With the first international break of the campaign now in the rearview mirror, all eyes are back on the Women's Super League for matchday six.

Manchester City beat Aston Villa to ensure they stayed top of the pile, but Chelsea, the only side to win all of their games this season, are hot on their heels at the summit. 

Manchester United's winning start was halted by Brighton, though they are still unbeaten ahead of taking on Arsenal in what will be Marc Skinner's 100th game in charge.

There is a London derby in the offing, with Spurs taking on West Ham, while there are also important fixtures for sides at the wrong end of the table, with Everton and Aston Villa, along with the Hammers, searching for their first win of the campaign. 

But which of those sides will emerge victorious on matchday six? We turned to the Opta supercomputer to get its latest set of WSL predictions.

MANCHESTER UNITED V ARSENAL

The weekend's action kicks off with a blockbuster encounter at the Leigh Sports Village Stadium, with Renee Slegers hoping to maintain her excellent start as the Gunners' interim boss.

Slegers' first WSL match in charge ended in a 2-0 triumph over West Ham. Arsenal have now won their last three away games in the division and could win four in a row on the road in the league for the first time since December 2022 (eight).

But they face a stern test against the Red Devils, who have only lost one of their last four home games against the Gunners in the WSL (W2 D1), and following 3-0 wins over West Ham and Tottenham, are looking to win their opening three home games of a WSL season for the first time.

This will be Skinner's 100th game in charge of United in all competitions – his win rate (62.6%) with the club is by far his best with a team across his managerial career (47% at Birmingham City, 21% at Orlando Pride).

Opta's model is forecasting a tight encounter. United are handed a 35.1% win probability of emerging victorious, compared to Arsenal's 38.9%, while a draw is given a 26% chance of happening. 

BRIGHTON V LEICESTER CITY

Brighton enter the weekend just outside the top three on goal difference following their 1-1 draw with United before the international break, and are on a three-game unbeaten run.

The Seagulls are unbeaten at home in the league this season (W2 D1) and could go four home games in a row without defeat in the WSL for the very first time.

However, they have struggled against Leicester on home soil in recent years. 

Leicester are unbeaten on their last two trips to Brighton in the WSL (W1 D1), and the Foxes will be full of confidence after ending a run of 12 league games without a victory when they beat Everton last time out. 

Brighton's win probability is a hefty 53.1%, with Leicester given a 22.9% chance and 24% of the match simulations finishing all square. 

CRYSTAL PALACE V MANCHESTER CITY

WSL leaders Man City make the trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace, who have lost their first two home games in the WSL by an aggregate score of 0-8 upon their return to the top-flight. 

Gareth Taylor's team will become the fourth side to play 200 games in the WSL after Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton – with their 142 wins after 199 matches are already the most by a team across their first 200 games in the competition.

City have also done well against promoted teams. They have won 23 of their 24 games in the division against such opponents, netting 88 goals and conceding just nine times. The only exception was a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in May 2023.

Lauren Hemp will also be looking to continue her fine form. She has now both scored and assisted in 16 different WSL games, with Vivianne Miedema (20) the only player to do so more often in the competition

City are overwhelming favourites, winning 78.3% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations, while Palace have just a 9.4% chance of earning their second win of the season. A draw is only 10.1% likely. 

TOTTENHAM V WEST HAM

Tottenham, meanwhile, will be hoping to bounce back from their 5-2 defeat to Chelsea when they take on West Ham, who find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table after five games.

Spurs have lost three consecutive league matches for the first time under manager Robert Vilahamn, only losing more times across their opening five games in a WSL season in 2020-21 (four), but have won three of their last four home London derbies in the WSL (L1) after winning just one of their first 11 in the competition (D3 L7).

The Hammers have won only one of their five away meetings with Tottenham in the WSL (D2 L2) and are winless in their last 14 league games (D6 L8), with only six teams ever going longer without victory in the competition – it is the longest ever unwanted streak by a London club in the competition.

