Premier League: Arsenal stumble as pressure builds on Manchester United’s Michael Carrick

Manchester City opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League after a dramatic weekend in which Arsenal and Chelsea suffered heavy defeats.

That advantage will stand for the next three weeks after Arsenal’s perfect start to the season ended with a 3-0 loss at Brighton. City also conceded three goals, but beat Sunderland 5-3 despite Brian Brobbey scoring a hat-trick for the Black Cats.

Chelsea were beaten 3-0 by Brentford, taking some of the gloss off Xabi Alonso’s early spell at Stamford Bridge, while Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by winless Fulham.

Here are three of the main talking points from the weekend.

Arsenal exposed at Brighton

Arsenal arrived on the south coast having won all seven of their matches in all competitions and had been widely backed to challenge strongly for the title after another impressive summer of recruitment.

Brighton, however, demonstrated that Mikel Arteta’s side are not without weaknesses by inflicting their heaviest defeat in more than three years.

Arsenal struggled against Brighton’s high press and were unusually vulnerable at a set-piece, with Chema Andres heading the hosts’ third goal.

“The way we have competed, the way we have played, the way we have dominated. It’s been really good,” said Arteta. “But today we need to take this lesson very, very seriously because it’s going to happen.”

Carrick under increasing pressure

Michael Carrick faced fierce criticism after Manchester United’s disappointing 1-1 draw at Fulham, offering an unconvincing defence of a side that has won only once in five league matches.

That record matches United’s worst start to a Premier League season. They were spared an even poorer result by Matheus Cunha’s late equaliser at Craven Cottage.

Fulham had taken the lead through an extraordinary own goal. After Senne Lammens saved, Lisandro Martinez failed to clear properly and scuffed the ball into his own net, with the effort taking a deflection off his goalkeeper.

United repeatedly surrendered possession and lacked the defensive organisation to contain a Fulham attack that had previously been struggling. Their performance offered little evidence of improvement from the lethargic team that endured difficulties under Carrick’s predecessor, Ruben Amorim.

Carrick helped steady the club after replacing the sacked Amorim last season, but the optimism created by a third-place finish is fading quickly.

Former team-mate Gary Neville was also scathing in his assessment.

“I’ve watched Man United since the age of five and that’s the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen,” Neville said of the opening 15 minutes of the second half. “Absolutely pathetic. I’ve never seen such a lack of effort. What must Carrick be thinking?”

Chelsea’s defensive problems remain

Chelsea’s bright attacking start from Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers has concealed continuing weaknesses at the other end of the pitch.

They have now gone three matches without a win and have failed to keep a clean sheet in 21 consecutive league games, their longest such run since 1965.

The sequence began before Alonso became manager, but he knows significant improvement is required. He has become only the sixth manager to concede at least twice in each of his first five Premier League matches.

“Not good enough,” said Chelsea defender Levi Colwill. “At times we have been bullied in the box and we definitely need to improve.”