This weekend saw Chelsea extend their lead at the top and Manchester United increase the pressure on Nuno Espirito Sante at Spurs. Crystal Palace shocked Manchester City, while Burnley won their first match of the season.
You can check out my team of week, and make your own selections at the end of the article.
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Goalkeeper
Arteta praises Ramsdale for his 'great quality in victory over Leicester
It took a lot of effort to get the ball into the right hands. The world-class James Maddison free kick prevented the shot from reaching the back of the net. I was most impressed by Ramsdale's quick recovery and repositioning to stop any further shots from crossing the line. Since his arrival at Arsenal, Ramsdale has been a huge success. Is he worthy to represent England? This performance is not objectionable to me.
Did you know? Only Edouard Mendy (90%), out of all the goalkeepers who have faced more than 2 shots on target this season has a better save percentage than Ramsdale (88.5%) who has saved 24 shots on target.
Defenders: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Raphael Varane (Man Utd), Gabriel (Arsenal)
Marc Guehi. The whole Crystal Palace defense played brilliantly to achieve this result, but Guehi was my favorite defender. Manchester City was quite aggressive once they realized that the game was losing but Palace didn't let that stop them. Two points were lost by Patrick Vieira, Arsenal's manager. He allowed the Gunners onto his team as he was not brave enough to play alongside strikers during the second phase. He learned quickly his lesson against City. That didn't happen again after Christian Benteke was brought in and Michael Olise was hired. Courage is not just for players.
Did you know? Guehi won all three aerial duels against City. He has won more aerial duel against City than any other Palace defender this season (18).
Raphael Varane, Manchester United may have found the right formula to satisfy their immediate needs. The solution might lie in three central defenders, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire at the back. His calm authority brought stability to an United defense against Spurs which had previously looked shaky. The France international adds a bit of pace. Maguire is very competitive but slow at the turn. Lindelof is a comfortable player on the ball, and an excellent support act. However, he lacks leadership qualities. Varane has some of the same qualities that Maguire and Lindelof don't possess.
Did you know? Varane was able to make more clearances against Spurs than any other United player (six).
Gabriel: Arsenal's Gabriel often looks different when Gabriel is in the team. The Gunners' season is alive and well since their win in the north London derby. Although it's not unusual for either team to use the fixture to boost their season, Arsenal seems to have done it with remarkable success. It's one thing to beat Leicester away, but it was quite another to do so in such a remarkable manner. Concerning Leicester, I wonder whether Brendan Rodgers' constant links with clubs (Manchester United being the latest) is having an impact on his team.
Did you know? Gabriel is Arsenal's Premier League's top-scoring defender (three goals), while he also made seven clearances against Leicester.
Midfielders: Declan Rice (West Ham), Declan James (Chelsea), Conor Gallagher, Conor Gallagher(Crystal Palace), Enock Mawepu (Brighton).
Reece James: He scored the first one with his left foot, and the second one with his right. I don't know which James hit better. Both were hit with equal power and precision. James is my second consecutive week of selecting him and I did so without hesitation. He is playing like a pro. Chelsea's best signing of the season wasn't even playing. No, I'm not talking about Romelu Lukaku, I'm talking about manager Thomas Tuchel. He's been amazing.
Did you know? Did you know that James was directly involved in seven goals this season in all competitions for Chelsea (four goals, three assists), which is the most by any player at the club.
Declan Rice: It was impossible not to select at least one West Ham player. Although their victory over Aston Villa was impressive, it was also helped by a poor VAR assisted sending-off. I have concluded that Chris Kavanagh, the referee, has never scored a goal in his entire life. Otherwise, he would recognize a clear opportunity to score a goal when it presented itself. He could not have sustained a forearm injury. He would have known that a forearm hit is dangerous, but a goal scoring opportunity is not. What good is VAR if it doesn't work? Rice's commanding performance was clear. VAR was not required to make this decision.
Did you know? Rice, 22 years old and 290 days old, is the youngest West Ham Premier League player to score or assist since Manuel Lanzini's October 2015 match against Crystal Palace (22y 244d).
