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Browsing: United
Harry Maguire’s late header secured a 2-1 win for Manchester United over Liverpool on Sunday, giving them their first victory at Anfield in almost a decade and giving coach Ruben Amorim back-to-back league victories for the first time in his tenure.
The result heaps more misery on a Liverpool side that has now lost their past four games in all competitions.
The visitors’ efforts to secure the win appeared to be denied following Cody Gakpo’s 78th-minute equalizer, but center back Maguire became the latest player to expose Liverpool’s weakness on set pieces with a powerful header.
Harry Maguire handed Man United all three points at Liverpool.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
United had ridden their luck after Bryan Mbeumo scored the quickest Premier League goal on this ground between the two sides — just 62 seconds in — while Gakpo hit the frame of the goal three times. The Dutchman’s most glaring miss came with three minutes to go when he planted a close-range header wide of an open goal.
While United, now only two points behind their archrivals, will feel they have turned a corner with possibly the standout result of Amorim’s tenure, Arne Slot is left to consider what has gone wrong with his misfiring side.
Liverpool lost a fourth successive match for the first time since November 2014 and their first home league game in 400 days.
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75 minMan Utd have been poor on the ball since Liverpool switched to 4-2-4 in the 62nd minute; at the moment an equaliser looks more likely than a second for United. Jones surges into the area and drives a speculative left-foot shot that is held to his left by Lammens. Comfortable save.
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Updated at 13.06 EDT
74 minJones nicks the ball off Fernandes and pushes it into the area towards Chiesa. His touch is slightly heavy – it wasnâ€t an easy ball to take – and Shaw makes a crucial, if desperate challenge.
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72 min: Liverpool substitutionFederico Chiesa replaces Alexander Isak, who had a relatively quiet game. His one big chance was a low shot across goal that Lammens kicked away with his right foot; Isak may feel he should have scored. If the bugger ever answers my WhatsApps, Iâ€ll let you know.
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71 minA nervy moment for Lammens. Dalot heads a cross up in the air and back towards his own goal. Lammens almost runs past the ball and has to jump backwards to grab it. Allâ€s well that ends well.
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70 minYou have to admire Arne Slot for taking this much risk so early in the game. Federico Chiesa is about to come on as well. “He might play centre-back…†chirps Jamie Carragher on commentary.
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69 min Ekitike leads a Liverpool break, cutting inside from the left before rifling wide from the edge of the area. That wasnâ€t a bad chance either.
This game is so open; thereâ€s no chance it will end 1-0.
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Updated at 12.59 EDT
68 min“I think Slotâ€s smart to take Alexis Mac Allister off,†writes Kári Tulinius. “Heâ€s been poor this season and Liverpool play better when heâ€s off the field. He doesnâ€t get on the ball as much as he did last season, and when he does, it slows the team down. Last season he was crucial at controlling games once Liverpool had taken the lead, but now he seems indecisive.â€
Before the game, Jamie Carragher said he hadnâ€t been the same since an injury in the second half of last season.
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66 minVan Dijk volleys a United cross into the face of Kerkez and over the bar. That could have gone anywhere too.
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65 min: Great chance for Salah!
Kerkezâ€s cross from the left evades everyone in the middle – and there were an army of Liverpool players in there – before reaching the unmarked Salah beyond the far post. He controls it deftly but then thrashes wide from six yards as Lammens flies towards him. Salah mishit that completely with his left foot; in his defence there might have been a slightly strange bounce. Thereâ€s no time to check because this is now a basketball game.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah reacts after a missed opportunity. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PAShare
Updated at 13.03 EDT
64 minEkitike fires over from distance after a fine run infield from the left, the kind that gets a home crowd going.
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63 minDorgu plays a sharp square pass into the area for Fernandes, whose left-foot shot is well blocked by Konate. These are the revised line-ups.
Liverpool (4-2-4)Mamardashvili; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Wirtz, Jones; Salah, Isak, Ekitike, Gakpo.
Man Utd (3-4-2-1) Lammens; De Ligt, Maguire, Shaw; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko.
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62 min: Triple substitution for LiverpoolFlorian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Curtis Jones replace Conor Bradley, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool are going for it – Szoboszlai has moved to right-back, Wirtz is playing in centre midfield.
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Updated at 12.54 EDT
61 min: Man Utd substitutionBenjamin Sesko replaces Mason Mount, so Cunha will move to No10.
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60 minSalah beats Dorgu to a loose ball just outside the area and pokes it to Mac Allister, who drives over the bar under pressure. Pretty good effort but never troubling Lammens.
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60 minThese are the revised line-ups.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1)Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Isak.
Man Utd (3-4-2-1) Lammens; De Ligt, Maguire, Shaw; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Mount; Cunha.
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59 min: Man Utd substitutionsIn fact itâ€s a double change. Manuel Ugarte and Patrick Dorgu replace Casemiro and Amad Diallo, who was excellent on the ball but became vulnerable after that yellow card.
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57 minCasemiro is booked for a brazen but necessary tactical foul on Salah. Heâ€s struggling with cramp as well and is about to be replaced.
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56 minI said Gakpo hit the post three times. Thatâ€s essentially true but strictly speaking I think the second time – the deflected cross – would have been a Bruno Fernandes goal had the ball gone in.
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54 minGakpoâ€s deep, inswinging corner from the left is volleyed into the ground and over the bar by Salah. He saw it late because Van Dijk was jumping in front of him; it was still a decent chance for a player of his etc.
