1
Forest clip Liverpool's wings
Much of the attention focused on how Nottingham Forest Liverpool blocked up the midfield to frustrate Liverpool before bringing on two wingers who changed the game and secured their first win at Anfield in 55 years. What might have gone unnoticed were the performances of their full-backs Ola Aina and Alex Moreno. Neither are household names, the former having arrived on a free from Torino and the latter on loan after a disappointing display at Aston Villa. Both were excellent at Anfield against some of the Premier League’s best wingers; Aina kept Luis Diaz quiet on the left and Cody Gakpo made no impact after replacing the Colombian, while Mohamed Salah against Moreno had one of his most disappointing performances in a Liverpool shirt. The Forest duo showed that the club might finally be shedding their reputation for being chaotic when it comes to making signings. He will not win
2
Gabriel takes the praise of the derby
Gabriel continued his knack for scoring important goals for Arsenal, and the Brazilian has now scored 13 goals in the Premier League Since his arrival from Lille in 2020, Mikel Arteta has been full of praise for the defender, who has formed a formidable partnership with the outstanding William Saliba over the past two seasons. “The way he has evolved, first as a person and then in his role at the club and the team, has been phenomenal,” Arteta said. “It’s been great to watch. That’s why we’re here, this is one of my passions – giving players the environment, support and training to grow, prepare them for life and reach levels they probably didn’t think[they could]reach before. Gabriel is one of the best examples of that. Why? He loves what he does, he tries extremely hard and he wants it. When that happens, good things happen to these kinds of people.” Ed Aarons
3
Watkins and Durán get in shape together
Unai Emery must be enjoying some of the problems he faces as a… Aston Villa Villa are embarking on their first top-flight European campaign in more than 40 years. As he tries to pick a team to beat Young Boys, the Villa manager faces the conundrum of trying to maximise the performances of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran – and keep both happy. While England striker Watkins was more accurate, scoring his first two goals of the season, it was Duran who again came off the bench to score the winner in an operatic 3-2 win over Everton. Watkins is the proven goalscorer and more reliable team player, while Duran is the wild card. But, having almost left for West Ham in the summer, will the young Colombian settle for a supporting role? “You have to be comfortable with those forwards,” said Emery. “We have to think about how we can play with two strikers – that’s the challenge I have.” Pete Lansley
4
Sancho makes a good first impression
Jadon Sancho had become the lost child of English football before Chelsea Manchester United loaned him out with an obligation to buy for a £20m fee that will constitute a £50m loss. Even taking Chelsea’s dealings into account, signing another winger when Pedro Neto had just joined a rich collection seemed curious and yet Enzo Maresca spoke at Bournemouth of signing Sancho as part of a plan. After a supporting role in fellow substitute Christopher Nkunku’s winning goal – the Frenchman’s physique did most of the work – and a decent second-half performance coming off the bench, perhaps Sancho can finally show his talents in English club football. “The first day I arrived, they made me feel welcome and I’m very happy to feel so comfortable,” said one player who was reportedly banished to eating from his car at United. “I don’t see any problems around Jadon, I don’t see anything,” Maresca said. Erik ten Hag’s ears might have been burning. Juan Brewin
5
Martin will stand firm in his stance
The last time Southampton Southampton were promoted to the Premier League and lost their first four games, finishing 14th. That was in the 2012-13 season, Mauricio Pochettino replaced Nigel Adkins midway through the season, Rickie Lambert was up front and their Japanese summer signing was not Yuki Sugawara but Maya Yoshida. Sugawara, one of the bright spots of this campaign, was one of seven summer signings who started in Saturday's defeat to Manchester United as Russell Martin searched for a winning formula, with Lesley Ugochukwu, Mateus Fernandes and Cameron Archer making their league debuts. Even though it did not materialise, the Southampton boss is convinced they can avoid relegation. “I'm much happier with the level of performance this season than I was at this stage last season,” said Martin, whose side lost four consecutive games in the Championship last September. “The lads have had so many moments in games where they've shown they can really make an impact in the league and not just fight to survive. I played in the league for five seasons and I didn't have any, really.” Ben Fisher
