Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte insists he would be "crazy" to consider dropping Son Heung-min amid suggestions of fatigue and a drop in form.

Spurs sit eighth in the Premier League ahead of a clash at Brighton and Hove Albion, following a 3-2 defeat at fellow top-four contenders Manchester United that leaves them six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

Conte's north London rivals have also played a game less, while Spurs have lost five of their last eight Premier League games (W3) – as many as they had in their previous 20 in the competition (W12 D3).

Son has been on target in his side's last two wins, a 5-0 thrashing of Everton coupled with a 4-0 hammering of Leeds United, yet there remain questions over the South Korea international's form.

Since a four-game scoring run in the league across December, Son has found the net three times in nine top-flight outings – taking his tally 11 goals in 24 games this season, along with five assists.

Those returns are far from underwhelming but Conte was forced to defend his forward at his pre-match news conference after being pressed on Son's fitness levels and performances.

"For me, Sonny is an important player that can change a result at the end of a game." Conte told reporters. "It can happen that a player's form goes from the best to a period that is not so well.

"I repeat, because we are talking about a player that plays in every game. He is playing well, it doesn't depend on if a player scores a goal or not, the performance is the total game.

"Sonny is a player that in my mind fits my ideas, and also with the commitment he shows, he has to start and I don't ever have any idea to drop him – it doesn't happen, I'm not crazy to do something like this."

Conte will be hoping his star duo Harry Kane and Son can combine to down Graham Potter's Brighton in Wednesday's Premier League contest.

The pair have linked up a Premier League record 37 times since Son arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2015, with 20 of those combinations coming on the road in the English top flight.

Whether Son can get in on the act once more at Brighton remains to be seen, but Kane could become the Premier League's all-time leading scorer in away games with a strike at the Amex Stadium – currently sitting on 94 goals in 138 outings.

Antonio Conte wants to see Tottenham stars Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris to step up and carry them to a top-four finish.

Kane was on target on Saturday against Manchester United but Spurs fell to a 3-2 defeat at their fellow Champions League contenders, leaving them six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have played a game fewer.

That was Tottenham's fifth loss in eight Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 20 in the competition (W12 D3), and Conte's side are now outsiders in the top-four race.

Ahead of a clash at Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday, Conte called on his captain Lloris and attacking duo Kane and Son to lead the charge for a spot in England's top four.

"If you want to have a hope to fight until the end for this type of target, this is the moment I have to ask a lot to the big players," he said.

"To Harry, Hugo and Sonny. These players have to lead the situation to keep us until the end there.

"At the moment, experience is very important. We don't have a lot of experience in this team and it's right to ask the players with experience and big talent to give everything.

"I think they're giving everything but 100 per cent is not enough. We need to ask 120, 130 per cent to have this type of target.

"It will be very important to have people with great talent to lead us until the end and to try to be very close to reach this target."

If Kane answers Conte's calls to deliver at the Amex Stadium, with another strike he will become the Premier League's all-time highest goalscorer on the road in the competition’s history – currently sitting on 94 goals in 138 away games.

Conte also has a 100 per cent top-flight win record against Brighton, winning both games in 2017-18 with Chelsea, but he expects Graham Potter's side to pose a tough test.

"We're talking about a really good team, a really good team honestly," he said of Brighton. "This team likes to play football, they're strong physically. They're dynamic, they're strong at set-pieces.

"They are having a really good season apart from this last period when they lost [four] games in a row. Otherwise, in the table we were very close.

"We have to know that the game will be very difficult. I have watched the game against Liverpool and in the first half Brighton deserved to score goals and get another result against Liverpool.

"It's important in tough games, as a top team, with the experience you manage these games. Then you bring a difficult game on your side. It happened in the game between Brighton and Liverpool because I thought Brighton played a really good game."

Arsenal host Liverpool the following day and Conte believes that his north London rivals are currently favourites for Champions League qualification.

"I think that in this moment, Arsenal seems favourite for fourth place and United, but don't forget there's also West Ham and don't forget Wolves," Conte added. "They're having a fantastic season and they're in the same position.

"In England it's not easy, it's not simple. When you start the season normally you think it's four top clubs that at the end, these four teams go to the Champions League, United, [Manchester] City, Chelsea, Liverpool.

"But last season Liverpool struggled to reach their place in the Champions League. This season it's happening to United. This league is very difficult.

"For sure we have to be in the group of teams who stay, at this moment, behind.

