Georginio Wijnaldum only joined Paris Saint-Germain in June but is reportedly unsettled.

The 31-year-old Dutch midfielder had signed a three-year deal with the Parisians.

Wijnaldum has been linked with several clubs given his situation.

TOP STORY – VILLA PLOT WIJNALDUM MOVE

Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa are considering a move for PSG's Wijnaldum , claims Sport.

Gerrard is keeping tabs on ex-Liverpool midfielder Wijnaldum, who is reportedly ready to leave PSG whom he joined less than 12 months ago.

The Villans were quoted with a £21million price tag for Wijnaldum who is contracted until 2024.

ROUND-UP

- Marca claims that 35-year-old Luis Suarez will leave Atletico Madrid at the end of this season, with Inter, Ajax and Sevilla pursuing him along with unnamed Brazilian clubs.

- Newcastle United will table a £50m offer for Bayer Leverkusen's French winger Moussa Diaby,  according to the Mail. Leverkusen have set a £75m valuation for Diaby.

- PSG want to re-sign Italy international forward Moise Kean, who is currently on loan at Juventus from Everton, claims Calciomercato. Kean was on loan at PSG last season, netting 17 goals in 41 appearances.

- Football Insider reports that Arsenal are monitoring Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins as a cut-price forward option if moves for Alexander Isak, Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Darwin Nunez fail to materialise.

West Ham have confirmed key player Jarrod Bowen avoided a serious injury after being forced off the field during Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.

The 25-year-old sustained the injury to his right heel during the early stages of the second half at Anfield when colliding with former Hull City team-mate Andy Robertson.

Bowen was helped off the field by West Ham's physios and boss David Moyes admitted after his side's narrow defeat that he was "worried" about the extent of the damage.

However, an MRI on Sunday revealed Bowen suffered no significant injury, though it is unclear at this stage if the versatile attacker is facing a spell on the sidelines.

West Ham's head of medical, Richard Collinge, told the club's official website: "Jarrod underwent an MRI scan in London and thankfully no significant injury has occurred. 

"He will continue to be monitored by the medical team and will undergo further examination in the coming days."

Bowen has scored eight goals and assisted the same number in 28 Premier League appearances for West Ham this season.

His 16 direct goal involvements in the competition is a tally bettered only by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who has 19 goals and 10 assists in 25 games.

Indeed, his 21 goal contributions in all competitions this term is the most of any England-qualified player in Europe's top five leagues, followed by Trent Alexander-Arnold (18).

Moyes will be eager to have the Liverpool-linked star available for Thursday's Europa League last-16 first leg against Sevilla, with the second leg on home soil following a week later.

West Ham host Aston Villa in the league between those European matches as they aim to bridge a three-point gap on fourth-placed Arsenal, who have played three games fewer.

Antonio Conte does not expect Dele Alli to come back to haunt his former side Tottenham when they host Everton on Monday, claiming players usually go "down, not up" when they leave him.

Alli's seven-year spell with Spurs came to an end in January as he left for Goodison Park in what is said to be an initial free transfer.

Frank Lampard's side will reportedly be obliged to pay £10million for the midfielder after he makes 20 appearances, with subsequent performance-based add-ons that may take the eventual figure as high as £40m.

England international Alli was one of four departures from Spurs last transfer window, with Bryan Gil, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso all sent out on loan.

Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were brought in as replacements by Conte, whose side next host Everton in the Premier League, but the Italian is not worried that Alli will make Spurs rue their decision.

"I don't remember a player that when he went away, came back with a great spirit of revenge," Conte told reporters.

"Honestly, I don't remember one. During my coaching, I always try to be honest with the players and give all the players the possibility to show me that they deserve to play.

"I don't remember a player that had their revenge with me. What happens usually is that when players went away they went down, not up."

Alli enjoyed a swift rise after arriving at Spurs from MK Dons, with former boss Mauricio Pochettino describing the two-time PFA Young Player of the Year as the best 21-year-old in the world in 2018.

But after the dismissal of Pochettino, who Alli reserved special praise for when he left for Everton, the midfielder struggled to make his mark under Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and then Conte.

However, Conte still believes Alli has time to rediscover the form that led him to become a mainstay in the England squad that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

Asked why Alli's career has been on a downward trajectory, Conte responded: "It is difficult to say something about this, for sure he is still young and his career is in his hands.

