Erik ten Hag questioned Manchester United's mentality after starting their Europa League campaign with a 1-1 draw against FC Twente on Wednesday. 

Christian Eriksen's stunning opener was cancelled out by Sam Lammers' 68-minute strike, with United's Danish midfielder losing possession cheaply in the build-up. 

It means the Red Devils have now failed to win their opening major European match in each of the last four seasons, losing in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 and now drawing on Wednesday.

Ten Hag's side have also struggled when scoring the first goal in Europe, winning just one of their last six matches in the Champions League and Europa League when opening the scoring. 

It was a contest dominated by the hosts, with United recording 19 shots to their opponents' seven, but the Red Devils ultimately lacked the clinical edge in the final third. 

Twente, albeit second best, took their chance in Wednesday's game when it came their way, and Ten Hag accepted the opposition went the extra yard.

“It was the game of their life, they fought for every yard, and we didn’t,” Ten Hag said, as quoted by The Athletic.

“Ninety-nine per cent is not enough, you have to give 100 per cent, you have to kill the game and finish it off.

"We are leading 1-0, but you have to go for the second goal, then you kill the game.

“We have to be more clinical in such situations. I don’t think tonight was the only problem. We have to keep going, being consistent. That is also a question of mentality.

“[The] mentality is very good from this team. I saw how in many games how high our work rate is, but today I have some criticism.

“But it is not only the team, I have to look in the mirror as well. I am part of it.”

Goalscorer Eriksen, who endured an indifferent game on his 100th European appearance, also had some stern words for his team-mates after the final whistle. 

The Dane questioned United's desire in their underwhelming display, suggesting that Twente "wanted it more" at Old Trafford. 

“Mostly disappointed as a team, I think obviously we wanted more but in the end it was far from good enough,“ Eriksen said.

“They looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right.“

“Everyone is professional footballers, they know what to do and know what can’t happen and a game like today, obviously we don’t lose, but it feels like a loss.

"That’s something that, at home, against Twente can’t happen.“

Despite Barcelona maintaining their perfect start to the LaLiga season with a 1-0 win over Getafe on Wednesday, head coach Hansi Flick insisted they can improve.

Robert Lewandowski's 19th-minute strike was enough to secure the win for the Blaugrana, but the hosts should have won by a more comfortable scoreline. 

At the end of the contest, Barca accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 1.92 from their 15 shots, but only four of those were on target. 

But Flick, who became the third Barca coach to win his first seven LaLiga games after Gerardo Martino in 2013 and Ernesto Valverde in 2017, insisted his side were still very much a work in progress. 

"To get seven wins is perfect, but we have to do some things better," Flick said. 

"Today we had a very good mentality. For me it's a good starting point to improve. 

"I've been told that it's always like that against Getafe, they are very good in defence, but I'm very proud of my players and how they fought for 95 minutes."

The result saw Barca extend their lead to rivals Real Madrid at the summit of the standings to four points ahead of facing Osasuna this weekend. 

It was also a straightforward game for the hosts' stand-in goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who kept a clean sheet and was forced to make just one save during the contest. 

Pena replaced Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks after the German international came off injured during Barca's 5-1 win over Villarreal last week. 

The extent of Ter Stegen's injury was confirmed shortly after, with the 32-year-old undergoing knee surgery on Monday and he is now expected to miss the rest of the season. 

Reports suggest that Barca are considering welcoming Wojciech Szczesny as an emergency back-up, despite the Pole calling time on his career earlier this year. 

However, Flick refused to discuss those rumours linking Szczesny to a shock move to the Camp Nou. 

"I only speak of the players we have in the team. Inaki Pena is our number one goalkeeper and I'm happy. This is what it's worth," Flick said.

"We have Inaki Pena who is 25-years-old but the rest of the goalkeepers are very young, so if something happens we have to have experience."

