This was one of the most unsurprising weekends of the Premier League season so far, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool all picking up three points and few teams notably moving up or down the table.
But that doesn't mean it wasn't interesting.
Swansea City's crazy 5-4 win over Crystal Palace has put Alan Pardew in deep trouble, Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands on yet another disappointing day for Manchester United, and Everton's slump continued with a drab 1-0 loss against Ronald Koeman's former club Southampton
1) Ross Barkley is to blame for Everton's sluggish form
Everton's inability to recover from an early Southampton goal was alarming. Koeman's side managed just one shot on target across the 90 minutes and extended their poor sequence of results to one win in nine. They looked extremely sluggish on Sunday; the midfield's low-tempo build-up play allowed Southampton to maintain a solid defensive shape without much effort.
Low confidence inevitably leads to slow, nervous passing, but more important was Ross Barkley's quiet game from central attacking midfield. That explosive quality witnessed in flashes must become a more consistent feature if Barkley is to fulfil his potential, and until the 22-year-old matures he simply cannot play this frequently. Barkley did not complete a single dribble, leaving his average for the season at 0.9 per game – the lowest of his entire career to date.
Without that directness piercing the lines of midfield, Barkley's game becomes rather static and Everton fall into a cycle of aimless possession. Both Gerard Deulofeu and Kevin Mirallas were more effective than Barkley after coming on from the bench; it is about time Koeman gives one of these two a chance through the middle.
2) Sakho and West Ham's 5-4-1 shows promise of an escape route for Bilic
On paper this was the same 3-4-2-1 formation that has seen West Ham quietly improve over the last month, but Manchester United's control over midfield ensured that it was most often a flat 5-4-1 with Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini acting as defensive wingers. Along with Diafra Sakho's pace, these two players consistently broke forward to offer Slaven Bilic an intriguing tactical solution for their vital upcoming games against Man Utd (EFL Cup quarter-final on Wednesday), Arsenal and Liverpool.
The next three matches could decide whether or not the West Ham board make a swift move for Roberto Mancini. Bilic needs results, and the defensive solidity achieved in this 5-4-1 shape offers hope. Not only did Payet and Lanzini work surprisingly hard, but a flat back five squeezed out space in the final third, forcing Man Utd to pump the ball into the box (they attempted 36 crosses and 75 long balls, up from a season average of 24 crosses and 55.6 long balls). It speaks volumes that Zlatan Ibrahimovic was used as a target man for long periods of the match.
Sakho's speed and tireless work-rate gave the defenders respite and made the visitors a genuine threat at the other end, providing them with a template for their return to Old Trafford in midweek and league fixtures against similarly dominant opponents Arsenal and Liverpool. They will need a bit of luck, but this resilient 5-4-1 could grind out results in all three games.
3) Chaos at the Liberty Stadium proves set-pieces remain a priority for teams at the bottom
Swansea's 5-4 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday was incredible for a number of reasons, but perhaps most remarkable was the fact that seven of the nine goals came directly from set-pieces.
50% of Swansea's and 33% of Crystal Palace's goals have come from set-plays this campaign, making Fernando Llorente and Christian Benteke by some distance the most important players for their respective teams.
Maximising these opportunities is, inevitably, very important for teams at the bottom. But basic defending is also a top priority - and neither side coped at all in Wales. Benteke was directly at fault for three of Swansea's goals, which is completely unforgivable considering his height and power oddly makes the Belgian attacker Palace's most important defender.
Alan Pardew has consistently failed to patch up his team's problems over the past twelve months. At this rate, he won't last much longer.
Best of the Week – Jordan Henderson
Jurgen Klopp has converted ex-Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson into a phenomenal ball-winning midfielder, and his performance on Saturday was arguably his best ever in a Liverpool shirt. In a much deeper role than last season, Henderson pulls all the strings while using his positional intelligence to stamp out counter-attacks at their source.
Henderson completed more tackles (four), more interceptions (two), more passes (130), more touches (144), and more key passes (six) than any other Liverpool player. That is quite extraordinary for a man who must patrol the base of midfield all alone.
Worst of the Week – Steve Cook
Bournemouth's performance against Arsenal was admirable. They showed great courage in attack and pressed high in an attempt to disrupt the hosts' passing game, but were let down by a dreadful mistake early on by centre-back Steve Cook.
When playing against such a lively forward as Alexis Sanchez it is inexcusable to take the risk of a casual back pass. Bournemouth recovered to equalise and stayed competitive until the end, but Cook didn't; he only managed six clearances all match, far fewer than the 14 made by his much less experienced teammate Nathan Ake.
