Erik ten Hag says Manchester United used Brentford's "unfair" opener as fuel after they fought back for a vital 2-1 Premier League victory at Old Trafford.

United appeared to be heading for another demoralising loss when Ethan Pinnock headed home in first-half stoppage time, amid fury from United's players and fans.

The Red Devils were forced to defend the corner with 10 men as defender Matthijs de Ligt was ordered off the pitch for treatment after bleeding from his head – the result of an earlier collision with Kevin Schade.

While rules say players cannot be allowed to continue while bleeding, Ten Hag was incensed by referee Samuel Barrott asking him to leave the field.

"We didn't know why the referee brought one of our players in a critical moment off the pitch," he told BBC Match of the Day. 

"It was dry blood – it happened before. Then in a critical moment on a corner for them, which is their strength, they bring one of our best headers off and Brentford benefit from it."

However, he hailed United's powers of recovery as second-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund fired them to just their third Premier League win of the season.

"We are happy to win the game. At United, you have to win games but also to bring entertainment," the Dutchman continued. 

"I think for everyone it was an enjoyable game. Especially the way it happened, when you concede an unfair goal. 

"In the second half, we showed we are together, we showed determination and we scored two beautiful goals.

"Everyone was angry. We took that as fuel. We showed with a quick start in the second half that we wanted to put things right and we did with two beautiful goals."

Scored just 89 seconds after the restart, Garnacho's goal was United's quickest after half-time in a Premier League match since October 2022 (Fred versus Tottenham, 76 seconds), and their earliest leveller after the break since February 2014 (Robin van Persie versus Stoke City, 87 seconds).

United have now won all four of their home Premier League games against Brentford, meanwhile, only facing Wigan Athletic (eight), Birmingham City and Portsmouth (seven each) more often at Old Trafford while boasting a 100% win ratio.

Jordan Ayew celebrated a goal that represented "what we play football for" after his late winner against Southampton.

Ayew scored in the 98th minute on Saturday to seal a 3-2 comeback win for Steve Cooper's team.

It marked Leicester's latest goal on record in a Premier League game, and the first time the Foxes have ever won an away match in the competition in which they had trailed by two goals.

Ayew, a summer signing from Crystal Palace, drilled low into the corner to seal a memorable victory.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Ayew said: "Massive three points, back-to-back wins especially after the international break is not easy. We did well, we fought, we pushed them and pushed ourselves as well and got the three points. 

"It was just natural instinct. Luckily the ball came, it wasn't easy but I managed to score. We're all happy and hopefully there is more to come.

"Everyone was happy and that's what we play football for, these kinds of moments."

Leicester have lost just one of their last five Premier League games (W2 D2) after losing two of their first three under Cooper.

"We just need to stay humble because we were losing 2-0 so all is not perfect," added Ayew.

"It's not going to be every weekend like this, it's going to be tough. But we have a quality group, we believe in ourselves, we believe in our manager. We are going to give our best for the club."

Southampton raced into a 2-0 lead through Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo at Saint Mary's, with Facundo Buonanotte dragging Leicester back into it in the 64th minute.

Ryan Fraser's red card for a foul in the area paved the way for Jamie Vardy to score from the spot, before Ayew was on hand to seal the spoils.

A frustrated Russell Martin said: "The sending off changed the game. They hadn't had any of the ball near our goal at that point. Then Ryan gets sent off and it becomes really difficult.

"We played some brilliant stuff in the first half-hour but didn't take our chances to kill the game off. Someone gets sent off, it changes the whole context of the game.

"With VAR, I can't have any complaints, they obviously analysed it and looked at it."

Brighton captain Lewis Dunk lauded Danny Welbeck as "key to our success" after a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Newcastle United on Saturday.

Welbeck combined well with Georginio Rutter before sliding his slick finish past Nick Pope, and that 35th-minute strike proved the difference at St. James' Park.

The well-taken finish marked Welbeck's 100th Premier League goal involvement (72 goals, 28 assists) and he has now scored as many goals in the competition this season as he did in the 2023-24 campaign (five).

