Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

1) Murray and Gross shine again for Seagulls

Brighton upstaged Manchester United, but that they did so without the help of any of their headline summer signings (Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Yves Bissouma and Bernardo, who cost a combined £41m) is proof they are only just getting started. An opening-day defeat by Watford was desperately disappointing but, as poor as United were, Brighton bossed this match from start to finish. Martín Montoya, a deadline-day arrival from Valencia, impressed on his debut but it was the presence of the wily Glenn Murray and the purring Pascal Gross, a £3m buy from Ingolstadt, that again proved pivotal. Better still, Chris Hughton still has a wealth of attacking talent, including the striker Florin Andone, to infuse his team with. This kind of match will not necessarily define Brighton’s season but they naturally foster optimism. Ben Fisher

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• Match report: Brighton 3-2 Manchester United

2) Euro-fatigue kicking in early at Burnley

Burnley are not in the Europa League yet – they still face a final play‑off against Olympiakos beginning this week – but the curse seems to be taking effect. Most uncharacteristically Sean Dyche made half a dozen changes for the last tie against Istanbul Basaksehir, so it is probably not fatigue that is to blame – at least not fatigue from playing extra matches. Yet tiredness from long midweek trips cannot be ruled out, and nor can the hours lost in training and preparation. At least part of the reason Burnley finished seventh last season was because they were able to give the Premier League their undivided attention, and Dyche is very good at all the small details that go into readying his side to face bigger opponents. Watford hardly count as that, but they played very well at Turf Moor; it was the home side who were a shadow of their usual selves. Burnley are playing more games than anyone else and it shows. Paul Wilson

• Match report: Burnley 1-3 Watford

3) Home is where the hope is for Warnock

Before kick-off in Cardiff, Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1978 hit September had feet wagging around the stadium and, given what’s on the menu for Neil Warnock’s side next month, it was a fitting reminder of the importance of getting off the mark against Newcastle. They host Arsenal and Manchester City and visit Chelsea and Burnley across four weeks but the Cardiff manager, who takes his team to Huddersfield before that testing run of fixtures, knows home form will be pivotal: they have lost just once at their own ground in 2018. “We are going to take one or two drubbings in this league, so we just have to not read too many papers at times, when things aren’t going so well and just stick to the task,” Warnock said. “I think this stadium can become a fortress, really. Even the top-six sides, I don’t think they’ll enjoy coming here.” BF

• Match report: Cardiff 0-0 Newcastle

4) Could freedom for Kanté cost Chelsea dear?

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Several factors were behind the wild entertainment on show at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and one of them was undoubtedly what must now be referred to as The Curious Case of N’Golo Kanté. As was the case against Huddersfield Town on the opening day, a midfielder renowned for his defensive excellence was a notable attacking presence. On 78 minutes he almost scored with a header that flashed just over and was then one of the most advanced players in blue when Marcos Alonso struck late on. Kanté is revelling in the freedom Maurizio Sarri has given him but could the manager’s boldness have the effect of reducing Chelsea’s solidity? There were certainly occasions when Arsenal found pockets of space outside Chelsea’s area that Kanté would have been in, had he not been on another charge upfield. Sachin Nakrani

5) Aubameyang’s inconsistency another issue for Emery

Unai Emery preached calm after the game on Saturday, aware his job at Arsenal is but two games old and nobody can fix their mess in that short amount of time. Hopefully he will get that patience and calm, but along the way he needs a bit of help from his players, too. What he doesn’t need is players spurning simple chances, but that’s what he will get with the players at his disposal. Regular watchers of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund will tell you that the striker is capable of the implausible, both good and bad: he will oscillate between brilliant goals and the sort of blooper we saw in the first-half on Saturday, as he skied a shot over a virtually open goal from 10 yards out. The unpredictability of his forward line is just another thing Emery will have to deal with. Nick Miller

