Szoboszlai's masterpiece. The clash of title contenders, Liverpool and Arsenal, was decided by a moment of brilliance from Dominik Szoboszlai. In the 83rd minute, from a free-kick about 27 meters out, the Hungarian midfielder curled a right-footed shot over the wall and into the left corner of the net. The ball grazed the inside of the post, leaving goalkeeper David Raya helpless despite his movement.

In this match, Szoboszlai was deployed as a right-back by manager Arne Slot, a position occupied by Trent Alexander-Arnold for many years. Beyond his technical skills, he also established himself as the heir to the free-kick specialist role previously held by the star who recently joined Real Madrid.

"I have to mention Trent," Szoboszlai shared with Sky Sports after the match. "He's the one who usually takes free-kicks with great shots. But finally I had the chance and scored".

Arsenal too rigid? Away at Anfield, manager Mikel Arteta deployed a defensive-minded midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino. Throughout the 90 minutes, Arsenal rarely ventured forward and managed only one shot on target, from Noni Madueke in the first half, which wasn't a clear-cut chance.

Former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel criticized Arsenal's unattractive and frustrating style of play, while Gary Neville questioned the Gunners' mettle in big games. Jamie Carragher pointed out Arsenal's significant summer investment in attacking players like Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, and Noni Madueke, without changing their approach. Former midfielder Roy Keane added that Arsenal needs more creativity and less predictability to win at the grounds of strong opponents.

Manager Mikel Arteta denied that Arsenal planned to play defensively for a draw, insisting they aimed for three points. He explained that the team had limited midfield options with captain Martin Odegaard not fully recovered from injury and Kai Havertz out long-term.

Where does Man City's problem lie? Pep Guardiola remained calm despite Man City's poor start to the Premier League season. "I have a very good feeling in many aspects," he asserted after the 2-1 loss to Brighton. "We played really well, created many chances".

In reality, Man City could have been three goals up in the first half had Erling Haaland been more clinical. Rodri shone in the first 45 minutes with the most touches, successful passes, and recoveries – a positive sign in his first Premier League start since his ACL injury last September. But in the second half, he faded, allowing Brighton to dominate midfield.

From the 60th minute, Man City lost control. They opted for a more direct approach but lacked coordination in pushing forward and utilizing Haaland as a focal point. The defensive system became chaotic: Abdukodir Khusanov frequently made rash tackles, while Rayan Ait Nouri was repeatedly tormented by Yankuba Minteh. In the 89th minute, they left a gaping hole for Brajan Gruda to score the decisive goal.

VAR rescues Man Utd. Fans experienced a rollercoaster of emotions during the 90 minutes at Old Trafford. Man Utd twice took the lead, only to be pegged back by Burnley. It took a late penalty from Bruno Fernandes, after VAR intervention, for the hosts to secure their first Premier League win of the season.

At 96 minutes and 10 seconds, Fernandes scored Man Utd's fourth-latest Premier League winner since the 2006-2007 season and their second-latest at home, after Scott McTominay against Brentford in October 2023 (96 minutes and 11 seconds).

Tottenham back to earth. The 1-0 loss to Bournemouth was a reality check for manager Thomas Frank. After a resounding victory against Man City, Spurs delivered a lackluster performance, quickly deflating the optimism surrounding the new Danish manager.

The final whistle was met with boos, and one fan leaving the stadium shouted: "Tottenham are still just Tottenham".

A rare bright spot was the presence of $68 million signing Xavi Simons. "Sometimes you need a player who can create something out of nothing, dribble past opponents, deliver a pass, a shot, or a cross with special quality. And I believe Simons can bring that," Frank said.

Chelsea's striker problem. The 2-0 win against Fulham was bittersweet for Chelsea, with new signing Liam Delap suffering an injury. Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the English striker will be sidelined for several weeks due to a hamstring injury, forcing Chelsea to reassess their attacking options.

Shortly after news of Delap's injury, Chelsea withdrew from an agreement to loan Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich. However, Jackson had already arrived in Munich and initially refused to return to Chelsea.

Bayern's sporting director, Max Eberl, later said both clubs had asked Jackson to return to London and admitted it would be difficult to revive the deal. The reluctance to continue playing for Chelsea could affect the Senegalese striker's mentality and performance.

Grealish continues to shine. Three Everton players scored in the 3-2 win against Wolves at Molineux, including a stunning goal and an assist from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Jack Grealish, despite not scoring, was named man of the match for his outstanding performance.

The English star was involved in two goals, taking his assist tally for the season to four. In just his last two games for Everton, Grealish has doubled his assist total from his last two seasons at Man City.

When asked about his player's improvement, manager David Moyes stated: "It's not my doing, it all comes from his spirit and desire to improve. The biggest compliment I can give him is that Grealish is even better than I thought".

Newcastle stalled by lack of attacking spark. Newcastle drew 0-0 at newly promoted Leeds as Nick Woltemade – the striker signed for a total of $105 million from Stuttgart – watched from the stands.

Lacking creative sparks like Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak – both potentially leaving the club before the transfer deadline – and Joelinton's usual energy in midfield, Newcastle looked flat.

These gaps were evident in the statistics: only eight shots, two on target, and no clear-cut chances created. This situation mirrored their opening game against Aston Villa, highlighting a major issue in their goal-scoring department.

Aston Villa in danger. A 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace leaves Aston Villa with just one point and no goals from their first three Premier League games. This is the first time in 28 years that the club has found itself in this predicament.

Before the match, the future of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez cast a shadow over Villa Park, and the on-field performance only deepened the gloom. The summer transfer window has been difficult, and as it nears its close, the focus is on the potential departure of key players rather than the arrival of new signings.

West Ham halt their decline. In their first three games of the season across all competitions, West Ham faced 18 shots on target and conceded 11 goals. As a result, they fell to the bottom of the Premier League table and were eliminated in the second round of the League Cup – their earliest exit since the 2014-2015 season.

Manager Graham Potter was forced to change, abandoning his five-defender formation for a back four. While not playing defensively against Nottingham Forest, West Ham prioritized solidity at the back and minimizing risks. This allowed them to withstand the pressure from their opponents.

The plan works to perfection. Not only did they keep a clean sheet, but West Ham also delivered the decisive blow late in the game with three goals in seven minutes, causing Nottingham Forest to collapse.

Hong Duy

Photo: Reuters, AP