Aston Villa scored two stoppage-time goals to complete a late turnaround as they won 3-1 against Crystal Palace, who were without their unwell manager Roy Hodgson.

The 76-year-old was taken ill on Saturday morning and did not travel to Villa Park, but looked like he was going to receive the perfect tonic as his side led through Odsonne Edouard’s early second-half goal.

But Jhon Duran fired home an exquisite equaliser in the 87th minute and then Douglas Luiz struck from the penalty spot in the eighth minute of added time after the decision had survived a rigorous pitchside monitor check by referee Darren England.

Leon Bailey’s goal two minutes later sealed what was a worthy victory for the hosts, who bossed the majority of the game.

It was their ninth home league win in a row, which equals their best post-war record as things continue to look up under Unai Emery.

Palace did not say how poorly their manager was before the game, but did confirm he would be in touch with first-team coaches Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington throughout the encounter.

But his mood would not have been improved after the chaotic end to the match where his side conceded three times in 13 minutes.

Palace also endured a tough opening, with Villa’s pace and running causing them problems.

They did not make it easy for themselves either and Joel Ward presented Ollie Watkins with a golden chance to open the scoring as he misplaced a pass and the Villa striker went clean through on goal but Sam Johnstone produced a good save to rescue his captain.

Hodgson would not have enjoyed what he was seeing remotely and it looked like they fell behind in the 34th minute.

Moussa Diaby, living on the shoulder of the Palace backline, was superbly picked out by Pau Torres and the France international raced clear and clinically fired home.

However, he was marginally ruled offside by VAR and Palace again escaped.

There were more sighs of relief soon after as Matty Cash miskicked his shot after good work by Nicolo Zaniolo and then the Poland right-back headed over another good chance.

Palace had barely threatened in the first half, but went ahead inside two minutes of the restart.

Jean-Philippe Mateta spun Torres on the right and sent in an inviting cross for Edouard to slide past Emiliano Martinez, who had slipped but would have been out of position anyway.

It was the 25-year-old striker’s fourth Premier League goal of the season and gave Palace a lead out of nowhere.

Palace threatened to build on that advantage and should have gone 2-0 up on the hour-mark but Ward could only divert Joachim Andersen’s header wide of the post from close range.

They could have done with that going in as Villa launched an assault in search of an equaliser.

Duran fired straight at Johnstone with his first touch after coming on before the hosts came within inches of levelling.

Watkins and Bailey both had shots blocked in quick succession and the ball again went to Watkins, and his first-time curling effort hit a post before rebounding off Johnstone and just wide.

The breakthrough eventually came three minutes from time as Duran superbly controlled Lucas Digne’s cross on his chest and then lashed in a fierce left-footed shot.

Five minutes later they were awarded a penalty when Chris Richards brought down Watkins, with referee England taking nearly three minutes in front of the monitor to decide a foul had been committed after the Palace defender impeded his opponent.

Luiz stroked home from 12 yards and then Bailey sealed the win at the end after converting from close range.

Richarlison ended a difficult week by coming off the bench to score and inspire Tottenham to a dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield United.

Spurs were heading for their first Premier League defeat under Ange Postecoglou after Gustavo Hamer put the newly-promoted side 1-0 up in the 73rd minute in north London.

Postecoglou turned to Richarlison and the £60million forward rewarded the faith of his head coach with a headed equaliser in the eighth minute of added time for only his second league goal since joining from Everton last summer.

There was still time for a grandstand finish and it arrived in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Richarlison set up Dejan Kulusevski to rifle home to make it four league wins in a row for Tottenham ahead of next weekend’s derby away to Arsenal.

It was a cruel ending for Sheffield United, who had Oli McBurnie sent off for a second yellow card before full-time and remain winless after five matches.

Tottenham were unchanged from their 5-2 victory at Burnley before the international break, which meant Richarlison was again restricted to a place on the bench after he revealed in midweek his desire to seek “psychological help” following a turbulent time on and off the pitch.

An excellent start to life under Postecoglou earned him manager of the month for August, but Spurs were provided an early warning by Sheffield United when McBurnie turned neatly in the area, only for his curled effort to hit strike partner Cameron Archer.

Eventually the hosts settled into their stride and Wes Foderingham saved well from Yves Bissouma’s left-footed effort in the 19th minute after a slick move.

Spurs captain Son Heung-min was next to test Foderingham with a curled strike before Guglielmo Vicario got down well to James McAtee’s low shot, which would have been ruled out anyway.

Postecoglou’s team continued to push for the opener and James Maddison called Foderingham into action before the Sheffield United goalkeeper required lengthy treatment for a muscle injury.

Foderingham was fine to carry on and penalty appeals had been waved away for the hosts by this point after Maddison went down under contact from Chris Basham.

The Blades goalkeeper was booked on the stroke of half-time for handling outside his area before boos greeted the end of the first 45 after only three minutes were added on despite several stoppages.

Foderingham was at the heart of the action at the beginning of the second period when he was caught by Micky van de Ven and needed a concussion check, but the ex-Rangers goalkeeper stayed on to lap up his role as pantomime villain.

Cristian Romero headed wide after fine work by Bissouma soon after, but frustration was starting to get the better of the hosts.

Play was twice halted by referee Peter Bankes after a second ball was thrown onto the pitch before Maddison and Manor Solomon were shown yellow cards in quick succession.

Solomon did fire over soon after and the Blades then provided Tottenham with a sucker-punch in the 73rd minute.

