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    Inside bizarre football league where every single game is home match with unique pitches hosting four divisions at once

    A BIZARRE football league sees teams play every game at home – with unique pitches hosting FOUR divisions at once.The Bristol Downs League was formed almost 120 years ago and takes place every Saturday afternoon.A bizarre football league sees four divisions play at the same timeCredit: AlamyThe Bristol Downs League has 1,500 active footballers playing alongside each otherCredit: YouTubeNo less than 41 amateur teams, comprised of over 1,500 players, gather at 2pm on one giant field to compete across four divisions.Incredibly, over 400 matches are played per season at the Clifton Downs, a massive 442-acre open parkland situated on top of Bristol’s Avon Gorge.The huge space, which spreads to Durdham Down, is divided into 32 football fields parked right alongside each other, allowing multiple matches to be played at the same time.It means no team ever really plays away from home, with all fixtures effectively taking place in the same spot.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Bristol Downs League was created way back in 1905 and has seen a host of sports stars take part over the years.Former England and Arsenal captain Eddie Hapgood was one of the biggest football stars to ply his trade there in the early 1920s.Ex-England cricket skipper Wally Hammond could also be found there trying his hand at the beautiful game nearly a century ago.While former Scotland and Celtic goalie Jonathan Gould has fond memories of the Downs — having played there as a STRIKER.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe told BBC Sport: “The weather was not always great up on the Downs, it’s a little bit exposed.“It’s incredible to think so many people come up here on a weekend and enjoy the game of football.Top 10 highest-paid Premier League starsEvery team effectively plays all their games at homeCredit: AlamyEx-Celtic and Scotland goalie Jonathan Gould used to play in the league as a strikerCredit: Keith Campbell – The Sun Glasgow“How do we keep this going so in 100 years it’s still here? Maybe we put some money into it and keep it alive.“The refs want to be here, the players want to be here. It’s part of the culture of Bristol Saturday afternoons — it’s incredible.” More

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    New Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim to be handed instant injury boost as £60m ace set for first-team return

    RUBEN AMORIM is set to be handed an instant injury boost when he finally takes charge at Manchester United after Mason Mount returned to first-team training.The Portuguese boss has been confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford.Mason Mount is back in full training at Man Utd after another injury setbackCredit: GettyThe boost comes as Ruben Amorim prepares to leave Sporting Lisbon for Old TraffordCredit: EPABut he will not be taking the reins until after November’s international break.It means the current Sporting Lisbon chief has plenty of time to prep for his first game against Ipswich Town as interim gaffer Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of fixtures with PAOK and Leicester.And Amorim is sure to be running his eye over United’s talented, yet underperforming, squad.He certainly won’t be short on options after Ten Hag was provided with £200million-worth of new stars over the summer.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut one forgotten ace is also set to rejoin the pack, with Mount returning to full training after missing the whole of October with injury.Mount was signed from Chelsea a year ago for an initial £55m, with fee potentially hitting £60m.Still only 25, he should be hitting his peak after leading the Blues to the Champions League and Club World Cup.But Mount has been hit by numerous injury problems at United and so far has just one goal in 25 outings.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe England star will be desperate to relive his Stamford Bridge glory days at Old Trafford.And he could be one of the beneficiaries of Amorim’s new 3-4-3 formation, which sees two versatile forwards sit either side of the striker.’Career threatening!’ Ex-Prem ref reacts to Martinez’s tackle on Cole Palmer in Man Utd vs Chelsea | The Whistleblower, Mark HalseyMount played a similar role on the right at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel.But he will first need to prove his fitness while also convincing Amorim that he is more deserving of a place in the forward line than the likes of Marcus Rashord, Bruno Fernandes or Alejandro Garnacho.Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man UtdWHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for. More

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    Xabi Alonso breaks silence on why he ruled himself out of Liverpool job after Jurgen Klopp quit

