Erik ten Hag deserves to be given more time by Manchester United, where off-pitch disruption has hampered the Dutchman's attempts to instil his preferred style.  

That is the view of former Netherlands international Urby Emanuelson, who worked with Ten Hag at Utrecht and believes he can achieve long-term success under the Jim Ratcliffe regime. 

Ten Hag is under pressure amid an underwhelming second campaign at Old Trafford, with United suffering an early Champions League exit and languishing 11 points adrift of the Premier League's top four.

United's total of 12 Premier League defeats this season is their joint-most in a single campaign (with 2013-14 and 2021-22), while Ten Hag's side have also been criticised for a perceived lack of off-the-ball organisation.

Only bottom club Sheffield United (560) have faced more shots than the Red Devils' 554 in the Premier League this season, while their expected goals against (xGA) figure of 58.2 is also the third-highest in the competition.

While Ten Hag recently said he has "no doubts" over his future, Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter and Gary O'Neil have been touted as possible successors if Ratcliffe – who recently acquired a minority stake in the club from the Glazer family – makes a change.

Emanuelson, though, thinks Ten Hag deserves more time.

"I worked with him at FC Utrecht in the last few seasons of my career, and I have to say he's an amazing coach in the way he can prepare a team. It's amazing," he told Stats Perform.

"I think he's doing well at Manchester United. It's difficult to be a coach of Manchester United, especially in the period they are in with that club.

"You know there are a lot of things going on in Manchester, so it's not easy not to be a coach there and I think he's doing well.

"Of course, you cannot win everything because the Premier League is a tough league, but he's trying to get his team ready. He's trying to let the club, or at least the team, grow to a different level than where they were at."

United are major outsiders in the race for Champions League qualification after being pegged back in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Liverpool last Sunday.

   With seven games to play, they sit 11 points adrift of Tottenham in fourth and Aston Villa in fifth, with England potentially receiving an additional spot through UEFA's coefficient rankings.

Emanuelson has not given up hope of the Red Devils making it, saying: "I just hope he finishes the season in a good way and they end up in the top four. I wish him all the best. 

"I have a good relationship with him, and I just hope he gets the time he needs to turn things around, and I hope he will get the results he wants."

A football fan has been given a conditional discharge and a three-year banning order after tragedy chanting at a match between Manchester United and Everton.

Mark Finnigan, 24, from Liverpool, was witnessed making a hand gesture which could be interpreted as related to the Munich air disaster, a spokesman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Eight Manchester United players were among the 23 people killed in the 1958 plane crash.

The spokesman said Finnigan, of Ilchester Road, pleaded guilty to the use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress at the Old Trafford Premier League match on March 9.

He appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and was sentenced to a conditional discharge of six months and given a three-year football banning order, police said.

Inspector Gregg Anderton, of GMP’s specialist operational planning unit, said: “Finnigan was witnessed by an officer to turn towards the home crowd and make a hand gesture which he later accepted could be interpreted as being related to the Munich air disaster.

“Finnigan was removed from the ground and arrested on suspicion of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm, or distress under the Public Order Act.

“We are reiterating the message that any kind of gesture or comments from any supporters to other clubs in relation to tragedy chanting will not be tolerated and is completely unacceptable.

“I would also like this to be a strong warning for any supporters attending future fixtures in Greater Manchester that if you engage in this behaviour, GMP officers will do everything possible to bring you in front of the courts.”

Last month, Manchester United and Liverpool joined forces to launch an initiative aimed at eradicating tragedy chanting.

Kobbie Mainoo says Manchester United need to start seeing out games and iron out little mistakes after Erik ten Hag’s side went close to a stunning win against rivals Liverpool.

Few expected anything other than a victory for Jurgen Klopp’s title challengers on Sunday, especially after Luis Diaz gave the visitors a deserved half-time lead at Old Trafford.

United had not so much as registered a shot until the 50th minute but when it arrived it did so in style and Bruno Fernandes’ audacious 45-yard goal sparked a marked improvement.

