Another dramatic weekend of action in the Premier League saw Manchester City extend their perfect start and spin a free-flowing Tottenham in their victory over Burnley.
City ruthlessly beat Fulham 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium to make four of four wins in their title defense as Spurs slashed Vincent Kompany’s side in an Ange-Ball clinic at Turf Moor.
Elsewhere, Arsenal beat Manchester United on stoppage time drama, while there were also wins for the likes of Brighton, Liverpool and West Ham.
However, big spenders Chelsea fell after a shock 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
So now the dust has settled, who’s playing? Mailsport‘s latest Power Rankings?
Manchester City continued their perfect start to the new season after a 5-1 defeat to Fulham
Tottenham stormed to victory over newcomer Burnley, with Son Heung-min scoring a hat-trick
10. James Ward-Prowse (seven down)
To be compared to Andrea Pirlo is quite a compliment, but Vladimir Coufal happily took aim at his West Ham team-mate, James Ward-Prowse.
The midfielder has already scored one goal and three assists in his three appearances to date and was once again on hand at Luton to save Kurt Zouma on his way home.
Powered by their new mid-park engine, West Ham look like a refreshing proposition this season and Ward-Prowse have been at the heart of all the good so far.
The fact that his passing and energy comes with raw numbers is a big bonus.
James Ward-Prowse turned in an understated but effective performance in West Ham’s victory
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9. Rodri (7 below)
It must be said that Rodri’s drop in the standings this week has more to do with the sensational performance of others than with any sloppiness on his part.
Once again he was metronome at the heart of City’s midfield, selflessly helping to lay the groundwork for their emphatic home win.
However, as this season has shown, he has also improved his attacking performance, having already scored twice.
He may not have scored as late a winner as he did against Sheffield United, but he stood out again with a restrained individual who showed his side were ticking.
The metronome Rodri kept City on their way to an emphatic victory at the Etihad
8. Bryan Mbeumo (three back)
Sorry, Bryan.
Admittedly it is hard to demote Mbeumo, even in light of his stoppage time against Bournemouth, so we apologize for that.
There was no hat-trick as three of his colleagues collected the accolade this weekend, but Mbeumo was his team’s hero after scoring on 93 minutes. He had a well-taken finish, with the striker bursting on target and thrusting the ball in.
Even when goalkeeper Neto tried to narrow the corner, it never looked like Mbeumo would miss. And in the absence of Ivan Toney, that clinical eye will be vital.
Bryan Mbeumo’s stoppage time equalizer saw Brentford draw against Bournemouth
7. Kaoru Mitoma (no change)
With three assists and one goal so far, Kaoru Mitoma is a man on a mission.
Having certainly caught the attention of some of the world’s biggest clubs following his sensational first season at Brighton, the troublesome winger is not done yet, as proved again in the Seagulls’ 3-1 win over admittedly under-performing Newcastle.
His final contribution to the goal came courtesy of a staggering dribble to the edge of the box, with his pass to Evan Ferguson enabling the young striker to launch a left-footed effort, aided by a poor deflection off Fabian Schar that misled Nick Pope.
Kaoru Mitoma was again influential for Brighton in the 3-1 win over Newcastle
6. Declan Rice (new entry)
The grin on Declan Rice’s face after he sacked Arsenal up front against Manchester United was certainly contagious – unless you’re a Red Devil of course.
A breathless Rice was the anchor for a better outing from Mikel Arteta’s side and he seemingly popped up all over the field, smashing a United offense in one turn and firing the ball into final third base moments later.
His goal was well deserved and put Arsenal in trouble again after their misstep at home against Fulham.
Yes, he has cost a whopping £105 million, and yes, offensively he may not contribute enough, but he remains a slick role model.
Declan Rice put Arsenal ahead against Manchester United, sparking wild jubilation
5. Jarrod Bowen (four)
West Ham briefly climbed to the top of the Premier League after beating Luton 2-1, negating the home side’s long-awaited return to the modernized Kenilworth Road.
Bowen scored his third goal of the season as he opened the scoring, with Lucas Paqueta’s stunning chip towards the back post enabling the striker to head in.
His awareness to peel off his marker and exploit space makes him deadly around the box.
Somehow he was left out of the England squad for the next few games, but he responded to the omission in the best way possible. Should he continue to produce the goods, Gareth Southgate will certainly find it impossible to overlook him again.
Jarrod Bowen scored the opening goal as West Ham beat Luton to climb to the top of the table
4. James Maddison (three down)
It was quite a start to life at Tottenham for James Maddison.
It was common knowledge that the Spurs had signed one of the best playmakers in the country, as well as a vocal leader, but the way he has embraced the many machinations and combinations of Ange Postecoglou’s project has been astonishing.
Maddison has now scored two goals in his last two games and most of the Spurs’ attacks seem to flow through him.
He is also willing to dive into a deeper position, grab the ball from the back-line and then pilot it forward, making him a manager’s dream.
James Maddison has had a sensational start to his life under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham
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3. Erling Haaland (new entry)
After a two-week hiatus, Erling Haaland has returned to the Power Rankings. And in the wake of his hat-trick against Fulham, it’s no wonder Manchester City’s assistant manager Juanma Lillo said the striker was born to score goals.
This Terminator-esque striker just keeps rolling relentlessly, with virtually no one in the entire top class keeping him still for too long.
Sure enough, the floodgates opened quickly against Fulham, with Haaland scoring all three of his goals after the break.
There’s a lot more to the frontman’s all-round game, as evidenced by his putting Julian Alvarez on the tee for the breakthrough, but Haaland remains one of the best players the Premier League has ever seen. That doesn’t bode well for City’s rivals this year.
Erling Haaland was one of three players to score a hat-trick during a dramatic weekend
2. Evan Ferguson (new entry)
For Evan Ferguson, the sky really is the limit. The 18-year-old scored with three of his four shots in Brighton’s win against Newcastle, matching veteran hitmen Son Heung-min and Erling Haaland with his hat-trick.
Elsewhere, too, he is under valued company.
Only Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Francis Jeffers scored more goals in the Premier League before their 19th birthday than Ferguson, who burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion.
Ferguson is blessed with excellent physicality and a varied skill set, making him a nightmare to deal with. Newcastle’s backline simply couldn’t hit him.
Evan Ferguson also scored three goals, helping high-flying Brighton against poor Newcastle
1. Son Heung-min (new entry)
Harry Kane’s departure understandably raised eyebrows at Tottenham, but they seem to have more than enough to offset the painful departure of their talisman.
He may have failed to find the back of the net in the first three games of the season, but Son timely recalled his enviable prowess by scoring a hat-trick against Burnley to see Spurs bounce back from an early opener.
The South Korean led a high pressure on a side revived under Ange Postecoglou and provided the lead when needed, sealing his return to the scene with a bang.
Son Heung-min was on hand with three own goals, a timely reminder of his great quality