Adam Armstrong scored his eighth goal of the season as Southampton eased to a 3-1 Sky Bet Championship victory and condemned Wayne Rooney to a third straight defeat as Birmingham manager.

Forward Armstrong now has eight career goals against Blues, more than he has scored against any other side, as he settled the game with a fine finish.

He had set up Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ opener before Carlos Alcaraz tapped in – both players’ first goals of the season. Jay Stansfield pulled one back for the visitors but it could not help end Rooney’s winless run.

Southampton had monopolised the opening stages without creating anything clear-cut until Harwood-Bellis nodded in the ninth-minute opener.

Armstrongs Stuart and Adam worked a short-corner routine before the latter lifted for the Manchester City loanee to power in his third professional goal, and first since last September.

Blues rallied but Oliver Burke’s lashed effort into the side netting – their only shot of the first half – poked the hosts back into life.

Kamaldeen Sulemana and Stuart Armstrong linked up smartly on the left flank before the Ghanaian slid across the face of the goal for Alcaraz to push in.

Rooney had been booed after Wednesday’s 2-0 home defeat by Hull, and Saints supporters rubbed their advantage in with a round of “sacked in the morning” aimed at the Manchester United great.

But rather than rub further salt into the wound of Rooney’s poor start, Birmingham fans supported their boss with cries of “Rooney, Rooney” and “Wayne Rooney’s Blue Army”.

Their support should have been rewarded with a spot-kick but goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu got away with flattening Burke in the box.

Saints should have gone into the break with more than a two-goal advantage as Harwood-Bellis’ free header from a corner skipped wide and Adam Armstrong clipped a one-on-one over John Ruddy but wide of the goal.

After the break, Stuart Armstrong tamely ended a well-worked move and Adam Armstrong’s diving header flashed wide.

But the hosts floundered and Blues capitalised. Stansfield jumped off the bench, met Lukas Jutkiewicz’s knockdown, bullied his way past Kyle Walker-Peters and rifled into the top corner – all within 52 seconds of his 57th-minute introduction.

It was Stansfield’s fourth goal of the season and extended Southampton’s wait for a home clean sheet to 28 matches.

But Saints held onto the ball well and made sure of the result in the 86th minute when top-scorer Adam Armstrong pounced and swivelled onto Sam Edozie’s nod down.

Scott Hogan curled one onto the roof of the goal in additional time but it could not stop Saints moving to a sixth game unbeaten to cement their place in the play-off spots.

The Dominican Republic made a big statement in their hopes to win Group C of League B as the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers continued on Friday.

Bermuda remains first in the group after a draw in Barbados. That point is the lone separator between Bermuda and Dominican Republic, who now has a superior goal difference and is chasing the playoff spot.

St Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic took an 8-0 win against St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex in Kingstown.

The visitors took the lead in the first as Vanessa Kara lobbed a perfect ball under the top post, which gave goalkeeper Tishana James no chance at a save.

Jazmin Jackson added a second in the ninth with her elusive footwork inside the box and a right-footed shot just inside the left post.

Kathrynn Gonzalez extended the lead in the 17th by putting away a loose ball in the box.

Winibian Peralta earned a penalty after she was felled inside the area. Peralta converted from the spot in the 23rd to make it four unanswered.

Aaliyah Anderson tried to get one back for the home side in the 30th but visiting goalkeeper Odaliana Gomez was alert with the save.

Kathrynn Gonzalez completed a double in the 33rd with a rocket from distance.

Jackson also earned her second of the day in the 40th with a header. Lucia Marte was instrumental by starting the play from an interception and dribbling into the box to cross it across goal.

Jackson completed her hat-trick in the 58th with another header in front of goal. Brianne Reed provided the long cross into the box for the assist.

Dahien Cabrera added an eighth in the 87th to complete a build-up through the right flank as the Dominican Republic obtained his second win of the group stage.

Barbados vs. Bermuda

Barbados and Bermuda tied 1-1 at the Wildey Astro Turf Stadium in Bridgetown.

Bermuda’s Aaliyah Nolan was denied by the left post in the 10th in a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Nolan would eventually get the opening goal in the 24th with a drive through the middle of the field and a left-footed shot to the back of the net. Eva Frazzoni delivered the long service for the assist on the play.

The visitors then generated a free kick opportunity in the 36th but Victoria Davis’s attempt was just wide.

Adrienne Forde notched the equalizer in the 47th off a corner kick opportunity earned from an aggressive Barbados to start the second half.

Bermuda’s Akeyla Furbert nearly got around the defense in the 86th, but Barbados goalkeeper Kamilla Burke impeded the through ball becoming a more dangerous situation.