"He is very young and he has all the time to take his career again. I really think so. [Alli joining Everton] was a good decision for the player and the club.

"This decision was the best for the player because in the last few years he wasn't playing regularly and I think it was good for him to go to another environment to challenge himself.

"I can tell you that in the period that we were working together I tried to get the best out of him and he was always involved in the training session.

"But in the end, it was a good decision for him and he deserves big respect for what he did for this club in the time that he played here."

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea promised to fight to get "the club back to where it deserves to be" after a 4-1 thrashing at Manchester City.

United headed to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday unbeaten in 11 games in normal time across all competitions, while they were also on the longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League (eight games).

But doubles from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez proved decisive as Ralf Rangnick's side came crashing back down to reality, with their only consolation Jadon Sancho's first-half equaliser.

That leaves United a point behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who claimed a 3-2 win at Watford and have played three games fewer than their fellow top-four chasers.

De Gea vowed to battle to return United back to English football's top table after yet another derby-day humbling against Pep Guardiola's Premier League leaders.

"We will, one day, get this club back to where it deserves to be," he posted on Twitter after the game.

"Today was another bad moment in a difficult season but when we still have this shirt to defend we will not give up."

It has been a difficult season for United, who parted ways with club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in late November after a dismal run of form.

Spain goalkeeper De Gea has been a standout performer for a mostly underwhelming United side, but matters could be worse for the Red Devils if it were not for the 31-year-old.

Only a shaky Leeds United (166), Norwich City (156) and Brentford (145) – all relegation battlers – have conceded more shots on target than United in the league this campaign (140).

That has forced De Gea, who has just seven top-flight clean sheets to his name this term, to make a league-leading 104 saves, with Leeds' Illan Meslier his closest company after managing 102 stops.

The excellence of De Gea stands out when compared to other goalkeepers in terms of the differential between expected goals on target conceded and the number of times they have been beaten.

Expected goals (xG) on target conceded – a way of measuring not just the quality of a chance but the quality of the attempt itself – when subtracted from goals against measures a goalkeeper's shot-stopping prowess.

De Gea has prevented 4.21 by that way of comparison, ranking only behind Wolves' Jose Sa (8.44) in the Premier League.

United will be hoping to make amends for their derby-day performance when they host Tottenham next Saturday, before the return leg of their Champions League last-16 clash with Atletico Madrid three days later.

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick defended his medical team after Roy Keane questioned Cristiano Ronaldo's absence for Sunday's crushing 4-1 derby defeat to Manchester City.

Reports late on Saturday suggested Ronaldo would not feature at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, with Rangnick confirming before kick-off that the Portugal forward was suffering from a hip problem.

United were also without Edinson Cavani, who was missing for a sixth consecutive game due to injury as they fell to a humiliating loss at neighbours City.

Former United captain Keane, speaking on Sky Sports before the game, suggested Ronaldo's omission may be down to other reasons after being left out for such an important fixture.

Keane insisted the decision did not "add up", with Rangnick citing a hip flexor problem that kept the forward out of training on Friday, and the German responded to the comments after the match.

"I have to believe my medical department," Rangnick told reporters when asked about Keane's thoughts on the Ronaldo situation.

"Our doctor came to see me Friday morning before training and told me that Cristiano could not train because of some problems with his hip flexor and the same was true on Saturday and that's why he couldn't be a part of the squad."

Rangnick appeared frustrated to be without Cavani once more ahead of the clash with Pep Guardiola's side, suggesting the Uruguay international ruled himself out of contention.

After the game, the former RB Leipzig boss again commented on Cavani being ruled out of the derby, insisting he could not make a player feature if they did not feel fit enough.

"What does it help if I tell you it is frustrating? It is just a fact. If players tell the doctor and the medical department they are injured and cannot play, I have to accept it," he added. 

"I cannot force a player to play if he's not available because of an injury."

Pressed for an answer on whether Cavani decides when he is available, Rangnick responded: "Edi trained in the last three days, he trained well but he still felt after those three training sessions yesterday afternoon that he is still not fit to play.

"This is a fact. As a manager, I cannot force a player if he does not feel fit enough or well enough to play.

"We have to be – and I am – happy with the players we have. This is clear. We lost two, if not three strikers since Christmas, everybody knows.