Mainoo went onto put the hosts ahead with an exquisite first senior goal at Old Trafford, only for Mohamed Salah’s penalty to seal Liverpool a late 2-2 draw.

 

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“To score my first goal at Old Trafford, it’s unbelievable,” the 18-year-old United academy graduate said.

“But, you know, ultimately we didn’t come away with the three points, so it doesn’t leave the best taste in my mouth.”

It is little wonder Mainoo was frustrated after the Old Trafford outfit blew a late lead for the third time in nine days.

United were on course for a smash-and-grab win at Brentford last weekend, only for Mason Mount’s stoppage-time strike to be followed by an even later Kristoffer Ajer equaliser as it ended 1-1.

Worse was to come when the Red Devils returned to west London on Thursday, recovering from two goals down to head into second half stoppage time leading before losing 4-3 against Chelsea.

Salah’s 84th minute equaliser was nowhere near as late but represented another missed opportunity for a side whose faint Champions League hopes continue to fade by the game.

“Definitely (there are positives),” Mainoo said of Sunday’s draw with Liverpool. “I feel second half we pulled together and we figured things out and we were much, much better.

“But seeing out games is what’s going to get us points and that’s what’s going to get us higher in the table, that’s what’s going to win us games, so these are things that matter.”

Asked how important it is that the kind of standards driven into him in United’s academy are retained at the highest level, Mainoo told MUTV: “Yeah, 100 per cent.

“That’s what wins you titles and that’s what wins you games, having these standards, having players in the changing room that make sure the rest of the team keep up to them standards, which we do.

“And so, I feel like it’s just the little things that we need to iron out. That’s what’s going to help us win these games.”

Mainoo’s magnificent strike was his third of a stunning breakthrough campaign.

Having returned from ankle ligament damage sustained in pre-season, the 18-year-old has not looked back since making his first Premier League start on November 26.

Mainoo made his full England debut just four months on, with his man-of-the-match display against Belgium putting him in with a great chance of going to this summer’s Euros.

The United midfielder’s inexorable rise shows no signs of abating and he is trying to take it in his stride.

“Enjoyable, tough but it’s playing for my boyhood club on the biggest stage,” Mainoo said of the season to date. “To be able to adapt and to have these fans and everything around it, I mean, I can’t complain.”

Manchester United conceded 28 shots for the second-successive Premier League game as they drew 2-2 with Liverpool on Sunday, echoing December’s meeting which somehow finished goalless.

Here, the PA news agency looks at United’s defensive record, with a focus on the clashes against their fiercest rivals.

Frustration for Liverpool

Liverpool have rained 62 shots on United’s goal in the league this season but have turned that into only two goals and two points as Erik ten Hag’s defence continue to defy statistical likelihood.

Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated December’s Anfield encounter with 34 shots to United’s six but only managed eight on target. Andre Onana saved well from Virgil Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, but arguably the hosts’ best chance fell to famously-scoreless defender Joe Gomez in the closing stages.

Sunday brough a near repeat of that performance, Liverpool with 28 shots to United’s nine. Again, though, only seven were on target for a total of 15 out of 62 across the two games, scoring only twice with one of those being a Salah penalty.

Throw in another 25 Liverpool attempts in the recent FA Cup tie at Old Trafford – also a 2-2 draw over 90 minutes before United won 4-3 following extra-time – and Liverpool have taken 87 shots in three games against United this season without winning any of them.

Under fire

Having gone 3-2 up on Chelsea last Thursday when Alejandro Garnacho scored in the 67th minute, United allowed their opponents to have the final 10 shots of a madcap game and paid the price as Cole Palmer scored in the 10th and 11th minutes of stoppage-time to complete his hat-trick and win the game.

Liverpool then had 15 without reply in the first half on Sunday and two early in the second period, meaning United had conceded 27 unanswered shots before Bruno Fernandes snapped that streak in style by equalising from 40 yards.

The Old Trafford side have now faced 252 Premier League shots in 2024 – far more than any other club. Brentford (227), West Ham (218), Sheffield United (212) and Luton (209) are the only other teams to face over 200 in that time, with only the Hammers of that quartet currently outside the league’s bottom five.

