Fulham boss Marco Silva insisted his goalkeeper Bernd Leno “touched” but “didn’t push” a ball boy during the Cottagers’ 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

The second-half incident occurred when Leno went to collect the ball from the youngster’s outstretched hand before using his own hand to make deliberate contact with the shoulder of the ball boy, who appeared to take a step back for balance.

Leno, who seemed to take issue with the speed at which the ball was being returned, and had already been booked, was subjected to a chorus of boos.

The 31-year-old German later returned to apologise to the boy for the encounter, though his manager was adamant the interaction had been exaggerated.

Silva said: “Have you seen him pushing? I didn’t see this. Yes, he apologised. I spoke with Bernd about it.

“It’s clear he went to speak with the boy after that moment as the top professional that he is, the really experienced player that he is as well.

“He wanted to play quick. The ball boys, I don’t know who gave them instructions to hold always the ball to delay the beginning of the game again. OK, we are losing, he ran to the ball. I didn’t see him pushing.

“He touched the ball boy, he didn’t push the ball boy. They are different things, when you touch a ball boy or you push a ball boy. I am not English but I know the difference between one word and the other, and we have to say the truth in that moment.”

The PA news agency understands no action will be taken over the incident.

It was a low point of a frustrating afternoon for Silva’s men, who fell behind when Justin Kluivert scored on the stroke of half-time and a penalty needlessly conceded by Joao Palhinha allowed Dominic Solanke to score his 12th goal of the Premier League season – already more than he registered in his first 96 appearances in the competition.

Luis Sinisterra added a third in stoppage time as the Cherries extended their unbeaten run to seven and consigned Fulham to a third straight loss following back-to-back 5-0 victories to start the month.

Asked if he had complained about what he felt was a deliberate delay by the ball boys, Silva replied: “I was really so upset with our performance that I didn’t even have the energy to start to complain.”

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who watched on from the stands as he served a touchline ban, said he had not seen a replay of the incident but, when asked if the ball boys had been instructed to slow down, replied: “No, no, for sure there is no instruction, for sure. This I can guarantee.

“I don’t know what happened exactly, but I think everyone for sure has to be careful because they are boys that are trying to help everyone, not only Bournemouth.”

The Cherries travel to Tottenham on New Year’s Eve having now taken 19 points from the last 21 available and matching their longest unbeaten Premier League run set in 2017-18.

“We want to keep it going,” Iraola said. “We’re not as bad as we looked at the beginning of the season, we’re not as good as we look now probably today. We’re somewhere in the middle.”

Luton boss Rob Edwards said South Yorkshire Police are investigating an alleged racist comment towards Carlton Morris in his side’s Boxing Day win at Sheffield United.

The striker complained of a comment made from the home crowd late in the second half, which left him “pretty angry”, and the police have spoken to him.

It soured what was a great day for Morris as he came off the bench to create two own goals in four minutes which earned the Hatters a vital 3-2 victory in the crunch basement Premier League battle at Bramall Lane.

Edwards said: “There was an alleged racist comment, the police are dealing with that, they have spoken to Carlton and got his take on it, so it is with them now; I have no more comment on it.

“He is alright – he was, at the time, pretty angry but he seems fine now.”

United boss Chris Wilder added: “There was a comment that was made and the referee came over to speak to me and Rob from a racial point of view, which is obviously not great if found to be the case.”

The Blades were on course for an important victory as second-half goals from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic overturned Alfie Doughty’s first-half opener for the Hatters.

But substitute Morris was the orchestrator as Jack Robinson and Anis Slimane put through their own net to give Luton back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time.

They will now believe survival is a real possibility going into the second half of the campaign.

Edwards, who celebrated his birthday on Christmas Day, said: “It brings us closer to where we want to be. Back-to-back and within four days we have two thirds of the points we already had, it’s big for us.

“We all know it was a big game, they all are, it was important and it was very, very special to do it in the end, one that we will remember for a long time.