Jaden Masters then looked to have the winner in the 88th, but Burke delivered a crucial save to keep the score level.

A second half strike from Jillienne Aguilera handed Puerto Rico a 2-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Group A of League A of the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Friday.

It is Puerto Rico’s first victory of the campaign, moving them into second place in the group with three points through two games, while Trinidad and Tobago remain without a point after two matches.

It was a fairly even first half-hour before Puerto Rico broke the deadlock in the 30th with Juelle Love making a run to the end line and cutting back to Skylynn Rodriguez, who fired in a right-footed shot for a 1-0 Puerto Rico lead.

Trinidad and Tobago would have a response, though, and the home side pulled level in the 49th through Alexcia Ali, who gathered a pass on the right wing and fired in from the narrowest of angles to make it a 1-1 affair.

Puerto Rico were unfazed and quickly regained the lead in the 54th thanks to Aguilera, who pounced on a loose ball, made a move past a defender and blasted a left-footed shot into net for a 2-1 advantage.

From there, the Puerto Rico defense did the job the rest of the way in keeping Trinidad and Tobago from getting an equalizer to secure the full three points.

Luis Enrique has warned Paris St Germain against falling into the “trap” of being overconfident when they visit surprise package Brest in Ligue 1 on Sunday just because the reigning champions blew away AC Milan in midweek.

PSG pulled off the perfect response to their shock defeat by Newcastle in the previous round of the Champions League by cruising past Serie A giants Milan 3-0 to take charge of their tough group at the halfway stage.

The Spaniard’s men have won three of their last four league games but a win at Stade Francis-Le Ble would only boost them to within a point of leaders Nice, so Enrique is taking the assignment very seriously.

He told reporters: “Every match is a trap but this one might especially be one because of the kick-off time of 1pm (12pm GMT). We’ve never played at that time before.

“We’re also away from home and there are reasons why we might not be focused, so there are things we need to be wary of.

“They’re a team who defend well and put in a lot of crosses. It will be tricky, especially after a Champions League match. We have to be very careful.

“I’ve seen their ground and it’s like an English stadium with stands close to the pitch. The schedule is unusual but we have to be able to overcome that, too.”

Marquinhos (adductor), Layvin Kurzawa (illness), Keylor Navas (back), Marco Asensio, Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes are all unavailable due to injury.

Opponents Brest have raised eyebrows so far this season after charging into the European places before, after failing to win any of their last three matches, slipping down to fifth.

Their rise has created more buzz around this fixture and head coach Eric Roy was bemused by the increased number of reporters at his Friday press conference, saying: “Oh dear, oh dear, who are all these people?”

He was, however, keen to play down any hopes of strolling to a home win in front of a sellout crowd.

“I don’t think it changes much for us,” Roy told L’Equipe. “Against Toulouse the stadium was full too… perhaps that’s because it is small. The Parisians won’t bring many so we will have a 100 per cent Brestois backing.

“I hope that we will live up to the expectations of our supporters. We would like to play a great match and take on the challenge. If we ‘crush’ them 1-0, it will be magnificent.”

Erik ten Hag knows Manchester United “have a way to go” as they look to kickstart their season with a statement derby victory against rivals Manchester City.

All eyes will be on Old Trafford this Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s treble winners look to halt the Red Devils’ wholly unconvincing three-game winning streak.

United required their latest ever Premier League comeback to beat Brentford 2-1 before an international break they returned from with a win by the same scoreline at rock-bottom Sheffield United.

Ten Hag’s team toiled to a third straight victory in all competitions on Tuesday, when Andre Onana’s last-gasp spot-kick save sealed a crucial 1-0 win against Copenhagen in the Champions League.

It was another narrow escape for a United side that need to be far better if they are to stand any chance of winning the 191st Manchester derby.

“We are in the right direction, and we have a way to go,” Red Devils boss Ten Hag said.

“I see positives, I see also negatives. We are not consistently, in possession, on the level where we can be, where we show in games we can be.

“Like for instance, Arsenal away. Also, the first 30 minutes in Bayern Munich away. But we should do this on a consistent basis.

“But pressing, we are quite good. We have the most ball regains from the whole Premier League, we have the most middle regains from the whole Premier League.

“So, there you see, our defensive organisation, our pressing organisation. I said before the season how we wanted to play, that is us.

“But then, we don’t take the benefit in the attacking transition moments, and we should be because we have the abilities in our team, the players there who can take benefit from it.

“We paid some attention to it, and this has to grow, this has to progress. Then games will become easier.”

