Erik ten Hag claimed Manchester United's need for new signings was "clear" following their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Brentford, though he noted the Red Devils are underperforming given the quality already present in their squad.
Having watched his side slump to a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion last week, Ten Hag became the first United manager to lose each of his first two games in charge since John Chapman in 1921.
An embarrassing performance saw United go 4-0 down within just 35 minutes in London as Brentford scored with each of their first four shots on target.
United, who are bottom of the Premier League two matches into the Ten Hag era, have been linked with further additions in the transfer market, with Juventus' Adrien Rabiot a reported target amid their struggles to attract Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.
Speaking to BBC after the chastening loss, Ten Hag said: "You have to be ready for a game and be ready for the battle as individuals and as a team. We have to push each other and bring the demands in because it is not good.
"It is clear we need players, but I don't want to think about that in this moment. The good players we had should have been better.
"I hoped for a better start, I have to believe because I have seen good things, but the two games from now are disappointing.
"We will analyse and we will move forward, but one thing is quite clear, we have to do things better.
"This team is good enough to beat Brighton and Brentford which we didn't, so we have to question ourselves."
Brentford's victory represented their first over United in any competition since a 2-0 FA Cup win in February 1938, and ended their seven-match winless run against the Old Trafford outfit.
And while United were plagued by individual mistakes throughout a torrid first half, Ten Hag accepted responsibility for another dismal performance.
"It's difficult for me. It's surprising when you start the game like this; in 35 minutes you concede four goals," he told Sky Sports.
"The team has to take responsibility. I feel really sorry for the fans – they did everything to support us, but we let them down.
"You have to take responsibility on the pitch as a team and as individuals, that's what we didn't do. What I asked them to do is play with belief and take responsibility for the performance. We have to work on that.
"The manager is responsible as well. He has the main responsibility and I'll take that and work on that."
David de Gea described Manchester United's 4-0 defeat to Brentford as "horrible" and says he was responsible for his side not leaving London with a win.
De Gea allowed Josh Dasilva's tame shot from 25 yards squirm through his grasp to give Brentford the lead, before the goalkeeper's poor pass out to Christian Eriksen led to a second from Mathias Jensen.
Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo then ensured Brentford became only the third side to put four past United in the first half of a Premier League game.
It meant United lost four consecutive league matches for the first time since February 1979, while they have also lost seven successive away league games for the first time since losing 10 on the bounce between September and December 1936.
"I cost three points to my team today, to be honest," De Gea told Sky Sports.
"It was a poor performance from myself. After the first mistake and the second, it was very tough for the team to get playing. It was a horrible day.
"We should react better. I should save the first shot and probably the result would be different. It just depends on how the game is going, sometimes I maybe have to read the game better and go long [for the second goal].
"I tried to play when I shouldn't have to Christian. We are not like other teams conceding first and winning 5-1 or 6-1. This is why I cost the team three points
"It was an easy save. We have to react much better and be capable of scoring goals. It was a poor performance. It's easy to play in pre-season when you play for nothing.
"When you play the games that matter, you need bravery and to be proper players. That wasn't the case. We have to keep working, head up, it is the beginning under a new manager and a lot to improve."
United are next back in action a week on Monday when Liverpool visit Old Trafford.
Milan recovered from conceding just two minutes into their Serie A title defence to beat Udinese 4-2 at San Siro on Saturday.
The opening game of the season in the Italian top flight for the Rossoneri saw a penalty from Theo Hernandez, two goals from Ante Rebic and another from Brahim Diaz guide them to three points, despite conceding twice to the visitors through Rodrigo Becao and Adam Masina.
New signings Charles de Ketelaere and Divock Origi were named on the bench for Stefano Pioli's side, with the former introduced for the final 20 minutes and the latter for the final seven in front of their new fans.
It was a losing start for new Udinese head coach Andrea Sottil, though he will have been buoyed by his team's ability to keep Milan honest in a game that was more open in the first half than Pioli would have liked.
