Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United are "going to make a success of the season", despite their difficult start to the 2024-25 campaign.
United are 12th in the Premier League, having collected just seven points; their joint-fewest after the first six games in a single season (matching their total from 2013-14 and 2020-21).
Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Tottenham at Old Trafford provided their latest setback, while increasing the pressure on Ten Hag, whose side face Porto in the Europa League on Thursday before returning to Premier League action against Aston Villa three days later.
Against Spurs, United conceded in the first three minutes of both halves in a single Premier League game for only the second time, while allowing their third-highest xG (4.59) by an opponent since records began in 2009.
Ange Postecoglou's side also created nine big chances, with a team only registering more in five previous games in Premier League history.
The Red Devils also have an xG against of 11.04, a tally only lower than Brentford and the three promoted sides, but Ten Hag is confident the tide will turn.
"We are going to make a success of the season," he told Sky Sports.
"Nothing is easy, but this is nothing for me to panic about. We can sort [the problems] out, this team can sort this out."
The Dutchman also insists he is concerned by the latest speculation surrounding his future at Old Trafford, where he has ended both his previous campaigns with silverware.
"I'm not thinking about it, I'm not anxious," he added. "We created a togetherness in the summer with the ownership and the leadership.
"We made this agreement, and we were all behind it. We know the strategy [is to bring in] young players in a transition period.
"They also know in May in all my last six seasons, there were always trophies, and that is what we are aiming for."
'This is the year' for Arsenal, says Saka
Bukayo Saka believes this is Arsenal's year to end Manchester City's reign over the Premier League, ahead of winless Southampton visiting the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal and City are the only unbeaten teams in the Premier League after six matchdays, with both taking 14 points to trail Liverpool by a single point at the summit.
Mikel Arteta's team secured a thrilling 4-2 win over Leicester City last week before seeing off Paris Saint-Germain by a 2-0 scoreline in the Champions League on Tuesday.
With many tipping Arsenal to again challenge City, particularly after the champions lost midfielder Rodri to a serious knee injury, Saka believes the Gunners have a golden opportunity.
"I don't want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year," Saka told CBS Sports after the win over PSG.
"I think we've been close the last two years and we're getting closer but this hopefully will be the year."
Speaking to Amazon Prime, the 23-year-old later added: "Previous years, I've come runners-up a lot. It's just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot.
"With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we're a top team. I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when teams are coming to the Emirates."
Southampton have taken just one point from six league games since winning promotion from the Championship, making this the joint-worst start to any league campaign in their history (also one point in the top flight in 1998-99).
They were beaten 3-1 by south coast rivals Bournemouth last time out on Monday, leading defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis to slam their performance levels.
"I think it's just about taking ownership as players, doing your bit and not going inside yourself, not playing a solo game," he said.
"It's just about sticking together... we cannot be 3-0 down with the quality and characters we've got in that group, we cannot be. That's obviously including myself."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal – Kai Havertz
One player who has particularly enjoyed turning out at the Emirates lately is Havertz, who netted against PSG on Tuesday and has also scored six goals in his last six league games on the ground.
He has netted in four successive home Premier League games, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the last player to score in five straight for the Gunners, in September 2019.
Southampton – Aaron Ramsdale
Former Gunners shot-stopper Ramsdale could become the ninth goalkeeper to face Arsenal in the Premier League after previously representing them in the competition.
Only one of the previous eight, Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, has previously kept a clean sheet in his first such match, doing so in a 3-0 victory at the Emirates in November 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN
Southampton have actually caused Arsenal problems lately, going unbeaten through the teams' last three Premier League meetings (one win, two draws), with both of their matches in 2022-23 finishing level – including a 3-3 draw at the Emirates.
However, Saints have visited Arsenal 24 times in the Premier League without ever tasting victory, drawing eight times and losing 16. That is the most any team has visited another in the competition without winning.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 28 home league games against Southampton since a 1-0 defeat in November 1987. Only against Fulham (a current run of 31) have they had a longer unbeaten home run in their league history.
Across 2024-25 and their relegation season in 2022-23, Southampton are now winless in 19 Premier League matches, drawing five and losing 14. Only once in their top-flight history have they endured a longer such run, going 20 games without a victory between August and December 1969.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last 40 Premier League home games against promoted clubs, winning 35 and drawing five. Only Chelsea (43 between 2001 and 2015) and City (41 between 2007 and 2020) have had longer such runs in the competition's history.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal – 78.5%
Southampton – 8.7%
Draw – 12.8%
Guardiola has to 'take care' of Man City superstar Haaland
Pep Guardiola took off Erling Haaland against Slovan Bratislava to "take care" of Manchester City's superstar striker.
Haaland scored in the 58th minute to make it 3-0 to City in Slovakia on Tuesday.
He was taken off two minutes later, to be replaced by James McAtee, who went on to score his first City goal and round off a 4-0 Champions League rout.
With focus now switching back to the Premier League, and Saturday's clash with Fulham, Guardiola explained the substitution was made to protect the striker, who has already netted 10 goals in England's top flight this season.
Asked if Haaland had been frustrated to be taken off, Guardiola told City's media channels: "Erling is never disappointed with his manager.
"As a manager I am more secure and more happy when Erling is on the pitch.
"I will keep him on the pitch all the time but at 0-3 the game was almost over and with this amount of games we have to take care of him.
