Xabi Alonso hopes to mark his 100th game in charge of Bayer Leverkusen with a victory, but the Spaniard is not underestimating bottom club Holstein Kiel.
Alonso led his side to a win over Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the Bundesliga champions one of only seven teams with a perfect record in the competition so far.
But their fortunes in the league have been much different, taking 10 points from their opening five games, the latest of which ended in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen's start to the campaign is the worst by a reigning champion in 12 years since Borussia Dortmund managed eight points after the first five games in 2012-13.
But Alonso, who has won 67 of 99 games in charge of Die Werkself, is wary of the threat this weekend's opponents provide despite their league position.
"Every league match is tough, and we have learned that this season already," Alonso said.
"We expect the same tomorrow. They only have a point but deserve a bit more than what they have at the moment."
"In our heads and our preparation, it is only Kiel. We have full respect. They are a good opponent, very flexible in their lineup.
"I expect to see my team to be mature and intelligent. We have to show that we are fully prepared.
"My team plays with the same motivation in every game, so I have no reason to doubt them, and we will hopefully show it tomorrow."
Many of Leverkusen's problems this term have come from defence, a part of their side that was crucial in their domestic double last season.
Die Werkself conceded just 24 times last campaign, 15 less than Stuttgart in second place.
Leverkusen have already conceded six goals in their last two Bundesliga games at the BayArena, as many as they let in across their previous 12 home matches combined.
Only 1. FC Koln in 1964-65 conceded as many goals in their first two home games as champions.
And with a total of 10 goals conceded from their first five games, Leverkusen has the worst defence of a reigning champion since Wolfsburg in 2009/10 (11).
Alonso stressed the importance of improving defensively, and he is confident that a win and a clean sheet will give his side a solid foundation to build on after the international break.
"If we win then we will have had a good phase (until the international break)," Alonso said.
"Then we can prepare for the next block of matches. It was important that we are defending a bit better than we had been last month.
"That is something we need. Without it, we are not competitive, and we want to be competitive."
Daniil Medvedev held off a stern test from Thiago Seyboth Wild to edge through his Shanghai Masters opener on Friday.
The Russian won the tight contest in straight sets, prevailing 7-5 7-5 in just under two hours.
Seyboth Wild started brightly, superbly defending five break points in the opening game before breaking Medvedev to take a 3-1 lead.
A three-game winning run at the end of the first set was enough for the world number five to edge in front.
The Brazilian made another strong start in the second but was his own worst enemy as he racked up 47 unforced errors throughout the match to Medvedev's 28.
Despite going down a break again, Medvedev rallied, staying patient to mount another comeback and book his place in the next round against Matteo Arnaldi.
Data Debrief: Patience pays off
Last year, Seyboth Wild stunned Medvedev in the opening round at Roland Garros, as his high-risk, high-reward method paid off and he earned the win with 69 winners and 77 unforced errors.
Despite pushing the 28-year-old all the way, it did not garner the same reward this time around, despite getting 29 winners to Medvedev's 17.
Fabian Hurzeler said Brighton will learn from their first loss under him as they aim to bounce back against Tottenham in the Premier League.
The Seagulls had enjoyed an unbeaten start under the German in all competitions, going unbeaten in his first seven matches.
However, after winning their opening two Premier League games, they drew three in a row before suffering that 4-2 defeat to Chelsea last weekend.
Hurzeler was not shying away from the poor result though, instead looking for the positives they can build on before the international break.
"It's very important after defeat that you are honest to yourself, you reflect on yourself, what was good, what was not good in the game," Hurzeler said.
"If you lose a game, of course, there are more negative points.
"But there were also some positive things. In the end, we have to learn from it; I have to learn from it because I was the responsible person for the match plan and the match plan wasn't good enough. Now we try to show a reaction."
Meanwhile, Spurs have won their last five matches in all competitions, impressively brushing aside Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League last weekend before beating Ferencvaros 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday.
They will most likely be without captain Son Heung-min again for the trip to Brighton, but Ange Postecoglou believes Spurs are settling into the style of play.
