Phil Foden is unlikely to link up with the England squad due to illness, according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Foden, who scooped the PFA's Player of the Year last month, has played just 45 minutes this season in City's 2-0 win over Chelsea on the opening day of the campaign. 

The 24-year-old had been called up by new England interim boss Lee Carsley for the Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

But Guardiola believes the midfielder will not be fit enough to link up with his national side, saying after their win over West Ham: “I don’t think so right now.

“I think he will not go but I don’t know. He doesn’t feel well. But national teams, they decide.

“He doesn’t feel good. It’s his stomach, a little virus. But the people said with antibiotics and so on he will be fine.”

Foden’s absence from the England squad will be the second notable name to miss out from their Euro 2024 squad, with Jude Bellingham nursing a calf injury. 

The City man enjoyed a stellar season under Guardiola last term, producing 39 goal involvements (27 goals and 12 assists) in all competitions.

But that form failed to transpire during Gareth Southgate's tenure, further highlighted by not registering a goal or an assist for the Three Lions at their most recent tournament.

Foden's best position within the England squad has been the centre of attention in recent seasons, often operating out wide rather than centrally where he has proved to be more effective for his club.

He has made 41 appearances for England but scored just four goals, with his last strike for his country coming in an international friendly against Scotland last year.

Phil Foden is unlikely to link up with the England squad due to illness, according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Foden, who scooped the PFA's Player of the Year last month, has played just 45 minutes this season in City's 2-0 win over Chelsea on the opening day of the campaign. 

The 24-year-old had been called up by new England interim boss Lee Carsley for the Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

But Guardiola believes the midfielder will not be fit enough to link up with his national side, saying after their win over West Ham: “I don’t think so right now.

“I think he will not go but I don’t know. He doesn’t feel well. But national teams, they decide.

“He doesn’t feel good. It’s his stomach, a little virus. But the people said with antibiotics and so on he will be fine.”

Foden’s absence from the England squad will be the second notable name to miss out from their Euro 2024 squad, with Jude Bellingham nursing a calf injury. 

The City man enjoyed a stellar season under Guardiola last term, producing 39 goal involvements (27 goals and 12 assists) in all competitions.

But that form failed to transpire during Gareth Southgate's tenure, further highlighted by not registering a goal or an assist for the Three Lions at their most recent tournament.

Foden's best position within the England squad has been the centre of attention in recent seasons, often operating out wide rather than centrally where he has proved to be more effective for his club.

He has made 41 appearances for England but scored just four goals, with his last strike for his country coming in an international friendly against Scotland last year.

Luis Enrique is confident that Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 win against Lille will stand them in good stead ahead of their quest for Champions League glory. 

The Spaniard watched on as his side took their scoring to 13 from their first three Ligue 1 games, maintaining PSG's perfect start to the campaign. 

Vitinha's penalty and Bradley Barcola's strike gave the visitors an advantage at the break, with Randal Kolo Muani scoring in second-half injury time to confirm the win after Edon Zhegrova had halved the deficit.

The Parisiens enter the international break two points clear of Marseille at the summit, but their attention will quickly to the Champions League later this month. 

Enrique's side have been handed a difficult draw for the competition, squaring off against European heavyweights Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

They kickstart their campaign against Girona on September 18, with the PSG head coach confident that their encounter with Lille, who will also compete in the competition this season, was a good test for his players.

"It was an away game against a team who play in the Champions League, who have already played several games and have a very different rhythm to us," Luis Enrique said.

"It was a very good test for us, it was a Champions League match for us. I'm pretty happy with the team's performance."

The revamped Champions League format has been extended to 36 teams this season, with each playing eight fixtures in the first round of the competition. 

PSG return from the international break with a fixture against another Champions League hopeful, Brest, four days before they begin their journey for that elusive maiden European title.

"There's the match against Brest after the break and that will have nothing to do with the Champions League and its new format," Enrique said. 

"I can't know what that will be like. My team is showing signs of confidence but we still lack physical rhythm in several of our players.

"The Champions League is very different and full of new things." 

Marcel Hartel's second-half strike compounded Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy to a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of St. Louis City. 