Conor Gallagher: Palace took the lead against City with the steal of Gallagher on Aymeric Leporte and the pass to Wilfried Zha. The young Englishman is performing brilliantly and was an outstanding player at City. Manager Vieira, who is currently on loan from Chelsea has made no secret of his desire to purchase the midfielder if the money was available. Patrick is doing a great job, but pleas of poverty will not help the negotiations. Gallagher's fees are increasing with each game. Get in touch with Chelsea and sign the agreement.
Did you know? Gallagher scored and assisted in the Premier League's first-ever match, scoring three goals and two assists. The midfielder has now played in five games in the competition, with nine appearances. This is one more than the two goals and two assists he scored in West Brom's top-flight matches last season (two, two, and three).
Enock Mwepu: Wow, what a performance from Mwepu. His goal was brilliant. Jason Mohammad asked me on Final Score whether I believed he meant it. I was stunned. Mwepu looked at Alisson before he started to go for it. It was pure spontaneous brilliance. Adam Lallana and Leandro Trossard were also outstanding on their Anfield returns. Trossard was an outstanding player, but I couldn't help but choose Trossard because I hate false nines.
Did you know? Mwepu, after Leicester's Patson Daka, is the second Zambian Premier League goal scorer this season. Three weeks ago, there had been no Zambian to score in the competition.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd), Edinson Cavani (Man Utd), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Cristiano Ronaldo: Ronaldo would have had the longest drought in front goal in a league for 12 years if he hadn't scored against Spurs. This is an interesting statistic that the Portuguese star was unable to keep up with in a matter of minutes. Ronaldo is 36 years old, but his ability to score goals has not been affected. You can run around, but you won't score goals. Hugo Lloris flashed a meteorite-like volley at Tottenham, and it was of the highest quality. It was unfortunate that a second strike was not allowed, as it was just as good. Lloris was motionless, and the French World Cup winner was made ordinary by a true world-class finisher.
Did you know? Ronaldo, 36 years old and 267 days young, is the oldest Premier League player to score and assist in a Premier League match since Didier Drogba (December 2014) - who was also 36y 267d. He also scored against Spurs.
Edinson Cavani: Cavani's finish was only matched by Ronaldo's pass. These two soccer legends are experts on big moments and important games. Although they can't cover as much ground as they used, few people know the game as well as these two soccer giants. These two players are the reason Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in his current managerial role. The Glazers might have had to accept a poor result against Spurs, much to their disapproval. They may also have to part ways with the man they depend on. Below, I explain why I believe Spurs and Manchester United fans should be concerned about the Crooks.
Did you know? Ronaldo, 36, assists Cavani, 34. This is the first time that two players over 34 have collaborated for a Premier League goal for United, since Paul Scholes, 35 assisted Ryan Giggs (36), in August 2010.
Wilfried Zaha: I'm seeing a completely different Palace side under Vieira than Roy Hodgson. It's also a different Zaha. After Laporte's dismissal, it was obvious that City players started to target Laporte. He started to react, but the half-time whistle saved his life. Palace was pleased with Zaha's more controlled and measured contribution in the second half. It's not clear what Vieira told him, but it worked and Zaha played his part in a well-deserved victory. Hodgson never seemed like he had that type of connection with Zaha.
Did you know? Zaha scored his 50th Premier League goal, making him the first Palace player to achieve that milestone.
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The Crooks of the Matter
Although I can't pretend to know everything in Tottenham's dressing room, I do know when the team is in dire need of investment. Manchester United lack a manager capable of bringing them a Premier League title or a Champions League trophy. They will need to spend a lot of money to find the right manager, considering the length of his contract as well as the transfer funds required to bring about success. If you are a United fan, everything is small beer. If it isn't about glory, the game is nothing. If you don't offer the grandiosity that many fans desire, they'll settle for good football for a while. If neither of these are available, or on the horizon, then you have to provide the sweat, blood, and tears that the community has to put in to survive or make a living. You are their representative. These are the rules that make the game great.
United has lost its way, as Tottenham did.
It's not about glory at the moment for these clubs, but rather commercial interest. These days, football owners aren't necessarily fans. Long gone are the days of local supporters running the club, like Louis Edwards, a Manchester businessman, and Irving Scholar, who had ambitions that exceeded those of Keith Burkinshaw, Tottenham manager at the moment. They were willing to go bankrupt if necessary in order to get what the fans wanted. Owners will do almost anything to help their club. They are businessmen, after all.