"But this is a fact and we have to deal with it. I am not complaining about that."

The defeat at local rivals City leaves United a point adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal, who were 3-2 victors at Watford earlier in the day and have played three games fewer.

But Rangnick wants to focus on his team's push in the Champions League and hunt for a place in England's top four in the coming weeks, despite continued questions over who will take over at Old Trafford when his short-term contract concludes.

"Look, I'm still the manager of this team for another 10 games in the Premier League and hopefully a few more games in the Champions League," he continued.

"It doesn't make sense now to start speculation about how many players would we need and in what positions, this is my issue.

"Right now it's about preparing the team for the Tottenham game and after that, for a very important game against Atletico [Madrid] in the Champions League."

Roy Keane called for Manchester United to dump their derby flops as he attacked "shameful" effort levels in the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Along with fellow 1999 treble winners Gary Neville and Peter Schmeichel, Keane said the performance from United was unacceptable at the Etihad Stadium.

Doubles from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez left United to reflect on a wretched afternoon at the home of their neighbours.

A first-half strike from Jadon Sancho had briefly brought United level, as they began the game well enough before fading alarmingly.

Keane said on Sky Sports: "They did give up, and for a player in any game to give up, it's unforgivable really.

"The beauty of top-level sport is there's no hiding place. I know United have done well here the last couple of years. We saw all the United shortcomings today.

"There's ways to lose football matches. We've all lost football matches. But the way United lost it today, they stopped running, they gave up. There are players not running back, that's what I don't understand."

Ralf Rangnick, the interim manager, had led United on an eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League before this crushing blow.

"The manager will be criticised, and the tactics," said Keane. "But players not running back when you're playing for Man United, it's really unacceptable, it really is. They threw the towel in, which is shameful.

"It's hard when you're out there and you're up against a really good team and they're keeping the ball and you can't get it back, but I go back to it, we see some of the goals and you've got to run back, you've got to tackle.

"United players have shown quality over the years but we've just seen a reflection of where the team is and where the club is. It's just so far behind the other teams."

Sunday's results saw United slip to fifth, as Arsenal went above them with a 3-2 win at Watford earlier in the day.

Keane suspects there is more to United's troubles than may meet the eye, casting a degree of doubt before kick-off on the reason for Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, which was put down to a hip problem.

But he sees no excuse for United's players letting their focus drift.

"Whatever's gone in the dressing room, and we hear noises all the time, and we hear about problems obviously with the new manager maybe coming in, and recruitment," he said.

"But your own bit of pride eventually has to kick in at some stage. There were five or six players who should never play for Manchester United again. Just shameful, shameful that you can't run back and put your body on the line.

"I thought City had a couple of gears to go. They toyed with them. They [United] gave up, and shame on them."

Schmeichel, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, felt United were ripe for being picked off and need to look at themselves.

The former goalkeeper said: "I thought Rangnick should have changed things at half-time. He may have had words, but the second half was worse; at no point were United in the game apart from on the scoreline.

"Far too many players are either not good enough, or don't care enough. Having an interim manager means he can't do much; he knows he's not going to be there, so what can he change?

"There are players whose contracts are running down. [Paul] Pogba started the game, big question marks over whether he's going to stay. [Substitute Jesse] Lingard has said he doesn't want to be there. But for all that, Man City showed, in difficult circumstances, that they are the best in the country."

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick acknowledged "there is a gap between the two teams" after suffering a 4-1 thrashing at local rivals Manchester City.

United headed to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday unbeaten in 11 games in normal time across all competitions, but came unstuck against Pep Guardiola's Premier League leaders.

Kevin De Bruyne needed just five minutes to open the scoring and became the first player to score a league brace in the Manchester derby since Sergio Aguero in April 2015, after Jadon Sancho's first-half equaliser.

De Bruyne then turned provider for Riyad Mahrez to put the game beyond doubt at 3-1, before the Algeria international capped a sumptuous derby display with a late fourth goal for City.

That leaves United a point behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who defeated Watford 3-2 on the same day and have played three games fewer than Rangnick's side.

Rangnick pointed to the difference in quality between his team and City as he looked ahead to an important period, with United vying for Champions League success and a top-four push in the league.

"I think we played a good, if not decent first half. We were competitive. It is difficult to concede an early goal," he told Sky Sports after the game.

