Exeter maintained their superb home form as they defeated Leicester 29-10 in front of a record crowd at Sandy Park.

An attendance of exactly 15,000 witnessed the Chiefs end their 2023 home campaign in style with a bonus-point win as they stretched their unbeaten Sandy Park run in all competitions to 23 matches, spanning a period of 61 weeks.

It took the Tigers a long time to find their way into the game, despite many of their internationals returning to duty.

They trailed 24-0 early in the second half and, when they finally did fight back, they had left themselves too big a mountain to climb.

Chiefs centre Henry Slade had another an excellent game, once more staking his claim for an England recall for the upcoming Six Nations.

Exeter got off to a dream start with a close-range try after only seven minutes from South African flanker Jacques Vermeulen following a period of intense pressure on the Tigers line, with Slade converting.

Four minutes later they were awarded a penalty try when George Martin was adjudged to have tackled Rory O’Loughlin early to prevent him taking a try-scoring pass from Tom Wyatt and the lead was suddenly 14-0.

The advantage could have been increased even further if Lewis Pearson had not opted to go for glory himself, with two players outside him.

That passage of play saw Chiefs prop Scott Sio and Tigers scrum-half Ben Youngs limp off, soon to be joined by Leicester winger Josh Bassett.

Even referee Tom Foley needed some first-half treatment after getting smacked in the ribs when he inadvertently got in the way of a Leicester attacker.

Chiefs had a try by Jack Yeandle ruled out for a double movement in the 35th minute, but they rammed home their first-half superiority a minute before the break when Slade latched on to a very loose pass from World Cup winner Handre Pollard, who had a first half to forget, and raced 40 metres to score under the posts, leaving the simplest of conversions for a 21-0 interval lead.

Slade put the Chiefs four scores clear 11 minutes into the second half with a penalty as the Tigers collapsed a scrum.

Leicester finally got their first points on the board in the 56th minute when England winger Anthony Watson finished off in the right-hand corner after they had camped on the home line following an initial break by Jasper Wiese. Pollard badly pulled the conversion attempt.

More sustained try-line pressure created a walk-in score for full-back Freddie Steward after former Chiefs centre Solomone Kata’s long pass as Tigers continued their fightback.

However, the conversion was again crucially missed, this time by Jamie Shillcock, leaving them still 14 points adrift.

Exeter were not satisfied with just the win, though, and replacement lock Rusi Tuima forced his way over with the clock in the red to claim the bonus point and provide the perfect finish for the home supporters.

Richarlison scored for the third consecutive match to haunt old club Everton and ensure Tottenham would spend Christmas in the Premier League’s top four thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 home win.

It was harsh on Sean Dyche’s visitors, who created the better of the chances in the capital and crucially had a Dominic Calvert-Lewin effort ruled out following a VAR review in the 51st minute which could have changed the complexion of the match.

Everton also hit the crossbar deep into added time through substitute Arnaut Danjuma, whose effort was then cleared by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario before it could cross the line. Although the offside flag was raised, the goal would have been given on VAR review as Danjuma was marginally onside.

Those missed chances cost the away side and enabled Ange Postecoglou’s team make it three wins in a row after first-half goals by Richarlison and Son Heung-min, with Andre Gomes’ late effort a mere consolation.

Dyche’s team had won their last four league fixtures and started well in north London, with the fit-again Vitalii Mykolenko testing Vicario early on before Cristian Romero slide in to deny Calvert-Lewin.

It had been a sloppy opening period from Postecoglou’s men, but an Everton old boy corrected that in the ninth minute.

A slick team move saw Pape Sarr play in Brennan Johnson down the right and his cross was perfect for Richarlison, who flicked home impressively at the near post before declining to properly celebrate against his former team.

Everton responded well to going behind, with Dwight McNeil dragging an effort wide and Calvert-Lewin having a header excellently tipped wide by Vicario before Tottenham punished their profligacy again with 18 minutes played.

A short corner routine did the trick, with Pedro Porro slipping the ball through to Johnson, who was denied by Jordan Pickford, but Son was on hand to scramble home from eight yards.

It was Son’s 11th Premier League goal of the campaign, which bettered his tally from last season, and Everton’s problems increased when Idrissa Gueye limped off soon after.

Spurs were in control by this point and almost produced a couple of wonderful team goals but allowed sloppiness to creep in towards the end of the half.

