Jose Mourinho isn't losing the plot at Manchester United, Arsenal have a Plan B, Cesc Fabregas is done at Chelsea

Seven things we learned this weekend: Palace continue to expose Liverpool's vulnerabilities, Nolito lucky not to see red, Boro finally turn on the style and can Barkley deliver every weekend?

Mourinho isn't losing the plot just yet

The back pages on Sunday morning read for uncomfortable yet familiar reading for the Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who was sent to the stands at half-time during their 0-0 draw with Burnley.

These headlines are a bit premature though, given the reports all reflect Mourinho's stadium ban two years ago while he was at Chelsea. What happened that season? They won the title.

Mourinho has never been an angel on the sidelines, and if he was hoping to deflect any attention away from the blatant dive from Matteo Darmian in an effort to win a penalty that so incensed him, he has achieved it. Mourinho has often taken the focus away from his players to protect them, and Saturday's incident - which could lead to another stadium ban - was nothing that we haven't seen before.

Giroud gives Wenger plenty to ponder

Olivier Giroud is finally up and running, over two-and-a-half months into the season. The Frenchman was given an extra rest after Euro 2016, and upon his return to the side, he picked up a red card in Europe as well as a toe injury to hamper his playing time.

But Saturday's 4-1 victory over Sunderland proved to be the Arsenal striker's moment to shine, as he scored goals with his first two touches to put the Gunners out of sight moments after Jermain Defoe had pegged them back with a penalty.

The conundrum now for Arsene Wenger is that Alexis Sanchez continues to flourish in a central role, so can he move the Chile international to accommodate Giroud? Chances are he won't, but Giroud's already proven a handy option to have on the substitutes' bench.

Fabregas' time at Chelsea is up

The upturn in form at Chelsea appears to be the final nail in the coffin of Cesc Fabregas's stay at Stamford Bridge. The midfielder is currently sidelined with injury, but he struggled to break into Antonio Conte's side when there were three midfield slots and, now there are two, he simply doesn't fit into this side.

N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic have strengthened Conte's defence to over a protective shield, and if Conte is only going to deploy two central midfielders, Fabregas will not get a look-in. The question is does he leave in January or stick it out until the end of the season?

Palace continue to expose Liverpool's defensive vulnerabilities

For all of Liverpool's entertainment, they simply cannot defend against the high ball. Twice, Crystal Palace pegged them back in their 4-2 defeat by the Reds through James McArthur headers when they failed to clear their lines, and goalkeeper Loris Karius continues to fall short in proving he has what it takes to be a No 1 goalkeeper in the Premier League.

Dejan Lovren was at fault for both of Palace's goals, with his scooped clearance gifting McArthur a headed chance that led to Karius rushing out of goal only to leave his hands by his side and not raised to try and block the shot. The second saw Lovren pay too much attention to former Reds striker Christian Benteke, allowing McArthur to gain a step and level the scores for a second time.

Liverpool are breathtaking to watch right now, but you can be sure that Jurgen Klopp would rather see Lovren defending properly than going up the other end to score.

Nolito lucky not to see red

If there's one thing that can end a career under Pep Guardiola, it is a failure to learn from your mistakes. Nolito fell short of this on Saturday as Manchester City thrashed West Brom 4-0, as he could have been sent off for a second head butt this season.

Nolito has already seen red for headbutting Bournemouth's Adam Smith, and when he reacted badly to a fair challenge from Craig Dawson, he again thrust his head into the face of an opponent. He was lucky to receive only a yellow card, and Sergio Aguero's reaction to calm him down immediately shows even his teammates have concerns about his temper.

Ramirez finally turns on the style for Boro

The one team beyond Sunderland to have disappointed so far this season has been Middlesbrough, following a string of turgid displays. That wasn't the case on Saturday, as Gaston Ramirez scored a wonderful goal in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth.

Picking the ball up in his own half, the Uruguayan ran past three defenders while outpacing Jack Wilshere, and coolly lashed the ball past Artur Boruc to open the scoring.

If Boro can come up with play matching the wonderful strike in terms of quality, then maybe there will be plenty to cheer at the Riverside after all this season.

Can Barkley add consistency to his undoubted talent?

Sunday was one of those rare days when Ross Barkley looks like the world beater he's been billed as. Far too much pressure has been put on the young England midfielder, and as a result he too often tries to take on the burden of beating every man on the opposite team that usually ends up with him losing possession.

The 2-0 win over West Ham though saw Barkley back at his best, and mainly because he put a bigger emphasis on distributing the ball rather than doing it all himself. The midfielder smartly delayed his run into the box so that Romelu Lukaku could pick him out unmarked to score the second goal with a controlled half-volley, and he was rightly awarded man of the match.

The question for Barkley remains can he perform to this level every week? With his dip in form last season ending the rumours of a move to either City or Chelsea, a few more performances like this could grab their attention - and that of other title-chasing clubs - once again.