Having also scored the winner against Tottenham before the international break, Welbeck continues to deliver for Fabian Hurzeler's side, though there was cause for concern as the veteran striker left the pitch on a stretcher late on after a seemingly innocuous clash with Fabian Schar.

Dunk lavished praise on his team-mate after a victory that lifted Brighton up to fifth in the Premier League table, two points adrift of the top four.

"I'm gutted to see him go off, he's been in top, top form this season. Hopefully it's not a bad injury and he'll be back soon," Dunk told BBC's Match of the Day.

"He was ruthless scoring his goal. Me and him have a good link-up. He's one of the top professionals at this football club and he's a great key to our success.

"He helps everyone, young and old. Hopefully his injury is not too bad and we'll have him fighting to get fit."

Hurzeler was unable to offer an update on Welbeck's injury, though he hailed Brighton's spirited showing on Tyneside.

"No updates. I can't say any updates. I think he got a knee in his lower back. Let's wait until later, then we'll know more," the German told the BBC.

"We defended together. In the end, defence wins championships. We got smashed against Chelsea but we learnt from it.

"Not everything was perfect, we have to be honest with ourselves, but the luck will come to you if you work for it.

"We have a lot of injuries, we always have to adjust things. But the guys are doing it brilliantly. Of course, we want to focus on the process but you also need the results."

Eddie Howe was left incensed after his side made it four games without victory in the league, suggesting they should have had a first-half penalty when Joel Veltman appeared to handle inside the box.

Veltman was falling after a challenge with Lewis Hall, and both the referee and a VAR review concluded that no penalty should be awarded.

"I haven't seen it back but a couple of our coaches looked at it back and were adamant it was a penalty," Howe said of the decision.

"If I look at it back and I'm of the same view as the coaches that will be hugely frustrating, because we were totally dominant at that point. When you have that kind of start in the game, you want a goal for your endeavours and that was all that was missing in the opening 35 minutes.

“If we were 2-0 up you'd say that was one of the best performances we've had in a long time. Goals always change perspectives of performances and that's why I have to keep some kind of perspective on that."

Brighton surged to within touching distance of the Premier League's top four after Danny Welbeck proved the difference in a battling 1-0 away win over Newcastle United.

Fabian Hurzeler's side rescued a remarkable 3-2 win over Tottenham before the international break, and left St. James' Park with another impressive three points on Saturday.

Newcastle threatened in the opening stages but Welbeck punished Eddie Howe's hosts slack defending with a well-taken 35th-minute opener after linking up with Georginio Rutter.

Bart Verbruggen's brilliant resistance kept Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon at bay, while Dan Burn saw a late finish ruled out for offside.

But victory came at a cost for Brighton as Welbeck left the pitch on a stretcher with nine minutes remaining after a seemingly innocuous clash with Schar.

The visitors move up to fifth, just two points adrift of the top four. Their hosts, however, have experienced differing fortunes as they are now winless in four league games and eighth in the top-flight standings.

Data Debrief: Welbeck on fire for the Seagulls

Welbeck registered his 100th Premier League goal involvement (72 goals, 28 assists) and has now scored as many goals in the competition this season as he did in the 2023-24 campaign.

The Brighton forward has now scored as many goals in the league this season (five in eight games) as he managed the whole of last term (five in 29).

The visitors have now scored five goals in the last 15 minutes of the first half, more than any other team in the Premier League this season.

Everton stretched their Premier League unbeaten run to four games as Sean Dyche's side saw off Ipswich Town 2-0 at Portman Road.

The Toffees showed little sign of rustiness after the international break, as first-half goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane set them on course for their second league victory of the season.

Fan favourite Ndiaye provided the spark on the road once again for Everton, as he netted in successive away games with a brilliant 17th-minute strike, and Keane produced a clever close-range finish to put the Toffees in control just before the break.

Matters might have been different had referee Michael Oliver, after a VAR review, not overturned his decision to award Ipswich a penalty for Dwight McNeil's challenge on Jack Clarke.

Ipswich showed signs of life after the restart, yet Conor Chaplin's scuffed effort late on was the best they could muster, with Jordan Pickford largely untroubled.