“We have won these two games in a row, the performances are going the right way, we have been consistent for a long time and we are getting rewards for our performances.”

Wilder claimed his side “chucked it away” as their chances of beating the drop continue to get slimmer, having amassed just nine points at the halfway stage.

He said: “We chucked it away. Don’t take this as a dig against our opponents but there will be a lot of talk about character and getting themselves back into the game with a never-say-die attitude and all that, it’s nothing to do with that.

“It’s to do with our attitude to defending. It cost us on Friday night (at Aston Villa) and it has cost us tonight.

“It’s an attitude to defending and I’d be saying the same thing if I was a manager at any other club in the pyramid.

“They haven’t had to do anything to get back in the game, we have basically handed them the game. We should be talking about a home win, not them getting two to take the points.

“I don’t think it was earned by them, it was given by us.”

Chris Wood retuned to haunt Newcastle with a stunning hat-trick as Nottingham Forest handed new boss Nuno Espirito Santo the first Premier League victory of his reign.

Wood, who joined Forest from the Magpies in January, produced two fine second-half finishes to secure a 3-1 comeback success at St James’ Park.

Newcastle went ahead through Alexander Isak’s 23rd-minute penalty but slipped to a sixth defeat in seven games in all competitions after Wood tapped home Anthony Elanga’s cross just before the break and went on to complete his treble in style.

Forest remain two points above the relegation zone after 18th-placed Luton pulled off a 3-2 success at bottom club Sheffield United thanks to two late own goals.

Blades pair Jack Robinson and Anis Ben Slimane each turned the ball into their own goal during the final 14 minutes of a chaotic clash at Bramall Lane.

Chris Wilder’s hosts had looked set for a vital three points after second-half strikes from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic overturned Alfie Doughty’s 17th-minute opener.

In-form Bournemouth continued their remarkable resurgence by moving into the top half of the table thanks to a thumping 3-0 victory over Fulham.

Justin Kluivert put the Cherries ahead just before half-time at Vitality Stadium before Dominic Solanke’s eighth goal in seven games – a penalty after Joao Palhinha brought down Antoine Semenyo – doubled the lead.

Substitute Luis Sinisterra sealed an emphatic success late on as Andoni Iraola’s hosts made it 19 points from the last 21 available.

Dominic Solanke continued his impressive scoring form with a second-half penalty as Bournemouth secured a 3-0 victory over Fulham at the Vitality Stadium.

Andoni Iraola made two changes from the Cherries’ win over Nottingham Forest, and they combined to create the opener as a fine run by Alex Scott set up Justin Kluviert’s opener just before half-time.

Solanke made Joao Palhinha pay for bringing down Antoine Semenyo inside the box shortly after the hour mark, before Luis Sinisterra put the icing on the cake with a third goal in stoppage time.

Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno’s frustrations got the better of him late on as he appeared to push a ball boy, later returning to apologise to the youngster who seemed to take the incident in stride.

It was Bournemouth’s first home contest since Luton captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch on December 16, and a pre-match on-screen tribute honoured those who had come to the Welshman’s aide, including Cherries midfielder Philip Billing who was widely praised for his alert response.

The Denmark international began his afternoon on the bench in favour of Kluivert, with Scott slotting in for the injured Lewis Cook.

It was a back-and-forth beginning to the encounter, Solanke with his first crack at a fifth goal in as many league appearances against the Cottagers and 12th of the Premier League campaign blocked by Tosin Adarabioyo.

The hosts, with boss Iraola watching from the stands as he served a one-game touchline ban, maintained their slight edge in the opening exchanges, with Fulham winning a handful of set-pieces but creating little in the way of chances.

A neat move from Semenyo to feed Kluivert nearly set up an opener but they were thwarted by an excellent intervention from Adarabioyo, who was also in the right place to deny a second decent opportunity for Bournemouth after Leno spilled a cross.