United’s spate of defensive injuries has undoubtedly impacted them this term, so too their inability to show a clinical edge in front of goal.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have only managed one goal apiece this term, while summer signing Rasmus Hojlund is looking to open his Premier League account after scoring three European goals.

Asked if the lack of goals was the forwards’ fault, Ten Hag said: “Fault? It’s co-operation and that has to click.

“We showed this week some examples where we are in overload positions going to the opponents’ goal and we don’t net, or we don’t even hit the target. We should do this better.

“I’m sure we don’t have time to train this fact, but we get some coaching and I’m convinced with the qualities from our players, that they will go and score more goals.”

The form of Rashford – who scored the winner when these sides last met at Old Trafford back in January – has been particularly alarming.

The England forward has looked a shadow of the player that plundered 30 goals in 2022-23 during the opening months of the current campaign, but there is confidence he will soon open the floodgates.

“Especially give him the trust, I play him every game,” Ten Hag said.

“Most of the games also he finishes. I have a strong belief he will return to scoring a lot of goals.”

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario earned praise from captain Son Heung-min following his key role in their latest victory.

Spurs made it four wins in a row after they battled to a 2-1 triumph at Crystal Palace, with Joel Ward’s 53rd-minute own goal and Son’s eighth strike of the campaign enough to earn all three points.

Jordan Ayew netted in stoppage time for the hosts, but Ange Postecoglou’s resurgent team held on and Son subsequently paid tribute to summer signing Vicario.

Vicario made two crucial early saves to deny Ayew and Odsonne Edouard, and while he missed out on a fifth clean sheet since he displaced Hugo Lloris as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, he continues to grow his reputation.

“Before we score without Vic’s saves we are going behind and when you go behind in this stadium, you know what is going to happen. I think big credit to Vic for making unbelievable saves,” Son told SpursPlay.

“I am enjoying every single moment (with Vicario) because he made a good save, is playing out well and it is fantastic to have him behind the goal.

“Obviously any game we are going to face chances and shots on target, but when you have Vic behind us you are just very comfortable he is going to make unbelievable saves, which he did.

“Big, big credit to Vic today and also the way he play with the feet is fantastic. It brings so much to the team and I am very, very happy to have him in the team.”

Vicario has adapted to life in England immediately and been an unsung hero during Tottenham’s ascent to first place in the Premier League.

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The role of top goalscorer Son has earned more headlines and he netted again on Friday, but only after a brilliant team move. Pape Sarr’s diagonal ball was headed down by Brennan Johnson to James Maddison, who touched back into Johnson’s path and he teed up the Spurs captain for a smart close-range finish.

Former Empoli goalkeeper Vicario said: “I think our second goal was a top masterclass of football from the back. Find the spare man and then he (Son) attacks the right space.

“It is easy for him to come to the back and score this kind of goal. It is a big situation we work on during the week, so we’re happy for that and we have to keep going, keep improving on that because we can do it.

“Of course we enjoy the win, we take the rest of the week and then we go again.”

A largely perfect night for Tottenham was rounded off with Rodrigo Bentancur returning from injury to play for the first time since February 11.

Bentancur suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage to his left knee in a defeat at Leicester, which curtained a fine individual campaign that had seen him score five times.

Captain Son was thrilled to see the midfielder return with a late cameo, he added: “What an unbelievable player. Having him in our squad is kind of like a new signing.

“We couldn’t wait to have him back and when he came on I was getting emotional. He is one of my good friends and last year when I suffer with injuries, he was always pushing behind me.

“I am really grateful he came back healthy.”

Palace boss Roy Hodgson was downbeat about the impact of his substitutes and called for patience with Brazilian attacker Matheus Franca after his home debut off the bench.

“They need more time,” Hodgson insisted. “The fact is I feel sorry for Franca. For some reason people have tried to imbue him with qualities that we can’t expect to see from him.

“He’s 19 years of age, he has a handful of games in Brazil behind him and now we’re asking him to play against Tottenham, the team that is running away at the top of the Premier League at the moment.”

Pep Guardiola believes Andre Onana’s penalty heroics in the Champions League will give the under-fire goalkeeper a confidence boost ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday.

Guardiola is a long-term admirer of the Cameroonian, singling him out as Inter Milan’s most dangerous player ahead of last season’s Champions League final which Manchester City won 1-0 to claim a historic treble.

Since moving to Manchester United in the summer, Onana has made a number of errors but he preserved an important 1-0 Champions League win over Copenhagen in midweek with a penalty save in added-on time.

Onana was mobbed by his team-mates in the aftermath and will now head into this weekend with his spirits raised, according to Guardiola, who has been well aware of the ex-Ajax shot-stopper for several years.

