Pep Guardiola would leave Manchester City if he did not think the players were behind him.

Guardiola pulled no punches with his verdict on the Premier League champions' first-half display in a 4-2 Premier League victory over Tottenham on Thursday.

The City manager said his players lacked "passion, fire and desire to want to win from the first minute" after they were booed off when Spurs went into the break with a two-goal lead at the Etihad Stadium.

They were transformed in the second half, blowing Antonio Conte's side away to move five points behind leaders Arsenal – who have a game in hand.

City could cut the gap to two points by beating Wolves on Sunday before the Gunners do battle with Manchester United.

Guardiola reiterated City must have the appetite for the fight and reach the consistently high standards that have enabled them to achieve so much success, even if he can understand why they might be lacking hunger.

"I won four LaLigas in a row when I was a player, in the fifth [season] I was not the same, in the sixth I was not the same. I was not starving enough. Madrid beat me; fifth and the sixth," he told reporters.

"I understand them [his players], but I am here to do it. The chairman knows that, I want to be here, otherwise I wouldn't stay. But if I lose the team or I lose something, I cannot be here.

"When I retire or decide the time is over at Man City or the moment I die and people say 'oh how good was Pep' it's not about that. But still we are here. We are second in the table, we are not 25 points behind Arsenal, still we are there.

"There are 57 points still to play for. What I'm saying is in this way [the first-half display against Spurs], no chance. We [also] have the FA Cup, Champions League and next season."

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss urged his players to focus on the present and the future rather than what they have already accomplished.

"I'm sorry for our haters, we will be in history in the Premier League, what the team has done," he added.

"How well we have done, the record breakers, many things and the consistency of playing a good level.

"But it is the past, now is here and our fans want the second half more often. That is what we have to find."

Eddie Howe says Newcastle United are reaching the "high expectations" they have set for themselves, despite a frustrating 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.

Newcastle had the better of Saturday's encounter at Selhurst Park, registering 16 attempts to Palace's six, and getting seven of those on target.

Ultimately, despite an expected goals (xG) of 1.4 to their hosts' 0.3, Newcastle could not make the breakthrough, though a point did send them into third in the Premier League, above Manchester United.

The draw also marked Newcastle's 15th league game without defeat (W9 D6), a run that stretches back to a 2-1 loss to Liverpool in August. It is the club's longest unbeaten streak in the top flight.

Asked if it was one point dropped rather than two points gained, Howe told BBC Sport: "I haven't had time to think about it. Is it? I don't know the answer to that.

"I'm really pleased with the team. Really tough place to come, we were ourselves and we had the moments and chances to score, we just didn't take them.

"Maybe not absolutely clear-cut, you have to score moments, but a lot of presentable opportunities, really good positions where we didn't quite get our final ball right.

"It's a frustration for the team, I can sense that. We've got high expectations of ourselves. I felt we dominated for long spells, they defended well."

Newcastle have now kept a clean sheet in each of their last six Premier League games, the longest such run for any team under an English manager since Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough kept seven consecutive clean sheets in the 2003-04 campaign.

They did rely on a fine save from Nick Pope to keep out a Jean-Philippe Mateta effort, however.

"I'm not too sure on these records, but it's nice to hear," said Howe. "Pope, I have to say, as much as we were dominant, made an incredible save and he’s been brilliant since he signed. That was a big moment.

"Every team has days like this, especially when the competition is so high. The most important thing is if we don't win, we don't lose."

Pope has kept 12 clean sheets this season, more than he managed in either of his last two campaigns at Burnley. Only in the 2019-20 season did the England international keep more (15).

At the other end of the pitch, Newcastle are looking for forward reinforcements after Chris Wood joined Nottingham Forest.

"We're actively looking, no guarantees, but we are trying," said Howe when asked about new signings.

One reported target is Everton winger Anthony Gordon, who did not feature as Frank Lampard's struggling side lost 2-0 at West Ham.

However, in his post-match press conference Lampard shrugged off the suggestion Gordon did not come off the bench at London Stadium due to that speculation.

Jadon Sancho "has a way to go" before returning to Manchester United's matchday squad, says Erik ten Hag, who has ruled the winger out of Sunday's clash with Arsenal.