Jack Robinson’s long throw was not dealt with by Pape Sarr or Romero and it dropped for Sheffield United summer signing Hamer, who drilled in at the back post via the woodwork to delight the travelling faithful behind the goal.

Postecoglou reacted with a triple substitution as deadline day addition Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Ivan Perisic were brought on, which lifted the hosts.

Perisic and Johnson both put the ball in the net not long after their introduction but the offside flag denied them and it was left to Richarlison to steal the show.

The Brazil number nine was pictured in tears last weekend following another blank in a 5-1 win over Bolivia for his nation but headed home Perisic’s corner deep into added time.

Better was to follow for Tottenham when a superb move involving Perisic and Richarlison saw the latter tee up Kulusevski, who fired through Robinson’s legs to spark wild celebrations as the feelgood factor at Spurs continues.

Brilliant Brighton secured a famous 3-1 win at Manchester United as things went from bad to worse for Erik ten Hag’s side after a challenge-filled fortnight.

Jadon Sancho has been banished from the first-team squad and Antony given a leave of absence following assault allegations against him since the galling, last-gasp loss at Arsenal.

Brighton heaped further misery on United as attention returned to on-field matters on Saturday afternoon, with Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro scoring before Hannibal Mejbri’s consolation effort.

The comprehensive end of the Red Devils’ 31-game unbeaten home run in all competitions came against the side that last beat them in the league at Old Trafford in Ten Hag’s first match in charge.

Welbeck opened the scoring against his former club, before a Marcus Rashford strike hit the woodwork and Rasmus Hojlund’s first goal for the club was ruled out by the VAR.

Gross netted both goals in last season’s Old Trafford win and fired Roberto De Zerbi’s men further ahead early in the second half, before substitute Pedro landed another body blow.

Boos greeted Ten Hag’s decision to bring Anthony Martial on for full debutant Hojlund, but fellow introduction Hannibal did his bit when striking home his first for the club from distance.

But there was to be no stirring comeback like in United’s last home game against Nottingham Forest as attention now turns to Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Bayern Munich.

Brighton have a historic Europa League match against AEK Athens to look forward to themselves after winning at Old Trafford for just the second time in their history.

De Zerbi surprisingly made six changes on Saturday, when Ten Hag made three and plumped for a midfield diamond that caused the visitors early problems.

Rashford’s skill and perseverance ended with a low drive being saved by Jason Steele and Hojlund headed over, before nearly combining when the new boy stretched for the homegrown star’s cross.

But De Zerbi’s side looked unruffled and took a 20th-minute lead at the end of a well-worked move.

Welbeck burst towards the box having played wide to Simon Adingra, whose low ball from the right was smartly left by Adam Lallana for the 32-year-old to smash home.

The opener gave Brighton fans an extra pep in the step and the goalscorer tried his luck from distance, with United offering little in response until the 34th minute.

Casemiro swept the ball out to Rashford on the left, with the forward darting inside and getting away a drive that Joel Veltman turned onto the woodwork with an unorthodox block.

United bounced back from that near miss and celebrated an equaliser five minutes before the break.

Rashford followed stepovers by darting to the byline and pulling back for Hojlund, who turned and prodded in what appeared to be his first United goal.

But with play ready to resume at 1-1, referee Jarred Gillett was informed by VAR Chris Kavanagh that the ball had gone out of play before Rashford could get the pass away.

The England international continued to look dangerous and went close in stoppage time, then struck into the side-netting when the second half got under way.

But Brighton were still pursuing a second and their warning shots across the bows went unheeded.

Gross ran onto a pass by Tariq Lamptey just inside the box, sent Lisandro Martinez flying with a drop of the shoulder and fizzed past Andre Onana in front of the away fans.

The 53rd-minute effort left United reeling and Ten Hag turned to his bench, but the decision to replace Hojlund with Martial was audibly unpopular.

Rashford saw a free-kick stopped as the hosts desperately looked to claw a goal back, only to be hit by a Brighton third in the 71st minute.

Lamptey raced down the left and cut back for substitute Pedro, who opened his body to hit a first-time, right-footed shot that Onana could not stop finding the net.

Punch-drunk United managed to pull one back immediately through youngster Hannibal, who lasered an effort past Steele from 25 yards two minutes later.

Victor Lindelof headed over but intelligent Brighton were able to take the sting out of proceedings, exposing gaps left by the desperate hosts.

Kaoru Mitoma, substitute Evan Ferguson and debutant Ansu Fati saw shots saved as the clock wound down. Onana stopped the latter again in stoppage time.

Manchester City needed two late goals to put down a brave resistance from West Ham and seal a 3-1 win at the London Stadium to stay top of the Premier League.

Bernardo Silva gave the champions the lead for the first time 14 minutes from the end after latching onto a superb pass from Julian Alvarez, before Erling Haaland completed the job with a well-taken finish as West Ham pressed for an equaliser.

Earlier James Ward-Prowse had given David Moyes’ side a first-half lead that had them on course to overtake City at the top of the table, heading home from Vladimir Coufal’s cross for his second goal since joining in the summer.

Jeremy Doku, making just his second start, levelled with an expertly taken individual effort seconds after half-time, as City took charge of a difficult situation to send the hosts to their first defeat of the season and maintain their own perfect start.

West Ham survived a scare after just seven minutes and they had the heroics of Tomas Soucek and Alphonse Areola to thank. First, Rodri found space from a corner and thumped a far-post header at goal that the goalkeeper did well to push away.

