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Flailing Fernandes looks cursed
Has the curse of the Manchester United contract struck for the second year in succession? After Marcus Rashford agreed a bumper new deal a year ago, he promptly endured a miserable 2023-24 season. This summer, it was Bruno Fernandes’ turn to sign a lucrative extension – one that few could grumble with at the time. Yet the Portuguese, usually a beacon of consistency for United through all their ups and downs, has started the campaign in scruffy and sluggish fashion. He has yet to score this season, has only one assist in six Premier League matches and is increasingly cutting a frustrated figure. That frustration came pouring out in his callow kick at James Maddison, which left United – struggling enough when it was 11 v 11 – down and out with 10 men. Fernandes deserves credit for fronting up after the game but that interview was his most significant contribution of the afternoon. Dominic Booth
2
Arteta came not to bury Guardiola but praise him
The Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, left himself open to interpretation last Tuesday. A clutch of Manchester City players had criticised him for his negative tactics in the draw between the clubs two days previously. “I was there for four years [on the City coaching staff],” Arteta said. “I have all the information. So I know. Believe me.” There were plenty of interpretations. Arteta seemed to be suggesting that City tend to react badly after games they do not win. Maybe it was a choreographed ploy to create a climate that might help them in the future? Or was he saying he knows precisely how City use the dark arts themselves? Silly us. Because, as Arteta clarified on Saturday, his actual intention was to praise Pep Guardiola and City to the hilt. Having been there himself, Arteta knows only too well about their work ethic and will to win. “This is exactly what I’ve learned and what I mean so it cannot be any more clear than that.” Arteta’s desire to make the peace is commendable; his means rather more head-scratching. David Hytner
Pre-season training at Newcastle this summer was somewhat less intense than in the previous couple of years. With the club’s new performance director and injury prevention specialist, James Bunce, working alongside Eddie Howe every day, sessions were tweaked to lighten the physical load on players. Howe did not disagree that it left his squad slightly “undercooked” at the start of the campaign but the intention is to minimise soft tissue injuries while ensuring a strong finish to the season. The problem was that Howe’s side appeared to have lost their ability to press opponents hard and high, and performances – if not always results – suffered accordingly. On Saturday, though, in their intriguing 1-1 home draw with Manchester City, the full-on, high-ferocity press returned as St James’ Park thrilled to the sort of heavy metal football that brought Newcastle a fourth-place finish in 2022-23. Given that Howe’s players do not have any European assignments this term, the draw with City – secured by Anthony Gordon’s slightly contentious second-half penalty after the impressive Josko Gvardiol’s fine opener – will surely have triggered alarm bells among their rivals for Champions League qualification. After all, when Pep Guardiola speaks of his “admiration” for Howe and his tactical nous, it is clear those sentiments are anything but patronising. Louise Taylor
4
Ipswich’s new signings start to gel
Writing his programme notes for his side’s meeting with Aston Villa, Kieran McKenna nodded to the many Ipswich players still acclimatising to new surroundings. With the previous fortnight providing the first opportunity for the full squad to train together after some frenetic late transfer business, McKenna noted that, while he and his staff had seen “relationships and understanding developing between the players”, moulding his newcomers into a coherent team “is a process that will take time”. Judging by their performance in the 2-2 draw against Villa, McKenna may be pleasantly surprised by how quickly his new arrivals make themselves at home. Three August signings – Kalvin Phillips, Jack Clarke and Chiedozie Ogbene – came into the starting lineup and produced no shortage of highlights, Clarke in particular causing serious problems for Villa. Liam Delap, another summer recruit, scored his second and third goals for the club, helping to give Ipswich the air of a team fast finding their feet. Will Magee
5
Chelsea force Hürzeler to rethink high line
Fabian Hürzeler has hinted that he may be forced into a rethink over Brighton’s defensive tactics after his side were torn apart during a devastating 20-minute spell at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer scored a record four goals in the first half and could even have had more as Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster were left brutally exposed by Chelsea’s pace. While Hürzeler refused to admit afterwards that the decision to stick with a high line was misguided, Brighton’s head coach acknowledged that his players must be comfortable with the system. “I think before saying anything in public I should discuss with the players first to see if they are confident,” he said. “We try to improve the players and help them. If you want to play with a high line then you need this connection but that was missing. It’s easy to say after the game that you could have defended in a low block but with a low block we could have lost this game.” Ed Aarons
