Arsenal's Jurrien Timber is the latest player to criticise the fixture schedule, saying he agrees with comments made by Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

City's Rodri, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Premier League clash against Arsenal earlier in September, warned of possible strike action as players face an expanded Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.

Timber missed most of last season with a cruciate knee ligament injury but has played in all six of Arsenal's Premier League games this term, and is expected to start against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"I totally agree with them," Timber told reporters when asked about Rodri's comments.

"It's a big topic in dressing rooms. I didn't play last season so I'm just enjoying playing now. I totally understand what they're saying.

"Definitely [players are more at risk]. I think it's honestly a dangerous thing. Even last week we played City and City played two days later. That's too much.

"I think it's a really good thing that the players are speaking out now. It doesn't look like it will be getting any less. We're trying to be there every game and give our best, but it gets harder and harder. Especially in England where there's no winter break."

Arsenal drew their opening Champions League group game away at Atalanta and face a PSG side that will be without forward Ousmane Dembele, who was dropped due to disciplinary issues.

But Mikel Arteta says PSG will nevertheless pose a huge threat.

"They are really tough. They dominate every phase of play. They have very clear intentions," Arteta said.

"When they don't have the ball they want it straight back and they confront you. That's Luis [Enrique].

"Anywhere he is, he plays the same context."

Hansi Flick will not be resting his key players as Barcelona take on Young Boys in the Champions League.

Barcelona's winning start in LaLiga came to a shuddering halt when they slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Osasuna on Saturday.

Flick said after that defeat that he had made too many changes.

And while he hopeful midfielder Frenkie de Jong can return as Barca look to bounce back after suffering two losses in 10 days, following their defeat to Monaco in their first Champions League match, he is still set to be without Dani Olmo, Ronald Araujo, Gavi and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

"We will play with the team we believe to be the best in order to beat Young Boys. The first game we lost, yes. But we must not be depressed," Flick told reporters.

"We have to recover our balance after the defeat at Osasuna. We have to build the game with fewer mistakes. Responsibilities must be assumed.

"We need fresh legs and Frenkie's return is great news. Even if it's just for five or 10 minutes. If he gets the chance, he'll play."

Young Boys will arrive in Spain following a 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa in their opening Champions League match at home.

Asked if the five-time European champions have lost respect after their defeat at Monaco, Flick said: "I am positive we can win, we play good football - entertaining football. And if we need to gain the respect of our opponents once again, we're going to work hard on that."

Flick added he is in contact with Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who has reportedly agreed to come out of retirement to help Barca following first-choice Ter Stegen's season-ending injury.

He added: "Yes, I spoke with him, but I'm not going to say anything more. If he signs for Barca in the next few days at the next press conference we can talk about the issue, but not now."

Bayer Leverkusen are "honoured" to take on a team with the pedigree of Milan, so says Xabi Alonso.

Milan made a poor start to the season, failing to earn a win in their opening three Serie A games while they also lost their Champions League meeting with Liverpool.

However, they have turned things around on the domestic front with three successive victories, including a 2-1 win over reigning Serie A champions and city rivals Inter.

Milan have won the European Cup/Champions League on seven occasions, and Alonso - who was part of the Liverpool side that famously overcame the Rossoneri on penalties in the 2005 final - says it is an honour to go up against one of the continent's great clubs.

"Fundamental for my career. After 20 years we still talk about that night," Alonso said.

"Then two years later we lost to Milan but that victory in 2005 was incredible. It was [nearly] 20 years ago, we have to think about tomorrow. Milan is still the history of the Champions League.

"I've always liked Milan. Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, and great players, and to play against them is a great honour for us."

Despite Milan's inconsistent start to 2024-25, Bundesliga champions Leverkusen know to expect a stern test.

"It's one of those games when you have to play smart. With the ball, without the ball, you have to be patient, you have to be ready, you have to be focused," Alonso said.

"An Italian team is always dangerous. They know how to have patience. They are ready to defend low or to play with possession.

"Milan don't have to be dominant to be dangerous. Sometimes they have good possession, sometimes they have good counter-attacks."

