Luke Shaw surveyed the wreckage of Manchester United’s latest defeat and admitted: “It’s just not good enough.”

The Red Devils went down 2-0 at West Ham to slip to their 13th loss from 26 matches this season.

They have now gone four matches in a row without scoring for the first time since 1992 after another limp display.

“It’s just not good enough really, we have to win games and that’s it,” full-back Shaw told TNT Sports.

“We keep losing games, losing points and we’re making it very hard for ourselves – especially that second half, it’s not good enough.

“In the first half, we controlled the game, I think we had chances again. If we score the first goal, maybe the result is different, but we don’t, so we suffered in that second half and, again, it’s not good enough.”

Second-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus lifted West Ham up to sixth in the Premier League, while United slid down to eighth.

Hammers boss David Moyes came in for criticism for making six changes in their 5-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool in midweek.

But the Scot stood by that decision as he looked back on a largely successful 2023, including West Ham’s memorable Europa Conference League win last season.

“Our record here at home is as good as most,” he said. “Of course we can think of clubs who will do better, but for us we’ve had a brilliant year.

“The players we’ve had, whether they’ve gone or whether it’s new ones we’ve brought in, we’ve had a fantastic year, with a trophy in the middle of it.

“It looks like if you don’t quite give everyone what they want then you get criticism for it, but I don’t think we could have won on Saturday if we had played all the players in midweek.”

Erik Ten Hag insists Manchester United have goals in them despite drawing another blank in a dispiriting 2-0 defeat at West Ham.

The Red Devils have now gone four matches in a row without scoring for the first time since 1992 after another limp display.

But beleaguered boss Ten Hag said: “We have players who can do it. They’ve proved in the past they can do it.

“But we also have to acknowledge the fact that we didn’t do it as a team. We have to take responsibility. Football is about winning games and scoring goals.

“We have issues. We have had many setbacks and injuries, etc. But the players on the pitch are good enough to win the game. Get into the box, make sure you’re there, make sure you have the willingness to arrive and willingness to score goals.

“They are capable of it. I know (Marcus) Rashford can score, (Rasmus) Hojlund can score, (Alejandro) Garnacho can score, Bruno (Fernandez) can score, Scott McTominay can score.

“We have scoring abilities in our squad and also from set plays. At this moment we’re not doing it. They have to stick together and believe in themselves that they can do it.

“To get where you have to be to score and that is to get in the box especially in the double six-yard box, you have to arrive as a striker.”

The stats make grim reading for United following a 13th defeat in 26 matches this season – the most they have lost before Christmas since 1931.

A 20th defeat in 2023 is also their worst tally in a calendar year since 1989.

Late goals from  Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus secured victory for West Ham to lift them above United in the Premier League table.

Yet for 72 minutes two poor teams were cancelling each other out in a dreadful spectacle until Bowen broke the deadlock.

“I thought whoever scored the first goal would probably win the game and thankfully we got it,” admitted manager David Moyes.

West Ham are now back in and around the top six, an achievement Moyes feels is all the more impressive given the rebuild he has undertaken since selling Declan Rice to Arsenal.

“I think when you sell England’s best player at the moment and you’re still challenging… we’ve tried to pull another team together, we’ve made some signings, now at this time of the season we’ve got 30 points,” he added.

“It’s a brilliant number of points for us at West Ham because we’re not going to be a club rattling right at the top – we’ll try to, but until we keep growing and improving a bit every year that’s all we can do.

“I think we’re making pretty good strides and today was another good victory. We can do better but while we’re doing that we’re still picking up points and moving along.”

Rasmus Hojlund’s scoreless start to Premier League life continued as Manchester United lost 2-0 to West Ham on Saturday.

While his Champions League form has been better, the Dane has no goals or assists in his first 14 league appearances for the club.

Here, the PA news agency looks at his record.

Slow start

Hojlund’s arrival in the summer from Atalanta, for an initial £64million, potentially rising to £72m, was intended to provide United with the out-and-out goalscorer they have lacked.

