Mikel Arteta is "so grateful" to Pep Guardiola, though the Arsenal manager claimed it is out of his hands if somebody else wishes to damage his relationship with Manchester City's boss.

Tempers flared in the 2-2 draw between the Premier League title rivals at the Etihad Stadium last week.

Ahead of this weekend's fixtures, Guardiola said City would go to "war" with Arsenal, who joined the reigning champions on 14 points after Saturday's games.

While City drew 1-1 at Newcastle United, Arsenal clinched a 4-2 victory over Leicester City thanks to two stoppage-time goals.

After that match, though, Arteta was still asked about Guardiola.

"I've admired him since I was 10 years old," Arteta said on Saturday.

"I respect him profoundly. I'm so grateful for everything he did for me and continues to do for me.

"If someone wants to damage the relationship, that's not in my hands.

"The feeling [of affection] is profound. [Guardiola] knows it, the staff know it because I still [speak] with them today, and with the board, the ownership – with everyone."

Arteta was a coach at City between 2016 and 2019, until he left to replace Unai Emery in charge of the Gunners.

Jamaican referees are set to return to duty on Monday, September 30, following a weekend strike that caused the cancellation of all matches in the DaCosta Cup and Manning Cup competitions. The referees had taken strike action in response to concerns over safety and security after a series of troubling incidents involving match officials.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) expressed disappointment that an agreement could not be reached in time to allow the weekend’s games to proceed. However, the organization is optimistic about a swift resolution and resumption of matches.

“We are disappointed that a conciliatory position could not have been arrived at, that would allow today’s games to be played, but look forward to a quick and smooth resumption on Monday, September 30, 2024,” ISSA said.

The strike was prompted by two recent incidents in the DaCosta Cup. In one incident, during a match between Dinthill Technical and McGrath High last Saturday, referee officials were confronted by Dinthill players Maalick Whyte, Shamair Hutchinson, and Tyrese Gowe after the match. This confrontation escalated, with one of the players allegedly physically assaulting the referee.

As a result, ISSA’s disciplinary committee took swift action. On Thursday, it announced that Whyte and Hutchinson would be banned from participating in any ISSA-run competitions for one year, effective September 26, 2024, while Gowe was handed a three-match suspension. Additionally, Dinthill Technical was placed on a three-year probation and faces the threat of suspension if its players violate the disciplinary code during the probationary period.

The second incident occurred during a Zone A DaCosta Cup game between Maldon High and Cornwall College on September 14, when assistant referee Richard Ball was allegedly struck in the chest by a missile thrown from a group of spectators.

The Jamaica Football Referees Association (JFRA) raised concerns over the general safety and security of match officials and called for stricter penalties for those who verbally or physically assault referees. ISSA has since committed to reviewing its operations and addressing these concerns.

“The concerns raised by the JFRA are related to the general safety and security of match officials at our games as well as the stipulated penalties for persons who verbally or physically abuse match officials,” ISSA noted. “ISSA has committed to reviewing its general operations, and in particular, the specific areas of concerns raised, with the intention of ensuring that we continue to provide a safe and wholesome environment for all persons participating in our various competitions.”

With referees set to return, ISSA will continue working to ensure that referees, players, and spectators are all protected moving forward, as the competitions resume.

Simone Inzaghi believes a hangover from Inter's derby defeat to Milan ultimately impacted his team's display against Udinese.

Lautaro Martinez scored twice as Inter held on for a nervy 3-2 win over Udinese on Saturday.

Davide Frattesi put Inter in front after 43 seconds but Christian Kabasele levelled in the 35th minute before Martinez scored either side of half-time, with Lorenzo Lucca setting up a grandstand finish.

The victory came six days on from reigning Serie A champions Inter losing 2-1 to their city rivals in dramatic fashion at San Serie.

"We came across a healthy team, who got 10 points and were undefeated at home," Inzaghi said.

"However, we always kept control of the match, it's a shame about the ending where you know there can always be a negative episode."

"The two goals are two goals that we should have avoided.

"Our opponents are very dangerous when they show up in the area. We should have done better as a team in both goals, Lucca flew towards our goal with a two-goal advantage, we will have to work better when not in possession.