Adarabioyo’s headed clearance avoided any embarrassment, but the hosts were ahead at the stroke of half-time thanks to a brilliant run into the 18-yard box from 20-year-old Scott from near the centre circle and pass to Kluivert, who finished underneath Leno into the far corner.

Fulham, who had enjoyed a near-equal amount of possession in the first half, returned with more purpose to start the second as Antonee Robinson quickly called Neto into action from a tight angle.

It was just past the hour mark when Joao Palhinha sent Semenyo tumbling inside the area and the response from referee Tim Robinson was immediate, Solanke sending Leno the wrong way to double his side’s advantage.

Rodrigo Muniz had a chance to claw one back with a close-range volley, while Leno found himself in late trouble and was treated to a chorus of jeers when he appeared to push the ball boy.

Sinisterra’s cross was inches away from the outstretched foot of David Brooks as the Cherries sought a third.

Brooks had two more chances of his own, but it was Sinisterra who curled past Leno to seal a convincing home triumph.

Carlton Morris climbed off the bench to create two own goals in four minutes for Luton as they beat Sheffield United 3-2 in a crucial Premier League basement battle.

The Blades were on course for an important victory as goals from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic overturned Alfie Doughty’s first-half opener for the Hatters.

But substitute Morris was the orchestrator as Jack Robinson and Anis Slimane put through their own net to give Luton back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time.

The match was also notable for being the first Premier League match to be officiated by a black referee for 15 years as Sam Allison took the whistle and he mainly stayed away from controversy, apart from a contentious decision to award a corner in the build-up to Robinson’s own goal.

Luton were not complaining as the festive season which began with a win over Newcastle on Saturday added another vital three points and they will believe survival is a real possibility going into the second half of the campaign.

It looks like the Blades will need a miracle to get themselves out of the bottom three as they have just nine points at the halfway mark and this could be a damaging loss.

The Hatters took the lead in the 17th minute, though Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham will not want to see it again.

Doughty received the ball on the right wing, breezed by Gus Hamer on his way into the area before firing a low shot, which should have been a routine save for Foderingham at the near post, but the ball squirmed through his legs and into the back of the net.

The hosts tried to respond, with Hamer’s 20-yard free-kick palmed away by Thomas Kaminski while James McAtee whipped an effort just wide after a jinking run.

They kept the pressure up before the break and Andre Brooks was denied a certain goal by Elijah Adebayo’s block before Auston Trusty headed the resulting corner against the crossbar.

Half-time provided little respite for Luton as the Blades were straight back on to the attack, with Teden Mengi slicing George Baldock’s cross just over his own crossbar while Albert Lokonga produced a goal-saving block to deny Max Lowe.

The deserved leveller came just after the hour-mark as McBurnie raised the roof.

It was down to the good work of McAtee, who surged into the area after Cameron Archer’s chest down and recovered well from a tackle to slide the ball to McBurnie while still on the floor.

The Blades striker did the rest, converting from close range.

The hosts sensed blood and they turned the match around eight minutes later as Ahmedhodzic converted from close range after a goalmouth scramble.

Luton responded well and levelled things up in the 77th minute.

United could not clear a hotly-disputed corner and Morris swung the ball back in, which Robinson could only flick into his own net.

Four minutes later Morris jinked into the area and his cross was diverted into the corner by an unlucky Slimane, with Luton seeing it out for a huge victory.

Nuno Espirito Santo is backing striker Chris Wood to fire Nottingham Forest away from Premier League trouble after seeing him plunder a hat-trick to fell former club Newcastle.

The New Zealand international, who left Tyneside for the City Ground this summer having played his part in Newcastle’s top-flight survival fight two seasons ago, scored one goal for the Magpies in 20 appearances at St James’ Park, but trebled that on a memorable afternoon to secure a 3-1 Boxing Day win.

