Ramsdale magic and Nuno despair: Things we learned from Premier League

Aaron Ramsdale could be England’s No 1, two up front suits Man United AND Cristiano Ronaldo, while Graham Potter passes his big-job audition… THINGS WE LEARNED from the Premier League weekend

• Manchester United returned to form by thrashing Tottenham this weekend 
• Chelsea continued their title charge, while Liverpool and Man City faltered
• West Ham and Arsenal are in form, and the relegation picture keeps changing 
• Sportsmail analyses the biggest talking points from Premier League weekend 

An action packed weekend offered us everything you could ask for from the Premier League – goals, fightbacks, shocks and redemption.

The spotlight was on Tottenham’s clash against Man United – deemed ‘El Sackiko’, and it was Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who moved further away from the cliff edge with a vital 3-0 win, while Spurs coach Nuno Espirito Santo lost his job after another toothless showing from his side.

Elsewhere, Chelsea underlined their strong title credentials with a 3-0 win at Newcastle, while two other challengers faltered. Liverpool surrendered a 2-0 lead at home to Brighton to draw 2-2, and Manchester City were stunned by a 2-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace.  

Arsenal continued their rise with an impressive win at Leicester – with their man between the sticks catching the eye – while West Ham also maintained their purple patch of form by thrashing Aston Villa.

Sportsmail looks back on an exciting Premier League gameweek and pick out the biggest talking points. 

The Premier League weekend gave us plenty of shocks, thrills and comebacks as Manchester United redeemed themselves with a big win at Tottenham

Conor Gallagher proves his worth

Patrick Vieira is making huge progress with Crystal Palace since taking the reins this summer, but a huge part of his project has been getting some top performances out of on-loan midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The Chelsea youth star has taken the next step up after a loan at West Brom and seized his opportunity after a virtuoso display in their 2-0 win at Premier League champions Manchester City. 

After setting up Wilfried Zaha’s opener and then wrapping up the win by slotting home in the final minutes, he now has three goals and two assists from nine games.

Gallagher ran the show at the Etihad, with the most tackles (five), the most chances created (four), most shots (two) and most shots on target (two). His parent club Chelsea will thank him for doing them a favour by denting City’s title hopes, but the 21-year-old is now proving he can mix it with the big boys in the top flight. 

Will a first England senior call-up follow this month?

Conor Gallagher oozed class in Palace’s win at Man City and proved he can make it at the top 

City still waiting for Grealish magic 

Meanwhile, another English talent is finding life tough at present as £100m man Jack Grealish failed to dazzle and was unable to carve too many opportunities against the Eagles, with City sent down to 10 men at the end of the first half. 

The sending off nullified Pep Guardiola’s men and their attacking threat somewhat, but you would still expect more from Grealish to help City dominate teams. 

The former Aston Villa star has just two goals from 14 appearances so far since sealing his big money move in the summer, and while he grabbed an assist in City’s win at Brighton last week, we are yet to see the kind of consistency in his goal contributions that many would hope for.

Without a leading forward, Guardiola is looking to his midfielders to create and get on the scoresheet and Grealish has not been able to match the level of Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden or even Gabriel Jesus this season. 

There will always be increased scrutiny on Grealish because of his hefty price-tag but the player himself will be aware he has much more to offer. The Manchester derby is next – no better time to show why City splashed out so much on him.

Manchester City are still waiting for Jack Grealish to come alive since his £100m move

Ramsdale could be England No 1

Gareth Southgate’s options in goal for England have always been tricky, with no real standout since he took over in 2016. 

He has been loyal to Everton’s Jordan Pickford but his club form has been inconsistent over the years, with a handful of shocking errors to his name. Either way, he has never looked totally convincing in the same way David Seaman and – for a time – Joe Hart did.

Southgate might have another contender who can challenge his current No 1 after Arsenal’s new keeper Aaron Ramsdale put in a stunning performance in their 2-0 win at Leicester. 