"You have to stay close in the table because there are 11 games to the end of the season and everything can happen. For sure you have to win. If you don't get three points, you are talking about nothing."

Harry Kane is adamant the Tottenham squad is fully on board with Antonio Conte, of whom they cannot "speak highly enough".

Conte arrived in November following the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo, who himself only lasted a few months in the job.

It has not been entirely plain sailing for Spurs since Conte joined, however, with the Italian's famed fiery personality attracting plenty of attention.

That reached its zenith last month when Conte went from hailing his squad as "one of the best groups" he has ever worked with to suggesting he might not be the right man for the job in just three days.

The outburst that brought his future into question came after a shock defeat to Burnley, which was their fourth loss in five league games, leaving Conte frustrated by what he deemed to be more like relegation form than evidence of them being capable of a top-four finish.

He soon apologised and Spurs won their next two league games before slipping to a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday, but Kane is convinced the team is fully behind Conte even after a rocky period.

"Obviously I still feel like we're in a process," Kane told Sky Sports. "We went two or three years challenging for trophies then we dropped off over the last couple of years.

"With Antonio, he's building a culture that he wants to be and wants to put us back in that place.

"The Premier League, it's such fine lines between challenging or being top four or being sixth, seventh or eighth. Every team is getting better and there are no easy games.

"Of course, the manager is working as hard as he can, and the players are working.

"It's not a quick fix that happens overnight, it takes time and understanding. He needs to talk to the club and chairman and to see what direction we need to go as a club. We can't speak highly enough of him."

Spurs are back in league action again on Wednesday when they go to Brighton and Hove Albion.

A win will leave them level with sixth-placed West Ham on 48 points, though Spurs will have another game in hand on the Hammers and Man United, two points higher in fifth.

Jurgen Klopp declared Liverpool's players are ready for a 10-game title race with Manchester City – even if they are reluctant to give it that billing.

After 28 matches of the 38-game season, it has become a two-team sprint for Premier League glory, with City on 69 points and Liverpool second on 66 after Saturday's 2-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion.

These teams have been here before, most famously in the 2018-19 season when City took the title with 98 points, one point ahead of a Liverpool side who lost only one game.

It is Klopp's job to keep minds focused on short-term goals, which is why Wednesday's game at Arsenal will now be all-consuming for the Reds, rather than the thought of what might come their way when the season reaches its climax in May.

Asked about the race, Klopp told BT Sport: "We don't avoid, but it's not our job really to call it like that."

He knows City will be difficult to reel in, despite the gap closing and Liverpool having a trip to the Etihad Stadium coming up next month.

"You expect them just to win the games when you see them playing," Klopp said.

"As long as we are behind them, we don't really feel the title. The only thing we really feel is we want to win football games and as many as somehow possible.

"I can see that in the boys' faces and their body language. We are ready for that.

"This race doesn't need a name for us, we just want to win as many football games as possible."

Mohamed Salah has assured Jurgen Klopp the injury that forced him out of Liverpool's win at Brighton and Hove Albion is nothing to worry about.

Talisman Salah struck Liverpool's 2,000th Premier League goal to give the Reds a 2-0 lead at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, but he was substituted shortly afterwards.

Liverpool have a trip to Arsenal coming up on Wednesday, and manager Klopp would want Salah available for that tussle with Mikel Arteta's team.

"We will see," Klopp said on BT Sport. "He thinks it's not serious, but you can see when Mo Salah's sitting down that something's not 100 per cent right.

"I think it was a situation before when he hit the ball and got blocked. I think the foot got slightly overstretched. We have to see."

Luis Diaz had earlier put Liverpool ahead with a brave header, as Klopp's team cut Manchester City's lead at the top of the table to three points.

Captain Jordan Henderson said: "It was a real big game for us today and I felt as though we delivered.

"You always want that second goal to try to kill the game off a little bit more. We had one or two more chances, half-chances, to score. Overall, I think we would be very pleased with the overall performance."

Looking at the shrinking gap to City, Henderson said: "We speak about this every week. We're concentrating on ourselves, concentrating on the next game. That's important and it's worked really well for us. The focus has always been the next game, no matter what competition, and to give everything in that game and there's no reason to change that now."

Confidence is surging through Liverpool's ranks, with the cautious belief they are in great shape to sustain this challenge.

"We've felt like this for a long time," Henderson told BT Sport. "We know we've got to work and improve all the time, be better. The teams around us at the top of the table are fantastic teams, so you can never relax, and you can never take the foot off the gas.

