Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja were on target as Chelsea claimed west London derby bragging rights with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Mudryk opened the scoring before Broja doubled their tally – one minute later – to give the Blues an important three points on the road.
The win brought Chelsea’s three-match winless run in the league to an end and relieved some pressure from the shoulders of Mauricio Pochettino as his side began to turn a corner.
Chelsea started with intent. The visitors enjoyed touches of the ball in dangerous areas and looked positive through the likes of Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez, who fed the pacey Mudryk, who blazed over his first attempt in the 10th minute.
But the Ukraine international did not have to be asked twice when he put Chelsea ahead after 18 minutes.
Levi Colwill’s curled pass unleashed the rapid Mudryk, who calmy finished past Bernd Leno to score his first-ever Chelsea goal.
And a minute after the restart, the Blues doubled their lead.
Palmer – who started in his first league game for the away side – pounced on a misplaced pass and slipped through Broja, who found a gap and fired home to give Chelsea a 2-0 advantage.
It was two big chances and two goals for Pochettino’s men, who finally began to show signs of being clinical, having gone three English top-flight games without finding the back of the net.
Fulham were anonymous for much of the first half, but they had a half-chance when the misfiring Raul Jimenez jumped highest at a corner and directed his effort wide of Robert Sanchez’s post in the 41st minute.
Marco Silva brought midweek scorers Carlos Vinicius and Alex Iwobi on at half-time in search of a response and Nigeria international Iwobi started bright when he got on the end of Willian’s cross – but his effort fell kindly into the gloves of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
And Carlos Vinicius was lucky to avoid red when he appeared to strike Thiago Silva with his hand before he combined with Iwobi on the hour, where he was stopped in his tracks by Chelsea’s tight defence.
The visitors sought a third on the break when Broja and Palmer worked together to find substitute Ian Maatsen. But his first-time effort cannoned off goalkeeper Bernd Leno’s post before Fernandez’s rebound was denied by the German in goal.
Craven Cottage cried for a goal in the 73rd minute as time ebbed away.
Timothy Castagne marauded down the right flank and did well to beat his man before his driven cross found the head of Vinicius, who again failed to test Sanchez.
The Cottagers looked flat all game and were in clear need of an strong outlet up front to challenge Axel Disasi and 39-year-old Thiago Silva, who were making light work of any Fulham attack.
This was summed up in 12 minutes from time when Sasa Lukic missed a golden opportunity from six yards after Willian’s well-weighted pass.
Chelsea continued to nullify any threats from the hosts and held on to seal victory during five added minutes to move up to 11th in the table.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is considering changing his bid and buying a minority stake in Manchester United, according to reports.
Ineos founder Ratcliffe, who had attempted to buy Chelsea last year, joined the race to purchase United in January and had been the sole bidder before Sheikh Jassim entered the running a month later.
A lengthy takeover saga has followed with numerous bids entered by both boyhood fan Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim, but no progress has been made over any potential change of ownership from the Glazer family, who announced in November they were open to selling the club.
Manchester United’s valuation on the New York Stock Exchange plummeted by more than £500million last month in the wake of reports the Glazers may not sell.
It is now being reported that Ratcliffe, the second-richest person in the UK according to the Sunday Times Rich List, could decide to buy a minority stake in the Premier League giants.
Sky News report Ratcliffe may seek a stake in the region of 25 per cent as part of a proposal to try to bring the drawn-out sale process to an end, having initially wanted to complete a majority takeover.
If the Glazers accepted this new reported offer, it would see the American family still retain majority control of the club they first bought in 2005.
United fans have protested against the Glazers for years and thousands took part in an hour-long sit-in at Old Trafford after a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in August.
It has been 18 years since the Americans’ controversial leveraged takeover and over 10 months since they announced a strategic review.
Ratcliffe’s team declined to comment when contacted by the PA news agency.
The Jamaica Football Federation has reportedly identified potential candidates to fill the head coaching vacancy with the Senior Women’s National Team.
The position was opened after the JFF decided not to renew the contract of former head coach, Lorne Donaldson, after the team lost a pair of Olympic Qualifying fixtures to Canada in September.
“The interviewing process will begin this week, as we have received a number of applications from experienced and qualified individuals. Soon, a short list will be selected for final interviews. Importantly, this also includes the reengagement of members of the coaching and technical staff,” a post on the federation’s Instagram page stated on Monday.
