Premier League hits and misses: Manchester United's finishing problems resurface as Erik ten Hag's time runs out for excuses

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Ten Hag's biggest problem on show again

Erik ten Hag said there were "six or seven 100 per cent chances we should have scored". Opta made it five clear-cut openings. But whatever the figure, this was another match in which Man Utd's poor finishing cost them.

The late penalty call will rightly be debated but Man Utd should have been out of sight by then. They could have been 4-0 up at the break against West Ham. Diogo Dalot made his entry for miss-of-the-decade, Alejandro Garnacho hit the bar and spurned another good chance after cutting in from the left, while Bruno Fernandes' drought goes on after he headed Casemiro's nice pass over the bar.

"At this moment, luck is definitely not on our side," added Ten Hag, after a game which also saw West Ham's Edson Alvarez head against the frame of his own goal.

But United's finishing problem is more than a matter of luck. It's too substantial an issue for that. Only Crystal Palace and Southampton (six) have scored fewer Premier League goals than United's total of eight this season. They have the biggest difference between Expected Goals and goals scored in the competition, with the stat suggesting they should have scored six or seven more than they have.

It is an issue of composure in the final third and precision in the key moment. United are missing that right now and it is costing them just as much as any controversial refereeing call.
Peter Smith

West Ham silence the noise

If you can't be good, be lucky.

Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui certainly had some shining down on him as he managed to quieten the noise surrounding his future following West Ham's dismal collapse at Tottenham. But it could have been very different if Manchester United had cashed in during a first half of complete dominance.

West Ham shipped four big chances to an expected goals tally of 1.48 but somehow managed to keep their sheets clean. It was just the second time this season a team had created four or more big chances, as defined by Opta, in a half but failed to score.

This is Manchester United though - the kings of underperforming their expected goals data. No team have underperformed more this season. West Ham benefitted hugely from their wastefulness and this could be a big moment for the Lopetegui project.
Lewis Jones

Partey can ease Arsenal defensive crisis

Thomas Partey at right-back was not a complete surprise when the Arsenal team sheet came out, but it was a major talking point.

During the second half against Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ghanaian midfielder struggled on the right of the defence, with the Ukrainians targeting that flank and causing Arsenal all sorts of problems. How was he going to cope with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez on that wing?

Very well, it turned out. Partey was excellent in a makeshift role, inverting when needed but also showing a much-improved performance defensively. The midfielder won 11 duels in the first half and ended the game with 13 - nearly twice as much as any other player. Diaz, who has started this season so well, was among the first off in Arne Slot's substitutions.

Partey's excellent performance will help given Arsenal are struggling around for defenders at present. William Saliba will return to the defence post suspension but Ben White may still be needed at centre-back with Gabriel and the recently returning Jurrien Timber limping off in the second half against Liverpool.
Sam Blitz

Liverpool rally but disappoint at Emirates

"After passing their sternest test against Chelsea last weekend, Liverpool came up short at the Emirates. They had an opportunity to put down a real marker against what ended a third-choice Arsenal defence but only really tested David Raya once after half-time. That was when they beat him.

"Everyone knows the quality Arsenal lose when one of Gabriel or William Saliba are absent. When both are missing, a team of Liverpool's attacking efficacy should be threatening much more. All that, and when Arsenal are also onto their third-choice left-back...

"Arne Slot praised the second-half response of his team and they did improve from a slow start, but only to register a combined xG of 0.85 across the 90 minutes, their lowest figure of the season.

"Against a full-strength Arsenal that would be a decent tally, and a good result. In these circumstances it represents an opportunity missed.

"Liverpool's build-up may have been more considered this season but they still stretch teams on the attack, and it was a goal straight out of the Jurgen Klopp copybook to level late on.

"We have begun to mention Liverpool as title hopefuls but just as Arsenal learned last season, without the courage to really push for a win in these kind of games, Manchester City - the new league leaders - will be licking their lips once again."
Ron Walker

Mateta inspires first Palace win of the season

Jean Phillipe Mateta for Crystal Palace is more than just the man tasked with putting the ball in the back of the net.

Whether it's kicking the corner flag or playing the role of choir leader when Palace fans expressed their discontent at a referee decision, Mateta is exactly what Oliver Glasner needs to galvanise Selhurst Park and kickstart their season.

In scoring the winning goal, Mateta took his Premier League tally to 17 meaning only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer have found the net on more occasions this calendar year. It was his first start for the Eagles since late September, leading the line his hold-up play and ability to run the channels was something that the likes of Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr thrived off.

Typically, this season he's found himself alongside £30m summer signing from Arsenal, Eddie Nketiah in a combination that has failed to hit the ground running but back to what we saw from him towards the end of last season Glasner could count on him.

The problem for Glasner is how he can make the most of his big money signing Nketiah while allowing Mateta to play at his best. That's a question for another day though as Palace celebrate their first league win of the season.
William Bitibiri

Spurs have a problem on the road

Tottenham just don't look like the same side when they aren't playing at home. At Crystal Palace, they never really looked like winning, even though they had a whole half to mount a comeback.

Ange Postecoglou said his side lost composure at Selhurst Park and fell into playing Palace at their game, rather than imposing their own style. But it seems to be a trend.

Spurs have won one of their five away games in the Premier League season - that was when Manchester United failed to turn up at Old Trafford.

Spurs' only other point on the road came in a draw against newly promoted Leicester in their first game of the season, when they were expected to blow their opposition away.

The other three games - against Newcastle, Brighton and now Crystal Palace - have ended in defeat. These problems go back further than just this season.

Spurs have managed just three away wins in the Premier League in 2024 - against Sheffield United, Aston Villa and Manchester United.

It seems Spurs struggle to stick to their philosophy when the going gets tough, and they don't have their fans to lean on.

For a club with ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League, this worrying habit needs to be addressed, otherwise Spurs will have to cope without it for another year.
Zinny Boswell

Jackson proving to be Chelsea's striker answer

Cole Palmer stole the headlines again but Nicolas Jackson continued to cement himself as the prolific No 9 Chelsea need.

Jackson became the fifth quickest player to score 20 Premier League goals for the club on his 44th appearance behind only Diego Costa (26 apps), Cole Palmer (27 apps), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (33 apps) and Mark Stein (37 apps).

At the start of the day, the 23-year-old has been involved in 13 goals in his previous 13 league appearances (9 goals, 4 assists).

"What I love about him is he isn't scared to miss," said Jamie Carragher. Ironically, but crucially, his only touch in the box and his only shot of the match found the net.
David Richardson

Howe & the stats say Newcastle are going the right way, but are they?

Despite going a fifth league match without a win for the first time since March 2023, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe insisted his side are still "going in the right direction' after their 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.

This latest setback, albeit at a ground the Magpies rarely avoid defeat, leaves Howe's team languishing down in 12th place in the Premier League, a position the manager later admitted was "not where we want to be."

However, the visitors, minus the injured Anthony Gordon, actually ended the game with a superior xG to Chelsea's, 1.85 to 1.68, reflecting their at times profligacy in front of goal, with Alexander Isak spurning two late chances to grab his side a point.

That, though, may have been undeserved, but Howe was adamant in his post-match press conference that "a couple of wins will change everything" - the only problem being Newcastle face Chelsea again next in the Carabao Cup in midweek, with league games against Arsenal and Liverpool also on the horizon.
Richard Morgan