"You've always got to push each other, drive each other on, and so far we've been doing that and we've got to continue that right to the end."

Assessing Diaz's display, Henderson described the January recruit as "top class". The winger headed the opener but was flattened by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in doing so, with the Brighton man avoiding punishment.

"I think he's obviously a little bit late, but Luis has done so well to get there first," Henderson said.

Liverpool maintained their relentless pursuit of Manchester City with a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion to close back to within three points of the Premier League leaders.

The Reds lost for just the third time this term in their midweek clash with Inter but they marched on with an eighth straight league win in Saturday's contest at the Amex Stadium.

Luis Diaz bravely headed Liverpool into a 19th-minute lead by getting in front of Robert Sanchez, who was perhaps fortunate to avoid any action for clattering into the forward. 

Mohamed Salah added a second from the penalty spot – Liverpool's 2,000th goal in the competition – to increase the pressure on City ahead of Monday's trip to Crystal Palace.

Brighton had gone three league games without defeat to Liverpool but fell behind in the opening quarter of the contest to Diaz's second goal in a Liverpool shirt.

The former Porto winger attacked Joel Matip's chipped pass over the top and got his head to it, but he was unable to celebrate the goal after being wiped out by Sanchez.

Referee Mike Dean did not check back the incident on the monitor, meaning Sanchez stayed on the field, but Albion's reprieve counted for little as Salah doubled the Reds' lead.

Having missed a couple of presentable opportunities, the Egypt international fired a penalty right down the middle after Naby Keita's shot hit Yves Bissouma on the arm.

After becoming just the second Premier League side after Manchester United to hit a landmark 2,000 goals, Liverpool sat comfortably on their lead to see through another victory.

Manchester United's search for a new permanent manager continues.

The Red Devils parted ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last year after an underwhelming campaign despite the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ralf Rangnick has taken over on an interim basis, buying United time to get the right man for the job.

TOP STORY - MAN UTD 'SOUND OUT' TEN HAG

Manchester United have "sounded out" Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag through intermediaries with no formal approach yet, claims Sky Sports.

Ten Hag along with current Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino are believed to be the two lead candidates for the top job at Old Trafford.

The report claims the Dutchman would be keen to speak to United if they make a formal approach.

ROUND-UP

- Italian champions Inter are ready to allow Alexis Sanchez to exit the club in mid-year reports Calciomercato. The 33-year-old's contract at San Siro runs until 2023 but Inter are keen to get his hefty wages off their books.

- England international Joe Gomez will seek a move away from Liverpool at the end of this season, claims 90min, as he seeks more regular game-time, having been a bit-part player this term. Leicester City, Tottenham, Newcastle United and West Ham are all interested.

- Brighton and Hove Albion are leading the race to sign Chile international Ben Brereton Diaz from promotion hopefuls Blackburn Rovers, claims TEAMtalk. Crystal Palace, Everton, Leeds United and West Ham are also interested.

- Mundo Deportivo reports that West Ham are interested in signing former Barcelona, Milan and Everton winger Gerard Deulofeu from Udinese.

- Fichajes claims Wolves are in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk's Pedrinho about a move to England, with players from Ukrainian clubs able to seek free transfers.

Liverpool closed the gap on leaders Manchester City with victory over West Ham, while Chelsea tightened their grip on third place in Saturday's Premier League action.

The Blues saw off Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor, a scoreline that was matched by Aston Villa in their statement victory against Southampton.

Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Brentford also picked up wins, but it was a bad start to life under new management for Leeds in their early kick-off against Leicester City.

Following another eventful day of Premier League action, Stats Perform delves into the key Opta facts from each of the games.

Leeds United 0-1 Leicester City: New manager, same Leeds

Jesse Marsch's first game as Leeds boss ended in defeat to Leicester as United fell to a fifth successive league loss for the first time since April 2015, when they were in the Championship.

Leeds have failed to score in three straight league matches for the first time in a year, this despite registering 19 shots in their latest blank against Leicester.

United's expected goals (xG) return of 1.95 is their highest without scoring in a league game since June 2020, and the familiar failings were also on show at the other end.

Harvey Barnes' second-half winner means Leeds have gone 13 league games without a clean sheet, their longest-such run since 14 without a shutout ending in August 2016.

This was the fifth straight league game Barnes has scored against Leeds – four of those while playing for Leicester and one for West Brom, making them his favourite opponent.

