Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes the club’s recent slump has delivered a much-needed reality check.

Guardiola says he and his treble-winning players have enjoyed being stroked “like a cat” for too long after their recent successes and it was time they were given a shake.

City were not only beaten but outplayed at Aston Villa on Wednesday – a result which extended their winless run in the Premier League to four games and saw them slip to fourth in the table.

“As a manager I sometimes need that, I need that challenge,” said Guardiola at a press conference to preview Sunday’s game at Luton.

“I think for everyone it is good. I think it’s necessary to live that.

“For a long time, we’ve lived like a cat (strokes head) and (known) how good we are.

“We need it to say: ‘Guys this business – it’s terrible’. You are unbeatable and then, oh my God, you cannot win one game – from nothing.

“Maybe for myself first, I need that challenge to prove myself, that I’m a good manager, to help the players overcome that situation.

“For the players it’s a good challenge to say: ‘Aston Villa were miles better than all of us, so imagine the other ones’.

“The club, all the organisation, (know) we can be out of the Champions League next season, so we have to work hard. As soon as we realise (it) we come out of here quicker.

“The club needed it. One month ago I thought the club needed a shake, to be shaken. The bad results can help you to live that.”

Guardiola, however, was quick to dismiss suggestions of complacency within his squad, insisting standards remain high.

He said: “It’s not about complacency. Complacency is arriving late to training, not training good, not doing a good job, it not mattering what happens.

“I’m talking just about bad results. Bad results help you to understand. When you lose games, it is necessary. It’s necessary to live that.

“After, (you) make a step forward. It’s the only way.”

City will have influential midfielder Rodri back at Kenilworth Road after he completed his latest ban. The Spaniard has now missed four games through suspension this season and Guardiola’s side have lost them all.

Guardiola again overlooked the credentials of Kalvin Phillips when selecting his side at Villa Park, fuelling further speculation the England midfielder could leave the club in January.

Phillips has failed to establish himself at the Etihad Stadium since his move from Leeds in the summer of 2022.

Guardiola said: “I don’t know what will happen. I feel so sorry for my decisions for him. He doesn’t deserve for one second not to have minutes but it’s just that I visualise things and struggle a little to see him.”

Kevin De Bruyne, who has been out since undergoing hamstring surgery in August, has been named in City’s squad for the Club World Cup later this month but it is not yet clear if he will be fit to play.

Guardiola said: “Maybe it is a little bit early, but I don’t know.”

Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham could be set for another blow with his senior assistant coach Chris Davies yet to make a decision over the vacant Swansea job.

Spurs rejected an approach from the Sky Bet Championship club to speak with Davies earlier this week, but the Welsh outfit have not given up hoping of hiring Postecoglou’s number two as Michael Duff’s replacement.

Ex-Celtic and Leicester coach Davies was on the touchline for Tottenham’s 2-1 home loss to West Ham on Thursday, which made it four defeats in five for the injury-hit hosts.

Top-four rivals Newcastle are up next for Spurs on Sunday and Postecoglou admitted Davies could still leave for Swansea after that fixture.

“I’ve had a brief discussion with Chris and he knows we’ve got a busy week, so we’ll focus on that,” Postecoglou said.

“He’s an outstanding individual; he’s done some great work with us and great work in the past. It’s not surprising to me that Swansea or other clubs would look at him.

“It’s what you want to be honest. You want good people and when you’ve got good people, they’re going to attract attention.

“From my perspective, whatever that transpires to, it’s very much in Chris’ hands.

“It’s his decision in terms of what he wants to do moving forward and obviously the club will deal with it from there.”

Davies leaving would be another unwanted disruption for Spurs, who remain without several key personnel due to injury and have not tasted victory since October 27.

But Postecoglou added: “I’ve always been relaxed.

“I have said in the past, it is part of my role to develop staff and I am really proud of the fact a lot of the guys I’ve worked with, the reason they are not with me as assistants is because they are senior managers in their own right.

“If you are looking for things that will be disruptive, you can use that as a clutch or an excuse for anything.

“We lost Harry Kane the day before the season started so there is a disruption, we lost half the squad after one game so there is a disruption. There will always be this.

“You can’t work in a vacuum where everything is perfect and, for me, I have been relaxed in these kind of situations because I have always believed the environment will cover whatever challenges we have if we get it right.”