Cedric Teuchert's early strike was cancelled out by Gabriel Pec's equaliser 50 seconds into the second half, only for Hartel, who signed from St. Pauli in July, to net his third goal on his sixth appearance for the club.

Having failed to win in their last five MLS fixtures, St. Louis took the lead with just nine minutes on the clock as Teuchert punished John McCarthy's poor clearance. 

In a fairly even contest, parity was restored shortly after the interval as Galaxy substitue Miguel Berry made an instant impact from the bench with his flick finding Pec who finished emphatically. 

But Hartel would have the final say, steering Jayden Reid's inviting cross home in the 68th minute, leaving Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney dissappointed in the result and his players, who were unable to adapt to the conditions. 

“I'm disappointed in the result for sure. More for me, it's being able to manage the conditions and still be able to perform on things that we need to perform on the day," Vanney said.

"That's what's important in this time of the season. That then also translates into results. I think you'll see across the league at this time of year, we see it all during the year. 

"We've got to be at the point in the season where we have to manage whatever the conditions are and still perform and execute upon the things that we need to execute to have the game look how we want it to look and see it out in the ways we need to.

"I felt like we didn't do that today. So it's disappointing. It happens in the course of the season. We have to bounce right back."

Data Debrief: Hero Hartel to the rescue

St. Louis' triumph saw them end a run of consecutive draws against the Galaxy, having shared the spoils in their last three encounters in the MLS. 

Hartel was the player to strike the decisive blow and now has three MLS goal involvements (one goal and two assists) since his move to St. Louis in July. 

Joseph Paintsil was a particular standout for the visitors, recording the most touches in the oppositions box (13) as well as playing 18 passes into the final third.

Marcel Hartel's second-half strike compounded Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy to a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of St. Louis City. 

Cedric Teuchert's early strike was cancelled out by Gabriel Pec'S equaliser 50 seconds into the second half, only for Hartel, who signed from St. Pauli in July, to strike his third goal on his sixth appearance for the club.

Having failed to win in their last five MLS fixtures, St. Louis took the lead with just nine minutes on the clock as Teuchert punished John McCarthy's poor clearance. 

In a fairly even contest, parity would be restored shortly after the interval as Galaxy substitue Miguel Berry made an instant impact from the bench with his flick finding Pec who finished emphatically. 

But Hartel would have the final say, steering Jayden Reid's inviting cross home in the 68th minute, leaving Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney dissappointed in the result and his players, who were unable to adapt to the conditions. 

“I'm disappointed in the result for sure. More for me, it's being able to manage the conditions and still be able to perform on things that we need to perform on the day," Vanney said.

"That's what's important in this time of the season. That then also translates into results. I think you'll see across the league at this time of year, we see it all during the year. 

"We've got to be at the point in the season where we have to manage whatever the conditions are and still perform and execute upon the things that we need to execute to have the game look how we want it to look and see it out in the ways we need to.

"I felt like we didn't do that today. So it's disappointing. It happens in the course of the season. We have to bounce right back."

Data Debrief: Hero Hartel to the rescue

St. Louis' triumph saw them end a run of consecutive draws against the Galaxy, having shared the spoils in their last three encounters in the MLS. 

Hartel was the player to strike the decisive blow and now has three MLS goal involvements (one goal and two assists) since his move to St. Louis in July. 

Joseph Paintsil was a particular standout for the visitors, recording the most touches in the oppositions box (13) as well as playing 18 passes into the final third.

Juventus head coach Thiago Motta has called for more precision from his forward players after a drab goalless draw against Roma at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

Motta, who had won his first two league games in charge, had to settle for a share of the spoils after seeing just one of his sides' eight shots on target. 

The hosts managed just 18 touches in the opposition's box, with striker Dusan Vlahovic presented with the only notable chance of the contest. 

And while Juventus remained unbeaten in their first three Serie A games of the season for the third year in a row, Motta was left wanting more from his forward line. 

"Today we were too frenetic. At times we did well, at times they did well, it was a really difficult and balanced game," Motta said.

