united

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli sealed his ninth victory of the season with victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third.

Mercedes’ Antonelli, 20, can become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history if he finishes ninth or higher at the Mexico City Grand Prix next weekend.

Here are my ratings for how the drivers performed across the whole weekend in Texas.

Kimi Antonelli – 10/10

A superb weekend under the added pressure of having his first opportunity to seal the championship. Produced an outstanding lap for pole and then controlled the race beautifully, making the one-stop work while many around him needed two.

Charles Leclerc – 9.5/10

Very close to a perfect weekend himself. Fastest in both Friday practice sessions, qualified fourth and then raced brilliantly in his Ferrari to second, including late passes on Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen – 8.5/10

Quick all weekend and put the Red Bull on the front row, but the poor start immediately made his race more difficult. Recovered well despite problems with the car and still came away with a sixth consecutive podium.

Lewis Hamilton – 7.5/10

Another strong weekend but behind team-mate Leclerc for the majority of it. Fastest in final practice, only narrowly behind Leclerc in qualifying and fought his way back to fourth after Ferrari committed to the two-stop strategy.

Lando Norris – 8/10

Recovered well from eighth on the grid but qualifying should have been better as his quickest Q3 lap was deleted for track limits. McLaren’s decision to leave him out on ageing tyres cost him late on, so fifth was not entirely of his own making.

Isack Hadjar – 8.5/10

An excellent turnaround after struggling badly with the Red Bull during practice. Qualified a superb third, ran strongly in the race and eventually finished sixth despite throttle mapping problems and moving aside for team-mate Verstappen.

Oscar Piastri – 6.5/10

A fairly subdued weekend by the McLaren man’s standards. Seventh in qualifying and seventh in the race, although the first-lap battle with George Russell went against him and the stewards decided the Mercedes driver was at fault.

George Russell – 5.5/10

A disappointing weekend given what the other Mercedes achieved. Admitted both of his Q3 laps were poor and then picked up a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in his battle with Piastri, eventually finishing eighth.

Liam Lawson – 8/10

Another quietly excellent weekend from Lawson. Racing Bulls sacrificed a proper Q3 attempt to preserve tyres for Sunday and he converted ninth on the grid into ninth at the finish to score again.

Pierre Gasly – 8/10

Probably extracted just about everything available from the Alpine. Missed Q3 but fought his way back into the points after an early dice with Haas’ Oliver Bearman.

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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Manchester United’s 0-3 home loss to Bournemouth has left the 20-time champions winless in eight Premier League games.

Amid increasing pressure on his team and a growing threat to his own position as manager, Michael Carrick says he will do what is best for Manchester United after a 3-0 demolition by Bournemouth plunged his future into doubt.

Winless in eight games in all competitions, the 20-time English champions slipped to within one point of the relegation zone after a damaging defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.

“It’s a tough situation,” Carrick told British broadcaster Sky Sports. “What is next? I don’t know.

“I’ll always do what’s best for this football club. I’ve said it all along; I don’t change that now. I love what I do. I love the responsibility, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Asked in a post-match news conference if he expects to be sacked in the coming days, Carrick replied: “I totally understand the situation. I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I’m carrying on as normal. I love this place.”

Despite a dismal run of results, the United fans largely supported the former midfielder as he made his way off the field at full-time before they turned on the club’s players.

“I have mixed emotions to have that connection with the supporters in the moment we’re in. I need time to digest that,” added Carrick.

“I appreciate their support but the situation is where it’s at. We haven’t been good enough.”

Carrick’s decision to drop captain Bruno Fernandes to the bench and not even introduce the Portuguese international as a substitute backfired.

Fernandes, last season’s Premier League player of the year, had criticised Carrick’s tactics after the 4-1 thrashing by Como on Wednesday.

Carrick said before the game that his call was a “pure football” decision, but it was hard to believe Fernandes was not being punished as he was left on the bench for the entire match.

“There’s always times in games when you are trying to change the course of the game and to make a difference,” said Carrick as he swerved questions on Fernandes’s absence. “Those were the decisions we made today.”

Carrick was appointed on a two-year deal only in May after a successful caretaker spell in charge led United to third place in the Premier League last season.

However, he has been unable to arrest the club’s steep decline since his former boss Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.

United were outspent by many of their rivals in the transfer market as they added just three midfielders – Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba.

