Bruno Fernandes feels Manchester United are a "proper team" again following their dramatic 2-1 win against Manchester City at Old Trafford.

The Portugal international struck the equaliser to cancel out Jack Grealish's opener before Marcus Rashford hit the winner four minutes later to put United just a point behind City in the Premier League standings.

United's win maintains a superb record since August 22, when victory over Liverpool gave them their first win of the season. They have amassed 38 points since, with no other team in the top-flight having picked up more in that spell.

Ten Hag's side have also tallied seven consecutive victories across all competitions since returning from the mid-season break, which Fernandes thinks has been helped by their improving unity.

"I said before the game we look like a team now. Some time ago, sometimes each one of us was looking for ourselves. Now you see a proper team playing for each other," he told BT Sport.

Fernandes is not getting carried away about the proximity to City, however, pointing out it will mean little if United's momentum drops.

"[Being a point behind City] doesn't matter for us," he added. "We have to look forward to the next game.

"If you don't keep winning, they'll go [City will move ahead]. We'll celebrate a big win but from [Sunday] our focus has to be on the next game."

United's second-half response was aided by the introduction of Alejandro Garnacho, who assisted Rashford's winner, and the England forward praised the work of his attacking colleagues.

"The options we've got coming off the bench, we've had injuries this year with our forward line, and everyone has played out of position. Bruno played out of position today," he said.

"You can see everyone is putting a shift in. When you have players like Alejandro, young, hungry, willing to come on and make a difference, anything is possible."

United are next in action at struggling Crystal Palace on Wednesday, before a trip to league leaders Arsenal.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola appeared to suggest Manchester United's controversial equaliser in their 2-1 Premier League win on Saturday was only given because the match was played at Old Trafford.

Jack Grealish put City ahead on the hour mark, yet United drew level in contentious fashion after 78 minutes.

Bruno Fernandes curled home past Ederson as Marcus Rashford, who was in an offside position, ran onto the pass but did not touch the ball, with the initial offside decision being overruled by VAR. 

The Red Devils then sealed maximum points four minutes later when Rashford turned home from close range.

Guardiola was furious with the decision to allow Fernandes' goal, insinuating it would have not been given had the game been played elsewhere.

"Marcus Rashford is offside, Bruno Fernandes is not," he told BBC's Match of the Day.

"Rashford distracted our keeper and central defenders. It is what it is. We know where we play. It is difficult for the referees in these stadiums."

City enjoyed 70.3 per cent of the possession, yet Grealish's goal was their only shot on target, their joint-fewest in a Premier League match under Guardiola.

Despite this, the City boss was pleased with how his side – who could find themselves eight points behind leaders Arsenal if they beat Tottenham on Sunday – equipped themselves against their neighbours.

"Congratulations to United. People will understand how nice Manchester City is. It was a fantastic game," he added.

"We controlled the transitions better in the second half against Rashford and their fast players. We had the right spirit to do it.

"We were close and we have to improve when we concede the goal, be more stable. The gap between the first and second goal is too close.

"In general I have no regrets. I don't care if we don't win the EFL Cup or the Premier League, we'll try. I don't care when a team performs how we play. It was quite similar to the many, many years we've been here.

"There are plenty of points to play for and we have to play there. In every game we have to perform. We always play in these sort of games and in others we struggle a little bit."

It was almost exactly a year to the day since Marcus Rashford was substituted in an FA Cup win over Aston Villa and subsequently took his place on the bench wearing the look of a player who seemed completely bereft.

His body language, the apparent disappearance of his smile, his general form. Everything about Rashford was scrutinised to the nth degree. A few months earlier he reportedly sought the help of a sports psychologist in an attempt to move on from his part in England's Euro 2020 failure.

In simple terms, a player who once looked able to go as far as he pleased in the game was beginning to look a lost cause at Old Trafford.

Fast forward to January 14, 2023, Rashford is now the poster boy of a new era at the Theatre of Dreams, and his late winner in the Manchester derby shows both he and United are finally emerging from a nightmare.

Of course, Erik ten Hag has clearly played a role in both resurgences.

You could forgive him approaching the game with a sense of trepidation given what happened in October, as City obliterated them in a 6-3 win at the Etihad Stadium.

