Three down, 35 to go.
A world break is upon us simply because the Premier League was clicking into gear. On Saturday, Arsenal dropped factors at house for the primary time since mid-April, Manchester Metropolis continued a 12-game profitable streak and we have been handled to the most recent comeback from two targets down in Premier League historical past at Goodison Park.
Sunday didn’t disappoint, both. Newcastle United edged a fiercely contested conflict with Tottenham Hotspur earlier than Liverpool made gentle work of Manchester United in a complete 3-0 victory, with Arne Slot changing into the primary Liverpool supervisor to win his first sport at Outdated Trafford since George Kay in 1936.
A trio of Premier League weekends is barely sufficient time for any statistical tendencies to emerge however there have been loads of tactical tales to get our tooth into within the opening levels. Permit The Athletic to stroll you thru a number of the quirks we have now noticed from the weekend’s fixtures…
Haaland is inevitable
It feels too apparent to begin with Erling Haaland scoring targets, however there may be an obligation when the Norwegian scores successive hat-tricks.
That takes him to seven targets (together with one penalty) within the first three Premier League video games of 2024-25, greater than any participant has managed in a crew’s opening three video games of a season.
To wrap some context round that, these seven strikes are already greater than Michail Antonio, Evan Ferguson, Gabriel Jesus, Danny Welbeck, and Taiwo Awoniyi managed in 2023-24 — and greater than 17 Premier League groups this season.
Saturday’s hat-trick at West Ham was his first away from the Etihad, taking him to eight hat-tricks in his Premier League profession — the joint-fourth highest within the division’s all-time data alongside Thierry Henry, Harry Kane and Michael Owen — and his eleventh in a Manchester Metropolis shirt. He signed in the summertime of 2022, this isn’t regular.
Breaking down these hat-tricks per sport reveals how profitable his alternatives have been. Of the 24 targets on this pattern, solely two have been exterior the field — each coming this season.
We all know it by now, however Haaland doesn’t must be concerned in Metropolis’s build-up play to impression the sport. Amongst all gamers with 900-plus minutes performed since he joined the league in 2022-23, Haaland has simply 6.2 touches per shot — the fewest of some other participant, edging forward of Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz (7.1) and Liverpool’s Darwnin Nunez (8.1).
He seems well-rested and extra scientific than ever. A lethal mixture for opposition defences.
(Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside by way of Getty Photographs)
A defensive weak point is rising for Everton
Everton’s capitulation was a narrative in itself on Saturday afternoon, however extra worrying was the theme that ran by means of the targets they conceded — not simply towards Bournemouth, however throughout all three of their video games.
Of the ten targets they’ve conceded, 5 have been from failing to take care of crosses.
Their three targets conceded towards Bournemouth noticed two conditions of poor defending on the again publish, with Vitalii Mykolenko out of place or unable to defend the cross.
An analogous sample may be seen on the other flank within the opening-day loss to Brighton. This time, Ashley Younger is simply too far superior as Kaoru Mitoma will get free on the again publish for a easy tap-in from Yankuba Minteh’s cross.
Set-piece crosses have been the weak point towards Tottenham, with James Tarkowski uncharacteristically dominated within the air by Christian Romero, who rose to move house a nook.
A look below the bonnet doesn’t present a lot positivity for Everton followers. Sean Dyche’s aspect have conceded probably the most profitable crosses (21) of any crew within the opening three weeks of the season.
For a aspect whose defensive numbers stood up among the many greatest within the league final season — with 1.3 targets conceded per 90 being the fourth-strongest charge — there are clear issues to handle.
The excellent news is the problems are apparent. Take care of crosses at supply and make sure that nothing will get previous you on the again publish.
Can Newcastle hold accidents at bay?
Newcastle overcame Tottenham in a scrappy contest at St James’ Park on Sunday — so scrappy that every of the seven midfielders from either side picked up a yellow card for his or her troubles.
That isn’t a statistic to be happy with, nevertheless it confirmed that Eddie Howe’s crew have regained their chew after final season’s marketing campaign was ravaged by harm.
Not together with Sandro Tonali’s suspension for betting offences, Newcastle gamers misplaced a mixed complete of two,154 days to accidents final season — an enormous uptick from earlier campaigns and comfortably probably the most below Howe.
Howe’s squads have been plagued by harm issues throughout his managerial profession and there are nonetheless some vital gamers on Newcastle’s remedy desk however this season, his aspect look recharged.
A marketing campaign with out European soccer may see a cleaner invoice of well being, with Sunday’s victory over Spurs maintaining Newcastle undefeated at first of the season.
Will Southampton study their lesson rapidly?
When taking part in towards Southampton, the pre-match techniques discuss writes itself — strain them excessive as they construct out from the again.
A excessive press is a staple of the trendy sport, however Russell Martin’s aspect are offering some gift-wrapped alternatives with their deep build-up that isn’t fairly sharpened to the elite stage of the Premier League.
We knew this could be a key a part of Martin’s play, who’s uncompromising in his strategy — other than some refined tweaks throughout Southampton’s play-off success. Solely Tottenham have averaged a better charge of possession than Southampton’s 68 per cent within the opening weeks.
They’ve already misplaced the ball of their defensive third on 18 events this season, which is the second-highest within the league. Crucially, six of them have led to an opposition shot or purpose — because it did for Bryan Mbeumo’s second on Saturday.
Debutant goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was indecisive in possession, going lengthy with 17 passes within the sport — greater than Southampton’s earlier two matches mixed.
Parallels with final season’s Burnley spring to thoughts, with Southampton seemingly unable to exert their Championship superiority on the highest stage.
Ought to Martin double down or inject a dose of pragmatism into his aspect after the worldwide break?
Fulham’s left aspect is cooking
Their 1-1 draw with Ipswich City might not have stood out among the many weekend’s fixtures, however a flowing transfer for Fulham’s purpose uncovered a spark that appears to be igniting in Marco Silva’s aspect.
The mixture of Antonee Robinson, Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe is prospering within the early weeks of the season and the trio linked up for Fulham’s equaliser towards Ipswich. A flowing transfer noticed Robinson’s cross completed by Adama Traore.
Iwobi and Smith Rowe, former team-mates at Arsenal, scored a purpose every within the earlier gameweek as Fulham overcame Leicester.
With Adama Traore, Kenny Tete and Andreas Pereira discovering their very own triangles on the proper aspect, there seems to be a pleasant stability in Fulham’s assault on each flanks.
The arrival of Sander Berge will strengthen Fulham’s midfield additional, however taking part in Smith Rowe and Pereira as attacking central midfielders is an thrilling prospect for Silva.
The Arsenal connections additionally proceed to develop as Reiss Nelson accomplished a mortgage transfer earlier than the window shut final week. If Smith Rowe can proceed to get constant minutes and strengthen these connections with Iwobi and Robinson, Fulham may shock just a few folks this season.
(High images: Getty Photographs)