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The Premier League returned after the international break with some teams looking to pick up from where they left last time around while some others were more focused on using the momentary break as an opportunity to turn things around with a few tweaks here and there.
Chelsea and Liverpool did well to maintain their flawless start to the new campaign while Watford's 100 percent record came to an end when Jose Mourinho's Manchester United visited Vicarage Road on Saturday's tea-time kick-off.
There were plenty of implications at the bottom half of the table as West Ham registered their first points of the season on Sunday and propelled themselves above the likes of Burnley, Newcastle, Huddersfield and Cardiff, who all lost their respective games during the weekend.
Brighton came back from two goals down to draw 2-2, courtesy of a Glenn Murray penalty in stoppage time, at St Mary's on Monday night to cap off a pulsating game week in the Premier League.
On that note, let's take a closer look at some of the major talking points from the weekend's action in England's top flight:
#5 West Ham break the duck on Merseyside at Everton’s expense
It has not been smooth sailing for Manuel Pellegrini ever since he returned to England with West Ham United in the summer. The glamour surrounding the Hammers’ transfer activity did not take too long to be sent down the drain, thanks to an uninspiring start to the new season in which they lost all four of their opening games.
The 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Liverpool during the opening weekend was followed up by equally disappointing results against Bournemouth, Arsenal and Wolves in the weeks that followed before their trip to Goodison Park on Sunday.
Everton were no push-overs considering their unbeaten start to the season but West Ham’s persistence coupled with Pellegrini’s prowess in team selection helped the Hammers register their first win of the season.
Andriy Yarmolenko marked his first start in the Premier League with a well-taken brace on Merseyside that made him the first Ukrainian since Andy Voronin in 2008 to score in England’s top flight. Marko Arnautovic completed the rout just after the hour mark to propel West Ham to a 3-1 win over Marco Silva’s men in a result that registered their first points of the season.
The three points helped West Ham leapfrog Burnley, Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City in the league table but Pellegrini will know that the job is far from done as the Hammers prepare to host league leaders Chelsea and Manchester United in the coming weeks.
#4 Burnley are in desperate need of some wind in their sails
The Clarets have had a disappointing start to the new season ranging from their European adventure that crashed way before take-off to the fourth consecutive loss they suffered against Wolves at Molineux on Sunday. The expectations ahead of this season were understandably high but Burnley have done very little so far to do justice to the same.
Sean Dyche’s men have been called into action much earlier than most sides in and around them due to their unsuccessful Europa League qualifying campaign. Some might beg to differ but looking at their start to the season, it only feels like a blessing in disguise for the Clarets to have missed out on continental football this year.
The dogged mentality on Turf Moor has not been reproduced this season as they currently languish at the very bottom of the table with more problems than solutions.
Burnley have the quality in them to avoid the drop this year and Dyche is surely a manager who has helped them scale new heights but, the revival needs to start at the earliest and the fact that they have won only five of their last 26 games is alarming indeed for any manager in the Premier League.
#3 Crystal Zaha Palace and the need for more protection
Perhaps no other team in the Premier League is as reliant on one man like Crystal Palace are on Wilfried Zaha. The Ivorian has been a central figure at Selhurst Park for quite some time now and it only feels like a matter of how long Roy Hodgson can keep hold of the winger, who is certainly staking a strong claim to become the best player outside the top-six in England.
The winter transfer break could well witness Zaha being the subject of a few bids from one of the big guns in the Premier League but for the time being, he is the man who is designated to keep the engine running for Palace.
The winger forced his way out of a minor groin problem to start against Huddersfield Town on Saturday and underlined his credentials with a wonderful solo goal that proved to be the winner at the Kirklees Stadium.
Zaha has not been shy of commenting on the rough treatment he receives from the opposition defenders by hinting about the need for more protection from the referees but if his promising form continues for the remainder of the season, then it will be Palace who needs protection from the sharks circling around to try and lure him away from the club.
#2 Bournemouth can afford to dream for the time being
The Cherries are yet to hit their peak according to Eddie Howe but the prospects of the same are quite enticing considering the manner in which they have started the new season. Bournemouth’s 4-2 win over Leicester on Saturday was perhaps the finest advocate for their inspiring early season form that has helped them to fifth place in the table.
Ryan Fraser backed up his impressive start to the season with a brace against Leicester as he ran rings around Wes Morgan, who was sent off for a second yellow, and Harry Maguire, who could have also been given the marching orders on a frustrating night.
The win over Cardiff during the opening weekend was perhaps straightforward and predictable considering their experience in the top-flight but the away win at West Ham was followed up with an inspiring fight back against Everton at home.
However, they had no luck from the trip to Stamford Bridge, where they registered a historic win last season, this time around but the win over the Foxes has given them more reasons to be delighted with the start.
Howe has done a commendable job at the helm for the Cherries and if their performances are anything to go by, the road ahead until November looks very open barring a visit to Vicarage Road in the first week of October.
It will be criminal to get carried away by Bournemouth’s early season form but they will be aware of what could be done with it if they dare to look beyond the apparent limitations.
#1 Sarriball is taking shape with Eden Hazard as the pantomime protagonist
Chelsea were made to sweat during the opening stages of their 4-1 win against Cardiff City at Stamford Bridge when Sol Bamba helped the Bluebirds establish a shock lead in west London. It was yet again up to Eden Hazard to try and come up with a response to keep in touch with Liverpool, who had earlier made it five wins out of five with their 2-1 victory over Spurs at Wembley.
The best players in the world will eventually pick every single lock they come across and Hazard did exactly that when he powered Chelsea to a one-goal advantage at the half-time break thanks to his magical brace within the space of seven minutes towards the end of the first half.
The Belgian continues to polish his designation as one of the most prolific players, if not the best, in the league and completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 80th minute.
Sarri’s post-match comments included a statement that said he believed that maybe Hazard is the best player in Europe and it is only doing justice to the show he has put on for club and country since the World Cup in Russia.
The Italian also admitted that Chelsea still have a lot to improve despite their flawless start to the season and further fine-tuning could potentially establish the Blues as genuine contenders for the title alongside Liverpool.