The hosts did not heed their warning, but made it through to half-time with a two-goal advantage after Vicario denied James Garner and Jack Harrison in quick succession.

Everton’s pressure continued, though, and they thought the deficit had been reduced in the 51st minute, only for VAR to intervene.

Substitute Gomes won back possession from Emerson Royal and found Calvert-Lewin, who rifled home, but referee Stuart Attwell was told to review the incident.

Replays on the pitchside monitor showed Gomes had caught Emerson’s left ankle and, while the contact was soft, it was deemed enough to disallow the effort.

Another chance was squandered when Garner dragged wide from Harrison’s delicious outside-of-the-boot pass and Postecoglou had seen enough, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg introduced for Richarlison with 27 minutes left.

It worked initially and Dejan Kulusevski almost put the game to bed in the 75th minute, but Pickford produced a superb finger-tip save.

With eight minutes left the Toffees broke through when Garner’s corner was cleared to Gomes and he lashed home for his first Everton goal in 18 months.

It could have been 2-2 minutes later when ex-Spurs loanee Arnaut Danjuma let fly, but his deflected left-foot strike was brilliantly pushed over by Vicario.

Six minutes were added on and Everton were camped in the hosts’ half, but in the dying moments Danjuma could only volley against the crossbar and watch as the ball agonisingly failed to completely cross the line before Vicario cleared.

Andros Townsend’s first-half goal saw Luton beat Newcastle 1-0 at Kenilworth Road to boost their Premier League survival hopes.

Eddie Howe’s visitors were made to look ordinary by a side tipped widely for the drop.

The winner came during Newcastle’s only spell of sustained first-half pressure as Luton’s star pair of Townsend and Ross Barkley combined at a corner.

The gap to safety now stands at just two points after a third victory on the Hatters’ top-flight return.

Luton had laid out the kit of captain Tom Lockyer in their dressing room, seven days after he suffered a cardiac arrest that forced the abandonment of their game against Bournemouth. The 29-year-old’s name rang around the ground throughout.

The hosts dominated the opening 15 minutes, though the game produced few chances. Jacob Brown stood up Jamaal Lascelles on the left and drilled into the arms of Martin Dubravka, who covered his near post well, while at the other end Callum Wilson nodded wide under pressure after Lewis Miley’s shot was blocked.

Bruno Guimaraes whacked an effort from 18 yards that cracked off the ribs of Gabriel Osho.

Luton failed to clear the resulting corner and Anthony Gordon’s ball back in was met by the head of Wilson, who planted Newcastle’s best chance of the half too near to Thomas Kaminski.

Newcastle were growing into the game until Luton’s opener after 25 minutes against the run of play.

Barkley was brave in getting his head to the ball six yards out as Alfie Doughty’s corner was whipped in, flicking it on to the back post where Townsend had slipped marker Kieran Trippier and nodded past Dubravka. Townsend held aloft the shirt of absent captain Lockyer in tribute.

Luton had led here against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City and taken just a point from those three games, but against a Newcastle side stretched by injuries, belief swept around Kenilworth Road that a big name would finally tumble.

Just after the half-hour mark it was almost two. Barkley, fresh from his hand in the goal, received the ball in space 30 yards from goal and tried his luck.

His effort flew over the goalkeeper before hammering back off the underside of the bar as home fans decried their luck.

Howe had seen enough. Eight minutes from the end of the half he gambled on two changes, Miley and Lascelles departing for Alexander Isak and Sven Botman.

It yielded little respite for this side. Within minutes Doughty had wrestled past Trippier into the box, Newcastle failed to clear as the ball broke loose, and Townsend was left free to test Dubravka with a firm effort.

The second half began in the same vein, Newcastle increasingly unsure of themselves in countering Luton’s threat. Adebayo was strong on the edge of the box to keep the ball and slide in Brown who rattled the bar with a rasping drive as the visitors clung on.

Newcastle finally rallied a response, and Gordon might have done better when he poked into the side netting from Trippier’s inviting cross. Isak thought he had levelled, bending the ball into the net but denied by the offside flag having moved early from Miguel Almiron’s pass.

Thereafter Newcastle bombarded Luton’s defence, which would not yield as the hosts put bodies on the line in a manner to make their captain proud.

