Enzo Maresca devoted his postgame assessment to a single, recurring theme: inconsistency. Chelsea arrived on the back of a midweek, record-shattering 5–1 Champions League win over Ajax, a result that extended a run to four successive victories. That momentum did not survive the weekend as Sunderland first equalised from a long throw through Wilson Isidor and then snatched victory in the 93rd minute when Chemsdine Talbi struck his first goal for the club.

Maresca singled out the team’s attacking shortcomings. He said “a lack of creativity.” He expanded on the broader issue after the match. “If you want to be there, you need consistency,” Maresca sighed postgame. “Winning four in a row and then today’s [result], it shows that.” He described the gap between peaks and troughs visually and bluntly: “If we can have that level [Maresca lifted his hand towards the ceiling] and this level [dropped the same palm towards the floor], probably it’s better to have something in between, to be always in the same way.”

The squad’s age profile and recruitment approach were offered as context for those fluctuations. Midweek accolades were tied to age-related records, and the article notes that a very youthful core can be prone to variable performances.

The decisive goal itself involved two of Chelsea’s more senior outfield figures. Trevoh Chalobah, 26, chased Brian Brobbey back into Chelsea’s half late on and was joined by 28-year-old Tosin Adarabioyo, the oldest player in Maresca’s squad. While Tosin jockeyed Brobbey, Chalobah held his position, allowing Brobbey time to lay the ball off for Talbi, who had the space to place the finish into the bottom corner. Maresca was frank about the defensive lapse. “That can be an easy situation,” Maresca moaned. “We were two vs. one, the striker is facing his own goal. It’s an easy situation to defend. In that case we have to do better.”

Pep Guardiola has laid out a clear read of the Premier League landscape, saying he expects Arsenal and Liverpool to concede very few points this season and urging Manchester City to remain within striking distance.

Arsenal sit top after dropping points in just two of their opening eight games, those setbacks being a 1–0 defeat to Liverpool and a 1–1 draw with City. Guardiola suggested the title race may return to the high standards of recent seasons after a summer of heavy investment across the division.

“In the Premier League, I have the feeling now that Arsenal is not going to drop much points. So that is the reality. I have that feeling with Arsenal, with Liverpool as well,” the City manager told assembled media ahead of his side’s trip to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Guardiola defended Liverpool despite recent results. “Now Liverpool lost their last games—not in the Champions League in Frankfurt—but I saw the game against [Manchester] United, they had incredible chances to win the game,” he said.

“So I think Liverpool remain one of the main favourites to do that. And the distance, three, four points at this stage is nothing.

“I always had the feeling that both teams and maybe another one, they will lose few, few points. That’s why we have to be there.”

The “another one” he referenced appears to have been Chelsea, who lost 2–1 to newly promoted Sunderland.

Guardiola mixed sarcasm with resolve when asked about City’s own title hopes, reflecting on the early results. “Well, in the first two games, three games, yeah for sure we [City] are out,” he sniffed. “And Liverpool is already done, and now it looks like Liverpool is done.”

He added a firmer note of intent shortly after. “And I’ll tell you that they will be back.”

The six-time Premier League champion also addressed his critics directly. “I’ve said many times, I know all the pundits, all the specialists or former players, they know everything that is going to happen after five games, I’m not able to do that. So, always I wait for 10, 15 games to know exactly what is going on. ]

Andy Robertson delivered a blunt assessment after Liverpool’s 3–2 defeat to Brentford, arguing the side failed to follow the game plan and did not show the necessary fight. Milos Kerkez reduced the deficit for Liverpool, but Brentford held a two-goal cushion before Igor Thiago converted a 60th-minute penalty. Mohamed Salah’s late goal proved only a consolation.

Robertson said the team were simply “not good enough.” He singled out defending from set plays and the battle for second balls as decisive weaknesses. “We didn’t do enough off the ball,” Robertson fumed. “They’re always going to be ready to put bodies in the box when it comes to set pieces, put the balls in behind, pick up second balls. You know what you’re going to come to, here. They’re always the same and they’re so good at it.

“It felt to me like we were just a yard off it in terms of that. They picked up so many second balls, and then the balls in behind.”

The opening Brentford goal came from a Michael Kayode long throw, and Ouattara’s swipe was the sixth set-piece goal Liverpool have conceded this season. Only West Ham United have shipped more set-piece goals.

Robertson continued to emphasise tactical preparation and work-rate, noting Arne Slot had focused on long throws in training: “the only thing we did yesterday on the training pitch.” He warned that opposing teams always have a plan and highlighted Liverpool’s failure to impose their own. “We didn’t play ours at all. That makes it so difficult.”

He also called for greater physical commitment: “You have to fight for the control, you have to fight first of all,” he warned. “You have to fight for the second balls, fight for the first balls, and try and feel your way into the game. And then the quality will come through.”

With a congested schedule ahead, Robertson stressed the response must be practical. “We’ve got to work harder. In training, in games, recovering better. When you’re at this football club, people demand results. In a difficult moment, the only way to get out of it is to work even harder, run that bit more and look after yourself that bit better. And that’s what we’ve got to do.”

“There’s no time to re-group,” the fullback fretted. “We’ve got games, games, games. Sometimes it can be a good thing that you’ve got such a quick turnaround and we can go again.”