The return of Premier League action brought about a myriad of narratives with title challengers falling to defeat and entertainment at a premium for one Manchester team while aplenty for another.
Here we look at three winners and three losers from Saturday’s action.
Watford upset Arsenal with a 2-1 win to maintain their best ever start to a Premier League season but it wasn’t just the captain’s cameo performance which warranted mention.
While Deeney did indeed score a crucial equaliser from the penalty spot – his 10th success from 11 in the Premier League – it was his post-match analysis which earned him plenty of plaudits.
He provided genuine insight with a reasonable argument while being interviewed by BT Sport to display a refreshing attitude compared to the usual media-trained speeches we’re accustomed to.
Deeney accused the Gunners of lacking “cajones” and said the visitor’s lack of fight was central to their defeat.
He also insisted that the penalty decision was correct, dismissing claims that Richarlison had gone down easily under a challenge from Hector Bellerin.
“Yeah [it was a penalty], because his long hair is in the way, he [Bellerin] can’t see what he’s doing.”
The 29-year-old is a real credit to his club.
How good is this from Troy Deeney. So refreshing to hear players talk like this and be honest... pic.twitter.com/sEim9C9XEd
— DAB Over 1.5 Goals (@1point5goals) October 15, 2017
It’s been said before and it will be said again before the season is over, but Manchester City’s master creator Kevin De Bruyne is the Premier League’s best midfielder.
City slaughtered Stoke with a 7-2 thrashing and it was telling that from his two assists, his team-mates headed straight for the Belgian in celebration with the home fans chanting his name in delight.
He has been the inspiration for Pep Guardiola’s side for much of this season and it was the De Bruyne show on Saturday – his no-look reverse pass in the build-up to Raheem Sterling’s goal was an undoubted highlight.
In truth, he had a hand in all seven goals, orchestrating the demolition job with surgical ease. It was a tremendous performance to mark his 100th game for City, his stats sheet reading 38 assists and 25 goals in that time.
Kevin De Bruyne's game by numbers vs. Stoke:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 14, 2017
100% take-ons completed
52 passes
3 interceptions
2 chances created
2 shots
2 assists
🙇 pic.twitter.com/EZGMpco5SD
Crystal Palace have at least one candidate for October’s goal of the month – Wilfried Zaha.
With Yohan Cabaye’s opener ruled as an own goal, Zaha became the first player to score for Palace this season as the Eagles secured a shock 2-1 win over champions Chelsea.
On his first return since August 12, the 24-year-old was magnificent, turning Blues right-back Cesar Azpilicueta inside out and securing the three points with a delightful finish.
Palace have missed his X-Factor and with him in the side going forward, their hideous barren run should be a thing of the past.
Zaha scores Palace’s second against Chelsea
‘Granit Xhaka picks his nose while Watford score winner.’ No that title for an embarrassing GIF is not the parody it suggests – at least not for Arsenal fans anyway.
He was quite literally standing on the edge of the box picking his nose while Tom Cleverley lashed home the host’s winner.
Cue the bogey team jokes but it’s a ignominious situation which is pretty emblematic of Arsenal’s season because at times they’ve been a laughing stock.
It was in the 93rd minute with the game on a knife edge at 1-1 with four Watford players in the box and three from Arsenal with little effort to really negate the goal.
The whole sequence is just ridiculous in its embarrassment and Xhaka picking his nose is indicative of that.
Granit Xhaka picking his nose whilst Cleverley scores the winner for Watford. pic.twitter.com/a4LJtViK7z
— k.a. (@TheKACorp) October 15, 2017
Andy Carroll has made five Premier League appearances so far this season. He’s scored zero, made zero assists but has received four yellow cards (two against Burnley) and now a red.
It wasn’t just that he was sent off or even necessarily the actual infringes but it was that the two bookings were 99 seconds apart, the second of which arriving in the 27th minute.
He was cautioned for soft offence on James Tarkowski before he similarly, but much more severely lunged in and flattened Ben Mee to get his marching orders.
It was reckless and negligible, ultimately ruining West Ham’s chances of victory as they were held to a 1-1 draw.
99 - There were just 99 seconds between Andy Carroll's first yellow card and his second. Problems. pic.twitter.com/n11KdLTmmc
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 14, 2017
The Tottenham striker has now failed to score in all four Premier League games at Wembley this season after Spurs relied on a Christian Eriksen strike to edge past Bournemouth on Saturday.
Maybe they’re not the ‘Harry Kane’ team after all but the England international wasn’t particularly bad against the Cherries.
However, he upset a plethora of Fantasy Premier League managers as he was the top captain pick (31.4 percent) for the first time this season.
The fact Eddie Howe named three centre-halves in his backline limited his influence but his goalless display had many cursing their choice – including this soft reporter who triple-captained him.
SCOUT: All eyes on Kane now. He is the top captain pick (31.4%) for the first time this season, having scored 2 goals in 3 of the last 4 GWs pic.twitter.com/7Vms2aUi4N
— FPL (@OfficialFPL) October 14, 2017