Patrick Mullins is optimistic that Allaho retains enough of his undoubted ability to strike gold in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Two brilliant performances in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and a 14-length demolition job in the Punchestown Gold Cup are testament to the Cheveley Park Stud-owned nine-year-old’s talent, but he then spent over a year on the sidelines after suffering a rare spleen problem.

He did, however, make a successful return in the Clonmel Oil Chase in early November – and while Mullins admits he may struggle to recover his previous brilliance, he feels he should still put up a bold show, as he looks to provide his father Willie with a third win in the festive highlight following the previous triumphs of Florida Pearl in 2001 and Tornado Flyer two years ago.

“Since he won the Punchestown Gold Cup and showed he can stay three miles, the King George has definitely been on the radar, and with his owners it’s a nice fit,” Mullins said at Ascot on Saturday.

“He obviously missed last season. Three miles on a flat track suits him. He’s probably a little bit better going left-handed, as he does jump a bit to his left, but he won around Punchestown.

“He’s nine, going 10, coming back from a year off the track, so it’s hard to think he’s still at his very best, but hopefully he might still be good enough to win.”

Allaho’s comeback victory at Clonmel appeared more solid than spectacular to the naked eye, but Mullins said: “I think that was maybe an underrated performance. Janidil is a fair horse and he beat him well.

“We’re very happy with him. His Ryanair wins were Vautour-esque and of course Vautour just got nabbed in the King George (by Cue Card in 2015).

“Vautour jumped a little left and that probably cost him on the day, so hopefully it doesn’t cost Allaho.”

The four-time Grade One winner heads a six-strong field, with last year’s victor Bravemansgame returning to defend his title for Paul Nicholls.

However, the current campaign has not gone to plan so far this term with the eight-year-old suffering odds-on defeats in both the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

Frodon, winner of the race in 2020, gives Nicholls a second string to his bow, with regular partner Bryony Frost taking the ride.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin is also on something of a redemption mission as he makes his seasonal bow. He refused to start at Ascot last month, while a planned outing at Newcastle was lost to snow and a Fighting Fifth Hurdle prep was scuppered by testing ground at Sandown.

The Real Whacker, winner of the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham last term, and Shark Hanlon’s Hewick complete the line up, with Gerri Colombe and Royale Pagaille absentees, as expected.

Constitution Hill is the headline act in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle, which also has six contenders.

Henderson’s two-mile champion is long odds-on to extend his unbeaten run over obstacles, with the Nicholls-trained Rubaud the next best on ratings, albeit some 26lb behind.

The favourite will be joined by stablemate First Street, with Kerry Lee potentially double-handed with Black Poppy and Nemean Lion. Alan King’s Sceau Royal is the other runner.

Il Est Francais represents France in the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.

Trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, Il Est Francais has been a dominant force at home and has five rivals at Kempton, led by Nicholls’ Hermes Allen.

Giovinco, Kilbeg King, Marble Sands and Tightenourbelts also line up, with no Irish representation after Mullins and Gordon Elliott did not declare Grangeclare West, Klassical Dream or Imagine respectively.

Luccia made her excellent late hurdling count when collecting a valuable victory in the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot.

Nicky Henderson’s mare was pressed all the way up the home straight by stablemate Impose Toi at the end of the £150,000 contest.

But while the latter clouted the last couple of obstacles, Luccia negotiated them in a swift and clean manner under Paul O’Brien to gain the upper hand.

Impose Toi tried his best to claw back the deficit on the run-in, but 9-2 chance Luccia was still a neck in front at the finishing line, securing a first prize of over £85,000.

“If a race like that is going to put up prize-money like that, then we are going to throw everything at it – we ran three,” said Henderson, who also saddled 11-4 favourite Iberico Lord in seventh. “It’s a huge pot and you’ve got to have a go.

“Luccia had every right to be there (at the finish), Iberico Lord beat her the time before at Cheltenham but she had an 8lb swing and she was right there at the last in Cheltenham.

“That is probably as good a way to ride her as you can find. There was no pace and Paul was only trying to dictate it. He was controlling the race actually.

“To get her back is an amazing thing, because we nearly lost her. A tendon in her hind leg locked and she did the splits and couldn’t get up.

“She’s homebred and it’s great. She was top-class last year and she is deserving of a race like this, to be fair. She was heading to the top and things didn’t quite work out, but she was good today.

“I suppose we will have to go (to the Betfair Hurdle), you have to don’t you. But I have always wanted to try her over two and a half to see if she is up for the Mares’ Hurdle.