"We came back, scored a brilliant goal ourselves then conceded another on the counter. It was a very difficult game against one of the best teams in the world. We conceded a fourth in the last minute of the game. It is a difficult game that shows we have a long way to go to close that gap."

Pressed for an answer on whether the gulf between the two Manchester clubs showed, Rangnick added: "In the second half it did but the first half was a competitive game.

"Everyone knows how good they are. They are one of the top teams in the world and there is a gap between the two teams.

"We are fully aware we need to win games. This is one of the most difficult. It is accepting they were the better team today.

"But we look ahead to the next games and we need to win the next two home games - they are essential to us."

United's first-half display did offer some hope, with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes acting as strikers and Scott McTominay, Fred, Sancho and Anthony Elanga doing the hard yards in behind the front pair.

But the Red Devils' task was already made more difficult before kick-off, when it was confirmed they would be without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani.

"I don't know. I was hoping to have them available for this game," Rangnick responded when asked when Ronaldo and Cavani could return.

"We have two important games coming up against Spurs and Atletico and we have to put our full focus on that."

Meanwhile, City manager Guardiola was delighted with what he saw from the Citizens - who restored their six-point lead at the Premier League summit, albeit Liverpool do still boast a game in hand and make the trip to the Etihad in April.

"It was excellent from the first minute. We played really well and had to be patient in the first step," he told Sky Sports.

"Ralf [Rangnick] tried to change the mentality for Man United to be more aggressive but we made space, especially in the second half, to play behind [Scott] McTominay and Fred.

"Football is emotions. It's tactics, definitely, but it's also emotions. Without the ball, we are a team with desire and passion to regain the ball from the first minute to the 90th.

"We also want the ball as much as possible and, especially, second half we used it very well."

Guardiola also reserved special praise for Jack Grealish, who was preferred ahead of Raheem Sterling on the left flank.

"He was excellent. [At one] moment he will understand in the final third, 'this ball is from me'. He is very generous," Guardiola said of the former Aston Villa man.

"When you see Phil [Foden] and Riyad [Mahrez] in that moment, it is their ball. This is the next step for Jack, but in terms of decision-making, and using players in space, he was exceptional."

Kevin De Bruyne was pleased with how Manchester City responded to Liverpool's win against West Ham, after a "different" Manchester United derby challenge on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp's side closed the gap on Pep Guardiola's Premier League leaders to three points with a 1-0 victory over West Ham on Saturday.

But any sense of concern was quickly quashed when De Bruyne opened the scoring in the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium after just five minutes.

That was his 50th goal in the competition, and he soon added a 51st to his name, albeit after Jadon Sancho had levelled up for Ralf Rangnick's visitors.

Belgium international De Bruyne, who became the first City player to score a brace in this league fixture since Sergio Aguero in April 2015, then teed up Riyad Mahrez to put the hosts 3-1 up.

With that assist, De Bruyne recorded his 89th goal involvement in just 100 Premier League home games, spread across his time with Chelsea and predominantly City, and the midfielder was satisfied with his side's 4-1 win. Mahrez had added gloss to the scoreline in the closing stages, firing in off the face of David de Gea.

"I think Man United played differently to other occasions. They tried to press us and did well in the first half," De Bruyne told Sky Sports.

"We had a few more difficulties to get the ball around, but in the second half we created more opportunities."

De Bruyne was unable to explain why City have previously struggled at home to United but done well away, though he was delighted with this result against Rangnick's side.

"I can't explain why we always win over there [Old Trafford] but have more difficulty at home," he said. "Today, we played really well and deserved the three points.

"It's about winning game by game. They [Liverpool] won yesterday, but we responded in the right way. Sometimes we don't get the result, but we always play the right way and we will fight until the end of the season."

Mahrez sealed the derby success with the late strike that took him to 101 goal involvements for City across all competitions. It was his 21st goal of the campaign.

But the Algeria international acknowledged he had to stay patient for his opportunities, after a limited first-half display that saw the majority of chances come down City's left side.

"I think I touched four balls in the first 30 minutes, but in my head, I had to stay focused," Mahrez told Sky Sports.

"The first half was good and they [Man Utd] tried to play on the counter. Second half, we were more patient and more controlled and made the difference."