The ball dropped to Haaland whose shot was blocked on the line by Soucek, sticking out his chest and bouncing it clear with his shoulder, before finally Reuben Dias’s effort was tipped over brilliantly by the goalkeeper.

The hosts went close themselves when Jarrod Bowen’s corner was cleverly flicked on by Soucek at the near post and fractionally missed the head of Nayef Aguerd as he stole in to finish.

City had West Ham largely penned inside their own half, probing but failing to find the critical pass. Haaland hooked an effort wide after finding room to get on the end of Josko Gvardiol’s cross, then Rodri looked to do it all himself when he carried the ball to the edge of the box and curled a right-footed effort, but his shot arched tamely and was easily gathered by Areola.

The hosts took more of a grip as the half wore on, and when their chance came it was ruthlessly taken.

The ball was given away wide on City’s left by Doku and West Ham broke down the flank with speed and purpose. Coufal was given space to dash into, and as his out-swinging cross arrived into the box there was Ward-Prowse stooping low to guide his header into the corner beyond Ederson.

City’s response was swift and should have yielded an instant equaliser. Doku, looking to make amends, cut inside Coufal on the left and crossed along the ground for Haaland who failed to make good enough contact to sneak it past Aguerd who shovelled it off the goal line. Phil Foden struck left-footed from range but was denied by a crowd of claret and blue shirts as West Ham saw the half out.

It took the champions just 40 seconds to level after the break. Doku received it wide near the left touchline and looked up to find little on inside the box.

Instead he drove Coufal backwards into the area, standing him up and slipping inside with a deft right-foot touch before rolling it inside Areola’s far post in one cleverly executed motion.

City were buoyed. Alvarez hit the post from a free-kick, then Haaland volleyed left-footed from 10 yards after being teed up Rodri’s exquisite chipped pass, a strong right hand thrust into the air from Areola denying them the lead.

Then came West Ham’s turn to go within a whisker, Michail Antonio bursting beyond Dias in a foot race from Lucas Paqueta’s probing ball but taking a fractionally heavy touch at the crucial moment to allow Ederson to smother.

Suddenly the hosts were on top. Emerson spotted a gap in the heart of City’s defence to run into, his effort deflecting narrowly wide, and from the resulting corner Kurt Zouma’s thumping header required a sensational diving save from Ederson.

With 15 minutes to go, City led for the first time and it was the vision and touch of Alvarez that made it. He received the ball near the edge of the box from Silva, who dashed forward and was brilliantly picked out by Alvarez’s chip. Aguerd was inches from intercepting with his head, but it landed back with Silva who dinked it into the corner beyond Areola.

Haaland was denied at close range when getting on the end of Kyle Walker’s cross, West Ham’s goalkeeper adding to a string of impressive saves.

But the Norwegian would not be denied. In the final minutes as West Ham pushed forward, Silva broke with the ball and rolled it across for Haaland to sweep coolly home and cap a fine win.

Luton remain pointless in the Premier League after Carlos Vinicius’ goal secured Fulham a 1-0 win at Craven Cottage.

Substitute Vinicius opened his account for the season with his second-half strike which was enough for Marco Silva’s side to claim an important win weeks after they lost 5-1 at Manchester City.

A fourth defeat in a row will be a frustration for Rob Edwards as Luton now sit at the foot of the Premier League table after they failed to take their golden first-half opportunities.

The hosts were caught on the break by Tahith Chong in the fourth minute but his effort hardly tested Bernd Leno.

Luton continued their theme of a low block which favoured the technical Joao Palhinha, who returned to Silva’s XI after a failed deadline-day move to Bayern Munich.

Andreas Pereira’s whipped corner found the head of Kenny Tete but the full-back failed to keep his effort on target and it narrowly went over Thomas Kaminski’s crossbar.

The Hatters patiently waited for openings and in the 26th minute Issa Kabore went down the right from wing-back and his pinpoint cross found the head of Jacob Brown whose attempt cannoned off the post.

Edwards lauded the spirit of his side on Thursday and it was shown through the likes of Brown and Carlton Morris who defended from the front as well as Marvelous Nakamba who battled in the middle to win any loose scraps.

Brown forced a booking and a free-kick out of Issa Diop in added time and referee Michael Salisbury waved away Morris’ appeals in the area for a penalty when he was brought down.

It was Brown who created the first chance after the break in the 47th minute when he found a neat pocket of space in the channel and delivered a well-crafted cross to Amari’i Bell at the back stick but the wing-back’s shot found the gloves of Leno.

Fulham broke the deadlock in the 64th minute.

Pereira found Willian out wide before the winger’s cross forced Kaminski to parry the ball into the feet of Vinicius who was fresh off the bench to tap his side into a 1-0 lead.

Willian nearly doubled the lead straight after with a long-range effort.

Tete’s testing pass found Vinicius who could not keep his composure through on goal late on to add a second before Fulham were able to see out the game during four minutes of added time.

Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool’s first-half struggles left him questioning his side – before the Reds hit back to win at Wolves.

Andrew Robertson’s late strike and Hugo Bueno’s injury-time own goal completed Liverpool’s 3-1 victory at Molineux.

Cody Gakpo had levelled earlier in the second half as Liverpool earned a third comeback victory of the season and fourth straight win. They are now unbeaten in 16 Premier League games, stretching back to last season.

