Summary

  • Reaction to the weekend's Premier League fixtures, as champions Arsenal beat rivals Chelsea to go joint-top of table alongside Manchester City

  • Read: Two right-backs in midfield - are Chelsea short despite £349m spent?

  • Manchester United concede in final seconds of stoppage time as debutant Ainsley Maitland-Niles earns Everton a draw

  • Read: Man Utd cannot ignore more dropped points despite positives

  • Get Involved: Have your say by clicking the button below

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  1. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 12:59 BST

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    I am going to suggest the training ground at Spurs is doing us no favours. It is impossible to live in luxury 5 days a week and then expect to have the hunger and desire to show up for a fight on a Saturday.

    Simon (Spurs fan), Glasgow

    I imagine being a Spurs fan in Glasgow would keep you on your toes Simon. Maybe the Tottenham players should train up there with you?

  2. 'After the summer spending spree it is not the level which is demanded'published at 12:56 BST

    Nott'm Forest 0-0 Tottenham

    Nick Mashiter
    BBC Sport football news reporter

    Tonali in actionImage source, Getty Images

    Roberto de Zerbi's expensively assembled side had 12 shots but failed to get any of those on target at the City Ground to continue their poor start in the top flight.

    Including add-ons, Tottenham's summer outlay is over £350m and more is expected from the team after three winless top-flight games.

    They are still trying to find an identity following 10 senior arrivals and a point can be viewed as a positive but they faced a Nottingham Forest side also winless and finding their feet under Oliver Glasner.

    But with Richarlison, last season's 12-goal top scorer, excluded from the Premier League squad and expected to leave, they need to find goals from elsewhere.

    Marmoush and Savio, big-money signings from Manchester City, were unable to inspire the visitors.

    Savio was withdrawn on the hour while Marmoush missed his best chance, shooting wide with just Matz Sels to beat - although he was penalised for a foul in the build-up.

    Tottenham did not play badly but after the summer spending spree it is not the level which is demanded or expected.

  3. Postpublished at 12:52 BST

    Hang on Liam, wasn't it supposed to be Dr Tottenham? Is Dr Everton a thing now too?

    The early table tells us that David Moyes' side - albeit with only 18 senior players - is actually a tough nut to crack.

  4. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 12:50 BST

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    Spurs fans need not worry, they have us (Everton) next. In classic Everton style we'll give those having a tough time an easy win.

    Liam, Edinburgh

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  6. Spurs' slow startpublished at 12:44 BST

    Nott'm Forest 0-0 Tottenham

    Regardless as to whether the match officials were right to rule out Neco Williams goal for Nottingham Forest, that does not change the fact that Tottenham remain winless and goalless.

    It's the first time since 2021 that Spurs have not found the back of the net in three consecutive Premier League games, and they failed to even steer one on target at the City Ground.

    But the one positive is that Roberto de Zerbi's side did at least secure their first point of the season.

    So, how worried are you Spurs fans?

    Tottenham players dejectImage source, Getty Images
  7. Forest and Spurs remain winless after disallowed goal drama in drawpublished at 12:40 BST

    Forest 0-0 Spurs

    And there it is, clear evidence in the still image below that Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams did indeed handle the ball over the line and his subsequent goal at home to Tottenham was correctly ruled out.

    Nothing to see here, let's move on.

    No?

    Ok, have a look at the highlights and judge for yourselves...

    NB: I have seen it countless times and still do not have a clue.

  8. Postpublished at 12:36 BST

    Where next?

    How about a team that battled to their first point of the season and achieved it without even the faintest whiff of controversy?

    Well, one out of two isn't bad, Spurs fans...

  9. Young praises Rashford and Shaw chemistrypublished at 12:28 BST

    Everton 2-2 Man Utd

    It's a fair point Clive.

    Obviously, these three games are all we have to work from at this point, but let's see how things pan out, shall we?

    We can at least end our section on Manchester United on a positive note, with some analysis from Ashley Young on signs of a positive partnership blossoming between England team-mates Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw on the left flank...

  10. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 12:23 BST

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    We're judging teams and managers on just three games are we now?

    Clive, Brighton

  11. Do Man Utd have problems in defence?published at 12:19 BST

    Everton 2-2 Man Utd

    Paul Birch
    BBC Sport reporter

    Only four top-flight teams have conceded more than the six goals Manchester United have so far this season, with the Red Devils letting in exactly two in all three of their games so far.

    After letting in some soft goals against promoted sides Hull City and Ipswich Town, mitigation in their draw with Everton yesterday did come in the form of the Toffees scoring two goal-of-the-month contenders.

    “There’s been two strikes from distance really, two really good strikes from their point of view, so sometimes they fly in the top corner and more often than not they probably don’t, so there’s a little bit of that,” Manchester United boss Michael Carrick said of Tyrique George and Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ strikes.

    “Obviously we can’t ignore it, we need to concede less goals to give us a better chance of winning games, but we’ll certainly look at that and keep improving.”

    Since Carrick took over in January, his United side have conceded two goals in exactly half of his 20 league matches in charge, a record he will be very keen to improve upon.