That was a reality check after a run of four league wins, and a defeat that led to Ten Hag essentially thanking City for showing the Red Devils how much more work they needed to do.

Since then, and before Saturday's game, only Newcastle United (24) had won more Premier League points than the Reds. Clearly, the improvement has swift and significant.

There was no avalanche of first-half goals from City this time. By the break in October, City were 4-0 up, with Phil Foden and Erling Haaland getting a brace each – the Norwegian enjoying a brutal introduction to the derby.

At the interval here, United had been the better side, creating the two best (only?) chances of the first half and restricting City to just one attempt, which was blocked anyway.

Luke Shaw's selection at centre-back looked curious, though he was once again impressive even against Haaland, and Fred's tenacity in midfield helped to reduce the influence of Kevin De Bruyne.

United found joy down the inside-left channel with Rashford, who first forced Manuel Akanji into a goal-line clearance after skipping past the stranded Ederson. The England forward then burst beyond Rodri but saw his point-blank effort smothered by the goalkeeper.

The hosts were, generally, comfortable.

Anthony Martial didn't look sharp as he drew the frustration from the crowd on a couple of occasions, including for his seeming reluctance to press Ederson when receiving an awkward pass – that doesn't bode particularly well for the Frenchman following the arrival of a so-called "pressing monster" in Wout Weghorst.

Rashford then pulled up with a knock to his hip just before half-time. Although he continued, United were clearly lacking something in attack as he appeared to hold back and Martial was withdrawn, presumably owing to his own fitness issues.

City stepped things up. Their trademark ball domination returned and United struggled to get out of their defensive third.

The out-ball to Rashford wasn't on anymore, and caution appeared to be the new focus of United and Ten Hag.

That had to go out the window with Jack Grealish's headed opener, however. City turned the screw and it finally brought the breakthrough as De Bruyne managed to break free of his Fred- and Casemiro-shaped shackles to deliver the perfect chipped cross.

From there, most would've just assumed City would go on to take the three points, aiding their quest to chase down Arsenal – but this United are made of sterner stuff.

The introduction of Alejandro Garnacho for Christian Eriksen was key as United suddenly had greater presence in the forward line, occupying the City defence.

And Rashford, who barely had a kick after the break, came back to life. The awareness to leave the ball for Bruno Fernandes when offside was exceptional, and it allowed the Portugal midfielder to coolly slot home from just outside the box.

Then Rashford's moment arrived.

Garnacho twisted and turned on the left, making just enough space to squeeze a low cross past Nathan Ake, and Rashford was there to prod through Ederson's legs.

It made him the first United player since Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2008 to score in seven successive appearances, and it was the 27th winning goal of his Premier League career.

For many, that winner, this win, the mentality to turn things around in the derby against the champions will validate United as genuine title contenders.

The fact Rashford is the player spearheading their revival makes his a truly engrossing redemption tale.

Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes scored in quick succession as Manchester United came from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 in a dramatic derby at Old Trafford.

Just four minutes separated the two efforts from Erik ten Hag's side as first Fernandes levelled the scores with a controversial goal to cancel out Jack Grealish's opener.

There were no arguments about United's winner, however, with Rashford prodding home at close range after Alejandro Garnacho's pass across goal.

The win puts United just a point behind their arch-rivals, while handing Arsenal the opportunity to move eight clear with a victory over Tottenham on Sunday. 

In-form United had the first opportunity after capitalising on a loose Bernardo Silva pass, Christian Eriksen feeding a pass through to Fernandes who dragged an effort wide of the target.

City started poorly with sloppy passes throughout the opening half hour, providing encouragement to the home fans, though United could not profit.

Rashford came closest as he was first denied by Manuel Akanji after rounding Ederson, with the Brazilian goalkeeper then diving at the England star's feet after Eriksen had sent him through on goal.

Pep Guardiola shuffled his deck 11 minutes into the second half, replacing Phil Foden with Grealish, who took just three minutes to make an impact, heading home Kevin de Bruyne's chipped cross at the far post.

United equalised in contentious fashion, Fernandes curling home past Ederson as Rashford, who was in an offside position, ran onto the pass but did not touch the ball, with the initial offside decision being overruled by VAR. 

And there was more drama soon after when Rashford diverted Garnacho's low cross in to put United within touching distance of City in the Premier League standings after a ninth consecutive win in all competitions. 

