7 Things We Learned From an Enthralling Weekend of Premier League Football

​Another weekend of Premier League action has come and gone with plenty of talking points to mull over. 

Liverpool and Manchester City cruised to comfortable victories once again, there was a thrilling north London derby, whilst Chelsea and Manchester United were held to frustrating draws.

Here are seven things that we learned this weekend.


Arsenal's Defensive Frailties Still Exist

The general consensus when the Premier League transfer window closed last month was that Arsenal had done well over the summer. Nicolas Pepe was the marquee signing in attack, while David Luiz and Kieran Tierney were brought in to shore up the defence.

Yet, the Arsenal back line looked as fragile as ever in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Tottenham. In the first half, Spurs were able to create numerous chances on the counter-attack, and scored twice following individual errors from Bernd Leno and Granit Xhaka. 

The Gunners responded admirably ​after the break to rescue a point, but were still reliant on some wayward finishing from the visitors in the latter stages of the game to keep hold of that point. 


A Step in the Right Direction for Spurs

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Having been 2-0 up, Tottenham may feel a little deflated that they were unable to hold on to claim all three points at the Emirates Stadium, however fans will take solace in the fact that this was comfortably their best performance of the season so far.

The team looked dangerous on the counter-attack throughout, with the recalled Christian Eriksen combining effectively with Son Heung-min and Harry Kane. Eriksen now looks set to stay in north London, much to the relief of the Tottenham fans given the creativity that he brings to the side.

Mauricio Pochettino's men remain some way off their best, and look vulnerable in the full back areas - with Davinson Sanchez struggling as a makeshift right back - yet after an underwhelming start to the season, this weekend's display will have pleased Pochettino and given him confidence that his side are heading in the right direction.


Looking Like a Two-Horse Race Already

Roberto Firmino,Mohamed Salah

We are only four games into the season, but already it seems inevitable that Liverpool and Manchester City will be battling for the title between themselves again this year.

Liverpool kept their first clean sheet of the campaign in seeing off Burnley 3-0, with City going one better by trouncing Brighton 4-0. It has been the perfect start to the season for Liverpool, as they aim for their first league title since 1990.

All of the other members of the 'big six' have shown weaknesses in the early stages of the season, whereas Liverpool and City are yet to show any, and remain some way ahead of the chasing pack.


United Can't Buy an Away Win

Marcus Rashford

It had all looked so good for Manchester United on the opening day of the season. They produced a ruthless display to beat Chelsea 4-0, and there were hopes that they had put last season behind them. That already looks like a false dawn.

Since that result, the team have picked up just two points from their last three games. A particular concern stretching back to last season will be their away form, as United have not won away in the Premier League since February, with the side continually struggling to break down resilient defences.

They started well this weekend, going ahead through an early Daniel James strike, but were pegged back shortly after half time, and were unable to find a winner late on even when Southampton went down to ten men. After spending big over the summer on the likes of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, United supporters will have hoped for a change in fortunes. For now, it remains much of the same.


Chelsea Fans Will Require Patience This Season

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It has been far from a boring start to Frank Lampard's time in charge of Chelsea. But having edged a five goal thriller against Norwich last weekend, Lampard will have hoped for a better defensive display when his team hosted Sheffield United on Saturday. 


He didn't get it.

Chelsea went 2-0 in front, and looked to be on course for a routine victory, but Sheffield United hit back to earn a 2-2 draw, leaving Lampard's men with only one win before the international break. 

Whilst Tammy Abraham is flourishing in attack - scoring four times in his last two outings - the defence is still a major issue; only Norwich have conceded more than the nine goals that Chelsea have shipped already. Chelsea fans have been used to seeing their side possess some fine centre halves during the Abramovich era, but that is no longer the case. They will have to be patient, as Lampard will need time to fix those defensive deficiencies.


Leicester Are Ready to Challenge the Top Six

Youri Tielemans,Jamie Vardy

With only four games gone, the season is still in its infancy, yet things are looking very positive for Leicester as they attempt gatecrash the top six.

Saturday's 3-1 win over Bournemouth lifted the side up to third place, continuing their unbeaten start to the season. When Harry Maguire opted to leave for Manchester United over the summer there were fears that Leicester might be unable to maintain the form that they showed towards the end of last season under Brendan Rodgers. 

However, they still have a strong spine to the team, with Kasper Schmeichel in goal, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison blossoming in midfield, and Jamie Vardy ​producing the goods up front. Unlike last season's top six, they do not have any European distractions to contend with, and based on the opening weeks of the season, there is no reason why they can't be in the hunt for a top six finish come May.


Sheffield United Won't Go Down Without a Fight

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If you asked supporters to name the three sides that they thought would be relegated this season, it is likely that Sheffield United would have probably featured on most people's list. The first four games have shown that they are not out of their depth though. Not by a long shot.

What the Blades may lack in quality they certainly make up for in commitment. That wasn't good enough for manager Chris Wilder last weekend, who was unimpressed that his team were cheered off after losing to Leicester just because they had worked hard. He wants more than for his side to just be plucky losers.

This weekend, his newly-promoted team came from two goals down to draw with Chelsea. Sheffield United have now lost just one of their opening four fixtures, earning a win and two draws in their other three matches. Their display against Chelsea saw their grit and quality combine to earn them a point, which is what Wilder will want, and that is why it is far too early to write off Sheffield United in their bid to extend their stay in the top-flight beyond a solitary season.



Source : 90min