Title rivals both show their frailties

The title race looks destined to be a two-horse race, with City taking a three-point lead over defending champions Arsenal into the break after their thrilling 5-3 win over Sunderland.

That followed the Gunners slipping up with a 3-0 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion but, even with the difference in results, both City boss Enzo Maresca and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta have problems to ponder during the season’s first interlude.

For all their obvious prowess going forward, City were far too easy to break down against Sunderland. Brian Brobbey became the first Premier League player to score a hat-trick and end on the losing side since 2007, and the Netherlands striker had a simple finish for all three goals as the Black Cats cut City open with little difficulty each time.

Maresca may point to City’s clean sheets in the four games prior — only two of those matches were in the Premier League — but there is still a clear vulnerability about his side that was obvious in their narrow opening-day win over Bournemouth. The good news for him is that Arsenal have obvious issues too.

The complete breakdown of Arsenal’s typical defensive solidity at Brighton may ultimately just be a blip, but the lack of cohesion in midfield between Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Odegaard represents a potentially bigger problem.

It is further forward where Arsenal may have their greatest concern after a game in which Kai Havertz failed to fire. With Viktor Gyokeres clearly second choice to the German, the Gunners need Havertz to consistently deliver. If he cannot, then it’s hard to see Arsenal having the firepower to compete with a City side that has so much in the way of ammunition.

Jacquet impresses again, but Iraola faces Wirtz pressure

It’s often said that a mark of a great side is winning when you don’t play well, and Liverpool’s efforts in their 1-0 victory at still winless Bournemouth on Sunday could at best be described as uninspiring, with Alexander Isak’s fourth goal of the season proving the difference.

The standout performer for the Reds was centre-back Jérémy Jacquet, who continues to impress following his £60million move from Rennes.

Jacquet, per FotMob, was credited with three tackles, a block, two clearances, two interceptions and six recoveries. He also won three of his four duels, with the Frenchman’s partnership with Virgil van Dijk blossoming as Liverpool have kept three successive clean sheets in the league.

While there is reason for optimism at the back, there is mounting concern over the performances of Florian Wirtz, who was criticised heavily by Jamie Carragher after the win at the Vitality Stadium.

Carragher urged Iraola to consider dropping Wirtz ahead of Liverpool’s clash with City after the break. Should Iraola heed that advice, it will be a significant setback for Wirtz’s hopes of ever justifying his £100m fee.

Can Seagulls or Bees gatecrash the Champions League places?

Brighton’s demolition of Arsenal came under 24 hours after Brentford dispatched another team viewed as a potential title contender in empathic fashion, brushing aside Chelsea 3-0.

With the Blues strong start under Xabi Alonso stalling, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Tottenham all struggling in the opening weeks and Newcastle United transitioning to a new era under Matthias Jaissle, the performances of Brighton and Brentford naturally raise the question of whether either of them can break their way into the Champions League places.

Both sit in the top four after five games and have displayed defensive solidity while getting goal contributions from several areas. Indeed, Brighton (16) and Brentford (10) are among just four teams to have hit double figures in the league so far this term.

But the underlying numbers suggest Brighton, who have a xG against of 8.7, should have conceded more than the five goals they have allowed. The big test for Fabian Hurzeler’s men will be maintaining the momentum as their Conference League fixtures pile up after the break, while a testing run of games upon the resumption that sees the Bees face Villa, Liverpool and surprise package Hull City will reveal a lot about Brentford.

Early evidence suggests there could be a top-five opening for one of these teams, and their meeting on the south coast on November 7 will have a great deal of intrigue if they are both still in the upper reaches of the table.

Is it time for Carrick to go?

The prolonged honeymoon for Michael Carrick is well and truly over.

After his outstanding spell as interim Manchester United manager last season, Carrick has endured an extremely difficult start to his tenure as permanent boss, and there are likely to be calls for that stint to end following an underwhelming display in a 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday.

Former defender Gary Neville hit out at United’s effort off the ball in scathing remarks made while working as the co-commentator for Sky Sports.

“I’ve watched Manchester United since the age of five and that’s the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen,” Neville said after Fulham took the lead through a Lisandro Martinez own goal. “Absolutely pathetic.

“I’ve never seen such a lack of effort. What must [Michael] Carrick be thinking?”

Though Neville’s comments will be written off by many as bizarre hyperbole on the part of a United legend, his words speak to a significant issue for the Red Devils in a league that demands high energy from teams hoping to be successful.

Sky Sports said on Monday that GeniusIQ data ranked United last in the Premier League for distance covered at high intensity, time occupied at high ​intensity, total sprints and time spent sprinting.

With United sitting a lowly 12th in the table after a summer in which they only added to the midfield, the anger at the club’s hierarchy will persist over the international break. However, it’s clear the finger is also starting to be pointed at Carrick and, unless he can get his side producing high-intensity and match-winning performances, time may soon run out on his managerial career at Old Trafford.

Are Spurs set for relegation battle?

It was another miserable weekend for Tottenham, who will now spend three weeks propping up the Premier League following their latest defeat to Villa and Fulham’s draw with United.

Tottenham did at least finally end their wait for a Premier League goal this season, but the damage had been done by the time Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke found the net to make the scoreline more respectable.

Van Hecke, a £52m signing from Brighton, is part of Spurs’ many problems. The Dutchman is performing poorly at the heart of a defence that remains far too easy for teams to breach, with Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendia profiting in Villa’s 3-2 victory.

The midfield has energy, but there is a distinct lack of creativity in a side on which over £300m was spent in the summer. Tottenham have an xG of 5.0 this season, the third-worst in the Premier League.

With Roberto De Zerbi given that kind of backing, the hope was Tottenham would be well clear of danger after two 17th-place finishes in the last two seasons. Instead, Spurs are a team that look destined for another scrap. Tottenham don’t create enough opportunities and they are leaky at the back. It’s a recipe for disaster, and De Zerbi must find a way to fix it over the course of the break.