Manchester United's new signings left their mark as four prominent summer 2025 recruits all shined against Everton. The sole goal saw the involvement of three attacking stars: a long pass from Matheus Cunha found Bryan Mbeumo on the right wing, who then delivered a cross to Benjamin Sesko. Sesko's first-time shot curled into the far corner, beating Jordan Pickford. This swift and dangerous counter-attack was precisely what Manchester United fans had longed for over many months.

Beyond the attack, the defense also provided rare reassurance. Senne Lammens delivered one of his best performances since arriving in Manchester, making four crucial saves. The Belgian goalkeeper commanded his penalty area, consistently neutralizing Everton's characteristic aerial balls and crosses. Each diving save was met with appreciative applause from the crowd.

The simultaneous brilliance of the new signings not only secured three points but also instilled confidence in the new era under coach Michael Carrick. Manchester United extended their unbeaten streak to 6 matches, including 5 victories. Crucially, the win against Everton propelled the "Red Devils" forward in the race for a top 4 spot, creating a three-point gap over Chelsea and Liverpool.

After much turbulence, Old Trafford once again buzzed with a sense of ambition and belief – a feeling that seemed distant at the start of the season.

Arsenal's "dueling machine" continues to impress. Arsenal's ability to consistently accumulate points, performing at a level close to championship-winning teams, stems from their superior strength and physicality compared to any opponent.

The "Gunners" do not always deliver beautiful, spectacular football. However, they are a team that consistently finds ways to gain control through aggression and tenacity when out of possession.

Their victory over Tottenham served as clear evidence: the entire match revolved around a physical battle, which then paved the way for Arsenal's more skilled individuals to decide the game in the final third. Arsenal won 58.3% of their duels – a significant number and a prerequisite in a fiery derby.

Specifically, Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhae won 28 out of a total of 34 duels. Gabriel stood out, winning all 10 of his direct confrontations. This is an extraordinary statistic, especially when facing an energetic opponent like Randal Kolo Muani.

Haaland's evolving role at Manchester City. Erling Haaland's effectiveness is often measured by his goals and records, factors that have repeatedly made a difference for Manchester City. This Premier League season, the Norwegian striker has contributed to 29 goals – 11 more than the second-highest contributor, Igor Thiago.

However, Haaland's latest performance did not revolve around finishes or flashy moments in the penalty area. Despite not scoring in the 2-0 win against Newcastle, Haaland was praised by coach Pep Guardiola as the best player on the field, leaving a remarkable impact.

The 25-year-old forward moved widely, actively drawing two center-backs, Dan Burn and Malick Thiaw, creating space for Omar Marmoush and Nico O'Reilly to operate. His importance was evident in how Manchester City dismantled Newcastle's defensive system.

The opening goal originated from Haaland's header-pass after he won a duel in the midfield. For the second goal, the striker drifted wide right and crossed into the box for O'Reilly to head in. He also significantly influenced the collective play, winning 11 duels, second only to Rodri (13), participating in the most aerial duels of the match, earning three free kicks, and having the most touches in the opponent's penalty area (7 times).

Haaland is evolving into a more complete forward, as eager to assist as he is to score. "Against man-marking, you have to play more directly. If you don't win duels or 50/50 balls, then you have no chance. He did that. Many positive things," Guardiola added about his player's performance.

Liverpool's fitness concerns. The 1-0 victory away at Nottingham Forest had several bright spots, such as Alexis Mac Allister scoring in the seventh minute of added time, Dominik Szoboszlai displaying remarkable composure, and young Rio Ngumoha making a clear impact after coming on as a substitute.

Yet, it will take more than Mac Allister's flash of brilliance in the 97th minute to erase the memory of a dismal first half – a performance that coach Arne Slot himself admitted was the worst he had witnessed since taking charge of the team.

Clearly outmatched physically by Nottingham Forest, Liverpool was "swallowed up", as former defender Jamie Carragher put it, and appeared overly passive in possession. Even amidst the praise, this issue permeated Slot's post-match press conference at City Ground.