"It is always a shifting measurement," he said. "Any time you go on a consistent run of form - and I think we have been consistent all year, but the results in the past five games have rewarded the performances.
"We are a developing side, still very much a young side. The squad is still developing together, so it suggests whatever markers we set we should be able to exceed.
"We have had belief, the energy accelerates, and the key is to keep it going. You don't want to let it go."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brighton – Carlos Baleba
After not scoring or assisting in any of his first 31 Premier League appearances, Carlos Baleba scored and assisted in their 4-2 defeat to Chelsea.
He is the youngest Cameroonian to both score and assist in a Premier League match (20 years, 269 days).
Tottenham – Dominic Solanke
Since the start of last season, the only Englishmen with more Premier League goals than Dominic Solanke (21) are Cole Palmer (28) and Ollie Watkins (23).
The Spurs forward is looking to find the net in three consecutive appearances for the first time since December 2023 before heading to meet up with England during the international break.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Just one of the 14 Premier League meetings between Brighton and Tottenham has finished as a draw (1-1 in April 2018), with Spurs winning nine to the Seagulls' four.
However, after losing consecutive Premier League home games against Spurs without scoring in 2021-22 and 2022-23, Brighton won this exact fixture 4-2 last season.
Brighton won six of their first 10 Premier League games in October (D2 L2) between 2017 and 2019 but have since won just one out of 16 October games since 2020 (D9 L6), a 4-1 win over Chelsea in 2022.
And given recent form, that run may continue, as the Seagulls have drawn their last two home Premier League matches, last drawing three in a row in November 2023. Indeed, since the start of last season, no side has drawn more home games than Brighton (8).
Tottenham, meanwhile, have won their last two Premier League games, last winning three in a row in December last year. Spurs have netted three goals in each victory (3-1 vs Brentford, 3-0 vs Man Utd), but have not won three consecutively while scoring 3+ goals since April 2022.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Brighton – 34.2%
Draw – 23.9%
Tottenham – 42%
Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful Real Madrid can bounce back from their shock Champions League loss to Lille, despite the short turnaround before Villarreal.
Madrid return to LaLiga action on the back of the 1-0 defeat to the French side, with Jonathan David's penalty enough to deny the holders a victory.
It also ended their 36-match unbeaten run in all competitions and was their first Champions League group-stage defeat since October 2022 against RB Leipzig.
Ancelotti's side have now failed to win their last two, having also conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid last weekend, but he is confident the team will be back to winning ways soon.
"[Villarreal] are doing really well. Saturday, it's an opportunity for us to reconnect, to get back to playing good football," Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.
"[The mood] is fine, as always. [Wednesday's] defeat is an opportunity, if we take it and react well. We are self-critical. There are times when you have to reconnect and you need to do it quickly.
"Sometimes a good run makes you think you're invincible, but a defeat brings you back to reality. We are still not at our level, we have players who are not at their best.
"We are not far from where we want to be. There is a lack of defensive intensity and, offensively, a lack of ball circulation."
Coming off a remarkable 2023-24 season in which they won the LaLiga and Champions League double, Madrid are second in the Spanish top-flight standings on 18 points, three behind leaders Barcelona and one ahead of Villarreal.
Ancelotti expects to get Kylian Mbappe back into the starting team after the forward missed last weekend's derby against Atletico and came off the bench at Lille due to a hamstring injury, which led to France manager Didier Deschamps leaving his captain out of the squad for next week's Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium.
"He has had a problem that seems to have been solved. He has trained normally," Ancelotti said.
"I don't get involved in what national coaches do. Deschamps has decided not to call him. We need to get the ball to the strikers quicker and we lack defensive intensity."
Enzo Maresca has been delighted with Chelsea's attacking prowess in the early weeks of his reign but says they have much to improve at the other end ahead of hosting Nottingham Forest.
Maresca has made a strong start to life at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues unbeaten in five Premier League matches (four wins, one draw) since a matchday one defeat to Manchester City.
