The Premier League’s attempt at openness after Arsenal’s disputed penalty against Sunderland has done little to settle the argument. Instead, the release of the referee dialogue has only deepened the sense that the episode remains unresolved.

During Saturday’s tightly contested match, which Arsenal won 2-0, the Premier League published the in-game conversation between John Brooks and Stuart Attwell. The decision was made after the penalty had already been awarded in real time, meaning Brooks did not go to the touchline to review the incident himself. Enzo Le Fée later missed the resulting spot kick.

At the centre of the debate is the grappling sequence involving Konsa and Ballard. Konsa appeared to have eyes on the incoming cross before Ballard tugged at his left arm and turned him around, the sort of movement Mikel Arteta described as a “judo roll”. Under the current emphasis on holding offences, referees are instructed to consider whether a player is looking toward the ball, among other factors.

Premier League guidance says holding offences are confrontations “that have clear material impact, and/or are non-footballing holding actions that have no place on the football pitch.” Officials are also asked to watch for players “holding an opponent with both arms” and for “sustained and/or impactful holding of an opponent or their clothing.”

Konsa was clearly holding Ballard’s shirt with both hands before he was taken to ground, which leaves room for the view that a foul had already been committed. Even so, the explanation offered by the Premier League has not satisfied Arteta or those who feel Arsenal were badly treated.

After the match, Arteta widened the issue beyond one incident. “We had to overcome a really tough opponent in a difficult place,” Arsenal’s manager seethed postgame. “Sunderland can suffocate you and they decided to be really physical and very direct and we also had to overcome a situation that, in my opinion was unacceptable at this level.”

The first midweek stretch of the season has already brought Champions League and Carabao Cup action, and the Premier League schedule now tightens again around Gameweek 4.

Sunday’s Manchester derby is the clear centrepiece, but there is plenty elsewhere to weigh up, from Chelsea and Liverpool enjoying home advantage to Arsenal facing a testing trip away from home.

Here is a revised look at how the weekend may unfold, based strictly on the evidence from recent form, results and context in the draft.

Aston Villa are tipped to edge Nottingham Forest 2-1, with both sides still searching for their first league win and Villa Park likely to favour the home team. Bournemouth and Brentford could cancel each other out in a 1-1 draw, while Chelsea are expected to make short work of Hull and win 3-0 as their attack meets a defence that has impressed but may not be able to sustain that level.

Crystal Palace are backed to beat Ipswich 2-1 after a timely lift in form, and Liverpool are forecast to defeat Fulham 3-1, with the hosts carrying momentum into the fixture. Tottenham and Everton look set for a 1-1 draw, a result that would fit the recent frustrations around Spurs and the unbeaten start made by the visitors.

Arsenal are predicted to keep their perfect start going with a narrow 1-0 win at Sunderland, while Brighton are expected to leave Coventry with a 3-1 victory. The weekend’s biggest game, Man Utd against Man City, is called as another 1-1 draw, reflecting uncertainty on both sides despite City’s winning run.

Monday closes with Leeds against Newcastle, a meeting that could finish 2-2 after both clubs have shown enough going forward to suggest another open contest.

Martin Ødegaard’s claim that “all of the teams are good” has already been tested by three weeks of Premier League football, and matchday three offered more evidence that quality in this division is abundant, but perfection remains elusive.

Across the round, several teams produced encouraging spells without turning them into clean, controlled wins. Some were left to regret missed chances, others survived by narrower margins than expected, and a few drifted into the familiar territory of being competitive without quite being convincing.

At one end of the scale, Liverpool were pushed hard by Ipswich, with Gary O’Neil admitting: “I hate having to talk about good performances when you don’t get points because you need to maximize them,” while Ipswich could not consistently threaten a side that still looked vulnerable at times.

Aston Villa’s visit to the MKM Stadium was harder to explain. Unai Emery insisted the match had gone exactly as intended, although the performance raised obvious questions about how a game plan can survive without even a shot on target.

Chelsea began sharply, with Morgan Rogers’s second-minute volley setting the tone after a set-piece routine, but Arsenal gradually took control. Chelsea created almost nothing after the interval, while Martin Ødegaard’s winner underlined the difference between a bright start and a complete performance.

Elsewhere, Hull’s seven points from three games drew a playful Champions League reference from Sergej Jakirović, while Tottenham remained stubbornly in the middle ground. Roberto De Zerbi’s side were held to a goalless draw that suited neither heaven nor hell.

There were also reminders that strong starts can unravel quickly. Bournemouth led 2-0 at St. James’s Park before another late setback, while Everton earned a point thanks to Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s 96th-minute strike and Manchester United were undone by Everton’s set-piece threat after a flat first half.

Elsewhere, Brighton “woke up too late,” Nottingham Forest were left frustrated by a disallowed goal, Brentford needed a triple half-time change to find a response, and Leeds experienced a textbook game of two halves. Sunderland, meanwhile, secured a different outcome from the same spot and the same goalkeeper, when Enzo Le Fée produced a far better penalty than he had before.

For Manchester City, Erling Haaland again provided the decisive edge, as Coventry’s resistance made the result far less straightforward than expected.