Jackson justifying Maresca's faith
Christopher Nkunku's winner from the bench against Bournemouth, after Nicolas Jackson had missed earlier chances, led to a clamour for him to start against West Ham on Saturday.
But Enzo Maresca backed Jackson as his first-choice striker in his pre-match press conference and the 23-year-old repaid his manager's faith with a player-of-the-match, two-goal display to help secure a third consecutive Premier League away win for the Blues.
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Jackson was helped, of course, by the dreadful West Ham defending that allowed him to waltz through on goal for each of them. But he was still required to finish coolly and he did just that.
His double took him to four Premier League goals for the season and 18 since the start of last term. Having set up Cole Palmer's late third, he also has seven assists in that timeframe.
They are healthy numbers for a 23-year-old striker who was new to the competition last term, especially given the criticism he has had to withstand during more difficult periods.
Unsurprisingly, there was more praise from Maresca afterwards, who highlighted the importance of his work-rate out of possession. "It was a complete performance," the Chelsea boss added. Nkunku's wait for a starting spot looks likely to continue.
Nick Wright
Lopetegui takes blame for West Ham's dire showing
Guido Rodriguez suffered the ignominy of being hooked after 38 minutes in West Ham's loss to Chelsea. He had been wretchedly poor and he was not the only one. But the bigger issue was the tactical tweak which left the home side overrun in midfield.
Having used a back four in West Ham's first four Premier League games of the season, Julen Lopetegui switched to a three, with Edson Alvarez asked to drop between Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos in the heart of their backline.
It hurt West Ham on two fronts. Firstly, because Alvarez looked desperately uncomfortable in the role, his lack of pace exposed. And secondly, because it ensured the home side were outnumbered in midfield, with Rodriguez and Lucas Paqueta unable to cope.
Lopetegui did not acknowledge Rodriguez as he came off but, to his credit, he took the blame for the early change himself in his press conference. "When a coach changes a player before half-time, it's not the fault of the player, it's the fault of the coach," he said.
The players, collectively, must take their share of the responsibility too, of course. Especially given their baffling lack of intensity and aggression in the early stages continued in the second half. But the boos of the home fans at the London Stadium when Lopetegui substituted Crycensio Summerville in the second period showed they put the blame in the same place as the man himself.
Nick Wright
Electric Diaz adding goals to his game
Luis Diaz has five goals to his name already this season. It took him until November last season to reach that milestone which suggests Slot, who has a reputation for improving attacking players, is having an impact on the uptick of Diaz's output in front of goal. He's working at a rate of a goal every 72 minutes - not quite Erling Haaland's levels of one every 39 minutes, but it's still a phenomenal early-season purple patch.
Both his goals were all about energy. Diaz nipped in to control a direct ball on his thigh, rounded Kepa and fired past the covering Julian Araujo on the line. The second was equally as clinical, Mohamed Salah laying off a quick pass to Trent Alexander-Arnold who was given free rein to carry forward, delaying his pass to Diaz who shifted it onto his left foot before firing home.
He is electric when in this mood.
Lewis Jones
All shots, no threat for Bournemouth
It may not have felt like it having watched the game but Bournemouth's tally of 19 shots was the most Liverpool have faced in a game at Anfield since 2014 when Everton also registered 19.
That statistic implies they perhaps deserved more than the 3-0 defeat. But they didn't.
Liverpool were comprehensively the better side.
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This is the thing with Andoni Iraola's football at Bournemouth - they do so many things right and play such an aggressive game that opens teams up but can't get results against the elite.
They have now failed to win any of 13 Premier League games vs last season's top-six - winning just two points from a possible 39.
Those 19 shots only equated to an expected goals figure of 1.03 which tells you the shots they were taking on were low probability ones. Across their last two games they have posted 38 shots but have failed to score. It's something the manager must address.
Lewis Jones
Are we now seeing the return of the real Jimenez?
Rodrigo Muniz was understandably chosen to lead Fulham's line at the start of the season after his excellent form in front of goal in 2024, but that role has now gone to Raul Jimenez after the former's slow start to the campaign - and the Mexican looks determined to hold on to it.
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Everyone knows about the fractured skull the striker suffered while at Wolves three years ago and it has been a long road back for him, but gradually he looks to be returning to his best.
Jimenez was on target in the draw with West Ham last weekend and the 33-year-old was at it again against Newcastle, opening the scoring with a brilliantly taken effort as he took down Adama Traore's ball in from the right in one movement, before sweeping home a low shot for his eighth goal in just his last nine Premier League starts.
His manager, Marco Silva, was purring in his praise of his frontman, noting what a key ingredient confidence is in any sportsman's armour, with Jimenez now looking to make that striking role his for good.
Richard Morgan
Spurs begin to reveal best side
When Tottenham click they can be devastating. By far their most complete display of the season, Spurs' big hitters all stood up to the count, and took collective responsibility for delivering an 'Ange-ball' style performance.
Dominic Solanke opened his Spurs account, Brennan Johnson scored in consecutive matches for the first time since joining a year ago, and James Maddison scored and assisted in the same game for the first time since May 2023.
Ange Postecoglou called his team relentless, registering 23 efforts on goal - 10 on target - and generating an xG of 3.51 - their highest of the season. This was a triumph of patience.
It was only a matter of time before new parts began to sync with old, in a more cohesive and productive way, Postecoglou had insisted. But doubters pointed to Spurs' profligacy in games up until this point.
"We haven't got just rewards until now," Postecoglou responded. Now he must back it up.
Laura Hunter
Flashes of forward form hint at storm passing for Everton
After his side surrendered their lead for a third consecutive game, Sean Dyche's reaction to the lightning that painted the sky above the King Power Stadium - and resulted in a delayed start to the second half - was hardly surprising.
"The way things are going for me, I probably would have got hit," the Everton boss said.
The Toffees remain winless in the Premier League after Stephy Mavididi cancelled out Iliman Ndiaye's opener to earn Leicester a 1-1 draw.
As the travelling fans hauled on ponchos, the doom and gloom of it all would have been hard to miss. But, with proverbs hanging in the balance, Everton's attackers arrived on cue to act as silver linings on a cloudy day.
Ndiaye, the standout, netted his first Premier League goal, darting in from the left wing to receive Ashley Young's pass before chopping beyond a defender and powering the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
This was not the only moment of quality that the Senegal international produced, though. Earlier, in the fourth minute, the winger had spun past his marker on the left flank and floated a cross towards the back post, which Jesper Lindstrom volleyed wide.
Though Lindstrom is yet to find the net in three Premier League appearances since arriving on a season-long loan from Napoli that is a reflection on his finishing woes, not a lack of attacking threat.
The 24-year-old registered an xG of 0.47 across four shots which was more than any player on either side and almost half of Everton's total (0.97). If he can show more composure in front of goal, something that may develop as he adapts to his new club, then his well-timed bursts into the box will add real threat to the Everton attack.
The form and fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin may also decide Everton's attacking potency moving forward and he continued his quietly impressive start to the season here.
Breaking on the counter in the 65th minute, McNeil played in his striker as he strode into the right-hand side of the Everton box. A powerful effort was directed toward the far corner but Mads Hermansen reacted well to push it away.
Jonny Coffey