Marcus Rashford is hopeful Manchester United can build on their dominant EFL Cup success over Barnsley when they go to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, highlighting the importance of their attackers building positive relationships.
Rashford scored twice as United routed the third-tier side 7-0 at Old Trafford, reaching the fourth round of a competition they won in Ten Hag's first season at the helm in 2022-23.
On Saturday, they return to the scene of one of their most humiliating defeats under the Dutchman, facing a Crystal Palace side that thrashed them 4-0 in May.
Rashford – who also opened his Premier League account for the season in last week's 3-0 victory at Southampton – believes the confidence garnered from United's midweek win could take them far.
"It's important to have those relationships on the pitch but I think as a front unit, linking with the midfield, we did very well," Rashford told Sky Sports.
"Before the first goal, it was a little difficult but after the first one, we found better spaces and we probably made better decisions in order to score."
Asked if the goals would now start to flow for him, Rashford said: "It's early to say but I hope so. We'll move onto the next game now and just rest, recover and focus on the next one.
"Football is football, sometimes you have ups and sometimes you have downs. We have to use these games to find momentum and find consistency."
Palace, meanwhile, are 16th in the table with two points from four matches, though they did earn a 2-1 EFL Cup win at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.
Having netted on his return to his former club, attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze said: "Of course, to come back here and to score is a great feeling.
"That was the main thing as to what we wanted to come here and do: win, go through to the next round, and put in a performance.
"It's a difficult place to come. You can see the atmosphere, it's not easy to play under, but we did what we needed to do, and that's the most important thing."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Since Glasner's first game in charge in February, only Erling Haaland (19) has scored more Premier League goals than Mateta (15 in 17 games), including a goal in May's 4-0 rout of the Red Devils.
In that time, he has also scored multiple goals on four occasions (three braces, one hat-trick) – only Wilfried Zaha has ever scored more than once in more different Premier League games for the Eagles (six braces).
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
United captain Fernandes has had more shots without scoring than any other player in the Premier League so far this season (13).
Overall, United have the third-highest expected goals total in the Premier League this term (7.9 xG) but have scored five goals, with only Southampton (4.6 xG, one goal) registering a worse underperformance. They will hope Fernandes can lead from the front here.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Glasner's Palace beat United 4-0 in the Premier League last season – only eight managers have ever won their first two games against the Red Devils in the competition, most recently Roberto De Zerbi with Brighton in September 2023.
That victory was part of a Premier League double by the Eagles, the first time they have ever beaten United in consecutive league matches.
United have now lost two of their last three away league games against Palace (one draw), having gone unbeaten through their previous 13 such visits to Selhurst Park, winning nine and drawing four.
The Red Devils have struggled in London more generally under Ten Hag, only winning two of their last 16 away Premier League games in the capital (four draws, 10 defeats), with both victories coming at Fulham (2-1 in November 2022, 1-0 in November 2023).
With Palace winless in the Premier League so far this season (two draws, two defeats) after ending 2023-24 with six victories in their final seven games (one draw), it may not be a surprise to see the spoils shared.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace – 35.9%
Manchester United – 39.1%
Draw – 25%
Postecoglou defends second-season trophy remark after North London derby defeat
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou defended his comment about "always" winning trophies in his second season after their defeat to Arsenal last weekend.
Despite Arsenal missing several of their key players, Spurs were undone in familiar fashion as Gabriel Magalhaes nodded home from a set-piece to secure the North London bragging rights.
Spurs last won a title back in 2008 in the League Cup and currently occupy 13th in the early-season standings, having picked up four points from their first four Premier League games.
Postecoglou was left confused and amazed by the negative reaction to his comments and is still confident that he can lead Spurs to a trophy this season.
"It's amazing, isn't it? I just stated a fact. Am I supposed to just lie or just say it never happened,” Postecoglou said. “But do you really think it's me sort of boasting? It's just confusing to me that people are making a big deal out of something. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to answer something that is true.
