Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says qualification for the Europa League's knockout stages is simply "the first step" following their 1-0 win over PSV, with the Spaniard already focused on winning Group A.

Granit Xhaka's 70th-minute volley ensured the Gunners secured a top-two finish with two games to spare on Thursday, as they were rewarded for their patience against a solid opponent at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal have now won their first four games of a Europa League campaign for just the second time, having also done so in 2020-21, and can seal first place with a draw in next week's return fixture against the Eredivisie giants.

With group winners earning a bye straight through to the competition's last-16 and avoiding further fixture congestion in the new year with a playoff round, Arteta knows the importance of finishing the job at hand.

"We had really good moments, and we were really dominant against a really good side," he told BT Sport.

"I think we just lacked that final pass or shot. But we're very happy to win the game, and we [have] qualified, which is the first step.

"In Europe, you have to control the opponent. They are very talented, used to winning and the amount of goals they have scored is incredible. We were really composed and mature.

"When you have the chance in Europe, you have to take it. The difference between finishing first and second is big, and we want to get the job done."

Meanwhile, Arsenal and England supporters were dealt a scare when Bukayo Saka went down in the second half, but Arteta eased any fears of an injury layoff, adding: "I think he will be okay."

After beating Walter Benitez to decide the contest, Xhaka has now scored as many goals this campaign (three) as in his previous three seasons combined, while Thursday's goal represented his first for the Gunners to not be scored with his left foot.

The midfielder highlighted the importance of Arsenal maintaining their momentum in his own post-match interview with BT Sport, saying: "I'm so happy the ball came, and happy I scored. 

"I don't know when I scored for the last time with the right foot, maybe it's the first in my career, but I'm so happy! It doesn't matter which foot, or who scores, as long as we keep winning.

"It gives us confidence and onto the next one. When you win games, you have to be happy. Everything is going well at the moment, but for us it is not a surprise, we're doing a lot of work. 

"In the end, you win and lose as a team and at the moment we are very dangerous. We wanted to go through after this game and we are very happy."

Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged "the heat of the moment" got the better of him during his early walkout from Manchester United's win over Tottenham, pledging to be "ready for everything" after being dropped by the Red Devils.

United produced one of their best performances under Erik ten Hag during Wednesday's 2-0 win over Spurs, but the victory was overshadowed by Ronaldo walking down the tunnel before the final whistle.

Ten Hag said after the game that he would "deal with" Ronaldo's behaviour on Thursday, and the Dutchman followed through on that vow by sanctioning the 37-year-old.

On Thursday, United announced Ronaldo will play no part in Saturday's Premier League trip to Chelsea, with media reports even suggesting he refused to come on as a substitute against Spurs.

Ronaldo responded to the incident on his official Instagram account, insisting his attitude has not changed.

"As I've always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches," Ronaldo wrote. "That hasn't changed. I haven't changed. 

"I'm the same person and the same professional that I've been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process.

"I started very young, the older and most experienced players' examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I've always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I've represented. 

"Unfortunately, that's not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.

"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my team-mates and be ready for everything in any given game. 

"Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."

Ronaldo has only started two of United's 10 Premier League games this season, scoring just one goal in the competition after slipping below Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the pecking order.

The Portugal captain reportedly asked to leave United following their failure to secure a top-four finish last season but saw several rumoured suitors – including Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich – rule out signing him. 

Robert Lewandowski scored two stunning goals as Barcelona beat Villarreal 3-0 at Camp Nou to bounce back from El Clasico disappointment.

Barca lost their first clash of the season with bitter rivals Real Madrid on Sunday, but they quickly shook off that defeat as Villarreal were swept aside on Thursday.

Three first-half goals in a seven-minute spell left the Yellow Submarine all at sea, with Lewandowski netting a couple of brilliant efforts before Ansu Fati ensured it was essentially game over before the break.

Villarreal never threatened any kind of turnaround, as Xavi's side eased the pressure that had started to build following a run of just one win in four games.