Spurs will need to check on captain Son Heung-min ahead of Sunday’s match after he took a blow to the back late on in the West Ham defeat.

“He was a bit sore after the game obviously, but the extent of it we’ll need to see how he recovers today,” Postecoglou said of Son.

“There were a couple of others with knocks but I don’t think anything else is significant.

“Obviously we got Pape (Sarr) a few minutes last night and I understand him and Richarlison came through OK but there won’t be anyone else coming back between now and the new year.”

The latest round of Premier League fixtures brings the respective battles at both ends of the table into sharp focus.

Leaders Arsenal go head-to-head with surprise package Aston Villa and reigning champions Manchester City attempt to end a rare barren period at the top, while, towards the foot, Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper finds himself in the limelight for the wrong reasons.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the weekend’s games.

Familiar face

Mikel Arteta may not be pitch-side at Aston Villa on Saturday as he serves a touchline ban, but another Spaniard who is well known to Arsenal will be. Unai Emery was in charge at the Emirates Stadium between May 2018 and November 2019, when the Gunners dispensed with his services after a disappointing run of results. Emery returned to England in October last year and has since guided Villa into the top three, just four points adrift of his former employers at the top of the table and a genuine threat on home soil.

Timing is everything

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When Luton secured their promotion to the Premier League via last season’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final, their fans were able to dream of the days when English football’s aristocrats would head for Kenilworth Road. They could be forgiven for watching through their fingers when Manchester City make the trip on Sunday. City, for the first time in seven years, have not won in four league games, but the Hatters have managed only two top-flight victories all season. Few will give the hosts much chance of improving on that statistic this weekend.

Away the lads

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Newcastle travel to Tottenham on Sunday desperately searching for form away from St James’ Park. The Magpies, who won eight times on the road last season as they surged to a fourth-place finish, have collected three points away from Tyneside only once in seven attempts so far this season, courtesy of an 8-0 drubbing of Sheffield United. Spurs have lost their last three games on their own pitch to Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham. Something seemingly has to give.

Everton back in business

Everton’s response to the 10-point penalty which has left them fighting for their top-flight lives has been hugely impressive. Thursday night’s 3-0 victory over Newcastle – their fourth in six league outings – lifted them out of the bottom three and proved the perfect preparation for Chelsea’s visit to Goodison Park on Sunday. The Blues currently lie in 10th place with 19 points, one fewer than the total the Toffees would have had but for their punishment.

Cooper over a barrel?

Spare a thought for Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper. He has bullishly played down suggestions he could be out of a job if Forest lose a fifth successive league game when they head for Wolves on Saturday. The Welshman guided the club back into the Premier League at the end of the 2021-22 campaign and kept them there last season with four points to spare, the same margin they currently enjoy over the bottom three.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not planning to buy a centre-back to cover Joel Matip’s expected absence for the rest of the season but admits the nature of the Premier League means all clubs are “only two injuries away from a real problem”.

Matip’s anterior cruciate ligament injury means Klopp now has five senior players unavailable – Diogo Jota, Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic – with midfielder Alexis Mac Allister doubtful for the weekend trip to Crystal Palace after sustaining a problem in the midweek win over Sheffield United.

In central defence he has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate – who has had two spells on the sidelines already this season – Joe Gomez and 20-year-old Jarell Quansah and he believes that will be enough to sustain them providing there are no further setbacks.

Klopp said rival clubs would not be leaving a top-class centre-back “under the Christmas tree for us” so he would likely manage with what he has.

“Everyone talks about us needing another player but they all cost money and they must be the right player,” said Klopp.

“You tell me a club who wants to sell a top centre-half. Not a centre-half but a top centre-half.

“For four or five days we’ve known Joel will be out for a long time and that’s really bad for us but we still have four centre-halves and that’s absolutely alright.

“If we had a fifth centre-half in beforehand it is a completely different team dynamic: when one is not involved, we don’t see steps with him, so it was like it was and it was perfect.

“Is it now perfect? I would say it is as long as we can go with those four, yes. If not then it would be a bit more tricky with the amount of games coming up.

“But it was never wonderland where you bring in a world-class centre-half until the other one is fit again.

“As long as other clubs don’t put them under the Christmas tree for us and say ‘Take it as long as you need it’ I don’t think so (it is likely to buy a player) to be honest.”

