Premier League overreactions: Brighton vs. Arsenal for title? Man United's resilience will save them?

It was another wild weekend of Premier League action. Manchester United left it late, again, to salvage a point in a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion secured an impressive 2-0 victory over Brentford to cement their spot in second, while AFC Bournemouth extended their winning run to a remarkable eight on the bounce. And elsewhere, one club's plight suggests we could be about to have our first dismissal of the season.

There are plenty of takes around after the weekend and ahead of the next batch of fixtures -- like we've done with NFL and rugby union -- we look at some snap judgements before weighing up whether they are overreactions or legit takes.

Jump to:
Brighton vs. Arsenal in title race?
United will fight their way back to safety?
Bournemouth don't need Iraola?
Sage not fit to manage in Premier League?

Brighton are Arsenal's top rivals in title race

A quick glance at the Premier League table sees an interloper among four other big fish. Sitting in second place, between Arsenal and Manchester City, are Brighton, who were exceptional again on Sunday in their 2-0 win at Brentford. Diego Gómez scored a wonderful opener with yet another long-range effort (check out Luka Vušković's hands-on-head reaction) and their second a penalty after the impressive Vušković was floored in the box, allowing Pascal Gross to score from the spot.

As we head into the second block of international matches, it's Brighton who look best prepared to challenge Arsenal for the league title this season, not City.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Brighton are a wonderful side. They are well-run, comfortable in their own skin, benefit from clarity from top to bottom on their club's vision, and have a great team and a brilliant manager in Fabian Hürzeler. In short, they are a model club. They've made a great start to the season and have 21 points from the first 10 matches -- their only two defeats have come against Liverpool and Chelsea.

But are they going to be the team to push Arsenal all the way to the end of the season? Why not? They're showing few signs of altitude sickness so far, but the schedule is going to get even more hectic for them, stretching their lungs and legs. I expect them to make a deep run in Europe and the FA Cup, which will test the durability of their squad. I fully expect them to finish the season in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, but maintaining a title challenge will be tough.

City and Liverpool will inevitably click. We're seeing signs of life at Liverpool that their £400 million front four might be jelling, and despite all the noise around City and their Premier League financial charges, you feel they'll find their feet again.

Brighton, though, continue to keep their foot on the accelerator. Ask the players themselves if they're ready to challenge for the title, and they'd swerve that question and point to the mantra that has kept them honest so far: stick to the process and trust in the system they've built. But right now, Brighton and Arsenal are the two form teams in the country.

Man United have the resilience to avoid relegation -- regardless of manager

We've seen enough in the last week to suggest that there's enough fight in Manchester United to move them up the table and away from the relegation zone, no matter who is in charge. The remarkable 3-2 win over Roma after going down 2-0 within the first 20 minutes was followed by a frantic fightback to draw 4-4 against Aston Villa in the final minutes.

Combined, the results suggest that United have the mental resilience to drag themselves out of this predicament.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

There's persistence and resilience, but there's absolutely no semblance of the last week pointing toward long-term sustainability and an upturn in fortunes for Manchester United. You could bring back a young Sir Alex Ferguson and he'd still have his hands full dragging this team up the table.

There was hope that the win over Roma represented United turning a corner, but with the benefit of rational thought, they were greatly aided by the Serie A side losing their way. The draw with Villa match was a rally drawn from adrenaline, but the story of both matches and their season has been underpinned by woeful defending. No side in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues have conceded more goals across all competitions than the 30 United have shipped this term. Their defense is paper-thin.

Manager Michael Carrick has been woefully let down by the recruitment team: It was blatantly clear he needed a new striker and defensive reinforcements over the summer and those shortcomings have played a role in him likely losing his job. Last season's form looks to be an outlier rather than the standard set. United's management is confused; the lack of direction and clarity from above is alarming. And all the while, an unbalanced squad is floundering on the pitch. Make no mistake about it, United are in a hole.

You wonder whether they have the character within the walls of Old Trafford and Carrington to correct this. Only a very select few managers can improve this team, and the majority are unobtainable.

It's going to take some almighty scrambling to get out of this situation -- they can't do this on character alone. A couple of late flurries can't paper over the chasm-sized cracks in the club.

Bournemouth were always more than Iraola

While Andoni Iraola is finding his feet and rhythm at new club Liverpool, his old Bournemouth side have won eight matches on the bounce, a run that includes triumphs over AC Milan and at Manchester United. How United's famously hirsute fan Frank Ilett must wish he supported Bournemouth.

The way Marco Rose has picked up the baton proves that their success and evolution was down to more than purely Iraola's brilliant management. From top to bottom, they are simply one of the best-run clubs, one that punches above its weight because it is more than the sum of its parts.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Bournemouth have an unbelievable ability to regenerate. Every summer their best talent gets picked off, but still they stabilize and improve.

After Iraola decided not to renew his contract and Rose joined over the summer, Bournemouth just needed a little time to gain their bearings at the start of the season. But through this fantastic run they're currently on, they navigated the churn of a relentless schedule; despite Europa League and Premier League matches backing up against one another, the squad has still held up.

On Sunday at Ipswich Town, we saw Bournemouth's attack at their best. Evanilson is on fire, and Ipswich presented him with a gift for the opener as the in-form Brazilian striker snatched the ball from goalkeeper Christian Walton's feet to tap into an empty net. Somehow Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier missed from a couple of yards out, but they had their second at the start of the second half through an own goal after Ryan Christie's shot deflected in off Ipswich defender Leif Davis. They ended up winning 2-1 but could have won by more.

Just like the other teams in the "Killer B's" (alongside Brighton and Brentford), Bournemouth's foundations are the envy of so many clubs. This run has proved Bournemouth can survive any individuals leaving -- the collective will still stand true.

Sage isn't a Premier League-caliber manager

Ten matches down and Palace are rooted to the foot of the table. They have two wins, the worst defensive record in the Premier League and few indications that they will find a way to get themselves out of this predicament.

Unfortunately, the affable Pierre Sage is not the right manager for Palace. You have to feel for him: The defensive reinforcements which arrived in such a rushed fashion over the summer haven't yet been proven to be adequate, and Palace are perennially a club where players have their heads turned by brighter lights elsewhere. But there's enough talent in the squad that they should be higher up the table.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

There were moments against Liverpool on Sunday when Palace showed glimpses of their old selves. They attacked well in the first half as they forced Alisson into a string of key saves, while Yéremy Pino also hit the bar. There are indications of fluidity and an understanding of what they're trying to achieve.

But then come the issues at the other end -- they simply cannot manage, or find, defensive resilience through 90 minutes. The first goal was far too simple for Liverpool -- a neat free kick, and an unmarked header at the near post from Alexis Mac Allister. Liverpool's second saw Bradley Barcola granted far too much space on the right wing, and his ball across the box found its way through five Palace defenders to Florian Wirtz, who slotted home to make it 2-0. And Liverpool's third was far too simple: Palace hit on the counterattack, Victor Muñoz finding Wirtz in space, who teed up Alexander Isak to finish.

It's that combination of promise and carelessness which suggests they need another hand steering the ship. Perhaps that's Thomas Frank or Sean Dyche. But either way, the Sage experiment just isn't working.

"It's not 'from the dream to the nightmare,'" Sage said after the Liverpool match, before adding: "I'm not feeling this. I'm just in my job, and focusing on my job, and what I have to do to find the solution." But as time and results tick on, it looks increasingly unlikely that he's the right man to find the answers.