They are given just a 21.7% chance of earning a first win of the season with a draw assigned at 23.1%, while Tottenham are given a 55.2% win probability.

ASTON VILLA V LIVERPOOL

Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to Villa Park, with both sides hoping to ignite their seasons with a victory after disappointing draws against Leicester and Crystal Palace respectively last time out. 

The supercomputer makes this fixture the toughest to call on matchday six, with Villa given a 35.4% chance of victory to Liverpool's 38.6%. The draw threat is at 26%.

Villa won their first ever WSL meeting with Liverpool 1-0 in November 2022 but are winless in their three games against the Reds since (D1 L2).

They have also failed to win their opening five league games for the second season in a row, the sixth team to do so in back-to-back campaigns in the WSL.

Liverpool completed a league double over Villa last season and have also enjoyed games away from Merseyside. They are unbeaten in their last seven away games in the WSL (W5 D2), having never before gone eight in a row on the road in the competition without suffering a defeat.

EVERTON V CHELSEA

The weekend concludes at Goodison Park, where Chelsea will be looking to make it five WSL wins from five under new boss Sonia Bompastor.

The former Lyon coach is aiming to be the third manager to win their first five games in the WSL after David Parker and Jonas Eidevall (both of whom beat Everton in their fifth game). The Frenchwoman has also won 19 of her last 20 away league games as a manager (L1).

And she has reason to be confident of achieving that feat. Chelsea have won each of their last nine WSL games against the Toffees, only ever going on a longer winning streak in the competition against West Ham and Tottenham (current streaks of 10 wins).

Everton are also winless in their 19 previous WSL games against the reigning champions (D3 L16), failing to score in 10 of the last 12, while also failing to record a victory in their last three league matches at Goodison Park. 

They are given a measly 9% chance of halting the Blues' winning run, and an 11.6% chance of holding their opponents to a draw. Chelsea, meanwhile, are given a win probability of 79.4%, the highest of any team on matchday six. 

Nuri Sahin is seemingly running short on time and players ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga clash with RB Leipzig.

Dortmund have not won any of their away matches in the league this season and have lost their last five games on the road in all competitions following Tuesday's loss to Wolfsburg in the DFB-Pokal.

They have been solid at home in the league, winning all four games, so any slip-up at the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday would certainly pile more pressure on Sahin.

"This is not about my personal situation," Sahin said following his team's DFB-Pokal exit.

"It is about developing the club and getting back onto the winning track as quickly as possible.

"So it is not about me. It is about the club and I, as a coach, have the responsibility. Believe me, for me it is extremely bitter and disappointing to be in this situation we are currently in.

"We cannot do anything else other than keep working."

That has proved challenging this week, however, with Wednesday's open training scrapped and turned into individual fitness sessions due to a lack of available players.

Dortmund are without wingers Karim Adeyemi and Julien Duranville, attacking midfielder Gio Reyna as well as defenders Niklas Sule, Julian Ryerson and Yan Couto among others.

Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer is also nursing an injury but is likely to play while fellow defender Waldemar Anton, recovering from his own injury, could be an option by Saturday.

The mood could not be any different at Leipzig who are undefeated in the league and winners of their last four league games to join leaders Bayern Munich on 20 points.

They also had little trouble disposing of St Pauli 4-2 in the Cup on Tuesday.

Dortmund have won each of their last eight home games in all competitions, their longest run since between November 2022 and May 2023 (11).

BVB are the only team yet to drop a point at home in the Bundesliga this season and have collected 12 of their 13 points in Dortmund – the discrepancy between home and away points is not as big for any other team in the league.

In a bold move highlighting longstanding issues within the St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Football Federation, Koyana Horne has tendered her resignation from the Executive Council, citing concerns over governance and transparency.

Horne, who was elected in March for a four-year term on the executive council, led by president Otashie Spring, said she wanted to serve based on the promise of good governance, transparency, accountability, and football development.

