Man Utd face stark reality and four others things we learned on Premier League return

Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal were also victorious on the opening weekend of the season too, setting their stall out early doors that they will be serious contenders for the Champions League spots. Elsewhere, Brighton’s victory over United caught the eye and Newcastle reaped the benefits of their concise recruitment against Nottingham Forest. Here are x things Express Sport learned over the weekend.

Time to adjust? Never

After an underwhelming performance in the Community Shield final, some questioned whether Erling Haaland was the true final piece of the puzzle for Manchester City and whether he would need time to adjust. But the Norwegian laughed at those claims against West Ham with an exquisite display and scoring both of City’s goals in their 2-0 win.

The former Dortmund striker showed the pace, power and devastating finishing ability that earned him the reputation as one of the brightest talents in world football. Haaland began to link up well with Kevin de Bruyne as the match went on – combining well for the second goal – and the pair could prove impossible to deal with as time goes on.

READ MORE: Man Utd finally give in and identify ‘serious alternative’ to Frenkie de Jong transfer

No 9s are back

The Premier League has welcomed back true No. 9s this summer, in the form of Haaland and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool. They both bagged league debut goals at the weekend and proved that a powerful out-and-out striker is just as effective as some over-elaborate plans.

Nunez came off of the bench to grab his goal, and his physical presence proved a real task to deal with inside the penalty. And, like Haaland, the Uruguayan showed terrific acceleration for a tall forward too, with his willingness to run in behind. It remains to be seen whether the return of traditional strikers will lead to more no-nonsense defenders breaking into squads elsewhere.

Ten Hag reality check

On Sunday, Erik ten Hag was reminded of the size of the task he has at Manchester United as he looks to rebuild the club – and a minuscule spending spree won’t solve a large bulk of their problems. The Red Devils were beaten 2-1 by Brighton at Old Trafford, in a display that does not do justice to the away side.

Danny Welbeck caused the United defence an abundance of problems, and Brighton’s free-flowing midfield and wingbacks continued to dominate possession in the centre of the park. Late on, Ten Hag realised that the tried and tested midfield pairing of Fred and Scott McTominay – who failed to tear up trees in years gone by – had not become a reformed partnership since his arrival – with Christian Eriksen dropping deeper and showing promise in that role. United’s display was an indicator that Ten Hag needs to be demanding transfers, and fast.

READ MORE
Frenkie de Jong ‘handed Barcelona pay-cut ultimatum’ over mega-money £72m Man Utd transfer
Man Utd working on three separate deals in addition to Frenkie de Jong transfer
Man Utd finally give in and identify ‘serious alternative’ to Frenkie de Jong transfer

Fluid frontline potential

Chelsea scraped past Everton at the weekend, with a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Jorginho penalty. Though the biggest takeaway from the match was that their team still looks like a major work in progress under Thomas Tuchel – even with the additions of Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Blues lacked presence in the final third, but there were signs that their fluid attack of Sterling, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz could be a true handful for some defences to handle. The trio moved from position to position across the frontline and created several openings, though Tuchel will hope to see more cutting edge from his players when those opportunities arise.