Manchester

Match of the Day pundits Danny Murphy and Stephan Warnock analyse Lisandro Martinez’s performance in Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, where the Argentinian defender was sent off.

MATCH REPORT: Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United

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You would have to be touching 60 to have any recollection of the last time United were relegated.

Legend has it that old boy Denis Law sent them down with an impudent back heel he didn’t celebrate when he was at Manchester City. The reality is United were already doomed under then-boss Tommy Docherty.

United have not been in the relegation zone after nine games or more since November 1986, when they collected a single point in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first two games in charge following Ron Atkinson’s dismissal.

Their lowest position after at least nine games of a season since then was 17th in 1989-90. They are back there again right now, mainly thanks to the failings of others in results elsewhere on Saturday.

It is now nine games in all competitions since Carrick’s side won, their worst run since 1988-89. Their single Premier League win of the season was when they came from behind to beat Ipswich at home in August.

Of course, United’s supporters have very recent experience of seeing their team in the lower reaches of the table. They were 16th under Ruben Amorim after 37 games of the 2024-25 season. The caveat is they were 14 points clear of third-bottom Leicester and at no point in that tortuous campaign were they in danger of relegation.

One club that has been at real risk in recent years is Tottenham, who were third bottom and two points behind West Ham with four games of last season remaining.

So, it could happen, even if it remains unlikely a club that should post revenues in excess of £700m for the current campaign will finish in the bottom three.

“You can look at it like that, or you can look at how far you can move up the league quite quickly if you win football matches,” was Carrick’s response when asked if his players are equipped for the “mentality shift” required to deal with the present situation. “That’s the way it’s got to be approached.”

Rachel felt a little unwell in the Canary Islands hotel they were staying in in October – then suddenly collapsed

A British mum who thought she had come down with a nasty cold collapsed and died while on holiday abroad. Rachel Weston, 42, was away with her husband, Mark, 41, and two friends when she started to feel unwell.

The carer, from Bury, Greater Manchester, went to a pharmacy and at first seemed to be getting better. However, her condition then deteriorated, leading the couple to arrange emergency flights back home for the next day.

But Rachel then suddenly collapsed in their hotel room in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. Hotel lifeguards tried to help before paramedics turned up, but tragically she couldn’t be saved.

Local reports say Rachel suffered a cardiac arrest, though an underlying medical cause hasn’t been publicly confirmed. Mark said: “My world was completely turned upside down with the sudden and heartbreaking loss of my gorgeous wife, Rachel, while we were on holiday.

“Rachel and I were together for 11 years and one day – sadly only married for two of those years, but every single day was full of love, laughter and partnership.”

Rachel was a loving stepmum to Mark’s three children, Steven, 22, Charley, 19, and Mikey, 15. Mark described his late wife as “the absolute heart of our home”, adding that she had poured herself into helping him raise the children.

The couple tied the knot on May 11, 2024 after a memorable on-stage proposal at a Bowling for Soup concert. Mark contacted the band’s frontman, Jaret Reddick, before its December 2022 show in Torquay and was invited on stage during Punk Rock 101 to ask Rachel to marry him.

Rachel worked as a carer at Regency Care Home and had devoted her professional life to looking after others. She was also deeply attached to the couple’s two dogs, Maisie and Padmé. Mark said: “Losing her so unexpectedly is a total nightmare.

“Between planning the funeral and keeping life steady for the kids, it’s a massive weight to carry.” Rachel’s funeral is due to take place on November 6. Mark has launched a fundraiser in memory of his “beautiful wife” to help cover the costs.

He has requested that mourners wear something purple, which was Rachel’s favourite colour. To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe web page here.

Match of the Day pundits Toby Alderweireld and Ashley Williams analyse Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth, with Alderweireld suggesting there is no “togetherness” among the United squad.

MATCH REPORT: Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth

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Perhaps the biggest changes at United have been off the pitch.

Olid explained that her side had navigated a “transitional period” and had taken part in big discussions following their 5-0 drubbing by Chelsea.

Players needed to find confidence and Olid admitted the “honest conversations” had to come up with a solution.

“The first two games were good learning for us to connect as a team and for me to know what the players needed from me,” said Olid. “The players also know what I needed. It was about trying to find that balance.

“I feel now we are connected. That doesn’t mean we won’t have more [of those] less good days, but I think we have that understanding of each other.”

Their form at the start of the season impacted individuals with vice-captain Ella Toone missing out on England selection for the first time under Sarina Wiegman.

She responded by scoring in their 3-1 win at Charlton on Sunday, while summer signing Andrea Medina has grown to become a crucial member of the squad.

The international break proved to be a valuable time for Olid to readjust to her new role, reflect on what needed to change and to spend time on the training pitch.

England defender and United captain Maya le Tissier was among those to return with renewed energy having impressed for her country during the break.

The backroom staff positions were also confirmed and Olid has been able to build a group she hopes can lead United to success going forward.

Fellow Spaniard Jose Herrera joined as assistant coach, alongside Gavin Beith, who worked with Olid at former club Hearts.

Speaking about the international break, Olid said: “I had time to re-organise everything, the roles for the new staff and how we are going to work together.

“This break, for me, was amazing. It was like a new start. It was about keeping the good energy from the last matches but then having a new start.”