As such, Horne expressed disappointment with the federation's approach to governance, noting a lack of both transparency and inclusivity in decision-making processes. She added that her decision to resign with immediate effect reflects her commitment to personal integrity and to what she believes is in the best interest of SVG football.

“Please note that I did not take up the mantle to serve without careful thought, nor am I giving up at this point without the same careful considerations. However, I will like to maintain my sanity, integrity, and reputation at the end of the day. So allow me to express my disappointment in not being able to honour the period for which I was elected, and why,” Horne said in her letter, a copy of which was obtained by SportsMax.Tv.

“Too many questionable actions and decisions have not been sitting well with me. Though an elected member of the council, I feel ostracized from a lot of decision-making, and information sharing seems selective. As such, I don't think I am making or is allowed to make a real impact,” she added.

Horne pointed out that she witnessed persistent issues that, in her view, have hindered the growth and development of football in the islands. The first of those issues, she said, surfaced when Spring sought outside counsel from Mr Venold Coombs, whom he desired to have attend executive meetings.

She explained that though the president’s decision was met with rejection, he maintained that Coombs would serve as his personal advisor.

“Now, while I have no personal problems with Mr Coombs, in my humble opinion, a relationship of the sort seems reckless until clarity is given by/from the relevant authority about his permitted level of involvement in the administration of football," said Horne, who was the Chairperson of Match Commissioner, venue coordinator, and
field accreditation committee.

She continued: “Then there was segregation within the Council, the setting up of an executive within the executive, labelling it as an Emergency Committee, as opposed to simply having emergency meetings. Some council decisions were made without an invitation for all council members to part-take. My objections to this were futile and are made to seem conscientious with the addition of a fifth council member; even that in itself is another issue.

“The misrepresentation of the discussions held and agreements made at meetings is written as Council Minutes. Statements without context and paddings of unheard discussions comprise these legal documents, not to mention proclamations passed as decisions made.”

That said, Horne pointed to a lack of transparency and inefficient communication from the federation's hierarchy, leaving council members oblivious to the organization’s true financial standing, among other things.

“One may expect council members to know the financial status of the organization, but secrecy seems to be the order of the real powers that be. To date, only one monthly financial report has been shared with the entire executive council, yet extraordinary meetings are called to make decisions with great financial implications,” she argued.

“Communication is the icing on top of the cake. Internally, there seems to be a rationing of information on a 'need to know' basis. In attempts to question things so I could have clarity and understanding, too many of the things asked were left without answers or given partial responses. Information is received after the fact or from alternative sources (thank you to the many grapevines out there). The lack of trust is felt, but it goes both ways,” Horne said, adding that she will continue to lend her support and knowledge when and where possible.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said that the players he gave gametime to in their 3-2 victory over Brighton in the EFL Cup in midweek gave him something to think about ahead of their league meeting with the same opposition this weekend.

“I really liked what I saw from players who haven’t played much so far this season. That makes it even harder for me to make line ups in the upcoming weeks,” he told The Mirror.

Cody Gakpo scored a brace in midweek and is now pushing for what would be only his third league start of the season.

“In the second half of last season Cody scored a lot of goals so he’s been a good player for Liverpool for a long time now. He continues doing that and that’s a good thing.

“For me, he is a regular starter. Not starting every game, but he’s started on a regular basis. There is tough competition with Luis Diaz.

"It’s normal at a club like Liverpool to have two quality players for every position. If you look at Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah, who was unlucky with the goals we conceded, their overall performances I liked and they are in competition with Virgil [van Dijk] and Ibou [Konate].

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed that Joao Pedro is back in first-team training and could play a part, while Matt O'Riley is also on the road to recovery after an injury nine minutes into his debut.

"We have to see – he [Joao Pedro] is coming back after a long injury – if he will be an option, but he is back in training," he told a pre-match press conference.

"Matt O’Riley is back in training. We have to see when he will be ready for potential playing in the squad."

Hurzeler also expressed excitement about his first experience of managing at Anfield, although stopped short of fawning over the thought of it.