Arne Slot is "still learning" about his Liverpool players day by day as they prepare for Saturday's Premier League clash with Wolves at Molineux.

The Reds suffered a shock 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, but they have otherwise impressed with four wins from five.

Add an away win at AC Milan in the Champions League into the mix and Slot has made a near seamless start since succeeding Jurgen Klopp.

The Dutchman has been pleased with the mentality of his players, who he is still getting to know in the early stages of his tenure.

"Before the [Bournemouth] game I actually told the players that I am still learning from them day by day," he told the club website.

"I had already seen their reaction to the defeat against Nottingham Forest and this was very positive, but reacting to a big win against one of Europe’s most historical clubs is also a test in its own way.

"We had faced a similar situation after beating Manchester United and we followed that up with the loss to Forest so it was very pleasing to see us cope with these kind of challenges the way we did."

Liverpool are second in the Premier League with 12 points from five matches, while Saturday's opponents Wolves are bottom with one point.

The pressure is growing on boss Gary O'Neil following a fourth defeat in five outings at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend.

Not helped by news of defender Yerson Mosquera being ruled out for the season, Wolves now face a daunting test against Liverpool.

And O'Neil wants to see his players put on a fighting display in order to claw themselves off the foot of the table.

"We're not going to dominate games against Aston Villa and Liverpool," he said. 

"We need to behave and act like a team scrapping for everything. We have to make sure we are better when it gets tough."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves - Matheus Cunha 

Cunha gave Wolves a lead they squandered against Villa last time out for his second goal in five Premier League appearances this season.

Indeed, eight of his past 13 goals have either put his side ahead (twice) or drawn them level (six times), while his 21 goal involvements since the start of 2023-24 is the most of any Wolves player in the Premier League.

Liverpool - Luis Diaz

Diaz has hit a rich patch of form for Liverpool, having scored five goals and assisted another in his last four Premier League appearances.

That includes a multiple-goal haul in two of his last three games, which is one more than he managed across his first 69 games in the competition.

MATCH PREDICTION - LIVERPOOL WIN

Wolves head into this contest badly out of form and have lost more Premier League games against Liverpool than they have any other opponent (16).

In fact, they have lost 14 of their past 15 such encounters, the exception being a 3-0 home win in February 2023.

Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in 65 per cent of their Premier League games against Wolves (13/20) and will fancy their chances of registering another shutout this weekend.

The Reds have kept a clean sheet in five of their past six league games stretching back into last season, which follows a run of conceding in each of their previous 10.

The opposite is true for Wolves as they are on the joint-longest run without a clean sheet in the division, failing to keep out the opposition in each of their past 17 top-flight games, level with Southampton.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves - 15.4%

Liverpool - 65.6%

Draw - 19%

Liverpool's squad revel in the competition that quality players bring, so says Arne Slot.

The Reds ran riot to beat West Ham 5-1 in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, teeing up a fourth-round meeting with Brighton.

Slot, who has won all but one of his seven matches in charge of Liverpool, made plenty of changes for the tie, and though his team fell behind, they responded in emphatic fashion.

Diogo Jota scored twice to turn the match on its head, with Mohamed Salah slamming home a third before West Ham capitulated following Edson Alvarez's red card – Cody Gakpo netting a late double.

And Slot believes his players are only charged up by the competition within the squad.

He told Sky Sports: "Players like to play, especially if you're winning. They like to be part of a winning group.

"You know if you play at Liverpool, you play with quality players. It fires them to get the best out of each other."

Liverpool finished with 2.55 expected goals (xG) to West Ham's 0.57, getting 21 of their 11 shots on target and creating six big chances.

Reflecting on his side's display, Slot said: "If you're facing a team like West Ham, with a lot of quality, you know they can threaten you as well, they scored from a set-piece, they threatened us from set-pieces. Every [Premier League] team has quality players, it's never as easy as the scoreline shows.

"In the end, we got numbers in our own 18-yard box, we did it really well. 

