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10 thoughts from fiery weekend of Premier League action

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theScore examines the most important developments and discusses the biggest talking points from an eventful weekend in England's top flight.

London derby offers great entertainment

Given all the histrionics that preceded Harry Kane's 96th-minute equalizer at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's match against Tottenham Hotspur could only end one way. These two teams couldn't simply shake hands and walk off the pitch with mutual respect, understanding, and humility, not after a fiery contest full of full-blooded tackles, hair-pulling, and verbal jousting. Referee Anthony Taylor let much of it go without even attempting to blow his whistle. It was only going to end in blood.

Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte were in each other's faces all game, and the two made a point of humiliating the other whenever they could. Conte celebrated Tottenham's first equalizer in Tuchel's direction, and when Reece James restored Chelsea's lead, the German manager channeled his inner Jose Mourinho, dashing 30 yards past his Italian adversary. When Taylor blew the final whistle, Tuchel grabbed onto Conte's hand and wouldn't let go.

"Guys, be honest, you guys report for days and days and days about how big a derby this is," Tuchel told Sky Sports after Sunday's chaotic 2-2 draw. "You're in the middle of it, no? You can't be surprised that it's an emotional game. It's Tottenham and Chelsea."

Ultimately, the people got what they wanted: an entertaining game between two rivals with ambitions of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Chelsea certainly had more to lose - Spurs had won just one of their last 37 away matches against the Blues in all competitions - and the most to criticize. Taylor allowed Tottenham's first goal to stand even though Richarlison seemed to obstruct Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy's vision from an offside position. The referee also neglected to award Tottenham defender Cristian Romero a red card despite replays showing the Argentinian pulling on Marc Cucurella's hair. Even Kane admitted his team didn't deserve a point from the game.

But this is the kind of match the Premier League wants from its best teams: hotly contested and full of fireworks and goals. No one can expect anything less from a match billed as a test of might and character between two of England's top sides. Neither Conte nor Tuchel backed down from the challenge. Why would they?

Reece James appreciation post

Tuchel gave Cucurella his first Chelsea start on Sunday, but it was his choices on the opposite flank that were most intriguing against Tottenham.

The German manager opted to utilize James as his right-sided central defender, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a midfielder by trade, taking up the right wing-back role that James has flourished in since establishing himself as a regular starter for the Blues. Loftus-Cheek performed admirably, and his excellent dribbling ability and quick feet make him a dangerous weapon when isolated one-on-one in the attacking third of the pitch.

Darren Walsh / Chelsea FC / Getty

But he's simply not as devastating as James. There's no shame in that. Very few players are.

The difference was stark when Tuchel moved James back to his best role in the 73rd minute, taking off Jorginho and slotting Loftus-Cheek into central midfield.

Within four minutes of that swap, James provided a sumptuous cross that Kai Havertz inexplicably managed to divert wide, and then he scored a slick goal himself. Some of his dominance was aided by Tottenham's tactics - more on that later - but the bulk of the credit belongs to James, who's just a superlative all-around footballer.

Conte busts out the 4-2-4

Conte didn't wait long to satiate those wondering what his team might look like with Kane, Son Heung-Min, Dejan Kulusevski, and summer signing Richarlison on the pitch together.

The feisty Italian unleashed the 4-2-4 formation that he has used in previous managerial stints - most extensively during his time in Italy - in the second half of Sunday's dramatic draw, bringing the aforementioned Brazilian off the bench to join the three stars who were selected from the start.

Tottenham Hotspur FC / Tottenham Hotspur FC / Getty

Richarlison pushed up to play just off Kane, with Son tucking slightly inside behind them and Kulusevski maintaining his preferred position on the right wing. It was an interesting tactical choice that unsettled Chelsea and allowed Tottenham to press with extra vigor and manpower; multiple players swarming around Jorginho inside the Chelsea penalty area is how Spurs won the ball back and scored their first goal of the contest.

Such an aggressive attacking formation has consequences in the other direction, though. There are always compromises. Playing without a recognized left winger allowed Chelsea's James to run roughshod down his side of the pitch, virtually unopposed, and directly contributed to James being all alone in the Tottenham box when he scored his goal.

Were it not for Kane's late equalizer, Conte's tactical decisions in the second half would be under more scrutiny.

West Ham lacking end product

West Ham United didn't play poorly against Nottingham Forest. They showed far more ambition at the City Ground on Sunday than they did in last week's uninspiring 2-0 defeat to Manchester City. But they remain without a point or a goal scored after two Premier League matches. That's unacceptable for a team hoping to build on last season's seventh-place finish.

