Bruno Fernandes reveals he’s Man Utd’s chief in opposition to Chelsea as Enzo Maresca’s selections increase questions – Premier League hits and misses

Fernandes leads Man Utd to very important win

All the controversy round Bruno Fernandes’ place in Ruben Amorim’s system after the Manchester derby this week re-opened the dialog round whether or not Manchester United ought to have cashed in on their captain over the summer season.

The £100m on provide from Saudi Arabia might have been spent re-shaping the midfield, which is so dearly in want of reinforcements. However the message from Amorim was clear: letting Fernandes go at such a pivotal second in his rebuild can be a horrible resolution.

In opposition to Chelsea, Fernandes’ worth was evident. Not in a tactical sense, however as a frontrunner. In each stage of the sport the skipper was pushing his group ahead. “That is the most important thing, the influence he has on the squad,” Amorim stated after the sport.

Fernandes confirmed that he can get into goalscoring positions when taking part in in a two-man midfield. He grabbed the opening objective, his a centesimal in United colors, that bought the ball rolling in opposition to Chelsea. That put everybody comfy and opened the sport up.

Amorim is undoubtedly asking quite a lot of his captain to dictate the sport from deep and ship a risk within the remaining third, however on Saturday Fernandes rose to the event. “The point of the captain is to be the best he can be in every situation to make the team better,” added Amorim.

Even when United have been wobbling within the closing phases, Fernandes single-handedly led his group up the pitch after dispossessing Reece James and really practically scored a surprising strike from vary earlier than firing up the Stretford Finish.

Who might Man Utd have signed this summer season that might ship all of this right away? Lots of Amorim’s selections have rightly been questioned however holding Fernandes was little doubt the fitting name.
Zinny Boswell

Questions for Maresca after Chelsea loss

Trevoh Chalobah’s header briefly gave Chelsea hope at Previous Trafford however the one-goal margin of defeat flattered them. Regardless of Casemiro’s crimson card levelling the taking part in discipline earlier than half-time, they solely managed 5 pictures value a meagre 0.39 anticipated objectives.

Their listless efficiency capped a poor week after drawing with Brentford and shedding their Champions League opener to Bayern Munich. It additionally raised questions of their head coach Enzo Maresca, whose selections through the recreation did little to assist his facet.

First got here his name to substitute Pedro Neto in addition to Estevao after Robert Sanchez’s early crimson card, leaving Chelsea devoid of any sort of fast outlet. Not lengthy after that, he withdrew Cole Palmer, later explaining he was not totally match earlier than the sport.

Beginning a half-fit Palmer solely three days after he performed 90 minutes in Munich was by no means prone to finish properly and his elimination, for the extra defensively-minded Andrey Santos, additional restricted his facet offensively after they have been chasing the sport.

Maresca might have referred to as on Alejandro Garnacho, who would certainly have been determined to show a degree in opposition to his former facet, or the £51.5m Jamie Gittens, however each gamers completed the sport as unused substitutes, with Tyrique George, a participant they appeared pleased to promote a month in the past, most popular within the second half. It was one other unusual resolution from the Chelsea boss in a recreation filled with them.
Nick Wright

Poker-face Potter on the brink

Graham Potter is a tough man to learn. Maybe he’s a greater poker participant than soccer supervisor in that regard.

As he strode into his post-match press convention to deal with a room of journalists able to poke and probe him on his West Ham future, you wouldn’t have been capable of inform if his group had received 6-0 or misplaced 2-1. His impassive responses have been as predictable because the West Ham defeat.

Keep in mind, soccer is meant to be an emotional recreation, performed by emotional individuals, managed in essentially the most emotionally unstable environments. And that’s the place Potter retains falling brief.

There is no such thing as a doubting his teaching credentials. His work at Ostersunds, Brighton and even in patches at Chelsea paints the image of a tactician who understands the sport at a deep stage and he’s properly admired inside teaching circles.

His drawback is that lack of character. It’s going to maintain him again from ever making a hit of himself at a giant membership. It’s unlikely now he’ll get that probability once more as his inventory continues to fall.
Lewis Jones

Spurs present resilience to make up for final 12 months’s collapse

Final season, this Spurs facet embarrassingly collapsed at Brighton, however practically a 12 months on, they confirmed actual battle to rescue a draw as they seem way more resilient underneath Thomas Frank.

Having gone 2-0 down after 31 minutes on Saturday, Spurs regarded set to endure their first away defeat underneath the Dane, however there’s a steeliness about this Tottenham facet that was not at all times evident underneath Ange Postecoglou.

Final October, Spurs went 2-0 up after 37 minutes, however a stunning second-half give up noticed Brighton win 3-2 with Postecoglou labelling it then as his “worst defeat” of his tenure.

For Frank, the identical venue has offered the other feeling as he referred to as the 2-2 draw their “best performance of the season”.

He had a degree with Spurs wanting way more threatening than of their midweek Champions League house win over Villarreal.

Frank was additionally delighted with their “mentality” and “physicality” of their comeback over Brighton – one thing they’re going to want loads of with a possible 50-plus recreation season in retailer.

Eyebrows have been barely raised when £51m signing Xavi Simons began on the bench, however he got here on to nice impact within the No 10 position, the place certainly he could have a significantly better affect than out on the left-wing.

One other shiny spot was left-back Future Udogie, whom Frank hailed “exceptional” and “unstoppable” on his first begin of the season.

