London (AFP)

Manchester City was surprised at home by Wolverhampton (2-0), Sunday at the 8th day of the Premier League, and is now 8 points behind leader Liverpool, while Arsenal and Chelsea, winners, go back to 3rd and 5th ranks.

. Manchester City still stumbles

Is the title already played at the 8th day in England?

The question is obviously provocative, but the gap of 8 points created by Liverpool, winner at the snatch of Leicester Saturday (2-1), on Manchester City already looks like a sinkhole.

Faced with a very well organized team, the offensive game of Manchester City was totally neutralized, the absence of Kevin de Bruyne and his diabolical passes of precision being felt.

For its part, Riyad Mahrez has had a bad day in defense, where Aymeric Laporte and John Stones are sorely missed, Nicolas Otamendi having been once again disastrous.

If Fernandinho, again aligned in the axis of the defense, avoided the worst for a long time, Wolverhampton and especially Adama Traore, author of a doubled, punished City against late in the game (80th, 90 + 4) to take home the Citizens for the first time in 40 years in the elite.

This second defeat, after that against Norwich (3-2) at the 5th day, is already a task and the Blue Sky will almost start looking in their rearview mirror where four teams are one or two points away from them.

. Arsenal passes the 3rd

Arsenal did not miss a chance to get on the podium by beating Bournemouth (1-0) with little success.

The first goal of David Luiz in his new colors, a header on a corner of Nicolas Pepe in the 9th minute, is enough to the happiness of the men of Unai Emery, but well-built and mastered game enthusiasts will return.

The Gunners have certainly not conceded a real opportunity, except this breakthrough of Callum Wilson early in the second period when the striker, who had dribbled the goalkeeper Bernd Leno, preferred to focus than to try to score in angle closed.

But they have very rarely managed to destabilize their opponents and even create the conditions for a frank opportunity, despite the post found - perhaps in an offside position - by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in time additional.

The midfielder composed of Matteo Guendouzi, Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos is hardworking and generous, but he does not seem to have the creativity and pass quality needed to exploit the speed of Pepe, Aubameyang or Bukayo Saka.

In an English league where the 10th, Bournemouth, is only 4 points off the podium, Londoners know they have zero margin on their direct competitors.

. Little by little, Chelsea is nesting:

The upturn is decidedly confirmed for Frank Lampard's Chelsea, who has come back to the top of the table after his victory at Southampton (3-1): 5th at two points from City.

A goal of the inevitable Tammy Abraham - his 8th of the season in 6 appearances--, one of Mason Mount and one of N'Golo Kanté on a deflected shot, just to show that there are not only the young people who know how to score at the Blues, and the deal was concluded at the break (3-1).

The fourth goal, scored by Michy Basthuayi at the end of the match, does not settle the affairs of Olivier Giroud, again missing from the score sheet on Sunday, the Belgian being ahead of him in the hierarchy of potential replacements to Abraham in the head of Lampard.

The English coach will always be choosy on the avoidable goal conceded at the half hour of play, six minutes after taking the break at 2-0.

But his team has just matched three major championship and Champions League wins that hope this year will be little more than a transition season, despite the ban on recruiting.

© 2019 AFP