Leverkusen won 4-0 away at Feyenoord in their opening Champions League match, and Alonso is relishing playing in Europe's elite club competition in front of the home fans on Tuesday.

"We're excited that the Champions League is back in our stadium," he added.

"That we're back in this competition and that we're playing our first home game against a huge club in the history of football." 

Leverkusen are aiming to win their opening two games of a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2001-02, a season in which they would go on to reach the final.

Nick Cushing credited New York City's resilience after they inflicted a crushing derby loss on the New York Red Bulls, calling on them to carry that momentum into Wednesday's meeting with FC Cincinnati.

NYCFC were routed 5-1 by the Philadelphia Union just two weeks ago, but they responded by thrashing their cross-city rivals by the same scoreline on the road on Saturday.

That result lifted them to fifth in the Eastern Conference and within one win of sealing a playoff place, something their next opponents Cincinnati have already done.

Reflecting on NYCFC's last result, Cushing said: "I've got some things to say about the 5-1 loss. A lot of the way that I see that game is in a boxing metaphor. 

"I know there are many champion boxers that have been champion and have been knocked out in the first round, and they don't retire. They go back to the training ring. 

"They go back to the gym, and they come back and become champions again. It's difficult and you have to accept it. Now our focus turns to Cincinnati."

Cincinnati, meanwhile, have seen their hopes of retaining the Supporters' Shield all but extinguished after losing 1-0 at home to Los Angeles FC last time out.

With the MLS Cup now the Orange and Blue's target, Pat Noonan is focused on getting the best out of star midfielder Luciano Acosta, who has been battling a niggling injury.

Noonan said of Acosta: "The more games he gets, the better going into the playoffs. 

"He's had enough games and been back without physical limitations but obviously he did take that knock.

"A lot of times our attack does go through him and when he's on it, he's on it. It's just about us trying to find good spots for him."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City – Alonso Martinez

Martinez netted twice in NYCFC's derby rout of the Red Bulls last time out, pulling further clear at the top of the club's scoring charts for 2024 with 14 MLS goals. 

He also has five goals in New York's last three regular-season home games, last failing to net in such a match in late June.

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Acosta has 28 goal involvements (12 goals, 16 assists) in MLS this season, a tally only bettered by Portland Timbers star Evander (29 – 15 goals and 14 assists). 

No player can match Acosta's 98 chances created in the league this year, though, and he will be key if Cincinnati are to seriously challenge for the MLS Cup in the coming weeks.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

Cincinnati saw their four-game unbeaten run in MLS play (two wins, two draws) brought to an end with their defeat to LAFC last time out. 

They have gone unbeaten through their last five MLS matches against NYCFC, winning three and drawing two while outscoring their opponents 12-6 in those games.

However, NYCFC have only lost two of their last eight MLS games on home soil (four wins, two draws), versus the MLS Cup holders, the Columbus Crew, and the Union. A draw could be on the cards on Wednesday.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 36.7%

FC Cincinnati – 37.1%

Draw – 26.3%

Frank Klopas is keen for the Chicago Fire to end the season on a high note despite being eliminated from the playoff running, as they prepare to visit Charlotte FC on Wednesday.

A 1-1 draw with Toronto FC last weekend left Chicago on 30 points with two regular-season games remaining, bottom of the Eastern Conference and seven points adrift of the playoff picture.

They have now gone seven seasons in a row without making the playoffs, and with games against Charlotte and Nashville SC to come, are simply playing for pride.

"It's frustration because there was a slim chance and of course, you fight until the end," Klopas said. "Now that chance is gone and it's disappointing for all of us.

"But we're professionals and we have to regroup and finish strong. We have two games left and we have to go on the road and try to get a result to at least finish on a positive note."

Charlotte, on the other hand, occupy the East's final guaranteed playoff spot and boast a five-point cushion to their closest rivals after drawing 1-1 with Inter Miami last time out.

Dean Smith was delighted with the way they restricted Lionel Messi and company in that match, saying they had been working on an alternate gameplan for some time.

"We went there with a gameplan to restrict them centrally and make them go around the outside of us," Smith said. 

"They got through a couple of times but our production with the ball was really good. I do still think there's more to come on that, small details, but it was a pretty open game.