"We failed to understand the right moment to hit Roma, which must be underlined, they are a great team. Offensively we can do better."

The result marked the first time since the 2014-15 campaign that Juventus have kept a clean sheet in each of their first three Serie A fixtures of the season.

But at the opposite end of the pitch, the hosts produced an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.47 compared to Roma's 0.37, further highlighting the struggles of both sides in the contest. 

Juventus head into the international break level on points with leaders Inter, with Motta praising his players' commitment to the cause during the early stages of his tenure. 

"I think it's a fair result, in a balanced match. We didn't concede and we have one more point in the standings," Motta told a press conference.

"I'm very satisfied with the group and their commitment.

"We could have done much better today in precision in the offensive phase, but the opposing team knew how to defend and not give spaces."

Kylian Mbappe cut a relieved figure after ending his goal drought in LaLiga by striking both goals in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday. 

Mbappe, who had failed to score since his debut in the UEFA Super Cup, opened the scoring in the 67th minute before adding his second eight minutes later from the penalty spot. 

Heading into this fixture, the Frenchman had attempted the most shots this season (17) across Europe's top five leagues, and had the worst difference between expected goals (1.8 xG) and goals scored (none).

But the 25-year-old was not to be denied at the fourth time of asking, becoming the fourth Madrid player in the 21st century in LaLiga whose first goals have been with a brace after Cristiano Ronaldo, Javier Hernandez and Dani Ceballos (Ruud van Nistelrooy netted a hat-trick). 

"I've been happy ever since I arrived here," Mbappe told DAZN. "People have given me a lot of affection here, even when I didn't score, which was for three games.

"For some that doesn't seem much but for me it was a lot!

"However, during the process, the club, the teammates, the fans. They have always been with me. Giving me confidence to score goals for this club."

Still without the injured Jude Bellingham in their ranks, Carlo Ancelotti's side made another slow start against Betis following a disappointing draw against Las Palmas.

They entered the break with only three of their 13 shots troubling Rui Silva, while also registering 41 final third entries compared to their opponents' 19. 

But a more measured approach after the interval proved fruitful for the hosts, with Mbappe netting the first of many goals in front of his new home supporters.

"It's a great moment. I was really looking forward to scoring in this mythical stadium, the best in the world," Mbappe said.

"But the most important thing is the victory. We had to win after Las Palmas, even though we faced a difficult game, as they all are against rivals here.

"But we are Real Madrid. And we won at last."

Vincent Kompany lauded the influence of Thomas Muller after the Bayern Munich forward capped his record-breaking outing with a goal against Freiburg.

Muller made his 710th appearance across all competitions for Bayern, coming off the bench to overtake the record for the most outings for the club, set by goalkeeper Sepp Maier, who retired in 1979.

The Germany veteran marked the milestone in style, scoring to seal a 2-0 victory for Bayern after Harry Kane was also on target with a penalty on Sunday.

Muller made his Bayern debut back in 2008 when Kompany appeared in his final club appearance in Germany, before the Belgian boss left Hamburg to join Manchester City.

Their careers have now met once again, with Kompany moving to the touchline, and the Bayern head coach is delighted to have reunited with Muller in a bizarre twist of fate.

"Outstanding. I witnessed his first game. I was there with Hamburg on this pitch. 710 games later, it's unbelievable," Kompany said.

"He gave 100% in 710 games, but not only in the games, but also in training. That's what makes Thomas so special.

"There are a few more games that he can still play and we are definitely pleased that he's got a few more in his locker and the fact that he can keep going like this, it's so important for us."

Muller has now found the net in a joint-record 16 successive German top-flight seasons, matching Holger Fach, Mats Hummels, Bernd Nickel, Olaf Thon and Michael Zorc.

His 150th Bundesliga goal on Sunday, sweeping home from Serge Gnabry's cross, marked the perfect end to a special day for the 34-year-old.

As for Bayern overall, Kompany said his side's performance dipped after the break, but luckily he has players like Muller he can call upon when the need arises.

"Very positive first half, and then in the second half we were just one step later than Freiburg on second balls, and we lost a little bit of the momentum," he said.