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Updated at 12.46 EDT
52 minDalot is booked for a foul on Gakpo. He took the ball with a sliding tackle but was punished for a studs-up follow-through. The Sky co-commentators Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville both think heâ€s very unfortunate.
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Updated at 12.44 EDT
51 minGravenberch needs treatment after twisting his ankle when fouled by Mbeumo. Gravenberchâ€s grimace suggests his afternoon could be over.
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50 min: Gakpo hits the post for the third time!
This is getting silly. Salahâ€s long cross from the right reaches Gakpo on the far side of the area. He controls the ball on his thigh, moves onto his right foot – Shaw inexplicably showed him inside – and hits a sizzling rising drive back across goal. Lammens doesnâ€t move and the ball thumps off the right-hand post.
Cody Gakpo (obscured) hits the post again. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 12.50 EDT
47 min“The dreamer in me knows how this game will end: two sublime pearlers from Florian Wirtz followed by a Rio Ngumoha volley off the crossbar and in. The realist in me knows a Bruno Fernandes penalty in the 89th minute will make it 2-0 to the Ref Devils.â€
It depends which band youâ€ve been listening to: Livin†Joy or The Cribs?
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46 minLiverpool get the second half under way.
No substitutions yet.
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“Greetings from sunny and breezy California!†says Peter Oh. “My biggest concern is that this match, so far, has been a huge step backwards in terms of computing technology. Generative Al (Alexander Isak) hasnâ€t delivered on its promise, and Man United have got their tails up like itâ€s Y2K!â€
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Half-time reading
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Man Utd through a startlingly early goal from Bryan Mbeumo.Both teams came close in a scruffy but compelling half. Cody Gakpo and Bruno Fernandes hit the post at either end, then combined in advertently to do so again when Gakpoâ€s cross deflected off Fernandes, over Senne Lammens and off the far post.
Lammens saved well from Alexander Isak; at the other Giorgi Mamardashvili made an old-school centre-halfâ€s challenge to deny Mbeumo a second.
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Updated at 12.24 EDT
Half time: Liverpool 0-1 Man Utd
Peep peep!
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45+2 minMbeumoâ€s goal was timed at 62 seconds, which makes it the fastest in this fixture in the Premier League era.
The previous fastest was lost in the exploits of two fellas called Cantona and Fowler.
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Updated at 12.20 EDT
45+1 minFour minutes of added time.
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45 minBruno Fernandes curls a long pass towards Mbeumo, forcing Van Dijk to come across and clear. He shakes his head as he walks back to his position, presumably in disgust at how open Liverpool are defensively.
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43 minCunha curls well wide from distance – pretty similar, in fact, to the position from which he scored on this ground for Wolves last season.
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40 minA free-kick from Fernandes, deep on the right, bounces up awkwardly and is sliced onto the roof of own net by Gakpo. He could have had a hat-trick!
The resulting corner is missed by Mamardashvili, who looks surprisingly uncomfortable, and headed clear by Konate on the line. I donâ€t know whether it was going in or not but Mamardashvili was certainly out of the game.
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38 min“That penalty appeal for the Amad ‘handball†would have stopped the game for at least five minutes up here,†writes Simon McMahon. “Then, depending on the eventual outcome, there would have been a weekâ€s worth of media coverage about ‘agendas†and how thereâ€s a conspiracy against Celtic Rangers whoever.
“Honestly, all I want from football is to see Dundee United win the Scottish Cup again in my lifetime with my daughter, Evie. That seems realistic and not too much to ask, right? Though Dundee havenâ€t won the Scottish since 1910, so, you know. But they did beat Celtic today, leaving Hearts five points clear at the top. I really hope the Jam Tarts donâ€t have to go to Dens on the last day needing just a point…â€
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37 minThis is a good spell for Liverpool, probably their best in terms of sustained pressure.
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35 min: Chance for Isak!Konate shapes a fantastic long pass around Shaw and into the path of Isak, whose shot on the run is kicked away at the near post by Lammens. Thereâ€s an argument he should have come off his line to beat Isak to the ball, but having stayed at home he made a really good save and is being congratulated by his teammates.
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34 min“Hey, guys,†writes Matt Dony, “have I ever told you how much I hate football? Like, really hate it! This is not fun. Iâ€m watching the match while playing pool with my son, who is currently (and unprecedentedly) 3-0 up. This is looking like a bad day. I regret allowing a drunk AI to write an email on my behalf.â€
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32 min: Gakpo hits the post again!
This time it was a deflected cross from the left that looped over the helpless Lammens and hit the inside of the far post. Liverpool keep the ball alive undtil Salahâ€s header from Kerkezâ€s cross is saved comfortably by Lammens.
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29 minDalotâ€s poor clearance goes straight to Isak on the edge of the area; he controls it smartly only to mishit his shot well wide.
This is a flawed but fascinating game.
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More chances for Man Utd
27 minMount shoots over from close range after Mamardashvili pushes Cunhaâ€s cross into a dangerous area; it was a tough chance because the ball bounced almost behind him.
Moments later, Mamardashvili is forced into a desperate lunging tackle on Mbeumo eight yards out when Kerkez makes an interception and inadvertently knocks the ball across the face of his own goal.
Finally, after that Mamardashvili tackle, the ball runs to Mount 25 yards from goal. He whistles a left-foot shot that is pushed away to his left by the diving Mamaradashvili.
