Manchester United survived a tense finale to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Sunday and close to within 11 points of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

United&#39;s former West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku scored his 15th goal of the season in the 27th minute by heading home Marcus Rashford&rsquo;s left-wing cross.

Midfielder Jesse Lingard doubled the lead with a deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area eight minutes later.

United appeared to be on course for a comfortable win, but West Brom set up a nervous finish for Jose Mourinho&rsquo;s side when substitute Gareth Barry poked home from close range following a corner in the 77th minute.

United hung on, however, to restore their three-point advantage over third-placed Chelsea. West Brom have now gone 16 league matches without a win and remained second bottom, two points from safety.

&quot;I think we deserved the win,&quot; Mourinho told Sky Sports. &quot;We were the best team. We controlled the game for a long, long time.&quot;

United spurned opportunities to kill the game off when Rashford slashed a right-footed shot wide in the 57th minute and Lingard fired straight at West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster.

They then switched off at a set-piece to allow Barry to score and were lucky not to concede an equaliser when Jay Rodriguez headed wide from point-blank range with five minutes remaining.

&quot;We had a few chances to kill the game but I knew they would react,&quot; Mourinho added. &quot;The intensity in the first half maybe we didn&#39;t have in the second half.&quot;

West Brom manager Alan Pardew, who was appointed last month after Tony Pulis was sacked, made one change to the side who drew 0-0 against Liverpool on Wednesday.

&quot;The team I picked, in hindsight, was not the right team,&quot; Pardew said. &quot;I should have put some fresh legs in there, but they did so well at Liverpool that, I&rsquo;m a new manager, I wanted to show some faith in those players.

&quot;But I should have maybe made two or three changes. We looked leggy.&quot;

Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, Premier League, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford

Manchester United survived a tense finale to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns on Sunday and close to within 11 points of Premier League leaders Manchester City. United's former West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku scored his 15th goal of the season in the 27th minute by heading home Marcus Rashford’s left-wing cross. Midfielder Jesse Lingard doubled the lead with a deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area eight minutes later. United appeared to be on course for a comfortable win, but West Brom set up a nervous finish for Jose Mourinho’s side when substitute Gareth Barry poked home from close range following a corner in the 77th minute. United hung on, however, to restore their three-point advantage over third-placed Chelsea. West Brom have now gone 16 league matches without a win and remained second bottom, two points from safety. "I think we deserved the win," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "We were the best team. We controlled the game for a long, long time." United spurned opportunities to kill the game off when Rashford slashed a right-footed shot wide in the 57th minute and Lingard fired straight at West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster. They then switched off at a set-piece to allow Barry to score and were lucky not to concede an equaliser when Jay Rodriguez headed wide from point-blank range with five minutes remaining. "We had a few chances to kill the game but I knew they would react," Mourinho added. "The intensity in the first half maybe we didn't have in the second half." West Brom manager Alan Pardew, who was appointed last month after Tony Pulis was sacked, made one change to the side who drew 0-0 against Liverpool on Wednesday. "The team I picked, in hindsight, was not the right team," Pardew said. "I should have put some fresh legs in there, but they did so well at Liverpool that, I’m a new manager, I wanted to show some faith in those players. "But I should have maybe made two or three changes. We looked leggy."

Football: Lukaku, Lingard lift nervy Man United past West Brom

Premier League champions Chelsea will not underestimate Southampton on Saturday as they aim to keep up the pressure on the sides around them in the top four, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said.

Chelsea are third in the league, 14 points adrift of leaders Manchester City and three behind second-placed Manchester United after 17 games, and Courtois says the London side must continue winning to either chase down City or at least finish second.

&quot;It`s a tough game, Southampton drew against Arsenal and it`s always difficult against them home or away,&quot; Courtois told the club`s website.

&quot;We have to be careful because these are the games we have to win if we want to stay near the top and try to close the gap on Man City. Obviously, we are far away but we want to keep on pushing and if we can`t catch them, we want to finish second.

&quot;It was very good that we showed from the start we wanted to win against Huddersfield and that`s the mentality we need in every game.&quot;

Chelsea beat promoted Huddersfield Town 3-1 on Tuesday to maintain a four-point gap above Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Burnley with seventh-placed Arsenal a further point behind.

Southampton are 11th in the standings and winless in their last four league games.

Chelsea beat promoted Huddersfield Town 3-1 on Tuesday to maintain a four-point gap

Premier League champions Chelsea will not underestimate Southampton on Saturday as they aim to keep up the pressure on the sides around them in the top four, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said. Chelsea are third in the league, 14 points adrift of leaders Manchester City and three behind second-placed Manchester United after 17 games, and Courtois says the London side must continue winning to either chase down City or at least finish second. "It`s a tough game, Southampton drew against Arsenal and it`s always difficult against them home or away," Courtois told the club`s website. "We have to be careful because these are the games we have to win if we want to stay near the top and try to close the gap on Man City. Obviously, we are far away but we want to keep on pushing and if we can`t catch them, we want to finish second. "It was very good that we showed from the start we wanted to win against Huddersfield and that`s the mentality we need in every game." Chelsea beat promoted Huddersfield Town 3-1 on Tuesday to maintain a four-point gap above Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Burnley with seventh-placed Arsenal a further point behind. Southampton are 11th in the standings and winless in their last four league games.

Courtois says Chelsea expect tough challenge from Saints

Manchester City set a new top-flight record of 15 consecutive wins as their seemingly unstoppable march towards the Premier League title continued with a 4-0 romp at bottom club Swansea City on Wednesday.

David Silva struck twice for Pep Guardiola&#39;s side as they went past Arsenal&#39;s 14-match winning sequence, although unlike the London club&#39;s, City&#39;s streak has been in a single season.

Manchester United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place, Romelu Lukaku&#39;s ninth league goal of the season proving just enough.

Liverpool and Arsenal could only draw 0-0 with struggling West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United respectively, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to move into fourth spot behind Chelsea thanks top a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion as Serge Aurier scored his first goal for the club.

City have 49 points to United&#39;s 38 with champions Chelsea, who won at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, on 35. Tottenham have 31, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference while Arsenal dropped to seventh with 30 points.

It was an enjoyable night for managers returning to former clubs as Sam Allardyce watched his Everton side win 1-0 at Newcastle United and Claude Puel&#39;s fast-improving Leicester City triumphed 4-1 at Southampton, the club who sacked him at the end of last season despite taking them to the League Cup final.

City hardly broke sweat as they turned their trip to south Wales into a training session despite making four changes to the side that won 2-1 at Manchester United on Sunday.

Silva opened the scoring from Bernardo Silva&#39;s cross and Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 with a free kick.

It was all over when the silky Silva played a one-two with Raheem Sterling to make it 3-0 early in the second half with his fourth goal in his last three games.

Sergio Aguero, back in the side with Gabriel Jesus rested, fired past Lukasz Fabianski to complete another masterclass from Guardiola&#39;s City slickers.

City form

While the purists are purring at City&#39;s form, you could only sympathise with Swansea boss Paul Clement who summed up what many of his peers might be feeling.

&quot;At times it was horrible to be on the sideline watching that, seeing my side trying but suffering for long periods,&quot; he said.

&quot;It was hard to watch at times because they were so dominant. One of the best sides I&#39;ve ever come across.&quot;

United looked flat after their chastening defeat against City and were indebted to Lukaku&#39;s powerful header and several good saves by David de Gea against a plucky Bournemouth.

Manager Jose Mourinho, distracted by reports of a fracas after the City defeat in which he was reported to have had milk thrown at him, admitted his side had been low on energy.

&quot;It was difficult match. They had one more day&#39;s rest than us, they were fresher than us, and mentally fresher because a big match takes more from our players,&quot; he said.

&quot;They were difficult opponents and difficult conditions. If we had scored the second it would have been a calm night.&quot;

Liverpool were left to rue a late disallowed goal for Dominic Solanke as they could find no way past West Brom, their second home draw in four days.

&quot;We can do better and we have to do better but on a night like this when you are not at your best you need a bit of luck,&quot; manager Juergen Klopp said.

Shinji Okazaki scored twice for Leicester as they racked up a fourth consecutive win, while Wayne Rooney earned Everton a 1-0 win at Newcastle United whose night ended in depressing fashion with a red card for Jonjo Shelvey.

United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place

Manchester City set a new top-flight record of 15 consecutive wins as their seemingly unstoppable march towards the Premier League title continued with a 4-0 romp at bottom club Swansea City on Wednesday. David Silva struck twice for Pep Guardiola's side as they went past Arsenal's 14-match winning sequence, although unlike the London club's, City's streak has been in a single season. Manchester United kept up a distant pursuit as they toiled to a 1-0 defeat of Bournemouth at Old Trafford to remain 11 points adrift in second place, Romelu Lukaku's ninth league goal of the season proving just enough. Liverpool and Arsenal could only draw 0-0 with struggling West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United respectively, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to move into fourth spot behind Chelsea thanks top a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion as Serge Aurier scored his first goal for the club. City have 49 points to United's 38 with champions Chelsea, who won at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday, on 35. Tottenham have 31, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference while Arsenal dropped to seventh with 30 points. It was an enjoyable night for managers returning to former clubs as Sam Allardyce watched his Everton side win 1-0 at Newcastle United and Claude Puel's fast-improving Leicester City triumphed 4-1 at Southampton, the club who sacked him at the end of last season despite taking them to the League Cup final. City hardly broke sweat as they turned their trip to south Wales into a training session despite making four changes to the side that won 2-1 at Manchester United on Sunday. Silva opened the scoring from Bernardo Silva's cross and Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 with a free kick. It was all over when the silky Silva played a one-two with Raheem Sterling to make it 3-0 early in the second half with his fourth goal in his last three games. Sergio Aguero, back in the side with Gabriel Jesus rested, fired past Lukasz Fabianski to complete another masterclass from Guardiola's City slickers. City form While the purists are purring at City's form, you could only sympathise with Swansea boss Paul Clement who summed up what many of his peers might be feeling. "At times it was horrible to be on the sideline watching that, seeing my side trying but suffering for long periods," he said. "It was hard to watch at times because they were so dominant. One of the best sides I've ever come across." United looked flat after their chastening defeat against City and were indebted to Lukaku's powerful header and several good saves by David de Gea against a plucky Bournemouth. Manager Jose Mourinho, distracted by reports of a fracas after the City defeat in which he was reported to have had milk thrown at him, admitted his side had been low on energy. "It was difficult match. They had one more day's rest than us, they were fresher than us, and mentally fresher because a big match takes more from our players," he said. "They were difficult opponents and difficult conditions. If we had scored the second it would have been a calm night." Liverpool were left to rue a late disallowed goal for Dominic Solanke as they could find no way past West Brom, their second home draw in four days. "We can do better and we have to do better but on a night like this when you are not at your best you need a bit of luck," manager Juergen Klopp said. Shinji Okazaki scored twice for Leicester as they racked up a fourth consecutive win, while Wayne Rooney earned Everton a 1-0 win at Newcastle United whose night ended in depressing fashion with a red card for Jonjo Shelvey.

