1) Solskjær and United face defining period
“The short answer is yes,” said Ole Gunnar Solskjær. “We’ve got loads to work on and we need to improve. We know that and I know that but I do believe in this group of players and the coaching staff. I’m very confident that we will get the best out of this squad.” Thus far, despite unconvincing performances, the evidence is that Manchester United’s board share that confidence: they gave him a new three-year contract in July. But, externally at least, questions are being asked of Solskjær. He faces a defining period – against Leicester, Atalanta, Liverpool, Tottenham, Atalanta again and Manchester City – with increasing criticisms of United’s disjointed displays and a seeming reliance on individual inspiration to conjure results. And yet the paradox in his record is that a manager often accused of not being good enough has a history of winning many such games against supposedly superior coaches. Richard Jolly
Match report: Manchester United 1-1 Everton
2) Traoré must wait for his turn at Wolves
Adama Traoré, subject of a summer loan bid from Tottenham, is yet to agree a new deal on a contract that runs until 2023. He started the season in sensational form, but failed to score, as Wolves lost their three games. Hwang Hee-chan has scored three goals, as Wolves have since won three out of four, impressing with his ability to make runs from wide to create clear goalscoring opportunities that he seized with aplomb. “This is football. This is our job, we don’t have easy decisions,” Bruno Lage said of Traoré, who featured only briefly as a sub. “I can choose Adama for another game; it’s not about Adama. It’s about the players and I think they need to understand my way to work, but also to understand the men they have in front of them. I never lie to them, I’m here to help them but they need to continue to work. I choose the best guys for the game.” Peter Lansley
Match report: Wolves 2-1 Newcastle
3) Muñoz sacking was predictable from Watford
International breaks are dangerous times for managers and, sure enough, Watford sacked Xisco Muñoz on Sunday. “I’m sad and disappointed,” acknowledged Muñoz after a defeat more comprehensive than Diego Llorente’s solitary goal suggests. “The whole game went wrong,” said Ben Foster, Watford’s goalkeeper. “We weren’t at the races. We knew what Leeds would be about, that they’d be pressing us and high tempo but we didn’t do a single thing we wanted to do, which was concerning.” Watford possess a point more than Leeds but there are no doubts about Marcelo Bielsa’s job security following his side’s first league win of the season. Even so, they got slightly lucky when an uncharacteristic goalkeeping error saw the ball creep into Illan Meslier’s net only for that effort to be controversially disallowed. “Our “goal” should probably have stood,” said Foster. “But it would have papered over the cracks. We were miles off.” Louise Taylor
Match report: Leeds 1-0 Watford
4) Barkley revival the latest success for Tuchel
“He does not have to love the situation but he needs to accept it in a positive way,” Thomas Tuchel said when asked about Ross Barkley’s place in his plans last month. The words were not particularly encouraging for the 27-year-old, who struggled on loan at Aston Villa last season, and it was hard to see him forcing his way into Chelsea’s midfield. At that stage he seemed an afterthought, especially as the European champions had just borrowed Saúl Ñíguez from Atlético Madrid. Yet Barkley’s response has left Saúl looking like a luxury signing. He accepted Tuchel’s challenge and has become a useful option off the bench. Barkley impressed after coming on against Juventus in midweek and against Southampton on Saturday. He replaced Ruben Loftus-Cheek, another revived talent, and was involved when Timo Werner scored the decisive goal in a late 3-1 win. Tuchel, who left Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech on the bench, showed meritocracy in action. Jacob Steinberg
Match report: Chelsea 3-1 Southampton
5) Potter’s reputation continues to swell
Brighton were without several key players on Saturday, including the vaunted midfielder Yves Bissouma, and also found themselves up against the defender they had sold to Arsenal for £50m. But while Ben White held firm for the visitors, the abiding memory was of a marvellously dynamic performance from Graham Potter’s side that deserved more even though clear chances were rare. Their clarity and consistency have few peers; their level in general play rarely dipped even last winter. When wins were not forthcoming and there were isolated calls for his head, Potter has created a team in his own image, one that operates with supreme intelligence and, for all its quality, is not reliant on individuals. The manager’s understated demeanor belies the reality that he is one of the best around. When one of the top jobs next comes up there is logically no reason why he should not be near the top of anyone’s shortlist. Nick Ames
Match report: Brighton 0-0 Arsenal
6) Moura key to Spurs’ front three
