10 thoughts from the weekend's Premier League action

theScore examines the most important Premier League developments from the weekend, dissecting the biggest talking points after a busy slate of action.

Ole’s defensive approach backfires

A frustrated Bastian Schweinsteiger summed it up best as his former club was being utterly dominated in the first half of Saturday’s Manchester derby: Passive Manchester United versus active Manchester City.

At that point, United looked like they were well on their way to a thrashing similar to the 5-0 thumping they received against Liverpool. But, in the end, Manchester City took their foot off the gas in the second half before claiming a 2-0 victory – a scoreline that was more than flattering for United.

It was a stunning display of ineptitude from both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the United players. The Red Devils were pegged back right from kickoff before gifting Manchester City the lead inside the opening seven minutes to set the tone for the remainder of the contest. Pep Guardiola’s side doubled the lead just before halftime and continued to dominate en route to an easy win.

The post-match numbers told the miserable story for United.

Going with three at the back was an obvious mistake that led to another catastrophic result for a manager already under extreme pressure. Solskjaer might have thought because that strategy worked against Tottenham Hotspur, it would yield the same result against City, but he was emphatically wrong. It was a failed approach that could ultimately cost him his job, as United – losers of three of their last four Premier League games – will have plenty of time to consider their manager’s future before their next match on Nov. 20.

Damning indictment of Solskjaer

We’ve discussed the need for Manchester United to part ways with Solskjaer ad nauseam, and so has the entire football world by this point. So instead of delving into that discussion again, we’ll just leave this stat here and move along:

Everyone can see it except those in positions of power at Old Trafford.

Cancelo on another level

Joao Cancelo has a real claim for the title of world’s best full-back right now.

The Portuguese international has shown attacking brilliance going back to his Valencia days, but he’s taken an enormous step forward since joining Manchester City from Juventus in 2019, thriving under Guardiola.

“He has been playing incredibly well all season,” Guardiola said of Cancelo earlier this week. “Of course, he sometimes has to improve his quality. He has highs and lows, but he has a special ability to do something good.”

Cancelo, 27, tore Manchester United apart in Saturday’s derby, creating both goals and spending more time on the ball than any other player.

Per Squawka, he now leads Manchester City in the following categories this season:

• Most touches
• Most passes
• Most passes in the final third
• Most tackles made
• Most interceptions
• Most aerial duels won
• Most duels won
• Most through balls
• Mosts shots

Cancelo is a full-back in name only.

Burnley setback exposes Chelsea’s lack of cutting edge

The stage was set for Chelsea to strengthen their grip on the Premier League ahead of Burnley’s visit to Stamford Bridge. Instead, the visitors escaped with a point to shock the Blues.

A lopsided victory seemed inevitable for a Chelsea side that continuously knocked on the door for a second goal after Kai Havertz gave them the lead in the first half. But Matej Vydra scored a late equalizer to make the Blues pay for wasting countless chances to double their lead.

Predictably, manager Thomas Tuchel was less than pleased about his side’s shortcomings after a performance that highlighted Chelsea’s lack of cutting edge in attack. “It’s our fault. We should have scored more,” he said. “We created so many chances.

“… If we played this game 100 times, we’d win 99 times.”

Luckily for the Blues, there’s an international break on the horizon that should make it easier to forget this minor setback. The break should offer injured attacking stars Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner enough time to overcome their respective injuries ahead of Chelsea’s next Premier League test against Leicester City on Nov. 20.

Right decision, wrong timing for Norwich

Norwich City made the necessary decision to part ways with manager Daniel Farke on Saturday, dismissing the bench boss just hours after their first league win of the season.

The timing was unconventional and caught many off guard, but even Farke himself must have known this was coming at some point. His overall body of work in the Premier League doesn’t lie.

Farke’s commitment to his tactical ethos was noble; the likable German insisted on playing the same brand of attractive football that worked wonders in getting the club promoted twice from the Championship – but there was also an element of naivety at play.

Farke watched as his preferred style yielded poor returns and resulted in the Canaries getting relegated from the Premier League in 2020. After immediately bringing them back up and getting another chance – a relative rarity in professional sports – he didn’t alter his approach.

Prior to Norwich’s 2-1 win over Brentford, they had gone 20 consecutive top-flight matches without a victory. The decision to fire Farke had clearly been made before a ball was kicked on Saturday.

As odd as the timing may have seemed, it’s hard to argue with the sacking.

Vieira working wonders at Palace

After some early hiccups, Patrick Vieira has Crystal Palace on a roll.

