The English Premier League takes a break for the next three weeks as players head off around the globe on international duty.
There are a familiar duo occupying the top two spots – Manchester City and Arsenal – but Brighton, Brentford and Leeds United provide some new faces directly below them in the table.
Propping up the rest are London pair Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, both without a win from five matches. Below, we pick out the main takeaways from the opening weeks of the season.
Same old Haaland
It has been a flying start for new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca, who has won all seven of his matches in charge across all competitions since the Community Shield defeat against Arsenal.
City opened up a three-point advantage at the top of the table thanks to their manic 5-3 victory over Sunderland on Sunday. And while there is a fresh face in the dugout as well as a host of new arrivals at the Etihad Stadium, there remains one undeniable constant in the team.
Certain strikers might allow their focus to be affected by missing an absolute sitter, as Erling Haaland did in the first half at the weekend, but the Norwegian is not cut from the same cloth. The inevitable goal came nine minutes from time, sealing the victory and taking Haaland's tally for the season to seven in seven games.
His first goal against the Black Cats also meant Haaland has now scored against all 25 Premier League clubs he has faced. Haaland's Manchester City career now reads 169 goals in 205 games.
Gunners can misfire
While City's start may be perfect so far, Sunderland showed that Maresca's side are far from the finished article, particularly defensively.
Heading into the weekend, both City and reigning champions Arsenal enjoyed 100 per cent records and were already looking a level above the rest.
The Arsenal defensive machine had been strengthened by Ezri Konsa's arrival over the summer; Bruno Guimaraes was brought in to bolster their midfield, while goals have been shared around by the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.
But the Gunners were blown away by an impressive Brighton side on Saturday as Mikel Arteta's side conceded three league goals for the first time since losing to Manchester United on January 25.
“Very disappointed,” Arteta said after what was also the Gunners' first league defeat since losing at Manchester City in April. “A lot was down to us, certain standards and basic things that we didn't do at all … we need to feel the pain.”
Carrick question mark
Manchester United's stumbling start to the campaign continued with a draw at winless Fulham when Michael Carrick's side needed a late Matheus Cunha goal to rescue a point.
It leaves United down in 12th place on five points – their joint-lowest in the Premier League after five games – having fallen to defeats at Hull City and in the Manchester derby, as well as being knocked out of the League Cup by Brighton.
Carrick can point at the VAR debacle that allowed Haaland's winner to stand in the derby loss, but the fact remains United barely deserved anything out of the game, having failed to trouble a City side reduced to 10 men after 23 minutes.
Former defender-turned-pundit Gary Neville described the team's second-half performance as “the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen” from a United side. It was hyperbolic, to say the least, but the lack of energy must have been a concern for Carrick.
“It's a long season and you're going to have spells through a season. That's part of the journey,” said the manager. “It's not a sprint, it's a long effort.”
Shambles at Spurs
Having forked out more than £300m on new players over the summer, the table provides miserable viewing for Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi.
Saturday's home defeat to Aston Villa, which saw fans heading for the exits in their droves after Emiliano Buendia's brilliant goal put Villa 3-0 up in the 79th minute, means winless Spurs are rock bottom of the pile on two points.
The home starting XI contained big-money arrivals Jan Paul van Hecke (£52m), Sandro Tonali (£100m), Savio (£75m), Mateus Fernandes (£85m) and Omar Marmosh (on loan with a £60m obligation to buy next summer), but they could not stop a defeat, which means Tottenham have made their worst start to a Premier League campaign.
De Zerbi's side have the problematic combination of a blunt attack – Conor Gallagher and Van Hecke's late consolation efforts were Spurs' first of the league campaign – and a leaky defence. The Villa loss came four days after they were knocked out of the League Cup by Liverpool, when they also conceded three times.
“We have to be stronger,” said Italian coach De Zerbi. “Football is tactical, but it is blood, it is fighting, it is first one on the ball. Without that, it is tough to win the game.”
Relief for Lampard
Coventry City finally secured their 100th Premier League victory when Jay Dasilva's second-half finish resulted in a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Win No 99 had come when Sunderland were defeated 1-0 in April 2001 at the end of a relegation campaign that would begin 25 years outside the top flight. During their time away, they suffered points deductions, administration, fourth-tier football and a spell playing home matches in Northampton due to a dispute over their ground.
After winning the Championship title last season, manager Frank Lampard endured a miserable return to the big time that saw his team lose all four games, fail to score any and concede 10.
But the moment of glory arrived away to their Midlands rivals at the weekend. “The players deserve it,” said former Chelsea and Everton manager Lampard “But we'll keep our feet on the ground because it is one win, but it was needed for us.”
