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#1 Sanity finally ensues for Arsenal
It’s always a test when you have such a negative experience, like we had, for the mental health of the team to respond. We had a committed, disciplined and a very good offensive performance: Arsene Wenger
The sporadic WengerOut movement from Arsenal fans came to a pause after the Gunners notched up a dominant performance against a feeble AFC Bournemouth.
Arsene Wenger's men came into the match trudging off two fatal blows against Stoke City and Liverpool. If the 1-0 defeat at Stoke punched the team's morale, the 4-0 battering against Liverpool smashed it down and took a hard swing at it.
Danny Welbeck, who was subject to ceaseless criticism after his deplorable performance at Anfield, turned the tables around at the Emirates on Saturday (September 9th). With two strikes and an assist, the 26-year-old was a part every goal of the 3-0 scoreline.
The English forward's finishing has always warranted doubt and scepticism from Arsenal fans, but certainly looked splendid with his second goal of the game.
Alexandre Lacazette impressed yet again and scored a clinically finished goal in the 27th minute of the game. After a beautiful ball from Mesut Ozil was passed to him by Welbeck, the Frenchman took it upon himself to score the magnificent curler.
While Wenger and Arsenal have managed to bounce back from the debacle at Anfield, they have a very stern test against the defending champions next week. They will travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea for an exciting match-up.
However, Arsenal's unreliable midfield and wobbly defence are matters of concern for the club. Wenger stuck with his 3-4-2-1 formation against Bournemouth, but might want to augment his defence against the strong counter-attacking game of Antonio Conte's men.
#2 Special signs for Stoke?
I thought we were excellent, defensively we were very good and for the most part managed to restrict them. That aside, we were rock solid and were always a threat going the other way too - we could have scored any number of goals to be honest -Mark Hughes
Manchester United's victory spree came to a halt at Stoke this week, when the hosts managed to constrain Jose Mourinho's men to a hard-fought draw.
Mark Hughes' team has impressed in the league till now, and while the sample space of four games isn't really wide enough to infer their standing, the signs have shown promise.
After losing their initial match against Everton to Wayne Rooney's master-class, Stoke City snatched an improbable 1-0 victory against Arsenal in the following week. Subsequently, they took a point off an away fixture against West Brom in their next PL fixture.
However, the biggest sign of their potential resurgence came against Manchester United this week. The opposition is at the top of the table and looks like the strongest in the league right now, but that did not deter the hosts from extracting a point from the difficult fixture.
The summer signing of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting proved to be a masterstroke as the Cameroon forward managed to get past David de Gea's brilliance twice in just 63 minutes.
The highest finish for Stoke City in the league has been fourth, which they achieved way back in 1947. While Top 4 might seem a little far-fetched for the Potters at the moment, they can definitely aim to improve upon their previous season.
A top 6 finish would be ideal, but will require a lot of effort and determination from the Staffordshire-based team. Can Hughes inspire them to go for the same?
#3 Success stories of Lukaku-Morata transfers
I am happy with Lukaku with or without goals because his contribution is good - Jose Mourinho
Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata have been the signings of the season in the Premier League so far. The forwards were drafted in by Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively, and have proven themselves to be worthy purchases immediately.
Ironically, Lukaku was initially targetted by Chelsea and Morata, by United. However, they now look at perfect fits in the teams they landed up in eventually.
Lukaku has scored 4 goals in 4 games so far and has been in imperious touch for the Red Devils. He has created an instant impact on the game and has displayed terrific finishing skills since. The 24-year-old came to Old Trafford from the Everton camp this summer and can turn into a long-term investment for Mourinho and Co.
Alvaro Morata won the Champions Trophy with Real Madrid last season. After coming to England to swap his white jersey for the Chelsea blue, the Spaniard scored 3 goals in 4 games.
Antonio Conte was initially apprehensive about starting with the 24-year-old and thus, his first start came against Leicester City last week. In spite of that, Morata impressed immensely in the short time-frame, especially with his linking up between the lines.
#4 Historical moment for Brighton
It's a big three points. Any team that comes up from the Championship, and after a few decent performances without a win, it certainly the day a lot better. If you don't get that win, apprehension creeps in. But we thoroughly deserved it: Chris Hughton
The promotion-relegation side of the Premier League never disappoints in producing heartening stories. Brighton & Hove Albion's victory over West Bromwich this Saturday (September 9th) was one such tale.
The side had struggled in the top division until then and had failed to open their account in the opening three fixtures. However, an inspired performance from Pascal Gross turned the tables for the Seagulls to cascade them to their first ever Premier League victory.
The German scored two goals and assisted in the third to cap a sensational performance for the night. He looked better than every other player on the field and oozed with assurance throughout the 90 minutes.
This is a historical moment for Chris Hughes' men and will definitely boost their morale for the days to come. They have a testing road ahead, with tougher challenges waiting to pull them back to the trenches. The confidence that they have acquired after this win will be crucial for their upcoming fixtures.
#5 Crystal Palace in shambles
I think everybody who was watching, there was only one team deserving to win today and it was us. But that’s football, and sometimes you don’t get what you deserve.: Frank de Boer
Desolate, desperate, dreary: the only words that can describe Crystal Palace at the moment. They've lost all four of their games so far, failing to score in even one of them and seem to have lost all motivation on the field.
Their uninspired performance against Burnley FC this weekend proved to be the tipping point for its management. Frank de Boer was shown the door after just 77 days of managing the club.
The team is now in shambles and is staring at the relegation nightmare, just four games into the season. Notably, Crystal Palace finished 11th in 2014, 10th in 2015, 15th in 2016 and 14th last season. The players look dejected and their belief seems to be severely punctured.
Former Palace player Roy Hodgson will take over the reigns from de Boer, and has a tough road ahead of him. The Eagles are set to face Southhampton next week. After that, they have consecutive Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea.
The nightmare can't get darker and the team can't fall lower. It's high time that the players, as well as the new manager, pull up their socks to take their club out of the relegation zone. All it takes is one moment of inspiration on the field.
If the Eagles manage to get that, they will never look back at this deplorable situation that they find themselves in right now!
