10 Premier League talking points including VAR farce and Arsenal stars' kind act
Premier League fans are finally getting their breath back after a frantic couple of days, and debate continues to rage when it comes to some of the weekend's action.
Nine of the 10 scheduled games have already taken place, with the 10th - a London derby between Fulham and Chelsea - set for Monday night. We've seen goals, red cards and plenty of contentious decisions.
If you missed any of the games and are looking for something to chat to your colleagues about around the water cooler, we've got your back. Here are Mirror Football 's Premier League talking points from two days of non-stop drama.
1. More VAR questions than answers
It seems fair to say VAR hasn't solved the problems it was supposed to. The technological advances were never likely to be a magic bullet, regardless of how much some people wanted them to be, but at the very least it ought to have been able to avoid some of the weekend's lower moments.
Liverpool fans have every right to feel aggrieved after Luis Diaz's goal was wrongly ruled out against Tottenham. This was not a failure of the technology, though, but rather a human error in an area where many will feel - with reason - the decision should have been a straightforward one.
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Luis Diaz's disallowed goal remains a major point of discussion (Getty Images)That was not the only moment of VAR controversy. There was an early moment in the same game, with some fans unhappy with the footage shown to on-field referee Simon Hooper before he sent off Curtis Jones, while there was also a flashpoint in Brentford's draw at Nottingham Forest when they were denied a penalty after Matt Turner caught Yoane Wissa.
Football fans are mistrustful of officials at the best of times, attributing malice to things which can often be explained away by incompetence, but some may have given some leeway with the knowledge that the referees have access to information the fans don't. When mistakes are still made with the benefit of that knowledge, it's hardly going to make sceptical supporters regain any trust.
2. Richarlison rewards Postecoglou's faith
The fall-out from Spurs' win over Liverpool has distracted from the fact that this was yet another episode in the Richarlison revival. The Brazilian forward was open about his mental health during the September international break, confirming plans to see a psychologist, and manager Ange Postecoglou was quick to give the ex-Everton man his backing.
Richarlison made another important contribution for Spurs (GEORGE BECK/PPAUK/REX/Shutterstock)"We'll provide all the support he needs and guide him to be in a place where he's happy about himself," Postecoglou previously said of the goal-shy frontman. "But he'll be involved. Absolutely.”
Richarlison responded by coming off the bench to inspire a late comeback against Sheffield United. He didn't score against Liverpool, but he played a big part in Son Heung-min's opener and only an offside flag denied him a second assist for the captaian.
Spurs might have worried about Brennan Johnson's injury restricting their firepower on Saturday. Instead, they're celebrating leapfrogging Liverpool to move second in the table.
3. Man Utd transfer gamble brought into focus
Rasmus Hojlund has shown flashes of quality amid Man Utd's struggles (Matt West/REX/Shutterstock)Last season, Spurs responded to similar challenges by relying on Harry Kane to dig them out of a hole. England captain Kane was linked with a summer move to Manchester United, but instead ended up joining Bayern Munich on the eve of the Premier League season.
After it became clear Kane wouldn't be moving to Old Trafford, United turned their attention towards Rasmus Hojlund. The former Atalanta man is yet to hit top gear - having shaken off an injury since joining - yet already it feels like there's a huge amount of pressure on him.
United have scored more than one goal just once in seven league games, with only Bruno Fernandes scoring more than once. To only add one new face up front, and an inexperienced (if clearly talented) one at that, is beginning to look questionable - especially after the need became clear long before the end of last season.
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4. England can't ignore Watkins
Ollie Watkins scored three of Aston Villa's six goals (Paul Marriott/REX/Shutterstock)Speaking of strikers, Ollie Watkins kicked into gear in a big way on Saturday. The Aston Villa frontman had already scored a hat-trick in the Europa Conference League, but had just one league goal to his name before this weekend.
Watkins' all-round game hasn't been up for debate, but a player with 15 league goals last term might have been expected to score more by this stage of the campaign. It turns out all he needed was Gareth Southgate in attendance.
Three goals for Watkins and six for Villa saw Brighton put to the sword. Southgate will soon have to pick a squad for matches against Australia and Italy, and it will be tough to justify leaving out a player capable of this kind of performance.
