List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

Wolves’ stunning late show rocked Tottenham and denied Spurs the chance to return to the top of the Premier League. Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina scored in stoppage time to snatch a thrilling – but deserved – 2-1 victory. Brennan Johnson’s early strike – his first Spurs goal – had given the visitors the lead and they looked on course for a smash-and-grab win at Molineux. Tottenham rode their luck as Wolves constantly let them off the hook until Sarabia and Lemina sparked a sensational finish. They were heading two points clear at the top of the table but have now suffered successive defeats. Wolves, meanwhile, hit back from their controversial 2-1 loss at Sheffield United to underline the clear progress they are making under Gary O’Neil. Spurs suffered their first wobble under Ange Postecoglou in their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea having also lost James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until January with injuries. Suspensions to Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie compounded their issues before arriving at Molineux yet they initially showed no scars from Monday’s chaos and took the lead after just three minutes. It was poor from Wolves, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Joao Gomes were hoodwinked by Dejan Kulusevski’s cute drag and flick which allowed Pedro Porro to cross low for Johnson. He had run on the blindside of Nelson Semedo and, with the defender caught out, tapped in from close range. It was the Wales international’s first goal since April – which also came against Wolves. Far from being shellshocked, the hosts responded well and Ben Davies blocked a shot from the rampaging Ait-Nouri as Wolves’ tenacity left Spurs flustered. Tottenham were needlessly tentative at the back, perhaps from Monday’s carnage, but continued to survive with Wolves’ final ball consistently failing them. They still needed Guglielmo Vicario to save well from Lemina before the midfielder had a header deflect over and the goalkeeper also gathered Toti Gomes’ effort in stoppage time. Wolves emerged after the break in the same combative fashion and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde ballooned over with Matheus Cunha also curling wide. The hosts were getting closer and should have levelled after 54 minutes when Hwang Hee-Chan missed a golden chance. A poor corner eventually fell to Gomes and his shot deflected into the path of Hwang but, with just Vicario to beat, the seven-goal forward scuffed wide. Without star man Pedro Neto Wolves lacked a killer touch, similar to Tottenham – missing main schemer Maddison – who had created nothing since their early opener. The hosts’ dominance had nullified Spurs but they were still behind and their desperation for a leveller began to leave spaces, with Johnson curling wide after a rare break. Wolves looked to be running out of ideas with time ticking by, although Sasa Kalajdzic wastefully headed over, and Giovani Lo Celso almost snatched an undeserved second with two minutes left but Jose Sa turned his effort over. Little suggested the drama to come but Wolves then turned the game on its head in stoppage time. O’Neil’s side finally got the leveller they deserved when substitute Sarabia, on the pitch for just two minutes, collected Cunha’s clipped ball and smashed past Vicario. Then, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Sarabia was sent scampering after a quick free-kick and he found Lemina to turn in and send Molineux wild. Read More Ben Stokes and Joe Root give England hope of ending World Cup on a high From Covid to the Copper Box: Maia Lumsden relishes her ‘unbelievable’ return On this day in 2015: Stuart Lancaster resigns as England head coach Mauricio Pochettino: Easier for new players at Man City than ‘evolving’ Chelsea Don’t worry about it – Ange Postecoglou brushes off series of Spurs setbacks Harry Maguire ‘showing he can do the job’ – Erik ten Hag

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It all comes down to this: Malmo v Elfsborg, separated by three points, meeting in the last game of the season with the Allsvenskan title on the line. It has been dubbed “the final” by Swedish media. Malmo will deploy more security guards than at any game in the club’s history. Elfsborg’s fans will be “caged” in one corner of the Stadion Malmo, in an effort to stop celebrations or fury spilling on to the pitch. Malmo shouldn’t even be alive in this race. Henrik Rydstrom’s free-flowing team lost 4-2 at third-place Hacken last weekend and thought they were done. But somehow Elfsborg only mustered a draw at home to relegation-threatened Degerfors, scoring a 95th-minute equaliser but failing to add their Aguero moment at the death. The pressure got to both teams, and so it goes to the wire. Malmo and Elfsborg are wildly contrasting clubs. While Elfsborg hail from a small town, Malmo is Sweden’s third city, the literal and metaphorical birthplace