Unstoppable City break record, United edge out Bournemouth

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took a big step towards his first title in the English football with a 2-1 derby victory over arch-rival Manchester United on Sunday which sent his team 11 points clear at the top of the P remier League.

Guardiola, who won three Spanish league titles and two Champions League crowns during his time with Barcelona and then won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, had faced criticism about whether his trademark possession style would work in the premier league.&nbsp;

City finished 15 points behind Chelsea in third place last season but it will take a major collapse for them to not win this season&#39;s championship.

The Spaniard also responded to comments from his United counterpart Jose Mourinho who had blamed the referee&#39;s failure to give his team a penalty for the loss.

&quot;We tried to keep playing and we came here like we were in Stamford Bridge and all the games since I came here to try to win, to make our job, and I&#39;m so happy that people say in England you cannot play in that way in England, in England you can play in that way as well,&quot; Guardiola said

&quot;Through the passes, we created the chances, it&#39;s not easy to create chances at United because they are so tough defensively but we created enough, the people say an amazing save from Ederson, that&#39;s true, it was amazing. But I think (David) De Gea had more saves, much much more than Ederson. Those statistics were better, the way we played was better so that&#39;s why it&#39;s well-done guys, well done,&quot; he added.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United manager, said that he expected City to score two great goals. Not disgraceful goals.

&quot;I think when you see Manchester City play you expect Manchester City to score great goals, not to score two disgraceful goals (they) are the last goals that you would expect to concede against a quality team like Manchester City. Two very bad goals in one corner and one free kick with rebounds and incredibly lucky or unlucky depending on the perspective, so yes they had much more of the ball, yes they had that apparent control of the game with the ball, but the biggest save of the game is the double save by their goalkeeper and the big decision of the game is the unlucky (penalty) decision of (referee) Michael (Oliver), &quot; said Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.&nbsp;

City finished 15 points behind Chelsea in third place last season but it will take a major collapse for them to not win this season's championship.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took a big step towards his first title in the English football with a 2-1 derby victory over arch-rival Manchester United on Sunday which sent his team 11 points clear at the top of the P remier League. Guardiola, who won three Spanish league titles and two Champions League crowns during his time with Barcelona and then won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, had faced criticism about whether his trademark possession style would work in the premier league. City finished 15 points behind Chelsea in third place last season but it will take a major collapse for them to not win this season's championship. The Spaniard also responded to comments from his United counterpart Jose Mourinho who had blamed the referee's failure to give his team a penalty for the loss. "We tried to keep playing and we came here like we were in Stamford Bridge and all the games since I came here to try to win, to make our job, and I'm so happy that people say in England you cannot play in that way in England, in England you can play in that way as well," Guardiola said "Through the passes, we created the chances, it's not easy to create chances at United because they are so tough defensively but we created enough, the people say an amazing save from Ederson, that's true, it was amazing. But I think (David) De Gea had more saves, much much more than Ederson. Those statistics were better, the way we played was better so that's why it's well-done guys, well done," he added. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United manager, said that he expected City to score two great goals. Not disgraceful goals. "I think when you see Manchester City play you expect Manchester City to score great goals, not to score two disgraceful goals (they) are the last goals that you would expect to concede against a quality team like Manchester City. Two very bad goals in one corner and one free kick with rebounds and incredibly lucky or unlucky depending on the perspective, so yes they had much more of the ball, yes they had that apparent control of the game with the ball, but the biggest save of the game is the double save by their goalkeeper and the big decision of the game is the unlucky (penalty) decision of (referee) Michael (Oliver), " said Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

Pep Guardiola takes big step towards first title in EPL with 2-1 derby victory

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola&#39;s commitment to possession football is well established but ahead of Sunday&#39;s derby clash with Manchester United, the former Barcelona coach revealed he had once doubted his philosophy - but only for 48 hours.

The Spaniard&#39;s zeal for passing and possession with intelligent use of space is almost ideological but he said that early in his career he had questioned if it was the right way.

Guardiola began his coaching career in 2007 with Barcelona&#39;s B team, who played in the lower divisions of the Spanish league and it was there that his commitment to &#39;total football&#39; was tested.

&quot;Yes I had doubts a little bit in the beginning,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;I remember the first three games, I won, I draw and I lost, we played in the fourth division on artificial pitches, and they were so small. On the Monday I thought I have to change it because we cannot play (on those pitches),&quot; he said.

&quot;Arrived Tuesday and I said we have to change because the pitch is so small. But arrived Wednesday and I said &lsquo;no, I am not going to change&rsquo; because the alternative to playing the way I believe didn&rsquo;t convince me,&quot; said Guardiola.

The decision to stick by his principles paid off for the Spaniard.

&quot;It was so good because at the end of the season, we were champions and promoted and at that moment I said - if we were able to win quite good and play quite good football, if you can do that on small pitch, artificial pitch, then I can do that at a higher level with better pitches, better players,&quot; he said with a grin.

Guardiola&#39;s almost dogmatic belief in the &quot;right way&quot; of playing was questioned last season as City struggled to adjust to the former Barca and Bayern Munich coach&#39;s demands.

Early days

But with City heading into the derby unbeaten in the Premier League and with an eight-point lead over United, Guardiola was comfortable looking back on his early coaching days.

&quot;That was an important moment...I was 37 years old, never trained big players and I had to prove myself. That showed me. But at the end it depends on results.

&quot;I said many times &ndash; the manager has to do what they believe, that is the most important thing. If someone comes to me for advice or comments, always I say, do what you believe. That is the only thing that works,&quot; he said.

The Catalan said sticking to his guns was not just a wise move in terms of tactics but is an honest and authentic approach.

&quot;People who have success in many other aspects in life it is because they believe 100 percent what they do. When it doesn&rsquo;t work &ndash; of course you have to change, but always with something from inside,&quot; he said, while conceding there are multiple tactical approaches that can work in football.

&quot;Teams (have) success when the manager is convinced to do (things) 100 percent. In all the history, the 1940&rsquo;s, 50&rsquo;s, 60&rsquo;s 70&rsquo;s, (teams won) titles in many, many different ways, there is not one (pattern). That is why football is magnificent because you face teams with long balls, more defensive, more attacking, different ways and that is why it is top.&quot;

The doubt did not last very long -- only 48 hours

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's commitment to possession football is well established but ahead of Sunday's derby clash with Manchester United, the former Barcelona coach revealed he had once doubted his philosophy - but only for 48 hours. The Spaniard's zeal for passing and possession with intelligent use of space is almost ideological but he said that early in his career he had questioned if it was the right way. Guardiola began his coaching career in 2007 with Barcelona's B team, who played in the lower divisions of the Spanish league and it was there that his commitment to 'total football' was tested. "Yes I had doubts a little bit in the beginning," he told reporters. "I remember the first three games, I won, I draw and I lost, we played in the fourth division on artificial pitches, and they were so small. On the Monday I thought I have to change it because we cannot play (on those pitches)," he said. "Arrived Tuesday and I said we have to change because the pitch is so small. But arrived Wednesday and I said ‘no, I am not going to change’ because the alternative to playing the way I believe didn’t convince me," said Guardiola. The decision to stick by his principles paid off for the Spaniard. "It was so good because at the end of the season, we were champions and promoted and at that moment I said - if we were able to win quite good and play quite good football, if you can do that on small pitch, artificial pitch, then I can do that at a higher level with better pitches, better players," he said with a grin. Guardiola's almost dogmatic belief in the "right way" of playing was questioned last season as City struggled to adjust to the former Barca and Bayern Munich coach's demands. Early days But with City heading into the derby unbeaten in the Premier League and with an eight-point lead over United, Guardiola was comfortable looking back on his early coaching days. "That was an important moment...I was 37 years old, never trained big players and I had to prove myself. That showed me. But at the end it depends on results. "I said many times – the manager has to do what they believe, that is the most important thing. If someone comes to me for advice or comments, always I say, do what you believe. That is the only thing that works," he said. The Catalan said sticking to his guns was not just a wise move in terms of tactics but is an honest and authentic approach. "People who have success in many other aspects in life it is because they believe 100 percent what they do. When it doesn’t work – of course you have to change, but always with something from inside," he said, while conceding there are multiple tactical approaches that can work in football. "Teams (have) success when the manager is convinced to do (things) 100 percent. In all the history, the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s 70’s, (teams won) titles in many, many different ways, there is not one (pattern). That is why football is magnificent because you face teams with long balls, more defensive, more attacking, different ways and that is why it is top."

Before Manchester derby, Guardiola says he once doubted his philosophy

Fabian Delph and Ashley Young are not two names that, at the start of this season, would have been high on many lists of key players for the Manchester derby but with the wide areas likely to be a major battleground in Sunday&#39;s Premier League clash their roles will be vital.

Delph, a midfielder throughout his career, was forced into left-wingback duty when first choice Benjamin Mendy suffered a knee ligament injury in September and the 28-year-old has handled the new position with aplomb.

Young, who has been converted to fullback duty after making his name as a winger, has made the United left-back slot his own with impressive performances this season earning him a recall to the England squad at the age of 32 after a four-year absence.

With Antonio Valencia on the right flank, United have been able to develop a counter-attacking style down the flanks, allied to their attacking wide players such as Anthony Martial.

City&#39;s formation is similar, with Kyle Walker advancing with pace down the right, in alliance with Raheem Sterling, while Delph provides wide support to Leroy Sane on the opposite side.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s side often push their fullbacks so far forward that is questionable whether they can be considered defenders in any real sense.

The Spanish coach is aware that against United&#39;s counter-attack his team will need to be alert to the spaces in the wide areas that Jose Mourinho&#39;s side will look to exploit.