Sancho has not played for United since a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in October, with Ten Hag describing his absence as the result of "circumstances with fitness and mood".

While the 22-year-old returned to team training earlier this week, he will not be involved when United bid to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to seven games against title-chasing Arsenal.

Asked about Sancho's return to the group by MUTV on Saturday, Ten Hag said: "It is the next step. He still has a way to go.

"He will know that, but when he makes this progress, then he can return to the group for games. 

"Of course, we all hope for that, because he is a great footballer. He has great skills that can help us. 

"We have to cover so many games, but especially we need quality players, and he is definitely a quality player who can make the difference, and we are expecting that from him."

United remain the only side to beat Arsenal in the Premier League this season, and they are bidding to complete just their second league double over the Gunners since Alex Ferguson's 2013 retirement on Sunday, having beaten them home and away under Jose Mourinho in the 2017-18 campaign.

While United will be without Sancho and suspended midfielder Casemiro in north London, they have no other major absences to deal with, and Ten Hag is hopeful of another positive performance.

"As you know, Casemiro is absent, but for the rest, we have a good team, which has to battle with Arsenal," he said.

"We have to go head-to-head, and we are convinced we are in a good way. We have a prepared team and a good plan and energy, and we will be acting on that."

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri said a decision on Frank Lampard's future does not rest with him.

Moshiri, who has hired six permanent managers since he invested into the club in 2016, was in attendance as Everton lost 2-0 to West Ham on Saturday at London Stadium.

That marked an eighth defeat in nine games for Everton across all competitions, leaving them 19th in the table, level on points with last-placed Southampton.

Yet Moshiri, who publicly backed Lampard prior to a crunch defeat to Southampton last week, claimed a decision on the manager is not in his hands.

"I can't comment. It's not my decision," he told Sky Sports.

Bill Kenwright and the rest of the club's board watched on from the stands against West Ham, having not attended Goodison Park for the Southampton game due to concerns over their safety.

Kenwright, the Everton chairman, was also asked if time was up for Lampard.

"It's been a bad run of results for us all and for Frank," he said. "But I would never say that to you, ever.

"We've got to start winning, haven't we? Bad time."

Moshiri said in an interview with talkSPORT earlier this month he had previously made decisions on managerial appointments based on the wants of fans.

Lampard told Sky Sports: "Those things are not my choice; it's my job to work and focus and keep my head down. If they are difficult conditions, I just have to do my job."

When asked if he felt the support of Everton's hierarchy, he responded: "I know there are issues, I'm not trying to close my ears to anything. It's just about how you work, the support you feel, the communication, that sort of thing.

"We communicate all the time, we have done since I've been here. I try to do the best I can for the club."

Speaking in his post-match press conference, West Ham manager David Moyes, who spent 11 years at Everton and has been under pressure himself, said he hoped the Toffees stood by their boss.

"I hope Everton stick with Frank, I think he's a top bloke from my conversations and the times I've been with him," Moyes said.

"I would hate to think Everton would go down because they mean so much to me."

While Everton are yet to make a signing in January, Moyes thanked West Ham's board for the support they have shown him with the addition of Danny Ings, who made his debut off the bench.

"I've had brilliant support from the board and even buying Danny shows they want to do whatever they can to help," he added.

Dusan Vlahovic and Leonardo Bonucci aimed to rally the troops after Juventus were served with a 15-point deduction.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Friday that Juve would be punished in the wake of an investigation into the club's past transfer dealings.

Ex-Juve director Fabio Paratici – who is now at Tottenham – as well as former chairman Andrea Agnelli were also handed long bans from Italian football.

The deduction has seen Juve drop from third to 10th ahead of Sunday's meeting with Atalanta, which had been set to be a tussle between two teams embroiled in a fight for Champions League qualification.

But Vlahovic, a big-money acquisition from Fiorentina last year, had a bullish message.

"We are not afraid of losing a few points," the 22-year-old posted on Instagram. 

"We are not afraid of rolling our sleeves up. We are not afraid of our opponents. We must not be afraid of anything.

"Because when they think we have fallen, we'll get back up stronger than ever.

"This is us, this is Juventus."

Captain Bonucci had a similar message.

He posted on Instagram: "Juventus are like a seven-headed dragon: cut one off and another will always emerge. She never gives up."

