Premier League talking points: Arteta teaches Alonso a lesson and Isak awakens

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Gunners[/a]' normally impenetrable defence was breached inside two minutes by the Blues, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/summary/stats/?mid=Glagw7N6"]but they roared back for a 2-1 win[/a] to maintain a 100 per cent start.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a] were less convincing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/coventry-GOvB22xg/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/summary/stats/?mid=2sLj8RMt"]in a 1-0 victory[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/coventry/GOvB22xg/"]Coventry[/a], but the top two from last season are already clear at the top.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a] are already five points back from the leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/everton-KluSTr9s/manchester-utd-ppjDR086/summary/stats/?mid=QsyJgS7m"]after they twice blew the lead to draw[/a] at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a].[/p][p][b][i]AFP Sport[/i][/b] looks at three talking points from the Premier League weekend.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-xabi/hAcTWKKN/"]Alonso[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] handed title lesson[/h2][p]Chelsea arrived at the Emirates Stadium feted as a serious threat to Arsenal's hopes of retaining the title.[/p][p]Over the following 90 minutes, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso learnt the difference between pretenders and genuine contenders.[/p][p]The Blues had kicked off Alonso's reign in free-scoring fashion, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] in the top flight while netting seven times and easing past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/luton/SlybbadF/"]Luton[/a] in the League Cup.[/p][embed guid="461531a1-6d5a-4fda-b9fa-edc8ca03e277" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2096651622688444797" social-type="twitter" /][p]When [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rogers-morgan/lp4jm80n/"]Morgan Rogers[/a] put Chelsea ahead with a stylish volley it appeared the Alonso revolution was in full swing.[/p][p]But Arsenal are a far tougher proposition than Chelsea's first three opponents, as they proved with a stirring fightback.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/havertz-kai/rH8BZWiI/"]Kai Havertz[/a] exposed the flaws in Alonso's three-man central defence as he drifted to the edge of the area for a low drive that eluded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-emiliano/ziCcc5jM/"]Emiliano Martinez[/a]'s weak attempted save.[/p][embed guid="97e65bd6-a8ab-4d5b-a9e6-2791dd8a6812" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2096675571505811929" social-type="twitter" /][p]It was the kind of dubious keeping that Martinez was signed to eradicate after the hapless form of his predecessor [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanchez-robert/Q74F6aqr/"]Robert Sanchez[/a].[/p][p]Chelsea's vaunted attack of Rogers, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Cole Palmer[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-pedro/CAmJERl2/"]Joao Pedro[/a] were largely held in check after their opening salvo by an Arsenal defence featuring a first start for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konsa-ezri/4CQLQWTa/"]Ezri Konsa[/a].[/p][p]The maturity and cutting edge of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arteta-mikel/lAbHYaQM/"]Mikel Arteta[/a]'s men came to the fore again in the 50th minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/odegaard-martin/ID32TGhp/"]Martin Odegaard[/a] capped a flowing move with a clinical winner.[/p][p]Alonso has plenty to work on, while Arsenal are in the rudest of health.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Isak[/a] shows sign of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] life[/h2][p]Alexander Isak's three Premier League goals this season already matches his tally from an injury-disrupted first campaign at Liverpool.[/p][p]The Swedish international's struggles after his English transfer record £125 million move from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a] played a major role in Liverpool's fall from champions to just scraping into the top five.[/p][image alt="Isak stats" id="1e6bb37a-e40b-455b-8537-a7a2c5b00585" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8d65a502-ed62-4c66-b31e-3b2a72a9875c" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]But the 26-year-old showed flashes of his old self at the World Cup and a full pre-season has allowed him to hit the ground running under [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iraola-andoni/xpALVpwq/"]Andoni Iraola[/a].[/p][p]An Isak double inside the first 10 minutes at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ipswich/thqhB2MB/"]Ipswich[/a] on Friday night secured a first win of the Iraola reign.[/p][p][b]"I don't think the quality is anything that we doubt," [/b]said Liverpool captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil Van Dijk[/a].[/p][p][b]"We've seen how good he is playing against him and now he's going to show the world with a Liverpool shirt as well."[/b][/p][infobox id="3758a48f-fadf-446f-811f-5a7fe003822a" /][h2]No case for Man Utd defence[/h2][p]Everton fans arrived at the Hill Dickinson Stadium still in uproar at the lack of attacking options available to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moyes-david/hUGEt9yf/"]David Moyes[/a] after a chaotic final few hours of the transfer window saw a deal for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/balgun-folarin/rVZLmUsU/"]Folarin Balogun[/a] fall through.[/p][p]Yet the Toffees, just like newly-promoted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Hull[/a] and Ipswich, still found a way to breach the Manchester United defence twice.[/p][embed guid="a95976e7-b3bd-4dd4-bb9c-07cc88bae805" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2096614230715760821" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maitland-niles-ainsley/CnBQp2sj/"]Ainsley Maitland-Niles[/a]'s spectacular strike rescued a 2-2 draw for Moyes's men with virtually the last kick of the game, but it was little more than Everton deserved.[/p][p]Excellent finishes from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbeumo-bryan/8KDrOl80/"]Bryan Mbeumo[/a] and substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sesko-benjamin/QDozP4IN/"]Benjamin Sesko[/a] and another encouraging performance from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rashford-marcus/COnT2Lh0/"]Marcus Rashford[/a] displayed United's strength going forward.[/p][p]But the decision to not reinforce [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carrick-michael/phM8NElP/"]Michael Carrick[/a]'s defence in the transfer window is already looking misguided before much tougher tests begin with the visit of Manchester City next weekend.[/p][infobox id="934d1c7c-ca90-4474-8cdf-14b5e732a1fd" /]