Man utd Problems are still evident despite Fulham's win and are Tottenham bored? – Premier League hits and misses | New news

A winning feeling – but United's problems are still plain to see

Ruben Amorim stressed the importance of results over performances ahead of Man Utd's 1-0 win at Fulham, and his hopes of momentum picking up three points on the road can provide a point.

They certainly looked like they needed one for most of this match. United's caution was typical to see them defend numbers and look for a safe option in possession. It was noted ahead of the game that Fulham were listed as favorites – and the visitors played to their mark in underdogs.

This result will not mask the problems that AMORIM must solve. Sam noted the lack of pressure in the final third, and questions about both Rasmus Hojlund and his replacement Joshua Zirkzee remain. Alejandro Garnacho, a player they could sell before the deadline, looked the most likely to provide a spark in an otherwise uninspiring attack. Fulham, despite their poor attacking record, almost exposed that well-documented united weakness of late.

However, with a Europa League trip to Bucharest on Thursday, followed by home games against Crystal Palace and then Leicester in the FA Cup, there may be a chance for a united positive rhythm to improve their short-term prospects. The bigger picture remains a major work in progress.
Pete Smith

'Boring, boring Tottenham Hotspur?'

Ange PosteCoglou is known for his attack, attack, attack style. You score a two, we score a three, my friend.

It was bedrock why he got to the top table of football management. But there are signs starting to emerge that his football is pretty easy to stop. Even Leicester, who have conceded an average of 2.5 goals per game in their last nine games, managed to limit the slivers to crumbs in terms of realizing the fluke in their 2-1 win.

Yes, fatigue is a big issue for postecoglou and his injury squad, but to create 1.1 worth of expected goals against a team that could play to play primarily football, and not be good enough again when you consider that with a tall team they hit under the big Aussie.

As the clock ticks down with the sponges chasing the equaliser, even adding seven extra minutes to their usefulness has not struck any intruders. That figure could have been 70 minutes and they still wouldn't have found an equaliser. Their attacks were predictable and lacked quality. Over their last 13 games Spurs are only averaging 1.3 expected goals per 90 and have struggled to break the will of Wolves, Ipswich and now Leicester.

Aren't you having fun? No, I wasn't today.
Lewis Jones

West Ham showing improvement under Potter

Four games in and the West Ham is starting to show signs of life under Graham Potter. After a testing performance against Crystal Palace last weekend, something was needed to prove things were moving in the right direction.

And Hammers fans may have feared the worst in the opening 10 minutes of the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa – but once their team was our stronghold, they didn't let up.

They may have been helped by Villa's disruption after Tyrone Mings was substituted, but taking advantage of those situations should not be overdone.

Max Kilman deserves credit for keeping West Ham in the game when they were under pressure and Lucas Paquet for his head on the hammer.

Since Potter came in, West Ham's numbers have been steadily increasing. Their performance, especially in the second half, is more like what Potter does and what the Hammers want to see.

Now it's a case of consistency. Can a slow start be formed? Can a draw turn into a win? Hopefully these questions will be answered in the coming weeks.
Charlotte Marsh

Quirky Brentford Penalty Tric brings them out as a club

Brentford are a football club that constantly looks for marginal gains and in the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace, we saw the second.

With Brian Mbeumo stepping up for the return penalty, both Yoane Wissa and Keane Lewis-Potter were seen celebrating even as the Brentford Talisman strolled to make contact with the ball.

“It's like a distraction that could put a goalkeeper off,” Jamie Redknapp said. “I've never seen that in my life, it's crazy!”

Asked if it was a tactic or just confidence, Thomas Frank added: “They are very good friends, they know each other very well and so probably a bit of both.”

So it's no wonder that Brentford had a penalty rate of 95 per cent in the Premier League, the joint-highest ratio in the competition's history.

In addition to the reputation of the first moment, they have delighted the fans this season, it is another in the long list of Quirky bee raising tactics.
Blitz himself

Esse's debut Dream Palace debut

In two seasons, Romain Esse tore up the Championship as one of Millwall's most promising players and, by the time he left the club on January 18, had played 66 times for the Lions. Excludes 20 until May.

So it was no surprise when he was snapped up by the Crystal Palace for a fee that can reportedly rise to £14.5m.

Esse was immediately integrated into the Eagles' first-team squad and made his debut as a late substitute against Brentford, with Oliver Glasner's side making it 2-0. His impact was almost instantaneous, with his first goal coming just 119 seconds after his introduction.

He became the first teenager to score on his premiership debut (19y 258d) since Rayan Ait-Nouri for Wolves in October 2020 (19y 146d).

It didn't turn out to be a Palace comeback, but he immediately took the Esse to the Selhurst Park faithful and as a new player, you can't ask for much more than that.
And for a long time