It was far from an ideal start for the hosts as Udinese took the lead in just the second minute when Becao headed a Gerard Deulofeu corner in at the near post.
That advantage did not last long though as a VAR check led to a Milan penalty being awarded on 10 minutes after Brandon Soppy was judged to have fouled Davide Calabria, with Hernandez calmly dispatching the spot kick.
The champions were in front just four minutes later when neat play from Diaz gave Calabria the chance to cross to Rebic, who swept the ball past Marco Silvestri.
Deulofeu made a mess of a chance when in on goal, but Udinese were level just before half-time when two more former Watford players combined, with Roberto Pereyra crossing for Masina to head in at the far post.
If Milan made a slow start in the first half, Udinese managed to trump it in the second as Nehuen Pereza and Masina made a mess of a Hernandez cross from the left, allowing Diaz to prod the hosts back in front just 34 seconds after the restart.
Diaz had been a thorn in Udinese's side all game, and won the ball inside the opposition's box on 68 minutes before squaring to Rebic to lift his finish into the roof of the net to seal the win.
Manchester United suffered one of their worst defeats in Premier League history as Erik ten Hag's side barely laid a glove on Brentford in a 4-0 defeat on Saturday.
Ten Hag was looking for a response to last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion and was able to hand Cristiano Ronaldo a start, but all United got was a humiliation.
David de Gea was at fault twice as Josh Dasilva and Mathias Jensen put Brentford two up inside 18 minutes, before Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo ensured Brentford became only the third side to put four past United in the first half of a Premier League game.
While the Bees could not inflict further misery on Ten Hag and United, it mattered little as the damage was already done.
United gave Thomas Frank's men a helping hand for the opener as De Gea inexplicably let Dasilva's 25-yard effort squeeze into the bottom-right corner after Ronaldo had been robbed.
The floodgates then opened.
Shortly after United escaped a similar situation, Christian Eriksen was dispossessed inside his own box following an ill-advised pass from De Gea, and Jensen applied a disguised finish with 18 minutes played.
The off-balance Mee nodded in at the back post as United failed to cope with the hosts' physicality, and by the 35th minute it was 4-0 – Dasilva racing onto a clearance to play an exquisite pass into the box where Mbeumo held off Luke Shaw to score.
Ten Hag made three changes at the break and that at least helped stem the flow of goal concessions.
United improved as an attacking threat, with Ronaldo presented with a couple of half-chances and Eriksen testing David Raya with a header.
But still Brentford eased to a famous victory.
What does it mean? Urgency of United's squad rejuvenation laid bare
The Brighton loss was bad. This was simply embarrassing. The issues with United's squad were obvious last season, with Ralf Rangnick suggesting they needed 10 new signings to be competitive.
While Rangnick was ultimately cut loose from his deal to become a consultant, it is difficult not to look back on those comments now given how bad United have been in their first two games of the season, and the fact only three new players have come in.
Granted, there remains a bit of time in the transfer window, but if United cannot make significant improvements over the next eight days, Liverpool could enjoy another Old Trafford mauling.
Thomas Frankly exceptional
While Brighton won the midfield battle against United last weekend, they did not do what Brentford did. Frank set his team up to press with such intensity and it worked a treat.
Dasilva's goal was fortunate but was the result of pressing Ronaldo, and then Jensen's strike was a product of pressuring United as they attempted to play out from the back. The visitors proved they are way off being able to play Ten Hag's brand of football.
David de Howler
It feels a little unfair to focus on one particular United player because so many of them were poor, but De Gea's error for the opener was truly horrific and he needlessly put Eriksen in danger for the second with a pass that was not on. Those goals gave them a mountain to climb.
What's next?
Ten Hag's hunt for a first win as United boss continues a week on Monday with the visit of bitter rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford. Brentford go to Fulham two days earlier.
Mikel Arteta hailed Gabriel Jesus for raising standards at Arsenal after the Brazilian scored two goals and registered two assists in a thrilling win over Leicester City.