of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and its football team is the most successful in the country’s history with 22 league titles. Their style of play is unique in Swedish football, and eight or nine players can often be found filling the same side of the pitch to progress the ball upfield, or to quickly win it back in hunting packs. They play with a positional freedom that looks off the cuff, but contains patterns of passing and movement drilled on the training pitch by the innovative Rydstrom. Rydstrom is an unusual character in football, with a masters degree in literary studies and a past writing music reviews in magazines. He is known for his strong socialist principles and his outspoken comments have drawn criticism from right-wing politicians. The manager has been described in the Swedish media as “methodical, process-driven and sophisticated” in his approach, and his methods extend to giving players tactical homework. The coach demands utter dominance of the ball – Malmo’s average possession this season is 64.8 per cent, a long way clear of the rest and higher even than Manchester City in the Premier League (63.2). But he is no disciple of Pep Guardiola. Rydstrom’s style has been likened to the fluid Brazilian football of Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz, who recently led his team to the Copa Libertadores and whose “anti-positional” tactics – dubbed Dinizismo – are in stark contrast to Guardiola’s more rigid structure so popular in Europe. Elfsborg are a more typical Swedish team, defensively stable, with the most clean sheets this season. They don’t sit deep, but possession is not of high importance to head coach Jimmy Thelin, whose team are dogged and difficult to play against. Elfsborg have committed more fouls than any other side in the league. But there are no prizes for aesthetics, as the Swedish daily newspaper Expressen stressed this week. “Style plays a role only if it culminates in glory,” writes Noah Bachner. “Defeats can be erased from memory if ultimately they don’t affect the final table. But only one thing counts. You can drag up statistics on short passes, shots taken, how many Swedish Krona per point and every expected goal. You can moan about Elfsborg’s way of playing … But only the trophy matters.” Elfsborg are based in a town called Boras, not far from Gothenburg (the name Elfsborg refers to the region). They have won six Swedish titles in their 120-year history, the most recent in 2012, and their home ground is nicknamed ‘Elfsborg Fortress’ – a riff on an actual fortification off the coast of Gothenburg – in appreciation of what a notoriously hard place Boras is to go and win. What plays in Elfsborg’s favour is that Malmo have consistently been found wanting in the biggest moments under Rydstrom. “If you want to take charge of the title race, which Malmo had and lost several times, you have to take points from the teams you’re fighting against,” writes Bachner. He has a point: Malmo have not won any of their five games this season against key rivals Djurgarden, Hacken or Elfsborg, who thrashed Malmo at the Fortress in May. Malmo had 73 per cent possession, took 19 shots and scored no goals. Elfsborg committed 26 fouls and scored three. Rydstrom’s reputation as more than just a coach who paints pretty pictures depends on this result. “My conviction is that Rydstrom is right for Malmo, regardless of how it goes on Sunday,” adds Bachner. “But I am equally convinced that nothing is going to stop him from being branded as something other than a winner [should Malmo lose]. Another missed opportunity, after slipping again like last Sunday, will take time to scrub away.” But this time it is Malmo with home advantage. Elfsborg do not have a Fortress to defend. They are the visitors, and they must travel 150 miles south into the lion’s den to claim the prize that narrowly eluded them last weekend. For Elfsborg, a point will do. Malmo must win. It all comes down to this. Read More Pochettino learnt lessons from infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’ to mature as manager Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Chelsea will be fighting for titles sooner rather than later – Pep Guardiola Pochettino learnt lessons from infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’ to mature as manager Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Chelsea will be fighting for titles sooner rather than later – Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola expects Chelsea to be back challenging for the title in the near future. Chelsea last won the Premier League during Guardiola’s first season at Manchester City in 2016-17. Since then it is City who have dominated the competition, taking the crown in five of the past six campaigns. Chelsea did edge out City in the 2021 Champions League final but there has been plenty of turbulence at the London club since, and they currently sit 10th in the table. Guardiola, who takes his side to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, said: “Chelsea remain one of the more important teams in England. “It’s true that in the Premier League they were not close to winning it in these last seasons but they’re still one of the strongest teams, there’s no doubts about that. “I see that in the last games they are alive, they have good spirit, they are aggressive, they have a good pattern. The quality is there. “It’s one of the toughest games that we have during the season. Sooner or later Chelsea will be there fighting for the titles, and I guess sooner than later.” Chelsea have had a rocky start to the campaign under new manager Mauricio Pochettino but Guardiola has no doubt they will come on strong. He said: “It’s normal. They are getting better. Every manager needs his time – it’s a new club, new players but they’ll be a top contender because the quality in all departments is there.” Two of Chelsea’s better performers this season have been the former City pair of Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling. City academy product Palmer, 21, switched clubs in August having grown frustrated at a lack of opportunities at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola said: “The reason why was that he wanted game time. Now he has it, so congratulations. “He’s a guy who came from the academy and if he is having success it’s good for him and we wish him the best. I’m really pleased for him.” Sterling won four Premier League titles and the FA Cup at City and Guardiola recognises him as a dangerman this weekend. Guardiola said: “He’s playing really good, he’s back in his best moments, best performance, (from) what I’ve seen lately. “He always creates incredible dangers for the opponents.” Read More From Covid to the Copper Box: Maia Lumsden relishes her ‘unbelievable’ return On this day in 2015: Stuart Lancaster resigns as England head coach Mauricio Pochettino: Easier for new players at Man City than ‘evolving’ Chelsea Don’t worry about it – Ange Postecoglou brushes off series of Spurs setbacks Harry Maguire ‘showing he can do the job’ – Erik ten Hag ‘I heard what I heard’ – Tom Curry stands by racism claim against Bongi Mbonambi

Ange Postecoglou believes Tottenham have already passed plenty of tests this season – but he will not let the absence of nine first-team players at Wolves offer up an excuse for a dropoff in performance. Spurs suffered their first defeat of the Premier League campaign on Monday in a chaotic 4-1 home loss to Chelsea, which could have further consequences in the long term. Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero were sent off during the London derby, while Micky van de Ven (hamstring) and James Maddison (ankle) suffered serious injuries that will rule them out until January. Postecoglou, however, is no stranger to a challenge given Harry Kane’s departure on the eve of the new campaign. “The first test? Losing the greatest ever player in this competition the day before the start of the season? Nah, piece of cake,” Postecoglou pointed out. “We lost players to almost season-ending injuries. Nah, don’t worry about it. Mate, there are tests all the time. “In my whole career, I figured out there are only two states of being as a manager: under siege, or it’s coming. I’m well aware that every day nothing runs smooth. There’s always challenges out there. “I just try and make sure I don’t change my state of being. It is what it is. “I try and focus on what’s important. We’re still building a team and an environment where people want to win. It’s not going to change from week to week. “It’s fairly extreme even for a person of my experience to lose five players in one game, but that doesn’t mean it’s any worse than anything we faced so far and it’s being a bit disrespectful to this group of players to say that everything has gone their way because it hasn’t. “From day one there’s been a real resilience and character in the group and they’re going to have to show it again. The first test? Losing the greatest ever player in this competition the day before the start of the season? Nah, piece of cake Ange Postecoglou recalls losing Harry Kane from the Spurs squad “We’ve had plenty of reasons not to be where we are, plenty of excuses in terms of the disruptions we’ve had already and some of the challenges we’ve had to face. “Fair to say we won’t be using any kind of reason for us not to perform at our best tomorrow.” Two of Postecoglou’s key decisions at Molineux and over the next couple of months will be trying to fill the void left by both Van de Ven and Maddison. Van de Ven’s injury on Monday resulted in Tottenham adopting an extremely high line and while Guglielmo Vicario impressed in the sweeper-keeper role, pundits questioned the tactic. But Postecoglou said: “I don’t try and lose games purposefully, trust me. I’m very much for trying to win a game of football. I get it’s slightly unconventional, that I kind of understand, but you don’t get from Australia to the Premier League by being conventional. “And trust me, this isn’t the first time people have questioned my madness. It’s got me to where I am and I continue to do it because I believe we can win that way, not because of any other reason.” Eric Dier made his first appearance of the season off the bench on Monday but is set for a regular role with Van de Ven injured until January and Romero suspended until next month. Postecoglou added: “Eric has been part of this football club for a very long time. “Every day he’s another one who has trained hard. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities, but that’s because we’ve been pretty settled in terms of our back four and we haven’t had the need to put him in there. “He’s always been ready to be called up. Now he gets the opportunity. I thought he did well the other night. “I thought he handled it really well. His experience will be important for us, particularly with Micky’s absence and Romero being out for three games.” Read More Harry Maguire ‘showing he can do the job’ – Erik ten Hag ‘I heard what I heard’ – Tom Curry stands by racism claim against Bongi Mbonambi Katie Boulter has come ‘full circle’ as GB return to Copper Box for BJK Cup tie Mauricio Pochettino learned lessons from famous battle to mature as manager Mikel Arteta warns Aaron Ramsdale not to rush decision over Arsenal future Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds

Mauricio Pochettino claimed it is easier for new players to settle at Manchester City than at Chelsea due to the huge upheaval at Stamford Bridge during the last 18 months. Eight of the 11 that started Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Pochettino’s former side Tottenham on Monday have joined since owner Todd Boehly bought the club in May 2022, with a further nine named amongst the substitutes. Only three of the side that began Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over City in the 2021 Champions League final are still at the club – Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva – whilst all 12 of the substitutes from the game in Porto have departed, along with manager Thomas Tuchel. By contrast, Pep Guardiola can still call upon seven of the 11 that started in the final, with the group having formed the nucleus of the side that won the competition last season along with the Premier League title and FA Cup. Few of the players signed by Chelsea under Boehly have enjoyed an instant impact despite a combined total transfer outlay of over £1billion, whereas City have seamlessly incorporated new recruits into their side, most notably Erling Haaland who netted 52 times during his debut season. Ahead of Sunday’s meeting with the champions at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino said much of that contrast in fortunes is down to City already having in place the kind of settled culture that he is starting to build at Chelsea. “When you arrive at a club and in a team that is very confident and solid in how they operate and in their structure, always it’s easier,” he said. “If you arrive at a club that is in a process of building something – (City) are ahead (of Chelsea). “When a player arrives in a very consistent organisation, it’s only about performing. But the possibility of a player signed by City to perform is higher than if we sign a player here, at the moment. “We are trying to find the best organisation, the best way to operate, the best way to play, to know each other. At City, you arrive and Pep… doesn’t need to talk too much. The player knows everything they need to do and how they need to behave. “They know how it works, the club. But here we are all new. Too many players (are new) and the organisation is in a moment where it is evolving and developing, and trying to find the best way to work.” One player who has impressed since arriving at Stamford Bridge is Cole Palmer, who swapped the Etihad Stadium for west London on the final day of the transfer window. The 21-year-old has been a standout performer during the improved form that has seen Chelsea win three of their last five in the league and discover an attacking fluency that was conspicuously absent last season. “It’s not fair to say it surprised me (that City let Palmer go) because now he’s performing and he didn’t play too much at City,” said Pochettino. “We’re two different clubs with different visions and different objectives. “Maybe Chelsea fits really well for Cole, but maybe it would have happened with different players.” Asked if there was a player whom Palmer reminds him of, Pochettino added: “(Angel) Di Maria, no? It’s difficult find someone to compare.” The Argentina winger struggled after swapping Real Madrid for Manchester United in 2014 and never settled in England, a problem Manchester-born Palmer has not faced. “He’s from Manchester,” said Pochettino. “It’s not easy for a Manchester boy to come to London and to adapt and to settle here. “(But) he knows the Premier League. It’s easy for him to adapt a new club. When a player comes from outside of England, you don’t know if they’ll understand the language, culture, food, weather.”