The Eagles extended their unbeaten streak to six league matches on Saturday, following up last week’s shock win over Manchester City with another 2-0 triumph, this time against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Standouts Wilfried Zaha and Conor Gallagher delivered the goals once again.

Palace threw away a pair of late leads – and four potential points – earlier in the season, but Vieira hailed his team’s “maturity” after Saturday’s win, which was as comprehensive as they come.

The Eagles have climbed into the top half of the table and boast one of the stingiest backlines in the country, as their expected goals against total (11.4) ranks fourth best. Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen have formed a solid partnership in central defense, while Cheikhou Kouyate shields them and Vicente Guaita backstops the whole operation.

With matches against Burnley, Aston Villa, and Leeds United on the horizon, the good times should keep rolling at Selhurst Park.

Solid defense fueling Arsenal revival

At this time last year, Gabriel was anchoring a three-man Arsenal defense between Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding, with Hector Bellerin and Bukayo Saka at wing-back in a home match against Aston Villa that the Gunners lost 3-0.

Fast-forward to full-time at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and the difference is palpable. The Gunners took care of business against Watford to boost Arsenal’s reputation as one of the Premier League’s top defending teams, after recording their third-successive clean sheet and eighth overall this season.

Ben White, who arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer for £50 million, has rebounded since his rough debut to become an integral part of Arsenal’s defense alongside Gabriel. New right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu has been a revelation, while Nuno Tavares’ emergence as a more-than-capable replacement for Tierney could give manager Mikel Arteta a difficult decision when the Scottish left-back returns to full fitness.

It’s clear that Arteta’s defensive vision is taking shape less than two years into the job, but the Arsenal boss will get a true sense of where his team stands when they clash with high-scoring Liverpool after the international break.

Ranieri’s anger justified?

Watford manager Claudio Ranieri was incensed with Arsenal after the final whistle of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat, complaining that the Gunners didn’t return the ball after the Hornets kicked it out of play to allow Ozan Tufan to receive treatment after he went down injured.

Arsenal kept the ball, and after an extended period of play in which Watford never truly regained control, Emile Smith Rowe scored the lone goal of the contest.

Ranieri confronted Arteta about the incident after the match and addressed it to the media.

“There is only one thing I’d like to know,” said Ranieri, according to Jamie Redknapp of Sky Sports. “When there is a man on the ground, everybody expected the ball goes back and it didn’t go. There is a respect in that situation. Then we get the ball with (Ismaila) Sarr and go on the counterattack and there is a big foul. It’s unbelievable.”

He added, “When you put the ball out, you have to give the ball back.”

Arteta, of course, had a retort.

“I have to defend my players, team, and club. We are the most honest,” he said, per Sky Sports. “At some stages, we can even be naive. I’m sure there was no intention to take advantage.”

Your stance on the matter likely depends on which club you support, but the question is simple: Should Arsenal have given the ball back? It’s an established gentleman’s agreement that is almost always observed, but there’s no rule dictating that Arsenal had to give possession back.

Aston Villa raise white flag

It was the end of an era at Aston Villa as the fan-favorite Dean Smith was let go after three years in charge. The decision to part with the English manager was announced after the Claret and Blue dropped yet another match to leave them just three points outside of the relegation zone.

After Smith guided the club back to the Premier League and kept them there last season, the 2021-22 campaign had gotten off to a terribly rocky start. The final straw came after Saturday’s contest on the south coast, as Villa slumped to their fifth Premier League defeat in a row with a 1-0 loss to Southampton.

Despite the club’s disappointing performances, there are bound to be some fans who view Smith’s dismissal as harsh given that Aston Villa had the odds stacked against them after selling superstar Jack Grealish in the summer.

Reds stumble at another crucial point in title race

Matchday 11 was an opportunity for Liverpool to solidify their place in the title race. Instead, Jurgen Klopp’s men were left to rue another blown chance to close the gap at the top of the Premier League table.

A week after failing to capitalize on Manchester City’s shocking loss to Crystal Palace, Liverpool had a golden opportunity to cut into Chelsea’s advantage after the Premier League leaders dropped two points in a draw with Burnley on Saturday.

But, when the full-time whistle sounded at London Stadium, the Reds found themselves worse off than they were when the day started. Losing to West Ham United not only ended the club’s 25-match unbeaten run, it also resulted in David Moyes’ revitalized Hammers leapfrogging Liverpool to take sole possession of third place.

Liverpool’s title hopes are far from irreparable – as the Merseyside club sits just four points back of Chelsea – but there’s no doubting that Sunday’s result was a bitter blow that will sting for the entirety of the upcoming international break.

As for West Ham, well, we warned you last week that the Hammers are for real.

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