Manchester: Manchester United are set to play Atletico Madrid for a pre-season match before the start of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. The match will take place on July 30, with kick-off at 14:00 local time, and will see United return to play at the Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, exactly three years to the day since the Red Devils' last played there against Kristiansund in 2019.Manchester United's football director, John Murtough, comments: "Pre-season is such an important part of the squad's preparations for the season ahead.Our players and coaching staff will be relishing the opportunity to play against such a high-calibre opponent in Atletico Madrid, as well as the chance to perform in front of a full stadium of passionate Norwegian fans." Manchester United's chief operating officer, Collette Roche, said: "Manchester United has a deep and long-standing relationship with Norway and we are delighted to be returning to play at the Ullevaal Stadium this summer. Our visit will coincide with the 40th anniversary of our official Norwegian supporters' club, reflecting the strength of support we have in the country. "We know that both our locally-based and travelling fans will provide a great reception for the team," she added.—ANI

Manchester United are set to play Atletico Madrid for a pre-season match before the start of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. The match will take place on July 30, with kick-off at 14:00 local time, and will see United return to play at the Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, exactly three years to the day since the Red Devils' last played there against Kristiansund in 2019.

Manchester United to play Atletico Madrid in pre-season friendly

Manchester: Manchester United star forward Cristiano Ronaldo has boldly claimed that records follow him everywhere and added that he doesn't chase milestones. Ronaldo has caught the eye at Old Trafford even in a disappointing season, scoring 24 goals across all competitions and netting various individual awards.He is grateful that the fans have been behind him from that memorable first game back and admits he was 'nervous' prior to hitting a brace in a 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle United in M16. "What I have to say to the fans is they are amazing," Cristiano told United's official website. "Even when you've lost the game, they always support us, they're always with us." It's been another strong season for Ronaldo personally, despite United's issues on the pitch. He set a new international goalscoring record the week after his transfer to the Reds was announced and is currently on an astonishing 115 goals for Portugal. In December, he scored against Arsenal to pass 800 career goals and then, on his way to a hat-trick versus Tottenham in March, he surpassed Josef Bican as FIFA's all-time record goalscorer in competitive matches.The 37-year-old has been used to setting such incredible numbers during his career, but now he's fixed his sights on adding to the silverware he collected during his first spell at United, between 2003 and 2009. "The records [are] coming in a natural way," he added. "I don't follow the records, but the records follow me so it's good." "It's still my motivation to carry on working hard, to still love the passion for the game, and of course Manchester and my teammates help me all the way so I have to appreciate all the people who help Cristiano. It's always nice to score goals for this club. When it is a hat trick it's even more [nice]." "But the most important thing for me is to try to win the games and try to win some championship or some cup but I believe that Manchester will be where they belong. Sometimes it takes time, but I still believe," he added.—ANI

Manchester United star forward Cristiano Ronaldo has boldly claimed that records follow him everywhere and added that he doesn't chase milestones. Ronaldo has caught the eye at Old Trafford even in a disappointing season, scoring 24 goals across all competitions and netting various individual awards.