No timescale has been put on Matip’s return but with his contract due to expire in the summer, Klopp expects the club to look after the 32-year-old and offer a new deal.

“I would say so but it’s not my decision in the end,” he added.

“I am pretty sure the club will show their class and am pretty sure the club told Joel already that whatever happens as long as he is injured everything is fine.”

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s return to training ahead of schedule after a hamstring injury – he was not expected back until the visit of Manchester United next weekend – gives him a chance of playing at Selhurst Park and would be timely for a defence now missing 50 percent of its first-choice players with Robertson’s dislocated shoulder sidelining him since October.

With the changes which have taken place in the backline, the return to form of captain Van Dijk is even more important.

“It always was and always will be. Virg is the best defender in the world. Did he have lesser good spells? Yes. If you showed me one who never had I’d be really happy to meet him,” said Klopp.

“When we look in the back in the past (we think) Rio Ferdinand, Jaap Stam, Sami Hyypia were good all the time and always perfect. No-one was and no-one will be. Virg in this shape is super-important.”

Mikel Arteta insists he will continue to show emotion on the touchline despite landing himself with a ban for Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa.

The Spaniard will not be in the dugout at Villa Park as Arsenal aim to strengthen their grip at the top of the Premier League after he received a third yellow card of the season in Tuesday’s last-gasp victory at Luton.

The Gunners came from behind to win 4-3 as Declan Rice headed in the decider deep into stoppage time, with Arteta cautioned by referee Samuel Barrott, who deemed he had excessively celebrated the goal.

However, Arteta – who could face a further touchline ban following a Football Association charge for his post-match comments after the controversial loss at Newcastle – does not want to rein in his demeanour.

“I don’t know how to stop it,” he said.

“It was a really emotional moment with everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are and the space you have to be in.

“It was unfortunate as now I cannot be next to my team on the touchline but it is a decision that they make looking strictly at the rules.

“After that I straight away sat on my seat and stayed there for 30 seconds but that was after the emotion. In the moment I think it is very difficult to demand that.”

Asked if he would actually want to stop showing his emotion, Arteta replied: “If I was given the opportunity, no.

“I would like to be with my players because we work closely every single day to achieve what we want, which is to win the games and when you get those moments in sport you should be able to do that.

“I understand as well that there are certain boundaries and you have to respect that you are at an away ground but if I was given the chance I would be there jumping.”

Arteta did suggest that not all managers have been punished for similar reactions, adding: “Maybe we have to extend (the technical area). We just need a very strong rope, or we don’t move. But it means we don’t move – all of us.

“The ‘we’ is different in the context and it is important to look at the ‘we’ in that context.”

Arteta will be in the directors’ box at Villa Park but will be allowed to take the pre-match team-talk and join his players in the dressing room at half-time and full-time before completing his media obligations.

Arsenal will be trying to become the first team to win at Villa since they themselves scored twice in stoppage time to seal a 4-2 victory in February.

Since then Unai Emery has overseen 14 successive home Premier League wins and will be keen to put one over his former club, with Villa sitting third in the table heading into the weekend.

Emery was chosen to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in 2018 but was sacked just 18 months later to be replaced by Arteta.

The pair both hail from the Basque Country – where fellow coaches Julen Lopetegui, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola also grew up.

Arteta admits Emery was a manager he looked up to as he started out on his own coaching career, saying: “He’s the most experienced and the most successful one, by quite a long distance with everything he’s achieved in the game and everything he’s won. He’s someone I admire.

“I followed him since he was in Almeria and for every team he has always been remarkable. He always improves the players, the team and the club.

“He’s Basque like I am and he is a manager that I really admire for what he has done in the game.

“He has done it in various countries at different levels and always been successful. I am really happy for him.”

Kieran Trippier will not allow a nightmare evening at Everton to derail Newcastle’s season as they attempt to cure their bout of travel sickness.

The 33-year-old England full-back has been one of the stars of the Magpies resurgence since his arrival at St James’ Park in January last year, but two errors in quick succession at Goodison Park on Thursday evening handed first Dwight McNeil and then Abdoulaye Doucoure the chance to score as the Toffees surged to a 3-0 victory.

Eddie Howe’s injury-hit squad head for Trippier’s former club Tottenham on Sunday desperate for a response, and the hugely experienced defender is confident he can put a dark night firmly behind him.