Discussing his goals, Mahrez added: "The first one, you just have to try and hit the target and the second one, I tried to put it high and it hit his face and went in. I will take both of them."

Guardiola's side will look to protect their lead at the Premier League summit when they travel to Crystal Palace in their next league outing, though Liverpool do still have a game in hand on City.

It was deemed a pivotal match in the title race. Liverpool would have been able to go top of the Premier League table – or at least within a point of it – with a win in their game in hand if Manchester City slipped up in the Manchester derby.

But upon its conclusion at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, it was difficult to imagine Liverpool players doing anything but lifting their jaws off the floor after City blew Manchester United away in stunning fashion, beating Ralf Rangnick's side 4-1.

Not that it always looked likely to be so one-sided. A Cristiano Ronaldo-less United certainly made things interesting at the start, and the absence of the Portuguese forward – due to a hip injury – gave them an enigmatic aura, to some degree.

It emerged on Saturday night that Ronaldo was a doubt when reports began to suggest the Portugal captain had not been present with the rest of the squad at their team hotel.

City would surely have been preparing to face Ronaldo all week, and so United's set-up will have come as something of a shock – even more so when in the early exchanges it looked like the visitors were attempting to go punch-for-punch with the champions, something few teams survive.

In fact, early on there were signs of role reversal. United had spells of possession, City were playing for counters. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, counter-attacking became something of a staple for the Red Devils in these fixtures.

But in the absence of Ronaldo, it was as if United were finally playing with a full complement of players, such has been his lack of influence outside the penalty area – you could potentially include inside the area as well given his recent wastefulness.

With Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba supporting wide forwards Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga, United looked fluid, intricate and generally dangerous in attack, almost mimicking City's striker-less style for 2021-22, the hosts' fifth-minute opener from Kevin De Bruyne not appearing to upset the away side's flow a great deal.

Jadon Sancho's excellent equaliser showed precisely what United were capable of, as they cut through City and the England international exhibited great composure by skipping around Rodri and curling into the bottom-right corner.

Though by that point, in the 22nd minute, City had already started to get to grips with United's slightly surprising set-up, as Rangnick's men started to show cracks.

In the first 15 minutes, the share of possession was almost 50/50 – over the course of a derby during Pep Guardiola's time in Manchester, United haven't had more than 40 per cent at the Etihad Stadium. But over the following third of the first half, City's share increased to 72.5 per cent, and it was unsurprising to see them regain the lead through De Bruyne just six minutes after Sancho's leveller.

If United were trying to mimic City, the latter were proving themselves to be the real deal.

Pep Guardiola seemingly targeted Aaron Wan-Bissaka – or United's right flank in general – as the weak link, with the right-back struggling to cope as Joao Cancelo, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva – even Phil Foden too at times – ganged up on him. City's first two goals originated from that area of the pitch and, in truth, even more could have.

United reached the break just one goal behind, and given their promising start and the open nature of the first period, there was reason to believe a way back wasn't out of the question.

But City were on a different planet after half-time.

Their control of the ball found another level, as did their cohesion when pressing, with United having immense difficulty passing through the City midfield.

Pogba faded into anonymity, Fernandes and Sancho too, while Grealish galloped with joy and De Bruyne ran the show, out-crafting and out-muscling his counterparts at almost every opportunity.

Adding to his brace, the Belgian also played the inch-perfect corner delivery that led to Riyad Mahrez's gorgeous half-volleyed third, which most would have accepted was game over for United. Though fans would have hoped the players weren't of the same opinion.

Yet the response to that 68th-minute goal was non-existent. City had 87 per cent of the ball between the 76th minute and full-time as United just seemed to throw in the towel – the concession of a late fourth to Mahrez was a just punishment for their reaction.

City's performance was a timely and fitting reminder that their superiority cannot be simply copied and pasted.

Rangnick said on Friday that City are an example because every decision in the club revolves around certain ideals and a joint-up philosophical approach to football – the second half on Sunday embodied that as they played United off the park playing the ferocious football they are known for.

Before this weekend, United had been reduced to the role of prospective party-poopers – it's a damning indictment of where they are now that even this was evidently way beyond their capacity.

Gary Neville labelled Manchester United "a disgrace" after their feeble second-half surrender in the 4-1 derby defeat to Manchester City.

