Tottenham forward Son Heung-min is reportedly looking towards his "next career step", with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said to have a keen interest.

Son tied with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for the Premier League's Golden Boot after a career-best 23 goals last season and was the only player with more than 16 goals to not take a penalty.

It was the sixth Premier League season in a row Son has tallied at least 11 goals, and despite the South Korean's slow start to this campaign, he has shown his class in spurts, including a hat-trick off the bench against Leicester City and an important brace in a 3-2 Champions League win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Tottenham sit in third place, five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, but if Son does not believe he can realistically win silverware with the club, the 30-year-old may view a move to a Champions League stalwart as now or never.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON SPURS' SON

According to Sport1, Ancelotti is monitoring Son's situation closely, however his contract situation gives Tottenham all the leverage as he is tied to the club until 2025.

The report claims there is also interest from world powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and that an impressive performance in the World Cup – where South Korea will play Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal in the group stage – could see a club spurred into action in January.

Bild is reporting Bayern will not have an active January window, which would rule them out for the immediate future as any serious bid for the Tottenham star would need to be substantial.

However, with Tottenham desperate to retain the services of Antonio Conte – who the Times reported as saying he needs three more transfer windows to build the necessary depth at the club – selling one of his top players would be a step in the wrong direction.

ROUND-UP

– Ser Deportivos is reporting Real Madrid have offered an improved contract to Marco Asensio amid speculation that he may head to the Premier League when his contract expires after this season.

– According to O Jogo, Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in 18-year-old Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva.

– Arsenal are preparing an offer for 27-year-old Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic that is believed to be worth in the range of €50m, with their bid also including Albert Sambi Lokonga in a player exchange, per Calciomercato.

– Sport is reporting Barcelona view 25-year-old Ajax player Edson Alvarez as a potential successor to Sergio Busquets in the centre of midfield, although the Dutch giants supposedly rejected a €50m offer from Chelsea in the previous transfer window.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United are eyeing Lille's Jonathan David, Lyon's Moussa Dembele or Bayer Leverkusen's Patrick Schick as potential replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Newcastle United have been attempting to reel in expectations since their controversial owners arrived in the Premier League last October promising glory at home and in Europe within five to 10 years.

Head coach Eddie Howe has repeatedly refused to reveal a target for this season, while he spent the past week attempting to clarify comments on Newcastle's ambitions.

"Long term, the club have huge plans and huge ambitions," Howe said after Jurgen Klopp congratulated Newcastle for having "no ceiling". "But at the moment, the reality of what we're working towards and working with, there is a ceiling."

Antonio Conte seemingly disagreed with Howe's assessment ahead of the Magpies' visit to Tottenham on Sunday, however.

"You have to consider Newcastle for the present and for the future as a danger, as a dangerous team for the first position, for the Champions League positions, for the fight to win trophies," he said.

Unfortunately for Spurs, their coach was proven right. A 2-1 win for Newcastle took them above Manchester United and Chelsea into fourth.

Newcastle had not breached the top four after 12 or more matches of a Premier League season since April 2012, when they ultimately finished fifth and were in a relegation battle the following season.

This time, the "danger" they pose to Klopp, Conte and the rest appears more sustainable.

Challenging the elite

Newcastle were themselves the team under threat at the turn of the year, entering 2022 at risk of relegation. However, between January and May, Howe's side collected the fourth-most points in the division to finish comfortable in 11th.

The Magpies are fourth again this season, yet Howe has not settled for repeating the performances of the first half of the year.

Although Newcastle won 12 of their 19 games over that period, they ranked joint-11th for goals (25), 12th for shots (236) and 14th for expected goals (25.5). They were at least a little better defensively, conceding the joint-fifth-fewest goals (20), facing the sixth-fewest shots (231) and allowing the sixth-lowest xG (23.9).

In 2022-23, Newcastle have improved further on that defensive effort while also striking a balance with their attack.

Their 20 goals rank seventh, their 181 shots third and their 19.7 xG also third. Going the other way, Newcastle have the meanest defence (10 goals conceded), allowing the fifth-lowest xG (12.1) despite giving up 143 shots, the ninth-fewest.

Boosting their starting XI with the signings of Nick Pope and Sven Botman, Newcastle have a better team now than last season, but their improvement is just as much the result of a concerted coaching effort.

