With two Big Six clashes and a Merseyside derby, there was a lot to get excited about in the Premier League this weekend. And with last-minute goals, red cards aplenty and a couple of narrative shifts, it sure did not disappoint. Pep Guardiola did his best Jose Mourinho impression and took his Manchester City side to Arsenal to defend deep and play on the counterattack.
And the coach renowned around the world for his attacking style would have gotten away with his negative tactics had it not been for that pesky Gabriel Martinelli.
Elsewhere in the things you don't expect to happen category, Tottenham pulled off a comeback draw after falling two goals behind, another sign that they are doing their best to shed their 'Spursy' tag under Thomas Frank.
And Manchester United won a match, actually managing to beat a top side at Old Trafford, albeit with every single thing going in their favour.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from matchday five in the English top flight…
Getty Images SportWINNER: Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli would have been entitled to feel slighted by Arsenal's summer transfer activities as they added two extra wide forwards to compete with him in Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. He has had to get used to a different type of role after starting only two of the Gunners' first six games but on Sunday he showed he has a unique ability to make the difference when it matters most with a moment of genius.
That was what he conjured to snatch a 93rd minute equaliser against City, a delightful chip under pressure to finally beat the seemingly unbeatable Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was the second decisive goal Martinelli has scored against City in the last three seasons, his contributions stripping City of four points in the process. It was also Martinelli's second decisive appearance off the bench in a week, after scoring and assisting against Athletic Club.
Arteta described the forward as a "finisher" after the game although Martinelli has done more than enough to earn himself a spot in the starting line-up next week at Newcastle.
AdvertisementAFPLOSER: Unai Emery
Aston Villa must have thought they were finally going to win their first game of the season when Matty Cash's piledriver gave them the lead at Sunderland. But once more Unai Emery's side were denied and they have a measly three points from their opening five matches of the season, a shocking start considering they finished sixth last season and fifth the year before.
Not only could Villa not beat a promoted team that many expect to go down, they could not do so even with an extra man advantage for an hour after Reinildo had been sent off. There was something galling about the manner in which they conceded the equaliser, too, with three defenders failing to stop Wilson Isidor getting on the end of Granit Xhaka's cushioned header and scoring.
Emery is not usually known for revealing too much in his interviews but he could not contain his fury this time, blasting his team as "lazy" and "not playing with our identity". The manager said he was "frustrated and disappointed" with the result and fans must be feeling that way too, especially as the draw followed their mid-week exit from the Carabao Cup against Brentford.
AFPWINNER: Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim said before facing Chelsea that not even the Pope could convince him to change formations from his much derided 3-4-2-1 so something else had to change to prevent the coach being put under yet more pressure after defeat by Manchester City last week had compounded their worrying start to the season. The thing that changed was their luck.
Robert Sanchez's fifth-minute red card for coming flying out of his area and clattering into Bryan Mbeumo was exactly what United needed and Cole Palmer then being withdrawn with injury made things even more straightforward. They took full advantage by marching into a 2-0 lead. That is, until Casemiro got himself sent off and evened things up.
When Trevoh Chalobah headed home from a corner to halve the deficit the stage looked set for another spectacular United collapse. But United then displayed something rarely seen in the Amorim era: a backbone. Luke Shaw and Matthijs de Ligt dived in to halt dangerous counters and block shots and even Altay Bayindir managed to go without his customary blunder.
The challenge now is to do it again and beat Brentford and Sunderland, in theory much easier opponents than Chelsea, in their next two games before the international break. If his team can do that then it will be a little easier to believe in Amorim's project.
AFPLOSER: Graham Potter
It is never a good sign of a manager's work when thousands of fans come out before a game to stage protests. And even though the West Ham supporters who gathered before the Crystal Palace match were specifically targetting chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karen Brady rather than Graham Potter, the hapless coach is the one whose job is at far bigger risk.
The defeat by Palace was their fifth defeat in six matches this season in all competitions while no team has a worse defensive record than the Hammers. And when Potter withdrew West Ham's best-performing players Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes during the game he was quickly subjected to chants of "You don't know what you're doing" and "You're getting sacked in the morning".
It was little wonder, then, that on Saturday it was being reported that West Ham had already begun searching for a new coach, with Nuno Espirito Santo leading the candidates along with much-loved former Irons boss and player Slaven Bilic.
It seems to be a question of when rather than if Potter gets his marching orders. And given his dismal record in charge, which reads six wins in 25 games, it is difficult to imagine any other Premier League club wanting to hire him in the near future.
