It seems like a long time ago now, but new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp began his Anfield rebuilding mission with a 0-0 draw at Tottenham.

Our man Phil McNulty was at White Hart Lane - and he's written an excellent column looking at how Liverpool already look energised by the former Dortmund manager.

Have a gander here.

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "We knew it was going to be a hard game. I said that before the game – this was the game I was looking forward to the most.

“Palace are playing as a team, they have pace and a lot of front players who can make the pitch very short. They are what a manager wants his team to be.

“It was a big test for us, but the way we approached it from the beginning, with respect for them but with confidence passing the ball, I’m so proud.

“So far for me, it’s the proudest moment because of the way we did it.”

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew: “I’m frustrated with the decision (Gayle’s red card). It was a cracking game. It was going end to end, they were great on the break and we were conjuring up chances.

“Our striker gets booked for a bad challenge, quite rightly. The second challenge, the referee (Mark Clattenburg) knows he’s booked, he’s missed it by a centimetre probably and he sends him off.

“I thought a man of his experience perhaps should have looked at that situation and given him his final warning. But to send him off really spoiled the occasion for everybody.

“In the second half, we’ve had to show our typical Crystal Palace resilience. We dug in and it looked like we’d get the point that perhaps we deserved for the effort that we put in, but fair play to West Ham. They kept knocking and found a way.

“I’m not excusing him from complete blame. The second challenge, he shouldn’t make. He’ll have to learn from that. Having said that, I still think it was very harsh to send him off.”

Everton manager Roberto Martinez, speaking to Sky Sports: "You can see that today was a bad day at the office. We allowed ourselves to be frustrated, it was a bad day. 

"In the first half we hadn't been at our best but the first goal killed us too much. Normally we react really well to conceding but we felt quite deflated. We became quite negative and lost a lot of tempo, our play became forceful and the way we ended the opening 45 minutes was very uncharacteristic. 

"For 20 minutes in the second half we had more control, and had we scored then it would have changed the game completely, but then we conceded on the break. Overall we weren’t anywhere near our best and Manchester United took advantage of that. There are things we need to learn from and clearly we need to react really well before our next game against Arsenal."

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, speaking to BBC Sport: "I am a very happy coach and am also very proud. It’s a fantastic performance."

On his side's defending: "I think they played very well, Everton is a good team with good strikers but the main aspect is that they defend forward at the right time, that we have trained also but you have to perform it in matches."

Hridaya Nahata: I am now 100% sure that Chris Smalling is the best British defender. What a rebuild he has had under Van Gaal.

Were there any positives for Tim Sherwood this afternoon? Well midfielder Idrissa Gana continues to impress. He played the most passes for Villa (of which 94% found their target), had the most touches for a Villa player, make the most tackles for a Villa player and produced the most interceptions.

You can't argue with that for a shift.

More from Tim Sherwood, this time talking to Sky Sports: "The first goal in any match is so important, and Chelsea didn’t have to work too hard for that.

"I'll take the positives today - we took the game to them, we dominated them in the first period and we created a few chances of our own. But we gave ourselves an uphill task after the first goal.

"It's only a matter of time until Chelsea come good, and today we didn't get the rub of the green. We have to move on and learn from mistakes, because they are costing us at the moment.

"Goalscoring has not been our problem, but not winning matches is of course a concern. We will continue to work hard in training to put things right.

"I can’t worry about speculation concerning me - this is business as usual. I am on Aston Villa's side, no-one else's."

Tim Sherwood, talking in the tunnel to Match of the Day: "We gifted goals away today - they were fluky, but when you're down the bottom that's what you get. Chelsea always score at the Bridge so we knew we had to score to get something out of today.

"We dominated in the opening period, and they had no chances until they scored, which was a gift from us.

"Unfortunately, we haven't got that cutting edge which you need to win matches. We are not blaming individuals - we are in this together. We have to bounce back and dust ourselves down. The result is disappointing but we'll crack on.

"Stats can mislead people at times - we played on the front foot here at the Bridge, we matched them initially. We believe we'll stay in this division, though it’s clear for everyone to see that we’re a side in transition.

"I am positive, I will not shrink. I didn’t hear my supporters shouting for me to leave. I'll keep swinging, even if I’m backed into a corner."

Image source, PA

BBC Three Counties Radio
Former Watford midfielder Derek Payne at Vicarage Road

"Before this fixture a lot of people were predicting that Watford would find this hard. But both sides have been pretty even, and both have enjoyed clear chances. 

"Arsene Wenger won't be happy, because Arsenal haven't performed, and they let their tempo drop as the half went on. Maybe there is tiredness in their legs, as lots of them played during the international break."

It's been a decent game at Vicarage Road, where Watford are more than holding their own despite Arsenal having the better chances. Want to follow the second half of that one? Gary Rose is your man for that.

Sunderland midfielder Seb Larsson: "The manager wanted us to be a bit more solid, which I think we were. That's what makes it more frustrating. 

"They did not really trouble us but we have come away with a defeat, which is hard to take. 

"We know it's time to start winning football matches. We can't go on this way. The manager believes he can turn it round and so do the players."

Image source, Getty Images

I heard a very astute pundit on the radio this week, whose name escapes me, suggesting that Sunderland will rely heavily on set-pieces now Big Sam is in charge.

As such, he said Seb Larsson would be brought back in from the cold - and he was right. The man with a right foot which could open a tin of beans started for the first time in the Premier League since 15 August today.

He had a decent game too - playing two key passes in the Baggies half. 

Palace striker Gayle was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in the first half at Selhurst Park. 

Here's a good stat for you, from today's match at Selhurst Park.

Eagles midfielder Yohan Cabaye became only the fourth player in Premier League history to score a penalty in four successive appearances. He follows Ian Wright in 1994, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Michael Owen (both in 2003).

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: “It was a difficult afternoon for us. We made a really bad start and gifted them goals which is a recipe for disaster against such a quality team.

“There was a spell in the first half when the score was 3-1 where I thought we were on top but we conceded a crucial goal before half-time. That was a real killer blow in terms of our hopes of getting back into the game in the second half.

“We spoke at half-time and said we wanted a real response because we wanted the score to be respectable and to leave with our heads held high.

"Hopefully this is part of our learning curve and we can grow from it.”

Image source, Reuters

My colleague, Chris Bevan, makes an interesting point based on my assertions about Wayne Rooney (17:36). Here's Wilfried Bony's touch map - he scored two today, but still had less touches in the area than Rooney.

Food for thought?

Image source, Opta

Goonerama: Can't understand how the pretty simple 'Mahrez playing = better Leicester' equation seems to be eluding Ranieri.

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri on BBC Sport: "We have fantastic spirit. We believe everything could be possible.

"We created a lot of chances. It is important to have good players on the bench and I have very good players who can change the match.

"Jamie Vardy is very important for us. I believe in this team. When we are desperate we make more, more and more."

Image source, Getty Images