Southampton's Premier League clash with Aston Villa was briefly suspended following the appearance of a drone at St Mary's.

The drone was spotted flying above the stadium in the 42nd minute of the match, which was goalless, with play subsequently halted by referee Michael Salisbury.

The players returned to their dressing rooms while several supporters left their seats as Southampton's safety officer surveyed the situation.

However, play resumed nine minutes later with the hosts looking for a victory that would lift them out of the relegation zone.

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool "have to be ready for little steps" as he declared himself pleased with a Premier League goalless draw against Chelsea on Saturday.

Struggling heavyweights Liverpool and Chelsea played out a dismal contest at Anfield to leave themselves nine points off fourth-placed Newcastle United, who had a game coming up later in the day.

Liverpool had 15 shots, but just three were on target, with their expected goals (xG) return of 1.40 lower than that of Chelsea (1.59), who had a Kai Havertz goal ruled out.

The Reds did at least snap a two-game losing run in the Premier League with their first clean sheet in nine, all of which Klopp believes points to a positive day on the whole.

"We had good spells but couldn't keep it up," Klopp, who was taking charge of his 1,000th game in management, told BT Sport.

"We have to be ready for little steps, and this is a little step. We didn’t concede against Chelsea, which is good. We didn't create an awful lot of chances, but we had them.

"We defended more with passion than clear organisation, so in the end I am okay with nil-nil. You have to accept it."

Liverpool and Chelsea have now played out five successive draws, albeit with the Reds winning two of those games on penalties in last season's EFL and FA Cup finals.

It is the first time ever the sides have drawn three successive league games.

Klopp's side now turn focus to an FA Cup fourth-round tie with Brighton and Hove Albion, while they have a Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid coming up.

Echoing the thoughts of his manager, utility man James Milner believes Liverpool are showing small signs of improvement.

"When you're in a tough period and a tough moment in the team, I think it's important that you stick together and fight for those clean sheets and that's where it starts," Milner said.

"It's not the best football matches that we are playing, but it's small steps to get where we know we can be.

"We would have liked to win it, it's pleasing that we had the chances. This is a small step in the right direction, but we have got a long way to go to where we want to be.

"We always want to win our home games, we know the situation we are in at the moment, things are not easy.

"We've got to stick together, keep working hard. We kept a clean sheet which was pleasing. We need to get that base. We had chances to win the game."

Milner, who lined up at right-back, had the joint-second most touches of any Liverpool player (73) despite playing just 72 minutes. He felt the condition of the playing surface worked against Liverpool.

"It was two teams that aren't playing their best at the moment. That's why you have to win that battle, and the pitch didn't make it as easy to play as we would like," he said.

"At times we could have made it easier for ourselves by taking an extra touch but also moving for each other. 

"We had really good spells in the game as well. There's things to work on, but a clean sheet is a step in the right direction."

Graham Potter said it was a "positive day" despite being denied a win as struggling giants Liverpool and Chelsea played out a 0-0 draw at Anfield.

The Chelsea head coach has seen his team win just two of their last 10 games (D2 L6) but was happy enough with the result, despite it seeing them remain in 10th place in the Premier League.

Kai Havertz was denied a goal in just the third minute after a VAR check found him to be offside in an otherwise fairly eventless game on Saturday.

"I thought the performance was good," Potter told BT Sport after the stalemate. "I was happy with the team, the energy, what we tried to do. At Anfield, it is always tough. It's a clean sheet and a point [and] we move forward.

"First half, we were decent, unlucky not to get the goal. It is what it is. They started the second half well, and we adjusted a couple of things and gained control, had a couple of chances. Overall, a positive day, apart from the fact we wanted three points."

At his post-match press conference, Potter was asked about Mykhaylo Mudryk, who made his debut off the bench and went close to scoring a couple of times.

"He's not played since November. He hasn't had any game time. It would've been a risk. He'll get better the more he is with us," the former Brighton and Hove Albion head coach said as he explained why the big-money arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk did not start.

Potter added regarding Mudryk and another new arrival, on-loan Joao Felix, who was suspended following his debut red card at Fulham: "They're top players. Sometimes people think us coaches turn top players into top players. But Mudryk, Joao, they understand the game. It's just fine-turning it a bit."