    XABI ALONSO has broken his silence on why he ruled himself out of the Liverpool job at the end of last season.Ex-Reds midfielder Alonso, 42, was the obvious candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp after the German confirmed he was leaving.Xabi Alonso has spoken about why he did not take the Liverpool jobCredit: PAArne Slot ended up replacing Jurgen Klopp in the summerCredit: GettyAlonso guided Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title last season without losing a game.They also won the DFB Pokal and reached the Europa League final.But Alonso then surprisingly announced he was going to stay at Leverkusen, removing any chance of him succeeding Klopp.Now he has opened up about why that was the case when he was asked whether he ever seriously considered the job at Anfield.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLTo which he replied: “At that time I was focused, I had a big thing with the players and we were really focused on that.”Arne Slot ended up replacing Klopp and will come up against Alonso on Tuesday night when Liverpool host Leverkusen in the Champions League.In the build-up to the game, Alonso, who is also being linked with Real Madrid, was quizzed on whether he could join Liverpool in the future.He said: “Let’s talk about the game tomorrow, it’s more interesting than my future.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”Let’s talk about the great players on both sides, that is what is in my head.”For us it is a big challenge to come here. Liverpool at the moment is one of the best if not the best in Europe, they are showing that in a very strong Premier League and the Champions League.Roy Keane fumes Man Utd ‘wouldn’t have tolerated’ Xabi Alonso’s behaviour”It’s a good squad, good coach. At Anfield, it’s a big challenge. We’re looking forward to it, let’s see what happens.”Slot has made a sensational start to life as Liverpool boss, winning eight of his opening 10 Premier League games as they sit two points clear at the top of the table.Leverkusen are struggling in fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points adrift of Bayern Munich.But they have picked up seven points from three Champions League matches, including wins over Feyenoord and AC Milan. More

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    Neymar limps off and fumes on sidelines after lasting just 30 minutes on comeback from horror ACL injury

    NEYMAR limped off with a new injury less than 30 minutes into his return from a horror ACL setback.The ace was forced to go under the knife a year ago after busting his knee while playing for new club Al-Hilal.Neymar pulled up with an injury just 30 minutes into his comeback from an ACL problemCredit: GettyThe ace collapsed to the ground while clutching his legCredit: GettyNeymar missed the entirety of the campaign as his side stormed to the Saudi Pro League title.And two weeks ago the Brazil star made his tentative first steps on the pitch as a late sub against Al-Ain.But last night saw Neymar come off the bench against Esteghal just before the hour mark for a proper reintroduction to football.Al-Hilal won their Asian Champions League match 3-0 thanks to an Aleksandr Mitrovic hat-trick.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, Neymar was unable to see out the end of the match.After being on the pitch for just 28 minutes, Neymar pulled up after stretching his leg to receive a pass.He looked to be in agony as he fell to the floor in a heap.And the Brazilian ended up limping off the pitch while clutching his hamstring in another fresh injury blow.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSNeymar showed his frustration on the sideline too as he threw his shinpads while looking despondent.Neymar’s played just seven times for Al-Hilal following a £75million move from Paris Saint-Germain a year ago, scoring once in the process.Neymar ‘set to buy £7million six-acre private ISLAND’ which has four spectacular villas in tropical waters off BrazilHe is reportedly being paid £125m a year by the Saudi side — six times his salary at PSG.But after the game, Neymar took to social media to assure fans he will be back soon by claiming his potential leg injury was hopefully just a cramp.He said: “I felt like a cramp but very strong! I will do exams and hope it’s nothing more.“It’s normal for this to happen after one year, the doctors already warned me.“This is why I need to be careful and have more minutes to play.” More

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    ‘That’s the type of game where babies are made’, says Prem legend to leave Monday Night Football studio in stitches

    PREMIER LEAGUE legend Dimitar Berbatov left fans in stitches with a hilarious comment about Fulham’s comeback win over Brentford.The Cottagers were trailing 1-0 in stoppage time – only for substitute Harry Wilson to score two stunning goals and turn the result on its head.Dimitar Berbatov said ‘babies will be made’ after his former club’s late winnerHarry Wilson scored two stunning goals to win it for FulhamCredit: GettyWith the hosts struggling to break their West London rivals down, Wilson darted across the near post and cleverly flicked the ball over Mark Flekken between the sticks with 92 minutes on the clock.And then just seconds from the final whistle, he grabbed his second with a sensational diving header.The goal sparked huge celebrations at Craven Cottage and in the Sky Sports studio as ex-Fulham striker Berbatov ran around with his hands on his head.After calming down to provide his analysis of the game, the 43-year-old Bulgarian made a hilarious remark.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBerbatov said: “This is the type of game where, you know, after the game babies are made.”Sky presenter David Jones and pundit Jamie Carragher burst into laughter.The former Liverpool man then cheekily added: “On that note let’s go for a break.”Fans found it brilliant, with one saying: “Sky Sports gold.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnother added: “Can Sky employ Dimitar Berbatov permanently please?”More commented: “Absolutely brilliant.”Man Utd legend shows off ripped body at 42 in first-touch tutorial… as fans say he could teach current stars a thing or twoBerbatov won the Premier League twice at Man Utd during his glittering career.He also played for the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Fulham and Monaco. More