Indeed, the best chances of the second half fell to Everton, with Ndiaye and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who squandered a great opportunity early on, unable to beat Arijanet Muric.

Data Debrief: Toffees end away day wait

After losing their first four league games of 2024-25, Everton are now unbeaten in their last four (W2 D2), with this their first away win in the Premier League since December 2023 (2-0 against Burnley).

Dyche's team have ended a run of 12 successive away Premier League games without a clean sheet, while home and away, the Toffees are just the fourth side to record as many as 20 shutouts in the competition since his first game in charge in February 2023.

Ipswich, meanwhile, remain without a win since their return to the big time – only in 2009-10 (first 14) and 2018-19 (first 11) have the Tractor Boys endured a longer winless start to an English league season.

Manchester United launched a second-half fightback to ease the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag with an important 2-1 victory over Brentford.

United needed two stoppage-time goals to beat the Bees on their last visit to Old Trafford in October 2023, and their powers of recovery were required again on Saturday.

Ethan Pinnock headed Brentford into the lead five minutes into first-half stoppage time, nodding Mikkel Damsgaard's corner home after Matthijs de Ligt was forced off temporarily due to a head injury.

However, two moments of individual class turned the game around in the second half.

Alejandro Garnacho levelled within two minutes of the restart when he volleyed in from Marcus Rashford's cross.

United upped the ante from there, and the pressure paid off shortly after the hour mark as Rasmus Hojlund latched onto Bruno Fernandes' backheel before coolly lobbing Mark Flekken.

Data Debrief: Brentford surrender another lead

Pinnock gave Brentford the lead with his eighth Premier League goal, while he also netted in successive games for the first time.

Since Brentford's first match in the competition in 2021-22, Gabriel Magalhaes (14) is the only defender to score more times in the English top flight.

However, United responded within 89 seconds of the restart, with Garnacho's goal the quickest netted after half-time in the Premier League by the Red Devils since October 2022 (Fred, 76 seconds against Tottenham).

After dropping the most points from winning positions in the Premier League last season (30), Brentford have already now dropped the most in the division after leading this term (11).

Jordan Ayew’s last-gasp winner denied 10-man Southampton their first Premier League win of the season as Leicester City pulled off a stunning comeback to win 3-2 at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Cameron Archer had opened the scoring for the hosts after just eight minutes before Joe Aribo slotted home the second to double the lead 20 minutes later.

But Facundo Buonanotte got Leicester back into the tie in the 64th minute, bundling home Abdul Fatawu's cutback.

Ten minutes later, Ryan Fraser saw red and conceded a penalty after holding back Jamie Vardy from poking over the line. The striker duly converted from the spot.

Ayew then completed the comeback in the 98th minute, driving a low shot into the bottom corner to seal a second consecutive win for Leicester.

Southampton are bottom of the table after failing to hold onto a point, while the Foxes move up to 13th. 

Data Debrief: Late drama disaster for the hosts

Since they returned to the Premier League in 2012-13 after a seven-season gap, Southampton have dropped 231 points from leading positions in the Premier League, more than any other side in that time.

The side that sit bottom of the table have now gone 21 games without a win in the Premier League (D5 L16), their outright longest winless streak in top-flight history.

Maybe they should have seen the result coming as the hosts found themselves two goals ahead at half-time for the first time in a Premier League game since November 29th 2020, against Manchester United, a game they also lost 3-2.

Aston Villa climbed back into the Premier League's top four after coming from behind to beat Fulham 3-1 in an entertaining clash at Craven Cottage that saw both teams finish with 10 men.

There was a frantic start to the match on Saturday, with Villa attacker Morgan Rogers cancelling out Raul Jimenez's earlier effort inside the opening nine minutes.

Fulham threatened regularly in the first half, but were ultimately made to pay for their profligacy.

Jimenez headed a glorious opportunity wide from four yards out, before Andreas Pereira had a penalty saved by Emiliano Martinez after Matty Cash was penalised for handball following a VAR review.

Villa capitalised when Ollie Watkins put them in front for the first time just before the hour mark, heading home at the near post from Youri Tielemans' corner.