Chelsea are now without a win in their last six Premier League away games on the road (D3 L3), their longest run in the competition since September to December 2015 (D3 L4).

Mason Mount – who has been linked with a move to Liverpool at the end of the season – was also of the opinion that it was a good point for Chelsea.

"You know this is going to be a tough place to come," he told BT Sport. "Overall, we controlled a lot of it. We could have taken our chances.

"It has been tough lately, we want to win games. I feel like it is getting better and we worked hard today.

"We'll definitely take this today. The final passes weren't there – if it was maybe we would have scored a few in the first half, but as I said, this is a tough place to come.

"They press you and force mistakes, like [they did in] the second half, and I think we came through that."

Steven Gerrard believes Jude Bellingham should steer clear of continental Europe's top clubs and come to Liverpool.

Former Reds midfielder Gerrard has offered to take Bellingham out for dinner and tell him about what he could achieve by moving to Anfield.

Bellingham has long been touted as a big-money target for the Reds, and Gerrard believes the 19-year-old would be more likely to flourish with Liverpool than with Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

The attraction of Liverpool may be diminishing, with Jurgen Klopp's team looking highly unlikely to qualify for the Champions League through the Premier League route this season.

They may yet get there by winning the Champions League, but that looks a fantastical prospect given they face Real Madrid in the last-16 stage, and given Liverpool's general form has been terribly patchy this season. A 0-0 draw at Anfield against Chelsea on Saturday left the Reds rooted in mid-table, a worrying distance behind the top four.

"All he needs to do is send his diary to me, when he's got a free day," Gerrard said, while working as a pundit on BT Sport. "I'll fly to Dortmund personally, I'll take him out for a nice dinner and we'll talk about it."

What is beyond dispute is that Bellingham's skill set and dynamism would improve Liverpool's midfield, with Klopp's experienced campaigners Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara not the force they once were. Gerrard described that area as "a little bit stale".

Gerrard said: "I'm sure Jude is bright enough to see there's a stand going up here, this is going to be a 60,000-seat stadium, they've got one of the best five managers in the world, they've won the Premier League of late, they've been in Champions League finals of late, they pay very well here – that's a fact."

Bellingham plays at an 81,000-capacity ground with Dortmund so Anfield is small by comparison, but there are undoubtedly aspects of a move to Liverpool that might appeal.

Dortmund are struggling domestically this season, too, so Bellingham would not be giving up the prospect of likely league titles in Germany, particularly given Bayern have dominated there for the last decade.

But he might have transfer options where winning major trophies would appear more likely than if he were to move to Merseyside.

Even though Bellingham has been playing in Germany for three seasons, and flourishing in the Bundesliga, Gerrard feels the former Birmingham City player belongs in England.

"I think it's important he stays in this country," said former Liverpool captain Gerrard. "He's 19 years of age.

"You talk about Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich; I know he's doing it at Dortmund now, but them clubs are at a higher level than Dortmund and you can get swallowed up.

"There's a lot of stars, and you can get swallowed up by making a move too soon.

"In my opinion, staying around England, staying around this country, getting developed, there's still growth in him, and he can evolve, and I think staying in England until a certain age until he hits his peak years is very important for the boy now."

Jurgen Klopp's 1,000th match in management; the English top flight's 50,000th fixture – Chelsea's trip to Liverpool on Saturday wasn't short of milestones, intrigue or importance.

But there was certainly no surplus of quality at Anfield as two teams who've been feeling sorry for themselves for most of the season failed to produce the spark that could reignite their thoroughly underwhelming campaigns.

Graham Potter's men left with a 0-0 draw that Chelsea might ultimately be relatively happy with, but generally speaking it was a match devoid of brilliance, and by extension an indictment of two teams who should be faring far, far better.

It bears remembering that, in fairness, Liverpool and Chelsea played out draws in seven of their previous 17 Premier League meetings – but such tightness has also led to numerous classics down the years, helping stoke something of a competitive rivalry between the two.

Recent Premier League title winners, recent Champions League titlists – even with their respective injury woes and general struggles, surely this was still going to be a thriller?

There probably wasn't a more inappropriate description of the first half, a dour 45 minutes of football barely punctuated by any hints of ingenuity or quality.

