Premier League chief football officer Tony Scholes admits the in-stadium supporter experience of VAR is “nowhere near good enough” and believes reviews are taking too long.

Video assistant referees were introduced in the English top-flight for the 2019-20 campaign, yet there are persisting problems surrounding its implementation.

The Premier League say that most supporters they have surveyed are in favour of VAR, but Scholes acknowledges “that majority is not as big a majority as I would like to say it is”.

The league’s chief football officer says “clearly everything in the world of VAR is not perfect” and pinpointed two particular areas for improvement.

“If the objective of VAR is to improve the accuracy of decision making, it is being a significant success,” Scholes said. “We don’t rest on this. Further development, further improvement is always required.

“The two elements that I believe affects the whole reputation of VAR, given what I’ve just said about the improvement in the accuracy, is the time that it takes to do the reviews, or to do the checks.

“We’re doing too many checks, we’re taking too long in doing them as well.

“It’s to a degree understandable given the level of scrutiny these guys are under, from ourselves, from you guys (in the media) as well and from supporters.

“But the reviews are taking too long and it’s affecting the flow of the game and we’re extremely aware of that and the need to improve that speed, whilst always maintaining the accuracy.

“The second area where the VAR experience is poor is the in-stadium experience for the supporter. It’s nowhere near good enough. We know it’s not.

“It affects supporters’ enjoyment of the game, and we know it needs to change.”

In terms of improving reviews, Scholes says the Premier League is ensuring they “are doing all of the training and development to reduce the review times and the check times”.

The introduction of semi-automated offsides will also aid the speed of decision making and Scholes hopes to go to clubs for a decision on that later in the year after the test phase.

As for fan experience, Scholes says the Premier League’s desire for increased transparency is restricted somewhat by International Football Association Board rules.

“IFAB are very clear on their rules as to what we can and can’t say, both during the VAR process and post the VAR process,” he said.

“They’re very clear at the moment we cannot use the audio, we cannot play the audio.

“My personal view is we’re on a journey and that will come and we’ll get to a point where both the video and the audio is played live and then played afterwards to explain the decision.

“How far away from that, I don’t know. That’s not in our hands, that’s decided by IFAB.

“But we will continue to lobby them to get to a place where VAR is as open, transparent and informative to supporters and all stakeholders as it is possible to do.

“One development that we are expecting to come in imminently, of course, is that the referee will announce their decision, post-VAR review to the crowd on the pitchside.”

Brentford are expecting to sell Ivan Toney this summer – manager Thomas Frank has revealed.

Toney was linked with a January move away from west London but Frank insisted no bids were received for the England striker.

The 27-year-old has recently returned to action after an eight-month ban for breaching Football Association gambling guidelines.

Frank had maintained throughout January that Toney, who made his England debut in 2023 and has hit 34 goals in 71 Premier League appearances, would stay put.

But now he seems to be bracing to lose one of his key men at the end of the season.

“It is relatively obvious that Ivan Toney will probably be sold this summer,” Frank told Danish magazine Tipsbladet.

“It can be ‘expensive’ to sell your best player, but conversely I also know that this summer he only has one year left on his contract with us.

“We also know what he is worth. I don’t think there are many strikers in the world who are better than him right now.”

Asked on transfer deadline day whether keeping Toney in January proved Brentford have grown as a club, Frank said: “I think with any player we have a contract in general so at the end of the day we decide if they leave or not.

“Of course money talks and we also know that we are a ‘selling’ club as you could call it – we know that is part of the strategy.”

Frank doubled down on that outlook in his Tipsbladet interview, adding: “I would prefer to keep Toney but one day it could be fun to see him in a top team.

“This winter, we actually had no bids for him, but it would surprise me if there aren’t a lot of clubs interested in him.”

Meanwhile, Brentford also confirmed Josh Dasilva has suffered another serious injury setback.

The 25-year-old has struggled with a number of issues in recent seasons and will now go back under the knife.

“Unfortunately, Josh suffered an injury in training over the weekend, while preparing for the Man City game,” head of medical Neil Greig told the club’s official website.

“Subsequent imaging has shown a significant injury to ligaments in his right knee, which will require surgery to repair.

“He’s previously shown an outstanding attitude to adversity and injury recovery, and we have absolute confidence in his capability to fully recovery from this setback.”

Son Heung-min will return to Tottenham’s training ground on Thursday after South Korea’s Asian Cup exit.

