Ruben Amorim has been given three years to prove himself at Manchester United after co-owner Jim Ratcliffe insisted he will not make a knee-jerk decision about the under-fire manager’s future.
Amorim has endured constant speculation that he faces the sack throughout this season as United lurched from one crisis to another.
The former Sporting Lisbon boss, who was hired by Ratcliffe in November 2024, admitted earlier this term that he had considered quitting during United’s darkest moments.
Amorim’s side finished 15th in the Premier League last season — their lowest final top-flight position since 1973-74 — and squandered a chance to qualify for the Champions League when they lost the Europa League final to fellow strugglers Tottenham.
Tenth-placed United have fared little better this season, losing three of their first seven league games and crashing to a shock League Cup defeat at fourth-tier Grimsby.
Amorim has yet to record successive Premier League wins since replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag, with a trip to champions Liverpool next up for United after the international break.
Despite the talk that Amorim, whose side beat promoted Sunderland in their last game, remains in danger of being axed, Ratcliffe said the 40-year-old would be given time to turn things around.
“He has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate that he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be,” Ratcliffe told The Business podcast, produced by The Times and The Sunday Times.
“The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it’s all going to be roses tomorrow.
“You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.”
Ratcliffe has owned just under 30 percent of United since February 2024, when he took control of football operations at the 20-time English champions.
That left the Glazer family, who have endured numerous fan protests since taking over in 2005, still in overall charge at Old Trafford.
United haven’t won the English title since 2013, while their last European trophy was the 2017 Europa League. (Punch)
Estevao struck in added time to inflict a third straight defeat on Premier League champion Liverpool.
The Brazilian teenager slid in at the far post to seal a 2-1 win for Chelsea in a breathless finish at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Estevao’s goal sparked wild celebrations that earned Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca a red card and ensured Liverpool goes into the international break knocked off the top of the standings.
“It is extra special to win like that because you win energy, trust and confidence in the process,” Chelsea assistant Willy Caballero said. “It is also something unforgettable for Estevao.”
Arsenal was in first place, a point ahead of Liverpool, after beating West Ham 2-0, while Manchester United picked up a crucial win against Sunderland to ease pressure on coach Ruben Amorim.
Liverpool is no stranger to late drama this season but the tide has turned on manager Arne Slot.
Late goals in six of the Merseyside club’s first seven games helped it maintain a 100% record and build an early lead in the standings.
But a first defeat of the campaign via Eddie Nketiah’s strike in the seventh minute of stoppage time for Crystal Palace last week was followed by Estevao’s strike in the fifth minute of stoppage time for Chelsea. In between, Liverpool lost to Galatasaray 1-0 in the Champions League.
Cody Gakpo looked like salvaging a point for Liverpool with his score in the second half after Moises Caicedo fired Chelsea in front with a thunderous long range strike in the first half.
But Chelsea, on the back of a three-game winless run in the league, mounted a late onslaught.
Enzo Fernandez headed against the post in added time and Estevao, the 18-year-old forward who joined from Palmeiras in the summer, converted Marc Cucurella’s cross.
“After we scored 1-1 it went our way and I was waiting for us to score the second,” Slot told the BBC. “Last week, same as this week, two difficult away games, the fine margins haven’t been in our favor.”
Ruben Amorim rang the changes and got the result he desperately needed.
Victory against Sunderland came at a crucial time for Amorim ahead of the international break, with speculation mounting over his position. He has still to lead United to back-to-back victories in the league after almost a year in charge but this was a step in the right direction.
“It’s really important to win games and have a better feeling but we need to forget this game and go for the next one,” he said.
Amorim showed his ruthless side by dropping $84 million summer signing Matheus Cunha and handing a first start to new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Those decisions paid off with first half goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford and a first clean sheet of the season.
This was only Amorim’s 10th win from 34 league games and going into Saturday’s match he accepted it would be “impossible” to continue in the job if results didn’t turn.
Which is why victory against Sunderland was crucial in a week when he was criticized by United greats Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, and ahead of the international break, which has traditionally been a convenient time to make managerial changes.