He said: “I don’t hide. We’ve just got to move on now, we’ve got another big game in three days.

“Listen, it’s one of those where you’ve made mistakes. Players make mistakes – I’ve made a couple today, I hold my hands up, I take responsibility and now it’s about getting on the bike again and getting ready for another big game in three days against Spurs.

“For me personally, obviously I’m very disappointed because of my own actions in certain moments in the game, but that’s something I’ll deal with. I’m an experienced player and I can handle these things.

“But the best thing about it is there’s a game in three days where we can try to put it right.

“It’s another tough test, like every single game in the Premier League, but we can’t dwell on this result and like I said, we need to get on the bike and go again.”

Newcastle will head for north London having lost five of their 15 Premier League games this season, the same number as they did during the whole of the last campaign.

Four of those five defeats have come away from Tyneside – at Manchester City, Brighton, Bournemouth and Everton – with a remarkable 8-0 win at Sheffield United and 2-2 draws at West Ham and Wolves all they have to show for their efforts on the road.

There are mitigating factors – Howe had 12 senior players unavailable on Merseyside – but the head coach remains at a loss to explain the disparity in his team’s home and away performances.

He said: “That’s been the frustration for us because it’s a difficult one to work out. We want to play the same way, we want to impose ourselves on the game, grab the game and take the initiative.

“I don’t think we did that well enough against Everton. Hopefully that will change against Tottenham.”

Howe is hopeful of avoiding another addition to his lengthy casualty list after skipper Jamaal Lascelles limped off at Everton with a dead leg.

Son Heung-min has brandished Tottenham’s five-match winless run as “unacceptable” but eased fears over his own fitness.

Spurs suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to West Ham on Thursday night despite taking the lead through Cristian Romero’s 11th-minute header in the London derby.

It was the fifth match in a row Ange Postecoglou’s team had taken the lead, but failed to hold on for victory, which has set an unwanted Premier League record.

“You are winning five times in a row and then you lose that game like that, it is just unacceptable,” captain Son told SpursPlay.

“I am angry because it shouldn’t be happening. Five times in a row is just unacceptable and I think we are soft.

“This shouldn’t be happening and I love them as boys, I love working with the guys, but it shouldn’t be happening.

“In the Premier League 1-0 is never enough, 1-0 is never enough. The players should know and I should know as well.

“We had the chance to kill the game and we were just soft when we play the final third passes or even someone makes good runs and we don’t find it.

“We have to be ruthless and I also feel the responsibility. It was very sad that the fans were turning around and going home. They didn’t look very happy so a big, big sorry and yeah I take responsibility.

“Every single player; young player, experienced player, good player, superstar, you have to take responsibility and move on stronger.”

Son failed to finish the match with West Ham after he was substituted in the 88th minute.

Tottenham’s top goalscorer limped off after a blow to the back, but was hopeful of being fit for Sunday’s visit of top-four rivals Newcastle.

He added: “Yeah I hope so. I had a big kick on my back, in the bone so we’ll see. I didn’t have time to assess so we’ll see what happens.

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“Look, we have to bounce back as strong as ever and it is another home game.

“I know it sounds crazy five games in a row. I hope it was a good lesson and look we have to take the loss and there is no time to regret what we done.

“There is no time to regret so we have to move on, put the chest out, take the responsibility and Sunday we have to make a big step forward.”

Ange Postecoglou called on wasteful Tottenham to not feel sorry themselves after they suffered a fourth defeat in five matches with a 2-1 home loss to West Ham.

Injury-hit Spurs appeared on course to claim a first win since October 27 at half-time after Cristian Romero returned from suspension to score in the 11th minute.

David Moyes’ side produced an impressive second-half turnaround, with Jarrod Bowen netting on the road again after 52 minutes before James Ward-Prowse fired a 74th-minute winner after an error by Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie.

It extends Spurs’ winless run to five matches despite them taking the lead in each of those fixtures, which is a new Premier League record but Postecoglou urged them to bounce back on Sunday when Newcastle visit north London.

“There’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves, looking for a cuddle anywhere,” Postecoglou insisted.

“There’s only one way to change our circumstances and that is to come here on Sunday and put in a performance. Not just play good football but go out there and show some conviction about ourselves as a team.

