Roy Hodgson can’t save Crystal Palace, Arsenal show a bit of steel and Manchester duo imperious… seven things we learnt from this enthralling Premier League weekend
ANOTHER week, another set of ten enthralling Premier League showdowns in the bag... but what can we take from the thrilling three days?
From Roy Hodgson's miracle mission and Arsenal showing some steel, to the two Manchester giants' steamrolling forwards, there's plenty to ponder.
Check out seven of the biggest and best talking points from all of this weekend's top-flight action, below...
1. EAGLES CRASH LANDED
NO-ONE said it would be easy, but Hodgson must be wondering just what he's got himself into at Selhurst Park.
Taking over at a side who'd lost their first four Premier League games, all the while failing to find the net, things could surely only get better.
"Hold my cuppa", Roy must have said as the Eagles crash landed with barely a whimper as they succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton.
In the process, Palace became the first team in top-flight history to lose all of their five opening games without scoring.
The club look dead-and-buried already, with serious questions needing to be answered.
After all, how can a side with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Christian Benteke, Yohan Cabaye, Andros Townsend and Jason Puncheon fail to find the net so consistently?
Hodgson needs to answer the big questions and quickly or his Euro 2016 humiliation at the hands of Iceland will be a fond memory of the good, old days...
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2. STEEL GUNNS
THE last time Arsenal played away from home they were left shell-shocked as they were torn apart by a rampant, ruthless Liverpool at Anfield.
On the back of a 3-0 win over Bournemouth and a 3-1 victory against Cologne, both at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger's nerves must have been jangling about getting back on the road.
Gunners fans would have been left rather worried themselves when they saw Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez didn't even make the starting XI.
And guess what? Arsenal looked much better, much tougher, much braver, much steelier.
Ozil and Sanchez bring plenty to Arsenal when they're playing tiki-taka football at 4-0 up... but this game required a bit of grit and heart.
At Stamford Bridge, Wenger's gamble paid off, as they were defensively stoic in not only getting a draw, but keeping a clean sheet.
The French boss is all too often slated by Gunners fans, but their Blues performance was something of a tactical masterclass.
3. OUT OF LUK, ROO
IT was billed as the return of Wayne Rooney... with Romelu Lukaku also going up against his old club.
The forwards both swapped allegiances this summer, with all eyes on the duo at Old Trafford.
But, hardly surprisingly after their dreadful performance against Tottenham last time out in the league, Everton were simply shredded to pieces.
While Jose Mourinho and Co left it late to make it a comprehensive scoreline on paper, the result was never in doubt.
A fourth-minute goal from Antonio Valencia set the tone, with David De Gea's goal barely threatened.
Late goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Lukaku and Anthony Martial gave United what they deserved - a resounding victory.
It's now the third time in five games this season they've scored four times in the Premier League... who on Earth can slow down this force, right now?
4. CITY SLICKERS
AFTER being battered 5-0 at home to Manchester City last season, Watford fans surely thought things could only get better this time around.
90 minutes later and Hornets followers were left in stunned silence as Pep Guardiola's steamroller of an attacking force stung the hosts time and time again.
Sergio Aguero notched a sublime hat-trick, Gabriel Jesus scored again, while Nicolas Otamendi and Raheem Sterling, back after his suspension, all too found the net.
Much like neighbours United, City look imperious going forward and it will take something truly special to calm that fire...
5. RED MISSED
MEANWHILE, 30 miles up the road and Liverpool are the anti-Manchester... and not just because they are bitter, local rivals.
While United and City pepper opponents' goal and score in bunches, Jurgen Klopp's Reds continue to show their lack of killer instinct.
It's been the story for years now, but this past week has proven more and more that Liverpool need a Robbie Fowler, a Michael Owen, a Fernando Torres...
Against Sevilla in the Champions League midweek, the Reds took 24 shots... and drew 2-2.
This weekend at Anfield they went even further, bagging 71 per cent of the possession, taking 35 shots... and falling to a 1-1 draw against Burnley.
If Liverpool harbour any hopes of ever breaking their Premier League duck, they need to partner their astonishingly gifted attacking midfield with a genuine goalscorer.
6. TOTT'S UP, POCH?
ADMIT it, you thought the Wembley hoodoo was over now, didn't you?
After failing to win a single game this season at the national stadium, a 3-1 thumping of German giants Borussia Dortmund was set to be the catalyst for home change.
This season had seen Spurs struggle to a 2-1 loss at home to Chelsea and a 1-1 draw with Burnley.
The clash at home to lowly Swansea was meant to be the game the "real" Tottenham turned up and proved what they could do at Wembley.
Cue the 0-0 draw. Ouch.
7. SINGING IN TOON
AFTER Rafa Benitez criticised Mike Ashley for failing to hand him the funds to allow him to compete in the Premier League, things looked bad for Newcastle.
When they lost 2-0 to Tottenham on the opening day, things looked even worse.
Then when the Toon succumbed to a 1-0 defeat away to newly-promoted Huddersfield, fans could have been mistaken for thinking "game over".
But Rafa's revolution is now in full swing, making it three wins in a row to climb from the relegation zone to the Champions League places.
Stoke are a bogey team for so many clubs, so a 2-1 victory is certainly nothing to be sniffed at.
While they have a long way to go until they can be even remotely considered being in contention for a European place, they have proved one thing...
They aren't going straight back to the Championship while Benitez is in town.