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Updated at 12.01 EDT
26 minMac Allisterâ€s low shot from 20 yards is comfortably saved by Lammens. Thatâ€s the first shot on target at either end apart from the goal, though both teams have hit the post.
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24 min: Fernandes hits the post!
Oof, and now it should be 2-0 to Manchester United. Cunha sprayed a superb crossfield pass out to Amad, who ran at the backpedalling Kerkez and into the Liverpool area. Eventually Amad flicked an inviting pass back towards Fernandes, who was charging onto the scene as if world peace depended on it. Fernandes slammed a first-time shot from 15 yards that clipped the outside of the post and flew wide. For a player of his quality, thatâ€s a glorious chance.
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20 min: Gakpo hits the post!
A thrilling break from Liverpool almost leads to the equaliser. Szoboszlai feeds a pass into the centre circle for the unmarked Salah, who turns and curls an excellent pass to Gakpo in the inside-left channel. Gakpo veers to the right, uses the last United defender as a screen and flashes a curling shot towards goal from 20 yards. It beats Lammens and bounces off the face of the right-hand post. That would have been a lovely goal.
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool reacts after missing a chance. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 12.05 EDT
Watch Liverpool vs Man United as under-fire Ruben Amorim takes the Red Devils to the home of the Premier League champions, with all the details here on live streaming and TV coverage globally.
Liverpool vs Man United key information
• Date:Sunday, 19 October 2025
• Kick-off time:4:30pm BST / 11:30am ET
• Venue:Anfield, Liverpool
• TV & Streaming: Sky Sports (UK), USA Network (US), Stan Sport (Australia)
• Watch from anywhere:Try NordVPN risk-free
It’s not easy to be in charge at Manchester United nowadays and Amorim is experiencing the sharpest points of comparison against the greats.
There’s no getting away from it at United – nobody expects Amorim to be Alex Ferguson but operating on the same plane of reality would be a start.
FourFourTwo has all the information on live streams and TV channels so you can watch Liverpool vs Man United online, and on TV, wherever you are.
Where to watch Liverpool vs Man United in the UK
Liverpool vs Man United is this weekend’s Super Sunday match and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.
It will also be available with the relevant subscriptions to view on Sky Go and the Sky Sports+ app.
Watch Liverpool vs Man United in the US
Liverpool vs Man United will be broadcast live in the USA by cable TV channel USA Network.
No cable? No problem. You can use a cord-cutting streaming service to get all the channels online. FourFourTworecommends using SlingorFubo.
How to watch Liverpool vs Man United in Australia
Premier League fans in Australia can watch Liverpool vs Man United through Stan Sport.
Can I watch Liverpool vs Man United for free?
There are no dedicated free-to-air broadcasters for Liverpool vs Man United today.
One way you could watch for free is to take advantage of the Fubo free trialso you can tune into USA Network, which has the game in the States. You get seven days free, instant access, and you can cancel if you don’t think you’ll get any lasting value from the subscription.
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Away from home when the game’s on? A VPN will ensure you don’t miss a minute.
Virtual Private Networks are internet security software that alter your device’s location, meaning you can bypass the geo-restrictions you get on most streaming platforms and enjoy your usual coverage no matter where you are.
NordVPN is the best VPN provider out there, according to our office-mates at TechRadar, who love its compatibility, top-notch security, and seamless streaming unblocking.
See also► Premier League TV guide
Liverpool vs Man United: Premier League preview
Man United have acquired an incredible list of bad habits in the last decade but one of the worst is the inability to give bitter rivals Liverpool a game.
This regional derby is one of the Premier League’s banner fixtures, widely anticipated and usually entertaining but no longer on a knife-edge.
In 2014-15 and 2015-16 United won all four Premier League fixtures. They’ve beaten Liverpool in the league twice since.
Nevertheless, the last time these teams met at Anfield ended in a 2-2 draw as Liverpool strolled towards their second title of the Premier League era.
Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo scored the United goals, Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah Liverpool’s, on a chilly Sunday afternoon in January.
Arne Slot’s Reds are carrying some injuries they could do without. Alisson continues to be sidelined, while a knee injury for young Geovanni Leoni reignited the prospect of Liverpool’s interest in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.
Ryan Gravenberch is expected to be available after was withdrawn at half time as a precaution by Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman during the international break.
Liverpool haven’t quite been at their best. Three consecutive defeats against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea have thrust their shortcomings into the spotlight but their home form this season has been immaculate and they’re only a point behind league leaders Arsenal.
The situation is much more pressing for Amorim and Man United. They’ve lost as many league matches this season as they’ve lost, and conceded more goals than they’ve scored.
‘This is Man United’ has become a lazy shorthand for ex-players and pundits aghast at what their former club has become but there’s nothing Man United about their form this season and last.
More worrying still is the possibility that this really is United.
See also► These are the cheapest ways to watch the Premier League this season
Liverpool vs Man United: Expected line-ups
FourFourTwo’s prediction
Liverpool 3-0 Man United
There have been United teams over the years that would always be fancied to buck any trend, any time. This isn’t one of them.
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Erik ten Hag is the man who pushed Man United to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea in July 2023. So convinced was the Dutchman of Mount’s importance to the way he wanted to play that he still hasn’t shaken the belief that the midfielder’s unavailability during their time together at Old Trafford was one of the reasons Ten Hag eventually got the sack.
Mount was able to start only seven Premier League games in almost 15 months for Ten Hag. The former United boss still thinks — nearly a year on — that things might have been different had he been fit more often.