Hwang Hee-Chan’s opener had put vibrant Wolves in command and only a shocking miss from Matheus Cunha stopped them from adding to their lead.

Klopp had criticised the early kick-off after the international break – with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Alisson and Alexis Mac Allister all returning from South America on Friday – and conceded he was worried during a wretched first half.

He said: “In the first half I thought ‘WTF?’ a couple of times. We were not ready in the first half but Wolves did really well.

“With these boys, some of them we’ve had seven, eight, nine weeks with, some of them longer, I know if they can be, they are there. Today they couldn’t in a lot of moments.

“I know if you get through the first half with a reasonable result, you can turn it.

“The team needed help and we could deliver the help a little bit with the changes and change of system. They were completely different halves.

“The same players who looked rusty in the first half, in the second half it looked much easier.

“Wolves played a super first half but in the second half we were really good and controlled the game.

“We stayed calm, there was no rush, 3-1 was a result I didn’t expect after 20 minutes but during the second half we deserved it.”

Wolves dominated early and Hwang grabbed a seventh-minute goal when he swept in Pedro Neto’s low cross.

Livewire Neto caused chaos and he gift-wrapped a chance for Cunha after 33 minutes when he breezed past Joe Gomez to cross for the striker to miscue an unmarked header from five yards.

It kept Liverpool in the game and, after introducing Luis Diaz at the break, the visitors levelled 10 minutes later.

Gakpo and Diaz managed to smuggle the ball to Salah on the right and his low ball was turned in by the unmarked Gakpo.

Wolves lost all their first-half fearlessness, failing to create another chance, but it took until the 86th minute for Liverpool to capitalise.

Jose Sa’s poor clearance fell for Robertson just inside Wolves’ half. The defender burst forward to swap passes with Salah and finish from seven yards.

Harvey Elliott’s 20-yard strike then deflected off Bueno in stoppage time to seal victory.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said: “If you look at the two sides, the gap in quality, it takes a big effort to close that.

“I thought we did for a very long time. The organisation and structure managed to help us bridge that gap.

“When we were on top we could have taken one or two of our good situations.

“We were digging in and then we make a strange decision, create a bit of chaos and concede the second goal.

“At 1-1 they’ve had a lot of the ball but we made a strange decision and it cost us a goal. Up until 80 minutes to have pushed Liverpool that close was a very good effort.

“We conceded a crazy second goal which is what I’ve been trying to get out of the players since I’ve been here.”

Liverpool’s late show fired Jurgen Klopp’s men to the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 comeback win at Wolves.

Andrew Robertson and Hugo Bueno’s own goal saw the Reds escape Molineux with a victory which looked unlikely at half-time.

Hwang Hee-Chan’s early opener gave Wolves the lead as the hosts dominated and only a woeful miss by Matheus Cunha stopped them going further ahead.

Liverpool were wretched in the first half but slowly improved, levelling through Cody Gakpo before breaking Wolves’ resistance with four minutes left for a third comeback win of the season.

Boss Klopp had unloaded a new blast at the fixture schedule ahead of the early kick-off and his mood would have darkened just seven minutes in.

Vibrant Wolves had already begun to stretch Liverpool before they broke at pace from the edge of their own area.

Cunha sent Pedro Neto scampering down the left and the forward glided past the flimsy Dominik Szoboszlai and Joel Matip.

He had little support but rolled the ball across the front of goal for Hwang to slide in at the far post as Alisson failed to make the ground.

Manager Gary O’Neil promised Wolves had a plan to be aggressive and they continued to press with debutant Jean-Ricner Bellegarde a bustling presence, in contrast to the sloppy £60m Szoboszlai.

Neto was a constant menace, steering over Nelson Semedo’s cross before firing wide from 20 yards, with Liverpool shellshocked and unable to find rhythm.

If Klopp, who patrolled his technical area with typical gusto, expected a response he was found wanting. Gakpo was anonymous, Mo Salah timid and Diego Jota wasted their only opening of the half, firing over from 15 yards.

While masterminding Bournemouth’s escape from relegation last season, O’Neil oversaw a 1-0 win against Liverpool and the boss believes the Reds will challenge for the title again.

After three wins from their opening four games, he expected to see an improved Liverpool at Molineux yet for spells it was one-way traffic as Wolves dominated and should have doubled their lead after 33 minutes.

Again Neto was the architect, bamboozling Joe Gomez to cross for an unmarked Cunha, only for the striker to completely mistime his header from five yards to let Liverpool off the hook.

It was a glaring miss but the pedestrian Reds were unable to take immediate advantage, Gakpo slicing wide and nodding over.

There was, at least, a small spark from Liverpool before the break when Jose Sa spilled Jota’s cross to Salah, whose shot was blocked, with Sa then saving Szoboszlai’s follow up.

The fear for Wolves was Liverpool would not be that passive in the second half and Klopp responded by introducing Luis Diaz for Alexis Mac Allister.

It almost paid off immediately when the forward headed Robertson’s cross inches wide 90 seconds after the re-start – and the visitors levelled 10 minutes later.

Wolves were unable to rob Diaz and Gakpo on the edge of the box, with the ball eventually rolling for Salah to cross low for Gakpo to tap in from close range.

It was the striker’s final touch, Darwin Nunez replacing him, while Wolves’ good work was in the process of being completely undone.

From being in charge, the hosts had their backs to the wall and only a last-ditch block from Max Kilman stopped Nunez snatching the lead.