Harry Maguire will report for England duty next week re-established as a first-choice defender for Manchester United. When Gareth Southgate’s squad met up in October Maguire had made only two starts for Erik ten Hag’s side all season but he has been ever-present in the starting XI since, usually in a partnership with veteran Jonny Evans as Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof have had to bide their time. Maguire and Evans is not a pairing many would have seen coming in the summer, when Maguire was being linked with a move away from Old Trafford and Evans was a free agent after leaving relegated Leicester. An injury to Evans will see a change made when Luton visit on Saturday, but Ten Hag said Maguire was keeping former Real Madrid defender Varane, a key part of last season’s success, out on merit. “Harry Maguire is doing very well at the moment, and I am very happy with that,” he said. “As I always said, Harry Maguire can do the job — and now he is showing he can do the job. “Last year Harry didn’t play a lot, so I was very happy with Rapha’s performances. I have always been happy with his performance. But in this moment, Harry is playing very well and there is internal competition.” Ten Hag sees Maguire and Varane as being in direct competition for the right side of central defence. Although Maguire has spent much of his career on the left, Ten Hag does not like the balance of his side with the 30-year-old there. “There are moments in certain games where they can play together and they have already proven they can do it,” he said. “But the build-up is not that fluid when one of them is playing from the left.” Last season, the partnership Varane formed with Lisandro Martinez, protected by Casemiro, helped United win the Carabao Cup and return to the Champions League. But with Martinez and Casemiro currently out injured along with Luke Shaw, and Varane out of favour, there is a different look at present. “The injuries don’t help us,” Ten Hag said. “So often you have to swap the back four and then you don’t get the routine. In such moments, it is so important to have routines. “We had a new keeper (Andre Onana) coming in and every time you form a new back four and they know the rules and principles, but the routines are not the same. “Communication is so important, but that is all split-second decisions. You need that cooperation and you need it 100 per cent because when it doesn’t work, then you concede goals at this level.” Wednesday’s dramatic 4-3 Champions League defeat in Copenhagen made it nine defeats from 17 games in all competitions for United this season, piling the pressure on Ten Hag amid on the ongoing wait for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a minority stake in the club to be completed. “Nothing has changed (in our approach),” Ten Hag added. “We stay in the same issues because we are not in the best moment, but I think I see that we are going forward, like at Fulham (a 1-0 win last weekend), and I thought Copenhagen was a very good game and we have to build on that. “Andre Onana came new in and in the last games has stepped up, Rasmus Hojlund is a new striker and he came in and is stepping up. That is good stuff. “We had some good midfield balance in the last two games, and hopefully we can keep that without new injuries in such departments and then I think we can really improve and find our success this season.” Read More Don’t worry about it – Ange Postecoglou brushes off series of Spurs setbacks ‘I heard what I heard’ – Tom Curry stands by racism claim against Bongi Mbonambi Katie Boulter has come ‘full circle’ as GB return to Copper Box for BJK Cup tie Mauricio Pochettino learned lessons from famous battle to mature as manager Mikel Arteta warns Aaron Ramsdale not to rush decision over Arsenal future Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds

Emma Hayes reveals why she has decided to leave Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea’s victory at Tottenham on Monday proved he has matured as a manager in the years since his first spell in England. A frenetic 4-1 win in north London came amid two red cards for the hosts as emotions threatened to spill over in a manner reminiscent of the so-called ‘Battle of Stamford Bridge’, when Pochettino’s Spurs lost their discipline and a two-goal lead to concede the 2015-16 Premier League title. After that game, which confirmed Leicester as champions, Pochettino was criticised for allowing his players to lose control of the match and let slip the chance of claiming a first league title since 1961. Yet on Monday it was his former side whose discipline failed them, with Spurs losing Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie either side of half-time before Chelsea capitalised with a late hat-trick from striker Nicolas Jackson to seal a third straight away win in the league. Pochettino has previously said he believes he is calmer now than when he was appointed at Southampton in 2013, and that composure was evident amongst his players as they kept their heads on a wild night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “I learned