“The JFF is committed to ensuring that the women’s program is given the best opportunity to succeed and continue the significant accomplishments that have brought much pride to Jamaica,” the statement continued.
Donaldson was appointed Reggae Girlz head coach in June 2022 and led the national women’s team to their second consecutive qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. At the World Cup, he took Jamaica to a historic round of 16 after drawing with France and Brazil and defeating Panama in the group stage.
VAR is now at a “crisis point”, according to pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Liverpool had a Luis Diaz goal incorrectly ruled out for offside during Saturday’s Premier League defeat at Tottenham due to miscommunication between VAR Darren England and on-field referee Simon Hooper.
The match was goalless at the time of the incident, with the Reds – who were eventually reduced to nine men – going on to lose 2-1 to an own goal from Joel Matip deep into stoppage time.
Liverpool issued a statement on Sunday night saying they would “explore the range of options available given the clear need for escalation and resolution”.
The PA news agency understands the Reds have now formally requested the audio of the conversation between the two from referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
Former Liverpool and England defender Carragher was analysing the incident ahead of Monday night’s live Premier League game between Fulham and Chelsea at Craven Cottage.
The Sky Sports pundit believes the whole system is now under more pressure than ever.
“I don’t think the feeling around VAR has ever been lower – I do feel as if this is almost like a crisis point for VAR in this country,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“It is not just on the back of this decision, it is what has been happening all season, like when there was a situation with Wolves against Manchester United (in the first Monday night televised match of the new season).
“I don’t want to pile on to an official or (PGMOL chief refereeing officer) Howard Webb, I could imagine they feel absolutely awful (over) the last couple of days.
“I am not into the conspiracy theories, that this one favours that team or another – no-one gains anything from this in terms of the officials.
“We have all been there in our jobs and made mistakes, so I feel for them – but it is an horrendous mistake, that is unprecedented and you can’t actually quite believe the explanation that has been given.”
PGMOL issued a statement on Saturday night acknowledging a “significant error” had occurred. Hooper and his assistants had given offside against Diaz on the field, and PA understands that although England followed the correct procedure in drawing lines, he lost focus and mistakenly thought the initial on-field decision had been onside.
This resulted in him issuing a ‘check complete’ notice to Hooper, rather than advising of an intervention and the goal being awarded.
Once the officials realised an error had been made, play had restarted and VAR protocols state that once that has happened, there is no way back to revisit a decision.
Carragher, though, believes the incident could have been quickly resolved at the time.
“They were saying they were staying with protocol about not allowing to stop the game. I don’t believe that. They panicked. They froze,” he said.
“I know that’s the rule, but that’s a red-tape rule. If they had reversed it, we’d have been praising their leadership.
“There’s talk that the officials didn’t know until half-time that a mistake had been made, when that ball goes out of play [after the incident] the look on that referee’s face, it’s a look of something has gone wrong.
“I think it’s unbelievable that all the parties involved haven’t released the audio. I find it unfathomable.
“The only way Howard Webb and PGMOL will gain any sort of credibility back was to get it out there.
“The problem they have now is the explanation is so random and bizarre, the longer this goes on, the more people will think they’re trying to put a story together.”
Arsenal’s preparations for their first away Champions League game in six-and-a-half years were thrown into chaos due to travel delays.
Mikel Arteta’s side face Lens in their Group B clash at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Tuesday night but had to cancel their pre-match press conference on the eve of the game.
The Arsenal boss was due to speak to the media with France defender William Saliba at 1900 local time but their chartered flight was grounded at Luton airport.
The Gunners had trained at London Colney at 1130BST before being due to travel to France on Monday afternoon but bad weather saw those plans cancelled.
The PA news agency understands Arsenal will not face a fine as the cancellation was out of their control – with the squad waiting over three hours at Luton before being able to make the short hop over the channel.
Among the travelling party stuck at Luton were Bukayo Saka – who was passed fit to travel despite limping off injured at Bournemouth on Saturday – and fit-again midfielder Thomas Partey.
Partey had been sidelined since August with a groin injury and the club hoped to have him back for the visit of Manchester City on Sunday.
“He’s progressed really well in the last two weeks and he managed to train in the last two or three days with the team and that’s great news for us, obviously,” Arteta said of the Ghana international.
“I think his progression in the last week has been very good. He might have some exposure tomorrow depending how the game goes.”
Both Arteta and Saliba later spoke to a small number of reporters over the phone and the latter insisted everything would be fine heading into the game.