Now, having been on a winning run, Olid hopes the proposition of a Manchester derby on Sunday will prove to be added motivation for her players.

“I always think that before big games, you want to give confidence to the players and at the same time, you try to motivate them with the opposition,” she told BBC.

“It’s a derby. I think the players are always motivated, but against City, there has to be something else, no?”

Who: Aston Villa vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, October 22 at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera will bring you all the build-up, before our live text commentary stream from 9:30am (08:30 GMT).

Manchester City can continue to put their off-field woes to one side in Saturday’s early kickoff in the Premier League when they travel to Aston Villa, where they will move six points clear at the top with a win.

Holders Arsenal entertain Everton later in the day and will very much hope to extend their winning run in the league to a third match.

City do, however, have a 100 percent record from their first seven games in the league this season, a run that defies the guilty verdict by an independent commission regarding more than 100 breaches of the competition’s financial rules.

The Manchester club have appealed the decision and no sanctions have, as of yet, been imposed.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at City’s trip to Villa Park, where the Cityzens ’ siege mentality is expected to continue.

Foden can be one of Premier League’s best again, says Maresca

Enzo Maresca said it is his job as Manchester City boss to help Phil Foden rediscover his best form after the England international ended his long goal drought.

Foden had not scored for 10 months before netting in City’s 3-2 win over Ipswich last weekend and then scored a Champions League hat-trick in a 5-1 rout of AEK Athens on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old swept the board of personal awards for the Premier League’s best player in the 2023/24 season after a 27-goal campaign.

But Foden, who has admitted struggling with mental health issues, has failed to hit top form for the past two seasons.

“Since we started, I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning. Just to show him, I don’t know if love is the right word to use, but just to show him how important he is,” said Maresca, who took charge of City in June.

“I said many times that I know Phil from years ago, so I know how, for different reasons, the last few years it was not good enough.

“When you have more players like Phil available, you are a better team because again it’s a matter of improving players. If you improve the players, you improve the team.

“So for me, I think it’s my duty to try to help Phil to be again one of the best players in England.”

How have Maresca and Man City shaped up this season?

Other than a 4-2 Champions League defeat by holders Paris Saint-Germain, Maresca has made a flawless start to the daunting task of succeeding Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

The Italian is the first manager ever to win his first seven Premier League games in charge of a new club.

However, City’s fine form has been overshadowed by the threat of severe sanctions against the club for the widespread flouting of Premier League financial rules.

A large points deduction, which could lead to relegation, is likely unless City win their appeal.

Maresca said the mood in the dressing room remained buoyant despite the cloud hanging over the club.

“In any club, when you lose important players, many important players, and you lose the manager after 10 years, it always takes time to compete again,” he said on Thursday.

“But this organisation last summer changed many important players, changed the manager after 10 years, and we are competing at the moment.”

How have Aston Villa fared this season?

Villa sit 12th in the table, but a win would propel them to sixth, at least for a couple of hours. Under former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, Villa have been regulars among the European spots in recent seasons, and were even challengers for the title at one point.

This term has provided a sterner examination of their credentials after the exit of a number of the top stars of recent campaigns, including Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans to City’s rivals United and Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal.

The Midlands club, who beat Freiburg 3-0 to win last season’s UEFA Europa League, are on a six-match unbeaten run – of which they have won five – across the league and Champions League.

What happened the last time Aston Villa played Manchester City?

Villa were 2-1 winners at City in Pep Guardiola’s last game in charge on the final day of last season.

Antoine Semenyo gave City the lead, but an Ollie Watkins brace turned the game.

What happened in Aston Villa and Man City’s corresponding fixture last season?

Villa emerged with a 1-0 win in their Premier League clash at Villa Park last October. Matty Cash scored the only goal.

When did Man City last beat Aston Villa?

City last beat Villa when they were 2-1 winners in the Premier League fixture between the sides at Etihad Stadium in April 2025.

Marcus Rashford, on loan from United, levelled matters from the penalty spot after Bernardo Silva’s opener, but Matheus Nunes sealed the win for the home side.

When did Man City last win at Aston Villa?

City have not won at Villa Park since December 2021, when Ruben Diaz and Silva netted in the first half of the Premier League match. Watkins’s strike in the second period proved only a consolation.

Prediction – Aston Villa vs Man City

The Opta supercomputer has given City a 43 percent chance of winning the match, while offering Villa a 32 percent chance of victory.

Head-to-head – Aston Villa vs Man City

This is the 186th meeting between the sides, with City winning 82 times and Villa emerging victorious on 61 occasions. There have been 42 draws in the fixture that dates back to 1899 – and a 2-1 home win for Villa.

Aston Villa team news

Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka miss out through injury. Johan Manzambi and Modou Keba Cisse both face fitness tests.

Predicted Aston Villa starting lineup

Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Manzambi, Buendia; Jackson

Manchester City team news

Forward Antoine Semenyo is set for a lengthy spell out ⁠with a knee injury, while wing back Nico O’Reilly and midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are doubts.

League-leading scorer Erling Haaland was rested for Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League thrashing of AEK Athens because of a knock but is expected to be available against Villa.

Predicted Manchester City starting lineup

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Bouaddi, Fernandez; Foden, Haaland, Doku

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is under growing pressure, but club legend Wayne Rooney takes aim at players.