a lot from the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ seven years ago,” he said ahead of his side’s home meeting with Manchester City on Sunday. “I got criticised a lot after this game. Too many people said it was may fault because I didn’t give or teach the players how to behave and to control emotion in a game like this. I learned a lot. “What I can say is the type of game (on Monday) is about tactics, it’s about form, it’s about the approach of the game and how you prepare. Also, it’s about how you control emotions. “One thing we can say my players managed really well is the control of emotions. We played 10-12 minutes not in a good way, not how we wanted. When we conceded the goal it was a big hit for us, we were in shock. “After this moment we started to control the game. At 11 v 11 we created chances, had a goal disallowed. Then we forced them to make mistakes. We played 120 minutes. I think we deserved to win. It was crazy but fair.” The game was notable for its total of 21 added minutes after there were nine VAR checks, which led to both red cards being shown as well as a penalty for Chelsea and five disallowed goals. Pochettino defended the role of the video referee and said that Spurs could have no complaints about the result. “Tell me one (VAR) decision that was not fair,” he said. “There was even I think a few decisions more when Tottenham were lucky. You cannot say VAR was (unfair) for us. When you watch the game again, Tottenham were very lucky to finish with only two less than us. “When there is emotion on the pitch, it’s difficult to control from the outside (as a coach). I was guilty seven years ago. But Ange (Postecoglou) wasn’t guilty (on Monday). “I learned. I watched the game again. It’s important to see how the players keep calm in a tough moment and to force (Tottenham) to make a mistake, then to win the game. That was the option.” Chelsea will be looking for their fourth win in six games in the league when they face Pep Guardiola’s champions on Sunday. Pochettino added: “Chelsea are never underdogs. The feeling is always that you are Chelsea. When you say Chelsea, it’s impossible (to feel the underdog). The history is there. We cannot go and say we are the victim of the day. We need to try to be protagonists with our personality, with our character. “We went to Tottenham and finished the game 4-1. It shows that we have character and talent to compete and to fight with the best clubs in England. Now it’s about building that confidence that for sure will help us to be more competitive.” Read More John Stones out of Chelsea clash but injury not as bad as feared Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl split for a third time Mikel Arteta warns Aaron Ramsdale not to rush decision over Arsenal future Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target

Manchester City defender John Stones will miss the champions’ Premier League trip to Chelsea on Sunday, manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed. The England international was forced off at half-time of Tuesday’s Champions League win over Young Boys with a muscular problem. Guardiola has revealed the injury is not as bad as feared but there is no prospect of him travelling to Stamford Bridge. It is also not clear whether Stones will be available for England this month or the November 25 clash with Liverpool. Guardiola said at a press conference: “He is injured. He is not ready (for Sunday) and we will see when we come back from the international break. “The doctor said to me it’s not as bad (as first thought) but I still don’t know when he’s going to be fit.” Guardiola also delivered a positive update on Kevin De Bruyne, who could return before the end of the year, but he will not rush the Belgium playmaker back into action. De Bruyne has been sidelined since undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury in August. Guardiola said: “I spoke to him two days ago and he said, ‘I feel really good’ but still he is not training with us and not running much. Kevin’s was a tough injury with surgery, so step by step. Pep Guardiola “I don’t know but it is the last time (period) before he comes back to train with us. “I would like to say in two weeks or three weeks, but these type of injuries are better not to put any pressure on. When he feels good, the doctors and physios say go to the next step, then he is coming. Like John Stones, recover without pressure. “Kevin’s was a tough injury with surgery, so step by step.” City head to Chelsea fresh from securing their place in the Champions League knockout stages for an 11th successive year. The holders have hardly been troubled as they have cruised through with two games to spare – an achievement that, compared to last year’s treble success, seems relatively modest. Guardiola, however, insists it is something that should be savoured because – as this week’s opponents Chelsea, the 2021 European champions, have discovered – the good times will not last indefinitely. He said: “I can’t make any comment about Chelsea because I’m not there but always we remind ourselves. Last Tuesday we qualified