Premier League 2017/18: 5 talking points from gameweek two's action 

The second week of Premier League 2017/18 was an eventful affair that unearthed some dominating victories, unexpected losses and cliff-hanging results.

The ambiguity that surrounded the twenty teams of the league with their new signings and replacements is chipping away bit by bit.

There were numerous memorable snippets from the three days of action. Sportskeeda has extracted the best from them:

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#1 Strong statement made by Manchester United

The word that describes better the team now is confidence. The team is confident, the team starts the game confident, the team starts the second half confident: Jose Mourinho

If there is one team that has looked miles ahead of everyone else in the league so far, it has been the Red Devils.

They have two victories in two matches, and massive ones at that. They demolished their opponents 4-0 in both weeks. From whatever you can deduce from two weeks worth of action, they look like the strongest contenders for the title right now.

José Mourinho's new signings have been right on the money so far and look absolutely golden in the current frame of things.

Romelu Lukaku has spent no time in adjusting from Everton to United and looks completely comfortable (and dominant) in the red shirt. The Belgian has three goals in two matches already and looks set for many more through the next 36 matches.

Nemanja Mati? was acquired by United from defending champions and rivals Chelsea this season and the 29-year-old has also swapped his blue with red with minimum qualms.

Swansea City tried hard to stop United from getting better of them and ran a tight ship for the first 80 minutes of the game, thereby conceding just one goal.

That's when hell broke loose at the Liberty Stadium in Plasmarl!

Lukaku, who was restrained by Swansea's defence up until then, screamed one past ?ukasz Fabia?ski in the 80th minute of the match. Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial made it 4-0 within the next 221 seconds to follow up to their goals in the previous game.

Special mention should be given to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has already notched up four efficient assists in the league. The 28-year-old is finally getting the playing time that he deserves and the Armenian is definitely making the most of every minute gets on the field.

It is still too early to assert league favourites based on just a couple of games, but United sure seem to be back with their vintage swagger and style. Their new boys are already performing like men and their big names are finally going for bigger deeds instead of settling spurs of brilliance amidst below-par performances.

Of course, they have beaten two mediocre sides in the two matches that they have played so far, but as Mourinho says, the team looks infused with self-belief.

Also, we know what they say about Mourinho and his second seasons with a team, don't we?

#2 New season, same old story for Arsenal?

Arsenal lost 0-1 to Stoke City on Saturday (August 19)

Defensively there is no excuse. We gave them a cheap goal. To lose a game like that is disappointing You don't want to lose games that you should win: Arsene Wenger

We don't know whether Lionel Messi can do it on a cold, wet night in Stoke. Arsenal, certainly, could not.

This was a vintage Arsenal loss if there ever was one. The gunners enjoyed maximum possession throughout the game, had more attempts on and off target, dominated the corner-count and completed almost triple as many passes as their northern opponents. Then, that one moment of defensive sloppiness announced itself, and Arsene Wenger's men were left stunned after PSG loanee Jese Rodriguez's second shot on target materialised into a goal.

Alexandre Lacazette tried to bring his team back into the game in the second half, but his equalizer was rendered useless after a tight offside decision. The men in black-and-pink could never really recover thereon.

If there ever was a perfect Arsenalesque defeat, this was it.

The Gunners were in control of the game throughout its length albeit a few minutes of apprehension, and like always, those minutes cost them the match - and three points!

Liverpool are waiting for Arsenal at Anfield next week and that encounter isn't going to be easy for the gunners by any stretch of imagination. Alexis Sanchez might come back into the playing XI for the game, and that might be a lifeline for Arsenal, especially for Mesut Ozil, who has looked lost in the middle so far.

We are just two weeks into the season, and WengerOut hashtags have already have already taken over twitter. It is high time that the 67-year-old employs some serious changes in his methods upfront, or this season might just be a replica of the last season (or the ten seasons that).

#3 Chelsea show why they are defending champions

Marcos Alonso's double strike helped the defending champions get their first points of the season

I must be pleased. I want to thank my players. Every one. Because they showed me great desire, great spirit, great will, great heart, great will to fight: Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte's Chelsea was an absolute beast last season. The team won the Premier League by a considerable degree of difference and completed its dream run on a high.

