1 Frank Lampard persisted with Tammy Abraham for too long

There was little surprise that Jose Mourinho opted to throw a blanket around his penalty area as he sought the point that would take Tottenham back on top of the Premier League.

No doubt informing his tactics was Spurs’ dreadful record at Stamford Bridge, where they had won just one of their matches in all competitions in 34 games.

Pragmatism was the order of the day for Spurs, especially in the second half when the sum total of their attacking intent was a couple of forays forward in the final 15 minutes.

What was more surprising was Frank Lampard’s decision to persist with Tammy Abraham in attack for as long as he did. Welsh international Joe Rodon made his debut in the heart of the Spurs defence but he was rarely troubled by Abraham, even when the Chelsea attacker had two crosses planted on his head by Reece James.

Rodon looked much more uncertain when Olivier Giroud was introduced, the Frenchman almost stealing three points when capitalising on the Spurs defender’s hesitancy two minutes from the end.

2 Offside law adds to confusion

Patrick Bamford had what appeared to be a perfectly good goal ruled out against Everton at Goodison Park for offside. The Leeds No.9 slotted in from close range and wheeled away in celebration only to find that the referee’s assistant had his flag raised.

Bamford was in an onside position, so too Raphinha, who provided the volleyed pass for the “goal”. Instead, the offending party was Ezgjan Alioski, who had been in an offside position a good seven seconds before crossing to the Brazilian.

The logic of this rule deserves greater scrutiny: the theory is that it allows the assistant the grace to make a mistake that VAR might later rectify but all it does is sow seeds of confusion. At a time when frustrations are already sky-high with the farcical manner in which VAR has been implemented by the Premier League, the last thing that is needed is yet further vagaries in the rulebook.

3 Klopp’s complaints

Jurgen Klopp is increasingly in danger of sounding like a hypocrite. The German won plenty of friends last season with his carefree manner and cheery, avuncular disposition. But his mask has started to slip in recent weeks as events have gone against him giving us the impression that he is all smiles when things are going his side’s way and full of scowls when they aren’t.

Andy Robertson’s kick on Danny Welbeck that led to Brighton’s injury-time penalty was not immediately discernible to the naked eye but VAR subsequently concluded that referee Stuart Atwell should take a look at it.

Klopp was apoplectic that Pascal Gross’ subsequent conversion cost his side two points but the penalty was little different to the one awarded to Liverpool at Anfield against West Ham this month when Mo Salah made the most of a kick by Arthur Masuaku.

Klopp’s view then? “That’s how it is. There is a knock, you go down or not, whatever. Sometimes the refs give it.”

Incidentally, Welbeck did not go down in the theatrical manner of Salah but he was fouled nonetheless.

4 West Brom better than the record states

Last week, this column suggested Brighton’s results had borne little relation to their points tally. Their performance against Liverpool appeared to back up the belief that they are a side sitting in a false position.

This week, it was West Brom’s turn to get the win that their recent improved performances have deserved. They were unlucky against Spurs this month and could and, perhaps, should have beaten Manchester United last weekend.

Their luck finally turned against Sheffield United, who missed enough chances to win two games. West Brom squandered plenty of their own but Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, will be looking at his three strikers this morning and reconsidering whether the club has got value for money on Oli McBurnie (£17.5 million) and Rhian Brewster (£20m).

Ten games in, the pair have registered precisely zero goals in the league.

5 Cavani saves Solskjaer’s skin

Some questioned the logic of Manchester United signing Edinson Cavani in the death throes of the summer transfer window. The Uruguayan’s £175,000 per week price tag seemed a hefty chunk for a player in a position in which United were not exactly short of options.

Nevertheless, the decision to bring the veteran striker into the fold is starting to pay off. Sent on yesterday as a half-time change with United trailing 2-0 to Southampton, he helped Bruno Fernandes lead the fightback.

Yes, he still misses excellent opportunities, but his penalty-box presence and wily movement is enough to cause palpitations for defenders.

You have to wonder why, then, Southampton left him all alone inside the six-yard box to score United’s equaliser before a similar dereliction of duties allowed him to make an unchallenged run across the face of goal to nod home an injury-time winner to spare Ole Gunnar Solskjaer further scrutiny, for now.