Son suffered disappointment with his nation on Tuesday after they lost 2-0 to Jordan in the semi-finals.

While the majority of the South Korea squad have returned to their home country along with manager Jurgen Klinsmann, Son headed straight to the UK and will link up with his Spurs team-mates again on Thursday.

It raises the prospect of Tottenham captain Son being available for Saturday’s visit of Brighton.

Spurs have been without Son for four matches over the past month, claiming only one victory during that period without their 12-goal attacker.

Ange Postecoglou could have Yves Bissouma in contention for the clash with Brighton after Mali were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday, but the midfielder will be assessed after struggling with illness during the tournament.

Brentford have condemned the “vile harassment” of Ivan Toney after the England striker was the target of online racist abuse.

The Premier League club also labelled the response of social media companies to such incidents as “underwhelming”.

Toney, 27, has previously received racist comments on Instagram posts and Brentford are now calling for more to be done after another case occurred.

“We are angered and frustrated to report that Ivan Toney has been subjected to racist abuse on Instagram once more,” a club statement read.

“We have initiated investigations into this vile harassment which we condemn in the strongest terms.

“Sadly, this isn’t the first time Ivan has had to deal with this. A similar incident occurred just four weeks ago, leading us to identify an alleged perpetrator whom we reported to the authorities. To date, we have yet to see any action taken against that individual.”

The Bees called for anyone found to have posted racist comments to be prosecuted and help bring an end to such incidents in the future.

“In general, the response from social media platforms to these ongoing issues has been underwhelming,” the statement continued.

“Their solutions, such as filters to simply hide the abuse may safeguard the players, miss the mark entirely and do not discourage the offenders. Without real consequences for those responsible, the cycle is doomed to repeat.

“We do have faith that things can change. We appreciate the dialogue that we have with the likes of Meta but we call for more decisive and urgent action to combat online hate. We call for prompt investigations, and importantly, we call for criminal prosecutions.

“We will continue to work with the authorities and the Premier League and to support our players as we tackle this awful online abuse.”

What the papers say

Manchester United are said to be turning their transfer focus to a data-driven approach, targeting players of a younger age profile. The i reports the shift stems from new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with Everton’s 21-year-old defender Jarrad Branthwaite at the top the club’s wishlist.

According to the i, another name on United’s radar is Crystal Palace’s 22-year-old winger Michael Olise, though the France Under-21 player has also been linked with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks.

Staying with United, The Telegraph reports Mason Greenwood, who is on loan from the Red Devils at Getafe, has attracted the attention of Atletico Madrid. The England forward has impressed since arriving in Spain this season, and there is expected to be heated competition across LaLiga for his future services.

Elsewhere, the Daily Mail, citing Footmercato, says Liverpool contacted Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso in November about succeeding Jurgen Klopp as manager.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Federico Chiesa: Liverpool are keeping a close eye on the Juventus forward’s situation, according to the website HITC.

Savio: ESPN reports talks have taken place between Manchester City and the 19-year-old Brazilian winger, who is currently on loan at Spanish club Girona from French side Troyes.

Mauricio Pochettino has called for perspective on the struggles of his Chelsea team, insisting “I cannot lose my hair” over recent poor results.

Sunday’s 4-2 loss at home to Wolves was the 10th in the league since the 51-year-old arrived in the summer and triggered the first audible signs of discontent from fans towards the manager.

Afterwards Pochettino appeared to suggest he believed the players were not good enough to arrest the club’s slide, though he has since clarified he was referring only to the performance in the defeat to Gary O’Neil’s side.

Chelsea were outrun and out-thought by Wolves who, despite seeing their hosts enjoy greater ball possession, were conformably the more threatening team and they cut through the Blues with relative ease en route to a first win at Stamford Bridge since 1979.

It drew an angry response from supporters near the dugout who booed the players off at half-time and again at the final whistle as the Blues dropped into the bottom half of the Premier League table.

It followed a meek 4-1 collapse away to Liverpool in their previous fixture.

However, Pochettino insisted it was important for a coach in his position to retain a sense of enjoyment in the job even in trying times.

“Football is my passion, not my job,” he said. “Sometimes we say ‘job’ but it’s the wrong word. Football is entertainment.

“If I don’t think like this, I need to go in another position, being a sporting director or CEO or president.

“Being coach, I need to keep a sense of why I am here. We cannot suffer because of business and other things. We need to be focused to play football.