Manchester United great Wayne Rooney has labelled the current squad “babies” and “selfish” after a humiliating Champions League capitulation and post-match criticism by Bruno Fernandes of manager Michael Carrick.

Carrick’s men are 13th in the Premier League before Sunday’s visit by Bournemouth and could drop into the bottom three if results go against them this weekend.

With the club beset by infighting and off to their worst domestic league start for decades, Carrick was left clinging to his job after the 4-1 defeat at Como on Wednesday.

Deepening the sense of crisis, the captain Fernandes afterwards took aim at his manager’s tactics, saying United had to be more “brave”.

Defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club’s board last week for not investing enough in the transfer market.

Rooney, United’s all-time leading goalscorer, said he was in “shock” and “disbelief” at the Como display.

A friend and ex-teammate of Carrick, former striker Rooney pointed the finger at the players.

“When Martinez came out, I said this is an absolute nightmare because it will rip the dressing room apart,” Rooney told The United Stand podcast on Thursday.

“That was the start. We’ve seen it now with Bruno and you’re going to see it with more players because these players, they don’t want to take responsibility.

“You can say whether Bruno was right or wrong in what he said but you have to take responsibility on the pitch. You have to take responsibility as a group of players.”

He added: “These players, they’re selfish. They don’t care about their teammates, don’t care about the manager, the staff or the fans; they care about themselves.

“If they’re not getting what’s right for them, they’re like babies and just throw their toys out of the pram and go and deflect the blame on to anyone else but themselves.”

Louis was flying home after a two-week holiday with his partner when cabin crew woke him to deliver some unexpected news about his ‘£5,000’ luggage

A Brit holidaymaker was left amazed after finding out that the plane he was aboard had driven over his suitcase – ‘completely destroying’ the bag and everything inside it. Louis Maybury, 27, was flying home from Madrid to Manchester Airport after a fortnight’s holiday with his partner when cabin crew woke him up with an unexpected request.

With approximately 30 minutes until touchdown, he was asked to remain on board once the other passengers had disembarked. He was then escorted to the cockpit, where the pilot delivered the unwelcome news: his luggage had been run over by the aircraft back in Madrid.

Louis could do nothing but watch in disbelief as his mangled suitcase appeared on the baggage carousel, containing what he claims was around £5,000 worth of belongings. His partner filmed the moment the battered bag was handed back to him in tatters on 11 July.

Louis, from Manchester, said: “I was extremely upset by the situation. I had packed two full weeks’ worth of belongings, including everything I needed for my trip.

“Unfortunately, all of my belongings were destroyed.” EasyJet staff informed Louis that his suitcase had been run over on the tarmac at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, resulting in a two-and-a-half-hour delay.

Since then, he has been engaged in a dispute with the airline over compensation for his possessions, which he valued at £5,000. Among the damaged items were a Burberry bag worth just over £1,000, an Invisalign retainer costing £500, and three Acne Studios shirts valued at roughly £300 each.

He said: “I was eventually left with no choice but to accept the minimum compensation offered and try to recover the remaining losses through my own insurance. Everything was destroyed, included a designer bag, four pairs of shoes, expensive chargers and an Oral B Toothbrush.”

An easyJet spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry that Mr Maybury’s luggage fell from a baggage cart and was damaged by an aircraft as it was coming onto stand. Safety is our highest priority and our engineers subsequently carried out an inspection of the aircraft and cleared it for departure.

“We know how important it is for customers to feel confident that their belongings are well cared for when travelling with us, so we investigated this with our ground handling providers in Madrid at the time and contacted Mr Maybury to apologise for his experience and provided him with the compensation he is due.”

Match of the Day pundits Nedum Onuoha and Stephen Warnock analyse Manchester United’s performance after their 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como, and discuss midfielder Bruno Fernandes’ criticism of team tactics.

WATCH MORE: Champions League video on BBC Sport

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To many observers, the Manchester United left-back situation was one that could have been anticipated and should have been addressed in the summer.

The fact United spoke to Manchester City about Algeria international Rayan Ait-Nouri on deadline day suggests they did view it as a potential issue.

After starting all 38 Premier League games last term and the first three this, Shaw has played only twice since, and the number of games missed could reach double figures before the 31-year-old returns.

When Diogo Dalot lined up at left-back against Leeds, he became the fifth different player to start there for United in six games.

Aside from Shaw, none of the quintet could be regarded as a natural left-back.

However, after it was suggested Martinez’s post-match outburst following the defeat by Atletico Madrid was partly down to 20-year-old Ayden Heaven playing at left-back, sources did point out the youngster played more often in that role than in the centre during his youth days at Arsenal.

It was also suggested in the summer that United’s coaching team did not believe 19-year-old Harry Amass, who was Shaw’s stand-in during pre-season, was yet at the right level.

Amass’ single appearance so far this season, as a substitute for the final 18 minutes against Sabah, backs up that view, although Carrick has countered it.

“He’s right in contention,” Carrick said.

“At some point, young players need an opportunity. It’s just finding the right time.

“Sometimes it’s because there’s an unfortunate thing happened to somebody else. Sometimes it’s just you’re doing so well we have to give you a chance.