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Though he has been back in the United XI in recent weeks, Mount’s injury problems haven’t disappeared entirely since Ruben Amorim’s arrival. It has left Amorim in a similar situation to Ten Hag in trying to use the England international as much as possible, while simultaneously trying to reduce the risk of further spells on the sidelines. Even after scoring against Sunderland — his first goal of the season and his first ever Premier League goal at Old Trafford — Mount was substituted in the 66th minute.
It didn’t matter that he was playing well. Rather, it had already been decided that he couldn’t play for much longer than an hour.
“He did really well,” said Amorim afterward. “He had a number of minutes because we have to manage when a guy like Mason is returning from injury.”
For Amorim, keeping Mount on the pitch for an extra half an hour wasn’t worth it with a game against Liverpool at Anfield to come after the international break. It’s a potentially tricky start to a four-game run that also includes fixtures against Brighton & Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, a stretch that could go a long way to deciding whether Amorim is still in charge at Christmas.
Mount was one of the first United players Amorim met at the club’s Carrington training ground when he arrived in Manchester to take over from Ten Hag in November 2024. In the middle of another period of injury recovery, Mount was in the gym at the training ground while most of his teammates were either on holiday or international duty. It was the first glimpse of an attitude that Amorim has grown to love.
The Portuguese coach has tried to cleanse the dressing room of what he has viewed as negative influences. It resulted in the departures of both Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho. Mount, meanwhile, has been held up as an example of what he wants in his squad. The England star has attended team meetings even when injured in order to give himself the best chance of quickly slotting back into the team.
Mason Mount has scored one goal in seven games for Manchester United this season. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
The 26-year-old is often the last player to leave Carrington because of the long ice baths and saunas he takes after training in an effort to stay fit. Rather than jetting off during the international break, he chose to spend the downtime with his family and on the golf course.
Mount has also taken it upon himself to help other players understand Amorim’s system, having played in a similar tactical setup under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.
“I think I have the experience of playing a similar formation to what [Amorim] likes,” Mount said after his goal against Sunderland. “I have played it before in the past. So, knowing the roles and what he wants out of the team resonates with me because I’ve done it before.
“I think at the beginning, especially, it was something that maybe [Amorim] could lean on me [for] because I know the positions.”
As well as knowing the system, Mount offers Amorim something different. He was picked to start against Sunderland in place of £62.5 million summer signing Matheus Cunha.
It wasn’t a straightforward decision. Despite United’s problems so far this season, Cunha has been good, but he’s a forward rather than a midfielder. For Mount, it’s the other way around.
With both Cunha and fellow summer signing Bryan Mbeumo in the team, United have more of an attacking threat. Mount, though, knows how to press effectively, shut down space out of possession and help the two deeper midfielders — usually Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro — when United are being overrun. It’s a vital ingredient for a system that is up against a three-man midfield most weeks in the Premier League.
“I think Mason Mount can give us more of a midfielder than a winger or a striker,” said Amorim after beating Sunderland. “He can defend really well. He is really smart, he can attack really well. It is the characteristics we are going to change when we look at every opponent.”
The “characteristics” Amorim felt he needed in a pressurized moment against Sunderland will also be needed at Anfield this weekend.
“I see myself as bringing a lot of energy into the team and setting off the press at times, being a bit of a catalyst going forward,” Mount said when asked about Amorim’s assessment.
“That’s always something that I focus on, helping the people around me and really bringing the energy.”
Energy is one of the things Amorim has asked of his players, particularly at the beginning of games. Over the course of his 11-month reign, Amorim’s team has conceded the first goal in 22 of his 34 Premier League matches, often leaving United in a hole before they’ve really started playing.
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Amorim has made the point before — privately to his squad and in news conferences — that United doesn’t deal well with setbacks. So the need to be on the front foot right away is even more important.
Mount will be asked to be a key part of that effort against Liverpool on Sunday, just like he was against Sunderland, when he capitalized on United’s first clear opportunity to score after just eight minutes. A big performance at Anfield would be another nod to Tuchel that Mount deserves an England recall in the months before the World Cup.
The pair had a long conversation after Mount impressed against Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season, and the prospect of a place on the plane to North America next summer is still there. Tuchel knows all about his qualities after making him a central part of the Chelsea team, which won the UEFA Champions League in 2021.
It will be little consolation for Ten Hag, who never saw the best of Mount, but he’s finally showing how important he can be for his United successor.
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Frank Lampardâ€s Coventry, to give them their legal name, are flying. The thought of them back in the top division is rather stirring to those of a certain age.
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Fair points made here from the comments section below.
“Postecoglou could be the least effective Premier League manager everâ€
Well looking at the stats that may be true, but the damage was done before AP turned-up at Forest. The problem at Forest is
the players shattered morale, last season those same players proved they could beat anyone. For me the problem at Forest is a overbearing interfering owner who rewarded those players who gave everything last season and who missed CL football by a single point in their first PL season by sacking their inspirational manager Nuno EspÃrito Santo in the most humiliating way possible. People talk about managers, tactics, playerâ€s effort and abilities but once a teams morale is broken, any manager will tell you, itâ€s extremely difficult repairing it especially when the person who broke it is still there every week crushing it even further.
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Getafe v Real Madrid is Sundayâ€s late game in La Liga, a local derby. Sid Lowe spoke to Abu Kamara, once of Hull.
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A couple of important pieces on talent development.