“Sometimes we can disguise how we’re going by playing some nice stuff but like I said from day one, that’s not what I’m about.

“I want to win and that’s why I came to this football club and that’s the message.

“We’ve still got a long way to go, I’ve said that from the start. We’re still right at the beginning of what we need to create and days like today just give me further evidence and fuel of how much we need to do.”

Spurs produced another impressive first-half display, which has become a trademark during the past month but they only had Romero’s goal to show for it after several openings were squandered, while Lo Celso’s late cross was deflected onto the woodwork by West Ham captain Kurt Zouma.

It was a different story in the second period after the Hammers levelled through Bowen, but Tottenham substitute Richarlison did send a free header wide from six yards in the 70th minute when the game was finely-poised at 1-1.

Postecoglou admitted: “I think it’s another game where we’ve dominated a game of football and haven’t turned our dominance into something more tangible and kept the opposition in the game.

“I thought we were really poor in both boxes tonight – both with our finishing and both goals were terrible to concede.

“Us being good means us being 3-0 up. This isn’t about us playing good football, it’s about us winning games of football. That’s what I’ve said from the start.

“1-0 at half-time was not a good performance. A good performance would have been 3-0 or 4-0 up, as was the case against Villa, and when you don’t, and give up goals you shouldn’t like today, then you get what you deserve.”

West Ham boss David Moyes was delighted with his team after they earned a fifth win in six games with Bowen netting on the road again.

The England international only returned from a knee injury in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace and while he missed a late chance in that draw, he bounced back in this derby to score in a seventh consecutive Premier League away game.

“Jarrod was a little bit off it at the weekend and he’d been out three or four weeks, so he looked a bit rusty,” Moyes reflected.

“When it fell to him, I thought, ‘oh wow he’s got himself another goal,’ and
obviously I want Jarrod to keep doing it for us, but also as long as he keeps doing it, he will keep in Gareth’s (Southgate) mind as well because he’s someone who can play forward or wide and score goals.

“In a competition this summer where you are going to need people to score goals, hopefully Jarrod will be part of that, but as long as he keeps scoring for me at the moment that’s the most important thing.”

Everton boss Sean Dyche hailed the togetherness of his side after they beat Newcastle 3-0 to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Beto scored in the final 11 minutes as the Toffees took the spoils at a raucous Goodison Park.

Dyche has emphasised the importance of team spirit since the club were hit by a 10-point deduction last month and he believes that was evident in their display.

Dyche said: “The performance level at home has been pleasing all season but you have got win games and you have got to score goals.

“We did that well. I thought it was another good performance, particularly first half against a good outfit.

“I have spoken about the mentality and I think you could sense there is a connected group. Everyone knew what they were doing, they just said, ‘Let’s get on it, let’s go out and play’.

“That’s when you know you are onto something. It doesn’t guarantee anything but I think we’re on to something.”

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe – who played down a post-match scuffle involving Joelinton, Anthony Gordon, James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford as “just emotions” – was left to rue a missed opportunity to close the gap to the top four.

“The game was there for us to win in the second half after an even first half,” he said. “I don’t think we played particularly well.

“I thought we had them penned in and then conceded the first goal and that changed the momentum. It was a frustrating evening, a missed opportunity.

“It’s a difficult one for us to understand. Last year our away form was very good, we were free-scoring. This year haven’t got going on the road, apart from the Sheffield United game (an 8-0 victory).”

Howe refused to point the finger at Kieran Trippier after his mistakes presented Everton with their opening two goals.

“Kieran has been absolutely magnificent since he signed, the catalyst for a lot that happened. Collectively we were off our best.”

Howe has had to deal with a number of injuries this season – he has 12 players currently unavailable – but was not prepared to blame fatigue.

“I am in a difficult position to agree because if I do what is there to stop that happening again and again?” he said.

“There are reasons behind every performance. We have struggled to change our plans and have the attacking options we want. You can potentially do it for a short period of time but the longer it goes the harder it gets.”

Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse struck after half-time to help West Ham turn the tables on Tottenham with an impressive second-half display to earn a memorable 2-1 win at their rivals.

Cristian Romero put Spurs ahead in the 11th-minute and had Ange Postecoglou’s side on course for a first victory since October 27 at the break.

David Moyes’ men had other ideas and after Bowen scored for the seventh away Premier League game in a row, Ward-Prowse capitalised on an error at the back with 16 minutes left.

