Jamie Carragher has backed Erik ten Hag to improve Manchester United despite suffering defeat in his first Premier League game at the helm, claiming the Red Devils cannot perform any worse than last season.

Ten Hag cut a frustrated figure as his new side slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, with Pascal Gross' first-half brace handing the Seagulls their first win at Old Trafford.

That made Ten Hag the first United boss to lose his maiden Premier League game in charge since Louis van Gaal in 2014 (against Swansea City), and came off the back of a frustrating off-season for the side.

United have thus far failed to attract top transfer target Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, while they deployed Christian Eriksen as a false nine against Brighton with Cristiano Ronaldo only fit enough to appear from the bench.

Meanwhile, the club's transfer strategy has faced renewed criticism amid reports linking them with Bologna's Marko Arnautovic and Juventus' Adrien Rabiot.

But Liverpool legend Carragher has urged United's fans to keep faith with Ten Hag, claiming they can only improve on a dire 2021-22 campaign.

"No matter how poor Manchester United are at the moment, you would still expect them to beat Brighton at home," Carragher told Sky Sports on Tuesday.

"It just shows what a manager who has been in the job for two or three years and had that time to implement what he's about with his team can do – and you can see that with Graham Potter and Brighton. Manchester United are not at that stage right now with a new manager.

"I still think Manchester United will improve on last season. You can't see it getting any worse with their points that they got and the goals they conceded. The window's not closed, they've still got a couple of weeks to get some players in.

"There's criticism of the players they're trying to bring in, but I've been in that position myself at Liverpool when you're trying to chase the top teams and at times you have to think: 'Should I take a chance on this player?'

"Liverpool or Manchester City don't have to take those chances. That's the benefit of being successful. You can't judge the squad until the window's closed and you'll see where they go from there. 

"Ten Hag has got a great pedigree in what he did with Ajax and how good they were in the Champions League. He built two teams there, so you have to keep the faith with the manager."

United set several unwanted records as they finished sixth in the Premier League last term, posting their lowest points tally (58) and worst defensive record (57 goals against) in the competition's history.

Carragher's former club Liverpool also endured a frustrating start to the new campaign, having to come from behind twice in a 2-2 draw at newly promoted Fulham.

Jurgen Klopp also lost midfielder Thiago Alcantara to injury at Craven Cottage, but Carragher believes there is no reason for the Reds to panic amid calls for them to dip into the transfer market.

"Going a newly-promoted team for the first game of the season, with all the energy there for their supporters, is sometimes too difficult to stop," he said. "You expect a team of Liverpool's quality to be able to do that, but it just wasn't to be.

"We can't be too critical, it's the first game of the season. This team have produced so much and you can see that the quality is there. It's not the end of the world, there's still 37 games to go.

"Most people would say Liverpool's midfield could now be strengthened. It's not having a go at the midfield players that they currently have, it's just the age profile of some of the midfielders there, who are getting into their thirties.

"Liverpool's first-choice midfield – and the one that played at Fulham – is getting towards the 30-age mark. You think a younger and more energetic player at some stage is needed.

"I would only want Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool to do that if they get the midfielder they want. Liverpool's success in the transfer market has been down to not panicking.

"If there's no midfielder they want out there, don't get him. But if they feel there's one who has that quality and is available, I would like them to do it of course. But don't panic."

Robert Lewandowski believes playing under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich represented the ideal preparation for his move to Barcelona, as he compared Blaugrana boss Xavi to his former coach.

Guardiola was one year into a three-season tenure with the Bavarian giants when Lewandowski joined from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2014, with the striker scoring 67 goals in 100 appearances under him in all competitions. 

Having ended his Bayern career with 344 goals in all competitions, Lewandowski – one of several new faces at Camp Nou – scored for the first time in Barca colours three minutes into Sunday's 6-0 friendly thrashing of Pumas UNAM.

As Xavi looks to lead Barca to a title challenge in his first full season at the helm, Lewandowski identified similarities between with Manchester City manager Guardiola.

