Are rumours of Man City's demise greatly exaggerated?
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Brentford’s match against Manchester City in the Premier League
Manchester City's worst start to a season under Pep Guardiola was the talk of the town ahead of Sunday's visit to Brentford but after a hard-fought but ultimately deserved 1-0 win in west London, his side are now three points off the top of the Premier League.
Sure, this is not the vintage Premier League of his first title win when City themselves dropped only two points in their opening 20 games, something Liverpool emulated two years later.
But it is too much to expect City to reach those levels either, given their midfield lynchpin Rodri is still some way from a return to full fitness - as his first-half withdrawal highlighted - and they lack the spine oozing with experience which they have enjoyed in some previous years. Four of their outfield starters in west London were 23 or younger, for instance.
Even so, there were hints of the old City at the Gtech, in the first half in particular, where the hosts were suffocated for long periods and but for some better Phil Foden finishing, City would have been out of sight by half-time.
The problem for Pep has been keeping clean sheets. Though Brentford pushed forward after the break City had little to make them sweat bar one mistake from Josko Gvardiol - and that was with Rodri off the pitch.
Last season City looked very vulnerable without the 2024 Ballon D'Or winner, but even with a couple of ropey results there are signs they are coping better as they nurse him back to full fitness.
With a little more finesse - not dropping points at Brighton and Arsenal despite leading for a combined total of over two hours - that gap to the top could quickly disappear altogether.
Ron Walker
[Not even Nunoball could bring Ange first win](http://Report & highlights: Newcastle 2-0 Nott'm Forest)
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Newcastle United’s match against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League
"If people outside don't think I'm the right person - or even internally - it makes no difference for me." Ange Postecoglou has only been at Nottingham Forest for 27 days yet already sounds like he did in the final weeks of his time at Tottenham.
His task of replacing Nuno Espirito Santo mid-season and bringing Angeball to the City Ground was always going to be hugely challenging, but surely no one expected it to reach this point quite so quickly. Postecoglou was already on thin ice before losing at Newcastle.
A Forest defeat and poor performance it was thought could be crucial in seeing the current levels of patience wane within the boardroom. There was fight and spirit on show, but Postecoglou dispensed of Angeball and reverted to his predecessor's ways.
You wonder how that will go down with the decision-maker at Forest. Everyone now waits on the outcome of Postecoglou's talks with the club's owner Evangelos Marinakis over the international break.
The results do not make for good reading. Postecoglou has a solitary point at Forest after four games in the Premier League. His predecessor Nuno is responsible for 80 per cent of their total, despite taking charge of one game fewer.
Postecoglou has endured bad results in the Premier League for more than a year, those struggles dating back to his time at Tottenham. He has just two points from a possible 33 in an 11-game winless run in the competition.
Zinny Boswell
Newcastle skipper Bruno steps up
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Bruno Guimaraes stunning strike breaks the deadlock for Newcastle in their Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest
Newcastle have new centre-back pairing and a shiny new front three, but the midfield trio endures. And at the heart of that is the man whose signing turbo-charged Eddie Howe's tenure at St James' Park. Bruno Guimares is Newcastle's constant.
The captain's stunning second-half strike that opened the scoring in Sunday's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest was his 23rd Premier League goal for Newcastle. The only other Newcastle midfielders with more are club legends Rob Lee and Gary Speed.
From the response to Bruno's goal and his winning of the penalty for the second, it was clear that St James' Park holds him in a similar regard. Both moments were crucial in deciding the game, the skipper stepping up for his side in their moment of need.
Eddie Howe described his goal as "a moment of magic" that was required to break down a stubborn Forest resistance. "He's been so consistent for us for a long period of time, and he makes a difference more often than not," the Newcastle boss added.
Newcastle fans can be excited about the new signings they made over the summer, but against Forest it was one of the first made under Howe that led them to victory.
Zinny Boswell
Have Aston Villa broken their European curse?
