1. Everton need Grealish’s energy
With 25 minutes left against Manchester United, Everton fans finally had something to cheer about as Jack Grealish came on after rejoining on loan. The attacking midfielder is still a big favorite because he loves to entertain, and within seconds of coming on he had the home crowd on their feet by creating dangerous chances. Everton struggled to make an impact in the final third for long stretches, with Thierno Barry left isolated up front. If David Moyes wants to keep pushing for a top-half finish, he’ll need Grealish to be the main creative force. Will Unwin
Match report: Everton 2-2 Manchester United
2. Tzolis stands out among the new signings
There were plenty of bright moments from the new players as Arsenal fought back to beat Chelsea. Morgan Rogers set the tone with a well-taken goal within two minutes. Emi Martínez got a hostile reception on his return to the Emirates, and while he might be disappointed not to have saved Kai Havertz’s opener, he made several excellent stops—the best being a diving save to deny Bukayo Saka. Ezri Konsa, making his first start for Arsenal, got the home fans excited with a thunderous slide tackle to stop Rogers early in the second half, the highlight of a solid display. But it was Christos Tzolis who really took control of the game, bothering Chelsea’s defence with tricky dribbles and powerful runs forward. He also delivered the diagonal ball that, after Havertz’s audacious dummy, set up Martin Ødegaard for the winner—earning Tzolis his first Premier League assist. Will Magee
Match report: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
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Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori (left) and Christos Tzolis team up to stop Chelsea’s Pedro Neto. Photograph: John Walton/PA
3. Scott shows England potential
If Thomas Tuchel needed proof of just how good Alex Scott is, the Bournemouth midfielder provided it at St James’ Park. The 23-year-old reads the game a bit quicker and a bit better than those around him, and his excellent passing range lifted the quality of a match that Marco Rose’s side really should have won after racing into a 2-0 lead, with Scott helping to set up both goals. While Newcastle’s manager, Matthias Jaissle, can take heart from his team’s refusal to give up—and, thanks to goals from Harvey Barnes and Jacob Ramsey, their eventual point—for long spells his players had no answer to Scott’s questions. Surely a first senior England cap is on the way. The upcoming Nations League games against Spain, Croatia, and Czechia give Tuchel the perfect chance to put Scott on the international stage his talent deserves. Louise Taylor
Match report: Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth
4. Arbeloa already searching for answers
The signs don’t look good for Álvaro Arbeloa. Only twice before have Fulham started a top-flight season with three straight defeats, and both times it ended in relegation: in 1951-52 and in 2020-21 under Scott Parker. Arbeloa tried to focus on the positives after throwing away the lead twice against Crystal Palace and eventually losing to Ben Chilwell’s winner. His side looked dangerous going forward, with Josh King already building a good understanding with summer signing Gonzalo García, even if the Spaniard played a comical part in Tyrick Mitchell’s second equalizer. Fulham’s defending is another story entirely: Joachim Andersen’s lack of pace was repeatedly exposed by the high line they used against Palace, and Arbeloa must find a fix before facing his former club Liverpool and then Manchester United. “We knew this month would be very tough,” said Arbeloa. “But I told my players it won’t define our whole season.” Ed Aarons
Match report: Fulham 2-3 Crystal Palace
5. Gakpo brings creative edge
There were several positives for Liverpool in Suffolk on Friday: Bradley Barcola showing off his lightning speed in his cameo, Ronald Araújo solid in the troublesome right-backBack in form, Alexander Isak scored two well-taken goals. Cody Gakpo earned the most praise after the match—he looked set to join Manchester City or Tottenham during the transfer window but stayed and set up both of Isak’s goals. “Cody knows how much we value him,” said Andoni Iraola. The sporting director, Richard Hughes, officially left on Saturday, sparking mixed opinions on his time at the club. If Isak keeps playing like he did at Newcastle, it may justify the record fee paid for him. Florian Wirtz, another costly Hughes signing, is still getting mixed reviews. At Ipswich, people noticed he lost the ball 22 times. It was Gakpo—whose transfer Hughes wasn’t involved in—who gave Liverpool their creative spark. John BrewinMatch report: Ipswich 0-2 LiverpoolView image in fullscreenLiverpool’s Cody Gakpo tries to get past Ipswich’s Julio Enciso. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters6Ndiaye couldn’t turn down City’s offerIliman Ndiaye talked about giving his all in his Manchester City debut after his £65m move from Everton. “I ran my backside off for the team to get the win, and sometimes you have to do the dirty work,” said the Senegalese forward, who came off in the 87th minute. He brushed off talk that he could have joined Tottenham instead. “It was always going to be City. I wanted Champions League football and to play for one of the best teams in the world. I’m not saying Tottenham isn’t, but when Manchester City comes calling, you don’t say no. It’s been a good week for me, capped off with a win. I was just being patient, and when City came in, I was thrilled.” Jamie JacksonMatch report: Manchester City 1-0 Coventryskip past newsletter promotionFree newsletter | Every weekdaySign up to Football DailyKick off your evenings with the Guardian’s take on the world of footballEnter your email Sign upafter newsletter promotion7Brighton find another gemFabian Hürzeler had plenty to answer for after Brighton’s draw with Leeds, mainly why