Liverpool can make a back-three fashionable again, Flamini is Arsenal's unsung hero and what was Chamakh thinking?
1) Flamini: the unsung hero
Working on the basis that barely a match has passed this season without Aaron Ramsey being a talking point of some description, maybe the time is right to talk about the influence of the man alongside him in central midfield. Arsène Wenger admitted that he was reluctant to resign Mathieu Flamini when he became available in the summer, and it would be fair to say that the Frenchman's return on a free transfer was not exactly what Arsenal supporters had in mind at a time when they were urging the manager to spend money. There are, however, few dissenting voices now. Flamini's experience, leadership and ability to snap into tackles has been invaluable in a callow but gifted Arsenal midfield where he is always likely to be the unsung hero. When Swansea cranked up the pressure in the closing stages of Saturday's 2-1 win at the Liberty Stadium, it was Flamini who was throwing himself into challenges, barking orders and organising his team-mates. Asked afterwards what Flamini has brought to the team, Wenger replied: "That combative aspect. That winning desire. And balance in the team as well. He focuses on just doing the dirty work." Stuart James
2) Hull use of Hawk-Eye brings focus on Uefa
The Hawk-Eye goalline technology came into action for the first time at the KC Stadium on Saturday, and within barely a moment had definitively answered the question whether West Ham's James Tomkins's header had crossed the line before being cleared by Ahmed El-Mohamady in the negative. So slick was it, in fact, that the ball had not left the Hull six-yard box before 'no goal' flashed up on the watch-like device on referee Kevin Friend's wrist. That Uefa should have chosen not to use the system in European competitions is looking more nonsensical by the day. Richard Rae
3) What was going through Chamakh's mind?
The shame for Marouane Chamakh was that he was probably the best striker on the pitch in the first half at St Mary's, especially when he linked with the impressive Jimmy Kébé when Crystal Palace broke forward. Yet, ultimately, all he will be remembered for is that moment when he went through on goal, in which he passed up the chance to shoot, tried to take the ball round Artur Boruc, realised he had knocked it too far forward and fell over the Southampton goalkeeper, earning a booking for diving. Even Ian Holloway was at a loss to explain what had gone through Chamakh's mind. Of course, it is easy to point out what, in that split-second, he should have done from the sideline but any confident striker would have taken a touch and shot – Chamakh surely spent enough time in the company of Robin van Persie to appreciate the value of that no-nonsense approach. So this was more than a case of a player cheating, this was about a player not trusting his own ability, of trying to take the easy way out to avoid the possibility of looking stupid if he missed. From that perspective, it is quite a sad situation. What will also be forgotten is that Chamakh made the chance for himself out of nothing. Every so often, there is a glimpse of the player who helped Bordeaux reach the last eight of the Champions League in 2010. The talent is there but unfortunately the right mentality is not. Jacob Steinberg
4) Liverpool can make a back-three fashionable again
Brendan Rodger's 3-4-1-2 formation is designed to make the most of two exceptional forwards, Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge and at Sunderland, it most certainly worked. With Jordan Henderson and José Enrique working well as wing backs, Victor Moses in the advanced attacking role and Steven Gerrard supplying those raking passes, from deep it offers security and scope for improvisation, plus two outright strikers. What's not to like? Managers need the correct personnel to pull if off but, much more of this from Liverpool and increasingly passé old 4-2-3-1 could soon be on the wane. Louise Taylor
5) Berahino makes his name even more memorable
West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino has already had his 'remember the name' moment following the equaliser he scored on debut for the England U-21 team against Moldova in August. The Burundi-born 20-year-old left his war-stricken homeland a decade ago when his family were granted political asylum and is a great news story that keeps on getting better. The way he consigned Manchester United to a 2-1 defeat on their home patch with a missile of a winner was the stuff of fantasy. Berahino, who ended the contest with Rio Ferdinand's shirt, said: "This is up there. Scoring against Manchester United is everyone's dream. It is a great feeling." Having also struck last time out against Arsenal to secure the Baggies a point and after previously returning a hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Newport County in the Capital One Cup, Berahino was correct when stating that life is pretty fine at the moment: "Yes. God is great. I thank God." Jamie Jackson
6) Are the Welsh clubs the best bargain-hunters?