I don't follow records, records follow me: Ronaldo makes bold claim

Dubai: Although India clinched a 2-1 triumph in ODI series against England, their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah wasn't playing in the series decider at Manchester. It paved the way for New Zealand left-arm quick Trent Boult to replace him as the new top-ranked bowler in ODIs, as per the latest ICC Men's Rankings.Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, India's architects of an impressive five-wicket win in series decider at Manchester, have made big gains in the rankings too. Pant's unbeaten 125 off 113 balls, his maiden century in ODIs, has lifted the left-handed batter by 25 places to 52nd while Pandya has progressed from 50th to 42nd after his 55-ball 71.Pandya is also up 25 places to 70th among bowlers for his haul of 4/24 while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has advanced four places to reach 16th position after grabbing 3/60. South Africa batter Rassie van der Dussen has attained a career-best third position in the Men's ODI Player Rankings after smashing 134 off 117 balls in the first ODI against England on Tuesday.Pakistan skipper Babar Azam remains on top in list for batters, with India duo of talismanic batter Virat Kohli (fourth) and captain Rohit Sharma (fifth) and South Africa opener Quinton de Kock (sixth) all dropping a spot due to van der Dussen's rise in the rankings.Aiden Markram, who also played an important part in the 62-run win for South Africa alongside van der Dussen, has moved up 15 slots to 61st after his knock of 77 while opener Janneman Malan is up one place to joint-35th with a score of 57. David Miller's 24 runs see him move up three places to 24th.Proteas fast bowler Anrich Nortje has reached 61st position, his haul of 4/53 lifting him 18 slots. For England, opener Jason Roy has moved up one slot to 16th position among batters after scoring 43 against South Africa and 41 in the last match of the series against India. His team-mate David Willey has moved up two slots to 35th among bowlers.Others to move up the ODI rankings for batters this week include Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal (up two places to 17th) and Liton Das (up two places to 30th), West Indies' Nicholas Pooran (up four places to joint-35th), Scotland's Calum MacLeod (up three places to 48th) and Namibia's Gerhard Erasmus (up 21 places to 86th).In the ODI bowlers' rankings, New Zealand quick Matt Henry has moved up one place to seventh. West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (up three places to 18th), New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner (up two places to 23rd), Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane (up six places to 33rd) and Scotland seamer Safyaan Sharif (up four places to 56th) are others to progress.In the Men's T20I Player Rankings, New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips has advanced five places to reach 30th position after his Player of the Match effort of 69 not out in the first match of their series against Ireland while fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has progressed 25 slots to 40th with a haul of 4-14.Zimbabwe's Sean Williams rose eight spots to be placed 12th overall for T20I all-rounders, while compatriot, all-rounder, Sikandar Raza jumped five places to 19th after he was named Player of the Tournament during the Qualifier B event won by his team to qualify for Men's T20 World Cup. —IANS

Although India clinched a 2-1 triumph in ODI series against England, their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah wasn't playing in the series decider at Manchester. 

 Boult replaces Bumrah as new top-ranked bowler in ODI; Pant, Pandya make huge gains

Wisconsin (US): New signing Erling Haaland is not surprised by his goal on his debut for Manchester City as he has been seeing himself in these kinds of situations.Haaland made a bang during his debut for City, scoring the game's only goal after just 11 minutes and 45 seconds on the pitch and helping his side win against Bayern Munich in the pre-season friendly on Saturday night.The 22-year old, who joined City for 51.2 million pounds from Borussia Dortmund, was helped with a cross from man-of-the-match Jack Grealish, which the Norway international was able to convert from short range."Of course I have been seeing myself in these kinds of situations so I'm not surprised," Haaland told Sky Sports.City boss Pep Guardiola praised Haaland's instinct but said the forward needed to be handled carefully to aid his return to full fitness. The footballer had earlier missed the first match of City's US tour, against Mexico's Club America, with injury niggles."He scored a goal, which is important. These types of goals in front of the keeper -- always he's there. The first minutes, he needs more rhythm and time but already he had 45 minutes which is good for him," Guardiola said."We'll see how he reacts to the niggles that he had in the previous weeks. After we come back we have long weeks to prepare every weekend game. In those two or three weeks we will get the best form," he added.The match, held at Wisconsin's Lambeau Field -- home of top NFL team the Green Bay Packers -- was delayed for 15 minutes by a thunderstorm, and play was suspended until further notice shortly after Haaland's goal.Fans were urged to take shelter on the concourse as lightning descended on the area and players left the field. Officials then announced a reduced game, with 27 minutes left in the first half and a 40-minute second half. The interruptions appeared to impact both sides' momentum, with neither managing to clinch another goal over the total of 80 minutes played.City will now fly back to England and will take on Liverpool in the Community Shield at Leicester's King Power Stadium on Saturday. —IANS

 New signing Erling Haaland is not surprised by his goal on his debut for Manchester City as he has been seeing himself in these kinds of situations.