While he scored only 10 goals in all competitions last season, United saw enough potential in the 20-year-old, who also netted 12 times in 21 appearances for Sturm Graz before moving to Italy, and has seven in 10 caps for Denmark, to move for him rather than continuing their pursuit of Harry Kane.

But while the England captain got to 20 Bundesliga goals in a record 14 games after joining Bayern Munich from Tottenham, Hojlund has yet to break his Premier League duck in the same number of appearances.

He has taken 18 shots, seven of them on target, without a single attempt to his name against the Hammers before he was substituted approaching the hour mark.

Lack of service has been identified as a factor in his struggles, but the Premier League website lists nine “big chances missed” for Hojlund.

While it is a somewhat subjective measure, that is the fifth most of any Premier League player this season and the players ahead of him largely rank among the league’s top scorers.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, with 14 goals, is leading the chase to retain his Golden Boot from last season and, while Darwin Nunez went into the weekend with just four goals for Liverpool, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson have scored nine and seven respectively.

Champions League contrast

Hojlund’s performances in Europe have demonstrated some of what United saw in him this summer, even as they finished bottom of Champions League Group A behind Kane’s Bayern side, Hojlund’s formative club FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

He got United’s first in a 4-3 defeat to Bayern, scored his only Old Trafford goals to date as he twice gave his side the lead in an eventual 3-2 loss to Gala and netted twice more on his return to Parken Stadium before Copenhagen came back to win 4-3.

That makes him the joint top scorer in the group stage alongside Haaland and Atletico Madrid duo Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, though United’s elimination means he will fall down the standings once the knockout rounds commence in the new year.

All five goals came from inside the area, with three from his left foot, one with his right and a header demonstrating the finishing skills United were searching for.

A pair of scoreless Carabao Cup substitute appearances leave Hojlund’s season record at five goals in 22 games overall.

Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus consigned makeshift Manchester United to another defeat as West Ham snatched a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium.

England hopeful Bowen scored his 12th goal of the season and Ghana winger Kudus his seventh in 12 appearances as United were sent spinning to a 20th loss of 2023, their worst tally in 34 years.

For 72 minutes two poor teams were cancelling each other out in a dreadful spectacle until Bowen broke the deadlock.

And six minutes later Kudus added a second which, while flattering West Ham, condemned United to a 13th defeat in their last 26 matches.

With Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane all absent, United boss Erik Ten Hag was forced to draft 19-year-old Willy Kambwala in at centre-half for a first senior appearance.

Kambwala acquitted himself well enough but it was another lifeless performance from a thoroughly dispirited side.

The only saving grace for United for long periods was that West Ham, ‘fresh’ from their midweek Carabao Cup mauling at Liverpool, were just as bad.

That was despite David Moyes playing his strongest team, having made six changes for the chastening 5-1 Anfield defeat.

After 33 turgid minutes Antony came up with United’s first shot on target, a tame 20-yard effort easily held by Alphonse Areola.

Moments later came the best chance of the opening period, Antony playing in Alejandro Garnacho whose low finish was kept out by the right boot of Areola.

Garnacho saw another chance deflected over before Areola fumbled a Kobbie Mainoo drive which he was relieved to see roll wide.

Antony’s low cross then just evaded Rasmus Hojlund with a stretching Garnacho only able to turn the ball into the side-netting.

Just before half-time Tomas Soucek met a James Ward-Prowse free-kick with a header which flew wide.

But a horrible, hotch-potch of a first half was probably best summed up when Soucek needed lengthy treatment on a facial injury inflicted by the back of the head of his own team-mate, Emerson Palmieri.

After the break Andre Onana did well to tip a powerful Bowen header from Ward-Prowse’s corner over the crossbar.

Ten Hag introduced the out-of-favour Marcus Rashford for the ineffective Hojlund just before the hour.

But it was Bowen who made the breakthrough when he played the ball to Lucas Paqueta, collected the return pass and bundled the ball in off Onana.