Chelsea, like Liverpool, had 28 total attempts against Manchester United but followed up with only six against Sheffield United, the league’s bottom club with a similarly wide-open style.

Over the whole season, United have faced 553 shots – just seven fewer than the Blades’ league-high total.

Despite that, the 46 goals Onana has conceded is the sixth-lowest total for any top-flight club this season, behind the top four of Arsenal (24), Liverpool (30), Manchester City (31) and Tottenham (45) as well as Everton (42).

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp saw Manchester United throw a spanner in the works of their bid to equal their arch-rivals’ record of 20 league titles, but he does not expect Erik ten Hag’s side to do them any favours when Arsenal come calling.

Klopp said he was “absolutely fine” with their situation after two dropped points in the title race after the 2-2 draw kept Arsenal top of the table on goal difference.

The Gunners are due at Old Trafford on the penultimate weekend of the season, but the Liverpool boss does not hold out much hope of a helping hand.

“Probably if we are still around then it would be great but Arsenal is a good football team and if they (United) play like they did today Arsenal will win that game, I’m 100 per cent sure,” said Klopp, whose side took just two points off United this season.

“I’m really sorry to say it, but we should have won both games and didn’t. That’s our fault.”

Mohamed Salah rescued a point with an 84th-minute penalty after the visitors failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance which brought only Luis Diaz’s opener.

A mistake by young centre-back Jarell Quansah allowed Bruno Fernandes to equalise with a lob over goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from the centre-circle before Kobbie Mainoo put the home side ahead.

“The feelings are obviously mixed. I’m happy with a lot of parts of the game, being 1-0 up at Old Trafford and having a 15-0 shooting stat (in the first half) is incredible. We should and could have been calmer and clearer in moments,” added Klopp, who was left to rue failing to capitalise on their first-half dominance.

“It (league position) matters after 38 matchdays. People and our supporters as well will tell us now we need to better our goal difference and go for that – that would be the dumbest thing we could do.

“We are who we are and we are how we are and that’s why we are in the race. I’m absolutely fine with that.

“We are fine with our situation. I wish we had more points, but I’m absolutely fine and over the moon actually that these boys brought us into that situation.

“The same boys who missed today a few chances are the boys who brought us 71 points.”

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was equally happy with how his side responded after being outplayed for large parts of the game.

“First half we lost the duels and our decision-making in the half spaces, we weren’t quick enough,” he said.

“We encouraged the team at half-time to win those duels. We didn’t take advantage in the first half and the second half we did.

“We needed a moment in the game to punish a mistake of Liverpool, but that got us back in the game.

“It (their second goal) was a very good team goal, a goal from out of the game plan, so I’m very proud the team could transfer this in the way we did to get the ball to the far-side half-space and then switch and then that finish was brilliant.”

Ten Hag also had praise for 19-year-old centre-back Willy Kambwala on only his second Premier League start.

“The decision? Old soldiers die and new have to come in. Already a long time he has been training with us and his progress is amazing during training, we didn’t have any doubt,” he added.

“We were convinced he could do the job, I’m very pleased he could do the performance. It’s another signal and message for Manchester United has high potential.

“If you have more players available, especially in the backline where we have had 27 combinations over the course of the season, the future will be very good.”

However, Ten Hag was not happy his side capitulated late on for the third successive game.

“It’s very disappointing when you put yourselves three times in the week in a winning position just before the end of the game, but then drop points,” he said.

“We have all seen some poor decisions. All three games had poor decisions and not every time the same players.

“We have to improve. The sooner the better.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp saw Manchester United throw a spanner in the works of their bid to equal their arch-rivals’ record of 20 league titles but he does not expect Erik ten Hag’s side to do them any favours when Arsenal come calling.

Klopp said he was “absolutely fine” with their situation after two dropped points in the title race after the 2-2 draw kept Arsenal top of the table on goal difference.

The Gunners are due at Old Trafford on the penultimate weekend of the season, but the Liverpool boss does not hold out much hope of a helping hand.

