Crystal Palace
Amorim criticises wingbacks after Dorgu is benched for Palace trip
Amorim criticised Patrick Dorgu’s anxiety in possession and dropped him for Palace after Everton now
Ruben Amorim gave a blunt assessment of Patrick Dorgu’s performances as the Denmark-born wingback was dropped to the bench for the trip to Crystal Palace. The United head coach singled out what he described as visible nerves in possession, tying that critique to Monday’s 1–0 defeat to Everton.
“You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touched the ball,” United’s head coach damningly outlined, specifically referencing Monday’s 1–0 defeat to Everton . “I can feel the anxiety.” Amorim contrasted that fraught display with Dorgu’s earlier composed finish for Denmark against Scotland, and he highlighted a missed volley against Everton as evidence of inconsistent decision-making.
“He needs to be calmer playing the game,” the United coach sighed. “You remember the shot against Everton. That was easier than the decision he had to make against the guys from Scotland.
“He made a great decision, and I saw it when he played in Italy. But here is different, and sometimes the pressure is hard for them in the beginning, but he has time to improve.”
After six days, Dorgu did not retain his starting berth at Selhurst Park, with Diogo Dalot named in his place. Dalot was introduced from the bench during the Everton game shortly before the hour mark after Idrissa Gueye received an early red card. Amorim was critical of both fullbacks’ attacking output in that match: Dorgu delivered no successful crosses and missed a clear sight of goal; Dalot failed to register a shot and produced only a single snatched chance while not finding a teammate with a ball into the box.
“I think they [Dorgu and Dalot] are far from the best and they know it,” Amorim sighed ahead of Sunday’s clash with Palace. “Like a lot of players in our team, like myself, so I just look at them and I think they have so much more to give.” “What I feel, when I see them training, they are doing so much better than in games,” the United boss added.
Amorim also reiterated the squad need for an attacking wingback option. “We have time to think about that,” he said when the prospect of purchases was raised, “I don’t know what is going to happen in January.”
Beyond individual criticism, Amorim warned of collective defensive weakness: “We have some results of not letting a lot of teams in the final third, but we are being really soft near the box so we need to improve that,” Amorim lamented earlier this week. “[We need to be] more strong on the duels and Crystal Palace are very strong on duels and when they have to defend, they are really strong.
“Those things can change how you see teams, but we need to improve in a lot of things. We need to close our goals because we are scoring goals.” He added that recent lapses are not down to being outnumbered but to the players present in the box not doing enough to stop the opposition.
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.