No team's Premier League games have produced more goals than Chelsea's so far in 2024-25, with Maresca's men scoring 15 times and conceding seven.
Forest's games, meanwhile, have contained the fewest goals of any side in the top flight (11, six for and five against).
Chelsea edged another goalfest on Thursday as they beat Gent 4-2 in the Europa Conference League, leading Maresca to call for defensive improvements.
"I think we are performing very positively, especially in attack, it's going very well so we are happy," Maresca said.
"As I said many times already, for sure there are always things we can do better. We can attack better, we can defend much better.
"But the most important thing we can learn is that we cannot switch off. For their second goal, we saw that the game was already finished.
"If we want to take a step forward, even when you the game is almost finished, you have to continue and not give away another goal, but it was a good performance and result.
Forest, meanwhile, saw their unbeaten start to the campaign halted by Fulham last time out, losing 1-0 in the absence of star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who was suspended after being sent off at Brighton one week earlier.
The England international has told BBC Sport he is working on controlling his temperament, saying: "If I'm at 70% or 60% going into a game, I can't play like that.
"I have to be 150% all the time. I always have to be on it and I like the feeling of having control in a game.
"Sometimes when we're having none of the ball I get frustrated, but that's when the control comes in and to understand what the manager wants from this moment."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea – Cole Palmer
Palmer became the first player in Premier League history to score four times in the first half of a game as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 last week.
Since his debut for Chelsea in September last year (a home defeat to Forest), Cole Palmer has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other player (43 – 28 goals, 15 assists).
Nottingham Forest – James Ward-Prowse
Forest may need some dead-ball magic if they are to earn a result, and specialist Ward-Prowse has a fine record against the Blues.
Ward-Prowse has been involved in four goals in his last five Premier League starts against Chelsea (two goals, two assists), netting the winner on his last start at Stamford Bridge with Southampton in April 2023.
MATCH PREDICTION – CHELSEA WIN
Forest won this exact fixture 1-0 last season – only once have they ever won consecutive away league games against Chelsea, doing so on their first two visits to Stamford Bridge in 1907 and 1908.
Indeed, Chelsea have won just one of their four Premier League meetings with Forest since the latter returned to the top-flight in 2022 (two draws, one loss), though it was a 3-2 victory in the teams' last such game in May.
However, since their return to the competition, no team has lost more Premier League away games in London than Forest (10).
They have lost each of their last four in the capital, conceding three or more goals each time, which will give an in-form Blues attack plenty of confidence.
Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 Premier League games (one draw, one defeat), netting at least twice in eight of those nine victories. Indeed, the Blues are the top scorers in the league this season (15) and also have the highest shot conversion rate (20.3%).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chelsea – 62.3%
Nottingham Forest – 17.8%
Draw – 19.8%
The highly anticipated 51st Running of the Phillip Feanny Gold Cup is set to showcase some of Jamaica's finest 3-year-old fillies as they compete over seven furlongs for a coveted purse of JMD$2.5 million. This Grade 3 event, part of the Jamaican Racing Calendar since 1967, was renamed last year in honour of Philip Feanny, OD, a true icon of Jamaican horse racing, affectionately known as 'The Maestro'.
Feanny, a Jamaica Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductee, holds the record for the most classic wins at Caymanas Park. His illustrious career includes conditioning the most Triple Crown winners and setting a World Record in 1992-93 for the most classic horse races won, with the legendary jockey Winston Griffiths, OD by his side.
his year’s race promises to add to the Gold Cup's rich legacy, which began with KILLOWATT’s win in 1967 and his repeated victories in 1968 and 1970. The track and stakes record of 1:22.4, set by Feanny's own EROS in 1994 and repeated in 1995, still stands, underscoring Feanny's enduring impact on the sport.
