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One. Elliot Anderson Earns Encouragement from Each Managers

The Nottingham Forest midfielder was prominent during Nottingham Forest's two-nil setback at Newcastle, reminding Eddie Howe the talent he parted with when Premier League spending rules compelled the midfielder's departure to avoid a points penalty. This occurred in the summer transfer window of 2024, and the England international has excelled ever since his switch to Forest. During the initial 45 minutes he surpassed even the Italian midfielder and, in total, was clearly the Forest manager's standout individual. However mistakes can happen, and when his misplaced ball presented the Brazilian midfielder an opening, his subsequent attempted tackle was ill-judged and resulted in Guimarães falling in the area. The Brazilian had already shot the Magpies ahead from 25 yards, and from the spot Nick Woltemade converted his fourth strike in his last five games. Tellingly, at the end of the match, both the Forest boss and the Newcastle manager made concerted efforts to comfort Anderson. Should Forest's manager is to establish himself at the club, he will certainly be heavily dependent on Anderson's talent. Howe, in contrast, would welcome the chance to bring back the former youth product. Should Nottingham Forest, whether or not they have their manager, fail to improve, Newcastle might get another opportunity.

2. Rodri Fitness Worry Overshadows Manchester City Success

His look said it all. As he sank to the Griffin Park surface looking down, there was a barely discernible shake of the head – though his posture spoke volumes. Another setback for the Spanish midfielder? That appeared to be the case. The City manager has tried his best to carefully use Rodri's game time this campaign since his tentative return from a serious knee injury; he now has to put more faith in other options. Nico González is the natural stand-in in the lineup, but has only been trusted to begin a single league match since late August. The £49.8m signing was a £49.8m signing and will be called upon more frequently after his 22nd-minute introduction for City in west London. As to whether he can offer composure like the influential midfielder, opinions are divided.

Three. Mason Mount Rises the Ranking at Manchester United

Fitness issues have hampered Mason Mount's time at United. His start against Sunderland was merely his 17th in the Premier League since arriving in the summer of 2023 from Chelsea. His quality has always been recognized, but establishing himself and enough game time to build momentum has been a challenge. In the latest match, his first touch was excellent and he brought vision and discipline in similar amounts, which could be the reason why the United manager preferred him to Matheus Cunha. He finished brilliantly, scoring the quickest opener for Amorim's team since his debut as manager 11 months ago. At a big club, Mount's experience could prove vital. I consider myself bringing a lot of energy into the team and leading the pressing at times, being a key instigator going forward,” commented. “That’s always something that I focus on, assisting those nearby and really raising the tempo. Scoring was obviously massive for me.”

4. Nuno Demonstrates Faith in Young Player Marshall

The West Ham manager's decision to introduce the young striker for his bow at the Emirates Stadium against the Gunners, rather than the veteran the seasoned forward, was an major statement in the 20-year-old Northern Ireland forward who had a loan spell at Huddersfield Town. Since Callum Wilson – who joined on a free transfer in the off-season – and Niclas Füllkrug have contributed just one goal together so far in the Premier League, Marshall could get plenty of more opportunities if the new manager's comments after the game are any indication. It's difficult to put a young lad in front of an experienced player,” said Nuno. “It’s important for us, as rapidly, to have total knowledge of the players available. What I’ve been seeing, [Marshall] has energy, he’s a clinical in front of goal, good mobility, he can identify openings in the space. I think we have a useful option.”

5. Calm Thomas Frank Slowly Secures his Spurs Rewards

It's unclear how good Spurs can be this campaign, including the players. What is undeniable is that they are heading in the right direction under the Danish manager. Following another victory from four unbeaten away games this season, belief is growing that Tottenham are becoming a increasingly organized and tough side than the squad which dropped to their lowest league position under the previous manager last season. Frank exudes calm confidence to Frank, who spoke glowingly of his players' mindset and collective desire in beating a combative Leeds United side at a raucous, windswept their home ground. The Tottenham boss had been unable to overcome his opposite number and friend the Leeds manager in their head-to-head record, but strikes by the French forward and Mohammed Kudus, around Noah Okafor's first-half equaliser, resulted in the result went his way. The season is young, but prospects are improving for Tottenham.

Six. Josh Acheampong and Benoît Badiashile Deliver

The Chelsea manager sought a new centre-back after being without the young defender to a knee injury before the start of the season. The club hierarchy thought otherwise. The playing staff are strong and a panic buy was not needed. Later further fitness issues, leaving Maresca stretched. There was concern about Josh Acheampong and the French centre-back lining up against the Reds on the weekend, but their fears were misplaced. Acheampong is just a teenager but he is highly rated. He contained Crystal Palace’s {Jean-Philipp