“All the young players are in a similar boat. There’s maybe four, five, or six of them trying to make that next step in terms of getting into the team and trying to start games, and Harry’s definitely one of them.”

Ronaldo was 36 when he returned to Manchester United from Juventus in 2021, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager.

Under Ten Hag, he scored just three goals in 16 outings before his exit during the 2022-23 campaign.

“It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted,” added Ten Hag. “But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself.

“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team.

“He was telling the players, ‘save your legs at the training’. I understand it when you are top fit – you have sessions you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.”

The publication of Ten Hag’s interview comes as Ronaldo has been given a 30-day suspension and fined 255 euros (£215) by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving his country’s international camp last month.

Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United in October 2024, having won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and FA Cup in 2024.

On his time at Old Trafford, Ten Hag added he wanted to sign Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane and Declan Rice, and was against the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli in August 2024.

“I said for the first season, ‘centre-half, there’s a problem, centre-midfield, there is a problem, and especially I need a strategist, then we need goals’. And that was the biggest issue in all my three years: goals,” said Ten Hag.

A SMALL station in Manchester that first opened in the 1800s has been crowned the best in the country at the ‘World Cup of Stations’.

It has trackside seating, an Airbnb upstairs and beat 150 stations across the country for the title.

‘The World Cup Of Stations’ was launched in honour of 200 years of railways in Britain and brings attention to the stories behind the stations and how much they’ve changed and brought communities together.

This year there was 150 nominations from across the country, but Irlam in Salford took the title with 4786 votes.

Irlam Station first opened in 1873 and was used for many years although its station building fell into disrepair in the 1980s.

The station itself remained opened to passengers and now sees as many as 350,000 passengers each year.

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11 years ago, the station house was restored as part of a £2million project and reopened in March 2015.

It’s much more than a simple station now, as inside is a railway-themed café-bar with train carriage booths.

The 142-year-old signal box has been restored and reopened.

There’s a heritage hub too which has railway artefacts including formerly used locomotives.

In The Station garden is an homage to Harry Potter‘s Platform 9 and three quarters, as well as James the Tank Engine.

Also outside in the Station Art Park are 3D sculptures which ‘reflect the area’s history‘ including a seating area and Hobbit-style cottage.

Back inside the station house is Irlam Café Bar which serves up breakfast, main meals from burgers to toasted sandwiches, salads and even Sunday roasts.

Afternoon tea can be booked from £18.95 and train enthusiasts will love that you can enjoy this in the Signal Box.

It’s also a bar so there are plenty of drinks to try too and seats outside for trainspotting.

Above the train station is an Airbnb – the apartment can sleep up to four people across two bedrooms and guests enter through the Station Master’s Door.

One guest wrote in their review: “The apartment is located in a train station which makes this very special place.”

Another called it a “unique space perfect for train enthusiasts.”

A three-night stay for four in November can be booked for £404 – or £33.67pppn.

Tricia Williams, Managing Director of Northern, said: “The station has a unique charm and is well worth a visit. You can enjoy a meal in the café, take a tour of the gardens to see some amazing 3D artwork and visit the heritage hub.”

The other final four stations in the running were Cardoss in Argyll & Bute, Brookwood in Surrey, Yatton in Somerset and Berney Arms in Norfolk.

Last year’s winner was Ashington in Northumberland which closed in the 1960s and then reopened in 2024.

Bryan Mbeumo’s goal is not enough to win it for beleaguered United as Dominic Calvert-Lewin levels for Leeds.

Manchester United ended a turbulent week with a frustrating 1-1 draw at Leeds on Sunday that does little to ease the pressure on beleaguered manager Michael Carrick.

The Red Devils travelled to the Yorkshire home of their bitter rivals desperate to find a spark after just two wins in nine games in all competitions this season.

The sense of a growing crisis at the club was exacerbated in midweek by an outburst from defender Lisandro Martinez, who took aim at the United hierarchy after a 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

The Argentina centre-back said Carrick, in his first full season in charge at Old Trafford, had been left with an under-strength squad after an underwhelming summer transfer window.

The United boss insisted on Friday that the club had “moved on” from the incident and Martinez was named in the starting lineup at Elland Road.

Both teams were fully committed in a feisty start to the match in Leeds but there was little goalmouth action.

The first effort on target came in the 26th minute when United goalkeeper Senne Lammens clawed away a Nico Elvedi header destined for the top corner after bouncing up off the turf.

Bryan Mbeumo, playing as United’s target man, headed wastefully wide a minute later after a fine cross from Youri Tielemans and then shot tamely at Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford.

But he finally broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Tielemans again delivered a low ball from the right which Mbeumo guided into the bottom corner for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.

Martinez went off at half-time as Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui was brought into the action.

Leeds started strongly after the break and were level in the 51st minute when Dominic Calvert-Lewin controlled the ball on his chest and finished at full stretch after Tarik Muharemovic got his head to the ball following a corner.

The home team were now well on top, largely limiting Carrick’s team to counter-attacks.

The Man United boss made attacking substitutions in the search for a winner, bringing on Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha, but neither team could force a winner.

The point left 20-time English champions Manchester United in 13th place in the table with just one win in seven games while Leeds are seventh.