Asked if the 32-year-old could become prolific this season, new head coach Espirito Santo said: “I think so, I really believe so.

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“He did it last week, today he did it again. It’s about the team helping, so it’s not only him, it’s how we want to do things to create chances for him. But I’m very happy with him now.

“Chris Wood, we know him, everybody knows him. He’s been in the game for a while now, but the way he did it today, how he scored, how he was in the right moments – the second goal is beautiful, it’s beautiful, the one v one and then the composure to just flick the ball over the goalkeeper, so thank you Chris for the job today.

“I really hope that he does it again because the talent is there.”

Espirito Santo, whose first game in charge on Saturday ended in a 3-2 home defeat by Bournemouth, might have feared the worst when the Magpies took an early lead courtesy of Alexander Isak’s 23rd-minute penalty.

However, they were pegged back in stoppage time after Anthony Elanga crossed for Wood to level from close range, and that proved only the prelude to a disastrous afternoon for the hosts.

Elanga, who tormented full-back Dan Burn throughout, and Morgan Gibbs-White repeatedly split an unusually porous home rearguard, and Wood took full advantage with two more expert finishes after the break to hand his new boss a first win and extend his managerial record against the Magpies to eight games without defeat.

Espirito Santo said: “It feels very good and the boys are very happy. But it was hard and we have to congratulate them because they did fantastic work. I think we played well and it was a well-deserved win.”

Opposite number Eddie Howe, whose side have now lost six of their last seven games in all competitions and slipped out of the Champions League and perhaps even the race for a top-four finish, was reflective after another difficult afternoon.

Howe said: “We weren’t quite at our best today and in the Premier League when you’re not, you get punished.

“Whenever you lose games, that’s an uncomfortable feeling for you; whenever your team is not at its peak, it’s an uncomfortable feeling.

“But we have to remain reflective and we have to make the right decisions for the team in the next few days to make sure we’re ready for our next game.

“I don’t think physically we’re at our best. I think that’s obvious and I think I would be lying if I said otherwise.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reached out to fans after agreeing to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United, telling them he takes his responsibility to put the club back on top of world football “very seriously” but also calling for patience.

United announced on Christmas Eve that Ratcliffe, the chairman of INEOS, had finalised a £1.25billion deal for a share of the Premier League outfit and will invest more than £236m to refurbish the debt-laden club’s infrastructure.

INEOS will also take over the management of United’s football operations.

Ratcliffe has now written to the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, the Fans’ Forum and the Fans’ Advisory Board insisting INEOS “are in for the long-term” but advising that success on the pitch “will require time and patience”.

“I wanted to write to you at this time given the critical role of the fans to the future of Manchester United as we recognise our responsibility as custodians of the club on your behalf,” Ratcliffe wrote, echoing various sentiments expressed in a Christmas Eve statement outlining his ambitions for the club.

“I believe we can bring sporting success on the pitch to complement the undoubted commercial success that the club has enjoyed.

“It will require time and patience alongside rigour and the highest level of professional management.

“You are ambitious for Manchester United and so are we. There are no guarantees in sport, and change can inevitably take time but we are in it for the long term and together we want to help take Manchester United back to where the club belongs, at the very top of English, European and world football.

“I take that responsibility very seriously.

“Please note that, as with any deal, it is subject to the usual regulatory sign-off process and therefore we do not expect to speak publicly about club matters until after the deal is completed.”

It is understood that Premier League approval for Ratcliffe’s investment could take between four and six weeks.

The 71-year-old Ratcliffe, a childhood United fan who was born in nearby Failsworth, agreed his stake in the club following an ownership saga that lasted 13 months.

The club’s United States-based owners, the Glazer family, revealed their intention to undertake a strategic review of their options, including the possibility of selling up, in November 2022.

Ratcliffe and Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim were both in the running to oversee a buyout of the club until October.

Sheikh Jassim withdrew his bid for full control of the club on October 14, with Ratcliffe’s focus shifting to taking a significant minority stake.