• Match report: Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal

6) Richarlison answering naysayers on the pitch

Everton ruined the summer transfer market by spending £40m on Richarlison, or so said Paul Merson before the new season, but there are no complaints at Goodison Park so far. It is still early days but the 21-year-old’s impact has been impressive, not only with three goals in his first two appearances but with a prodigious work-rate that meets the demands of Everton’s new manager and was evident in the victory over Southampton. “People speak about his fee because it is their job to speak,” Silva said. “I respect everybody but I am sure people will understand where the market is now. When our club signed Jordan [Pickford] last season I am sure everybody spoke in the same way, saying it is too much money. Now he is the No 1 of the national team and nobody, nobody, talks about his value in the market any more.” Andy Hunter

• Match report: Everton 2-1 Southampton

7) Wolves creatives in need of sharper targets

The first thing to say is that Wolves will play a lot worse than they did at Leicester and win this season. The woodwork thwarted them on three separate occasions and Matt Doherty missed a sitter when the game was goalless. Adama Traoré produced a bright cameo that showed just how dangerous he can be with his electric pace, while João Moutinho and Rúben Neves are a class act in the centre of midfield. Yet only time will tell whether Wolves have enough quality in the striker department. Although Raúl Jiménez made some intelligent runs and was unlucky to hit a post, the Mexican is not a prolific goalscorer, while Léo Bonatini, who came off the bench and made a hash of a chance that Traoré set up, managed only 12 goals in 43 Championship games. It will be a shame for Wolves if some of their hugely impressive creativity goes to waste. Stuart James

• Match report: Leicester 2-0 Wolves

8) Wagner looks to start again after torrid two weeks

An opening 3-0 defeat at Chelsea followed by this 6-1 humiliation at Manchester City. Next up is Cardiff City, when David Wagner hopes to finally get his side’s season up and running. Last year was Town’s first in the Premier League and though it is very early days they seem certain to struggle again, having finished only four points from safety in May. The manager is well aware of this. “We hoped for a better result, not only against City but in the first two fixtures,” Wagner said. “I said to the players, we will not get driven away [put down] by these first two defeats. We hoped for more, we didn’t get more but now the season starts for us. The experience of last season where we conceded heavy defeats to the top-six sides will help us. You can’t get driven away by heavy defeats. We all together can leave this defeat and this day behind us and focus on the next week.” It looks a tough challenge. Jamie Jackson

• Match report: Manchester City 6-1 Huddersfield Town

9) Alderweireld’s return can be a boon for Spurs

Mauricio Pochettino’s six-minute answer to a question about Toby Alderweireld gave Tottenham’s Kremlinologists much to chew on. For the uninitiated, a summary: there may have been troubles in the past but everyone in the matchday squad against Fulham (the Belgian included) was now committed to the cause. Such commitment is something Pochettino has been talking about since pre-season and, one is free to infer, it may not have been present last term, when Alderweireld barely featured during the run-in. But on Saturday we were reminded what he brings to Tottenham: strength, intelligence and ball play. Spurs looked much more confident with him in the side. After a summer in which the club failed to add to their ranks, having Alderweireld available this season may be an advantage worth talking about. Paul MacInnes

• Match report: Spurs 3-1 Fulham

10) Brooks slotting in well to Howe’s settled side

It is hugely encouraging for a team as settled as Bournemouth that David Brooks already appears to have a good understanding of Eddie Howe’s demands. The midfielder’s performance in in the win against Manuel Pellegrini’s unbalanced West Ham demonstrated the value of dipping into the Championship and the early signs are Howe has found a big talent. The Wales international was the only new signing to start for Bournemouth at the London Stadium and the 21‑year‑old did not look fazed by his lack of Premier League experience, creating a fine chance for Callum Wilson, almost scoring twice and earning the free‑kick that led to Steve Cook’s winner. “The only surprise for me has been how quickly he’s adapted to the position because last season he was playing as a No 10 for Sheffield United,” Howe said. “We’ve used him as a wide player and he’s settled very well.” Jacob Steinberg

• Match report: West Ham 1-2 Bournemouth