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• Girona claim shock victory at Barcelona to move back to top of LaLiga

  Girona moved back to the top of LaLiga as they shocked Catalan rivals Barcelona with a 4-2 win at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

  With Real Madrid having only been able to draw at Real Betis on Saturday, Michel’s well-drilled side made the most of their opportunity with a brilliant display after taking an early lead through Artem Dovbyk.

  Although Robert Lewandowski soon headed in an equaliser, left-back Miguel Gutierrez fired the visitors back in front before half-time and substitute Valery added a late third.

  Ilkay Gundogan pulled one back for Barca in stoppage time, but Cristhian Stuani knocked in Girona’s fourth to seal a memorable victory.

  Following a 13th league win of a superb campaign so far, Girona sit two points clear of Real Madrid, while Barcelona drop seven points off the pace.

  After a lively start, it was Girona who went ahead following a swift counter attack in the 12th minute.

  Viktor Tsygankov timed his run down the right perfectly to stay onside before crossing for fellow Ukrainian Dovbyk to knock the ball in off the far post.

  Barcelona produced a swift response as Raphinha brought a smart save from Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga before Lewandowski headed in an equaliser from a corner in the 19th minute.

  Despite all of Barcelona’s possession, Girona remained a threat on the break with Miguel Gutierrez flashing a drive across goal and just wide of the far post.

  Joao Cancelo weaved into the left side of the Girona penalty area, but Gazzaniga stood up to make a block at the near post.

  Full-back Gutierrez flashed another low shot just wide before he fired Girona back in front – five minutes before the break – with a fierce 18-yard drive after surging forwards down the left.

  Barcelona started the second half on the front foot as Frenkie De Jong – who moved alongside Johan Cruyff’s total of 139 league appearances for the Blaugrana – and Gundogan both tested Gazzaniga with low drives from the edge of the penalty area.

  Germany midfielder Gundogan then cut a shot across goal and just wide as the hosts continued to search for an equaliser.

  Girona, though, stunned the home fans once again by scoring a third with 10 minutes left.

  This time it was move direct with Stuani nodding down a long drop kick from Gazzaniga into the path of fellow substitute Valery, who got to the ball ahead of Jules Kounde at the edge of the area to slot past Inaki Pena.

  Savio had a chance to add a fourth, but smashed his shot straight at Barcelona goalkeeper Pena, the ball striking him in the face from point-blank range.

  Gundogan pulled one back for Barca in stoppage time before Lewandowski headed wide and Stuani then knocked in Girona’s fourth at the far post following a free-kick into the box.

• Gary Neville dismisses ‘nonsense’ idea of sacking Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag

  Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has said the idea of the club sacking boss Erik ten Hag is “absolute nonsense”.

  United suffered their 11th defeat of the season in all competitions, and seventh in the Premier League, on Saturday as they crashed to a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth.

  Neville says there is “no way” Ten Hag should be sacked this term and pointed the finger at United’s owners the Glazer family.

  Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville said of Ten Hag: “I fear for him generally, not really just because of this week (when United play Bayern Munich and Liverpool). Just more generally around the way in which a cycle is repeating itself again.

  “I hope that somehow Erik ten Hag can turn it around this season and that ultimately he can improve what’s happening at the moment – or else he will be in trouble, it’s just inevitable. We’ve seen it with (previous United managers) Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer), Jose (Mourinho) and Louis van Gaal.

  “There’s no way they should change him this season, this idea of sacking him is absolute nonsense. I wouldn’t be in favour of that.

  “The lack of leadership and structure above him…I know people say you can’t blame the Glazers – yeah you can. You can because 10 years of failure, of miserable recruitment comes down to the fact they have not got a sporting director, a proper head of recruitment in place.

  “That is why this happens. Ultimately managers look above them and think ‘I haven’t got anyone there to help me so I might as well just try and do it myself’.

  “This is all down to the leadership. If it happened once, fair enough, if it happened twice you would ask a question, but this is five times, five times in 10 years.”

  It is expected that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of 25 per cent stake at the Old Trafford club will be announced soon, with him acquiring significant control over footballing operations.

  Neville added: “He has got to come in and sort this out, and you wonder how he is going to be able to pull it out of it, that’s the concern I have.

  “What we need is a change of structure at the top, that will hopefully happen in the next few weeks, hopefully that will change the way in which the sporting project is looked at because you can’t come in and leave everything as is.

  “And maybe, with some leadership and structure around the club, Manchester United could have some sort of ability to cope with the other clubs who recruit a lot better and do business a lot better.”

• Mat Sadler says Walsall showed what a ‘fantastic’ team they are at Notts County

  Walsall boss Mat Sadler was thrilled with his team’s display after his side came from a goal down to win 2-1 at promotion hopefuls Notts County.

  Oisin McEntee’s emphatic second-half brace cancelled out Aden Baldwin’s first goal of the campaign and ended the Saddlers’ six-game winless run.  
  
  Sadler said: “We are a good team, a very good team playing against what I also think is a very good team too with the way Luke (Williams) plays and the way he sets the team up. They take apart teams here, but we showed what a fantastic team we are and by team, I mean everybody together.
  
  “The first half we go in 1-0 down but I said to the lads that I thought we controlled the game out of possession – the only thing missing in the first half was just that final piece of quality at times, but I knew we could hurt them as the game went on and the lads believed we could hurt them as the game went on.
  
  “I gave the players a few minutes to speak to themselves, I always do. You get a vibe from what they are saying but, in the end, we got what we deserved.”
  
  “The most important players in our game were going to be our two eights and outside centre-halves…and then Oisin (McEntee) pops up with the two goals which were thoroughly deserved. We know he has got goals in his game.”
  
  As for the Magpies, another cold afternoon turned into an evening to forget as they fell to their third home league defeat of the season, and their fourth of the calendar year. 

  Williams said: “The conditions were not a problem, it was more the lack of energy. And we did not have the bravery to play with the ball in the second half.

  “If we are not going to be great defensively, and we are then not going to outscore the opposition, I am not sure what we are going to do.

  “The first half was really cagey, but we made a breakthrough. The second half, I did not even recognise the team.

  “I want to win. It is no good to just be here when the team are winning every week. I need to be here and try to help them, try to remain focused on the job, so that we can try to come through on the other side of it.

  “We are new to the division. We are learning the opposition and we have stuttered. We cannot seem to find a consistency so we need to find a decent level and be able to maintain that.”