The Manchester City boss said: “I remember we have a common friend who spoke very highly of him but personally I met him in Amsterdam. He’s an exceptional player and now at United.

“Before the game I always expect the best of the players we are going to face. I prefer to see the strengths than the weakness they have.

“He saved a penalty in the last minute which helped Manchester United to stay in contention to qualify for the last 16. Mentally it’s a good boost for them and for him.

“Everyone needs time (to adapt to the Premier League), not just the managers but players, keepers. Everyone. Sometimes people are quicker but I have a high opinion of him as a keeper.”

Jack Grealish was restored to City’s starting XI for their 3-1 Champions League victory at Swiss outfit Young Boys on Wednesday and he stood out on the left wing before his influence waned after half-time.

The England midfielder has recently been a bit-part figure following a month on the sidelines with a dead leg and he has been on the bench for City’s four most recent Premier League matches.

But Guardiola, who will be without suspended defender Manuel Akanji for the visit to Old Trafford after his dismissal in the win over Brighton last weekend, says Grealish is still integral to his thinking.

“The plan is for him to play like he did in Switzerland,” Guardiola said. “We need him, we need everyone. I am very pleased for the game he played.

“We trust a lot in him. We know his ability and he has to fight with his mates to play a lot and play as best as possible in every single action, every single minute, every single game.”

Second-placed City are already six points ahead of their rivals after just nine fixtures but Guardiola insisted it is too soon to be making definitive judgements on the campaign.

“It’s too early,” Guardiola added. “All the teams are there and the teams behind can be there.

“When you play just nine games, many things can happen from my experience. We have been behind with few points in February and March and have been able to win at the end.”

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is happy to be compared to Steven Gerrard but is determined to succeed at Anfield playing his own way.

In just a handful of matches since arriving in a £60million move from RB Leipzig in the summer the 23-year-old Hungary captain has become an instant fan favourite.

His boundless energy and unwavering work-rate immediately resonated with supporters who had become concerned about an ageing and lacklustre midfield in last season’s disappointing campaign.

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But throw in his talent on the ball, his vision for a pass and an eye for goal and it is understandable to see why there were murmurings about ‘the new Gerrard’.

If his debut goal against Aston Villa in September – a left-footed drive from the edge of the area – was good, the blistering strike against Leicester in the Carabao Cup had all the echoes of the man whose number eight shirt he now wears.

“I want to do my own way but of course it feels good if they say I am the new Steven Gerrard,” Szoboszlai told the PA news agency at a session of the Nike Game On initiative which, in conjunction with the LFC Foundation, has provided more than 8,000 local schoolchildren with access to a range of sports over the last three years.

“I have a tattoo from Steven Gerrard what he said a long time ago,” he added. The quote attributed to Gerrard, which Szoboszlai has inked in Hungarian, is ‘Talent is a blessing from God, but without incredible will and humility, it is worthless’.

“It’s nice to have the number eight shirt because really great players played in it. I just want to continue.

“But I just want to be myself and if I can get that big in this club like he was I’ll be really happy.”

When Liverpool triggered the Hungarian’s release clause to sign him from Leipzig in July there were eyebrows raised about the fee.

However, manager Jurgen Klopp and his scouting team had no doubts bringing in one of the most talented midfielders in the Bundesliga and youthful captain of his country bore little risk.

It may not be entirely accurate to say Szoboszlai has single-handedly revitalised Liverpool’s midfield in just a couple of months but with fellow new arrival, Argentinian World Cup winner Alexis MacAllister, hamstrung by having to play an unfamiliar defensive midfield role, there is little doubt who has made the biggest impact.

Growing up, the Hungarian idolised Cristiano Ronaldo – not for his talent but his mentality, and it is easy to see that reflected in his performances so far.

Asked where he gets his energy and drive from, Szoboszlai added: “Because I want to win.

“Even if we are in front I don’t want to concede any goals, that’s why I run. If we are behind I want to score goals, that’s why I run. It is always the reason why you have to run.”

Liverpool have been crying out for a goalscoring midfielder but the 23-year-old sees a bigger picture.

“If I have to score I am going to score. If I have to assist I am going to assist. If I have to run all around the pitch I will run all around the pitch,” he said ahead of Sunday’s visit of Nottingham Forest.

“I am here to help the team, I am not here to reach something alone. I want to win trophies, I want to win everything and make us proud and make the fans proud and put Liverpool back again where they deserve to be.

“I can improve in everything. I am not a finished player. Of course I can do everything almost but always you can be better and always you have to think like this.

