Key Points of the Weekend

Is Josh King becoming Fulham's talisman?

Fulham got their first win of the season and under Alvaro Arbeloa on Saturday by beating Hull and at the heart of their attacking play was 19 year old Josh King.

He was always looking to make things happen whenever he had the ball against Hull whether that be creating a chance for a teammate or beating players with his pace or a bit of skill.

He's arguably been Fulham's best player this season in what has been a difficult campaign so far by impressing in every game he's played and stepping up when his team need someone to.

Is he becoming Fulham's talisman?

He's certainly playing like he is based on the performances he's put in compared to the rest of his teammates who haven't delivered enough.

He's got the potential to be Fulham's main man because of how talented a player he is and the potential he has.

But as he's still only 19 years of age, it's too soon for him to be talked about in that bracket because of his age and lack of experience.

He'll be turning 20 in January and if he continues to impress after he reaches that age and begins to add goals to his game, we could potentially see him being labelled as Fulham's main man.

Should Sven Botman have been sent off?

Sven Botman was booked for a reckless challenge on Nicolas Jackson in the first half of Newcastle's 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday but there were some people who thought that he was lucky not to have been sent off.

This got me asking if he should've been sent off.

There is definitely a case for it to be a sending off because the challenge was dangerous and Botman's feet were off the ground as he went in for the tackle.

Whenever a player goes into a challenge with their feet off the ground, they usually end up being sent off because of how dangerous those kind of challenges are. Some are even dangerous enough to break an opponent's leg.

Botman also went into the challenge at speed and intensity which makes it more of a red card because any challenge involving speed and intensity is dangerous and deserves a red card.

Because of this and his feet being off the ground as he went in for the tackle, Botman was definitely lucky not to have been sent off and probably should've been.

Could Brighton do a Leicester?

Brighton kept up their fine start to the season over the weekend with their 5-0 win over Crystal Palace which was their fourth win in a row and left them 3rd in the table.

They're a team who are full of confidence at the moment and they're playing like it because of the form they're in and the way they're playing.

Their strong start to the season has led me to asking this one question: Could they do a Leicester and win the Premier League?

This might feel like a long shot because they're behind Man City and Arsenal and pretty much everyone is expecting those two to be fighting it out for the title at the end of the season.

But it's not impossible as Leicester showed in 2016 where they started strongly and kept it going by ignoring the outside noise and keeping their heads down.

Brighton are the kind of side who will keep their heads down because they're a small club who are not expected to finish or challenge near the top of the table.

The only thing that could stop them from potentially winning the league is Europe because it will test the depth of their squad and require them to play more games than they've been used to.

The amount of games played during a season has often caught up with teams who are not used to playing in Europe because they haven't had the strength in depth to compete on both fronts.

Brighton's strong start to the season will definitely give them a lot of confidence that they can compete in and around the higher positions and compete on both fronts.

If they can keep up their strong start for the remainder of the season and manage the Thursday-Sunday schedule, they could potentially do a Leicester. You never know.

Have Sunderland been hit by the second season syndrome?

Sunderland as well all know had an incredible season last season but this season is without a doubt proving to be more challenging as they find themselves at the foot of the table following four straight defeats.

Have they been hit by the second season syndrome?

The second season syndrome is a term used for teams who are struggling in their second season after having an incredible first season and Sunderland are at risk of becoming the latest team to be hit by it.

Repeating what you did in your first season is always tough because other teams are likely to work you out as they may have figured out ways to stop you after facing them last season.

This season was always going to be challenging for Sunderland not just because the second season can be tougher, but because they're in Europe and competing in both the Premier League and Europe is never easy.

To compete in both the Premier League and Europe, you need to have a big squad and Sunderland don't appear to have that as they have key players out injured and no reliable back ups to fill in for them.

Because of their lack of squad depth, they're likely to pick up more injuries as the season progresses and if they don't strengthen in January to bolster the depth of their squad and continue to struggle in the league, they could be hit by the second season syndrome.