Chris Wood retuned to haunt Newcastle with a stunning hat-trick as Nottingham Forest handed new boss Nuno Espirito Santo the first Premier League victory of his reign.

Wood, the man for whom the Magpies’ new owners paid Burnley £25million in January last year in a bid to stave off relegation, took advantage of woeful defending to plunder a treble which ended his former club’s seven-game winning league run at St James’ Park and condemned them to a sixth defeat in seven games in all competitions.

A 3-1 victory was little more than the visitors deserved on a day when Eddie Howe’s men, who took the lead through a contentious Alexander Isak penalty, were ripped apart by Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White in front of a disbelieving crowd of 52,207.

Victory on Tyneside served as a boost to Forest’s survival hopes, but left a huge question mark over Newcastle’s chances of repeating last season’s top-four finish with a trip to Liverpool and Manchester City’s visit to St James’ to come either side of their FA Cup third-round tie against Sunderland.

The Magpies set off determined to provide a response to Saturday’s dismal 1-0 defeat at Luton, and their early pressure paid off after 23 minutes when Isak beat keeper Matt Turner from the penalty spot after defender Murillo had been harshly adjudged to have fouled the striker as he turned on Anthony Gordon’s pass.

Elanga, who tormented full-back Dan Burn throughout, hooked wide from Moussa Niakhate’s long throw, and the former Manchester United winger should have scored 12 minutes before the break when he got in behind Burn down the right, but could not find a way past Martin Dubravka.

Isak saw a cheeky chipped attempt turned over by Turner at his near post and Miguel Almiron skied an effort as he slipped at the end of a slick team move, and the Magpies were made to pay for missed chances in first-half stoppage time.

Almiron won possession on the edge of the visitors’ box, but failed to pick out a team-mate, allowing Gibbs-White to sprint upfield and find Elanga, who handed Wood the simplest of tasks to equalise.

It might have been worse for the hosts within seconds of the restart when Gibbs-White glanced a header wide from Elanga’s dangerous cross with Newcastle looking increasingly vulnerable.

Dubravka was relieved when Elanga fired straight at him after Gibbs-White had once again sparked panic among the home rearguard, but the Sweden international made amends with 53 minutes gone when he slipped the ball into Wood’s path and looked on as the striker turned Burn inside out before lifting a shot over Dubravka and into the net.

Howe swiftly replaced Burn and Almiron with Tino Livramento and Callum Wilson, but his side were undone again on the hour when Murillo’s through-ball split a ragged defence and Wood deftly stepped around the painfully exposed Dubravka to complete his hat-trick.

Isak saw a 67th-minute shot deflected wide and Lewis Miley only just missed the target two minutes later with Howe’s men scrapping for a way back into the game, but meeting both fierce resistance and devastating counter-punching, but the damage was done and there was no way back.

Mauricio Pochettino admitted his Chelsea players are falling well short of the targets set for them in pre-season as they seek respite from their sporadic Premier League form at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Results at Stamford Bridge have been the only bright spot in recent weeks with three straight wins in west London during December, meanwhile fortunes on the road have taken an alarming downturn.

Defeat against Wolves at Molineux on Christmas Eve was their fourth away loss on the spin following reverses at Newcastle, Manchester United and Everton, and has left the team facing the likely prospect of failing to qualify for Europe for a second season.

A Carabao Cup semi-final against Championship side Middlesborough in January could open the door to a possible route into the Europa Conference League, but a current league placing of 10th sees them trailing the top four by 14 points.

Pochettino admitted it is not what he anticipated approaching the midway point of his first Chelsea campaign.

“We’re so far away (from the target),” said the Blues boss. “Our target was to be on the top, even if no one believed us. But in the circumstance, we are fighting for different things.

“We are Chelsea, because our history demands us to be at the top. At the moment, being realistic, we need to increase the way that we compete if we want to win more games.