"It is not on my bucket list to manage there but it will be a great experience, for sure. I am really looking forward to the atmosphere there," he said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool - Mohamed Salah

Salah has been Liverpool's most effective player in the final third this season with 11 goal contributions (six goals, five assists). He is their top scorer and tied fifth among the league's top goalscorers.

He has scored nine Premier League goals against Brighton in total, including three in his last two meetings.

Brighton - Danny Welbeck

Like Salah, Welbeck has also scored six league goals so far this season and is his team's top scorer.

The 33-year-old has scored three goals in his last three league appearances and four in his last five. Notably, he also scored against Liverpool at Anfield in their previous league meeting last March.

MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

Liverpool will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run to six league games (W4 D1) as they meet Brighton on Saturday, having drawn 2-2 away to Arsenal last weekend.

They are currently second in the Premier League on 22 points after nine matches, one point behind leaders Manchester City.

They have won seven of their nine Premier League games under Arne Slot so far (D1 L1). Victory here would see him pick up the most victories by a Liverpool manager in their first 10 top-flight games in charge of the club.

Liverpool have an impressive home record so far this season (W3 L1), while they also have the best-performing defence in the league with just five goals conceded.

Brighton were beaten 3-2 by Liverpool in midweek, albeit with both sides having much-rotated XIs in the EFL Cup fourth round, and will have their work cut out on Saturday.

They travel to Anfield with two away victories out of four in the league (D1 L1), although the games they failed to win came against Arsenal and Chelsea.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Liverpool - 64.1%

Draw - 18.6%

Brighton - 17.2%

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has attempted to take the pressure off the players ahead of their weekend match against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.

O'Neil's side are currently 19th in the Premier League with just two points from their opening nine matches, with Palace four points above them in 17th.

“I know there will be a lot made of the next games, but they’re not must wins,” O’Neil told a pre-match press conference. 

“Crystal Palace are good. They spent £30million on a striker from Arsenal and Eze is pretty good! We need to be ready in every game and we want to win.

“Southampton will also be tough, they keep the ball forever and have a real set way of playing.

Wolves fought back from two goals down to claim a point in a 2-2 draw against Brighton last weekend, having only scored their first after 88 minutes. Their manager was clear on that never-say-die attitude always being present at the club.

“There will be challenges in every game because that’s the level of the Premier League, but we’ll keep going," he said.

“The lads will never stop. We’ll stand up, we’ll keep going and we’ll be fine. 

“The one thing I guarantee we won’t come up short on is fight, passion, togetherness and effort.

“If we come up short on quality sometimes, we work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we definitely won’t come up short on anything else.”

Opposite number Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, has fitness worries over some key players going into this match after both Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton came off injured against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup in midweek.

While he was positive that Wharton's injury was just the recurrence of an existing issue, he was less sure about Eze.

“I hope that it’s not too serious but I don’t know. It’s not the best information that I got today that Ebs had to leave the pitch," he said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves - Matheus Cunha

Cunha got Wolves' equaliser against Brighton deep into stoppage time last weekend, bringing him to four for the season so far.

He has scored in 15 Premier League matches for Wolves, but curiously has only ended on the winning side in three of them (D3 L9).

Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta

Mateta is Crystal Palace's top scorer this season, having scored three league goals and laid on one assist. In all competitions, meanwhile, he has five goals.

The Frenchman has scored 16 goals in his last 20 Premier League starts for Crystal Palace. Mateta’s 17 Premier League goals in 2024 are the most by a Palace player in a calendar year.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Both of these teams have made a poor start to the Premier League season, with Wolves second-bottom of the table and Crystal Palace in 17th after nine matches.

The hosts are one of three teams in the division that are yet to have won a league games this season (D2 L7), though did end a six-match losing run with a 2-2 draw away to Brighton last week.

Wolves are the only team who have not picked up a single point at home this season, while their Molineux losing streak goes back five matches to their previous meeting with Crystal Palace (11 May 2024).

