Few can replicate the impressive debut season N’Golo Kante had at Leicester City, but Everton’s director of football Steve Walsh believes Idrissa Gueye has all the attributes of the French midfielder.

Walsh recommended the Senegalese midfielder to manager Ronald Koeman, with the Toffees going on to sign Gueye from relegated Aston Villa after a strong introduction to the Premier League.

And his performances have hardly looked like dropping off for the Toffees, already holding an influence despite just playing a handful of games to date.

But Walsh is keen not to put too much pressure on his new 27-year-old star – despite holding comparisons to a man who was named in last season’s Team of the Year.

Gueye and Kante battling for possession last season. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

“I told the manager to have a look at this lad because I think he can do all the things we want him to do,” he said.

“We earmarked the fact that we were looking for a bit more energy from that part of the field. He moves the ball quickly and runs with the ball. He is good at pressing and good at intercepting.

“Don’t put too much on his shoulders but he is a little bit like Kante. You’ll see that when he presses. He just needs now to show a little bit more discipline and he’ll be a really good player for us.

The emergence of the ‘sweeper-keeper’ in recent years has been one of the greatest innovations in football yet, and Chelsea’s veteran stopper Asmir Begovic admits being between the sticks now is a totally different ball game to when he started out.

The Premier League boasts some of the greatest shot stoppers in the world including David de Gea, Petr Cech, Thibaut Courtois and Hugo Lloris – but few would argue against Manuel Neuer’s position as the world’s best goalkeeper.

The German FIFA Ballon d’Or nominee combines sublime shot-stopping with an unrivalled dominance of his penalty area and often beyond, which puts him in a league of his own.

And for 29-year-old Bosnian Begovic, the biggest ever change to the goalkeeping craft came with the introduction of the back-pass rule, with No.1’s now needing to be more skilful and fitter than ever.

“Ever since that rule it has changed, it has affected the game a lot,” he said. “The goalkeeper more than any other position.

“We have had to evolve so much over the last few years and there is an emphasis more than ever to be able to play with your feet, start attacks and be comfortable doing that.

“A goalkeeper these days is also as fit as the outfield players. Before, years ago, goalkeepers could get away with it but now it is important you are as fit as everyone else.

“The fitness work you do is very important for the agility, and fitness in football has changed a lot. Everyone is fitter and stronger and it is the same with goalkeepers.

“The game is faster so we have had to respond. The goalkeepers have used the gym work and the fitness work to make ourselves faster so we can deal with the ball.

“It is about taking care of your body and making sure we can cope with the general demands of the work, each and every day.

“Fitness as well helps with your general well-being and concentration during games. The fitter you are, the longer you can stay concentrated.”

He may be 30 and an established starter in Arsene Wenger’s Premier League assault this season, but Arsenal left back Nacho Monreal insists he is never too old to stop learning.

Monreal began his career at Osasuna, spending five years at his hometown club before moving to Malaga in 2011, for whom he played in the Champions League.

He also first represented Spain in 2009 and played at the 2013 Confederations Cup, where his country reached the final, and moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2012.

Last season he started 36 Premier League games for Arsenal and this campaign has been one of the first names on the team sheet, holding off stiff competition for the left-back spot from England international Kieran Gibbs.

He has developed a feared full-back pairing with Hector Bellerin and has helped centre backs Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny keep three successive clean sheets in all competitions, but Monreal is adamant he is not resting on his laurels and is constantly seeking personal improvement.

“There are games you just watch for entertainment, you forget everything else and you just try to be a football fan,” he said.

“But there are many games with different coaches, tactics and styles of play.

“So you keep an eye on the movement of the players, on the tactics, and how the team regroups – you try to take it in and learn.

“Obviously being a full back I try to watch the other full backs, for how they defend, how they attack, their movement, so I can take ideas from them, and think about how I can improve and what I can correct in my game.”

Filling the gaping hole in the centre of midfield left by N’Golo Kante was never going to be easy but Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri believes 21-year-old Daniel Amartey is excelling in the Frenchman’s absence.