Pep Guardiola is not surprised by Manchester United's rejuvenation this season as he could feel Manchester City's great rivals would bounce back.

A dismal start to Erik ten Hag's stint in charge saw back-to-back losses against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion at the start of the season spark concern, but United have fought back to sit just four points adrift of City ahead of Saturday's clash.

Since the mid-season halt of action for the World Cup, United have tallied six consecutive wins across all competitions, conceding just once, and can move within touching distance of City with a victory at Old Trafford.

While United's revival has surprised many, City boss Guardiola is not among them as he revealed he had a feeling they were back to their best.

Asked what has changed at United, Guardiola said: "Tactically not much, but when you see the commitment without the ball, I always had the feeling that the strength, the quality of the Manchester United was always there.

"Since I arrived there was [Romelu] Lukaku, [Paul] Pogba, and top-class players everywhere, in every season. It doesn't look like just City spend money in this league. Just see United and what they have done.

"I think United are playing now like they normally play in their history. So that's why it's not surprising for me. I said one month ago, I see something that United are back. And people say no, they're not back. I knew it. I felt it."

City come into the derby on the back of a surprise EFL Cup quarter-final loss against Southampton and know that defeat to United would drag them into a fierce battle for a top-four finish, as well as opening the door for Arsenal to extend their lead at the top to eight points when they face Tottenham.

However, Guardiola has no concern that his squad will not rise to the occasion and is confident they will show a response.

"Absolutely. I'm confident. I will never doubt them. Even if this season will be a mess and it will be not successful in the terms of the people's expectations, I would never doubt the players," he declared.

"But the fact I tell the truth doesn't mean that I don't rely on them. Against Southampton, I'll tell them the truth and maybe they are not used to it because they are surrounded by people who say how good they are.

"It's not like Erik ten Hag, who has been here one season. We are here for a long time and handling that is completely different."

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made a strong impression on Casemiro with a winning mentality he has seen in few coaches throughout his career.

Casemiro joined United from Real Madrid in August in a deal potentially worth £70million (€78.9m), having played under the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez and Zinedine Zidane.

The Brazil international signed for the club amid a period of relative uncertainty given the disappointing nature of the previous season and Ten Hag's arrival a few months earlier ushering in a new era.

But after a slow start for both, Casemiro has excelled and Ten Hag has overseen significant collective improvement, with United fourth in the Premier League and hoping to go a point behind champions Manchester City with a win in Saturday's derby.

Ten Hag has applauded Casemiro for the impact he has made and the midfielder reciprocated with praise of his own.

"He's certainly a manager who is obsessed with winning," Casemiro told ICS. "Few managers in my career had the same obsession to win.

"He's someone who always wants to win: even in training, he always wants the best. He's a hard-working manager who demands a lot of his players so that we're always at our best and that's important for us.

"I also view him as a manager with the desire to see Manchester United grow and develop, that's one of his most important characteristics, not just his but all the coaching staff who follow his lead."

Casemiro has transformed United's midfield with a crucial blend of destructiveness and playmaking ability.

Every 90 minutes he averages 6.3 involvements in open-play passing sequences that end in a shot, a record bettered by only five central midfielders in the Premier League this term (minimum of 500 minutes), including more recognised creators such as Bruno Fernandes (7.3) and Kevin De Bruyne (8.0).

Additionally, just five players in the league (min. 500 minutes) have been involved in more shot-ending build-up sequences (48) without creating or taking the shot. Both of these highlight how central Casemiro's playmaking skills are from his deep-lying position, even if he is not necessarily the one playing the key pass.

But it is off the ball where many fans feel his presence is most welcomed, given the only other United central midfielder to record at least three tackles and eight duel wins (3.8 and 8.1) on a 90-minute basis over a season in the past 15 years is Marouane Fellaini in 2013-14 (3.1 and 9.3) and 2016-17 (3.0 and 10.8).

Casemiro does not think he is doing anything that would not be expected of him, though, and it is this simplicity and clarity from Ten Hag that he values.

"He's a very intelligent coach," Casemiro told ICS. "He knows what he can ask for from each player.

"I'd say he doesn't ask me for anything I can't do, obviously I can contribute to the team. The manager makes adjustments of course, but he doesn't ask for anything different from what I've been doing throughout my career.