“If you think this is your best prime, it is not. I can do even better.

“If I would come with any worries then it would not go like this. I came here like ‘I can do it’ – and I am doing it.

“But I don’t say ‘I did it’ because I didn’t. It’s really early to say that. I’m doing it and hopefully I can do it even more and for longer.”

Of all his many qualities it is Szoboszlai’s self-belief and confidence which stands out.

Asked about his ambitions for this season, he said: “I want to win everything. It is never easy but no-one will ask you how it feels to be second.

“This is how I think. Hopefully everyone thinks like this.

“We have to work hard. When the players (the likes of the experienced Jordan Henderson and Fabinho) left no-one was expecting how we started, how quickly we got to know each other and how well it goes.

“We are there for each other. We are a team.”

:: In the first three years of the Game On programme, funded by Nike and delivered by the LFC Foundation, more than 8,000 local children aged between seven and 12 and 46 grassroots sports clubs have been engaged with coaching delivered in 15 different sports.

Ange Postecoglou was pleased Premier League leaders Tottenham passed their latest exam with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Crystal Palace and was in no mood to stop fans dreaming of a title challenge.

Spurs moved five points clear at the summit after they recovered from a sluggish first half at Selhurst Park to score twice in 13 second-half minutes.

An own-goal from Joel Ward broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when he deflected James Maddison’s cross beyond Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and it was 2-0 soon after when Tottenham captain Son Heung-min steered home after Brennan Johnson’s assist.

Jordan Ayew reduced the deficit for Palace in the fourth minute of stoppage-time, but Spurs held on to extend their unbeaten top-flight run to 10 matches and move five clear of Manchester City and Arsenal, who play Manchester United and Sheffield United respectively across the weekend.

“Let them dream. That’s what being a football supporter is all about. It’s fair to say this lot have suffered a fair bit, so I’m certainly not going to dampen that,” Postecoglou said.

“Top of the table is great and the results are great but it’s more in the manner we’re doing it. Pretty much from the first game we’ve had all sorts of different challenges we’ve had to overcome.

“Every time there has been a real focus and clear-headedness about the group collectively to deal with that.

“That has been a really pleasing thing and because they’re getting rewards from that, then that gives us the opportunity to accelerate the growth of giving them more tools out there to help them for whatever we need to overcome.

“I thought tonight was going to be a real difficult game for us. Coming here, Palace’s result last week, it’s a tight ground, they’d only conceded three goals in the four games so far and how were the lads going to cope with the fact we weren’t going to create as many chances as we had been?

“I really liked the way we worked through that as a group.”

After returning to the Premier League summit with a 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday, Spurs struggled in the first half at Selhurst Park and were indebted to fine early saves from Guglielmo Vicario to deny Ayew and Odsonne Edouard.

Postecoglou, who had lambasted his side for their second-half showing earlier in the week, introduced Emerson Royal for Ben Davies at the break and watched Ward put into his own net from Maddison’s cross to open the scoring.

It was 2-0 when Son fired home for his eighth goal of the campaign following Johnson’s smart pass, his first assist since a £45million deadline-day transfer from Nottingham Forest.

While Ayew managed to reduce the deficit – in the fourth minute of stoppage time after a lengthy VAR check – Tottenham stood firm to claim a fourth-straight win and show another side with a dogged defensively display, despite enjoying more than 70 per cent possession.

Postecoglou added: “I have always felt that matchdays are about the players. What we try to do on a daily basis is give them the tools to find the solutions.

“We prep them for their exam at the weekend, but we don’t know what the questions are going to be. They’ve got to work them out themselves.

“In an exam you are not asking anybody for help. You have to work it out yourself and hopefully what we’ve given them is the tools.”

Palace boss Roy Hodgson was disappointed to suffer a second-consecutive defeat and admitted his substitutes weakened his team.

“I thought it was an aggressive and quite-controlled first half from our side, but of course the first goal then produces a second,” he said.

“That is when we start putting players on the field, players who have not really played with the first team, Jes (Rak-Sakyi), (Naouirou) Ahamada, (Matheus) Franca and we lost the intensity we were able to do in the first half.

“In the end it became easy for them (Tottenham) to see the game through.”

The beleaguered Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is claiming that it has now paid in full balances due to the Women's World Cup team.

In a statement Friday, the JFF that has been involved in yet another dispute with the senior women’s team, also said they will also start processing payments to all players who played in the qualifying rounds but were not in the final World Cup squad.

“We are always grateful for the contribution made by all our players and are happy that we have been able to settle these outstanding amounts,” the JFF said.