Yet the Reds struck with four minutes left after Sa gifted them a second.

The goalkeeper’s poor clearance was collected by Robertson mid-way inside the Wolves half. He advanced to dart into the area, swapped passes with Salah and finish under Sa.

There was still time for a third in stoppage time when Elliott’s 20-yard drive clipped Bueno to wrongfoot Sa and roll in off the post.

Mikel Arteta lauded “tremendous” Gabriel Jesus who he claims “changed Arsenal’s world last season”.

Gunners boss Arteta could start the Brazil striker for the first time this term at Everton on Sunday after he recovered from a spate of injuries.

Jesus has made two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring last time out in the 3-1 victory over Manchester United on September 3.

But Arteta insists the former Manchester City forward’s game is about more than goals.

“He is a tremendous player,” said Arteta, whose side finished runners-up in the Premier League in 2022-23.

“A really important player for us. He changed our world last season. You could all see that. He is going to be a really important player for us.

“I think he brought a different energy, a different belief, a different threat, a different fear to opponents.

“And he did it in a really natural way and I think he contributed hugely to the step that we had last season.

“He tracks a lot of attention and players in the way he plays and creates space for others and that’s a big quality.

“When you sign a player you know, who has done it in the league and he’s got the hunger to join us for the right reasons – it was a no-brainer for us to do it and we could see the impact he had straight away in the team.”

Arsenal’s last win at Goodison Park came in 2017 and they have scored just twice in their last five visits.

Former Everton player Arteta talked up Sean Dyche’s side and identified the levels his players need to be at if they are to take all three points.

“For me Everton’s quality is not physicality, it’s what they do and they play really well and Sean (Dyche) does well at doing that,” Arteta added.

“Just talking about physicality doesn’t reflect the qualities they have, the reasons they do it, the intentions they have, how they build sequences and momentum in matches. There’s a lot of work there so it is much deeper than that in my opinion.

“They know (Arsenal players on how hard Everton away is). Obviously we have experienced it so there’s a level of focus and attention you need when you play against a team like that.”

Arteta praised Eddie Nketiah after he featured in Gareth Southgate’s England squad earlier this month, despite the striker not playing a single minute during victories against Ukraine and Scotland.

He said: “I think it’s a big point to be named in the England national team, it’s a big point.

“I was really happy and proud of him and it’s the coaching staff’s decision (on who starts) and he’s going to have to earn the right to play, that shows you the level there is there.”

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United looks bleak after Erik ten Hag admitted he does not know whether the winger will play for the club again.

The 23-year-old is training away from the first team as a disciplinary measure after claiming on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” following his omission from the squad for the defeat at Arsenal before the international break.

Ten Hag hinted that it was not just this misstep that was taken into consideration when deciding the punishment, though repeatedly declined the opportunity to speak about Sancho when asked at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s visit of Brighton.

The episode bears similarity to the way Cristiano Ronaldo was jettisoned out of the club after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last year and Ten Hag said he did not know how long Sancho’s disciplinary procedure would last or whether he will represent United again.

Asked directly whether he would pull on the United shirt again, Ten Hag said: “I don’t know. I am sitting here. Tomorrow we have a big game, we are going into a new block of games, many games in a condensed programme. I focus on that.”

On how long the disciplinary process might last, the Dutchman replied: “I don’t know but, as I say, I don’t think about that. I think about tomorrow. I think about the way the team has to progress. I have a lot to consider to make the right decisions.

“He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute.”

Ten Hag, who claimed he inherited a club with “no good culture” when he took over, was at pains to stress that he was not focused on Sancho and the team is the most important thing.

“It’s in favour of the team. That is what my decision is based on,” he said.

“That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team. I don’t think about that (Sancho’s tweet) and I don’t talk about that, because I have to win a game. It is all about that.

“The players who are there and available deserve me. I have to guide them, I have to prepare them, it is about that. I only focus on the players who are available.

“It is also not about me, it is about the team and the club. I put my energy into giving the best performance tomorrow against Brighton.

“As a club, as a team we have to deal with that. But once again it is no importance to the coming games, I have to put my energy so that the team play their best tomorrow, in a week, the coming period. I have to focus on that.”

Sancho’s misdemeanour is the latest in a long line of off-field issues that Ten Hag has had to deal with since his appointment last summer and he said part of his brief was to instil better discipline at the club.

Ten Hag said: “Strict lines is what the club asked me because there was no good culture before I entered last season, so to set good standards, that is what I did and it is my job to control the standards.

“Of course, it is never someone only makes one mistake, it is a whole process before you come to a certain outcome about strict lines.

“If staff or players or whoever, there is a structure to cross lines so you have to be strong.”

Ange Postecoglou has laughed off talk he is in the honeymoon period at Tottenham but promised they will continue to improve.

Spurs’ flying start to the new campaign earned their new head coach the Premier League manager of the month award for August on Friday.

The last Tottenham manager to receive the accolade was Nuno Espirito Santo at the start of the 2021-22 season but he was sacked months later in October.

When it was put to Postecoglou that he was still enjoying the honeymoon phase of life in north London, he was happy to point out some of the challenges he has faced in N17.

“I don’t know what your honeymoon was like, but mine didn’t have me losing the greatest player (Harry Kane) in the history of this football club on the eve of a transfer window, me trying to scramble to get players into the club, fighting for everything I do mate. That’s not what my honeymoon was about,” Postecoglou reflected.