"But then I have to say that we're very fortunate to have very good players that can come on and make the difference, and Thomas Muller came on, Kingsley Coman too, and the players from the bench were very important for us to win this game.

"Positives and things to learn and we also got to celebrate a fantastic moment for Thomas Muller and that was important as well for us today."

Kylian Mbappe's second-half brace powered Real Madrid to a hard-fought 2-0 win over Real Betis in Sunday's LaLiga clash.

Madrid controlled possession but struggled against a well-organised Betis defence until they finally managed to break the deadlock in the 67th minute.

Mbappe struck his first goal in LaLiga with a close-range effort from a brilliant back-heel pass by midfielder Federico Valverde, and the forward would soon add to his account shortly after.

The France captain secured all three points eight minutes later from the penalty spot after Vinicius Junior was fouled inside the box by goalkeeper Rui Silva.

Madrid moved to second in the standings with eight points, four behind leaders Barcelona, while Betis are 17th on two.

Data Debrief: Mbappe's wait proves worthwhile

The expectations remain high on Mbappe following his headline move from Paris Saint-Germain to the Spanish capital this season, with the France forward failing to score in his first three league games.

Heading into this fixture, Mbappe had attempted the most shots this season (17) across Europe's top five leagues, and had the worst difference between expected goals (1.8 xG) and goals scored (none).

Yet the World Cup-winning forward quietened his doubters here, firing nine shots across a one-man attempt to break down Betis.

That paid dividends, however, with his two clinical finishes securing a much-needed victory, and moving Madrid to 26 home games in LaLiga unbeaten (W22 D4), their best run in 11 years (34 between January 2012 and September 2013).

Away from Mbappe, at the back, Madrid have also not conceded in their last five LaLiga games at home for the first time in the competition since October 1996.

Mbappe, coupled with Carlo Ancelotti's well-drilled defence, could be the difference for back-to-back LaLiga crowns by the end of the campaign.

Juventus dropped their first points of the season under new head coach Thiago Motta as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Roma at the Allianz Stadium. 

In an encounter devoid of clear-cut chances, Daniele De Rossi's side defended astutely to claim their second point of the campaign after their defeat to Empoli last week.

Dusan Vlahovic was presented with the clearest sight of goal, but the Serbian striker saw his effort thwarted by the palms of Mile Svilar. 

The fixture in Turin saw just one shot from either side on target, with Juventus' expected goals (xG) total of 0.47 only slightly bettering their opponents' 0.37. 

Heading into the international break, Juventus sit second in the early-season standings behind Inter, meanwhile Roma move out of the bottom three and into 17th.

Data Debrief: Serie A giants fail to excite

Juventus' Vlahovic and Roma's Alexis Saelemaekers were the two credited with the encounters only efforts on target in a game that failed to live up to the billing. 

But there were positives for Motta to take, with Juventus remaining unbeaten in their first three Serie A games of the season for the third year in a row, while also registering a fourth consecutive league clean sheet, as many as they had managed in their previous 16.

Roma have failed to win any of their first three Serie A games of the season for the second season in a row. Only once have the Giallorossi failed to win their first three games in two consecutive years (2010-11 and 2011-12).

They have also scored just one goal in their first three games of the season, their worst result since 1986-87.

Virgil van Dijk said his Liverpool team-mates are looking to "achieve greatness" this season after maintaining Arne Slot's winning start against Manchester United. 

Van Dijk has helped his side record three victories from their opening three league games without conceding for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. 

The Dutchman marked his 200th Premier League game for Liverpool with another commanding display, taking his tally to 140 wins in the competition, already the most wins any player has picked up in their first 200 for the club in the division. 

Van Dijk recorded more touches (91) than any other player, while also winning all five of the aerial duels he contested. 

He also completed 69 of his 73 attempted passes, ending the contest with a pass accuracy of 94.5% which was the highest of any player from both teams. 

Slot's early tenure has been a seamless transition since Jurgen Klopp's departure at the end of last season, with Van Dijk a key cog to the German's success at Anfield. 

Van Dijk won eight major honours under his former boss, and is eyeing more success in his Liverpool career under the guidance of Slot. 

