De Zerbi changing Tottenham after statement Chelsea win
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Was this the result when Roberto De Zerbi truly started to turn Tottenham's miserable decline around? Was this the performance when he discovered how to get the best out of his £185m midfield signings? Was this when his players' personality and motivation changed?
"Why not?" said De Zerbi after Tottenham's 2-0 win over Chelsea. It was a "different Tottenham", he said.
"Not a different attitude. Different relationships with the players, different group."
- As it happened | Teams | Stats
- Live Premier League table | Watch FREE PL highlights
- Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺
Tottenham have been threatening to improve. They should have won at Manchester United. They beat Coventry at home as expected. But this was a proper test albeit against a Chelsea side also finding their way under a new head coach. Spurs stood up to it.
"Before Man Utd, we spoke a lot in a big, big meeting, removing the mask and speaking honestly, clearly in front of ourselves. And from that moment, I think we changed something in ourselves.
"We want to improve, improve, improve, to be better game by game, week by week. I think we have suffered enough."
From the moment Spurs changed ends at kick-off, a decision home fans groaned at, they had Chelsea where they wanted them.
Omar Marmoush's first-half miss threatened the same old story, but perhaps their luck is changing now too. Mike Penders' error was a gift, but one that was deserved. Spurs will also argue a big decision went against them earlier, when Cole Palmer barged into Mateus Fernandes' head.
It was Fernandes' corner that Penders punched in. The midfielder was at the heart of everything. Playing at the base of Spurs' midfield three, he was outstanding. He had the most touches, passes, successful tackles and successful dribbles of any player on the pitch. His performance typified an evolving Tottenham side.
"We are working to change the mentality of our club in the last seasons," said De Zerbi and they are heading in the right direction.
David Richardson
Arsenal 'unlock' their set-piece weapon
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Arsenal's perceived over reliance on set pieces was used as a stick to beat them with last season as they scored 25 goals from deadball scenarios, excluding penalties, en route to lifting the Premier League title.
It is an ominous sign for the rest of the league, then, that 'Set Piece FC' are level on points with leaders Manchester City having just scored their first set-piece goal, excluding penalties, in their eighth match.
Mikel Arteta warns that Ezri Konsa's goal from a corner in the 2-0 win over Everton will "unlock" Arsenal from set-pieces moving forward.
What chance do the rest of the league have if this Arsenal side, that have found ways to win without set-pieces, have rediscovered their not so secret weapon? Brace yourself, you're going to be seeing a lot more of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover on your TV screens.
Zinny Boswell
Emery is working his magic on Jackson again
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Nicolas Jackson has always been a striker who gives you plenty to like and plenty to scream at. The running, the movement, the willingness to stretch defences and make life miserable for centre-backs have never really been in doubt. It is what happens when the ball reaches his feet in front of goal that has tended to leave manager's tearing their hair out.
But Unai Emery appears to be working his magic again.
Jackson's double in Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Manchester City took his tally to seven goals in eight starts for the club. It's not what we usually expect from Jackson.
Villa weren't buying a goalscorer. They have acquired a forward who brings so much to Emery's attacking structure. Jackson runs the channels relentlessly, occupies defenders and creates space for those arriving around him. Centre-backs do not get a quiet afternoon when he is leading the line. Man City, and especially Marc Guehi, found that out.
That industry has always been there. The difference now is the end product.
Villa have a striker who could take them to some special places this season. The hard yards were never the problem. Now the goals are following, too.
Lewis Jones
Donnarumma's aura of invincibility is beginning to fade
There was a time when Gianluigi Donnarumma felt like a goalkeeper that was unbeatable. He was being talked about as one of the best in the world before he had even reached adulthood, making his Italy debut aged just 17 years and 189 days. That was 10 years ago.
His mistake in Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Manchester City was another reminder that there are cracks in the armour. Since the start of last season, no goalkeeper has made more errors leading to shots in the Premier League than Donnarumma, with seven. Three of those mistakes have resulted in goals.
- As it happened | Teams | Stats
- Live Premier League table | Watch FREE PL highlights
- Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺
That is a worrying trend for a goalkeeper operating at the very highest level. Errors happen, of course, but the frequency is becoming difficult to ignore.
There is an increasingly erratic element to his game with moments of uncertainty creeping into performances that once seemed defined by authority.
Perhaps the demands of English football are exposing weaknesses that were less obvious elsewhere. Perhaps it is simply a dip in form. Either way, City need their goalkeeper to be a source of security.
Lewis Jones
Forest's wastefulness is masking a very good team
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Nottingham Forest are becoming the Premier League's most frustrating watch. Not because they are playing badly, but because they are doing almost everything right apart from the bit that matters most.
Their 1-1 draw at Ipswich was another case of dominance without the reward. Forest racked up 2.31 expected goals, won the shot count 17-7 and had enough opportunities to put this game to bed. Instead, Neco Williams' first-half strike was all they had to show for their superiority, allowing Ipswich to snatch a point.
- Live Premier League table | Watch FREE PL highlights
- Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺
This is becoming a worrying habit. No Premier League team has underperformed its expected goals tally more than Forest this season, scoring just six goals from chances worth 13.4 xG. That is a staggering shortfall and goes a long way towards explaining why they have managed just one win in eight games.
However, do not confuse poor finishing with poor football.
Forest rank sixth in the Premier League for expected goal difference, the measure of chances created minus those conceded. Opta's expected points model suggests they should have twice their current tally of six points. In other words, the underlying numbers paint the picture of a team performing considerably better than their results suggest.
Under an elite manager in Oliver Glasner, they are creating chances, controlling games and limiting opponents.
Forest are leaving points on the table. When their forwards finally start converting the opportunities their football deserves, they could be a very different proposition.
Lewis Jones