"[But] it had been almost two years since we lost a derby and it had been two years since we prepared for a match with such difficulties because losing a derby is not like losing a normal match."

Inter did at least snap a run of three games without a win in all competitions, with Martinez grabbing his first Serie A goals since May in the process.

"In the derby he had a good game where he got used to exploiting the chances he had," Inzaghi said.

"[A scoring drought] happens, we were all waiting for his goals. The fact that he has returned to scoring is important for everyone."

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick took the blame following Saturday's shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Osasuna.

Flick made a call to rest some of his key players and duly paid the price as Osasuna claimed their first LaLiga win over Barca since 2020.

The former Germany and Bayern Munich boss had been aiming to become only the second Barca coach, after Gerardo Martino, to win his first eight LaLiga matches in charge.

Yet Barca were firmly second best at Estadio El Sadar, with Bryan Zaragoza's double propelling Osasuna to a deserved victory, with the visitors only able to muster 0.68 expected goals (xG).

"You have to accept these defeats. We didn't play very well. I think it's my responsibility," Flick told Movistar Plus.

"[With the changes] I tried to protect the players, because they have been playing a lot of minutes. But I didn't expect us to play like this.

"We made a lot of mistakes and Osasuna did well. Although in the second goal I think there was a foul at the start of the action, I'm not entirely sure because I haven't been able to see it yet, but that's what I've heard.

"To score four goals against us is too much, but I've told the team that we have to keep going. It's a busy schedule and we are on the right track."

Flick was referring to a challenge by Osasuna midfielder Lucas Torro, who stood on Pau Victor's foot, in the build-up to Zaragoza scoring their second goal in the 28th minute.

The goal was given as neither the referee nor the VAR saw an infringement.

"For me it is a clear foul," a visibly frustrated Pedri told Movistar Plus.

Pedri also shrugged off the suggestion Flick's changes were the cause of Barca's issues.

He added: "It's normal to make rotations, there are a lot of matches. It's no excuse. We had to go out with 11 players and the score at half-time penalised us.

"The first half we were not good. We didn't come out to the game well. In the second half we deserved a bit more, but goals came when we were at our best.

"We had to go for the game. We had to go for everything and on the counter-attack they hurt us." 

Lionel Messi scored but Inter Miami failed to puncture Charlotte FC's resolve as they were held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Messi netted with a brilliant, low strike from the edge of the area to drag Miami level in the 67th minute at Chase Stadium.

His equaliser came 10 minutes after Karol Swiderski had diverted in Brandt Bronico's effort to give Dean Smith's Charlotte an unlikely lead.

Miami thought they had a penalty just after Messi's equaliser, but after consulting with the VAR, referee Ramy Touchan amended his decision to award a spot-kick for a foul on Diego Gomez, with that call also sparing Adilson Malanda from receiving a second yellow card.

Charlotte substitute Patrick Agyemang had a goal disallowed for offside as the frantic pace continued, though the best opportunity for a winner fell to Miami star Luis Suarez, only for the former Barcelona and Liverpool forward to slice over from point-blank range.

The draw leaves Miami needing to win all three of their remaining regular-season matches to break the single-season MLS points record of 73, which was set by the New England Revolution in 2021. Charlotte, meanwhile, are not sure of their place in the playoffs just yet.

Data Debrief: Miami's Messi problem?

Messi scored, had 10 shots, got five on target, had 15 touches in Charlotte's box, and created two chances for his team-mates, yet Miami could still not get over the line.

The issue for Gerardo Martino is, it is becoming a trend when the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner plays - and he will always play when he is fit, of course.

It can hardly be considered Messi's fault, but Miami have now won only one of the last six matches he has featured in dating back to late May (D3 L1). In the 13 matches Messi has missed in all competitions in that time, Miami have posted a record of W10 D0 L3, and it is a worrying drop-off heading into the playoffs.

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui was pleased with his side’s character as they overcame a poor start to draw 1-1 away to Brentford.

Lopetegui’s side were coming off the back of a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in their last league game and a 5-1 EFL Cup thrashing at Liverpool in midweek.

Bryan Mbuemo’s goal a minute into the encounter could have spelled the worst for the Hammers, but they recovered well and got back on level terms early in the second half through midfielder Tomas Soucek.