Asked if he was confident the team would still be at their best, he replied: “Yes, of course. We have to arrive first but tomorrow is another day and we will give our best against Lens.
“It is a really good feeling. My second game in the Champions League with Arsenal. I can’t wait to play in France so it is a good feeling.
“We know it won’t be an easy game. It is a really good team who finished second last season.
“They didn’t start well but in the last two or three games, they are better so we have to be focused on tomorrow and give our best.”
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti would not be drawn on whether he thinks Jude Bellingham is currently the best midfielder in the world.
Bellingham, 20, scored his eighth goal in eight appearances in all competitions for Real in Saturday’s 3-0 LaLiga win at Girona.
He scored the winner in the Spanish giants’ opening Champions League game against Union Berlin two weeks ago and will aim to maintain his dream start for Ancelotti’s side in Italy against Group C rivals Napoli on Tuesday night.
Ancelotti told a press conference: “I think Bellingham has adapted very well to his new team. He’s doing very well and is showing all of his quality.
“If someone thinks he’s the best in the world then great. I think we have the best team in the world.”
Ancelotti is under no illusions as to the size of his side’s task on his return to the club who sacked him after 18 months in charge in 2019.
“Coming back here makes me remember the time I lived in the city. In this wonderful city,” Ancelotti added. “There were good moments, others less so, but the experience was positive.
“The match is the toughest for us in this group, but the reality is that we are used to it. The Real Madrid shirt weighs on us and will also weigh on the opponent.
“We are playing against one of the strongest teams in Italy, who did very well a year ago.”
Napoli, who beat Braga 2-1 in Portugal in their opening group game, sit third in Serie A, four points behind top two Inter and Milan.
Head coach Rudi Garcia, whose side appear to be hitting top form after back-to-back 4-1 and 4-0 wins against Udinese and Lecce, described Ancelotti’s squad as “unique”.
Garcia told a press conference: “They were good at signing Bellingham to replace (Karim) Benzema although they don’t cover the same position, but they were also good at signing Joselu.
“They have many valuable players technically, but also tall and strong players for set pieces.
“They have many strong footballers with technique and physicality. I don’t know who Carlo Ancelotti will play, but we must be focused on ourselves and know who we face.”
Garcia said there was nothing to compare with the Champions League, adding: “The Champions League is the best competition, it’s a special moment for coaches and players.
“Just listening to the music is enough to get motivation. Napoli must play in the Champions League every season.”
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has urged his side to “stick with the positive things” ahead of their Champions League clash against Copenhagen.
His comments came following Bayern’s second-half turnaround against RB Leipzig at the weekend, where they were suddenly 2-0 down from two goals within six minutes of each other in the first half.
England captain Harry Kane then sparked the comeback before Leroy Sane snatched a point to draw 2-2 and Tuchel is determined to take the positives forward into future fixtures.
“We analyse it all and are drawing our conclusions, which we’ll discuss with the teams,” he told a pre-match press conference.
“We’re trying to develop a better plan and fill it with more life. We’re still finding a way to get into games, which is the positive. We’ll stick with the positive things.”
Bayern’s next game takes place in the Champions League as they travel to Denmark to face Copenhagen, who earned a point against Galatasaray in their opening fixture.
Speaking ahead of the game, Joshua Kimmich echoed his manager’s sentiments, adding that Bayern need to retain concentration for the task ahead on Tuesday night.
“We weren’t in the game against Leipzig in the first half, invited the opponent with too many simple mistakes,” he told a press conference.
“That can’t happen tomorrow. We have to go about our business with concentration over 90 minutes, then I believe we’ll win the game.”
Munich got off to a winning start in the competition last month after an eventful clash against Manchester United, which ended 4-3 at the Allianz Arena.
Sane, Serge Gnabry, Kane and Mathys Tel were all on target for Bayern, who shot to the top of Group A after the first round of fixtures.
The Danish side took a 2-0 lead through Mohamed Elyounoussi and Diogo Goncalves against Galatasaray, but after Elias Jelert was sent off in the 73rd minute the Turkish Super Lig champions staged a comeback with two quick goals in the final 10 minutes.
Another tough test lies ahead for Bayern away to Copenhagen, who managed to draw all of their home games in the Champions League last season and Tuchel knows not to underestimate any side in the competition.
He said: “I’ve never seen an easy group stage, every game has its own character, Galatasaray scored two late goals. The focus is 100 per cent on Copenhagen.