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    How Ruud van Nistelrooy’s ‘donut solution’ starts Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd revamp early with signs of improvement already

    MANCHESTER UNITED were out with the old and in with the Ruud in their first Premier League game since the sacking of Erik ten Hag.Interim boss Van Nistelrooy saw United put five past Leicester in midweek before the visit of Enzo Maresca’s high-flying Chelsea.Ruud van Nistelrooy made some tactical changes suitable for Ruben AmorimCredit: GettyRasmus Hojlund had a combative new roleCredit: GettyWhile Enzo Marseca made a baffling tactical changeCredit: GettyAnd a cagey first half between the team’s of the old Malaga team-mate’s, Bruno Fernandes broke the deadlock from the penalty spot after Rasmus Hojlund was brought down in the area by Robert Sanchez.However, moments later Moises Caicedo sensationally volleyed home an equaliser, which ended up being decisive.Maresca’s Chelsea are far from the finished product, while United have Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim coming in to take charge from November 11.But what did Sunday’s Old Trafford clash show for two two sides going forward? SunSport’s tactics guru Dean Scoggins broke down all the tactics and tricks in the latest episode of Tactics Exposed… READ MORE IN FOOTBALL1. Ruud new set up is practice for new boss… but playing out still a big issueVan Nistelrooy has clearly been doing his homework on Amorim’s Sporting side.On paper, United lined up in a 4-2-3-1 or even 4-4-2 shape at times, but realistically what they did was move to 3-4-3 in possession, and that is Amorim’s formation.Man Utd started out in a 4-2-3-1But in possession they moved to a 3-4-3So Van Nistelrooy, maybe in a little audition to say, ‘I know what you’re going to do, Ruben’.But the most intriguing player was Diogo Dalot. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSSo Dalot, who has been the wingback or the fullback or even inverting as a fullback a lot of times for United, he effectively played as a right centre-back in the first half.He barely got forward, barely crossed the halfway line, took a couple of throws, got forward for a couple of corners. But that was about it. Manchester United vs Chelsea: Player Ratings Breakdown (2)And in a defensive set-up, when they turned the ball over, it was Dalot playing as the right centre-back.Matthijs De Ligt was the centre-back and Lisandro Martinez was on the left side. So there was a clear three there straight away.Meanwhile, Noussair Mazraoui was on the left and Alejandro Garnacho came in on that right-hand side and played as a nominal wingback in a 3-4-3, which we saw four or five times in the first half.Van Nistelrooy was quite brave and Garnacho played on that right-hand side, which meant that Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are then the two playing off of Hojlund. Dalot effectively played as a third centre-backI found it quite encouraging for United that after months and years of Ten Hag and not seeing anything, that in a week, Van Nistelrooy was able to implement something that will start off the Amorim era.He said at the start of the game, almost with a grin, ‘I haven’t spoken to Amorim, there’s been no contact.’ I don’t believe him because it really, really was like, ‘Here you go, mate, I want to be your No 2.’2. Midfield two starting to address the ‘donut’ in midfieldThis game also saw United playing with a solid two in midfield in Casmeiro and Manuel Ugarte.Previously United seemed to be playing with a donut in their midfield that left acres of space, like in the Liverpool and Tottenham games, where they are caught pressing upfield but the defence are not committed enough to come forward leaving this big open hole in the middle.It must have huge part of training in the week for United because we’ve seen before the Chelsea box midfield.So with the inversion of the fullback, they have four players in there. And what it meant was Casemiro and Ugarte had a really, really big job to do. And Ugarte, we’ve only seen him play well in fits and starts so far.But I thought there was a little bit where he showed for the first time what they’ve bought. He was combative and gave away lots of fouls. We’re going to expect to see more and more of that.But Casemiro and him in the absence of Kobbie Mainoo played as a two. A proper two. They weren’t ahead of each other, behind each other most of the time.Man Utd played with a solid two-man midfieldCasemiro and Manuel Ugarte were in there to close United’s donut midfieldYou’d see them either side of the centre circle. You saw them screening in front of the back four, back three at times. Getting up, up to support, but as a two.And it’s so important, especially against teams like Chelsea. And it was clearly drilled, showing how that 3-4-3 Amorim formation might look when they play a two-man midfield.They will play a two in there. And, you know, at times the guys up front and the number 10s will come back in to support them. And other times a fullback or a wingback will move infield to help them. But it will be a two. And this was the first pointer to that.Fernandes gets a lot of criticism at times where he does other people’s jobs for them. I don’t think we can criticise United over the last few weeks for not running.They are running. They’re just a bit erratic. And this was much more organised. Fernandes, communication-wise, worked very hard with that midfield to make sure they were working as a unit.They didn’t get overrun by a very impressive Chelsea midfield. You know, Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer and then whoever was inverting and they didn’t get overrun. So there was an improvement there. Definitely.3. United still struggle playing out from the backBut United had problem’s playing out from the backDalot would often invert but never got on the ballHowever, United struggled to find a consistent method of playing out against Chelsea. It will be a style they seek to play under Amorim.He uses the two midfield players and the two centre-backs to bounce passes in and out to the goalkeeper. And then he expects the goalkeeper or one of the two centre-backs to then find the number tens. It’s direct. Was there an improvement yesterday? No, absolutely not. But there was an improvement in their positions.They did this interesting thing where De Ligt went to the right and Dalot came inside to come and receive the ball, but they didn’t pass it to him. So