"That's something we've been working on, building as a back three and being comfortable on the ball, and we caused them problems all night."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang

Agyemang was limited to the role of substitute versus Miami but did score in Charlotte's last home game – a 4-0 thrashing of the New England Revolution. 

His eight goals in MLS this year is a team-high tally and he will be desperate to reach double figures before the season ends.

Chicago Fire – Brian Gutierrez

Chicago's lack of firepower has cost them in the playoff race, with the Fire only netting once in their last three MLS matches. Gutierrez, who has created a team-high 39 chances this season, could come into their lineup and have a positive impact here.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHARLOTTE FC WIN

Chicago have a simply terrible record on the road of late, losing five of their last six away matches in all competitions (one draw) including their last two in a row.

The Fire have lost six of their last eight away matches in MLS play since beating Toronto FC on June 16, and they also went down 1-0 to Charlotte on home soil in May.

With the visitors having little of substance to play for and Charlotte still looking over their shoulders in the playoff battle, the hosts go in as favourites.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Charlotte FC – 57.3%

Chicago Fire – 20.5%

Draw – 22.1%

Atlanta United's interim coach Rob Valentino says results are all that matter at this stage of the MLS season, with the Five Stripes and CF Montreal both in playoff contention ahead of Wednesday's head-to-head meeting.

Atlanta have drawn their last three MLS matches, sharing four goals equally with the Philadelphia Union last weekend, but they are just three points adrift of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Montreal, meanwhile, are only outside the playoff picture by virtue of goal difference, having thrashed the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0 on Saturday.

Asked how he rated Atlanta's playoff hopes with three regular-season games remaining, Valentino said: "We'll see. We've got a home game coming up now against Montreal, and that game is one we've got to win.

"At this stage, we've said to the players that it's just about winning games. We'll see at the end where we're at.

"But we think that last point could be massive. It's not the way we want it to be, not exactly, but the players are showing great fight. Every point is massive at this stage."

Montreal have taken 10 points from their last four league games after losing each of their previous three, with their upturn since the Leagues Cup break convincing midfielder Bryce Duke of their postseason credentials.

"I've been thinking that we can make the playoffs since day one, even though we were going through a tough stretch, and I still think we can make playoffs," Duke said.

"With the performances that we've been giving I think that's just showed you and all the people out there that doubted us that we can do it, that we can prove people wrong."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Atlanta United – Saba Lobjanidze 

Lobjanidze has two goals in his last three outings, including one versus Philadelphia on Saturday. No current Atlanta player can match his eight league goals this term, while his three assists are also a joint-high among Five Stripes players.

CF Montreal – Bryce Duke

Duke had two assists as Montreal thrashed the 'Quakes last weekend, for Josef Martinez and Caden Clark. No Montreal player can match his 38 chances created in MLS play this year.

MATCH PREDICTION – ATLANTA UNITED WIN

Laurent Courtois' visitors enter this game high on confidence following back-to-back wins, but their away record leaves plenty to be desired.

Indeed, they are winless in their last 12 regular-season road matches, drawing four and losing eight, while conceding multiple goals in each of their last eight on their travels.

Atlanta, meanwhile, have only lost one of their six home league games since June 2, going down to Nashville SC earlier this month (two wins, three draws).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Atlanta United – 52%

CF Montreal – 23.5%

Draw – 24.5%

Borussia Dortmund may have reached the Champions League final last season, but they will not be taking the visit of Celtic lightly, so says Nuri Sahin.

The last time Celtic made it past the group stage in the competition was in 2013, but they have made an impressive start to this season, winning all nine games across all competitions, including a 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava.

Dortmund, runners-up to Real Madrid last season, have won three of their last four games in all competitions, though they were hammered 5-1 by Stuttgart on September 22.

"We're talking about a team that hasn't lost a lot of games, that hasn't conceded in their own league, that was very dominant in their first Champions League game," Sahin told reporters ahead of Tuesday's match at Signal Iduna Park.

"I'm looking forward to it and to call them outsiders, that would be unfair to Celtic.