This development seemingly brings about an end at least one of several concerns expressed by the players, who recently declined invitations to represent the country in the ongoing qualification match for the Gold Cup. As a result, a brand new squad was selected and is being coached by interim head coach Xavier Gilbert.

That team lost 2-1 to Panama on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the JFF released a statement seeking to clarify several issues regarding this latest dispute wherein the players declined to accept invitations for the Gold Cup qualifiers citing the unpaid monies and the uncertainty surrounding the coaching situation after the JFF decided not to renew the contract of Lorne Donaldson, who had led the team to a historic round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup earlier this year.

In that statement the JFF said the only money that was owed to the Reggae Girls was the 20 per cent of the JFF prize money from the 2023 Women's World Cup.

“The reason for this amount being outstanding, is that although the contract stated that an amount of 20 per cent is to be paid to the players (including those playing in the qualification matches), it did not specify how the amount is to be distributed amongst the players,” the federation said.

“JFF reached out to the players to ask them how the 20 per cent should be divided between them, and just last week we suggested a formula, in order to expedite the process. We did not receive a response and so advised that we would start processing along the lines of the formula we had put forward. This was done.”

Since then, Jamaica’s sports minister Olivia Grange, said she was seeking to have the matter settled between the two parties. It is unclear what impact her intervention had on the development announced on Friday.

Meantime, the JFF said it is now shifting its focus to the remaining qualifier between Jamaica and Guatemala on Sunday.

Mauricio Pochettino empathises with supporters angry about the Premier League’s decision to move Chelsea’s trip to Wolves to Christmas Eve, admitting it has thrown his festive plans and anniversary celebrations with his wife into chaos.

The league confirmed on Thursday that the fixture, which has been pushed back 24 hours to accommodate TV coverage, will be the first played on December 24 since Manchester United played Leeds in 1995, a move that has drawn a backlash from fans.

Scheduled for a 1pm kick-off, it could leave supporters struggling to make travel arrangements with train timetables typically amended or curtailed the day before Christmas, while there are also concerns it will impact time supporters traditionally spend with family.

Pochettino is set to be doubly affected by the move, as not only is it Argentinian custom to begin Christmas celebrations late on December 24, the previous day also marks his and his wife’s 31st wedding anniversary – which he will now spend travelling to Wolverhampton.

Despite not being consulted by the league he conceded that the club has little choice but to go along, but backed objections by supporters who have spoken out.

“It’s a little bit strange but we need to accept the rules of the Premier League, that we need to go there and to play,” said Pochettino.

“(In Argentina) we celebrate on the night of the 24th. At 12 o’clock on the night we start to celebrate Christmas. More than the 25th because you’re asleep nearly all day. Here it’s different because you celebrate on the 25th with the family.

“I need to see things in a different way. For sure our fans are not happy but we need to accept this new era in football.

“(The Premier League) didn’t ask us. They wanted some meeting with me and all the coaches one week before the season. I said I’m more than happy to share time with you, but it’s better if you prepare the meeting before the end of the season to prepare the next season.

“If they ask me I will give my opinion, but at the moment we are not involved in the decisions.”

He added: “I don’t know what to do (with my wife). I need to find some ideas to compensate. (Search online for) ‘unhappy wife’.”

The Wolves game is the first of three in seven days for Chelsea over the Christmas period, with Crystal Palace due at Stamford Bridge on the evening of December 27 before visiting Luton on December 30.

The Palace game has been moved from Boxing Day in order to accommodate the controversial Christmas Eve fixture.

Pochettino reiterated that supporters’ concerns must be paramount in scheduling decisions.

“We play and we work and all that we are doing is for our fans,” he said. “Without fans, football (is nothing). We need to protect, and to care, and to look after our fans.

“Of course I agree with them, that I am not happy if they are not happy. It’s common sense. I can understand.

“I don’t know what is behind it. I don’t know why. No one explained. I cannot tell. I hope it’s one time and never again, but we’ll see what happens.

“People love football in England and they are going to be there. Our fans are going to be there supporting the team. But I don’t know if it’s going to be a regular situation.”

Asked whether the club would offer a new contract to Conor Gallagher – who has captained the side in the absence of injured pair Reece James and Ben Chilwell – Pochettino likened the situation to the balancing act he now faces on the home front.

“It’s like how we were talking about my wife,” he said. “It’s about to match and to feel good being together. It’s like a marriage with the club. They both need to feel good, then you can drive at a good deal.

“He is a player that is doing fantastic. He’s an amazing player and we’re so happy with the way he is doing things.”

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has warned that his England team-mate Marcus Rashford remains an opponent to be feared.