Following a dramatic April defeat of Leicester City, Howe said Newcastle needed to "change" the way they played, moving away from the "compact" approach that delivered that result. He and they have done exactly that.

Newcastle are now controlling more of the possession (50.8 per cent versus 41.6 per cent), starting their attacks further upfield (42.6 metres versus 41.3m) and allowing fewer opposition passes per defensive action (10.8 versus 13.7).

That aggressive press is seeing Newcastle register 10.6 high turnovers per game, up from 7.1.

Newcastle were already beating teams in the bottom half; now, they are a major threat against the elite. After defeating Tottenham, the Magpies have five points from four meetings with 'big six' opposition this season. They only collected four points from 12 such matches last season.

Toon staying power

This is not the first time one of the 'other 14' have attempted to upset the apple cart. Leicester City even remarkably won the title in 2015-16.

The Foxes were able to use that against-the-odds success as a platform to challenge the Premier League's leading lights over a prolonged period, yet the best they could subsequently manage was a pair of fifth-placed finishes.

Their spending in pursuit of Champions League football caught up with them, leading to the slow start to this season. Newcastle, with their huge financial power, are unlikely to have the same problem.

The Magpies should also avoid the fate that befell West Ham, who similarly chased a top-four place and came up short, seemingly due to a lack of squad depth.

It is Newcastle's surprising squad depth that has lifted them to this level. Since Alexander Isak's club-record signing in August, Howe has not been able to play his best XI. Allan Saint-Maximin is yet to play a single minute alongside Isak, with both men injured for Sunday's match.

Newcastle's sole loss at Liverpool came with first-choice centre-backs Fabian Schar and Sven Botman rested and Bruno Guimaraes, Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson all out.

Schar, Botman and Guimaraes are the only three players in the Premier League to have played more than 700 minutes this season without tasting defeat.

Miguel Almiron has been the latest secondary star to step up, scoring six goals this season, including five in his past five. Before that run, it was widely expected he would be the man to make way when Isak and Wilson were paired.

Given Kieran Trippier, Guimaraes, Saint-Maximin and Wilson only started together once in 2021-22, Howe might wonder if he will ever see this Newcastle squad at full strength.

On the evidence of this season so far – and Sunday's superb performance – it might not matter.

Both Wilson and Howe smiled when asked by Sky Sports after the Spurs win what they might do this season. "Keep our feet on the ground," answered the striker, as his coach replied: "Try to win next week."

Newcastle's players and coaches may well now be the only group of people not openly discussing a European charge on Tyneside.

New dad Bruno Guimaraes put two sleepless nights behind him to help Newcastle United to a 2-1 victory at Tottenham, saying the soaring Magpies "make me happy and proud".

The Brazilian playmaker shone in north London where goals from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron put Newcastle into a 2-0 interval lead, with Harry Kane then trimming that advantage in the second half.

Only Kieran Trippier played more passes and had more touches among the visiting players than Guimaraes, whose first full season at Newcastle is starting strongly, with the Magpies climbing to fourth in the Premier League.

Guimaraes lasted until the 89th minute when Jonjo Shelvey came on in his place, having played a key role in the Newcastle effort.

Having announced the birth of son Matteo on Friday night, Guimaraes insisted on playing for Newcastle less than 48 hours later.

He told Sky Sports: "They've been amazing days for me, to become a father for the first time. It's been incredible. I've had two days without sleep. I would stay home, but I love to be here with these guys. They make me happy and proud, and I think we deserved it today."

Speaking about what fatherhood meant to him, he added: "It was one of the best days of my life. I'm very happy and proud. It's been like a dream. I don't have words because it's amazing what has happened in my life.

"I say thanks to my family. It's been difficult, but it's all worth it."

Newcastle, under head coach Eddie Howe and their Saudi ownership, are upwardly mobile in the English game for the first time in a long time.

That is exemplified by the fact just three players have featured for 700-plus minutes in this season's Premier League and not been on the losing side when featuring in a game: Newcastle's Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Fabian Schar.

Newcastle have lost just once in 12 games, going down 2-1 at Liverpool in late August. Botman and Schar were unused substitutes that day and Guimaraes was not involved.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte pleaded for patience from Spurs fans after they voiced their frustration during Sunday's 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United.