After 300 games in charge, Arsenal Mikel Arteta is looking down on the rest of the Premier League after victory against West Ham.
“I wanted to celebrate it with a win, I’ve got it,” he said.
Goals from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, from the penalty spot, inflicted a first defeat on new West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
That’s four wins in a row for Arsenal in all competitions and, after a daunting start to the campaign, Arteta’s team looks like a title contender again.
Saka, who scored on his 200th appearance for the club, is convinced Arteta will deliver trophies after finishing runner-up three years in a row.
“We’ve had some tough games, particularly away. We are in a strong place in the Premier League and looking forward to coming back and pushing on,” he told the BBC. “Mikel has very much improved my game. He will bring this club success and (I’m) looking forward to when that day comes.”
Victory, however, came at a cost after another injury to captain Martin Odegaard.
Mohammed Kudus scored his first Tottenham goal to keep Thomas Frank’s team riding high. Kudus’ second-half strike from the edge of the box secured a 2-1 win at Leeds to move Spurs up to third.
Spurs have lost just once in the league under Frank, who took charge in the summer.
Kudus was one of Frank’s big signings, joining from West Ham.
Spurs led through Mathys Tel, whose deflected shot rocketed into the top corner.
Leeds, which was unbeaten at home since February, equalized through Noah Okafor from close range in the 34th. (JapanToday)
There was a flurry of stoppage-time goals in the Premier League on Saturday — and one of them ended Liverpool’s 100% start to its title defense.
Eddie Nketiah’s strike in the seventh minute of added-on time secured Crystal Palace a 2-1 victory over the champions and extended the London team’s unbeaten run to 18 games stretching back to April.
Liverpool, which won its first five games of the campaign, saw its lead trimmed to three points — with second-place Palace now its unlikely closest challenger.
The Reds have made a habit of scoring late goals themselves this season and Federico Chiesa’s 87th-minute effort looked like securing a draw at Selhurst Park — or even giving them a chance of grabbing a sixth straight win.
Chelsea played almost the whole second half with 10 men against Brighton and paid the price, conceding two goals in stoppage time to lose 3-1 for a second straight defeat.
Erling Haaland scored in the 90th minute and again in injury time to wrap up Manchester City’s 5-1 win over Burnley.
Tottenham scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time through Joao Palhinha to draw 1-1 with Wolverhampton, which collected its first point of the campaign.
And Manchester United’s latest loss was sealed by a stoppage-time goal for Brentford, which won 3-1. It could have been so different had Bruno Fernandes’ penalty not been saved by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher in the 76th minute, denying United an equalizer for 2-2.
Bournemouth also scored in stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw at Leeds and Sunderland won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, whose recently hired manager Ange Postecoglou has yet to win a game in five matches at his new club.
Liverpool had not been entirely convincing in gaining a maximum 15 points and Arne Slot’s team was undone again by Palace, which beat the Reds in a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield before the English season began.
Palace took the lead in the ninth minute through Ismaila Sarr and wasted a string of chances to move further ahead — with striker Jean-Philippe Mateta the biggest culprit.
Nketiah’s goal was scrappy but maintained Palace’s long undefeated run under Oliver Glasner, who has kept the team playing well despite losing star midfielder Eberechi Eze to Arsenal late in the transfer window.
“If one team deserved to win today it was Palace,” Slot said. (JapanToday)
Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 in a chaotic match at Old Trafford on Saturday to earn vital breathing space for beleaguered manager Ruben Amorim as Liverpool stayed perfect in the Premier League.
But Graham Potter’s future as West Ham boss appears bleak after a fourth defeat in five matches left the club firmly rooted in the relegation zone.
All eyes were on a rain-lashed Old Trafford for the early evening kick-off, with Amorim in desperate need of a win after a terrible start to the season.
The home side were given a huge helping hand when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute of a stormy encounter.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca made frantic personnel changes to compensate for the loss of Sanchez but the match immediately became an exercise in attack versus defense.
United captain Bruno Fernandes made the breakthrough in the 14th minute, prodding home from close range in his 200th Premier League game.
Casemiro doubled the lead before the Brazilian midfielder was shown a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time for tugging back Andrey Santos.