Shortly after Joachim Andersen's straight red card for fouling Watkins, Issa Diop's own goal put the result beyond doubt, though Unai Emery's side also finished a man down after substitute Jaden Philogene was sent off for two bookable offences.

Data Debrief: Villa dish out more capital punishment

After overturning an early deficit, Villa went on to record their ninth victory from their last 13 Premier League games in London.

The visitors' second and third goals both came from crosses, taking their tally of such goals for the season to seven, with no Premier League side registering more.

Continuing his fine form, Watkins scored against Fulham for the sixth time, matching his best tally against a single opponent (Brighton, also six).

Ange Postecoglou hailed an "outstanding" second-half display from Tottenham in their win over West Ham.

In stark contrast to the capitulation at Brighton before the international break, Spurs took the game away from the Hammers after the interval on Saturday.

Goals from Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-min, combined with Alphonse Areola's own goal, saw Spurs to a 4-1 win in the early kick-off, with Dejan Kulusevski having cancelled out Mohammed Kudus' opener in the first half.

Kudus became the sixth different West Ham player to both score and get sent off in the same Premier League game when he was sent off for violent conduct late on as Spurs capitalised on a dominant second-half display in which they had 10 shots and got five on target.

"We had to fight hard in the first half," Postecoglou told BBC Sport.

"Going a goal down wasn't ideal but we clawed our way back into it, and it is not easy. West Ham are a big physical side and they have got some speed as well.

"Second half we were outstanding. We upped the tempo and played some quality football, defended when we needed to and got our finishing right.

"I think we had some chances where we could have scored more but if we keep creating the goals will come. We want to be that sort of side that creates lots of chances.

"It was not about changing things. We knew there had been a bit of an arm wrestle and we always back ourselves to keep going at the intensity we always do and upping it and taking the game to West Ham. We knew that putting them under pressure here at home, we would eventually get there.

"It was a bad 45 minutes not a bad 90 minutes [v Brighton] so we were not that far away. In that game we stopped the things we had to do in the second half but today it was a 95-minute performance."

James Maddison set up Kulusevski's equaliser, though was taken off at half-time.

In the process, Maddison became just the second Tottenham player on record (since 2003-04) to create at least five chances in a Premier League game while playing 45 minutes or fewer, after Darren Anderton v Fulham in August 2003 (five chances created in 32 minutes).

On the substitution, Postecoglou said: "We needed more running power in midfield and Pape [Sarr] has lots of that, bags of energy and running.

"He really helped us to get control of the midfield and that gave us a good platform to go forward. Our general play improved from there and we looked dangerous going forward."

A rampant second-half performance saw Tottenham ease to a 4-1 win over London rivals West Ham on Saturday, easing the pressure on boss Ange Postecoglou.

Mohammed Kudus put West Ham ahead early on, firing home at the back post following good work from Jarrod Bowen on the Hammers' right, only for Dejan Kulusevski to fire in off the post to level in the 36th minute. 

Under-fire head coach Postecoglou surprisingly withdrew James Maddison at half-time despite the England man assisting the equaliser, but that change paid off as Spurs swiftly pulled clear.

Yves Bissouma swept home in the 52nd minute, then Son Heung-min's shot deflected off both Jean-Clair Todibo and Alphonse Areola before creeping in for an own goal.

Son then made it three goals in an eight-minute span to kill the contest, racing onto a pass from Maddison's replacement Pape Sarr before finishing at the near post.

To add to West Ham's woes, Kudus was sent off for violent conduct late on, with the VAR intervening to recommend an on-field review after he raised his hands to Micky van de Ven's face.

Julen Lopetegui's visitors drop to 14th in the Premier League table with eight points, while Tottenham go sixth with 13 ahead of Saturday's other fixtures.

Data Debrief: Kulusevski takes centre-stage

It was certainly a surprise to see Maddison withdrawn at half-time, after he drove over halfway to assist Kulusevski's equaliser.

He became just the second Tottenham player on record (since 2003-04) to create five or more chances in a Premier League game while playing 45 minutes or fewer, after Darren Anderton versus Fulham in August 2003 (five chances created in 32 minutes).