Erling Haaland 'not surprised' by his goal on Manchester City debut

Paris: Erling Haaland continued his remarkable start to life at Manchester City with a brace of goals, helping the English side to a third win from three Group G matches in the UEFA Champions League. Haaland scored with his first touch as City cruised to another thumping home win, beating FC Copenhagen 5-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester on Wednesday night. Haaland buried a Joao Cancelo pass in the 7th minute before tapping in a second in the 32nd min to move to 28 goals in just 22 Champions League appearances. He is now level with Ryan Giggs on 28 UEFA Champions League goals. David Khocholava turned in an own goal, Riyad Mahrez scored a penalty after Haaland was withdrawn at the break and Juli�n Alvarez tapped in a fifth after a great run from Jack Grealish. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was elated with the way his team played and praised Alvarez for stepping in when Haaland was withdrawn. "Against teams like Copenhagen, you need players in the box. This season we have Haaland, Alvarez, these kinds of weapons. All of us are incredibly happy with the goal (Alvarez) scored. He's a little bit behind Haaland with the highlights, that's normal, but he's helped us a lot." Though Copenhagen goalkeeper Kamil Grabara excelled throughout, making 12 saves, his side was just outclassed. Neestrup, Copenhagen coach said his team was simply overpowered. Speaking to the club's official website, he said, "It's never fun to lose 5-0, and we went in there to create a little or big miracle we would have needed to get a point. But we simply were overpowered as 100 other teams have experienced against City." Chelsea win 3-0 It was a good night for the English sides as Chelsea romped to a 3-0 win against Italian club AC Milan. Chelsea cruised to their first Champions League win of the season to move off the foot of Group E. The visitors from Italy started brightly but lax marking at defensive set pieces proved their downfall as Wesley Fofana capitalised. Rade Krunic spurned a glorious chance on the stroke of half-time, but that was as good as it got for Milan as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang steered in Reece James' cross for the second, before James smashed in the third after Milan were caught playing out from the back. Chelsea thus moved to the second spot in the standings tied on four points with AC Milan but ahead on goal difference. FC Salzburg, who have five from three games, lead the Group after they defeated Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 at home. Meanwhile, in Group H, �ngel Di Mar�a was in sparkling form, providing all three assists, as Juventus earned their first Group H win, beating Maccabi Haifa 3-1 at home. The Argentinian's brilliantly disguised pass teed up Adrien Rabiot for the opener in the 35th minute, and he released Dusan Vlahovic to beat Joshua Cohen early in the second half. Din David pulled one back for the visitors in the closing stages but Rabiot headed in a Di Mar�a corner to quash any hopes of a comeback. In the other match in the group, Portuguese champions Benfica held French stalwarts Paris Saint Germain (PSG) 1-1 at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Benfica held on to keep pace with Paris at the top of Group H after Danilo's own goal cancelled out some Lionel Messi magic. The visitors were indebted to Gianluigi Donnarumma in the opening exchanges before Messi hit a sumptuous curling finish from the edge of the box. However, the Eagles kept to their game plan and levelled when Enzo Fernandez's centre was chested past his own keeper by former Porto man Danilo. Both sides went in search of a winner after the break but found Odisseas Vlachodimos and Donnarumma in sparkling form. —IANS

Erling Haaland continued his remarkable start to life at Manchester City with a brace of goals, helping the English side to a third win from three Group G matches in the UEFA Champions League.

Champions League: Haaland stars for Man City; Chelsea, Juventus win; PSG held 1-1 in Lisbon (round-up)

San Francisco (The Hawk): Apple, a major technology company, has no plans to buy Manchester United, a team in the Premier League.
The report was untrue, a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation told MacRumors.
In a recent statement, the club stated that its board intended to "examine strategic alternatives," which might include selling the club.
The information was made public at the same time as top player Cristiano Ronaldo revealed he would be leaving Manchester United.
The digital company has been investing in sports content, according to the article, although it has no aspirations to purchase the club.
The digital titan reportedly expressed interest in buying Manchester United for almost $7 billion earlier.
After an American family purchased Manchester United 17 years ago, it was confirmed that Glazers, the club's owner, had decided to put the organisation up for sale. In 2005, the Glazers purchased the team, but they quickly lost a lot of support.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Apple, a major technology company, has no plans to buy Manchester United, a team in the Premier League. The report was untrue, a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation told MacRumors.