The Manchester United striker has been in poor form this season and has scored just one goal for the club heading into Sunday’s derby against City at Old Trafford.

It is a far cry from last term when the 25-year-old netted 30 goals in all competitions, including the winner in the corresponding Premier League fixture against City.

Walker said: “I think Marcus has shown over the years that he’s the sort of player who can create problems for any side if they don’t match him.

“He’s been important for both United and England since he was a teenager because of the threat he offers to any team he’s in. He’s got a lot of different qualities and we know he can be dangerous at the weekend.”

Rashford’s decisive 82nd-minute strike on City’s last trip across town in January capped a controversial fightback by the home side.

United had cancelled out Jack Grealish’s opener just four minutes earlier through Bruno Fernandes despite Rashford having been in an offside position during the build-up.

After bouncing back spectacularly by winning the treble – and beating United in the FA Cup final – Walker insists City are not motivated by revenge.

“I don’t think we think like that,” said the right-back. “Last season is done, we lost at Old Trafford and went on to win the treble. Ultimately that’s what matters.

“Of course this game means a lot but it’s part of a bigger picture and, OK we lost last season and the luck didn’t go in our favour, but we bounced back from that and did what we did.

“We want to win the game because of what it means and because ultimately it will help us in trying to win the Premier League again. We don’t need to think beyond that.

“We’ve had some great games against them in recent years and our focus is on giving the fans something to enjoy again on Sunday.”

City are in a strong position despite a blip before the recent international break, when they lost to Wolves and Arsenal, and lacking the intensity they showed at the end of last season.

Walker said: “People keep saying how hard it must be to get motivated because of what we achieved last season but we’re all competitors who want to win. We’ve shown that year after year.

“If it was hard to get motivated then we wouldn’t have won three Premier Leagues in a row.

“We go into every game wanting to win, for ourselves, for this club and it’s the reason we’ve been so successful. That doesn’t go away just because we did something special last season.”

Premier League leaders Tottenham recovered from a sluggish first half to win 2-1 at Crystal Palace and extend their lead at the summit to five points.

Ange Postecoglou’s side found life tough at Selhurst Park initially, but moved through the gears in the second period and went ahead when Joel Ward put through his own net in the 53rd minute following James Maddison’s centre.

Captain Son Heung-min made the points safe 13 minutes later with a close-range finish for his eighth goal this season to ensure high-flying Spurs extended their unbeaten top-flight start to 10 matches.

Jordan Ayew struck late on for Palace, but victory moved Tottenham five points clear of Manchester City, who visit rivals Manchester United on Sunday, and while that gap is unlikely to remain come the end of the weekend, this latest test passed by Postecoglou’s new-look team will only increase the optimism growing in N17.

The Australian made two changes from Monday night with left-back Destiny Udogie unavailable due to muscle tightness, which resulted in Ben Davies making his first league start this term, while Yves Bissouma returned to the starting line-up following his one-match ban.

Spurs were poor during the opening exchanges against a Palace side eager to respond to their 4-0 thrashing at Newcastle with Guglielmo Vicario twice called into action early on.

Vicario first denied Ayew’s low effort in the sixth-minute before he produced a smart save to thwart the snapshot of Odsonne Edouard, who was leading the line for the hosts.

Hodgson would have been pleased with the response to Palace’s thrashing in the North East after Will Hughes and Joel Ward snapped into tackles with Micky van de Ven and Maddison.

Maddison’s influence had been limited, but he sliced a tough half-volley chance into the Holmesdale Stand before Richarlison dragged wide from outside the area.

The opening half an hour in south London had been stop-start, which suited Palace who forced four corners in a row towards the end of the first 45, but Tottenham survived to walk off at half-time level.

Postecoglou had lambasted the second half showing against Fulham and would have been equally frustrated with this display after Spurs failed to have a shot on target despite more than 70 per cent possession.

He reacted with Emerson Royal introduced for Davies and while the visitors’ wait for a first shot on target continued, they still managed to break the deadlock in the 53rd minute.

Tottenham’s goal came from their right side with Pedro Porro playing in Pape Sarr, who cut back for Maddison and his smashed effort across goal bounced off Ward and into the Palace net.

It was tough on Palace but Hodgson’s side immediately searched for an equaliser and Edouard had a shot deflected over by Cristian Romero.

Marc Guehi headed wide from the resulting corner before Postecoglou made further changes with Brennan Johnson and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg brought on.

Johnson needed barely two minutes to make his mark with a first assist for the club since a £45million deadline day move from Nottingham Forest.