“Probably if we are still around then it would be great but Arsenal is a good football team and if they (United) play like they did today Arsenal will win that game, I’m 100 per cent sure,” said Klopp, whose side took just two points off United this season.

“I’m really sorry to say it, but we should have won both games and didn’t. That’s our fault.”

Mohamed Salah rescued a point with an 84th-minute penalty after the visitors failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance which brought only Luis Diaz’s opener.

A mistake by young centre-back Jarell Quansah allowed Bruno Fernandes to equalise with a lob over goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from the centre-circle before Kobbie Mainoo put the home side ahead.

“The feelings are obviously mixed. I’m happy with a lot of parts of the game, being 1-0 up at Old Trafford and having a 15-0 shooting stat (in the first half) is incredible. We should and could have been calmer and clearer in moments,” added Klopp, who was left to rue failing to capitalise on their first-half dominance.

“It (league position) matters after 38 matchdays. People and our supporters as well will tell us now we need to better our goal difference and go for that – that would be the dumbest thing we could do.

“We are who we are and we are how we are and that’s why we are in the race. I’m absolutely fine with that.

“We are fine with our situation. I wish we had more points, but I’m absolutely fine and over the moon actually that these boys brought us into that situation.

“The same boys who missed today a few chances are the boys who brought us 71 points.”

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was equally happy with how his side responded after being outplayed for large parts of the game.

“First half we lost the duels and our decision-making in the half spaces, we weren’t quick enough,” he said.

“We encouraged the team at half-time to win those duels. We didn’t take advantage in the first half and the second half we did.

“We needed a moment in the game to punish a mistake of Liverpool, but that got us back in the game.

“It (their second goal) was a very good team goal, a goal from out of the game plan, so I’m very proud the team could transfer this in the way we did to get the ball to the far-side half-space and then switch and then that finish was brilliant.”

Ten Hag also had praise for 19-year-old centre-back Willy Kambwala on only his second Premier League start.

“The decision? Old soldiers die and new have to come in. Already a long time he has been training with us and his progress is amazing during training, we didn’t have any doubt,” he added.

“We were convinced he could do the job, I’m very pleased he could do the performance. It’s another signal and message for Manchester United has high potential.

“If you have more players available, especially in the backline where we have had 27 combinations over the course of the season, the future will be very good.”

However, Ten Hag was not happy his side capitulated late on for the third successive game.

“It’s very disappointing when you put yourselves three times in the week in a winning position just before the end of the game, but then drop points,” he said.

“We have all seen some poor decisions. All three games had poor decisions and not every time the same players.

“We have to improve. The sooner the better.”

Manchester United dented bitter rivals Liverpool’s title hopes as Mohamed Salah’s late spot-kick salvaged a 2-2 draw in Jurgen Klopp’s final trip to Old Trafford.

Three weeks on from Erik ten Hag’s men edging an FA Cup classic at the end of extra-time, this age-old rivalry resumed in a similarly chaotic clash in the Premier League on Sunday.

Luis Diaz put dominant Liverpool into a deserved half-time lead against stumbling United, only for Bruno Fernandes’s 45-yard jaw dropper and a magnificent Kobbie Mainoo effort to turn the match on its head.

Salah levelled with a late penalty after Aaron Wan-Bissaka brought down Harvey Elliott, but the Reds could not eke out a winner as Ten Hag’s men successfully put a spanner in their old foes’ title charge.

It was the 27th point Klopp’s comeback kings have won from a losing position but may not be enough, putting them level with leaders Arsenal on 71 points but substantially behind on goal difference.

Liverpool will be praying a costly Old Trafford draw does not go onto cost them the title like it did five years ago.

Erik ten Hag has urged his Manchester United players to “bring big games over the line” ahead of their Premier League clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United have dropped five points from winning positions in their last two games, with the most recent missed opportunity coming against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

Cole Palmer scored twice deep in second half added-time as the Blues stole all three points in a dramatic 4-3 victory over ten Hag’s outfit.