Arsenal made it two wins from two Premier League matches with a 4-2 victory over the Foxes at Emirates Stadium on Saturday as Jesus recorded his first competitive goals since arriving from Manchester City for £45million in July.
In doing so, Jesus became the first player to score more than once on his home Premier League debut for the Gunners, while the 25-year-old is also the first Arsenal player to double up for goals and assists in a league game since Theo Walcott against Newcastle United in December 2012 (three goals and two assists).
The signing of Jesus, a four-time Premier League champion, was lauded as a coup for a side that missed out on Champions League football last term, and Arteta has been delighted by his strong start.
"I think it lifts the standards with the way that he's training every day and the way that he's talking," said the Arsenal boss.
"I think it's very natural, but at the same time it's pretty impressive to do it that quickly, but then we are asking other players to score goals as well.
"If you want to be at the top then we're going to have to score a lot of goals and we cannot rely on two or three players.
"We know what Gabby can do. He scored two and assisted two and he's still disappointed in the dressing room because he said he could have scored four.
"That's the standard, that's the mentality that if you want to go to a different level, you need that mentality.
"I wouldn't like to play against him. I have never been a defender, but I can imagine that they don't enjoy it. He's so mobile, so intuitive and is always sharp and proactive to play in any moment and any phase of the game and he's a real threat."
Jesus' opener made him the 12th Brazilian player to score for Arsenal in the Premier League, the most of any club in the competition's history.
The forward only made 21 Premier League starts during his final season with City, but has assumed a central role since heading to the Emirates.
And Arteta recognises the importance of managing his workload, adding: "We are going to demand him to start a lot of games, so we have to manage that load and the way that we train is different.
"We have to be on top of that and hopefully we are."
Ian Foster may have been given a lifeline at Ellis Park as New Zealand stopped the rot with a thrilling 35-23 Rugby Championship win over South Africa.
All Blacks head coach Foster has faced huge pressure after a dismal run of five defeats in six Tests, but his side appear to be behind him on the evidence of their impressive performance in Johannesburg on Saturday.
They opened up a 15-point lead following tries from captain Sam Cane and Samisoni Taukei'aho, but the world champions fought back to take the lead with 12 minutes to go courtesy of scores from Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, as well as 15 points from the trusty boot of Handre Pollard.
New Zealand were also a man down with Beauden Barrett in the sin bin, but late tries from David Havili and Scott Barrett stunned the Springboks to deliver a vital victory.
Richie Mo'unga scored 15 points from the tee as the holders secured a battling victory for the under-fire Foster.
South Africa lost Damian Willemse to the sin bin for a ruck infringement early on and Jesse Kriel was unable to return after a head injury assessment, but they prevented New Zealand from scoring when they were a man down.
A scrappy Test burst into life after Mo'unga's 25th-minute penalty, as Cane finished in the corner following an incisive break from Caleb Clarke and Taukei'aho crashed over for a try that Mo'unga converted brilliantly.
The Springboks quickly reduced the arrears when Am showed power and pace to round off a slick move on the right wing and Pollard cut the gap to five points with a mammoth penalty on the stroke of half-time.
Mo'unga was on target again after Pollard's second successful penalty early in the second half and the All Blacks fly-half put his side eight points up when he sent another kick between the posts after Mapimpi had a try disallowed for obstruction.
Mapimpi was not to be denied moments later, though, taking a brilliant pass from Willemse and touching down for a score that Pollard expertly converted from the left touchline.
Pollard booted the Springboks into the lead for the first time with 12 minutes to go after replacement Beauden Barrett was yellow-carded for obstructing Jaden Hendrikse.
New Zealand dug deep to win it despite being a man down. with Havili going over in the corner following a brilliant break started by Rieko Ioane and Scott Barrett putting the icing on the cake from close range - with Mo'unga adding the extras for both scores.