The Hammers had several chances to win Sunday's match, let alone tie it. Said Benrahma had a goal disallowed in the first half, Declan Rice botched a penalty kick in the second period, and Tomas Soucek missed two big opportunities in the penalty area. West Ham hit the crossbar twice in a 15-minute span and, more tellingly, recorded 33 touches in the 18-yard box, tripling their tally from the loss to City.

Glyn Kirk - PA Images / PA Images / Getty

David Moyes' side isn't any weaker than last season's squad. Soucek and Rice continue to charge into the final third, and Vladimir Coufal remains a menace at right-back. The situation up front is of bigger concern. Michail Antonio failed to land a shot on target and later cost Benrahma a goal with a needless foul on Forest's Orel Mangala that the video assistant referee flagged upon review. The 32-year-old spent a lot of energy squabbling with referee Robert Jones while Gianluca Scamacca, West Ham's £35.5-million signing from Sassuolo, sat idle on the bench.

Scamacca has only touched the ball 16 times in the Premier League. He needs playing time to get up to speed. But it doesn't have to come at the expense of Antonio. Moyes could deploy Scamacca alongside Antonio in a 4-4-2 formation, with Jarrod Bowen and Benrahma out wide and Soucek and Rice holding down the center of the pitch. A small tactical tweak could kick-start West Ham's flagging attack and nip their biggest issue in the bud.

Here are the main talking points from Saturday's matches ...

Onana's all-action debut

Amadou Onana is going to be a lot of fun to watch this season for Everton supporters and neutral onlookers alike.

The 20-year-old midfielder, signed earlier this week from Lille for a reported €35 million, made an eventful debut in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. He came off the bench with roughly 10 minutes remaining at Villa Park, but, for better or worse, that was all the time he needed to become the central figure.

Trying to wriggle out of a tight situation with virtually his first touch in the Premier League, Onana lost possession in midfield, and that turnover allowed Villa to race down and score the eventual match-winning goal. Welcome to your new digs, kid.

Michael Regan / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Not deterred, though, the Senegalese-born midfielder bounced right back. Like, literally. From the ensuing kickoff, he created Everton's tally - an own goal from Lucas Digne - with an excellent burst into the penalty area, showing off some quick feet in the process.

He nearly followed that up with a 96th-minute equalizer, too.

Some players may have withered after making such a glaring error just minutes into their first match for a new club, but not Onana. That bodes well for Frank Lampard and Everton, who desperately need someone capable of dictating matches and offering impetus and drive from midfield.

Alex Iwobi, reinvented as a No. 8, is perfectly cromulent in that position, but in his all-action cameo, Onana showed he can be the focal point of the positional group for the Toffees.

Arteta's plan is coming together

Gabriel Jesus exchanged passes with Gabriel Martinelli on the left side, Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka caused chaos in and around the penalty area, and Oleksandr Zinchenko tucked into midfield when his teammates pushed forward, offering protection against the counterattack when Leicester City managed to get the ball.

Arsenal played spectacular one-touch football in Saturday's 4-2 win, giving the fans a lot to savor on a sunny day at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta's players, operating in a fluid 4-3-3 formation, ran circles around the visitors for over an hour. They brought the manager's vision of progressive football to life and looked like a real team.

Arteta's system looks a lot like Pep Guardiola's at Manchester City. The forwards are constantly on the move, the midfielders join the rush when they can, and the defenders push up to challenge for the ball. It's not perfect, but it's highly effective.

ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP / Getty

Even when the Gunners stumbled, they made quick amends, scoring within two minutes of the restart each time they conceded. They contested possession and won the ball back in dangerous positions. Arteta will have loved every minute of it.

Jesus' two-goal performance certainly stood out, but his teammates made a great impression as well. A series of quick passes allowed the Brazilian to score in the first place, and a header in his direction set him up for his second. Arsenal just seemed to click.

It's early in the Premier League season, but they're proving to be a coherent unit. If they find a way to be consistent, they'll have no problem finishing in the top four.

Leicester could be in some trouble

Brendan Rodgers has a daunting job on his hands to get Leicester back on track.

There's no shame in losing to a rejuvenated Arsenal team, especially one that was absolutely raring to go in its home opener, but, after being a thorn in the side of England's top clubs for some time, the Foxes have clearly fallen off the pace of the league's better teams.

Not long ago, Leicester was in direct competition with the likes of Arsenal for European places. The gulf on Saturday was very clear, though. Those halcyon days appear to be gone.