they’re confused in what they’re trying to do.Dalot had more success getting on the ball out wideGary Neville correctly mentioned on commentary that playing out should be second nature, they should be doing it without thinking.If I’m getting pressed from the left, I’m going into midfield and he’s going to bounce it right. They should be drilling it time and time again on the training ground. And they’re just not showing it.Andre Onana is good with his feet and they will get better with it under Amorim, but it was confusing against Chelsea.Onana nearly gifted it to Nicolas Jackson when they nicked it was a Chelsea trap.But in the picture you can see that De Ligt was not close enough to Onana to be passed to. Everybody’s got a role in there. It’s not very complicated.It’s just like if you’re playing a move through midfield, it’s patterns of play. You know, and we practice it all the way through youth levels. Teams will practice it right from the way everyone will do it. Chelsea’s pressing traps against a confused United build-up almost saw them scoreThat’s where Leny Yoro can come in. We’ve not seen him yet. And he will be the right centre-back instead of Dalot in that setup, I think. Then De Ligt in the middle so that will make a difference. Mazraoui, I thought, had a really good game yesterday. Clearly, he could be either one of the two wingbacks. We might see more involvement from Harry Maguire, and hopefully they get Luke Shaw back fit as well, because he can do this. We’ve seen him do it in an England shirt. So there are players there who can do it. But for me, it’s drilling it.It’s gaining confidence in doing it time and time again, repetition. And then it will happen.4. All action Hojlund – but with more in the box he could be goldenHojlund proved to be a thorn in Chelsea’s sideHojlund proved his worth as a target man by winning fouls and duels but needs to have more touches in the areaEveryone has been talking about Viktor Gyokeres in the last week despite Man Utd not having the money to spend.But Hojlund, who they have already spent a lot of money on, showed some really good signs playing as a proper No 9 as they went direct into him.He wasn’t drifting into channels which is almost an excuse not to have the ball into feet, he’s had a week with Van Nistelrooy and he’s playing combatively.I’m a big advocate for selfless runners, but the No10’s are the runners in this formation, meaning he has to be the target and he was.He didn’t have enough touches in the box, but he did win a penalty after his only touch in there, showing they have to get him in the box. Hojlund drew fouls in the centre of the field, he got them out when they were under a bit of pressure because he won a free kick and he had a good ding-dong with Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana. For the penalty incident, he actually goes head-to-head with Caicedo outside of the area and then sells Chelsea with a lovely little peel-off run over the back. And if he’s going to contact people in front of the goal and then go round the back for another touch, he’s got a bit about him.His movement before the penalty saw him peel off of Moises CaicedoHojlund then won a penalty after his only touch in the areaI think we’re going to see a lot more from Hojlund under Amorim, given there are certainly similarities between him and Gyokeres in stature and pace.Man Utd aren’t giving him enough chances to score, but that might change with Amorim.However, we saw in the game that it is a system that doesn’t suit Rashford.It worked better with Fernandes but the creativity comes from the two players off the frontman, I think Hojlund has a place there, but for me Rashford was terrible against Chelsea.It wasn’t down to a lack of effort, but rather confusion over the system and where they wanted him to play.He doesn’t want the ball to feet or on the turn, he wants it in behind so I do feel a bit sorry for him from that perspective.But there was a moment in the second half where Marc Cucurella peeled off the back of him who was the left back inverting.It’s his man, and Rashford starts to sprint and then lets him go, a bit like Dalot in the Tottenham game, and he was very lucky that Chelsea didn’t score from that incident.Playing as one of the two No10’s did not suit Marcus Rashford, though he was poor defensivelyHe was lucky Marc Cucurella did not score after letting the Chelsea star run away from himA couple of times he chased back quite hard in the first half. But that was really because he’d given the ball away in the first place going the other way. He looks confused. He’s 27 years old now.He’s not the not the superstar kid anymore. He should be one of the leaders at Man United. And I feel he’s in real danger of being the sacrifice. I mean, I’ve seen more movement from a lamp post in a storm, to be honest. Given his salary you could see Man Utd selling him, but he’s a Man Utd boy and Amorim is very tactically flexible. He will play a 3-4-3, but it will be flexible.So against teams who play with a higher line, you know, there is a role for Rashford. But does he want and is he going to be willing to be a bit part player and not a starter in that 11? As it stands at the moment, he’s nowhere near it.5. Enzo Maresca’s baffling Cole Palmer decisionChelsea lined up with two right-backs in the teamReece James often inverted from left-backWe were very impressed by the way that Chelsea have started and setting up and the tactical changes Maresca has made against the likes of Liverpool.We previously showed a heat map of Palmer and where he’s getting all his joy, and that’s inside right, a bit narrower as a No 10 this year than he was under Pochettino, which was more from the right hand side.And then yesterday, it was as if Marseca thought ‘I know, I’ll move Palmer into a different position.’ Palmer is probably best player in the Premier League at the moment And Maresca started with Malo Gusto as the right back and Reece James as the left back, which meant that he inverted.Gusto and James played more of the time as part of the back three when they were in possession.Gusto has been playing as a left-back at times as well and they’ve moved it the other way. But Palmer should be the one who’s the right sided No 10.The rest of the back line shifted over for build-upWhen Gusto inverted Cole Palmer was pushed out of his most effective positionAnd what was happening was that’s where Gusto was playing and Palmer was the inside left 10.And he a few times got into this position on his left foot where De Ligt did very well as a defender to sort of push him wide and block off his shot. But you know full well from the other side, it would have been a little feint and a ball and then a bend for the back post. And it just stifled him a little bit and they changed it in the second half.You know, they brought Cucurella on, took Gusto off, and switched it back to where it should have been.And the game became a bit erratic and a bit confused with United’s formation going a bit all over the place in the second half as well.It was a bit un-Palmer-like and it’s early days to be saying that, but we’ve come to expect such high standards and he was a little bit anonymous.READ MORE SUN STORIESFor me, the golden rule, just play your best player where your best player should be playing.So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.Chelsea player ratings vs Man UtdCHELSEA came from a goal down to rescue a point at Old Trafford.Robert Sanchez brought down Rasmus Hojlund with 20 minutes remaining and Bruno Fernandes rolled in what looked to be a decisive spot kick.But Chelsea hit back swiftly as Moises Caicedo’s sweet strike flew into the bottom corner.Here is how SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield saw the performances of the Chelsea players in the 1-1 draw…Robert Sanchez – 3Made a few really good saves in the first half, and was much improved after a poor performance last time out against Newcastle.That was until he gave away a reckless penalty on Rasmus Hojlund, which was easily dispatched by Bruno Fernandes.His mistakes are starting to cost Chelsea time after time.Malo Gusto – 2Got in good positions in the first half, but was often wasteful when he got there.Was booked for a late challenge on Manuel Ugarte, before being hooked for Cucurella at half-time after an awful overall showing.Wesley Fofana – 6A strong performance at the back was marred only by the Frenchman letting Rasmus Hojlund escape him before winning a penalty for his side.Showed brilliant recovery pace throughout the game, and made some crucial challenges too.Levi Colwill – 6That was a strong defensive showing from the Chelsea number 6.For a player with a passing range as impressive as his is, it would’ve been nice to see him use it more as Chelsea looked for a goal.Reece James – 5Improved this week, but still showed signs of rustiness as he gave the ball away in dangerous positions a few times.More effective on the right side in Malo Gusto’s position, and more comfortable there as expected with Marc Cucurella on the left.Another 90 minutes in the tank is fantastic news for Chelsea fans.Moises Caicedo – 9Scored a certain contender for goal of the month with a sensational volley from the edge of the box to level the scoring for his side.Effective in breaking up play for the Blues once more, and showed why he is worthy of the £100m price tag Chelsea paid for him.Romeo Lavia – 8Another impressive midfield performance from the Belgian, who shows prowess beyond his years on and off the ball.Seems the perfect pivot partner for Moises Caicedo, and people need to start talking about how Manchester City let him go for peanuts.Noni Madueke – 6Unfortunate to hit the post in the 13th minute with a header following a corner.Worked hard defensively throughout the game too, but was unable to really put his creative abilities to the test.Cole Palmer – 7In the first half, his signature ‘Palmer touch’ got the away supporters off their feet, and he was Chelsea’s most creative outlet on the day.Unable to add another goal or assist to his impressive tally this season, but still had a solid showing.Pedro Neto – 5Showed flashes of brilliance on the left-hand side, and came close with a shot across goal in the second half.Was moved to the right-hand side in the second half, but it was much of the same from there.Nicolas Jackson – 5Pretty invisible up front for Chelsea today.Worked hard and tracked back well when required to, but fans were left confused as to why Christopher Nkunku was left on the bench.In fairness to him, could’ve had an assist if Enzo Fernandez could finish his dinner.SubsMarc Cucurella (for Gusto, 46 mins) – 5A solid showing on the left-hand side. Chelsea look a better team with him in the 11.Mykhailo Mudryk (for Madueke, 70 mins) – 4Tried to light things up on the left hand side, but his spark wasn’t enough to win the game for his side.Enzo Fernandez (for Lavia, 70 mins) – 2Missed an absolute sitter which would have won his team the game after coming on. Looks very short on confidence.Click here to read more Chelsea stories.Man Utd ratings vs ChelseaMARTIN BLACKBURN gives his verdict on the Red Devils against ChelseaAndre Onana – 5Will be disappointed not to keep out Caicedo’s equaliser.Almost put Casemiro in trouble with sloppy early pass tooNoussair Mazraoui – 6Key interception to prevent Neto getting in on goal late on and tried to support Garnacho where possibleMatthijs de Ligt – 6Good early block to deny Palmer.Late slip under pressure from Jackson almost proved costly.Lisandro Martinez – 6Lucky not to concede a pen with clumsy challenge on Colwill and lucky to escape a red for x-rated late tackle on Palmer.Diogo Dalot – 6Poor tackle on Pedro Neto earned a deserved booking and had a real battle with his international team-mate.Casemiro – 7Made a difference with super ball to Hojlund in lead up to pen – but could he have got more distance on clearing header that was despatched by Moises Caicedo.Manuel Ugarte – 6Rugby tackle on Palmer but Uruguayan showed signs he is starting to settle in after big money summer move.Alejandro Garnacho – 6Always a threat but wasted some great chances.Shot straight at Sanchez and shanked another effort after great work by Fernandes.Bruno Fernandes – 8Created United’s best two chances for Rashford and Garnacho and then kept his cool to score from the spot.Marcus Rashford – 6Hit the angle with volley on stroke of half-time and saw another shot saved by Sanchez.Better from the England man.Rasmus Hojlund – 6Did not touch the ball in the Chelsea box first half but when he finally did he won the penalty.SubsAmad Diallo (73′ for Rashford)A couple of nice touches but not much impact.Joshua Zirkzee (’84 for Hojlund)A couple of nice touches but not much impact.Victor Lindelof (’84 for Ugarte)Thrown on to keep things tight and did that. 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    Crystal Palace supremo eyeing shock takeover of EFL side if he sells £230m Eagles stake after missing out on Everton