Aston Villa 4-0 Southampton: Coutinho's home comforts

Villa are firmly back on track after registering back-to-back victories under Steven Gerrard for the first time since his opening two games in charge in November.

The Villans put four unanswered goals past Southampton at Villa Park for their biggest Premier League win since thrashing Liverpool 7-2 in October 2020.

Barcelona loanee Philippe Coutinho once again played a big part in the victory by scoring one and assisting another for Douglas Luiz.

Coutinho has now been directly involved in six goals in his first four home league games for Villa, scoring three of his own and setting up as many.

Ollie Watkins had earlier opened the scoring with his 21st Premier League strike since the start of the 2020-21 season, while Danny Ings added to his two assists with Villa's fourth goal.

Newcastle United 2-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: Fraser helps end Magpies' duck against Seagulls

For a while things looked incredibly bleak for Newcastle, even after their big-money takeover, but they now find themselves seven points above the relegation zone.

The Magpies held off Brighton to make it eight Premier League games without defeat – no team is on a better such run – with five of those matches ending in victory.

Ryan Fraser opened the scoring to make it two goals in five Premier League outings, matching his tally from his previous 70 appearances, before setting up Fabian Schar.

That was the earliest United have scored twice in a Premier League home game since January 2007 and, despite Lewis Dunk's header, Eddie Howe's side saw out the win.

It marks the first time Newcastle have defeated Brighton in the Premier League in their 10th such encounter, having previously failed to so much as score against them at home.

Norwich City 1-3 Brentford: Bees buzzing thanks to Toney treble

After a run of eight Premier League games without a win, Brentford bolstered their survival ambitions with a well-earned victory away at bottom side Norwich.

Ivan Toney was the hero for the Bees with three goals, two of those from the penalty spot, making Brentford the 40th different team to boast a hat-trick scorer.

The Brentford striker now has nine Premier League goals for the season, each of those coming via his right foot.

Teemu Pukki scored a consolation but it was another miserable day for Norwich, whose goal difference of -42 is the worst at this stage since Derby County in 2007-08 (-44).

Not that it will matter a great deal in the grand scheme of things, but Brentford are the first team Pukki has scored home and away against in a single Premier League season.

Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace: Shaky Wanderers lose again

Wolves' European hopes suffered another blow as they fell to a third successive Premier League defeat, as many as they lost in their previous 13.

Bruno Lage's out-of-form side have now conceded six goals in their last four league games, after shipping just five in 12 before that.

Jean-Philippe Mateta came up with the breakthrough from close range for his fourth goal in eight Premier League starts, and Wilfried Zaha doubled Palace's lead from the penalty spot.

Ivory Coast international Zaha has now been directly involved in 83 goals in the competition, the joint-ninth best total for an African player, level with Nwankwo Kanu.

With this latest loss, it is the first time Wolves have lost three games in a row against Palace in their entire league history.

Burnley 0-4 Chelsea: Blues cruise at Turf Moor

It was business as usual for Chelsea as they won for a third Premier League game running without conceding in what proved to be a straightforward victory at lowly Burnley.

The Blues scored all four of their goals in the second half as they enjoyed their biggest away league win since October 2018 when also beating Burnley by the same scoreline.

This was the biggest margin of victory for an away side in a game that was goalless at half-time since Tottenham beat Aston Villa 4-0 in December 2012.

Reece James started the scoring and in the process became the first defender from Europe's top five leagues to both score and assist five goals this term in all competitions.

Kai Havertz also netted twice before Christian Pulisic added some gloss to the scoreline – his fourth goal at Turf Moor, matching a record for an away player set by Tottenham's Harry Kane.

Liverpool 1-0 West Ham: Reds roll on thanks to Mane

Sadio Mane's first-half goal made it seven wins in a row for Liverpool in the Premier League, their best such streak since a run of 18 when they claimed the title two years ago.

That close-range finish was Mane's 12th of the season in the league, nine of those coming at Anfield – no player has scored more home goals in the division this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold played the ball into the box for Mane's goal for his 16th assist in all competitions this term, more than he has ever registered in a single campaign.

Liverpool were not at their best and that was particularly true of Mohamed Salah, who failed to score from six shots – only against Stoke in April 2018 (seven) has he fared worse.

Incredibly, Virgil van Dijk has never been on the losing side for Liverpool in 60 Premier League home games at Anfield, setting a new record in that regard.