And Brazil star Paqueta was the creator once more with his fifth assist in a row in the Premier League.

He slipped in Kudus to kill off United with a fine low finish to deepen the gloom surrounding Ten Hag’s sorry side.

The European Super League needs English clubs more than they need the breakaway competition, says football finance expert Dan Plumley.

The European Super League was initially announced back in April 2021, with 12 of the continent's biggest clubs announcing their intention to join. Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham all agreed to participate.

However, a fan backlash eventually forced nine of the clubs to back down, including all six English teams, and the Super League looked to be a thing of the past.

A ruling this week may have given it a second life, though, with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg deciding FIFA and UEFA "abused a dominant position" in blocking the Super League.

A new proposal was swiftly announced, but all six English clubs invited to join rejected the request.

Plumley believes the Super League would need the support of English clubs to get off the ground, though he did warn their involvement could still be a possibility despite the heavy opposition seen after the initial launch in 2021.

When asked if the Super League required the English clubs' involvement, Plumley told Stats Perform: "Yes, I think that's absolutely the way to position it at the moment.

"And I'm not saying that it would never happen. The Premier League clubs don't really need to go following the Super League, but the Super League would be better with English clubs.

"I don't think the Super League idea is ever going to be fully dead in the water. I think we'll see it in some way, shape or form, and maybe it will happen.

"When you're talking about lots of money on the table, a lot of clubs will often look for the best deal on the table and if that is a European Super League in the future, that's when heads might start to be turned.

"But the English situation is a bit of a problem for them, because you're talking about wanting the biggest clubs in the world to be part of it. And there are some very big English clubs that have already ruled themselves out."

Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are two of the clubs spearheading the Super League project, with the latter's president Florentino Perez hailing the ECJ's ruling as a "great day for the history of football".

Plumley feels the poor financial situations of Barcelona and Madrid are a key reason behind their Super League support, as well as the recent power shift towards the Premier League in terms of revenue and talent.

"I think, certainly for them, the driving force over the last couple of years has been financial," Plumley stated. "We know the financial situation at Barcelona has not been great. We know Real Madrid have had problems as well.

"I think the other thing with those two clubs that we've seen is a real stubbornness to dig their heels in. They wanted to be proved right and in a way that verdict does prove them right. Part of their argument was that UEFA and FIFA were acting unlawfully by blocking it.

"I think what's hurt Barcelona and Real Madrid along the way is all the other clubs that have moved away from the project.

"I think it's symptomatic also of Barca and Real's position in Spain. Yes, they are dominant, but where are they seeing the growth?

"I don't think they're seeing as much growth as potentially the Premier League's got to offer and those are little things where it becomes about, 'well, now I'm going to look at my own self-interest'. You can see how they've tried to leverage that through the Super League.

"At the end of the day it comes down to finance, and certainly in the early stages of it, it was all about money for those two clubs. Don't get me wrong, it probably still is, but I think a lot of it then was they felt like they needed to see the case through because they dug their heels in."

Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United can “change the story” of their season once key players return from injury.

This has been a bumpy second campaign in the Old Trafford dugout for the Dutchman, whose side have been eliminated from Europe and seen their Carabao Cup defence ended early.

United’s Premier League title chances are all but over before Christmas and Ten Hag’s side need to build on last weekend’s dogged 0-0 draw at rivals Liverpool when they head to West Ham.

The absentee-hit Red Devils are dealing with several doubts ahead of the Saturday lunchtime clash, but Ten Hag expects their injury problems to ease over the coming weeks.

“Now we have some doubts,” the United manager said.

“We have some illnesses during the week, so we have to see who is available for tomorrow. Hopefully they are recovered but we have to see.

“(Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez) are not available before Christmas, so that will be mid-January we expect them back.

“Mason Mount similar into January. Harry Maguire I expect him early on and Victor Lindelof is not available.”

United confirmed that Lindelof has undergone surgery on a minor groin issue and is set to be out for just over a month.

