1) Warning signs increase for Bournemouth
Eddie Howe has worked wonders in overseeing Bournemouth’s exhilarating rise but his present task looks rather less attractive. They have yet to win a point and, while a defeat at the Emirates Stadium is not cause for concern on its own, the warning signs are stacking up. On Saturday they lacked initiative, invention, power and presence; it was a non-event of a display and it clearly bothered Howe, whose team have looked flat in all bar the late reverse against Manchester City. “I’m worried by the performance,” he said. “The four performances we’ve had, I’d accept one of them. I won’t accept three of them. That’s a pretty damning verdict, so I have to do better to solve the issues we have and make sure we put on better displays in the future.” Friday’s home meeting against Brighton already looks significant and Howe was clear in stating points need to start coming soon. If nothing else, the return of the rhythm and tempo that used to characterise their play would be a step in the right direction. Nick Ames
• Match report: Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth
2) Brighton respond to Hughton rallying cry
Brighton & Hove Albion had spent much of the last week of the transfer window desperately seeking forward reinforcements, only for moves for Florin Andone and Vincent Janssen to come to nothing. Yet, rather than seeing the set-up demoralised, Chris Hughton had called his first-team squad together and spoke “to the group as a whole about the expectations and responsibility to make sure we are here in the Premier League next season”. He said: “Then you look for a response from them, from players who might have thought they would not be playing a lot of games.” The response came on Saturday when Pascal Gross’s double and a third from Tomer Hemed, a player who had expected to depart last month, secured a first top-flight victory in 34 years at West Bromwich Albion’s expense. Brighton know they cannot rely solely on Glenn Murray or Hemed for goals. The fact Gross is chipping in bodes well for what awaits. Dominic Fifield
• Match report: Brighton 3-1 West Bromwich Albion
3) Tarkowski’s excellence rewards Dyche’s faith
• Match report: Burnley 1-0 Crystal PalaceWhen a player is sold for a club record fee, the assumption is that expensive reinforcements are required. Not at Burnley. Michael Keane was their standout figure yet the manager, Sean Dyche, banked £25m from Everton for the England international and did not buy a centre-back. Dyche was confident he had the answer within. James Tarkowski had spent 18 months understudying Keane. Since taking over from him he has excelled. “We wanted to give him a platform to deliver,” Dyche said. Tarkowski had acquitted himself well away at Chelsea and Tottenham. A goal-line clearance was the highlight of a fine afternoon’s work against Palace. “Tarky was immense,” Dyche added. “Some of his defending was outstanding.” Like Keane’s progress, it illustrated that Dyche, a former centre-back, has a capacity to improve defenders. “I think defending is a dying art and it is a massively important part of the game,” he said. So Tarkowski is showing. Richard Jolly
4) Tottenham had all the aces
This was that Premier League rarity, an embarrassingly one-sided contest. And despite their top-six aspirations, Everton were the ones embarrassed. Tottenham were simply too strong, too mobile and too clever on and off the ball to be resisted. “We knew they might play with three at the back, what we didn’t expect was the trouble their diamond would cause us in midfield,” Ronald Koeman admitted. “They were always able to find their free player.” Ben Davies was the player who found most freedom and from his invitations alone Spurs could have had four or five goals. Harry Kane confessed he had been lucky with the opener, he had intended a cross rather than a shot, but not even Koeman attempted to suggest Everton had been hard done by. They had been outthought and overrun in midfield and perhaps the worst of it was that their record signing, Gylfi Sigurdsson, was eclipsed on his home debut by the passing and movement of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli. Paul Wilson
• Match report: Everton 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
5) Failure to replace Lukaku all too apparent for Everton
Ten of Ronald Koeman’s signings started and this time they mustered one spurious attempt on goal to follow up the zero they managed at Chelsea in the previous defeat. The manager’s apologists claim the team need time to gel but the fact is fans are struggling to see what if any system the Dutchman is trying to employ, on the pitch and in the transfer market. On Saturday his one-paced side were set up with two defensive midfielders and all three of the No10s he signed in the summer shoehorned behind a 22-year-old Spaniard, Sandro Ramírez, with two league games behind him and who was replaced at half-time by another youth prospect, Dominic Calvert-Lewin. It was clear as long ago as February that Romelu Lukaku would be leaving and the manager’s failure to sign an adequate replacement is a case bordering on gross negligence. Mark Tallentire
6) Conte can afford to see funny side over Costa