"What can I say about Celtic, a prestigious club with amazing talent in the club, a fantastic coach."

Sahin knows all about Celtic's manager, after his time under Brendan Rodgers as a player when he had a loan spell at Liverpool in 2012.

Although he only made seven league appearances for Liverpool before his loan came to a premature end and he moved to Dortmund for the second half of that season, Sahin says Rodgers was an influence on his own coaching career.

"I'm looking forward to it. We had a short time together, a lot of talks before the transfer and also during my spell there," Sahin said.

"I really enjoyed it. I found his training sessions and his idea of football very, very interesting. I also wrote down a lot for my coaching career back then.

"Tomorrow I think we'll see each other again after 12 years and I'm looking forward to the duel."

Defender Julian Ryerson and midfielder Jamie Gittens were both taken off during Friday's league win over VfL Bochum, but Sahin said they will be available for the meeting with Celtic, while Giovanni Reyna is still out with a groin strain.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffered an adductor injury in Sunday's derby draw with Atletico Madrid, the Spanish champions have confirmed.

Courtois struggled to kick with his left foot in the latter stages of the match at the Civitas Metropolitano, where he was earlier targeted with projectiles by a group of supporters.

Atleti ultras group Fondo Sur launched objects including cigarette lighters at Courtois when he celebrated Eder Militao's 64th-minute opener in front of the home fans.

The teams were taken off the pitch for over 15 minutes in response to that incident, with Angel Correa's stoppage-time strike later salvaging a 1-1 draw for the hosts.

On Monday, Madrid released an update on Courtois' condition, confirming he had suffered an adductor injury in his left leg and would be monitored.

Spanish media reports subsequently claimed he could miss around two weeks, which would mean sitting out Wednesday's Champions League trip to Lille and a home league game versus Villarreal on Saturday.

After the subsequent international break, Los Blancos go to Celta Vigo on October 19 before facing Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona in two huge home games the following week.

Defending champions Cavalier SC delivered a commanding 2-0 victory over a 10-man Waterhouse FC at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday, climbing to the top of the Jamaica Premier League standings. Early goals from Jalmaro Calvin and Dwayne Atkinson sealed the win, leaving Waterhouse struggling after goalkeeper Kemar Foster was sent off in the first half.

Cavalier wasted little time asserting their dominance. Calvin fired the opening goal in the 12th minute after Atkinson skillfully turned his defender inside out and set up Calvin to score from six yards out. The defending champions nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute, but Adrian Reid Jr couldn’t convert a free kick from close range.

Waterhouse’s fortunes worsened in the 32nd minute when a poor back pass from Nickoy Christian forced goalkeeper Kemar Foster into a last-ditch tackle outside the box, resulting in a straight red card. With substitute goalkeeper John Wilson brought on, the pressure mounted. Just three minutes after entering the game, Wilson's pass from the back was intercepted by Atkinson, who slotted home to make it 2-0.

Atkinson nearly added a third goal two minutes before halftime, rattling the crossbar after more defensive errors from Waterhouse. Despite being a man down, Waterhouse showed resilience in the second half, with Elvis Wilson coming close to pulling one back with a towering header that Cavalier’s goalkeeper Vino Barclett had to save at full stretch.

However, Cavalier continued to exploit Waterhouse’s defensive lapses, with Shaquille Stein hitting the post in the 55th minute after another error at the back. Waterhouse failed to mount a significant comeback, and Cavalier comfortably saw out the match to claim their second win of the season.

The victory lifts Cavalier to seven points, one ahead of Harbour View, who secured a 2-1 victory over Molynes United earlier in the day.

Elsewhere, Humble Lion were left frustrated after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Vere United at the Wembley Centre of Excellence. Dominating much of the match despite the wet conditions, Humble Lion took the lead in the 73rd minute through a penalty from Karim Bryan after Vere defender Michael Forbes was sent off for bringing down Andre Clennon in the box.

However, Vere, despite being a man down, fought back in the dying moments of the game. Substitute schoolboy Kishane Gordon found the back of the net in stoppage time, slotting home after a neat pass from Josiah Daniel to snatch a point for Vere United.