Swansea are a hard act to follow but Cardiff's start to the season suggests that, while there are obvious differences between the teams, both of the Premier League's Welsh clubs know how to spot a player. Cardiff's new right-back, Kévin Theophile-Christopher, is looking a shrewd acquisition for just over £2m and Peter Odemwingie enjoyed an impressive Premier League start for the club against Fulham, where Steven Caulker scored his first goal and produced a performance to confirm what a catch he was. Best of all, however, was Gary Medel, the formidable Chilean midfielder who is emerging as one of the bargains of the season, even at £11m. Paul Doyle
7) FA pilot scheme could serve to further anger Mourinho
José Mourinho will be infuriated by the very possibility of it, but the Football Association's pilot scheme that allows former referees to sit in judgment on certain incidents not seen by match officials might be about to be granted its first high-profile case to consider. The governing body will speak with Mike Dean on Monday to determine his reasons for brandishing a yellow card at Fernando Torres in the 51st minute of Saturday's draw at White Hart Lane and, if the official confirms it was not awarded for the scratch the striker clawed down Jan Vertonghen's cheek, then the three-man panel could be asked to scrutinise the spat. Such an offence would normally carry a three-match ban. Mourinho is already fuming that Torres will serve a one-game suspension after picking up a second yellow card, harshly, for a subsequent clash with Vertonghen and was dismayed to discover that decision could not be appealed. That punishment could be extended by another three games if he is found guilty of further violent misconduct, ruling him out of the games against Cardiff, Manchester City in the Premier League and Arsenal in the Capital One Cup. Mourinho may have to confront that possibility in his pre-match press conference in Bucharest on Tuesday afternoon though, in truth, his reaction already feels predictable. Dominic Fifield
8) Norwich's new-look attack needs to find the net
Can Norwich's attacking talents deliver enough goals in the Premier League? The Canaries earned a deserved victory over Stoke, but only courtesy of a speculative strike from midfielder Jonny Howson. Norwich invested heavily in the summer to improve the quality of their front line and the service to it, but their recognised strikers have scored just one goal between them in the league this season - Ricky Van Wolfswinkel's header against Everton on the opening day of the season - from a combined total of 805 minutes on the pitch. Van Wolfswinkel was bought for £8.5 million from Sporting Lisbon (he has played 526 minutes), Johan Elmander joined on loan from Galatasaray (252 minutes) and Gary Hooper was acquired from Celtic for £5million (just 27 minutes due to injury and, surprisingly, was not picked for the match at Stoke). Norwich will need them to find some form because few opponents will be as soft as Stoke were on Sunday. Jonny Weeks
9) Southampton's miserly defence built on growing understanding
While Rickie Lambert and Pablo Osvaldo will grab the headlines for scoring Southampton's goals in their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, much of Southampton's recent success has been built on their defence. Throughout September, the Saints conceded not a single goal, and started the same back-four in every league match. Two towering centre-backs in the form of José Fonte and Dejan Lovren have successfully won the aerial battles while the impressive Luke Shaw and Nathanial Clyne are mobile enough to cover mistakes and technical enough to retain possession to build attacks. However, their biggest asset as a collective defensive unit is the simple understanding that comes from playing together on a consistent basis, something that manager Mauricio Pochettino, a centre-back in his playing days, knows very well. It will be interesting to see if Southampton are as watertight later in the season when inevitable injuries and suspensions force these four to be separated. Michael Butler
10) Why have Manchester City struggled on the road?
When Manuel Pellegrini was appointed at Manchester City, he made immediate reference to their desire to win the Champions League. But having thrown three points away at Aston Villa after shuffling the pack with an eye placed on Wednesday's mouthwatering game against Bayern Munich, there is now a more pressing domestic issue: how to improve their dismal away form. To go from a mesmerising attacking performance six days previous in the Manchester derby – where their four goals were scored from their first four attempts on target – to such a profligate showing against a Villa team that possessed a little more than 30% of the ball (in addition, City only found the target with seven of their 21 efforts on goal) indicates that they are an entirely different proposition away from the Etihad. Another of Pellegrini's early statements regarded the importance of instilling a winning mentality but there could be trouble ahead if they fail to improve their away form soon – especially with back-to-back games in London, at West Ham and Chelsea, after the upcoming international break. Alan Smith
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