Ruben Amorim seals first Premier League win as Manchester United thrash Everton

Marcus Rashfords future was questioned when he jetted to America during Ruben Amorims first days in charge at Manchester United. Yet in his first matches under the new head coach, with three goals in two games, Rashford looks in it for the long haul.

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Rashford used his days off to watch the New York Knicks basketball team, with time to spare in the international break having failed to earn an England recall. Even Amorim suggested rules allowing players to fly thousands of miles during days off needed looking at.

But Rashford has returned from his trip to the US with form not seen since his stunning campaign, two seasons ago, when he hit the 30-goal mark as he chased a new contract. There are signs of a return to that type of goalscoring now Amorim is at Old Trafford and players are scrapping for their futures in his new system.

Rashfords two goals and a further couple from Joshua Zirkzee put United into the top half and within sight of the Champions League places, which Amorim has played down as significant. He also believes there is more to come from Rashford, who says he is invigorated by Amorims arrival.

It is early on but I feel energised and ready for the next game, said Rashford. The connection is going to build and grow the more we get used to him. Hes come in in a busy period and hopefully the connection keeps building and growing. Hes come in with a great attitude and its passed on to the players.

Amorim spoke about Rashford during the week and suggested he has to be the first one to want it, challenging him to rediscover his best form. He seems to have lit the fire in the 27-year-old, even if there is work to be done to fit into the new 3-4-3 system.

Playing as a central striker has been ruled out and Amorim believes there is more to come from his role as a wide forward.

A new coach is always like that, but there is so much to improve, said Amorim. He has to continue to improve, he has the ability to do it and he already proved that. But he can play so much better like the other guys so it was a good performance.

Rashford scored against Ipswich in Amorims first match in charge and edged United in front by volleying from the edge of the area direct from Bruno Fernandess cross, although it was helped by a wicked deflection courtesy of Jarrad Branthwaite.

Branthwaite was the subject of a rejected £50 million bid in the summer and United, after moving on to Matthijs de Ligt as a target, would never have envisaged the England centre-back having such an impact for them. He lost the ball that led to Zirkzee scoring his first goal.

Everton had kicked off the second half but conceded within 20 seconds after Jordan Pickfords punt forward came straight back to them. Amad Diallo slipped through Rashford, who netted between the England goalkeepers legs.

Zirkzee had not scored since the opening day of the season but got his second of the day when he finished coolly past Pickford when United broke, having been defending a corner a few seconds earlier.

Victory moved them closer to the Champions League places but Amorim is focused on performances and is clearly using trial and error with his team selection. He changed six from the Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt, then made sweeping changes in the second half to get Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw on the pitch. There will be further changes in midweek as Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are suspended.

When asked about the top four, Amorim said: I understand that. If I say no you will say I cannot be a Manchester United coach, but I want to be honest with our fans. Lets focus on the performances and not the results and well see in the end.

In the end, I said this many times, I will be judged about the place that we finish. I know that. Lets focus on the next game and look at the performance. Sometimes we had like Thursday it was 3-2 but I think we deserved more. Today it was 4-0, I think Everton deserved more also. So, lets focus on the performance. Congratulations to the lads. Lets rest and recover and think about Arsenal.

Everton have a nightmare run of fixtures after facing Wolves on Wednesday, with Sean Dyche insisting he can turn the tide and that his players are up for the challenge.

Most managers fix it with the chequebook but we havent got that so we are looking at other ways to get in the penalty area differently, trying different ways to be effective, said Dyche. Ive turned around many things in my career and certainly here its been up-down, up-down. Its not a given that you find that consistency but the players are up for the challenge.

Enzo Fernandez will never escape his price tag, and the truth is that he might never come close to living up to it. The £107 million transfer fee is a burden that could forever hang round his neck, prompting sneers from rival fans and groans from his own.

But just because Fernandez is probably not the world-beater that his fee suggests, it does not mean he cannot become a useful and valuable member of the Chelsea team over the remaining eight years of his contract. There are now signs that, at last, this process may be starting.

About time? Probably. Fernandez has been in London since the winter of 2023, after all. Still, this is a case of better late than never for Chelsea, for whom the midfielder impressed again in this commanding victory over struggling Aston Villa.

