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LONDON. – After a first week in the English Premier League that saw the champions Chelsea toppled and 31 goals flying in, the victories by Manchester’s clubs on the opening weekend suggested they could be the teams to chase this term.

The rivals are book-ending week two, with United at Swansea City in today’s lunchtime game and City testing Everton’s new big-spending resolve on Monday night. That should provide an even better feel for their credentials.

Jose Mourinho’s United put four past West Ham United and Romelu Lukaku quickly demonstrated his intent to be crowned the league’s top scorer, after just missing out last year, with an accomplished double.

Just as impressive was the performance of Pep Guardiola’s City, who broke down the newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion with the pairing of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus promising much.

German international Ilkay Gundogan is back in the frame for them, too, after a long-term injury as the summer’s 200 million-pound big spenders face an Everton side who have been splashing out again themselves by signing Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Still having to prove they have enough goals in them after the departure of Lukaku, manager Ronald Koeman declared on Wednesday that the Icelander is the man to “bring productivity” to the Toffees after Lukaku’s departure.

The big question marks have all been down at Stamford Bridge this week following their home loss to Burnley.

They ended up with nine men and the first glimpse of deja vu for Blues faithful who can’t bring themselves to believe their title defence under Antonio Conte will go the same way as the last one, under Mourinho, two years ago.

With injuries and suspensions to the dismissed Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas, a visit to old foes Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow is the sort of demanding follow-up Conte might have hoped to have been spared so early in the campaign.

Yet could Spurs’ brave new world at Wembley Stadium, as they wait for their new White Hart Lane home to be finished, prove an Achilles heel? If their wretched Champions League experiences there last season are anything to go by, it could be.

Liverpool’s win in the Champions League qualifier at Hoffenheim was just the tonic they needed to forget the saga of whether Philippe Coutinho would stay or head for Barcelona.

Instead, they could revel in home-grown teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal-scoring in Germany. They now seek their first league win of the campaign against Crystal Palace, who were left reeling by a woeful debut under Frank De Boer in the 3-0 defeat at home to Huddersfield Town.

The Terriers, hardly able to credit such an emphatic victory in their first match in the top flight for 45 years – which saw them briefly top the table until Manchester United’s win – now have the chance to make it, in contrast, a pointless start for fellow newcomers Newcastle United at Kirklees Stadium.

Arsenal visit Stoke City, so often a fixture with the feel of a proper culture clash, and they will be counting on new signing Alexandre Lacazette to hit the target again. Lacaztte scored after just 94 seconds of his debut in the 4-3 win over Leicester City.

Meanwhile, Anthony Martial has warned Manchester United not to get carried away by their impressive start to the Premier League season as the leaders head to Swansea today.

An emphatic 4-0 victory over West Ham in their opening game suggested United have shaken off a tendency to draw matches they should be winning, putting them in good spirits for the trip to south Wales.

United were held to 15 league draws last season, more than any other team in the top division, and one of them was against Swansea at Old Trafford in April.

Mourinho’s side look much better equipped now to deal with sides who sit deep and try to frustrate them; their attacking verve was too much for a defensively minded Hammers side last Sunday.

The British record £75 million fee paid to Everton for Lukaku already looks like money well spent, with the Belgium striker scoring twice on his league debut, while Nemanja Matic, a £40 million recruit from Chelsea, was outstanding in midfield.

Mourinho’s men look well set to improve on last season’s sixth place finish and the United manager has even spoken of a title challenge this season. He has won the domestic title in his second season in each of his last five managerial positions at Porto, Chelsea twice, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

With Chelsea faltering at home to Burnley last weekend, Mourinho’s hopes of marking his second season at Old Trafford by winning the Premier League may just have grown a little.

Not that it’s time to start dreaming of future glory just yet, according to United striker Martial, who scored against West Ham after coming off the bench.

“As a squad, we haven’t really talked about specific aims for the season too much so far, but the goal is to win as many titles as possible,” he said.
“That is what we tried to do last year and it’s what we are going to try to do this year.”

Fixtures (all 4pm unless otherwise stated)

Today: Swansea City v Manchester United (1:30pm); Leicester City v Brighton & Hove Albion; Liverpool v Crystal Palace; Burnley v West Bromwich Albion; Bournemouth v Watford; Southampton v West Ham United; Stoke City v Arsenal (6:30pm).

Tomorrow: Huddersfield v Newcastle (2:30pm); Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (5pm).

Monday: Manchester City v Everton (9pm). – Reuters.