Even though both teams were now down to 10 men, Chelsea struggled to create chances in sodden conditions until Trevoh Chalobah brought the visitors back into the match with a bullet header 10 minutes from time.
But United survived some nervy moments to record just their second win of the season, lifting them into the top half of the table.
It was a first league defeat for Chelsea.
“Every win especially in this moment is important, against a great opponent,” Amorim told the BBC.
“We started the game in the right way, really aggressive. The red card helped us dominate the game but we were already there.
“We scored two goals and then we tried to complicate our game again. It’s always complicated with us. It should have been different, this game.”
In the early kick-off, Arne Slot’s Liverpool were 2-0 up against Everton inside half an hour through Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike and seemingly coasting to a fifth straight league win.
But they had to withstand an impressive fightback from their Merseyside rivals, who have not won at Anfield in front of fans in the 21st century.
The champions took the lead in the 10th minute when Gravenberch collected Mohamed Salah’s lifted cross before hooking a rasping shot over Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
France international Ekitike finished off a silky move in the 29th minute, with Gravenberch turning provider.
Liverpool have not made things easy for themselves this season, relying on a series of late winners, and Everton made them sweat when Idrissa Gueye pulled a goal back in the 58th minute.
But Arne Slot’s men held on win 2-1 and make it six victories out of six in all competitions as they hunt down a record 21st English title.
“We needed mentality today in a different fashion than the few times before,” said Slot, who left Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak — costing a combined £225 million ($303 million) — on the bench.
“You can see how well we can play when we are fresh in the first 45 minutes. We ran out of energy a bit but we didn’t run out of mentality.”
West Ham boss Potter admitted that his side’s 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace was a “tough moment” as he fights to keep his job.
Former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo and ex-Wolves manager Gary O’Neil have been linked with the position at the London Stadium.
Asked whether he felt he still had the support of the Hammers’ hierarchy, he replied: “I’ve no reason to think not.
“But I also understand the environment and the results. But I have no complaints about the support I have had.”
Tottenham came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Brighton, climbing to second in the table, five points behind leaders Liverpool.
Goals from Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari gave the home side a cushion before Richarlison pulled one back shortly before half-time and Jan Paul van Hecke’s own goal made it all square.
Newly promoted Leeds recovered from conceding the first goal to beat Wolves 3-1, leaving the Midlands club without a single point from their five matches.
Burnley and Nottingham Forest shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.
Arsenal host Manchester City on Sunday, seeking their third straight win against Pep Guardiola’s men at the Emirates. (JapanToday)
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after just two league matches in charge, reports the BBC. Ten Hag, 55, was only appointed by the German club in the summer, having been fired by United in October.
The Dutchman is the third former United boss to be sacked in a week – after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed by Besiktas on Thursday, and Jose Mourinho exited Fenerbahce on Friday.
“Nobody wanted to take this step,” Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes told the club websit
“However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this set-up is not feasible.” Ten Hag’s sacking is the fastest in Bundesliga history, breaking the previous record of five matches.
Leverkusen have earned one point from their first two league games. They let a one-goal lead slip to lose 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim and on Saturday conceded two late goals against 10-man Werder Bremen to draw 3-3, having led 2-0 and 3-1.
Ten Hag’s first game in charge was a 4-0 German Cup win over fourth-tier side SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach on August 15. He signed a two-year contract to succeed Xabi Alonso as head coach in May after the Spaniard, who led Leverkusen to a league and cup double in 2023-24, was appointed Real Madrid boss. (Guardian)
Chelsea signed Argentina international Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United for a reported 40 million pounds ($54 million) on Saturday, adding more competition for the two winger spots.
The 21-year-old Garnacho left United after falling out of favor with manager Ruben Amorim at the end of last season. His last game for the club was the 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final, when he was a second-half substitute, and he hasn’t even been on the bench for United’s matches this season.
Garnacho will compete with Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and Estevao for a place in a team that won the Club World Cup over the summer and will play in the Champions League this season. Chelsea also has Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk on its books.
“It’s an incredible moment for my family and I to join this great club,” Garnacho said. “I can’t wait to get started.
