Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
1) United tactics right but can that last?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves credit for Manchester United’s win over Tottenham. The switch to a back three worked and a front two with a combined age of 70 proved far too good for Spurs, whose defenders were thoroughly outclassed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani. Ronaldo opened the scoring with a banger and Cavani was impressive on his second start of the season, offering intelligent movement and producing a cool finish after being set up by his strike partner. The question now is whether this is sustainable. Is the 3-4-2-1 system the way forward for Solskjaer or an emergency solution? Will it work when United have to attack defensive opponents? What will it mean for Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood? And what happens when Paul Pogba, who was not missed against Spurs, is back from suspension? There are still issues for Solskjaer to solve; he is not out of the woods yet. Jacob Steinberg
Match report: Tottenham 0-3 Manchester United
2) Long road lies ahead for Newcastle
At one point Amanda Staveley seemed in such despair she had her face in her hands. The director responsible for running Newcastle on a daily basis later heard the team’s caretaker manager, Graeme Jones, declare “we are in a relegation fight” but, beneath the considerable pessimism engulfing Tyneside, Chelsea offered a template of what might eventually be possible at St James’ Park. Thomas Tuchel’s bewitching Premier League leaders are studded with homegrown youngsters and pass and move with rare intelligence. On a day when Reece James scored twice and Jorginho added the third from the penalty spot, Chelsea kept their seventh League clean sheet this season. So far, they have conceded only three goals, while scoring 26 from all over the pitch. That represents title-winning efficiency and contrasts markedly with the 23 goals leaked by an alarmingly disunited Newcastle craving a Tuchel of their own. Louise Taylor
Match report: Newcastle United 0-3 Chelsea
3) Off-key De Bruyne struggling for form
On 59 minutes there was the rare sight of Kevin De Bruyne being substituted, Manchester City’s talismanic midfielder having been clumsy of touch, short of a yard and generally misfiring. Pep Guardiola is a big fan but he is also ruthless and this was the correct decision. Of the 30-year-old, who has struggled with injuries, he said: “Kevin is such an important player for us and an excellent person. He is trying more every single day [to return to top form]. Today he made a step forward in many things. About playing or resting him – this is my decision because I know a lot of information about a player. In seasons there are highs and lows, big moments and the next one [game] is another challenge, another opportunity. Kevin knows it. He has done more than good since he arrived here and wants to continue to do it. The problem is when he gives up trying, says it doesn’t matter. That is not the case with him.” Jamie Jackson
Match report: Manchester City 0-2 Crystal Palace
4) Brentford hit reality check at Burnley
The trip to Turf Moor looked a decent opportunity for Brentford to get more points on the board after narrow home defeats to Chelsea and Leicester. Instead, the promoted side suffered their most troubling top-flight afternoon so far. “We’ve played 20 halves in the Premier League and we’ve had two bad ones – the second half against West Ham and the first half today,” Thomas Frank said afterwards. Given that they won at the London Stadium, it’s safe to say Saturday marked a new low as the clinical hosts preyed on uncharacteristically disorganised opponents. Frank picked a back three short on pace and they were exposed by Burnley, particularly the electric Maxwel Cornet. At the other end Bryan Mbeumo, left on the bench after recovering from a hamstring injury, was sorely missed. Was this a blip or a sign of early momentum slipping? Brentford’s next two games – Norwich at home, and a trip to Newcastle – offer the chance to get back on track. Niall McVeigh
Match report: Burnley 3-1 Brentford
5) Nuno feels fans’ wrath and heads for exit door
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium clinging to his job, but Manchester United’s comprehensive victory instead proved a defeat too far for his opposite number. Four months to the day since he took over, Nuno Espírito Santo felt the home crowd turn on him after he replaced Lucas Moura with Steven Bergwijn at 1-0 down. It was the performance rather than the end result that turned the atmosphere toxic as Nuno’s side were passive once again in a big game. It proved to be the final straw for Daniel Levy, and while sacking Nuno after just 17 games in charge smacks of selfpreservation from the under-fire chairman, it may prove to be the right call. Nuno’s ultra-cautious style appeared doomed to fail at a club whose motto – To Dare Is To Do – is on show everywhere at their new stadium, except the pitch. Tottenham did not register a shot on target against opponents who could scarcely have arrived in a more fragile state. For fans craving a taste of the team’s old energy and spirit amid a painful rebuilding process, that was unforgivable. Niall McVeigh