"I do feel we had control. We had a large part of the possession, we had a few chances before we made it 3-1 through Mo, which was a great team goal, and he was so eager to score that he played the ball across and then followed the run and scored a great goal, then it was Cody time."

Gakpo had a team-leading six shots, and Slot was thrilled with his compatriot's performance.

"He deserved that, like the others deserved it as well," the Dutchman added. 

"It was good to see – Cody has such a fantastic shot, we have to get him in those situations. Apart from that, he had an important clearance in our box, that's what I like to see – quality with the ball, work rate without the ball."

Girona coach Michel said his side deserved more after they drew 0-0 with Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga.

Winless in four consecutive games in all competitions, last year's surprise challengers Girona dominated proceedings with over 70% of possession but were wasteful, missing several clear chances.

Indeed, Girona had three big chances (defined by Opta as an opportunity from which a player would reasonably be expected to score), and accumulated 2.22 expected goals (xG).

Michel said: "Football is about goals and we didn't score. But the team was fine out there, we were able to push Rayo back against the ropes and played a very good game.

"The team deserved to win, I approve of the team's performance today. I have no doubts. We lacked quality and determination up front, but we generated enough to win today.

"They didn't put us under pressure, they didn't steal from us and we had three or four very clear chances to score. On Saturday's 2-0 loss against Valencia we weren't good, we didn't generate anything and I was worried.

"Today we did, perhaps not as much for what we could have had, but we did spend a lot of time in the attacking zone. With the flow of play we had, we should have shot 25 times, not only 12."

Girona are 12th in the standings on eight points, 13 behind leaders Barcelona. They visit ninth-placed Celta Vigo on Sunday before hosting Feyenoord in the Champions League next week.

Wolfsburg hammered Fiorentina 5-0 on Wednesday to secure their spot in the group stage of the Women's Champions League.

The two-time Champions League winners, who won 7-0 away from home in the first leg, completed a 12-0 aggregate rout to qualify in emphatic fashion.

Fenna Kalma needed just three minutes to get the ball rolling, with Vivien Endemann grabbing a double before substitutes Jule Brand and Tabea Sellner got in on the act.

The match facts were bleak for Fiorentina, who allowed 21 shots on goal, nine on target and 4.23 expected goals against (xGA).

Swedish side Hammarby, meanwhile, shocked Benfica to win 2-0 in Portugal and secure a 3-2 aggregate triumph, with Cathinka Tandberg scoring the decisive goal deep in second-half stoppage time.

Valerenga dispatched Anderlecht 3-0 to seal a 5-1 aggregate success, while Galatasaray needed extra time to beat Slavia Prague 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate).

Tottenham's clash with Manchester City is the pick of the bunch from the EFL Cup fourth-round draw.

City sealed their progress from round three by beating Watford 2-1 at home on Tuesday, while Spurs overcame Coventry City last week.

The Premier League heavyweights will go head-to-head for a place in the quarter-finals, while holders Liverpool face a tough trip to in-form Brighton.

Manchester United, who were in Europa League action on Wednesday, were drawn against Leicester City. Chelsea will face the winner of AFC Wimbledon's postponed match with Newcastle United, which will take place at St James' Park next week.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace will face off in another all-Premier League encounter, while Southampton and Brentford were drawn at home against Championship opposition in Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City respectively.

Arsenal, 5-1 victors over Bolton Wanderers, will visit Preston North End.

Fourth-round draw in full:

Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday

Southampton v Stoke City

Tottenham v Man City

AFC Wimbledon / Newcastle United v Chelsea

Man Utd v Leicester City

Brighton v Liverpool 

Preston North End v Arsenal 

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace 

Robert Lewandowski's first-half strike proved enough as LaLiga leaders Barcelona overcame Getafe 1-0 on Wednesday.

Hansi Flick's side were wasteful at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, but ultimately got over the line to make it seven league wins out of seven matches to start the season.