The substitute started the move with a cushioned header into Maddison, who passed back into Johnson and he smartly recycled the ball to Son and the Spurs captain rifled home from close-range in the 66th minute.

After Tottenham switched off at 2-0 up against Fulham, there was little chance of a repeat and Postecoglou sent on Rodrigo Bentancur for his first appearance since he suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage to his left knee in February.

Bentancur’s arrival on the pitch was met with big cheers by the away fans, but the travelling support endured a nervy finale.

Ayew reduced the deficit four minutes into stoppage time when he controlled Joachim Anderson’s cross and fired beyond Vicario, which was eventually awarded after a lengthy VAR check.

Palace pushed for a last-gasp leveller and forced several set-pieces before substitute Matheus Franca sliced wide under pressure from Porro to confirm a fourth consecutive win for leaders Spurs.

Queen’s Park saw their winless Championship streak extended to eight games following a topsy-turvy 2-2 draw at home to Partick Thistle.

The hosts dominated the majority of the first-half possession but could not break the deadlock with efforts from Lewis Reid and Dom Thomas kept out before Alex Bannon headed wide, while the Spiders had a goal ruled out for a foul on Thistle goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon.

At the other end, Brian Graham and Kerr McInroy both tested Calum Ferrie before Louis Longridge conceded a penalty – on the stoke of half-time – which Steven Lawless converted to put the visitors ahead.

Queen’s Park equalised seven minutes into the second half as Ruari Paton fired home a spot-kick of his own, awarded following a foul from Ola Williams on Jack Turner.

Four minutes later, Turner picked out the top corner to hand the home side the lead, but they were pegged back on-loan Swindon striker Tomi Adeloye moments later as the spoils were shared.

Lauren Hemp’s first-half strike was all it took for England to secure a vital 1-0 Nations League group-stage victory over Belgium in front of 28,321 at Leicester’s King Power Stadium.

Belgium had entered the contest as Group A1 leaders but by the final whistle they had been knocked off the top spot by the Netherlands, while the Lionesses moved up to second place.

The first of two October legs with the Red Flames also marked a return to England action for midfielder Fran Kirby, who came on as a substitute in the 65th minute after more than a year out due to a series of issues, including the knee injury and subsequent surgery that kept her out of contention for the World Cup.

England need to finish top of the group to progress in the tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for next summer’s Paris Olympics.

Both teams entered wearing black armbands in honour of England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton, who died on Saturday morning.

Niamh Charles – one of three changes for Sarina Wiegman – got herself involved early, linking up with Alex Greenwood before cutting into the penalty area, where a flurry of chances for the hosts ended with Chelsea defender Charles sending an effort over the crossbar.

It was not long before the Lionesses were back on the prowl, Hemp forcing a quick one-handed reaction from Belgium goalkeeper Nicky Evrard, the ball bouncing threateningly loose from the one-handed stop but – to the relief of the visitors – away from any white shirts.

The Red Flames finally broke free and won a corner, initially handled by England, but the ball remained inside the Lionesses’ half where it was quickly collected by Tessa Wullaert, who floated a cross into Justine Vanhaevermaet.

The Everton midfielder connected and forced a save from Mary Earps, who spilled the stop and the ball clipped the post before she was able to cradle the rebound.

England soon took the lead following a narrow miss from Millie Bright, who connected with Chloe Kelly’s corner and pinged a backwards header off the right post, but the ball took a favourable bounce into the path of Hemp, who turned it past Evrard with her left foot.

Both sides had further first-half chances, with Earps forced into a precautionary dive when Wullaert’s effort deflected off Bright’s lower leg before Kassandra Missipo fired over.

England missed an opportunity to make it two when Alessia Russo could not quite connect with Charles’ delivery across the face of goal and another late chance for the Arsenal summer signing landed squarely in Evrard’s arms for a simple stop.

The Lionesses began the second half aggressively as Kelly’s cross deflected off Tine De Caigny in the area and into the path of Russo, who sent an effort over.

Earps elicited a roar when she leapt to her left to deny substitute Sarah Wijnants, but while the hosts enjoyed double their opponents’ three attempts on target as the encounter entered its 70th minute, they still had just Hemp’s opener to show for it.

Wiegman made two substitutions, swapping Russo for Rachel Daly and replacing Ella Toone with Kirby as England pushed for more, next through Greenwood, who aimed her free-kick for the top-right corner where it was tipped away by Evrard.

The Lionesses survived a scramble in front of Earps and Wiegman made another change, bringing on Jess Park for Kelly as the 85th minute approached.

England staged another late surge and perhaps should have scored more but – in the end – it was just Hemp who made it count.