After a frustrating opening half-hour, a moment of magic brought about the first goal with 31 minutes on the clock.

Pedri's wonderful pass released Jordi Alba and his subsequent low cross found Lewandowski, whose backheeled first touch took three Villarreal players out of the game and set up a simple finish.

A few moments later, Lewandowski did the damage from further out, curling his 25-yard effort beyond Geronimo Rulli's reach.

There was a bit more fortune about Fati's goal, though the finish was no less classy.

After a brilliant Ferran Torres run and cut-back, Fati should have tapped in, but his scuffed attempt came back off the post and allowed him to backheel over the line.

Chances largely dried up in an uneventful second half, though Raphinha should have made it 4-0 when guiding Ousmane Dembele's cross wide from close range.

The Brazilian's miss ultimately counted for nought, however, as Barca saw the second half out comfortably.

Dominic Thiem saw off Francisco Cerundolo for the second time in the space of a week as he dug deep in the deciding set to win 6-1 1-6 7-5 at the European Open.

The Austrian downed the Argentinian in straight sets six days earlier in Gijon but found this a sterner test of his capabilities against the sixth seed.

Nevertheless, the former US Open winner shook off a second-set collapse and then responded to going a break down in the decider, winning four of the final five games to seal a quarter-final clash with favourite Hubert Hurkacz.

He was joined in the last-eight by two more unseeded players, as David Goffin and Sebastian Korda recorded straight-set upsets over third seed Diego Schwartzman and fourth-ranked Karen Khachanov respectively.

At the Stockholm Open, fifth seed Alex de Minaur made swift work of American J.J. Wolf, dispatching him in a 6-4 6-2 win to set up a quarter-final with Canada's Denis Shapovalov.

Defending champion Tommy Paul is out however, losing to Sweden's Mikael Ymer, who recorded a 6-2 6-3 victory that earns him a clash with top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Slippery court conditions contributed to a backlog in fixtures at the Napoli Cup, meaning first-round matches were followed by second-round encounters on Thursday.

Nevertheless, second seed Matteo Berrettini made light work of Roberto Carballes Baena, winning 6-4 6-2.

Roberto Bautista Agut, seeded third, slipped to a 6-4 6-4 loss to Mackenzie McDonald, with the American joining Berrettini in the last eight.

Granit Xhaka's volley ensured Arsenal secured qualification for the Europa League's knockout stages with two games to spare, firing the Gunners to a 1-0 home win over PSV.

Mikel Arteta selected a strong side as Arsenal looked to ensure their progression from Group A on Thursday, but PSV appeared likely to make them wait after producing a resolute defensive display.

Walter Benitez kept Arsenal at bay until the 70th minute, but Xhaka expertly diverted a right-wing delivery into the bottom-left corner to seal the hosts' progress.

While Arsenal are now assured of a place in the Europa League's knockout stages, a point in next week's return fixture will guarantee them top spot and a bye to the competition's round of 16.

Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus both dragged left-footed efforts wide as Arsenal laid siege to PSV's goal in the early exchanges, with Kieran Tierney also sending a wild volley over.

Fabio Vieira then whipped a free-kick wide of the bottom-left corner after 41 minutes, with Arteta's team failing to manage a shot on target before the break as PSV stood firm.

Arsenal improved after the restart, but Benitez made an excellent one-on-one save to deny Bukayo Saka after 53 minutes before turning Jesus' effort away following a slaloming run from the Brazilian.

Eddie Nketiah then smashed an effort narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

But just when Arsenal appeared to be running out of ideas, Xhaka had the final say.

The Switzerland international swivelled on Takehiro Tomiyasu's delivery to drill a right-footed effort beyond the dive of Benitez from just inside the area, ensuring Arsenal's progress.

Wolves have confirmed Steve Davis will remain as caretaker head coach until 2023 as their search for a permanent boss goes on.