Apple has no intention of acquiring Manchester United

London: Three teams are playing to avoid two relegation spots in what promises to be a nerve-wracking end to the Premier League season on Sunday.  Manchester City sealed the title last weekend, while Newcastle United's draw at home to Leicester City last Monday, and Manchester United's 4-0 thumping of Chelsea on Thursday night confirmed their places in next season's Champions League, while Brighton also ensured they will finish sixth, reports Xinhua.  A home win for Aston Villa against Brighton on Sunday would see Unai Emery's men cap a magnificent second half to the season by confirming their place in the UEFA Conference League, but apart from that, the drama is centered around the relegation zone.  The way things stand, if Everton win their home game against Bournemouth, then Leeds United and Leicester City will be relegated to the Championship.  However, it is not that easy, given that Everton have not won at home since March 11 and have already lost twice to Bournemouth this season. Coach Sean Dyche will be without striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and is unlikely to have any full-backs available against a team that won't have forgotten that it was defeat to Everton that saw them relegated two years ago.  If Everton fail to win, then Leicester City will have a chance of survival if they beat West Ham United.  West Ham travel to Leicester with other things on their mind as they prepare for next week's Conference League final, and the chance of European glory will probably mean David Moyes fields a much-changed side at the King Power Stadium.  Leicester drew 0-0 with a five-man defense at Newcastle on Monday, but the need for a win means Dean Smith is likely to recall Harvey Barnes and James Maddison to his starting 11.  Leeds United need to beat Tottenham - who still have a chance of finishing seventh - at home and hope that Leicester and Everton lose. Leeds could still stay up if Everton draw with Bournemouth, but their inferior goal difference means they would need to win by three goals, which seems unlikely without injured strikers Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo Moreno.  The only other game that could have relevance is Brentford's home tie against Manchester City, as a win could see Brentford leapfrog Tottenham and Aston Villa into seventh and earn them an unlikely place in Europe.  Elsewhere, Manchester United prepare for the FA Cup final at home to Fulham, while Arsenal can expect a good send-off after their excellent season when they entertain Wolves.  Chelsea's disastrous campaign ends at Stamford Bridge at home to Newcastle, and perhaps Chelsea owner Todd Boehly can take note from Newcastle, whose fans will be in party mode, on how to invest wisely in new signings.  Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest have nothing to play for, while Southampton say goodbye to the Premier League after 11 years with a home game against Liverpool. —IANS

Three teams are playing to avoid two relegation spots in what promises to be a nerve-wracking end to the Premier League season 

Relegation in the spotlight on dramatic final day in Premier League

Manchester (UK): Manchester City began the defence of our UEFA Champions League trophy with a 3-1 victory over Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) on the opening night, here at the Etihad Stadium.
Champions League holders had to come from behind but a classy second-half display with Julian Alvarez’s brace and Rodrigo’s strike and earned the win against the Serbian champions on Tuesday night.
Red Star initially took the lead on the brink of half-time when Osman Bukari’s goal was awarded following a VAR check for offside. Erling Haaland headed against the crossbar and visiting goalkeeper Omri Glazer made a string of saves before Bukari ran through to beat Ederson for a shock lead.
However, Alvarez had City on level terms just 73 seconds into the second period before his free-kick on the hour – intended more as a cross than a shot – beat everyone and completed the turnaround. Then, Rodrigo, who scored the winner in June’s final, made the game safe with a cultured finish in the 73rd minute.
City have now gone 27 Champions League home games since their last Etihad defeat – a run stretching all the way back to September 2018.
Notably, Glazer made 13 saves, the first time a goalkeeper has made ten or more saves in a Champions League match since Kamil Grabara for Copenhagen in October 2022, also against Manchester City.
—IANS

Manchester City began the defence of our UEFA Champions League trophy with a 3-1 victory over Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade

Champions League: Manchester City begins title defence with 3-1 comeback win over Red Star