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Letâ€s look ahead to Liverpool v Manchester United, where Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah are due a performance. Jonathan Wilson previews the game.
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Saturdayâ€s match reports are here.
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Letâ€s hope Jack Wilshere lasts a bit longer at Luton, though he had a tough start on Saturday.
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Our reaction to that Postecoglou news.
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Preamble
Good morning, football. Saturday was a red letter day in Premier League history, Ange Postecoglou biting the dust in record time. Things move pretty fast at Nottingham Forest so we await news of Evangelos Maranakis†next move.
Weâ€ll also build up to Tottenham v Aston Villa, the 2pm kick-off, and Liverpool v Manchester United at 4.30pm.
Join us. And do let us know your thoughts and plans. Perhaps fears in the case of Forest fans.
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Updated at 03.06 EDT
Newcastle United have agreed a move for a hugely promising teenager, as manager Eddie Howe adds exciting talent to his squad.
The Magpies infamously lost Alexander Isak over the summer but managed to improve the depth available, bringing in the likes of Anthony Elanga, Aaron Ramsdale, Jacob Ramsey and two strikers in the form of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
With Howe looking to compete on four fronts this season, there is clearly a focus on raising the floor of the Toon squad – and now the club have agreed a deal for another wonderkid.
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Newcastle have sealed move for teen sensation in huge statement
Newcastle have focused on younger players in the last few years (Image credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Yankuba Minteh was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion and Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest, as the Magpies looked to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), with Eddie Howe even admitting his regret in having to let the latter leave.
Elliot Anderson was regrettably sold (Image credit: Getty Images)
According to Keith Downie of Sky Sports, Newcastle have now agreed to pay £350,000 for Josh Kenchington of Barnsley in a massive statement for the club.
At just 15 years old, 2010-born Kenchington is a two-footed centre-back who already stands at over 6ft tall, and having come through at Oakwell, there are obvious comparisons with John Stones.
Downie claims in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Newcastle beat the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to the signing of the wonderkid, who will move to the northeast and complete his education in Newcastle upon completion of the transfer.
FourFourTwo understands that Kenchington is not in immediate contention for a first-team position, with the club looking to develop him before pushing him into senior football.
Newcastle have agreed to pay £350,000 plus significant bonuses for wonder-kid Josh Kenchington. #NUFC second bid to Barnsley was accepted, after a £275,000 first offer was turned down. Compared to John Stones, Kenchington was playing under 18 football aged just 14.… pic.twitter.com/uQqro1mDMHOctober 17, 2025
The teenager has already played in age groups above his own, however, and represented England’s youth sides.
Newcastle travel to Brighton this afternoon as Premier League action returns.
Manchester United are too big to fail forever, and their Premier League clash with champions Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday will only serve as a reminder of what could happen if, or when, one of the world’s most powerful sporting brands finally gets it right.
Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool’s transformative American owners, celebrated 15 years in charge at Anfield this week, a period that’s seen the club win two Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League while also building a formidable scouting and analytics network. That success, first under manager Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot, has put the club back at the summit of English football, but it only came after a 30-year period of prolonged failure, managerial upheaval and ownership battles, ironically endured during a long spell of United dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The two clubs have now traded places and it is United who are suffering, but just like Liverpool, United will bounce back and reclaim their place alongside global heavyweights Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Their in-built advantages make it an inevitability and simply a matter of time — a case of sporting gravity once again working in United’s favour.
“If football success could be compared to a game of dice, Manchester United only need to roll threes and fours to be successful because of their history, commercial strength and worldwide fanbase,” a former United executive told ESPN. “The problem is that they have been continually rolling ones and twos, while Liverpool and Manchester City have been on a run of fives and sixes.
“That is ultimately down to judgement, luck, stability and, in Liverpool’s case, having a genius like [FSG president] Mike Gordon making key decisions, but eventually, United will start rolling some threes and fours and then fives and sixes.
“They simply need to get the big decisions right. Once that happens, their commercial might well propel United back to the top.”
Despite results, they have the revenue
Challenging Liverpool for the biggest prizes, the Premier League and Champions League, seems a distant speck on the horizon right now for United, whose title drought stretches back to 2013, with their last Champions League crown being won in 2008. But it took Liverpool three years under FSG stewardship to challenge for the title, when Brendan Rodgers’ team finished second to Manchester City in 2013-14, and five years before they made they hired Klopp as coach in Oct 2015 — a decision that proved the catalyst for the success to follow.
United are still in a state of flux when it comes to managers and ownership. The club appears stuck in a doom-loop of failure: in addition to five fired managers since 2014, a succession of expensive flops in the transfer market, and their rivals Liverpool and Manchester City stacking up silverware at home and abroad, they’ve had turmoil off the field with unpopular co-owners, the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, overseeing deep cost-cutting measures and job cuts. But the publication of the club’s annual accounts last month shed light on just why they are a sleeping giant that will, eventually, wake from its slumber.
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United posted a loss of £33 million ($44.3m), largely due to over-paying for transfer fees and wages, but an annual revenue figure of £666.5m ($890m) was highest ever recorded by the club. Despite a disastrous 2024-25 season that saw United, who were absent from the Champions League, fire manager Erik ten Hag on the way to recording the team’s worst-ever Premier League finish — 15th place — under his successor Ruben Amorim, the club was still able to post a record revenue figure only previously eclipsed by Real Madrid (£910.8m / $1.216 billion), City (£730m / $974.4m) and Paris Saint-Germain (£702.1m / $937.3m).