It consigned injury-hit Tottenham to a fourth defeat in five matches, while ninth-placed West Ham are now only three points behind the hosts following this fifth win in six games.

Both club’s had coped admirably despite the summer departures of talismanic duo Harry Kane and Declan Rice, but injuries were beginning to take their toll on Spurs, while West Ham were without first-choice goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

It meant Lukasz Fabianski earned a first league start of the season and he was involved in the opening 60 seconds after he collided with Dejan Kulusevski in the penalty area, but Kulusevski had strayed offside anyway.

While Spurs remained without a number of players, Romero did return at the heart of defence and he set about atoning for his red card against Chelsea with the opener in the 11th minute.

From Tottenham’s second corner of the match, Pedro Porro’s curled delivery was met by a towering header from Romero, who impressively outjumped Kurt Zouma before directing his looping effort into the corner.

Romero held up his hands to the home fans behind the goal in seemingly a gesture of apology after he missed the whole of November due to his three-match ban.

West Ham did threaten immediately from kick-off, but Mohammed Kudus fired wide and was adjudged offside.

Tottenham were dominating possession, but West Ham provided a reminder of their threat when a Ward-Prowse corner was bundled wide by Zouma under pressure from Guglielmo Vicario.

Kudus did test Vicario moments later with a 25-yard effort after Destiny Udogie lost possession, but back came Postecoglou’s side.

Porro lashed over before Giovani Lo Celso’s volley was parried away from goal by Fabianski.

Fabianski was required again with 40 minutes played and brilliantly punched clear Lo Celso’s cross with Ben Davies ready to pounce and Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma both failed to hit the target with follow-up shots.

There was still time for Lucas Paqueta to head West Ham’s best chance of the half horribly wide after excellent play by Kudus and Spurs then hit the woodwork when Lo Celso’s cross was deflected onto the stanchion by West Ham captain Zouma to ensure it stayed 1-0 at the break.

It would prove a crucial intervention as seven minutes into the second period the Hammers levelled.

Kudus’ low effort hit Romero and deflected off Davies before it rolled perfectly into the path of Bowen, who smashed into the bottom corner to score on the road again.

Moyes’ team appeared a different proposition now and Paqueta squandered a good opening before a succession of corners were survived by Spurs.

Postecoglou turned to his bench with 23 minutes left as Oliver Skipp and Richarlison entered the fray and the latter should have made it 2-1 soon after.

Porro produced a superb floated delivery to the back post, but Richarlison steered his header wide from six yards.

It was a guilt-edged chance and after Fabianski denied Porro minutes later, West Ham capitalised on a Tottenham error in the 74th minute.

Udogie’s back pass was short and while Vicario dived at the feet of Bowen, Ward-Prowse was first to the loose ball and although his initial effort hit the post, it rolled back for the Hammers midfielder to tap in.

Spurs huffed and puffed during the final exchanges with Pape Sarr curling over before a brief VAR check turned down a penalty in stoppage time, but West Ham held on for a first away win at their rivals since 2019.

Erik ten Hag has revealed he was warned not to become Manchester United manager because it was deemed an “impossible” job.

The 53-year-old Dutchman moved to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2022 but has come under pressure during his second season in the role.

United sit sixth in the Premier League table following Wednesday evening’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, nine points behind leaders Arsenal, while they have struggled in Europe.

“Everyone was telling me, ‘you can’t succeed in that job’,” Ten Hag told the United We Stand fanzine.

“They said it was impossible. Me? I wanted the challenge.

“I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was such a great club with such a great fanbase.

“People love Manchester United, or they are against Manchester United. I like clubs like this. Ajax was like this.”

Ten Hag ended the club’s six-year wait for silverware by lifting the Carabao Cup in February before securing a third-placed league finish.

However, his side are off the pace this term following six defeats from 15 league games, in addition to sitting bottom of their Champions League group with one match – at home to Bayern Munich next week – remaining.

Everton used the desire to right the perceived wrong against them to inflict Newcastle’s heaviest defeat of the season as a 3-0 victory in front of an equally fired-up Goodison Park moved the Toffees out of the relegation zone again.

With an appeal pending on the 10-point deduction for breach of financial regulations, manager Sean Dyche has said they have to continue to deliver on the pitch and they duly did with a rousing display against the top-four contenders.

Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and substitute Beto all scored late on, making the most of another superb performance from centre-backs James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite, as Newcastle’s miserable away form extended to one win in the last nine games.

Without the deduction Everton would currently be 10th – just six points behind the visitors – rather than seven places worse off but this was the sort of performance which gives more power to the argument Dyche’s side will be just fine whether the deduction is reduced or not.

Newcastle’s England right-back Kieran Trippier had an evening to forget as his two errors, getting caught in possession by McNeil for the crucial first and hitting a clearance into Jack Harrison for the second, proved costly while former Toffee Anthony Gordon, booed throughout, played the final few moments with the taunts of the crowd ringing around the old ground.

McNeil’s goal, via a helpful deflection of Fabian Schar, was Everton’s 18th shot of game which looked like promising much but ultimately delivering little, as has been the case at Goodison Park this season, with this being only their second home league win in eight attempts.

Doucoure and then Beto, with his first Premier League goal deep into added time, kicked off wild celebrations – and late scuffles on the pitch after the final whistle.

A change in Everton’s formation with captain Seamus Coleman making his first appearance since a knee injury in April, saw Ashley Young moved into midfield with Jack Harrison in the hole behind the returning Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with Doucoure dropping into a deeper role due to James Garner’s illness.

However, there was no change to the pattern of home games this season as the hosts struggled to find the breakthrough.

McNeil rolled a shot wide of the post but Calvert-Lewin was the main protagonist and also chief culprit as, after forcing Martin Dubravka into a 20th-minute save from Harrison’s through-ball, he amazingly missed from five yards.

The England international controlled Branthwaite’s lobbed pass on his chest, swivelled but blazed a left-foot shot into the Park End, who earlier had continued the fans’ protests against the points deduction by holding up green cards declaring ‘Protecting the few, not the many’.

Newcastle were not much better with a weak Miguel Almiron shot and Alexander Isak header wide from close range the best they could offer.

Gordon had the chance to ratchet up the contempt with which he was held when gifted a chance to beat Jordan Pickford on the hour by Branthwaite’s mis-control but he shot straight at the England number one.

And Goodison sarcastically jeered when Gordon, now playing centrally, blazed over from an Isak counter-attack but the noise was even louder when McNeil finally made one of their chances count.

When Doucoure and Beto made the game safe the joy was unbridled but the niggly nature of the game meant was still time after the final whistle for a minor scuffle involving, among others Pickford, Joelinton and Gordon, while Schar left the pitch seemingly looking like he wanted to pick a fight with anyone who made eye contact.

Scott McTominay says Manchester United are focused on consistency rather than their current place in the pecking order after Erik ten Hag’s under-fire side moved within three points of Manchester City.

This has been a challenging, and at times chastening, second season in the hotseat for the Dutchman, who won the Carabao Cup and finished third in the Premier League during a promising first campaign.

United also lost the FA Cup final to a City side that went on to match their neighbours’ historic 1999 treble triumph by lifting the Champions League trophy after beating Inter Milan.

Last season’s dominance and October’s 3-0 Old Trafford loss to Pep Guardiola’s men highlighted the gap in quality, yet the stumbling Red Devils are now within touching distance of their rivals.

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City fell to a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa as United bounced back from the lifeless loss to Newcastle by beating Chelsea 2-1 thanks to McTominay’s brace, moving them within three points of their fourth-placed neighbours.

When that was pointed out to the matchwinner, along with the bunched-up standings, McTominay said: “We barely pay attention to that in terms of we just concentrate on how we’re playing and if the style of football that we’re playing is how the manager wants.

“In games like tonight it was and against Newcastle it wasn’t, so we have to find that balance between us where we try and do that every single week.

“I felt like that was a game where we had to come out and show to the fans that we have full focus on this game, we want to play well and give a reaction.

“It has to be like that every week, though, which is something that (when) I was in the dressing room… there was players speaking about it.

“(It) can’t just be one game where we need to show a reaction. It has to come out and show that every week.”

McTominay said he was grateful to the United fans for “sticking with us throughout anything that goes on at this football club” after another difficult few days.

Reports over some player unhappiness with Ten Hag emerged after the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle, which the Scotland international knows saw them fall well short of what is required.

“We know the fans are extremely demanding and so are we as players, so that’s what we expect,” the six-goal midfielder told MUTV.