Harbour View made their return to their home ground at Compound a successful one, securing a 2-1 win over Molynes United. The victory moves Harbour View to six points, just behind Cavalier on the Jamaica Premier League table.

In the late game on Sunday, Arnett Gardens and Racing United played to a exciting 1-1 draw.

Antoine Griezmann has announced his retirement from international football, having amassed 137 caps over 10 years in the France setup.

Griezmann made his Bleus debut in a friendly against the Netherlands in March 2014 and went on to play a vital role for Didier Deschamps' side at six major tournaments.

Griezmann scored in the 2018 World Cup final as France beat Croatia to win their second crown in Russia, also shining as they reached the 2022 final, only to lose to Argentina.

The 33-year-old also helped his country win the 2020-21 edition of the Nations League and finished as the leading goalscorer at Euro 2016, where France were runners-up to Portugal on home soil.

In a video posted to his social media channels, Griezmann said: "It is with a heart full of memories that I close this chapter of my life. 

"Thank you for this magnificent tricolour adventure and see you soon."

Only Hugo Lloris (145) and Lillian Thuram (142) have won more caps for France than Griezmann, who is tied for third in their all-time appearance charts with Olivier Giroud.

His tally of 44 goals makes him the fourth-highest scorer in France's history, while he has also provided the most assists (30) of any Bleus player since records began in 1966.

Griezmann made 116 starts for his country, the third-highest total of any player in their history, while he also enjoyed a record-breaking run of 84 successive caps, which ended earlier this year when he missed his first France game in seven years – a friendly defeat to Germany in March.

He scored four times during France's triumphant run at the 2018 World Cup but made his most decisive impact at the European Championships.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo (14) and compatriot Michel Platini (nine) have bettered his total of seven goals at the Euros, six of which came in 2016 – only Platini (nine at Euro 1984) has ever scored more at a single edition of the tournament.

Griezmann's announcement comes one day after he brought up his 500th LaLiga appearance in Atletico Madrid's derby draw with Real Madrid, becoming only the second non-Spanish player to hit that milestone after Lionel Messi (520).

Sevilla icon Jesus Navas, meanwhile, is the only active player to make more appearances than Griezmann in the competition, playing 508 games.

Griezmann is just the eighth player overall to reach 500 LaLiga matches, with 285 of his appearances coming for Atleti, 141 for Real Sociedad and 74 for Barcelona.

Antonio Conte warned against complacency after Napoli ended a Serie A matchday top of the table for the first time since they captured the Scudetto in 2022-23.

Goals from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Napoli to a 2-0 home win over Monza on Sunday, taking them to 13 points from their first six league games under Conte.

Having gone through three head coaches as they finished a dismal 10th as defending champions last season, Napoli have now kept as many Serie A clean sheets under Conte (four) as they managed in their previous 31 outings in the competition.

They have also managed three successive shutouts for the first time since February 2023 and are guaranteed to end matchday six at the summit of Serie A.

Conte, however, says there is much work to be done and has warned the Partenopei's lack of European football, while allowing them more rest time, denies them a chance to build momentum.

"There is an advantage and a disadvantage of not playing in Europe – the advantage is that you can train the team all week, the disadvantage is that the squad is not as competitive as those that do play in Europe," Conte told DAZN.

"Having said that, we continue to work, we do it to make people's dreams come true but the reality is that we are too far away to make flights of fancy.

"We need to sweat every game, like we did today, and grow."

Having led Juventus, Chelsea and Inter to league titles soon after taking the reins, Conte knows there are grand expectations around his Napoli tenure but says they are in the early stages of a major rebuild.

"Not even three months have passed, the president [Aurelio De Laurentiis] is the first to have spoken of a total reconstruction," he added.

"[Victor] Osimhen and [Piotr] Zielinski left while I hear people talking about certain things.

"I know that there are high expectations for me because I have done important things. Let's let the fans dream, but I have to keep my feet on the ground.

"I hear people talking who know nothing about Scudettos. We have to speed up to get Napoli where they deserve to be, which is not in 10th place."

Erik ten Hag is not thinking about the possibility that Manchester United will sack him after their dreadful start to the season continued with Sunday's 3-0 loss to Tottenham.