But Carrick said a lack of investment did not justify such a decline in results.

“Last season to finish third was a really good achievement in the circumstances,” added Carrick.

“We understood where that left us, what was next, what needed to be done and how we needed to improve, and where we were at as a team and as a group at that stage.

“I definitely knew that we hadn’t cracked it and there was a lot of work to be done, but that doesn’t mean to say that it should have gone this way.”

Murphy lamented his team’s indiscipline in the first half, highlighting that as a contributory factor in leaving them with a mountain to climb.

“Our scrum held up reasonably well. Everyone knows when you come to South Africa your scrum is going to be under pressure so it’s an area we need to get better at.

“We had a way we wanted to play. We probably went away from that early on in the game but we got more towards what we were trying to do towards the back end of the half and in the second half.

“You have to stick in the fight here. Plenty of teams come here and kind of roll over.

“I don’t think we did that, which I’m really proud about, the way the lads stuck to the task.”

A Stuart McCloskey pass looked to have set James McKillop galloping clear on the wing to put Ulster in with a chance of what at one stage appeared a very unlikely victory but the Ireland centre was adjudged to have had part of his foot in touch.

“Stu’s foot was probably just in touch but if he gets that away earlier we’re going into the last two minutes with a lead. But that’s the breaks,” bemoaned the Ulster coach.

Murphy highlighted the breakdown as another area his side could improve on before next week’s meeting with the Stormers in Cape Town.

“We have to learn lessons but we will benefit from these tight battles come the end of the season,” he added.

The province’s Ireland internationals will return home to join up with Andy Farrell’s international squad, which assembles on Monday, while Murphy revealed that seven squad reinforcements would be arriving in Cape Town to bolster his side’s ranks ahead of the game with Stormers.

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?”

He came into the weekend insisting he was going to try to apply the “same mindset as I had all year – one race at a time”.

But on Saturday he acknowledged that this one was a new kind of weekend.

“It does feel a little bit different,” he said. “But the goal stays the same. I just need to keep doing my job. And, actually, I feel like I can enjoy more driving, everything.

“But, of course, we’re going to do the race tomorrow. We’re going to try and win. And then we’ll see what happens. Obviously, I’m in a very good position.”

Antonelli is typically accompanied by his father, Marco, at grands prix, but he said this weekend he had brought other people with him as well to help keep him in the right frame of mind.

“I have a great group of people around me,” he said. “I have a lot of friends here as well, so we enjoy the evenings together.

“We play cards in the evening, so we’re just doing the fun stuff. And that’s what helps, to just relax a little bit and just connect with the mind, and then once you go on track you are back full focus.”

The maths suggest the most likely scenario is that Antonelli will not win the title on Sunday – it would, as he put it on Thursday, require “something catastrophic to happen to the others”.

If this is a bit of an overstatement – Russell and Hamilton would need only to crash together on the first lap, for example – the fundamental truth is real.

Maisie Symonds scores a “goal of the season” contender to help Brighton beat West Ham 3-0, securing just their second league win of the season in the Women’s Super League.

MATCH REPORT: Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 West Ham United

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Manchester United make worst start to a season in 40 years, but Michael Carrick ‘confident’ ahead of Bournemouth game.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick mounted an impassioned defence of ⁠⁠his leadership on Friday, accepting responsibility ⁠⁠for the club’s collapse in form and saying he remains convinced he can lead the team out of their current crisis.

Carrick’s position is under increasing pressure after United extended their winless run to seven matches in all competitions with Wednesday’s humiliating 4-1 ⁠⁠Champions League defeat at Como leaving them 20th in the table with three points.

Before taking questions ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home game against Bournemouth, Carrick delivered an emotional opening statement, acknowledging supporters’ frustrations and the scale of the challenge facing him.

“Recently, we haven’t had a good time. I think that’s ⁠⁠pretty obvious. So I totally accept what we’re going through at the moment,” he said.

“We had five months of relative success [last season] in a spell where I was happy with a lot of things I was seeing and that we were doing as a team,” he said.

“We haven’t done well enough lately. We’ve had a spell that we’re really not happy with.”

Carrick described the loss in Italy as one of the most painful nights of his tenure.

“Wednesday was a bad ‌‌night. It was a bad night for a lot of reasons. It hurt a lot,” he said. “It obviously hurt me to see us play that way. As I said after the game, it was really unacceptable.”