“To be fair, if you are making the running in a race like that at that pace and getting home, then I would like to try her up in trip and see if she’s game for the Mares’. She deserves a shot at something like that.”

Victtorino continued the excellent run of Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch by landing the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase over three miles.

Flash Collonges and Git Maker locked horns up front for a long time but paid the price for going too hard and cried enough before the home turn.

There was then four in a line jumping the second-last, but Deutsch had been biding his time in behind on Victtorino and was clearly travelling the best, despite carrying 12st at the age of five in such a competitive contest.

Two beautiful jumps put the 4-1 shot in control and he was always doing enough to fend off the late surge of Yeah Man by three-quarters of a length.

“He’s remarkably grown up for a five-year-old and is really exciting,” said Williams.

“It looked like it wasn’t going to go for us today, there was a strong pace and he wanted to go on the outside, but Blackjack Magic was holding that position and he couldn’t really get by into the position he wanted.

“From Swinley Bottom up, it was pedal to the metal and he met a few of those on an awkward stride, which made things difficult for him, but he dealt with it.

“To see him then go on to the line, and obviously he was being caught, but Charlie felt when the other horse got to his quarters, he felt him pick up a little bit.”

World number nine Jonny Clayton came from behind to begin his World Darts Championship campaign with a 3-1 win against Steve Lennon.

Lennon edged the opening set 3-2 to take an early lead, but two 140s helped Clayton draw level in the second set.

Another tight set followed in the third, where the ‘Ferret’ managed to clinch the fifth leg with a double five to take the lead and Lennon was left to rue his missed doubles as Clayton saw the match out with a clean sweep in the final set.

Daryl Gurney fended off a late comeback from Steve Beaton to win 3-1.

Gurney won the opening set in three straight legs, averaging 104 before taking the second, but an incredible third set saw Beaton fight back and throw back-to-back 180s to help him claw a set back.

The ‘Bronzed Adonis’ looked set to level but Gurney wrapped up victory with a 136 checkout.

Ricardo Pietreczko reached the third round on his Alexandra Palace debut after beating Callan Rydz 3-2 in a tight battle.

A shaky start saw Rydz fall behind in the opening set, but fought back in the second to draw level.

Rydz fell just short of a nine-darter in the third, allowing Pietreczko to swoop in to snatch the set and the Englishman threw 128 to take the contest to a decider, but ‘Pikachu’ earned a clean sweep in the fifth to earn his spot in the next round.

Richard Veenstra won his clash against Kim Huybrechts in style completing a whitewash over the Belgian.

Veenstra ran away with the contest, winning all nine legs with an average of 99.46 to cruise into the next round, where he will meet world number 2 Michael van Gerwen.

Jordan Poole hailed the Golden State Warriors for the "special" reception he received on his return to Chase Center with the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Poole, a member of the Warriors' 2022 Championship-winning team, was back in San Francisco for the first time since being traded in July, scoring 25 points in his team's 129-118 loss.

The 24-year-old was greeted with a pre-game video tribute and received a standing ovation from the fans in attendance, then stayed behind to sign autographs for supporters after the game.

While Poole was unable to guide his new team to victory as Stephen Curry's 30-point haul helped the Warriors improve to 14-14, the fifth-year guard will look back on his return fondly. 

"That was pretty special," he told reporters after sharing an embrace with Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

"It shows my impact that I've had here, which is really cool, especially starting off my career early at the highest level, winning a championship, I played with a lot of Hall of Famers. 

"But I really embraced myself with Dub Nation, submerged myself with them throughout my tenure here. It was pretty special to see that I got the love back."

Asked about the pre-game tribute to Poole, Kerr said: "It was wonderful. The video and ovation Jordan got, to me, was the highlight of the game.

"So well deserved for what he did for our organisation and for our fans and players and coaches, just the work that he put in and obviously becoming a key member of the championship team.

"Jordan deserved that ovation. It was wonderful to see."

The Wizards are 5-23 following their ninth loss in the space of 11 games. They sit 14th in the Eastern Conference, above only the Detroit Pistons, who have lost 25 games in a row.

Nicky Henderson warmed up for a huge Boxing Day with a four-timer across both Ascot and Haydock on the final day of action before Christmas.