"Guardiola's philosophy and his style of caring for and managing the team, I think, basically was Barca at Bayern Munich," Lewandowski told Sport.

"Xavi is very similar to Guardiola. They were both 'sixes', they worked together. They think about football in the same way.

"With that memory in mind, Barca was the only option for me, and it was a great preparation when I was there.

"I didn't talk to Guardiola before signing. But when I was with him at Bayern, it was like a great preparation to get to Barca one day. 

"All the staff were Spanish, there were eight Spanish players. During that period, I had a very good relationship with Thiago [Alcantara] and Javi Martinez. Both of them congratulated me when I signed for Barca."

Lewandowski made his desire to leave Bayern clear on several occasions before finalising a move to Camp Nou and has reiterated his €45million transfer was primarily motivated by a wish to test himself in Spain.

"I feel like a small child who enters a huge store of new toys," he said. "What I feel in Barcelona so far is pure happiness and motivation to start this new chapter.

"In Munich, I was missing new challenges. I won many titles and I recognise that I felt less and less intensity. I needed another challenge, a boost, a change of environment.

"I've always wanted to play in LaLiga, live in Spain, see what life is like here. Twelve years in Germany is a long time. 

"I achieved everything there. I didn't want to stand in front of the mirror in 12 years and say to myself: 'Why haven't you tried?' There would be a lot of unanswered questions."

Lewandowski will hope to make his competitive Barcelona debut when they host Rayo Vallecano in their LaLiga opener on Saturday, with president Joan Laporta confident the Blaugrana will be able to register their new arrivals despite ongoing financial concerns.

Steven Gerrard's thoughts on the absence of defender Tyrone Mings should not have been made public by the Aston Villa head coach, believes former player Micah Richards.

The England defender was stripped of the Villa captaincy heading into the new Premier League season, with midfielder John McGinn handed the armband for the 2022-23 campaign.

And Mings was absent for the season opener at former club Bournemouth, where Villa fell to a 2-0 defeat against the newly promoted Cherries.

Speaking afterwards, Gerrard said he would select Mings again when he "looks me in the eye and shows that he's ready to play".

But Richards, who was a Villa player when Mings first arrived at the club, suggested Gerrard's comments had thrown his former team-mate "under the bus".

"I’m flabbergasted, to be honest, because Mings is well-loved by the dressing room by all accounts, and the Villa fans seem to love him as well," Richards said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"He tweeted when he lost the captaincy, and he seemed to take it well.

"It's not like Gerrard... he sort of threw him under the bus a little bit there. Normally, you agree with everything Gerrard says – he's straight to the point, direct, and he's a manager that will deal with anything internal in the dressing room.

"But he sort of put the feelers out there that there is a little bit more to be honest. Nobody would take losing the captaincy well, that's just a natural reaction.

"I just feel, for both Mings and Gerrard, they could have kept that internal.

"Maybe Gerrard was frustrated because they just lost the game, and he was asked the question so gave an honest answer, but normally he keeps that between the group. It's very interesting."

Leeds United have confirmed the signing of Joel Robles on a free transfer, with the former Everton and Real Betis player joining on a one-year deal.

The 32-year-old Spaniard is effectively a replacement for ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, who departed Elland Road by mutual consent earlier in July.

Robles, who achieved cult status as a member of the Wigan Athletic squad that won the 2012-13 FA Cup against Manchester City during a 13-game spell on loan from Atletico Madrid, was released by Betis after a four-year stint in Andalusia at the end of last season.

He previously spent five seasons at Goodison Park, having followed former Wigan and now Belgium boss Roberto Martinez to Everton, and will provide competition for Illan Meslier at Leeds.

Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi has apologised for his actions following the club's Coppa Italia exit on Monday, after the Italy star was involved in a heated spat with a Modena fan.

The Serie A side were eliminated by their Serie B hosts at Stadio Alberto Braglia, with their loss followed by the 28-year-old apparently chasing an opposing supporter outside the ground.

The footage went viral, but Berardi has now taken to social media to offer an explanation, suggesting his family had been targeted off the pitch to spark his ire.

