TALKING TACTICS: Man Utd boss Mourinho shows growth; Chelsea defence back to their best; Spurs lacking creativity

The second round of Premier League fixtures didn't quite live up to the extraordinary goals tally of the opening weekend, but nevertheless this was a very interesting weekend tactically; August is always the best month for spotting new trends developing across the Premier League.

Here are three things we learned from the action:

1) Mourinho shows he has turned a corner by fielding two roaming playmakers away from home

Manchester United's new-found ability to dominate games has largely been attributed to Nemanja Matic's commanding presence in midfield and the Serbian's effect on Paul Pogba, but in fact, it is a tactical recalibration by Jose Mourinho – from cautious and rigid to bold and creative – that has made the biggest difference.

For the second successive match, Mourinho fielded both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata, ostensibly playing in central attacking midfield and right wing respectively. But neither player stuck to their base position in the 4-2-3-1, instead of drifting across the breadth of the pitch at will; unlike the rigid demarcations of the previous campaign (when United was too cautious moving forward), Mourinho is now giving two creative players free roles in the attack.

Mikhtaryan's and Mata's combined 121 touches of the ball were scattered from right to left as the two moved fluidly, gradually stretching a well-drilled Swansea City and creating pockets of space for one another. Perhaps the addition of the trustworthy Matic has relaxed Mourinho, but whatever the cause he is clearly allowing his attackers more freedom this season. Click Here To Continue