepped up to the spot, but Jordan Pickford guessed the right way.

  While Everton wanted a penalty of their own in the second half, the Toffees were largely second-best and that is backed up by the metrics. Even discounting Gordon's spot-kick, Newcastle finished with 1.26 xG and 14 shots. The hosts accumulated 0.67 xG and had eight attempts.

  Lucky winners: Man City

  It's not often that the champions are given a run for their money at home, but Fulham did just that.

  Indeed, Fulham finished with 2.6 xG at the Etihad Stadium, the fourth-highest total across the league this weekend, while they created five big chances.

  Pep Guardiola has said he is not concerned by Man City's unusually open defence, but he will want to see better from his team in that regard after the international break.

  Going forward, City benefited from three excellent finishes - two from Mateo Kovacic and one from Jeremy Doku. Their 1.57 xG came from 20 shots, though they created only one big chance.

• St Kitts announces squad for Concacaf Nations League October matches

  St Kitts and Nevis Senior Men’s National team head coach Francisco Molina has named his squad for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League home matches in October. The team will face off against the British Virgin Islands on October 9 and the Cayman Islands on October 15, with both matches set to take place at Warner Park at 3:30 pm.

  The squad will feature experienced goalkeeper Julani Archibald, who will be relied upon to provide stability between the posts. He will be supported by defenders such as Kai Trotman, Ash-on Maynard, and Kalonji Clarke, while Raheem Hanley and Omarion Liburd add versatility to the backline.

  Midfield will be anchored by Malique Roberts, Marvin McSheen, and Devion Harvey, who are expected to drive the team’s transition between defense and attack. Mervin Lewis and Nequan Browne will also play pivotal roles in midfield, with the likes of Tyquan Terrell and Yohannes Mitchum adding creativity and energy.

  Kyle Kelly and Tiquanny Williams will be tasked with providing the attacking flair, while Kimaree Rogers, Dequan Hamilton, and Gvaune Amory add depth in forward positions. Javern Matthew, Shevene Boston, Jahlyan Burt, and Dionis Stephens are all set to contribute to the team's efforts as well, with Trimar Samuel and Jahmarli Connor adding further options to the squad.

  The squad also boasts the experience of Romaine Sawyers, who will bring leadership and composure to the midfield, making him a key figure in the team's campaign.

  As St Kitts & Nevis look to build on their performances in the Concacaf Nations League, these home matches offer an opportunity for the team to secure valuable points and continue their push toward regional success.

• Portland Timbers 0-0 FC Dallas: Neville's men held after securing playoff spot

  The Portland Timbers were held to a goalless draw by FC Dallas on Sunday, having already clinched an MLS Cup playoff berth by virtue of results elsewhere.

  Austin FC's 2-1 defeat to the LA Galaxy on Saturday, which led to the team firing head coach Josh Wolff, ensured they could not overhaul Portland for the Western Conference's final wild-card spot.

  The Timbers still went with a strong lineup for their final home game of the regular season but had to settle for a point.

  Both Portland and Dallas had their chances, having 19 and 18 shots respectively, with the hosts almost finding a winner in second-half stoppage time as Dario Zuparic's header was cleared off the line.

  Perhaps their best opportunity came in the 88th minute, but Dallas goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer pushed Felipe Mora's attempt over the crossbar to preserve the visitors' clean sheet.

  Dallas, who had already been eliminated from the playoff race, sit 11th in the West, while Portland missed a chance to close the gap to the automatic qualification spots, which are now out of reach due to seventh-placed Minnesota United boasting two more wins with one game remaining.

   

  Data Debrief: Timbers end playoff exile

  Portland enter the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021, having missed out in both of the last two campaigns.

  They finished as runners-up when they last made the postseason, while three of their last six playoff appearances have seen them make the MLS Cup Final.