&quot;You have to defend these areas, definitely. With fullbacks, attacking midfielders or holding midfielders or wingers, you have to close that space,&quot; said Guardiola.

&quot;The teams from Jose Mourinho -- Chelsea, Real Madrid and here, they are the masters of that. When you lose the ball they are going to immediately counter-attack with Lukaku or make movements behind our full backs with Martial, (Marcus) Rashford or (Jesse) Lingard.

&quot;You know if you are not well organised they punish you in one action and win the game,&quot; he said.

&quot;They have the potential to run 30 metres and create problems. That space beside our centre-backs and behind our fullbacks is the space we have to be careful about, definitely,&quot; he added.

Guardiola, though, is not ready to sacrifice the attacking potency of Walker, a close-season signing from Tottenham.

&quot;It depends on the players and if you have the energy of Kyle Walker, you have to attack with him,&quot; said Guardiola.

League leaders Manchester City take on second-placed Manchester United tonight at 10 pm

Fabian Delph and Ashley Young are not two names that, at the start of this season, would have been high on many lists of key players for the Manchester derby but with the wide areas likely to be a major battleground in Sunday's Premier League clash their roles will be vital. Delph, a midfielder throughout his career, was forced into left-wingback duty when first choice Benjamin Mendy suffered a knee ligament injury in September and the 28-year-old has handled the new position with aplomb. Young, who has been converted to fullback duty after making his name as a winger, has made the United left-back slot his own with impressive performances this season earning him a recall to the England squad at the age of 32 after a four-year absence. With Antonio Valencia on the right flank, United have been able to develop a counter-attacking style down the flanks, allied to their attacking wide players such as Anthony Martial. City's formation is similar, with Kyle Walker advancing with pace down the right, in alliance with Raheem Sterling, while Delph provides wide support to Leroy Sane on the opposite side. Pep Guardiola's side often push their fullbacks so far forward that is questionable whether they can be considered defenders in any real sense. The Spanish coach is aware that against United's counter-attack his team will need to be alert to the spaces in the wide areas that Jose Mourinho's side will look to exploit. "You have to defend these areas, definitely. With fullbacks, attacking midfielders or holding midfielders or wingers, you have to close that space," said Guardiola. "The teams from Jose Mourinho -- Chelsea, Real Madrid and here, they are the masters of that. When you lose the ball they are going to immediately counter-attack with Lukaku or make movements behind our full backs with Martial, (Marcus) Rashford or (Jesse) Lingard. "You know if you are not well organised they punish you in one action and win the game," he said. "They have the potential to run 30 metres and create problems. That space beside our centre-backs and behind our fullbacks is the space we have to be careful about, definitely," he added. Guardiola, though, is not ready to sacrifice the attacking potency of Walker, a close-season signing from Tottenham. "It depends on the players and if you have the energy of Kyle Walker, you have to attack with him," said Guardiola.

Young and Delph unlikely key men for Manchester derby

Chelsea must beat West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday to capitalise on points dropped by rivals in Sunday&#39;s Manchester derby, defender Cesar Azpilicueta said.

Champions Chelsea, who are 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, could go level with second-placed Manchester United with a win at West Ham&#39;s London Stadium in the lunchtime kickoff.

&quot;The two (Manchester) teams can&#39;t both take three points, so every time you get an opportunity to get close, you have to take it,&quot; Azpilicueta told Sky Sports.

&quot;We have to be intelligent to look at ourselves and then we&#39;ll see how the opponents will react.&quot;

After a sloppy start to the season, Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea have collected six wins in last seven league games, with their only dropped points coming against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Anfield last month.

The festive fixture list looks a good chance for Chelsea to collect a healthy points haul as they are set to face opponents outside the top six in their next six league matches.

West Ham are second from bottom and have not won in their last eight league games.

&quot;We have to go game by game in this busy period in December - every three days you are fighting for a big three points. We have to look at ourselves,&quot; Azpilicueta added.

&quot;We will then see where we are in the final weeks of the season, where we could fight for it.&quot;

Chelsea must beat West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday to capitalise on points dropped by rivals in Sunday's Manchester derby, defender Cesar Azpilicueta said. Champions Chelsea, who are 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, could go level with second-placed Manchester United with a win at West Ham's London Stadium in the lunchtime kickoff. "The two (Manchester) teams can't both take three points, so every time you get an opportunity to get close, you have to take it," Azpilicueta told Sky Sports. "We have to be intelligent to look at ourselves and then we'll see how the opponents will react." After a sloppy start to the season, Antonio Conte's Chelsea have collected six wins in last seven league games, with their only dropped points coming against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Anfield last month. The festive fixture list looks a good chance for Chelsea to collect a healthy points haul as they are set to face opponents outside the top six in their next six league matches. West Ham are second from bottom and have not won in their last eight league games. "We have to go game by game in this busy period in December - every three days you are fighting for a big three points. We have to look at ourselves," Azpilicueta added. "We will then see where we are in the final weeks of the season, where we could fight for it."

EPL: Chelsea ready to exploit dropped points in Manchester derby, says Azpilicueta

The 175th Manchester derby pits a United side unbeaten in 40 home games in all competitions against a City side who have not lost this season in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride.

Here are five big issues that will go a long way to determining the outcome of Sunday&#39;s clash at Old Trafford:

Will Mourinho &#39;park the bus&#39; at home?&nbsp;

United manager Jose Mourinho received plenty of criticism for the negative way his team approached rivals Liverpool at Anfield in October&#39;s goalless draw.

But defending in numbers and attacking on the break is also an approach that can work well for United. Relying on the counter-attack certainly paid off handsomely in the 3-1 win at Arsenal last Saturday, even if United keeper David de Gea had to make a string of saves to keep his side in front.

United are at home, but given City&#39;s ability to dominate possession, the game may, tactically at least, be more like an away match for Mourinho&#39;s team.

City have produced more passes than any other team in the league this season while United are ranked seventh in that area and it would be no surprise if Guardiola&#39;s side enjoy most of the ball.

In recent weeks, United have switched to playing with a three-man defence which allows Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young to attack down the flanks - an attacking formation which matches that of City.

But the loss to suspension of central midfielder Paul Pogba may tempt Mourinho into a more defensive line-up in the centre of the field as he looks to counter the influence of City&#39;s key creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

Who will dominate the flanks?

City are great at keeping the ball in the tight spaces in midfield and United, with Serbian enforcer Nemanja Matic expected to be fit, will look to crowd the centre of the park and give De Bruyne and David Silva little room to exploit.

But the key areas are likely to be out wide where City have the speed and skill of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling allied with the threat from their wing-backs - Kyle Walker on the right and Fabian Delph on the left.

United match-up well in that area - Valencia was brilliant going forward against Arsenal and can work up and down the right tirelessly, while Young on the left has been one of the biggest positive surprises of the campaign so far for Mourinho.

Anthony Martial, or if preferred Marcus Rashford, have a tendency to play much wider than the typical support striker and that might limit Walker&#39;s desire to push forward, lest he leave space behind for United to exploit. If Juan Mata is chosen to replace Pogba, he could offer another wide threat on the right.

Whichever wingers and wing-backs come out on top is going to have a huge impact on the outcome.

Can United stop De Bruyne?

The stats tell the story. No-one has had more touches of the ball this season in the Premier League than the Belgian. De Bruyne also shares, with team mate David Silva, the most assists with eight so far.

Brilliant with both feet and capable of running at a defence from deep and also delivering the killer pass to City&#39;s deadly strike force, De Bruyne has been fundamental to the success of Guardiola&#39;s team.

United have in Matic, however, a player who could certainly do a close-marking job but that would rob Mourinho of the Serb&#39;s overall role of marshalling the midfield and protecting the defence. It could be a job for Ander Herrera or Marouane Fellaini.

Will Lukaku deliver when it matters most?

The former Everton forward scored 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for United but has managed just two in his last 12 and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit, Mourinho is unlikely to drop his main striker for the derby.

The big trouble with Romelu Lukaku is that he has struggled throughout his career when facing the top teams. He failed to score against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool this year and since 2014/15 he has only scored five goals in 39 games against the &#39;big six&#39;.

The Belgian could put all those doubts to bed with a winner against City. But if he misses chances, Mourinho may well turn to the fit-again Swedish great on his bench.

Pep Guardiola's City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride.

The 175th Manchester derby pits a United side unbeaten in 40 home games in all competitions against a City side who have not lost this season in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola's City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride. Here are five big issues that will go a long way to determining the outcome of Sunday's clash at Old Trafford: Will Mourinho 'park the bus' at home? United manager Jose Mourinho received plenty of criticism for the negative way his team approached rivals Liverpool at Anfield in October's goalless draw. But defending in numbers and attacking on the break is also an approach that can work well for United. Relying on the counter-attack certainly paid off handsomely in the 3-1 win at Arsenal last Saturday, even if United keeper David de Gea had to make a string of saves to keep his side in front. United are at home, but given City's ability to dominate possession, the game may, tactically at least, be more like an away match for Mourinho's team. City have produced more passes than any other team in the league this season while United are ranked seventh in that area and it would be no surprise if Guardiola's side enjoy most of the ball. In recent weeks, United have switched to playing with a three-man defence which allows Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young to attack down the flanks - an attacking formation which matches that of City. But the loss to suspension of central midfielder Paul Pogba may tempt Mourinho into a more defensive line-up in the centre of the field as he looks to counter the influence of City's key creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Who will dominate the flanks? City are great at keeping the ball in the tight spaces in midfield and United, with Serbian enforcer Nemanja Matic expected to be fit, will look to crowd the centre of the park and give De Bruyne and David Silva little room to exploit. But the key areas are likely to be out wide where City have the speed and skill of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling allied with the threat from their wing-backs - Kyle Walker on the right and Fabian Delph on the left. United match-up well in that area - Valencia was brilliant going forward against Arsenal and can work up and down the right tirelessly, while Young on the left has been one of the biggest positive surprises of the campaign so far for Mourinho. Anthony Martial, or if preferred Marcus Rashford, have a tendency to play much wider than the typical support striker and that might limit Walker's desire to push forward, lest he leave space behind for United to exploit. If Juan Mata is chosen to replace Pogba, he could offer another wide threat on the right. Whichever wingers and wing-backs come out on top is going to have a huge impact on the outcome. Can United stop De Bruyne? The stats tell the story. No-one has had more touches of the ball this season in the Premier League than the Belgian. De Bruyne also shares, with team mate David Silva, the most assists with eight so far. Brilliant with both feet and capable of running at a defence from deep and also delivering the killer pass to City's deadly strike force, De Bruyne has been fundamental to the success of Guardiola's team. United have in Matic, however, a player who could certainly do a close-marking job but that would rob Mourinho of the Serb's overall role of marshalling the midfield and protecting the defence. It could be a job for Ander Herrera or Marouane Fellaini. Will Lukaku deliver when it matters most? The former Everton forward scored 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for United but has managed just two in his last 12 and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit, Mourinho is unlikely to drop his main striker for the derby. The big trouble with Romelu Lukaku is that he has struggled throughout his career when facing the top teams. He failed to score against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool this year and since 2014/15 he has only scored five goals in 39 games against the 'big six'. The Belgian could put all those doubts to bed with a winner against City. But if he misses chances, Mourinho may well turn to the fit-again Swedish great on his bench.

