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5 things we learned in the Premier League this weekend: Something is wrong at Chelsea

Tony O'Brien / Reuters

Collective groans echoed through Stamford Bridge, Anfield, and the away supporters' section of Liberty Stadium this weekend, as some of the Premier League's biggest clubs were left scratching their heads, wondering what the hell is going on in the top flight of English football.

For one reason or another, playing at home is looking like a disadvantage this season. The weekend's slate of fixtures continued the trend of away sides earning points, producing results that have left the percentage of matches in which the home team wins at a lowly 25 percent.

It's been a bizarre start to the new season, but one that has made for an intriguing road ahead.

Here are five things we learned in the Premier League this weekend:

It's time to panic at Stamford Bridge

Last season, en route to its fourth Premier League title, Chelsea lost only three games, fewer than any champion had in 10 years.

Following its 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, Jose Mourinho's side has already suffered two defeats through four matchdays.

Generally speaking, most clubs that win the Premier League lose about five fixtures, meaning Chelsea has already used up some of its lives. And while there's plenty of time left for the club to right its wrongs, there has been little indication that a U-turn will arrive in the immediate future. Chelsea continues to be outplayed and its issues at the back persist.

Mourinho even seemed more deflated than usual after Saturday's loss, putting the blame on his shoulders rather than deflecting it elsewhere.

Swansea is looking like a Champions League-worthy club

One of the only two sides who remain undefeated in the Premier League, Swansea City is making a case for European football.

A 2-1 win versus Manchester United attracted all the wrong headlines for Louis van Gaal's side and has the Welsh club sitting fourth in the Premier League table with two victories and two draws to its name. And on an individual level, Bafetimbi Gomis, who tallied the winning goal, is the league's joint-top scorer.

But the good times at Swansea go well beyond the basic statistics. Garry Monk's side genuinely looks like the second-best club in the United Kingdom, possessing a squad that is as complete as they come.

There's also a versatility at Swansea that other teams should envy. Without its Ecuadorian phenom and engine, Jefferson Montero, the club opted to attack United from the right rather than the left, and it proved to be a tactic that paid wonderfully, as both goals were produced from the right flank.

West Ham can beat anyone, anywhere, any time

Someone should check on Russell Brand.

West Ham United's 3-0 assault on Liverpool marked the first time in 52 years that the Hammers have won at Anfield. It was a scene that some of the club's supporters surely thought they would never witness, and it was one that was fully deserved.

Slaven Bilic's side overwhelmed Liverpool from kickoff to the final whistle, producing the type of football not normally associated with West Ham, continually playing out the back rather than launching the ball forward to a reference point.

Operating the slaughter were Dimitri Payet – dribbling through Liverpool's midfield like it was nothing and luring Philippe Coutinho into a red card – and Mark Noble – wreaking havoc wherever the ball was to be found and scoring a goal before falling victim to a red card himself.

"We parked the bus but we didn't put the handbrake on," said Bilic after the historic match. "It was simply great defending when we didn't have the ball."

With away wins at Liverpool and Arsenal, home losses to Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth, and three red cards in its last three fixtures, West Ham is establishing itself as a club that is as entertaining to watch as it is bipolar.

Scoring on Manchester City ain't easy

Another matchday, another clean sheet for Manchester City.

With its casual 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday, the Citizens sit atop the Premier League table, undefeated and without having conceded a single goal. Of course, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that Manuel Pellegrini's side has only had to deal with six opposition shots on target all season long.

The backline of Bacary Sagna, Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala, and Aleksandar Kolarov looks impenetrable and one can only wonder what club will be the first to score against a City side that could sleepwalk to this season's title.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's reckless reputation is justified

At some point, Aleksandar Mitrovic is going to have to get his act together.

The 16th-minute red card he was issued on Saturday paved the way for Newcastle United's 1-0 defeat to a pathetic-looking Arsenal side at St. James' Park, and it was particularly infuriating for his club's supporters as it was the result of a needless, studs-up challenge on Francis Coquelin.

Of course, Mitrovic is known for being a reckless footballer, but he's averaging one booking per 45 minutes this Premier League season, a rate that is already proving problematic.

Newcastle must surely be second-guessing the reported £15-million fee that was paid for the Serbian forward, who is the most expensive foreign striker in the club's history.

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