The weekend's top flight action saw Manchester City suffer defeat at the hands of the impressive Stoke City and Jurgen Klopp's high-flying Liverpool shocked by struggling Newcastle.
Manchester United were again held to a goalless draw against West Ham, Aston Villa earned a hard-fought point at Southampton and Arsenal defeated Sam Allardyce's Sunderland.
Sportsmail columnist Jamie Redknapp takes a look back at some of the weekend's biggest talking points from the PREMIER LEAGUE and beyond...
LOUIS VAN GAAL TAKING THE BLAME
Several Manchester United players are hiding behind the criticism of Louis van Gaal. The manager has taken the heat off a number of players whose displays have been worse than what they should have been this season.
Wayne Rooney is not performing to the level he should, Anthony Martial's levels have dropped and Memphis Depay – who cost £25million – has only scored twice in the PREMIER LEAGUE.
As much as Van Gaal's side are not exciting to watch, these are Manchester United players and when the crowd roar and want you to get forward, you're not going to say: 'We can't run forward because of the manager'.
You do it on instinct. Do you think he's telling Rooney not to shoot? Of course not. I've been in dressing rooms where the team is struggling but the manager is getting the stick and some players are relieved they are not being criticised. The forwards have got to take responsibility and if they can find their feet, United have a great chance of winning the title.
OH, FERNANDO!
Manchester City have problems at the back but playing with two defensive midfielders is the worst thing they can do.
City have always been an exciting, expansive team, but whenever Manuel Pellegrini goes with Fernando and Fernandinho in holding midfield, the players think, 'Oh, we're going to sit back now'.
I can only think of one game where playing the two together worked — a 2-0 win at Roma in the Champions League last season. Apart from that, I cannot remember it being successful.
They don't compliment each other and Fernandinho is that good that he can do the job on his own.
When Fernando plays, he upsets the balance of the team. His job is to stop them conceding but City were cut open at will on Saturday and the Brazilian was at fault for both of Stoke's goals.
What is the value in playing two defensive midfield players if you are going to get beaten and perform the way they did? You might as well play two attacking players.
City would be better saying, 'Let's make this a basketball match because at least if we're going to get beaten we'll score some goals ourselves'. Fernando hasn't worked this season and the stats back it up.
HOWE ABOUT THAT
I have no doubt that if Bournemouth hadn't suffered so many injuries, they would be in the top half of the table. When you think they have been without key players in Tyrone Mings, Max Gradel, Tommy Elphick and Callum Wilson, it shows just how fantastic a victory it was for them at Chelsea.
What will delight Eddie Howe even more is that his side picked up their second clean sheet of the season. If they can keep clean sheets, Bournemouth will have every chance of staying up because of the attacking players they possess. With the pace they have on the counter attack, they will score goals.
Bournemouth will be confident they can build on it against Manchester United at home next week. United won't look forward to playing them, and Bournemouth will be hoping to create a similar atmosphere to when my dad's side beat them in 1984.
TIGHT AT THE TOP
This season is like the Grand National at the top - it's going to be a case of who stays on their horse longest.
In all my time in football, I've never seen a season like it. The top five or six teams aren't as good as in previous years and the others have improved dramatically.
After Liverpool won 6-1 at Southampton, I thought this could be their year. Then they lose at Newcastle and Jurgen Klopp's side have been dragged back into the chasing pack. It just shows how difficult this league is to predict.
DANNY IS JUST CHAMPION FOR LEICESTER
Riyad Mahrez scored a hat-trick at Swansea and while he and Jamie Vardy have won all the plaudits so far, the Leicester player who has really caught my eye is Danny Drinkwater.
When Gokhan Inler signed in the summer, no-one expected Drinkwater to get a look-in but the fact he has restricted the Swiss international to two starts shows how much he has improved.
He covers ground, can pass the ball, is strong in the tackle and his performances are up there with some of the PREMIER LEAGUE'S best.
MAGIC MARKO
We all knew Marko Arnautovic was capable of moments like his two goals against Manchester City. But what has really struck me this season is his work ethic.
When I've watched Stoke previously, the opposition have always been able to attack them down the Austrian's flank because he won't come back and help his defender. This year, it's like the penny has finally dropped.
He is the whole package now in terms of defending for his team, attacking and adding goals. As well as his brace against City, he scored the winner against champions Chelsea and when you are scoring against those teams, it proves you have top quality because some players can't handle those games.
If a top-four club were going to take anyone in January, it would be Arnautovic. Stoke bought him for £2million but you can put a zero on that now.
CHELSEA PULLING POWER AT RISK
One of Chelsea's biggest problems now is that if they don't make the top four, and they want to give Jose Mourinho money in the summer to build a new team, a lot of players will be thinking twice about going there.
The fact Chelsea pay huge wages is a bonus, but great players want to play in the Champions League.
They will look at all the negativity surrounding the club and in January and at the end of the season Chelsea will struggle to acquire the players they want.
It can be done – Manchester United attracted Angel di Maria from Real Madrid in 2014 – but it is a very different conversation if you are not in the top four. If the unthinkable happens and Chelsea lose against Porto on Wednesday night and go out of the Champions League, the pressure might just become too much for Mourinho.