Crystal Palace are yet to win on the road in the league (D1 L3), with their last away win incidentally being their 3-1 reversal of Wolves at Molineux.

Oliver Glasner's side did pick up their first win of the season (D3 L5) last weekend, beating Tottenham 1-0 at home to put them on six points after nine matches.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves - 38.6%

Draw - 27%

Crystal Palace - 34.4%

Ruben Amorim vowed to clarify whether he will be joining Manchester United after Sporting CP's next game.

Amorim looks set to head to Old Trafford as United's replacement for Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is in interim charge of United, and led the Red Devils to a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

Amorim swiftly emerged as United's top target, though they have had to negotiate with Sporting over a compensation fee, while reports have also suggested the 39-year-old coach will have to serve a period of notice at the Lisbon club.

Speaking ahead of Sporting's fixture ahead of Estrela da Amadora on Friday, Amorim urged patience, as he said more clarity will be provided after that match.

"It's a negotiation between two clubs. It's never easy, even with the [release] clauses. They have to talk," he said.

"We will have clarification after the game [on Friday], it will be clear. So it's one more day and after the game tomorrow, we will have a decision made."

He added: "I know you [journalists] travelled here to talk about it and that's natural, but we'll leave that until the end of the game [when] I'll talk about all these issues. 

"I promise I'll talk about it at the end of the game and everything will be clearer.

"By talking now, it's destabilising the squad further. Right now, the focus is on Estrela da Amadora. As for doing things differently, I wouldn't. I didn't control any of the situation.

"I know my players and I'm honest with you when I say that they weren't normal. I realised they were nervous and anxious about the news, with a series of tough games coming up.

"They know me so well. I've proved that I'll defend them until the last minute. But there are things I can't control. There are things we can't control. The clubs are negotiating, it's not the coach's decision."

Amorim led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in 2021, and won the Primeira Liga for a second time two seasons later.

Jamaica’s reigning Premier League champions Cavalier FC booked a spot in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final for a second consecutive year after they mauled Dominican Republic’s Moca FC 7-0 in a lopsided second leg semifinal tie at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

A hat-trick from Suriname's Shaquille Stein (6th, 45+3, 62nd) and a brace from Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray (1st, 51st) did most of the damage for Cavalier, while Christopher Ainsworth (39th) and Dwayne Atkinson (79th) also got in on the act.

With the win, Cavalier, who lost last year’s final to Suriname’s Robinhood, now have a shot at redemption as they await the winner of the second semi-final between Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC and Haiti’s Real Hope in the showpiece. By virtue of making the final, Cavalier also secured a return to next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

Head coach Rudolph Speid was pleased but also surprised at the margin of victory, especially after being held to a goalless stalemate in the first leg.

“It was very pleasing. We didn’t expect to win by such a large margin; however, this is our third time playing them, so they aren’t strangers to us,” Speid said.

Cavalier wasted little time to make their intentions known as Auvray found the opener shortly after kickoff when he drove home a firm left-footer from a distance.

The Jamaican team struck again before Moca could regroup as Stein expertly headed home from Jalmaro Calvin’s weighted cross five minutes later.

Ainsworth extended the lead when he converted from the penalty spot as Moca FC’s custodian Miguel Baez was left flat-footed.

Stein then notched his second and Cavalier’s fourth with another comfortable finish as they went to the break 4-0 up.

With the writing on the wall, frustration set in, and Moca lost Baez and Jesus Correa to straight red cards and, as such, contested the second half with nine players.

Cavalier showed no mercy and made full use of the numerical advantage when Auvray completed his brace with another well-struck effort from outside the 18-yard box.

Stein completed his hat-trick soon after to move his tally to seven so far in the tournament, before Atkinson added his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time.

Despite the loss, Moca FC still stand a chance of making the Champions Cup, provided they come out tops in the third-place playoff.

Emiliano Martinez was humble as he accepted the Yashin Trophy for the second straight year at the Ballon d'Or awards on Monday.

