With the exception of Liverpool, Premier League teams enjoyed fine starts to their Champions League campaigns this week.
Alone among the five, Liverpool failed to win. Jurgen Klopp watched his team draw with Sevilla at Anfield the night after bitter rival Manchester United had celebrated its own return to European football's elite competition with an easy victory.
Here is how all the Premier League teams involved in the competition rated.
Manchester United
On its return to the Champions League following a two-year absence, United encountered a supine opponent in the Swiss champion FC Basel.
United got goals from Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford to make sure it heads Group A after one game. Fellaini's goal, though, may have come with a slightly bitter aftertaste for Jose Mourinho, who lost Paul Pogba to a hamstring injury after just 19 minutes. Fellaini proved a capable replacement but United will feel Pogba's absence keenly.
Next up: A trip to CSKA Moscow on September 27. Win that, and Mourinho can feel confident of topping the group.
Rating: 7/10. United brushed Basel aside but Pogba's injury should keep a lid on any overexuberance.
Chelsea
That Antonio Conte could rest several players against the Azerbaijani league champion and still come away with a 6-0 win is perhaps a hint in a long line of them to UEFA that the Champions League group stage requires a revamp.
Still, Chelsea did what it had to and then some more to top Group C after the first round of matches. Conte will have been heartened by a goal off the subsitutes' bench for Tiemoue Bakayoko, and a 32-minute cameo from Eden Hazard. But this really was the entree before the meaty main courses to come.
Next up: Conte's team visits Atletico Madrid, which drew 0-0 with A.S. Roma on Tuesday, on September 27.
Rating: 8/10. Terrible opposition but Chelsea already has a two-point advantage in the group and pragmatically, that is all that matters.
Liverpool
Liverpool should have beaten Sevilla at Anfield on Wednesday evening, of that there seems little question or doubt. Jurgen Klopp's team outshot the La Liga side 24-7, according to BBC Sport, and yet familiar problems stopped it from beginning Group E with a win. Vibrant in the first half following a horrible mistake from Dejan Lovren, Liverpool allowed a 72nd-minute equalizer from Joaquin Correa. In the easiest group of all the English teams Liverpool should still progress to the knockout rounds. But it must find a way of cutting out defensive lapses.
Next up: A trip to Spartak Moscow on September 26.
Rating: 6/10. In this group, a home draw against the only other strong team is hardly disastrous. But Liverpool will probably now need to beat Sevilla away to top the group and that will not be easy.
Manchester City
From the time John Stones scored the first of his two goals two minutes into the game at De Kuip in Rotterdam on Wednesday, there was precisely zero danger of Manchester City leaving the Netherlands with anything but a winning start to Group F. Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus also showed further signs of forming a scary partnership in attack.
Next up: City hosts Shakhtar Donetsk at Etihad Stadium on September 26. The Ukrainians defeated Napoli in Kharkiv on Wednesday.
Rating: 8/10. In its second season under Pep Guardiola, City looks ready to contend for the Champions League.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs came out on top on a strange, frantic and entertaining evening at Wembley mostly thanks to the growing influence of Harry Kane. While Borussia Dortmund dominated possession and had at least one goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang incorrectly disallowed, Kane bullied the Dortmund defense all night en route to two fine goals.
Next up: Tottenham travels to Apoel Nicosia on September 26. The Cypriots lost to Real Madrid 3-0 at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Rating: 8/10. With Real Madrid lying in wait, Tottenham simply had to get off to this kind of fast start.
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