Mason Mount thought he had found the winner with his strike in the sixth minute of stoppage time against Brentford, but Kristoffer Ajer equalised three minutes later in a 1-1 draw last Saturday at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Ten Hag admitted his side need to start getting over the line when leading games, seeking inspiration from previous victories over the league’s best.

“We can play to a very high standard. We can compete with the best and beat the best in the Premier League and when you can do that, you can also do it across Europe,” he said.

“We need to learn how to bring big games over the line, Saturday was an example.

“We have to step up, make better decisions individually and as a team.”

Thursday’s defeat in west London ended an unbeaten Premier League run against Chelsea which started in 2017.

Ten Hag wants his players to use the defeat as fuel going into their clash against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

He added: “We will see on Sunday (how to beat Liverpool).

“But I have to say first I have to deal with this, but we can’t deal with this long. We have to recover very quick. We have to turn this around.

“We will be in a positive mood. We will be looking forward. We have to take energy but we will be mad, angry. From anger you can take a lot of energy and that is how we have to do it.”

Marcus Rashford came off the bench at Stamford Bridge, but failed to have an impact on the night.

Ten Hag revealed the forward is as motivated as ever to help the team.

He said: “I think lately his form is progressing and so the time will always be right. I think he has a big motivation because he wants to be successful with us.

“He wants to score goals, but he wants to win trophies and contribute and we still have a chance in the FA Cup.

“He wants to fight for a Champions League spot and the Euros are coming so I will say his motivation should be high.

“And the form, that is a moment and he can change the momentum always. Before Brentford, he scored three goals in three games.”

Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool and Manchester United fans to “show a bit of class” during Sunday’s game at Old Trafford.

Last month’s FA Cup meeting was marred by incidents of tragedy chanting about the Hillsborough disaster, resulting in arrests, and additional work has been done by both clubs on the subject in the intervening weeks.

“It is super-important. I don’t hear it, honestly, when I am on the sideline. I heard after the game that it happened and it obviously is not great,” said Klopp.

“But in general it is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these things.

“I just see two of the biggest clubs in the world, so let’s just show a bit of class in these moments, don’t sing this or sing that.

“Just show class, let the teams fight on the pitch, let’s play football, that is all fine. Besides that, just show a bit of class, that would be my wish for all of us.”

Klopp heads to Old Trafford knowing not only do his side have to rectify the mistakes of last month’s FA Cup defeat but avoid a similar slip-up which ultimately cost them the title five years ago.

In the first of their epic run-ins with Manchester City the Reds won 10 of their last 12 matches but draws at Manchester United and Everton saw them finish second by a point with a record runners-up points tally of 97.

Klopp has won just twice and drawn four in 10 visits to their historical arch-rivals but that has to change on his final, short trip down the M62 if they are to maintain their advantage at the top of the table.

Three weeks ago their bid for an unprecedented quadruple was ended by a goal in the final minute of extra time and it is their only defeat in the last dozen matches.

“We were really good that day but we didn’t finish the situations off,” was Klopp’s assessment as his side looked like they were running on empty in the additional 30 minutes.

“Extra time was too much for us and we couldn’t avoid the mistakes we could before (in normal time).

“It was the day we couldn’t control it any more, United turned the game around and United is a top side playing at home but we have to do what we did from minute 15 to 70-something.

“Football is not that easy. We have to find a way to cause United problems. They will try the same.

“Against this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good game if we want something from it.”

Liverpool have announced a two percent rise in season ticket prices for the second successive year, having frozen the cost for the six campaigns previously. Junior tickets, however, will remain the same for a 10th successive season.

Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United’s dropped points are getting “more expensive” and that time is running out to secure a Champions League spot.

United conceded twice in stoppage time as Chelsea sealed a dramatic 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

The Red Devils, who sit sixth in the Premier League table, also conceded a 99th-minute leveller at Brentford on Saturday.

United are currently nine points adrift of fifth-placed Tottenham with eight matches remaining, while they are 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, who have played a game more.

With league leaders Liverpool next up at Old Trafford on Sunday, United boss Ten Hag acknowledged it will be “difficult” to bridge the gap to those above them.

