Weekend Review: Arsenal’s Kai-O punch sinks Liverpool as punters spooked over Halloween

Arsenal (29/20) have taken a three-point lead in the early season title race after beating Liverpool (7/4) 1-0 at Anfield.

The tightly contested game was settled by a first-half goal from Kai Havertz, with the Gunners securing their first victory at the ground in 14 years.

Mikel Arteta’s side were able to take advantage of rivals Manchester City (13/20) slipping up on Halloween, with a Yasin Ayari goal enough to give Brighton (7/2) a 1-0 win at the Etihad.

Arsenal are now 1/3 favourites to retain their Premier League crown, with City dropping to 7/1.

The weekend started with Chelsea (6/5) compounding more misery on under fire Manchester United, with goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer sealing a 2-0 win against Michael Carrick’s men, who saw Lisandro Martinez sent off in the second half.

Ill-discipline littered the weekend’s Halloween fixtures, with Coventry (21/10) beating a 10-man Sunderland 3-1 at the Ricoh Arena, and Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s red card helping Tottenham (13/20) win their third successive game 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace.

There were 2-0 home victories for Bournemouth (11/10) against Leeds and Brentford (11/10) against Nottingham Forest, respectively.

Newly promoted duo Hull City and Ipswich drew 2-2 in East Yorkshire, while Aston Villa and Fulham shared the spoils in Birmingham with a goal apiece.

FDJ United’s Ali Gill explained why it was a good weekend for bookmakers.

He said: “Another good week of Premier League action on the layer’s side, as results by and large went our way.

“Despite Arsenal marching on in their pursuit of retaining the title, a solitary goal was the best we could hope for from an Arsenal win at Anfield on Sunday, and that actually finished as our best result of the match round, just about pipping Man City’s loss to Brighton by a few quid.

“Villa being held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham was another good result for the book, and although Chelea’s win over United and Bournemouth’s win over Leeds saw punters claw some back, overall a happy trading room on Monday morning.”

Bet365’s Steve Freeth added: “We’re in the middle of some strong results in the Premier League right now, with the latest set proving a nightmare for punters. It made for a happy Halloween for bookmakers, featuring more ghouls than goals in the English top flight.

“Unfortunately for punters, it was Brighton who made a monster mash of the coupon with a 1-0 win at the Etihad, shortening to 12/1 to win the Premier League.

“There were also wins for two other well-run sides beginning with B, as Bournemouth and Brentford both secured 2-0 victories. Spurs followed suit with a comfortable three-point haul by the same scoreline, making it five wins to nil on Saturday and leaving BTTS backers screaming with frustration.”

Across Europe, Lamine Yamal scored twice to help Barcelona (1/10) maintain their lead at the top of La Liga with a dominant 6-1 win against Deportivo Alavés, with England’s Anthony Gordon also getting himself on the scoresheet.

Rivals Real Madrid (1/5) responded with a 3-0 win away at Racing Santander, thanks in part to goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé.

Der Klassiker in Germany between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund ended 2-2, with Ballon d’or winner Harry Kane missing a second-half penalty.

Champions League holders PSG (1/4) reclaimed top spot in Ligue 1 with a 5-1 against Le Havre, with Achraf Hakimi scoring a hattrick.

In Italy, Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan (29/10) ran out 3-1 winners in the Milan derby against city rivals Inter (1/1), while Juventus (5/4) beat 10-man Napoli (11/5) 2-0 in Turin.

Surprise package Lazio (1/2) continued their stellar early season form with a 2-1 win against Cagliari, maintaining their status as league leaders.

Freeth added: “There were goals galore on the European coupon, starting with PSG scoring five on Friday night. We even had one customer back Achraf Hakimi to score a hattrick at odds of 125/1.

“Harry Kane may have been celebrating on Monday night, but he was brought back to earth with a Ballon d’Or bump on Saturday when he missed a penalty. That ensured we saw one of the big boys turned over, as Bayern Munich could only manage a draw with Dortmund.

“Barcelona hit Alaves for six, with two-goal Lamine Yamal being replaced by Anthony Gordon, who proceeded to find the back of the net. This triggered the bet365 Sub On Play On concession for 14/1 hat-trick backers of the Spanish superstar. Kylian Mbappé may have finished second to Kane in the Ballon d’Or pecking order, but he was able to finish from the spot, helping Real Madrid cruise to a 3-0 win at Racing.

“Surprise package Lazio, who were 150/1 to win Serie A in pre-season, continued their winning run by coming from behind to beat Cagliari. Elsewhere, second-placed Inter were beaten by rivals Milan, while third-placed Roma hit five at Udinese.”

In Formula One, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli made history by becoming the youngest champion in the sport’s history after securing a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The 20-year old claimed his first world title after finishing behind race winner Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who endured several tense moments with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

BOYLE Sports’ Brian O’Keeffe noted: “Formula 1 has a new star at the top of the podium after Kimi Antonelli sealed the world title in Mexico. The 20-year-old finished third in a chaotic race to become the youngest champion in the sport’s history.

“The title may be decided, but next season is already shaping up to be fascinating. Antonelli is currently 5/2 to retain his crown in 2027, with Max Verstappen rated 13/8 favourite and Lewis Hamilton at 12/1.”

In horseracing, the combination of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore enjoyed a successful weekend during the Breeder’s Cup in Keeneland.

The Moore-ridden 17/20 favourite Sun Goddess took home first place in the Juvenile Fillies turf on Friday night, beating out Green Empress (126/10) and Curracloe (186/10).

Moore followed this up with a win on Haffner (15/4) in Juvenile Turf ahead of 5/2 favourite Folsom Blues and Avec Toi (69/10).

On Saturday, Moore made it a trio of wins with his victory atop 13/4 favourite Benvenuto Cellini in the Breeders’ Cup, beating Map of Stars (40/1) and Diamond Necklace (49/10).

Betfred’s Alan Firkins added: “The Breeders’ Cup from Keeneland featured some imperious performances at weekend. Aidan O’Brien’s pair of Sun Goddess and Haffner were superb on Friday taking the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf and Juvenile Turf respectively, while on Saturday my particular highlight was seeing flying machine Bacio make all to dot up in the Turf Sprint, just as he’d done at York in the Nunthorpe, and Royal Ascot (Palace of Holyroodhouse).

“In the early hours of Tuesday morning (04.00) it’s the Melbourne Cup, and Joseph O’Brien’s Trustyourinstinct is well-fancied at round 13/2 to give the handler a third triumph in the race that’s said to stop Australia in its tracks.

“He’s got five entered in Flemington’s centrepiece in total, top Aussie James McDonald rides the above-mentioned second-favourite, and the horse runs in the legendary green and gold of owner JP McManus. He’s better known for having winners at Cheltenham, Aintree and the like, but isn’t remotely averse to the occasional interest in the flat.”