Although Spurs startled brightly, with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min denied by Nick Pope, Newcastle went into half-time 2-0 up.

Two Hugo Lloris errors proved costly, with Callum Wilson and the in-form Miguel Almiron getting the goals to leave Spurs stunned.

The home crowd booed their team vociferously at half-time and Conte's side were not much better after the break, even accounting for Kane's headed goal early in the second period.

Spurs never really looked like scoring thereafter as Newcastle confirmed the win that moved them up to fourth – just two points behind their third-placed hosts – in the Premier League.

It was a third defeat in five league games for Spurs, but Conte – who was at pains to point out key absences – is not panicking and wants supporters to look at the bigger picture.

Asked about the half-time jeers, Conte told Sky Sports: "The fans need to understand, we are doing our best in every moment, and also [against Newcastle] the commitment was really high.

"For sure, in this moment we have to face a difficult moment for us because when you don't have three or four players in the squad, you are in trouble.

"We have to manage this situation and overcome it together. Without four players, this squad doesn't have the [depth] to lose four players at the moment.

"I always said before starting this second path [season], the important teams, the teams who will fight for the title, you'll see the team during this period when you play every three days. You need to have a deep squad, a strong squad with great quality.

"I think we have only just started our process last season. From [Europa] Conference League, we are now playing in the Champions League."

Patience was the main theme of Conte's lengthy interview, and while the Italian acknowledged Spurs are going through something of a slump, he also feels they are generally doing well.

"We're trying to improve our situation step by step, but you need time and patience," he continued. "These must be very clear for everybody.

"I want to be honest. With my experience, I continue to tell we are doing well – it's a bad situation but we need the time and patience, and to have these kinds of problems in order to understand how to overcome them in the future.

"If we played one game every six or seven days, I think we could fight for something important. To play every three days, I think we have to continue to build our path and have patience, don't be disappointed too much because, I repeat, if someone thinks we can invent the win and do a miracle… We need to continue to work.

"You have to understand we are in a process, and we have just started the process. If someone doesn't want to listen, it's not my problem."

North London giants Tottenham and Arsenal endured frustrating outings as the Premier League saw more twists and turns on an action-packed Sunday.

Spurs' Champions League hopes suffered a blow as they were edged out by Newcastle United in the day's headline clash, with goals from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron helping the visitors to a 2-1 win.

That result saw Eddie Howe's side climb into the top four, and there was another surprise at the summit as leaders Arsenal were pegged back by Southampton in a 1-1 draw.

At the bottom of the table, meanwhile, Fulham increased the pressure on Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch and Leicester City leapfrogged Wolves by trouncing them 4-0 at Molineux.

Here, Stats Perform picks through the most interesting facts to emerge from Sunday's action.  

Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle United: Magnificent Magpies go fourth

Tottenham approached Sunday's match having won eight consecutive league games on home soil, but Newcastle seized the initiative with an outstanding first-half display to end that run and move within two points of Antonio Conte's team.

Hugo Lloris' bizarre error allowed Wilson to put Newcastle ahead, with the France captain hitting the deck as the striker lobbed into an unguarded net from range.

Wilson's goal was his first in the Premier League from outside the penalty area since January 2019 (for Bournemouth v West Ham), and just the second of his 65 goals in the competition to come from more than 18 yards out.

Newcastle were two goals ahead within 10 minutes of that strike, with Almiron scoring his fifth goal in his last five Premier League outings – as many as he had netted in his previous 61. 

While Harry Kane pulled one back after the break, Newcastle held on to ensure they went fourth after 12 games of the season – this is the latest point at which they have occupied such a lofty position since April 2012, when they sat fourth after 35 matches of the campaign.

Southampton 1-1 Arsenal: Armstrong denies Gunners four-point lead

Arsenal went to St Mary's looking to re-establish a four-point lead over Manchester City at the summit, but saw their run of 27 Premier League games without a draw halted as they slipped up.

Granit Xhaka converted Ben White's cross to put Arsenal ahead – with four goals this season in all competitions, Xhaka is enjoying his joint-best goalscoring campaign with the Gunners, and he has scored in back-to-back games for the club for just the second time (also in September 2016).

