The Score: Newcastle’s tactical trouble, Chelsea farce and Leeds’ silly boo boys

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Liverpool take the early initiative and momentum heading into the first international break of the season thanks to a majestic Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick at Anfield. They are the only team with a 100 per cent record in the division.

Wolves are the only point-less team, Vitor Pereira’s side losing at home to Everton, while Graham Potter found a formula that worked in beating Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday.

The other big losers were Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, who repeated a nasty trick by losing 2-1 at Brighton despite taking the lead for the second year in a row. Below is a piece on analysis on each of the 20 clubs (in reverse table order)…

This weekend’s results

Saturday

Chelsea 2-0 Fulham

Man Utd 3-2 Burnley

Sunderland 2-1 Brentford

Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth

Wolves 2-3 Everton

Leeds 0-0 Newcastle

Sunday

Brighton 2-1 Man City

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal

Aston Villa 0-3 Crystal Palace

Larsen is far from Wolves’ only problem

While the future of Jorgen Strand Larsen may dominate the final hours of Wolves’ summer transfer window, it would be foolish for anyone at Molineux to think that keeping hold of their centre forward (and buying another) is the only problem here.

Only West Ham have conceded more goals than Wolves and only two teams are allowing more shots on target against them. Emmanuel Agbadou has made mistakes leading to goals in multiple matches already and looks uncomfortable after a decent start last season. The wing-backs aren’t offering enough in attack to make up for the space in behind and the midfield balance wasn’t right against Everton, even with Andre back.

Is this the time to panic? Maybe. Wolves have trips to Newcastle and Tottenham in their next three league games, which makes a home game against Leeds on 20 September extraordinarily important already. Wolves look badly undercooked.

Emery and Villa in need of a good news story

There’s a lot to be worried about in B6. You can reason that Villa always struggle against Palace – one draw and five defeats in their last six meetings now – but this extends beyond running into a bogey team.

Villa haven’t scored a goal yet this season. Villa’s major attacking signing looks very raw. Villa lack creativity (and this time didn’t just pick too many central midfielders). Villa’s bench was incredibly weak for a team heading into European competition and Uefa’s squad cost controls make improving upon it difficult. Villa’s goalkeeper was left out of the squad after reportedly not coming to training. A club in need of the international break.

Fulham’s understandable anger at VAR

I think I might be the only person who didn’t think it hugely controversial to consider that Rodrigo Muniz committed a foul in the build-up to Fulham’s disallowed goal when you watched the replay. If you stand on somebody’s foot, whether you are performing a skill or not, I can see the argument for an offence. Were it in the box against a Fulham player, Marco Silva would want a penalty.

That said, I don’t agree with the intervention. Over the summer, we were told that the high bar for VAR intervention would be maintained. We were also told that officials would “maintain a high threshold for penalising challenges – not every contact is a foul – while protecting player safety”. I think the combination of those two measures should have caused the referee’s original decision to stand.

Howe must solve Newcastle’s low-block problem

Last season, Newcastle United took only eight points from the seven Premier League matches in which they had their highest possession. So far this season, they have drawn games 0-0 against Aston Villa (who had a player sent off) and Leeds United with 59 and 57 per cent of the ball respectively. There is a problem here in dealing with low blocks.

Against Leeds, Eddie Howe chose to leave his first-choice available wingers on the bench, presuming that there would be little space in behind. Two problems: when Elanga and Barnes came on they barely offered anything and Newcastle lacked creativity in central areas to unlock Leeds anyway.

Getting high-class strikers (sorry Will Osula) will help, but Newcastle must be better at finding ways to break teams down with the ball as well as using wingers on the counter.

West Ham’s tactical shift provides succour

A stunning win and a claret-and-blueprint for how Graham Potter can turn around a miserable start to the season. Potter had set up West Ham with a back three or five in all but four matches since taking charge. The only one they won with a back four was in his first match, at home to Fulham in January.

But that system now makes more sense with the arrival of two new midfielders and Nicklas Fullkrug’s fitness. Soungoutou Magassa will add energy in a deeper role, while Matheus Fernandes and Lucas Paqueta can swap positions and leave Bowen on the right. If that creates a space for more width on the left wing, those overlaps are exactly what El Hadji Malick Diouf likes doing. Suddenly everything seems not quite so glum.

Brentford guilty of overthinking

Brentford should have beaten Sunderland, not least because they were 1-0 up with eight minutes of normal time remaining. The eventual defeat will rankle. Managing matches effectively is the surest way to dissuade naysayers that you are a relegation candidate.