"What Jurgen Klopp said in one of his last interviews is the new manager inherited a very good squad. The manager left but the players didn't," Van Dijk said.

"We are not satisfied with just competing.

"We want to achieve greatness this season. I'm not competing in any competition just to compete, I want to win.

We come up against a very good team in Man City and Arsenal.

"Our consistency is looking good, after the international break could be interesting when playing every three days. I'm certainly enjoying the ride."

Paris Saint-Germain continued the perfect start to their Ligue 1 title defence with a third successive victory, winning 3-1 away to Lille on Sunday.

Vitinha opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Bradley Barcola added another goal just three minutes later in the first half at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Barcola's fourth strike of the Ligue 1 season had PSG in control at 2-0 heading into the second period, though Edon Zhegrova reduced the arrears with 12 minutes remaining.

Randal Kolo Muani made sure of all three points, however, with the substitute climbing high to head home from Desire Doue's cross in stoppage time.

Luis Enrique's reigning champions remain top of the table on nine points, two ahead of a four-team chasing pack, while Lille are sixth with six.

Data Debrief: Brilliant Barcola frustrates Lille again

Zhegrova's late finish forced PSG into a nervier ending than expected, considering the visitors dominated almost 60% of the possession and accumulated 2.3 expected goals to Lille's 1.24.

Yet it was a familiar face who proved the thorn in the hosts' side once more, with Barcola netting in the first half for his fourth Ligue 1 goal involvement against Lille (two goals, two assists).

Only against Montpellier (six) has the France winger managed more goal involvements in his top-flight career, and Barcola will expect further domestic achievements this campaign having stepped up to replace Kylian Mbappe on the left.

Barcola's exploits, alongside the youthful midfield of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery, will be pivotal for Luis Enrique's side, too, this season – where they continue to succeed on the road.

PSG have now won their last seven Ligue 1 away matches, including the back end of last term, last managing more in the competition between January and April 2017 (eight).

Manchester United may soon lose patience with manager Erik ten Hag after another humbling by Liverpool, Red Devils' great Gary Neville said on Sunday.

Former defender Neville believes the Dutchman may only have until Christmas at Old Trafford to turn around what has been another disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United were crushed 3-0 at home to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah scored one and assisted both goals of Luis Diaz's first-half brace on the red side of Manchester.

Ten Hag is the only United manager to lose three Premier League home games by three or more goals in the space of a year, also suffering 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in October and Bournemouth in December last year.

"It's going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"But I think he will get until Christmas. There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive, who has got a sense of calm about him – the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.

"Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can't be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there's no doubt about that."

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher rebuffed, responding "I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season", and if results continue this way, United's hand may be forced with Ten Hag.

The former Ajax boss is also the only United manager to lose two of the three opening matches in a Premier League season on two separate occasions.

"It was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they're on the right path," Neville continued.

"He's been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he's brought two new coaches in. That isn't always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There's a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.

"We're seeing that today and it's not going to change quickly. It's a sobering day but one that requires some calm."

Casemiro was removed at half-time, having played a woeful pass in the build-up to Diaz's opener amid a torrid first half.

Despite his early exit, the Brazil midfielder lost possession 14 times, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui only doing so more often for United (16 each) and both playing the full game.

"Manchester United fans don't often boo," Neville added on the jeers for Ten Hag, Casemiro and under-fire Marcus Rashford. "They don't often boo the manager, they don't often boo substitutions, they don't often boo players individually. And there's been a couple of times today [where they have].

"They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they're losing 2-0. But ordinarily, they don't take out individuals and a couple of times today they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo."

Manchester United may soon lose patience with manager Erik ten Hag after another humbling by Liverpool, Red Devils' great Gary Neville said on Sunday.

Former defender Neville believes the Dutchman may only have until Christmas at Old Trafford to turn around what has been another disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United were crushed 3-0 at home to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah scored one and assisted both goals of Luis Diaz's first-half brace on the red side of Manchester.

Ten Hag is the only United manager to lose three Premier League home games by three or more goals in the space of a year, also suffering 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in October and Bournemouth in December last year.