Saturday was quite a day in the Premier League, with shock results impacting both ends of the table, and the middle.

Liverpool appear to live challengers again in the title race after their 3-1 victory against Norwich City was followed by Tottenham's dramatic 3-2 win away to leaders Manchester City.

Mohamed Salah scored his 150th goal for Liverpool and Luis Diaz bagged his first in English football, while former City target Harry Kane insisted on shoving narrative into everyone's faces with a sensational performance for Spurs at the Etihad Stadium.

Elsewhere, a late Hakim Ziyech goal secured Chelsea a win at Crystal Palace, Arsenal's youngsters earned them a 2-1 win against Brentford, while West Ham were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle in the early game.

Burnley produced a surprising performance to win 3-0 at Brighton, with Wout Weghorst getting off the mark for his new club, while Watford also threw a spanner in the works of the relegation fight with a 1-0 win at Aston Villa.

The other game of a busy day in England's top flight saw Southampton beat Frank Lampard's Everton 2-0 at St Mary's thanks to goals from Stuart Armstrong and Shane Long.

Manchester City 2-3 Tottenham: City Kane-d by ruthless Spurs

Pep Guardiola's City team had looked imperious since losing at home to Crystal Palace in October, until today.

City were dominant but wasteful against Spurs, finding the target with only four of their 21 shots, while the visitors made Ederson work with five of their six efforts, beating him three times to take the points.

Kane’s winner, timed at 94:25, was the latest winning goal scored against City in the Premier League since Michael Owen for Manchester United in September 2009 (95:27).

Tottenham duo Kane and Son Heung-min have now assisted one another for 36 Premier League goals, the joint-most of any pairing in the competition's history, moving level with Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

Son has been directly involved in 10 goals in 15 appearances against City (seven goals, three assists); only against Southampton (15) and West Ham (11) has he had a hand in more goals for Spurs.

Meanwhile, Guardiola has lost twice to Tottenham this season, and has only lost more games to Chelsea (eight) than Spurs (six) in his entire managerial career.

Liverpool 3-1 Norwich: Reds come back thanks to usual suspects, and a new one

Early in the second half at Anfield, it did not look like Liverpool would be cutting Manchester City's lead on Saturday, finding themselves 1-0 down to the Canaries after Milot Rashica's first Premier League goal.

However, a marvellous overhead kick from Sadio Mane was soon followed by a historic moment for Salah, who scored his 150th goal for Liverpool in just his 233rd appearance. Only Roger Hunt (226) has reached that total faster in the club's history.

Luis Díaz became the 16th different Colombian player to score a Premier League goal, producing a nice finish after a Jordan Henderson throughball. He was also Liverpool’s 16th different goalscorer in the competition this season (excluding own goals), the joint-most of any side in 2021-22 (Chelsea and City both also 16).

Henderson was a standout performer on the day as well, drastically improving from his showing at Burnley last weekend.

He completed just 50 per cent of passes (18 out of 36) in the 1-0 win at Turf Moor, but on Saturday produced his second-best pass success rate in the Premier League for Liverpool in a game where he made at least 100 passes, with 97.2 per cent (104 of 107), only bettering that against Hull City in 2016-17 (97.3 per cent, 108 of 111).

Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea: Late Ziyech strike saves Blues

Chelsea returned to Premier League action after winning the FIFA Club World Cup last week to eventually secure three points against Palace thanks to an 89th-minute Ziyech strike. The Moroccan has scored in three consecutive league matches for the first time since September 2019 in the Eredivisie with Ajax.

The Blues have now won back-to-back league games for the first time since October, when they won four in a row, and could also be looking up the table after City's wobble.

It was another clean sheet for Chelsea, who have kept 37 in 70 matches in all competitions under Thomas Tuchel, more than any other Premier League side since the German’s first match in charge in January last year.

It was not all good from Tuchel's men though, with struggling striker Romelu Lukaku managing just seven touches, one of which was at the kick-off, the fewest in a single top-flight game for a player to feature for at least 90 minutes since Opta started collecting the data in 2003-04.

Arsenal 2-1 Brentford: Young guns fire Arteta's side to victory

Goals from Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka earned Arsenal a hard-fought win against Brentford, despite Christian Norgaard's late strike for the Bees.

Smith Rowe bagged his ninth league goal this season; the only player to score more in a single campaign for Arsenal when aged 21 or younger was Nicolas Anelka in 1998-99 (17).

