Overreactions: Takeaways from first games, post-international break

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  Tom HamiltonOct 13, 2026, 04:00 AM ET

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  • Joined ESPN in 2011
  • Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours
  • Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018

It was another wild weekend of Premier League action. Manchester City took their first steps on the field after they were charged by the Premier League, but they showed signs of being distracted by that as they put in a statement performance against Liverpool.

Elsewhere, we saw Brighton & Hove Albion win again, Manchester United stutter at home to Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham slump to yet another defeat and Florian Wirtz continue to struggle.

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.

Let's start with the match at Anfield.

Jump to:
Man City will crumble under opposing fans' anger?
Wirtz's poor form a huge concern for Liverpool?
United's past success under Carrick a mirage?
Brighton will make Champions League?
Fulham's Arbeloa will be first coach sacked?

Man City will eventually be thrown off by the boos

Coach Enzo Maresca said after City's 3-0 win at Anfield that his side must embrace the noise as the league's villains, having been found guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League charges relating to financial breaches. But Elliot Anderson and other players conceded that adjusting to the intimidating atmosphere was hard in the first half.

The anger across the league is at such a level that wherever City go, opposition fans are going to hammer them. It will eventually prove to be too much for them.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

Before the start of the match at Anfield, amid a cacophony of boos, the City players went over to acknowledge their fans. They were waving inflatable bananas -- a nod to their club's lower-league past -- and gave their players a huge welcome. As Erling Haaland turned away to re-focus on the pitch, the camera caught him smirking. He was in his element.

Post-match, the players admitted that the venom levelled at them threw them off their stride. But after Ryan Gravenberch's red card on the 62nd minute, they found their tempo and took control of the match. It was a masterclass in mental vigor.

This noise isn't going to go away. If anything, as City continue racking up win after win, it's going to get even more ferocious.

But judging by Sunday, they are going to feed off it. At home, the Etihad Stadium atmosphere will be more vocal than ever before. On the road, if Haaland's role of embracing the villain is anything to go by, they are clearly trying to channel the vitriol as fuel.

All the while, we wait for the result of City's appeal and any subsequent sanctions. The sight of City's players celebrating the 3-0 win is going to fire up the rest of the league even more, but the signs so far are they have the mental fortitude to cope with this.

Liverpool should be concerned about Wirtz's form

When Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga, Wirtz was the heartbeat of the side. At Liverpool, things have not gone nearly as smoothly for him.

The match against City was another opportunity for Wirtz to kick-start his season -- and his Liverpool career -- but it passed him by. It's not for want of trying, but in his 39 Premier League matches since joining in June 2025, he has contributed five goals and five assists. That's not form worthy of the £116 million Liverpool spent to sign him.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

It's just not clicking for the incredibly gifted forward at Anfield. It's befuddling -- Wirtz should work in the Premier League. He's technically brilliant, he's positionally astute and he has the vision to unpick defenses. But for whatever reason, he has not looked like the same player he was with Leverkusen.

His work off the ball is also winning few admirers. Pundit and former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher summed it all up perfectly on Sky Sports after the City game: "He shouldn't be in the Liverpool team right now. I don't want to hammer Liverpool players. But we're not saying this after five to 10 games; we're saying this after 50 to 60 games.

"Wirtz never looks like scoring a goal. You don't come away thinking he missed chances or he worked the goalkeeper. There was absolutely nothing today where you thought he put someone through or nearly scored."

The issue is, if Liverpool were to cut ties with Wirtz -- Bayern Munich have been long-term admirers, and just about any team in the Bundesliga would take him -- they'd have to stomach a hefty loss.

Jurgen Klopp remains a believer with Germany, and Wirtz could still come good at Liverpool. I personally hope he does: I still remember the player I watched at Leverkusen and the excitement whenever he got the ball. He will be given more time, but the clock is ticking.

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Nicol believes Klopp is wrong for backing Wirtz's Liverpool performances

Last season's success under Carrick was a mirage -- this is the real Man United

That familiar feeling of unrest and fading optimism is back at Old Trafford. On Saturday, Manchester United failed to get past Spurs, who managed to scramble an equalizer in the 92nd minute despite being reduced to 10 men when Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off in the 78th minute.

