Hits and misses: Man Utd lack guts and fight, but can Leeds dare to dream?

<h3><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/hull-city-vs-man-utd/report/559447">Forget signings, Man Utd lack guts and fight</a></h3><widget id="10"></widget><p>Hull nailed their set-up with a back five too physical for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, and wing-backs in Lewie Coyle and Ryan Giles who served target man Oli McBurnie well.</p><p>But this was about fight and spirit over anything on Sergej Jakirovic's tactics board. Winning almost two thirds of both their duels and headers before the break was just reward for the intensity, energy and belief they brought to the game - and United did not match it.</p><ul><li><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/PLscoresarticles" target="_blank"><strong>Premier League fixtures & scores</strong></a> | <a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/FreePLHighlightsFirst" target="_blank"><strong>FREE PL highlights</strong></a>\u25b6\ufe0f</li><li><strong>Got Sky? </strong><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/WatchPremarticles" target="_blank"><strong>Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone</strong></a>\ud83d\udcf1</li><li><strong>Not got Sky? </strong><a href="https://www.sky.com/tv/sports?dcmp=Ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink" target="_blank"><strong>Latest Sky Sports deals</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="https://www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports/football/premier-league?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink" target="_blank"><strong>stream PL games with no contract</strong></a>\ud83d\udcfa</li></ul><p>It was inevitable that the Tigers would be fired up after riding the wave of promotion, but it felt as though Michael Carrick's side hadn't realised. They failed to do the basics right and were punished.</p><p>A video of McBurnie dribbling around a static Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans will rightly do the rounds on social media and only epitomised their performance on Humberside.</p><p>People may point to a lack of quality in the Man Utd side but without the hunger and desire to do those basics, it would have made little difference.<br /><em>Ron Walker</em></p><h3><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/brentford-vs-tottenham-hotspur/report/559445">A familiar Spurs issue makes for a nightmare start </a></h3> <widget id="13"></widget><p>Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi spoke about creating a "team I have in my dream" after securing Premier League survival at the end of last season. Well, the new season has started in nightmare fashion.</p><p>In their 3-0 defeat at Brentford, Spurs were as bad as they were during that relegation dogfight last year.</p><p>After spending over \u00a3230m in the transfer window and fielding five debutants at the Gtech, that's hard to fathom. They should have been transformed. That was the expectation.</p><p>But it was not the quality of the players on the pitch that was the issue - it was, once again, the mentality.</p><p>"We were not ready to fight," admitted De Zerbi. "The first XI was able to compete."</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/brentford-vs-tottenham-hotspur/report/559445">Brentford 3-0 Tottenham - Report and highlights</a></strong></li></ul><p>New faces but a familiar problem after Spurs' application was repeatedly criticised last season.</p><p>The stats reflected it on Saturday. In that shocking first half, Spurs striker Richarlison managed to win just two of his eight duels. At the other end of the pitch, new centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke won just two of his seven.</p><p>Spurs were repeatedly second to the ball, outmuscled in challenges and run over by an incredibly intense Brentford side. The second goal was the perfect illustration of that.</p><p>More signings look certain before the transfer window closes. But unless De Zerbi can shift the mentality of this group his ambitions at Spurs will remain an elusive dream.<br /><em>Peter Smith </em></p><h3><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/everton-vs-crystal-palace/report/559446">Encouraging signs at Everton</a></h3> <widget id="11"></widget><p>Everton's performance in victory over Crystal Palace was symptomatic of a team maturing under the influence of wily David Moyes. He fielded the second-youngest XI of his second stint at the club, inviting questions over the suitability of his inexperienced midfield.</p><p>But young Harrison Armstrong and new signing Hayden Hackney dovetailed perfectly, unafraid of their elevated Premier League stage. And others shone, too.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/everton-vs-crystal-palace/report/559446"><strong>Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace - Report and highlights</strong></a></li></ul><p>Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall delivered a masterful display, scoring a wonderful opener to set the tone. Under-the-radar Iliman Ndiaye was equally impactful. He has more Premier League goal involvements for Everton than any other player since his debut in 2024-25 (15G, 4A).</p><p>Everton made big strides following the return of Moyes last term and now have the potential to double down on that progress. No doubt Moyes needs a bit of help from the decision-makers at the club to climb higher in the table. He wants a right-back before the transfer window closes. And talk of a reunion with Jack Grealish offers more hope of investment and improvement.</p><p>With a few more signings, there are plenty of reasons for optimism in the blue corner of Merseyside.<br /><em>Laura Hunter</em></p><h3><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/nottingham-forest-vs-leeds-united/report/559449">Can Leeds dare to dream?</a></h3> <widget id="9"></widget><p>Daniel Farke is keen to quash any prospect that anything but survival is possible this season, but Leeds have started the new campaign in the same way they ended the last one.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/nottingham-forest-vs-leeds-united/report/559449">N Forest 0-1 Leeds - Report and highlights</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/nottingham-forest-vs-leeds-uni...

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