Barca were without a glut of stars due to injury, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is set to be out for the rest of the season, joining Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen on the treatment table.

The Blaugrana also rested Pedri, though his absence was not felt as Lewandowski pounced on David Soria's error to put the hosts ahead after 19 minutes.

Barca had 16 attempts in total and mustered 1.92 expected goals, yet could not find a second to put the result beyond all doubt.

Winless Getafe, though, could not make Barca pay as they slipped to a fourth defeat of the season.

Data Debrief: Lewy breaks Getafe duck

Lewandowski's winner was his first goal against Getafe in LaLiga, at the fourth attempt. He had seven shots across his previous three league appearances against them without finding the net.

Flick, meanwhile, is the third Barca coach to win his first seven LaLiga games, after Gerardo Martino in 2013 and Ernesto Valverde in 2017.

Getafe coach Jose Bordalas, on the other hand, has lost 10 of his 13 games against Barca in LaLiga (W1 D2). Only against Real Madrid (11) has he suffered more defeats in the competition.

Manchester United got their Europa League campaign off to an underwhelming start as FC Twente fought back to draw 1-1 at Old Trafford.

Christian Eriksen opened the scoring on Wednesday with a fine finish beyond Lars Unnerstall, before giving the ball away cheaply to allow Sam Lammers to ensure a share the spoils at Old Trafford. 

The hosts almost found themselves a goal behind early on when Lammers failed to turn home Bart van Rooij's inviting delivery with Andre Onana well beaten. 

But Erik ten Hag's side took control and got the goal their dominance merited, with Eriksen rifling a fierce strike into the roof of the net for only his sixth United goal. 

However, against the run of play, the visitors drew level when Eriksen turned into trouble, with Lammers picking the Dane's pocket before finishing at the near post. 

Twente had their goalkeeper to thank in preserving their point late on, with Unnerstall producing a remarkable save to keep out Harry Maguire's deflected header. 

Data Debrief: United's European struggles continue

While Eriksen endured an indifferent game at Old Trafford, the midfielder became the third Danish player to score for the Red Devils in major European competition, along with Peter Schmeichel and Rasmus Hojlund, on his 100th European appearance. 

However, United have now failed to win their opening major European match in each of the last four seasons, losing in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 and now drawing on Wednesday.

Ten Hag's side have also struggled when scoring the first goal in Europe, winning just one of their last six matches in the Champions League and Europa League when opening the scoring. 

Liverpool came from a goal down at Anfield to thrash 10-man West Ham 5-1 and book their place in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

The victory piles more misery on Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui, who has endured a frustrating start to his tenure.

EFL Cup holders Liverpool did not have it all their own way, as they fell behind to Jarell Quansah's own goal in the 21st minute.

West Ham's lead lasted only four minutes, though, with Diogo Jota heading home from close range to restore parity.

Jota doubled up shortly after half-time, tucking in after fine work from Curtis Jones, though West Ham were left angered after their appeals for a Joe Gomez handball at the other end were dismissed.

Mohamed Salah slammed home a third after replacing debutant Federico Chiesa, and any hopes of a West Ham comeback were ended when Edson Alvarez received a second yellow card.

A West Ham capitulation followed – Cody Gakpo scoring twice in the space of three minutes to ensure Liverpool replicated the 5-1 victory they claimed over the Hammers in the quarter-finals last season.

Data Debrief: Reds burst Hammers' bubble... again

Liverpool have lost just one of their last 57 home games against West Ham in all competitions (W42 D14), a run stretching back to 1964 – that sole loss came in August 2015 in the Premier League (0-3).

The Reds' dominant victory on Wednesday means the EFL Cup holders have not failed to reach the fourth round of the competition since 2013-14, when Swansea City lost to Birmingham City.

Ethan Nwaneri marked his first Arsenal start with a double as the Gunners swept aside League One side Bolton Wanderers 5-1 in the third round of the EFL Cup. 