The defeat intensified scrutiny of Carrick after captain Bruno Fernandes appeared to question United’s tactical approach in his post-match comments.

Dressing room cracks for Carrick after Fernandes outburst

Asked whether public criticism from players suggested cracks within the dressing room, Carrick rejected any suggestion the squad was split.

He also sidestepped questions over Fernandes’ future as captain and declined to reveal whether he had held talks with the Portugal midfielder following the defeat.

Instead, he stressed that his priority was restoring an identity that has disappeared from the side in recent weeks.

“My responsibility is to ⁠⁠get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, represents the supporters and they can be proud ⁠⁠of it with the identity that we show,” Carrick said.

“We have gone away from that just recently in certain games, which I’m fully aware of and definitely doing something about.”

He reserved special mention for United’s fans, many of whom travelled to Como only to watch their side suffer the heaviest defeat of his reign.

“The supporters are a huge part of this ⁠⁠football club. They have to make the effort and the time and money they spend, to feel how we all felt on Wednesday was a tough moment,” he said.

Carrick defiant as Man United form slides

Despite growing speculation about his future, Carrick struck a ⁠⁠defiant tone, saying he remained confident United could rediscover the energy and connection that characterised ⁠⁠last season’s performances.

He took over in January 2026 after the sacking of Ruben Amorim and oversaw a remarkable turnaround, steering United to a top-three finish and Champions League qualification.

“For [the fans] to feel like they felt for five months at the start of the year … is something we need to get back to. We will get back to it. I fully believe that,” said ‌‌Carrick.

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is among the names linked with United’s managerial job, although the 57-year-old Italian said on Friday he had not had any negotiations “at an advanced stage” with any club.

Carrick acknowledged that United had lost their way but said responsibility rested squarely with him.

He ended ‌‌his ‌‌opening remarks by saying it was his duty to get the club back on course, describing his role as “holding the umbrella for me to get wet and everyone else to stay dry”.

United are 13th in the Premier League standings on seven points, while Bournemouth are a point behind them in 15th.

Former Chelsea and Napoli coach Antonio Conte said he was not in advanced negotiations to replace Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, and called reports that he had demanded full control at the club “unfounded”.

Conte, who won the Premier League with Chelsea and also managed Tottenham Hotspur in England, was responding to speculation that he had requested full control while also making financial demands of the struggling Old Trafford club.

United sit 13th in the Premier League and 20th in the Champions League standings following Wednesday’s humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Italian side Como, increasing scrutiny on Carrick.

“My name has been linked with numerous clubs, but there are currently no negotiations at an advanced stage,” Conte said in a statement.

“Following a wonderful and successful spell in charge of Napoli, I will take the time I need to consider how and when to return to management,” he added, referring to his time in Naples where he won Serie A in the 2024-25 season.

“It will be a carefully considered decision, one I will make when I believe the conditions are right.

“I have read reports of financial demands and requests for full control that I have supposedly already made to the clubs mentioned, as well as reservations about what has been described as my ‘strong personality’.

“These reports are unfounded, as there is currently no concrete basis for such assessments.”

Conte only interest in concrete opportunity with Man United

Conte, who last coached Napoli in the 2025-26 season, said that if a concrete opportunity arose, he would enter talks with the club involved and “jointly consider the terms of a potential agreement”, taking into account the needs of both parties.

“Until then, any assumptions about my demands and my professional future remain speculation and cannot be treated as fact,” the 57-year-old Italian added.

In an interview with The Athletic earlier this month, Conte said he would like to manage a club that has “lost sight of their history” so he can help “make it shine once more”.

Defeat against Como extended United’s winless run to seven games in all competitions, and skipper Bruno Fernandes said his team had adopted a “mood of defeat” while also questioning the tactics, with Carrick apologising for the performance.

Hurzeler ‘focused’ on Brighton job despite Man Utd links

Brighton and Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler, another name linked with the United job, also distanced himself from the speculation on Friday.

The 33-year-old, England’s youngest top-flight manager, said he was focused solely on Brighton, who sit third in the Premier League after a string of impressive performances.

“I have no time to think about these rumours because we play every three days and, beside that, I have a lot of respect for Michael Carrick and what he has done with Manchester United the last season,” Hurzeler told a news conference.

“He’s a great human being, a great personality. There’s nothing more to say about that.”