“This week we’ve dropped points in stoppage time,” Ten Hag said.

“We’ve dropped five points and that’s very expensive because the points are getting more expensive because the games are running out. We know that and we have to catch up.

“We are many points behind, it will be difficult but we will keep fighting and our team has character.

“We have seen today (against Chelsea) they are resilient and we will be in the fight against Liverpool.”

When asked if United will need to produce a flawless end to the season to make the top four, he added: “Yes, but that is also what I said before (the Chelsea) match. I think so.

“I have to manage the team. We have qualities, some great players, we can play to a very high standard.”

The Dutch manager also noted the importance of United supporters avoiding tragedy chants for their meeting with Liverpool this weekend.

“It’s very important to be behind Manchester United and to support us in a positive way,” he said.

“There is a fantastic bond between the team and the fans and we want a positive mood at Old Trafford on Sunday.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp heads to Old Trafford knowing not only do his side have to rectify the mistakes of last month’s FA Cup defeat but also avoid the sort of slip-up which ultimately cost them the title five years ago.

In the first of their epic Premier League run-ins with Manchester City, the Reds won 10 of their last 12 matches but draws at Manchester United and Everton saw them finish second by a point with a record runners-up tally of 97.

Klopp has won just twice and drawn four in 10 visits to their arch-rivals but that has to change on his final, short trip down the M62 if they are to maintain their advantage at the top of the table.

Three weeks ago their bid for an unprecedented quadruple was ended by a goal in the final minute of extra time and it is their only defeat in the last dozen matches.

“We were really good that day but we didn’t finish the situations off,” was Klopp’s assessment as his side looked like they were running on empty in the additional 30 minutes.

“Extra-time was too much for us and we couldn’t avoid the mistakes we could before (in normal time).

“It was the day we couldn’t control it any more, United turned the game around and United is a top side playing at home but we have to do is what we did from minute 15 to 70-something.

“Football is not that easy. We have to find a way to cause United problems. They will try the same.

“Against this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good game if we want something from it.”

Last month’s game was marred by incidents of tragedy chanting about the Hillsborough disaster, resulting in some arrests, and additional work has been done by both clubs on the subject in the intervening weeks.

“I think it is super-important. I don’t hear it, honestly, when I am on the sideline but I get told it happens and that is obviously not great,” added Klopp.

“But in general it is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these kinds of things.”

Liverpool have announced a two percent rise in season ticket prices for the second successive year, having frozen the cost for the six campaigns previously. Junior tickets, however, will remain the same for a 10th successive season.

Manchester United’s 4-3 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday night extended a chaotic defensive season which has seen them give up the most shots in the Premier League since the turn of the year.

Here, the PA news agency looks at United’s record.

Shots fired

Having gone 3-2 up through Alejandro Garnacho in the 67th minute, United allowed Chelsea to have the final 10 shots of Thursday’s madcap game and paid the price as Cole Palmer scored in the 10th and 11th minutes of stoppage time to complete his hat-trick and win the game.

That took Chelsea’s total attempts for the match to 28 and meant Erik ten Hag’s side have faced 224 Premier League shots in 2024 – eight more than any other club.

Brentford (216), Sheffield United (206), West Ham (205) and Luton (201) are the only other teams to face over 200 in that time, with only the Hammers of that quartet currently outside the league’s bottom six.

Over the whole season United have faced 525 shots, third most in the top flight behind the rock-bottom Blades on 554 and 18th-placed Luton on 531.

The chaos at Chelsea followed Saturday’s dramatic finish against Brentford, when Mason Mount gave United a 96th-minute lead but they remarkably conceded an equaliser to Kristoffer Ajer three minutes later.

Redemption for Onana

Andre Onana faced criticism early in the season after a succession of errors – but United’s defensive record in the context of the shots they have faced paints the Cameroon goalkeeper’s contributions in a positive light.

Having replaced the long-serving David De Gea in the summer, Onana is ever-present for United this season apart from January’s 4-2 FA Cup win over Newport, when he was at the Africa Cup of Nations and Altay Bayindir deputised.