Football: Four big questions ahead of the Manchester derby

There have been few Manchester derbies with as much on the line as Sunday&#39;s meeting at Old Trafford of the top two teams in the Premier League -- the most anticipated clash of the campaign so far.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign.

Not to be completely outdone, however, Jose Mourinho&rsquo;s Manchester United have equalled a historic club record by remaining unbeaten at Old Trafford for 40 matches in all competitions.

And with former Barcelona boss Guardiola and ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho having developed a fierce rivalry during their time together in Spain, Sunday&#39;s meeting promises to be one to savour.

The last team to beat United at home were City in September, 2016 and a repeat performance would leave the club, once derided as &quot;noisy neighbours&quot; by former United boss Alex Ferguson, 11 points clear at the summit.

City have been playing some exhilarating football this campaign with coach Guardiola&#39;s style of play, which served him so well at his previous clubs, bringing the expected rewards after a disappointing lack of consistency last season.

Yet while United have suffered two defeats on the road - to Huddersfield Town and Chelsea - they too have looked like champions at home.

The 40 games unbeaten have included 29 wins and 11 draws with 85 goals scored and just 17 conceded.

This season&#39;s Premier League record at Old Trafford is played seven, won seven - 20 goals for and just one against.

Mourinho, however, will be without his key French midfielder Paul Pogba, who starts a three-match ban following his red card in Saturday&#39;s crucial 3-1 win at Arsenal.

United have produced their best football when they have had Pogba and Serbian anchorman Nemanja Matic on the field together and the former Juventus midfielder will be sorely missed.

Given the gap between the two clubs in the table, it will be intriguing to see if Mourinho maintains his habit of playing defensively against title rivals, a tactic which has been much criticised following the goalless draw at Liverpool in October.

Pogba, however, says United will approach the game in a positive fashion.

&quot;We want to win. We need to win as well. They need to win because they know that we are behind and we are closing and closing,&quot; he said.

&quot;If I didn&#39;t believe that (we can win it), I&#39;d stop playing football now,&quot; he added.

United&#39;s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic should be fit to feature at some stage in the game but defender Eric Bailly remains sidelined.

Pep Guardiola's City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign.

There have been few Manchester derbies with as much on the line as Sunday's meeting at Old Trafford of the top two teams in the Premier League -- the most anticipated clash of the campaign so far. Pep Guardiola's City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign. Not to be completely outdone, however, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United have equalled a historic club record by remaining unbeaten at Old Trafford for 40 matches in all competitions. And with former Barcelona boss Guardiola and ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho having developed a fierce rivalry during their time together in Spain, Sunday's meeting promises to be one to savour. The last team to beat United at home were City in September, 2016 and a repeat performance would leave the club, once derided as "noisy neighbours" by former United boss Alex Ferguson, 11 points clear at the summit. City have been playing some exhilarating football this campaign with coach Guardiola's style of play, which served him so well at his previous clubs, bringing the expected rewards after a disappointing lack of consistency last season. Yet while United have suffered two defeats on the road - to Huddersfield Town and Chelsea - they too have looked like champions at home. The 40 games unbeaten have included 29 wins and 11 draws with 85 goals scored and just 17 conceded. This season's Premier League record at Old Trafford is played seven, won seven - 20 goals for and just one against. Mourinho, however, will be without his key French midfielder Paul Pogba, who starts a three-match ban following his red card in Saturday's crucial 3-1 win at Arsenal. United have produced their best football when they have had Pogba and Serbian anchorman Nemanja Matic on the field together and the former Juventus midfielder will be sorely missed. Given the gap between the two clubs in the table, it will be intriguing to see if Mourinho maintains his habit of playing defensively against title rivals, a tactic which has been much criticised following the goalless draw at Liverpool in October. Pogba, however, says United will approach the game in a positive fashion. "We want to win. We need to win as well. They need to win because they know that we are behind and we are closing and closing," he said. "If I didn't believe that (we can win it), I'd stop playing football now," he added. United's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic should be fit to feature at some stage in the game but defender Eric Bailly remains sidelined.

Football: Stakes are high in Manchester derby

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday.

The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break.

Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head.&nbsp;

Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April.

CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net.&nbsp;

United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends.&nbsp;

Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin.

Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance.

Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross.

Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.&nbsp;

They came from behind to beat CSKA Moscow

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday. The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break. Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head. Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April. CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net. United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends. Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin. Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance. Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross. Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.

Champions League: Man United reach last 16 after 2-1 home win over CSKA

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With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola&#39;s side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

US warns North Korean leadership will be 'utterly destroyed' if war breaks out The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range. Now, Assam's Brahmaputra river also turns black: Report After reports that the colour of the water of the river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh turned black, comes a report that the water downstream of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has changed to black as well. Trump attacks British PM May after she criticises his retweeting of anti-Islam videos Donald Trump hit back publicly at British Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised his retweeting of anti-Islam videos. Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking 'poison' in court: Report A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said. EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

WION morning news brief, November 30, 2017

Manchester United saw off a determined Brighton &amp; Hove Albion 1-0 on Saturday to reduce Manchester City&#39;s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points, while the three teams below them all dropped points.

Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1 at Anfield while Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s pursuit stalled with a home draw against West Bromwich Albion.

Those results offered an opportunity to Arsenal and surprise packets Burnley, either of whom would move into fourth if they win Sunday&#39;s meeting at Turf Moor.

With Manchester City on 34 points from 12 games, neighbours United took closer order on 29 points from 13 games, ahead of Pep Guardiola&#39;s leaders visiting Huddersfield Town on Sunday.

Chelsea have 26 points in third place but Tottenham stayed fourth on 24 while Liverpool are fifth on 23. Arsenal and Burnley both have 22.

Manchester United&#39;s unbeaten home record stretches back to when City beat them in September 2016, but it was not plain sailing against promoted Brighton, who proved spirited opposition in the first league meeting between the sides since 1983.

Ashley Young forced the goal in the 66th minute, his shot deflecting off defender Lewis Dunk to beat goalkeeper Matt Ryan.

&quot;Brighton deserved more than they got,&quot; United&#39;s manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports. &quot;They played really well and when they had the ball they were dangerous.&quot;

Liverpool&#39;s recent high-scoring run came to an end in the day&#39;s late game when it looked as if Mohamed Salah&#39;s 64th minute goal against his old club would earn a crucial win.

Instead, substitute Willian&#39;s mishit cross five minutes from time eluded goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to become only the second goal Juergen Klopp&#39;s side have conceded at home in seven league games.

&quot;Chelsea fought hard and deserved a point,&quot; said Klopp, who was angry that the officials took so long to allow a substitution just before Antonio Conte&#39;s side scored.

&quot;We wanted to go to five at the back, to change the situation and it&#39;s not too cool to have conceded,&quot; he added.

Spurs dropped two points against managerless West Bromwich Albion at Wembley.

They were behind at halftime to an early goal by Salomon Rondon and needed an equaliser from the ever-reliable Harry Kane 16 minutes from fulltime to salvage a draw.

Bottom club Crystal Palace earned only their second win of the season as a goal by Mamadou Sakho in added time beat visiting Stoke City 2-1.

A brilliant individual effort by Xherdan Shaqiri eight minutes after halftime ensured they would not keep a first clean sheet, but within three minutes new England international Ruben Loftus-Cheek, on loan from Chelsea, scored the equaliser.

Sakho&#39;s winner, jabbing in a rebound off the post, brought Palace within three points of 17th-placed West Brom.

&quot;That goal is worth its weight in gold,&quot; said manager Roy Hodgson.

His team made up two points on Swansea City, who could only draw 0-0 at home to Bournemouth.

The Welsh side were upset to have a goal disallowed just before the interval when Wilfried Bony, starting in place of Tammy Abraham, found the net.

The referee decided that team mate Jordan Ayew had fouled a defender.

Watford maintained their run of having scored at least twice in every away game with a comfortable 3-0 win at Newcastle to consolidate eighth place.

Will Hughes and Andre Gray scored either side of an own goal by American DeAndre Yedlin to secure a victory that further enhanced the credentials of manager Marco Silva, who has been coveted by Everton.