When Antonio Conte was asked after the win at Leicester City whether he had any news on the situation involving Diego Costa, the Italian replied “no” and then dissolved into giggles. The Chelsea manager could afford to see a funny side in that question after watching Álvaro Morata score another fine goal, the Spaniard’s third since arriving to replace Costa. Leicester’s captain and centre‑back, Wes Morgan, who lost track of Morata for his goal on Saturday, offered an objective comparison of the strikers. “[Morata] is a different character to Costa, who is more aggressive and more direct. But maybe Morata’s movement is more dangerous and he’s a bit cuter in his play.” Conte welcomed the return of Eden Hazard as a late substitute after ankle surgery – “for us his recovery is very important” – but he said the midfielder would need time to regain full fitness. Paul Doyle
• Match report: Leicester City 1-2 Chelsea
7) Defensive frailties overshadowed another Liverpool flaw
• Match report: Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool Liverpool’s defence, not to mention their stomach for a fight, was rightly called into question after their heavy defeat by Manchester City but Jürgen Klopp’s side were also flawed in attack and in one way in particular that appears to be becoming a long-term problem for them. Mohamed Salah has done well for Liverpool since arriving from Roma for £36.9m, providing their attack with pace and incisiveness from a wide right position, but the Egyptian’s finishing leaves a lot to be desired. Having missed clear chances to score in the opening day draw at Watford, the Champions League play-off win at Hoffenheim and the 4-0 victory over Arsenal at Anfield, he failed to convert another golden opportunity at the Etihad Stadium when the score was still goalless. Given Liverpool do not play with a conventional centre-forward, and their midfield is hardly prolific, it is essential their wide attackers – Sadio Mané and Salah – take their chances. Salah has scored three times already for Liverpool but he simply must become more ruthless. Sachin Nakrani
• Jürgen Klopp says Mané was unlucky to be sent off
8) Silva ensures Watford are tricky opponents
Watford managers have not tended to last more than a season under the Pozzo family’s ownership but if they continue to play with the assurance and style Marco Silva has injected into their performances so far this season, could that trend be bucked? Southampton may be going through an awkward transition period of their own under Mauricio Pellegrino but Watford despatched them confidently at St Mary’s, their football a marked contrast from the frequently bloodless performances endured under Walter Mazzarri last term. In Richarlison and Andre Gray, Silva appears to have struck gold with his attacking recruitment. Neither scored on Saturday but both were a handful, while one of the players who did, Abdoulaye Doucouré, already looks primed to play a more commanding role in midfield than he did under Mazzarri. Bigger tests await but Watford’s early high placing is well merited. Tom Davies
• Match report: Southampton 0-2 Watford
9) Signings give Stoke solid platform
• Match report: Stoke City 2-2 Manchester UnitedThere was plenty of talk in the summer that Stoke City were in decline but they can be very pleased with their acquisitions on the evidence of their first four matches. Signing Kurt Zouma on loan from Chelsea was an inspired move. He was outstanding in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United and already it seems that Stoke will be more solid than last season. Mark Hughes gave Kevin Wimmer his debut after his £18m move from Tottenham and the Austrian did well. “We’re trying to be better,” Hughes said. “We slipped back to a certain degree last year and we don’t want that to happen.” The arrival of the experienced Darren Fletcher has improved Stoke’s midfield and they have good options in attack. Jesé Rodríguez has made an early impression while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, powerful and tricky, scored twice against United. Early days but Stoke already look good for a top-half finish. Jacob Steinberg
• Mourinho refuses Hughes handshake in belief he was sworn at
10) Benítez should have seen enough from afar to plough on
Rafael Benítez spent Newcastle United’s win at Swansea City passing instructions into the ear of one of his assistants, Mikel Antía, from his home 175 miles away. He had not been well enough to attend in person but must have been heartened by the discipline shown by his players and if he harbours serious doubts about his future after receiving lukewarm backing from Mike Ashley during the transfer window then surely he has seen enough to stick it out at St James’ Park for the foreseeable future. Two wins from four games represent a good start and perhaps there is something to be said for the closeness and continuity fostered in a squad that has not changed much. It has been supplemented with genuine quality in the form of Mikel Merino while Joselu looks a capable leader of the line and Jamaal Lascelles, at only 23, is looking like the commanding defender he promised to be at Nottingham Forest. Less is not always more but Newcastle might just be going along nicely enough as they are. Nick Ames
• Match report: Swansea City 0-1 Newcastle United
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