"Nothing special is requested. Of course, the league and the games themselves allow you to get forward more.

"Everyone, including the manager, knows my role: bring balance to the team, support my team-mates, play between the centre-backs, provide cover for the full-backs, help the midfield, play out from the back with a quality pass. Nothing different from what I've always done in my career."

Pep Guardiola always expected Manchester United would challenge Manchester City again as the sides head into Saturday's derby separated by only four points.

That gap was eight points after their previous meeting in early October, which City sensationally won 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium.

But United are the Premier League's form team, winning 15 of their subsequent 18 games in all competitions and losing just once.

Erik ten Hag has improved the Old Trafford outfit to the point they could really pile the pressure on second-placed City with a victory this weekend.

Guardiola was asked about United's progress ahead of that match and replied: "It's normal. A new manager arrived, many things must be settled, then the improvement of the team is clear.

"It's not just in terms of results, it's everything."

United have improved "a lot", he accepted, but a Red Devils revival was always on the cards at some stage.

"What happened in the previous seasons is a Man United problem, so I don't know, but now it's normal that United is there," Guardiola said. "Still there, top, fighting.

"The position is there because it's the position Man United has to be.

"For me, did they surprise me? No. Must be there? Yes. Alongside the other teams? Yes. That's why this competition is so difficult, but I'm not surprised at all."

Guardiola, entering his 500th top-flight match as a coach, said earlier in the week he had "a few ideas, thoughts, ridiculous ones" for taking on United, but he was in less entertaining mood following an EFL Cup exit to Southampton.

"A joke," he said of those comments. "It was a joke."

With the defeat to Saints fresh in his mind, denying him a fifth success in that competition, Guardiola was similarly unimpressed by discussion of the title race as City head into the weekend five points behind leaders Arsenal.

"It's not a knockout game, so there are many games still to play," he answered on the topic.

"Yes, it's important, it's always important against United, but it's a football game like many that are going to happen in the future.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag confirmed Wout Weghorst is close to joining the club but will not sign in time to feature in Saturday's derby.

United have been on the hunt for a new striker ever since Cristiano Ronaldo's acrimonious exit in November, with the Portugal forward having his contract terminated after an explosive interview.

Over the past week or so, Weghorst – who is on loan at Besiktas from Burnley – emerged as a likely candidate to fill the void until the end of the season.

Reports on Thursday suggested United reached an agreement to pay Besiktas £2.5million (€3m) to take over their loan arrangement with Weghorst, who has scored eight Super Lig goals in 16 games this season.

Some supporters have been indifferent about the prospect of signing a player who netted just twice in 20 Premier League games last term as Burnley were relegated, but a deal is seemingly near – just not close enough for him to face Manchester City this weekend.

Speaking to reporters about the rumours on Friday, Ten Hag said: "I think we are close, so he will not be available for tomorrow, no."

But with United unable to get a deal for Weghorst over the line sooner, they could once again see their options at centre-forward limited for the visit of City.

Anthony Martial has been plagued by injuries this season and is struggling with another issue, leaving Ten Hag unsure of his availability for the match.

Asked to provide general fitness updates, the manager added: "[Diogo] Dalot is not available, and Martial trained this morning, so we wait to see how he recovered and if he's available. That will be decided tomorrow.

"It's a small thing, in his leg, so I will be [waiting for] tomorrow, otherwise he'll be available for Wednesday, I think."

United are somewhat stretched in the attacking department, with Martial proving unreliable in terms of fitness and Jadon Sancho still absent after being granted time away to improve his mental sharpness.

But Ten Hag is not panicking, pointing out United have done well without Martial and Weghorst in recent weeks.

"Weghorst wasn't available in the last weeks, so it would be a bonus if he was [able to face City]," Ten Hag said. "I hope soon he will be there.

"But also we have had a month of winning a lot of games without Anthony Martial."

United welcome City to Old Trafford looking to avenge a 6-3 defeat in October. Victory for the Red Devils will see them move to within a point of the champions.

Pep Guardiola feared a Manchester City performance of the like they delivered in losing to Southampton was coming this season after years of success, and he is now calling on his team to "recover who you are".