However, Stuart Armstrong replied with his first goal in 21 league games as the Saints fought back – each of his last seven Premier League goals have now come at St Mary's.

Arsenal were unable to find a late winner, meaning they dropped points after opening the scoring in a Premier League game for the first time since New Year's Day (1-2 v City), ending their run of 18 straight wins when scoring first.

Wolves 0-4 Leicester City: Lethal Foxes leapfrog sorry hosts

At Molineux, Wolves' nightmare campaign continued as a clinical Leicester side ran out 4-0 winners despite recording just five shots to their hosts' 21.

Wolves have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, failing to score four times during that run, and are enduring their worst ever goalscoring start to a season in the competition with just five goals in 12 games. 

Leicester took the lead through an incredible effort from Youri Tielemans, who picked out the top-left corner to score the Foxes' seventh goal from outside the penalty area this season – the most of any side in the Premier League.

Harvey Barnes, Jamie Vardy and James Maddison then added some gloss to the scoreline, with the latter doing his hopes of an England call-up no harm with another fine display.

Maddison has amassed 28 goal contributions in the Premier League since the start of last season, a tally only bettered by Kane (37) among English players.

Leeds United 2-3 Fulham: Pressure builds on Marsch as Willian shines

Leeds joined Wolves in the bottom three after Fulham dealt them a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat at Elland Road, piling more pressure on beleaguered boss Marsch. 

Leeds have collected nine points from their 11 games this season, their fewest at this stage of a campaign since 2003-04 (eight), when they went on to be relegated from the Premier League. 

Meanwhile, Fulham have posted back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April 2019 under Scott Parker (a run of three), having failed to win consecutive matches at any point in their last top-flight season (in 2020-21).

Willian's 84th-minute strike ultimately proved decisive for Marco Silva's men, on the day the former Chelsea and Arsenal winger made his 264th Premier League appearance.

Among Brazilian players, only Manchester City great Fernandinho has appeared as often in the competition. 

Hugo Lloris saw two mistakes punished as Newcastle United beat Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday to move up to fourth in the Premier League.

Antonio Conte's men hoped to bounce back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after a chastening defeat to Manchester United in midweek, but Newcastle were good value for the win – even if they had a helping hand.

Decent chances fell to Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, but two errors from Lloris helped Callum Wilson and the in-form Miguel Almiron put Eddie Howe's side 2-0 up and leave Spurs stunned.

Kane pulled one back early in the second half, yet Newcastle ensured it was only a consolation as they moved to within two points of their third-placed hosts.

A purposeful start saw Spurs go close three times through Son early on, with Nick Pope twice denying him and also producing a smart stop to thwart Kane.

But Newcastle looked dangerous when going direct, and one such situation spawned the opener.

Lloris met Fabian Schar's long pass and collided with Wilson, who turned and lofted into the empty net from 30 yards with Spurs given no VAR reprieve.

Their captain was suspect again just before half-time.

His pass was cut out by Sean Longstaff, who headed on to Almiron, and he squeezed a shot under Lloris after breezing past Clement Lenglet.

Newcastle threatened at the start of the second half as well, but a Spurs counter led to a corner and Lenglet's flick-on was nodded in by Kane at the back post.

That was hardly the precursor to a dramatic turnaround, however.

Spurs created precious little as an attacking force thereafter, with Newcastle seeing out a something of a statement win in north London.

What does it mean? Magpies flying high

Spurs had won each of their previous eight home games in the Premier League, a run they had only ever bettered once before in the competition.

That should tell you all you need to know about what a statement victory this was for Newcastle, whose ability to remain so defensively assured and composed after Kane's goal is worthy of praise in itself.

However, it is fair to say Spurs find themselves in a bit of a slump – they remain third in the table but have now lost three of their past five league games.

"Played like Almiron"

The classless comment Jack Grealish made during Manchester City's title celebrations has been mocked a lot lately, and that does not look like changing anytime soon.

That is because Almiron is in such a rich vein of form, his wonderful goal here making it five in as many Premier League appearances – his previous five took 61 games to tally.

Son made to rue misses

Most of Son's five attempts were half-chances really, but he should have scored when one-on-one with Pope in the first half. His ultimately feeble effort prevented Spurs taking the lead, and looking back, that proved rather crucial.