Having not scored all season before last weekend, the Argentina international has now struck two goals in his last two appearances. His finish here was masterfully steered into the corner of Villas net, from just inside the penalty area, as he appeared to enjoy a more advanced attacking role in Enzo Marescas team.

That strike means that Fernandez has now been involved in four goals (two goals, two assists) in his last three league appearances. Having been dropped from the league side for four consecutive matches he even fell into the Thursday night B team for a few games he is suddenly moving like a key player again. He wore the captains armband here.

The racism storm of the summer, in which Fernandez issued a grovelling apology to his offended team-mates, must now feel like a long time ago for the Chelsea players.

Villa, eight matches without a victory in all competitions, simply could not find a decisive moment comparable to Fernandezs goal, Nicolas Jacksons early opener or Cole Palmers gorgeous third. Unai Emerys side are in a footballing quagmire, squelching around in increasing desperation, and they looked vulnerable throughout this trip to Stamford Bridge.

Perhaps most concerning of all for Emery is that his team appeared so visibly anxious. Their build-up play was jittery, punctuated by mistakes, and they fluffed the chances they did create. Ollie Watkins was particularly wasteful against a Chelsea defence that presented him with opportunities.

There is no doubt that Chelsea were deserving winners here. With Moises Caicedo playing as a full-back/midfielder hybrid, and Fernandez and Palmer pushing forward from midfield, there was a lovely balance to their play. There is a growing sense that Marescas system is bedding into the minds of his players, with each man knowing where to be and when.

In the end, the points were shared. But Ange Postecoglou, for all his refusal to embrace pragmatism, must wonder how he might impose just a little consistency on his Spurs side. There they were humiliating Manchester City last weekend, here playing with little zest, spirit or togetherness. If it were a Europa League hangover, then the further exertions of the season are not going to bring much reward.

The fact is Fulham deserved to win here. After being mangled at home by Wolves a week ago, here they were the more coherent side, playing with real conviction. Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi were a particular threat, while a headlong charge of a run by the substitute Harry Wilson in added time was an example of their counter attacking ambition. A couple of lengthy moves, involving lots of first time touches and flicks, really should have sealed the points. Were it not for the 36-year-old Fraser Forster, producing four outstanding saves on what was his first league game in 18 months, they might have won by a distance.

True, after a mistake strewn first half, Spurs took the lead midway through the second, when Tomi Werners scooped cross found Brennan Johnson alone and unmarked to fire home. But Fulham responded with a brilliant equaliser. For the umpteenth time, Robinson and Iwobi combined before the former Arsenal man, who, like the other three ex-Gunners in the Fulham line-up was booed throughout by the home support, found the substitute Tom Cairney. His shot was magnificent. As it had to be to beat Forster.

It was not clear why Postecoglou had not started with Dejan Kulusevski, the principal agent of Citys demolition. But when he came on, Spurs suddenly looked more threatening. Indeed, Cairney was sent off after a lengthy VAR intervention after bringing the Swede down as he swept forward. Ultimately it made no difference, the ten visitors held on.

The Amorim era has come alive after their first league win under the new head coach.

Goals from Rashford and Zirkzee, Amad impressive, Onana sharp in goal and confidence is building at Old Trafford.

Thats a classic Cole Palmer goal, bent from the edge of the box into the top corner. Beautiful. Game over.

Villa are pushing here, as they must, but the danger is that it is leaving plenty of space in behind. Cole Palmer has just run from his own half into the Villa area, where his shot was blocked.

Jhon Duran is on for Villa but its still not flowing for them in attack.

20 seconds into the second half and United have all but sealed the three points and it is Rashford again.

Thats his third goal under Amorim and his sixth goal in eight games against Everton.

A word too on Amad, who is thriving under the new Portuguese head coach.

Fernandes sets it across for an easy finish for Joshua Zirkzee and the first goal has changed the game. His first goal since his debut on August 16.

Man Utd 2 Everton 0

Fernandes takes a corner to Rashford on the edge of the box, he half-volleys towards goal but the ball goes into the back of the net off Jarrad Branthwaite. Own goal or not? Maybe, but Amorims men are ahead.

Man Utd 1 Everton 0

Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 0

We are under way at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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