Kevin De Bruyne feels Erling Haaland must continue to adapt to the Premier League with Manchester City, while hailing the forward's efforts against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Norway international teed up an opening assist for Ilkay Gundogan in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium, but otherwise struggled to influence proceedings.
Even as De Bruyne and Phil Foden added further goals, Haaland cut a peripheral figure for the hosts, and ultimately had just eight touches throughout the entire match.
De Bruyne still feels that the Leeds-born attacker is bedding into life in a different league, however, pointing to the differences between the English top flight and the Bundesliga, where Haaland has arrived from.
"He played really well," the Belgian said. "Obviously, it's so tight. I don't think in Germany, he played a lot of games where teams were so defensively narrow, so it is something he will have to adapt to.
"With Gundogan, he finds him perfectly, and he set us up for the win. If he plays that way, he will be good."
The New York Jets and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief after an MRI on Zach Wilson's right knee showed a healthy ACL, avoiding the worst-case scenario.
The scans showed that the second-year quarterback is dealing with a bone bruise and torn meniscus, according to multiple media reports. Wilson will undergo arthroscopic surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the preseason.
His status for the Jets' season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 11 is in question, but there is some optimism that he could suit up.
Wilson suffered the injury Friday night while scrambling in the Jets' preseason opener against the Eagles.
Wilson made an awkward cut during the 7-yard rush and fell to the turf. Given the non-contact nature of the injury, Jets fans and pundits feared he had torn his ACL, which would have ended his season.
The second overall pick in the 2021 draft, Wilson went 3-10 as a starter in his rookie campaign, throwing for nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Gabriel Jesus merely wanted an opportunity for regular football as he sought a move away from Manchester City to Arsenal.
Jesus opened his account for his new club in style on Saturday, scoring twice in a 4-2 victory over Leicester City.
The Brazil forward, who cost Arsenal a reported £45million in July, also assisted his side's other two goals.
He finished with statistics of seven shots, with three on target, and three chances created.
Jesus moved on from the champions in search of guaranteed game time, and he will no doubt get that at Arsenal should this form continue.
"A lot, a lot," Jesus told Premier League productions when asked how much he was enjoying his role at Arsenal.
"I was not unhappy at City, I just wanted to play and the club understood, and the manager.
"Sometimes players want to play, I’m the same. Here I come, train every day, with Eddie [Nketiah], who has a lot of quality and confidence to play as well. I think Arsenal have two good strikers."
Jesus also detailed his frustration at missing some gilt-edged chances – including an open goal late on – to net a hat-trick.
"Of course, for sure! I work all day every day to score goals, to help [the team]," he said when asked if he was disappointed not to get a third, referring to a brilliant chance he engineered for himself late in the second half after taking down Aaron Ramsdale's pass, only for Wilfred Ndidi to intervene.
"The ball from Aaron, I did well, and then I got to shoot, but the defender came back quick, and after I had another chance to score, so I am a little bit sad because of this.
"But I'm so happy, not just because of the goals but the way the team has played. In difficult moments, we conceded two goals, but we played well and tried always to score."
Jesus became the 12th different Brazilian player to score a Premier League goal for Arsenal, while he is the first player to score more than once on his home debut for the club in the competition.
With two assists as well, he was the first Arsenal player to both score and assist two or more goals in a Premier League game since Theo Walcott against Newcastle United in December 2012 (three goals, two assists).
Gabriel Jesus scored twice and set up another two goals as Arsenal made it two wins to start the Premier League season by beating Leicester City 4-2.
Jesus impressed without getting on the scoresheet in his competitive Gunners debut against Crystal Palace, but the former Manchester City striker delivered the goods on Saturday to make up for some questionable Arsenal defending.
The Brazil international's double put Arsenal into a commanding first-half lead, and he capped off a brilliant display with two second-half assists after Arsenal twice gifted Leicester some hope.
Granit Xhaka netted Arsenal's third following William Saliba's own goal, and after James Maddison struck through Aaron Ramsdale's legs to make it 3-2, Jesus set up Gabriel Martinelli to complete the scoring.