"I want to apologise for what happened outside the stadium after the game against Modena," he wrote on Instagram.

"We are professionals and, above all, we must be examples for youths and kids. Today I didn’t behave as such.

"That's because the things that I love the most, such as my wife and my son, were deliberately involved off the pitch, hurting me deeply. I also renew my apologies to the opposing fans."

Matt Carpenter is bullish he still has a part to play for the New York Yankees this season, stating that "my mindset is that I'll be back" after fracturing his left foot.

The third baseman fouled off a slider from Seattle Mariners starter Logan Gilbert during the first inning on Monday, and is facing an indefinite spell on the sidelines.

Despite the loss of the 36-year-old, arguably in the best form of his league career for over half a decade, the Yankees still went on to a 9-4 victory to snap a season-worst five-game losing streak.

That solidifies their position atop AL East, and keeps them on track for a rosy postseason spot, though they will now almost certainly have to secure their berth without Carpenter.

But the ex-Cardinals man and three-time All-Star remains optimistic he will get back on the diamond before the close of the season, insisting he is not limiting himself on his return timeframe until he sees a specialist.

"I don't want to say a number because I just don't know, but I'm holding out hope that it'll be a situation where I could come back in the middle of September and can contribute towards a stretch run," Carpenter said.

"So we'll see. I mean, that's my mindset is that I'll be back."

Carpenter finished the at-bat after initially hobbling around, and struck out swinging on the next pitch, and admits it was likely a good thing he failed to make the connection, lest he worsen his injury.

"When I went to swing on the next pitch, as soon as I started to plant and rotate on that back foot, my lower body like gave out and I wasn't able to," he added.

"Thankfully, probably the best thing that happened was to swing and miss – because if I hit it and had to run, I might have made it worse. But I knew it wasn't good."

Carpenter becomes the latest major injury concern for the Yankees, who lost Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Severino, Michael King and Miguel Castro last month.

New York continue against the Mariners this week at T-Mobile Park, before heading back east on Friday to face the Boston Red Sox.

Aaron Judge ended his four-game home-run drought as the New York Yankees snapped their five-game losing skid with a 9-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday.

The Yankees, who are top of the American League (AL) with a 71-39 record, had been swept in a three-game series by the St Louis Cardinals along with two defeats to the Mariners at Yankee Stadium in their past five.

But they responded at T-Mobile Park from the outset, with Josh Donaldson hitting a first-inning two-run single along with a third-inning solo home run, sandwiched by Mitch Haniger's blast as the Yankees claimed an early 4-1 lead.

The Yankees pulled clear with three runs in the fifth inning, as Andrew Benintendi doubled on a line drive with Donaldson and Gleyber Torres scoring, followed by Benintendi from Isiah Kiner-Falefa's sac fly.

Judge, who leads the majors in home runs, RBIs, runs, slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging this season, re-discovered his form in the ninth inning after his recent lean stretch.

The Yankees outfielder had a close call with a high ball falling just short of the wall in the third inning, but blasted a solo home run in the ninth with a fly ball over deep center field.

The home run was Judge's 44th home run of the season, continuing his march to history with the AL single-season record of 61, from Roger Maris in 1961, within sight. It also ensures Judge's longest run without a home run this season remains seven games.

More Mets momentum with Reds win

The New York Mets kept up their momentum after winning four games in their five-game series against the Atlanta Braves with a 5-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Starling Marte crushed a two-run home run in the first inning off ex-Mets pitcher Justin Dunn, but Francisco Lindor was sensationally denied a fifth-inning blast by a leaping Albert Almora with a high catch on the wall. Tyler Naquin's eighth-inning two-RBI triple sealed the win.

Chris Bassitt sent down eight strikeouts across eight innings for the Mets, whose starters have pitched a league-best 2.21 ERA since July 5. The Mets have won 13 of their 15 games.

Orioles maintain Wild Card push

The in-form Baltimore Orioles boosted their AL Wild Card aspirations with a 7-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Home runs from Ramon Urias, Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays helped the O's clinch their sixth win from their past seven games.