Chelsea could argue they were the brighter of the teams. Kai Havertz had an early goal disallowed; Lewis Hall flashed a left-footed effort across the six-yard box; Benoit Badiashile headed at Alisson from close range.

But it was hardly sustained pressure, and you could make a case for all three incidents being caused more by poor Liverpool defending than attacking brilliance from Chelsea.

Of course, it cannot be overstated how many important players were absent for both teams – it's no fluke they began the weekend ninth and 10th in the league.

But even with the likes of Hall and Stefan Bajcetic starting, it wasn't as if either side resembled a creche. The starting XIs cost over £200million. Each.

Not even Mohamed Salah – a genuine superstar – could bring the desired quality, skying one attempt as he cut inside and onto his left foot. You know the one, the type of chance you'd almost expect him to finish last season... or any past campaign in Liverpool red.

A fairly tame Thiago Alcantara effort was Liverpool's first shot on target in the 39th minute.

There was undoubtedly a sense of Jurgen Klopp "getting into" – as Reds great Steven Gerrard put it during his punditry – Liverpool at half-time, as they began the second half on the front foot.

Within seconds of the restart, Ibrahima Konate surged forward and seemingly panicked with little else on. His toe-poke from about 50 yards almost crept into the top-left corner in an incident that seemed to sum up everything about the game until that point.

But Liverpool's intensity didn't last, their dip seemingly coinciding with the introduction of Mykhaylo Mudryk, who gave Chelsea a notable lift.

His first touch was heavy. Cue ironic cheers from the home fans.

But his next will have had the Kop staring wide-eyed in terror.

Conor Gallagher was tripped in the box and Mudryk pounced, remarkably dancing past three Liverpool defenders before drilling left-footed into the side-netting.

Relief was the expression written all over the Reds' defence – although only for a moment. Soon after he left James Milner for dead, luring the makeshift right-back into a lunge that brought a booking and his subsequent substitution for Trent Alexander-Arnold, deemed not fit enough to start.

Suddenly Chelsea were looking to Mudryk in virtually every attack. Two devilish Hakim Ziyech crosses sought him out at the back post – the first was met with a heavy touch, the second slightly too strong for him to divert goalwards.

The Ukrainian was also neat with his link-up play, delicately releasing Carney Chukwuemeka into the box twice with well-weighted passes, only for the youngster to stumble on the first occasion and then needlessly delay his shot for the second.

Mudryk wasn't enough to inspire a breakthrough, though. In fact, the game probably didn't deserve a goal, and you certainly couldn't say either team were particularly unfortunate not to win.

While Mudryk's cameo will have undoubtedly offered Chelsea some encouragement, the overriding conclusion from such an underwhelming contest was that both extremely expensively assembled teams still look like they could do with another £200m of investment.

Struggling Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Chelsea played out a goalless draw at Anfield in Jurgen Klopp's 1,000th game in management.

The clubs find themselves level on points in mid-table and Saturday's 0-0 result does neither side's hopes of challenging for the top four any good.

Kai Havertz thought he had given Chelsea the lead inside three minutes, only for VAR to rule it out for a tight offside, while Benoit Badiashile wasted a good opportunity.

New signing Mykhailo Mudryk was handed his debut in the second half and also went close for Chelsea, but there was to be no breakthrough at either end.

Havertz turned the ball in from close range after Thiago Silva's shot had hit the post and cannoned into his path, but his left foot was adjudged to have been in an offside position.

Liverpool, who handed a full league debut to Stefan Bajcetic, survived another scare when Badiashile headed too close to Alisson from a few yards out.

The visitors turned to Mudryk before the hour mark after Cody Gakpo sent a number of attempts off target for Liverpool, and the big-money signing made a quick impact.

Some slick footwork allowed him to get a shot away, albeit into the side-netting, and an even better chance fell his way when failing to control a pass at the back post.

Shots on target proved hard to come by, though, with substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold also blazing over late on as the sides could not be separated in 90 minutes for a fifth successive meeting.

Harry Maguire believes the growing competition for places at Manchester United is a recipe for success, despite seeing his own game time limited this season.

The Red Devils captain has endured a frustrating campaign, having started only seven matches, and just two in the Premier League since August.

