HALF TERM REPORT: 5 Premier League questions that need answering as Man Utd suffer early season nightmare and Arsenal fall to first defeat in worrying fashion

And breathe. The Premier League pauses for the first time as we embark on the international break, with England taking centre stage.

Manchester City can enjoy a prolonged period at the top, owing to their 100 per cent record, the only one left in the top flight after Arsenal's loss on Saturday.

In ways, the table has adopted a very familiar look - and in other ways not. Arsenal and City have been the top two in three of the last four seasons, and again occupy those positions. But Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Chelsea will have expected more.

Some of those managers are more under pressure than others. Some of those teams look like they will come good more than others. But all have managers with hefty expectations.

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Hull City tasting defeat for the first time at the weekend sums up their impressive start. Ipswich, with two wins from five, will be happy enough with their early rounds.

The international break allows those involved in the domestic game to take stock. There's a blend of over performers and under performers with some facing more questions than other. Mirror Football takes a look at some of the discussion points around the Premier League before things resume on October 10 at the Emirates.

And so that team who had been almost handed the title by some after just four games were bought back down to earth with a bang at Brighton. Arsenal's perfect record was ended by the Seagulls, who recorded a 3-0 win as the champions were downed for the first time this season.

The Gunners, off the back of finally getting over the line last season, have played with a style that we didn't necessarily see last year, when the perception was that they relied excessively on set pieces.

Losing at the Amex allowed City to take early control at the top, leading Arsenal by three points. There's few question marks hanging over Mikel Arteta's side, their lack of elite star quality in the final third perhaps the only one.

The manner of their loss could provide something of a blueprint for other teams to follow, but the likelihood is the Brighton loss was a bad day at the office and won't halt another title charge from the north Londoners.

This is all starting to feel concerningly like the autumn of 2021, which ended with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting the boot. A former player who got the job in surprise circumstances off the back of an interim spell no one expected. Sound familiar?

United were warned about repeating the trick but it seems they didn't heed the warning and one win from five games, leaving them in the bottom half, is not an ideal start for Michael Carrick in his first full season at the helm. There's not been much to hold onto either, their solitary win over Ipswich at Old Trafford.

Defensively they look brittle and the decision not to invest in their backline, instead ploughing money into the midfield, looks a bad call after only a matter of weeks.

Ultimately, the manager is the man who will die on his sword. Gary Neville called out Carrick for letting his players off during post-match interviews, where he continues to give off a sense of positivity, even when a game has been a massive negative. The current United hierarchy have already sacked two managers in a relatively short time, but axing a third will call their judgement into question and further upset the fanbase. Results, though, could leave them with no choice.

The Golden Boot race has Erling Haaland sat top, shock, with the City star hitting five goals so far. A goal a game is pretty standard for the Norwegian nowadays as he chases his fourth Golden Boot in five years.

But the man keeping him honest right now on four goals: one Alexander Isak. Ridiculed in his first season at Liverpool, which was certainly injury-hit, the Swede is finding the back of the net even if his performance levels aren't necessarily matching those of his Newcastle days.

The winner at Bournemouth was his most recent strike, and his exploits in the final third are coming despite continued criticism of some of his team-mates. With a £125million price tag hanging over him it is about time Isak began delivering and his goals are keeping the critics as bad as Andoni Iraola gets his feet under the table.

Five games gone. No wins. Bottom of the pile. After successive seasons where they finished 17th Tottenham fans must've thought the pain was over, but no. Even a manager with a big reputation and £300m worth of new signings hasn't changed anything.

It took them until the latter stages of their fifth games another home loss, to even score a goal. Ultimately, their two points from five games has been a fair reflection of what they are. It isn't as if they're losing games but playing well, or giving fans something to hold onto. Even their signings, which at the time had promise, now look questionable.

Two former City players who were on the outers at the Etihad and an £85m midfielder who has been relegated for two years on the bounce. The consensus before a ball was kicked was that several good players under a manager who was lauded by the likes of Pep Guardiola must eventually click into gear and come good, but don't hold onto your hat given what we've seen so far.

With several of the group formerly known as the top six, the likes of Tottenham and the Red Devils, struggling, that has opened the door for others to prosper.

There's no doubt that Brighton and Brentford have been two of the best run clubs in the Premier League for years, and this could finally be the year they see the fruits of their labour. Their buy cheap, sell for big profit model hasn't hampered them, with their scouting top tier.

Both have already claimed scalps this season. Brighton downing Arsenal and Brentford getting the better of Chelsea - both doing so by three-goal margins. The Seagulls have had a taste of Europe, the Bees are yet to have their moment, but there's certainly a scenario come May that has both clubs inside the top seven.