Manchester United attack still a work in progress after draw at Fulham as Jack Grealish shines - Premier League hits and misses

Man Utd attack shows promise but work in progress

"We are going to score goals because we are creating so many chances."

Ruben Amorim is convinced Manchester United's attack will fire this season. The evidence suggests it will. They threatened to run riot in the opening 15 minutes at Fulham, but a concern is how they've faded in games.

Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes were purring early on at Craven Cottage. Cunha went close three times. The quartet linked up with speed and precision around the box. They looked sharp.

But it didn't last once Fulham settled and stifled Casemiro and Fernandes with their midfield diamond. Ruben Amorim's substitutions also weren't able to have the same impact as Fulham's, Emile Smith Rowe equalising with his first touch.

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Benjamin Sesko came off the bench early in the second half but had just one touch in the opposition box - it wasn't a telling one.

Last weekend, United's possession was in the spotlight, racking up 60 per cent against a traditional top-four side for the first time in almost a decade. It helped them get the ball into dangerous areas and fire off 22 shots.

This time it was different, over 10 per cent less as they were out-passed by Fulham, not by much, but with only 10 shots to show from it. Amorim's side remain a work in progess.
David Richardson

Grealish shines in Everton win

Jack Grealish received the biggest cheer even before Everton kicked off against Brighton in the first Premier League game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium but the cheers were bigger in the 93rd minute as he left the field after a player-of-the-match performance.

The winger picked up two assists in Everton's 2-0 win - as many as in the previous two seasons combined at Manchester City. Had Dwight McNeil converted a late chance, it would have been a hat-trick of assists for the first time since his Aston Villa days.

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"I hope he has got more of them to come," said David Moyes afterwards, acknowledging that Grealish gives this Everton something different. "The big thing is he ball-carried for us. He retained the ball for us as well which gave us a little bit more composure."

It is no great surprise that Grealish showed good technique. The only question was how he would approach this challenge after the disappointment of finding himself surplus to requirements at City. But he showed that he had the stomach for the fight too.

He was tracking back inside two minutes. Putting in a tackle inside his own box just after the hour. "He was game for it, didn't try to shirk anything, didn't want off after 60 minutes, didn't want any of that," said Moyes. "No chance, he wants to show that he's the real deal.

"You know, you admire somebody who's saying, he probably has something to prove. I had something to prove, I think, over the years at different times. Sometimes it gives you that challenge that you have to try and be ready to take. Hopefully, Jack is."
Adam Bate

Ndoye showing promise as Elanga replacement

Anthony Elanga, who? Dan Ndoye is beginning to impress, filling the hole left by the Swede. With two games, he's already registered two goal contributions. After a debut goal against Brentford and an assist against Palace, he became the first Nottingham Forest player to score or assist in both of his first two Premier League games for the club since 1998.

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Elanga's attributes were clear and Ndoye perhaps doesn't possess the blistering speed that Newcastle's summer signing has.

However, Ndoye's adaptability will impress Nuno, who can continue to hope for an interchanging and dynamic forward line.

Ndoye's first-half display saw him marshalled out of the game. However, all it took was a tweak from Nuno to switch him and Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ndoye's individual brilliance did the rest to carve out the assist that earned Forest a point.

Nuno wants more in the door in terms of transfers but at present Ndoye for £34m looks like a masterstroke.
William Bitibiri

Palace stay unbeaten owing to a growing consistency

Within the whirlwind that Crystal Palace have caught themselves up in this summer, it's been too easy to forget the fine work that is still being accomplished at Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace continued an unbeaten start to the season.

Whether it's the demotion to the Conference League or Palace's biggest stars being linked and in Eberechi Eze's case, securing a move away, the Eagles have navigated a strong start to the season. Their four games unbeaten are reflective of the mentality Glasner has developed in SE25.

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A win in the Community Shield saw Palace fight back to take Premier League Champions Liverpool to penalties. Their opening league fixture at Chelsea saw them controversially denied a point at the home of the world champions.

A first game in Europe followed with Eze's future an acceptable distraction but still Palace secured victory. Against Forest, Palace will feel they dropped two points against a side that scored with their only shot on target. But Oliver Glasner will see the positives in their display.

Their start is a total contrast to the beginnings of last campaign, where a slow start brought Glasner into question. Their recent run represents a growing consistency that is going under the radar.
William Bitibiri

Flaky Brighton roll the red carpet out for Everton

To not score a goal from an expected goals figure of 2.46 was quite an achievement by Brighton.

Not since Manchester City created 2.92 at Crystal Palace in March 2022 had a team in the Premier League created such a high xG figure without scoring away from home.

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Perhaps the footballing gods were working their magic for Everton on their big day so Brighton didn't really stand a chance but Fabian Hurzeler will be worried about the flakiness of his forwards.

Danny Welbeck was responsible for 1.54 of that expected goals figure, missing from almost under the crossbar with the goal gaping and also from the penalty spot.

Hurzeler will be hoping it was just one of those days at the office rather than anything too deep-rooted.
Lewis Jones

Time Fulham backed Silva in transfer window

Marco Silva deserves a lot of credit for how his Fulham side have battled to start the Premier League season.

Two games with two late goals to rescue a point on both occasions, they could have easily walked away empty-handed.

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Silva has been vocal about the need for reinforcements within his squad, with Benjamin Lecomte their only addition throughout the summer, and spoke openly about it after full-time against Manchester United, too.

"We need to sign two or three players," he said in his post-match press conference. "We have eight or nine days to correct some things.

"We have a lot of games and have injuries; in some positions, we are short."

Returns for Antonee Robinson and Ryan Sessegnon, as well as a boost in confidence for Emile Smith Rowe following his goal, will ease the strain on his squad.

However, if they want to start converting draws into wins, fresh faces will be needed.

They had the momentum to win this fixture but just lacked the final push in the latter stages of the game.
Patrick Rowe

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Manchester United attack still a work in progress after draw at Fulham as Jack Grealish shines - Premier League hits and misses