“To be focused in football, you need to feel free in your mind. You cannot be affected because the stock in New York or Tokyo, or the weather or because the farm doesn’t grow.

“That’s why I keep my hair like this, because I don’t suffer from things that I am not in charge of. I only suffer for football, to try to improve the players, to provide them a good platform to win games.

“If there is no rain on my farm, you kill the business of my farm. That is a stress. You can lose your hair. But I cannot lose my hair because we’re not winning because the opponent was better than us.”

With 15 league games to go, Chelsea are just one place higher in the table than they finished last season in what was wildly acknowledged to be an appalling campaign.

They travel to Aston Villa on Wednesday for an FA Cup fourth-round replay.

“I didn’t finish 12th last year, Chelsea did,” said Pochettino. “It is a different squad to last year, many changes. If you want to compare to damage us, to compare things I think is impossible.

“You can compare to try to damage, if you want to make a problem. But to analyse and put all the circumstances, I don’t think that before was better or was worse. It’s difficult to compare because we are in another project.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was among those in attendance at the Munich Air Disaster memorial as he edges closer to becoming minority owner at Manchester United.

February 6 is a date indelibly marked in club history after the plane carrying Sir Matt Busby’s side crashed on its way back from a European Cup tie at Red Star Belgrade in 1958.

Eight players were among the 23 lives claimed in a tragedy that is remembered every year by all connected to United.

Ratcliffe was among those at Old Trafford on Tuesday afternoon for the 66th anniversary commemoration.

The billionaire is still awaiting his 25 per cent acquisition of the club to get the green light but he and his Ineos team have been a visible presence since the deal was announced on Christmas Eve.

Ratcliffe has visited United on several occasions, including January’s draw with Tottenham, and was joined at the ceremony by Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford.

The incoming minority owner arrived at the ceremony alongside Sir Alex
Ferguson.

United greats Paddy Crerand and Brian Kidd were others in attendance, as were first-team manager Erik ten Hag and women’s team boss Marc Skinner.

The captains of those respective teams, Bruno Fernandes and Katie Zelem, were also among those at the fan-led service in the pouring rain.

Former player and assistant Mike Phelan represented the club at a separate memorial event at Manchesterplatz in Munich.

Outside Old Trafford, former club chaplain Rev John Boyers acted as master of ceremonies.

There were readings, songs from supporters and a minute’s silence at 3.04pm – the moment the plane crashed in 1958.

There was a further pause of remembrance for key figures around United that have died since the last Munich memorial.

Sir Bobby Charlton, a survivor of the crash, was among them following his death in October, as was former boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife Lady Cathy Ferguson. The United great looked emotional as fans applauded her name.

Towards the end of the ceremony, Rev Boyers said: “Today is about a great sadness. We have remembered together a tragic chapter in the history of Manchester United.

“But the years after that tell of hope, and of glory that replaced despair and mourning.

“And in that next chapter of the United story after Munich, surely we find hope.

“I say to you again, remain hopeful for your club and its future.”

The 66th anniversary came a day after Ratcliffe’s deal to take a stake in United edged a step closer.

The billionaire is acquiring 25 per cent of the Class B shares held by the Glazer family – which carry 10 times the voting rights of Class A shares – as part of his investment.

Existing shareholders voted at an extraordinary general meeting on Monday to approve a special resolution, under which the Class B shares would not convert to Class A shares when they were transferred to Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe is also purchasing up to 25 per cent of Class A shares and investing 300million US dollars (£239m) into the club’s infrastructure. The deal is also subject to Premier League approval.

The Ineos chairman the first option to buy more Class B shares from the Glazers, should they decide to sell more.

Mauricio Pochettino has rejected suggestions he said Chelsea’s players are not good enough, claiming his words following Sunday’s defeat by Wolves were taken out of context.

Immediately after the 4-2 loss at Stamford Bridge that left his team in the bottom half of the Premier League table, the Argentinian appeared to say he did not have the squad to significantly remedy the club’s plight.

Chelsea were booed off at half-time and again at the final whistle, with audible anger directed against both the players and Pochettino personally, while the name of former owner Roman Abramovich could also be heard being sung.

A visibly emotional Pochettino said at the time he understood supporters’ fury in the aftermath of a 10th league defeat in the 23 games of his tenure, and intimated neither he nor the team have been good enough this season.