Lopetegui now has something to build upon as his side face a vital match at home to Ipswich Town before the next international break, and their overall performance pleased the Spaniard.

He told BBC Sport: “We showed this [Brentford's record of scoring early] to the players and it's incredible we suffered. It's a bad picture to concede so early.

"We kept calm and I think we deserved to win the match in the second half, we showed character and commitment.

"We had three or four very clear situations to score a second goal but we didn't manage it and we take a point. I have to keep positive.

"We always have to work as a team or we are weaker - I think we did this in the second half."

Brentford manager Thomas Frank was content with a point despite again taking the lead early on, as he continues to deal with injuries in the squad.

“It’s a good point,” said Frank. “I'm always disappointed if we don't get three. We were the better team for 75 minutes.

"West Ham outpowered us for 15 minutes at the start of the second half. If you take into consideration that we have nine first team players out, we had nothing to shoot with.

"What I liked from my team was the mentality. We kept going forward."

Frank could not explain the reason for Brentford netting in the opening minute of three straight games, but he feels it speaks to one of the main principles of his side.

“I can't tell you [the secret]. It must be a world record, three games in a row under 40 seconds - it's unbelievable," he added.

"We had a plan again, it's a mindset of playing forward and trying to get on the game straight away. I'm very pleased with that."

Pep Guardiola was pleased with the performance of his midfielders in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, but knows he must find solutions in Rodri's absence.

Rodri ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal last week and his unavailability proved costly last season, with City losing three of the four league matches in which he did not feature.

Of the 50 matches Rodri played in all competitions for City last term, Guardiola's side won 38 and only lost once, but they lost four of the nine games he missed.

Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic formed City's central pairing against Newcastle on Saturday and Guardiola believes he has the quality in his ranks to plug the gap.

"I know you are going to ask me all the time, but he [Rodri] is not there," said Guardiola, who was also without the injured Kevin De Bruyne at St James' Park.

"Kovacic, Bernardo [Silva], Rico did well, but I have to find solutions. I would love Rodri to be here.

"I see my team and recognise them perfectly. We had chances to score and in midfield we were strong. The issue was balls in behind.

"But sometimes it happens and you have to adapt. We had chances to score, but this is their stadium and they had chances to score, so I'm happy (with a point)."

City failed to score multiple goals in a Premier League match for the first time in 15 games.

Despite dropping points in the league for the second successive match, and having seen City also take the lead through Josko Gvardiol, Guardiola was content with a point against a much-improved Newcastle.

He said: "Sometimes it happens and you have to adapt. We had chances to score, but this is their stadium and they had chances to score, so I'm happy."

Andoni Iraola believes it is critical that Bournemouth win points in all games against non-European opposition if they are to improve on last season's 12th-place finish.

Iraola guided Bournemouth to their highest-ever Premier League points total (48) last campaign but has overseen an underwhelming start to this season.

Bournemouth lost 3-0 to Liverpool last weekend, to add to defeats against Chelsea and West Ham. Their only win so far came away at Everton, with a spectacular 3-2 comeback, after trailing 2-0 as late as the 87th minute.

Though Iraola will be watching on from the stands as he serves a touchline ban, he stressed the importance of beating sides like Southampton if the Cherries are to go better than last season.

"It is a derby – a game that everybody always wants to win. Considering the standings, I think it's a very important game for us," the Bournemouth manager told the media.

"Every game we play against a non-European team is definitive. Every time you play, you have to take the most you can.

"It looks like an exciting game. It will be a demanding one, but I think we are training well and ready for it. I'm sure they will be a good team. I don't see weak teams in the Premier League."

Southampton remain in search of their first win of the season, after a rocky start to their first season back in the league.

Russell Martin’s side picked up their first point of the season at home to Ipswich Town but were unlucky to miss out on all three after being pegged back by a last-minute equaliser from Sam Morsy.

Martin hopes his side can take inspiration from their upcoming opponents as they look to kickstart their league campaign and move out of the relegation places.

"Iraola has done a brilliant job, but it took him some time, in the same way it has taken us a bit of time to adapt and adjust. They had a bumpy start under Andoni but they've been brilliant ever since and they've kept building on it," he said.

"We're learning more about what's required at this level. I hope, in the five games we've had, they have enough to know that to feel fear of the Premier League.