What's next?

Spurs now turn their attention to the Champions League as Sporting CP visit on Wednesday. Newcastle return to action on Saturday when they host Aston Villa.

Harry Kane's importance to Tottenham is as significant as the impact Lionel Messi had during his career at Barcelona, according to Clement Lenglet.

France defender Lenglet is well known to Messi having played alongside him at Camp Nou and also against the Argentina great during his time at Sevilla.

Messi had been a one-club man until the start of the 2021-22 season when Barca's perilous financial situation saw him depart for Paris Saint-Germain.

The superstar forward became the club's all-time leading scorer and a record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner at Barca, while he counts 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League medals among a plethora of honours won with Los Cules.

While Kane has yet to win a medal with Spurs, Lenglet – who joined Tottenham from Barca on loan in the last transfer window – talked up the impact he has on the club.

In quotes reported by the Daily Mail, Lenglet said: "When you stay a long time in the same place and you achieve so many good things with the club it means you become a part of this club. 

"Your face is connected to the club. For me, Messi is always a Barca player.

"For Harry it's the same. It's difficult to think of Harry in another country or playing for another team. Tottenham is a big club, Harry is a big player and Harry is a big part of Tottenham. 

"We speak a lot about the player and that's important because we are players but I give the same importance to what he is like as a guy. He is an amazing example for all his team-mates."

Describing what it is like to be play with and against Messi, Lenglet added: "You play with the greatest player in the world in my opinion. 

"He helps you improve every day. I played with him [for Barca] and against him for Sevilla – it's better with him!"

Lenglet has made just three Premier League starts for Spurs this season but said it only required a short conversation with boss Antonio Conte to persuade him to make the move to north London, where he is still adjusting to a new way of life.

"We spoke about a lot of things. He [Conte] told me if I came here I would improve because the league is so competitive, you have to be ready and focused every game," Lenglet said.

"He said if I came here I would be happy because I would progress as a football player and it has been a good decision.

"It's a different culture, a different way to work. I was in Spain for six years. You work one way, you think one way, the football is the same. Now, you come to England – a different league, different intensity, different way to work. It's a good way to improve."

Tottenham sit third in the Premier League and are out to rebound from defeat against Manchester United when they face Newcastle United on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains "an important part" of Erik ten Hag's plans at Manchester United and the Dutchman hopes he can "count on him" through the rest of the season.

The forward is absent for Saturday's Premier League clash against Chelsea after he was dropped for disciplinary reasons following his refusal to come on as a substitute during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Tottenham.

Ronaldo left the game early, heading down the Old Trafford tunnel before the final whistle, echoing his pre-season actions when he departed a friendly with Rayo Vallecano before the end.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to the Blues, Ten Hag stressed it would be a one-and-done sanction for the Portugal forward and that he believes he can rely on the veteran across the remainder of the campaign.

"It is for this game and then we continue," he stated.. "I am open to that. For me, it is a strike.

"What we said in the statement is that Cristiano remains an important part of the squad and I count on him for the rest of the season. We want to fulfil our ambitions.

"What I said is I don't want to miss him. I want him to be in the squad and be involved for every game because he has an impact."

However, Ten Hag felt Ronaldo must accept the consequence of his actions, regardless of his standing within the sport.

"He has to be aware that you get justified [judged] by the moment and how you are acting today," he added.

"In top sport, it is about today -- it is not about age or reputation. When you have top sport, you get justified and judged by the moment and how you act.

"That is normal. Everyone has to be aware of it and not just Cristiano. We have to be aware of it as a team, a manager and a club."

Antonio Conte is worried Dejan Kulusevski may not feature for Tottenham before the World Cup after the winger suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Kulusevski has not featured for Spurs since last month's 6-2 thrashing of Leicester City, having sustained the injury while on international duty with Sweden – who failed to qualify for the tournament in Qatar.

While the form of Richarlison initially allowed Spurs to cope with Kulusevski's absence, the Brazil attacker limped out of a 2-0 win over his former club Everton last week, leaving Conte short on forward options.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's clash with Newcastle United, Conte said of Kulusevski: "I think we have to wait a bit of time to see him with us, it is the same for Richarlison.