What should really annoy supporters is what happened at 0-0. I understand that all three of Brentford’s penalty takers of the last few years were not there (Toney, Mbeumo, Wissa) and thus a vacuum may have formed. But Thiago is the centre forward and scored a penalty at Forest on the opening weekend. So why on earth was Kevin Schade – who struggled all game – taking this one?

This was the first penalty Schade has taken in regular play in his career. Thiago has taken 12 and scored 10 – that’s a good enough record for me. Don’t overthink it, guys.

Midfield duo can be Burnley’s strength

To lose at Old Trafford in such circumstances was obviously heartbreaking, but Burnley offered plenty of evidence to suggest that they can cope here. Three points from their opening three games is just about good enough. Their central midfield combination has already proved itself.

Lesley Ugochukwu is the midfield driver, breaking the lines, completing dribbles and also happy to muck in defensively, but he’s not really a passer (only 27 attempted in 90 minutes). That doesn’t matter because Josh Cullen will do that as well as lots of defensive work.

Cullen doesn’t carry the ball much but played the most passes into the final third of any player in the match (impressive given Manchester United’s dominance), with 16. If Burnley can keep those two fit and build up the partnership, it works.

Man City’s damaging new habit

At their very best, Manchester City’s greatest strength was scoring in the first third of their matches and then either turning the screw with more goals or controlling the tempo.

That has been turned on its head. Since the start of November 2024, City have played 31 league matches and lost three of them having taken the lead. They also lost three times in the Champions League having taken the lead. Over the course of three full league seasons before that (2023-24, 2022-23 and 2021-22), spanning 114 matches, City only lost one match that they led.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 31: Josep Guardiola Manager of Manchester City looks frustrated during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City at Amex Stadium on August 31, 2025 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images) — Pep Guardiola reacts at the Amex (Photo: Getty)

Leeds boos aren’t helping the cause

Leeds United have enjoyed a reasonable start to this season: beaten the team they needed to (Everton), thrashed by the team they didn’t (Arsenal) and a point against a Champions League team at home (Newcastle). There are lingering doubts about the lack of goals and Daniel Farke’s ability to squeeze more out of the squad, but there’s also no need to panic. There should be a good mood here.

So I really don’t understand those supporters who booed Jack Harrison and Brendan Aaronson onto the pitch on Saturday. Even if you have a problem with the individual, is the greater good here not Leeds winning matches? And is that not less likely if those players brought on as supposed gamechangers are told that they are not wanted or liked by fans?

Brighton’s super subs

In an age where Premier League managers of top-half clubs have deeper squads than ever before, where there is often a smaller quality gap between first-team players and substitutes and where you can make five changes of personnel, a wholesale shift if things aren’t working should be encouraged.

Fabian Hurzeler produced a brilliant example on Sunday. With his team struggling to break down City and trailing 1-0, Hurzeler made four substitutions at the same time, bringing on Brajan Gruda, Georginio Rutter, James Milner and Yasin Ayari. Two of those players scored and in the time it took City to cope with the changes, Brighton had seized the territorial advantage.

Nottingham Forest’s problems mount

This week will reportedly see Nuno have meetings with owner Evangelos Marinakis about the apparent rift with sporting director Edu. The timing of a desperate 3-0 home defeat could not have been worse.

Forest clearly have an issue against opponents who sit in a low block, exacerbated by Nuno trying to shift Forest into a more possession-based style that will take time to get used to.

To the naked eye, the build-up is too slow – they need to get Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson playing quick one-twos rather than passing the ball across the back four or five times. This team is fuelled by energy at its best.

And Forest have always had an annoying tendency to collapse when they get frustrated – see Everton at home last season. They have now conceded four goals this season through sloppy mistakes or silly fouls. They have only scored once in their last five halves of football.

Is Martinez Man Utd’s goalkeeping solution?

Let’s be clear: Manchester United were actually good in the first half against Burnley. That they eventually required a last-minute penalty owed much to a goalkeeping situation that has become a complete farce. Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana have each made mistakes having been swapped in and out. Bayindir should have held Loum Tchaouna for Burnley’s equaliser.

Could Emi Martinez be the answer? Sunday brought rumours of serious interest in Aston Villa’s goalkeeper, and other rumours of Martinez being prepared to try and force through a move. It would be an extraordinary way for United to land on their feet and solve one of their problems.

Guehi might be leaving Palace in style

If Marc Guehi is to join Liverpool on Monday, he will remember his final Crystal Palace goal for a while. The result may last a while in the mind too, given its comfort.