Despite playing the full 90 minutes of United's 3-0 win over Bournemouth, the England defender appeared only as a late substitute during the recent derby win over Manchester City, while he was unused in the midweek draw with Crystal Palace.

Erik ten Hag's side headed into this weekend sitting third in the Premier League and eight points behind leaders Arsenal, who they face in a blockbuster clash at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

United then play Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup semi-finals before taking on Reading in the FA Cup fourth round, while an eagerly anticipated Europa League showdown with Barcelona is also on the horizon.

Maguire insists squad rotation is and will continue to be crucial as the club bid to be successful, and potentially end their six-year wait for major silverware, having last triumphed in the 2016-17 Europa League under Jose Mourinho.

"I think subs throughout our season have been really important," Maguire told United Daily. "They've scored some crucial goals, players have come on and had a big impact in the game. So, we know it's a squad game.

"Obviously, everyone wants to start and everyone's disappointed when they don't start the games, but that's the way it should be because we're all footballers.

"We're all competitive, we want to play football, but we've also got to be ready when we're called upon.

"I think our fixture list from now until the end of the season is relentless, not much break, not much rest in between games. So, I'm sure fresh legs will be used.

"And I think if you're going to be a successful squad, it's so important to have competition for places in each position, and I think we've got that in this team now."

It was one of the most memorable breakthroughs by a young player in top-flight European football over the past 15 year or so.

Marcus Rashford stepped into the Manchester United first-team as a skinny 18-year-old amid an injury crisis. After scoring twice against Midtjylland in the Europa League, he followed up with another brace on his Premier League debut three days later.

Arsenal were on the receiving end as Rashford's first-half double helped United to a 3-2 win at Old Trafford in February 2016.

It was an introduction that promised much, such was his prodigious ability and remarkable speed.

But as he prepares to face league leaders Arsenal again on Sunday, there's a feeling he's only now beginning to fully realise his potential.

Full circle

The 2021-22 season was an utter shambles for United. They failed to finish in the top four, setting a new club record for the fewest points in a single Premier League season.

In a failing team with so many issues, it was no wonder few players could excel. But the outlook for Rashford seemed particularly bleak.

He ended with only 13 league starts over the season, the fewest since 11 during his breakthrough campaign.

There had been a degree of optimism when he finally had surgery on a troublesome back injury. He'd not looked his usual dynamic self for a while, though it was hoped this operation would set him straight even if it meant missing the first two months of the season.

He scored on his return, a 4-2 defeat to Leicester City, and then got another two weeks later as United beat Tottenham 3-0, but this was something of a false dawn. By the end of the season he found himself regularly missing out in favour of Anthony Elanga, and he concluded the campaign with just four Premier League goals.

With upheaval in his personal life, the stress of his part in England's Euro 2020 failure and the subsequent reaction, it was a complicated time. It got to the point where he sought help from a psychologist after Euro 2020, such was his inner turmoil.

Pundits told him to leave, convinced Rashford and United couldn't rebuild each other – but, here we are in January 2023, with the England forward something of a poster boy for a seemingly promising new era at Old Trafford.

A fresh start

Only Rashford will know for certain what's changed the course of his United career, but there's little doubt something happened.

Whether it simply came down to being in a better mental state, as aided by off-field stability, or if it was something more deliberate, perhaps he'll open up one day.

But he took it upon himself to train at Nike's headquarters in Oregon last year before pre-season, and his comments while on United's tour of Thailand and Australia painted a picture of a man relishing a new era with Ten Hag.

"I think we can do a lot together," he said in July. "For me, it's a fresh start and something I am looking forward to. I'm in a good place right now and I'm just looking forward to getting more games under my belt.

"It's been a bit unnatural for me to have such a long break in the summer. This is my first year where I have been with the team from the beginning [of pre-season]. And, to be honest, I already feel a lot better than usual when you go on internationals and you come back midway through the pre-season."

Again, it's rarely possible to definitively prove from the outside what the decisive factors are behind such improvements in football, but the results speak for themselves.

His recent run of scoring in seven successive appearances (all competitions) was the best such run by a United player since Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2008.

New-found maturity

Being in Ten Hag's team most weeks won't have hurt Rashford's continuity, but he's still had to earn that role in the team – the Dutchman has already shown he's not afraid to drop players.