Udogie was part of that Spurs facet which crumbled on the south coast final season, however on this rescue act he was one to show Frank’s pursuit of a harder and decided Spurs.
Declan Olley

King shows maturity to bounce again after howler

After such a dour Fulham efficiency in opposition to Leeds final weekend, it was curious that Marco Silva selected to not choose any of the substitutes – let’s be sincere, Kevin, who spurred them to victory late on in that recreation – to start out in opposition to Brentford.

Perhaps that’s the reason he’s the Premier League head coach, as a result of after per week of seeing his facet on the coaching floor he was completely proper to maintain religion that they’d discover their vitality and creativity once more.

He stated this week their ambitions wouldn’t be dimmed by a troublesome switch window, with solely Aston Villa spending much less, however sources do make a distinction.

This was a well timed reminder of the expertise that is still at Craven Cottage, and that was with out their difficult new Brazilian, or fellow new arrival Samuel Chukwueze who was an unused substitute.

Particular credit score to Josh King, who was unusually quiet in his final recreation and gave away Brentford’s opener on this one, however went on to drive the hosts ahead earlier than he was withdrawn.

Silva stated he was “impressed, but not surprised” by the 18-year-old’s maturity, and the best way he refused to cover regardless of such an unlucky error was a credit score to {the teenager}.

Little shock he was handed a standing ovation when he finally made manner for the Brazilian. It nearly warrants a double take that this was simply his twentieth senior look.
Ron Walker

Wolves aren’t simply gradual – they’re caught

Wolves have at all times been gradual starters. They’ve misplaced 9 out of their final 10 matches and so they have conceded a double-digit objective tally in every of the final three seasons. However this feels totally different – and never in a great way.

Wolves look sloppy at each ends of the pitch. Solely West Ham have conceded extra objectives than them whereas they’ve a Premier League-high of errors resulting in objectives this season.

In the meantime, their attacking credentials have been summed up on Saturday by having thrice extra of anticipated objectives than Leeds, who in flip managed thrice extra precise objectives than them.

Shedding Nelson Semedo, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha in a single summer season would trigger that. Wolves are usually not simply lacking the standard the quartet deliver, but additionally the expertise of those conditions.

Wolves additionally seem to have tied their very own palms in tying Vitor Pereira right down to a brand new deal this week. It makes a change of route a lot more durable, as pulling the plug on Pereira would then create additional questions in regards to the membership’s resolution makers.

So Wolves are usually not simply gradual starters, they’re caught and standing nonetheless.
Sam Blitz

Okafor’s staggering numbers lead Leeds to victory

Three summer season signings bought on the scoresheet for Leeds at Wolves and all stole the present of their other ways.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s first Premier League objective since January was a throwback to his greatest self – not solely grabbing Leeds’ equaliser however main the road with strong build-up play.

Anton Stach’s good free-kick was the second of the match. The German midfielder got here into the weekend as the one Premier League participant with at the very least 10 pictures and 10 probabilities created – and he’ll be a part of Calvert-Lewin in producing attacking creativity to make Daniel Farke’s facet harmful.

However the standout participant was Noah Okafor, whose third objective was so properly deserved after an industrious efficiency down the left.

The winger tried an unimaginable 14 dribbles – 12 of them coming earlier than half-time. That dozen was already essentially the most out of any Premier League participant in a single match all season, and his aggressive and medical show epitomised their general show.

A number of Leeds’ summer season signings had one factor in frequent: six foot or above. Farke even admitted they’d been introduced in with physicality and even set-pieces in thoughts.

However Leeds have confirmed one thing totally different: they’ve precise Premier League high quality able to holding them up.
Sam Blitz

Forest are starting to seem like an Ange group – that is an issue

Ange Postecoglou says Nottingham Forest are “responding” to what he needs them to do, regardless of his facet being winless since he changed Nuno Espirito Santo.

The worrying factor for him is that Forest are starting to inherit some good issues from Postcoglou however they’re additionally taking over his downsides.

Postecoglou is winless in his final 9 Premier League video games and that stretches again into the latter days at Tottenham. It’s his longest run and not using a league win as a top-flight supervisor throughout spells in Australia, Japan, Scotland and England.

Forest began strongly and rapidly, which earned them a much-deserved second-minute opener. The depth was there. However the nearly kamikaze nature of their play allowed Burnley again into the sport, ceding management with Scott Parker’s facet wanting the extra probably. Burnley’s equaliser within the twentieth minute was a deserved one, and their show from that time merited at the very least yet one more with the possibilities they created.

It’s these durations that Postecoglou did not handle throughout his Spurs days and comparable patterns are rising. Postecoglou must buck that pattern if he’s to search out any success on the Metropolis Floor.
William Bitibiri

The marginal features mastermind

In a Premier League the place we obsess with large names, large budgets and large personalities, Oliver Glasner is crafting one thing particular – one thing intelligent – at Crystal Palace.

He’s one which embraces the marginal features. If there may be one supervisor within the Premier League who embodies that philosophy to the letter, it’s Glasner.

The win at West Ham was the proper living proof the place Palace uncovered West Ham’s fragilities at set-pieces. Glasner’s group scored one and created two different large probabilities from such eventualities and he was very open in his post-match presser about how he knew he might expose a psychological weak point within the West Ham ranks.

He stated: “I played over 19 years as a defender and you have periods sometimes where you can concede many set-piece goals. This makes you nervous. It’s natural, we’re all human beings and even if you don’t want it to be there, this just happens. We talked about it. It was good to have many set-plays.”

Glasner is such a wise cookie.
Lewis Jones