After mid-week European football, the Premier League returned for its ninth weekend of fixtures, with England’s top-flight providing action aplenty once again.

Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium was the venue for the Cherries’ Saturday lunchtime kick-off against Tottenham, as both sides settled for a share of the spoils in Dorset following a goalless stalemate.

Elsewhere, Burnley returned to winning ways against Everton at Turf Moor after Scott Arfield’s last minute strike secured a 2-1 victory for Sean Dyche’s Clarets, who recorded maximum points for the third time this term to move up to 14th.

Defending title-holders Leicester City followed up their Champions League success by defeating Crystal Palace 3-1 at the King Power Stadium. Ahmed Musa, Shinji Okazaki and Christian Fuchs provided the goals for Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes.

Xherdan Shaqiri’s brace earned Stoke City a comfortable away win at Hull City’s KCOM Stadium, while rock-bottom Sunderland were set for a point in the capital when they visited West Ham, only for Winston Reid to net the decisive goal for the East Londoners in stoppage-time.

At the Emirates, Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by Middlesbrough, while Swansea City and Watford played out the same result at the Liberty Stadium.

In Saturday’s late game, third-paced Liverpool beat West Brom 2-1 at Anfield. Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho were on target for the Reds.

On Sunday, Manchester City had to be thankful for Kelechi Iheanacho’s second-half equaliser as they returned the summit on goal difference despite being held to a 1-1 draw against Southampton at the Etihad Stadium.

Chelsea recorded the biggest win of the weekend, demolishing Manchester United 4-0 at Stamford Bridge later on in the afternoon. The damage was done courtesy of goals from Pedro, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante.

Here at Shoot! we’ve taken a look at what is hot and what is not from another pulsating week of Premier League matches…

HOT: Chelsea

In a match built-up by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho returning to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea produced a scintillating display of attacking football, to leave their former boss despondent.

Antonio Conte’s West Londoners have recaptured their form in recent weeks, and Sunday’s 4-0 dismantling of United restored their place among the early pace-setters.

The hosts found themselves a goal up inside 30 seconds through Pedro, a moment that would set the scene for the entirety of the 90 minutes.

Cahill added a second with 21 minutes on the clock, prior to further goals in the second-half from Hazard and Kante, which completed the rout in emphatic fashion.

Chelsea are up to fourth in the standings, just the one point below leaders Manchester City, with the result marking three wins on the spin.

NOT: Manchester United

By contrast, Mourinho’s anticipated return to the club that sacked him last December concluded in a thrashing – his biggest ever defeat as a Premier League manager.

The 53-year-old could only watch on as his new-look Manchester United side endured a nightmare autumnal afternoon.
After opening the campaign with a 100% record in their first three games, United have collected just the solitary league win since the Manchester derby defeat on home soil back in September.

Due to the loss of league form in what is a major transitional period, the men from Old Trafford have subsequently dropped down to seventh, and are six-points off the top.

Back-to-back home games await Mourinho’s Red Devils next week, an EFL Cup tie with neighbours Manchester City on Wednesday, before buoyant Burnley are the visitors in the league on Saturday.

HOT: Xherdan Shaqiri

Stoke City’s Swiss international, netted his two-goals in spectacular style to lift Mark Hughes’ Potters out of the relegation zone following a comfortable 2-0 win at Hull City.

The 25-year-old produced stunning strikes in either half on Humberside against Mike Phelan’s struggling squad.
Shaqiri opened the scoring with 26 minutes on the clock, when he cut inside from the right, to arrow a 25-yard curling shot into the top corner which beat goalkeeper David Marshall.

Stoke’s influential number 22 had his and the Staffordshire outfit’s second five minutes after the interval, dispatching a dipping free-kick to cap off a fine personal performance.

NOT: Sunderland

Another week which ended in defeat for David Moyes’ Sunderland, who are yet to taste victory in nine Premier League outings so far this season.

Propping up the standings early on in the campaign, having done so on an annual basis for the last three-years, the North East side have just two points to their name.

Sunderland’s latest reverse was a 1-0 defeat to upwardly-moving West Ham. The Black Cats had battled at the London Stadium, but Reid steered the Hammers to a second-successive win after 94 minutes.

The pressure has further increased onto manager Moyes. He was brought into the Stadium of Light as Sam Allardyce’s successor, but as fans voice their discontent at the barren run that has spiralled out of control, it remains to be seen what the future holds, both short and long-term.