Overall, Rashford appears to be playing with greater maturity as he operates in more threatening areas and with improved efficiency.

His average of 5.6 involvements in open-play shot-ending sequences every 90 minutes is more than any of the previous three seasons – 2.2 of those situations are instances of him having the shot, which is also a high over that period.

So not only is Rashford relishing greater influence generally, he's also displaying more decisiveness in terms of opting to shoot, which stands to reason given his goals frequency (excluding penalties) of 0.47 per 90 minutes is the second best of his Premier League career.

Of course, a key component of Rashford's game ever since his breakthrough has been ball carrying. Even if he's not the best dribbler, his pace makes him a real threat when running with possession.

This season, he's carrying the ball less (8.5 carries per 90 minutes) often than any of the previous three campaigns, yet his record of 1.2 shot-ending carries per 90 is higher. It's another sign of maturity, with Rashford picking his moments better, but also confidence: his 20 shot-ending carries is already four times his tally from last season.

That also feeds into his general decision-making. He's actually averaging the fewest touches in the box of his top-flight career (5.5), but his total shots in the area (2.1) and attempts on target from the same range (1.2) have never been higher.

It's no surprise then that Rashford's expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes of 0.43 is the second-best of his Premier League career. This can be partly explained by his overall shot frequency (2.8) being slightly above his average (2.5), but it's also evidence of his shot selection improving and him finding better positions off the ball.

We shouldn't forget Rashford was also a standout for United in 2019-20 before a difficult couple of years. One difference now, however, is Ten Hag has already made United far more functional as a unit. They're a better team made up of better individuals.

Rashford made his breakthrough against Arsenal; more heroics against the Gunners might just be a sign of him and United taking a step towards another level.

Arsenal and Manchester United lock horns at Emirates Stadium on Sunday in perhaps the biggest clash between the two sides since the title-tussling encounters of the mid-2000s.

The two Premier League greats are a shadow of their former selves; the Gunners have not won the title since 2004 while United last lifted the Premier League in Alex Ferguson's final season in charge, 10 years ago.

Yet the 2022-23 season has seen the old rivals show signs of vast improvement.

Arsenal's patience in Mikel Arteta is paying off. A return to the Champions League might have been the target heading into the campaign, but the Gunners find themselves in pole position in the title race.

Similarly, Erik ten Hag has steadied the ship at Old Trafford, following a difficult start at the club, to give United a shot at becoming involved in the title equation.

Those hopes were dented slightly by a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Wednesday, though claiming a second win of the season over the Gunners, whose only league loss of the campaign came at Old Trafford back in September, would greatly enhance their status as contenders.

Crucial to the form of both teams have been two playmakers; classic number 10s in terms of their technical ability and distribution, but the pair also possess the keys to success in the modern game – aggression and work rate.

Martin Odegaard, Arsenal's captain, has excelled since he was handed the armband by Arteta ahead of the campaign. The Norway international, signed by Real Madrid back when he was 16, has gone from strength to strength, and clinched the Premier League Player of the Month award for November/December.

United, meanwhile, have Bruno Fernandes back at his best and, though his displays have gone under the radar in comparison to Odegaard, the Portugal midfielder stands as one of the Premier League's finest performers this term.

Two sides of the same coin

Odegaard's numbers in front of goal this season have been the driving force behind conversations that there may well be another Norwegian in the running for player of the year alongside Erling Haaland.

The 24-year-old has scored eight times and set up his team-mates on five occasions. His tally of direct goal contributions (13) is bettered by only three Premier League players.

While Fernandes is behind his rival in that regard, the Portugal international shares plenty of similarities this season with Odegaard – particularly when creating chances for team-mates.

Odegaard's expected assists (xA) this season stands at 4.23, averaging 0.26 per 90 minutes, with Fernandes tallying an almost identical 0.27 per 90 (4.89 xA).

Fernandes (2.2) and Odegaard (2.6) are close too in the number of chances created per 90 minutes, as well as progressive passes (4.9 per 90 for Fernandes, 4.4 for Odegaard).

The pair also rank among the top six players in the Premier League for attacking sequence involvements from open play, Fernandes standing top of the pile with 128 while Odegaard comes sixth with 102.