Brighton’s free-scoring start to the Premier League season has seen Hurzeler touted as a possible successor should United make a mid-season managerial change for the third consecutive campaign.

The Seagulls sit third in the table, behind only Manchester City and champions Arsenal, before Sunday’s trip to Liverpool.

“I am really focused on my job here. I have no time to think about these rumours because we play every three days,” said the 33-year-old German.

Brighton’s scoring streak came to an end in a 0-0 draw at Czech side Jablonec in the Europa League on Thursday.

Despite an excellent start to the campaign, which also includes coming from 2-0 down to beat United 3-2 at Old Trafford in the League Cup last month, Hurzeler believes his side can still improve.

“There is still improvements we can do, still a lot of potential to get out of the players, and therefore I really want to work on that together with my players, together with my staff,” he said.

“I have great experts around me. I have a great group of players who support me, who give everything for this club, and we built this over the last years.

“We had tough periods, we have good periods, but I think to build these kind of relationships, you need time, you need connections, and you don’t take these things for granted.”

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.”

The track is built on former marshland and that has made it difficult for organisers to keep it in good condition, but the four-time champion rejected that as a reason not to try to solve the issue.

“You can use the excuse that the soil is the problem but then you should have known that and you need to make sure that you reinforce it more,” Verstappen said.

“Last year, for example, you pull around 5-6G in a corner, but I had some impacts, vertical load, which was over 9G on my spine, which I can tell you is really not fun, and especially the older you get, you think about that more and more.”

Verstappen said the problem was likely to be exacerbated this year because although the cars from 2022-25 had lower ride-heights overall, the way the cars are run under the latest regulations means they are running lower in corners than last season.

That’s because of the switch between having the front and rear wings open in drag-reduction mode on the straights and closing in corners means the cars drop down towards the ground when they brake.

“You bottom out way harder, because when the wings close and the ride-height comes down, under braking is actually a very stressful moment, and I know around here in some places, it’s very bumpy under braking,” he said.

“Especially when it’s like these kind of awkward bumps, not just bumps from the track getting older, but the surface underneath the soil just moving up and down, sometimes (it’s) very hard to expect, or if you’re like a tiny bit offline, you don’t know what is there, because no-one really drives here sometimes.

“I can tell you from the checks that I’ve done from my spine, the bottom end doesn’t look that great.

“I know that’s part of racing. I know that can be part of sport, but it’s also further damage from the cars that we had the last few years.

“And now if we continue with finding this acceptable to drive on, then you are going to suffer with that much more.”

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.

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

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

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.

Who: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
What: English Premier League Matchweek 6
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, October 9, at 5:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from 13:30 GMT.

Manchester United and Tottenham are accustomed to battling it out at the top end of the Premier League, albeit for UEFA Champions League rankings as opposed the domestic crown in recent years for the former in particular.

Recent seasons have seen both slide to dramatic lows by their standards and a concerned Old Trafford welcomes a Spurs side, whose immediate concerns are far greater than those of the hosts.

Roberto De Zerbi’s struggling North Londoners are bottom of the table with only two points to their name after five games. United’s have one only once in that time and a Spurs win will see the sides level on points.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at a match that, although early in the season, could well shape the months ahead for both sides and the immediate futures of their managers in a game that has been labelled: “El Sackicko”.

Carrick casts an eye across Manchester to eye City’s woes

United head coach Michael Carrick has plenty of problems of his own, but has called for a swift resolution to Manchester City’s financial charges ⁠case, saying the ⁠long-running process had raised many questions and affected him personally.

Last month, an independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over nine ⁠seasons, between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 campaigns, as well as three of four charges concerning their failure to cooperate with the investigation.

City, who currently top the Premier league table as the only side with a perfect record after ⁠five matches, have denied wrongdoing and lodged an appeal.

Carrick spent 12 years at United from 2006 to 2018, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League among numerous honours, before taking charge in January following Ruben Amorim’s departure.

During his playing career, the 45-year-old former midfielder lost out in two title races won by City, including the 2011-12 campaign when United ‌fell short on goal difference after Sergio Aguero’s dramatic title-clinching goal on the final day.

“It’s thrown up a lot of questions. As it’s still ongoing, and we don’t know how long it’s going to go,” Carrick told a press conference when asked about the City charges.