Birmingham: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted that his side is struggling a little bit and also gave an honest assessment of City's defeat to Aston Villa, stressing "the better team won".  City lost 1-0 to the Villans, courtesy of a Leon Bailey deflected strike in the 74th minute on Wednesday. With a win Aston Villa leapfrogged Manchester City into third place with a club-record 14th home league win in a row.  City were well below par and are now winless in four league matches, remaining on 30 points, now six points off the top.  Speaking to the media at Villa Park in the aftermath of the loss, the manager was quick to heap praise on our opponents.  “The better team won. Aston Villa was better than us. They are well organised, fast and [have] physical players and team and they are able to control many aspects. That is the reason why they are up there, playing good football and we could not do it. It’s my duty, my job to find the way to come back," Guardiola was quoted by club's official website.  "I give credit to Aston Villa, first of all. They do it. The first half we struggled to follow what we spoke about. (We said) something at half-time and it was much better, the team had another dynamic but we didn’t find the players to make the assist, the cross, the pass.  "We arrive there but we didn’t have the feeling that ‘oh we are going to do something’. And we miss it," he added.  Manchester City attempted just two shots in this match, with both of those coming in the 11th minute. It’s the fewest shots ever attempted by a Pep Guardiola team in a match within Europe’s big-five leagues, while the 22 from Aston Villa was the joint-most faced by a Guardiola side.  Asked whether Villa could threaten City’s hopes of clinching a fourth successive title, Guardiola said: "Yes, definitely, [because] of the way they are playing. When you are there, you see the physicality, the tempo, the speed, the bench, the organisation from Unai Emery, in the set pieces, the high pressing … how incredibly they defend in the back four, a good goalkeeper (Emiliano Martinez)."  City were without the influential Rodrigo for the evening game in the West Midlands, alongside the suspended Jack Grealish and injured Jeremy Doku. Guardiola accepts the importance of our midfield lynchpin in particular but he believes it’s up to him, as manager, to find a solution going-forward.  “Of course, he’s (Rodrigo) important but today we tried with Manu playing there, with John playing there. John made an incredible effort after a long time [out]. He’s back and played well.  “Yes give more credit to Aston Villa. They have the ability to punish you and they contact behind our players. They played well. We have to accept it. We have to admit it. When a team is better we have to recognise it. It’s that.  “Before when we play in a good level in the past, we were able to win, now we did not do it. That’s why we have to change the dynamic on Sunday in Luton and come back to our best," said Guardiola.  —IANS

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted that his side is struggling a little bit and also gave an honest assessment of City's defeat to Aston Villa

Premier League: Manchester City 'are struggling', says Pep Guardiola after loss at Aston Villa

London: Manchester City was handed a fine of 120,000 pounds ($150,000) by the Football Association (FA) for dissent shown to the referee by their players at the end of their 3-3 draw with Tottenham in a Premier League game this month.  In the dying moments of added time of the match, Haaland was brought down by a foul, yet miraculously managed to thread a pass that sent Grealish sprinting towards the goal. However, despite appearing to signal an advantage, referee Simon Hooper unexpectedly halted the play.  This decision triggered an outburst of fury from both the City players and their supporters, who believed that the opportunity for an advantage had been unfairly denied.  Then, several of City's stars, including Haaland were enraged by Hooper's decision, surrounding the referee to vent their fury at him, with the Norwegian appearing to shout at the official.  "Manchester City FC have been fined £120,000 after their players surrounded a match official at the Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday 3 December. Manchester City FC admitted that they failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper way during the 94th minute. An independent Regulatory Commission imposed this sanction following a hearing," an FA statement read.  Haaland also published several posts on his social media after the match, venting his frustration at the decision, but was not charged by the governing body for the statements.
—IANS

Manchester City was handed a fine of 120,000 pounds ($150,000) by the Football Association (FA) for dissent shown to the referee by their players

Man City fined 150K dollars after players show dissent to referee in Spurs draw

Jeddah: Pep Guardiola wants his Manchester City side to "close the little circle" on City’s incredible success in recent seasons and claim the only trophy they are yet to win at the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia this week.  City have qualified for the Club World Cup for the first time ever, entering at the semi-final stage after winning the UEFA Champions League in June.  Guardiola has overseen the most trophy laden period in the Club’s history, collecting 15 major honours since arriving in Manchester in 2016.  That leaves the Club World Cup, which City have not previously competed in, as the only trophy outstanding from his time in England.  Now Guardiola wants his Treble-winners to become the first side in English history to win the quintet of Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in the space of 12 months.  Speaking in the pre-match press conference at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, the boss reflected on previous entries with Barcelona and emphasised his desire to add to the Club’s magnificent haul during his reign.  "We want to win it. Once we are here, it is a trophy we do not have. We want to close the little circle and win all the trophies we could do. This is the last one. "In the Premier League you have another game in three days. Here it may be another lifetime," Guardiola told City's club website ahead of Tuesday's semifinal against Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in Jeddah.  While City will be favourites to beat Urawa Red Diamonds in the semifinals, Guardiola is not expecting an easy tie. "To see the Japanese national team, they know the games and they beat Germany - look at the World Cup," he said.  "Football in Japan grew up incredibly in the past 10 years. They are sharp and quick on the transitions and unpredictable in many cases. I respect them a lot and of course I want to be in the final next Friday of the Club World Cup," he added.  City have been through a period of indifferent form in the Premier League-- winning one, drawing four and losing one of our last six domestic fixtures-- leaving them on fourth place as they seek to win a record fourth successive title.  The 52-old has urged his players to put those recent results to the back of their mind and focus on the job of winning the Club World Cup.  “It’s a different competition. Whatever happens here will be different to when we return and play Everton, Sheffield United and Newcastle.  “Except the Aston Villa game, our performance was excellent in many ways but we have to be better at managing games. But hopefully we can maintain passion and desire tomorrow against Urawa,” he added.
—IANS