The dream shattered and The Blues came crashing down in their very first game of this season. They were reduced to nine men on field and lost to the 3-2 to Burnley Football Club.

Conte has already lost Nemanja Mati? to rivals Manchester United in the transfer window this season, while Diego Costa might soon follow suit. Chelsea's reliables, Eden Hazard and Pedro, are also not fit step on to the field. Álvaro Morata has been their signing of the season, didn't even get a start until the Tottenham game this week.

Going to Wembley with so many issues tugging at their very life, it looked difficult for Chelsea to even get a point off the away feature. What followed was a sheer demonstration of what makes them the defending champions.

Marcos Alonso scored his second goal of the night in the 88th minute of the match, just 6 minutes after Michy Batshuayi netted an own goal that helped the Spurs to tie the scoreline.

Chelsea were pushed into a tight corner and were up against the team that was their closest contender to the title last year. They were reeling from a shock loss and hurting with the absence of key individuals.

However, they somehow found a way to come out on top of the encounter, that too on away turf. Sounds like the work of a champion team, doesn't it?

#4 Everton - pushovers no more?

Wayne Rooney: a gift that keeps on giving

The tactical plan in the first half was outstanding and maybe a little bit more but finally we worked really hard for a good result. One point away against city is a good result: Ronald Koeman

When you think about Everton and their Premier League standings, you are reminded of a perennial bridesmaid, a hapless second fiddle and a sidelined football club. A club, that has eternally been in the 'Just Friends' bracket of the league; a club that hasn't been able to carve a romantic story for itself since the league's inception in 1992.

The level of overshadowing that they undergoes can be drawn from the fact that even their parent city is named after one of the biggest clubs of the league (ahem, Liverpool FC).

This is a team that's consistently consistent and will always find itself in the top ten standings of the table. However, this is where the other Blues always get stuck up and shut down. They cannot climb that final hurdle, and they tend to fizzle away from the title contention every season.

However, things might just turn around for Ronald Koeman's men this time around.

The club has had a sensational transfer season up until now, probably the best of the lot. While they have let go of some big names, they have managed to rope in a number of key players and some fiery talent simultaneously.

The expenditure has overtaken gargantuan spenders Manchester City, geographical rivals Liverpool and former Champions Leicester City since January 2017. They have signed players like Morgan Schneiderlin, Ademola Lookman, Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Henry Onyekuru and of course, Wayne Rooney for the season.

The team now has four points from a home-and-away combination. While the Evertonians ought to be legitimately disappointed that their team could not hold on to their 1-0 lead on a ten-man Manchester City attack, they would definitely take the position it is in right now with both hands.

Not to forget, they were up against the top title contendors of the season, and in spite of Raheem Sterling's late sugre, Everton did not look out of their 'league' even for a second.

From what we have witnessed till now, it is safe to say the team is set to go deep into the competition this time around and might turn back the clock to their glorious, title-winning days.

#5 Thriller scripted by Southampton and West Ham

Charlie Austin's strike capped a sensational late surge from Southampton

A difficult game to be a manager and a nice game to be a fan. It was unpredictable until the end and suddenly it changed the dynamic twice - once for them and another for us: Mauricio Pellegrino

The one thing that Southampton desperately wanted after a frustrating low against Swansea in the previous week was a well-earned win at home, before their own crowd.

That is exactly what they got in this week's action.

However, it did not come easy for the hosts. They were leading West Ham 2-0 at the stroke of half time, and looked poised for an easy win after Marko Arnautovic was sent off to reduce the visitors to ten men at 33 minutes.

That's when life was suddenly infused in Slaven Bili?'s men, as they scripted an inspired comeback riding on the back of Javier Hernandez's double strike, which tied the scoreline at 2 goals each.

It looked like a side that was reduced to ten men would manage to hold off another home victory for Southampton, a side that had failed to score a home-goal since April 2017.

However, substitute Charlie Austin's calmness changed it from misery to magic for the Saints in the last lap of the game. He converted a penalty into a winner, having gotten the opportunity courtesy Pablo Zabaleta's dash against Maya Yoshida.

Southampton's 6-match wait for a home-goal ended in a match that their fans would remember and cherish for a long, long time.

Sometimes, its an ugly, ragged win that turns things around for a struggling side. Will this be that chance for that Mauricio Pellegrino and his men?