Brighton stun Crystal Palace with five-star display

Elsewhere on Sunday, Brighton leapfrogged Arsenal into second place, at least temporarily, after humbling Crystal Palace 5-0, including a sensational Diego Gomez effort from the halfway line.

Fabian Hurzeler’s team were three goals up inside 10 minutes after an own goal from Palace defender Jaydee Canvot, Gomez’s spectacular effort and a strike from Yasin Ayari.

Further goals from Charalampos Kostoulas and substitute Jack Hinshelwood in the second half deepened Palace’s pain.

The Gunners, six points behind Manchester City, are in action at Nottingham Forest in the late-afternoon kickoff.

Arsenal need a win to rein in City, who have won all seven of their league games this season.

Enzo Maresca’s men have put together their impressive run despite off-field distractions after the club was charged with multiple breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Bournemouth beat 10-man Sunderland 2-0 with goals from Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson for their first league win of the season.

AS rooms with a view go, my vista from the seventh floor of Gary Neville’s Hotel Football is hard to beat.

Well, for a Manchester United fan anyway.

From here I can almost reach out and touch the legendary Old Trafford, aka The Theatre of Dreams.

It’s a shivers-down-your-spine moment for me and my lad Reggie, who often make the trip to follow our team — but never in such style.

Usually, we’re forced to leg it from the stadium to be squashed into a tram in order to make the train back down south.

This weekend, we’re not in a rush as there’s no game on, but that’s why we’re here.

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On non-match days, footie fans can nose about the stadium, which has sat on this site since 1910 and holds just over 74,000 fans.

Enjoy it while it lasts. United plan to build a new 100,000-seat stadium — just a David Beckham free-kick away — by 2035.

For around £30 you can spin round the museum and visit the Reds’ trophy room, giving a glimpse of past glories.

It also tells the club’s story from its Newton Heath beginnings, through the Busby Babes and the Munich air disaster, to the 1968 European Cup and Sir Alex Ferguson’s Treble winners.

You can walk along the edge of the new, state-of-the-art “hybrid” pitch (96 per cent grass, four per cent artificial fibres), relaid this summer for the first time in 14 years, and sit in the dugout.

You also get access to the dressing rooms and plush directors’ box.

The guided tour lasts around 70 minutes and takes in the players’ tunnel, too.

We filled our faces back at the hotel in Cafe Football, where classic pub grub — fish n’ chips, burgers, pizzas and salads — is on the menu.

It’s decent enough to fill a hole and portions are immense (the loaded fries are enough for eleven players and a few subs).

It has a well-stocked bar where you can sink a few pints while you watch whatever game is showing.

While the theme of the hotel is football — did you guess? — it’s not limited to United.

The brightly-lit dining room — not a spot for romance — is decorated with photos of players as diverse as Peter Crouch and Kevin Keegan.

Upstairs, the rooms are perfectly comfortable, as befits a four-star hotel that’s part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio.

We had one of the fancier ones, which was dedicated to United’s Class of ’92 players, like Gary Neville and his Hotel Football co-owners Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Philip Neville, who opened the hotel in 2015.

It’s a cute touch and will delight young fans.

The compact bathroom squeezed in a bath and a rainforest shower.

My only gripe was that the pillows were too big, so I woke up with a stiff neck and a new double chin.

Up on the roof is Heaven, a five-a-side pitch with views across Old Trafford and the city, which can be booked for kickabouts and parties.

And if anyone needs a break from football, the Imperial War Museum North is close by, with The Lowry arts centre just across the Manchester Ship Canal at Salford Quays.

On paper, Hotel Football looks a bit out of the way if you’re planning to be in the centre of town (it’s a 15-minute tram ride from Piccadilly).

But for us, the United faithful, it’s definitely worth a schlep.

Who: Leeds United vs Manchester United
What: English Premier League
Where: Elland Road, Leeds, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, October 18, at 2pm local time (13:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have all the build-up from 9:00 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream

Manchester United against Leeds United has long been one of the fiercest rivalries in football.

The former’s closest shot to ending their wait since 1967 for an English top flight title came in 1993 when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were pipped to the title by the latter.

The following year United’s wait was over as Ferguson’s side – buoyed by the arrival of Eric Cantona from Leeds – lifted the inaugural Premier League crown.

The rest for United and Ferguson was history, but since the most successful manager in English football retired the Old Trafford club have been in decline.

The fortunes of Leeds, who have won three league titles, dipped dramatically after that last piece of domestic silverware. Ten years later, they were relegated and three years were even spent in League One, the third tier of English football.

Now the Elland Road club are back in the top flight, having won the Championship two seasons ago, and have an eye on the top four this weekend.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the match that for Leeds marks the arrival of their fiercest rivals, who have lurched to a 40-year low.

How have Leeds United fared this season?

Leeds have lost only one of their six league games this season, a 2-1 reverse at Arsenal in their last match when the Premier League holders were second best for much of the match and were forced to come from behind.

Two wins and two draws in their first five league matches saw Leeds holding onto the coat-tails of Arsenal and City.

That run culminated with a stunning 4-1 home win against Newcastle United.

A disappointing home draw with Crystal Palace sat in between the defeat at Arsenal.