“We need to compete better than (against Wolves). I think the performance from the beginning of the season has not been bad. We can say it’s very good. But in terms of competing, we are in the bottom. That’s why we are not in a better position in the table.

“In football you need to have the knowledge, the quality, the set-up. But at some point in football in 90 minutes, you need to compete. You need to show in the way you play football. We need to improve there, and that’s about having all the players (fit), spending time with them together.

“We need to finish well, winning the (Palace) game, then to go to Luton (on December 30) and then start the new year with different feelings.”

Pochettino confirmed that Enzo Fernandez will miss the meeting with Roy Hodgson’s side having sat out the loss at Molineux.

Moises Caicedo is likely to return after illness prevented him traveling to Wolves, though Lesley Ugochukwu has a hamstring injury that forced him off on Sunday.

It means Chelsea’s injury woes show no sign of abating.

“The frustration is there, the disappointment,” said Pochettino. “The medical staff are working so hard to anticipate and try to avoid these types of problems.”

Pep Guardiola says people want Manchester City to fail “more than ever” after the club won the fifth trophy of a remarkable year.

City return to domestic action at Everton on Wednesday having added the FIFA Club World Cup to their previous 2023 successes in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and European Super Cup.

It is a unique achievement in English football, yet Guardiola won six trophies as Barcelona boss in 2009 when the Catalan club won La Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles.

“It is a business you get credit when you win,” City manager Guardiola said ahead of his side’s trip to Goodison Park.

“You don’t win you are nothing, zero, what you have done in the past.

“As much as you win they want you to fail. More than ever. I felt than when we won the sextuple in Barcelona.

“It’s normal. They don’t want (us to win). In these 14-15 years what we have won, the titles, is unbelievable.

“People say ‘how good they play, how genius it is’. But they give credit just because we win. They don’t have to look further than that.”

City swept aside Brazilian opponents Fluminense 4-0 on Friday to win their first Club World Cup.

The victory crowned a successful five days in Saudi Arabia for City, with Guardiola saying the trip “created incredible team building and team spirit”.

But patchy domestic form over the past month – only one win in six games with four draws and a defeat – has left City off the Premier League pace, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham filling the top four positions on Boxing Day.

Guardiola said: “In the moment you don’t win you are going to get doubts, absolutely everything.

“But that is what is nice. That is OK. Doubt again, we’ll see what happens.

“I said before when we played incredibly well against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham and don’t win.

“It’s a real proof they don’t care the way we play. We played the best levels quite similar to these (past) eight years and we don’t win. It’s a ‘disaster and crisis’.

“Of course we have bad moments like Aston Villa, who were better. But what’s the problem?

“They can play better so we have to accept it and move forward. The reality is we are happy, but they are waiting for us around the corner (to fail).”

Guardiola spent Christmas with his family in Barcelona before returning to England.

Although he described himself as satisfied after lifting the Club World Cup – “I have a feeling that the job is done, we have everything” – he has quickly turned his thoughts to Everton and nothing else.

“Never at the start of the season when I arrive do I think how many titles we are going to win,” said Guardiola. “Never, never. It’s a horrible approach.

“Nothing else exists than Goodison Park. The greatest athletes forget as quick as possible the success. They celebrate it, but around the corner is another competition.”

City are hoping Rodri will be fit despite the Spain midfielder sustaining a heavy blow to his ankle against Fluminense, while doubts persist over the availability of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.

Everton boss Sean Dyche has played down the potential impact of Manchester City’s successful expedition to Jeddah.

Man City return to Premier League action on Wednesday with a trip to Goodison Park after they spent the past week in Saudi Arabia competing and subsequently winning the Club World Cup.

It was a welcome distraction for Pep Guardiola’s champions, who have endured recent domestic struggles with only one win from their last six league fixtures, but Dyche will tell his squad to ignore such talk.