The Foxes managed to keep hold of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez following their historic Premier League success last season, but midfield general Kante was the man who got away.

Up stepped the versatile Amartey – a January signing from FC Copenhagen – and though Ranieri has been at pains to stress he is not a clone of Kante, the Ghana international has proved a worthy partner for Danny Drinkwater so far.

 (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“I think Amartey has improved a lot, I’m very happy with him,” said Ranieri. “He has played so many matches on the flank in his previous team and sometimes as a centre back or central midfielder.

“I always feel his best position is as a central midfielder, but slowly, slowly, at 21 years-old it is not easy to take this position.”

The Foxes’ eight league points to date have come in front of their own fans and Ranieri – dubbed the ‘Tinkerman’ during his days at Chelsea – concedes he may have to perform some tactical reshuffling away from home.

“It depends how our midfielders play together because remember the other team play with three or four, depending on how they are used to playing,” added Ranieri. “We have only two.

“If the strikers don’t help Drinkwater and Amartey, if the wingers don’t close the space and go narrow then they always up against a lot of players.”

Liverpool’s strikeforce have run riot so far this season and centre-back Ragnar Klavan admits he’s glad that he’s on their side as he gets to grips with life in the Premier League.

Alongside Manchester City, the Reds are the highest scoring team in the top-flight with 18 goals through seven games so far.

The goals have been shared out – five players have scored three goals or more in all competitions so far – while James Milner has hit four penalties as defences struggle to cope with Liverpool’s trickery in the box.

 (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

But it’s not all been a breeze at Anfield this season as, with ten Premier League goals conceded, no team in the top half has let in more.

And though Klavan has admittedly been in the thick of the action, he believes he can help shore up Liverpool’s defence by testing himself against the best in training.

“We have so much quality in front, but for me it is good to train against them every day – it helps my defending level,” said 30-year-old Klavan, who is on 113 Estonia caps and counting.

“[The Premier League] is kind of more aggressive, a little bit more is allowed by the referees.

“It’s a little bit different from the Bundesliga. Those are just parts where you need to get used to it a little bit, so it took me some time and also in training, but slowly I am getting there.

“With every league, there is something special about that league. England is, in my opinion, one of the best – maybe the best – leagues in the world.”

He may have been West Bromwich Albion’s record signing and he may have scored three Premier League goals this season, but Baggies boss Tony Pulis has warned Salomon Rondon over complacency.

Rondon was brought to the Hawthorns for £12million in the summer of 2015, and although that record fee was eclipsed by the £13million paid for Nacer Chadli this summer, the Venezuelan hit man is starting to live up to his price tag.

The former Zenit Saint Petersburg striker opened his account for this season in the Baggies’ league opener, giving them a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

And with strikes against West Ham and Stoke City contributing another four points to West Brom’s tally in recent weeks, Pulis is pleased with his striker’s performances.

Photo by Lynne Cameron/Getty Images

But with just Rondon, Hal Robson Kanu and Saido Berahino available to Pulis up front, the Welshman has warned his star striker against getting too comfortable in the starting 11.

“His form now is fantastic and long may it continue,” said Pulis. “But he has to work hard.

“You can’t relax in this league – it’s non-stop pressure every step of the way.

“If he takes his foot off the pedal it will fall away. The important thing is to make sure he understands that.

“Salomon is a good player. He has shown that over last season and the start of this season.

“Yes, he can get better, he has the ability to get better and hopefully he will.”

Pablo Zabaleta considers himself very lucky to be working under Pep Guardiola – even if the new Manchester City boss has imposed strict rules when it comes to the players and their phones.

In a bid to bring the squad together, Guardiola has made it more difficult for players to use their mobiles and other handheld devices around the training ground.

Certain areas of the City Football Academy are now free from 3G signal and have been disconnected from the in-house Wi-Fi system under Guardiola’s instructions.

