Category: Football (Soccer)

Bruno Fernandes owes Manchester United a performance, Mathys Tel has arrived at Spurs and Liverpool are improving

• Premier League top scorers

Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes held clear-the-air talks this week. Fernandes was an unused substitute against Bournemouth after criticising Carrick’s tactics during the Champions League defeat by Como but it seems the situation has been resolved – for now. Dropping Fernandes did not do United any good against Bournemouth, who ran riot at Old Trafford, and the captain is expected to return to the starting lineup for the trip to Chelsea. If that happens, he owes Carrick a performance. Fernandes has been poor this season and it is time he did his talking on the pitch. Jacob Steinberg

Chelsea v Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Manchester City v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

Bournemouth’s transfer nous puts United to shame, Araújo is winning admirers at Anfield and Suzuki adapts swiftly at Villa

The three Bournemouth goalscorers cost a combined £85m, joining from Vasco da Gama, Middlesbrough, and Porto. The Cherries are smart at investing, far more so than Manchester United, who have wasted a lot of money by failing to look outside the box for players like Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson. United may not have the wealth they previously showed in the transfer market but Bournemouth are showing what can be done within a budget and, more importantly, will be able to make a profit on signings. United, however, only know losses as everyone’s price tag diminishes the moment they come through the Old Trafford door. Jason Wilcox and others can point to certain factors that are against them but there are quality signings to be made at the right price if you have the ability to find them. Will Unwin

Match report: Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth

Will Unwin: Carrick left carrying can for institutional failings

Match report: Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City

Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Brighton

Match report: Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham

Barney Ronay: Glitch in Chelsea’s coding costs Alonso while resurgent Spurs are all systems go

Sunderland stay bottom of the Premier League table after a hard-fought goalless draw played in horrible conditions

1 min Peep peep! Leeds, in their yellow change strip, kick off from left to right as we watch.

Prokofiev is on the tannoy at the Stadium of Light, which means the teams are about to take the field.

Hull’s unbeaten home record remains intact but the Tigers have not tasted victory for seven games after this draw with Brentford.

The opening goal came courtesy of a 24th-minute Oli McBurnie penalty, awarded when Aaron Hickey flattened Tim Iroegbunam while trying to hook the ball away.

After Bruno Fernandes was dropped for “pure football” reasons – according to Michael Carrick – could Manchester United actually win a game of football?

The answer, again, was a resounding, humiliating no, and if the manager’s job remains in real peril, you have to wonder, too, if this beleaguered team should steel themselves for a relegation dogfight. They lack imagination, cohesion, fight, confidence and anything resembling joy, and so now, hovering above the drop zone, survival cannot be taken for granted.

Bournemouth humiliated Manchester United to leave Michael Carrick on the brink, while Liverpool beat Brighton, Newcastle won at Palace and Hull drew with Brentford

Otherwise, Carrick goes for ballast in the midfield, with Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, which makes sense, but in front of him, there’s a palpable lack of magic. Matheus Cunha, hooked at half-time in Como, drops out, with Amad one of the least dreadful when he came on, coming in on the right. His numbers tell us he’s not the standard required, but he offers good out-of-possession work and gives the team balance, such as it is, the only dribbles in a team severely lacking one v one ability.

Otherwise, Mason Mount, every manager’s favourite, is relocated to the left, while Bryan Mbeumo continues up front in the absence of Benjamin Sesko – which tells us plenty about what Carrick thinks of Joshua Zirkzee, despite his goal in midweek.

Mathys Tel scored a fine solo goal to set the seal on a rare Spurs victory at the Bridge

The teams take to the pitch. Chelsea in blue, Spurs in white, and it won’t be long before every shirt is soaking wet. Has the signature work of the Harry J All Stars ever been so apposite? We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.

Roberto De Zerbi also speaks to Sky. “James Maddison is a very important player … he brings personality, qualities, experience … a different position on the pitch … he’s a different player to Conor Gallagher or [Omar] Marmoush as a number ten … we have to find him in the right moment in the best position … [Dominic Solanke] felt fatigue after Coventry … I am lucky to have a big squad with many different solutions … so I took the decision [to rest him] but the game is 90 minutes.”