The post came to Leicester's rescue in the 20th minute when Xhaka headed against the upright, but their good fortune ran out when Jesus’ deflected effort curled in over Danny Ward.
Ir was 2-0 in the 35th minute, Jesus doubling his tally by nodding in unmarked from a corner.
With Jesus having twice come close to a third, Leicester thought they had a lifeline when Jamie Vardy went down under pressure from Ramsdale, yet referee Darren England overturned his decision to award a spot-kick after a VAR check showed there was little contact.
Saliba's blunder – an inadvertent header beyond Ramsdale – gave Leicester a route back into the match, but they conceded again just 106 seconds later.
Ward spilled what should have been a simple catch, and Xhaka was on hand to sweep home from Jesus' lay-off.
Maddison's crisp shot and poor goalkeeping from Ramsdale dragged Leicester back into it with 16 minutes remaining, yet Arsenal hit back swiftly again – Martinelli drilling in from the edge of the box.
Jesus struck the post with the goal gaping as a hat-trick chance went begging, but his key contribution on his home Premier League debut for the Gunners sealed all three points.
Kevin De Bruyne pulled the strings for Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday as he guided the champions to a 4-0 victory over Bournemouth.
The Belgium international bagged one goal and assisted another as Pep Guardiola's hosts delivered an imperiously composed performance at the Etihad Stadium in their first home match of the season.
Phil Foden matched the playmaker's involvement with a double goal contribution of his own, while Ilkay Gundogan also got in on the act against an outclassed Cherries side, who helped City out with an own goal to complete the scoring.
Scott Parker's men got their first season back in the top flight off to a winning start against Aston Villa last weekend, but this represented a significant step up.
A relentless start from City forced goalkeeper Mark Travers into a clutch of close-range stops, but Gundogan broke through when he played a superb one-two with Erling Haaland to cut into the box and fire a low finish home.
De Bruyne doubled the home side's lead just after the half-hour mark, taking on the Bournemouth defence before shaping a fine effort off the outside of his boot into the far corner.
And two soon became three as Foden's shot evaded Travers following some neat work down the left from De Bruyne.
The half-time whistle brought much-needed respite for the visitors, but they continued to struggle to get to grips with the might of City, who dominated possession throughout.
In scorching conditions, Guardiola's men turned in a more leisurely display after the interval, although a fourth goal eventually followed when the irrepressible Joao Cancelo saw a square ball diverted into the net by Jefferson Lerma.
Kylian Mbappe claimed it is a "big lie" to say players do not care about winning the Ballon d'Or as he named Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane as his main rivals for this year's award.
Mbappe was named on a 30-man shortlist to be named the best player in the world on Friday, having scored 39 goals in all competitions as Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 title last season.
No player across the top five European leagues matched Mbappe's total of 60 goal contributions across the 2021-22 campaign, although his France team-mate Benzema is the clear favourite after helping Real Madrid to the Champions League and LaLiga trophies.
In an interview with France Football, Mbappe, who has previously backed Benzema to win the award, acknowledged he was desperate to be named the world's best.
"I've always wanted to do it early, without limiting my dreams. I want to win it and I don't mind admitting it," he said.
"I am convinced that lifting the first one is the most complicated. Once you have officially entered that select group, it will be easier to revalidate it.
"It is a big lie that a footballer is not interested in the Ballon d'Or. It is hypocritical to say that.
"We all think about that. We talk about a team, and a collective, because in some way it serves to camouflage our ambition, but it is honest to admit that we care.
"For two years I have been a more real candidate for the award. Before, I was content to be in the top 10. Now, on the other hand, I am among the four or five most regular.
"We don't talk about the Ballon d'Or in January, but we make comments when the lists appear. Later, as the ceremony draws near, it's obviously a topic of conversation in the group. We make our bets, we debate our opinions."
Asked for his own top three, the striker said: "I think Benzema, Mane and me."