That puts Odegaard narrowly ahead of team-mates Bukayo Saka (98) and Gabriel Martinelli (97), evidence the Gunners are sharing the attacking burden more widely.

United are seemingly more reliant on Fernandes' involvement – his 49 chances created is 24 more than any of his club-mates.

Leading by example

Arsenal have hardly lacked a creative midfielder down the years. They boasted Mesut Ozil, another former Madrid player, previously, but fan frustration towards the World Cup winner eventually grew to a perceived reluctance to shoot and instead look for an extra pass to create a goal, while the German's languid playing style also drew criticism.

Prior to this campaign, Odegaard was perceived as also attempting to play an extra pass where the option to shoot was on. This term, though, he has taken a more direct approach, and he is Arsenal's leading goalscorer in the top flight.

A shooting accuracy of 60.71 per cent puts him ahead of Gabriel Jesus (54.05) and Saka (48), while just narrowly behind Martinelli (62.07).

Odegaard also has the best shot conversion rate of the quartet (19.05 per cent) and averages a goal every 179 minutes in the Premier League, again higher than the others in Arsenal's first-choice attack.

His willingness to shoot is made clear when compared to his fellow Premier League midfielders, with only Bryan Mbeumo (29), Kevin De Bruyne (30), Harvey Barnes (31) and Kai Havertz (31), who is often utilised as a forward at Chelsea, trying their luck on more occasions – though none of those four have a better minutes-to-goal ratio than the Arsenal man.

Captain Fernandes

In contrast to Odegaard, Fernandes has not taken on the role of club captain on a full-time basis but has been called upon regularly by Ten Hag this season, with Harry Maguire out of favour.

Fernandes has captained United in 14 of their 19 league games, with Maguire and the now departed Cristiano Ronaldo taking the armband for the other five matches, and United perform far better when the former Sporting CP midfielder is in the role.

United have won 71 per cent of their matches with Fernandes as captain (10 of 14), losing just once, compared to a 40 per cent win percentage without him wearing the armband – winning two and losing three of those five games.

With Fernandes as captain, United have scored more goals per game and conceded less per game than with Maguire or Ronaldo in the role. Perhaps the Portugal international's influence on the team stems further than just his numbers in the final third.

Now Ronaldo is out of the picture, Fernandes' opportunities with the armband should increase, particularly if Maguire fails to win back favour, and that will serve as a positive for United's push to enter the title picture.

Come Sunday, whoever can come out on top in the battle between the two number eights might just win the game.

Manchester United are reportedly planning an audacious move for Tottenham star and England captain Harry Kane at the end of the season.

Kane, 29, has put together a spectacular goalscoring resume during his time at Spurs. He is one goal away from tying Jimmy Greaves as the club's all-time leading scorer, while he has already tied Wayne Rooney for the most goals in an England shirt, and is third all-time for Premier League goals.

This season has been more of the same, as Kane has started all 20 of Antonio Conte's side's league fixtures and hit 15 goals, trailing only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (22) in the race for the golden boot.

Tottenham have no interest in parting ways with their frontman, but his contract situation could force their hand.

TOP STORY – KANE INTERESTED IN A MOVE TO OLD TRAFFORD

According to the Daily Mail, United boss Erik ten Hag has put Kane at the top of his recruitment plans at the conclusion of the season, when the 29-year-old will have only 12 months remaining on his contract.

Crucially, the report states Kane "is open to joining United", providing further indication that he is unlikely to sign an extension to remain at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs will demand a fee of at least £85million, while Bild adds both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid remain interested.

ROUND-UP

– The Guardian is reporting Liverpool will look to pursue 24-year-old Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount at the end of the season if he does not sign an extension at Stamford Bridge.

– According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal are hoping to bring in 20-year-old Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga on a short-term loan.

– Calciomercato is reporting West Ham have proposed a loan with a mandatory £30m (€34m) buy clause for Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, but the Italian side want an immediate permanent deal.

– Roma will look to replace Zaniolo with 23-year-old Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, who is valued at €30m, per Gazzetta dello Sport.

– The Daily Mail is reporting Leicester City have returned with a second offer for 24-year-old Stoke City and Australia centre-back Harry Souttar after their initial £10m bid was rejected.