"You have to embrace it and really seize the opportunity we have. I feel more and more that they are doing that and the results will follow."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo

Semenyo has the highest goal contributions in the Bournemouth squad so far this season with two goals and one assist to his name.

In the loss at Anfield last week, Semenyo had the joint-highest expected goals total (0.35) among his teammates, equal with Luis Sinisterra. It was also the joint third-highest total across both sides.

He also got the joint most shots away in the match (four), level with Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz.

Southampton – Tyler Dibling

Dibling became Southampton's fourth-youngest Premier League goalscorer when he netted against Ipswich Town at just 18 years and 217 days old.

The youngster has also created five chances for Southampton this season, the third-highest in the squad, despite having only played 205 minutes.

Martin said Dibling's "ceiling is so high", adding: At this moment he couldn't play for every team, he suits the way we play a lot, and he's getting so much better at the stuff he needs to improve on."

MATCH PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH WIN

Southampton have found it difficult on their travels of late. They will be looking to reverse a nine-match Premier League away winless streak (W0, D2, L7), having not won on the road in the top flight since February 2023 against Chelsea.

If there is one opponent to do it against though, it could be their south coast rivals. Bournemouth are winless in their last five against Southampton at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League (D2 L3).

But even that may prove too tough of a challenge. Southampton have picked up just one point in their opening five Premier League matches in 2024-25, their fewest at this stage of a league season since 1998-99, when they had no points after five games.

Southampton also remain winless in their last 18 Premier League matches (D5 L13), since a 1-0 win over Leicester City in March 2023. The last side to have a longer winless run were Norwich City between March 2020 and October 2021 (20 games).

Bournemouth can feel more hopeful about their recent form. Despite suffering a 3-0 defeat at Liverpool last time out, they had 19 shots. That was the joint most by an away team in a Premier League game at Anfield on record since 2003-04.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Bournemouth – 56.7%

Draw – 21.7%

Southampton – 21.6%

Michel wants to see Girona turn in more performances of the level they showed against Rayo Vallecano in midweek, despite the fact they drew that game 0-0.

Winless in four consecutive games in all competitions, last season's surprise LaLiga challengers Girona dominated proceedings on Wednesday with 70% possession, accumulating 2.0 expected goals (xG).

Having gone toe-to-toe with giants Real Madrid and Barcelona for much of last campaign before eventually finishing third, Girona now sit 12th in the LaLiga standings on eight points from seven matches.

They face Celta Vigo on Sunday, and ahead of that match, Michel said: "We shouldn't compare ourselves to last year because we are a different team.

"I really liked the team against Rayo, and if we had that level and continuity before against Valencia (a 2-0 loss) and Barcelona (a 4-1 defeat), I would be very happy.

"Rayo didn't score against us, they were defending the whole game and that's not easy to achieve. I'm convinced that we need to give continuity to the idea we had the other day, only then will we be close to winning more games."

Girona sold LaLiga's top scorer from last season, Artem Dovbyk, to Roma over the summer, but Michel is not concerned by a lack of goalscoring prowess from his side.

"We have the capacity to finish more plays and we have to find the timing to do it now. This is our concern and the training sessions are going in that direction," he added.

The Spaniard was full of praise for Celta, who are 10th in LaLiga with one more point than Girona.

"They have started the league well," Michel said. "They are the best team in terms of ball circulation, and they do things very well.

"They are a team that hurts you with the ball and that's why we have to impose our game, make good possessions and arrive well in the opponent's half and in the opponent's goal."

Brendan Rodgers paid tribute to Celtic's "Champions League mentality" in their 6-0 rout of St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

Kyogo Furuhashi scored twice, while Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah were also on target for the Hoops, who warmed up for their midweek European trip to Borussia Dortmund in emphatic fashion.

The dominant victory moved Celtic back to the top of the Scottish Premiership table - ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference - as they continued their perfect start to the season, with a sixth win in as many games.

And Rodgers was pleased by the character his players demonstrated.

"I thought this was an opportunity to show our mentality," he told Premier Sports. "All the noise has been about Dortmund, but I wanted a Champions League mentality here, and I thought the boys controlled the game.