“I’ve watched their games, we’ll prepare seriously. We first wanted to conclude the Leipzig game.
“We’ll limit it to two meetings, keep the info to a minimum. I have the greatest respect for every opponent in the Champions League, it’s the toughest club competition in the world.
“Copenhagen didn’t lose a home game in the Champions League last season against Manchester City, Dortmund and Sevilla. The drive to be the top team is big, but the facts are in our favour.
“(Jacob Neestrup) is a very young and successful coach, Copenhagen are the club winning all the titles in Denmark.
“He’s got a clear style. We’re expecting Copenhagen in a 4-3-3 formation, they’re very compact, very dangerous on the counter, and we’re expecting a mix of long balls and passing play.”
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi has warned his side must match Benfica’s high intensity when they go head-to-head again in the Champions League.
The Nerazzurri drew their opening Group D match with Real Sociedad, while Benfica lost at home to Red Bull Salzburg having played most of the match with 10 men.
Inter beat the Portuguese side at the quarter-final stage of last season’s Champions League as they went on to finish as runners-up to Manchester City.
View this post on Instagram
Inzaghi knows just what to expect when they face Roger Schmidt’s men again at San Siro on Tuesday night.
“It will be a tough match – we will be facing a team that play at a very high intensity and won the Portuguese Super Cup (in August),” Inzaghi said.
“They are a well-established team because they have had the same head coach for a while now.
“They lost their first Champions League match, but played the vast majority of the match with 10 men. Despite that, they had several chances and deserved a different result.”
Inzaghi told a press conference: “They possess more quality (this season), but their playing principles remain the same. We need to display intensity because Benfica are a great side.
“Benfica are coming into this game on the back of a victory over Porto, while we managed to win in Salerno.
“We are convinced we can produce a big performance. I am happy with how we’re progressing, and we promise to always give everything and win as many matches as possible.”
Inter’s veteran wing-back Juan Cuadrado, a summer signing from Juventus, has been recovering from tendinitis since early September, but could be back in contention for the European tie after being able to return to full training with the rest of the squad.
“I still have to make my assessments as far as who will play from the start,” Inzaghi said.
“We were without him after the first matches (of the season), and I am counting on him in the next matches.”
Midfielders Stefano Sensi and Davide Frattesi, though, are still not under consideration while forward Marko Arnautovic remains sidelined by a hamstring strain.
Schmidt feels Inter have carried on from where they left off last season.
“They are at the top of the (Italian) league and they play good football,” the Benfica coach told a press conference.
“They haven’t lost key players, they are used to each other and have the same coach, so it is a challenge to play against them. They are a complete team.
View this post on Instagram
“We are not afraid. We know it is difficult, but we believe in ourselves.
“We have experience in European games and what we try to do is show our best football, maintain our approach and fight for the three points, so that is the objective for tomorrow.”
Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva will be suspended having been sent off after just 13 minutes against Salzburg, while Brazilian defender Joao Victor has been left out of the travelling squad for disciplinary reasons.
St. Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS), Browns Town, and Wycliffe Martin High were all big winners in their ISSA/Wata DaCosta Cup games on Saturday.
STETHS, the five-time DaCosta Cup champions, had the biggest win of the season so far when they crushed Roger Clarke High 20-0 in their Zone E game played in Santa Cruz.
DeAndre Barnett scored six times to lead STETHS while Justin McPherson also had a hat trick and D’Andre Hibbert scored in his sixth consecutive game.
BB Coke High moved into second place on 13 points after their 2-1 win over Munro College, who were losing for the first time. Lacovia High beat Sydney Pagon 5-1 and Maggotty High beat Newell High 3-1 in the days other Zone clashes.
Browns Town High were 12-1 winners over Discovery Bay High in Zone C, where Cedric Titus High’s winning streak also ended, coming from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against York Castle High in a top-of-the-zone clash.
William Knibb Memorial beat Aabuthnott Gallimore 5-0 with two goals each from Theonjae Bennett and Koran Henriques as Ocho Rios High were 6-0 winners over Ferncourt High.
Wycliffe Martin whipped Iona High 8-1 but Tacky High just managed to stay on top in Zone I despite being held 2-2 by St Mary High, Horace Clarke High moved up to second place after beating Annotto Bay High 2-0.
