1) Hughes lauds ‘clinical’ City and joins De Bruyne fan club

Mark Hughes was in no doubt he had witnessed the favourites for the title. “Clearly I would say that after being beaten 7-2 but they do look significantly better than anybody else in the league in terms of our experience,” he said. Of City’s potential rivals Hughes has guided Stoke to a 1-0 win over Arsenal, a 2-2 draw with Manchester United and endured a 4-0 home reverse against Chelsea. “We’ve faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United and we’ve acquitted ourselves fine. But they were just very clinical. The difference was De Bruyne’s understanding of what needed to be done. The quality of his passing, the weight of his passes and his understanding of the angles in terms of releasing people. You can see the reaction of his team-mates. As soon as he gets on the ball they expect him to put the right ball in at the right moment with the right pace. That’s the influence that he has on the team.” Jamie Jackson

Match report: Manchester City 7-2 Stoke City

2) Batshuayi cannot count on Conte’s support at Chelsea

Unhappy Antonio Conte questions Chelsea’s ability to defend their title Read more

Michy Batshuayi wasted a great chance to prove to Antonio Conte that he can rely on him in the absence of Álvaro Morata. Handed a rare start in the league, the Belgian lasted 57 minutes before Conte decided to chase an equaliser against Crystal Palace without a recognised striker. Batshuayi, who was overlooked when Morata tweaked a hamstring against Manchester City a fortnight ago, reacted angrily when replaced by Pedro, but he could have few complaints about being substituted. He posed Mamadou Sakho and Scott Dann few problems and there was little to suggest that he is capable of meeting Chelsea’s expectations. Conte did not want to talk about Batshuayi after the defeat by Palace, choosing to focus on a collective failure by his team. But he was also vague when asked if he trusted Morata’s understudy. The suspicion is he is not a fan of the 24-year-old and that is a big problem for Chelsea given their lack of depth up front. Jacob Steinberg

Match report: Crystal Palace 2-1 Chelsea

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Michy Batshuayi heads to the tunnel following Chelsea’s defeat at Selhurst Park. Photograph: Reuters

3) Klopp fed up with Mourinho’s tactics

A truly tedious encounter between two fierce north-west rivals flirted with controversy only when Jürgen Klopp claimed it was “OK for Manchester United” to play so negatively but that would not be acceptable at Liverpool. A brief flirt was as good as it got. Klopp later expanded on his comment: “José obviously did what he thinks is right, or what he wants to do, and that is OK. It doesn’t make life easier for us but I can’t moan and say: ‘Come on, open up a little bit.’ That’s not how it is. They want to win the league and I am sure we couldn’t play like this at Liverpool after 125 years without the title. We cannot sit back and say: ‘Let’s wait’ – that is not possible. We have to do whatever is necessary and we will be challengers. We will be challengers for the next few years, no problem. We showed big heart, we were brave, I thought we were smart in doing the right thing at the right moment but in the end it didn’t work out.” It didn’t work out for anyone except Mourinho. Andy Hunter

Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku insists he is no flat-track bully Read more

Match report: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

4) United in danger of losing momentum after Anfield bore

In the context of a season a goalless draw at Anfield is usually a decent result. But in the context of this particular season, in which the league will probably be won with a high points tally, would-be champions must pursue all those available with equal zeal. On Saturday United did not do this and now will probably have to beat Spurs and Chelsea who they play in the next three weeks, to stay within a game of Manchester City. Though José Mourinho knows his association football, sitting back against a team with a good attack is dicier than getting after one which can’t defend, and but for an unreal save from David de Gea, United might well have lost. Pre-match they were flying and Liverpool were struggling, which is to say that the away side were good enough to come to Anfield, play an open game and win. Daniel Harris

Play Video 2:21 José Mourinho and Jürgen Klopp react to Anfield stalemate – video

5) Pochettino promises Spurs will play the Spurs way in Madrid

Harry Kane threatens to transcend Tottenham as Ronaldo showdown looms | David Hytner Read more

Mauricio Pochettino set the tone for Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid after this scratchy Wembley win over Bournemouth. “We are going there to play and be Tottenham,” the manager said. “We will try to dominate them – to press high and play in their half. If they push us back, then we may have to adapt to their quality. But at the beginning we will be brave and aggressive, and play to win.” Spurs will need to impose themselves more effectively than they did against Bournemouth when, not for the first time at Wembley, they laboured when the onus was on them to unpick deep-sitting opponents. The national stadium continues to feel a long way from White Hart Lane, where Pochettino described his team as being “invincible” last season. He has to hope that the result against Bournemouth, rather than the performance, can unlock something. David Hytner