6
O'Neil's Wolves, cut to the bone
On a Super Sunday that promised great profits and sustainability, Wolves eventually lost to Newcastle, who, despite failing to sign Marc Guéhi, had not been forced to sell their best attacker and defender this summer. Wolves sorely miss the defensive organisation of Maximilian Kilman and the marksmanship of Pedro Neto. With that pairing, could they have stemmed Newcastle's second-half surge? For a moment it looked as though a defence marshalled by the ageless Craig Dawson might hold. Then came a deflection (off Dawson) for Fabian Schär's equaliser. Harvey Barnes' winner represented the level of class that Wolves abandoned when Neto joined Chelsea. If Eddie Howe remains unhappy with the lack of summer signings, and his relationship with sporting director Paul Mitchell has been deemed uneasy, he might offer his sympathy to Gary O'Neil. Winless Wolves look destined for little more than a relegation battle as their manager has lost control. JB
After the newsletter promotion
7
Guardiola enjoys City's workload
Pep Guardiola was quick to dismiss fatigue as an excuse after the first of seven games in 22 days. A tireless student of his players' application and attitude, he welcomed a season extended by the first 32-team quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup in June, with Inter Milan next in the Champions League opener on Wednesday. “It's more games, but it is what it is,” the Manchester City manager said. “So we're going to play on Wednesday against the best team in Italy by a wide margin and then Arsenal (on Sunday) the best contender we've had in the last two seasons, then another game (and so on) and we'll carry on. We have an academy. We have to adapt and carry on.” Manuel Akanji has made 127 appearances for City and Switzerland in the past two years and the defender's stance contrasts with that of his manager. “You can't keep adding game after game and assume everything will be like before. You have to think about the players,” he said. “We train as hard as we can and we are in shape, but there has to be a limit.” Jamie Jackson
8
Hammers lack style under new regime
When West Ham’s owners replaced David Moyes with Julen Lopetegui, they probably didn’t imagine the team would be playing road-one football four games into the new season. Against Fulham it was hard to see much evidence of Lopetegui making his new team more expansive. West Ham relied on long balls throughout the first half and were even reduced to their striker, Michail Antonio, launching a couple of ineffective long passes into the Fulham box. To be fair, the clumsiness in possession was partly due to Lucas Paquetá starting on the bench after returning from international duty. However, it was odd that Lopetegui adapted without Paquetá by starting Tomas Soucek, with defensive duo Guido Rodríguez and Edson Álvarez further back. The plan backfired and West Ham were lucky to leave Craven Cottage with a point. Jacob Steinberg
9
Nketiah finds a good home at Palace
Eddie Nketiah showed quite a bit of promise during his Crystal Palace The former Arsenal striker's debut suggests he could be an astute acquisition. Nketiah had spent too much time on the north London periphery but the chance to secure a regular place at Selhurst Park following his £30m move could be a defining moment for his career. The 25-year-old took six shots during the comeback draw against Leicester and was involved in some of Palace's best attacks. Oliver Glasner said: “Everyone can see he's a threat. He moved well and ran between the lines. He was a bit unlucky not to score. It was a good debut for Eddie.” Jean-Philippe Mateta may have grabbed the headlines with his two goals but Nketiah combined well with him and Eberechi Eze. An extended run of games will be crucial as his rise to prominence at Palace is likely to benefit him after a frustrating career in which he played second fiddle at Arsenal. Simon's Mail
10
Tenacious Ipswich look for their first win
The meeting between the two youngest managers in the Premier League (although Kieran McKenna has been almost seven years older than Fabian Hürzeler) ended in a draw. The kind of encounter euphemistically referred to as an intriguing tactical battle? Brighton had 21 shots to Ipswich’s six, while McKenna’s side defended in a tenacious style quite different from their first three games. Town goalkeeper Arijanet Muric was later praised by McKenna while Hürzeler praised Ipswich full-back Axel Tuanzebe for stopping Kaoru Mitoma. Like Roberto de Zerbi and Graham Potter before him, Hürzeler is without a goalscorer beyond João Pedro. Evan Ferguson, a late substitute, remains a shadow of the player who made a stunning appearance two seasons ago. For Ipswich, every game so far has held positive signs, but a first win eludes them. Liam Delap's brilliant solo run almost resulted in a goal but, like Brighton, what Ipswich need most is an attack. JB