"We wanted to keep our rhythm going. You see some of the guys coming in this evening, like Valle coming in at left-back, showing his composure.

"Most were looking at it as a tick-box before Dortmund, but for me, it was to show their mentality. Everyone will be flying on Tuesday night, but I want to see how they do when they’re here, or other grounds. It’s a case of just focusing in on that.

"I thought the variety of our game was very good; everything you'd want from your team."

Looking ahead to Tuesday's clash with Bundesliga giants Dortmund, he added: "[They] are a good team with top players, so we can't get away from that.

"OK, they've lost one or two [players] from last year, but I always say we make sure we press, make sure we attack. It's a tough game, but we'll look forward to it."

Barcelona suffered their first LaLiga defeat of the season after going down 4-2 against Osasuna at Estadio El Sadar.

Ante Budimir scored twice, while Bryan Zaragoza and substitute Abel Bretones were also on target for the hosts, who claimed their first league win over the Blaugrana in nine attempts.

Osasuna were unbeaten in their six previous home league games and took an 18th-minute lead when Budimir nodded home from Zaragoza's cross.

The latter, who is on loan from Bayern Munich, doubled the advantage 10 minutes later when he rounded off a swift counter.

Pau Victor halved the deficit eight minutes after the restart, but Budimir's 72nd-minute penalty put the hosts back in control, before Bretones made it 4-1 with seven minutes remaining.

Lamine Yamal climbed off the bench to reduce Barca's arrears, but it was a consolation for Hansi Flick's side, who dropped their first points this term. 

Data Debrief: Flick misses out on matching Martino

Flick was aiming to become only the second Barca manager after Gerardo Martino in 2013-14 to oversee eight straight victories at the start of a LaLiga season.

However, he and the visitors were denied by their inspired hosts, who have now recorded four successive home league wins for the first time since September 2011.

Xabi Alonso was proud of his Bayer Leverkusen players after they produced a resolute defensive performance to earn a 1-1 Bundesliga draw at Bayern Munich.

After Robert Andrich gave Leverkusen the lead, Bayern's Aleksandar Pavlovic levelled with a stunning half-volley from 25 yards out which gave goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky no chance.

Bayern, who had won all four of their previous league games under Vincent Kompany, had 18 shots to Leverkusen's three and almost 70% of the possession.

That is the fewest shots Leverkusen have attempted in any of their 98 competitive matches under Alonso, while they also generated just 0.07 expected goals (xG) to Bayern's 1.32.

Despite their lack of attacking threat, Alonso was delighted with his side's defensive resilience, saying: "The energy and belief at Bayern is different to last season, they are going full throttle with and against the ball. 

"That was very tough today. We can be happy with the point. I needed more energy from the team.

"I'm happy with that. We were ready to suffer and we did that. We need the discipline and passion of the players.

"It wasn't easy, we didn't have control of the ball. It was a challenge to defend. The point is important... The whole team did very well. We hardly had a chance to breathe but I'm very proud of my players."

Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, who provided the assist for the opener, said their main strategy was to be compact and deny Bayern opportunities to score.

"We are self-critical. If you score three goals every game, that's not enough. If we play well today and switch gears, we can do something," Xhaka said.

"Defensively, we put in a good performance. The goal today was to be compact and concede little. You can certainly do more with the ball and everyone knows that we can do more. If someone had told us before the game that we would get a point, we would have taken it."

Leverkusen will next turn their attention to the Champions League, when they host AC Milan on Tuesday. 

Juventus boss Thiago Motta lashed out at those criticising striker Dusan Vlahovic after he scored twice in the Bianconeri's 3-0 win over Genoa on Saturday.

Juve continued their fine start to life under Motta with a routine victory at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, Vlahovic netting twice before Francisco Conceicao added a late third.

They have kept a clean sheet in each of their first six matches of a Serie A season for the very first time, also scoring at least twice in five of their last eight games, having done so only once in their previous eight.

Despite Juve's strong run of form, Vlahovic has attracted criticism from some quarters.

Only Christian Pulisic (six) and Marcus Thuram (five) have bettered his four goals in Serie A this term, though, with the Serbian also helping himself to a brace versus Verona.

Motta heaped praise upon Vlahovic after the win, also hailing his defensive work as he said: "No goals conceded is a team effort. 