Last season he was relegated for the second time in a row with Sheffield United after leaving Bournemouth, and his stats did not make for positive reading. But the Gunners took a chance on him and he has now usurped the experienced Bernd Leno as the club’s new first choice shot stopper. 

Ramsdale’s incredible one-handed save from James Maddison’s free kick earned him top plaudits from his boss Mikel Arteta and goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel – and he made eight saves in total to keep a clean sheet and continue his impressive start to life at the Emirates. 

With the international break looming, Southgate will have a big decision to make and whether or not to promote a goalkeeper who was only good enough to be his third choice keeper at Euro 2020. 

Aaron Ramsdale’s incredible display against Leicester has sparked talk he could become England’s new No 1 goalkeeper

West Ham on the top four trail

Those who raised eyebrows at David Moyes’ return to the London Stadium have definitely changed their tune now. 

The Scot had a reputation as one of the most gifted managers in the Premier League before his big move from Everton to Manchester United saw his career take a downward spiral, but after a difficult time lasting around eight years, it looks as if Moyes is finally back in the big time.

His Everton side were consistent challengers to the top four under his leadership, and it now seems that West Ham are being transformed into a side in a similar mould after confidently thrashing Aston Villa away from home. 

This is the club’s best showing at this stage of the season since the mid 1970s with 20 points from ten games. They currently occupy fourth place, just five points off the top of the table.

Moyes has brought the good feeling back to West Ham after years of inconsistency and fan discontent. He has already guided the team to the Europa League this season and will now be targeting the Champions League. 

With Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United all failing to produce a solid run of results this season, the opportunity is there for the taking. 

David Moyes has rebuilt his career at West Ham and has the ability to guide them to top four

Potter’s audition for a top job

Another manager shining this season is Brighton boss Graham Potter. He has worked wonders with the Seagulls despite learning his trade in relative obscurity with Swedish side Ostersunds, but after a brief spell with Swansea, Brighton were quick to bring him in and it’s looked like a masterstroke this season.  

Brighton looked done and dusted after going 2-0 down at Liverpool, before the team mounted an impressive comeback as Enock Mwepu and Leandro Trossard struck to get themselves back on level terms, and they could even have nicked a win late on as the Belgian winger put the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.

Potter’s men are knocking on the door now, four points off the top four, and the manager will have no shortage of admirers at top clubs – at a time where some big jobs in the top flight have looked like they might be up for grabs soon. 

He has been linked with Spurs after they sacked Jose Mourinho last season and will be linked again after axing Nuno Espirito Santo. Potter has always distanced himself from leaving the AMEX but it’s clear he could absolutely handle a big club. 

Graham Potter inspired Brighton to an impressive comeback at Liverpool and showed he could handle the pressure of a big job

Two up front suits United, and Ronaldo

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to make a change, he had to do something with his job on the line. It was do or die. His tactical know-how has been heavily criticised during his time in charge at United, but his ploy to revert to a 3-5-2 against Tottenham was something of a masterstroke as the Norwegian united veteran forwards Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo, who both got on the scoresheet in a 3-0 romp.

It made sense in theory – give a frail defence more security by going to a back three while giving his forwards more freedom to attack, two players with a combined goal tally of 1,050 before kick off. Ronaldo opened the scoring with a super volley before Cavani added the second by calmly rolling into the net in the second half. 

The two look like a intriguing partnership despite both players being in their mid thirties, and it means Ronaldo has less pressure on him to get all the goals. 

With some big games to come against Atalanta and rivals Manchester City, Solskjaer should stick with his new formation and allow his side to explore their potential. 

Cristiano Ronaldo (R) and Edinson Cavani were deployed in a 3-5-2 in their 3-0 thrashing of Tottenham and it worked a treat 

Tottenham must get the next appointment right 

The writing was on the wall for Nuno Espirito Santo even before his side slumped to a 3-0 loss to United, and after the final whistle the fans made it clear of their discontent – if they hadn’t done so already. 

