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Premier League Round-Up: Mourinho picks useless Belgian with hilarious consequences

Disappointing weekend for… Pep Guardiola

In truth, it was pretty disappointing for everyone involved with Manchester City. Against Chelsea, it was a chance to prove who was the pre-eminent revitalised Premier League club. Both had their fair share of fawning, and much of it was deserved, even if very early in the season. Both had seen a new manager change the spirit of the club and raise ambitions commensurately with the riches of their owners. However, while Chelsea were winning successive matches, City were struggling for consistency, even if conjuring some magical moments. This, then, was Guardiola and his side’s chance to make a point.

And they did - that they haven’t left behind their old ways yet. Sergio Aguero incurred his second red card of the season, and will be rightly banned for four matches after a cowardly attack on David Luiz. Fernandinho will be absent for three matches, too. Guardiola acted like a histrionic clown and will have undermined himself in the eyes of many observers, recalling the times that Jose Mourinho installed himself on his shoulder in Spain. It is pointless to write off City or Guardiola for the next week, season or year, but they have had a self-destructive period that could bite them on the hole for a while longer yet.

Surprise of the weekend… Alan Pardew won a game

Alan Pardew is well capable of building a team that is full of zest and energy, and his set-pieces were often a key part of a successful Newcastle attack. Pardew was, obviously, never shy about taking credit for this, but as he would say: to the victor, the spoils - when you’re the king, you can do anything.

The problem with this is that when you act like such a provocative member, it is harder to win around the players and people to alienate along the way. At West Ham and Newcastle he managed to leave players so dispirited that he inspired almost total losses of form. It cost him his job at West Ham, and should have done at Newcastle. It seemed like the same had happened at Crystal Palace.

The story was that before the match against Southampton, Pardew had a full and frank exchange of views with his players. They had practised set pieces for much of the week, and they had told one another what they really felt. Now, honesty about feelings is never a recommended course of action, but this time it appeared to work. Southampton were picked off by an impressive and efficient Palace display, the kind that Pardew teams put on when they’re on their way up. To keep his job, this cannot simply be a one-off.

Most important goal… Leighton Baines

Everton is not an easy place to go to. It’s an old-style ground, and because of the modernisation or changes enjoyed by many others, it is anachronistically cramped and intimidating. The crowd are so close to you, that if you’re Gary Neville you can flick out a leg and kick a ball into a fan’s face without much effort at all.

Jose Mourinho must have been pleased for much of the match. He kept Everton at arm’s length and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given him the lead with an excellent, archetypal finish. There were only a few minutes left, and so he ran the clock down. On came Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini. One for the counterattack, one for the disruption. Both to waste time.

The problem with Fellaini is that he is Fellaini. One clumsy, daft and pointless foul time and Everton were level, just after City and Liverpool dropped all three points. It highlighted Everton’s continued quality, and United’s miserable lack of squad depth. More than that, it highlighted the occasionally cavalier attitude Mourinho has to employing useless players on the pitch. United’s worst start in years must ultimately blamed on their current manager’s inability manage within his squad’s limitations

Best goal… Willian

The game was already won, but Willian’s goal for Chelsea was superb. For much of the season, he has been an afterthought for Antonio Conte. There was no impression that Conte disregarded his abilities, just that he was less suited to his plans. None of that mattered when the excellent Diego Costa came deep and weighted an exact pass into his path on the inside right, and Willian had the confidence - despite his lack of appearances - to drill a shot past Claudio Bravo’s right-hand side.

Playing for move to Barcelona… Alexis Sanchez

The highest praise you could give Alexis Sanchez is that Theo Walcott probably regards him as almost a talented a player as he is. In reality, he is the best player Arsenal have, far more effective and dangerous than Mesut Ozil, and the only player who could be of serious use to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Arsene Wenger claimed that Sanchez is benefitting from being moved from midfield to attack, and that he has improved in his time at Arsenal. That’s true, but that’s largely because the closer he is to goal, the less he has to rely on the profligacy on those around him to be muted. It was only against West Ham, but Sanchez’s brilliance was demonstrated by his ability to make everything happen by himself, to add flourishes to moments when under pressure, and to make the very past of poor passes towards him. Wenger deserves credit for bringing such a player to Arsenal when the temptation would have been to persist with Yaya Sanogo.