All of the above teams are expected to significantly increased revenues in their next accounts due to the financial boost of participating in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, while Liverpool’s Premier League title win and Champions League campaign is likely to take their income for 2024-25 past the £700m ($934m) mark.
Liverpool received £174.9m ($233.5m) in Premier League prize money last season, £38.7m ($51.7m) more than United’s £136.2m ($181.9m) for finishing fifteenth. And the £82.73m ($110.5m) Slot’s team banked from their Champions League run the Round of 16 dwarfed the £30.7m ($41m) earned from reaching the Europa League final — the financial gains from being a better football team are obvious.
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But even after the club’s worst season since relegation from the old First Division in 1974, United continue to generate huge sums off the pitch, a testament to their latent ability to navigate a route back to the top.
“Can United bridge the gap and be successful again? Absolutely,” Casper Stylsvig, a former commercial executive at United, Barcelona, AC Milan and Chelsea told ESPN. “They have the strength of the brand and it is similar to Dallas Cowboys. They haven’t won the Super Bowl for many, many years [last win: 1995], but they’re still going from strength-to-strength as brand and I think United will get it right eventually.
“There has been a big turnaround at United and it was probably needed to some extent, but they have the brand and the following, all the fan engagement is high and some of the biggest in the world, so yes, they certainly will come back.”
United’s shirt sponsorship deal with tech company Snapdragon is worth £60m ($80.1m) a year until 2029 — the same figure earned by Real Madrid (Emirates), Barcelona (Spotify) and PSG (Qatar Airways), but their kit partnership deal with Adidas, £90m ($120m) a year until 2033, is less lucrative than those of Barcelona (Nike £127m / $170m), City (Puma, £100m / $133.5m) and Real Madrid (Adidas £95m / $128m). Despite their title success and recent success, Liverpool only secured a £60m-a-year ($80.1m) deal with Adidas earlier this year.
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“United is still a massive club,” Stylsvig said. “The fact that probably one of the very biggest buyers in the world of sport, Adidas, is renewing for £90m just shows the power of United. Adidas wouldn’t spend £90m a year for United if they didn’t see there was potential.”
United’s fall from grace as a club capable of winning the Premier League and Champions League has impacted on their earnings, however, as highlighted by Liverpool’s on-field success generating £257.63m ($344m) last season compared to United’s £166.9m ($222.9m).
If United get it right on the pitch, they could expect to boost their earnings by approximately £100m ($133.6m) a year, with success then likely to make them more attractive to star players and potential sponsors. Edward Freedman, a sports branding expert credited with transforming United’s commercial earnings in the 1990s before launching the sports memorabilia company Icons, says that the players on the pitch are as important as the commercial team off it.
“The commercial situation is very tied up with the performance on the field,” Freedman told ESPN. “And United haven’t had a very good run on the field at all, so that will negatively impact their commercial income.
“United have long-term contracts with their major sponsors, but once those contracts run out, no one’s going to go back in and pay the same prices that they paid before because they’re not top of the league. They’ve let Marcus Rashford and some of their best players go and brought in players that haven’t got the same charisma and are not particularly commercially valuable, so that’s a problem that United must address.”
Former United commercial director Richard Arnold once said that the club didn’t buy players to boost brand recognition because the team had “25 George Clooneys – they are all massive stars.” United are clearly no longer that, of course, but despite concerns about the lack of success and their allure to star players, Freedman admits that United can still tap into an increasingly lucrative commercial market.
“Lots of clubs have caught up with United commercially,” Freedman said. “But it’s not a shrinking pool because there is now a lot more people throwing money at the game.
“It’s still a massive market. If you think about China and the United States, football is growing and growing and the bubble shouldn’t burst, but if United are to capitalise, they need to hire somebody who really knows the commercial market and also sign a star player, because what happens on the pitch goes hand in hand with what happens off it.”
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‘United will eventually get it right’
United have challenges ahead, notably the plans to build a new stadium that could cost as much as £2 billion ($2.67bn), but sources have said that they could command a naming rights deals of least £25m ($33.4m) to sponsor the new ground, which would also significantly increase United’s current matchday income of £5m ($6.7m) a game.
Sources have said that the prospect of lucrative direct-to-consumer broadcasting packages within 5-7 years would also be a huge financial earner for United and Liverpool due to their vast global fanbases, but while Liverpool have a slick machine on and off the pitch at Anfield — “Liverpool have had a rising tide of perfection,” the former United executive said — United still need to get both arms of the operation working together at Old Trafford.
“United maybe didn’t renew themselves and innovate properly in recent years, with too much reluctance to change,” Stylsvig, who was this week appointed as executive director of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said. “But the sheer scale of the numbers that they can produce and the way they run things is just phenomenal. It is a very, very big club, truly one of the big ones.
“The last time United won a Premier League was in 2013, but they just kept increasing revenues, even though they weren’t successful on the pitch. They could attract the best talent and you can always argue did they have the right team and right manager and so on, but the reality is United they went from strength to strength from a commercial point of view, even though the results on the pitch were not there.
“Having results off the pitch buys you the opportunity to get better players and invest more in the team, so United will eventually get it right.”
United’s next throw of the dice is against Liverpool this Sunday, and it would be the perfect time to roll a six.
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim thinks it is important Sir Jim Ratcliffe went public with his long-term thoughts – but says nothing is certain about tomorrow in football, let alone three years.
In an interview with The Times last week, Ratcliffe said it could take Amorim three years to make a significant impact at Old Trafford.