United suffered yet another humiliating Old Trafford defeat on matchday six, with Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke scoring in a routine win for Spurs, while the Red Devils saw captain Bruno Fernandes sent off shortly before half-time.

Ten Hag's side were also beaten 3-0 by Liverpool on their last home Premier League outing, making this the first time they have lost back-to-back home league games without scoring since November 2021.

Those two matches – a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool and a 2-0 loss to Manchester City – proved to be Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's final home games in charge.

Meanwhile, United's seven points are 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 Solskjaer in 2020-21.

Despite speculation over his future continuing to grow, Ten Hag – who signed a new contract in pre-season – is not worried he will suffer the same fate as his predecessors.

Asked in his post-match press conference if he was worried about his future, Ten Hag said: "No, I am not thinking about this. 

"We all made this decision to stay together, as an ownership, as a leadership group in the summer, also we made decisions from a clear review about what we have to improve and how we want to construct a squad.

"But we knew it would take some time... how the window went, some players came in late like [Manuel] Ugarte. 

"Also, we have to make some improvements in our organisation, we have some injuries, we need some time.

"We are all on one page or in one boat together, the ownership, the staff and the players as well. I don't have that concern."

United fell behind to Johnson's opener within just 155 seconds, the earliest they have conceded in the Premier League since August 2023 versus Nottingham Forest (88 seconds).

Having gone 2-0 down within two minutes of the restart, United conceded in the first three minutes of both halves in a single Premier League match for just the second time, also doing so against Leeds United in February 2023.

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 City in October 2011 (an infamous 6-1 loss at Old Trafford), have United given up a greater quality of chances in a Premier League match.

Speaking in his role as a Sky Sports pundit, former United defender Gary Neville slammed their performance, saying: "Today has shocked me, how low they've gone. It was a really bad one.

"I know that David Moyes had some bad ones in the early days, so has Ole along the way, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ralf Rangnick... but that felt like one of those days where they sank really low. It's one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag. And that is saying something. It is really bad."

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Sunday's derby draw with Atletico Madrid could prove to be an important result in the future, despite their last-gasp concession.

Madrid were on course to move within a point of Barcelona – who saw their unbeaten start to the season ended by Osasuna on Saturday – in LaLiga when Eder Militao opened the scoring after 64 minutes.

However, after a 15-minute stoppage due to members of the crowd throwing objects at Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Angel Correa snatched a 95th-minute leveller for Atleti.

The Argentine's strike was the first stoppage-time goal scored by Atleti in a Madrid derby this century, as both teams maintained their unbeaten starts to the campaign.

Ancelotti was frustrated to drop two points but feels the result was still a positive one, telling reporters: "It is hard to cope with a draw when we were very close to winning.

"It can happen, the opponents are very strong and have a lot of quality. Their goal was in the last minute, it's a pity. We controlled the game well, we came close.

"But I always like to think positively. We've won a point away from home and we are a point closer [to Barcelona].

"The dynamic is good, we are in contention and we don't despair, a draw here can mean a good point for the future."

Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer took both teams off the pitch in the aftermath of Militao's opening goal as objects rained down from the stands, causing Atleti boss Diego Simeone to say Los Colchoneros "do not need these people".

Ancelotti hailed the officials' reaction to the incident and said the stoppage had not affected the flow of the game, adding: "I don't think it helped Atletico, it affected us both equally.

"We all wanted to play. The decision to stop the match was the right one. The referee said that lighters were thrown and that he had stopped the match twice, if they threw another one, he had to suspend it.

"I think it was a correct decision by the referee. It had to stop, a few things were sorted out, and we started again. Obviously, none of us liked the situation. Everyone wanted to play. The referee acted well."

Diego Simeone slammed Atletico Madrid's ultras after violence caused Sunday's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid to be temporarily halted, though he also feels players who provoke fans should be sanctioned.

Atleti and their cross-city rivals both maintained their unbeaten starts to the season as they played out a fiery draw at the Civitas Metropolitano, with Angel Correa's stoppage-time goal cancelling out Eder Militao's 64th-minute opener.