But it would appear that his methods are working as Manchester City sit top of the table, with defeat to Tottenham last time out their first under the Catalan boss.

And you will hear no complaints from Zabaleta, who is delighted to be at the club for this new era under Guardiola.

“He forces us to have breakfast and lunch together at the club. The internet is cut off, we are held incommunicado. We don’t even use 3G,” the full-back told Argentina’s TyC Sports.

“You always want and you dream to be trained by the best coaches, and today I have the opportunity to work with one of the best.

“You learn a lot, especially the way you should live. Beyond the knowledge of his ideas, you see the passion with which he lives for football.”

Four years have passed since his move to south-west London and Cesar Azpilicueta has enjoyed over 150 games in a Chelsea shirt, but the defender admits Saturday’s win over Hull City was a day of firsts for him.

The 27-year-old played as part of a new-look Blues back-line, with Antonio Conte preferring to play with just three defenders for the trip to the KCOM Stadium.

With John Terry still injured, Azpilicueta started alongside David Luiz and Gary Cahill in the trio, with club vice-captain Branislav Ivanovic dropped to the bench.

And while the formation was new to him in Chelsea colours, the Spanish international believes it will help the side create more chances for in-form striker Diego Costa.

“The manager is always trying to find the best solution for the team and for the game,” he said.

“Last week we were working on the system, I trained in this position and I’m happy to help the team wherever the manager needs me.

“When you win, it means the training and the whole week was for the result.

“It’s my first time maybe that we play with three at the back at Chelsea from the start of a game. It is important for the team to have different solutions.

“We have players who can play different positions and this gives us more options for the team to be able to create more and be more competitive. It’s a big part for the team to change and to be able to manage different situations.

“It’s up to the manager to choose the best formation for every game. To make a good system, first of all, you have to work together, to run and fight together, to play together – then the system can make the difference.”

Duncan Watmore’s energy can help spark struggling Sunderland into life and up the Premier League table, according to defender John O’Shea.

Sunderland have just two points from their seven Premier League fixtures, with one of those coming from a draw against West Bromwich Albion, on Saturday.

The Black Cats have yet to keep a Premier League clean sheet this season, with their only shutout coming against Shrewsbury in the second round of the EFL Cup.

But O’Shea has backed 22-year-old Watmore, who has featured in every Sunderland game this season, to lead the charge in attack.

“Duncan’s energy is very important for us in the team at the minute and that is going to be crucial for us going forward,” said the Irishman.

“A lot of the lads feed on it and the positive energy he has around the place, not just on the pitch. He is a fantastic lad and he is going to go from strength to strength.”

Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images

And the defender thinks the resolve shown in Saturday’s draw, where his side came back from a goal down to equalise with less than ten minutes to play, bodes well for the rest of the season.

“Whenever you go behind in the Premier League you are giving yourself an uphill task again, but we started so well in the game and we were hoping to give everyone a boost around the stadium,” he added.

“The attitude from the off and right through the game was fantastic and on another day we would’ve taken the lead.”

Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has urged his Tottenham teammates not to change their attacking intentions after their best start to a Premier League season.

The Lilywhites’ high energy and high pressing game helped them to a 2-0 victory over league leaders Manchester City on Sunday after an Aleksander Kolarov own goal and a Dele Alli strike.

The North London club are now the only unbeaten club in the Premier League and sit just a single point off City at the top of the league with five wins and a two draws.

“As long as we keep the same mentality and spirit we can have ambition,” Lloris said.

“We have a young team with a lot of talent. We need to make sure we are not changing our minds, just being the same. That’s why we enjoy our time at Tottenham because the spirit is excellent.

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

“Last season we were already one of the best defences in the league so I think it’s one of our basics to be strong at the back. It doesn’t mean we are a defensive team, we are the opposite.

“We try to have a lot of risk in our game, trying to play as high up as we can on the pitch, putting pressure, as we did especially in the first half against City.

“But we have the ability to play with different options, like we did in the second half, playing a bit deeper, waiting and counter-attacking.”