Coming in a period when Amorim’s future has been under scrutiny following an extended sequence of disappointing results, the comments helped quell some of the immediate pressure.
But, speaking before the 100th meeting with old rivals Liverpool at Anfield, the United boss stressed that the future is hard to predict in football.
“It is really good to hear it but he tells me all the time, sometimes with a message after games – but you know, I know and Jim knows, that football is not like that,” he said.
“The most important thing is the next game. Even with owners, you cannot control the next day in football.”
Chief executive Omar Berrada has admitted it has taken far longer for Amorim to adapt to the Premier League following his move from Sporting last November than anyone imagined.
United have won 10 times in 34 Premier League matches under the 40-year-old. They are yet to win two league games in a row and have not ended a round of league games this season higher than ninth.
The dire statistics are stretching belief in the manager among the United fanbase heading into a sequence of matches their club has been awful in for the past two seasons.
Amorim said he does not feel the uncertainty internally at the club’s Carrington training ground and is adamant nothing can match the pressure he puts on his players – and in some senses, he would prefer Ratcliffe not to be trying to bring a sense of calm because he fears the impact it could have on the team.
“It’s not just a thing that people talk about, I feel it every day,” he said. “It’s really good to hear it because it helps our fans to understand the leadership know it is going to take a while.
“But at the same moment, I don’t like it because it gives a feeling that we have time to work things out. I don’t want that feeling in our club.
“The pressure I put on the team or on myself is so much bigger [than that from outside]. In football, especially in big clubs, you need to prove yourself every weekend.”
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Red card for Janssen after VAR review
The other angle that we have just seen shows that Gio is clipped quite harshly on her ankle. And here comes the referee … she takes away the yellow card and out comes the red. United were well on top and now the game has been flipped on its head.
Gio is now being stretchered off. Portales comes on in her place.
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39 min: Gio is still down and receiving treatment. Her face is covered by her hands. Meanwhile, the referee has now been sent to the screen. Is this going to be changed to a red card?!
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37 min: Gio almost gets past Janssen and the latter sticks out a leg out to prevent her from coming across. The United defender gets a yellow and the hosts have a free-kick in a dangerous area on the right side of the box.
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34 min: How is it not 2-0?! Malard and Zigiotti Olme link up for a quick give-and-go. The former, right in front of goal, tries to hit it with the outside of her boot and the ball dribbles just wide. So close!
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33 min: The referee blows her whistle after Medina tries to jump for the ball and falls on Riviere in the process. It has been an intriguing battle between the two so far.
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28 min: It is a deserved lead for United, who have had four attempts on goal compared with Atléticoâ€s one despite having less of the ball. They have found their rhythm and their tactic of pressing and crowding the opposition box has worked well so far.
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GOAL! Atlético Madrid 0-1 Manchester United (Rolfö 24)
It has been coming! From the right Zigiotti Olmeâ€s curls it in and Toone attempt to head it down. It falls to Rolfö invitingly and from the volley, she hammers it into the roof of the net to score her first goal for Manchester United.
Manchester United’s Fridolina Rolfö fires home to open the scoring at Atlético Madrid. Photograph: Susana Vera/ReutersRolfö celebrates. Photograph: Diego Souto/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 13.28 EDT
24 min: Just the final passing missing from United at the moment. After some good play in midfield the ball dribbles out for a goal-kick after some miscommunication on the left flank.
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19 min: Riviere gets the first yellow of the game for a foul on Medina. She cannot complain really, the Canadian completely mistimed the tackle and wiped out her opponent.
Manchester United’s Jayde Riviere fouls Atletico Madrid’s Andrea Medina and goes into the refâ€s book. Photograph: Susana Vera/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.11 EDT
16 min: Fiamma denied! She arrives into the box with plenty of space but her shot is blocked by Le Tissier.
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14 min: Jensen thinks she gets the better of Le Tissier as the United captain falls but the referee blows the whistle for a foul.
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10 min: Atlético get forward but Le Tissier is able to clear the danger.
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7 min: After some patient buildup play from United Terland shrugs off her defender before laying it off to Rolfö. The Swede takes a touch and curls it wide at the far post.
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4 min: Terland tries to get on the end of a great through ball from Toone but Lola Gallardo gets there first. Riviere then intercepts the ball and finds space to hit a cross but it is cleared away.
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2 min: We get confirmation just now that concussion protocol has led to Jess Park not being in the matchday squad. Rolfö is her replacement up top in Skinnerâ€s sole XI change.
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1 min: 18sec on the clock and Malard flicks it off to Toone whose shot is just wide! A quick start from the visitors.
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Updated at 12.51 EDT
Kick-off: Atlético Madrid 0-0 Manchester United
Here we go! The referee blows the whistle and we are underway. Atlético in their traditional red and white tops with blue shorts while United don their all-black third kit.
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Some pre-match post bag from all of you.
Marc (Skinner?) sends his prediction:
United have been a lot of fun to watch this season, in my very biased opinion. I have been so pleased with our defensive structure. Tonight is probably our biggest challenge though. Up the reds!
And Amy checks in from Madrid:
I am at the Centro Deportivo Wanda Alcalá de Henares (what a mouthful) as a neutral – tickets were quite affordable – and it might be a small stadium but the Spanish fans I have seen are loud! Hopefully they keep up the tempo throughout the 90.
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Here is what Marc Skinner had to say in yesterdayâ€s pre-match press conference.