“I watched the Club World Cup and to join the world champions is special – we’re the best team in the world! It’s amazing to be here and I’m very happy.”
Selling Garnacho will also help United to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. (JapanToday)
Bruno Fernandes eased the pressure on Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim as his last-gasp penalty sealed a 3-2 win over Burnley, while Thomas Frank suffered his first Premier League defeat as Tottenham manager on Saturday.
Just days after a humiliating League Cup second-round loss at fourth-tier Grimsby, United were on the brink of another damaging result after promoted Burnley twice came from behind at Old Trafford.
Amorim had admitted after the Grimsby debacle that he sometimes thinks about quitting and often hates his players.
His mood would have been even darker before United captain Fernandes came to the rescue seven minutes into stoppage time.
United’s first win in three league games this season will give Amorim some much-needed respite heading into the international break, although questions will still be asked of the Portuguese coach after his side’s latest erratic display.
Luck was on United’s side when they took the lead in the 26th minute.
Casemiro’s header thumped off the crossbar and hit Burnley captain Josh Cullen on the back, ricocheting over the line before Martin Dubravka could claw it away.
Lyle Foster hauled Burnley level with a 55th-minute finish from Jacob Bruun Larsen’s cross.
Bryan Mbeumo put United back in the lead just 15 seconds later when he slammed in Diogo Dalot’s cutback for his first league goal since his summer move from Brentford.
United’s frailties were punished again as Jaidon Anthony equalised in the 66th minute.
It was a shambolic goal, with Altay Bayindir spilling Loum Tchaouna’s shot and Anthony poking the loose ball goalwards before Kobbie Mainoo’s attempted clearance rebounded in off the United goalkeeper.
But in the final moments Anthony pulled Amad Diallo, with a lengthy VAR check concluding the foul continued inside the area, conceding a controversial penalty that Fernandes gratefully tucked away to Amorim’s immense relief.
“I was frustrated like any Man United fan, we had chances to score more goals. But today we were the better team,” Amorim said.
“Sometimes we were not playing so well, but you can see the effort of everyone on the pitch wanting to win.”
Tottenham were beaten 1-0 by Bournemouth to end Frank’s strong start since he arrived from Brentford to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou in the close-season.
Tottenham had won their first two league games under the Dane without conceding a goal, including a 2-0 win at Manchester City last weekend.
But Evanilson struck in the fifth minute with a deflected shot as Bournemouth left north London with their second win this term.
Leaders Chelsea took advantage of VAR controversy to beat Fulham 2-0 as the visitors were left to rue a series of costly decisions awarded against them at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca’s side, who have seven points from three games, were fortunate not to fall behind in the west London derby when Fulham were harshly denied a first-half opener.
Josh King’s strike was ruled out after VAR deemed Rodrigo Muniz’s accidental collision with Trevoh Chalobah was worthy of a foul.
As if that wasn’t infuriating enough for Fulham boss Marco Silva, Joao Pedro put Chelsea ahead beyond the scheduled eight minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Adding to Silva’s anger, Chelsea’s second goal was also VAR-influenced as Ryan Sessegnon was adjudged to have handled a cross, leading to Enzo Fernandez converting from the penalty spot.
Jack Grealish starred as Everton beat Wolves 3-2 at Molineux.
Beto headed Everton in front from Grealish’s flick after seven minutes before Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan levelled in the 21st minute.
Iliman Ndiaye restored Everton’s advantage in the 33rd minute, applying the finishing touch to a flowing move involving on-loan Manchester City winger Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Dewsbury-Hall bagged Everton’s third, blasting home from Grealish’s pass in the 55th minute before Rodrigo Gomes reduced the deficit in the 79th minute.
Sunderland staged an impressive fightback to beat Brentford 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. (JapanToday)
Manchester United is still searching for its first win of the season in the Premier League after squandering the lead in a 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday.
Everton did get off the mark, though, beginning life in its new waterfront home at Bramley-Moore Dock with a 2-0 win over Brighton thanks to an impressive display by Jack Grealish.