“I don’t sit here and think this has come to me or been served on a platter. I’ve worked hard, mate, I’ve worked really hard. It’s been a really tough period, nothing like my honeymoon.

“At Celtic I lost three of our first six. At Yokohama, we were battling relegation, but I can tell you the same sort of building stuff I did at the those clubs, I’m doing here.

“The only difference is the results have been better, encouraging, for sure, but I love this period because there is pretty much a day-to-day uncertainty about where we’re at. That will be here for the next six months to a year.

“Everywhere I’ve been, the second year is where I’ve felt like the team has really taken hold, but I also understand at this football club I can’t go three, four, five months without results because I won’t last. That’s the reality of it.

“If you measure on outcomes, yes, this looks like this has been smoother than the others.

“But I can assure you this has been just as challenging, if not more challenging because of the stakes here in the Premier League.”

Postecoglou admitted it would take two more transfer windows for him to feel his playing group has the squad depth it needs, with Spurs only required to challenge in the Premier League until January.

He added: “I definitely think we need at least two more windows to get to a space where I think ‘okay, we (are happy) as a squad.’

“Don’t forget this year we’re out of the Carabao Cup now and we’ve got no European football, so the fixtures are a little bit kinder to us between now and Christmas, but that’s not our aim.

“We want to have games, we want to be in Europe, we want to be in cup competitions. So we’re going to need a stronger squad and I don’t think we’re anywhere near that point where we’ve got a robust enough squad at the moment.”

Pep Guardiola admits he would have had a “big, big problem” if Kyle Walker had left Manchester City in the summer.

The England right-back came close to leaving the treble winners for Bayern Munich but ultimately opted to stay and this week extended his contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2026.

The 33-year-old had a spell out of favour last season but has started the new campaign strongly and Guardiola is pleased to have retained his services after losing experienced pair Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.

The City manager said: “After Gundo and Riyad, losing Bernardo (Silva) and Kyle would have have been a big, big problem.

“It’s not about the quality – the skills you can find quite similar, or different players can help you – but there are some things in the locker room that are so difficult to replace.

“These guys have a lot of experience in the important moments of important games. You know exactly how he’s going to respond in the bad moments.

“It would have been a big loss. That’s why as a club of course we fought for him to stay with us.”

Walker joined City from Tottenham in 2017 and has since won 15 trophies, including the Champions League and five Premier League titles.

Guardiola believes he has matured into a far better player than when he arrived and recently underlined his qualities with his response to a calamitous error last month.

Walker was at fault as Sheffield United claimed a late equaliser against City in their Premier League clash at Bramall Lane but then recovered to tee up Rodri’s dramatic winner.

Guardiola said: “He made a wrong decision when they equalised but, right after the equaliser, the next two actions came from Kyle in the byline. It was a goal. What a top, top player.

“He forgets what happened, says, ‘OK I’m going to win the game’. That defines the big, big players.

“No doubt he’s a much, much better player than seven years ago when he arrived. That is clear.

“Everyone makes mistakes but he has an incredible heart. And he’s a really nice guy, really nice, always tries to help.

“When a player is injured, he always calls him. I was at home (after back surgery) and he called me twice. ‘How you feel, Pep?’ This counts a lot in the group of people.

“The reason why we have a lot of success? The quality of human beings that we have.”

Walker has captained City so far this season and, with Kevin De Bruyne currently sidelined, could be the favoured choice to succeed Gundogan in the role full-time.

A vote among the squad and backroom staff – in which Guardiola will not participate – is due to be held in the coming days.

Guardiola said: “The vote will be taken the next days and the players will decide. It belongs to the players, not to me. What they decide, I’m fine (with).”

Chelsea’s policy of targeting young players in the transfer market must be given time to prove its effectiveness, according to boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have led a recruitment drive that has prioritised youth over experience during the last two transfer windows.

At an average age of just over 23 the club have the youngest squad in the Premier League this season, with contracts of seven or eight years for new players common at Stamford Bridge.

They have broken the British transfer record twice in 2023 on two players who are under 23, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

Yet the team have taken just four points from the manager’s first four league games in charge, after a summer in which recruitment spend in the previous 12 months under the current ownership surpassed the £1billion mark.

The manager was unhappy with the ease with which Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga was allowed to run through the heart of his team’s defence to score the only goal in the visitors’ 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge before the international break, and mistakes in defence and in midfield have been a theme in the season’s early weeks.

Nevertheless, Chelsea have enjoyed periods of dominance in all four fixtures, particularly in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool on the opening weekend and in the 3-0 win over newly-promoted Luton.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic said this week that the squad lacked the kind of world-class individuals that helped the club win five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues over the past 20 years.

But Pochettino has seen enough to be reassured that his ideas are taking root amongst his young squad, and appealed for the necessary patience for an inexperienced group to find their flow.

“They were (once) young also, John Terry was young, Frank Lampard was young, (Didier) Drogba was young,” he said. “You know better maybe than me, that is a completely different pressure. This is a different Chelsea to what I saw when I was at Tottenham or Southampton. Worse or better? I’m not saying that.

“But it’s different pressure. Different circumstances. Now we cannot compare with the past. I think it’s not fair. It’s a different Chelsea. What I want to translate is the fans want to win because the normal way in the past for Chelsea is to win.

“We need to accelerate all the process, because Chelsea is about to win, and we want to win. But I understand that the process is completely different to in the past. Because we have a different approach to the game and the philosophy and the ideas, (it means) we have a young squad of course.