“Sides like that, they are so used to it,” Dyche said of City’s trip halfway across the world.

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“You think of the last five or six years under Pep and all the travelling they’ve done, all the things they’ve won, all the competitions, I’m not saying they are used to everything and this is probably slightly different, but at the end of the day I don’t think, I might be wrong, that they are travelling economy!

“I think they’ll be well looked after, so I won’t over-egg the physical side of it and they have so many good players, I still think they will put out a side that is a very strong side.

“And if it does help, then great and we’ll take all the help we can get but the main focus will be on us performing and not too much focus on them and what they have to do.

“In my experience of Man City, whenever you think of moments like that (poor form), they put out a side and deliver a performance.

“I will certainly make sure the players are ready and forget all of that, all the noise, all the news saying they are not doing this or that.

“Trust me, I’ve seen them a number of times and when you’re on the pitch with them, even when they make changes or they are stretched, they find a very strong side and a way of playing.”

Everton’s hopes of taking points off Man City have been dented by a growing injury list during a busy December schedule.

Key midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure recently picked up a muscle injury and Idrissa Gueye was forced off during Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Tottenham.

Both are unlikely to feature against City, which would result in Andre Gomes’ earning his first start of the season and Dele Alli is still building up his fitness after a recent returning to training.

Dyche said of Dele: “No, not yet. No, he’s not close yet.

“We knew when we skimmed down the squad in the summer, obviously trying to balance things financially and the money, there is a challenge with that.

“You can’t have people everywhere so you try to fill the slots the best you can and use what money is available to get a more balanced squad.

“When there are runs like this and these games, they often put pressure on the squad and that’s the way it goes, but we’ll deal with it the best we can.”

Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United need to get Old Trafford rocking in a bid to put their season back on track.

United host high-flying Aston Villa on Boxing Day, three days after slumping to a 2-0 defeat at West Ham, in what will be their first game since it was announced that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club.

The Hammers defeat was their 13th loss in 26 matches this term, and a 20th defeat in 2023 – their worst tally in a calendar year since 1989.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp criticised the atmosphere at Anfield following their Carabao Cup win over the Hammers last week, and Ten Hag knows he needs to give the Old Trafford faithful something to shout about.

“I am sure they are very disappointed in us and we have to put things right and do things different,” said the United chief.

“We appreciate all the time they are supporting us. With all the setbacks this season, they are all the time behind us and we really appreciate that. Of course we need any help but first of all I and the team have to do it.”

United have suffered their most defeats before Christmas since 1931, and need to bounce back against a Villa side threatening an unlikely title challenge.

“Villa is a different side in very good form, a very good team,” added Ten Hag.

“If you are creating the chances you have to take them, otherwise you don’t win games. That’s clear.

“I am not disappointed by the attitude, but of course we know what the standard is at Manchester United.

“We have to win as a team therefore responsibility we have to take as a team and every individual has to contribute 100 per cent in that responsibility.”

Ten Hag hopes to be able to call on centre-half Raphael Varane, who missed the defeat at West Ham through illness, while winger Amad Diallo could also be involved having returned to training after a knee injury.

United fans will be heading to Old Trafford in the wake of the Christmas Eve announcement that Ineos Group chairman Ratcliffe has agreed a £1.25billion deal with the Glazer family, the club’s American owners.

Ratcliffe, 71, a boyhood United fan, will inject around £236million, with Ineos set to take over the management of the club’s football operations.

Jamaal Lascelles has played himself into Eddie Howe’s long-term plans at Newcastle after stepping back into the firing line amid an injury crisis.

The 30-year-old defender found himself part of the supporting cast as head coach Howe, armed with the spending power of the club’s new Saudi-backed owners, embarked upon a spending spree which has to date seen them invest around £400million in the squad.

Sven Botman’s £32million arrival from Lille in particular left the Magpies’ club captain largely sitting on the bench, but the injury which saw the Dutchman miss almost three months of football handed the former Nottingham Forest man a chance he grasped with both hands in the final year of his existing contract.