He has now, before Wednesday’s FA Cup replay at Aston Villa, moved to clarify his position, criticising reports which he felt deliberately took his words not in the spirit in which they were meant.

“Now (when) I’m watching TV and media, some guys take advantage of some situations to take my words out of context,” he said. “That question came from my post-match press conference – are the players good enough to be in the top four or top six? I said, ‘today, we were not good enough, and me the first’.

“Then they said, ‘Pochettino said the players aren’t good enough’. What? It’s taking it out of context, my words. In that game, we were not good enough. I don’t want to hide the reality.

“Be careful. Some people take advantage, when we lose a game, to say things that never appeared in my mouth. That upset me a little bit.

“The most difficult thing is to explain to my wife. ‘Why did you say the players are not good enough?’ I never said that. You know what I had to do last time? To show her the press conference. That is not a joke. It is the reality we live in.”

Pochettino also defended Ben Chilwell, who captained the side in Sunday’s defeat, after he appeared to suggest in a post-match interview that Wolves had shown more desire for the victory than Chelsea.

The defender told Sky Sports: “I think they probably showed that they wanted it more than us.”

However, Pochettino contested that Chilwell intended to question his team-mates’ will to win.

“He said, ‘we didn’t win the 50-50 duels’. That was my interpretation. The result we suffered against Wolves, we are Chelsea and everything is bigger than normal. I was talking with him and it was never his intention to say we didn’t show desire.”

Pochettino added that Thiago Silva had met with him privately to discuss a post sent by the defender’s wife on social media on Sunday that appeared to call for the manager to be sacked.

“He came today to talk with me. I’m not going to talk about (what we said). He came and wanted to talk with me.

“That was private. That’s it.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United has moved a step closer following a key vote on Monday.

The Ineos chairman is acquiring 25 per cent of the Class B shares held by the Glazer family – which carry 10 times the voting rights of Class A shares – as part of his investment.

Existing shareholders voted at an extraordinary general meeting on Monday to approve a special resolution, under which the Class B shares would not convert to Class A shares when they were transferred to Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe is also purchasing up to 25 per cent of Class A shares and investing 300million US dollars (£239m) into the club’s infrastructure. The deal is also subject to Premier League approval.

Ratcliffe will take control of football operations once the deal is done and has the first option to buy more Class B shares from the Glazers, should they decide to sell more.

The club announced a deal had been agreed with Ratcliffe on Christmas Eve.

Last month, the 1958 fan group endorsed Ratcliffe’s investment but pledged to fight “until the Glazers have been removed”.

Phil Foden believes the Premier League title race will go to the wire this season.

The England midfielder scored a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 3-1 win at Brentford on Monday night.

It was a potentially pivotal victory which lifted City above Arsenal into second place, two points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.

“It’s going to be tight one. Liverpool and Arsenal are two top teams doing really well,” said Foden.

“They are going to push us until the end so we have to try and not drop points and try to win all of our games really.”

City fell behind against the run of play when Neal Maupay fired Brentford into the lead.

But Foden finally beat inspired Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken to haul his side level before the interval.

The 23-year-old headed them in front early in the second half from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross, and then completed a stylish treble to ensure City’s title destiny is firmly in their own hands.

The treble winners also trailed in away matches against Everton and Newcastle recently, but Foden says they are beginning to show their mettle by coming back to win each time.

“Resilience. We keep proving it season after season,” he told the club website.

“We keep surprising everyone by keeping our standards high and it’s down to the manager and this fantastic group of players.

“It’s the togetherness, when things aren’t going right, to bounce back.”

Nerves are starting to jangle at Brentford, who have lost seven of their last eight matches and lie just three points above the relegation zone.

The fixture list does not offer much respite with City – again – Liverpool and Arsenal all on the schedule in the next few weeks.

But boss Thomas Frank is looking no further ahead than Saturday’s trip to Wolves.

“I’m always looking just one game ahead; that’s where our maximum focus is,” he said.

“It’s the same top focus on the next game. Every game we will have a very good chance to win it and that will be the same on Saturday.”

What the papers say

Raphael Varane is reportedly the latest big name attracting a wealth of interest from Saudi Arabia. The Daily Star says Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr are hoping to reunite the Manchester United defender with his former Real Madrid and Red Devils team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, with an offer believed to be in the region of £50million a year.