The two biggest names in Henderson’s Seven Barrows yard, Constitution Hill and Shishkin, will make their seasonal debuts at Kempton on Tuesday, in the Ladbrokes-sponsored Christmas Hurdle and King George VI Chase respectively. The first half of the season has not gone to plan for either of them, giving Henderson sleepless nights in the process.

Constitution Hill was due to run in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, with the meeting lost to the weather only to be rearranged for a week later. Henderson did enter him for the rescheduled event at Sandown, but heavy ground prevented him from running.

He was meant to be joined in the rearranged Fighting Fifth by Shishkin – but he also sidestepped it for the same reason, having also missed out at Newcastle in the Rehearsal Chase. The latter had been an original Plan B after he blotted his copybook by refusing to race at Ascot.

Henderson was at Ascot to witness French import Excello win the Howden Graduation Chase and Luccia lead home stablemate Impose Toi in the Betfair Exchange Trophy, while Issuing Authority and Pawapuri got their heads in front at Haydock.

“It’s always nice when the horses are running well. You’ve got to make the most of it because you can get bad patches, but they are being very well behaved at the moment,” said the 73-year-old.

“It doesn’t make me any less nervous for Tuesday as they are all doing different things.

“Those first two up at Haydock were good and I was very impressed with the mare (Pawapuri) and I was impressed with him (Excello) too.”

While Henderson allows himself to enjoy the festivities, he admits his mind will be wandering elsewhere.

“I enjoy seeing the people over Christmas and then the family on Christmas Day, but you are chomping a bit. Your head is still buzzing about what is to come,” he said.

“The most important part is the team behind it and they’ve got to work solidly over this weekend. A lot would prefer to be elsewhere but we can’t do that, we’ve got to mix in, rally together and keep our heads down.”

As for his big two, he will just be pleased to finally get a run into the pair of them.

“They were all right this morning, but you only need them to tread on a peanut and they could be lame tomorrow, it’s not that easy,” he said.

“Shishkin has been away but nothing very dramatic that we wouldn’t normally do, pretty routine.

“I’ve had some very entertaining suggestions about how we can persuade him to start. I can’t personally say I’m not worried about it, of course I am, but I really don’t think it’s a big problem, I really don’t.

“Someone will go down to the start with him and I just need to check with the starter what we can and cannot do. What I think you can’t do is carry anything, certainly not a Long Tom (whip). If we could do that it would be simple. He’ll be all right.

“He’s in good form, I would have loved to have had a race, but we haven’t – there’s nothing I can do about it now. I’m pleased with the way the last week has gone.

“As for the other lad (Constitution Hill), we’ve got three more sleeps, something like that.

“When you have a horse with his mentality, all the messing about hasn’t bothered him. He makes it easier than most horses would.

“His temperament is due to his father, Blue Bresil, he’s passed the genes on and they are so relaxed.

“You still have to remember you are starting a new season and they don’t always come back the same, this is no given.

“If he comes through this and it goes like last year I’d be confident about the next bit. But the first day out of the year is crucial, it’s like a first day at school. He’s been good at home, but there are new kids on the block and he’s starting a new term.”

Erik Ten Hag insists Manchester United have goals in them despite drawing another blank in a dispiriting 2-0 defeat at West Ham.

The Red Devils have now gone four matches in a row without scoring for the first time since 1992 after another limp display.

But beleaguered boss Ten Hag said: “We have players who can do it. They’ve proved in the past they can do it.

“But we also have to acknowledge the fact that we didn’t do it as a team. We have to take responsibility. Football is about winning games and scoring goals.

“We have issues. We have had many setbacks and injuries, etc. But the players on the pitch are good enough to win the game. Get into the box, make sure you’re there, make sure you have the willingness to arrive and willingness to score goals.

“They are capable of it. I know (Marcus) Rashford can score, (Rasmus) Hojlund can score, (Alejandro) Garnacho can score, Bruno (Fernandez) can score, Scott McTominay can score.

“We have scoring abilities in our squad and also from set plays. At this moment we’re not doing it. They have to stick together and believe in themselves that they can do it.

“To get where you have to be to score and that is to get in the box especially in the double six-yard box, you have to arrive as a striker.”

The stats make grim reading for United following a 13th defeat in 26 matches this season – the most they have lost before Christmas since 1931.

A 20th defeat in 2023 is also their worst tally in a calendar year since 1989.

Late goals from  Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus secured victory for West Ham to lift them above United in the Premier League table.