Manchester United's unbeaten home record stretches back to when City beat them in September 2016

Manchester United saw off a determined Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 on Saturday to reduce Manchester City's lead at the top of the Premier League to five points, while the three teams below them all dropped points. Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1 at Anfield while Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit stalled with a home draw against West Bromwich Albion. Those results offered an opportunity to Arsenal and surprise packets Burnley, either of whom would move into fourth if they win Sunday's meeting at Turf Moor. With Manchester City on 34 points from 12 games, neighbours United took closer order on 29 points from 13 games, ahead of Pep Guardiola's leaders visiting Huddersfield Town on Sunday. Chelsea have 26 points in third place but Tottenham stayed fourth on 24 while Liverpool are fifth on 23. Arsenal and Burnley both have 22. Manchester United's unbeaten home record stretches back to when City beat them in September 2016, but it was not plain sailing against promoted Brighton, who proved spirited opposition in the first league meeting between the sides since 1983. Ashley Young forced the goal in the 66th minute, his shot deflecting off defender Lewis Dunk to beat goalkeeper Matt Ryan. "Brighton deserved more than they got," United's manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports. "They played really well and when they had the ball they were dangerous." Liverpool's recent high-scoring run came to an end in the day's late game when it looked as if Mohamed Salah's 64th minute goal against his old club would earn a crucial win. Instead, substitute Willian's mishit cross five minutes from time eluded goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to become only the second goal Juergen Klopp's side have conceded at home in seven league games. "Chelsea fought hard and deserved a point," said Klopp, who was angry that the officials took so long to allow a substitution just before Antonio Conte's side scored. "We wanted to go to five at the back, to change the situation and it's not too cool to have conceded," he added. Spurs dropped two points against managerless West Bromwich Albion at Wembley. They were behind at halftime to an early goal by Salomon Rondon and needed an equaliser from the ever-reliable Harry Kane 16 minutes from fulltime to salvage a draw. Bottom club Crystal Palace earned only their second win of the season as a goal by Mamadou Sakho in added time beat visiting Stoke City 2-1. A brilliant individual effort by Xherdan Shaqiri eight minutes after halftime ensured they would not keep a first clean sheet, but within three minutes new England international Ruben Loftus-Cheek, on loan from Chelsea, scored the equaliser. Sakho's winner, jabbing in a rebound off the post, brought Palace within three points of 17th-placed West Brom. "That goal is worth its weight in gold," said manager Roy Hodgson. His team made up two points on Swansea City, who could only draw 0-0 at home to Bournemouth. The Welsh side were upset to have a goal disallowed just before the interval when Wilfried Bony, starting in place of Tammy Abraham, found the net. The referee decided that team mate Jordan Ayew had fouled a defender. Watford maintained their run of having scored at least twice in every away game with a comfortable 3-0 win at Newcastle to consolidate eighth place. Will Hughes and Andre Gray scored either side of an own goal by American DeAndre Yedlin to secure a victory that further enhanced the credentials of manager Marco Silva, who has been coveted by Everton.

Manchester pair in the clear as main rivals all draw

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is enjoying life at the club and says he is open to extending his four-year stay at Old Trafford.

The Spain international has made over 150 appearances for United since joining in 2014. His contract expires next year though the club have the option to extend it until 2019.

&quot;I&#39;m happy here. The club is massive, the support we have is massive. I&#39;ve been settled down in the city since year one,&quot; Mata, who has scored once in 13 appearances this season, told ESPN.

&quot;I&#39;m 29 and hopefully I can play football for some more years. It would be great to play until I&#39;m 40 like Ryan Giggs. But that&#39;s still a bit far, still 11 years.

&quot;You never know what can happen in football and in life. But my feeling now is that I&#39;m happy here and I wouldn&#39;t have any problem continuing here for more time.&quot;

United, who are second in the Premier League, eight points behind Manchester City, host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is enjoying life at the club and says he is open to extending his four-year stay at Old Trafford

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is enjoying life at the club and says he is open to extending his four-year stay at Old Trafford. The Spain international has made over 150 appearances for United since joining in 2014. His contract expires next year though the club have the option to extend it until 2019. "I'm happy here. The club is massive, the support we have is massive. I've been settled down in the city since year one," Mata, who has scored once in 13 appearances this season, told ESPN. "I'm 29 and hopefully I can play football for some more years. It would be great to play until I'm 40 like Ryan Giggs. But that's still a bit far, still 11 years. "You never know what can happen in football and in life. But my feeling now is that I'm happy here and I wouldn't have any problem continuing here for more time." United, who are second in the Premier League, eight points behind Manchester City, host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Mata keen to extend long-term Manchester United stay

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted his side&#39;s Premier League title ambitions were still intact despite a 1-0 loss away to former club Chelsea on Sunday.

Alvaro Morata&#39;s 55th-minute goal at Stamford Bridge was enough to give reigning champions Chelsea victory and leave United eight points behind in-form leaders Manchester City. &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/epl-wenger-says-difficult-to-see-anyone-stopping-city-23555" target="_blank">Also read: Wenger says &#39;difficult&#39; to see anyone stopping City</a>

&quot;We are second -- not fifth, sixth or seventh or eight,&quot; Mourinho told Sky Sports after his third straight loss at Stamford Bridge since he became United manager.

&quot;We have several teams in a more difficult position than we have. Eight points is eight points.

&quot;We went through a very difficult phase with important matches against Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea without important players.&quot;

The Portuguese manager added: &quot;The game was controlled by us and the game was controlled by them. We had chances and they had chances and with the first goal they were able to bring more people to defend.&nbsp;

&quot;We tried to change the direction of our game, we created chances to equalise but we couldn&#39;t.

&quot;We had chances. If I remember (Romelu) Lukaku shot in the first half and in the last part of the game with the (Marcus) Rashford shot...We had lots of chances to score goals,&quot; Mourinho said.

Victory saw Chelsea move to within nine points of top spot and eased the pressure on the London club&#39;s Italian manager Antonio Conte following a 3-0 loss away to Roma in the Champions League earlier this week.

&quot;It&rsquo;s an important victory,&quot; said Conte. &quot;When you play against Manchester United it&rsquo;s always a massive game. This type of win is important for our confidence. We showed great desire and passion to win this kind of game.

&ldquo;We can win or lose but our spirit must be this. Last season our spirit was in every game -&ndash; we started this season with a lot of problems. We were up and down. This game showed if we want we can.&quot;

Chelsea defender David Luiz was not even on the bench for this match and Conte was coy when asked if the Brazilian, in his second stint with the Blues, still had future with the west London club. &nbsp;

&quot;I don&rsquo;t know,&quot; Conte replied. &quot;He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.&rdquo;

Meanwhile Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who said the Blues might have won by an even bigger margin, was proud of the team&#39;s resilience.

&quot;It is fantastic to defend well but this is a team full of fantastic players and we need to take advantage of that,&quot; he said. &quot;We played like a big team, defended like a big team and we have to be proud.&quot;

United are eight points behind league leaders Manchester City

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted his side's Premier League title ambitions were still intact despite a 1-0 loss away to former club Chelsea on Sunday. Alvaro Morata's 55th-minute goal at Stamford Bridge was enough to give reigning champions Chelsea victory and leave United eight points behind in-form leaders Manchester City. Also read: Wenger says 'difficult' to see anyone stopping City "We are second -- not fifth, sixth or seventh or eight," Mourinho told Sky Sports after his third straight loss at Stamford Bridge since he became United manager. "We have several teams in a more difficult position than we have. Eight points is eight points. "We went through a very difficult phase with important matches against Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea without important players." The Portuguese manager added: "The game was controlled by us and the game was controlled by them. We had chances and they had chances and with the first goal they were able to bring more people to defend. "We tried to change the direction of our game, we created chances to equalise but we couldn't. "We had chances. If I remember (Romelu) Lukaku shot in the first half and in the last part of the game with the (Marcus) Rashford shot...We had lots of chances to score goals," Mourinho said. Victory saw Chelsea move to within nine points of top spot and eased the pressure on the London club's Italian manager Antonio Conte following a 3-0 loss away to Roma in the Champions League earlier this week. "It’s an important victory," said Conte. "When you play against Manchester United it’s always a massive game. This type of win is important for our confidence. We showed great desire and passion to win this kind of game. “We can win or lose but our spirit must be this. Last season our spirit was in every game -– we started this season with a lot of problems. We were up and down. This game showed if we want we can." Chelsea defender David Luiz was not even on the bench for this match and Conte was coy when asked if the Brazilian, in his second stint with the Blues, still had future with the west London club. "I don’t know," Conte replied. "He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.” Meanwhile Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who said the Blues might have won by an even bigger margin, was proud of the team's resilience. "It is fantastic to defend well but this is a team full of fantastic players and we need to take advantage of that," he said. "We played like a big team, defended like a big team and we have to be proud."

EPL: ManU lose to Chelsea, Mourinho says title ambitions intact

&nbsp;Jose Mourinho returns to his old club Chelsea on Sunday with his Manchester United trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and the challenge against the champions will be a major indicator of his team&#39;s ability to close the gap.

When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair.

It was a win - and performance - which suggested that City are capable of playing the kind of tight, disciplined tactical performance that had been lacking at times during Pep Guardiola&#39;s first season at the club.

United face some different questions in what is their toughest test yet away from home.

Mourinho&#39;s side were given a gentle start to the season by the fixtures computer with modest opposition for their opening seven games and they took advantage with 21 goals and six wins along with plenty of entertaining football.

But in their first challenge against one of the &#39;big six&#39;, at Liverpool, United went into their shell - clearly under instructions to not allow Juergen Klopp&#39;s side space and to limit their own forward movement.

Debate has raged about whether or not that was an appropriate approach to take at Anfield or whether United should have been more adventurous and tried to exploit the vulnerabilities in Liverpool&#39;s back line.

Mourinho typically dismissed such talk, viewing the draw as a point gained. But a defeat at Huddersfield in his team&#39;s next game added to the sense that United&#39;s early season momentum had been lost.

Last week, though, United came through another test - beating Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League in midweek has helped to dispel any talk of United losing their way.

But the challenge against the champions on Sunday is for United to show that they can replicate the confident and businesslike win that City showed a month ago.

Fragile Chelsea

United won&#39;t want to let City, who host Arsenal on Sunday, open up a seven or eight-point lead and a defeat would allow Chelsea to move within a point of Mourinho&#39;s men.

To get three points from their trip to West London, United need to combine the defensive solidity they showed on Merseyside with the ability to carve open Antonio Conte&#39;s back line.

Judging by Chelsea&#39;s woeful 3-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, United can have some confidence that it will be fruitful to take the game to Conte&#39;s team.

A repeat of last season&#39;s 4-0 mauling in this fixture certainly looks unlikely and Chelsea&#39;s defence, so solid last season, looks far more fragile.

United will need Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea wanted to re-sign before his move to Old Trafford in the close-season, to get back to the form he showed before his six-game barren streak.

They will also need his support striker, whether that be Frenchman Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, to work closer to him than in the draw with Liverpool where Martial wandered in deep positions leaving the Belgian isolated.

At Anfield, United&#39;s midfield sat deep and rarely advanced in numbers. Whatever permutation Mourinho sends out to do battle on Sunday will need to be braver in committing to forward positions or countering in numbers.

It is a balancing act, of course, as Chelsea possess in Eden Hazard in particular, the means to punish opponents who over-commit.

But City showed that perfect balance and if United want to replicate their rivals, they too will need to show a willingness to do more than just frustrate.

When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair.

