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Manchester United's attack and City's vision as Liverpool must regroup and Arsenal show signs of recovery

The final round of games before international break had its fair share of goals and drama - but what can we take away from it?

Monday 02 October 2017 09:28 BST
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Can anyone stop Manchester City?
Can anyone stop Manchester City? (Getty)

Manchester City took another push towards the title as they swept aside another title rival in Chelsea to keep ahead of United by a solitary goal as we head into the international break.

Harry Kane capped off his phenomenal September scoring with his 12th and 13th goals of the season to give Huddersfield their first hammering as a Premier League club as Arsenal kept up their mini-rival with victory over Brighton.

Pressure is growing on Ronald Koeman as Everton lost again but Slaven Bilic appeared to have saved himself for another couple of weeks.

Here are eight things we learned from the Premier League this season…

1. Pep Guardiola's vision is coming together

The maroon blanket that coated Antonio Conte's Chelsea was something to behold on Saturday evening.

It was a sensational performance away from home against the defending champions to be able to limit Chelsea in the way that they did. For Guardiola it felt like a breakthrough performance, just days after Conte had his own in Madrid.

Now the Italian can rightly feel aggrieved that his side arrived home at 4am on Thursday after playing one of Europe's top sides while City enjoyed an extra 36 hours' rest after playing Shakhtar at home.

And it would have been interesting to see these two sides meet on a more even playing field but that is life in the Premier League. Chelsea's squad is thinner than it should be through their own doing and weeks like this are where it costs you.

For City, who put in a display that surely installs them as title favourites, this dominant performance felt like a statement win.

2. Does Roy Hodgson have an impossible job?

What can Roy Hodgson do?

He inherited a squad with no wins, no points, no confidence and no goals, and who does he have to play in three of his first four games? Manchester City, United and, next, Chelsea.

Hodgson could be lost for answers already (Getty)

Those at the club who were only too happy to take the credit for decisions when things went well are mysteriously silent now.

Palace are already setting the Premier League record for the worst start ever and it looks like by the time it ends it will be a record that may take a while to be beaten. Is it already too late for Palace to survive? Forget the Great Escape, staying in the Premier League is already looking like Mission Impossible.

3. Marcus Rashford is showing versatility as well as ability

Recently it’s been a long afternoon for whoever has played right-back against Manchester United, not least because they have to face Marcus Rashford for 60-plus minutes before a fresh-legged Anthony Martial enters the fray.

But on Saturday it was especially long for Joel Ward after the Englishman tore him apart from as early as the third minute when he left the Palace man for dead before laying on Juan Mata’s opener.

The Englishman looks to have finally settled on the left of that front three with Mourinho admiring his industrious workrate over Martial’s attacking nous. Even Martial’s stunning midweek performance in the Champions League wasn’t enough to dislodge Rashford from this team. His free kick for Fellaini’s second was a thing of beauty.

Rashford and Martial seem to be jostling for one position in Mourinho's attack but both are fast, tricky and excellent finishers. They provide a different element to the United offensive push and should their form continue then you wonder if there is a way in which Jose could squeeze them both into the starting XI.

4. End of the road for Ronald Koeman?

Defeat to Burnley on Sunday meant that, despite spending near to £150m in the summer, Everton have actually regressed so poorly that they have only managed two wins in 10 games. They sit just two points above the relegation zone, and yet Ronald Koeman admitted he couldn’t do anything about it as his players did all he asked. Is he now aware that he cannot improve this Everton side? Because his board are beginning to wonder.

Koeman was given the benefit of the doubt after collecting just four points from the opening five games because those fixtures included Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Ronald Koeman believes his players are still committed to him despite the 1-0 defeat by Burnley (PA)

But after lacklustre displays against Atalanta and Apollen Limassol in the Europa League and Sunday's limp loss to Burnley, the pressure is now on the Dutchman. Koeman's failure to sign an out-and-out centre forward to replace Romelu Lukaku is proving a common complaint.

5. Liverpool need to regroup

When Liverpool tore Arsenal apart at the end of August they looked like a top-class side. Since then they have been haunted by twin failings. They seem unable to make the most of multiple opportunities in front of goal and, despite outplaying teams, they commit errors and concede goals.

The first issue was thought to be due to Sadio Mane’s suspension but he has returned and nothing has change but it may be a simple case of bad luck but the same excuse does not work for the second.

No matter how well your forward line is firing – and it is not very well at the moment – you cannot win games consistently without a sturdy defence. Jurgen Klopp and his squad need to regroup and will be glad of the international break.

6. Harry Kane is actually world class

As Harry Kane rifled in his second goal of the game against Huddersfield on Saturday – a fine left-footed strike with his left foot – that debate raised its head again. Is Kane now considered world class?

Mauricio Pochettino refused to broach the subject of him being in the league of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (after Kane’s goalscoring in the Premier League overtook the former) and rightly so, because he is not at that level but after 13 goals in September the Englishman surely can’t be denied that tag any longer.


 Kane scored 
 (Getty Images)

He looks like he will score every time he picks up the ball and he looks even more deadly than Sergio Aguero. Ronaldo is the best out-and-out striker in the world right (and yes, he is a striker now) but Kane has put a strong case forward for being the best of the rest.

7. Arsenal getting back on track

After a torrid start to the season and a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of a top-four rival in Liverpool the #WengerOut brigade were already looking up prices of hiring novelty planes to fly over the Emirates. But since then there have been eight goals scored, none conceded and no over-reliance on Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

Arsenal celebrate Alex Iwobi's goal that secured a 2-0 win over Brighton (Getty)

They are up to fifth and level on points with Tottenham and Chelsea with a seemingly functional defence, a midfield in Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka who finally understand each other and a strike force which is considered too good for Ozil.

They also now have an opportunity to build up some momentum before facing Manchester City next month with three winnable games against Watford, Everton and Swansea City on the horizon.

8. Bilic’s stay of execution

Bilic's job looks safe for the time being (Getty)

For a few weeks now Slaven Bilic has had the look of a dead man walking at the London Stadium and even if he does manage to continue to dodge the sack from his owners, it appears like this will be his last season in east London regardless.

But it could so easily have been his last weekend had Diafra Sakho not turned the boos to cheers with his last-minute intervention. But, Bilic has some ambitious bosses and with Carlo Ancelotti suddenly available and seemingly run out of super clubs to manage, don’t be surprised to see them try their luck.

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