and I told the players to celebrate because, maybe one day, if we stop doing what we do or the opponents are better than us, we will not be there. “What we have done is the past. If we are not doing well we will go down, and the down may never end. You can go down more. “So, take perspective, be calm and (enjoy) good moments. For every team around the world, not just the fact that we are Man City and the last years have been good, (it does not mean) it will happen in the future. “If you are aware of that, you are closer to still being consistent in Europe for many years.” Read More Mauricio Pochettino learned lessons from famous battle to mature as manager Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl split for a third time Mikel Arteta warns Aaron Ramsdale not to rush decision over Arsenal future Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted he is “not happy” with Marcus Rashford’s form but he remains convinced the England forward will get back to his best this season. Rashford’s disputed red card in Copenhagen on Wednesday night contributed to a dramatic United collapse as they blew a 2-0 lead and conceded two goals in the final 10 minutes to lose 4-3, dropping to the bottom of Group A in the Champions League with two games left. Gareth Southgate kept faith with Rashford by naming him in his England squad on Thursday, but a player who scored 30 goals for United in all competitions last season has only one from 15 appearances this term. “I think he’s not happy, we are not happy,” Ten Hag said of Rashford’s performances. “We have an expectation. He has high expectations from himself. In this moment he is not in the best form but I know he will be back. “I know when the team is playing better he will play better. He will go and score goals. I am confident of that. This season he will improve and score goals. He is totally in the team, he is aware of everything so I think he will be back on track. “It can happen very quickly and sometimes you only need one game. I’m sure he will get there.” The defeat in Copenhagen was United’s ninth from 17 games in all competitions so far, and they go into Saturday’s match at home to Luton eighth in the Premier League. Asked if results had been acceptable this term, Ten Hag said: “It is about the end result and we have to win every game, so we are very disappointed to lose any game but finally it is about the end result. “It is always about being in a process, thinking about a process and then it’s about managing the process. That’s the only thing I focus on. “I think we have often proved we can, like at Fulham, like Brentford, that we can overcome big setbacks.” United’s midweek defeat came at a cost too as Jonny Evans limped off early after pulling up off the ball. The 35-year-old, who has been a regular starter in recent weeks, has been ruled out of the Luton match and may now also miss next week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers for Northern Ireland in what would be another blow for Michael O’Neill’s injury-hit squad. “So we don’t have in this moment the full assessment and all the details but tomorrow he is out,” Ten Hag said. “I can’t say (if he can go away with Northern Ireland) as we don’t have the finished assessment.” Mason Mount has been another player in the spotlight, with the 24-year-old struggling to make an impression since his £55million summer switch from Chelsea. Mount made his first start since early October in the 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle on November 1 but was back on the bench against Fulham and Copenhagen, with questions being asked about his role in the side. However, Ten Hag said there had been no change in his expectations of the player. “It hasn’t changed at all,” Ten Hag said. “He started the season and then he got injured. It’s the worst moment for a new player to get injured because it stops the integration process. That was definitely a setback for us all and for him now he has to fight to get his place back.” Read More Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target On this day in 2014: David Moyes appointed Real Sociedad head coach Chicago Bears edge out Carolina Panthers in three-point win Unai Emery acknowledges good fortune opened the door for Villa’s victory

In one of Europe’s biggest three-horse races, an unexpected fourth leads the way. Where usually Barcelona, Real Madrid and, on sporadic occasions, Atletico Madrid reside, there’s an altogether less-expected club sitting top of LaLiga after a third of the campaign – a free-scoring, attack-minded team who spent a net of barely £4m in the summer, have a stadium capacity of under 15,000 and whose best-ever season in LaLiga to date saw them finish 10th. Welcome to Girona FC. The story of their rise is a tale in itself, but their opening 12 games of this campaign might yet make for the stuff of local legend. As recently as 1999 the club was playing in the Catalan regional leagues, the fifth tier of Spanish football, but after achieving their first-ever top-flight campaign in 2017-18 and surviving for a second, they returned to LaLiga for 2022-23 and ended 10th