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Aston Villa’s match against Burnley in the Premier League
Aston Villa were criticised at times last year for their results and performances after Champions League games in midweek, certainly in the league phase.
Of the eight games they played, they only won one of the following matches, losing four and drawing three.
This season, however, they have won Premier League matches after each of their Europa League wins, including the most recent against Burnley.
Was it their best ever performance? No, but it was a professional one in a game they were expected to - and did - win.
Ultimately, the demands of the Europa League are not as high as those of the Champions League, and if anyone knows how to navigate the competition, it's Unai Emery.
The good news is, in the knockout rounds last year, Aston Villa went on to win each game after their two-legged ties against Club Brugge and PSG.
Villa too are awaiting the return of some key players, such as Tyrone Mings and Youri Tielemans, to help them navigate a busy football calendar. The signs are positive that the club can balance both domestic and international football once again.
Charlotte Marsh
Burnley need more ruthlessness and resilience
Burnley won't be short of frustration after defeat at Aston Villa.
They got into some promising positions throughout the match but lacked the composure to make it count in front of goal. The build-up play was neat, the movement encouraging, yet when it came to the final touch, the quality just wasn't there.
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Lesley Ugochukwu pulls one back for Burnley in their Premier League clash with Aston Villa
It's becoming a real concern for Parker's side, who have now lost each of their opening four away games of the league season for the first time since 2009/10. Only in that same Premier League campaign have they conceded more on their travels (14) than the 13 they've shipped so far this term.
Burnley will know they need to be far more ruthless and far more resilient if they're to start turning performances into points.
Sam Cohen
Wolves pay price for sitting back - to Strand Larsen's frustration
Vitor Pereira had said in Friday's press conference that Jorgen Strand Larsen was not "fully fit" but that did not stop the Wolves striker turning to the bench in frustration when his number was held up late on in the game against Brighton at Molineux on Sunday.
Strand Larsen had just struck the foot of the post following a powerful run that would have put Wolves two up and surely sealed their first Premier League win of the season. Instead, with Strand Larsen off the pitch, Jan Paul van Hecke headed Brighton level.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Wolves’ match against Brighton in the Premier League
The Norwegian's frustration at the decision - one he could not discuss immediately in person with Pereira because the head coach had been sent off - was most likely exacerbated by the fact that he was not withdrawn for his understudy Tolu Arokodare.
It was midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde introduced, with the diminutive Jhon Arias sent up front. Though Arokodare eventually came on, it was nevertheless a cautious move that saw Wolves drop two points late on for the second consecutive weekend.
Putting the Strand Larsen question to Wolves assistant Luis Miguel afterwards, he said: "Well, when you don't get the three points, you speak about the subs. But you know, and everybody knows, that he is not in his best level. He is struggling with an injury."
The instinct to hold on is understandable given the club's predicament - rooted to the foot of the Premier League table after those five straight defeats to start the season. But it did not work. The supporters were frustrated - and so it seems was their star striker.
Adam Bate
Mateta's finishing woes proving costly for Palace
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Everton’s match against Crystal Palace in the Premier League
Jean-Philippe Mateta's finishing cost Crystal Palace their unbeaten run. Let's not sugar-coat it.
The result for Oliver Glasner could - and arguably should - have been very different had Mateta brought his shooting boots.
Mateta missed a combined 0.59 of expected goals, two of which were defined as big chances. In a sport decided by such fine margins, that's simply not good enough. When chances come at a premium in the Premier League - especially away from home - your striker has to make the difference. Mateta? He was the difference but for the wrong reasons.
The big Frenchman has been enjoying a purple patch under Glasner, linking play with intelligence and giving Palace more bite in the final third. And his goalscoring record has been impressive.
However, missing big chances is becoming a theme now. Mateta has missed seven of nine big chances in the Premier League this season and has underperformed his expected goals by 2.2 this season - the worst record of any player.
After a two-year spell of overperformance, the regression has hit.
Lewis Jones