Premier League Table: 2016 Standings, Week 11 Fixtures After Week 10 Results
Stoke City striker Wilfried Bony netted twice against former club Swansea City on Monday, helping his side to a 3-1 win at the Bet365 Stadium.
Bony put Stoke ahead in the third minute, though the visitors quickly levelled through Wayne Routledge, as the match began at a blistering pace.
In the second period, the home side edged ahead in the 55th minute after Alfie Mawson turned the ball into his own net. Bony then secured Stoke's third Premier League win in succession with another poacher's finish in the 73rd minute.
Here’s a look at how the table is shaping up after Monday’s clash, the results from Week 10 and the upcoming fixtures in English football’s top flight:
| Sunderland | 1-4 | Arsenal |
| Watford | 1-0 | Hull City |
| West Bromwich Albion | 0-4 | Manchester City |
| Manchester United | 0-0 | Burnley |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1-1 | Leicester City |
| Middlesbrough | 2-0 | Bournemouth |
| Crystal Palace | 2-4 | Liverpool |
| Everton | 2-0 | West Ham United |
| Southampton | 0-2 | Chelsea |
| Stoke City | 3-1 | Swansea City |
| 1 | Manchester City | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 9 | +15 | 23 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 10 | +13 | 23 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 13 | +11 | 23 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 9 | +12 | 22 |
| 5 | Tottenham | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 20 |
| 6 | Everton | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 18 |
| 7 | Watford | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | +1 | 15 |
| 8 | Manchester United | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 15 |
| 9 | Southampton | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 13 |
| 10 | Bournemouth | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 12 |
| 11 | Leicester | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 12 |
| 12 | Stoke | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 12 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 11 |
| 14 | Burnley | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | -5 | 11 |
| 15 | Middlesbrough | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 10 |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 14 | -4 | 10 |
| 17 | West Ham | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 19 | -9 | 10 |
| 18 | Hull | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 23 | -15 | 7 |
| 19 | Swansea | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 17 | -9 | 5 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 20 | -13 | 2 |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | 3 p.m. | Bournemouth vs. Sunderland |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | 3 p.m. | Burnley vs. Crystal Palace |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | 3 p.m. | Manchester City vs. Middlesbrough |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | 3 p.m. | West Ham United vs. Stoke |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | 5:30 p.m. | Chelsea vs. Everton |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | Noon | Arsenal vs. Tottenham |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | 2:15 p.m. | Liverpool vs. Watford |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | 2:15 p.m. | Hull City vs. Southampton |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | 3 p.m. | Swansea City vs. Manchester United |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | 4:30 p.m. | Leicester City vs. West Brom |
Monday Recap
Every supporter dreads coming up against former players, and Swansea fans felt a certain sense of inevitability about Stoke’s opener.
Joe Allen, a former key man at the Liberty Stadium, sliced a left-footed shot toward goal, and Bony, another ex-Swansea star, was on hand to prod home from five yards out. As BBC 5 Live Sport noted, it was a long time coming for the Ivory Coast international:
The visitors' defending left much to be desired, though the home side also looked shaky at the back before allowing Routledge to head home an equaliser. Gylfi Sigurdsson swung in a superb cross, but Phil Bardsley could have done more to prevent the winger from getting to the ball.
There was a blow for the Potters when Xherdan Shaqiri limped off with an injury in the first period. However, Stoke continued to probe with incision, remarkably hitting the woodwork three times—Charlie Adam twice and Marko Arnautovic once—before half-time.
Per Squawka Football, it had been a while since a side enjoyed such misfortune in the opening 45 minutes:
As the players emerged after the break, the Stoke XI must have been wondering whether it was going to be one of those frustrating evenings. In fact, they eventually needed a Swansea player to put them back in front.
Ramadan Sobhi, on for Shaqiri, was the architect of the goal, as he produced an excellent cross at the end of some fine play out wide. So good was the delivery that Mawson could only turn the ball into his own net, with Allen ready to tap in otherwise.
Swansea looked devoid of ideas and dispirited. Stoke, by contrast, were emboldened and poured forward in search of a third.
It didn't take long to come, either, with Bony grabbing his second for the club. Allen was again involved, as Lukasz Fabianski parried his shot into the path of the on-loan Manchester City man, who had the simple task of heading home.
Fox Sports' Keith Costigan praised the midfielder's role in the buildup:
Swansea rallied in the final stages, with Borja Baston striking the bar, but they were unable to cut the deficit. Manager Bob Bradley will be hugely disappointed with the defensive play from his players on the night, while Mark Hughes has the Potters purring again after a tough start.
Weekend Review
There were impressive performances aplenty from the Premier League title challengers in Week 10, as Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool all secured emphatic wins.
The trio are tied on 23 points each at the top.
City lead the way on goal difference, a mark they bolstered with a brilliant 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion. Sergio Aguero was the star man for manager Pep Guardiola’s side, netting a superb brace and proving to be a persistent menace at the Hawthorns.
Trailing the Manchester outfit are Arsenal, who comprehensively outplayed Sunderland to win 4-1 at the Stadium of Light. Alexis Sanchez continued to impress, too, pulling the Black Cats back four apart and helping himself to a couple of goals.
Per Squawka Football, in his new role at the point of the attack, the former Barcelona man has been effective:
There’s a sense that this Gunners team are ready to put together a serious title challenge in 2016-17. Those credentials will be tested on Sunday, though, when Arsenal welcome north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates Stadium.
Liverpool continue to flex their muscles, too, as they won a chaotic game at Selhurst Park. Palace levelled twice in the game, but the extra quality of the visitors eventually told. Once again, manager Jurgen Klopp’s side were a major force in the final third, and they will be confident of three points against Watford on Sunday.
Also in the hunt are Chelsea, who have turned on the style in recent contests. Their 2-0 win at Southampton was a brilliant professional display, and since manager Antonio Conte changed the system, the Blues have thrived, as Sky Sports Statto showed:
Elsewhere, Spurs lost ground in the title race, as they were held by champions Leicester City in a 1-1 draw. Manchester United also had a weekend to forget, as they ran into an outstanding goalkeeper in Burnley’s Tom Heaton. Even so, the Red Devils were profligate in the 0-0 draw against the newly promoted side.
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