Davis assumed caretaker duties after Bruno Lage was sacked earlier this month with the club in the relegation zone, before former Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui reportedly rejected the job.

Since taking over as caretaker, Wolves have lost two of their three matches, though they did claim victory over fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest between those two defeats.

The announcement comes after earlier reports that Queens Park Rangers' Michael Beale had turned down Wolves' approach to take over at Molineux.

In a statement on the club's official website, chairman Jeff Shi: "In the short time Steve and his team have been in interim charge of the first-team, we have already seen improvements to the group.

"We have no plans to rush our search for a new permanent head coach and will not compromise in any way our approach to appointing the person we believe to be the perfect fit for our club, our squad and the role of head coach at Wolves."

Serena Williams says the chances of her returning to the court are "very high", despite declaring her intention to step away from tennis before the US Open last month.

Though she deliberately avoided saying she would retire prior to the tournament, instead saying she planned to "evolve" away from the sport, many believed Williams' third-round exit at Flushing Meadows last month was the last time she would be seen playing competitive tennis.

Her defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic was met with the kind of fanfare that suggested she was calling it a day on an illustrious career that included 23 grand slam titles, the second most in history behind Margaret Court.

But Williams implied she could yet step on the court again when speaking at a TechCrunch Disrupt event in San Francisco on Wednesday.

In quotes collected by the San Francisco Standard, Williams said: "I am not retired.

"The chances [of me returning] are very high. You can come to my house and [see] I have a court."

Cristiano Ronaldo will be omitted from the Manchester United squad to face Chelsea on Saturday following his early walkout during Wednesday's win over Tottenham.

Arsenal have been charged by the Football Association (FA) with failing to control their players during a controversial ending to their 1-0 win over Leeds United on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's team moved four points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit as Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game at Elland Road, though they required two huge reprieves. 

Patrick Bamford drilled a penalty wide following a handball by William Saliba on the hour mark, before a VAR review overturned a stoppage-time red card for Gabriel Magalhaes – as well as another spot-kick for Leeds.

Arsenal's players reacted furiously to Chris Kavanagh's original decision to dismiss Gabriel for a perceived kick at Bamford, leading the FA to take action.

An FA statement released on Thursday read: "Arsenal FC have been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 following their Premier League fixture against Leeds United FC on Sunday 16 October 2022. 

"It's alleged that the club failed to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 92nd minute of the fixture.

"Arsenal FC have until Monday 24 October 2022 to provide a response."

Asked for his opinion on the incident after the win, Arteta said: "I have not seen it, but everyone is saying the decision was clear. 

"Thank God they made the system work, that delay was worth it, because without VAR, I don't know what would have happened!"

Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner says he feels no pressure to replicate Aaron Ramsdale as the USMNT shot stopper pushes to assert his place with the Gunners.

The 28-year-old joined Mikel Arteta's side from New England Revolution ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, but has so far been restricted in his minutes by the superb performances of his team-mate.

England hopeful Ramsdale has kept four clean sheets in the top-flight this term, a figure only exceeded by Three Lions team-mate Nick Pope with Newcastle United and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

His form has helped Arsenal emerge as title contenders, leading the Premier League ahead of champions Manchester City - but Turner says he does not feel as if he must mimic the former Sheffield United man to improve.

"I definitely don't feel any pressure," he stated. "He's his own person. He approaches the game the way he does. Before games, I like to take time, just be mindful.

"Most of my banter comes with Aaron. It's just normal banter like you would have with anybody. It's America versus England, the Revolutionary War, stuff like that. That's more me joking about it!"

The duo are in line to potentially meet at the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year in Group B, with both men expected to be included when England and the USMNT announce their squads.

Turner's lack of match-time in domestic competition has presented Gregg Berhalter with a potential headache over his inclusion, though his rich form in the Europa League should dash any doubts over his place.

Either way, the shot stopper is unconcerned about his inclusion, and says he can only support whatever eventual call is made by his international boss.

