Manchester United's problems are still clear despite Fulham's victory. Are Tottenham boring? -Premier League hits and misses

A feeling of victory – but United's problems are still clearly visible

Ruben Amorim stressed the importance of the result compared to the performance before Manchester United's 1-0 win over Fulham, and expressed his hope that the momentum of getting three points on the road could give his team a strong boost.

They certainly looked like they needed one for the majority of this match. United's caution was evident as they defended in numbers and looked for a safe option in possession. It was notable before the match that Fulham were listed as favorites to win, and the visitors played to the level of their underdogs.

This result will not hide the problems that Amorim has to solve. He himself pointed out the lack of momentum in the final third, and question marks remain around both Rasmus Hoglund and his replacement, Joshua Zirkzee. Alejandro Garnacho, a player who could be sold before the deadline, looked most likely to provide a spark amid an uninspiring attack. Fulham, despite their poor attacking record from set-pieces, almost exposed United's well-documented weakness late on.

However, with a Europa League trip to Bucharest on Thursday followed by home games against Crystal Palace and then Leicester in the FA Cup, there may be an opportunity for United to build some positive rhythm to improve their short-term outlook. The bigger picture remains a major work in progress.
Pete Smith

“Boring, boring Tottenham Hotspur?”

Ange Postecoglou is known for his attacking, attacking and attacking style. If you score two goals, we'll score three, my friend.

This has been the basis for his rise to the top table in football management. But there are signs starting to emerge that it is all too easy to stop football. Even Leicester, who have conceded an average of 2.5 goals per game in their last nine matches, managed to restrict Tottenham in terms of creating chances in their 2-1 win.

Yes, fatigue is a big issue for Postecoglou and his injury-plagued squad, but creating 1.1 expected goals against a team that will likely play top-flight football again next season isn't good enough when you consider the heights of this team. I hit under the big Australian dollar.

As time ticked down with Spurs chasing an equaliser, even the boost of having seven extra minutes to their advantage did not spur any sort of momentum. It could have been 70 minutes and Spurs still couldn't equalise. Their attacks were predictable and lacked quality. Over their last 13 games, Spurs have averaged 1.3 expected goals per 90 and are struggling to demolish the likes of Wolves, Ipswich and now Leicester City.

Are you not entertained? No, I wasn't today.
Lewis Jones

West Ham are showing improvements under Potter

Four games in West Ham are starting to show signs of life under Graham Potter. After a lackluster performance against Crystal Palace last weekend, something was needed to prove that things were moving in the right direction.

Hammers fans may have feared the worst in the first 10 minutes of their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa – but once their side found their footing, they didn't let up.

They may have been helped by Villa's chaos after replacing Tyrone Mings, but taking advantage of those situations should not be missed.

Credit must be given to Max Kilman for keeping West Ham in the game when they were under pressure, and Lucas Paqueta for leading the Hammers' comeback.

Since Potter's arrival, West Ham's player numbers have steadily risen. Their performance, especially in the second half, is closer to what Potter is doing and what the Hammers want to see.

Now it is a state of consistency. Can they give up the slow start? Can a draw turn into a win? We hope that these questions will be answered in the coming weeks.
Charlotte Marsh

Brentford's twisted penalty trick sums them up as a club

Brentford are a football club constantly looking for marginal gains, and in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, we saw another goal.

As Brian Mbeumo stepped up to take his penalty, Yoane Wissa and Keane Lewis-Potter were both seen celebrating even as the Brentford talisman wandered over to make contact with the ball.

“It's like a distraction to maybe delay the goalkeeper,” Jamie Redknapp said. “I've never seen that in my life, it's crazy!”

Asked if it was a tactic or just trust, Thomas Frank added: “They are very good friends, they know each other very well, and they probably have a little bit of both.”

So it's no wonder Brentford have a 95 per cent penalty success rate in the Premier League, the joint best in the history of the competition.

Along with the first-minute goalscoring reputation that has delighted fans this season, it is also one of a long list of bizarre tactics that the Bees possess.
Sam Blitz

The first appearance of the Esse Dream Palace

For two seasons, Romain Essie was tearing up the Championship as one of Millwall's most promising players, and by the time he left the club on January 18, he had played 66 times for the Lions. He won't turn 20 until May.

So there was no surprise when he was signed by Crystal Palace for a fee that could rise to £14.5m.

Essie was immediately integrated into the Eagles' first team and made his debut as a late substitute in the match against Brentford, as Oliver Glasner's side were trailing 2-0. His impact was almost immediate, with his first goal coming just 119 seconds into his debut.

He became the first teenager to score on his Premier League debut (19 years, 258 days) since Rayan Ait Nouri for Wolves in October 2020 (19 years, 146 days).

It wasn't the spark of a comeback that Palace wanted, but it instantly endeared Essie to the Selhurst Park fans, and as a new player, you can't ask for much more than that.
Dan Long