And it could get worse before it gets better.

"Not at this moment," Rodgers said when asked after the match if there could be any new signings on the horizon for his team. "We're just trying to work with the players we have."

Leicester have signed only one senior player so far this summer - veteran goalkeeper Alex Smithies arrived on a free transfer - and could yet lose standout defender Wesley Fofana. Two games into the new campaign, it's not time to smash the panic button just yet, but there's reason to be concerned.

Kyle Walker's unique role

Pep Guardiola loves himself some inverted full-backs, but this is perhaps the most extreme example of the tactic we've seen during the Spaniard's Manchester City reign. Kyle Walker is a "full-back" in name only right now.

One of the key cogs in Guardiola's tactical approach, Walker has been asked to adopt an aggressive interior position this season, tucking all the way into central midfield, just in front of the defenders, when in possession.

He is, in actuality, a deep-lying central midfielder when City have the ball, as showcased in Saturday's 4-0 stroll against Bournemouth:

(Source: WhoScored)

With Kevin De Bruyne nearby, in advance of Walker, this leaves the winger - on Saturday, it was Riyad Mahrez - high and wide, giving him a chance to isolate against the opposition full-back and, ideally, create chances for Erling Haaland. City figure to have the ball more than their opponent in almost every match they play this season; they enjoyed nearly 70% of the possession in Saturday's comfortable victory.

Walker's incredible speed makes him the perfect player to adopt this role, since he can easily recover if there's a threat on the counterattack down his vacated side of the pitch. That wasn't much of a consideration against a Bournemouth side that rarely threatened, though.

How this tactic will work, and what tweaks Guardiola will make against more dangerous opposition - if any - will be fascinating to monitor all year long.

De Bruyne is a cheat code

This is far from groundbreaking analysis, but not taking a moment to marvel at De Bruyne's performance against Bournemouth would do everyone a disservice.

He may have been red-faced from the scorching heat in England, but the brilliant Belgian midfielder, as usual, was the coolest man on the pitch. The way he created a sliver of space with a quick body feint, and then used that tiny opening to arrow an outside-of-the-boot finish perfectly into the bottom corner for his goal, was simply sublime. Few other players in the world could have done the same with such precision. He followed that up with a classic assist on Phil Foden's goal, first seeing the passing lane and then sliding the ball through with pinpoint weight to hit the Englishman in perfect stride.

So much of the focus surrounding Manchester City this season has centered on Haaland, and rightfully so; the Norwegian is a transcendent talent who could, when the dust settles, go down as one of the most dominant strikers of all time.

But, at least for the moment, De Bruyne is still the player that stirs the proverbial drink for Guardiola's team.

United's problems are all too familiar

David De Gea may have cost Manchester United three points on Saturday, but he's not to blame for the club's biggest problems. In truth, De Gea is one of the most vocal critics of his team's performances. He calls a spade a spade, and he takes losses on the chin.

Embarrassed by his own performance, De Gea asked to speak with the media following the 4-0 loss to Brentford, and he took full blame for the result. If only Harry Maguire, United's captain for the past two-and-a-half years, would do the same.

The issue begins here. There isn't enough accountability in the dressing room to sustain a turnaround in fortune. There are too many players from different regimes with varying degrees of attachment to the club. It's all patchwork, and it's been that way for a while. Erik ten Hag is trying to stamp his authority onto this team, but issuing fines for lateness isn't enough. The entire culture has to change.

Mark Leech/Offside / Offside / Getty

When the Red Devils conceded to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, referee Paul Tierney might as well have called the game then and there. United dropped their heads again Saturday. They didn't fight back with a vengeance; they just surrendered to the result.

There were 72 minutes remaining in the game when United trailed 2-0. Cristiano Ronaldo knew this. He told his team to rev up their engines and go again. United had enough time to right their wrongs. Instead, they lost track of the ball on a corner kick, conceded a third, and, with numbers forward and their guard down, yielded a fourth off a counterattack they could do nothing to stop. They didn't pay attention to detail.

Lisandro Martinez, Ten Hag's signing from Ajax, looked lost. Maguire could've been sent off. Jadon Sancho was anonymous. The game passed by Fred, Bruno Fernandes, and Luke Shaw. They were all passengers on the pitch - and, for many, not for the first time.

That's Ten Hag's problem. The majority of his players are either not good enough or simply not interested. They certainly can't play the kind of pressing football that he wants to see. United lack a spine and an identity, and until they find both, they'll continue to drift into irrelevance.

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