After a third loss in seven English Premier League games so far, Jose Mourinho was quick to apportion blame for Manchester United's collapse at West Ham.
While the moans about refereeing decisions were predictable after the 3-1 loss on Saturday, holding the media partly responsible was a fresher excuse to pour scorn on another ineffective display by Anthony Martial.
Leaving out forward Alexis Sanchez and starting Martial was portrayed by Mourinho as bowing to public demands. It's a decision Mourinho suggested he regretted.
Something that you are asking for a long, long, long, long time (is) to play Martial. I left Alexis out and I think that Martial is not a player very, very, very focused on his defensive duties and to play him as a second striker and trying just to cover the area of (Declan) Rice would be much easier for him.Jose Mourinho
United was ragged from the start at Olympic Stadium, conceding after five minutes when Felipe Anderson flicked in Pablo Zabaleta's cross. The damage worsened just before half-time when Andriy Yarmolenko's shot took a heavy deflection off Victor Lindelof to head in the opposite direction past goalkeeper David De Gea.
United did pull one back in the 71st minute when substitute Marcus Rashford turned in Luke Shaw's corner with his back to goal. But United's defense was cut through with ease when Mark Noble passed to Marko Arnautovic, who struck past De Gea.
Less than two months into the campaign, United's hopes of a first Premier League title since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 are already fading. With 10 points from seven games, Mourinho has matched the club's previous worst Premier League start under Ferguson's successor, David Moyes.
Defending champion Manchester City and Liverpool are already nine points in front of 10th-placed United.
There was a quartet of 2-0 victories on Saturday as City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Leicester and Wolverhampton triumphed.
Aguero Concern
Immediately after scoring Manchester City's second goal in a 2-0 victory over Brighton, Sergio Aguero was substituted in the 66th minute.
Sergio is struggling a little bit with some problems in his feet. He is not 100 percent. He made an effort but he hasn’t recovered.Pep Guardiola, Manager, Manchester City
Still, the striker also managed to create the opener. Aguero played in Leroy Sane who crossed for Raheem Sterling to slide in and apply the finish in the first half.
Tottenham Injuries
Harry Kane's double gave Tottenham a fourth away success out of five in the league but the 2-0 win at Huddersfield came at a price. Midfielder Mousa Dembele and defender Jan Vertonghen were both taken off in the second half and are doubts for the Champions League match against Barcelona on Wednesday.
Arsenal Late Show
Arsenal left it late to seal a seventh successive victory in all competitions. A 2-0 victory over Watford was secured by Craig Cathcart's 81st-minute own goal and Mesut Ozil's strike.
"We need to continue to improve with the control, with the possession, with the positioning," Arsenal manager Unai Emery said.
Rare Visit
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley's first home game since May 2017 was uncomfortable viewing. A 2-0 loss to Leicester, supplied by Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire, left Newcastle still winless. Ashley, who owns retail stores, departed his seat after some home fans chanted "Get out of our club," and "Stand up if you hate Ashley."
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