The supporters had been promised a manager who would bring exciting, attacking football back to the club after a drab year-and-a-half under Jose Mourinho. Not only has Nuno failed to deliver that, but Spurs are failing to produce the basics of chance creation under his guidance.

It’s no surprise that the club have pulled the trigger, and this might be the most important appointment of Daniel Levy’s time in as chairman so far. 

The fans are losing patience with the board and many think it’s time for them to go. Spurs have been in the wilderness for too long and are desperate to return to the heights they enjoyed under Mauricio Pochettino. 

Tottenham now face a choice – try and bring someone like Graham Potter or Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag to the club, two appointments who would need time to embed their style – or press ahead with a big name like Antonio Conte. 

The Italian has a proven track record of winning trophies quickly, the exact thing the club craves, but we also know his tenures often end ugly. 

With fan discontent growing against Levy and owners ENIC, they cannot afford to get the next appointment wrong. 

Tottenham cannot afford to get their next appointment wrong after axing Nuno Espirito Santo 

Maxwel Cornet could be the signing of the season

Not much was made of Burnley’s major summer signing this summer as Lyon’s Cornet came through the door at Turf Moor. 

The 25-year-old is an experienced player with more than 250 appearances for the Ligue 1 side and European pedigree. Sean Dyche knew he was getting a great player, but even he won’t have imagined a start as good as this from the Ivorian. 

He netted his fourth goal in five games in the 3-1 win over Brentford and already seems to be integral to the Clarets’ hopes of safety this season. 

Burnley’s squad has looked stale in recent years and has been lacking in investment, but Cornet is the breath of fresh air they desperately needed as Dyche looks to pull off another magic escape. 

Dyche said the player had given them a different dimension with the ability to play as a full back or left winger, but such is his attacking threat Dyche stuck him up front for the game against the Bees. 

The recent transfer window will be remembered for the signings of Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku, but Cornet’s addition might be up there with the most successful so far. 

Burnley’s Maxwel Cornet is making a case as one of the best signings of the season so far

Have Brenford lost their mojo? 

The Bees were flying high and threatening to be one of those promoted teams that go straight into a scrap for a top seven spot – like teams such as Wolves have done in the past. 

It was a great honeymoon period that saw them earn seven points from their first five games – including a win over Arsenal. But after their third straight loss they’ve been brought back down to earth. 

It’s not all doom and gloom for boss Thomas Frank, who won’t be panicking at this stage, especially given the nature of the defeats. They were arguably the better side in their 1-0 loss to Chelsea and were unlucky that keeper Edouard Mendy was in the form of his life. They fell to a late, narrow loss to Leicester but were well beaten by Burnley, who raced into a 3-0 lead before Saman Ghoddos’ consolation. 

Brentford have some very winnable games to come against Norwich and Newcastle, so the tide can still be turned to keep the Bees on track for a special season.  

Brentford’s honeymoon period is firmly over after three successive Premier League defeats

Newcastle’s new boss can’t arrive soon enough

More than 10 days after Steve Bruce was given the boot, Newcastle’s wait for a new boss continues. His assistant Graeme Jones is seeking to keep things from falling apart at St James’ Park with the Magpies in serious relegation trouble after their 3-0 loss to Chelsea – highlighting the scale of the job.

What top level manager would want to come to a club who are in real danger of going down and risk their reputation as a result? The January transfer window brings promise and any coach who arrives will be well backed in the market, but money will not be a quick fix to save them from impending doom. 

They need a coach who has good ideas but also man management to galvanise these players, who need certainty and a huge lift after a turbulent season so far. 

Whether its Paulo Fonseca, Erik ten Hag or Lucien Favre, Newcastle’s new owners need to make a quick decision on the man they want to lead them into the future and give him every resource to lead the side away from the drop zone. 

Newcastle need stability and the new owners need to make a quick decision on their next boss as caretaker Graeme Jones looks to steer them clear of danger

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