Where next?

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

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

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...

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.

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."

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.

Image 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.

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.

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.

That leads us neatly on to Manchester United...

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?

Image source, Getty Images

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

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.

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...

I am all for punchy messages, but you are allowed to elaborate Matt. For those who are out of the loop, Stanic scored a 35-yard volley on his Premier League debut for Chelsea against West Ham in August, 2000. I will give you a minute to go hunting for that on your favoured search engine...

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The build-up to Everton's match on Sunday was dominated by conversations about who they failed to sign in the transfer window.

Since their last league match - a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth eight days ago - they had sold attackers Illiman N'Diaye and Beto, while Nathan Patterson joined Torino.

Their departures, plus Everton's failure to bring in reinforcements - a deal for Folarin Balogun fell apart in the final minutes of the window - have left David Moyes with only 18 senior outfield players until January.

When on-loan Grealish - once the most expensive British player of all time - took to the touchline on his return to the club, he appeared to be Everton's most likely route back into the game.

That it turned out to be a stunner from Ainsley Maitland-Niles, their other deadline-day recruit, made Everton's late rescue act all the sweeter.

The fact that they needed a wonder strike from a player who has spent most of his career filling in at midfield and full-back - and only has 15 career goals - is a sign of the lack of options Moyes has.

Everton are one of only seven Premier League teams to remain unbeaten after three games, but a lack of reinforcements could be the undoing of the foundations Moyes has laid since his return in January 2025.

That pic of Attilio Lombardo playing for Crystal Palace against Everton at Goodison in August 1997 was the only one in our library, so it will have to do.

They don't make Premier League footballers like Attilio any more, do they? How old was he, about 47?

If he wasn't known as the 'Bald Eagle' then I am putting in an official complaint to the Crystal Palace supporters' club.

We asked you earlier about your favourite goal from a player on his or her debut.

We have a few coming up but feel free to join the debate by using the 'Get Involved' button.

We posted the highlights first thing, but here's another look at Everton's 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United, complete with grandstand finish...

PS: If you are in a rush, Ainsley Maitland-Niles' debut goal is at 8mins 45secs.