The impending return of such players will be a shot in the arm for a United side deprived of so many options in recent weeks and months.

The spate of injuries has raised eyebrows and has reportedly led to head of sports medicine Gary O’Driscoll heading an internal review of the medical department.

“We did research here about it but there are so many factors in that you can’t point at one factor,” Ten Hag said.

“But in this moment, what is most important is that we have to deal with it.

“And we have to work to get the players back as soon as possible because we know we have a strong squad in the moment we have everyone on board.”

Ten Hag says “bad luck” has been a factor as the United boss mentioned problems at centre-back, left-back and right wing along with the absence of “huge impact player” Casemiro in midfield.

“You have to deal with that, but everyone understands that when such key players are not available it will have a negative effect on the results,” the Dutchman said.

“Still, we are in a place (where) we can change the story, we can change the season, so I am confident when the players are back we will have a good and strong squad.”

United’s squad has been stretched, with illness meaning Anthony Martial missed the previous two matches while Marcus Rashford was absent in their Champions League exit against Bayern Munich.

The England forward was able to return to the bench at Liverpool and is now fighting for a starting berth, having mustered just two club goals after plundering 30 last term.

Rashford’s struggles in front of goal has been compounded by summer signing Rasmus Hojlund failing to open his Premier League account despite scoring five in the Champions League.

“I’m always very supportive to players and I know, especially front players, a keeper, they need more trust, support from the manager,” Ten Hag said.

“I have a strong belief in Hojlund and in Rashford that they are capable of scoring a lot of goals.

“We have to work as a group, as a team, on our attacking game, but they are capable of scoring a lot of goals.”

Asked if he has seen right response from Rashford in training, Ten Hag said: “He’s training well.

“It can always be better, but I think he’s such an experienced player. He’s mid-20s but he’s a very experienced player.

“He knows how football works, how top football works, so he knows he has to take the responsibility and I’m sure he will do (that) so he will line up himself.”

Erik ten Hag is expecting an upturn in Manchester United’s fortunes in the new year as Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount close in on a mid-January return.

This has been a bumpy second season in the Old Trafford dugout for the Dutchman, whose side have been eliminated from Europe and seen their Carabao Cup defence ended early.

United’s Premier League title chances are all but over before Christmas and Ten Hag’s side need to build on last weekend’s dogged 0-0 draw at high-flying rivals Liverpool when they head to West Ham.

The absentee-hit Red Devils are dealing with several doubts ahead of the Saturday lunchtime clash, but Ten Hag expects their injury problems to ease over the coming weeks.

“Now we have some doubts,” said the United manager, who welcomes back skipper Bruno Fernandes from suspension but sees Diogo Dalot serve a one-match ban.

“We have some illnesses during the week, so we have to see who is always available for tomorrow. Hopefully they are recovered but we have to see.

“(Casemiro and Martinez) are not available before Christmas, so that will be mid-January we expect them back.

“Mason Mount similar into January. Harry Maguire I expect him early on and Victor Lindelof is not available. He has done a surgery so he will be out for a couple of weeks.

“What happened? He had a problem and so (personal) is that, but he has to do the surgery.”

The impending return of such players will be a shot in the arm for a United side deprived of so many options in recent weeks and months.

As well as the aforementioned, Amad Diallo and Tyrell Malacia have been unable to feature yet this season. Christian Eriksen recently returned to training after five weeks out with a knee issue and Anthony Martial missed the trip to Anfield through illness.

The forward’s absence underlined United’s lack of striking options heading into a transfer window that will surely see Jadon Sancho leave given he has been banished from the first team since September.

United have publicly indicated that it will be a quiet January and Ten Hag believes they have the quality in house to kick on in 2024.

“The current squad I’m happy (with),” he said. “As we get our players back, I’m sure we have a good squad.

“I think a lot of the way it went in the first (part of the) season, the reasons behind (it are) because many players were not available.

“I’m sure when all the players are available on board – it looks like, as I said, Casemiro will be back, Martinez will be back, Mason Mount will be back – we will be much stronger after the winter.”