Other results from Saturday:
Cornwall College 1 Maldon 0
St. James 2 Green Pond 1
Spot Valley 0 Irwin 1
Cambridge 0-Merlene Ottey 1
Green Island 0 Frome 6
Carron Hall 2 St. Mary Tech 3
May Day 1 Manchester 3
Belair 12 Cross Keys 0
Mt. St. Joseph 0 DeCarteret College 6
Liverpool have made a formal request to access the audio related to Saturday’s offside controversy at Tottenham, the PA news agency understands.
The club had a Luis Diaz goal ruled out in north London due to miscommunication between VAR Darren England and on-field referee Simon Hooper. The Premier League game was goalless at the time of the incident, with the Reds going on to lose 2-1.
PA understands the Reds have now formally requested the audio of the conversation between the two from referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
Liverpool issued a statement on Sunday night saying they would “explore the range of options available given the clear need for escalation and resolution”.
Much of the focus since has been on precisely how the club would like the matter escalated and resolved, and their first step has been to seek access to precisely what England and Hooper said to each other which led to the mistake.
PGMOL issued a statement on Saturday night acknowledging a “significant error” had occurred. Hooper and his assistants had given offside against Diaz on the field, and the PA news agency understands that although England followed the correct procedure in drawing lines, he lost focus and mistakenly thought the initial on-field decision had been onside.
This resulted in him issuing a ‘check complete’ notice to Hooper, rather than advising of an intervention and the goal being awarded.
Once the officials realised an error had been made, play had restarted and VAR protocols state that once that has happened, there is no way back to revisit a decision.
England was replaced as a fourth official for the Nottingham Forest v Brentford match on Sunday while his assistant VAR at Tottenham, Dan Cook, has been replaced for Monday night’s match between Fulham and Chelsea.
Referee and VAR appointments for the coming weekend’s matches are due to be announced at 10am on Tuesday morning.
Liverpool are seeking further information about the review into Saturday’s offside controversy at Tottenham before deciding on next steps.
The club had a Luis Diaz goal ruled out in north London due to a miscommunication between VAR Darren England and on-field referee Simon Hooper. The Premier League game was goalless at the time of the incident, with the Reds going on to lose 2-1.
Liverpool issued a statement on Sunday night saying they would “explore the range of options available given the clear need for escalation and resolution”.
Much of the focus since has been on precisely how the club would like the matter escalated and resolved, but PA understands at this stage the key word in the statement from a Liverpool perspective is “explore”.
They are seeking greater clarity and transparency over precisely what the review of the incident promised by referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) will entail.
The Reds acknowledge there is no playbook and no established procedure to deal with this set of circumstances, as there would be in the case of appealing against a red card for instance.
PGMOL issued a statement on Saturday night acknowledging a “significant error” had occurred. Hooper and his assistants had given offside against Diaz on the field, and the PA news agency understands that although England followed the correct procedure in drawing lines, he lost focus and mistakenly thought the initial onfield decision had been onside.
This resulted in him issuing a ‘check complete’ notice to Hooper, rather than advising of an intervention and the goal being awarded.
Once the officials realised an error had been made, play had restarted and VAR protocols state that once that has happened, there is no way back to revisit a decision.
England was replaced as a fourth official for the Nottingham Forest v Brentford match on Sunday while his assistant VAR at Tottenham, Dan Cook, has been replaced for Monday night’s match between Fulham and Chelsea.
Referee and VAR appointments for the coming weekend’s matches are due to be announced at 10am on Tuesday morning.
The controversy over the Diaz goal has led to calls for the conversation between England and Hooper to be broadcast.
PGMOL has not ruled out the possibility of the audio forming part of the next ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’ programme, which is due to air next Monday.
England and Cook had been part of a team of officials who oversaw a fixture between Sharjah and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, arriving back in the UK on Friday morning.
Requests for English officials to take charge of domestic matches overseas are made to the Football Association, with permission for officials to travel granted jointly by the FA and PGMOL.
Just as players involved in Europa League matches on a Thursday do not return to domestic action until Sunday, so officials’ duties are balanced to take account of any overseas assignments in the week.
For instance, Michael Oliver, who refereed the match in the UAE last week, was a fourth official on Saturday but was back to refereeing at Forest on Sunday.
Nor was the UAE trip unusual. It was the fifth time in the last 10 months that officials have overseen domestic matches overseas, with Tom Bramall and Andy Madley leading teams to Japan in January and the early summer respectively, Oliver officiating a Saudi match in April and Craig Pawson going to Greece in May.