Militao's goal precipitated violent scenes as the ultras group Fondo Sur hurled objects including cigarette lighters at visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. 

That caused referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer to take both teams off the pitch for 15 minutes, as Simeone and Atleti captain Koke approached the stands in a bid to placate fans.

After the delayed match finally ended level, with Atleti also seeing Marcos Llorente sent off nine minutes into stoppage time, Simeone told DAZN: "My opinion is that people who have committed incidents should be sanctioned by the club. We don't need these people. We need the people who accompany and support us."

He was also critical, however, of Courtois' celebrations, adding: "They harm the club, but be careful: that does not justify generating situations that we, the protagonists, generate.

"We all have to help. The people who have thrown those lighters, it's not right. But maybe it doesn't help when us, the protagonists, undermine people, charge against people, provoke people and then people get angry.

"People have no other way of doing it, in a bad way, which is not right, but we also have to try to be calm, to understand the situations.

"You can celebrate a goal by celebrating it, but not by celebrating it by staring at the stands, charging against the stands, making gestures... because then people get angry.

"Of course it's not justified, but neither is the initial thing justified because otherwise we'll always be victims. The one who throws the cigarette lighter should be sanctioned and the one who provokes should also be sanctioned. 

"This way there is no more laughter and things like that; as you are not sanctioned, you are allowed to do things."

Atletico later released an official statement saying they have already identified one fan who hurled objects onto the pitch and are working with police to identify others.

"Atletico de Madrid wishes to express their rejection of the throwing of objects from a section of the south stand in the 68th minute of the match against Real Madrid," the statement read. 

"The club's security department has been working together with the police to locate those involved, one of whom has already been identified.

"The club will apply the internal regime foreseen for very serious cases to the people involved in this incident. 

"These attitudes have no place in football and tarnish the image of a stadium that has experienced a spectacular atmosphere with more than 70,000 spectators in the stands, the vast majority of whom have shown exemplary behaviour." 

Ange Postecoglou has hailed his "outstanding" Tottenham side after their dominant 3-0 victory over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Spurs took the lead after three minutes through Brennan Johnson and gained a numerical advantage just before the break as Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a high tackle on James Maddison.

Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke secured the three points in the second half, as they had 24 shots (10 on target) and created 4.67 expected goals (xG).

They also created nine big chances, the joint-most ever recorded in a Premier League match, as they extended their unbeaten run over United to four games in the competition.

Postecoglou was impressed with his team's performance across the 90 minutes, particularly with their fast start.

"I thought it was an outstanding performance," Postecoglou told BBC Match of the Day. "We started the game well, scored a great goal and probably should have had two or three.

"The pressure then overwhelms them, and they get the red card. After that, I thought we controlled the game well. Just an outstanding effort from all the lads.

"I don't know about frustrated [about not getting more goals], but I am only human. More for the players themselves. We played some unbelievable football, and you want them to get the rewards.

"Every game you always want to start well, but it doesn't always happen. I told the boys that in the last two games, we conceded in the first 20 seconds against Brentford and then had a man sent off in the first eight minutes, so it is about dealing with what you have out there.

"That is our fourth win in a row, and we have won them in different ways, but always stayed true to our principals and the way we want to play football."

Johnson also struck the post in the first half and got the assist for Kulusevski's strike just two minutes into the second.

He has now scored in consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time in his career (79th app on Sunday), while he has netted four times across all competitions this season – just one fewer than he managed in 34 games for Tottenham last term (five).

"Yes, that [starting fast] is what we do, it is what the manager talks about all the time," Johnson said.

"We are not a team that takes 10-15 minutes to get into a game because that's not the way we play. From minute one we have to be at the opponent so that they know they are in a game, and it just brings out the best in us.

"If we can get a game with good intensity, it suits us so much, and if we can score early on then even better because it means teams have to open up a bit.

"[Winning four in a row] is a sign of intent from us. I think, whatever competition it is important to get the wins.

"We came here with a clear game plan but at the end of the day, we had to win. We can play as well as we can, but if we don't come away with the win, then it's all for nothing - we have learned that a few times this season, so to win and get a clean sheet, it's a great day."