"He had a big knock in the last game against Newcastle [United] so that's why, after the fantastic goal with the pass from Rico [Lewis], it was better [to take him off]."
There was a moment of drama during Fulham's 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest last week, after Raul Jimenez took a penalty off the club's designated taker Andreas Pereira.
Jimenez went on to score the penalty, but Marco Silva was not happy.
He said: "It's clearly the fault of Raul. It is not going to happen again.
"Has Raul apologised? Yes. He had to because he knows the rules and how important discipline is in our squad."
City are unbeaten in their last 29 Premier League games (W23 D6), and if they avoid defeat in this match it will equal their longest run without defeat in their league history (30 games between April 2017 and January 2018).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester City - Erling Haaland
Haaland has scored 60 goals in just 52 games in all competitions at the Etihad Stadium for Man City. He is already the fourth-highest goalscorer at the ground since it opened in 2003.
Fulham - Andreas Pereira
Only Everton's Dwight McNeil (21) has created more chances than Pereira in the Premier League this season (20).
Five of these chances have been for Rodrigo Muniz, who has had more shots on target without scoring so far than any other player in the Premier League this term (five).
MATCH PREDICTION: MAN CITY WIN
City have drawn their last two Premier League games despite opening the scoring in both (2-2 v Arsenal, 1-1 v Newcastle). The last time they failed to win three consecutive league games despite scoring first in each was in December/January in 2003-04 (D2 L1).
Since losing their opening Premier League game of the season 1-0 at Manchester United, Fulham are now unbeaten in their last five (W3 D2). They last had a longer run without defeat in the competition between August and October 2010 (seven).
Three of Fulham’s four Premier League wins against City have come at the Etihad Stadium (2006, 2008 and 2009). However, they are winless in their last 18 against them in the league (D3 L15), losing each of the last 13 in a row.
City have won each of their last 16 meetings with Fulham in all competitions, the longest winning run one English league side has had against another in history.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man City - 72.6%
Fulham - 11.5%
Draw - 15.9%
In-form McNeil releshing central role at Everton
Dwight McNeil is relishing playing in a central role in Everton's attack, as he aims to get Sean Dyche's team up the Premier League.
McNeil scored twice in the space of seven minutes, with his first being a wonderful strike from outside of the box, as Everton came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday.
That marked the Toffees' first league win of the season, with Newcastle United next up at Goodison Park.
McNeil, who scored and assisted in Everton's 3-0 win in the corresponding fixture against Newcastle last season, has created 21 chances in the Premier League in 2024-25, more than any other player. Only Bukayo Saka (nine) and Cole Palmer (seven) have created more big chances than the 24-year-old's six, too.
His form has picked up since moving from the left flank into a role behind striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and McNeil is enjoying the positional switch.
McNeil told evertonfc.com: "Every time I've played centrally I've enjoyed it, because I feel like I'm always involved in the game.
"I've really enjoyed it. I know there is still a lot of work to be done – in and out of possession – for me to improve in that position, but I'm doing that in every game. For me, I've always found the best way I learn and improve is by actually playing and experiencing it for real.
"The stats, I don't really focus on them. For me, I think stats, at times, can overshadow what players actually do on the pitch. I find stats difficult because rule number one for me is to always just play well, and I know myself if I've done that or not. If I'm playing well and enjoying my football, all of that stuff comes with it.
"My focus will always be on playing well, helping the team in any way I can and enjoying it, and, of course, getting on a winning run. That's the biggest thing for me – helping the team win games."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Everton - Ashley Young
Young has assisted a goal in each of his last two Premier League appearances, which is as many assists as he got in his previous 117 games combined.
At the age of 39, Young is the oldest player in Premier League history to assist a goal in consecutive games.
Newcastle United - Anthony Gordon
Former Everton winger Gordon has been involved in 13 goals in 23 Premier League appearances in 2024 for Newcastle (seven goals, six assists).
However, Gordon is yet to score or assist against his old club and has only scored one goal in his last 15 games at Goodison Park, which came against Crystal Palace in October 2022.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE WIN
Everton have lost just three of their last 20 Premier League home games against Newcastle (W12 D5), though two of those defeats have come across their last four such meetings (W2), including a 4-1 victory at Goodison Park in April 2023.
Newcastle have won five of their last eight Premier League meetings with Everton (D1 L2), as many as in their previous 24 against them (D6 L13). However, they failed to win either meeting with the Toffees last term (D1 L1).
Only Aston Villa and Manchester City (seven) have picked up more points from losing positions in the Premier League this season than Newcastle (five) – the Magpies have only lost two of their last seven games when conceding first (W2 D3), having lost 11 of their previous 13 games when going 1-0 down.
After losing their first four Premier League matches this season, Everton have picked up four points in their last two games (W1 D1). Dyche's side are looking for consecutive wins for the first time since April.
Newcastle have won 11 points in their six Premier League games this season (W3 D2 L1), their most at this stage of a top-flight season since 2011-12 (12) and Eddie Howe’s best start to a league season since 2010-11 in League One with Bournemouth (11 points).
Everton have won six of their last eight Premier League matches at Goodison Park (L2). Since the first game in this run on April 6, the Toffees have won more home points than any other Premier League side (18).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Everton - 30.9%
Newcastle - 43.9%
Draw - 25.2%
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