6) Ramsdale’s excellence masks defensive problems
The splendid form of Aaron Ramsdale has been one of the main factors in Arsenal’s surge up the table, and yet you wonder whether his excellence masks wider defensive issues. Since the end of August only Chelsea have conceded fewer league goals than Arsenal, but the underlying numbers suggest luck has played a part. They remain 17th in terms of expected goals against, which means their defence is still giving up too many shots. Not a problem as long as Ramsdale keeps bailing them out. Whether it’s sustainable over the long term, however, is another matter. Jonathan Liew
Match report: Leicester 0-2 Arsenal
7) Raphinha steps up in Bamford’s absence
Leeds’ victory at Norwich was vital given their spluttery start to the season, although there is no getting away from the fact that they were only marginally the better of two unimpressive sides. The man who lifted them was Raphinha, who has elevated his game in a team that collectively appears to have regressed. He did not have everything his own way against Norwich’s makeshift left-back Andrew Omobamidele, who himself looks an exceptional prospect, but came out on top when scoring a marvellous solo goal. It meant he has now plundered four in nine games, all from his perch on the right, and while Leeds are feeling Patrick Bamford’s absence the Brazilian has become their most influential attacker. Now they need to improve with him: the 24-yearold is so good that it is impossible to see him lurking in the league’s lower reaches for long. Nick Ames
Match report: Norwich 1-2 Leeds 8) Villa going backwards as West Ham surge
This time last year, Aston Villa and West Ham had plenty in common – settled, structured teams offering more than the sum of their parts. David Moyes’ side have moved through several more gears, while their opponents on Sunday are stuck in reverse. Since winning 1-0 at Old Trafford, Villa have lost four in a row, with the late collapse at home to Wolves shredding their collective confidence. Dean Smith shuffled his starting line-up to little effect against the Hammers, his justifiable decision to drop captain Tyrone Mings was undermined when Ezri Konsa and Kourtney Hause faced simultaneous VAR reviews for potential red card offences. Konsa was dismissed, and Mings summoned from the bench but left chasing shadows. Ollie Watkins’ efforts aside, there were few positives for Villa, who are now four points off the bottom three. Their next three games are against Brighton, Palace and Southampton – teams who appear to have overtaken them this season. Niall McVeigh
• Match report: Aston Villa 1-4 West Ham
9) Potter earns the admiration of Klopp
Brighton have not won in six games yet left Anfield buoyed by a deserved point and further evidence of their progress under Graham Potter. Liverpool equalled their longest unbeaten run in all competitions since 1989 yet brooded over the loss of a twogoal lead and two valuable points. The contrasting emotions reflect the wider expectations, and targets, at both clubs but could not detract from an excellent display from the visitors, who were bold, creative and tactically astute throughout. Leandro Trossard, deployed as a false nine, constantly unsettled the Liverpool defence with his fluid movement. Potter’s approach attracted magnanimous praise from Jürgen Klopp. “He definitely has all you need,” the Liverpool manager said of his opposite number. “He’s a nice fella and his team mirrors his ability. He has a clear idea about football and is doing a brilliant job. He should not worry about his future. I respect a lot what Brighton did but we could have given them a proper knock and we didn’t do it. That’s the frustration.” Andy Hunter
Match report: Liverpool 2-2 Brighton 10) Armstrong’s finishing holds him back
Ralph Hasenhüttl has maintained that Southampton’s early season performances were not reflected in their points tally. Seven in a fortnight suggests a sea-change, the victory over Watford secured with their only goalbound strike in 12. Wayward finishing is a running theme – only Norwich have a lower percentage of shots on target – with Adam Armstrong the chief culprit. Arriving on the back of a 28-goal Championship season, he opened his top-flight account within 22 minutes but hasn’t netted since despite only four Premier League players having registered more attempts this season. At Vicarage Road he hit attempts off target half a dozen times. In mitigation, he threatened constantly, secured an assist and should have had another only for Che Adams to nod down and over from yards out. If Armstrong can rediscover his scoring knack, the Saints might go marching up. Sam Dalling