Saka registered his 11th goal involvement in the Premier League this season (seven goals, four assists), the most of any under-21 player and a haul bettered only by Jarrod Bowen (16), Mason Mount (13) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (12) among English players.

The Gunners netted their 600th (and 601st) Premier League goals at the Emirates Stadium, reaching the milestone in their 297th game there, with only United at Old Trafford (283) and City at the Etihad (290) doing so at a single stadium in fewer games in the competition.

Brentford are winless in their last seven league games, last having a longer run between September and October 2018 (eight games). Thomas Frank's side have also lost their last five away league games, their longest such run since February 2011 (also five).

West Ham 1-1 Newcastle: Magpies continue to rise under Howe

Eddie Howe's 500th league game as a manager (410 with Bournemouth, 77 with Burnley and 13 with Newcastle) ended with a well-earned point from the London Stadium in the day's early kick-off.

Craig Dawson gave West Ham the lead before Joe Willock's equaliser came just before half-time.

Newcastle have now taken 12 points from their last six Premier League games, two more than they managed in their previous 18 this season (10 points).

Dawson's goal was the 11th scored from a set-piece by the Hammers in the league this season (not including penalties), a figure only Liverpool (14) and City (12) can better.

Brighton and Hove Albion 0-3 Burnley: Weghorst gets off the mark in big Clarets win

A quite remarkable performance from Sean Dyche's side in his 250th Premier League game in charge of Burnley saw them ease to a 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium, with Weghorst, Josh Brownhill and Aaron Lennon all finding the net.

Brighton suffered the heaviest defeat by a team hosting the English top flight's bottom side since Crystal Palace lost 4-0 at home to Sunderland in February 2017.

This was Burnley's first away win in the league since May 2021 (v Fulham), ending a run of 12 games without a win on the road. They also scored more goals in this game than they had in their previous five Premier League away games combined (two).

Weghorst scored his first goal for Burnley, becoming the first Dutchman to score for the Clarets in the competition. This ended a run of seven league games without scoring for Weghorst, with his previous goal coming in December for previous club Wolfsburg against Cologne.

Aston Villa 0-1 Watford: Dennis a menace to Villa

Another relegation-threatened side stepped up to secure an impressive away win as Roy Hodgson earned his first victory in charge of Watford thanks to a goal from Emmanuel Dennis.

This was the Hornets' first Premier League away win since October (5-2 v Everton), and their first away win in the competition while also keeping a clean sheet since January 2020 (3-0 v Bournemouth).

After winning two of their first three home games under Steven Gerrard (L1), Villa are now winless in their last four games at Villa Park (D2 L2). This was the first Premier League home game they have failed to score in since May 2021 (v Everton), ending a run of 12 in a row in which they had found the net.

Watford have now kept as many clean sheets in four Premier League games under Hodgson (two) as they had in their previous 36 games in the competition.

Southampton 2-0 Everton: Another free-kick continues Toon revival

The revival of Everton under Lampard was nowhere to be seen at St Mary's as Ralph Hasenhuttl's side continued their good run of form.

Southampton have now won four of their last eight Premier League games (D3 L1), as many victories as they managed in their previous 20 games in the competition (D8 L8).

Everton's total of 22 points from their first 23 games in the league this season is their worst at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1950-51 (three points for a win), when they also had 22 and were relegated at the end of the season.

Long's goal was his first in the league since February 2020 (v Aston Villa), ending a run of 799 minutes without the Irishman scoring in the league.

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick praised his side's marked second-half improvement during the win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Without a win in three matches across all competitions, the Red Devils were booed off by the Old Trafford faithful following a goalless first half.

The hosts registered just three shots on goal to their opponents’ eight during the opening 45 minutes, while enjoying only 41 per cent of possession.

However, the pendulum swung in their favour early in the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo breaking the deadlock with his first goal of 2022 before Lewis Dunk was dismissed for bringing down Anthony Elanga.

Bruno Fernandes sealed the points deep into stoppage time with his fourth goal in as many Premier League appearances against Brighton.

"First half was Mr Hyde; second half Dr Jekyll – and for a change, [the result] was different," Rangnick said.

"In the end, it was important to get the three points against an in-form team. Brighton are very possession-based, full of confidence, and we had to take more risks in the second half; it paid off. 

"In the first 10 minutes of the second half, we had more success moments, and it raised the crowd; they were not moaning and were getting behind the team

"We scored the goal and got the red card. It should have been 3-0, 4-0 after 75 minutes, but there is a bit of lack of assuredness in front of goal."