Liverpool had a rare full week of rest before the Nottingham Forest match. However, with Liverpool still competing in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, such breaks will become scarce.

Chelsea's persistent instability. Chelsea failed to break into the championship race after being held to a 1-1 home draw by Burnley. All three newly promoted teams this season have been trailing but still left Stamford Bridge with at least one point.

After the match, coach Liam Rosenior emphasized the potential and talent within the Chelsea squad. This is what helped "The Blues", under Enzo Maresca, make a strong impression by easily winning the Conference League and then the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. But as Rosenior is gradually realizing, that form rarely lasts with this team.

Chants of "Chelsea, champions" from the stands before kickoff quickly gave way to a familiar sense of disappointment. Fans understand that Chelsea's path to achieving consistency – both within 90 minutes and across matches – remains long if they aspire to be a serious contender for the Premier League title.

Against Burnley, Chelsea lacked sharpness in both penalty areas at crucial moments. They failed to convert their dominant play against weaker opponents into maximum points, while the increasing number of red cards indicates a team still lacking discipline, or at least composure.

Milner sets an 'unbreakable' record. James Milner made his Premier League debut on 10/11/2002. On that same day, Eduardo Camavinga was born. Jude Bellingham had not yet appeared on the football map. Milner's current coach, Fabian Hurzeler, was only 9 years old.

After 653 matches, Milner became the most-capped player in Premier League history. Spanning 23 seasons and playing for six different clubs, Milner's record not only reflects his extraordinary physical foundation and remarkable endurance at 40 years old but also stands as a testament to his undeniable professional quality.

Milner has won the Premier League three times, lifted the Champions League trophy, claimed the FIFA Club World Cup title, and captained one of the most successful teams in the league's history – Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.

Milner embodies all the qualities expected of a player who has just broken a seemingly insurmountable record: diligence, leadership, and a cool head. These values continue to shine, showing that Milner at 40 is no less useful than the 16-year-old who began his journey 654 appearances ago.

Bailey struggles, exposing Aston Villa's instability. Leon Bailey's subdued performance in the 1-1 draw against visiting Leeds vividly illustrated Aston Villa's fragile state at a crucial stage of the season.

Bailey and coach Unai Emery had previously sent positive signals about the winger's return to the squad after his unsuccessful loan spell at Roma ended last month. However, in his first Premier League start since returning to Villa Park, Bailey proved a major disappointment.

Boos erupted as Bailey was substituted with Aston Villa trailing Leeds at home. Beyond Bailey, Emi Buendia – another player who had been on loan – was also given an opportunity by Emery to reintegrate, trusted with a starting spot. During the winter transfer window, Tammy Abraham and Douglas Luiz also returned to Villa Park on loan.

This bolstered Aston Villa's squad depth, with Abraham coming off the bench to score the equalizer. No other Premier League team has gained more points than Villa in matches where they have fallen behind. Nevertheless, their performances suggest that their realistic goal is no longer the championship race, but rather securing a spot in the Champions League qualification places.

Xhaka's timely return. Sunderland has been an intriguing phenomenon in the Premier League this season, even harboring dreams of European qualification immediately after promotion from the Championship. However, four defeats in their last 5 matches have dealt a significant blow to those ambitions, quickly dissipating the initial excitement.

This string of poor results further confirms Granit Xhaka as Sunderland's most influential signing this season. The Swiss midfielder missed four matches due to injury and only managed to come on for the final 20 minutes in the 1-3 home loss to Fulham.

Xhaka's appearance immediately reignited the Stadium of Light crowd and coincided with Sunderland's best period of play in the match. However, that hope quickly faded after a penalty from Enzo Le Fee and a sharp counter-attack finished by Alex Iwobi.

Without Xhaka, Sunderland clearly lacks composure in possession and precision in the final third. Xhaka's four assists from through balls – more than any other Premier League player this season – highlight the 33-year-old's importance.

Hong Duy

*Photos: Reuters, AP, Sky Sports, AMA*