1) Unai Emery and Arsenal cannot go on like this

One of Unai Emery’s buzz phrases nowadays regards the need to form a “connection” with the Arsenal fans. It has crept into his lexicon to the extent there would be no surprise if he was repeating an edict handed down from up high, and it certainly would be among the reasonable criteria against which to measure his performance. The club’s hierarchy will surely have noticed the response to Alexandre Lacazette’s equaliser against Southampton amounted to little more than a collective shrug, and things simply cannot continue this way for much longer. The danger is many around the Emirates have made up their minds what they think of a manager who just cannot get a tune out of his squad. The international break should have helped a stuttering team to reset; instead it was only an excellent Southampton side who took that opportunity. Emery’s demeanour after the match, when he readily lamented that a big chance to begin bonding with the support had been thrown away, suggested he knows he may not have many more. Nick Ames

• Match report: Arsenal 2-2 Southampton

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2) Wolves defy fears of Europa League slump

By now Wolves were supposed to have wilted under the strain of having started their season on 25 July but, with a third of this Premier League campaign gone, they are fifth, above Arsenal and Tottenham after stretching their unbeaten run to eight Premier League matches following victory over a below-par Bournemouth. It proved the perfect warm-up for Wolves, who know a point against Sporting Braga on Thursday – the 26th match of their season – will secure a place in the Europa League knockout stages. Last season Wolves were the best of the rest and in Raúl Jiménez they have one of the best No 9s in the division; the Mexican has the 20-goal mark in his sights. Nuno Espírito Santo started a league-low 18 players last season and while they have added a couple of new faces, his small squad continue to make waves. Ben Fisher

• Match report: Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves

3) Barnes shows Leicester can get even better

One of the joys for Leicester is that while they are a team without any obvious weakness, they have several players with room to improve. Harvey Barnes is having a terrific season, regularly shredding opponents on the left. On Saturday Brighton became the latest side to be tormented by him as Leicester came away with a 2-0 win. But Barnes’ finishing is not yet as good as the rest of his play, which is why he has scored only once. “The pleasing aspect is he’s getting into the areas,” Brendan Rodgers said. “In the previous years if you analysed any of the goals or opportunities, he was away outside looking in. We’ve done a lot of work getting into the right areas. Then it’s only about composure and confidence. Once he gets the confidence of scoring regularly, he will be an absolutely brilliant player.” Paul Doyle

• Match report: Brighton 0-2 Leicester

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Harvey Barnes takes on Martin Montoya of Brighton. Photograph: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

4) Zaha looking sharp again despite late miss

For Wilfried Zaha it was a game of two moments – the one in the 82nd minute when he equalised for Crystal Palace and the one at the end when he failed to do so again after sending a close-range shot over the bar. He knew it was a bad miss but ultimately defeat to Liverpool was a step in the right direction for Zaha during what has been a difficult season following his much publicised push to leave Selhurst Park last summer. There was a first goal of the campaign and a display the manager believes could be just what Palace need to get back to winning ways after a run of four losses and a draw in their past five fixtures. “I’ve not seen him play against top-level opposition much better than he did against Liverpool and that gives me great hope,” Roy Hodgson said. “He’s not just loved by the fans, he’s loved by the coaching staff and the players too, because we know what he can do. We are looking for him to give these type of performances.” Sachin Nakrani

• Match report: Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool

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5) Zimmermann offers Norwich some stability

Daniel Farke made several references to “a first clean-sheet win” after Norwich’s defeat of sorry Everton as he took as much satisfaction from the resilience his team displayed at Goodison Park as from a first victory in eight matches. That it was achieved with Christoph Zimmermann alongside the commanding Ben Godfrey in central defence was no coincidence. Zimmermann was making his first appearance since suffering a serious foot injury at West Ham in August. Norwich, who spent a little over £1m on new recruits in the summer compared to Everton’s £117m, have been desperately short of cover as a consequence but the return of an established centre-half pairing gives them a foundation to build on. “It was not far away from being a season or career-ending injury,” Farke said. “There were big concerns in the first week and Christoph totally deserves to be in the spotlight because he worked so hard during his rehab period. He got back earlier than we all expected. He’s massive for us.” Andy Hunter