"I've just said something that's true, and it seems like it's upset a lot of people for some reason. In my 26 years of managing, I’ve had success and most of that has come in the second year, not all of it. Sometimes it’s happened in the first year, sometimes in the third year.
“I don’t see why that puts extra pressure. It doesn’t put extra pressure on me because I love the fact that I’ve done that. It’s what I want to do here.
“I’d like to think that just saying the truth is the way to go forward but I think sometimes that’s too confronting for people, they’d much rather I didn’t."
Brentford, meanwhile, were involved in Carabao Cup action in midweek and booked their place in the next round with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Leyton Orient.
Fabio Carvalho starred for the Bees, notching a goal and two assists as he continues to find his feet under Thomas Frank since his move from Liverpool during the transfer window.
Frank was pleased his side were able to avoid an early exit from the competition, saying the level his players reached on Tuesday is something they must maintain if they are to return to winning ways in the league.
“It’s job done. I’ve said it many times: we want to go on a cup run, we want to go as far as possible and potentially win it - we know it’s difficult but that’s the aim,” Frank said.
“In these games, I need to find the perfect balance between putting a strong team out there, the mix of freshness but also with the game on Saturday in mind, and then also using the squad, because players need that to develop and also want to be included.
“We hit the level today; credit to Leyton Orient, they did well in the first 20 minutes, we didn’t get enough control, but then we got our goal, and from there we were in control.
“3-1 ahead at half-time; second half, I wanted us to be even more on top, but it’s not easy, they gave everything. But I'm pleased."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham – Pedro Porro
Only Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White (11) has created more open play chances in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s Pedro Porro (10).
The Portugal international is the only player to have created four or more open play chances in two different games this season (four against both Leicester and Arsenal).
Brentford – Mark Flekken
Flekken has made 22 saves in four Premier League matches this season, six more than any other goalkeeper, and he may be needed once again in North London.
Since 2003-04, only one goalkeeper has ever made more saves in a team’s first four games in a season – Tim Krul for Newcastle in 2015-16 (23).
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Many say the first goal is the most important one, but that has not proved to be the case in this fixture. The team scoring first has won none of the last four Premier League meetings between Tottenham and Brentford (D2 L2).
Spurs have won just four points in the Premier League this season (W1 D1 L2), their fewest at this stage since 2015-16 (3). They haven’t lost three of their opening five games since 2008-09 under Juande Ramos, who left the club eight winless games into that season.
The hosts will also need to improve from set-pieces. Only Nottingham Forest (27) have conceded more set-piece goals (incl. penalties) in the Premier League since the start of last season than Tottenham (25).
Among all managers who’ve conceded more than 50 goals in Premier League history, only four have a higher percentage of goals conceded via set pieces than Ange Postecoglou (25/65, 38.5%).
Brentford have also won just one of their six Premier League meetings with Tottenham (D3 L2) and have struggled away from home, losing 12 of their last 16 matches away from the Gtech Community Stadium.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 58.8%
Draw – 20.5%
Brentford – 20.6%
Alexander-Arnold: Liverpool 'back where we belong' after Champions League return
Trent Alexander-Arnold insisted Liverpool are "back where we belong" as he revelled in the Reds' 3-1 victory over AC Milan on their return to the Champions League.
The six-time champions, who failed to qualify for last season's competition, fell behind after just three minutes at San Siro when Christian Pulisic rounded off a swift counter.
However, Liverpool responded with a pair of headers from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk turning the contest around, before Dominik Szoboszlai's second-half strike sealed the three points.
And Alexander-Arnold was thrilled to see the Reds hit the ground running in the revamped competition.
"I think this club belongs in the Champions League with the history that it's had and [it was] disappointing last year not being a part of it," he told CBS Sports.
"But we're back where we belong and [there is] no better way to get this campaign started than getting a win at the San Siro – a special venue, a special stadium and an unbelievable result."