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Forbs offers Wolves hope
One point in six games reflects harshly on Wolves. They have played five of last season’s top seven, making for a very difficult start. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has become a regular under Gary O’Neil this season but looks unable to replace Pedro Neto, who departed for Chelsea during the summer. Bellegarde found it hard to test Andy Robertson and was withdrawn in the 52nd minute against Liverpool. Carlos Forbs replaced him on the right and immediately looked more dangerous, with his extra pace and skill helping to create the equaliser. Like Neto, Forbs hails from Portugal and has already got Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City and Ajax on his CV, an indication of his natural talents. With a more winnable run of games coming up for Wolves, Forbs could be the man to help them pick up points. “I thought he gave us a threat,” O’Neil said. “Obviously it helped give us a little bit of impetus.” Will Unwin
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On-song Spurs should have scored more
When your biggest gripe after winning 3-0 Old Trafford is that you should have scored two or three more goals, you can be fairly satisfied with your work. So Ange Postecoglou might have declared himself “frustrated” with some of his side’s finishing but, in the first half especially, Tottenham were everything their manager wants them to be: pressing like a dream and outplaying Erik ten Hag’s side to the point of humiliation. The only problem was the scoreline, still only 1-0. Spurs also had moments of profligacy and complacency in the second half. Timo Werner was unable to finish a series of one-on-one chances and Dominic Solanke will feel he should have scored more than one. It showed Postecoglou’s side are not perfect by any stretch, yet their fierce pressing, quick passing and hard running means they have something Manchester United lack – an identity. DB
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Branthwaite fortifies Everton rearguard
Handling “a nervy stadium” as well as Crystal Palace heightened Sean Dyche’s satisfaction as he savoured a first Premier League win of the season and his first comeback victory as Everton manager. Evertonian nerves were legitimate having seen their team fail to hold on to a lead in their previous four matches but, in truth, Dyche’s players were relatively comfortable after Dwight McNeil’s excellent double. The return of Jarrad Branthwaite to the heart of a defence that kept 13 clean sheets last season contributed greatly to the improvement (as did the performance of the much-maligned Ashley Young). Branthwaite’s first appearance of the campaign after groin surgery was enough to underline his value, along with a valuation that Manchester United came nowhere near meeting in the summer. For Dyche, extra scrutiny on the 22-year-old this season should not hinder his development. “There will be no scrutiny from us,” the Everton manager said. “It will be the same messages: ‘Go and enjoy what it is, go and mature as a player by enjoying the challenge.’ He’s a very good player, a talented player, and I think he will mature further.” Andy Hunter
A benefit of the slowdown in Premier League transfer business is that just about every team has a star. For Brentford, Bryan Mbeumo fulfils that function. He is also having to carry a heavy burden: with Yoane Wissa out for two months, Mbuemo’s team must rely heavily on him. His volley, in the 37th second – his team’s now-trademarked early goal – was as dangerous as Brentford looked against a muscular West Ham team that added yet more bulk in Julen Lopetegui’s half-time changes. “For me, he’s a top player,” Thomas Frank, the Brentford head coach, said. “I’m convinced one day he will play for a bigger club; I will definitely buy him if I was at a bigger club.” That neither Mbeumo nor Frank have left the Community Stadium is a situation that may not last for long. But as Frank explained: “A lot of the players here are very happy because we have a top environment with good people, staff and players.” John Brewin
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Jiménez and Traoré party like it’s 2019
So, who had Raúl Jiménez and Adama Traoré recapturing their form of five years ago on their Premier League predictions card for this term? Many will have forgotten the pair were the league’s most deadly combination in the pre-Covid years, when they drove Wolves to successive seventh-place finishes in 2018-19 and 2019-20. While Jiménez’s decision to take Fulham’s penalty at Nottingham Forest over Andreas Pereira prompted anger from Marco Silva – “It’s clearly the fault of Raúl. It is not going to happen again,” said Silva, who revealed the Mexican had apologised – the manager will be quietly chuffed for reuniting such a potent attacking pair. “We have a very good relationship off the field,” Jiménez said of Traoré last week. After both players suffered with injuries and loss of form for so long, it’s heartening to see that relationship paying dividends on the pitch again. DB
Match report: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Fulham