• Match report: Everton 0-2 Norwich

6) Kanté and Kovacic driving new-look Chelsea

Pep Guardiola is a connoisseur of midfielders, a man who can accumulate so many they are often found in his defence and attack. On Saturday, he was waxing lyrical about a central trio: Chelsea’s group of Jorginho, N’Golo Kanté and Mateo Kovacic. Chelsea’s opener involved all three, with the Croatian playing the penetrative ball from his own half for the onrushing Frenchman. Kovacic, who has been belatedly allowed to unleash his long passing, made the most passes in the match – a rarity for any opponent in a City game – but also the best one. His distribution was invariably accurate but often felt pointless under Maurizio Sarri but he has been reinvented under Frank Lampard and if Kanté’s conversion into a goalscoring midfielder, with three in his last six games, was capped by a Lampard-like run, Kovacic also appears to have acquired some of the sense of purpose his manager displayed during his own productive career. Richard Jolly

• Match report: Manchester City 2-1 Chelsea

7) Wilder in the Old Trafford dugout?

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After Saturday’s matches, fans of several Premier League clubs – Arsenal and Everton to name two – were again wondering why expensively assembled squads are amounting to so much less than the sum of their parts. That feeling would only have been magnified on Sunday as Sheffield United outclassed Manchester United for most of a thrilling match at Bramall Lane. Despite a revival by the visitors that took them from 2-0 down to 3-2 up in nine second-half minutes, Sheffield United fans may ponder how long it will be before a bigger, better-resourced club try to tempt away the impressive Chris Wilder. The tactical and motivational ability the Blades manager is consistently demonstrating is the envy of much of the league and would surely not be out of place in the dugout at Old Trafford. Luke McLaughlin

• Match report: Sheffield United 3-3 Manchester United

8) Exalted Pope may answer England’s prayers

“They think, ‘Maybe we’ve got a chance.’ But then the cross comes in and a big monster like him comes and takes it,” said Sean Dyche of the goalkeeper Nick Pope after the smash-and-grab victory over Watford. Two excellent saves from Pope in the first half at Vicarage Road on Saturday were the platform for Burnley’s first away win of the season, with his manager also praising the keeper for the “calmness” he brings to the defence. Gareth Southgate has clearly also recognised his ability having handed the 27-year-old his first England start in last week’s Euro 2020 victory in Kosovo. His former Burnley teammate Tom Heaton – now at Aston Villa – finds himself down the pecking order once more. With question marks over the current No 1 Jordan Pickford’s form in a struggling Everton side, could Pope be the answer to England’s prayers come next summer? Ed Aarons

• Match report: Watford 0-3 Burnley

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nick Pope Burnley’s win. Photograph: Joe Toth/BPI/REX/Shutterstock

9) Kane has kind words for Pochettino and Mourinho

Mauricio Pochettino belongs to Tottenham’s past but Harry Kane will never forget what the former manager has done for him. “I’ve been to see him,” the striker said. “I went round his house and caught up with him the next day. It was a shock for everyone, so I wanted to go and see him and we had a chat for a couple of hours.” It is time to move on from last week’s drama, though, and Tottenham began the José Mourinho era by beating West Ham at the London Stadium. Kane scored the decisive goal and he thinks Mourinho could turn this team into winners. “The gaffer has won at every club he has gone to,” Kane said. “He’s a proven winner. I’m at the stage of my career where I want to win trophies, I’ve made it clear I want to win them with Tottenham. When someone has got a reputation like he has, it gives you confidence.” Jacob Steinberg

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10) Hammers look short of heart and hope

Tottenham used to regard trips to West Ham with trepidation, particularly a Spurs side under the kind of pressure bearing down on José Mourinho’s new charges going into Saturday’s derby, but they have now won three times at the London Stadium in 13 months and memories of uncomfortable afternoons at the Upton Park bearpit seem distant indeed. Aside from being second best technically against Spurs, what will also worry Hammers fans was the limpness of their display, their lack of fervour. Their players’ despondent body language when Son Heung-min opened the scoring spoke volumes, and was reflected in the ponderous defending that assisted Spurs’ second and third goals. It can’t help having the most lampooned goalkeeper in the Premier League behind them, but the spirit looks weak in all areas under Manuel Pellegrini at the moment. It’s scarcely surprising replacements are being talked about. Tom Davies

• Match report: West Ham 2-3 Tottenham