The Independent reports Kylian Mbappe‘s contract negotiations with Real Madrid have hit a stumbling block. According to the paper, the two parties are yet to come to terms on the 25-year-old striker’s wage package, with an agreement believed to be a way off. However, there is belief amongst all involved – including Mbappe’s current club Paris St Germain – that a deal to take the France captain to Spain will eventually be made.

And The Telegraph reports Aston Villa has reached a verbal agreement on a new long-term contract for Jamaica winger Leon Bailey.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Raphinha: Journalist Paul O’Keefe says on X the Barcelona attacker is being carefully monitored by Tottenham.

Hwang Ui-jo: The Nottingham Forest striker has agreed terms to spend the rest of the season on loan at Turkish side Alanyaspor, reports Turkish outlet Sports Digitale.

Pep Guardiola refused to discuss an angry bust-up between Kyle Walker and Brentford’s Neal Maupay after Manchester City’s 3-1 win in west London.

The England defender blew his top at something Maupay said to him in the closing stages and had to be calmed down by his manager.

City skipper Walker had been subjected to taunts about his personal life from the home fans throughout the match.

Guardiola had a long conversation with French striker Maupay after the final whistle but when quizzed about the incident afterwards, Guardiola simply snapped: “Next question!”

Guardiola was happier talking about hat-trick hero Phil Foden after the victory in west London which, coupled with Arsenal’s win over Liverpool on Sunday, left City two points behind the Reds with a game in hand.

Brentford were the only team to beat City home and away last season, and the ‘three-peat’ looked on when Maupay fired them into the lead.

But Foden finally beat inspired Bees keeper Mark Flekken to haul City level before the interval.

The England midfielder headed them in front early in the second half from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross, and then completed a stylish treble to leave the visitors with their title destiny firmly in their own hands.

“I said weeks ago that Phil is having his most influence on the team,” said Guardiola.

“He’s reading the game really well, how he can play simple and be more aggressive.

“He always has the pleasure to score goals and the threat when he is close to the 18-yard box. He is an exceptional player. A short age, already more than 250 games for City. That means the influence since he arrived.

“He loves to play football and still when you see players in the street when you are a little boy he still has this sense of amateur culture. He loves to play and this season he has been so important for us.

“In terms of how he moves in small spaces. I’ve seen many really good players but the impact from Phil when he gets the ball there, he can score.

“The feeling that he can shoot or make an assist, it’s difficult to find this combination to move in the pockets and after be like a knife and be so aggressive and score goals.”

The Bees went ahead in the 21st minute with a goal straight out of the Brentford playbook.

Flekken actually claimed the assist, punting his goal kick towards Ivan Toney, who backed into Nathan Ake, easing the defender out of the flight path while letting the ball bounce past.

Maupay was left free to race clean through, coolly finishing past Ederson for his fifth goal since the turn of the year.

“We know we have a strength there with Ivan,” said boss Thomas Frank.

“We don’t do it all the time but against a team that is pressing it can be effective. Credit to Mark, Ivan and Neal, they worked it out themselves.

“It was an OK team we were facing, I must say! A good performance from us. We do a lot of things right.”

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is facing at least eight weeks out with ligament damage in his right knee.

The Argentina defender was forced off in the 71st minute of United’s 3-0 win over West Ham at Old Trafford on Sunday, just his fourth appearance following four months out following a reoccurrence of a foot issue.

Martinez was surrounded by concerned United team-mates in the second half after going down clutching his knee, having been landed on awkwardly by West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal.

After the match Erik ten Hag admitted the injury “doesn’t look good” and described it as a “personal disaster” for Martinez given how much time the 26-year-old had already missed this season.

Martinez initially tried to play on after the incident but soon pulled up again before trudging off the pitch.

“He is very sad, very disappointed,” Ten Hag said after the match. “We are all. We feel really with him. First of all, it’s a personal disaster when it’s really bad, but let’s wait for what it is. But also for the team it’s really bad because he definitely brings us a lot.”

The nature of the injury was confirmed by United in a statement on Monday evening.

“Lisandro Martinez has sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee and is expected to be out of action for at least eight weeks,” the statement read.

“The Argentine defender left the field in the 71st minute of our 3-0 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

“We all wish Licha a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the pitch later in the season.”

Mauricio Pochettino called for support from fans after Chelsea were booed off at the end of Sunday’s 4-2 defeat to Wolves.