Jose Mourinho returns to his old club Chelsea on Sunday with his Manchester United trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and the challenge against the champions will be a major indicator of his team's ability to close the gap. When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair. It was a win - and performance - which suggested that City are capable of playing the kind of tight, disciplined tactical performance that had been lacking at times during Pep Guardiola's first season at the club. United face some different questions in what is their toughest test yet away from home. Mourinho's side were given a gentle start to the season by the fixtures computer with modest opposition for their opening seven games and they took advantage with 21 goals and six wins along with plenty of entertaining football. But in their first challenge against one of the 'big six', at Liverpool, United went into their shell - clearly under instructions to not allow Juergen Klopp's side space and to limit their own forward movement. Debate has raged about whether or not that was an appropriate approach to take at Anfield or whether United should have been more adventurous and tried to exploit the vulnerabilities in Liverpool's back line. Mourinho typically dismissed such talk, viewing the draw as a point gained. But a defeat at Huddersfield in his team's next game added to the sense that United's early season momentum had been lost. Last week, though, United came through another test - beating Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League in midweek has helped to dispel any talk of United losing their way. But the challenge against the champions on Sunday is for United to show that they can replicate the confident and businesslike win that City showed a month ago. Fragile Chelsea United won't want to let City, who host Arsenal on Sunday, open up a seven or eight-point lead and a defeat would allow Chelsea to move within a point of Mourinho's men. To get three points from their trip to West London, United need to combine the defensive solidity they showed on Merseyside with the ability to carve open Antonio Conte's back line. Judging by Chelsea's woeful 3-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, United can have some confidence that it will be fruitful to take the game to Conte's team. A repeat of last season's 4-0 mauling in this fixture certainly looks unlikely and Chelsea's defence, so solid last season, looks far more fragile. United will need Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea wanted to re-sign before his move to Old Trafford in the close-season, to get back to the form he showed before his six-game barren streak. They will also need his support striker, whether that be Frenchman Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, to work closer to him than in the draw with Liverpool where Martial wandered in deep positions leaving the Belgian isolated. At Anfield, United's midfield sat deep and rarely advanced in numbers. Whatever permutation Mourinho sends out to do battle on Sunday will need to be braver in committing to forward positions or countering in numbers. It is a balancing act, of course, as Chelsea possess in Eden Hazard in particular, the means to punish opponents who over-commit. But City showed that perfect balance and if United want to replicate their rivals, they too will need to show a willingness to do more than just frustrate.

Manchester City set the standard for United at Chelsea

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has praised his former manager Mauricio Pochettino and is hopeful of reuniting with the Tottenham Hotspur coach in the future.

Shaw played under Pochettino at Southampton during the latter half of the 2012-13 season as the Saints finished eighth in the Premier League. The England International moved to United at the end of the season.

In the epilogue of Spanish pundit Guillem Balague`s new book &quot;Brave New World: Inside Pochettino`s Spurs&quot;, the 22-year-old hailed his fantastic relationship with the Argentine and reckoned Pochettino would like to work with him again as well.

&quot;I think with Southampton he achieved the impossible. We were one of the best footballing teams in the league...I do hope that I can play for him again one day. And I think he really wants me to play under him again,&quot; Shaw wrote.

&quot;He used to call me his son, that`s how good our relationship was. I`ve had lots of ups and downs, but when I was with Pochettino it was only ever up, up, up.

&quot;He made me feel that I was the best. He`d show me clips of my games and say, `You should do this better`. Not in a horrible way. Not I could have done better, but I should have done better because he knows I can be better.&quot;

Shaw is struggling to get playing time at United after falling out with manager Jose Mourinho and could meet Pochettino when second-placed United host third-placed Tottenham in the league on Saturday.

Shaw played under Pochettino at Southampton during the latter half of the 2012-13 season as the Saints finished eighth in the Premier League. The England International moved to United at the end of the season.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has praised his former manager Mauricio Pochettino and is hopeful of reuniting with the Tottenham Hotspur coach in the future. Shaw played under Pochettino at Southampton during the latter half of the 2012-13 season as the Saints finished eighth in the Premier League. The England International moved to United at the end of the season. In the epilogue of Spanish pundit Guillem Balague`s new book "Brave New World: Inside Pochettino`s Spurs", the 22-year-old hailed his fantastic relationship with the Argentine and reckoned Pochettino would like to work with him again as well. "I think with Southampton he achieved the impossible. We were one of the best footballing teams in the league...I do hope that I can play for him again one day. And I think he really wants me to play under him again," Shaw wrote. "He used to call me his son, that`s how good our relationship was. I`ve had lots of ups and downs, but when I was with Pochettino it was only ever up, up, up. "He made me feel that I was the best. He`d show me clips of my games and say, `You should do this better`. Not in a horrible way. Not I could have done better, but I should have done better because he knows I can be better." Shaw is struggling to get playing time at United after falling out with manager Jose Mourinho and could meet Pochettino when second-placed United host third-placed Tottenham in the league on Saturday.

Manchester United's Luke Shaw praises Mauricio Pochettino, optimistic of reunion

Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea.

After Jose Mourinho&#39;s United romped to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Crystal Palace, City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge.

&quot;We are so happy,&quot; City manager Pep Guardiola said. &quot;The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing.&quot;

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A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left City just ahead of United on goal difference.

Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Huddersfield Town.

Manager Antonio Conte blamed Champions League exertions from midweek for his team&#39;s subdued performance. &quot;It is logical when you play three games in seven (sic) days you risk something,&quot; he said.

United&#39;s win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a record seventh successive defeat without a goal to start the season.

Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a repetition but became only the second team since the Premier League began to lose their first seven games. Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a single goal.

Romelu Lukaku&#39;s late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season.

Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure.

&quot;We started strong and we finished strong,&quot; said Mourinho.

England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield. Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle.

Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September.

&quot;Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August,&quot; he said.

Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans.

Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Watford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time.

Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf&#39;s opener. Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty conceded by Southampton&#39;s Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season.

In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them but Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City.

West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes combined for a dramatic winning goal.

Arthur Masuaku crossed for Diafra Sakho to score, taking the London side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead.

&quot;It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways,&quot; West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless.

&quot;I&#39;m never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion.&quot;

Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score. Jermain Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar.

In Sunday&#39;s three matches, sixth-placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United; Arsenal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley.

City beat Chelsea away 1-0, United romped 4-0 over Crystal Palace

Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea. After Jose Mourinho's United romped to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Crystal Palace, City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge. "We are so happy," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing." The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing,' said Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola × A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left City just ahead of United on goal difference. Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Huddersfield Town. Manager Antonio Conte blamed Champions League exertions from midweek for his team's subdued performance. "It is logical when you play three games in seven (sic) days you risk something," he said. United's win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a record seventh successive defeat without a goal to start the season. Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a repetition but became only the second team since the Premier League began to lose their first seven games. Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a single goal. Romelu Lukaku's late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season. Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure. "We started strong and we finished strong," said Mourinho. England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield. Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle. Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September. "Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August," he said. Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Watford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time. Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf's opener. Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty conceded by Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season. In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them but Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City. West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes combined for a dramatic winning goal. Arthur Masuaku crossed for Diafra Sakho to score, taking the London side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead. "It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways," West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless. "I'm never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion." Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score. Jermain Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar. In Sunday's three matches, sixth-placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United; Arsenal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley.

Manchester City stay ahead of United with win over champions Chelsea

The absence of key midfielders due to injury will have no impact on the Manchester&nbsp;United&nbsp;team&#39;s quality in their Champions League match against CSKA Moscow, manager <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/mourinho-ready-to-make-move-for-bale-18682" target="_blank">Jose Mourinho</a> said.

United&nbsp;will be without Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, leaving Mourinho with Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as the only experienced central midfielders available for the game on Wednesday.

&quot;We don&#39;t have Fellaini, we don&#39;t have Pogba, we don&#39;t have Carrick. So all three midfield players we lose this match. The solutions are not many,&quot; Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday.

&quot;We try not to focus on individual battles or specific areas on the pitch. We try to focus on the bigger picture. And we are going to have a team with quality, with balance.&quot;

Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday.

&quot;It was only when I saw it on TV that I realised that Fellaini was very lucky,&quot; Mourinho added. &quot;I do not expect him to be out for long.&quot;

CSKA Moscow lies fourth in the Russian Premier League with six wins from 11 games but Mourinho believes they are &quot;the best CSKA I am going to play against&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t like to speak about opponents,&quot; he said.

&quot;If I speak good, I motivate them. If I speak bad, I motivate them.&quot;

United, unbeaten this season and level on points with&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;City at the top of the Premier League, started their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Basel at Old Trafford.

CSKA beat Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon in their opening match.

Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday

The absence of key midfielders due to injury will have no impact on the Manchester United team's quality in their Champions League match against CSKA Moscow, manager Jose Mourinho said. United will be without Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, leaving Mourinho with Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as the only experienced central midfielders available for the game on Wednesday. "We don't have Fellaini, we don't have Pogba, we don't have Carrick. So all three midfield players we lose this match. The solutions are not many," Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday. "We try not to focus on individual battles or specific areas on the pitch. We try to focus on the bigger picture. And we are going to have a team with quality, with balance." Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday. "It was only when I saw it on TV that I realised that Fellaini was very lucky," Mourinho added. "I do not expect him to be out for long." CSKA Moscow lies fourth in the Russian Premier League with six wins from 11 games but Mourinho believes they are "the best CSKA I am going to play against". "I don't like to speak about opponents," he said. "If I speak good, I motivate them. If I speak bad, I motivate them." United, unbeaten this season and level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, started their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Basel at Old Trafford. CSKA beat Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon in their opening match.

Manchester United midfield injuries won't affect quality: Mourinho

Everton&nbsp;showed plenty of signs they were improving despite the heavy defeat to Manchester United and the side have the character to&nbsp;turn&nbsp;things&nbsp;around, midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson&nbsp;has said.

Sunday&#39;s 4-0 loss to United was&nbsp;Everton&#39;s third league defeat on the trot with the 3-0 humbling at the hands of Italy&#39;s Atalanta in the Europa League last week adding to their woes.

Sigurdsson,&nbsp;Everton&#39;s record signing who arrived in the close season along with a host of new recruits as the club spent 145 million pounds ($196.23 million), said there were signs the squad was gelling.

&quot;Yes &ndash; it is hard to say that after a 4-0 loss but we will stay together, stay positive and keep working,&quot; the Iceland international told the club&#39;s website (www.evertonfc.com).