For a man who scored a hat-trick on Tottenham’s greatest night of the past 20 years, Lucas Moura remains a weirdly low-key player. To an extent that is a result of his own humility but it’s also to do with his curious goals return. He’s a great man for a Europa League goal against smaller opposition, but in the last two seasons he has scored just seven in the Premier League. His energy and application, though, are unimpeachable and with Harry Kane seemingly under instruction to remain higher up the pitch against Aston Villa, his shuttling runs were the only real link between midfield and forward line. The goal he seemed to have scored was eventually credited as an own goal by Matt Targett, but if he could get back to something closer to the 10 league goals he managed in his first full season, Spurs might actually have a front three that can compete at the highest level. Jonathan Wilson
Match report: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Aston Villa
7) Wissa shows Brentford have options as well as quality
Yoane Wissa has made quite the impact since arriving at Brentford from Lorient in August and it is even more remarkable given that, a matter of weeks previously, he had to undergo emergency eye surgery after being the victim of a liquid attack at his home. His winner at West Ham made it five goals in six league and cup games, four of those appearances coming off the bench, meaning the outstanding strike duo of Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo have genuine competition. “Wissa is a game changer coming off the bench,” Thomas Frank said. “Will it stay like that for ever? I don’t know, but I have two fantastic strikers in Bryan and Ivan.” That is fair enough: Mbuemo scored the Bees’ opener at the London Stadium and was a constant handful, while Toney played a crucial part in that goal and was a danger throughout. But Brentford, who were rocked by injuries before and during the game, answered any questions about their squad depth in emphatic fashion. Nick Ames
Match report: West Ham 1-2 Brentford
8) City’s lack of striker will continue to be scrutinized
Jack Grealish is a lovely footballer with lovely calves and Pep Guardiola is an irredeemable aesthete with an insatiable desire for attacking midfielders of unspecified position, so it is no surprise to see the former playing for the latter. But as a consequence, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling have been sidelined, a move that makes little sense. Even if Grealish is better than both the other two are both good enough, reliable scorers and proven at the top level. On the other hand, City have needed a centre-forward since Sergio Agüero’s fitness deteriorated, so why they didn’t put all their money towards Harry Kane or similar is unfathomable now, following a second straight match of spurned opportunities. This is not to say that a draw at Anfield is a poor result, but City performed well enough in the first half to put Liverpool away in humiliating fashion, an oversight they might live to regret. Daniel Harris
Match report: Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City
9) Olise repays fans with fine strike
The growing clamor among Crystal Palace supporters for Patrick Vieira to give new signing Michael Olise his opportunity proved to be worth it, the 19-year-old inspireing a thrilling comeback against Leicester. Since joining from Reading in the summer he has been restricted to cameos while he recovered from injury, but brought off the bench in the 54th minute, he made an instant impact by scoring an excellent goal. An elegant playmaker who is eligible to represent France, Algeria, England and Nigeria, he looks capable of providing Palace with the creative spark they are missing in the absence of the injured Eberechi Eze, although Vieira is wary of expecting too much of his rising star. “It’s about him keeping working,” he said. “He’s doing well in training, he can score goals, but we have to support him to develop himself.” Ed Aarons
Match report: Crystal Palace 2-2 Leicester City
10) Idah deserves chance as Canaries need goals
Norwich have scored just twice in their seven league games, three fewer than any other team, while only Newcastle have conceded as many as their 16. These are worrying statistics, so given Daniel Farke has few defensive options, perhaps he needs to reimagine his attack. Teemu Pukki is undroppable – without him, that goals-for tally would still sit at zero – but it is time that Adam Idah, who has started every game bar one on the bench, was given a run. During the last international break, Stephen Kenny picked him for all three of Ireland’s games and was rewarded with decent showings. Idah’s qualities of pace, touch, strength and mentality are extremely transferable to a relegation battle, and though it’s unlikely he’ll return the numbers to save Norwich, by running channels and holding it up he’ll give them an out-ball, taking pressure off their defence and building their attackers a platform. Daniel Harris
Match report: Burnley 0-0 Norwich