The mid-term looks positive for United but now comes a chaotic Christmas period kicked off by the trip to David Moyes’ West Ham.

“We have three big games to play in this week – really looking forward (to them),” Ten Hag said, with a home match against Aston Villa and trip to Nottingham Forest following the game in east London.

“It’s always a massive period for any club in the Premier League but definitely now for us.”

The Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ have all now distanced themselves from the possibility of joining any new European Super League.

Arsenal became the last of the clubs who joined the original Super League in 2021 to confirm their position on Friday.

The Gunners issued a statement saying they will continue in UEFA competitions despite a European Court of Justice ruling which has at least opened the possibility of a club-led tournament to rival the Champions League being launched.

Liverpool have not commented directly since Thursday’s ruling but the PA news agency understands legal consent on the issue of joining new competitions has rested with the recognised supporters’ trust, the Spirit of Shankly (SoS), since the Reds’ withdrawal from the Super League two years ago.

SoS’ statement on Thursday said Liverpool’s position had not changed since 2021. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all issued statements on Thursday pledging commitment to UEFA competitions.

The original Super League plan fell apart within 72 hours, as the English clubs withdrew one by one amid fan protests, pressure from the British Government and opposition from UEFA and FIFA.

The company behind the original project, A22, announced details for new “open and meritocratic” men’s and women’s competitions within hours of the ECJ ruling on Thursday morning. In the men’s competition, 64 teams would be involved with 20 places available each year to teams based on their domestic performance.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin mocked the proposals and said the format was “even more closed” than the one put forward in 2021, but A22 founder John Hahn told PA the principles of relegation and promotion were in line with domestic competitions across UEFA’s 55 member associations.

Real Madrid and Barcelona, key supporters of the 2021 project, are on board. Juventus and AC Milan, two of the other 12 involved, have not commented yet but Inter Milan have strongly rejected it, so too Spanish side Atletico Madrid.

The president of Italian champions Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, said his club was ready to hold talks over the new project. Napoli were not part of the 2021 project.

Ceferin said “football was not for sale” at a press conference on Thursday, which significantly featured executives from all the key stakeholder groups – clubs, leagues, players and fans.

Clubs have gained considerable concessions since 2021 – a new Champions League format starting next season featuring more matches, and the scope for even more in the future, and the establishment of a joint venture between clubs and UEFA to control commercial matters linked to the Champions League and other club competitions.

The ruling on Thursday clearly empowers clubs, but in the short term may be the catalyst for further reform in their favour rather than revolution.

Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps has expressed her frustration at untrue speculation regarding her future.

The 30-year-old capped an incredible 2023 by being voted the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year on Tuesday night.

She helped England reach the World Cup final and saved a penalty in the showpiece match from Jenni Hermoso. The Lionesses were beaten 1-0, but Earps was voted goalkeeper of the tournament, having been named the best in her position in the world for 2022.

She also kept 14 clean sheets as United finished second in the Women’s Super League, but there are question marks surrounding her club future, with Earps out of contract at the end of the season.

She insisted in the afterglow of her BBC success that the time was not quite right to discuss her future, but she has been angered by reports which claimed she wanted to leave United before the start of the season.

“I don’t really want to talk too much about it tonight because I want to celebrate this win, but what I will say is there is a lot of stuff that’s been put out there that isn’t true,” she said.

“I’ve remained quiet for a reason. I feel I’ve behaved really professionally and with a lot of integrity through this whole situation.

“What I will say is that I play with heart and passion in everything I do and I drive standards.

“A lot of stuff that’s been put out isn’t true. I want to say more, but I can’t at this stage and it’s really hard for me to sit quiet when I see a lot of things that are not right. I think it’s an injustice, but I know the appropriate thing to do is focus on my football and see what happens from there.”

Earps has been linked with following her former United team-mate Alessia Russo to Arsenal and also with a move to Barcelona.

