Premier League talking points: Chelsea dazzle in attack as Spurs & Liverpool struggle

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a] sit top, ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a]'s trip to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a] on Monday, after a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/crystal-palace-AovF1Mia/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/?mid=C0b6Sk9l"]4-1 thrashing[/a] of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a], while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] edged out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brighton-2XrRecc3/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/?mid=849SZXGE"]4-3[/a] to maintain their perfect start under Xabi Alonso.[/p][p]By contrast, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a]'s massive outlay on new players is yet to bear any fruit as they remain without a point or even a goal, while Andoni Iraola has only managed two draws in his opening two matches in charge of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a].[/p][p]AFP Sports looks at three talking points from the Premier League weekend:[/p][h2]Front three give Chelsea reason to dream[/h2][p]Two Premier League games into Alonso's reign as Chelsea manager, the Blues have seven goals, six points and plenty of reasons for optimism.[/p][p]The acid test of whether Chelsea are truly back to being title contenders comes when they travel to face champions Arsenal next weekend.[/p][p][b]But the arrival of Alonso on the bench and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rogers-morgan/lp4jm80n/"]Morgan Rogers[/a] to form a potent front three alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-pedro/CAmJERl2/"]Joao Pedro[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Cole Palmer[/a], has transformed a side that finished 10th last season.[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="fc6f22d3-0d44-4322-a188-023ece067b3e" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="25df605e-93bf-42aa-9c4a-ccda9137f0a4" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]That failure could ultimately help Chelsea's chances of a first league title in a decade as they have no European football, while their rivals face the strain of the Champions League.[/p][p][b]"Chelsea has so much quality on transition moments they have maybe the best offensive line in the league,"[/b] said Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.[/p][p]Alonso has already shown an adaptability to maximise the weapons at his disposal.[/p][p]Chelsea had just 26% possession against Brighton, the lowest of any league match in Alonso's managerial career.[/p][p]Yet, they lured the Seagulls on to strike decisively on the counter-attack, epitomised by Pedro's third goal from a move beginning in the Chelsea area.[/p][h2]Spurs 'can't buy mentality'[/h2][p]Roberto De Zerbi surveyed the damage from big-spending Tottenham's dismal start and admitted it is mentality rather than money that will define their season.[/p][p]De Zerbi has overseen an expensive rebuild of the Tottenham squad that narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season, but results have proved harder to buy.[/p][p][b]The Italian's spending spree has topped 300 million pounds (406 million dollars) ahead of Tuesday's transfer deadline, only for Tottenham to lose 3-0 at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a] in their opening game and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/newcastle-p6ahwuwJ/tottenham-UDg08Ohm/?mid=ry1ouThf"]2-0 at home[/a] to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a] on Saturday.[/b][/p][embed guid="e09a9cbf-738e-4a51-840d-4b161deb1f62" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2093769676304126441" social-type="twitter" /][p]Bottom of the table Tottenham have lost their opening two matches of a league campaign without scoring for the first time since 1974-75.[/p][p]After successive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, De Zerbi know the mounting pressure on his players could be a problem.[/p][p][b]"After two defeats, maybe somebody can think it's the same story, the same as the last two seasons. I have no doubt it's not like this,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"It's the biggest target to find the right mentality. Unfortunately, you can't buy the mentality in the transfer market."[/b][/p][h2]Liverpool ignore glaring gaps[/h2][p]Liverpool could feature a forward line with each player costing in excess of 100 million pounds at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ipswich/thqhB2MB/"]Ipswich[/a] on Friday, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barcola-bradley/lhGD3RgS/"]Bradley Barcola[/a] set to join [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Alexander Isak[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wirtz-florian/0Q5gjImi/"]Florian Wirtz[/a] in the Reds' star-studded attack.[/p][p][b]Isak and Wirtz have so far offered little return on the huge sums paid for them 12 months ago, but each had a hand in a goal each of Liverpool's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/liverpool-lId4TMwf/nottingham-UsushcZr/?mid=CYJLO78D"]2-2 draw[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] on Saturday.[/b][/p][p]The Sweden striker tapped home his first goal of the season, while Wirtz's brilliant assist teed up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/munoz-victor/EBMXXrd3/"]Victor Munoz[/a] to rescue a point in the final 10 minutes.[/p][embed guid="a4ac1bb6-8999-4fb4-9b1c-e23dde8e85ba" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2093813441555251515" social-type="twitter" /][p]Despite a prolonged search for attacking reinforcements since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mohamed Salah[/a]'s departure at the end of last season, it is at the other end that Liverpool still look brittle.[/p][p]Iraola's reign has begun with two chaotic 2-2 draws that exposed a lack of midfield protection for defensive deficiencies.[/p][p]Both full-backs [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kerkez-milos/2H46JAgp/"]Milos Kerkez[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/frimpong-jeremie/SjJ6pCvC/"]Jeremie Frimpong[/a] were replaced after a chastening first hour and Iraola may regret not focusing more on strengthening at the back rather than splashing out on another expensive forward.[/p][infobox id="02b45e73-9abc-454d-882a-650a1a621f7d" /]