Another weekend of Premier League action and we’ve discovered much more about the 19 teams battling it out to finish second behind Manchester City.
Some teams have impressed, some have been downright awful and some look much better on paper than on a football pitch.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from this week’s games.
THE GOOD
Manchester City
A five-star, six-goal performance put Pep Guardiola’s right back on top of the Premier League. They will take some shifting from that spot.
Sergio Agüero scored for fun, Ederson was pinging assists, Benjamin Mendy slalomed down the wing and David Silva effortlessly displayed his genius with a sublime free-kick.
Following the summer break, normal service has been resumed at the Etihad and it is frightening to think they are just getting started.
After being substituted to a standing ovation, hat-trick hero Agüero was stopped on his walk back to the bench by Guardiola who gave him a peck of appreciation on the cheek.
Things have already clicked for City much to the delight of a manager, who is determined to be better champions than last year.
On paper, the team Pep picked was odder than three socks. It was 3-5-2 with no recognised right-back and fans must have been bamboozled by how that would work. But work it did.
And to think, that sort of performance was without Kevin De Bruyne.
Honourable mentions for: Chelsea, Everton, Richarlison, Harry Kane, Watford, Callum Wilson
THE BAD
Kenedy
Wow. This was a game to forget for poor Kenedy. And by poor, we mean truly awful. And by truly awful, we mean a total nightmare.
Firstly, the Brazilian failed to complete a single pass in the first-half. Not one. The first player to do so since Nikola Kalinic in 2010. He finished the match having given the ball away 18 times. Yes, eighteen.
During that appalling first-half, he also should have seen red for petulantly kicking out at Cardiff midfielder Victor Camarasa after losing possession needlessly.
But surely things could only get better, right? Well …
Kenedy then scuffed a free-kick into the wall before he was given a shot of redemption in the 96th minute as Newcastle were awarded a penalty.
Score this and those awful stats and the challenge worthy of a red would all be forgotten.
He ran up, a chance of glory.
It was tame, it was predictable and it was saved.
Kenedy ended the game, forlorn and with his head in his shirt. Here’s hoping he bounces back fast.
Dishonourable mentions for: Arsenal’s finishing, Arsenal’s defending, Mark Hughes, West Ham, Cardiff and the rest of Newcastle
THE UGLY
Ben Hamer
It’s hard enough for the best keepers, at the best of times, in the best form, to keep a clean sheet at the Etihad but Huddersfield’s Ben Hamer made it impossible for himself on Sunday.
The goalkeeper, who signed from Leicester in the summer, may have been a Premier League goalkeeper in name for the last four seasons (and has even made an appearance in the Champions League – losing 5-0) but, having made just 12 appearances in the top-flight before his summer switch, his lack of experience showed.
Given the nod ahead of Jonas Lössl, much to the bemusement of some Terriers fans, the 30-year-old stopper came rushing out for City’s first goal before hesitating and being caught in no man’s land. Agüero had work to do but it ended up being an easy finish.
The Huddersfield goalkeeper then spilled a low Benjamin Mendy cross right into the path of the Argentine striker who duly tucked the ball away.
Hamer has now conceded nine goals in two games and, while it could be argued his defence could have helped him out, it may be time for David Wagner to reinstate the dependable Lössl between the sticks.