NewzBrighton's Yasin Ayari controls the ball under pressure from Arsenal players during the Premier League match at the American Express Community Stadium. (AFP pic)MANCHESTER: Manchester City will enjoy a three-point Premier League lead for the next three weeks after Arsenal's perfect start came off the rails in a 3-0 defeat at Brighton.City conceded three times themselves to Sunderland's Brian Brobbey but had enough firepower of their own to beat the Black Cats 5-3.Chelsea were also defeated 3-0 at Brentford to take the shine off Xabi Alonso's start at Stamford Bridge, while Manchester United could only manage a 1-1 draw at winless Fulham.AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the Premier League weekend:Arsenal aura undoneThe champions had been tipped to romp to the title after another summer of smart recruitment and a dominant start to the campaign.But Brighton showed the rest of the Premier League that the Gunners do have flaws by inflicting their heaviest defeat in over three years.Mikel Arteta's men arrived on the south-coast in formidable form having won all seven games in all competitions this season.Arsenal, though, struggled to cope with the Seagulls' high press and were even uncharacteristically exposed defensively from a corner when Chema Andres headed in Brighton's third."The way we have competed, the way we have played, the way we have dominated. It's been really good," said Arteta on his side's start to the season."But today we need to take this lesson very, very seriously because it's going to happen."Carrick defiant as Man Utd feel heatAssailed by stinging criticism of Manchester United's abject performance in their 1-1 draw against lowly Fulham on Sunday, Michael Carrick mounted an unconvincing defence of his spluttering side as the pressure mounted.United have won just once in five league games, equalling their worst start to the season in the Premier League era.It would have been even worse for Carrick but for Matheus Cunha's last-gasp equaliser at Craven Cottage.United trailed to a farcical second half goal that summed up their malaise as Lisandro Martinez made a hash of clearing from Senne Lammens's save and scuffed the ball into his own net via a deflection off his keeper.Giving away possession carelessly time and again, while lacking the basic defensive solidity to contain a previously moribund Fulham attack, United looked no bette…
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick (left) and Marcus Rashford walk off at half-time during the match against Fulham. (EPA Images pic)LONDON: Michael Carrick struck a defiant tone after Manchester United equalled their worst start to a Premier League season, but Sunday's woeful 1-1 draw at Fulham left the beleaguered boss under mounting pressure.Trailing to Lisandro Martinez's farcical own goal, United were just moments away from a third successive defeat on another dispiriting afternoon for Carrick.Matheus Cunha's deflected 89th minute equaliser spared United from fresh humiliation.But escaping with a barely-deserved point against a winless side sitting second-from-bottom of the Premier League was hardly cause for celebration.With only one win so far this season, United have matched their lowest points total after five matches in the Premier League era.Sitting in 12th place with five points, Carrick's men equalled the mark set by Louis van Gaal's United in 2014-15, when they went on to finish fourth.The statistics are damning enough in their own right but the eye-test during their moribund performance at Craven Cottage provided an even more insightful look at what ails United.Lacking a cutting edge in attack, bereft of defensive organisation and, in the words of Cunha, short of energy and drive until they fell behind, this was the kind of flawed display that has scarred so many United seasons since their last title in 2013.Carrick was expected to build on last season's climb to a third-place finish during his spell as interim boss.But having hauled United from the wreckage of Ruben Amorim's self-destructive reign, Carrick is in danger of losing his way in his first season as permanent boss.A wretched 2-0 defeat at promoted Hull on the opening weekend set alarm bells ringing among the United faithful.Beaten in the Manchester derby by an Erling Haaland goal that should have been disallowed last weekend, United then blew a two-goal lead at home for the first time in 50 years in a League Cup meltdown against Brighton.Already 10 points behind leaders City, Carrick's team were so underwhelming against Fulham that even one of the manager's former team-mates took a swipe at United.- 'Fine margins' -Commenting on the match for Sky Sports, ex-United defender Gary Neville was scathing in his assessment of their performance at the start of the second half."I'…
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