After an exciting first half saw City edge 2-1 in front thanks to a Kevin De Bruyne double, the fizz went out of United's performance and they barely saw the ball in the closing stages.

Riyad Mahrez helped himself to two goals and United were out-shot 14-0 in the second half by a rampant home side at the Etihad Stadium.

It became a drubbing as United folded, and former club captain Neville said Ralf Rangnick's team let themselves down dreadfully.

During the final minutes of the game, Neville – now a commentator for Sky Sports – offered a string of stinging assessments.

"They've given up... they're walking around the pitch... nowhere near good enough," he said.

"They've absolutely thrown the towel in. The intensity and effort in the last 20 minutes has been non-existent."

United had just 21.1 per cent of possession in the second half, and their passing accuracy after the break was a poor 75 per cent. City's accuracy across the 90 minutes was a precise 92.7 per cent, underlining the quality they displayed.

Neville continued to be stinging as City's win was confirmed, adding: "Manchester United finished like an absolute shower.

"They were a disgrace in that last 25 minutes."

He spared Rangnick the most excoriating of his criticism, with the interim manager filling a gap between full-time appointments.

United had been unbeaten in eight Premier League games prior to this crushing setback.

The performance must have come as a shock to Rangnick, and Neville said: "The first time he's come up against a proper team, they've been given a proper doing."

Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez hit doubles as Manchester City thumped derby rivals Manchester United 4-1 to restore their six-point lead over Liverpool at the Premier League summit.

United had won their previous three games at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions but, without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, they were behind inside five minutes to a close-range De Bruyne strike.

After Jadon Sancho temporarily levelled up against his former club, De Bruyne struck a second to put City back in front before half-time, and then teed up Mahrez for a superb City third in the second half.

United were previously unbeaten in 11 games in normal time in all competitions but conceded a fourth when Mahrez doubled his tally late on, seeing City give themselves some breathing space at the top, albeit with Liverpool holding a game in hand and still having to travel to the Etihad next month.

De Bruyne was left in plenty of space to drill Bernardo Silva's low pass away from David de Gea early on, the Belgium international registering his 50th goal in the competition.

United otherwise made a positive start, despite also being without Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw and Edinson Cavani, and they were level with 22 minutes played.

Sancho was played into space by Paul Pogba and cut inside before sending a delightful curled finish past Ederson from the edge of the 18-yard box.

City restored their lead just six minutes later through De Bruyne, who blasted in after Phil Foden's initial shot was well saved by De Gea and not dealt with by United's defenders.

De Bruyne was again involved when picking out Mahrez from a corner to volley in a third goal for City, and the Algeria international rounded off the scoring in the 90th minute with another crisp finish after VAR judged Alex Telles had played him onside.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hailed Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard's quality after both scored in a thrilling 3-2 win at Watford.

Saka and Odegaard netted terrific first-half goals before Gabriel Martinelli added a third after the break, although replies from Watford's Cucho Hernandez and Moussa Sissoko ensured a nervy ending for the Gunners.

Arsenal, who are chasing a first top-four finish since 2016, have won four consecutive Premier League games, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Saka and Odegaard, who combined for the Norwegian's opener.

Saka has now posted 13 goal contributions in the Premier League this season (eight goals and five assists). Among players aged 21 and younger in the five big European leagues, only Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, with 17, has more than the England man.

Although Arteta was frustrated with Arsenal's defensive lapses at Vicarage Road, he was keen to highlight how the duo's understanding has impacted the Gunners' attacking displays.

"We were really good going forward, and we had all the right intention and the energy to do it," Arteta said. "We scored three magnificent goals, but we didn't have the same energy and commitment defensively. When that happens, you're going to suffer."

Arteta is impressed by how Arsenal are moving the ball and finding reliable links between key personnel.

He said: "The speed of the movement, the timing of it is much better, the position that we get [into], the threat and the sense of having the capacity to create the chances that we have done is much better, and we have to keep developing that."

Arteta also highlighted Saka's penalty shootout miss in the Euro 2020 final last July as a key moment in the winger's development, as the England star continued his fine campaign with a superb strike against the Hornets.

"Bukayo had an experience in the summer that not a lot of players would ever have, and I think it was great for his career, because the football world showed how much they like him and how much they respect him," Arteta said.

