Jose Mourinho has likened his task in hand at Manchester United to his tenure at Real Madrid.
United have eight more points after 17 games than they did at this stage last season, Mourinho s first in charge at old Trafford, but they lie second in the Premier League table – 11 points behind Pep Guardiola s record-breaking Manchester City.
Chasing Guardiola is a familiar feeling for Mourinho, who took over at Madrid in 2010 with his counterpart in charge of a dominant Barcelona.
He managed to bring LaLiga glory to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2011-12 the club s first league triumph in four seasons and one that preceded Guardiola stepping down as Barca boss, pausing a rivalry that has reignited around last weekend s Manchester derby.
United s previous Premie…
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe revealed his side’s hard-fought 1-0 win against Arsenal came at a price with Dan Burn and Jacob Murphy both sustaining injuries.
Anthony Gordon’s controversial second-half winner halted Arsenal’s unbeaten Premier League start to the season after a triple VAR check.
But Howe faces an anxious wait to learn the full extent of Burn’s back injury, while Murphy will have surgery after popping the same shoulder he dislocated last month and now faces three months out.
Howe, already without eight senior players through injury, said: “Two injuries that I don’t think you can do a lot about. Dan jumps for a ball, lands on his back and he’s in a lot of pain at the moment.
“So that looks worrying for us. Jacob – he knew there…
Ferran Torres hit a brace as Spain beat Portugal 2-0 to win the European Under-19 Championship on Saturday.
La Roja followed up their triumph at June s continental U21 tournament with another success in Armenia.
Torres opened the scoring in the 34th minute against last year s champions, converting a left-wing cross from Sevilla prospect Bryan Gil.
The Valencia forward struck again six minutes into the second half, turning and rifling home from inside the box to settle the Iberian derby.
Captain Abel Ruiz had a great chance to add a late third for Spain but scuffed his effort wide, before tempers boiled over in the closing stages.
Spain celebrated victory in the annual competition for the first time since 2015, when Marco Asensio, Dani Ceballos…
Gareth Bale may be a bit lonely at Real Madrid as uncertainty grows over his future, according to Rafael van der Vaart.
Bale, 29, has started Madrid s past two matches on the bench, coming on to score the winner from the penalty spot against Levante on Sunday.
But the Wales star celebrated angrily, leading to fresh speculation about his future at Madrid, where he arrived from Tottenham in 2013.
Bale s former Spurs team-mate Van der Vaart said the star attacker liked his space, but feels he may be struggling in Spain.
He is a very calm player. He wants to be alone, he doesn t have much contact with his team-mates, he told El Larguero on Tuesday.
In Spain it is important to speak Spanish and I think he is a bit lonely in the team.
Bale, w…
Ashley Young insists Manchester United have not been in awe of Manchester City s performances this season.
Pep Guardiola s side won the EFL Cup final against Arsenal last week and are cruising towards the Premier League title, with a 15-point lead at the top ahead of their meeting with champions Chelsea on Sunday.
Barring a dramatic collapse in the coming weeks, it will be the second time City have been crowned champions in the last five seasons, while United have not been close to a title triumph since Alex Ferguson s retirement in 2013.
But Young insists they have plenty to play for domestically and in the Champions League and says City are not discussed by the squad.
We aren t in awe of Man City, he told The Daily Mail. They have had a good season, yo…