it took them nearly an hour to get going. But for the second weekend in a row, he got to praise Malick Yalcouyé’s display. The 20-year-old was barely known even to Brighton’s own fans at the start of the season, having spent time on loan at Sturm Graz and Swansea since joining from Gothenburg for around £6m in July 2024. He’s since started against Chelsea and Leeds, impressing in an attacking midfield role. Hürzeler said: “He shows a lot of energy and effort, and he’s good with and without the ball.” The Brighton boss has previously noted Yalcouyé’s physicality as something to work on, and it’s striking how slight he is at just 5ft 7in. But the Ivorian’s confidence, willingness to get stuck in, and close control are clear. He could be the next young talent Brighton develop and sell for a big profit. Ben BloomMatch report: Brighton 1-1 Leeds8Tonali duel sums up Tottenham’s spiritJust before Tottenham failed to score for the third game in a row, Roberto De Zerbi joked that Allan Dixon’s bodybuilder build could help them threaten from set pieces. Tottenham’s player liaison, who is Daniel Levy’s brother-in-law, moved up the pecking order again after Spurs went three league games without a goal for the first time since 1974-75. The club spent over £300m this summer, with Sandro Tonali the standout new signing in a dull outing at the City Ground. De Zerbi praised Spurs’ spirit in the goalless draw, highlighted by Tonali’s first-half battle with Dan Ndoye that ended with a Forest corner. “I think it will be an advert for the Premier League,” said Forest’s head coach, Oliver Glasner. “This is what the league is known for and everyone loves it.” Ben FisherMatch report: NottinghNottingham Forest 0-0 Tottenham
Sunderland’s agent of chaos
Nilson Angulo, who scored for Ecuador against Germany at the World Cup, remains a puzzling figure. He is both strong and fragile, clever and naive, skilled and clumsy all at once. Sometimes, seemingly disconnected from the match around him, he will just stop and wiggle his legs as if stirring paint with his feet. One amazing moment saw him use the back of his ankle to volley an overhit cross back into the middle. He excels at speeding up and then suddenly slowing down to create space, with perfect control, but other times he simply runs off the pitch. The hardest part might not be marking him, but playing with him, trying to guess if a cross will ever come. He is clearly a fantastic source of unpredictability; whether he is a top-level footballer is less certain.
Jonathan Wilson
Match report: Brentford 1-1 Sunderland
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Sunderland’s Nilson Angulo tries to keep the ball in play against Brentford. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Teenage defender coming of age
It’s rare for teenage centre-backs to play regularly in the Premier League, but Australian international Lucas Herrington is quietly making a name for himself as Hull adapt to top-flight football. The summer signing from Colorado Rapids turned 19 on Saturday and came off the bench against Aston Villa to help the Tigers keep another clean sheet. Herrington is seen as one of the best young defensive talents in the world and showed his potential with a crucial block to stop Tyrone Mings. In all three of Hull’s Premier League games this season, Herrington has come on as a substitute, and the Queenslander’s reputation should keep growing as the season goes on. Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic said: “Herrington is excellent and has great potential, so every minute he plays is invaluable. I have no worries when he’s on the pitch and I trust him completely. If he stays fit, anything is possible.”
Ross Heppenstall
Match report: Hull 0-0 Aston Villa
Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts
1 | Man City | 3 | 5 | 9
2 | Arsenal | 3 | 5 | 9
3 | Hull | 3 | 3 | 7
4 | Chelsea | 3 | 1 | 6
5 | Brentford | 3 | 3 | 5
6 | Liverpool | 3 | 2 | 5
7 | Newcastle | 3 | 2 | 5
8 | Everton | 3 | 2 | 5
9 | Leeds | 3 | 1 | 5
10 | Brighton | 3 | 3 | 4
11 | Man Utd | 3 | 1 | 4
12 | Sunderland | 3 | 0 | 4
13 | Crystal Palace | 3 | -4 | 3
14 | Ipswich | 3 | 0 | 03
-4
3
15
AFC Bournemouth
3
-1
2
16
Nottm Forest
3
-1
2
17
Aston Villa
3
-5
1
18
Tottenham Hotspur
3
-5
1
19
Fulham
3
-3
0
20
Coventry
3
-5
0
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the hypothetical 10 key talking points from the weekends Premier League matches Since I dont have the specific talking points I have created realistic scenarios based on common Premier League themes
General Beginner Questions
1 Why was that goal disallowed for offside It looked fine to me
Answer In modern football if any part of the attacking players body is past the last defender when the ball is played its offside The VAR uses cameras to draw lines on the players Sometimes it looks like they are level but the technology often shows the attackers armpit or knee is slightly ahead so the goal is ruled out
2 What does xG mean in the postmatch stats
Answer xG stands for Expected Goals It measures the quality of chances a team creates A shot from right in front of an open goal is about 09 xG while a shot from 30 yards out is about 003 xG If a team has an xG of 30 but only scores 1 it means they missed big chances or the goalkeeper played incredibly well
3 Why did the manager get a yellow card on the sidelines
Answer Managers receive yellow cards for technical area misconduct This usually happens if they step out of their designated coaching zone argue aggressively with the fourth official or throw the ball in frustration Its basically a warning to calm down
4 What does it mean when a team is in the drop zone
Answer The drop zone refers to the bottom three positions in the Premier League table At the end of the season those three teams are relegated to the Championship and replaced by the top three teams from that league
Advanced Tactical Questions
5 The pundits kept mentioning a low block What is that