"I think that was a big boost for him to realise in difficult moments that people are going to give him support. Then it's about leaving him that space [to develop]. What he is already doing is phenomenal and he needs that room, you know? Don't read too much, do what you do."

Saka, along with team-mates Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe, is one of three Gunners players aged 21 or younger to have hit five or more Premier League goals this campaign.

That is a single-season feat for a team which has only been accomplished by three others in the competition's history: Chelsea in 2019-20, Leeds United in 1998-99, and Manchester United in 1995-96.

UFC star Conor McGregor has reiterated his desire to buy a football club, with Manchester United, Celtic and Chelsea all on his radar.

The 33-year-old said on social media this week that he would like to "explore" the prospect of purchasing Chelsea after Roman Abramovich confirmed his intention to sell up.

He has also previously signalled his interest in purchasing United from the Glazer family and the stake of fellow Irishman Dermot Desmond in Celtic.

McGregor's latest comments were met with scepticism given Abramovich's reported £3billion valuation of Chelsea, but he insisted he is serious about his interest.

"I do not speak in jest," he posted on his personal Twitter account on Sunday in tweets that were seemingly deleted soon after. "I am exploring this, as I said.

"Celtic from Dermot Desmond, Manchester United from the Glaziers [sic], and now the recently up for sale Chelsea football club. All being explored. 

"A football franchise purchase is in my future make no mistake about it."

McGregor has accumulated significant wealth through a number of high-profile bouts, including a crossover into boxing when taking on Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

He moved into the world of business when launching a whiskey brand in 2018 and the Irishman is determined to add a sports team to his profile.

"Everyday I ball," he added. "How wouldn't I lead a team of young, dedicated athletes to glory. I'm perfect for the job. Pray it's your team."

McGregor has been joined by several others in showing an interest in purchasing Chelsea, with Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak reportedly already in talks with Abramovich.

Long-serving owner Abramovich announced on Wednesday he had taken the "incredibly difficult" decision to put the club up for sale.

In a statement, he said the sale "will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process", adding he will not be asking for loans to be repaid by the club.

That decision came amid the threat of sanctions against further Russian businesses and high-profile individuals following the country's invasion of Ukraine last week.

Arsenal boosted their Premier League top-four hopes with a 3-2 win at Watford, as Bukayo Saka starred in a match containing five terrific goals.

Martin Odegaard opened the scoring when he capped a scintillating move on five minutes, before Watford's Cucho Hernandez went one better with a fantastic overhead kick after 11 minutes.

The lively Saka finished into the top corner after half an hour, before Gabriel Martinelli wrapped up the three points by finishing sweetly from outside the area after the break – although Moussa Sissoko's late response did keep the Gunners on their toes.

Prior to Manchester United's derby against Manchester City later on Sunday, Arsenal moved up to fourth in their pursuit of Champions League qualification for the first time since 2016.

Watford had the ball in the net after just 17 seconds in a frantic opening, but Emmanuel Dennis was narrowly offside and the visitors took an early lead instead, with Odegaard finishing neatly on his left foot after playing a superb give-and-go with Saka.

The Hornets needed just six minutes to respond, however, as Hernandez met Kiko Femenia's right-wing cross in acrobatic style to give Aaron Ramsdale little chance.

After Ramsdale almost spilled Dennis' shot to Joao Pedro, Arsenal reclaimed the lead when Saka bent a shot into the top corner from Alexandre Lacazette's backheel.

Manchester United stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane were all ruled out of Sunday's derby clash with Manchester City.

Ronaldo, who is United's top scorer with 15 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions, was absent for the trip to the Etihad Stadium, while Cavani was also not fit enough to make the squad.

While the Portugal star leads the scoring charts for the Red Devils, he has managed just one goal in 2022 – a second-half strike against Brighton and Hove Albion on February 15.

Earlier reports suggested injuries were behind the absences of Cavani and Ronaldo, and Ralf Rangnick confirmed the latter hurt his hip in training on Friday.

While that left Marcus Rashford as Rangnick's only recognised striker, the England international was named on the bench with Bruno Fernandes leading the line and flanked by Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga.

Rangnick also was again without Luke Shaw, with Alex Telles operating at left-back, while Scott McTominay replaced Nemanja Matic, and Harry Maguire came in for Varane from their last outing against Watford.

Shaw and Varane were missing due to testing positive for COVID-19.