“It’s affected me personally in different ways over a period of time.”

Would medals make up for lost titles for Man United?

Asked if he wants the titles United missed out on, Carrick said he would reserve judgement until the process was complete.

“I think regardless of anything, a ⁠medal anyway, in any sport in history, I think later on you get the medal and it’s proven at different times,” the Englishman added.

“It’s the moment that you ⁠strive for to win and achieve in that moment, so the medal ⁠here or there, not getting blase about it, but that doesn’t bring the feeling of when you initially win or you don’t win. That’s essentially what we’re all in it for.”

De Zerbi calls on struggling Spurs to react in Man Utd clash

Roberto De Zerbi has urged bottom-of-the-table Tottenham to “react” to the pressure of their crunch clash with fellow strugglers United.

Spurs have been waiting for the chance to erase the bitter taste of a 3-2 home defeat against Aston Villa in their last match before the international break.

And, with scrutiny mounting on the Italian, the Spurs manager demanded his players rise to the challenge against United.

“I’ve been waiting for this game from three weeks. After the defeat at home against Villa, personally I wanted to play the day after,” he told reporters on Friday.

“It was difficult, it was very tough, especially the first week. But it is football. It is part of the situation in this moment. We have to react, to work in this moment.”

Misfiring Tottenham must improve their aim

Tottenham failed to score in their first four league games before finally finding the net twice against Villa.

De Zerbi conceded his team have to improve in attack if they are climb out of the bottom three.

“We created chances to score many other goals in these seven games but we didn’t. We are working to improve in the last third, the assists and the finishing,” he said.

“We are fourth in the table for the team who brings the ball into the opponents’ area the most times.

“It is nothing but it shows we can arrive in the area. We are not good enough to score goals so far when we have clear chances.”

Can Carrick or De Zerbi survive ‘El Sackicko’?

With Carrick also under pressure following their poor start, Tottenham’s trip to Manchester has been dubbed ‘El Sackicko’.

De Zerbi saved Tottenham from relegation after arriving late last season, but that final-day survival feat is unlikely to save him from the axe if results don’t improve soon.

“We are Tottenham. United and Tottenham are still big clubs in the Premier League,” he said.

“We have to deserve to work in this club, playing better and making different results.”

What happened the last time Man United played Tottenham

The sides last met in February in a Premier League encounter at Old Trafford with the home side winning 2-0.

Cristian Romero was shown red on the half-hour mark for Spurs before Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes netted the United goals.

When did Tottenham last beat Manchester United?

Spurs famously beat United 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League final in May 2025, thanks to Brennan Johnson’s first-half strike.

The match marked Ange Postecoglou’s last game in charge of the club before being sacked for their lowly league finish.

Ruben Amorim paid the same heavy price the following season.

When did Tottenham last win a match at Manchester United?

Spurs piled the pressure on Amorim early in the 2024-2025 season with a 3-0 Premier League win at Old Trafford.

Johnson gave the away team a third-minute lead, before United had Bruno Fernandes sent off on the stroke of half-time.

Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke completed the scoring in the second half.

Head-to-head – Manchester United vs Tottenham

This will be the 205th meeting between the clubs with United winning 96 matches compared to Tottenham’s 56 victories.

Prediction – Manchester United vs Tottenham

The Opta supercomputer has given United a 54 percent chance of winning, while offering Spurs only a 22 percent chance of emerging victorious.

Manchester United team news

“It’s a bit mixed really through ‌the internationals,” Carrick said. “(Wing back) Patrick Dorgu came off and it looks like he’ll be out probably for a number of weeks.

“(Defender) Noussair Mazraoui came off and took a knock. He’s not quite right yet, we’ll have to ‌see ‌how he is.”

He added that Carlos Baleba was improving, while fellow midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, winger Amad Diallo and forward Marcus Rashford had resumed limited training. Striker Benjamin Sesko remains further away from a return.

Predicted Manchester United starting lineup

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Cunha

Tottenham team news

Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mykhaylo Mudryk all remain sidelined due to injury.

Jan Paul van Hecke has overcome a foot injury, but may miss out after his wife gave birth to twins – the club has said emotional needs will be taken into consideration.

Predicted Tottenham Hotspur starting lineup

Kinsky; Gray, Senesi, Van de Ven, Robertson; Gallagher, Tonali, Fernandes; Savio, Solanke, Marmoush