5. City lose their mystique
Hwang Hee-chan handed Man City their first league defeat this season (MI News/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)For six games, Manchester City were robotically going about their business to the point that some of their challengers might have been tempted to lose all hope. Defeat at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup proved they could be kept at bay, though, and defeat at Wolves showed - more valuably - that they can be got at.
Pep Guardiola insisted there was a difference between the two games. He felt Gary O'Neil's team deserved their victory, bemoaning his team's failure to cause the hosts enough problems, and now City will go to Leipzig in the week hoping to stop a worrying slide.
A couple of weeks ago, some were left wondering how the treble winners could possibly be stopped. It turns out there are some cracks, but that doesn't mean City will fully break if the pressure gets ramped up.
6. Arsenal stars' kind act
Kai Havertz scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal from the penalty spot (Matt Impey/REX/Shutterstock)It's safe to say Kai Havertz hasn't had the best of starts to life as an Arsenal player. The only thing worse than the German's luck in front of goal in the first six games was the form of his previous club Chelsea.
Sometimes a player will need a lucky break to get up and running - a ricochet off their backside or a heavy deflection off an opponent, for example. On other occasions, their team-mates can give them the key.
Havertz isn't Arsenal's first-choice penalty taker, or even their second-in-line. That didn't matter at Bournemouth, though, as his team-mates recognised a goal from 12 yards might be just what he needs to stop playing scared and start leading by example to help the Gunners challenge at the sharp end.
7. Gunners' gain is Brentford's loss
Mark Flekken has found things tough in the Premier League (Jez Tighe/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)At the other end of the field at the Vitality Stadium, it was another clean sheet for Arsenal keeper David Raya. The same can't be said for his replacement at Brentford, however, with Mark Flekken finding things tough once more.
It wasn't an especially busy afternoon for Flekken at the City Ground, with Brentford benefiting from an extra man. He was at fault for Forest's equaliser, though, with Nico Dominguez's effort looping over the keeper.
Brentford have less firepower than last season thanks to Ivan Toney's suspension, making defensive solidity all the more important. Flekken may yet come good, but his form so far has been a worry.
8. Luton rewarded for not panicking
Tom Lockyer set Luton on their way to victory (PA)After the first few rounds of fixtures, Luton didn't look the most likely when it came to predicting which of the promoted sides would win a game first. Rob Edwards' men fell to heavy defeats at Brighton and Chelsea, while even home comforts couldn't inspire them against West Ham.
The results might not have arrived in the first few weeks, but Edwards will have recognised the improvement in performance. He stayed calm and was rewarded with three points at Goodison Park to lift his team out of the bottom three.
Tom Lockyer and Carlton Morris were on target, with Everton huffing and puffing but only scoring once. With Burnley visiting Kenilworth Road in midweek, there's a chance to immediately kick on.
9. Soucek coming out of his shell
Tomas Soucek helped West Ham beat Sheffield United (PA)Last season, Tomas Soucek was as poor for West Ham as Declan Rice was good. The Czech international looked to have dropped off massively from his impressive first 18 months in East London and - with Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse joining - was no longer an automatic pick.
The loss of Rice appears to have unlocked something new in Soucek, though, and this was on show against Sheffield United. While his ability on the ball still isn't always the most convincing, the late runs he has provided during his best appearances under David Moyes have returned.
Early in his time at West Ham, Soucek was compared to former Moyes favourite Marouane Fellaini. The loss of Rice will still sting, given the former captain's impact, but a return of the Soucek of old can soften the blow.
10. Newcastle helped by familiar solidity
When Newcastle blew Aston Villa away on the opening weekend of the season, it looked like last season's fourth place finishers were ready to kick on. After a few tough results, though, Eddie Howe has found joy in a similar place to last season.
A run of nine clean sheets either side of the World Cup set Newcastle up for Champions League qualification last time out. They're now on four shut-outs in a row, including the one which helped them overcome a previously unbeaten Man City side in the cup.
Miguel Almiron's stunner set the Magpies on their way against Burnley before Alexander Isak's penalty sealed the deal. When you have Newcastle's none-shall-pass quality at the back and players who can produce something from nothing in attack, you're on to a winner.
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