"For sure, this type of situation creates a big, big difficulty. It's normal. For me, also fingers crossed because at the moment we have Harry [Kane] and Sonny [Son Heung-min] in good health.

"I hope they continue to stay that way, or I'll have to think about putting my shoes on to play, me!

"When you go to play Champions League, especially if you play in the Premier League, you have to know that you're going to have a difficult season for injuries, for massive games, for players who become tired."

Asked whether he is concerned Kulusevski may not recover before the Premier League breaks for the World Cup next month, Conte said: "Yes, because his recovery was going well and then one day the situation worsened.

"Then when this type of situation happens, you have to restart. You need time, but we have the medical department to face injury situations, and they have to solve the situation in a short period. If you are able to solve the situation in a short period, it means points in the table."

Tottenham have lost two of their last four Premier League games (W2), suffering as many defeats in that spell as they did in their previous 21 matches in the competition.

Wednesday's 2-0 reverse at Manchester United represented the first time Spurs have failed to score in a Premier League game this season, and led Conte to declare the two sides were operating on "different levels".

Asked whether Tottenham needed to sign another creative presence in the January transfer window, Conte said the club would assess their options during the World Cup break.

"Now, we have to try to finish this period, which for us is really tough," the Italian added. "You have important injuries and you have to face the situation in the best possible way. 

"Then we'll see. We have to arrive until the last game in November and then with the club we'll see the situation, if we have to do something or we continue in the same way."

Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged "the heat of the moment" got the better of him during his early walkout from Manchester United's win over Tottenham, pledging to be "ready for everything" after being dropped by the Red Devils.

United produced one of their best performances under Erik ten Hag during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Spurs, but the victory was overshadowed by Ronaldo walking down the tunnel before the final whistle.

Ten Hag said after the game that he would "deal with" Ronaldo's behaviour on Thursday, and the Dutchman followed through on that vow by sanctioning the 37-year-old.

On Thursday, United announced Ronaldo will play no part in Saturday's Premier League trip to Chelsea, with media reports even suggesting he refused to come on as a substitute against Spurs.

Ronaldo responded to the incident on his official Instagram account, insisting his attitude has not changed.

"As I've always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches," Ronaldo wrote. "That hasn't changed. I haven't changed. 

"I'm the same person and the same professional that I've been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process.

"I started very young, the older and most experienced players' examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I've always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I've represented. 

"Unfortunately, that's not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.

"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my team-mates and be ready for everything in any given game. 

"Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."

Ronaldo has only started two of United's 10 Premier League games this season, scoring just one goal in the competition after slipping below Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the pecking order.

The Portugal captain reportedly asked to leave United following their failure to secure a top-four finish last season but saw several rumoured suitors – including Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich – rule out signing him. 

Cristiano Ronaldo must have had good reason for walking away from Manchester United's 2-0 triumph over Tottenham on Wednesday, claims former team-mate Nani.

An excellent performance from United saw them dominate Spurs at Old Trafford, as a deflected Fred strike and a sublime finish from Bruno Fernandes gave them an important victory over a top-four rival.

However, unused substitute Ronaldo headed along the touchline and down the tunnel before the final whistle blew. According to a report in the Athletic, the 37-year-old went on to leave the stadium early too, instead of celebrating with team-mates.

Despite his side's superb display, United manager Erik ten Hag was forced to field questions over Ronaldo's premature exit after the game, telling Amazon Prime he would "deal with" the matter on Thursday.

Nani, who played with Ronaldo for United as well as Portugal, defended his former team-mate before suggesting Ronaldo likely had valid reasons for his early departure.

"I don't know what happened in that moment," Nani exclusively told Stats Perform. "Maybe he had to go to the bathroom.

"Everyone knows he is a professional, very big professional."

Nani, now playing in Australia's A-League for Melbourne Victory, did not watch United's game against Tottenham, but he knows how being an unused substitute would feel for Ronaldo, and he suggested the early walk-off was not as significant as some have made out.

"He works really hard to be on the field. Maybe [there can] probably be a little bit of frustration there on not being an option to play," Nani said.

"But this is his desire, to be on the field and play. But I think it's not a big deal because there is a reason probably."

