Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Much of the praise heaped on Frank Lampard about this time last year focused on his apparent eagerness to find a place in the first-team setup for the academy graduates that had been rendered collateral damage by the money and splendour of the Abramovich era. But against Liverpool, the spearhead of last season’s locally sourced side, Tammy Abraham, was consigned to the bench by the £47m Timo Werner and the £72m Kai Havertz was picked ahead of Callum Hudson-Odoi, whose mettle will be further tested when Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are fit. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was not in the squad at all. Fikayo Tomori’s emergency introduction was the first time he had kicked a ball since February. And Mason Mount is playing in the position preferred by Havertz. Suddenly Lampard’s new-look Chelsea begin to resemble the old one: expensive signings, a squad overflowing with pedigree – and a manager who needs to get results in the here and now. Alex Hess• Match report: Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool
2) Silky James helps Everton recover their steel
Everton were not faultless against West Brom. “We didn’t get the balance right early on,” said Séamus Coleman after his 250th start for the club. “When people were overlapping we weren’t covering in.” But among the many impressive features of their performance was character, something the captain conceded was lacking last season. Everton remained composed after falling behind and, guided by the outstanding James Rodríguez, took control before Kieran Gibbs’ stupidity made their afternoon easier. It was a marked departure from their reaction to setbacks in recent seasons. “These top players bring that sense of calm,” Coleman reflected. “James is quite calm picking out these passes in the final third and he’s not forcing it. His range of passing and decision making is fantastic. He’s been great in the changing room too, he’s been great for a couple of our other foreign lads who are really coming into their own as well.” Andy Hunter• Match report: Everton 5-2 West Brom
3) Baggies need to adapt to new life as underdog
It says something about Everton’s domination of the second half that only two West Brom players attempted more passes across the whole game than Kieran Gibbs, who was sent off before half-time. Last season the Baggies collectively averaged 446 passes per game; in the first two games of this season that figure has fallen by more than 25%, to 329. The equivalent figure for Fulham and Leeds, the other promoted sides, is a comparatively trivial 10%, and West Brom’s stat hasn’t been particularly skewed by the red card, because they attempted only 14 more passes at home to Leicester on the opening weekend. It is obviously premature to pass judgment, after only one and a half games at full strength, but Slaven Bilic’s side are inevitably going to be more reactive and less dominant in this division, and the question is how long it will take them to become accustomed to it. Simon Burnton
4) Bielsa learns a lesson from oldschool Mitrovic
Old-fashioned centre-forwards have become thin on the ground in modern football but Marcelo Bielsa is confident they still have a future. The Leeds manager was brutally honest about the reason his side were made to sweat on a first Premier League victory when they should have been home and dry after going 4-1 up early in the second half. The reason was Aleksandar Mitrovic. “Our defenders could not cope with the Fulham No 9,” Bielsa said. “He caused all the danger.” Mitrovic’s workrate is questionable, as is his temperament, both reasons why Rafa Benítez did not always fancy him at Newcastle. But he will cause most defenders problems and he almost did enough to rescue a point from a seemingly hopeless situation at Elland Road. That may say as much about the Leeds defence as it does about the Fulham striker. As Bielsa says, it will take a few more games to tell. Paul Wilson• Match report: Leeds 4-3 Fulham
5) Hectic schedule takes its toll on sluggish United
From Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Luke Shaw, understandable upset was voiced following Manchester United’s capitulation. What now fascinates is how – or if – United can recover and embark on another unbeaten Premier League run akin to the 14-match sequence that was ended by Roy Hodgson’s impressive side. The United manager and his left-back are right to offer no excuse while also pointing, as each did, to an almost nonexistent close season – Solskjaer had four days in Norway with family – then pre-season: Shaw said the full squad had only a week together as preparation for Palace. At Old Trafford United looked what they are: a tired, sluggish bunch of players in search of a spark. So unless they can tap into prodigious reserves of energy they will seriously struggle in a helter-skelter campaign that continues with Tuesday’s Carabao Cup trip to Luton Town before Saturday’s visit to Brighton. Jamie Jackson• Match report: Manchester United 1-3 Crystal