Can Amorim really tolerate this?
The scenes before kick-off celebrating the life of Denis Law, King of the Stretford End, were genuinely moving. When it comes to the past, there is no more glorious club in England. The combination with what followed remains a concern.
Manchester United are a bad football team. The table says that much. When you watch them play, it becomes clear. But the big news from Old Trafford on Sunday is that Ruben Amorim agrees, describing this current team as perhaps the worst in the club's history.
It has become a theme of his short reign so far, as he deflected criticism with honesty, bluntness and somberness. He has spoken about relegation. At the same post-match press conference, he talked about being a coach who loses more than the previous one. And the last one was fired.
There are no plans to deviate from course. Amorim admitted that he didn't even play two strikers when he chased the game against Brighton as he was more concerned with getting the message across to his players that the style of play never changes no matter what.
He hopes this will help the idea come to fruition more quickly, but without confidence after a fourth home defeat in five games, there is a possibility that these results will undermine rather than promote belief in his plan. Sort this all in the summer? At the moment that still seems far away. Adam Bate
Baleba and Ayari inspire Brighton's victory
“We've learned that to win a game of football, it doesn't have to be pretty to win a game,” said Lewis Dunk after Brighton beat Manchester United again.
Ruben Amorim's United were dismal, but Brighton emerged victorious. The performances of the young midfielders Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba were central.
Ayari was almost sold by Brighton last summer, Baleba was error-prone in his first Seagulls season last season. But both players are now among the first names on the team sheet – their performances at Old Trafford showed that.
Baleba played the crucial ball over the top to clear the match for the first goal. Ayari's running and desire were central to goals two and three.
“Our young players are mature and know what they have to do to win the match,” says Fabian Hurzeler at full-time. Perhaps it won't be long before Baleba and Ayari find themselves on Brighton's big money bandwagon. Sam Blitz
Spurs reach a new low, but Ange must find a solution, not excuses
Tottenham's injury list is long and is clearly a huge hurdle for them this season. But midfielder James Maddison was right when he branded their first-half performance at Everton as “unacceptable”.
Spurs fans may feel the same way about Arsenal's first-half performance. Or the first 90 minutes of the cup match with Tamworth. In any case, the victory over Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final is proof that Spurs still have enough talent in the group to play much better than last week.
That depends on the players and the manager. Ange Postecoglou admitted he got the back-three formation wrong at Everton, but he could still expect more from a frontline of his captain Heung-min Son, Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski – players who have each received high praise in the past.
It is also not the case that Spurs' problems are limited solely to this period of absence. In the past fifty Premier League games they have lost 24 times. It's not good enough for Spurs. Daniel Levy, looking glumly at Goodison, will feel that too.
On paper this was a winnable match for Tottenham. Their next four fall into that category, ahead of the all-important Carabao Cup trip to Liverpool. There are no excuses if Spurs find themselves deeper in the mud.Peter Smith
Moyes rejuvenates Calvert-Lewin as 'everything comes together for Everton'
It hasn't taken long for returning Everton manager David Moyes to rejuvenate Dominic Calvert-Lewin, judging by the striker's player-of-the-match display in Sunday's crucial 3-2 win over Tottenham.
In the build-up to the match, questions were rightly raised about the England international's future at Goodison Park after a barren run in front of goal that stretched from 16 Premier League games until September, when he found the net against Aston Villa.
Everton had their own attacking problems as a team; their fifteen goals before kick-off made them the lowest scorers in the division, but from the start the hosts ran against their opponents.
So much so that the Toffees led 3-0 at half-time, the first time this had happened under Ronald Koeman in a Premier League match at Goodison Park since February 2017.
“It was a difficult period for myself, so I'm very happy with how we went today,” Calvert-Lewin told Sky Sports after the match. “I think we just needed a win for us, for the boys, the team and the club and I'm happy I played my part.
“I think everything clicked today. You sometimes go through those stretches where you don't hit the back of the net or hit the green, but I think everything came together for us today.”
And Moyes will now hope that Calvert-Lewin – and Everton – can build on that impressive performance between now and the end of the season, as the Toffees look to pull back from the drop zone. Rich Morgan
'Phil Foden is on fire'
You'd be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss about Phil Foden was about if you'd only started watching football in the summer. A poor Euro, while many expected him to tear it up one way or another, did not stop England from reaching the final. And since returning this season, he has looked jaded, failing to score in his first 11 Premier League appearances.
But like many of the England players who went deep this summer, his form has risen sharply in recent weeks. The same can be said for Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
There's a smile on Foden's face now as City's attacking players come into their own and create chances from all angles again. It is now six goals in six games for last year's PFA Player of the Year. He reminds us of all his talents and it is no coincidence that City are moving up the ladder as a result.Lewis Jones
Forest are showing both sides of their Champions League credentials
How quickly football matches can change.
From scoring three goals from an expected goals value of just 0.28 xG, to sticking to the tightest of margins in extra time.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side showed both sides of their game today – and that's exactly why they are now level with Arsenal in second place.
Their attacking play speaks for itself as evidenced by their emphatic finishing in the first half, but they secured all three points thanks to their stoic defensive performances in the latter stages of the match.
As the pressure mounted and Southampton looked dangerous with every attack, the team rallied and dragged themselves over the line.
Forest are the real deal and they owe that in large part to their efforts defensively. Patrick Rowe
Saints have to play ninety minutes
Just like against Manchester United, Southampton showed enough promise and threat in injury time to walk away with a result today.
If they had played the entire 90 minutes with the same intention, they would not have walked away empty-handed, as boss Ivan Juric rightly pointed out.
But like relegation rivals Leicester, the Saints fail to produce positive performances throughout the match and this could ultimately be their downfall.
Juric will learn more about his side as time goes on, but one thing is clear: they looked more threatening with goalkeeper Paul Onuachu, who scored his first Premier League goal today, leading the charge.
“He has this quality,” Juric said. “He is a fighter and very good with the head. He will be very good for us and very happy for him.”Patrick Rowe
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