Cristiano Ronaldo displayed "unacceptable" behaviour by walking off as Manchester United were putting the finishing touches to a victory over Tottenham, according to Gary Lineker.

The Portugal great, who was an unused substitute in Wednesday night's game at Old Trafford, walked along the touchline and down the tunnel before full-time.

According to a report in The Athletic, Ronaldo kept going and immediately left the stadium, rather than celebrate with team-mates after what was arguably the team's best performance of the season.

United were excellent as they secured a sixth Premier League win of the season to go fifth in the table, thriving without having to call on the 37-year-old Ronaldo.

The fixture was one in which Ronaldo hit a hat-trick last season, but he was a spare part in United's 2-0 win this week, only for the early exit to draw attention to himself again.

United manager Erik ten Hag said he would "deal with" the matter on Thursday.

Former Tottenham and Barcelona striker Lineker, presenting the BBC's Match of the Day programme, suggested Ronaldo had overstepped the mark.

"Cristiano Ronaldo: now we all know what a great player he's been and stuff like that, but walking off the pitch as a substitute with two minutes to go, before the game is finished, I'm sorry, but that's unacceptable. That's poor, isn't it?" Lineker said.

Pundit Micah Richards, a former Manchester City defender, agreed Ronaldo was out of order.

"It's so poor," said Richards. "For someone we've looked up to for so long, one of the greats of the game, to do that when your team are winning, making it about him, it's unacceptable."

United were terrific in front of their home fans, racking up 28 shots to Tottenham's nine, with goals coming from Fred in the 47th minute and Bruno Fernandes in the 69th. Their defence was also impressively stout, allowing Tottenham to only accumulate 0.48 expected goals.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the contest, Ten Hag said dealing with Ronaldo was a problem for another day.

"I will deal with [Ronaldo] tomorrow, not today," he said. "Today we celebrate this victory, and now we have to recover from this."

Ten Hag said in a subsequent press conference that he chose Marcus Rashford rather than Ronaldo because of the England forward's pressing qualities.

"What we needed was we needed good pressing, you need a good counter-press, because from there you can create chances," Ten Hag said.

"Offensive-wise you need dynamic, so that is what Marcus can give you in a game."

Antonio Conte acknowledged Tottenham must do better in big games after they were beaten 2-0 at Manchester United.

Goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes condemned Conte's side to only their second Premier League defeat of the season, having also been beaten 3-1 at leaders Arsenal earlier this month.

Spurs have made an otherwise impressive start to the campaign and still sit third in the table, level on points with second-placed Manchester City and three ahead of Chelsea in fourth, albeit having played a game more than both.

However, speaking to Amazon Prime, Conte pointed to the difference in spending power between his club and United, who forked out more than anyone in England in the last transfer window to bring in the likes of Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Antony.

Spurs also spent money on Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence and Richarlison among others, but the Brazilian was unable to feature at Old Trafford due to injury.

"I consider United a really good team," Conte said. "You know very well the potential of this club, what they did in the transfer market and what money they can spend. For sure, we are speaking about two different levels.

"At the same time, I think in this type of game we can do much better.

"We are struggling. We struggled against Chelsea, we struggled against Arsenal, we struggled today against United."

Spurs conceded 28 shots on their goal from the hosts, including 19 in the first half, while managing only nine of their own all game, with just two on target.

"United deserved to win, they played a really good game," Conte conceded.

"For our side, in this type of game when the level has got to be high, we need to improve a lot. We have to try to be better than today."

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will deal with Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday, but kept his immediate post-match focus on what he felt was his side's most complete performance under his watch in their 2-0 victory against Tottenham.

United were terrific in front of their home fans, racking up 28 shots to Tottenham's nine, with goals coming from Fred in the 47th minute and Bruno Fernandes in the 69th. Their defence was also impressively stout, allowing Tottenham to only accumulate 0.48 expected goals.

In the final minutes, with United defending their lead, Cristiano Ronaldo stole the headlines by making his way down the tunnel early, clearly unhappy about his lack of involvement as an unused substitute.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after the contest, Ten Hag said dealing with Ronaldo was a problem for another day, and that he would spend Wednesday night celebrating a complete performance.

"I will deal with [Ronaldo] tomorrow, not today," he said. "Today we celebrate this victory, and now we have to recover from this.