Mbappe's first Ballon d'Or nomination came in 2017, when then-Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat Lionel Messi and Neymar to the award.
And the 23-year-old said being among the hopefuls early on in his career gave him confidence that he would make it at an elite level.
"Frankly, it was an honour," he recalled. "I was barely of legal age and I was already associated with those great names. It may seem trivial, but it was something important. A real step forward in my career.
"Somehow it was a message that served to say that I was among the best. I accredited myself as an elite footballer in the eyes of the world, and it was significant to belong to that list at only 18 years old."
Meanwhile, the headline omission from 2022's list of nominees is seven-time winner and current holder Lionel Messi, who last failed to be nominated in 2005 – when Ronaldinho edged out Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in the voting.
As Mbappe recalled his PSG team-mate's victory last year, he said the Argentina star's nervousness on the eve of the gala demonstrated that his desire to be the best remains strong.
"The morning of the last gala he was nervous because a few hours later he was going to collect a seventh Ballon d'Or. Maybe he was thinking about what he was going to say, how he was going to lift the trophy," Mbappe said.
"I told him it is not possible to be restless after having been there six other times. I would have gone with a cigarette in my mouth!
"But that shows that he retains the soul of a child and that he is still excited to choose to be the best. He has not tired."
Tyson Fury has vacated The Ring Magazine heavyweight belt following the announcement of his retirement.
The Gypsy King has not fought since successfully defending his belts against Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April, where he immediately expressed his intention to retire.
Speculation continued to persist that Fury would return to the ring, with the winner of Anthony Joshua's rematch against Oleksandr Usyk touted as the likely opponent.
On Friday, his 34th birthday, Fury again reiterated his desire to retire and has now vacated one of his heavyweight titles.
"The Ring Magazine championship has always been the holy grail of boxing. They've been fantastic with me and I've always carried that title with pride," he told The Ring Magazine.
"The greatest moment of my career was winning the world championship (by outpointing Wladimir Klitschko) back in 2015.
"There's the great comeback after that with the three [Deontay] Wilder fights. There's been a lot of great highlights in my career – even the Dillian Whyte fight in front of 94,000 at Wembley. It doesn't get much bigger than that. And I went out with a bang."
While it is not the first time that Fury has stated he would retire, he has not previously vacated any heavyweight belts and has made it clear he will not disappear entirely – hinting at a Hollywood appearance.
"It was fun while it lasted. I had a good 14-year career. I actually boxed for 20 years, from 14 to 34 years old," he said.
"I've enjoyed it. I've enjoyed the ups and the downs. My career was an Indian summer that just kept giving.
"I've done well out of boxing. The world is open to so many things now. I'm doing a Netflix documentary at the moment. I'm going to be recording an album soon. Who knows, you might even see me on the silver screen."
Fury still holds the WBC heavyweight title and it is not known whether he will vacate that belt following his announcement.
Cristiano Ronaldo was named in Manchester United's starting XI for the first time this season as Erik ten Hag targeted his first win for the club away to Brentford.
Ronaldo started last weekend's shock 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on the bench due to concerns over his fitness.
The 37-year-old was absent for much of United's pre-season, missing their tour of Thailand and Australia for personal reasons amid widespread reports he wanted to leave.
Ten Hag has been adamant throughout his first few months in charge that United have been planning with Ronaldo for the 2022-23 season, ruling out a departure.
United will hope Ronaldo's return to the team coincides with an improvement in their fortunes on the pitch – with Anthony Martial injured, the Red Devils looked ineffective in attack against Brighton before the Portugal striker's introduction as the focal point.
Christian Eriksen started as a false nine against Brighton before reverting to a deeper role in the second half, and he was selected in midfield again upon his return to the Brentford Community Stadium.
The Dane spent the final months of last season at Brentford following his release by Inter, with his influential performances essentially earning his move to United.
Other than Ronaldo starting in place of Scott McTominay, Ten Hag named an unchanged team to the one beaten by Brighton.
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