"It's going to be a challenging week or so for Ten Hag just to get around the fact that there will be some pressure building," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"But I think he will get until Christmas. There's no doubt about that. There's no doubt that INEOS and Dan Ashworth the chief executive, who has got a sense of calm about him – the [former Manchester] City chief executive [Omar Berrada] and Dave Brailsford and those people, are not just going to do something stupid.

"Within three or four months, they have made the decision to keep him. They will get four or five months. What they can't be is mid-table come Christmas, but he is going to get a few months, there's no doubt about that."

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher rebuffed, responding "I would be surprised if he is still in charge at the end of the season", and if results continue this way, United's hand may be forced with Ten Hag.

The former Ajax boss is also the only United manager to lose two of the three opening matches in a Premier League season on two separate occasions.

"It was a sobering day for Erik ten Hag, his players and for the new ownership sat in the stand en masse, looking at it and thinking whether they're on the right path," Neville continued.

"He's been influenced to change his team and his staff in the summer as he's brought two new coaches in. That isn't always ideal as there is new messaging coming in. There's a lot of change at the club so there was going to be a bit of pain along the way in interfering with the Glazer ownership.

"We're seeing that today and it's not going to change quickly. It's a sobering day but one that requires some calm."

Casemiro was removed at half-time, having played a woeful pass in the build-up to Diaz's opener amid a torrid first half.

Despite his early exit, the Brazil midfielder lost possession 14 times, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui only doing so more often for United (16 each) and both playing the full game.

"Manchester United fans don't often boo," Neville added on the jeers for Ten Hag, Casemiro and under-fire Marcus Rashford. "They don't often boo the manager, they don't often boo substitutions, they don't often boo players individually. And there's been a couple of times today [where they have].

"They will boo, generally, a performance at half-time when the players are going off if they're losing 2-0. But ordinarily, they don't take out individuals and a couple of times today they have. Casemiro in the first half and then obviously referring to Rashford with that boo."

Chris Wilder cut a relieved figure after Sheffield United managed a long-awaited victory at Bramall Lane on Sunday.

The Blades battled for a 1-0 win over Watford in the Championship, remaining unbeaten through the first four games before the season's first international break.

Callum O'Hare, signed on a free transfer from Coventry City prior to this campaign, proved the difference as his dazzling run forced an own goal from Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann after just two minutes.

Victory marked United's first win at home in league action since overcoming Brentford in the top flight last December.

Wilder was understandably pleased for his side to get off the mark in front of their home fans, with many of his new signings – and those who struggled in the Premier League last term – yet to taste the winning feeling at Bramall Lane.

"In our pitch [to Jesurun Rak-Sakyi], I said how important Bramall Lane was, there were two £15million bids for him and three-quarters of the Championship sides in for him," Wilder said after Sunday's win.

"Part of the pitch was him feeling what he felt today. For him, for [Jamie] Shackleton, for [Michael] Cooper it was big and hopefully they've enjoyed their first win in a red-and-white shirt.

"If it was important for the players, it was for the fans too, incredibly important.

"Sky are talking about us not winning for however long and you have to accept that is a fact but this is a brand new team playing in a different way with new players."

Wilder's Blades, who also missed a penalty from Kieffer Moore in the first half, remain among the favourites for promotion in the early stages of the season.

The veteran manager acknowledged it will take time to knit together his new charges, however.

"The disappointing thing is we didn't nail it down [against QPR], but the good thing is that it's a group who want to learn and listen and want to be coached.

"They're a proper team. It was a proper team performance right the way through."

Eight yellow cards were shown during a hard-fought encounter in Sheffield, with tensions rising at full-time after Gustavo Hamer's late tackle, with former Blade Daniel Jebbison also coming to blows with Harry Souttar.

Watford manager Tom Cleverley had no arguments about the frenetic finale, nor the result with United the better side on the day.

"If you summarise the result I think it was a fair one," Bradford-born Cleverley added. "It was a poor start to the game and then both teams had their share of good chances.

"They kept possession well and knocked us out of rhythm."