With 10 entries confirmed, the competition promises an exciting field as these top-tier fillies vie for glory. Among the contenders are Desert Malibu, Wall Street Trader, Atlantic Convoy, Funcaandun, Is That A Fact, Norblar, Further and Beyond, Intrestntimesahead, Banadura, and Major Danger. They will look to follow in the footsteps of last year's champion, SHE’S MY DESTINY, who came from behind to overtake Mahogany, the 2022 Horse of the Year runner-up.
The Phillip Feanny Gold Cup is part of an electrifying championship season that has already seen impressive victories. Recent winners include LOVISA in the BGLC/TOBA Millionaire Series Race, BRENDA BOY in The Reprieve Trophy, Impressive Force in The RonRon Trophy, and SISTREN TREASURE in The Typewriter Trophy.
As the race season unfolds, the competition among jockeys is equally intense. Raddesh Roman and Tevin Foster are locked in a fierce battle for the champion jockey title, each sitting at 99 wins for the season. Both are on the brink of the 100-win milestone, adding extra excitement as they prepare for the big race day.
As we head down the Trail to the Mile, all eyes are on Caymanas Park and the stellar field of fillies aiming to etch their names into the storied history of the Phillip Feanny Gold Cup. With a legacy built on excellence and passion for horse racing, the 2024 event promises to be yet another thrilling chapter in Jamaican horse racing history.
Borussia Dortmund will be without Karim Adeyemi and Julien Duranville for several weeks after they were injured in Tuesday's 7-1 Champions League victory over Celtic, coach Nuri Sahin has revealed.
The Ruhr valley club earned their biggest-ever European win in midweek, crushing the Scottish champions with Germany international Adeyemi scoring a hat-trick before being taken off with a muscle injury and replaced by 18-year-old Belgium international Duranville.
Duranville later sustained an injury of his own and both players will be absent until late November, missing Saturday's trip to Union Berlin as well as seven further games.
"We will be without Karim and Julien for some time. They are expected to be back after the international break in mid-November," Sahin said at Friday's pre-match press conference.
He added Giovanni Reyna, sidelined since last month, will also delay his comeback after suffering a setback in his recovery.
Dortmund, who are currently fifth in the Bundesliga on 10 points, three behind leaders Bayern, are seeking their first pair of back-to-back league wins under Sahin at Union.
BVB have struggled for consistency so far, suffering a 5-1 defeat at Stuttgart two weeks ago then bouncing back with a 4-2 win over Bochum and cruising past Celtic in Europe.
"When something is supposed to grow together you need time," Sahin said. "Every day in this development is important. I am not looking for excuses.
"I know well how to rank the Celtic game. It is not that we are hugging each other saying 'we are the coolest' because we won 7-1.
"We are expected to deliver such performances every three days and if we win on Saturday then the world may look a bit cooler."
The Duhaney Park Red Sharks have solidified their status as a rugby league powerhouse, clinching their 10th National Club Championship (NCC) title in Jamaica with a dramatic 17-16 victory over the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Warriors. This victory at the UWI Mona Bowl also marks the Red Sharks' eighth consecutive Grand Finals win, underscoring their dominance in Jamaican rugby league.
The match was a rollercoaster from start to finish. JDF made an explosive start, taking a 9-0 lead within the first 15 minutes thanks to winger Shezorye Thompson, who scored a try and two goals, complemented by a drop goal from center Demar Williams. Duhaney Park responded in the 20th minute when loose forward Owen Linton crossed the try line, though Ryan Grant's missed conversion left the Red Sharks trailing 4-9 at halftime.
The second half saw JDF further extend their lead to 15-4 through a brilliant try by Jowayne Forbes, who made a break from his own half, evading six defenders to score in the right corner. This play was considered the try of the game, putting immense pressure on the Red Sharks. However, Duhaney Park gradually clawed their way back into contention. Prop Khamisi McKain scored a try under the posts, and Grant converted to reduce the deficit to 10-15.
In the 64th minute, back-rower Jenson Morris closed the gap even further, scoring an unconverted try in the left corner to make it 14-15. JDF then managed a drop goal from Thompson, nudging their lead to 16-14. However, Duhaney Park kept their composure, with Grant slotting a crucial penalty eight minutes from time to level the scores at 16-16.