The Argentinian, who apologised for the manner in which his team capitulated after taking the lead in the first half at Stamford Bridge, said his young side need backing if they are to turn around what until now has been another woeful Premier League season.

The Blues are 11th after losing to Gary O’Neil’s side, with 10 defeats from their 23 league games.

Supporters responded by singing the name of former owner Roman Abramovich, and jeered Pochettino and his team off the field at half-time and again at the final whistle.

Matheus Cunha’s hat-trick had earned Wolves their first win at Chelsea since 1979 and was well deserved, with the visitors the more inventive and clinical in possession while Pochettino’s side suffered from a familiar lack of creativity.

Yet it was a perceived absence of fight that most angered supporters.

“We apologise to the fans,” said Pochettino. “The perception is one thing, another is the reality. The perception is Chelsea should be in a different position, but for different circumstances we are not there. Maybe because we are not good enough. But what can we do?

“The most important thing now is to feel the responsibility. We need to accept that is the organisation and of course the players that we have.

“To understand the fans is really important. We want to apologise and feel sorry. We are disappointed like them, but until the end we need to fight all together. If we want good results in the future, we need to stay together. During 90 minutes, we need to try to work together.

“With the capacity, the fans will be right to criticise and be angry if the performance is not good. But it’s important (to remember) the players are young. They need support.”

Much of the fury was directed at Pochettino personally, the first clear sign of his tenure that backing for the manager is under strain.

“During the moment, it’s not nice,” he said. “But I think we have to move on. You need to convince the players, push them to never give up and be brave and to recover. It’s the leader that needs to be there, to have the composure to push them.

“We can talk, but we are in the dugout. The players need to feel the confidence, to feel fresh to compete again.

“They feel the pressure and they need the help from the fans during 90 minutes. It’s not to demand nothing. But it’s easy to be outside watching. When the stress arrives, sometimes it’s not easy. We need to be behind them.”

Alejandro Garnacho says improving Manchester United must maintain momentum as they look to claw themselves into the Champions League qualification spots.

A promising first season under Erik ten Hag has been followed by a challenging second campaign filled with more downs than ups, thanks in no small part to a swathe of injuries.

The drop off means United have no European football after Christmas but there has been a recent upturn in fortunes and they usurped West Ham in sixth after Garnacho’s brace in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils remain six points behind Tottenham in fifth – a position that may be enough for Champions League qualification – and a further two behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, where Ten Hag’s team head on Sunday.

“I am always trying to help the team by either scoring or assisting,” Garnacho said after his second-half double at the weekend.

“I don’t care if Rasmus (Hojlund) or (Marcus) Rashford scores, I think we have to win and we have to be in the top six again.

“Hopefully, you know, (I could get) 10, 12 goals (by the end of the season).

“Now we go over West Ham into the top six but of course we want to be in the Champions League the next year, so we have to keep this momentum and try to win the next game.”

United have won four of their five matches in all competitions since the turn of the year, drawing the other, with Hojlund scoring in each of his last four matches.

The summer signing celebrated his 21st birthday by opening the scoring on Sunday, continuing a fine run started when breaking his Premier League duck in the 3-2 Boxing Day turnaround against Villa.

“I am very happy for Rasmus and also because it is his birthday,” Garnacho told MUTV.

“He had a difficult start but now he has scored (in) four games in a row. I am very happy for him and all of the team.”

Hojlund’s strike was complemented by Garnacho’s brace, with his first goal celebrated by sitting on the advertising hoardings alongside fellow grinning young guns Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo.

The latter scored a fantastic stoppage-time winner to secure Thursday’s 4-3 victory at Wolves and Garnacho is full of praise for his 18-year-old team-mate and fellow 2022 FA Youth Cup winner.

“It is a dream for me and for Kobbie,” the Argentina international said.

“Kobbie is a future star, for me, and also it is a good feeling because we played in the Under-18s and the Under-21s, we grew up together and I am very happy.

“If you have to play, you play, it doesn’t matter if you are 18. I am happy for me and happy for the team.”

While United turn their attention to Villa Park, the Hammers have to refocus on next Sunday’s visit of high-flying Arsenal.

West Ham captain Kurt Zouma said after his side’s Old Trafford defeat: “Everyone is disappointed, which is good because you don’t want to lose games.

“We want to improve – we’ve got more time to prepare for a big game against Arsenal next week.

“Hopefully we’re going to be ready for it and make sure we get the three points at home.”