Tom Carnduff looks at the main talking points from the second Saturday of the Premier League season.
Boring, boring Man United
There was an interesting article on ESPN this week that revealed how Manchester United are getting frustrated by supporters constantly posting on social media about their lack of signings; a cloud of negativity on the eve of the new season.
After watching an uninspiring performance in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, can we really blame the fans for voicing those opinions?
And with those frustrations continuing to grow, how fitting it was that Tottenham announced the return of Gareth Bale, a player long linked with a switch to Old Trafford, while United were struggling to create anything in their season opener.
They were unlucky with a combination of VAR and new rules making it virtually impossible for a goalkeeper to save a penalty, but the result was nothing less than the visitors deserved. Andros Townsend's tidy finish for the first had put Palace ahead and United were never level. A wonderful strike from Wilfried Zaha sealed the result and quietened talk of controversy.
A United midfield packed with talents such as Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek, their only summer signing, failed to establish a presence and Palace glided through with ease; that was alongside some quick attacking moves that cut through their opponents.
Van de Beek did grab a goal on debut but that was a gift from some poor Palace defending with the ball deflecting among numerous players in the box. That goal made the scoreline a lot closer than the balance of the game suggested; it really was paper over the cracks, which were soon forced wider again by Zaha.
It was their first competitive game of the campaign but that isn't an excuse for just how rusty and disjointed Manchester United appeared to be. Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester and Liverpool all hit three on their opening weekend; these are the teams that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side should be competing amongst this season.
Delving into the transfer market won't be a certain answer to their problems - they have spent £1bn since the Sir Alex Ferguson days - but it will inject some much needed life into a side that fell short in every competition last season.
That takes time though and the United board have shown they will take their time with incomings. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Brighton's 4/1 price come in next weekend.
Leeds are doing well...
I bloody love football don't I?
Although if you ask any Leeds supporter following their 4-3 win over Fulham, they may just give you a different answer - until the nerves calm down at least.
Leeds earned plaudits for their brave performance in the 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield but that would only really count for something if they backed it up with points elsewhere.
Fulham were the visitors on Saturday and this was a game where three points would have been viewed as a must. At 4-1 and cruising in the second-half it seemed a case of how many, but a brave display from Fulham saw them grab two goals back with their only two real efforts of the half.
The defensive side of Marcelo Bielsa's team needs to improve as they can't keep gifting goals to the opposition. It's in contrast to their Sky Bet Championship title-winning season but the positive on Saturday was that they managed to outscore an opponent with a defence more shaky than their own.
🔥 What a hit!
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) September 19, 2020
👏 Helder Costa fires Leeds into an early lead against Fulham!#LEEFUL | #LUFC pic.twitter.com/AG1ncE8q22
You can already tell that Leeds are going to be great fun in the Premier League but they need to tighten things up otherwise it could turn out to be a different season to the one they hoped for. Still, a win is a win and points on the board are ultimately all that matter however they are gained.
And, for the neutral, who doesn't want to watch this Leeds team? Both of their league contests have brought seven goals and they're determined to tackle England's top-flight by playing their own way. Sitting back and defending simply isn't an option; Leeds want goals regardless of the minute.
Sheffield United's defence looked flat in their 2-0 defeat to Wolves last weekend and it is likely to contrast the two 1-0 scorelines we saw when the two sides met in the Championship. At 11/10, over 2.5 goals at Bramall Lane next Sunday looks good value on the showings of Bielsa's men so far.
Leeds, despite winning the title, were wasteful with the many opportunities they created in the Championship. On their Premier League return, they look like a side capable of scoring with every attack.
Fulham show some character
Joe Townsend made the point about promoted teams having an inability to defend in his midweek Punting Pointers and based on Saturday's first two games, he's got it spot on.
Leeds' defence was bad at Elland Road but Fulham's was worse. Poor marking went hand-in-hand with questionable decision-making and ultimately that has led to them being without a point on the board.
But, the big positive for Scott Parker is the real display of character to make it a contest in the second-half. As mentioned above, it really hit a point where you feared, with over half an hour remaining, Leeds could end up with six or seven.