That is on top of English officials frequently being called upon for club and national team matches in international competitions.
Liverpool’s statement said the error that occurred had led to sporting integrity being undermined, but Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said on Monday he still had complete “trust” in referees.
“Well, I’m not so often giving comment on refereeing because they do what they have to do,” the Dutchman said.
“Of course, the standard has to be high and it’s a part of the game.
“Of course, you can expect, we can expect, teams can expect, the fans can all expect, that it has to be a high standard – so it should be because it’s Premier League.
“But I think and I’m sure they do what they can. They are very professional, so they will give their best and I trust them.”
Lamine Yamal has signed a new contract with Barcelona until June 2026.
The 16-year-old winger made his breakthrough last season, becoming the Catalan club’s youngest-ever player when he made his debut against Real Betis in April aged 15 years, nine months and 16 days old.
Yamal has made nine appearances for Xavi’s side so far this season and also won his first Spain cap in September.
The winger, who joined Barcelona aged seven, scored on his Spain debut against Georgia – becoming the youngest-ever player and goalscorer for La Roja, breaking team-mate Gavi’s record.
Yamal now has a buyout clause set at one billion euros (£870m).
The Champions League returns on Tuesday for the second round of group stage fixtures.
Last month’s opening round provided a mixed bag of results, with two of the Premier League’s four representatives getting off to a winning start.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at the opponents English clubs will be facing this week.
Manchester United v Galatasaray (Tuesday)View this post on Instagram
Galatasaray earned a spot in the competition through the qualifying rounds, where they won all four out of five matches before being drawn into Group A.
A successful season saw them win the Super Lig title last year under manager Okan Buruk, lifting the trophy for a 23rd time, and there are a few new ex-Premier League acquisitions who could feature at Old Trafford.
A busy transfer window saw former United and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha join the club during the summer, along with former Spurs duo Tanguy Ndombele and Davinson Sanchez.
Former Paris St Germain and Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi leads the line for the team and is the top scorer in the Super Lig so far this season with seven goals. His side sit second in the table behind the unbeaten Fenerbahce.
Galatasaray are just above United in the Group A standings, picking up one point so far in the competition after mounting a dramatic comeback against 10-man Copenhagen to draw 2-2 as Sacha Boey and Tete struck in the final 10 minutes.
Lens v Arsenal (Tuesday)
Lens secured their place in this year’s Champions League with an impressive second-placed finish in Ligue 1, just a point behind reigning champions PSG.
It marked an incredible resurgence for the club, who were playing in Ligue 2 only three years ago before returning to the top tier of French football and earning back-to-back seventh-placed finishes.
Despite their success last season, Lens have struggled in the league this year and are lingering above the relegation zone with only one point separating them and Lorient in the drop zone.
After losing their first league game against Brest, the northern French side were winless for their next four games, which included losses to PSG and league leaders Monaco.
However, in their first Champions League tie since 2002, Lens earned a point in their opening game at Sevilla as Angelo Fulgini cancelled out Lucas Ocampos’ early strike and they have since found some form to earn back-to-back league victories, their latest coming at Strasbourg on Friday night.
Newcastle v Paris St Germain (Wednesday)View this post on Instagram
If Lens have struggled to find momentum from last season, then reigning Ligue 1 champions PSG have also endured a tricky start to the new campaign as they sit fifth in the table.
With 12 points from seven league games they are only two points behind leaders Monaco, but were held to a goalless draw on Saturday as their former academy goalkeeper Mory Diaw starred for strugglers Clermont Auvergne.
There was plenty going on in Paris before the season began as Lionel Messi moved to MLS side Inter Miami and outgoing manager Christophe Galtier was replaced by former Spain and Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.
Neymar then joined the exodus to Saudi Arabia, joining Pro League side Al Hilal and star striker Kylian Mbappe’s future was the subject of speculation, with the France captain barred from senior training for a short period until the issue was resolved.
A bumpy start to the season saw PSG pick up two draws and they have since won three games, but their Champions League campaign got off to a winning start in a tough Group F, where they sit top of the standings after goals from Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi earned a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund.
RB Leipzig v Manchester City (Wednesday)
Defending champions Manchester City travel to Saxony on Wednesday as they face RB Leipzig with both sides tied at the top of Group G.
The German outfit got off to a winning start in their opening tie, beating Young Boys 3-1 with goals from Mohamed Simakan, Xaver Schlager and Benjamin Sesko.