United was looking to follow up a mostly encouraging display in defeat to Arsenal in the opening round last weekend and missed a chance to take a first-half lead against Fulham when Bruno Fernandes blazed a penalty over the crossbar, moments after stumbling into the referee.
It needed an own-goal by Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, who deflected in a header at a corner from United’s Leny Yoro, to give United the lead in the 58th.
Ruben Amorim’s team couldn’t hold on as substitute Emile Smith Rowe poked home a cross from Alex Iwobi for the 73rd-minute equalizer.
It means a United player has yet to score a goal this season following an offseason when the club spent around 200 million pounds ($270 million) on revamping its attack with the additions of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. Sesko was a second-half substitute for the second straight match.
In his first start for Everton, Grealish showed glimpses of the player who once was the poster boy of English soccer.
The England forward, who is on loan from Manchester City in a bid to resurrect his career, dribbled into the area and crossed for fellow winger Iliman Ndiaye to volley home the first goal of a new era for Everton following the team’s emotional departure from Goodison Park, its long-time home. Coincidentally, Ndiaye also scored the last goal at Goodison in May.
By providing a layoff for James Garner to drive home Everton’s second goal from outside the area, Grealish grabbed a second assist of the game — as many as he managed in total across the past two Premier League seasons at City.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved a penalty from Danny Welbeck to the delight of the home fans among the 51,759 inside their new stadium that was built in the hope of taking an underachieving club in recent years to a new level. Not for the first time, Pickford was seen checking his water bottle ahead of a penalty kick because he keeps the name of potential opposition penalty-takers on the drinking vessel and where they might hit their attempt.
It was Everton’s first win of the season, after a 1-0 loss at Leeds in the opening round.
Crystal Palace fans weren’t afraid to make their feelings known about Nottingham Forest during the teams’ 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.
Palace, the FA Cup winner last season, was demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League last month for breaching UEFA rules on club ownership, in a saga the club believes was influenced by Forest and owner Evangelos Marinakis, who benefited by being promoted to the Europa League at Palace’s expense.
A spicy pre-match banner took a pop at Marinakis, as did some abusive chants from Palace’s notoriously boisterous supporters that also targeted UEFA.
Ismaila Sarr gave Palace a 37th-minute lead before Callum Hudson-Odoi equalized in the 57th for Forest, whose manager Nuno Espirito Santo was in the dugout for the match despite concerns about his job amid rising tensions with Marinakis over the summer. (SportsNet)
Ange Postecoglou has been sacked as Tottenham manager 16 days after leading them to victory in the Europa League final.
A 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao brought Spurs a first major trophy for 17 years.
However, it came towards the end of their worst Premier League season, with the London club finishing 17th after losing 22 of their 38 matches.
The Australian told fans “season three is better than season two” as they gathered at a victory parade to mark European success in his second campaign.
But the 59-year-old’s time in north London has ended two years to the day after Spurs announced he would join them from Celtic on a four-year contract.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank is among the leading candidates to replace Postecoglou. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino – now managing the United States – are among the other candidates to have been considered.
Spurs said in a statement Postecoglou would be remembered for delivering “one of the club’s greatest moments” in becoming only the third manager to win them a European trophy.
But they added they could not base their decision on “emotions aligned to this triumph” and felt a change was necessary after a “review of performances”.
Tottenham finished fifth in Postecoglou’s first season in charge before he kept his promise to provide silverware in his second year.
“The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime,” he said in a statement.
“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream.”
Of managers with 100 or more games in charge of the club, Postecoglou ranks seventh with a 46.5% win percentage from 101 matches in all competitions (47 wins, 15 draws and 39 losses).
Tottenham’s decision to sack the man who guided them to a first trophy since 2008 will divide opinion across their fanbase.
He becomes the fourth Spurs manager – after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte – to lose his job since Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, less than four months after taking them to the Champions League final.
Postecoglou’s reign began in spectacular fashion, despite the exit of the club’s all-time leading scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
Spurs set the pace in the early stages of the 2023-24 Premier League season by taking 26 points from their first 10 games, with former Australia boss Postecoglou winning three consecutive manager of the month awards. (BBC)
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