A 6-3 defeat at Chelsea ended their League Cup hopes, but the home side needed two goals in the last ten minutes to pull clear in the thrilling encounter.

How have Manchester United fared this season?

United’s season – and Michael Carrick’s start as permanent manager – couldn’t have got off to a worse start with a 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City.

When the Red Devils fell a goal behind against another promoted side, Ipswich Town, at Old Trafford in their next match, the warning signs were there.

Carrick’s side came back to win 5-2 – and that remains United’s only league win of the season.

A contentious 1-0 home defeat by Manchester City – in which a controversial VAR decision separated the sides – has been one of United’s better performances with deflating draws against Everton, Fulham and Tottenham surrounding the derby.

United were also dumped out of the League Cup by Brighton, who overcame the home side’s early 2-0 first-half lead to the disbelief of Old Trafford.

What is the latest on Lisandro Martinez’s Manchester United criticism?

Defender Lisandro ‌‌Martinez will be available for Sunday’s game after ⁠⁠United accepted ⁠⁠his apology for criticising its transfer policy, Carrick told reporters on Friday.

Martinez met Carrick and senior club officials on Thursday, two days after suggesting United ⁠⁠needed greater investment to compete at the highest level following their 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid.

The centre back later apologised for his remarks and Carrick ⁠⁠sought to downplay the episode when he spoke to reporters on Friday.

“We’ve moved on from that. It was one of those things. It’s really not a drama for the group,” Carrick said.

“The squad have trained really well and they are in good spirits. There is ‌‌a freshness about the group…

“He’s part of the squad [for Sunday].”

What happened the last time Leeds played Manchester United?

Leeds were 2-1 winners at Old Trafford when the sides met in the Premier League in April.

Noah Okafor scored both goals for Leeds to inflict the only defeat of Carrick’s interim tenure, having replaced Ruben Amorim as manager.

Martinez was sent off early in the second half, but Casemiro offered United some hope just after the hour mark.

What happened in the corresponding Leeds-Man Utd game last season?

The teams shared a 1-1 draw in the Premier League match at Elland Road last season. Leeds’ Brenden Aaronson opened the scoring in the 62nd minute with Matheus Cunha levelling three minutes later.

When did Manchester United last beat Leeds?

United were 2-0 winners when the sides met at Elland Road in Leeds’ relegation season in 2022-23.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho netted the goals.

When did Leeds last beat Manchester United at home?

Leeds haven’t beaten United at home since Harry Kewell scored the only goal of the game in a Premier League match in 2002.

There have been seven matches between the sides at Leeds since then, with United winning five of those.

Prediction – Leeds vs Manchester United

The Opta supercomputer has given Leeds a 42 percent chance of victory, while offering United a 32 percent chance of winning.

Head-to-head – Leeds vs Manchester United

This will be the 116th meeting between the sides, with United winning 50 and Leeds claiming the spoils on 27 occasions. Another 38 matches were draws.

Leeds United team news

Joe Rodon and Mateo Joseph will both miss the game due to injury, while former United winger Daniel James is a doubt with a back problem.

Predicted Leeds United starting lineup

Trafford, Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin

Manchester United team news

Patrick Dorgu, Manuel Ugarte and Benjamin Sesko all remain sidelined by injury, while Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo face late fitness tests. Matthijs de Ligt is nearing a return to action following his long-term back injury.

Predicted Manchester United starting lineup

Lammens; Dalot, Martinez, Maguire, Shaw; Baleba, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Diallo; Cunha

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick says club have ‘moved on’ from Lisandro Martinez blast before Leeds trip.

Michael Carrick said Manchester United had “moved on” from Lisandro Martinez’s outburst aimed at the club’s hierarchy this week, saying it was “really not a drama for us as a group”.

Argentina defender Martinez took aim at the hierarchy of the struggling club following United’s 2-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, saying Carrick had been left with an under-strength squad.

The centre-back criticised technical director Jason Wilcox, saying he had “100 percent” expected more investment during the summer transfer window after United finished third in the Premier League last season.

It is understood Martinez has been fined for his outburst, but Carrick said he would be in United’s squad for the Premier League match at Leeds on Sunday.

“It’s done, really,” Carrick said at his pre-match news conference on Friday when asked about Martinez’s comments and his subsequent apology and punishment.

“We’ve moved on from that,” he said. “It was one of those things. He has come out and acknowledged the situation, and as a group we’ve moved on.

“It is really not a drama for us as a group. The boys have trained really well; there was a really good feeling around training this morning.”

Martinez issues apology, but Keane calls Man Utd a ‘circus’

Martinez, 28, issued an apology on Thursday, saying he had held positive talks with the club’s leadership and Carrick.

“Everyone knows that I am a passionate person and that I live football with great intensity,” he said in a post on Instagram.

“The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise.”

Former United captain Roy Keane branded the situation at his former club as “a bit of a circus”.

United travel to Elland Road, the home of one of their fiercest rivals, with just two wins from nine games in all competitions this season.

They are 13th in the Premier League, with just one win from six matches and drew their last match 1-1 against 10-man Tottenham.

Following the loss to Atletico, Martinez said he expected more investment in the Manchester United squad and “more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]”.

The 28-year-old later said he “spoke out of anger and frustration” in making those comments and that he had “belief in my team-mates, our manager and everyone working to help this club move forward”.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, speaking on The Overlap podcast,, external described the situation at his former club as “a bit of a circus”.

Martinez’s statement on Thursday added: “Our club is at its best when we are all united, and I recognise that my words in that moment did not help with that.

“I know that every single person at Manchester United is doing everything possible to achieve our shared ambition: bringing the success that this club and its supporters deserve.

“With this situation now behind us, we are fully focused on winning together.”

It remains to be seen whether Carrick selects Martinez for the trip to Leeds.

Nevertheless, there is understood to be significant doubt over the centre-back’s long-term future at Old Trafford.

His current deal expires at the end of the season but the club have the option of extending it by 12 months.

While the issue over his recent comments is now considered closed, the club are still to decide whether they want to trigger the contract option.

Manchester United beaten 2-0 at Atletico Madrid, but defender Lisandro Martinez slams club’s failure to invest in team.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez blasted the club’s board for a perceived lack of investment this summer, after the team were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

United are winless in five games across all competitions after the 2-0 defeat in the Spanish capital and have made their worst start to a league season in 40 years.

“Really poor,” Martinez told Amazon Prime when asked about the team’s performance against Atletico.

“I have to control myself a lot but sometimes is a reflection… [or] mirror of how our club is at the moment.”

Martinez said he “100 percent” expected more investment in the squad over the summer after United finished third in the Premier League last season and returned to Europe’s top competition.

“I expect more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox], I have to be honest, as players we have to do more, but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for these kind of nights,” he continued.

Martinez said last season the club had “created the base to create an amazing team”, but they did not follow through.

Pressure is mounting on coach Michael Carrick after five games without a win, but Martinez suggested sacking the Englishman was not the way forward.

“You can’t keep changing, changing, changing the manager. What about other areas? I can’t say more,” said Martinez.

“Tonight it is easy to say the coach [is to blame], easy to say the players, but also we have to see other areas.”

Red Devils minority owner Jim Ratcliffe was at the stadium to watch the league-phase defeat by last season’s semi-finalists.

Man United spent around 140 million pounds ($185m) this summer on midfielders Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, but fans were upset the club did not reinforce other positions, including left-back and striker.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Carrick said he had not heard Martinez’s comments and so could not judge them.

“I think it’s a little bit on the emotions of the game as well, of coming here and being disappointed not to get something from the game,” said the coach.

Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney said Martinez’s criticism was excessive.

“I think he’s maybe gone a bit too far, and that should have stayed internal,” Rooney told Amazon Prime.

“You can clearly see that he cares and he wants the club to invest more money in more players, and to do that he’s probably one of the players who’ll be out the door if I’m being honest.”

Who: Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
What: UEFA Champions League, matchday 2
Where: Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
When: Tuesday, October 13, at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 16:00 GMT.

Action in Europe’s premier club competition returns with a matchday two clash between in-form La Liga side Atletico Madrid and Premier League strugglers Manchester United.

There are contrasting moods in the camps ahead of Tuesday’s fixture in the Spanish capital.

Atletico are challenging Barcelona for the top spot in Spain’s top flight, while Man United are in the bottom half of England’s Premier League, several places below all their traditional rivals.

Left winger Alex Baena and striker Jonathan David have been running the show for Atletico, while playmaker Bruno Fernandes and marksman Bryan Mbeumo are trying to keep United’s hopes alive of turning things around.

Atletico and Man United are set to clash for only the fifth time in history and the third in the Champions League.

Here’s all you need to know about the match:

How have Atletico Madrid played this season?

Atletico have made a promising start to the 2026-27 La Liga season, as they sit in second place, five points adrift of leaders and title holders, Barcelona.

Of the eight league games they have played, Atletico have won six, drawn one and lost one.

One of those results included a feisty 2-1 derby win over giants Real Madrid.

How have Manchester United played this season?

United are experiencing one of their worst starts to a league campaign.

They are 12th in the Premier League standings with six points, having won only one of six matches (D3 L2).

Those defeats also include a controversial 1-0 loss to their bitter rivals, Manchester City.

What happened in the first round of Champions League matches?

Atletico suffered a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in their first UCL match of the season, while Man United thrashed Azerbaijani club Sabah 4-0 in their campaign opener.

That keeps Atletico 25th and Man United fourth in the league phase of this year’s Champions League.

The top eight teams at the end of the league phase qualify directly to the knockout rounds.

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer has given Atletico a 48.5 percent probability of victory, while Man United have a 27.2 percent chance and a draw is estimated at a likelihood of 24.3 percent.

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Head-to-head

• Matches: 4
• Atletico wins: 2
• Man United wins: 0
• Draws: 2

Encounters:

• March 15, 2022: Manchester United 0-1 Atletico Madrid (Champions League)
• February 23, 2022: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Manchester United (Champions League)
• November 06, 1991: Manchester United 1-1 Atletico Madrid (UEFA European Cup Winners Cup)
• October 23, 1991: Atletico Madrid 3-0 Manchester United (UEFA European Cup Winners Cup)

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Form guide

(Last five matches across all competitions, latest match first)

Atletico Madrid: W-W-W-W-L

Manchester United: D-D-L-L-W

Who are the top players to watch?