"Scoring goals starts well with [goalkeeper Mattia] Perin and not conceding goals starts with Vlahovic.

"We have a group that wants to defend to have the ball and recover it. This is very important, a team must be solid to aspire to something great."

Motta then added: "Honestly, I think you pay too much attention to a single player. He has always been very good. 

"I understand the expectations and needs of a striker at this level. But as I said from the beginning, he is a positive leader who helps a lot.

"I am happy because he scored but I was also happy when he didn't. He must improve and be more connected with the team because he is an important player in many aspects of our game. He is fine and must continue to work as he is doing".

Vlahovic, who has more games with multiple goals than any other player across the last six Serie A seasons (19), said: "The most important thing is that we won and we want to continue like this.

"It's no problem, people talk. If you score you're the best, if you don't you're the worst. It's up to me to respond on the pitch and I will certainly do so.

"Sometimes there are fewer opportunities. People expect me to solve the games and that's normal, I don't run away. I always do everything 100%.

"I'm super calm and I will always give my all on the pitch. For a striker when you don't score it's difficult, but today we won and that's the only thing that matters." 

Vincent Kompany is hopeful Harry Kane's knock is nothing serious, after the Bayern Munich striker limped off during the 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

The England captain, who did not register a single shot during the game, was injured in a collision late on at the Allianz Arena, where Aleksandar Pavlovic cancelled out Robert Andrich's earlier effort.

The stalemate saw Bayern drop their first points of the Bundesliga season, while they turn their attention back to the Champions League with a trip to face Aston Villa in midweek.

Whether Kane features at Villa Park remains to be seen, but Kompany hopes his forward is fit for a return to England.

"I'm not a doctor, but I hope it's nothing serious," the Bayern boss told Sky Sports. "It's still early to say. Hopefully, he'll be fit for Wednesday."

Although Bayern's 100% start to the league campaign is no more, Kompany saw plenty of positives in his side's display.

"As a Bayern coach, you always want to win," he added. "But the performance was as we'd hoped. The counter-pressing was positive, we won the second balls, we created so many chances.

"Normally, in such a game, you don't create many chances, but we did. It was a top game, but there are still many games to go. We just have to keep going."

Arne Slot believes it is too early to speak of his Liverpool side as title contenders after they ran out 2-1 winners at Wolves to go top of the Premier League.

Ibrahim Konate had given Slot’s men the lead on the stroke of half-time but the home side levelled soon after the restart through Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Moments later, Nathan Semedo bundled over Diogo Jota in the penalty area and Mohamed Salah made no mistake from the spot to continue his and Liverpool’s fine start to the season.

The Egyptian has now scored 10 winning goals in the competition from the spot, only bettered by Alan Shearer with 12 and Frank Lampard with 18.

Despite going top, Slot insisted it was too early to speak of his side as title contenders, with just six league games played.

He said: “It feels good, you want to be up there but it doesn’t tell me that much at the moment.

"If you look at Wolves they are down in the table but they played much better than that today. After 19 games, it’ll tell me something, but not after six."

Slot praised his opposite number Gary O’Neil for causing his side some problems early on, but once tactical adjustments were made, the Dutchman was pleased with the amount of control his side exerted.

He told Sky Sports: "I don't think we started well, but we have to give credit to Wolves and Gary O'Neil.

"They had a really good gameplan. We had some problems in the first 20 minutes, but afterwards we took control of the game.

"We were patient and kept circulating the ball and kept waiting for the right moment to bring the ball in."

Wolves’ poor run of form continues and they sit bottom of the league, with no wins to their name and just a solitary point from their first six games.

O’Neil was still proud of his players after a narrow defeat and is adamant his side have deserved more points from their opening matches than the table suggests.

"They went toe-to-toe with one of the biggest clubs in the country,” said O’Neil.

“I am gutted for the lads, with what they have given in the last six games, they deserve more points.

"The responsibility of the result... I accept that, but I also need to praise the lads for delivering performances against opposition like this.

"I know them well enough that they will feel disappointed for a day, then they will be ready to go again."

The 41-year-old, who joined the club on the eve of the 2023-24 season, admits he has no control over whether he will continue as head coach.

"I can't control other people's belief in me. All I can do is the best I can do," he said.