Felix Bautista closed out the victory, with Bo Bichette grounding into a double play, as the O's improved to 57-52 in the AL Wild Card hunt behind the Blue Jays (60-49), Tampa Bay Rays (58-50) and Mariners (59-52).

Serena Williams highlighted the first day of the Canadian Open, defeating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3 6-4 for her first win since the 2021 French Open.

In doing so, Williams became the fourth player since 2000 to win a WTA-level main draw match after turning 40, joining sister Venus Williams, as well as Kimiko Date Krumm and Martina Navratilova.

She also claimed the all-time record for wins at the Canadian Open, with 35, now one more than Chris Evert.

"I guess there’s just a light at the end of the tunnel," Williams said after the match. "I don’t know, I’m getting closer to the light. Lately that's been it for me. I can’t wait to get to that light."

She added: "I love playing though, so it’s like amazing. But I can’t do this forever. Sometimes you just want to try your best to enjoy the moments and do the best that you can."

Williams' older sister Venus, 42, was beaten on Monday by Swiss Jil Teichmann 6-2 6-3 with the match finshing after midnight following a delayed start due to rain.

One of the three seeded players in action on Monday, 15th seed Simona Halep had no issues cruising through the challenge of Donna Vekic 6-0 6-2.

It was similarly smooth sailing for 14th seed Karolina Pliskova in her all-Czech showdown against Barbora Krejcikova, winning 6-3 6-4, while Latvian 16th seed Jelena Ostapenko handled the challenge of Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 6-4 6-2.

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina defeated in-form qualifier Marie Bouzkova 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-1, likely earning a shot at Coco Gauff if the American wins as a heavy favourite tomorrow, while Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Italy's Martina Trevisan 6-2 2-6 6-2 in a meeting of two top-30 players.

In a pair of all-American battles, Sloane Stephens edged Sofia Kenin 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 7-5, and world number 187 Asia Muhammad upset world number 25 Madison Keys in straight sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

Alize Cornet defeated her French compatriot Caroline Garcia 3-6 6-3 6-3, and Canada's Katherine Sebov was unable to get the job done in front of her home fans, going down 6-3 2-6 5-7 to Yulia Putintseva.

In better news for the Canadians, Leylah Fernandez won 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 over Storm Sanders, while veteran two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova was beaten by Alison Riske 6-2 4-6 6-3.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has played down the elbow injury troubling Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Stafford did not throw during Monday's training session during their spring workout as he continued to deal with elbow soreness which he described as "irritating" on Saturday.

McVay, however, insisted that the issue was not a major concern for the 34-year-old quarterback.

"[His absence was] part of the plan," McVay told reporters on Monday.

"We've always stayed true to the first day. This one is a three-day bucket. He'll work tomorrow and you'll see him do a similar workload to what he did last week."

The QB had declined to go into any detail about the extent of the elbow issue on Saturday, with McVay having admitted it was a "little bit abnormal" last week, leading to questions.

Stafford was crucial to the Rams' success last season following his off-season move from the Detroit Lions, becoming the third starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl in his first season with a team, joining Tom Brady (2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Trent Dilfer (2000 with the Baltimore Ravens).

Stafford played in all 17 regular-season games in 2021 and then played four postseason games, leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl title since returning from St. Louis.

He finished with 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season.

New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton exited Monday’s practice with a right knee injury that the team fears may be more serious than initially believed, according to reports.

The Associated Press reports that the Jets expect Becton, the team’s projected starting right tackle, to miss significant time after receiving results of an MRI. The 2020 first-round pick will undergo further testing Tuesday to determine the severity.

Becton missed nearly all of last season after dislocating his right kneecap in the 2021 opener, but reported to training camp healthy and in acceptable shape after also battling weight issues following surgery in September.

Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters following Monday’s practice that early indications were that Becton may have avoided a serious injury.

"The only thing I got is that (the knee) is stable and it seems fine," Saleh said. "That’s preliminary, obviously. We’re just going to get it checked for precautionary reasons. But as of now, it doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal, but knock on wood, hopefully that stays the case."