Only Luton’s Thomas Kaminski has made more saves in this season’s Premier League, 118 to 114, while Onana’s eight clean sheets rank joint second behind Arsenal keeper David Raya’s 11.

United have conceded 44 league goals and, while that gives them a negative goal difference having scored just 43, only four teams have conceded fewer – title-chasing trio Liverpool (28), Arsenal (24) and Manchester City (29) and Everton (42).

That is a significant improvement on a Champions League campaign that saw United finish bottom of their group, Onana conceding four goals to Bayern Munich in September and FC Copenhagen in November and three in each meeting with Galatasaray.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk hopes the composure he displays on and off the pitch can help get his team over the line in the title race.

The Netherlands centre-back’s coolness under pressure is one of his trademarks but since taking over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson in the summer he has tried to instil that across the squad.

Results so far suggest it is working as they head into the final eight matches of the season with a two-point lead at the top of the table following their 3-1 win over Sheffield United.

“The calmness I want in life personally – trying not to stress about the small things that shouldn’t have an influence on your state of mind – is something I try to implement in the group,” the 32-year-old, speaking at the launch of this year’s McDonald’s Fun Football programme which provides half a million children the chance to play football for free in 2024, told the PA news agency.

“Try to focus on where we have influence and that is our performances. I know I have a big role.

“I’m quite vocal but it’s more I’d rather have a good atmosphere outside the pitch, I want everyone to feel comfortable and feel happy and express themselves in the best way possible because then you can get the best out of everyone.

“That standard has been set over the last few years with our previous captain, who was outstanding, but obviously I do it my own way.

“The responsibility I have to the club goes around the world and I won’t take that for granted because it’s a special situation for myself to be captain of Liverpool.”

But Van Dijk’s calmness should not be mistaken for being laid back.

Behind the ease with which he often patrols the pitch is a winning mentality honed in childhood means any defeat still feels “horrible”.

As a youngster he would get angry if he lost so much as a tackle and he has channelled that to propel him to become one of the best defenders in the world.

Questions were asked about whether he would regain his best form following ACL surgery in 2020 and those intensified during the team’s struggles last season on their way to a fifth-placed finish but displays in the current campaign have proved the doubters wrong.

As he prepares to return to Old Trafford three weeks after an FA Cup exit to Manchester United, Van Dijk said the drive to win remains as strong as ever even if setbacks like last month remain painful.

“Horrible,” said the 32-year-old of how defeats feel. “It didn’t happen too many times this year but, still, I’m a winner.

“Even when I was the age of these kids if I lost a challenge or a game I could definitely be angry about it – but that is also something good.

“You need to make sure have that mentality and it is needed to get to the top and stay at the top.”

Having lifted his first trophy as Liverpool captain, Van Dijk will have a major role to play in the bid to add the Premier League and Europa League to February’s Carabao Cup win.

“It’s getting exciting. If you thought about a year ago, in a bit of transition, and where we are right now and what we have achieved so far this season everyone would have taken it with both hands,” he added.

“Two months left: there will be moments of nervousness, there will be games where we are struggling but it is about never giving up and enjoying every moment of it.

“Every team in the league would love to be in the position we are and that’s something you have to remind yourself.

“These are the times you want to be a football player: to win that (Premier League) again would be absolutely unbelievable, especially after the season we had last year.

“We have a big one at the weekend, then the chaos starts again with those games coming thick and fast.”

:: Virgil van Dijk was celebrating the launch of this year’s McDonald’s Fun Football programme, available to all children aged 5-11 across the UK. Sign up now for your nearest FREE session at mcdonalds.co.uk/football.

Cole Palmer insists he wants the responsibility of scoring penalties after he netted a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 4-3 thrilling victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer’s stunning season continued as he took his league tally to 16 goals on the night. After he scored from the spot on 19 minutes, he converted another spot-kick in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time after Diogo Dalot brought down Noni Madueke.