Pep Guardiola wants his Manchester City side to "close the little circle" on City’s incredible success in recent seasons and claim the only trophy

Guardiola wants to 'close the little circle' by winning Club World Cup

Jeddah: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said the focus for his team will be to rest ahead of Friday's FIFA Club World Cup final with Fluminense.  City booked their spot in the final of the showpiece event with a 3-0 defeat of Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds here at the King Abdullah Sports City on Tuesday.  Guardiola's side are just one match from becoming the first English club ever to win five trophies in a calendar year.  Speaking after the match, the 52-year-old manager was adamant he won't be working his players too hard in the interim.  "The plan is to sleep, sleep and sleep! This is our plan. Now we have to rest. They had one more day. We will have a day off, have dinner together and create an environment that the players know how important it is for the Club," Guardiola was quoted by City's official website.  "To be in this final you have to do incredible things like win the Champions League. This may be the only time we play this in our lifetime. We are there. Tomorrow we start to watch Fluminense and see them and try to do a good performance," he added.  Guardiola also warned his players that there is still a huge hurdle to get over if they are to lift the trophy for the first time.  "We didn't win it (FIFA Club World Cup). It’s the first time Manchester City are here. I represent this incredible organisation and Club and now we play the final against Fluminense. This is the last step - a title the Club doesn't have. So we’ll go for it," added Guardiola.
—IANS

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said the focus for his team will be to rest ahead of Friday's FIFA Club World Cup final with Fluminense.

Sleep, sleep, sleep: Guardiola sets out plan for Club World Cup final

Manchester [UK]: Following a crucial win over Aston Villa in their Premier League match, Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag praised young striker Rasmus Hojlund, who scored his debut Premier League goal after 14 games and expressed how he believed in his capabilities. Rasmus Hojlund could not have found a much more perfect time to score his first Premier League goal as his winner helped Manchester United bounce back from two down and secure a 3-2 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
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"I have had several talks with him, I pointed out that he scored for Denmark a lot, that he scored in the Champions League, so believe in it and it will come," Erik said as quoted by Sky Sports. "Of course, when strikers do not score it is a problem but he has a strong character and is always determined. He has a big personality. And the goal will come. Finally, it did," he added. On Jim Ratcliffe, the CEO of INEOS Group getting the 25 per cent of stake in the club, the manager said, "I think it is positive for the club that they are stepping in. They have a lot of experience in sports at the highest level - F1, a cycling team, football clubs. They can only help us to get our targets. They want to work with us and we want to work with them." On his team's performance, the manager said that the first half was solid but defending was sloppy but the team kept believing.  "In the first half, we played solid. A bit sloppy to give two goals from set plays. What did he change? "We changed slightly the pressing but already in the first half we created chances," he said. He added: "We said to keep going, and believe in ourselves, that is what I demand from the team. I said during half-time to keep believing and you will win this game."
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Garnacho's two goals brought United back in the game. "Today, I think over 90 minutes on the right side he was an absolute threat. The whole front line was good, the timings so good, it was a continuous threat for the opponent," said Erik on Garnacho.  United once again started on the slightly shabby note, especially with their defending. First-half goals from John McGinn (21st minute) and Leander Dendoncker (26th minute) put Aston in control. McGinn's goal came from a free kick which Andre Onana could not defend, continuing his poor form. The second goal was also a result of poor defending as Clement Lenglet was able to latch onto McGinn's cross and Dendoncker was unmarked and he easily put the ball into the net. With the first-half score of 2-0, Villa was in the lead and United was booed at home at the end of the first half. Alejandro Garnacho finally added a goal to United's tally after a poor pass from Diego Carlos found Marcus Rashford, who passed it to Garnacho, who ended United's near nine-hour goal wait across all the competitions in the 59th minute. Garnacho brought United back in the hunt with a 71st-minute equaliser. In the 82nd minute, Hojlund's instinctive volley found the nets and brought the roof off Old Trafford. Manchester United won the game 3-2. Now United is in sixth place with 10 wins, a draw and eight losses, which gives them a total of 31 points. Villa is in third place with 12 wins, three draws and four losses, which gives them a total of 39 points.
—ANI