Earps’ BBC award also came in the same year where she successfully challenged Nike to produce replicas of her England goalkeeper jersey.

Asked if she thought other brands would now follow suit, she said: “I’d like to think so. I’ve obviously had that commitment from Nike that it will never happen again.

“For me it’s the principle of making people happy and the messaging that was being sent out was really damaging. Now you don’t have that. People can be whatever they want to be.

“Representation and visibility is so important. The fact that young girls and adults – whoever want the shirts – can have access to them. People might be complaining now that there’s not enough, but I’ll absolutely take that complaint over there being none any day of the week.”

Earps’ ascent is all the more incredible given she was considering her international future after being left out of the England team for almost two years before Sarina Wiegman named her in her first squad in September 2021.

“I made my peace with the fact I would never be an England player again,” Earps said.

“That was where it was for me. It was the facts. It took a while for me to come to terms with that. It’s a hard pill to swallow when it’s all you’ve ever dreamed of.

“Sometimes you give it your all and you’re just not quite good enough, but luckily Sarina Wiegman came in and saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself.”

What the papers say

Suitors of Brentford’s in-demand striker Ivan Toney have reportedly been warned they will need to pay at least £100,000,000 for his services. The Sun, citing Talksport, says the Bees would want a nine-figure fee for the 27-year-old. Arsenal and Chelsea are both believed to be considering a move for Toney, who returns from a betting ban next month.

The Manchester Evening News reports Preston are interested in a loan move for Manchester United midfielder Dan Gore. Despite the 19-year-old only making one appearance for the first team, North End bosses are interested in bringing him in to help the club chase a play-off place.

Tottenham are monitoring Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin, according to The Telegraph. The 21-year-old is expected to cost £26m, should he move in the January transfer window.

And the paper also says Newcastle have opened talks with 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley over signing a long-term deal once he turns 18.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Sergio Reguilon: Bild reports the Tottenham defender – on loan at Manchester United – is wanted by Borussia Dortmund.

Mauro Icardi: Real Madrid are set to make a move for the Galatasaray striker, according to Marca.

Mary Earps hailed the part played by her England and Manchester United team-mates as she secured the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year prize.

The 30-year-old goalkeeper was a key part of the Lionesses side which reached the Women’s World Cup final in the summer and won FIFA’s Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper at the tournament.

Earps saved a penalty from Spain’s Jenni Hermoso in the final, but the Lionesses were unable to add to their 2022 European crown as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Sydney.

At club level she kept 14 clean sheets as United finished second in the Women’s Super League, and she hailed the part her team-mates had played in her achieving this individual accolade.

“I would not be here without my team-mates with the Lionesses and at Manchester United because we’ve achieved some incredible things over the last couple of years,” she said.

“While individual accolades are great, they only come after team success. This is their trophy just as much as mine.”

Former England cricketer Stuart Broad, who retired at the end of the fifth Ashes Test in the summer, was second in the BBC public vote and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson was third.

But the night belonged to Earps, for whom it was the culmination of a scarcely believable last 12 months.

“(Winning the award) feels pretty great on the back of a couple of big years – 2023 has been wild in ways I never expected, I am really grateful,” she said.

Her international career appeared at a crossroads in 2021 and she acknowledged during the BBC show she felt she had “lost purpose” after losing her place in the England team.

Sarina Wiegman recalled her in the first England squad she named in September of that year after Earps had been out in the cold since November 2019.

“I always committed to myself that anything I would have after that period of time (out of the England team) would be a bonus and it just hasn’t stopped yet,” Earps said.

“I’m just trying to make the most of everything, because when it stops, you miss it.”

Broad announced he was retiring from cricket during the fifth Ashes Test in the summer and bowed out in spectacular fashion. The 37-year-old hit a six off his final ball and took the final wicket as England won the match to level the series, although Australia retained the urn.

Johnson-Thompson claimed the world heptathlon title for the second time in Budapest in the summer after a calf injury wrecked her hopes of Olympic glory in Tokyo in 2021.

Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign was recognised at the BBC awards ceremony on Tuesday night as they won the Team of the Year prize.

Star striker Erling Haaland, who scored 52 goals as the Blues dominated at home and in Europe, won the World Sport Star of the Year award and City manager Pep Guardiola was named coach of the year.

What the papers say

Crystal Palace are interested in a move for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah this January, with the 24-year-old yet to play under Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, the Daily Express reports. There is also reportedly interest from Serie A teams and Bayern Munich.

The Daily Mail reports Manchester United are willing to sell Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Casemiro after their director of football John Murtough spent time in Saudi Arabia this month.

However, the Manchester Evening News says Varane is hoping that the club will trigger their one-year contract extension option for him.

Wolves are reportedly looking to sign Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi from Viktoria Plzen for around £7million, despite reportedly being set to report losses of £65million.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Ian Maatsen: Chelsea are reportedly willing to sell the 21-year-old Dutch defender in January, with Manchester City, West Ham, Roma and Napoli among clubs interested in him, 90min says.

Clement Lenglet: The Aston Villa defender’s loan deal from Barcelona could be terminated by the Spanish club as they look to sell the 28-year-old, Football Insider reports.

Jonny Evans was pleased by Manchester United’s hard-fought, morale-boosting point at Liverpool as Erik ten Hag’s men blocked out the memories of last season’s 7-0 Anfield annihilation.

Pressure and scrutiny has increased as the Dutchman’s difficult second season has worn on, with last weekend’s 3-0 home humbling by Bournemouth the nadir of a wretched campaign.

A lifeless 1-0 home loss to Bayern Munich followed on Tuesday night, with United exiting the Champions League and European football just days before a daunting trip to in-form rivals Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp’s men had won every home match this season and had 34 attempts on Sunday, but Andre Onana pulled off eight saves as the visitors dug deep to secure a much-needed 0-0 draw.

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“We’ll take the point,” experienced centre-back Evans said. “I think we are obviously seventh in the league at the moment, but we were eighth going into the match. Liverpool were top.

“It was a hard-fought point. They dominated the game in terms of being around our box, but we probably had two of the best chances.

“I’ve played games here where you have to grind it out. You don’t always come to Anfield and play well.

“I’ve been a part of this club in the past – even back then, in 2013, we got a win here but the game was very difficult. You have to grind it out.

“It’s a battle, really. It is a game of moments, big moments in the game. We’ll come away, take the point, and move on.”

Sunday match was United’s first trip to Anfield since March’s 7-0 thumping – the largest defeat for either side in this fixture.

Evans was among the United fans watching through his fingers on that occasion and, having returned to the club over the summer, said the whole squad put that loss to the back of their minds.

“I think you block it out by not listening to that,” the 35-year-old academy product said.

“I think we have our own responsibilities going into the game and every game is a chance to win. We always go into every game thinking we are going to win.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk certainly did not believe that judging by his comments after a frustrating afternoon, claiming only one team tried to win and United were “buzzing” with a point.

“It is their home patch, they’ve got a good record here and they are playing well,” Evans said.

“They are at the top of the league, they’ve got some dangerous players. We’ll take the point, we defended our box well and move on from it.”

Evans impressed alongside Raphael Varane in the heart of an injury-hit defence, with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia ruled out for a game that ended with Diogo Dalot’s sending-off.

“When you are defending on the edge of your box, there are always fine margins at that point,” he said.

“When you come away with a clean sheet after defending like that, it is always enjoyable.”

Asked if this can be the start of something, Evans said: “I think you can take this game in isolation, Man United versus Liverpool is a big match.

“I think we can take the fact that we have been able to defend our box as something we have probably… in the last three or four weeks when we have had to defend our box, we haven’t done that well enough.

“It is something we have discussed, so we take that out of it. Take confidence from it.”

Roy Keane has hit out at Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for showing “arrogance” in his post-match interview after Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Anfield.