&quot;Even though we conceded four goals I think we were more solid as a team and harder to break down. But we are going to have to improve for the next few games.&quot;

Everton, 18th in the league table with four points from five games, host Sunderland in the League Cup on Wednesday before Saturday&#39;s league match against Bournemouth at Goodison Park.

&quot;A lot of us have been in this kind of position before &ndash; where&nbsp;things&nbsp;are not going your way,&quot; Sigurdsson&nbsp;said.

&quot;It does not look too good at the moment but I know we are more than good enough to&nbsp;turn&nbsp;this around.&quot;

Sunday's 4-0 loss to United was?Everton's third league defeat on the trot with the 3-0 humbling at the hands of Italy's Atalanta in the Europa League last week adding to their woes.

Everton showed plenty of signs they were improving despite the heavy defeat to Manchester United and the side have the character to turn things around, midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson has said. Sunday's 4-0 loss to United was Everton's third league defeat on the trot with the 3-0 humbling at the hands of Italy's Atalanta in the Europa League last week adding to their woes. Sigurdsson, Everton's record signing who arrived in the close season along with a host of new recruits as the club spent 145 million pounds ($196.23 million), said there were signs the squad was gelling. "Yes – it is hard to say that after a 4-0 loss but we will stay together, stay positive and keep working," the Iceland international told the club's website (www.evertonfc.com). "Even though we conceded four goals I think we were more solid as a team and harder to break down. But we are going to have to improve for the next few games." Everton, 18th in the league table with four points from five games, host Sunderland in the League Cup on Wednesday before Saturday's league match against Bournemouth at Goodison Park. "A lot of us have been in this kind of position before – where things are not going your way," Sigurdsson said. "It does not look too good at the moment but I know we are more than good enough to turn this around."

Despite loss to Manchester United, Everton can turn things around, says Sigurdsson

Manchester&nbsp;United&nbsp;may struggle to maintain their explosive start to the Premier League season if injured midfielder Paul&nbsp;Pogba&nbsp;is out for long, the club&#39;s playmaker Henrik Mkhitaryan&nbsp;has said.

Pogba&nbsp;hurt his hamstring during&nbsp;United&#39;s Champions League win over Basel last week and will undergo further scans to determine his recovery period.

The France international, who captained&nbsp;United&nbsp;against the Swiss champions, limped off in the 3-0 win and some reports have suggested he could be out for 12 weeks with a muscle tear.

But manager Jose Mourinho has said the nature of the injury would not be known until after the results of the scans.

United&nbsp;thumped Everton 4-0 over the weekend with Marouane Fellaini stepping in for&nbsp;Pogba&nbsp;butMkhitaryan&nbsp;said the club would&nbsp;miss&nbsp;Pogba&#39;s creativity that has help them script big victories this season.

&quot;It&#39;s hard, because he&#39;s a top player for us,&quot; he told France&#39;s SFR Sport. &quot;It&#39;s going to be very difficult, but the coach knows how to make up for that and we&#39;re going to help him come back stronger.&quot;

Mourinho&#39;s side share top spot in the Premier League table with Manchester City and have 13 points from five games. Both Manchester clubs have scored 16 goals and conceded only two.

United&nbsp;host Championship side (second tier) Burton Albion in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday before travelling to Southampton in the league on Saturday.

Pogba?hurt his hamstring during?United's Champions League win over Basel last week and will undergo further scans to determine his recovery period.

Manchester United may struggle to maintain their explosive start to the Premier League season if injured midfielder Paul Pogba is out for long, the club's playmaker Henrik Mkhitaryan has said. Pogba hurt his hamstring during United's Champions League win over Basel last week and will undergo further scans to determine his recovery period. The France international, who captained United against the Swiss champions, limped off in the 3-0 win and some reports have suggested he could be out for 12 weeks with a muscle tear. But manager Jose Mourinho has said the nature of the injury would not be known until after the results of the scans. United thumped Everton 4-0 over the weekend with Marouane Fellaini stepping in for Pogba butMkhitaryan said the club would miss Pogba's creativity that has help them script big victories this season. "It's hard, because he's a top player for us," he told France's SFR Sport. "It's going to be very difficult, but the coach knows how to make up for that and we're going to help him come back stronger." Mourinho's side share top spot in the Premier League table with Manchester City and have 13 points from five games. Both Manchester clubs have scored 16 goals and conceded only two. United host Championship side (second tier) Burton Albion in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday before travelling to Southampton in the league on Saturday.

United will miss Pogba, says Mkhitaryan

Lionel Messi netted twice in Barcelona&#39;s convincing 3-0 victory over Juventus that kicked off their Champions League campaign in style, while Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea also won big on Tuesday.

After a troubled summer, a home meeting with last season&#39;s runners-up may not have been what Barcelona wanted, but Messi was at his brilliant best to give the Catalans the three points.

New signing Ousmane Dembele was handed a first Barcelona start at the Camp Nou but it was Messi who got the opening goal on the stroke of half-time after a brilliant exchange of passes with Luis Suarez.

It was fine play from the Argentine that led to Ivan Rakitic doubling Barca&#39;s lead on 56 minutes and Messi saved the best for last with a sublime goal to complete the victory midway through the second half.

&quot;I have suffered many times playing against Messi and now I have the luck to have him on my side,&quot; said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

The result gave Barcelona revenge for their defeat to Juventus in last season&#39;s quarter-finals and leaves them on top of Group D alongside Sporting Lisbon, who won 3-2 away to Olympiakos in Greece.

Sporting, who had been three goals up at half-time, host Barcelona next.

While Barcelona adapt to life without Neymar, the Brazilian is enjoying life with PSG and scored the opener in their superb 5-0 victory over Celtic in Glasgow.

Neymar silenced the Parkhead crowd in the 19th minute for his fifth goal in five appearances for PSG, and he then set up Kylian Mbappe to make it 2-0.

Edinson Cavani -- the third member of PSG&#39;s &#39;MCN&#39; front three -- won and converted a penalty to put the visitors out of sight before the interval.

A Mikael Lustig own goal on 83 minutes and another for Cavani put the seal on PSG&#39;s victory and left Celtic to contemplate their heaviest ever home defeat in Europe.

&quot;It was a great match and very important to win. It is always a pleasure to play alongside great players,&quot; Neymar told beIN Sports.

PSG&#39;s next opponents in Group B will be five-time European champions Bayern Munich, who began their campaign by brushing aside Anderlecht 3-0 at the Allianz Arena.

The game was conditioned by the early sending-off of Anderlecht&#39;s Sven Kums for giving away a penalty that Robert Lewandowski converted.

Alexandru Chipciu did hit the post for the 10 men when it was still 1-0 but Bayern added two more goals in the second half, with Joshua Kimmich setting up Thiago Alcantara to score before wrapping up the win himself.

Fellaini United&#39;s fixer 
Substitute Marouane Fellaini was an unlikely source of inspiration as Manchester United comfortably defeated Basel 3-0 in Group A on their return to the Champions League.

Fellaini came on for the injured Paul Pogba and gave United a 35th-minute lead at a drizzly Old Trafford. He later teed up Marcus Rashford for the hosts&#39; third goal after Romelu Lukaku had struck early in the second period.

It was United&#39;s first Champions League game since December 2015, with Jose Mourinho&#39;s side having engineered a return to the competition by winning the Europa League last season.

In the same group, CSKA Moscow came from behind to beat Portuguese champions Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon with Timur Zhamaletdinov getting their winner. CSKA entertain United later this month.

Mourinho&#39;s old club Chelsea were the biggest winners on the night, thrashing group stage newcomers Qarabag 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in Group C.

A superb Pedro Rodriguez strike set Chelsea on their way before recent signing Davide Zappacosta&#39;s intended cross flew in to make it 2-0 before the interval.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Tiemoue Bakayoko scored after the break and Michy Batshuayi added the fifth before forcing Maksim Medvedev into the own goal that completed the rout.

Chelsea next go to Atletico Madrid, who drew 0-0 at Roma on Tuesday.

Messi scored twice for Barcelona, Neymar scored the opener in PSG's superb 5-0 victory over Celtic in Glasgow

Lionel Messi netted twice in Barcelona's convincing 3-0 victory over Juventus that kicked off their Champions League campaign in style, while Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea also won big on Tuesday. After a troubled summer, a home meeting with last season's runners-up may not have been what Barcelona wanted, but Messi was at his brilliant best to give the Catalans the three points. New signing Ousmane Dembele was handed a first Barcelona start at the Camp Nou but it was Messi who got the opening goal on the stroke of half-time after a brilliant exchange of passes with Luis Suarez. It was fine play from the Argentine that led to Ivan Rakitic doubling Barca's lead on 56 minutes and Messi saved the best for last with a sublime goal to complete the victory midway through the second half. "I have suffered many times playing against Messi and now I have the luck to have him on my side," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde. The result gave Barcelona revenge for their defeat to Juventus in last season's quarter-finals and leaves them on top of Group D alongside Sporting Lisbon, who won 3-2 away to Olympiakos in Greece. Sporting, who had been three goals up at half-time, host Barcelona next. While Barcelona adapt to life without Neymar, the Brazilian is enjoying life with PSG and scored the opener in their superb 5-0 victory over Celtic in Glasgow. Neymar silenced the Parkhead crowd in the 19th minute for his fifth goal in five appearances for PSG, and he then set up Kylian Mbappe to make it 2-0. Edinson Cavani -- the third member of PSG's 'MCN' front three -- won and converted a penalty to put the visitors out of sight before the interval. A Mikael Lustig own goal on 83 minutes and another for Cavani put the seal on PSG's victory and left Celtic to contemplate their heaviest ever home defeat in Europe. "It was a great match and very important to win. It is always a pleasure to play alongside great players," Neymar told beIN Sports. PSG's next opponents in Group B will be five-time European champions Bayern Munich, who began their campaign by brushing aside Anderlecht 3-0 at the Allianz Arena. The game was conditioned by the early sending-off of Anderlecht's Sven Kums for giving away a penalty that Robert Lewandowski converted. Alexandru Chipciu did hit the post for the 10 men when it was still 1-0 but Bayern added two more goals in the second half, with Joshua Kimmich setting up Thiago Alcantara to score before wrapping up the win himself. Fellaini United's fixer Substitute Marouane Fellaini was an unlikely source of inspiration as Manchester United comfortably defeated Basel 3-0 in Group A on their return to the Champions League. Fellaini came on for the injured Paul Pogba and gave United a 35th-minute lead at a drizzly Old Trafford. He later teed up Marcus Rashford for the hosts' third goal after Romelu Lukaku had struck early in the second period. It was United's first Champions League game since December 2015, with Jose Mourinho's side having engineered a return to the competition by winning the Europa League last season. In the same group, CSKA Moscow came from behind to beat Portuguese champions Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon with Timur Zhamaletdinov getting their winner. CSKA entertain United later this month. Mourinho's old club Chelsea were the biggest winners on the night, thrashing group stage newcomers Qarabag 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in Group C. A superb Pedro Rodriguez strike set Chelsea on their way before recent signing Davide Zappacosta's intended cross flew in to make it 2-0 before the interval. Cesar Azpilicueta and Tiemoue Bakayoko scored after the break and Michy Batshuayi added the fifth before forcing Maksim Medvedev into the own goal that completed the rout. Chelsea next go to Atletico Madrid, who drew 0-0 at Roma on Tuesday.