Following a crucial win over Aston Villa in their Premier League match, Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag praised young striker

"I have had several talks with him": Manchester United manager on Hojlund's winning goal

London: Manchester United midfieder Donny van de Beek has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the rest of the 2023-24 season, United said on Monday.
The 26-year-old Dutch international joined United in 2020 from Ajax Amsterdam but has not featured regularly for the club.  He has made only two Premier League starts for United since returning from a loan spell at Everton in 2022.
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After missing the first half of 2023 due to a ligament injury, he has appeared only once in the league this season as a late substitute.  "Van de Beek will be pushing for more playing time in Germany," United said in a statement.  "Eintracht Frankfurt are currently sixth in the Bundesliga and face a UEFA Europa Conference League play-off with Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium in February.
—Reuters

Manchester United midfieder Donny van de Beek has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the rest of the 2023-24 season, United said on Monday.

Manchester United's Van de Beek loaned to Frankfurt for rest of season

Jan 02: Manchester City could have an advantage in the Premier League title race through January as their rivals face up to losing key players to the African Cup of Nations and Asia Cup.
As the Premier League emerges from a frantic set of festive fixtures with only six points separating the top five, managers will be busy drawing up contingency plans.  Some will likely deem it necessary to dip in to the transfer market to make up for the loss of some top performers.  But while Liverpool will lose Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Tottenham Hotspur will have to make do without South Korea's Son Heung-min, champions Manchester City will be unaffected.  City manager Pep Guardiola does not have a single player jetting off to either the Ivory Coast or Qatar for the continental tournaments that start on Jan. 13 and Jan. 12 respectively and run for almost a month.  Leaders Liverpool, who head Aston Villa by three points after their win over Newcastle United on Monday, will wave goodbye to Salah who with 14 goals is the joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season, equal with Erling Haaland.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/liverpool-go-3-points-clear-on-top-of-pl-as-salah-double-sinks-newcastle" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/liverpool-go-3-points-clear-on-top-of-pl-as-salah-double-sinks-newcastle</a>&nbsp;
They will also be missing combative midfielder Wataru Endo who will join up with Japan.  "It's a bit of a shame how he found his feet and now he goes to the Asian Cup," manager Juergen Klopp said.  Surprise title challengers Villa will only lose squad player Bertrand Traore to Burkina Faso but fourth-placed Arsenal will be harder hit with Mohamed Elneny (Egypt), Thomas Partey (Ghana) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan) all heading off for an unspecified amount of time, depending on the progress of their nations.  Tottenham have been bedevilled by injuries in the last couple of months and now manager Ange Postecoglou will have to adapt to captain Son, who has scored 12 league goals, representing South Korea. Tottenham also lose midfielder Yves Bissouma to Mali while Pape Sarr, who was injured against Bournemouth on Sunday, is part of Senegal's squad.  Resurgent West Ham, who are in sixth place, will be hampered by the loss key Ghanian midfielder Mohammed Kudus.  Manchester United's under-pressure manager Erik Ten Hag could do without losing Andre Onana (Cameroon), Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco) and Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) as he tries to turn around what has been a dreadful season so far.  At the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest are the worst hit as they prepare to make do without six players for the next few weeks including Ivory Coast trio Serge Aurier, Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare.  Struggling Brentford will be without midfielders Saman Ghoddos (Iran) and Frank Onyeka (Nigeria) along with striker Yoane Wissa (DR Congo).  The Premier League takes a breather this weekend with the FA Cup third round taking precedence while all clubs will have one of the two following weekends off in a mini winter break.  By that stage the group stages of the AFCON and Asia Cup will be virtually over, meaning some players may be heading back.
—Reuters

Manchester City could have an advantage in the Premier League title race through January as their rivals face up to losing key players to the African Cup