    Overall, the Red Devils let in 50 goals in 38 games last season, which was 23 more than champions Arsenal and only one fewer than both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, who finished down in 15th and 16th places respectively.

    Graphic showing Manchester United's defensive record this season
  12. Man Utd will be under 'big pressure' in upcoming derbypublished at 12:14 BST

    Everton 2-2 Man Utd

    Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney believes it is too early to rate the club's start to this season under Michael Carrick, but the result in this weekend's match at home to Manchester City will be key to how it will be perceived:

    "The big one is obviously the derby at the weekend.

    "If Manchester United can win that game it turns into a good start, if they don't win it then it's not a great start.

    "So that puts big pressure on the game next week."

    Media caption,

    Rooney and Young preview upcoming Manchester derby

  13. Another slow start for Man Utdpublished at 12:09 BST

    Everton 2-2 Man Utd

    Manchester United have four points from three games, although their fans may well be encouraged to hear that they started worse last season, only to finish the season third and in the Champions League places.

    Under Ruben Amorim, their 2025-26 campaign began with only four points from four matches as well as suffering a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two Grimsby Town.

    Amorim was out by the start of January, but Michael Carrick came in as the club enjoyed a strong second half of the campaign.

    But any early 2026-27 enthusiasm was ended with a 2-0 loss at Hull, although United did then sweep aside Ipswich Town 5-2, before conceding a late equaliser to Everton in yesterday's 2-2 draw.

    Erik ten HagImage source, Getty Images

    In 2024-25, United had Erik ten Hag in charge at the start of the season, with them winning one and losing two of their first three league games, with the Dutchman sacked by the end of October. The club didn't really recover from their poor start as they only came 15th, their worst finish in the Premier League era.

    Their best start recently came in 2021-22 with seven points from three games and 13 from their opening five matches, although United ended up sixth.

    You have to go back to 2017-18, when Jose Mourinho was in charge, for the last time United won their first three league games. Indeed, they were unbeaten after eight games and finished the season second, 19 points behind champions Manchester City.

  14. Postpublished at 12:05 BST

    Everton 2-2 Man Utd

    Zack goes straight to the root of the problem there.

    For just the second time in the last 50 years, Manchester United have conceded two or more goals in each of their first three games of a league season, along with 2020-21.

    United recovered that season to finish second in the table under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, albeit 12 points behind champions Manchester City.

    The fact they conceded 44 goals, compared to City's 32, surely hampered their challenge.

  15. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Man Utd need a new defence badly'published at 12:00 BST

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    United need a new defence badly, until that happens they won’t trouble Arsenal/City!

    Zack, Manchester

  16. Man Utd's mixed startpublished at 11:58 BST

    Everton 2-2 Man Utd

    Played three, won one, drawn one, lost one.

    It has not been an impressive start to the season so far for Manchester United.

    They have a busy two weeks coming up with four games between 10-20 September.

    Michael Carrick's side start their Champions League campaign against Sabah of Azerbaijan on Thursday, entertain Manchester City in the league on Sunday, take on Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup on 16 September and play at Fulham on 20 September.

    Manchester United's results
  17. Postpublished at 11:54 BST

    That leads us neatly on to Manchester United...

  18. Postpublished at 11:50 BST

    Anyone who can make Martin Tyler's voice squeak like that has to have scored a special goal.

    As Andy Gray said on co-coms, a "star is born".

    That Federico Macheda went on to have some career, didn't he?

    Federico MachedaImage source, Getty Images
  19. get involved

    Get Involved - Best debut goalspublished at 11:48 BST

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    Two other words Matt: Federico Macheda.

    Jake, Leeds

    Oohhh, this is like a game of 'best debut goal' poker. Anyone care to raise Jake on Macheda?

  20. 'Now we know what he can do' - Moyes on Maitland-Niles equaliserpublished at 11:44 BST

    Everton 2-2 Man Utd

    David Moyes told BBC Match of the Day that he believed his Everton side deserved a point following their battling display at home to Manchester United:"It looked as if it wasn't going to be the case. We opened up a bit at the end as well, and Manchester United were countering. We had a couple of good defensive moments to stop them from making it three, but overall, we deserved to get that second goal, and it was an unbelievable goal as well."

    On new signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles: "He's only been in a couple days really. Haven't had much training time with him, but now we do know what he can do from outside the box."

    On if the performance will calm supporters following criticism over Everton's lack of signings: "I don't think they will be calm by that because they still know the size of the squad we have got. Sometimes it gives players an opportunity to show what they can do. Sometimes, having too many players in the camp gives you problems behind the scenes, squads are too big, and players moan because they aren't in it. Players will be given opportunities and that's where they will be judged in how they do."

    • Click on the play icon below to listen to the full interview.
    Media caption,

    Man Utd result won't calm Everton fans - Moyes

  21. Postpublished at 11:41 BST

    Fair enough though Matt, he even teed it up himself with a spot of keepy-uppy.

    Cue the commentator branding Stanic: "Super Mario!"

    Back to Everton...