United also registered their second clean sheet in three home Premier League games – as many as they managed in the previous 18 – but did so without Raphael Varane, who pulled out of the starting line-up due to illness.

Addressing the defender's situation, Rangnick revealed: "On the way from the hotel after dinner and team meeting, he had stomach problems. 

"We were hoping to get rid of it with medication, but he did not feel well and that is why we played with Victor Lindelof instead."

Victory lifted United above West Ham and back into the top four of the Premier League table.

David de Gea, who made several smart saves to keep Brighton at bay, revealed his team-mates' delight at getting back to winning ways, but feels they should be in a stronger position than they are.

"It is great always when you have the three points, especially after we drew the last few games," the goalkeeper said. "We are all very happy.

"We knew that Brighton is one of the teams that play very well with the ball, press very good and, for me, it is a very good team. 

"We pressed high in the second half. We controlled the game after the red card and there was a five-minute spell when they came back.

"We should be fighting for more things than the top four, but that is the reality. There are many teams fighting for the same position and with the quality we have, we should win a lot of points."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were on target as Manchester United saw off 10-man Brighton and Hove Albion in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils climbed into the top four of the Premier League thanks to a pair of second-half strikes from the Portuguese duo.

Ronaldo ended a run of six matches without a goal when he broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, shortly before Lewis Dunk saw red for Brighton.

And Fernandes wrapped up the points following a quickfire counter deep into stoppage time as the visitors chased a dramatic equaliser.

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will not drop Harry Maguire nor strip him of the captaincy but insists he needs to get better.

Maguire has been culpable defensively in United's recent 1-1 draws with Burnley and Southampton.

Rangnick conceded the 28-year-old record signing needed to get better, revealing he is struggling to adjust to United's back four.

"I think after he came back after his injury he did extremely well, with a very good performance against West Ham," Rangnick told reporters ahead of United's Tuesday game with Brighton and Hove Albion.

"In the last two games he had some weaker moments, both against Southampton and when we conceded the goal against Burnley.

"He is our captain and I don't see any reason to change that, but he is a player who has to develop and get better, like all the other players.

"The way we play is new. In the English national team he is used to playing in a back three, here he's in a back four but not as proactive. It will take some time for him to get used to it."

Maguire, who joined United for £80 million in 2019, has made 19 starts in the league this season for the Red Devils who have kept five clean sheets from 24 games.

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will not drop Harry Maguire not strip him of the captaincy but insists he needs to get better.

Maguire has been culpable defensively in United's recent 1-1 draws with Burnley and Southampton.

Rangnick conceded the 28-year-old record signing needed to get better, revealing he is struggling to adjust to United's back four.

"I think after he came back after his injury he did extremely well, with a very good performance against West Ham," Rangnick told reporters ahead of United's Tuesday game with Brighton and Hove Albion.

"In the last two games he had some weaker moments, both against Southampton and when we conceded the goal against Burnley.

"He is our captain and I don't see any reason to change that, but he is a player who has to develop and get better, like all the other players.

"The way we play is new. In the English national team he is used to playing in a back three, here he's in a back four but not as proactive. It will take some time for him to get used to it."

Maguire, who joined United for £80 million in 2019, has made 19 starts in the league this season for the Red Devils who have kept five clean sheets from 24 games.

Graham Potter is relishing the chance of going up against Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Brighton and Hove Albion boss believes the Manchester United star's troubles have been overblown.

Ronaldo has not scored or provided an assist since December 30, a run of six matches across all competitions.

The 37-year-old has created just six chances for team-mates across that run, while he has missed both of the big chances (defined by Opta as an opportunity from which a player would be expected to score) that have come his way.

He has only registered an expected goals (xG) above 1.0 in one of those matches, against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup (1.6). Ronaldo missed a penalty in normal time before United crashed out in a shoot-out.

Indeed, he has only recorded an xG of over 0.5 on one other occasion across the last six games, suggesting the chances that are coming his way are not the best, or he is perhaps taking on shots that would be unlikely to result in a goal.

This is further reinforced by the fact Ronaldo has got just seven of his last 23 attempts on target.

Potter, however, does not buy the suggestion that Ronaldo is out of form.

"You run out of superlatives in terms of what he's achieved in his career and the player that he is," Potter, who is about to reach his 100th league game in charge of Brighton, told a news conference.