Advantage Man City as title rivals prepare to lose key players

Manchester United's squad for the 2022-23 season was the most expensive ever assembled in Europe, according to a report released by governing body UEFA.
The "European Club Finance and Investment Landscape" report said United spent just over 1.42 billion euros ($1.52 billion) on the squad which played that season, surpassing the previous mark of 1.33 billion euros spent by Real Madrid's in 2020.  Erik ten Hag's squad at the end of the 2022-23 season included big-money transfers Antony, Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Casemiro. United's rivals Manchester City were second for that season with a squad value of 1.286 billion euros.
The report, released on Wednesday, added that Real Madrid (841 million euros), Manchester City (836 million euros), Barcelona (815 million euros) and Paris St Germain (807 million euros) had the highest revenues in 2022.  The Premier League had nine teams in the top-20 earning clubs, with an average revenue of 323 million euros.  Spain's LaLiga was second with revenues of 3.3 billion euros, with Germany's Bundesliga (3.2 billion euros), Italy's Serie A (2.4 billion euros) and France's Ligue 1 (2 billion euros) rounding out the top five.  "In 2022, the revenue of England's 20 top-tier clubs was almost as high as the combined revenue of all 642 clubs in the bottom 50 countries," the report said.  English clubs also made up 764 million euros of the combined 3.2 billion euros of pre-tax losses recorded by clubs in 2022.  UEFA said the figures for pre-tax losses were positive "amid slowing wage inflation and renewed buoyancy in the transfer market".
—Reuters

Discover the financial upheaval in football as UEFA's report exposes Manchester United's record-breaking 1.42 billion euro squad.

Manchester United's 2022-2023 squad the most expensive ever in Europe, says UEFA report

Replacing manager Pep Guardiola at Manchester City will be a near impossible job compared to getting a new coach at Liverpool at season's end, Juergen Klopp, manager of the latter, said ahead of Sunday's match against title rivals City.
Liverpool go into the game at Anfield with a one-point lead over City in the standings. The two managers meet for the last time in the Premier League after Klopp said in January that he would step down from his role at the end of the season.  "I really think it is the perfect moment for a new manager and not the wrong call because we didn't win everything, we left spaces," Klopp told reporters on Friday when asked if it would impossible to replace him or Guardiola.  "Go (in) at City after Pep Guardiola and you need to be champion ten years in a row to achieve the same."
The German manager said he had no regrets over losing the Premier League title to City by one point in the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 seasons as it relieves pressure and creates an ideal chance for his successor to strive for more silverware.  "Maybe it was good for that reason that we didn't become champion with 97 points," Klopp said.  "In those years (losing to City) with one point behind everybody knows on one specific moment it could have been different. For me it doesn't minimise the joy of what we did at that particular time.  "The outside world obviously sees it completely differently – you win it or you don't win it."
—Reuters

Klopp talks on the tough act of following Guardiola at Man City vs. Liverpool's new coach. With a tight title race, their final Premier League face-off marks an end of an era.

I'll be easier to replace than Pep Guardiola, says Juergen Klopp

Nyon: Defending champions Manchester City will play record winners Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals while Barcelona take on Paris St Germain after the draw was held at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon on Friday.
Arsenal returned to the quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years and they play Bayern Munich which will give the German club's star striker Harry Kane -- who has scored 36 goals this season -- another crack at his former north London rivals  Paris Saint-Germain, who are seeking their first Champions League title, will take on Barcelona while Atletico Madrid face Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, which means all three Spanish teams have the opportunity to reach the semi-finals.  The path to the semi-finals was also set, with Manchester City and Premier League leaders Arsenal on a collision course if they advance.
The quarter-final draw was the last in the current format with UEFA adopting an all-new format from the 2024-25 season onwards.  The Champions League final will be held on June 1 at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London.  Quarter-Finals  Quarter final 1: Arsenal v Bayern Munich  Quarter final 2: Atletico Madrid v Borussia Dortmund  Quarter final 3: Real Madrid v Manchester City  Quarter final 4: Paris St Germain v Barcelona  Semi-Finals  Semi-final 1: Winner of Q/F 2 v Winner of Q/F 4  Semi-final 1: Winner of Q/F 1 v Winner of Q/F 3  * Teams mentioned first will play the first leg at home  Schedule  Quarter-final first legs: April 9-10  Quarter-final second legs: April 16-17  Semi-final first legs: April 30-May 1  Semi-final second legs: May 7-8  Final  Wembley Stadium: June 1
—Reuters

Champions League draws set epic quarter-finals: Man City vs Real Madrid, Barcelona vs PSG, Arsenal challenges Bayern. Semi-finals path revealed for a heated clash.

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Manchester United to play Atletico Madrid in pre-season friendly

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Manchester United to play Atletico Madrid in pre-season friendly

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