I am struggling to think of a less centre-back type goal than a left-footed defender hanging around outside the far-left corner of the penalty area, pushing the ball onto his weaker foot and curling it with an arc that made the goal appear double its normal width. I think it might be my favourite Premier League goal of this and last season, simply for how much it made me do an involuntary yelp at the television.

The perfect Bournemouth performance

We know what Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth are very good at: high pressing, successfully forcing turnovers and midfielders who mop up behind to protect the defence (who are also very capable and mobile anyway).

But this was something else. Tottenham failed to have a shot in the first half of a home game for the first time in more than five years and a total xG of 0.17 was their second lowest in a Premier League match over the last 10 years. Bournemouth dominated from start to finish.

Don’t sleep on how impressive that is. Bournemouth lost almost an entire defence this summer; three weeks into the season and they already look completely at ease. Hot take time: can this team challenge for a top-six place, given the lack of European or EFL Cup football?

Sunderland’s six points

Not all Premier League points are equal. Having lost at Burnley last week and trailing Brentford with 10 minutes remaining, Sunderland now go into the international break with a huge lift and hopes of holding their own here.

This was the first time since November 2016 that Sunderland have won a Premier League match after trailing – a run of 29 matches without doing so. Last season, the three relegated clubs fell behind in 93 league games and they won only two of those games. Sunderland are already halfway to matching that three-way record on their own. Demonstrating an ability to succeed through adversity is a massively helpful habit to pick up.

Moyes embraces the fun at Everton

After their opening weekend defeat at Leeds, I questioned Moyes’ tactics because they had barely even tried to attack at Elland Road until they fell one goal behind. The question was whether Moyes could embrace Everton’s fun side with their two new attacking creators.

Well… maybe they can. Jack Grealish looks exactly like a player who has rediscovered his love of the sport and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been able to get closer to goal and has more shot-creating actions than any other Everton player. That leaves Iliman Ndiaye to concentrate on getting into the penalty area rather than shouldering all of the creative responsibility. What a difference two new players make.

Kudus must keep things simple at Spurs

Mohammed Kudus is a tremendously talented footballer, but he can also overplay and thus flatter to deceive. Against Bournemouth, who swarmed around Spurs’ players and necessitated them playing the ball quickly, it held them back.

Kudus had 43 touches of the ball but completed only 18 passes, only four of which were into the final third. He attempted 12 dribbles, at least seven more than any other player in the match, but far too often he took on one man, got the better of him and then tried to go past a second player or wasted the chance.

This is important with the arrival of Xavi Simons. The Dutchman will thrive upon space and that means quick passes to find him in that space. There’s little benefit on slowing the game down and Kudus must be told as much.

Arsenal’s away record deserves scrutiny

There were caveats, of course. Arsenal were missing Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka from the start and William Saliba went off injured early. That may have provoked the subdued nature of their attacking forays, although Noni Madueke was at least bright on the right wing.

And here’s the statistic: Arteta has now managed 15 matches at Anfield and the Etihad in all competitions and won none of them, scoring only nine goals in the process and conceding 29. For all the talk of an unbeaten record against the Big Six – 22 and out – it’s a bad look for a manager who has been backed heavily this summer. It also dramatically increases the pressure for the games Arsenal struggled in last season, breaking down low blocks against mid-table opponents.

Chelsea’s new striker farce

Only Chelsea could hijack a deal for a player they already own. It’s impossible to imagine this squad being short in any position, but the sale of Christopher Nkunku and loaning of Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich left Chelsea with two No 9s. One of them (Liam Delap) will be out injured for the next two months.

Cancelling Jackson’s loan now leaves them with a very difficult balance. Either Chelsea are unable to persuade Jackson to return and must hope that Joao Pedro is able to play every game in every competition, or they have Jackson back but he is utterly peeved at such shoddy treatment. I don’t really understand why they didn’t just keep all three in the first place, given that Delap is still pretty raw and Pedro can play off the striker.

Control is back and so are Liverpool

Perhaps a Big Six opponent was the perfect fixture for a Liverpool team who had been far too chaotic. It allowed Arne Slot to be far more reserved – overly so in the first half – and then gradually up the impetus from 60 minutes onwards. The goal was a wonderful freak from a magnificent striker of the ball.

It’s no coincidence that Ibrahima Konate looked far more secure with Liverpool in that mode. There is still reason to caution against counter-attack sides, but Slot’s team have beaten two Champions League teams and a very impressive Bournemouth and are the only side with a 100 per cent record. A statement made in the title race when they find a happy medium between overloading and sitting deep.

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