Opening Weekend: United Flops, Spurs Crumbles, But Everton and Leeds? Maybe There's Hope

Hull, fresh off promotion, brought an edge. A primal sort of hunger. United's resolve? Brittle. Absolutely paper-thin. Sergei Jakirovic’s lads owned the pitch, winning nearly two-thirds of their duels and headers in the first half. That’s not tactics; that’s just wanting it more. Michael Carrick’s lot? MIA. The basics? Begging. Oli McBurnie gliding past defenders who stood there like statues wasn't just a moment. It was *the* moment. United’s entire pathetic day. Passivity, they called it. I call it pathetic. They got what they deserved.

Tottenham's capitulation at Brentford? A mirror image. Maybe worse. Over £230m chucked at new talent, five debutants trotted out, and still, Roberto De Zerbi’s crew looked every bit the broken outfit from last season's relegation scrap. The manager admitted it himself: “We were not ready to fight.” New faces, same old soft core. Richarlison, a whopping two wins from eight duels. Speaks volumes. It was never about quality with this lot. It’s always been about the guts. Or lack thereof.

Flip the coin. Everton, under David Moyes, actually showed some spine. Some maturity, even. Marrying young guns like Harrison Armstrong with Hayden Hackney, a smart buy, they just rolled right over Crystal Palace. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall? A revelation. Iliman Ndiaye? Always delivers. Moyes, ever the realist, wants more — a right-back, some fresh attacking spark. Still, the groundwork's there. Solid.

Leeds? They tasted what could be. Arsenal? Forget “looked formidable.” They *are* the team to beat. Period.