Five things we learned from Game Week three

We take a look at five things we learnt from this weekend’s games.

The third round of Premier League fixtures has now been played (excluding Liverpool and Arsenal, who play each other on Monday night) and so it’s time to look at what we have learned from this weekend’s performances and results.

There was another win for Man City, while Chelsea finally picked up their first three points of the season, as did Bournemouth. Several teams – including Tottenham and Southampton – are also still chasing their first victory.

1. Man United need another attacking threat

As the Red Devils played out a 0-0 draw against Newcastle, it was clear that they need another forward. Yes, they do have Wayne Rooney but he has now gone ten games without a goal – not a good stat for an attacker. They also have Depay but he isn’t played as an out-and-out striker and therefore he is more likely to set a goal up then score one (although he can find the back of the net, as he did in midweek for United last week).

They also have Hernandez but it isn’t likely that he will be making many starts, as he now spends most of his time occupying the bench at Old Trafford.

Credit to Newcastle though – their defence was pretty solid to keep out Man United, with Krul and Coloccini in particular having superb games for the Toon. However, in Louis Van Gaal wants to take the Red Devils to the title, he can’t be going without scoring like this each week and he can’t be relying on Rooney every week either.

2. Jack Butland can be a terrific goalkeeper

Jack Butland was sensational in goal for Stoke this weekend, as the Potters drew 1-1 with Norwich.

Despite having broken one of his fingers, the keeper had a tremendous game to snatch a point for Stoke away from home, even though Norwich continued to bombard the Englishman with shot after shot.

If he performs like this every week, then he certainly has a bright future in the England international setup. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not getting carried away, after all, it was only one performance. But Butland is still young (He’s just 22-years old) and if he continues to impress in goal for the Potters, then it is certainly worth giving him a chance in goal for England. What have we got to lose anyway?

3. Man United’s loss is Chelsea’s gain

Man United fans – not to mention the club and staff themselves – will have been hurting massively after watching the Chelsea game.

Pedro was amazing for the Blues as he helped them claim a first win over the season against West Brom. He played a part in two of Chelsea’s goals, scoring one and setting one up, as they beat the Baggies 3-2 on Sunday.

The Spaniard was a real handful for the West Brom defence and he continued to be a thorn in their side throughout the game. If he keeps it up for the rest of the season, then Chelsea have arguably got themselves the signing of the summer.

Man United were linked with Pedro for weeks and it seemed as if a deal was almost done to send the 28-year old to Old Trafford. However, in a massive twist, the winger/forward ended up moving to Stamford Bridge instead, leaving the Red Devils wondering what might have been.

4. Man City mean business

Man City picked up yet another win this weekend, which takes them to the very top of the Premier League table. They remain unbeaten so far this year, winning all three of their games.

They once again looked strong in most areas: the defence was solid, the midfield was superb, Aguero threatened the Toffees defence and Sterling and Silva in particular were outstanding today and Everton struggled to handle them.

It’s early days yet but with yet another commanding performance from the Citizens, they are already putting a strong case together to be serious title contenders this season. Could the title be heading back to the Etihad? There are still 35 games left yet – we will have to wait and see!

5. Callum Wilson can cut it in the Premier League

Callum Wilson scored a hat-trick for Bournemouth, as the Cherries claimed their first win of the season.

They managed to claim a 4-3 win over West Ham on Saturday to seal their first three points of the new campaign and it was Wilson’s performance that was the highlight of the 90 minutes.

He bagged two goals in the first half to give Bournemouth a 2-0 lead at half-time. He sealed his hat-trick later in the game from the penalty spot to ensure that the three points went to the visitors.

The forward impressed in the Championship for the Cherries and it looks as if he has handled the step-up well – if he can keep banging them in on a regular basis, then Eddie Howe and his Bournemouth side might be able to stay up this year.