As the Premier League returned, some things, at least, felt very familiar.
There was a refereeing/technology controversy in the early game between Aston Villa and Sheffield United. In the later game there was Manchester City, passing the ball slickly and quite simply being very good. There was Arsenal struggling to compete against a top-six side away from home. There was David Luiz, making mistakes and being sent off. The result of the scoreless draw at Villa Park and the 3-0 Man City win at the Etihad is that Aston Villa is still in the relegation zone, Sheffield United is still sixth and Liverpool cannot win the league title at Everton on Sunday, however surely it will win end its 30-year drought at some point soon.