However, Postecoglou's switch certainly paid off as Kulusevski shone in a number 10 role.

His clever reverse pass allowed Son in to force the own goal, while the Swede also led all players on the pitch for dribbles (six), duels contested (15) and won (eight) and possession regains (eight) in an all-action display.

Ederson believes Manchester City already have "the next manager in mind" for when Pep Guardiola departs the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola's contract with the Citizens expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, and the Spaniard is undecided on his long-term future.

The 53-year-old has guided City to six Premier League titles - including an unprecedented four in a row - since joining the club in 2016, as well as the Champions League, Club World Cup and four Carabao Cup triumphs.

Ederson, whose own future at the Etihad was also recently under speculation, knows it will be "a great loss" on the day Guardiola ends his stay with City.

However, the goalkeeper thinks the club are prepared for when the time arrives.

"City is a very well-structured club, well-managed, it has great directors, a great CEO, a great coach," Ederson told TNT Sports Brazil.

"I believe the club already has the next manager in mind. The day Pep decides to leave, they will try to follow the same line of work.

"Of course, it would be a great loss. I have no doubt about that, because you are talking about the best coach in the world. I see a club very well-prepared for post-Guardiola."

Arne Slot insists Trent Alexander-Arnold is not "disturbed" by speculation surrounding his future at Liverpool, with the defender's contract running down at Anfield.

Alexander-Arnold is into the final year of his existing deal with the Reds, and has been linked with a move to reigning Champions League and LaLiga winners Real Madrid.

The England defender is now Liverpool's vice-captain to skipper Virgil van Dijk who, along with Mohamed Salah, is also out of contract at the end of this season.

However, speaking ahead of the Reds' clash with Chelsea on Sunday, Slot says dealing with speculation on a frequent basis is nothing new to his players. 

"I think you underestimate our players," the Dutchman told reporters during his pre-match press conference. "These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis, if they have contracts or not.

"If you think they're disturbed by this interest, then you don't do justice to how strong they are mentally. This is part of our job. This is part of this world we are living in. You just focus on what you have to do.

"Maybe, if you're 17 or 18 years of age, it could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League; Virgil and Mo the same. I don't think that is a problem for them to perform and that's what we see at the moment, because they're playing really well."

Alexander-Arnold has enjoyed a positive start to the campaign, playing all seven Premier League matches for Liverpool, who are the early pace setters in the English top flight.

The England full-back has also started all four of the Three Lions' Nations League games under interim boss Lee Carsley.

"He's been very good for us until now," Slot added. "He was - and is still - important in the attacking part of our game.

"I also like the way he has defended until now in the games he has played for us. I think he made a step-up in that perspective.

"But, like all the others, there's still room for improvement. That's clear. But he's done very well for us this season, and I think he's done really well for the national team as well."

Erik ten Hag claims his critics have invented "lies and fairytales" about his Manchester United tenure as his Old Trafford future continues to be questioned.

Ten Hag has overseen United's worst-ever start to a Premier League season, with the Red Devils emerging from the international break with just eight points from seven games.

They have also failed to score in any of their last three league matches – losing 3-0 at home to Tottenham between goalless draws with Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

There were suggestions Ten Hag's future was up for discussion when members of United's new leadership group – including Jim Ratcliffe – met with Joel Glazer during the hiatus, but the Dutchman is bullish regarding his position.

Asked if he had received assurances regarding his future from United's hierarchy, Ten Hag said on Friday: "No.

"The noises came from the media, some of you, not all of you. Some of you are coming up with stories, creating stories, creating fairytales, bringing noise, bringing lies.

"I know we are all on one page at this club. I've said this before the break to some journalists who probably didn't believe me as I saw the reports. Internally at the club it's quiet.

"Of course we are discussing the position we are in and we're unhappy with that. We have to turn the corner and that's the strategy to turn this corner. 

"We are quiet and composed, we stick to the plan and are convinced we will turn the corner.

"Underneath I see good things, good patterns and good stats that confirm we are in a good direction, but the ranking is not lying. We are where we are and that's not good enough."