Yet for 72 minutes two poor teams were cancelling each other out in a dreadful spectacle until Bowen broke the deadlock.

“I thought whoever scored the first goal would probably win the game and thankfully we got it,” admitted manager David Moyes.

West Ham are now back in and around the top six, an achievement Moyes feels is all the more impressive given the rebuild he has undertaken since selling Declan Rice to Arsenal.

“I think when you sell England’s best player at the moment and you’re still challenging… we’ve tried to pull another team together, we’ve made some signings, now at this time of the season we’ve got 30 points,” he added.

“It’s a brilliant number of points for us at West Ham because we’re not going to be a club rattling right at the top – we’ll try to, but until we keep growing and improving a bit every year that’s all we can do.

“I think we’re making pretty good strides and today was another good victory. We can do better but while we’re doing that we’re still picking up points and moving along.”

Emma Lavelle was almost reduced to tears so proud was she of Paisley Park after he went down fighting in his bid for a record-equalling fourth victory in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle.

It is five years since the popular veteran first claimed the Ascot’s traditional pre-Christmas highlight and he has since added to his tally in 2020 and 2022.

The soon-to-be 12-year-old may not be the force he once was, but having shown the fire still burns bright when a fast-finishing second in last month’s Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, he was prominent in the market at 6-1 to match French great Baracouda’s four Long Walk wins.

While Paisley Park has become renowned for hitting a flat spot before charging home late, on this occasion he travelled with real zest throughout, ensuring he was right on the coat tails of the leaders rounding the home turn.

As per usual he gave generously to Tom Bellamy when asked for maximum effort and even poked his head in front on the run-in, but was in the end denied by the five years younger Crambo after a titanic tussle.

“He’s just the most extraordinary horse and it is heartbreaking because he did everything right,” said Lavelle.

“He travelled so well today and he jumped brilliantly. He loves it, he absolutely loves his job.

“I just thought, ‘oh this is it’, and whereas at Newbury I was going, ‘oh my God, please don’t come any sooner the line, give us another length to beat Dashel Drasher’, today I was thinking, ‘where is the bloody line!’. I think he thought he’d done enough, but he’s galloped his heart out and we’re so proud of him.

“It’s tough as these races are so hard to win and it’s hard to have horses good enough to run in them even. For him to just keep turning up every year is so, so special.

“When he was travelling so well I thought, ‘my God, there is life in the old dog yet’, because at home he almost feels like he doesn’t quite have the speed he had as a young horse. But you see him at the races and he makes a fool of you every which way this horse because it looks like he is travelling better now than he ever has done.”

On future plans, Lavelle added: “I’ve always said this season is race by race and he’s been like, ‘well I’m not blinking retiring!’. I suppose we will go for the Cleeve (at Cheltenham in January) and see what happens after that.

“The reception he’s got today almost makes me cry and I’m walking in and I’m like, ‘oh my God’, and it’s not because I’m beaten. I stood out the front, not surrounded by friends or anything, but just the noise of people shouting for Paisley is just incredible.”

Rasmus Hojlund’s scoreless start to Premier League life continued as Manchester United lost 2-0 to West Ham on Saturday.

While his Champions League form has been better, the Dane has no goals or assists in his first 14 league appearances for the club.

Here, the PA news agency looks at his record.

Slow start

Hojlund’s arrival in the summer from Atalanta, for an initial £64million, potentially rising to £72m, was intended to provide United with the out-and-out goalscorer they have lacked.

While he scored only 10 goals in all competitions last season, United saw enough potential in the 20-year-old, who also netted 12 times in 21 appearances for Sturm Graz before moving to Italy, and has seven in 10 caps for Denmark, to move for him rather than continuing their pursuit of Harry Kane.

But while the England captain got to 20 Bundesliga goals in a record 14 games after joining Bayern Munich from Tottenham, Hojlund has yet to break his Premier League duck in the same number of appearances.

He has taken 18 shots, seven of them on target, without a single attempt to his name against the Hammers before he was substituted approaching the hour mark.

Lack of service has been identified as a factor in his struggles, but the Premier League website lists nine “big chances missed” for Hojlund.

While it is a somewhat subjective measure, that is the fifth most of any Premier League player this season and the players ahead of him largely rank among the league’s top scorers.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, with 14 goals, is leading the chase to retain his Golden Boot from last season and, while Darwin Nunez went into the weekend with just four goals for Liverpool, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson have scored nine and seven respectively.

