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• Atletico 'working very well', says Simeone after draw at Real Sociedad

  Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone acknowledged his team need to do better going forward, while praising their effective defence, after drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad on Sunday.

  Atleti went a goal ahead through Julian Alvarez after just 51 seconds, but were unable to add to that before conceding a long-range strike from Luka Sucic with six minutes left.

  That goal was one of just five that Simeone's side have conceded in LaLiga this season, which is at least two fewer than any other team, but they failed to have another shot on target after taking the lead.

  The visitors' attacking impotence is something Simeone was acutely aware of, while also wanting to be balanced and praise the team's efforts at the opposite end.

  "The team found the goal and defended very well, it was a collective effort," Simeone told a press conference.

  "We needed to have some counter-attacks with the space we had and do it better than we did, which is also a credit to the opponent.

  "I'll stick with the positive things about the defence and we'll continue in the same search, to improve the transitions. There are players who know how to do it."

  Sucic's equaliser for Sociedad was an early contender for goal of the season. The Croatian hit the ball first-time from outside the box after a misplaced pass from Atletico midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, which looped over goalkeeper Jan Oblak and into the top corner.

  While frustrated with losing their lead, Simeone was of the opinion that goals of such quality are hard to legislate for when it comes to defending.

  "I don't think [their goal] was a lack of our concentration, it was a great goal from 35 metres," Simeone said.

  "There was a loss of the ball, but they hit us from almost 40 metres and he scored a great goal. We have to improve all the small details, but you can lose a ball because it's part of the game. We have to congratulate him for the great goal he scored."

  The 1-1 draw leaves Atletico Madrid third in LaLiga going into the international break, four points behind Real Madrid and seven behind leaders Barcelona.

  The result means that, while they have won just one of their last four league games, Atleti maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

  "The numbers are good, we are working very well," said Simeone.

  "We are in a league where the first team has won eight games out of nine and the second team is [three] points behind. We are working well, growing from the defensive to the offensive."

• Fonseca fumes at penalty 'circus' from referee as AC Milan beaten at Fiorentina

  AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca was in an angry mood following his side's 2-1 loss away to Fiorentina on Sunday, suggesting the decisions to give three penalties turned the game into a 'circus'.

  Remarkably, all three spot-kicks were saved during the match. The home side initially saw Moise Kean's penalty kept out by Mike Maignan, while David de Gea then saved from Theo Hernandez - who was later sent off - and Tammy Abraham either side of half-time.

  But after the game, Fonseca's attention was on the performance of the officials rather than the goalkeeping.

  "I don’t like to talk about refereeing but this isn’t football. Football is about contact and a mere touch shouldn’t be enough to award a penalty," he told DAZN.

  "Just a simple touch can lead to a penalty, we saw that this weekend as well. It makes everyone nervous, and that creates problems. This is football, not a circus."

  Interestingly, neither Hernandez nor Abraham is Milan's designated penalty taker despite them taking the responsibility on Sunday.

  "Our penalty taker is [Christian] Pulisic. I don't know why the players changed their minds, I spoke to him and said that it must not happen again," said Fonseca.

  Pulisic did score Milan's only goal of the night, having equalised after an hour, before Albert Gudmondsson scored the winner for the hosts.

  The United States international was visibly angry when brought off for Samuel Chukwueze with seven minutes to go after putting in a bright performance, but the Milan manager explained that he did not want to aggravate an injury.

  "It was out of caution for Pulisic, he had a problem with his flexor during the week. Chukwueze came in well and created opportunities," said Fonseca.

  In terms of his side's overall performance, Fonseca did not want to focus on their penalty problems and instead suggested they did not do enough to get anything from the match.

  "In the first half, we lacked defensive aggression and strength in duels. The way we conceded goals clearly illustrates this; they almost always won the second balls," he said. "We weren't disciplined in our structure."

  The defeat ended a run of three straight league victories for Milan, meaning they go into the international break sixth in the table and on the back of a defeat.

  Despite that, and the gap to league leaders Napoli extending to six points, he was not panicking.

  "In Italy when you win, you’ve played a great match. If we don’t score, we’re the worst team in the world, just as I’m the worst coach. I know how things are," he said.

  Fonseca's assessment of the performance was mirrored by defender Matteo Gabbia, who was unhappy with how the game went.

  "We are certainly not satisfied with the initial approach. We feel this defeat, as it was our fault and we did not do our best tonight," he said.

  "It starts with us, I saw the right disappointment and anger in the dressing room and it can be the only positive from this very negative night. We are angry that we put in this performance."

• Villa draw buys Ten Hag a little time, says Neville

  Gary Neville believes Manchester United bought Erik ten Hag time with their 0-0 draw against Aston Villa, but is not sure how much.

  United are winless in their last five games in all competitions, with their stalemate at Villa Park the fourth draw in that run, having also lost 3-0 to Tottenham in their last home match.

  Ten Hag's side have won just three of their opening 10 matches in all competitions, while their eight points in the league cements their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.

  Only 19th-place Southampton (four) have netted fewer goals than United (five) in the competition so far, while only in 1972-73 (four) have the Red Devils ever netted fewer in their first seven matches of a top-flight campaign.

  Against a Villa side who beat Bayern Munich in their last outing before this meeting, a draw could be seen as a good result, but Neville believes that shows the "low bar" the team is currently working with.

  "It's a small step forward," Neville told Sky Sports. "Before the game, if you offered any Man Utd fan, player or coach a draw, then they would have snapped your hand off.

  "That's where, at the end of the game, when you see Erik ten Hag's interview, there's an element of relief because it keeps the wolves at bay for a couple of weeks at least. It gives them a little bit more time.

  "I don't think anybody who thought a major incident would happen after the game thought it would happen with a draw. They always thought it would need to be a difficult day or difficult defeat like it was last week against Tottenham. I think it buys Ten Hag a little bit of time.

  "It's Manchester United's worst start in Premier League history so we can't celebrate. When we're thinking it's a decent point when you draw at Villa, it tells you how far Villa have come - but it also tells you how low the bar is for United in this moment in time."

  Ten Hag, who signed a new contract in the off-season, continues to insist that he has the backing of the club's hierarchy despite the less-than-stellar start to the campaign.

  However, the pressure is starting to pile on the manager once more, with United failing to score in each of their last three Premier League games, equalling their worst run without a goal in the competition under the Dutchman (also a run of three in both December 2023 and April 2023).

  While Neville does not think the club will rush into a decision on Ten Hag's future, he admits they might have to if things have not changed by the November international break.

  "The club did make the decision to keep Ten Hag in the summer, so they won't want to reverse that decision within the first six or seven games," Neville added.

  "They have just got to hope [something happens] in this next couple of weeks - through maybe a reset, some thinking time, some planning.

  "Manchester United fans, coaches, players have talked about this new structure that surrounds Ten Hag, it needs to go to work quite quickly in the next few weeks.

  "If the next international break comes around and Manchester United are still in that 13th, 14th position in the league, I think there's going to be a lot of pressure.

  "The next few weeks are critical in making sure they can somehow get some momentum for the rest of the season so that Ten Hag can keep his job."