Donny van de Beek should not have joined Manchester United as he struggles for game time at Old Trafford, insisted Dutch great Marco van Basten.

Van de Beek is yet to start a Premier League match for United after arriving from Eredivisie champions Ajax at the start of the season in a deal that could rise to £39.1million (€44m).

An unused substitute in Saturday s goalless draw with Chelsea, Van de Beek has only played 60 minutes of football in four Premier League matches amid growing doubts in Manchester.

Van de Beek, who was previously tipped to join Real Madrid, played the final two minutes of United s Champions League win at Paris Saint-Germain, while the 23-year-old started both EFL Cup games, having scored off the bench in the club s Premier League opener.…

Dele Alli scored twice as Tottenham claimed a 3-2 Premier League victory over Bournemouth to maintain their winning start under new head coach Jose Mourinho.

Tottenham beat West Ham and Olympiacos in Mourinho s first two matches and were good value for their latest triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, despite another late collapse.

Alli scored in either half to give the hosts a two-goal advantage, which Moussa Sissoko added to with his first league goal in his past 69 appearances.

Harry Wilson pulled two goals back for Bournemouth a concerning repeat of the tense finale against West Ham for Mourinho  but Tottenham held on for back-to-back league wins for the first time since April to climb to fifth, six points off a Champions League place.

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Lionesses captain Millie Bright is proud to be carrying on the legacy of “fearless” ex-England skipper John Terry as she leads the European champions in the World Cup.

Bright vice-captained Sarina Wiegman’s side last summer and for this tournament inherited the armband from Leah Williamson, who was ruled out after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in April.

The Blues defender herself underwent a “brutal” rehabilitation process from a March knee injury to ensure she would be fit to fight for England’s first global title in co-hosting Australia, where they are next set to face Nigeria in the last 16.

She said: “JT was a big one for me. I think the way he carried himself and he always stepped out on the pitch fearless and stepped up…

Alvaro Morata believes he is a more complete player since his return to Juventus, as he matched his best goals tally in a Champions League campaign.

Morata scored his fifth Champions League goal of the season on Tuesday, with his stoppage-time header – which was flapped at by Denes Dibusz – sealing a 2-1 win for Juve over Ferencvaros, and earning their progression to the last 16 with two Group G games to spare.

The Spain international has been in fine form since his move back to Juve, where he spent two seasons between 2014 and 2016 and scored 15 Serie A goals and registered 12 assists in that time.

In 2014-15, the forward scored five goals – his best haul in the competition – as Juve reached the Champions League final, where they were beaten by Barcel…

Manchester United were stunned by bottom club Sheffield United in a seismic result for both ends of the Premier League table.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s side were expected to regain top spot and end Manchester City s stay at the summit after 24 hours, although Chris Wilder s basement boys had other ideas.

Former City youth product Kean Bryan gave the visitors the lead at Old Trafford but normal service looked to have been resumed when former Blade Harry Maguire headed home.

But Oliver Burke had the final word in the 74th minute, giving Sheffield United a 2-1 triumph – only their second win of the Premier League season.

Brighton and Hove Albion and Fulham could not add to their pair of wins after a goalless draw at the Amex Stadium and sit 10 and five poin…

The Premier League delivered another weekend of thrills and spills as the 2024-25 season really clicks into gear.

Manchester City fought back late on to draw 2-2 with Arsenal in the headline fixture of the weekend on Sunday.

Chelsea and Liverpool each claimed 3-0 wins, while Manchester United were frustrated by Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, the bottom six teams in the league remain without a win, which is a Premier League first five games into a season.

But, what did the underlying metrics suggest about the weekend s action?

6 For the first time in English top-flight history, as many as six different teams have failed to win any of their opening five league games. Suspense.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)

Unlucky loser: Man Utd

The d…

It was a very emotional afternoon at Anfield on Saturday. Steven Gerrard, the man who spent the vast majority of his playing career as the Liverpool captain and remains a club icon, returned to the place of his great achievements as the manager of the opposition, leading Aston Villa against his beloved Reds in the 16th round of the Premier League campaign.

The match was settled by Mohamed Salah s perfect execution of a penalty which he himself had won.

Gerrard returns

During his first press conference as the Villa boss, Gerrard was expectedly asked about his affiliations with Liverpool and the prospect of sitting in the Anfield dugout one day. However, he quite understandably refused to discuss the matter, feeling that it would be disrespectful towards his new employer…

Milan s hopes of Champions League were qualification were hit by a 2-1 home defeat to Sassuolo in their first match since playing a part in European football s remarkable Super League saga.

The Rossoneri were among 12 elite clubs signed up to play in a controversial new continental competition until England s big six backed out on Tuesday and prompted its collapse.

Milan have not played in the Champions League the tournament the lucrative Super League sought to rival since 2013-14 and have work to do to clinch the top-four finish that would end that wait, barring any UEFA sanctions.

Substitute Giacomo Raspadori s quickfire late double, after a superb Hakan Calhanoglu opener, leaves the second-placed side still well within reach for Napoli in fifth, six points ah…

Atletico Madrid claimed their 11th LaLiga title as Angel Correa and Luis Suarez inspired a 2-1 comeback victory over Real Valladolid on a tense final day of 2020-21.

With second-placed Real Madrid facing Villarreal, Diego Simeone s men needed a win to guarantee the title, but their hopes hung in the balance when Oscar Plana put relegation-battling Valladolid ahead.

But Correa s superb solo effort restored parity, with a glaring miss from Shon Weissman at the other end setting the stage for Suarez to complete the turnaround.

Madrid produced a late turnaround to win 2-1 but finished two points behind their city rivals in the table.

The pressure on Atleti s shoulders was reflected in a frantic start from the league leaders, with Suarez and Saul Niguez snatc…

Best odds: 12/5

Bookmaker:

The upcoming Fla-Flu derby between Fluminense and Flamengo is set to be a thrilling encounter, as both teams are separated by just two points in the Campeonato Brasileiro standings. The match will take place at the iconic Maracana stadium, adding to the excitement of the rivalry between the two Rio de Janeiro clubs.

Fluminense

Fernando Diniz s Fluminense side has been in impressive form recently, highlighted by their victory over fellow top-six contenders Internacional. The win came at a crucial time for the club, as Diniz was just named Brazil s interim coach until 2024, adding to the significance of the match.

Fluminense s recent victory, thanks to goals from German Cano and Matheus Martinelli, helped them climb to fourth pl…