Match report: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Bournemouth

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Tottenham players celebrate Christian Eriksen’s match-winning goal at Wembley. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

6) Cleverley scoffs at thoughts of England return

Tom Cleverley’s 13 England caps were crammed into a 15-month period that ended almost exactly four years ago. It would be premature to suggest he is likely to add to them but against Arsenal he was excellent both at winning the ball in midfield and at distributing it; his impressive display was crowned by the late winner. “I think you guys will link every English player who’s playing with the national team but that is not a thought,” he told the press. “It is the pinnacle of every player’s career but I am far off it.” He is not a fashionable player but has become a vital one at Watford. Marco Silva said: “He’s a fantastic professional.” Saturday was a reminder of his qualities but also of his frailties: after letting Per Mertesacker, almost a foot taller, elude him to score a free header it may be best not to ask him to mark giant centre‑halves at set pieces in future. Simon Burnton

Match report: Watford 2-1 Arsenal

7) Knockaert finally makes his mark for Brighton



Anthony Knockaert had a humdinger of a season in the Championship for Brighton. His pace, strength, close control and unfailing delivery put him head and shoulders above much of the division. The opening months of the Premier League have proved more challenging, however. The Frenchman has less time and more opponents able to match his physicality. Chris Hughton has said a period of adjustment for Knockaert was only to be expected and that he had faith in the winger to make the necessary improvements. Sunday was a case in point. After a quiet start Knockaert grew into the game and began to dictate play as it opened up. He celebrated his goal by looking to the heavens. Knockaert has made his first impact in the division and Albion will need him to kick on from here. Paul MacInnes

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Anthony Knockaert celebrates as Brighton fans look on in the background. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

Match report: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Everton

8) Zabaleta voices frustration at West Ham’s indiscipline



Pablo Zabaleta has forged a reputation as a great competitor on the pitch and a great diplomat off it. His committed approach has occasionally got him into trouble with referees but he is one who tends to earn the affection of everyone at a club and rarely criticises team-mates. It was striking, therefore, that the right-back, who defended valiantly in a vain bid to earn West Ham a first away win, voiced his frustration at the needless way Andy Carroll collected two cautions in 99 first-half seconds. “Andy’s challenges were a bit nasty from my point of view,” said Zabaleta. “It looks aggressive, especially the second one when he knew he was on a yellow already.” West Ham’s repeated indiscipline is irritating the Argentinian. “It is the second time we have had a player sent off in the first half, Marko Arnautovic against Southampton and Andy. We need to be more clever.” Richard Jolly

Match report: Burnley 1-1 West Ham

9) Pellegrino still struggling to find Southampton’s identity



The Southampton manager, Mauricio Pellegrino, talked before this match of the importance of creating an “identity” for the club. In the end he was grateful for a defender’s lapse as Southampton scraped a draw with Rafael Benítez’s rapidly improving Newcastle United. Were it not for Florian Lejeune’s rush of blood, needlessly bundling over Shane Long to concede a penalty, the pressure on Pellegrino would be building, with supporters still unconvinced at progress under the new manager. Pellegrino should at least be credited for restoring Manolo Gabbiadini in the starting lineup. Southampton had failed to score in eight of their past nine Premier League home games but Gabbiadini’s double denied Newcastle, who are carving out their own Premier League identity under Benítez: disciplined, gritty and hard to beat. Next up for Southampton, a televised date with West Bromwich Albion. Let the goals flow. Mark Dobson

Match report: Southampton 2-2 Newcastle United

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Manolo Gabbiadini scores Southampton’s second goal from the penalty spot. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images via Reuters





10) Mounié’s return cannot come quickly enough for Huddersfield

The honeymoon seems to be over for Huddersfield. They have not won since taking maximum points from their opening two matches and, while nobody can fault their energy, the question is whether they have the quality to match. They faced Crystal Palace and Newcastle at opportune times but have largely come up short since. At Swansea they struggled without Aaron Mooy in the first half, the midfielder dropping to the bench after an enervating week with Australia. David Wagner was happier with their display after his introduction but the game was lost from the 48th minute and they need to avoid over-reliance on their fulcrum. The return of the striker Steve Mounié, who made a dazzling impact against Palace but has been injured for the past month, will be welcome and he may soon need to dig them out of a hole. Defeats by Liverpool and Manchester United, their next two opponents, could precipitate freefall. Nick Ames

Match report: Swansea City 2-0 Huddersfield