“(We have) very talented players that need time to perform. But for sure we have one of the best squads of young players with the project. But of course we need time. We need to be careful about how we evolve and how we develop these ideas. But it’s true, players that need to improve and improve.”

Chelsea travel to Bournemouth on Sunday looking to win away from home for just the second time since March, with their only victory on the road in that time coming on their previous visit to the Vitality Stadium at the end of last season.

Pochettino spoke positively about his side’s performances so far this campaign despite a points return that has left them 12th.

He emphasised that his young squad are carrying the club into a new era where success is planned over a longer period, investing in potential rather than ready-made stars.

“I cannot give my opinion about what (Begovic) said because I didn’t hear,” he added. “But it’s obvious that at the moment, if you’re talking about a name like John Terry or Lampard or Drogba… come on.

“Today maybe we have the potential of Lampard or Terry or Drogba, but they are young. They need to prove that they can be one of these guys.

“In the past, Chelsea was about to sign (big) players, like Drogba. Now the idea is to buy young people to have the possibility to develop and to build a team. We are in the process of building a team.”

Harry Toffolo’s deteriorating mental health and belief that his football career was over were “very substantial mitigation” for him breaching Football Association betting rules, according to an independent regulatory commission.

Toffolo was given a suspended five-month ban after admitting 375 breaches of FA betting rules and was also fined just under £21,000. The Nottingham Forest full-back placed the bets between 2014 and 2017.

In written reasons published by the commission, it was stated Toffolo – who admitted the charge in full – placed 202 bets on matches in competitions in which his clubs were participating or had participated. There were also two spot bets placed by the player on events which involved himself as well as 15 identified to have been made against his own clubs.

Of the 375 bets, he staked £1,323.92, averaging £3.53 per bet. His total return was £956.22 – a loss of £367.70.

Toffolo placed a bet on himself to score in the 2015 League One play-off final at Wembley for Swindon, who lost 4-0 to Preston.

The independent regulatory commission accepted Toffolo’s explanation of having placed that bet “in excitement”.

The commission found Toffolo began placing bets on football, as well as other sports, when he was 18 and stopped at 21, with stakes “generally small”. He lost money overall, although he did profit from certain categories of bet.

There was no suggestion Toffolo was involved in match fixing or benefited from “any particular inside information” and he was “driven principally, if not exclusively, by his own belief as to what the outcome of a particular match or event might be”.

In the witness statements served on Toffolo’s behalf and also his own oral evidence, it was demonstrated the player “had a number of very difficult times in the period” when he was coming to terms with being told, during January 2014, he did not feature in the plans of then-Norwich manager Chris Hughton but could also not go out on loan to gain experience.

The commission reported “as a result he perceived that his future at NCFC (in the U23 development squad) looked bleak” and it was around that time Toffolo began gambling, partly to “alleviate his low mood but principally because he wanted to ‘fit in’ with players who were claiming to be gambling regularly and successfully”.

Following a loan move to Stoke, Toffolo said away from the pitch he “struggled with his mental health for a variety of reasons” which led him to gamble with increasing frequency.

The player also talked about feelings of loneliness when staying in a hotel during a short-term stint at Rotherham and that he became depressed when sent out on loan to Preston until the end of the 2015-2016 season, when he considered his career in football “to be over”.

The commission accepted there “appears to have been a link” between the state of Toffolo’s mental health and his gambling and noted when he joined Scunthorpe in August 2016 he “thrived far better”, with his family having also made the move. The frequency of his gambling decreased considerably and eventually stopped altogether.

On the basis of the evidence, the commission concluded the bets placed by Toffolo during the relevant periods “were the result, at least in large part, of the significant mental health challenges” he endured over those periods.

The commission found, with the support of his family and those around him and with external help from a sports psychologist, Toffolo made huge efforts to “turn things around”.

“That he did so, and did so so successfully, is a credit to him and, we hope, might serve as inspiration to other participants who might find themselves struggling with mental health issues,” the commission’s statement added.

On the sanctions, the commission stressed Toffolo’s breaches were “significant” and could not be described as “trivial despite the low stakes involved”.

While there was “substantial mitigation”, the commission felt a sporting sanction was nonetheless “appropriate and proportionate in light of the serious nature of the breaches committed over a lengthy period of time”.

It was acknowledged the suspended sanction could be viewed as “too lenient” but was concluded the “particular circumstances of this case justified the nature, duration and terms of the suspension”.

Forest have declined to comment on the sanctions imposed on Toffolo.

Manager Steve Cooper was among those to provide evidence to the commission, describing the defender as a ‘true professional’ and family man who has a positive impact on the dressing room and in the wider community.

The sanctions on Toffolo follow the imposition of an eight-month ban on Brentford striker Ivan Toney in May for breaches of FA betting regulations.

Pep Guardiola has reiterated his belief that Phil Foden can play in a number of attacking positions.

England manager Gareth Southgate suggested people should “speak to Pep” earlier this week after being asked why he seemed reluctant to play the midfielder in a central position for his country.

Southgate’s inference was that, as Foden tends to play in wider roles at Manchester City, it made it difficult for him to deploy the 23-year-old centrally in international games.

City manager Guardiola was indeed asked about this as he held a press conference on Friday to preview the champions’ Premier League trip to West Ham this weekend.

“I have an incredible relationship with Gareth,” said Guardiola, who returned to work this week after back surgery. “A comment from me? It looks like I disagree with him and I completely agree with him.