The pressure is mounting on coach Michael Carrick. Last season's third-place finish seems a world away and from a different life: this is the real United we're seeing now.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

The case of midfielder Andrey Santos is baffling. A £50 million signing from Chelsea, he has started just one of their six Premier League matches to date. That was their opener against Hull City -- and in their past three games, he has remained on the bench. How Carrick must wish that money had been spent elsewhere: on the left back they've been crying out for, or on an experienced striker to offer another option up front.

Santos' situation is symptomatic of the wider malaise at United. The match against Spurs offered them the perfect chance to kick-start their season: Spurs are without a win and also facing mounting pressure. But instead, United were outplayed for much of the match.

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Michallik: Man United are still all over the place

United have been on the wrong side of some small margins this term, and perhaps they are on the verge of springing into life, but the results are telling a different story. The summer featured pointed recruitment on midfield, but that has left Carrick shortchanged in key areas.

Their next three league matches are tricky: Leeds United away, AFC Bournemouth at home and Chelsea away on Oct. 31. They also have two UEFA Champions League trips during that batch.

Fans are waiting for the real United to stand up. The concern is last season was a blissful mirage, and this is the real thing as United's fans endure another false dawn.

Brighton will qualify for the Champions League

Brighton & Hove Albion have their best squad in years, and have already knocked over Aston Villa and Arsenal this season. Down to 10 men for the final 33 minutes against Sunderland on Saturday, they still came away with the 2-0 win at the Stadium of Light. There's no reason why they can't qualify for the Champions League this term.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

There used to be a sign on the walls of Brighton's offices at the American Express Stadium that outlined the club's goal: "To be a top-10 club in the Premier League and a top four club in the WSL." That was their aim back in the 2022-23 season, the days of Roberto de Zerbi, Alexis Mac Allister and Moisés Caicedo.

Four years later, Brighton's league finishes since then have been sixth, 11th, eighth and eighth. The sign is gone. The club has higher aspirations.

There were some nerves in and around the club over the summer when last season's top scorer Danny Welbeck left and James Milner retired. That was a lot of the club's experience walking out the door. But Brighton always have a plan, and so far this season, they've taken another step.

Back on Sept. 19, they were irresistible in a big win against Arsenal. They have everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet, comfortable with the club's aims and steered towards their collective goal. After six matches, they sit in fifth. They can keep this run going.

There's not much point planning a new sign with the club's next target, as they'll probably kick past that before they have a chance to get the sign on the wall. With the Premier League likely to get five Champions League spots, Brighton can absolutely grab one of them.

Arbeloa is the front-runner in the the Premier League's "sack race"

Fulham remain without a win and anchored to the foot of the Premier League. Saturday's match against Ipswich Town was the perfect opportunity to get the season off and running. It looked like they were going to do just that as the match reached its closing stages: Ryan Sessegnon's goal had given Fulham the lead. But then Abdoul Ouattara equalized, and four minutes later, Dara O'Shea scored the winner.

Six matches into his reign, Arbeloa's job is hanging by a thread.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

There are signs that Fulham's league position is an unfair reflection of how well they're playing. Their expected-goals (xG) total of 9.56 ranks eighth in the league; their actual return of six goals from their six matches is far below what they should have managed. The issue is, Fulham's self-belief is creaking, and their record of conceding late goals is a problem.

Arbeloa was defiant after the Ipswich match, but the pressure is increasing. "I am a coach so I never worry about my position," Arbeloa said afterward. "I don't feel fear. You cannot be a coach if you feel it."

Gary O'Neil, Ipswich's manager, felt Fulham tired in the closing stages of the match. Despite some signs Fulham are on the cusp of exploding into life, the win they need evades them.

There are pockets of Fulham's support who have already had enough of Arbeloa. Take this headline from Fulham-focused publication "Saturday White Fever": "Arbeloa must go now -- it's time for the Khans to axe incompetent Spaniard and avoid sleepwalking to their fourth relegation."

Arbeloa needs wins, and quickly. The match on Saturday against Hull is huge.