The 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft, Becton started 13 games at left tackle as a rookie and began last season at the position before getting hurt. The 23-year-old was moved to the right side this offseason with veteran George Fant, who took over left tackle following Becton’s injury, remaining in that spot.

Conor McDermott, who started two games at left tackle in 2021, is currently listed behind Becton on the Jets’ depth chart. Backup left tackle Chuma Edoga started 12 games at tackle, including seven on the right side, between 2019 and 2020.

Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori collected a big-name scalp on the opening day of the Canadian Open, defeating three-time grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka 6-3 3-6 6-3 on Monday.

Although the 37-year-old Wawrinka is no longer at his best – ranked 322nd in the world – he still put up a strong fight against his 23-year-old opponent, creating eight break point opportunities in the match while facing nine.

Ruusuvuori will play eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the second round in a tough matchup, while Slovakia's Alex Molcan will play fourth seed Casper Ruud after defeating American Mackenzie McDonald 7-6 (7-1) 6-4.

Molcan's advantage was in his serve, winning 74 per cent (49-of-66) of his service points compared to 59 per cent (49-of-83) for McDonald.

In a clash between a pair of top-30 talents, Russia's Karen Khachanov got the better of Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-3. He will play the winner between 13th seed Marin Cilic and Croatia's Borna Coric next.

Recent runner-up of the Atlanta Open Jenson Brooskby had no issues with Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, winning 6-2 6-3, and he will likely play Roberto Bautista-Agut in the second round as the Spaniard leads 7-6 (7-5) 2-1 with a break in the second set when a rain delay ended the day's play.

One of Canada's top hopes, Denis Shapovalov, will have his back up against the wall when his match resumes against Alex de Minaur, losing the first set 7-5, with the rain arriving in the middle of the second-set tiebreaker.

Jack Draper will head back onto the court with a set advantage against Hugo Gaston after winning the opener 6-2, although he will have to save a break point first up.

Just hours after reports came out detailing how Kevin Durant gave the Brooklyn Nets an ultimatum about his future with the franchise, team owner Joe Tsai has sensationally thrown his support behind general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.

In a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, it states Durant had a meeting with Tsai on Monday where he reiterated his trade request, as well as the bombshell that he will refuse to remain with the team unless Marks and Nash are both fired.

Durant, 33, is about to enter the first year of his four-year, $198million contract extension with the Nets, meaning there is no way for the two-time NBA Finals MVP to literally force his way out. To leave Brooklyn, the team will need to trade him, and there is no guarantee that is in their plans, despite Durant's requests.

In a clear statement of where his loyalty lies, Tsai tweeted: "Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets."

The Athletic's report also revealed the Nets "engaged in conversations with almost every team in the league" after Durant's initial trade request, but no team has been able to meet their asking price, which is said to be one of the biggest in NBA history.

The Boston Celtics, the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat are mentioned as the three teams most likely to aggressively pursue a trade, with 25-year-old Celtics wing Jaylen Brown considered the best player being included in negotiations.

Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has joined the club's sporting director Marco Di Vaio in suggesting 33-year-old Manchester United target Marko Arnautovic will remain in Italy this season.

Arnautovic arrived at Bologna ahead of the 2021-22 campaign after three years with Shanghai Port in China, and it proved to be a savvy move from the Serie A side as he netted 15 goals in 34 appearances – eight more goals than any of his teammates.

Speaking before Bologna's Coppa Italia clash against Cosenza, Di Vaio said Arnautovic is at the centre of what he is trying to accomplish this season, and that "it's not a question of money, it's priceless for what it represents for us" before adding "he has no market value".

After the match, Mihajlovic told the media he believes the club will hold on to the big Austrian.

"If he were to go away it would be a great loss," he said. "I would be happy for him, but I think he will stay in the end.

"We talked to each other, surely if he stays here he will train well and do what he has to do. If he goes away we will see, but I don't think so."

United reportedly have had a €9million offer turned down, while Arnautovic's agent has confirmed "it's true that there is an offer from a well-known club."