Martinez, who played a key role in Aston Villa's Champions League qualification last term before helping Argentina retain the Copa America title.

The former Arsenal goalkeeper won the Yashin Award in 2023, having been integral to Argentina's 2022 World Cup success, and he kept hold of the prize dished out to the best goalkeeper at the ceremony in Paris.

"I don’t see myself as the best – there are so many good goalies I see week in, week out," Martinez said upon accepting the award.

"I only care about group titles with the national team, with Aston Villa. I focus on myself and my goalie coaches know the work I put in every day.

"For me, it's about improving myself."

Martinez and Villa have made an impressive start to the campaign. They are top of the Champions League with three wins from as many matches, and occupy fourth spot in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham.

"It's huge for me," Martinez continued.

"I always dreamed of playing one game for the national team. Coming from such a young lad to England and trying to work my way up to succeed at Aston Villa and with the national team, winning one [cap] was an honour.

"Back-to-back [Yashin Trophies] is something I never expected. I'm just proud to be here today. All thanks go to my family and friends.

"We’re doing something amazing in the club, we're moving forward. We've won back-to-back trophies with the national team and that’s all I care about."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham - Son Heung-min

Son, who missed Spurs' defeat to Crystal Palace last week, has been involved in nine goals in eight Premier League games against Villa (six goals, three assists), though all six of his goals against them have come at Villa Park. No player has scored more against an opponent without netting a home goal in the competition.

Aston Villa - Emiliano Martinez

Fresh from winning the Yashin Trophy for a second time, Martinez will no doubt be out to prove his credentials as the best in the world.

Keeping a clean sheet and helping Unai Emery's team to victory would be a good start.

MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN

Spurs have lost two of their last three league matches, but Opta's supercomputer backs them to come out on top on Sunday.

Tottenham have scored 49 goals in 23 home Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou. The only boss to hit 50 goals in 24 or fewer home games with Spurs is Antonio Conte (50 in his first 20).

Only two of Tottenham's last 71 home Premier League games have ended as a draw (W47 L22) and they are the only side without a home draw since the start of last season (W16 L7).

Just Liverpool (13) and Nottingham Forest (11) have won more away Premier League points this season than Villa (10 – W3 D1). Villa have only won as many as four of their opening five away league games in a season once before, doing so in 2020-21 (W4 L1).

Tottenham have lost three of their last four Premier League meetings with Villa, though did win the last such match 4-0 in March, so while Opta's model fancies Spurs' chances, Villa will certainly be no pushovers.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Tottenham - 49.5%

Aston Villa - 27.6%

Draw - 22.9%

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that it is up to young midfielder Ethan Nwaneri to dictate how quickly he will become a regular in their first team.

That was after the 17-year-old midfielder played a starring role in his side's 3-0 victory away to Preston North End in the last 16 of the EFL Cup, curling in a wonderful effort for the second.

Nwaneri scored his first senior goals with a brace in the 5-1 win over League One Bolton in the previous round and looked in great shape again on Wednesday.

"He's a big talent, he's got the right attitude and he's got the right players and context around him," Arteta told BBC Sport.

"We need to make sure that we build brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there."

Nwaneri has already made four substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, having come off the bench against Tottenham, Leicester, Bournemouth and Liverpool.

In September 2022, meanwhile, he became the youngest player in history to feature in the Premier League after coming off the bench against Brentford at just 15 years and 181 days.

According to his manager, the pace of his further development will be down to him.

"He's going to really dictate how fast that's going to go, but I'm really happy with him," Arteta added.

"There's so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen.

"He's very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of.

“You see his team-mates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that's a great sign. So we have some player there."

Juventus head coach Thiago Motta was critical of his team for making too many mistakes at both ends of the pitch in their 2-2 draw with Parma on Wednesday.

The draw saw them drop to fourth in the Serie A table, with the gap to leaders Napoli now seven points. It was also the second straight game in which they had to come from behind to avoid defeat.

