The third weekend of the Premier League season provided plenty of talking points, from Hull City continuing their unbeaten start under Sergej Jakirovic to Manchester United once again finding a way to let a winning position slip away.
Arsenal also maintained their perfect start to the campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea, with Kai Havertz once again showing why confidence can be such a powerful force for a player.
Here are three things that stood out from Matchday 3.
1. Sergej Jakirovic is cooking at Hull City
Hull City’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa may not have been the most entertaining game of the weekend, but the result tells an important story about Jakirovic’s side.
Three Premier League games unbeaten is an outstanding start for a team that has only just returned to the top-flight and Hull finished the weekend sitting third in the table, behind only Arsenal and Manchester City.
Jakirovic has already given Hull something that promoted sides desperately need: belief.
They are not simply trying to survive matches. There is a clear identity to the way they play, with the 5-4-1 shape providing a strong defensive foundation while allowing them to remain competitive against more established Premier League opposition.
The draw against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa was another example of that resilience.
There is still a long way to go, of course, but Hull are already showing enough to suggest they could become one of the surprise packages of the season.
For Jakirovic, the challenge now is maintaining those standards once the league begins to settle down.
2. Manchester United still need to find their killer edge
Manchester United’s 2-2 draw away to Everton will feel like two points dropped after Michael Carrick’s side twice took the lead.
United looked capable of winning the game, but once again they failed to put the match beyond their opponents, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles producing a stunning stoppage-time equaliser to rescue a point for Everton.
The bigger concern for United, however, is how they managed the game after taking control.
Marcus Rashford was arguably United’s best forward and had been a constant threat, while Everton right-back Merlin Rohl was already on a booking. Yet Rashford was replaced by Patrick Dorgu, a player whose natural position is at full back.
There may have been practical reasons behind the decision, including Rashford appearing to ask for an energy drink, but from a tactical perspective it felt like the wrong message at the wrong time.
United needed more attacking players to keep Everton under pressure.
Instead, taking both Rashford and Matheus Cunha off allowed Everton to grow into the game, while the introduction of Jack Grealish gave the home side another lift. Grealish immediately helped Everton gain territory and momentum, and the balance of the game began to shift.
The problem is simple: attack wins you games, but that defence isn’t winning you a title.
United have enough attacking quality to put teams away, but they cannot afford to repeatedly allow opponents back into matches.
Playing with your food might work occasionally, but over the course of a Premier League season, it will eventually come back to bite you.
For Carrick, there are already questions to answer about game management, defensive consistency and whether United are doing enough to maintain pressure when they have an opponent on the ropes.
3. Kai Havertz’s confidence could be massive for Arsenal
Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea ensured they maintained their perfect start to the Premier League campaign, but Kai Havertz was arguably the biggest takeaway from the match.
The German forward was a focal point for Arsenal in attack and showed the confidence that has become such an important part of his game.
Havertz equalised against his former club before playing a role in Arsenal’s winning goal, with his movement helping create the space for Martin Odegaard to finish.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Havertz’s current form is the competition he is facing – and winning.
Viktor Gyokeres arrived with huge expectations, yet Havertz’s performances have been strong enough to keep the summer signing out of the starting XI.
That is not necessarily a negative for Arsenal. In fact, it could be exactly what Mikel Arteta needs.
A confident Havertz gives Arsenal another attacking dimension. He can link play, occupy defenders, attack the box and provide a focal point when Arsenal need to play more directly.
If he continues playing with this level of belief, Arsenal could have another serious weapon in their title defence.
Nine points from nine is the perfect start, and Havertz’s confidence could prove to be one of the biggest bonuses of all.
The early-season picture
Three games into the season and already there are some intriguing narratives developing.
Jakirovic has Hull City competing at the right end of the table, Manchester United are still searching for the consistency and ruthlessness required to turn good performances into wins, while Arsenal have started perfectly and are seeing Havertz emerge as an increasingly important figure.
There is a long way to go, but Matchweek Three has already given us plenty to talk about.
Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments.