last year – just as they did five years earlier, in fact. There appears to be no danger of season four emulating season two, though. Where then they were relegated, this term they top the table, two points ahead of Real Madrid, four clear of champions Barcelona and a full six ahead of Atletico. Between Girona and fifth is a massive 10 points, after just a dozen matches. Masterminding this unexpected rise is head coach Michel Sanchez Munoz, better known just as Michel, a former Rayo Vallecano and Real Murcia player who has been in the dugout at Estadi Montilivi since 2021. Michel has the team playing offensive football – they’ve not only won more games than anyone this term, they’ve also outscored everyone in LaLiga– and the manner of it is even more impressive given the turnover of the squad: 10 in, three out, another half a dozen loaned away. That new group has been quickly moulded into a cohesive unit with a very identifiable approach to matches, as one of those new arrivals, former Manchester United and Ajax defender Daley Blind, told The Independent. “It’s always difficult to compare managers, each one has his own ID and way of playing. But what stands out is the manager is really clear in how he wants to play football, he has a really clear idea about every game we play and having a real tactical plan,” Blind says on a call. “He tries to give that to the team and make sure we understand the gameplan. “The story he told me before I came to Girona was really intriguing and I can’t say anything other than he did not lie – I got excited and wanted to play here after speaking to him. “You can’t know it for sure beforehand but we’re really happy with how it’s going and it’s always important for a coach to be clear about that.” Blind is happily effusive about Michel’s man management as well as his tactical acumen. Having spent most of his career under the likes of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, father Danny Blind and others, he’s well placed to talk about who is impressive or otherwise on the coaching ground. And while he won’t directly look at matching up Michel’s attributes to anyone else’s, he makes the point that there’s a real connection between coach and squad. “I don’t want to compare [to others] but, for me, he’s a manager who is human, who connects on a personal level as well. He joins in the rondo [training game of keep-ball] and is part of the guys; at the moment training really starts he’s then really on top of it and not holding back,” the centre-back explains. “He expects every training [session] to be the best but there’s always time for a joke here and there. He has a good connection with every player – that’s very special.” Blind freely admits that his spell in Spain came at the second time of asking. He got the call from Girona last year after leaving Ajax; while considering his next move, Bayern Munich swooped in and he felt he needed to go. This summer, though, he was confident Girona was the right move. While the Dutchman has been a mainstay at the back this term, central midfielder Aleix Garcia has caught the eye, while in attack young winger Savio has been impressive and new centre-forward Artem Dovbyk has not so much hit the ground running as thundering through defences, scoring six in eight starts or one every 109 minutes. Among LaLiga’s best goal-getters, only Gerard Moreno (105), Alvaro Morata (105) and top scorer Jude Bellingham (95) can beat the Ukrainian’s strike rate. So has the fast start by Girona altered their season aims, made them aim higher than might have been the objective at the start of the campaign? Not for Blind, who maintains the “one game at a time” mantra. “For me, it hasn’t changed, you want to finish as high as possible in the league and that’s what we aim for. We’ll see where that is at the end of the season,” he says. “You always be ambitious and have an aim but in the end, you look game by game because the next one is most important and you want the three points. But you see which games are in the next couple of weeks and be ambitious about it. It’s not for me to reveal what we say about [those runs] but it always comes back to the next game.” For Girona, the next game is away on Saturday to Rayo Vallecano, Michel’s oldest and most closely linked club. Beat them and the Catalan club will remain top across the international break, the envy of not just smaller clubs around Europe hoping to improve their own fortunes and challenge higher in the league but of every club in Spain – including the very biggest and the supposed best. Perhaps, just perhaps, they won’t be this year. Watch LaLiga on Viaplay, available in the UK on Sky, Virgin TV, Amazon Prime Video and via streaming Read More Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Ange Postecoglu gives injury update for Tottenham star James Maddison Football stadium plunged into darkness after rivals turn off lights during title win Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Ange Postecoglu gives injury update for Tottenham star James Maddison Football stadium plunged into darkness after rivals turn off lights during title win