Champions League contrast

Hojlund’s performances in Europe have demonstrated some of what United saw in him this summer, even as they finished bottom of Champions League Group A behind Kane’s Bayern side, Hojlund’s formative club FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

He got United’s first in a 4-3 defeat to Bayern, scored his only Old Trafford goals to date as he twice gave his side the lead in an eventual 3-2 loss to Gala and netted twice more on his return to Parken Stadium before Copenhagen came back to win 4-3.

That makes him the joint top scorer in the group stage alongside Haaland and Atletico Madrid duo Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, though United’s elimination means he will fall down the standings once the knockout rounds commence in the new year.

All five goals came from inside the area, with three from his left foot, one with his right and a header demonstrating the finishing skills United were searching for.

A pair of scoreless Carabao Cup substitute appearances leave Hojlund’s season record at five goals in 22 games overall.

Crambo came out on top in a breathtaking battle of the ages with Paisley Park to claim Howden Long Walk Hurdle glory at Ascot.

Paisley Park was bidding to match the brilliant Baracouda’s record of four wins in the Grade One contest over an extended three miles.

But the popular 10-year-old just had to give way to Crambo – four years his junior, who was providing trainer Fergal O’Brien with just his second elite-level success.

Dashel Drasher set off in his customary prominent position, but there was little more than a few lengths covering all 10 runners at the halfway stage.

With four flights left to jump, it was noticeable that Paisley Park was lying handier than has often been the case and Tom Bellamy threw down a challenge between the last couple of hurdles.

However, Jonathan Burke made his move at the exact same time and the pair jumped the final obstacle together before settling down for a ding-dong battle on the run-in.

It was impossible to predict the outcome until close home, when 5-1 chance Crambo edged in front by a short head to give O’Brien a first Grade One triumph since Poetic Rhythm in 2017.

Leeds kick-started their bid for an instant Premier League return with a thumping 4-0 win against automatic promotion rivals Ipswich at Elland Road.

Skipper Pascal Struijk’s early header, Leif Davis’s own goal and Crysencio Summerville’s penalty left the home fans bouncing at half-time as the Tractor Boys hurtled towards only their third league defeat of the season.

Joel Piroe crashed home an emphatic finish early in the second half and Leeds, who dropped five points in their previous two matches, could have added more.

Piroe and Georginio Rutter both saw efforts hit the woodwork and while Conor Chaplin’s first-half shot clipped a post, it was one-way traffic in the lunchtime kick-off.

Daniel Farke’s side extended their unbeaten home record this season to 12 matches and cut the gap between themselves and second-placed Ipswich to seven points.

Leeds will be hoping Kieran McKenna’s side drop more points against leaders Leicester on Boxing Day.

Ipswich defender Davis had a game to forget back at his former club as it was also his clumsy first-half challenge on Summerville which led to Leeds’ penalty.

Since losing to Leeds at Portman Road in a seven-goal thriller in August, Ipswich had lost just one of their following 18 matches.

But in front of an expectant home crowd they fell behind in the eighth minute.

Piroe’s header from Summerville’s corner was saved by Vaclav Hladky and Struijk was first to the rebound to head Leeds in front from two yards.

Ipswich responded through Nathan Broadhead’s effort from outside the box and began to force their way back into the game.

The visitors were never allowed to settle, though, and Leeds turned defence into attack to double their lead in the 25th minute.

Teenager Archie Gray won possession deep in the right-back position before a swift exchange of first-time passes sent Summerville hurtling into Ipswich’s box and his low cross was turned into his own net by Davis.

Ipswich came within a whisker of pulling one back when Chaplin’s superb shot skimmed Illan Meslier’s left-hand post.

Summerville was then heavily involved again as Leeds went three-up on the stroke of half-time.

He was sent charging into the area again, this time by Dan James, and after being bundled over by Davis, he picked himself up to bury the subsequent spot-kick for his 11th league goal of the season.

Leeds kept their foot to the floor at the start of the second period, with Piroe’s rising drive hitting the underside of the crossbar.

The Dutch forward was not to be denied soon after, crashing home his ninth league goal of the season from the edge of the area after another Leeds counter-attack.

The home fans were in raptures, baying for more and Leeds responded via Rutter, whose deflected shot from the edge of the box struck the crossbar.