Premier League Table 2013 Week 9: Updated Standings Following Matchday 8

After a 4-1 victory over Norwich City, Arsenal has officially put itself back on top of the English Premier League.

The Gunners, who have been so bad for a while now, have magically turned it around this season. Despite multiple injuries and an ugly 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in their opener, the Gunners have looked like a completely different team this year. 

Arsenal has not lost since its opener, and after being tied atop the Premier League heading into Saturday, it's now the sole leader and looking like the best team out there thanks to players like Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil.

In fact, both Ramsey and Ozil had big days against Norwich. Ozil scored twice in the 58th and 88th minutes, while Ramsey scored another in the 83rd.

Who's looking to catch up to the Gunners?  Let's take a look at the updated table after Saturday's action.

Position	Team	Played	W	D	L	Points
1.	Arsenal	8	6	1	1	19
2.	Chelsea	8	5	2	1	17
3.	Liverpool	8	5	2	1	17
4.	Manchester City	8	5	1	2	16
5.	Tottenham	8	5	1	2	16
5.	Southampton	8	4	3	1	15
6.	Everton	8	4	3	1	15
8.	Manchester United	8	3	2	3	11
9.	Hull City	8	3	2	3	11
10.	Newcastle	8	3	2	3	11
11.	Swansea City	8	3	1	4	10
12.	Aston Villa	8	3	1	3	10
13.	West Bromwich Albion	8	2	4	2	10
14.	Fulham	8	3	1	4	10
15.	West Ham United	8	2	2	4	8
16.	Stoke City	8	2	2	4	8
17.	Cardiff City	8	2	2	4	8
18.	Norwich City	8	2	1	5	7
19.	Crystal Palace	8	1	0	6	3
20.	Sunderland	8	0	1	7	1

A 4-1 win over Cardiff City helped Chelsea jump ahead of Liverpool via goal differential. After not being able to score in his first four top-flight appearances, Samuel Eto'o was finally able to notch his first Premier League goal in the 66th minute. Eden Hazard also came up with two goals, while Oscar picked up another. According to Chelsea's Twitter account, John Terry was terrific, completing 82 of 84 passes:

Chelsea has really looked good its last two matches. It also won its previous Premier League match against Norwich City, winning 3-1 without much trouble.

Tottenham righted the ship this week. Playing an away match against Aston Villa, Tottenham soundly controlled the action to levy a 2-0 win. The win gives them 16 points on the season and it keeps them in the top five of the table. Just as importantly, it was a huge bounce-back effort following their 3-0 home loss to West Ham their last time on the pitch. 

Meanwhile, Manchester United continues to struggle, playing Southampton in a 1-1 draw. Robin van Persie was able to grab a goal in the 26th minute, but Adam Lallana came up with a big goal in the 89th to tie things up. The Red Devils are now in eighth, which is clearly a disappointment for this team.

Lallana didn't seem satisfied after the match, saying this, according to the Premier League's Twitter account:

Despite high expectations, the Red Devils just don't look that intimidating this year. Meanwhile, Manchester City is looking good, winning 3-1 over West Ham United and currently sitting in fourth on the table.

But perhaps the biggest match of the day was Newcastle United holding Liverpool to a 2-2 draw. Newcastle had some strong goals by Yohan Cabaye and Paul Dummett, but a late goal in the 72nd minute by Daniel Sturridge helped tie things up.

The player of the game was clearly Steven Gerrard for the Reds. He scored on a penalty in the 42nd minute, marking his 100th career Premier League goal. As you can see from this tweet by LFC Fans Corner, he was certainly busy on Saturday:

Liverpool had a shot to keep up with Arsenal on Saturday, but the tie has bumped it back behind the Gunners and Chelsea. The Reds will have a good chance to move up on November 2, as they will be taking on Arsenal in what will be a very exciting match to watch.

It was certainly a wild day in the Premier League, and there were some big games. Arsenal continues to be the big story this season, but we will have to wait and see if it can stay on top for the rest of the year.