    JOHN TEXTOR is eyeing a shock move for Watford if he sells his stake in Crystal Palace.The American businessman failed in a bid to buy Everton.John Textor is looking to buy Watford if he sells his Crystal Palace stakeCredit: GettyBut he is pushing ahead with plans to add another English side to his multi-club operation.Hornets’ Italian owner Gino Pozzo put ten per cent of the club on the market last summer and is open to offers for the rest of his shares.Textor, 59, has held preliminary talks about using shares in his investment company Eagle Football to buy into Watford.The Championship side are valued at between £150-175million by Pozzo.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLTextor has spoken to potential investors about joining a consortium and acting as an operating partner, given his experience of running clubs.In addition to his 45 per cent stake in Palace, he also owns Lyon, Brazilian league leaders Botafogo and Belgium’s RWD Molenbeek.Watford appeal to him as they are already part of a multi-club group with Serie A side Udinese.Textor has been trying to sell his shares in Palace since February due to a stand-off with the club’s other owners — chairman Steve Parish and fellow Americans Josh Harris and David Blitzer.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSInvestment group Sportsbank, led by British Eagles fans Zechariah  Janjua and Navshir Jaffer, are understood to have made a bid.Harris and Blitzer are interested in buying out Textor, depending on price, set at around £230m by Textor.Visit the restaurant serving tasty food at affordable prices just steps away from historic Premier League ground More