“Going back to the game against Newcastle, we know that was nowhere near good enough and that’s still stinging us.

“We can’t have them anomalies where we go somewhere and we don’t play as well as what we can, and maybe not show as much fight as what we could as well.

“But tonight is a building block and something that we can take step by step without getting too carried away.”

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United now refocus on Saturday’s home match against Bournemouth, with stuttering Chelsea heading to Everton the following day.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men were second best for large parts at Old Trafford but could have scored more than Cole Palmer’s intelligent equaliser.

Chelsea captain Reece James, who came off the bench at half-time, said: “We go out there wanting to win but it’s still a young squad and we are learning game by game.

“At the moment it’s quite tough, but we know we have the capabilities to win every game.

“We need to go back to the drawing board and review the game, and then prepare for Everton. We need to prepare right and start climbing the table.”

Steve Cooper dismissed fears about losing his job as pressure mounts on the Nottingham Forest boss.

Forest were hammered 5-0 at Fulham on Wednesday – a fourth straight Premier League defeat – which left them six points above the drop zone.

The former Swansea manager accepts his position will be under scrutiny – with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui thought to be a serious contender if he leaves – but ahead of Saturday’s trip to Molineux Cooper insisted he cannot consider the sack.

He said: “I don’t think like that. That is not a good way to think, it is like saying to a player ‘you have to play well or you will not play again’ – it is not a thought process I believe in using.

“We are disappointed with results and last night’s performance. More than ever you have to show belief and character and what you stand for.

“There are going to be questions and stories, I respect that as it is the life of a football manager.

“At the same time you have to stay honed in on your day’s work and if I let anything else creep in I am not giving 100 per cent to the job and that is what I want to do.”

Cooper, who took Forest back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years in 2022, said after the hammering at Craven Cottage that he did not deserve the backing from the fans he received as he left the pitch.

He he also refused to blame his players for their showing on Wednesday after doubles from Alex Iwobi, Raul Jimenez and a Tom Cairney strike sunk the visitors.

Cooper told a press conference: “I would never split myself from the players. We are a collective, it’s not about me getting let down, it’s the supporters who were let down by all of us – and that starts with me.”

Burnley’s survival hopes have suffered a significant blow with winger Luca Koleosho facing several months out with a knee injury.

The 19-year-old summer signing from Espanyol has been one of Burnley’s brightest lights so far this term and scored his first goal for the club in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Sheffield United.

But the Italy under-21 international was hurt in the first half of Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Wolves and, after initially trying to carry on, was forced off with 36 minutes gone.

“It’s bad news for us,” manager Vincent Kompany said. “He’s going to be out for a while apparently…I’d like to think he’ll still play this season but it might be towards the end of the season.”

Kompany would not disclose the precise nature of Koleosho’s injury but the loss of the pacy and incisive young forward is a major setback for a team who, Saturday’s big win aside, have struggled to score goals all season.

“We’ll do everything we can to make sure that he’ll get back healthy and ready to go again,” Kompany added. “I think now the key concern for us is to make sure he doesn’t sustain any long-term damage because he’s still young, we’ll do everything right by him…

“Past the fact that it’s a blow for a young player, I still think it’s for someone else now to step up and wear the shirt in a way that Luca has done.

“In these moments if you keep your head calm you can really get better, get stronger from these moments. I’ve no doubt he’ll come back stronger but for us short-term wise it’s an undeniable blow.”

But when asked if Koleosho’s injury could force Burnley into the January transfer market, Kompany said it was unlikely a club that signed 15 players in the summer would be busy next month.

“The squad is still fairly large and we don’t have unlimited resources,” Kompany said. “If we can find a way to improve the squad drastically we’ll do that but if it’s just to add numbers that’s not what we’re out for…

“I don’t see how we could drastically go out there and drastically spend our way into staying in this division. It would have to be one or two really smart deals if we can find them.

“You’re not necessarily in the strongest position when you’re at the bottom of the league to make a case to a player to commit his future to you, but there might be an opportunity.

“The key thing for us is also making sure the players we have now and the clear improvements you see, that they keep that progress level up.

“The likes of Zeki (Amdouni) or Sander Berge, these guys, their performance has improved that much from two months ago and they’ve got that much left to go, that could be the key factor for us in turning performances into results.”