Asked if he wanted Lascelles to stay, Howe said: “I’m sure contract talks with Jamaal… I’m just trying to wrack my brain as to where his contract is at, but I think he is part of our long-term future, for sure.”

Botman’s misfortune struck when he suffered a knee injury in September which sidelined him until he came on as a late substitute in a 3-0 Premier League win over Fulham on December 16.

In his absence, Howe turned to Lascelles and got exactly the response for which he had hoped as he stepped in alongside Fabian Schar and played his part in a Carabao Cup victory over European champions Manchester City and a 4-1 Champions League demolition of Paris St Germain.

In doing so, he demonstrated just how hard he had worked in training to be able to deliver the kind of football Howe demands of his central defenders and produce his best form to date for the club.

Howe said: “Jamaal has done really, really well this season and his game has come on in lots of ways.

“Firstly, defensively, he has always been very strong aerially and you saw that recently against Fulham. His defensive understanding of what we want him to do has been very good from day one.

“His use of the ball has improved, he looks really comfortable in the team at the moment, and he’s playing some really good football.”

However, Lascelles is facing a race against time to face former club Forest on Boxing Day after limping out of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Luton before half-time.

Howe remained coy over his skipper’s injury after the game and he will be assessed with Botman, who replaced him at Kenilworth Road, standing by to start a league fixture for the first time since the 8-0 win at Sheffield United on September 24.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says he “shares the pain” of grieving families this Christmas amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The war has devastated large parts of Gaza, killed more than 20,400 Palestinians and displaced almost all of the territory’s 2.3 million people.

The mounting death toll among Israeli troops – 17 since Friday and 156 since the ground offensive began – could erode public support for the war, which was sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage.

Egypt international Salah, who has been in fine form for the Reds so far this season, scoring 12 Premier League goals, posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Christmas is a time when families get together and celebrate.

“With the brutal war going on in the Middle East, especially the death and destruction in Gaza, this year we get to Christmas with very heavy hearts and we share the pain of those families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones.

“Please do not forget them and do not get used to their suffering. Merry Christmas.”

Mauricio Pochettino refused to accept a lack of discipline is responsible for Chelsea’s unwelcome position as the Premier League team with the most yellow cards this season.

The team collected five bookings during the 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux on Christmas Eve, amongst them Cole Palmer who will now miss Wednesday’s game against Crystal Palace after accruing five for the campaign.

Raheem Sterling also saw yellow for simulation when he sought a penalty in stoppage time, as Chelsea chased what would have been an undeserved equaliser against Gary O’Neil’s side.

The team has already seen suspensions for Reece James, Malo Gusto and Conor Gallagher after being sent off earlier in the season, whilst summer signing Nicolas Jackson is only two bookings short of 10 for the campaign and a further two-match ban, having also been suspended in September.

Yet Pochettino insisted that a will to improve the team’s spluttering league form is what is causing his players to act rashly.

“No, it’s representative that we play for Chelsea, we are in a big club, you feel the pressure,” he said. “When you are frustrated, and you don’t have maybe the experience of other teams, you make a mistake.

“Palmer is playing for us his first season as a regular. It’s normal. The players care, they want to win, they are frustrated.

“It’s not discipline. We need to have more the capacity to read the situation of the game.”

Pochettino also pointed towards injuries as a contributing factor in his team’s struggles, with at least eight players unfit for the meeting with Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Fernandez is set to be missing for the second straight game, whilst the manager has hinted he does not yet believe Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are fit to start after long spells out.

“My focus now is to recover players and to fix the many, many things that are going on from the beginning of the season,” he said.

“If you’re going to see the squad for the next game, you’re going to see more than eight first-team players (missing).

“I’m frustrated and disappointed not to be able to use all the players at the same time. That is why sometimes we’ve been up and down in our results.”