“When you play outside it is a completely different role but he knows, I know, that Phil can play in all positions up front – in the middle, outside right, left, in the pockets.

“But, as Gareth has said, in the pockets you have another responsibility, especially without the ball. Sometimes you don’t have to be so smart to read what happens every moment.

“But the important thing is Phil can play in the five positions up front without a problem and this is a big, big advantage for him.

“I saw the friendly game against Scotland. He started playing in the right, but moved and was most of the time inside. So the players move right, left, inside, outside. In the end it’s not a big issue.”

Saturday’s game at the London Stadium will see Guardiola back at the helm after missing two matches whilst recovering from his back operation.

In his absence, the treble winners maintained their 100 per cent to their title defence as assistant Juanma Lillo oversaw victories over Sheffield United and Fulham.

Guardiola said: “I’m getting better, three weeks after surgery. The doctor made a good job and, step by step, I think every week will be better.”

City received further good news this week as England right-back Kyle Walker agreed a two-year extension to his contract at the Etihad Stadium, committing him to the club until 2026.

Walker, who had a spell out of favour last season, recently admitted he came “close” to joining Bayern Munich over the summer but ultimately decided to stay.

Guardiola said: “It’s really important – like the extension from Nathan (Ake), Bernardo (Silva), Rico (Lewis) and Scotty Carson.

“Kyle is an important figure for us. Even his mates demanded he could not leave. His mind is there, he’s here on the pitch and loving it and football will not be a problem because he has a gene like few players I’ve seen.”

City announced Walker’s new contract by releasing a video starring the player in a ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ parody.

Guardiola said: “Our club is getting better in these social media departments. It was really, really good. The guy who has the idea, chapeau – hats off.”

Mauricio Pochettino has told Chelsea’s players they need to be more naughty if they are to reach the level required to move on from an indifferent start to the season.

The team have dominated for long periods in all four Premier League games so far but defensive errors and a continued lack of penetration in attack have meant they have picked up just four points and sit 12th.

Defeat at home to Nottingham Forest before the international break was a microcosm of the side’s early struggles under Pochettino, with the visitors’ Anthony Elanga allowed to run freely through the heart of Chelsea’s defence to score the game’s only goal before striker Nicolas Jackson skied a gilt-edged chance to rescue a point.

It mirrored the loss to West Ham in August in which the team controlled the first half at the London Stadium before allowing their hosts to nick a 3-1 win, thanks in part to a missed penalty from Enzo Fernandez and a spot-kick conceded by record-signing Moises Caicedo on his debut.

The manager said that whilst performances warranted a greater points return, his players need to sharpen their competitive instincts if they are to make good on his stated aim of returning the club to the Champions League.

The team face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday looking to win away from home for only the second time since March.

“The team performance was good in the first month,” said Pochettino. “We didn’t get the points that we deserved. The organisation was good, the way that want to play. Players believe in the way that we want to play.

“If you see the data, we are very good in possession, we are very good in construction and building. Only what we are missing is to score goals. That’s the most important thing in football.

“We want to be more competitive. We cannot concede this type of goal we conceded against Nottingham. We cannot be so weak, we need to be more solid. We have players with experience, players that can do better.

“At the moment I think my feeling is bad because we are playing well, we are showing to everyone we can compete, we dominate games against teams like Liverpool.

“But in the end we need to be more competitive – I say that because I don’t want to use another word. We need to be more naughty, more aggressive.

“They’re not too nice. (They need) to compete better. To increase our level is not about our quality, it’s to compete. To compete more in every single moment of the game that requires some thing to do. Because we’re still building the team, finding this balance, for sure it’s a matter of time.

“I try to describe why we didn’t get the points we deserved. At some moment of the game you need to show more this quality, this mental strength, to have this experience to manage better to deal with some circumstance in the game. Sometimes it’s not about only talent.

“When you see the Forest game after two weeks, the time we’ve spent trying to identify why we lost the game, it’s really tough. But that’s not to do with last season, we can’t blame last season. We need to blame ourselves and find solutions in ourselves. We cannot blame the past, we cannot blame the feeling of last season. Now it’s a new era, everything is new.

Pochettino confirmed that Romeo Lavia faces a spell out of the team after injuring his ankle in training, but could not say how long the summer signing from Southampton will be out.

However, an injury of this kind typically requires six weeks of recovery time, meaning the £58million Belgium international is unlikely to make his debut for the club before November.

“(We are) really disappointed because he was training really well last week,” said Pochettino. “He’s twisted his ankle and now we wait for Monday to hear from the doctor.

“We hope it’s not a big issue. It’s real shame. It’s a sad situation because he was nearly fit to be involved again with the team. We don’t know (time). We need to assess him.”

Neither Armando Broja nor Benoit Badiashile will be fit to feature against Bournemouth though both are back in full training and took part in internal matches during the international break.

Reece James, who went off injured during the season opener against Liverpool in August, is not fit to return but is back working with the ball in training.

“Reece is recovering well,” said Pochettino. “I can’t say if he’s close or not, because we assess him every single day. He’s started doing things on the pitch with the ball. He’s really well, he’s desperate to come again and help the team. I hope that he’s close and can be available before the next international break.”

The manager added that Trevoh Chalobah remains in his plans despite reports linking him with a move in January.

“Chalobah is in my plan. No one is going to decide for me. The message is that all the players who are going to be here in January or after January, I am going to be involved in the decision.”