Crystal Palace
Glasner Urges Amorim to Back 3-4-3 as Palace and United Head Into Sunday Clash
Glasner backs 3-4-3; Palace two points clear, United have high xG and new attacking signings. £200m.
Oliver Glasner has publicly backed Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 and offered practical praise ahead of Sunday’s meeting between Crystal Palace and Manchester United. Palace sit two points ahead of United going into the fixture, and Glasner used his experience with a similar setup to highlight the system’s strengths.
Glasner pointed to United’s attacking output and recent changes when explaining his view. “It’s really funny talking about the 3-4-3 system, and I think United have the highest xG in the Premier League for scoring goals,” he said. He added that United have altered their personnel up front and invested heavily: “Their team has changed. Especially in attack. They needed more goals and they invested £200 million ($264.5 million), buying three players up front. Also, now they have players who can play very intense like [Bryan] Mbeumo.
“For me, it’s impressive to see. We compared it [their last meeting] to where they are now. I think their work rate is much higher than it was last year and then they get the reward.”
Glasner also stressed that the formation can be balanced defensively as well as productive in attack. “We’re playing the same system. So it looks like it’s a good attacking system. Also, as we show it, you can have a very good defensive structure with it.
“So it’s all about what you do with the system and how fluid you are in attack and how creative you are. I’m really looking forward to the game.”
Amorim was forthright in his assessment of Palace this season and accepted that their approach has been more effective. “We play in a different way,” he explained. “You can understand that by data. It is hard to explain everything. They are a different club and they are doing things better than us. That is quite simple.
“You don’t say that all 4-3-3 teams play in the same way. We play in a different moment, we defend in a different space, we attack in a different way. They are just doing things better than us.
“I played against [Glasner] in Frankfurt with Sporting, so I know the players. I take inspiration from everyone. When I take two weeks for an international break, I watch all the managers and try to take all the inspiration I can.
“I have six years as a professional manager, so I am always trying to learn.”
Coventry City
Premier League managers under pressure as early-season scrutiny intensifies
Carrick, Glasner, Arbeloa and Lampard are among the managers feeling Premier League pressure.
The Premier League never takes long to turn against a manager, and with no dismissal yet this season, the pressure is already building around a handful of dugouts.
The opening weeks have been difficult for several head coaches, whose teams have struggled to deliver after the September-October international break. That has sharpened attention on four managers who appear most vulnerable if results do not improve quickly.
Michael Carrick was handed a permanent role after engineering Manchester United’s revival as interim boss last season, earning significant backing from supporters and decision-makers alike. Yet the first full campaign has brought a hard reset. United have looked far less convincing, even if emphatic home wins over Ipswich Town and Sabah FK have offered some cover. Heavy defeats to Hull City, Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Atlético Madrid have told a different story, and a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth has intensified talk around his future. Recruitment frustrations have only added to the strain, while supporters made their feelings clear by chanting Carrick’s name before quickly turning to boos after the defeat.
Oliver Glasner left Crystal Palace after delivering FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League success, and Pierre Sage now inherits the challenge of matching that standard. Sage’s record with Lens in France was highly impressive, but Palace’s early-season form has been poor enough to raise concern. Wins over Fulham and Forest are their only league victories so far, and conceding 19 goals in eight games has left them among the division’s weakest defences. Reports of a dressing-room issue and tension with the board have done little to calm the situation.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s appointment at Fulham was always a bold move. Marco Silva had regularly exceeded expectations, and Arbeloa’s short, strange and unsuccessful spell as Real Madrid manager did little to ease doubts. After three straight defeats, including concerning defensive displays against Chelsea and Crystal Palace, Fulham steadied themselves with draws against Liverpool and Manchester United before slipping again against Ipswich Town. Back-to-back wins over Hull City and Coventry have improved the mood, but the pressure remains.
Frank Lampard’s work at Coventry City has restored his reputation and returned the club to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years. Even so, six defeats in eight matches and only six goals scored have created a difficult backdrop, despite recent wins over Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United.
Aston Villa
Matchday 8: A Weekend of Rain, Errors and Narrow Margins Across the Premier League
Stormy conditions, missed chances and decisive errors shaped a Matchday 8 full of fine margins.
There was little sunshine to be found on Matchday 8, as Storm Boelo lashed English grounds with rain and wind. For all the bad weather, only one fixture finished goalless, and the round still produced a sharp series of swings in tone, quality and consequence.
Manchester United’s latest setback stood out for all the wrong reasons. Without Bruno Fernandes, they looked short of attacking life again, while Bournemouth made the most of what they created in a 3-0 win. Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur earned a notable victory at Stamford Bridge after Mike Penders handed them the opening goal, with Cole Palmer adding to Chelsea’s problems by picking up two unnecessary yellow cards.
Several matches were defined more by frustration than fluency. Fulham struggled to trouble Coventry, managing just two shots on target, while Crystal Palace surrendered control against Newcastle after leading the shot count at the break. Everton were pushed back by Arsenal and rarely threatened after falling behind early. Ipswich and Nottingham Forest finished level after a match in which neither side found much rhythm, even if the visitors were able to make more of the contest than their hosts.
Brentford’s draw away to newly promoted opposition drew a blunt response from Keith Andrews and Michael Kayode, who both said, “We have to be better.” Sunderland also shared the points in a contest shaped by the conditions, with Régis Le Bris pleased enough to say, “We were Sunderland today.” At the Stadium of Light, the wind played a major role in a game where both teams completed only 73% of their passes.
There were also decisive moments at Anfield and Villa Park. Liverpool saw Brighton’s recent momentum halted as early goals changed the shape of the match, while Villa took control through Nicolas Jackson’s sharp finishing and a commanding display from Zion Suzuki, who produced six saves and 12 line-breaking passes. In another tight contest, Hull and their opponents could not be separated, and Sergej Jakirović called it “a fair result.”
The weekend’s final judgement was not about one storyline alone, but about a league round where weather, missed chances and single moments repeatedly decided the outcome.
Analytics & Stats
Premier League Gameweek 6: the standout performers by FotMob rating
FotMob ratings highlighted the top performers from a strong Premier League Gameweek 6 return.
After a three-week international pause, the Premier League resumed with a sixth round that produced a strong spread of individual displays. Using FotMob’s player ratings, here is a rewritten look at the weekend’s top 10 performers.
Declan Rice earned an 8.3 in Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds United. The midfielder was central to the result, posting a match-high 89 touches, adding 10 defensive contributions and producing the kind of subtle quality that made Bruno Guimarães’s winning goal possible.
Chelsea also featured heavily. Morgan Rogers, rated 8.3, scored the Blues’ second in their 5-1 win over Bournemouth and continued to settle quickly at Stamford Bridge. His dribbling stood out, while a cross-cum-shot helped take him to four Premier League goals in six games. He also recorded a match-high 13 defensive contributions.
Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest included strong showings from Yéremy Pino and Adam Wharton, both on 8.3. Pino got on the scoresheet and created the most chances in the match with three, while Wharton supplied an assist from a corner and combined control with discipline, winning 75% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial battles without conceding a foul.
Jérémy Doku changed Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool from the bench, yet still led the match in dribbles with five and chances created with three before finishing with a superb strike. Elliot Anderson, rated 8.5, provided relentless energy and creativity, capped by the assist for Doku’s goal.
Rayan Cherki was the top-rated City player against Liverpool at 8.6, ending the scoring with a goal that summed up his flair and confidence. João Pedro led the weekend with an 8.8 after two goals for Chelsea against Bournemouth, doing his job in the physical contest and still making a decisive attacking impact from 25 touches.