However, they will be hoping to shake off the bad memories of last season’s meeting in the last 16 of the competition, where Erling Haaland scored five as City stormed to a 7-0 victory in a ruthless display, winning 8-1 on aggregate.
Leipzig are currently fifth in the Bundesliga and saw their four-game winning streak in the league end against Bayern Munich, who came from behind to draw 2-2.
They have only lost one other game this season in the league, to leaders Bayer Leverkusen on the opening day, and are now three points away from them in the standings.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag confirmed Antony could return in the Champions League clash against Galatasaray amid police inquiries into allegations of abuse against him.
The 23-year-old was given a leave of absence by the club last month to deal with the allegations that the winger has always strongly denied.
Antony returned to the UK from Brazil last week and attended a voluntary interview with Greater Manchester Police, with United saying on Friday that he was back available for selection.
The winger returned to training on Saturday and could feature against Turkish champions Galatasaray at Old Trafford, a month on from his last appearance at Arsenal.
“Antony will be in consideration, but yesterday was his first time back in team training,” United boss Ten Hag said.
“We have a final training (session) and then we make a decision, but he will be in consideration, yeah.”
Antony is facing several accusations of physical aggression towards his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, who spoke to Brazilian outlet UOL earlier this month.
The winger has denied those allegations, as well as further assault claims made by Rayssa de Freitas and Ingrid Lana.
Cavallin is reportedly set to speak to police later this week and Ten Hag was asked what Antony’s return to the squad says to victims of domestic violence.
“So, he cooperated fully,” the United boss said, having not heard the initial question. “It came out he’s not charged, so…”
Antony is back involved, but fellow attacker Jadon Sancho remains banished from a first-team squad beset by injuries.
Full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Sergio Reguilon are out, while Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo have been unable to feature this season.
Now key centre-back Lisandro Martinez is facing up to three months on the sidelines.
The Argentina international underwent surgery after sustaining a fractured metatarsal in April’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Sevilla.
Martinez returned to action this term, but an aggravation of that foot injury means he again has to go under the knife at a key point of the season.
“I can confirm Licha Martinez will have to undergo surgery,” Ten Hag said. “So, the team news is probably Antony dos Santos can return.”
United head into Tuesday’s match in desperate need of a win, not only due to losing their Champions League opener 4-3 at Bayern Munich but because of Saturday’s meek 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace.
That Old Trafford defeat brought them back down to earth with a bump after much-needed back-to-back wins, putting them under intense pressure and scrutiny once again.
“Of course we are disappointed about the result,” Ten Hag said.
“Then you have to analyse the game, where were the problems, then you have to move forward, but also give solutions for the problems.”
Ten Hag believes “the team is moving forward” despite the results, saying there are positives among the negatives.
Marcus Rashford’s performances have been among United’s issues, having scored just once after a campaign in which he plundered 30 goals in all competitions.
“The facts are that he is not scoring in this moment, but also he had the opportunities,” Ten Hag said of the misfiring England international.
“I think, for instance, in the game against Brighton, there were five or six occasions when he was in a very good spot.
“If he works hard and if he invests every day, goes into every game with the right focus and if the team also around him supply him, help him and support him with movement then it will come.
“Then Marcus Rashford is a player who is capable of always scoring goals in every game and when he’s coming in the right spots he will score.”
Tottenham have condemned the racist abuse received by defender Destiny Udogie following Saturday’s home Premier League win against Liverpool.
Udogie, 20, was the target of several racist slurs on social media following Tottenham’s controversial 2-1 home victory after being involved in Liverpool forward Diogo Jota’s dismissal.
Jota was shown two yellow cards for two separate second-half challenges on the Tottenham left-back within the space of a minute.
Tottenham said on their official website: “We are disgusted at the racist messages directed towards Destiny Udogie on social media following Saturday’s game against Liverpool.
“We will work with the Premier League and, where possible, take action against any individual we are able to identify. We stand with you, Destiny.”
Tottenham won the game 2-1 thanks to Joel Matip’s stoppage-time own goal after Cody Gakpo had cancelled out Son Heung-min’s first-half opener.
Liverpool defender Curtis Jones was shown a straight red in the first half after VAR intervention for a foul on Yves Bissouma and the visitors were incensed when Luis Diaz’s opening goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside.
PGMOL later issued a statement admitting that a “significant human error” had taken place by VAR officials in their decision not to award the goal.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