Instead, Fulham battled. An excellent driven strike from Bobby Decordova-Reid combined with Aleksandar Mitrovic's close-range header put them back into the game. Their issue was, as sloppy as Leeds were, they failed to carve open another opportunity to draw level.
In their opener against Arsenal, they never threatened to cut the lead. The visitors kept adding to their advantage and Fulham had no reply. This time around, with another three-goal deficit, they found some answers but just fell short.
They will have nothing to show for it and Parker will be annoyed with the goals they conceded. However, his squad showed that they aren't going to go down without a fight and that could put them in a good position for some vital points as the season progresses.
Fulham are 13/8 to beat Villa in their next Premier League contest and they'll look to build upon some of the positives from their trip to West Yorkshire.
Baggies' defensive woes continue
It's been a disappointing return to the Premier League for West Brom so far and they failed to capitalise on an early lead as Everton beat them 5-2 in a thriller at Goodison Park.
Defensively, the Baggies were so poor. A switch to three centre-backs has failed to solve the problem and for a formation so stacked towards the defence, the chances they conceded at set-pieces would have been one of many disappointments for Slaven Bilic.
Their complete loss of composure before the break saw Kieran Gibbs sent off for striking out at an opponent and then Bilic shown a red after complaining to Mike Dean at half-time. We knew this season would be tough for West Brom and needless actions demonstrated by both are far from helpful.
🔴 And this is what got Slaven Bilic his red card at half-time...
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) September 19, 2020
🤔 Has Mike Dean made the right decision here?#EVEWBA pic.twitter.com/spzxrm1he8
They'll likely continue to concede goals as the weeks progress but one small positive was the productive nature of their forward line. The Baggies, who offered little in last week's loss to Leicester, capitalised on the attacking intent of Everton's midfield to grab their first.
That ultimately counted for little though and while it's important not to get carried away after just two games, the gap between West Brom and their opposition so far has been wide. Leicester and Everton will naturally have much higher aspirations, but both did an incredibly good job of exploiting their weaknesses.
That suspension for Gibbs will be an issue for West Brom in an area that is currently light on numbers. Connor Townsend's injury means Bilic, who has problems of his own following the red card, will now need to find a short-term solution.
Chelsea are the visitors to the Hawthorns next weekend. Of course they're a side with talent throughout but they continue to struggle with defensive issues of their own. It's another televised fixture that should bring entertainment in the form of goals; 13/8 on over 3.5 immediately catches the eye.
Again, we're only in the very first stage of the season, but you won't find too many people arguing against West Brom's odds-on quotes for relegation based on their early showings. They need to find improvement from somewhere and things may get worse before they get better.
Calvert-Lewin continues claim for England spot
Harry Kane will always have England's starting striker spot nailed down under Gareth Southgate but there is real competition among the supporting cast and Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues to present his case for selection at senior level.
He was capped multiple times at under-21 level but had failed to really make a claim for the senior squad - until Carlo Ancelotti's arrival at Goodison Park. He netted eight goals following the managerial switch and his hat-trick against West Brom already puts him on four for the new campaign.
A 20-goal season would surely see him involved in next summer's delayed Euros but before that Southgate would be wise to get a feel for him and the rest of his back-up options.
James ➡️ Richarlison ➡️ DCL
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 19, 2020
Everton slice West Brom apart to make it 4-2 😳 pic.twitter.com/ckf8nwT3U7
Calvert-Lewin may well be a player who does benefit from the tournament being pushed back 12 months and this season is likely to be crucial for the forward in his future career. Everton's aspirations seem to fit Calvert Lewin's and both want to play at the very top.
We, rightly, sing the praises of James Rodriguez following his arrival and that has only served to benefit Calvert-Lewin in the striker's position.
"As a centre forward its always nice," Calvert-Lewin told BT Sport. "He’s played at the highest level and you can see the quality he’s got. He got his first goal today and I’m happy for him."
The 6/4 on Calvert-Lewin being involved in England's Euro 2021 squad is certainly one to consider as that will only shorten as the season progresses. If this is the calibre of forward missing out on the national side at the moment then the future is certainly bright for the Three Lions.