Champions League: Barcelona beat Juventus; PSG, ManU & Chelsea win big

Manchester United fans would be ill-advised to start dreaming about the Premier League title just yet but they will be heartened by another vintage performance in a 4-0 rout of Swansea on Saturday which showcased their attacking firepower.

Following the opening day mauling of West Ham by the same score, United manager Jose Mourinho was a happy man.

&quot;I think the team is confident and in both matches winning 1-0 at halftime, we didn&#39;t start the second half looking like we had to keep a clean sheet to win the match,&quot; he said.

&quot;We tried to control the game by keeping the ball and creating chances and we did that in both matches,&quot; he added.

&quot;The players that came on from the bench did well. Easy for me to make decisions, easy for me to make changes. The players make the manager look better and I thank their fantastic attitude because we know we have to have a squad to do something special this season.&quot;

Midfield anchorman Nemanja Matic bossed the centre of the pitch, allowing a rejuvenated Paul Pogba to venture forward and score his second goal in two games while striker Romelu Lukaku netted his third after selfless work throughout the match.

Henrik Mkhitaryan and substitute Anthony Martial, who again scored as a late substitute, also continued to thrive.

&quot;We are more confident (than last season),&quot; Pogba told Sky Sports.

&quot;We know each other more. We work for each other and I think that is easier for us. We want to carry on on this road.&quot;

Mkhitaryan spoke about United&#39;s passion and team spirit, factors which have been lacking for long spells since the departure of manager Alex Ferguson in 2013 when United won their 20th and last league title.

Cracks in last season&#39;s disappointing sixth-place finish were papered over by winning the League Cup and the Europa League, the latter allowing United to qualify for the Champions League group stage.

Mourinho signed Matic, Lukaku and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof, who is yet to make his Premier League debut as Phil Jones forced his way into the starting 11 with good pre-season form.

United now have the squad depth they have lacked in the past four years and although their credentials are yet to be tested against stronger rivals, former Wales striker John Hartson believes they will be a different prospect this season.

&quot;Clearly the opposition will get tougher for Manchester United,&quot; Hartson told the BBC.

&quot;But in terms of the first two games they&#39;ve been faultless. In that three or four minute spell where they took the game away from Swansea, they were devastating.&quot;

Following the opening day mauling of West Ham by the same score, United manager Jose Mourinho was a happy man

Manchester United fans would be ill-advised to start dreaming about the Premier League title just yet but they will be heartened by another vintage performance in a 4-0 rout of Swansea on Saturday which showcased their attacking firepower. Following the opening day mauling of West Ham by the same score, United manager Jose Mourinho was a happy man. "I think the team is confident and in both matches winning 1-0 at halftime, we didn't start the second half looking like we had to keep a clean sheet to win the match," he said. "We tried to control the game by keeping the ball and creating chances and we did that in both matches," he added. "The players that came on from the bench did well. Easy for me to make decisions, easy for me to make changes. The players make the manager look better and I thank their fantastic attitude because we know we have to have a squad to do something special this season." Midfield anchorman Nemanja Matic bossed the centre of the pitch, allowing a rejuvenated Paul Pogba to venture forward and score his second goal in two games while striker Romelu Lukaku netted his third after selfless work throughout the match. Henrik Mkhitaryan and substitute Anthony Martial, who again scored as a late substitute, also continued to thrive. "We are more confident (than last season)," Pogba told Sky Sports. "We know each other more. We work for each other and I think that is easier for us. We want to carry on on this road." Mkhitaryan spoke about United's passion and team spirit, factors which have been lacking for long spells since the departure of manager Alex Ferguson in 2013 when United won their 20th and last league title. Cracks in last season's disappointing sixth-place finish were papered over by winning the League Cup and the Europa League, the latter allowing United to qualify for the Champions League group stage. Mourinho signed Matic, Lukaku and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof, who is yet to make his Premier League debut as Phil Jones forced his way into the starting 11 with good pre-season form. United now have the squad depth they have lacked in the past four years and although their credentials are yet to be tested against stronger rivals, former Wales striker John Hartson believes they will be a different prospect this season. "Clearly the opposition will get tougher for Manchester United," Hartson told the BBC. "But in terms of the first two games they've been faultless. In that three or four minute spell where they took the game away from Swansea, they were devastating."

Premier League: Manchester United crushes Swansea 4-0

Manchester United have agreed to a 75 million pound ($97 million) deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, Reuters reports, citing&nbsp;a source close to the negotiations.

United is said to have seen Lukaku as their number one target for next season, according to the same source.

The move, which is not connected to any talks of a Wayne Rooney deal in the opposite direction, is expected to be formally announced within the next 36 hours.

This closes the door on any interest United may have had in pursuing Real Madrid&#39;s Alvaro Morata.&nbsp;&quot;Chelsea&#39;s interest in Lukaku allowed United to fly under the radar on this,&quot; the source said. &quot;But he has been the club&#39;s number one target.&quot;

There had been much speculation that the Belgian international would return to Chelsea, which he joined in 2011.

Last season Lukaku had the distinction of becoming the first Everton played since Latchford to score 25 goals in back to back seasons, in all comeptitions.

The Belgian was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the first time, and was also included in the six player shortlists for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

The deal is expected to be formally announced within the next 36 hours

Manchester United have agreed to a 75 million pound ($97 million) deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, Reuters reports, citing a source close to the negotiations. United is said to have seen Lukaku as their number one target for next season, according to the same source. The move, which is not connected to any talks of a Wayne Rooney deal in the opposite direction, is expected to be formally announced within the next 36 hours. This closes the door on any interest United may have had in pursuing Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata. "Chelsea's interest in Lukaku allowed United to fly under the radar on this," the source said. "But he has been the club's number one target." There had been much speculation that the Belgian international would return to Chelsea, which he joined in 2011. Last season Lukaku had the distinction of becoming the first Everton played since Latchford to score 25 goals in back to back seasons, in all comeptitions. The Belgian was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the first time, and was also included in the six player shortlists for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

Man United to acquire Everton striker Lukaku for 75 million pounds

Real Madrid forward Cristiano&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;wants to leave the club and Spain after being accused of committing tax fraud in the country, a report in Portuguese sports daily A Bola said on Friday.

The newspaper said its story was based on a reliable source and that the 32-year-old four-times world player of the year had already made up his mind to ask the club for a transfer.

It said that&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;was &quot;deeply disenchanted&quot; with the allegations against him.

Record, another sports daily, carried a similar story.

Ronaldo&#39;s agents could not immediately be reached for comment.

Spanish prosecutors have filed a lawsuit against the player accusing him of defrauding tax authorities of 14.7 million euros ($16.5 million) by hiding his image rights income between 2011 and 2014.&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;has denied any wrongdoing.

Real Madrid said on Thursday they were confident the Portuguese forward had acted legally. They could not immediately be reached on Friday to comment on the report.

Ronaldo&nbsp;led Real Madrid to their 12th European Cup earlier this month after scoring two goals in a 4-1 victory over Juventus in the Champions League final, becoming the tournament&#39;s top scorer.

Ronaldo, Portugal&#39;s all-time leading scorer, is the latest in a long line of soccer players in Spain -- among them Barcelona&#39;s Lionel Messi and Neymar -- to be caught up in cases over tax or transfers.

Ronaldo&nbsp;has completed eight seasons at Real Madrid since joining them from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world record fee of 96 million euros

During that time, they have won the Champions League three times and La Liga twice. In November, he agreed to extend his contract until 2021.

He is currently at the Confederations Cup in Russia with the Portuguese national team where his team mate Andre Silva said that&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;was motivated for the tournament.

&quot;All I can say is that he is motivated, focused on the national team and encouraging us on to win the tournament,&quot; he told a news conference in Kazan, where Portugal face Mexico on Sunday.

A source close to Cristiano Ronaldo told a Portuguese newspaper that the footballer was 'deeply disenchanted' with the allegations, and had handed a transfer request

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the club and Spain after being accused of committing tax fraud in the country, a report in Portuguese sports daily A Bola said on Friday. The newspaper said its story was based on a reliable source and that the 32-year-old four-times world player of the year had already made up his mind to ask the club for a transfer. It said that Ronaldo was "deeply disenchanted" with the allegations against him. Record, another sports daily, carried a similar story. Ronaldo's agents could not immediately be reached for comment. Spanish prosecutors have filed a lawsuit against the player accusing him of defrauding tax authorities of 14.7 million euros ($16.5 million) by hiding his image rights income between 2011 and 2014. Ronaldo has denied any wrongdoing. Real Madrid said on Thursday they were confident the Portuguese forward had acted legally. They could not immediately be reached on Friday to comment on the report. Ronaldo led Real Madrid to their 12th European Cup earlier this month after scoring two goals in a 4-1 victory over Juventus in the Champions League final, becoming the tournament's top scorer. Ronaldo, Portugal's all-time leading scorer, is the latest in a long line of soccer players in Spain -- among them Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Neymar -- to be caught up in cases over tax or transfers. Ronaldo has completed eight seasons at Real Madrid since joining them from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world record fee of 96 million euros During that time, they have won the Champions League three times and La Liga twice. In November, he agreed to extend his contract until 2021. He is currently at the Confederations Cup in Russia with the Portuguese national team where his team mate Andre Silva said that Ronaldo was motivated for the tournament. "All I can say is that he is motivated, focused on the national team and encouraging us on to win the tournament," he told a news conference in Kazan, where Portugal face Mexico on Sunday.

Upset Ronaldo wants to leave Real Madrid amid tax fraud claims

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