Van Dijk told Sky Sports after the match that there was “only one team trying to win the game”, suggesting the under-pressure visitors were more than happy with their point.

Former United skipper Keane, now a Sky pundit, immediately responded to Van Dijk’s remarks, saying: “We heard Van Dijk speaking there, obviously a lot of arrogance coming out of him, dissing United like that.

“He needs to be reminded himself, he’s playing for a club that’s won one title in 30-odd years.

“He said only one team wanted to win, Man United are buzzing with the point. Man United are in a difficult place, like Liverpool have been in a difficult place for many a year. So maybe that bit of arrogance backfired on him today.”

Fellow pundit Daniel Sturridge looked to defend Van Dijk, but Keane doubled down.

“That’s arrogance,” the Irishman said. “He says ‘Man United were buzzing’, ‘Only one team came to play’. I came here many a time when I was at United, when Liverpool were in a tough place and they were happy with a draw.

“Sometimes players need a reminder, when they’re playing for clubs like Liverpool and everyone’s saying Man United are this and that – United are in a bad place, but for many a year Man United were in a good place. I wouldn’t be disrespecting clubs like he is.”

He continued: “Yeah, we were all expecting a (Liverpool win)… you still have to go and do it. That’s what great teams do and teams that win championships every year do – the Man City, the Man Utds, the Liverpool of the ’80s.”

Erik ten Hag was proud of Manchester United’s dogged display in a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Anfield that ended with Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk claiming only one team tried to win.

All eyes were on Anfield as the bitter rivals went toe-to-toe on Sunday, with Jurgen Klopp’s men looking to return to the Premier League summit as the visitors tried to stop the rot.

Liverpool had an eye-watering 34 shots across the match and United goalkeeper Andre Onana made eight saves, but the hosts could not find a way through.

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The tense clash ended scoreless and frustrated skipper Van Dijk said United are “buzzing” to have left with a point.

“If you see how we played the game, how we obviously had most of the ball and created some opportunities, I think there was only one team that were trying to win the game,” the centre-back told Sky Sports.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. So, that’s why it’s frustrating because we want to win every game of course, but especially if we play against a team like them.”

United manager Ten Hag brushed aside his fellow Dutchman’s comment, simply saying in response that “it’s his opinion”.

The Red Devils boss also gave little away when it came to his view on Diogo Dalot’s sending off for a pair of quickfire bookings for dissent, saying “I will leave the judgement to you”.

But Ten Hag was more forthcoming when it came to his side’s reaction to their alarming back-to-back Old Trafford defeats to Bournemouth and Bayern Munich.

“We should have taken more of the ball regains three or four passes in where we are capable of and then we could have even hurt the opponent even more,” the Dutchman said.

“But all over in the end, you have to conclude, we had the best chances from open play for Rasmus Hojlund and (Alejandro) Garnacho.

“I said that after the game in the dressing room I’m very proud of this team. We should do this more often. I said this.

“For instance, Newcastle was also a tough game, we make one mistake, we switch off and concede the goal.

“But when you stay in the game, when you are disciplined in your game plan, finally it opens up and you can take your chances or get two, three, four passes in after the ball regains, get the switches in and then you can really be more dominant in the game.”

United end the weekend seventh in the Premier League and the end of Liverpool’s 100 per cent home record this season means they are sat in second.

Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Brighton in the early kick-off saw them go top and, while claiming it is too early to talk about the title, boss Jurgen Klopp saw promising signs from his side on Sunday.

“Of course we can improve and now we are in a situation all of a sudden where you are really disappointed when you draw against United,” the Liverpool manager said.

“That’s just it’s a bit strange but it’s how it is so it’s all OK, we are in the position we belong and from here we go and we will see.

“We have our injuries as well. Nobody speaks about our injuries, but we still have them and it doesn’t help obviously with the amount of games especially.

“It will be really tough and my boys for me today looked like they are really ready just to give it a proper try and then we will see what that means exactly.

“But for today, if you take the right things out of this game then this was a super important game because the counter press was the best we played with this group.”