City exited the EFL Cup, a competition they have won four times under Guardiola, with a 2-0 defeat at St Mary's Stadium on Wednesday.

That quarter-final elimination was concerning beyond simply the result, however, as Guardiola's side failed to record a shot on target for the first time in almost five years.

City have little time to recover as they face rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday. Guardiola said his team had gone through "normal preparation for the next game" despite his concerns at what he saw against Southampton, but he had a response when it was suggested fans might be concerned by Ilkay Gundogan's post-match comments.

Gundogan, the City captain, suggested they were missing "a special recipe" as "the desire and hunger is maybe not as it was in recent years".

"City fans cannot complain about what this team is able to do, has done and will do," Guardiola said in a press conference on Friday.

"We cannot talk on behalf of the City fans, because there are millions; I don't know what every single City fan thinks.

"Saying that, what happened didn't surprise me. We tried to avoid it. It happened, unfortunately.

"Hopefully it's not going to happen again, but it's happened because we've done four Premier Leagues in five years. Sometimes you have to reset.

"This competition, the [EFL] Cup, showed me exactly in terms of consistency that we were able to do it. This was our strength as a team, as a club in the previous seasons. After back-to-back two times, this could happen.

"It's normal it happens. We were not ready to go there and be ourselves. I'm not talking about winning the [EFL] Cup, I'm not talking about winning games, we must be ourselves, behaves how we have to in every single game.

"Unfortunately, I was a little bit concerned this season that it could happen. Unfortunately, it happened; I don't know if it's going to happen again.

Guardiola is at least confident there will be no repeat against United, adding he was "not concerned at all" about City's desire ahead of the derby.

But the wider implication of what the match might mean for the Premier League title race was not of interest to the City manager.

"After what happened after Southampton, the last thing I'm worried about is titles, these kind of things," he said. "It's to recover who you are game by game."

Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The verdict was delivered at Chester Crown Court on Friday following a six-month trial.

French full-back Mendy was found not guilty of six counts of rape allegedly committed against four women and a further count of sexual assault alleged to have been committed against a fifth woman.

The jury were unable to were unable to reach an agreement on one further count of rape, and another count of attempted rape.

Mendy had been charged following allegations of attacks on five women between October 2020 and August 2021.

Co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie was found not guilty of three counties of rape. Jurors could not reach verdicts on three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against him.

The prosecution will seek a retrial on the counts the jury could not reach verdicts on.

Mendy was suspended by Premier League City champions in August 2021, when he was remanded in custody. The 28-year-old was released from prison last January.

City said in a statement on Friday: "Manchester City FC notes the verdict from Chester Crown Court today, where a jury has found Benjamin Mendy not guilty of seven charges.

"The jury is hung on two charges and the trial is now over.

"Given there are open matters related to this case, the Club is not in a position to comment further at this time."

City boss Pep Guardiola was asked about Mendy at his press conference, which took place shortly after the verdicts.

He said: "The club have made a statement. I'm not allowed to say anything else. Please take the statement like my words."

Manchester City will attempt to celebrate a landmark game for Pep Guardiola by securing a fourth consecutive win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The eagerly awaited derby will be Guardiola's 500th match as a top-flight manager in an incredible trophy-laden career.

Of more importance for the City boss will be claiming a victory that would leave the champions only two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who face a derby of their own at Tottenham on Sunday.

The Red Devils were hammered 6-3 when the two sides met at the Etihad Stadium in October, with Guardiola's men having done the double over their fierce rivals last season.

Fourth-placed United are flying under Erik ten Hag, though, and a win over City – who suffered a shock EFL Cup defeat to Southampton on Wednesday – would leave them only a point behind their neighbours.

Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview a huge derby showdown.

Another huge milestone for Pep

Guardiola has long since established himself as one of the best managers in the world, achieving great success with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

He took charge of 152 LaLiga games during his Barca tenure, 102 in the Bundesliga with dominant Bayern and this will be his 246th Premier League match as City boss.

Guardiola has won 379 of the 499 top-flight encounters he has overseen, suffered 52 defeats and drawn 68 games. 

With a win percentage rate of 76, he has the most victories and highest win rate - for managers who have taken charge of at least 100 games - of any boss in Europe's big-five leagues since his first top-flight season in 2008-09.