"I knew [form] would come with [Fernandes]. Sometimes you have periods as a striker or offensive player and you don't score, but all of a sudden you find it back. I think for Bruno it's important he scored a goal, but once again I think he played a magnificent role today.

"There were so many things that were really good – our organisation, our pressing organisation was fabulous, magnificent – also I think the rest of the defence and the counter press was really good. 

"To be fair, I didn't expect it before [the game] because Spurs have played really good this season, and they play really solid – every performance is dead good. I thought we had to be really good to win, and we did. It was a magnificent performance and I hope we set a new base.

"From start to end we dictated the game, and that is what we didn't do against Liverpool and Arsenal. I want to mention that we had more good performances this season, but you see the development in the process and I'm clearly pleased with that."

The result sees United rise to fifth on the table with an even goal difference, and they will look to carry that momentum into a massive fixture at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea on Saturday.

Bruno Fernandes' spectacular finish helped Manchester United make a statement of their top-four credentials with a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The Portugal midfielder volleyed into the top-right corner to add to Fred's opener, lifting the Red Devils to a deserved victory over Antonio Conte's men, who they now trail by just four points.

Elsewhere, Newcastle United continued their fine start to the season and Chelsea were held by Brentford, as West Ham paid the penalty in a narrow loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best Opta facts from an intriguing Wednesday in the Premier League.

Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham: Fernandes continues Spurs' Red Devils hoodoo

Wednesday's headline clash saw United claim an important win over third-placed Spurs, Erik ten Hag's second win in as many home Premier League games against top-three opponents (also 3-1 v Arsenal in September).

That is as many home wins against sides in the top three as predecessors Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick managed between them in the competition.

Fernandes was the star of the show, creating nine chances – the most by a player in a Premier League match this season and most overall in the competition since Fernandes himself in September 2021 (10 v Aston Villa).

The hosts also kept Spurs' attackers quiet during a controlled display – Harry Kane has now failed to score in 13 of his 17 appearances against United in the Premier League, more than against any other opponent.

The victory is United's fourth in their last four Premier League meetings with Tottenham, the first time they have enjoyed such a run in the competition since April 2009-October 2010.

Liverpool 1-0 West Ham: Alisson and Nunez hand Reds hard-fought win

At Anfield, Liverpool built on Sunday's victory over Manchester City by clinching a 1-0 win over West Ham, extending their unbeaten run to 29 home league games (W22 D7).

Darwin Nunez headed home the only goal, which also represented Liverpool's 100th Premier League goal against West Ham – the fourth side they've reached a century against in the competition.

That goal was also the 800th West Ham have conceded in the Premier League – a tally only previously reached by Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham.

The Hammers were handed a chance to respond before the break, but Jarrod Bowen saw his penalty saved by Alisson. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, no team has missed more Premier League spot-kicks than West Ham's six.

Newcastle United 1-0 Everton: Solid Toon continue rise

Eddie Howe's Newcastle recorded a 1-0 win over Everton at St James' Park, posting their fifth clean sheet of the Premier League season – a tally only matched by Manchester City.

In truth, the Magpies' rearguard was never seriously tested: Everton's one shot in this match was their joint-worst tally in a Premier League game since data collection began in 2003-04 (also v Chelsea in November 2016).

Newcastle are sixth in the early-season standings after combining that solidity with an eye for the spectacular – only Leicester City (six) can better their tally of five Premier League goals from outside the penalty area this season. 

Match-winner Miguel Almiron, meanwhile, has netted five goals in 11 league appearances this term, matching his return from his previous 64 outings.

Brentford 0-0 Chelsea: Bees hold firm in West London Derby

Chelsea are yet to taste defeat under Graham Potter, but the Blues boss saw his team drop league points for the first time in his tenure at Brentford.

The Blues' familiar lack of creativity came to the fore as they hit the target with just five of their 14 shots (36 per cent), three of which came after the 85th minute.

Despite not starting the match, Mateo Kovacic was directly involved in seven of Chelsea's 14 shots, creating a game-high four chances as he outshone his team-mates.

However, the Croatian was unable to drive his side to a win, and Brentford have now kept consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League for just the second time – last doing so in their first two games in the competition in August 2021.