United's underlying metrics, however, do not make for encouraging reading for Ten Hag.

The Red Devils' tally of 11.11 expected goals (xG) this campaign is only good enough to rank them eighth in the Premier League, behind Saturday's opponents Brentford.

Meanwhile, only six teams – three of whom are yet to win – have conceded more expected goals against (xGA) than United's 11.54.

Opta's expected points model, meanwhile, suggests United's performances have only warranted a marginal upturn, with their figure of 10.4 expected points only putting them 10th.

Pep Guardiola does not believe Thomas Tuchel's nationality is of any importance following the German's appointment as England's new head coach.

On Wednesday, the Football Association announced the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss had signed an 18-month contract, starting in January, to lead the Three Lions to the 2026 World Cup.

Guardiola was among several high-profile coaches to be linked with the role prior to the announcement, with his contract with Manchester City set to expire next year.

While Tuchel's fine record in knockout football has led many to hail his arrival as a coup, some have suggested the FA should have given an English coach a chance.

Guardiola, however, does not believe it is an issue, saying at a press conference ahead of Sunday's trip to Wolves: "Thomas Tuchel is the manager.

"I'm the manager of Man City, forget about it. The rest is not important. The federation decided to go for a foreign manager with a great record. 

"My view is I would support him unconditionally. If he wins he will be praised and if he loses he will be criticised. But it doesn't matter, his nationality.

"I know we are proud of where we are from, but the world is so big. You have to be open-minded. I came here to learn from you."

Pressed on his own long-term future at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola reiterated that no decision has been made but said City will be made aware of his plans well in advance.

"I'm pretty sure the club have options when Pep leaves. Sooner or later, it will happen and they have to prepare. It will not be a surprise," he said.

"I want to be really convinced it is the best for the club. I will not delay any action thinking it will be a problem for the club. They understand the problems I will have.

"If the club asks me an opinion [on my successor], I will give them an opinion. But it is not a decision for me. It has to be the club."

Perhaps the most high-profile homegrown coach to be linked with the England job was Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, alongside the likes of Graham Potter and Lee Carsley.

However, speaking at his own press conference ahead of Newcastle's Premier League fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, Howe was asked if he was among the coaches interviewed for the job.

"I was not. There was no contact from the FA," he replied. "England have to do what is right for them and only they will know the processes they have gone through and the decisions they have made. I am certainly not the type of person that is going to analyse that."

Trent Alexander-Arnold said it took him a while to get used to being a hometown representative for Liverpool.

Alexander-Arnold made his Premier League debut eight years ago under Jurgen Klopp as an 18-year-old and has since made 233 league appearances for Liverpool. 

In the top-flight, he has 59 assists, the joint-most by a defender in the competition's history, alongside team-mate Andy Robertson. 

Since making his debut, the 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best right-backs in the world, having also picked up 33 senior caps for England.

However, Alexander-Arnold admitted the position he was in had the potential to be overwhelming for someone like him.

"At first it's quite intimidating because so many people are watching you and so many people are wanting to see what you're doing and emulate what you're doing," he told the Liverpool club website.

"You get to a point where you embrace it and use it as motivation, I think," he said.

"Growing up I had idols like Stevie G [Steven Gerrard] and Carra [Jamie Carragher] who, not their message directly to me, but the careers themselves and being from the city and going through the academy system made it possible.

"In my mind, it was like, 'If they can do it, why can't I?' They've probably played on the same fields as I have. They were doing the same things in the academy, and they came through the same system and were able to achieve it. So, if I've got enough discipline, hard work and talent, then why can't I go and do that?

"I think that's something that sticks with me a lot of the time. It's sometimes the reason why I push myself to show people if you're willing to work hard enough that anything is possible."

Alexander-Arnold says he is aware of the example he sets to others who might be in the position he was before playing for Liverpool, though he was conscious of highlighting the effort it takes to get to where he is now.

"That's something that is firmly in my mind. If you do think it, you can do it, but it'll take hard work. But if you're willing to put that in, you can do and achieve any dream you want," he said.