Alex Baena and Jonathan David (Atletico): Baena is in good form for club and country, with four goals and two assists for Atletico this season. Further up the pitch, centre-forward David has three goals and two assists.

Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo (Man United): Midfielder Fernandes, the United captain, has been the team’s top scorer with four goals in all competitions, while the playmaker also has an assist. Forward Mbeumo, meanwhile, has three goals and an assist.

What have the coaches said?

Diego Simeone (Atletico):

On Julian Alvarez failing to find the net so far this season: “I think strikers with Julian’s characteristics always need goals, not just him. It’s true that beyond his finishing, he’s a team player, a player that can link very well, he can assist and he’s got many more tools than just goalscoring.”

On facing Man United: “The game will be long, it will be tough and we have to manage our efforts to compete well.”

Michael Carrick (Man United): 

On United’s poor form: “We’ve got to stay positive and keep doing the right things. We need to do better and we need more points, of course we do.”

On facing Atletico: “We’ve got big games coming up and are looking forward to Tuesday now. A fresh start, a fresh game and we will go there looking forward to the game.”

Did you know?

• Atleti are unbeaten in the four meetings between the sides (W2 D2). Their most recent encounters came in the 2021-22 Champions League round of 16, where they drew 1-1 in Madrid before winning 1-0 in Manchester.
• Atleti also dethroned United as European Cup Winners’ Cup holders in 1991-92, winning the second-round tie 4-1 on aggregate (3-0 home, 1-1 away).
• United have lost only one of their last 11 matches against Spanish opponents (W7 D3). They beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 away and 4-1 at home in the last fixtures in the 2024-25 Europa League semifinals to make it three successive victories.
• United’s last 10 matches against Spanish opponents have produced 35 goals, an average of 3.5 per game.

Team news and predicted lineups

Atletico Madrid

Atletico have a fully fit squad.

Predicted starting XI:

Jan Oblak; Marc Pubill, Cristian Romero, David Hancko; Marcos Llorente, Pablo Barrios, Koke, Giuliano Simeone; Kang-in Lee, Alex Baena; Julian Alvarez

Manchester United

As many as five United players are out with injuries. Those include Patrick Dorgu (hamstring), Benjamin Sesko (shin), Tom Heaton (abdomen), Manuel Ugarte (knee) and Matthijs de Ligt (back).

Predicted starting XI:

Senne Lammens; Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot; Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo; Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha; Marcus Rashford

Speaking on Match of the Day, Toby Alderweireld and Wayne Rooney discuss why Manchester City’s 3-0 victory against Liverpool leaves the Premier League in limbo as the club awaits a potential punishment, which could include a points deduction, after they were found guilty of financial breaches.

MATCH REPORT: Man City’s statement win has feeling of irrelevance with season in limbo

Available to UK users only.

Ten-man Tottenham fight back from a goal behind to draw 1-1 at Manchester United in the Premier League.

Dominic Solanke rescued a 1-1 draw for 10-man Tottenham to ramp up the pressure on Manchester United boss Michael Carrick on Saturday.

Solanke’s stoppage-time header edged Spurs off the foot of the Premier League table after it seemed like they would pay a heavy price for not taking their chances in a dominant display at Old Trafford.

Bryan Mbeumo put United in front against the run of play 17 minutes from time before Rodrigo Bentancur was shown a straight red card.

But not for the first time this season, Carrick’s men failed to make a man advantage count.

Manchester City won 1-0 at Old Trafford last month despite playing for more than an hour with 10 men.

Solanke stooped to head in Sandro Tonali’s cross to leave United with just six points from their opening six league games.

Tottenham had three weeks to fester on dropping to the bottom of the table during the international break after a disastrous start to their 300-million-pound ($397m) rebuild in the transfer window.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men took until the closing stages of their fifth league game to even score a goal, and a much-improved performance was undone by a familiar lack of cutting edge up front.

Before kickoff, the United supporters took aim at local rivals City, who have been found guilty on more than 100 charges of breaking Premier League financial rules.

But the home fans soon had their own troubles to concentrate on as Spurs penned United inside their own half.

Solanke should have opened the scoring when he fired too close to Senne Lammens before Mohammed Kudus blasted wide at the end of a flowing Tottenham move.

Chances continued to come and go for the visitors after the break, much to the frustration of a visibly animated De Zerbi.

Solanke spooned over, and Destiny Udogie curled wide before the game appeared to run away from Spurs.

Carrick helped turn the tide with a triple substitution on the hour mark.

Carlos Baleba added more dynamism to United’s midfield on his first appearance since a 70-million-pound ($92.6m) move from Brighton, while the introduction of Joshua Zirkzee allowed Matheus Cunha to drop into a deeper role.

United had barely threatened Antonin Kinsky’s goal until Mbeumo was afforded too much room to spin onto Cunha’s pass and fire into the far corner.

To compound Tottenham’s woes, Bentancur was then shown a straight red card for a headbutt on Luke Shaw after an angry confrontation between the pair.

But United again failed make their man advantage count.

Solanke finally ended Tottenham’s wait since May for an away goal when he outmuscled Lisandro Martinez to glance in Tonali’s cross.

The point edges Spurs up to 18th, with only goals scored keeping them inside the relegation zone.

United are just three points better off in 12th.