United on a roll

Ten Hag has lifted the gloom and there is more of an air of optimism at Old Trafford, with United having won eight consecutive games in all competitions.

Since and including their win over Liverpool on August 22, no team has earned more Premier League points than United's tally of 35, winning 11 of their 15 games during that time.

The Red Devils have won all three Premier League games since the World Cup without conceding a goal and reached the EFL Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic on Tuesday.

City to add insult to injury by breaking scoring record?

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks as City put United to the sword just over three months ago.

Guardiola's men could break their record for the number of goals scored against United in a season, which stands at eight established by 5-0 and 3-2 victories way back in the 1954-55 campaign.

The most goals the Red Devils have conceded against an opponent in a Premier League season is nine against Liverpool in 2021-22.

Rashford can do no wrong

Marcus Rashford can do no wrong at the minute, scoring in every game since the World Cup.

He came off the bench to help himself to a late double in the win over Charlton, making it seven goals in six matches since returning from England duty in Qatar.

Rashford, who found the back of the net twice for the Three Lions in the World Cup, has scored 15 times this season for United – who are certainly not missing Cristiano Ronaldo.

After a week's break for the FA Cup, the Premier League is back with a full round of fixtures this weekend – in fact, some teams have midweek games too.

As such, fantasy football managers turn their attention back to team selections, transfers and captain choices.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform has picked out four options that might be worth your consideration…

Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest v Leicester City)

Forest endured a pretty brutal reality check upon their long-awaited return to the Premier League, but things have started looking up in the past few weeks.

Henderson has undoubtedly been a shrewd addition between the posts and his recent form reflects Forest's general improvement.

Four of his five Premier League clean sheets this term have come in his seven most recent appearances, while Forest have collectively restricted their opponents to two or fewer shots on target in four of their past five outings.

Sven Botman (Newcastle United v Fulham)

Newcastle have excelled in many areas this term, hence their position in the top four. Defensively they have been solid, and Botman has more than played his part.

Eddie Howe's men have kept a clean sheet in each of their past four league games, with Botman playing at least 87 minutes in all of them.

Only four players have contributed to more clean sheets than his seven this season, and another will see the Magpies record five successive top-flight shutouts for the first time.

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United v Manchester City)

Granted, Fernandes is not exactly an "out there" selection, so this is more of a reminder of the value he can represent.

For starters, he is in good form having provided an assist in each of his past two league games, and for the season only Kevin De Bruyne (41) has created more chances in open play (40).

While he only has three assists, his 4.3 expected assists is the third best in the division, suggesting his team-mates have not fully made the most of his craft.

But with Marcus Rashford in such form and a big game against City – following by a midweek trip to struggling Crystal Palace – up next, Fernandes will be a leading candidate to be decisive.

Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion v Liverpool)

From a slightly obvious pick to a real wildcard, but bear with us.

Ferguson has made a big impact at Brighton over the past few weeks. The 18-year-old has been involved in three goals across his past two games (two goals, one assist).

If he gets another goal against Liverpool at the weekend, he will be the youngest player (18 years and 87 days on Saturday) to score in three consecutive Premier League games since Michael Owen (18y, 12d).

Is it written in the stars?

Erik ten Hag's arrival at Manchester United last year began a process of culture reset. For years, the club allowed big egos to inflate, and the team's mentality to shrink, while an arrogant hierarchy seemingly assumed waving big cheques guaranteed success.

Ten Hag has taken steps to fix all of the above, and in the roughly eight months since he began working in May, the difference has been significant.

"There was no spirit," Ten Hag said last week. "I saw no team dynamic in the squad. The mental resilience was very low. I saw that as an outsider – and also noticed it in my first weeks at the club.

"I looked at the culture of the club. I asked, 'how did Manchester United become great?'. The club has bought an unimaginable number of players in recent years who have not been good enough. Most purchases have been average – and at United average is not good enough. United's shirt weighs heavily."

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and you can't say Ten Hag's impact has come without "waving big cheques". But the problem with previous eras was how the money was spent.

Casemiro, who cost £60million, is the prime example. At 30 years old, there's no doubt some fans were unsure he was the man to reinvigorate a midfield that had quite literally been a problem for over a decade, but he's been exceptional and a big part of United's transformation.