The game seemed destined for extra time until veteran scrum-half Chevaughn Bailey stepped up in the 78th minute, sealing the win with a perfectly executed drop goal from 30 meters out. The late score sent Duhaney Park fans into ecstatic celebrations, as the team secured a hard-fought victory.
Duhaney Park's head coach Roy Calvert praised the JDF for their performance, describing the final as the toughest game in recent seasons. “This final is probably the hardest game we have had in two to three seasons. Kudos to the Army for a great fight. I am proud of my boys, especially our youngsters, who really stood up. It’s our 20th year as a club, and getting the win means a lot to us,” Calvert said.
JDF’s coach Sergeant Kemar Catwell commended his team’s resilience against the defending champions. “My team showed a lot of character against a very good Red Sharks team. We had our chances, and if we had taken them, it might have been a different outcome. Hats off to Duhaney Park; champions find a way to win, but JDF will be back stronger,” Catwell remarked.
In the third-place playoff, the Washington Bulls edged out the St. Catherine Thundercats 3-2 on kicks after regular time ended with both teams tied at 10-10.
Scorers
Duhaney Park Red Sharks: Tries by Owen Linton, Khamisi McKain, and Jenson Morris; goals by Ryan Grant (2); drop goal by Chevaughn Bailey.
JDF Warriors: Tries by Shezwayne Thompson and Jowayne Forbes; goals by Shezwayne Thompson (3); drop goal by Demar Williams.
As two of the founding clubs of rugby league in Jamaica celebrate their 20th anniversary, this thrilling match serves as a testament to the fierce rivalry and competitive spirit that defines the sport on the island.
Kevin De Bruyne has asked to skip Belgium's remaining Nations League fixtures for 2024 in order to manage his workload, coach Domenico Tedesco has revealed.
On Friday, Tedesco named his 23-man squad for the Red Devils' upcoming games against Italy and France in Group A2, with De Bruyne the headline omission.
De Bruyne played both of Belgium's games in the September international break, as they beat Israel 3-1 before losing 2-0 to France in Lyon.
After that latter match, he made headlines by questioning the mentality and fighting spirit of Tedesco's team, but he has reaffirmed his commitment to continuing on the international stage until at least the 2026 World Cup.
With Manchester City facing a gruelling schedule this term after qualifying for the first 32-team Club World Cup, the midfielder has taken steps to protect his fitness.
"I had a long phone conversation with Kevin. He has an injury, but he is very motivated to continue with the Red Devils and to play the World Cup in 2026," Tedesco said when announcing his latest squad.
"He has asked to skip this camp and also November, to take care of his body. The schedule has become even busier due to the Club World Cup.
"That is why he is not there now and in November. But when it really counts – the World Cup – he will be there."
Tedesco was also asked if De Bruyne's comments last month had led to any negative repercussions in the squad, but he insisted the controversy surrounding them was unwarranted.
"Kevin is a big player, but also a big personality," he added. "We talked after what happened in the last match. Of course he was emotional, he always wants to win. But he never mentioned names in the media. We just have to deal with it.
"In the media it has become a big item, just because it was Kevin who said it. But in the dressing room it is not a big topic."
Romelu Lukaku is the other big-name absentee from Belgium's latest squad, with the Red Devils' all-time leading scorer failing to win a recall after being dropped last month, despite recording four Serie A goal involvements for Napoli in a positive start to the season.
Belgium squad: Koen Casteels (Al Qadsiah), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoordt (RB Leipzig), Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg), Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Koni De Winter (Genoa), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Matte Smets (Genk), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Arne Engels (Augsburg), Orel Mangala (Lyon), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Johan Bakayoko (PSV), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Malick Fofana (Lyon), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig) Cyril Ngonge (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).
Karolina Muchova secured an upset at the China Open, snapping Aryna Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak to reach the semi-finals.
The Czech prevailed in two hours and 48 minutes with a 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-4 win over the number one seed on Friday.
Muchova started strong, forcing Sabalenka to defend three break points in the opening game, but they were evenly matched throughout.
Sabalenka almost took the first set, but Muchova held her nerve, successfully fighting back against two set points before taking the tie-break.
The Belarusian looked back to her free-flowing best in the second though, earning two breaks as she forced the decider in comfortable fashion.
Sabalenka took an early lead in the final set, but from 4-2 down, Muchova clawed her way back, going on a four-game winning streak at the end to book a meeting with Qinwen Zheng or Mirra Andreeva in the final four.
Data Debrief: Czech mate
Given Sabalenka's recent hot streak, this does look like an upset, but it is actually pretty run-of-the-mill for Muchova.
She has now won her last three matches against Sabalenka in WTA events, defeating her at Cincinnati, Roland Garros 2023 and China Open 2024.
Excluding the BJK Cup, only Iga Swiatek (85.3%) has a higher winning percentage than Muchova on hard-court in WTA events during 2024 (84.6%, 11-2), surpassing Sabalenka (82.5%, 33-7).
The 28-year-old has reached just her second career semi-final and is the player with the fewest WTA-1000 wins during the season before the start of the China Open (one) to reach this stage of the tournament.
Julius Randle says he is happy to be at the Minnesota Timberwolves where he "feels wanted" but admitted feeling shocked by the New York Knicks trade.
He was part of a blockbuster trade, joining the Timberwolves with Donte DiVincenzo, as Karl-Anthony Towns headed the other way in a deal that was completed earlier this week.
Randle was a three-time All-Star with the Knicks as their starting power forward, a Most Improved Player winner and a two-time All-NBA selection.
Last season, he averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, though he did not play in the playoffs after dislocating his shoulder on January 27 and opted to undergo surgery in April after two months of rehab.
Although he had initially been looking forward to another shot at the playoffs with the Knicks, he is now invigorated about joining another championship contender.
"It was a lot of emotion," Randle said. "You spend a lot of time living in one place, you know, New York, going there five years ago... A lot of blood, sweat, and tears put into that organization and uniform. Initially, it's always going to be a shock.
"You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here. At this point in my career, I've accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship. This is a perfect opportunity to do that.
"[The trade] was a breath of fresh air. I'm excited to bring everything I've learned here over the past five years and help these guys out. My only thing here is I just want to help.
"I want to help [Anthony Edwards]. I want to help Rudy [Gobert], Naz [Reid] - all those guys. I want to help win a championship, and that's the only thing that matters."
The Timberwolves start their season against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 22, with their preseason beginning against the same opponent on Friday.
Interim England boss Lee Carsley says he will not "copy and paste" his squads, with players to be rewarded for strong club form with Three Lions call-ups.
Carsley oversaw 2-0 Nations League victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland last month, having taken the reins on a temporary basis after Gareth Southgate's resignation.
The former under-21 boss announced his latest 25-man squad for upcoming matches against Greece and Finland on Thursday, making four changes from last month's party.
Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke won his first call-up in seven years, with Eberechi Eze, Harry Maguire, Tino Livramento and Jarrod Bowen all left out.
Predecessor Southgate was often criticised for sticking with a trusted core of players during his eight-year spell with the Three Lions, but Carsley says nobody is guaranteed a place under him.
"In the back of my mind, I wanted to make sure it feels fresh," Carsley said.
"When you get that email or WhatsApp to say that you've been called up, it's an achievement because it shouldn't be something that is taken for granted.
"I thought it was important that it was not just a copy and paste. I want them to feel like they have earned their place in the squad."
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford – both of whom were left out of Southgate's Euro 2024 squad – were among the players to be overlooked.
Carsley said he had been left with several tough decisions to make but had prioritised those in form in order to build rhythm before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers start next year.
"The players I've left out, I could make a case for them being in, but ultimately I have to make those decisions," Carsley said.
"The reality is you want a player to be coming in in top form and fighting for a position in the team.
"Getting out of this Nations League is important for us in terms of setting up World Cup qualification. Whether I'm here or not, it's important we are in a favourable pattern and in a position to win the World Cup."
Erik ten Hag has insisted Marcus Rashford's half-time withdrawal during Manchester United's draw with Porto was down to a need for rotation, not a statement on his performance.
United are still searching for their first Europa League win of the campaign, after Harry Maguire's late header salvaged a 3-3 draw in Porto on Thursday.
After the Red Devils went 2-0 up through early goals from Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, a strike from Pepe and a brace from Samu Omorodion had put them on the brink of another humiliating defeat.
To cap United's frustrations, captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a red card for a second successive game after also being dismissed in Sunday's 3-0 loss to Tottenham, having never previously been sent off in any of his first 241 games for United.
It was the decision to substitute Rashford for Alejandro Garnacho, though, that dominated post-match talk, with no United player matching Rashford's eight touches in the Porto box or three successful dribbles all game, despite his early withdrawal.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Ten Hag said: "We have to rotate. Garnacho, we didn't start him, but he had a great game not only Sunday but the whole season.
"We go quickly with a turnaround to Villa and they have had a day longer to recover and we have an away game."
Rashford now has 14 goals in the Europa League, moving him outright fourth in the all-time UEFA Cup/Europa League charts among English players, behind only Martin Chivers (22), Alan Shearer (21) and Jermain Defoe (19).
Asked about the substitution again in his post-match press conference, Ten Hag added: "Yeah, but Garnacho was my best player on Sunday by far and also in many other games.
"I think in the season, as I assess it so far, he is bringing us so far the offensive threat by creating chances, assists, also scoring.
"Garnacho we also have to play as well and we have two very good players over that side."
Pushed on whether the decision had anything to do with Rashford's role in Porto's first goal, which came down the England man's flank, Ten Hag said: "I have to watch it back and I think over the left side definitely we didn't defend well tonight.
"Marcus also played a part in this but, as I say, it had to do with Garnacho and nothing against Rashy."
Manchester United are in desperate need of a Premier League win when they take on Aston Villa on Sunday.
The pressure has piled on Erik ten Hag after last week's sorry 3-0 loss at Tottenham.
United have lost three of their six league fixtures this season, winning just twice - against Southampton and Fulham - while they have lost their last two home matches in the top flight by an aggregate score of 6-0.
Their tally of seven points is their joint-fewest after six games of any Premier League season (two wins, one draw, three losses), having made identical starts under David Moyes in 2013-14 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020-21.
They now face another of the league's top teams when they take on Villa, who are fresh from their Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich and unbeaten in four league matches.
United, meanwhile, were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw at Porto in the Europa League, with Harry Maguire's late leveller doing little to ease the pressure on Ten Hag.
Here, we crunch the numbers and dive into the Opta insights ahead of Sunday's clash.
What's expected?
As far as home defeats in the Manchester rain go, last week's capitulation against Spurs was as bad as they get.
Ten Hag looked on miserably as United, who were reduced to 10 men when Bruno Fernandes was sent off late in the first half (that red card has now been rescinded), were carved open time and time again.
Spurs generated a huge expected goals (xG) figure of 4.59 on Sunday – the third-highest United have allowed a Premier League opponent since such records began in 2009. Only versus Arsenal in December 2017 (a 3-1 win) and against Man City in October 2011 (a memorable 6-1 loss at Old Trafford), have United given up a greater quality of chances in a Premier League match.
United also saw their opponents have nine big chances – only in five previous games in Premier League history has a team had more big chances in one game (Man City v Watford 2019-20, Man Utd v Sunderland 2012-13, Arsenal v Fulham 2018-19, Arsenal v Stoke City 2015-16, Man City v Crystal Palace 2017-18 – all 10).
Villa, on the other hand, have won both of their Champions League games without conceding a goal, and though Ipswich Town fought back to draw 2-2 with them last weekend, Unai Emery's team have enjoyed a fine start to the campaign.
They have picked up 13 points in their opening six Premier League matches this season (four wins, one draw, one defeat), their best start to a season since 2008-09 under Martin O’Neill (also 13 points).
As such, it's no surprise to see Opta's supercomputer makes Villa the favourites with a 42% win probability, albeit the gap is perhaps not as big as one might expect. United came out on top in 33.2% of the model's simulations, while the threat of a draw is 24.8%.
And it is worth noting that United have a great record against the Villans.
United have won 40 Premier League games against Villa, with only the Red Devils themselves beating an opponent more often in the competition's history (41 vs Everton).
Villa have won just one of their last 25 Premier League home games against Manchester United (eight draws, 16 losses), with that victory coming in Emery's first game in charge of the club in November 2022 (3-1).
Duran's hungry like a wolf
Forgive the quite abysmal Duran Duran reference, but Villa's fans are surely going to be pulling out the 1980s hits this season if their super-sub forward Jhon Duran continues to thrive as he is right now.
Duran scored a brilliant lob to see off Bayern in midweek, taking his tally of goals for the season to five in all competitions - all of those have come from the bench. His four league strikes have come from just 2.1 xG.
He has also netted four league goals in his last four league appearances at Villa Park, all as a substitute.
The 20-year-old averages a goal every 43 minutes at Villa Park in the competition, the second-best ratio by a player at a single venue (250+ minutes played there), behind Luis Suarez at Carrow Road (a goal every 38 minutes).
Duran is averaging a goal every 39 minutes this season in the league - in comparison, 10-goal Erling Haaland averages one every 54 minutes.
The Colombian has had just 10 shots in the league this term, so he has a 40% shot-conversion rate, the best rate in the competition of any player to score more than three times.
With such a quality talent in reserve, Villa's attack will surely be licking their lips if they can get at United's defence in the same way Spurs did.
Since Emery's first Premier League game in charge, only Man City (85), Liverpool (84) and Arsenal (81) have picked up more home points than Villa (74).
Among Villa managers to take charge of five or more home top-flight matches, only European Cup-winning boss Tony Barton (70%, won 37/53) has a better home win percentage than Emery (66%, won 23/35).
Leaking like Old Trafford's roof
United have actually kept successive away clean sheets in the league, winning 3-0 against Southampton and drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace. They last kept three away clean sheets in a row in March 2021.
However, United have lost eight Premier League matches by a margin of three or more goals under Ten Hag. Since the start of 2022-23, the only current Premier League managers to suffer more 3+ goal defeats are Gary O'Neil and Sean Dyche (nine each).
United so often leave wide open spaces in midfield and huge gaps in defence, with defenders isolated in one-v-ones.
Despite conceding only eight goals, United have an xG against of 11.04 so far in the league this season – that is the fifth-worst total in the league, lower than only the three promoted clubs and Brentford.
That is despite United allowing just 74 shots, which ranks ninth in the top flight. However, United’s average per-shot xGA is 0.14, which is the second-worst in the league, after Brighton (0.17).
Ten Hag has to find a defensive formula that works if United are to get something out of this game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Aston Villa - Ollie Watkins
While the limelight is on Duran, it is worth mentioning that Watkins has also scored four Premier League goals this term.
Watkins has been involved in 55 goals in 67 Premier League appearances under Emery for Aston Villa (36 goals, 19 assists), with only Erling Haaland (65) and Mohamed Salah (60) scoring or assisting more goals in that time. The former Brentford attacker is looking to score in four games in a row for the first time since April 2023.
Manchester United - Bruno Fernandes
United will be delighted Fernandes will be available for this game. He was set to miss just his eighth match for the club since his debut in February 2020, with the Red Devils winless in their last four (one draw, three losses) and failing to score in their last three without the Portuguese international in the team.
Fernandes has had 17 shots in the Premier League this season, but is yet to score.
That tally of shots is the most any player who is yet to score this season has had across the entirety of Europe's top five leagues this season.
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