Palmer completed his treble just a minute later with a deflected strike off Scott McTominay following a short corner to seal a dramatic win in west London.

The 21-year-old, who joined from Manchester City for a reported fee of  £42.5 million last summer, wants to maintain his 100 per cent record from 12 yards.

“I’ve had a few penalties this season and when they’re in front of me, I just want to continue to try and score them,” he told Chelsea’s official club website.

“I want to keep my focus and strike the ball clean.”

The late turnaround has seen Chelsea close the gap on teams above them in their bid for European football next season.

Palmer said he and his team-mates were spurred on to grab another goal after their added-time equaliser.

“It was a crazy game,” he added. “To go from 2-0 up to 3-2 down was a bit of a blow, but when we scored in the 98th minute we knew there were two more minutes – we saw the gaffer say it. I looked over when I scored. We thought ‘let’s go for it’.

“I didn’t know what to do when I scored, but I was buzzing. My first hat-trick. It’s my first one and I’m really happy about it. It was madness at the end.”

Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Burnley last week and Palmer talked up the importance of responding with victory against the Red Devils.

“After last week we needed to come and get three points,” he added. “And to do it this way was probably the best way to do it.

“It’s a big win and it’s a massive momentum boost for the fans and the team. It’s put everyone in a good mood.”

Mauricio Pochettino hailed a “turning point” in Chelsea’s strained relationship with their fans after Cole Palmer’s stoppage-time double completed a hat-trick and sealed an unlikely 4-3 win against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

United looked to have the match won until, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Diogo Dalot fell into Noni Madueke to concede a penalty from which Palmer scored to seemingly rescue a point.

But there was more drama to come. With almost the game’s final kick, Palmer blasted at goal and, via a deflection from Scott McTominay, scored to bury Erik ten Hag’s side and spark joyous scenes amongst home supporters.

Relations between fans and the club have soured as Chelsea’s fortunes have plummeted, but the response at the end was one of unbridled delight, with Pochettino predicting a fresh start off the back of this win.

“It was amazing,” he said. “We were the better team today and it was fair we scored in the the last minute.

“We started really well, 2-0 (up), the game was under control, then we made a mistake and suffered an emotional impact. It wasn’t easy to deal with. In the second half we controlled the game (but) conceded in transitions.

“It was important to finish like that, creating the connection between our fans and players. It’s a very good thing that happened today. It should be a turning point for the fans’ trust in the team.”

It had all looked like being a far simpler affair when his team raced into a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes, Conor Gallagher squeezing a shot beneath Andre Onana’s dive, then a penalty clipped into the corner by Palmer.

United were overwhelmed by Pochettino’s side attacking ferociously, but an error by Moises Caicedo changed the nature of the game as a loose ball straight to Alejandro Garnacho saw the forward race away to score.

The game was level minutes later as Bruno Fernandes stealed away at the far post to nod Dalot’s cross beyond Djordje Petrovic.

Garnacho’s header from Antony’s superb ball midway through the half looked like being the winner.

Then came Palmer’s crazy intervention at the death, as Chelsea breathed life into their bid to qualify for Europe.

“It was really unfair (to be losing),” said Pochettino. “Why were we losing the game. Football is like this. But we always kept believing.

“We were saying to the players ‘two minutes, two minutes’. (At 2-2) we believed we could score the winning goal.

“It was a must-win game if we wanted to reduce the gap above us. It was so, so important.”

A visibly downcast Ten Hag reflected on poor decision-making that led to his team’s defeat.

“We started poor, making individual errors,” he said. “But I had the feeling we were dominating and we fought ourselves back.

“We were in a winning poison with very good football and scoring great goals. Then in stoppage time, we didn’t bring the win over the line.

“You have to do your job, you have to make the right decisions, and we didn’t react quick enough to avoid this situation.

“We dominated the game, especially our wide players were a danger: Garnacho, Antony.

“We have to make better decisions. You saw how we score from counters. We can be such a massive threat and we’ve seen again today an example.

“But we have to read when to keep the ball, especially when you are winning. Keep the ball, pass and move and switch the play instead of giving it way.”

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