Kimi Antonelli, Arsenal and Australia: Winners and losers from the weekend in sport

Dubai: There was no shortage of sporting drama over the weekend, with the Premier League delivering some huge results, Formula 1 crowning its youngest-ever world champion at the Mexico City Grand Prix and international cricket producing several memorable contests.

From Arsenal's statement victory at Anfield to Kimi Antonelli making history in Mexico and a crushing defeat for Australia on the cricket field, there were plenty of reasons to celebrate, and just as many performances to forget.

Gulf News takes a look at five of the biggest winners and losers from another action-packed weekend of sport.

1. Kimi Antonelli – Formula 1

What a weekend for the Italian sensation! Antonelli became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver secured his maiden drivers' championship despite Max Verstappen taking the chequered flag, completing a remarkable rise to the very top of motorsport.

2. Arsenal – Premier League

Arsenal strengthened their grip on the Premier League title race with a massive 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Kai Havertz's early goal secured the Gunners' first league win at the stadium in 14 years, moving Mikel Arteta's side three points clear at the top. Arsenal have now kept six clean sheets in their opening nine league matches.

3. Brighton – Premier League

Brighton produced one of the weekend's biggest surprises by defeating Manchester City 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium. The Seagulls secured their first-ever away victory against City in any competition, ending a run of 17 unsuccessful visits and dealing a major blow to Pep Guardiola's side in the title race.

4. South Africa – International cricket

South Africa completed an impressive 176-run Test victory over Australia, bowling their opponents out for just 111 in the fourth innings. Despite Australia posting 429 in their first innings, the Proteas fought back brilliantly to claim a memorable win and underline their ability to compete against one of cricket's strongest sides.

5. Max Verstappen – Formula 1

Although the world championship ultimately belonged to Antonelli, Verstappen reminded everyone of his quality with victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver held off Lewis Hamilton by just 0.799 seconds to claim the win, ensuring he still had something to celebrate on a historic afternoon in Mexico.

1. Liverpool – Premier League

Liverpool endured a miserable afternoon at Anfield as Arsenal claimed a 1-0 victory. The Reds failed to register a single shot on target in a Premier League home match for the first time since Opta began collecting the statistic in 2003/04. The defeat also left Liverpool nine points behind the league leaders after just nine matches.

2. Manchester United – Premier League

Manchester United's struggles continued with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Red Devils have now failed to score in four of their opening nine Premier League matches, raising further concerns about their attacking performances. It was another frustrating afternoon for a club desperate to rediscover consistency.

3. Manchester City – Premier League

Pep Guardiola's side suffered another damaging setback in the title race after losing 1-0 at home to Brighton. City's inability to find a breakthrough allowed Arsenal to open up a three-point advantage at the summit, leaving the defending title challengers with plenty of work to do as the season progresses.

4. Australia – International cricket

Australia suffered a dramatic collapse in their Test defeat to South Africa, losing by 176 runs despite scoring 429 in the first innings. Chasing 288 for victory, the Australians were dismissed for just 111, turning what had once looked like a promising position into a disappointing defeat.

5. Fernando Alonso – Formula 1

It was a weekend to forget for the experienced Spaniard, whose Mexico City Grand Prix lasted just five laps. Alonso was forced to retire his Aston Martin early, missing out on another opportunity to collect valuable championship points as the season entered its closing stages.