Has the dreaded 'third-season syndrome' already descended on Jose Mourinho and Manchester United?
Murmurs of discontent at Old Trafford will only grow after a lacklustre 3-1 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion continued a dispiriting few months that has led to even the previously untouchable David de Gea suffering an alarming statistical slump.
Jose Mourinho does, at least, have three points more than Unai Emery, who was left searching 32 years into the past for company among slow-starting Arsenal bosses following a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea.
There are no such concerns at Etihad Stadium, though, where Manchester City's routine 6-1 win over Huddersfield Town came with an impressive new scoring mark for Sergio Aguero, while David Silva made a long-awaited dead-ball breakthrough.
SEAGULLS A SLIPPERY MENACE FOR MAN UTD
Having signed off from Amex Stadium last season with a win against United, Brighton resumed in much the same fashion on Sunday, upsetting Mourinho's men again.
United let in three first-half goals for the first time in the Premier League since October 2015, with the usually reliable De Gea now having conceded 10 from the last 14 shots on target he has faced for club and country.
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Romelu Lukaku's strike during an entertaining first half means he has scored against 18 of the 20 current top-tier teams, but United could not force a second until deep into added time, with Paul Pogba's penalty ending his run of 11 unbeaten Premier League matches in which he had netted, meaning he shares the record with former Liverpool forward Ryan Babel.
Defeat represents the first time United have lost its away opener since 2012-13, with Brighton becoming something of a bogey team for Mourinho - only Chelsea has defeated the Portuguese more times since he arrived at Old Trafford ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.
SUPER SERGIO TERRORISES TERRIERS
City has wasted no time in again setting the standard, cruising back to the top of the fledgling table by lashing six past Huddersfield, which has now conceded nine goals in its opening two games, just one less than the record 10 Wigan Athletic shipped in 2010/11.
Aguero instigated the carnage, scoring twice in the first half. A late third pushed him level with Robbie Fowler on nine Premier League hat-tricks. Alan Shearer, on 11, is the only man to have registered more in the competition’s history.
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Ederson's raking pass set up Aguero's opener, making the former Benfica man the first goalkeeper to assist a Premier League goal for City.
To cap it all off, the majestic Silva got in on the act by converting a direct free-kick in a top-flight league match for the first time in his career, marking his 250th Premier League appearance in style.
EARLY BLUES FOR EMERY
Emery's difficult start to life at Arsenal continued, as he became the club's first boss to lose his each of his two opening games in charge since Steve Burtenshaw in 1986, while Chelsea improved its Stamford Bridge record against the Gunners to six home wins in seven attempts, the exception being a 0-0 draw last season.
There was some consolation for Arsenal with its two goals matching the number it had managed in its previous six visits to Chelsea.
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Pedro, Alvaro Morata and Marcos Alonso got the goals for the home side, with the latter scoring and assisting in the same Premier League game for the first time. Alonso also improved his record to a combined 20 goals and assists since his Blues debut in September 2016 - seven more direct goal involvements than any other defender in that time.
Cesar Azpilicueta, starting on the opposite flank to Alonso, assisted Morata for the seventh time in the last two seasons. That link-up represents the joint-best such partnership, with Jamie Vardy and former Leicester City team-mate Riyad Mahrez previously holding the honour outright.
GRAY HAS HORNETS BUZZING
Comfortable 2-0 winners over Brighton on the opening weekend, Watford picked up right where they left off against Burnley when Andre Gray volleyed his side ahead inside three minutes at Turf Moor.
The goal, which came just 160 seconds into the match, was the club's quickest away from home in the Premier League, and also brought a welcome end to the Hornets' run of 730 minutes without netting on the road.
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Troy Deeney and Will Hughes joined Gray on the scoresheet after half-time to sew up a 3-1 victory, meaning Watford have won their first two top-flight matches for only the second time. On the previous occasion, in 1982-83, they finished second behind Liverpool.
Burnley, in contrast, are now winless in seven successive Premier League matches, having settled for a dour 0-0 draw at Southampton in their league opener.
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