Weâ€re excited. Weâ€re looking forward to playing Atléti, fantastic team, fantastic club. Weâ€re really looking forward to it. We know how good we are, we believe in ourselves, we also know weâ€re facing a really tough challenge. Tomorrow night will be a really good challenge for us – everyone is raring to go.
[Atlético Madrid] have an incredible attack. They have flair, they have aggression, they are very evasive. They have got Vilde Bøe Risa, who used to play for Manchester United and is a wonderful footballer. They defend very well as well, so they have quite a good balance. I think we have to defend well tomorrow night because of the threats they have. Also, with the ball, I think they have to be aware of us. Weâ€ve spoken about it, we have to be focused and defensively alert because Atléti can spring counterattacks quickly and have the ability to beat you one v one. Also, in front of their fans, I think it will be a good atmosphere. We see a lot threats, but also hopefully we can give them our threats too.
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Tonightâ€s broadcast of Atlético Madrid v Manchester Unitedis available to watch on Disney+ after they acquired rights across multiple European territories. Tom Garryâ€s verdict? An intriguing collaboration but room for growth.
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Chelsea were in WCL action last night, cruising to a 4-0 win against Paris FC. Sophie Downey was at the Bridge to watch it unfold.
Their pressure eventually told, however, when Nüsken went down in the box with half an hour played. The offence from Le Moguédec was not initially spotted by the referee, Michalina Diakow, but after a brief trip to the VAR monitor, she duly pointed to the spot. Baltimore stepped up to convert for the second week in a row.
Chelsea consolidated their advantage just before the break when Thompson broke forward at pace. A clever turn gave her space to stand up a cross for Rytting Kaneryd to loop a header home. The winger looked slightly bemused that it had ended up in the back of the net, celebrating with an expression that said she is not accustomed to scoring with her head.
Read the full report below.
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Team news
Atlético Madrid XI:Lola Gallardo; Fernández, Lauren, Silvia Lloris, Medina; GarcÃa, Bøe Risa, Fiamma; Luany, Glo Garbelini, Jensen
Subs:Patricia Larqué, Bucero, Pérez, Guijarro, Vitória, Bartel, Portales, Sarriegi, Gomez, RodrÃguez, Miñambres
Manchester United XI:Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti Olme, Toone; Malard, Terland, Rolfö
Subs:Rendell, Middleton-Patel, George, Blundell, Galton, Awujo, Naalsund, Williams
Referee:Eleni Antoniou (Greece)
Unitedâ€s injury issues means they are unable to name an entire substitute list, with only eight players out of a possible 11 on the bench.
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Updated at 13.07 EDT
Atlético Madrid will be hoping to put their 6-0 home loss to the Liga F leaders, Barcelona, on Sunday. They now sit third in the league, seven points away from top.
VÃctor MartÃnâ€s side will be looking to right the weekendâ€s wrongs against United in their first meeting against an English team in Europe since losing to Chelsea in the last 16 in 2021-22. That loss was Madridâ€s only one of their previous six contests against English sides.
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Preamble
It has been a good week for Manchester United. Last Wednesday Marc Skinnerâ€s side made their debut in the Womenâ€s Champions League after qualifying for the main phase of the tournament for the first time in their history. It was not particularly thrilling but a Maya Le Tissier penalty was enough for the hosts to earn the win against VÃ¥lerenga.
Four days later a Jess Park double saw out a commanding 4-1 away victory against Everton, the hosts†first beside the docks at Hill Dickinson Stadium, to preserve their unbeaten start to the league season.
Now United are back in Champions League action and face a huge test against Atlético Madrid on matchday two. The Spanish side won their first league phase match 6-0 at St Pölten in which they were three up within 22 minutes.
We get underway in Madrid at 5.45pm BST. In the meantime feel free to get in touch with any thoughts or predictions via email.
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Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United are seeking back-to-back league wins for the first time in the Portuguese head coach’s Old Trafford tenure.
Tasks don’t come much harder than the one before the Red Devils this weekend as they make the short journey to Merseyside where they will meet Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
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Manchester United skipper absent from training before Liverpool game
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United (Image credit: Getty Images)
Liverpool’s early season form has waned in recent weeks, losing 2-1 to Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the Premier League, either side of a 1-0 defeat on the road to Galatasaray.
Man United, on the other hand, have registered the highest Expected Goals (xG) total in the entirety of English football’s top flight and looked much better than recent showings in their 2-0 win versus Sunderland before the international break.
Casemiro is expected to start on the bench against Liverpool (Image credit: Getty Images)
However, due to the international fixtures, any momentum Amorim had generated with his team’s win over the Black Cats risks dissipating before this weekend’s game at Anfield.
This is because several of the head coach’s key players have not been able to train with the rest of the squad, instead participating in matches for their respective countries.
In many cases, significant travel obligations go hand-in-hand with international participation and Man United are not immune.
Matheus Cunha, Amad Diallo and Casemiro were all missing from Amorim’s main training session on Thursday morning, while Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui, each returning from injury, are also anticipated to miss out.
Perhaps the biggest potential miss for Man United is Bruno Fernandes who was also granted additional leave by the club following Portugal’s international fixtures.
The Old Trafford skipper started both Portugal matches during October’s domestic break, latterly against Hungary on Tuesday.
In the absentees’ places, Amorim padded out his core training group with a select number of youngsters, including Shea Lacey who was invited to train with England’s senior group last week.
Liverpool vs Manchester United kicks off at 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon.