The new NFL season is right around the corner and, amid the battle for the playoffs and eventual success in the Super Bowl, there's also the fight that nobody wants to admit they may like the idea of.

The team with the worst record in the NFL in the 2022 season will secure the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft – theoretically allowing the worst teams to pick the best players, continuing a cycle of maintaining competitiveness across the league.

For the past two seasons, that opportunity has fallen to the Jaguars but, while 2022 may not be a fully enjoyable season in Jacksonville, there is at least hope that they can rise off the bottom after two seasons with a combined record of 4-29.

So, if not the Jaguars, then who? Stats Perform has crunched the numbers and given an assessment of four teams who could be in the hunt for the number one pick.

Houston Texans

There are few teams who head into 2022 with such a bleak picture across the entire team and Davis Mills, the quarterback tasked with helming the offense, has weak wide receiver options and an offensive line unable to provide him with much safety.

Last season, Houston were ranked dead last for the total number of first downs (266), and red-zone drives (37), as well as holding the worst yards-per-game average at 278.1 and the highest percentage of three-and-out drives (28.2)

Their first down efficiency, the percentage of first downs picking up four or more yards, was 42.9 per cent, again the worst across the league.

Defensively, things were not much better. When it came to stopping big plays where opponents gained 10 or more yards, the Texans were bottom of the class with 257 given up and allowed the most successful plays in the red zone with 55.9 per cent.

The Texans' opponents averaged 384.4 yards per game in 2021, which was the second-worst tally in the NFL - and Houston also ranked 31st for the average margin of defeat (17.15 pts).

Atlanta Falcons

Having traded away the greatest quarterback in their franchise history in Matt Ryan, the Falcons head into unchartered territory in 2022, but the signs are far from promising.

Marcus Mariota, entering his seventh year in the NFL, has been named as the Falcons' starting quarterback for the forthcoming season ahead of rookie Desmond Ridder, but has enjoyed limited playing time in recent years.

Getting up to speed with the offense will be even harder without Calvin Ridley, handed an indefinite suspension for betting during the 2021 season, though tight end Kyle Pitts and rookie receiver Drake London offer him two physically imposing targets.

Atlanta have also had problems retaining the ball, with the Falcons recording 30 fumbles last season, the most in the NFL - conceding possession on 11 occasions.

Things are worse on defense. In the 2021 season, the Falcons gave up an average of 364.4 yards per game and conceded an average of 27 points per game - the third-worst mark in the NFL behind only the New York Jets (29.6) and the Detroit Lions (27.5). Atlanta's is a talent-poor roster that looks primed to put them in contention for the first pick and a potential shot at a franchise quarterback.

New York Jets

The Jets' situation looks bleak before even diving into the stats, with the franchise 0-6 against division opponents in 2021 and having an overall record of 4-13 last season – only the Jaguars and the Lions held a worse return.

Positive moves were made in the 2022 NFL Draft, New York landing cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and defensive end Jermaine Johnson in the first round – but getting immediate contributions from all three may be asking too much.

The Jets were comfortably the worst defensive team in the NFL last season, conceding an average of 397.6 yards per game, the highest in the NFL, and 29.6 points per game totalling 504 overall – the most by some distance ahead of the porous Lions (467).

Vulnerabilities were present across the field, with the Jets giving up an average of 138.3 rushing yards per game in 2021, the fourth-highest in the league, and 259.4 receiving yards per game, the third-highest total.

The Jets will be desperate to improve a turnover differential of minus 13. Doing so will be contingent on 2021 second overall pick recovering from his preseason knee injury and staying healthy and avoiding the poor decisions that were prevalent in his rookie year. He threw 11 of the Jets' 20 interceptions last season. 

If Wilson fails to make those strides, the Jets could be debating whether to replace him with one of 2023's top quarterback prospects with the number one pick.

Seattle Seahawks

Losing Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos is a hit likely to send the Seahawks to the NFC cellar, as their 2012 third-round pick was responsible for moments of magic that kept Seattle's head above water in recent years.

The strength of Pete Carroll's defense had defined his reign in Seattle, but the Seahawks have gradually declined to become one of the league's worst teams on that side of the ball. Seattle conceded an average of 379.1 yards per game in 2021 – the fifth-most in the league.

Seattle have particularly struggled defending the pass, giving up 265.5 yards per game through the air in 2021 – putting them behind only the Baltimore Ravens.

Neither of Wilson's replacements have previously shown any indication of elevating an offense to a level to mitigate the defensive struggles as the franchise legend did so often during his storied spell in Seattle.

Indeed, neither Drew Lock nor Geno Smith can be considered capable of filling the void left by the nine-time Pro Bowl QB.

Lock's interception percentage of 2.8 since entering the NFL in 2019 is the ninth-worst in the league in that time. Both Lock (6.54) and Smith (5.88) were among the five worst quarterbacks (min. 50 attempts) by pickable pass percentage last season.

Simply put, the Seahawks do not possess the quarterback play to allow for the defense to be as bad as it is. It's a transition year in Seattle, and the Seahawks could soon be transitioning to Wilson's long-term replacement with the top pick.

Christian Eriksen believes Manchester United showed they have the legs to take on the best in the Premier League after outrunning Liverpool at Old Trafford.

The Monday night 2-1 win at Old Trafford will count for little if United stumble at Southampton on Saturday, but after defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford, the Red Devils found a big performance to sink their great rivals and lift spirits.

With Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo shuffled out of the starting XI, goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford delivered three points for United, Erik ten Hag's first league win as United manager.

United had only 29.6 per cent of possession and their passing accuracy was a fairly dismal 65.93 per cent.

That was the worst accuracy United have had in any Premier League game since posting 65.73 per cent in a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in December 2018.

Yet they were still the better side for large parts of the game, with their energy and enthusiasm so markedly different from the game prior, the 4-0 thumping at Brentford.

Assessing the difference between the Brentford and Liverpool games, Eriksen hit on the big change against the Reds, saying: "I think our intensity compared to the Brentford game [was the biggest difference].

"Obviously, we made a few mistakes against them that gave them the advantage and [against Liverpool] we started on the front foot and were the better team in the first half."

Captain Maguire would have been frustrated to be relegated to the bench, but the England defender reacted on Tuesday morning by posting a picture on Instagram of Rashford and Bruno Fernandes celebrating, adding the caption: "Things you love to see."

United's running caught the eye, as they covered 113 kilometres as a group, with Liverpool clocking up just under 110km.

Rashford ended a run of 997 minutes without a goal in all competitions for United and almost added another, thrashing a fierce shot just over the crossbar.

Eriksen said that for United it was a case of getting "back to basics".

"We have some very quick players and how we played today, and how Liverpool play, suited us as well," the Denmark midfielder said. "It's great to play with players who want to play football and run."

Eriksen believes the jolt of the Brighton and Brentford defeats has set United up for the rest of the season, but time will tell on that score. Two wretched performances followed by a big improvement for one game leaves them with some convincing still to do.

Former Tottenham and Inter playmaker Eriksen senses growing unity, however. Quoted on United's official website, he said: "I think it started after losing two games.

"This has been about coming together and getting back to the basics. We needed to show that we were better doing the basics and I think we did that."

Bernardo Silva will stay at Manchester City despite Barcelona's interest in signing the midfielder, according to the Premier League champions' chief executive Ferran Soriano.

Barcelona have enjoyed a busy transfer window as they attempt to close the gap on last season's LaLiga and Champions League winners Real Madrid, signing Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie, while they also hope to bring in Marcos Alonso from Chelsea.

But the Blaugrana have also been credited with a strong interest in Silva, who refused to rule out a move earlier this month when declaring City "know what I want".

Silva could make a Camp Nou appearance on Wednesday when City take on Barca in a friendly arranged to raise funds to fight motor neurone disease, but Soriano is adamant the Portugal midfielder will not be returning to Barcelona on a more permanent basis.

Speaking to El Chiringuito de Jugones, Soriano said: "Of course, I can say that Bernardo Silva will stay at Man City."

Pep Guardiola has also affirmed his desire to keep Silva on multiple occasions.

Silva made 50 appearances for City in all competitions last season, a tally only bettered by Joao Cancelo (52), with the 28-year-old scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.

Meanwhile, only Kevin de Bruyne (129) and Jack Grealish (78) created more chances for City than Silva's 76 last term, and he got off the mark for the new campaign by scoring the equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle United on Sunday.

Goalkeeper Mattia Perin said Juventus' draw with Sampdoria left "a bad taste in our mouth" and showed where Massimiliano Allegri's side must improve.

Juventus were looking to join Napoli, Inter and Roma on six points from two games at the start of the Serie A season on Monday, but could only manage a 0-0 stalemate on their travels.

They failed to break down a Sampdoria side who lost 2-0 to Atalanta on the opening weekend of the season, and coach Allegri said his players would need to train hard ahead of Saturday's enticing tussle with Roma.

Perin said of the result: "This draw should serve as a lesson to understand which areas we need to work on. 

"Obviously, it leaves a bad taste in our mouth, but it will be an extra incentive to better prepare for the next game.

"Surely not having conceded a goal for the second consecutive matchday is an excellent sign and confirms how much good we are doing in training."

Perin also told Juventus' website: "We knew it would not be easy to come and play at the Marassi, against a team as difficult to face as Sampdoria. Now, our goal is to continue training with the same determination as we have shown up to now."

Allegri could soon have reinforcements on the way, with Barcelona forward Memphis Depay a confirmed target. Vice-president Pavel Nedved strongly hinted Juventus also have other players in their sights when he spoke shortly before kick-off at Sampdoria.

After the game, Allegri preferred to focus on the players already at his disposal, saying: "The club will take care of the market, we have to work. We have to look at the positive things, not the negative ones."

Adrien Rabiot had a goal disallowed due to Dusan Vlahovic straying offside, and Allegri said Juventus had shown "little patience" in the first half before improving after the interval.

Striker Vlahovic only managed three touches in the first half and had just nine across the full 90 minutes.

No player to take the field for 90 minutes in a Serie A game has had fewer touches since David Trezeguet had eight for Juventus against Catania in May 2008.

"We would have liked the three points, but the positive aspect is that in these first two matchdays we haven't conceded a goal," Allegri added.

"We are growing in condition and we will continue to work hard to get ready for the match on Saturday evening against Roma."

Andy Robertson described Liverpool's start to the season as "really poor" after the Reds failed to win any of their opening three league games for the first time in 10 years, insisting better results "need to come quickly".

Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford handed Erik ten Hag his first league win as Manchester United boss at Liverpool's expense on Monday, as the Red Devils prevailed 2-1 behind a much-improved performance after losing their previous two games.

The defeat was Liverpool's first in the Premier League in 2022, with Jurgen Klopp's side having previously won 16 and drawn five of their league games this calendar year.

After coming from behind to claim draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace prior to visiting Old Trafford, Liverpool have now failed to win their first three games of a league campaign for the first time since Brendan Rodgers was at the helm in 2012-13.

Left-back Robertson knows Liverpool need to improve sharply, telling Sky Sports: "It's definitely not been the start to the season that we wanted, it's been really poor.

"We give every team a goal start which is the basis of the game, you can’t keep on giving yourself an uphill battle.

"We've conceded an early goal again, we've started slow again and that's what needs to change. We can't keep going one behind. Probably in the warm-up it was the quietest I have ever heard this stadium – they wanted something to lift them and we unfortunately gave them it and then they obviously got behind their team.

"Two points from nine is not the start that we wanted. We need to pick up our performances individually and collectively very quickly. We need to kickstart our season, that's for sure."

Having gone close to winning an unprecedented quadruple last campaign, Liverpool are already five points adrift of title favourites Manchester City after Pep Guardiola's men made an unbeaten start.

While Robertson insists the title race is not on Liverpool's minds, he knows there is little room for error moving forward, adding: "It's early on in the season but even if we were at the top of the league we wouldn't be thinking about the title race.

"We've always been consistent with that every season, you don't really think about it until you get closer to see where everyone's at.

"The start of the season is always a bit messy where you just try to find your feet. This season we haven't done it and yeah, we're not thinking about that.

"We need to get our first win on the board. We need to try to get ahead first in the game and try to put in a good performance, get our first clean sheet and get back to our basics.

"And if we can do that, that's the only way we will win games, it's as simple as that. We've always been a hard-working team, we've always been honest, we've always been passionate.

"We need to keep doing that, but we also need to be clinical in both boxes and if we do that I believe the results will come. But they need to come quickly."

Klopp echoed those sentiments in his post-match news conference, ruing Liverpool's injury problems but acknowledging they should be performing to a higher level.

"It's not the nicest thing to look at, that's clear, but it's our situation. Look, we can talk about all the things but in the end I saw tonight a game," Klopp said.

"So, during the week it is not easy because we have 15 senior outfield players, I think, in training. That's obviously not cool. But for the game tonight, I liked the line-up, saw good performances as well tonight.

"So, our situation is how it is. It's not perfect but good enough to play better tonight, and I think our situation is good enough that we could've won the game tonight if we would have played slightly better."

Klopp moved to play down his post-match confrontation with Bruno Fernandes after appearing frustrated by perceived simulation from United, adding: "It was not animated. It was the most harmless conversation I ever had, with a player who is as emotional as I maybe was!

"It was the situation with the centre-half, [Lisandro] Martinez, when he went down. He was talking to me and said, 'You would do the same', but I said, 'No, I cannot fall like this'.

"It was all fine after the game, he told me he needs these kind of conversations during the game and so I said, 'Fine, use me!'."

Aaron Judge plundered a 47th home run of the season as the New York Yankees bounced back to form with a 4-2 Subway Series win over the New York Mets.

The Yankees had gone 6-14 in August prior to Monday's derby and the pressure seemed to be on.

Manager Aaron Boone had received the backing of GM Brian Cashman ahead of the first game of the series, but the Yankees needed a big performance after a run of 14 losses in 18 games.

Up stepped Judge, whose dispatching of a Max Scherzer fastball ended a nine-game homerless streak and set the Yankees on their way to a second successive win on the back of three straight defeats to the Toronto Blue Jays. The turnaround began with a 4-2 win in the fourth game against Toronto.

Judge is closing in on Roger Maris' single-season American League record of 61 home runs, set in 1961, though he claimed to be unaware of that prospect.

"It's news to me," said Judge, who has nine homers in 20 games against the Mets and is 13 clear of next-best Kyle Schwarber across all MLB players when it comes to round trips this season. "I really don't worry about that. I was just happy to barrel something up and add to the lead that we already had against one of the best pitchers in the game.

"We've got a special group of individuals that are mentally tough enough to bounce back. It's a long season and we haven't been playing the type of ball we want to. It's time to get back to what we do."

Subway Series debutant Andrew Benintendi picked up the mantle in the later innings, and said: "To string together a couple of wins in a row against two really good pitchers, your confidence can really go up."

Daniel Vogelbach went deep for the Mets, smashing a huge two-run homer beyond the fence and into the crowd, while the Yankees' Jonathan Loaisiga pitched brilliantly alongside Ron Marinaccio.

Philadelphia hit back

The Mets went into the clash in the Bronx after three wins out of four against the Philadelphia Phillies, who responded to that disappointing run by comfortably dispatching the Cincinnati Bengals 4-1.

Noah Syndergaard (8-8) allowed one run on three hits with one strikeout and two walks, as the pitcher continued his fine start to life with the Phillies following his move from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, while Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott both homered.

"Noah threw the ball well like he's been doing for us, and we hit the ball," Stott said, while Syndergaard added: "My time here so far has been amazing. I feel like I'm on cloud nine."

Dodgers blanked at home

The Los Angeles Dodgers do not tend to draw blanks at home. Indeed, they were on a nine-game winning streak at Dodger Stadium, yet that run came to a shuddering halt at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, who cruised to a 4-0 triumph.

The Dodgers, who had won five of their last seven, including two successes against the Brewers last week, were blanked for a sixth time this season, but it is the first time they have failed to score on home turf in 2022.

Eric Lauer was on top form for the Brewers, claiming two strikeouts and two walk-outs, while Willy Adames, Christian Yelich, Luis Urias and Keston Hiura got the runs, with Milwaukee now 34-32 on the road for the season.

Dominic Thiem defeated J.J. Wolf to set up a showdown with top seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Winston-Salem Open.

Thiem showed signs of returning to his best with runs to the last eight or better in three tournaments in July, but the 2020 US Open winner was in danger of falling at the first hurdle in North Carolina when he lost the first set against the American wildcard.

But Thiem, a debutant in the competition, bounced back, and after a long rain delay he prevailed 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (8-6), and he will now face Dimitrov, who is seeking a first trophy since 2017.

The Austrian had to save two match points during a last-set tie-break, and said afterwards: "First of all I'm super happy to get that win, [my] first win on hard courts since a very long time, since March 2021, I guess.

"It was not easy at all today with the rain delay, coming back out there at 11:15 p.m. It was very late. I had trouble [getting] into the match again.

"But luckily I raised the level a little bit in the third-set tie-break and compared to Kitzbuhel, where similar stuff happened with the rain, the luck was on my side today."

Second seed Botic van de Zandschulp also learned of his last-32 opponent on Monday, with Tallon Griekspoor beating fellow lucky loser Taro Daniel 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

Last year's beaten finalist Mikael Ymer ensured a safe passage through, meanwhile, thanks to a 6-2 6-3 victory against Federico Coria.

Australia's James Duckworth also advanced with a 4-6 6-3 7-5 (7-5) comeback win over compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis, while Kyle Edmund saw off Michail Pervolarakis 6-2 7-5.

Sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili was a big-name exit, as he went down to Thiago Monteiro.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles explained Tom Brady's return to training camp after a planned absence has been a seamless one.

Brady left training camp on August 11 for an absence Bowles said was planned in advance so he could "deal with some personal things".

The seven-time Super Bowl champion returned to practice on Monday, as the Bucs step up their preseason preparations ahead of the new NFL campaign.

"Anytime you have all your guys back you feel good, you know, especially after the injury bug has hit lately. We're happy to have him back," Bowles told reporters.

Asked if Brady's attitude was a problem, or if his absence had in any way proved a distraction for the team, Bowles said: "He's been great. He's been great, same as when he left. He's been fine.

"We pretty much keep distractions out of our locker room. It wasn't a big deal to us because everybody knew what was going on."

As for what Brady has missed over the course of his break, Bowles added: "Probably just conditioning for the most part. He's a film junkie – I'm sure he's watched tape of everything.

"So [it's] him coming back in, picking up where he left off, just getting used to the mechanics again.

"He's very familiar with the offense, so him coming back in and us getting back to work is kind of normal. Just getting used to the heat and getting used to the guys, but he ran the offense well." 

Bowles might not believe Brady's team-mates were in any way distracted, but tight end Cameron Brate conceded it was "weird" not to have the 45-year-old around.

"It was definitely weird," Brate said. "Tom is such an omnipresent being, he's like the unquestioned leader of the team. For him to not be there for 11 days it was kind of a good opportunity for other guys to step up and fill that void.

"It was different, Tom is usually kind of cussing guys up and down the field when we're messing up, but we didn't really have that. It was different, but I thought some of the other veterans stepped up. I thought Blaine [Gabbert] did a good job commanding the first team offense while Tom was out.

!I'm sure wherever Tom was, he was working out still and getting his reps in. If anyone can get away with an 11-day break during training camp, it's Tom. He came back firing on all cylinders. We are all excited he's back, and we are ready to move on with that."

Manchester United supporter Stormzy believes Cristiano Ronaldo's future should be out of the spotlight, as he urged fans and media to "let the GOATs be the GOATs".

United claimed their first win of the season by defeating rivals Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford on Monday in impressive fashion.

With new signing Casemiro having been paraded on the pitch before kick-off, Erik ten Hag's team bounced back from the 4-0 hammering at Brentford in style, and were deservedly in control at 2-0 through goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.

The latter, who ended a run of 997 minutes without a goal in all competitions for United, has scored five league goals against Liverpool, a tally he betters only against Leicester City (six) in the competition, and it was Rashford who Ten Hag picked to lead United's line instead of Ronaldo.

Ten Hag stressed the need for energy as the reasoning behind his decision, with Ronaldo coming on from the bench in the 86th minute, shortly after Mohamed Salah had pulled Liverpool back into the contest.

Ronaldo's future remains uncertain and with United not back at Old Trafford until September 4, three days after the close of the transfer window, it could mean he has played his final home game for the club.

But rapper, singer and songwriter Stormzy, who was in attendance on Monday, wants Ronaldo to be respected as one of the greatest of all time.

"That was amazing, that’s the best we've been this season, the best we've been for a long time," said Stormzy in a pitch-side interview on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

Of Ronaldo, he said: "When they're that great, you can't speak on them, man, you've just got to let the man be great.

"As much as there's been a bit of a fuss, that's a GOAT. You've got to let the GOATs be the GOATs."

United's victory saw Ten Hag become the club's first manager to secure his first ever competitive win with the club in a match against Liverpool, who have failed to win any of their first three games of a Premier League campaign for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin claimed her first victory since January at Tennis in the Land on Monday.

Kenin, who has struggled mightily with illness and injury since her triumph in Melbourne in 2020, has seen her ranking drop to 415 in the world.

She had lost her last nine matches but was back to winning ways in Cleveland, where Kenin earned a 6-4 6-3 win over qualifier Dalayna Hewitt in an all-American clash.

Bernarda Pera and Madison Brengle gave the home fans plenty to cheer about with first-round victories, while Lauren Davis came up short in three sets against third seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Seeds Martina Trevisan, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Alize Cornet all sealed wins, the latter thrashing Dayana Yastremska for the loss of just three games.

At the Granby Championships, top seed Daria Kasatkina had to come from a set down to beat Greet Minnen 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-2 in just under three hours.

Seventh seed Kaja Juvan lost to 17-year-old Cadence Brace but seeds Jasmine Paolini, Anna Bondar, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Tereza Martincova and Marta Kostyuk all emerged victorious.

Bruno Fernandes hinted he is aware of where Cristiano Ronaldo intends to play his football beyond this transfer window and says his team-mate's decision must be respected.

Ronaldo's Manchester United future continues to be a hot topic of discussion after being named among the substitutes for Monday's 2-1 win over Liverpool.

The 37-year-old, who came on for the final four minutes at Old Trafford, has now been left out of the starting line-up for two of United's opening three games under Erik ten Hag.

A number of clubs continue to be linked with Ronaldo ahead of next week's transfer deadline, with the forward reportedly seeking a team playing in the Champions League.

And close friend Fernandes will be happy for his Portuguese compatriot regardless of whether he stays or leaves Old Trafford after just a year back at the club.

"There is a lot of speculation, but there is no one better than Cristiano to talk about it," Fernandes told Eleven Sports. "I may know a thing or two, but I won't be the one to say it.

"Cristiano is calm. He worked well this week and did the work he has been doing, which he will continue to do so.

"For now he is a United player. I don't know if he will leave or if he will not leave. As he said, he will speak soon and they will have time to hear his words and what he has to say.

"I don't think anyone has shown so far that there was no interest in Cristiano not staying. He can continue at a high level and give us a lot of goals but it's his decision.

"We have to respect what he wants to do, whatever he wants to do. 

"If he's going to stay, we'll be happy about it; if he's going to leave because he thinks it's best for him, I'll be personally happy for him.

"The most important thing is that he's okay, playing at the highest level and making our country proud."

Ronaldo has played just 131 minutes across the first three matches this season – the 13th most of all United players – following on from a disrupted pre-season campaign.

The 24 goals Ronaldo scored in all competitions in 2021-22 were 14 more than next-best Fernandes, with no other United player reaching double-figures in a dire season.

Ten Hag made another huge selection call against Liverpool by omitting skipper Harry Maguire, but the Dutchman suggested both players still have a part to play.

"The demand is for everyone, including the manager," Ten Hag said when asked about the pair at his post-match press conference. 

"We have to deliver. You have an obligation to the club, to the fans. This is a massive club with a huge fanbase, and we have to deliver that. 

"We have to act as a team, and every individual, every day, has to give their best. That is the demand for the manager and also for the team."

Asked specifically about Ronaldo, Ten Hag said: "In his career, under several managers, he has [adapted] to styles and systems. He's always performed, so why not again?"

When pointed out that Ronaldo will turn 38 before the end of the season, Ten Hag responded: "And? His age is not an issue. 

"If you are young, you are good enough; when you are old, if you still deliver the performance, you are also good enough."

Jamie Carragher says Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United is "a big worry" as the Reds' winless start to the Premier League season stretched to a third match.

A 16th-minute goal from Jadon Sancho put United into an early lead before Marcus Rashford added a second eight minutes into the second half. 

Mohamed Salah got a goal back for Liverpool with nine minutes remaining, but the hosts held on to claim a memorable victory.

Defeat for Liverpool at Old Trafford means they are down in 16th in the embryonic table, already seven points off early pacesetters Arsenal and five adrift of Manchester City.

Liverpool have now conceded the first goal in their last seven consecutive Premier League games, and Carragher is concerned by what he saw from his former side.

"Today is a big worry," he told Sky Sports. "It's not the result – you can come to Manchester United and lose, it's a tough place to come. 

"But it was the manner of the way they started the game, a derby game. Manchester United, it was obvious how they were going to start the game. 

"They had to start the first 15, 20 minutes like their lives depended on it and get this crowd involved. And they did. And it was like Liverpool weren't ready."

Left-back Andy Robertson bemoaned his side's poor first-half showing as Liverpool suffered a first league loss of 2022.

"It’s definitely not been the start of the season we wanted – we've been really poor," he told Sky Sports.

"We give every team a goal headstart, which is the base of the game. You can't keep giving yourself an uphill battle. 

"We've conceded an early goal again, started slow again, and that's what needs to change.

"The warm-up is probably the quietest I've ever heard this stadium. They wanted something to lift them, and we unfortunately gave them it."

Jurgen Klopp is "concerned" by Liverpool's winless start to the Premier League campaign, but he suggested his side only needed to be "a little bit better" to beat Manchester United in Monday's 2-1 loss.

Liverpool followed up surprise draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace in their opening two games with defeat to fierce rivals United at Old Trafford.

Mohamed Salah pulled a goal back in the 81st minute, but strikes from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were enough to give Erik ten Hag his first win in charge of United.

It marks the first time since the 2012-13 season under Brendan Rodgers that Liverpool have failed to win any of their opening three Premier League fixtures.

With his side a lowly 16th at this early stage with two points from a possible nine – and already five points adrift of Manchester City – Klopp accepts a big turnaround is required.

"I am concerned about our situation, but that is how it is. We deal with it and we prepare now for Bournemouth, then Newcastle, then Everton," he told Sky Sports.

Liverpool looked particularly sloppy in a defensive sense at Old Trafford, where they finished with an expected goals return of 1.39 compared to United's 1.67.

The visitors had more shots on target (five to four), though, while also dominating the possession with 70.2 per cent of the ball, albeit with United dropping off when two goals up.

And after seeing his injury-plagued side suffer a first defeat in 22 league games in a run stretching back to last December, Klopp felt only fine margins denied his side.

"We are in a tricky situation injury wise – we got through the week with 14 or 15 senior players available, and we have to make sure they don't get injured now," the German said.

"Even with our situation, with being a little bit better, we should have won this game. I know it sounds ridiculous, but that is how I saw it."

He added: "They were really aggressive in the beginning – it was clear what would happen. They were more aggressive than us, and they hit the post early on. It was a hectic game.

"They had the first chance and scored the goal, and then we took over and played the game we wanted to play more or less. We were unlucky with situations.

"In a game like this, against an opponent like United, it would be very helpful if we could score in this moment and go 1-1 at half time.

"The second goal does not help, then we score ours and it was a hectic game with a lot of interruptions, stuff like this. It was definitely not the result we wanted."

Klopp continued: "When we calmed down, we were immediately there; we had an extreme number of shots for an away game at United. We should have used more of those moments, obviously.

"In the second half, there was a fantastic save of [David] De Gea, and we were unlucky in other situations.. If you score in a moment like this, then the game turns and we were there for that, but then we did not have enough time or power in the end."

Liverpool host Bournemouth and Newcastle United in their next two games, and Klopp vowed his side would show a response at Anfield.

"We want to play the football we are able to play, and we want to fight," he told BBC Sport. "We have a good home game on Saturday and Anfield has to be rocking. 

"We have to set the fire and the rhythm. We will try absolutely everything that every Liverpool supporter will expect – we will fight for our lives."