"He's had an absolutely amazing career, world-class, it's out-of-this-world class. There's nothing else to say with that.

"Too often we zoom into individuals and forget it's a team game. Sometimes when the team isn't scoring, the person at the front of the pitch gets the zooming in.

"From what I've seen, you still see the quality he has and the quality he brings to the group and the team.

"I've never played against him, we're looking forward to going there and pitting our wits against one of the best players of all time."

Ralf Rangnick has lamented United's profligate finishing at one end, and sloppy defending at the other.

He is right, though. United have been creating opportunities, mustering an xG of 23.3 since Rangnick's first game in charge on December 5, but they have scored just 17 times, giving them the third-largest xG-goals differential among all teams in Europe's top five leagues in that time (-6.3).

Potter is all too familiar with such a statistic, with Brighton having had an xG differential of -11.7 in the Premier League last season, having scored 40 goals from an xG of 51.7.

Brighton are still underperforming in that regard so far in 2021-22, but by only 3.8, netting 25 league goals from an xG of 28.8 so far.

However, his team have won 19 points away from home in the Premier League this season, with no side losing fewer on the road this term.

"Regardless of what the narrative around Manchester United is, you only have to look at the players that they have," Potter added.

"Going to Old Trafford in itself is a huge challenge because the crowd are so powerful there; the way they play, in a moment the game can completely change because they've got world-class players.

"The game is another test for us to see how our game has developed in as tough an away environment as you can get."

A fourth-placed finish in the Premier League is the best Manchester United can hope for this season, so says Ralf Rangnick.

United have dropped to fifth following successive draws with Burnley and Southampton, which came off the back of an FA Cup exit at the hands of Middlesbrough.

The Red Devils can move above West Ham into the Champions League places, however, should they win their game in hand against Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday.

But United trail third-place Chelsea by seven points, while Liverpool and Manchester City are 14 and 23 points better off respectively.

Ahead of hosting Brighton at Old Trafford, Rangnick conceded that his side cannot currently consider challenging for anything other than securing the final Champions League place.

"Right now, this is exactly what Manchester United needs and wants: to finish fourth in the league," he said at Monday's pre-match news conference. 

"I think this is the highest possible achievement we can get domestically. In the league, it's number four, that's our ambition, what we have to achieve and what we're aiming at."

Rangnick was appointed as interim manager until the end of the season in November and is set to take on a consultancy role from the end of the season for two years.

"After being here for 10 or 11 weeks, I know what we need next season," Rangnick added. "But it's not the time now to discuss this with anyone.

"My full focus is on tomorrow, then Sunday, Wednesday and the next couple of weeks.

"My focus is on the current squad, getting the best out of this season and then, after that, it's time to speak about the next steps for next season and the next couple of years."

After failing to win after being ahead at the interval in four of their last six matches in all competitions, Rangnick knows his side are lacking in confidence.

"It's obvious if you are 1-0 up in 11 out of 13 games and win half, and in three consecutive games you concede an equaliser, then it affects the minds of the players," he said.

"They think they should be 2-0 up or 3-0 up and it's 1-1 – it affects the players. We have to be more effective to score the second and third goal and kill the game off. 

"But if it doesn't happen then we have to be disciplined. You can understand that it affects the confidence of the players. 

"The only thing we can do is speak to the players one by one and explain to them why."

United's issues have been laid bare by their profligacy in front of goal since Rangnick replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Since his first game in charge on December 5, they have scored 17 goals in all competitions, but their expected goals (xG) figure is 23.3.

That differential of -6.3 is the third-largest among all teams in Europe's top-five leagues in that time, behind only Lyon (-8) and Rayo Vallecano (-7.4).

Rather than focus on his misfiring attackers, though, Rangnick believes United need to tighten up at the other end.

"It's clear the players are getting it. It started with [the FA Cup win over] Aston Villa and since then the players feel and understand the job," he said. 

"They now need to do it sustainably. The first half over the last couple of weeks has been very good. We didn't concede a single goal. 

"The next step is to raise our level physically, tactically, mentally. It's been too easy for other teams [to score] and also our own mistakes that we made let the other teams score."

Asked if his players are to blame for the ongoing three-match winless run, Rangnick said: "I don't know. 

"It is something to discuss at the end of the season. The players are ambitious and want to get better. They want to win. My job is to help them and show them a pathway."

United have won their last five Premier League games against Brighton, this following a run of three games without a victory in the fixture.