Ederson is already making a huge difference to Man City and maybe Romelu Lukaku could break Wayne Rooney's United goalscoring record after all - 10 THINGS WE LEARNED

  • Ederson is already proving pretty handy at the basic part of the goalkeeper's art
  • Romelu Lukaku goes into Man Utd's Champions League campaign in great form
  • Ronald Koeman won't be too happy with Wayne Rooney's conduct on the pitch
  • Mikel Merino could give Jonjo Shelvey a hard time getting into Newcastle side

We may only be four games into the Premier League season but there are already plenty of talking points.

The two Manchester clubs have both started the season well, with both Ederson and Romelu Lukaku already making a big difference for their respective sides.

Here, Sportsmail's Ralph Ellis shares 10 things he learned from the weekend's action throughout the leagues. 


1. Pep Guardiola will be relieved that Ederson seems to have emerged from his horrific clash with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane without serious injury. 

The Brazilian goalkeeper is already making a huge difference to Manchester City and not just for his ability with the ball at his feet, one of the crucial factors persuading Pep to pay £34.7million for him. 

Ederson is also proving pretty handy at the basic part of the keeper’s art – making sure the ball stays out of his net. He made three good saves in the 45 minutes before getting hurt. Last season Claudio Bravo managed an average of only 1.5 saves per 90 minutes.

Goalkeeper Ederson is proving pretty handy at keeping the ball out of the Manchester City net

Goalkeeper Ederson is proving pretty handy at keeping the ball out of the Manchester City net

 

2. Romelu Lukaku couldn’t be in better form for his introduction to Champions League football this week with nine goals for club and country already in less than a month of the new season. 

When Mark Hughes suggested before Stoke’s clash with Manchester United that Lukaku had the potential to break Wayne Rooney’s Old Trafford scoring record of 253 goals in all competitions, it seemed unlikely. After all he is already 24, while Rooney was still in his teens when he moved from Everton to begin his history making journey. 

Maybe it is not so far- fetched after all, though. Lukaku now has five in as many appearances since his £75m move after scoring in the 2-2 draw at Stoke. Keep that up and he could do it before he’s 30!

Romelu Lukaku has scored five goals in as many appearances since his move to Man United

Romelu Lukaku has scored five goals in as many appearances since his move to Man United

 

3. Wayne Rooney has got bigger discipline issues to deal with off the field, but Everton boss Ronald Koeman probably won’t be too happy with his conduct on it either. 

With only four games gone, the former England captain is already at risk of a suspension after picking up three yellow cards. The latest was for clattering Dele Alli just two minutes from the final whistle of Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Tottenham, a needless booking so close to the end of a game that was already effectively over. 

Incidentally it was the 100th Premier League caution of his career, putting him alongside Gareth Barry as the only two players to reach that particular ton.

Wayne Rooney has already picked up three yellow cards in just four Premier League matches

Wayne Rooney has already picked up three yellow cards in just four Premier League matches

 

4. Mikel Merino could give Newcastle captain Jonjo Shelvey a hard time getting back into the team after his suspension. 

Shelvey was stuck on the bench against old club Swansea because 21-year-old Spaniard Merino, a summer signing on loan from Borussia Dortmund, did so well in his absence. 

And despite the controversy over his attempted dive to win a penalty, Merino was again one of Toon’s key players in the 1-0 win. No other Newcastle man played more passes (44), won more duels (11), or as many tackles (5).

Mikel Merino was again one of Newcastle's key players against Swansea on Sunday afternoon

Mikel Merino was again one of Newcastle's key players against Swansea on Sunday afternoon

 

5. The real tests for Arsenal’s new signing Sead Kolasinac will come against bigger clubs, of course, but the Bosnian is showing promising versatility since his free transfer from Schalke. 

After making his debut in the Charity Shield as a centre-half, he’s now had a couple of promising performances in a more forward role. His cross for Danny Welbeck’s goal in the 3-0 demolition of Bournemouth was his second assist already, and he backed that up with a couple of crunching tackles. 

At 24, he might just turn out to be the solution to what seems an eternal search for a dominant central midfield man who can both win the ball and pass it. Wonder why Arsene Wenger left him out of the side that got thumped at Liverpool.

Sead Kolasinac is showing promising versatility since his free transfer from Schalke 

Sead Kolasinac is showing promising versatility since his free transfer from Schalke 

 

6. Pascal Gross caught the eye for his two goals that brought newly promoted Brighton their first three points of the season, but the German looks like establishing himself just as big a reputation for his work ethic. 

The 28-year-old, a bargain signing at around £2.7m from Ingolstadt following their relegation from the Bundesliga, ran 8.2 miles in the 3-1 win over West Brom. 

That suggests he could be a contender to break the current record for most distance in a Premier League game at 8.6 miles which is held by Bournemouth’s Dan Gosling.

Pascal Gross ran 8.2 miles, as well as scoring twice, in Brighton's 3-1 victory over West Brom

Pascal Gross ran 8.2 miles, as well as scoring twice, in Brighton's 3-1 victory over West Brom

 

7. Coaches debate whether putting full backs on the line to defend corners is worthwhile, but it’s not hard to know which side of the discussion Sean Dyche falls on. 

The Burnley boss is absolutely old school when it comes to that particular part of the game, and it earned him three points in the 1-0 win against Crystal Palace. 

Matt Lowton cleared off the line to keep Scott Dann’s first half effort out of the goal, and was there again to block another effort by the Palace centre-half late on although on that occasion James Tarkowski got in the way first.

Sean Dyche's  side beat Crystal Palace as they had full backs on the line to defend corners

Sean Dyche's side beat Crystal Palace as they had full backs on the line to defend corners

 

8. Mark Warburton needs to put aside his great reputation for coaching flowing football for a few days and put his Nottingham Forest players through some gritty set-piece defending sessions. 

Forest’s promising start to the season floundered in a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in which they were holding their own at 1-1 before Steven Fletcher’s header from a Kieran Lee’s corner. 

It was the sixth goal they have conceded from a set-piece in as many matches, the worst record of any Championship side.

Mark Warburton needs to put Nottingham Forest players through set-piece defending sessions

Mark Warburton needs to put Nottingham Forest players through set-piece defending sessions

 

9. Shrewsbury defender Toto Nsiala is that rare thing – a footballer who admits he lacks self-confidence. 

The 25-year-old, whose career began at Everton, gave an honest interview to his local paper before the 1-0 win over Wigan, confessing that he wishes he could believe in himself as much as manager Paul Hurst believes in him. 

Maybe a clean sheet against a previously unbeaten League One side to stay top of the table will help – especially as Nsiala’s header set up Stefan Payne’s winning goal.

Shrewsbury's Toto Nsiala is that rare thing - a footballer who admits he lacks self-confidence

Shrewsbury's Toto Nsiala is that rare thing - a footballer who admits he lacks self-confidence

 

10. Accrington striker Billy Kee scored his 100th career goal as John Coleman’s side beat Carlisle 3-0 to move up to second in the early League Two table. 

The 26-year-old, whose career began at Leicester but has taken him around Torquay, Burton, Scunthorpe and Mansfield, has achieved the feat in just 226 starts. 

Billy Kee scored his 100th career goal for Accrington against Carlisle on the weekend

Billy Kee scored his 100th career goal for Accrington against Carlisle on the weekend

 

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