From slow start to key man

Saturday's Manchester derby will be a true litmus test of not only United's progress under Ten Hag, but also the influence Casemiro has.

Let's not forget, City crushed United 6-3 at the start of October. Pep Guardiola's men were even 6-1 up for about 11 minutes before a late Anthony Martial double.

Their midfield of Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes simply couldn't handle City's dynamism, and then Erling Haaland and Phil Foden were irresistible in front of goal.

That was, unsurprisingly, the last game before Casemiro took ownership of the holding midfield role at United. Casemiro has played 1,330 minutes across all competitions since, second only to Fernandes (1,349), while Scott McTominay has managed just 439.

Over the same period, only Newcastle United (24) have claimed more points than the Red Devils (23) in the Premier League, with November's 3-1 reverse at Aston Villa their sole defeat.

Of course, it's difficult to attribute United's improvement to Casemiro alone, but there's no doubt his effective blend of destructiveness and creative subtlety have made Ten Hag's midfield a completely different proposition.

Not only is he so adept at reading the game and snuffing out attacks, Casemiro's long-underrated technical abilities suit Ten Hag's style of play down to the ground.

More than meets the eye

Anyone who regularly watched Real Madrid during Casemiro's long stay will have already known there's more to him than simply kicking people. Admittedly, frequent viewers of arguably the most popular team on Earth is hardly a niche group, yet there was certainly a lack of awareness from fans and pundits alike regarding Casemiro's 'other' talents when he joined United.

Because Ten Hag wants his team to generally dictate possession, players without excellent technique will stick out like a sore thumb, which is presumably one explanation for Aaron Wan-Bissaka featuring so irregularly until the past couple of weeks.

The fact Casemiro has become so influential speaks volumes.

Every 90 minutes he averages 6.3 involvements in open-play passing sequences that end in a shot, a record bettered by only five central midfielders in the Premier League this term (min. 500 minutes), including more recognised creators like Fernandes (7.3) and Kevin De Bruyne (8.0).

Additionally, just five players in the entire league (min. 500 minutes) have been involved in more shot-ending build-up sequences (48) without creating or taking the shot. Both of these highlight how central Casemiro's playmaking skills are from his deeper role, even if he's not necessarily the one playing the key pass.

But he is proving extremely effective without the ball as well, and his powers of ball recovery combined with smart distribution make him such an asset, with only Rodri (32, from 1,391 minutes played) initiating more shot-ending open-play sequences after winning possession than Casemiro (22, from 979 minutes played).

It's arguably that hard-working, destructive nature that makes him so refreshing for United, though. The only other central midfielder they've had over the past 15 years who has recorded at least three tackles and eight duel wins (3.8 and 8.1) on a 90-minute basis over a season is Marouane Fellaini in 2013-14 (3.1 and 9.3) and 2016-17 (3.0 and 10.8).

Fellaini's stats will be boosted by his aerial effectiveness, and obviously the Belgian never had the same technical grasp Casemiro has, with his two brilliant passes in the build up to Marcus Rashford's goals in the EFL Cup win over Charlton Athletic earlier this week prime examples of his class in that respect.

He's probably the most complete midfielder they've had since Roy Keane, and the fact Ten Hag so emphatically filled a void that's been gaping throughout the post-Alex Ferguson era is proof enough of the manager's culture shift at Old Trafford.

Beating City will be another major statement.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are among the leading candidates for The Best FIFA Men's Player award after unsurprisingly being named on the 14-strong list of nominees on Thursday.

FIFA's awards ceremony will take place on February 27 and recognise the sport's high achievers from 2022 across several categories, with The Best FIFA Men's Player prize being the headline attraction.

Messi, who won the 2019 award and came a close second to Robert Lewandowski for 2021, will be the firm favourite after inspiring Argentina to World Cup success.

It was the Albiceleste's first such title since 1986, and Messi played a crucial role in the triumph as Argentina beat France on penalties after a 3-3 draw last month.

Messi scored five goals and set up another three to win himself the Golden Ball, and he nearly took home the Golden Boot as well.

Of course, his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe won the latter prize thanks to his hat-trick against Argentina in the dramatic final, and he will likely be Messi's closest rival.

Had it not been a World Cup year, Manchester City's Erling Haaland might have fancied his chances of staking a claim after a sensational start to life in the Premier League.

Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema is among the nominees and may be expecting a top-three finish after carrying Real Madrid to another Champions League crown, though his lack of World Cup involvement could prove detrimental.

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is in the running for The Best FIFA Men's Coach gong, though Argentina's Lionel Scaloni will likely be the favourite of the five-man shortlist.

Argentina are also represented in The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper category by Emiliano Martinez among the five nominees.

For the women's prizes, Euro 2022 champions England have several nominations.

Beth Mead, Keira Walsh and Leah Williamson are all up for the players' award; Sarina Wiegman will be the favourite for the coaches' accolade; and Mary Earps is in contention to be named The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper.

The voting process will involve international captains and coaches, journalists, and fans selecting their winners in the various categories.

Voting closes on February 3 and FIFA will announce three finalists from each section thereafter.

NOMINATIONS

The Best FIFA Men's Player
Julian Alvarez (Argentina/River Plate/Manchester City)
Jude Bellingham (England/Borussia Dortmund) 
Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid) 
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
Erling Haaland (Norway/ Borussia Dortmund/Manchester City)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain) 
Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich/Barcelona)
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool/Bayern Munich)
Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina/Paris Saint-Germain)
Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid)
Neymar (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool) 
Vinicius Junior (Brazil/Real Madrid)

The Best FIFA Men's Coach
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Real Madrid)
Didier Deschamps (France/French National Team)
Pep Guardiola (Spain/Manchester City) 
Walid Regragui (Morocco/Wydad AC/Moroccan National Team)
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina/Argentinian National Team) 

The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper
Alisson Becker (Brazil/Liverpool) 
Yassine Bounou (Morocco/Sevilla)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium/Real Madrid)
Ederson (Brazil/Manchester City)
Emiliano Martinez (Argentina/Aston Villa) 

The Best FIFA Women's Player: 
Aitana Bonmatí (Spain/Barcelona)
Debinha (Brazil/North Carolina Courage)
Jessie Fleming (Canada/Chelsea)
Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon)
Sam Kerr (Australia/Chelsea)
Beth Mead (England/Arsenal)
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal)
Alex Morgan (United States/Orlando Pride/San Diego Wave)
Lena Oberdorf (Germany/Wolfsburg)
Alexandra Popp (Germany/Wolfsburg)
Alexia Putellas (Spain/Barcelona)
Wendie Renard (France/Lyon)
Keira Walsh (England/Manchester City/Barcelona)
Leah Williamson (England/Arsenal)

The Best FIFA Women's Coach
Sonia Bompastor (France/Lyon) 
Emma Hayes (England/Chelsea)
Bev Priestman (England/Canadian National Team)
Pia Sundhage (Sweden/Brazilian National Team)
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (Germany/German National Team)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / English National Team)

The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany/Chelsea Women)
Mary Earps (England/Manchester United) 
Christiane Endler (Chile/Lyon)
Merle Frohms (Germany/Eintracht Frankfurt /Wolfsburg)
Alyssa Naeher (United States/Chicago Red Stars)
Sandra Panos Garca-Villamil (Spain/Barcelona)

Milan technical director Paolo Maldini is increasingly confident that the club can complete new deals for Rafael Leao and Ismael Bennacer.

Portugal international forward Rafael Leao has been linked with a host of top clubs, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City.

The 23-year-old is contracted until 2024 and Maldini revealed prior to Milan's 1-0 Coppa Italia home loss to Torino that they were closing in on agreement on an extension, with the player keen to stay.

"We are talking, there are videocalls too and not just in-person meetings," Maldini told Mediaset. "We will try to reach an agreement. It seems like both parties want to continue together and we will try to close a deal.

"We've been trying to do that for the last year and a half, but a lot happened in that time. The important thing is we want to extend and it seems as if the player wants to as well.

"This team was largely built on the transfer campaign of 2019 and practically all of those who arrived have extended their contracts. I have to say, all those who wanted to renew their deals have done so."

Algerian defensive midfielder Bennacer, 25, is contracted with the Rossoneri until 2024 as well, but Maldini said they are within days of finalising an extension.

"Absolutely, I think we will in the next 24-36 hours," he said.

The reigning Italian champions are currently third in Serie A, seven points behind leaders Napoli after 17 games.