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    Fulham 2 Brentford 1: Wilson climbs off bench to send home fans delirious with two injury-time goals in thrilling climax

    HARRY WILSON put Craven Cottage in a spin with a stunning late double blast.The Fulham sub equalised two minutes into added time with an acrobatic mid-air twist before winning it with a diving header in the 97th minute to turn this West London derby on its head in every sense.Vitaly Janelt scored a stunning strike from distanceCredit: RexHarry Wilson stunning finish looped over Mark Flekken and dropped inCredit: PAWilson then scored the winner with an 97th minute headerCredit: AFPWilson sparked jubilant scenes at Craven CottageCredit: ReutersBrentford had led from the 24th minute thanks to an equally spectacular 30-yard strike from Vitaly Janelt and looked to be heading for a top-half spot in the Premier League and a first away win of the season.Keeper Mark Flekken had also defied a pulled hamstring just minutes after kick-off to defy an onslaught from Fulham in the second-half before finally succumbing at the death.Fulham boss Marco Silva was running out of ideas and turned to Wilson with just nine minutes of the game remaining and was rewarded with a memorable victory over their neighbours.He first combined with fellow sub Adama Traore who crossed from the right to leap athletically into space and flick the ball past defender Ben Mee and over the head of the keeper.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt set up a frenetic finale as Wilson then popped up in the area to head home a cross from Antonee Robinson to snatch it with virtually the last move of the match.Fulham appeared to be resigned to a second successive home defeat before Silva’s masterstroke from the bench.Despite their domination and wave after wave of attacks, Flekken and Brentford’s hard-working centre-back pairing of Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins were repelling everything thrown at them.It seemed as if one moment of magic would be enough to settle it – until two came along at once. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFulham’s dangerous dithering on the ball ten yards in front of their goal area cost them in the first-half as they lost possession and Christian Norgaard slipped a low pass left to Janelt, who was waiting in plenty of space.He also had time to tee up a laser like left-foot shot across the area that evaded the full length dive of Bernd Leno and rifled into the opposite corner of the net.’What’s that-‘ – Chabuddy G actor left stunned by what’s in Fulham’s trophy cabinet during Craven Cottage tourIt is his first goal of the season – equalling his tally for the whole of the last. Janelt may not score many but they are worth waiting for.He then went close to grabbing a second just before half-time when another long range shot whistled past the Fulham post. At the other end there was drama too as Bees’ keeper Flekken hobbled his way around after getting injured just a few minutes into the match.Pinnock was forced to take the goal kicks and at times Flekken looked like he wouldn’t make it to half-time.But the evident injury didn’t dull his reactions and after making a double save from Reiss Nelson, Brentford’s flying Dutchman hurled himself into mid-air to clutch a goalbound, downward header from Emile Smith-Rowe – feeling the full force of Nelson who came in at full speed to pounce on the follow up.Limpalong Flekken recovered enough by the second-half to save efforts from sub Adama Traore, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe was also perfectly positioned to save a powerful point blank header from Fulham centre-back Joachim Andersen as the Cottagers chased a late equaliser.They got it through the energy and enthusiasm of Wilson, who had yet to score this season but now has two goals in five minutes to celebrate. More