Welcome to The DeBrief, a Sky Sports column in which Adam Bate uses a mix of data and opinion to think about some of the most important stories from the latest Premier League matches. This week:
Tottenham shows early flexibility
After he had been in Udine to see Tottenham coming from a song on Paris Saint-Germain, the question was whether they could adjust their style of playing style against Burnley three days later. Thomas Frank answered that emphatically.
The death of Guglielmo Vicario illustrated that most clearly in their 3-0 win on Saturday. After he had directed the ball against PSG for a long time, the Spurs goalkeeper switched the focus to ball retention against Burnley and only tried two stairs across half the line.
In fact, as a party, Spurs tried the most passes in their own half of each team in the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Frank then pointed out that the relocation for the second goal of Richarlison contained 17 passes – and included Vicario.
Richarlison was again impressed and with 13 goals in his last 16 starts it has come up again as a robust alternative to Dominic Solanke. The Brazilian registered three shots on Doel in the Penaltybox – equal to his record for every match in his Premier League career.
In midfield, Frank trusted two teenagers, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha who fell on the couch. At the back, Kevin Danso, the new long -term specialist, made way for Brennan Johnson – who scored properly.
It was a promising start for Frank, especially given that he had to manage that midweek efforts in Italy. His flexibility was a factor in his appointment because he had been a persistent source of criticism for his predecessor and he was balanced against Burnley.
Spurs not only created and scored three against one side that two did not even admit two in one league match, but did this as he held a clean slate – their first in this competition since February and as much as in their previous 18 home games.
It is then Manchester City gone, which will be as difficult when it becomes. But Frank has already shown supporters that he is able to set up this team in any way that requires the competition situation. Keep an eye on the vicario pass choices.
Forest's change of approach?
A surface -mounted attack is defined as a series in open game that fits 10 or more and ends in a shot on goal or at least a touch in the box. The team that did the most in the opening Premier League weekend was Nottingham Forest.
The Nuno Espirito Santo team did it seven times in their 3-1 victory over Brentford, which is unusual because most of them managed in a match last season was only five. They are on the bottom, but one in the Premier League for construction attacks during that campaign.
Of course it was a hugely successful season for Bos in which they came so close to securing Champions League football. But their style was built on enclosure without the ball and the counterattack with it – they ranked at the top for the direct speed of their attacks.
There were still proof of defeating Brentford. Chris Wood's second goal came from a transition and it is clear that Forest will continue to set the traps that did so much last year. But against Brentford there were also examples of Smart Persing, of a possession game.
Forest completed 126 fits in the last third – most of each Premier League team. After a pre-season in which Nuno complained about the lack of additions and one that contained no fewer than five scoreless draws, they may have added a number of new aspects.
That can be important. Had Forest Leicester hit at home – or indeed Brentford on the city – at the back of last season, it could have been enough for a top five finish. The way of this performance suggests that Nuno is out to tackle that.
Man Utd's promising possession statistics
Roy Keane may have received the erosion of standards that led to the defeat of Manchester United for Arsenal, which is considered a positive step, but the reality is that Ruben Amorim's side has exceeded the most expectations with their performance on Sunday.
It was not only that they caused one of the title favorites such problems, but it was the way they dominated the ball that surprised. Regardless of the game state, United has not done that against one of the top teams – and the statistics support that.
In Premier League matches against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City – the top four of last season and the favorites to fight this time – you have to go back almost a decade to find an example of United with 60 percent of the possession.
All three examples since Sir Alex Ferguson left, came under Louis van Gaal in 2015. If Amorim can start melting the Dutchman's ownership with the powerful running power of new signing sessions Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, then there is hope.
Both Mbeumo and Cunha had opportunities to mark their Premier League debut for the club with a goal. That they do not owe David Raya in the goal of Arsenal and that feared expression 'regression to the average' mumbled over both men.
Mbeumo scored 20 goals last season for Brentford of an expected goals count of only 12.26. In every match in which he had better chances than last season, he scored. It is remarkable that the same statistics was also true for Cunha. Rot for United.
And yet, despite that disappointment, the compelling feeling is that if Amorim can continue to get the ball to his talented ball carriers in good areas, whether it is Benjamin Sesko or Mason with them, United will be a very different proposition this season.