While Nwaneri was one of the youngsters included in a line-up that featured 16-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter, it was one of Arsenal's senior players that opened the scoring at Emirates Stadium, with Declan Rice curling in from the edge of the area.

The Gunners doubled their advantage eight minutes before the break, with Nwaneri sliding home to net his first senior Arsenal goal after being found by Raheem Sterling.

Nwaneri netted his second of the contest soon after the restart, with the youngster capitalising on a mistake by Chris Forino before squeezing the ball under Luke Southwood. 

Mikel Arteta's side were however undone by a free-flowing counter-attack from the visitors as Aaron Collins raced clear, rounded Porter and coolly slotted home to give the travelling fans something to cheer.

But their celebrations were short-lived, with Sterling scoring his first Arsenal goal before substitute Kai Havertz rounded off the rout.

Data Debrief: A nod to the future

Prior to this game, Nwaneri had made just three appearances for Arsenal, but this performance showed that his future is bright.

The 17-year-old scored with both of his shots on target, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.67 to the Gunners' 2.95 total, with only Sterling (0.85) managing more. 

In his club career, Sterling has now started a game alongside players born 30 years apart – Jamie Carragher in 2012-13 (born January 1978) and Porter (born July 2008) – before he has turned 30 himself, and he will be delighted to have opened his Gunners account.

Girona missed the chance to climb the early-season LaLiga standings after being held to a goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano on Monday. 

A dominant first-half saw the hosts enjoy 69.1% possession, but register just one shot on target, with Yaser Asprilla unable to test Augusto Batalla. 

The Colombian again went close after the break, striking a fierce left-footed effort that cannoned off the crossbar as Girona continued to ramp up the pressure. 

Cristhian Stuani missed two golden opportunities to net his third league goal of the season late on, firing both efforts from close range off target. 

The hosts continued to push for a first win in four games in all competitions, but Miguel Gutierrez and Yangel Herrera were unable to find the back of the net. 

Girona almost found themselves behind in the 88th minute when Alvaro Garcia was put through, but he was unable to score with just Rayo Vallecano's second strike of the contest. 

Data Debrief: Blanquivermells fire a blank, again

After pushing Real Madrid all the way for the LaLiga title last year, Michel's side have managed just two wins from seven league games, scoring once in their last four fixtures in all competitions. 

The departure of last season's top scorer, Artem Dovbyk, has left a huge hole at the top end of the pitch, with Girona registering an expected goals (xG) total of 2.22 from their 11 shots, only one of which was on target. 

Girona also missed three big chances at the Estadi Municipal de Montilivi, with their fortunes in front of goal needing to improve if they are to replicate last campaign's heroics once again.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is focusing on returning to action as soon as possible and feels fortunate his injury is not worse than it is.

Odegaard injured his ankle while on Norway duty two weeks ago and has missed Arsenal's three matches since, including Wednesday's EFL Cup tie with Bolton Wanderers.

Mikel Arteta confirmed this week that the midfielder will be "out for a while", but no timeframe has been given for his recovery.

Addressing his lay-off for the first time, Odegaard admits he was scared by the severity of the damage when first sustaining the injury.

"It was a bad twist to my ankle, and I damaged some ligaments there, but it’s part of football and now I'm just trying to recover as quickly as I can," he wrote in his programme notes for the Bolton tie.

"I'm moving forward, making progress and I'm feeling more positive every day. I'm  working hard and my only thought is to get back as soon as possible.

"I'm at the Sobha Realty Training Centre basically every day now, working hard and doing everything I can do to get better.

"I have to be careful not to push it too much, but at the same time do what I can to make sure I come back as strongly and quickly as possible. 

"I'm trying to support the team in a different way now, if I can't be on the pitch. That's my situation, and I have to make the best out of it.

"It's something I’m not used to. I've been quite fortunate, if that’s the word, or have done well to avoid injuries in the past, but this is football and I have to get on with it. 

