{
  "id": 9099864,
  "title": "Premier League early season takeaways: Same old Haaland, Spurs shambles, Carrick questions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/premier-league-early-season-takeaways-same-old-haaland-spurs-shambles",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-22T06:27:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2026/09/22/premier-league-early-season-takeaways-same-old-haaland-spurs-shambles-carrick-questions/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The English Premier League takes a break for three weeks as international duty calls for its players. Manchester City and Arsenal currently sit atop the table, with Brighton, Brentford, and Leeds United following closely. At the bottom, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham remain winless after five matches. Here are the main takeaways from the early season:\n\nManchester City's Erling Haaland has been unstoppable, scoring seven goals in seven games, including a late winner against Sunderland on Sunday. Haaland now boasts 169 goals in 205 Premier League appearances. Despite starting with a new manager and several new signings, City's dominance remains intact.\n\nArsenal's defensive frailties were exposed as they suffered their first league defeat since losing to Manchester United in January. Three goals against Brighton highlighted the need for improvement, with manager Mikel Arteta acknowledging the team's basic mistakes and lack of respect for the game's fundamentals.\n\nManchester United's struggles continued with a draw against Fulham, where a late goal from Matheus Cunha secured a point. The team, currently in 12th place on five points, suffered defeats at Hull City and in the Manchester derby, as well as exiting the League Cup to Brighton. Former defender Gary Neville described their second-half performance as \"the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen.\"\n\nTottenham Hotspur, who invested over £300 million in new players over the summer, have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season with just two points. Inability to stop Aston Villa from scoring three goals in the 79th minute of their loss highlights the team's defensive struggles with their new signings and a leaky backline. Manager Roberto De Zerbi admitted that the team needed to be stronger and more fighting-minded.",
  "summary": "The English Premier League takes a break for the next three weeks as players head off around the globe on international duty. There are a familiar duo occupying the top two spots – Manchester City and Arsenal – but Brighton, Brentford and Leeds United provide some new faces directly below them in the table. Propping up the rest are London pair Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, both without a win from…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "EPL: Why Man Utd is struggling this season under Carrick – Troy Deeney",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/epl-why-man-utd-is-struggling-this-season-under-carrick-troy-deeney",
        "published": "2026-09-22T06:14:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Premier League early season takeaways: Same old Haaland, Spurs shambles, Carrick questions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/premier-league-early-season-takeaways-same-old-haaland-spurs-shambles-9104769",
        "published": "2026-09-22T06:27:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Egan's late career resurgence back to Premier League",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/egans-late-career-resurgence-back-to-premier-league",
        "published": "2026-09-22T07:06:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Premier League first month overreactions: Man City unstoppable, United 'worst ever', Arsenal found out",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/premier-league-first-month-overreactions-man-city-unstoppable-united",
        "published": "2026-09-22T11:01:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}