"I'm just focused on what I can control and what I have before me," he added. "I think I'm in a good position to play at the World Cup.

"But at the end of the day, if Gregg decides than Zach [Steffen] is the way forward, I stand behind the decisions that he makes. Obviously I want to play. But you can only control so much."

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali does not believe many clubs are interested in a revival of the Super League, despite a new proposal for the competition being in development.

The Super League's launch failed in spectacular fashion last year, with nine of the 12 founding clubs withdrawing in the face of fan, media and player pressure.

While all six English members quickly reversed their support for the competition, Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as Juventus, remain committed to the project.

Media executive Bernd Reichart has been recruited to head up plans for a relaunch, and said on Wednesday: "Even fans will have a lot of sympathy for the idea".

However, Eghbali – part of the Todd Boehly-led consortium which acquired Chelsea earlier this year, says "vocal" duo Barca and Madrid are those most interested. 

"I think the sport needs more premium high-quality matches and content, but it doesn't have to be a Super League," Eghbali said at an event in New York on Wednesday. 

"Todd went there on an All-Star Game, the baseball talent competition or draft generates £200million to £300million of revenue on a Monday or Tuesday each year, none of that exists in the English Premier League. 

"Could there be a Premier League versus Serie A game? Could you see pre-season matches producing more premium content on the pitch? You could.

"But structurally, given how botched that episode was, does anybody have any appetite for something like that? A couple of teams in Spain do and they are vocal about it, but everyone else doesn't want to go there anymore."

Reichart, however, claims the Super League project is "very alive", though he was keen to stress the ability to qualify through sporting merit must exist in any reworked format.

"[The Super League is] very alive, there are some who want to declare that it is dead, but if they say it a lot, there is much to suspect," he told Cadena SER on Wednesday.

"There are clubs in Europe that surely share the vision of Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and now they have the opportunity to contribute what they think.

"It is a long road, but we have the humility to do it step by step, but without pause. The hand is extended to all the members of European football, we want to be inclusive.

"The concept of a fixed position is not something that we are currently contemplating. The design of the format ultimately has to be the result of dialogue, but we don't have a predefined format, the dialogue we propose is real and that's why I don't want to speculate on how it will definitely be. Sporting merit will be applied to all members of that Super League."

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is a "goal machine" and will only improve as he grows in confidence, according to team-mate Kostas Tsimikas.

Nunez scored his second goal in his last two Premier League starts to guide Liverpool to a 1-0 win over West Ham on Wednesday, a result which moved Jurgen Klopp's men to within four points of the top four.

The Uruguay striker was criticised by some for starting slowly following his big-money move from Benfica, but he has now hit five goals for Liverpool in all competitions this season.

That tally has only been bettered by two of his team-mates: Mohamed Salah (nine) and Roberto Firmino (eight).

Asked about Nunez's qualities, Tsimikas said: "He's always there. He can score with the left, with the right, with the head – he's a goal machine.

"He needs confidence, [which] is coming, and I hope for him all the best [to] score more and more goals to help the team, to give us more wins. For us, he is a very, very important player."

Tsimikas teed up Nunez's headed winner with a pinpoint delivery from the left flank, and has now provided five assists in all competitions this season – a tally only matched by Diogo Jota among fellow Liverpool players.

The Greece international was particularly pleased to have laid on a goal for Nunez, adding: "It's a very good moment for me. Especially because it was a cross for Darwin, because I wanted to assist him."

Tsimikas, quoted on Liverpool's website, said: "I'm very, very happy for him because I know he wanted to score also. Obviously he would [want] to score more goals but hopefully he keeps his energy and his goals for the next games. 

"I'm very, very happy for that. Every day, I work to make better crosses and to have better performances. So, I'm very happy for that."

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 29 Premier League games at Anfield (W22 D7), and have scored 100 goals against West Ham in the competition, making the Irons the fourth side they have reached a century of goals against, after Newcastle United, Arsenal and Tottenham.