"I think it was unfortunate to get the injury in the way that I did, but also it could have been worse. It was not a nice twist, and when it happened I felt it could be serious. 

"I've injured my ankle before and the pain felt a bit different this time. That's what scared me, but from what happened it could have been worse, so in that sense I got away with it a bit."

Odegaard started his side's opening three Premier League games and, while he has yet to register a goal or assist, he proved influential with five chances created - a tally only Bukayo Saka (eight) could better among Arsenal players.

Reports suggest the former Real Madrid player could return to action after the October international break, but the 25-year-old is himself still unsure how long he will be out.

"Like any player, the first thing I asked the medical team was how long I would be out for, but it's a bit tricky to say at the moment," he said. 

"In the early stages, it's crucial to get a proper rest and to make sure everything heals well. After that it’s about getting stronger and building it up again."

Arsenal follow up their EFL Cup third-round tie against Bolton with home games against Leicester City and Southampton in the Premier League, plus Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, prior to the international break.

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has confirmed Leah Williamson will miss Thursday's Women's Champions League second-round tie against Hacken due to concussion protocol.

Williamson did not feature in the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, and is one of three absentees unavailable for the must-win game with Hacken at Meadow Park. 

Eidevall also revealed that both Steph Catley and Lina Hurtig will also miss the game against the Swedish side. 

The visitors hold a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg, with Tabitha Tindell's goal enough for the victory at the Bravida Arena last week. 

"I don't have a timeframe on Leah's injury at the moment. It's guided by our medical team," Eidevall said. 

"When I have something more concrete to communicate, I will do that. She sustained the concussion during an incident in training.

"If we don't qualify, I would definitely consider that a failure. We need to get into the groups."

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has voiced his concerns about the increased workload on players, saying his fellow professionals are "not robots". 

Son has become the latest player, after Manchester City pair Manuel Akanji and Rodri and Liverpool's Allison, to urge decision-makers to implement changes.

Rodri, who suffered a knee ligament injury in City's draw with Arsenal last weekend, even suggested that players could resort to striking against the hectic schedule. 

Last season, only Guglielmo Vicario (38), Dejan Kulusevski and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (both 36) played more games for Spurs in the Premier League than Son (35 - level with Pedro Porro). 

Furthermore, since 2009-2010, only Hugo Lloris (361) and Harry Kane (317) have made more appearances for Spurs in English football's top flight than the South Korean.

"A lot of players came out and said the right things and I think it was very important that someone actually came out to say the right things," Son said on Wednesday.

"Players are the main guys to have to say something, and it's definitely a lot of games.

"As a football fan, you want to see a quality game, not as many games as possible, and you don't want to see people or players struggling with injuries.

"It's definitely a lot of games, a lot of travelling [so] we have to look after ourselves which is sometimes very hard, and sometimes mentally and physically you're not ready and when you're going onto the pitch, then the risk of injury is massive.

"We are not robots, so I think we just definitely have to look after that and definitely reduce the games and play a better quality of game. I think this should be the aim."

Spurs played 41 games in all competitions last season having finished eighth under Antonio Conte during the 2022-23 campaign, missing out on European football. 

But in Ange Postecoglou's first season at the helm, he managed a fifth-place finish, meaning the Tottenham players will have extra commitments in Europe this year. 

And ahead of the opening game of their Europa League campaign against Qarabag, the Spurs head coach echoed his captain's comments. 

"I have spoken already about the fact we're getting to a real dangerous level about what our expectations are around players," Postecoglou added. 

"Instead of focusing on one or two tournaments, it's about the calendar. That is more of an issue.

"Players don't get a break between seasons any more like they used to. There are more tournaments both at club level, international level and continental level.

"So, it's going to get to a point where we are not going to have the best players out there playing and, even worse, them breaking down for various reasons.

"It's definitely something that needs to be addressed."