Alexander-Arnold's assist for Konate's equaliser was his 80th for Liverpool, with Kevin De Bruyne (146) and team-mate Mohamed Salah (90) the only Premier League players to provide more since his debut in October 2016.
After helping England reach the Euro 2024 final in July, the full-back has started all five of the Reds' games this season under Arne Slot, while he also began both of the Three Lions' Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland earlier this month.
"I had a short time off in the summer where, after the Euros, there was a little bit of time for holidays and then back into it," he added.
"I think it was just an excitement to work under a new manager that I had never had before and, having spoken to the manager, I was excited for the plans and the way that he talked about it.
"So, to get back as soon as possible and to be as fit as possible for the opening game of the season was my aim, and to hit the ground running and be one of the best players in the league."
Howe enjoying selection headache after impressive season start
Eddie Howe insisted he is enjoying the selection headache his Newcastle players have presented him after coming from behind against Wolves last time out.
Two goals in five minutes from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes moved the Magpies up to third in the early-season standings as they aim to return to the Champions League this season.
With Newcastle struggling with injuries for much of last season, Howe said that despite the difficulty of the decisions he has to make every week, it is part of being a head coach in the Premier League.
"Those are the headaches you want. Leaving Harvey out and other players in this game was very, very difficult but it what you're paid to do,” Howe said.
“All you want then is when the player enters the pitch to try and prove that he should try and start the next game.
"The fixture list is never easy, every game in the Premier League is always difficult. Four points from Wolves and Bournemouth is good and we go away to Fulham next."
Fulham, meanwhile, suffered a shock midweek exit in the Carabao Cup to Championship side Preston North End at Deepdale.
The Cottagers were beaten on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time, eventually being dumped out of the competition in unusual fashion, losing 16-15 after Timothy Castagne saw his penalty saved, with Ryan Ledson sending North End through.
Head coach Marco Silva was left ruing his sides missed opportunities during the encounter, and is hoping his players can find their clinical edge against the high-flying Magpies this weekend.
"I'm sure that we did enough during the 95 minutes to win the game," Silva told reporters after the 34-kick shootout.
"From the first minute, we took control of the game and I think we created enough chances... the crossbar, a lot of crosses, a lot of moments where we should've scored."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Emile Smith-Rowe
Smith Rowe has made a positive start to his Fulham career, netting his second goal involvement since his move from Arsenal with his assist for Raul Jiminez’s goal against West Ham.
The 24-year-old also boasts an impressive record against the Magpies, winning four of the five games he has played against them (L1), scoring once.
Newcastle – Harvey Barnes
Barnes has either scored (two) or assisted (one) a goal in each of his last three Premier League appearances for Newcastle.
Only in January 2021 at Leicester has he registered a goal involvement in four consecutive games in the competition before.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Newcastle have enjoyed their recent visits to Craven Cottage, winning each of their last four away league games against Fulham, having previously lost six in a row before this.
The Magpies also boast an expected goals (xG) against total of 6.5 in the Premier League this season, but have conceded just three goals, with their difference of 3.5 between goals conceded and xG against the best in the division so far.
With 10 points (W3 D1), this is Newcastle’s best start to a Premier League campaign after four games since 1995-96 under Kevin Keegan (12 points) – the Magpies haven’t gone unbeaten in their opening five top-flight matches since 2011-12 under Alan Pardew (W2 D3).
Fulham, meanwhile, are winless in their last eight Premier League meetings with Newcastle (D2 L6), losing each of the last five in a row.
Silva’s side have also struggled on home soil, having won just one of their last six Premier League home games (D2 L3), having won four of their previous six at Craven Cottage (D1 L1).
While Opta’s data-led simulations expected a draw between the two sides, none of Fulham’s 16 Premier League home games against Newcastle have finished level, with the Cottagers winning nine and losing seven. The only exact fixture to be played more without being drawn in the competition’s history is Everton v Fulham at Goodison Park (17).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 34.7%
Draw – 25.7%
Newcastle – 39.7%
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