But while the 4-4 draw with Inter on Sunday was seen as a point gained, this was two dropped according to Motta.

"I think today we conceded too many restarts. At their goal kicks, we were trying to bring the defender out to then be able to press and cause an error, but we didn't succeed," he told DAZN after the match.

"In the defensive phase we made a lot of mistakes."

Forward Dusan Vlahovic missed a brilliant chance inside the six-yard box, but failed to convert. Motta was unwilling to dig out his striker, but did suggest his entire team have to be better at converting chances after having 16 efforts on goal.

"We have to have balance and control of the game. Today we did well until the last two metres, but in the end we have to do better," he said.

"We created danger on the counter and we have to continue like this. 

"But we have to improve in bringing our team into the opponent's half, in finishing and not letting the opposition restart."

Timothy Weah supplied an assist and a goal to twice get Juventus back level in this match, but was later replaced by Inter hero Kenan Yildiz, who had scored twice to level at the weekend. The Turkey international almost scored a winner in added time and Motta was pleased with the output of both.

"Weah played well at San Siro and again today, scoring," Motta told Sky Sports.

"Kenan coming on later, with the game more open, is an ideal player to create situations. He has freedom in the final metres, it was normal today to want to open things up against such a closed team."

Pep Guardiola conceded Kevin De Bruyne will not feature before the November international break as Manchester City prepare to visit Bournemouth on Saturday.

De Bruyne has not played since mid-September when he was removed against Inter in the Champions League, with a thigh issue his latest injury setback.

The Belgium captain also spent a four-month spell on the sidelines last campaign, and Guardiola revealed bad news on De Bruyne's recovery before Wednesday's disappointing 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Cup fourth round.

"I would like to tell you [when he can return], I especially would like to know, but I don't know," said Guardiola.

"He feels better to train, but to go to the level we need for competition he still has pain. Kevin has to feel good to express the huge talent that he has.

"If he doesn't come back as quickly as possible, we will struggle because we cannot sustain it with 14 or 15 players, but it is what it is.

"We need players to come back but it is what it is. Hopefully that can happen after the international break."

City sit a point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table after their narrow 1-0 win over Southampton, while Bournemouth are 11th after their last-gasp leveller for a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola will be expecting a tough test at the Vitality Stadium, though suggested no one can match Villa's left-hand side – not even City.

"I made one sub in the first half for the first time in my career but I have to assume the responsibility because I put Julian [Araujo] in the most difficult game for a right-back that you can find in the Premier League," Iraola said.

"Everyone knows what they’re going to do, but it’s very difficult to defend. The timing and the way they turn the players in the middle, we need to be better in the decision making [going forward]."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo

Antoine Semenyo has been involved in more Premier League shots following a ball carry than any other player this term (20 – 12 shots, eight chances created).

The Bournemouth midfielder also has three goals and an assist to his name this season in the competition, a tally he will hope to add to on Saturday.

Manchester City – Phil Foden

Talisman Erling Haaland only has one goal in four league matches against Bournemouth, so Phil Foden may be expected to step up here.

Foden has scored in each of his last five appearances against Bournemouth in all competitions (five goals), also providing three assists in these games.

MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN

Guardiola's side are the heavy favourites for this clash, considering they have won all 14 of their Premier League games against Bournemouth.

City have outscored the Cherries 45-7 across their winning run, which is the best 100% record any team has against another in English top-flight history.

Overall, Bournemouth have won none of their 20 league games against Man City (D2 L18), too – it is the most one side has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.

The Cherries have also lost all 11 of their Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table, the worst 100% such loss rate in the competition’s history.

Given City are unbeaten in 28 Premier League games in 2024 as well, a feat bettered by only two sides in England's top-flight history, it is hard to imagine anything other than an away win here.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Bournemouth win – 19.8%
Draw – 22.2%
Manchester City win – 57.9%

Mikel Arteta wants to keep Arsenal in the hunt for the Premier League title when they visit Newcastle United on Saturday, opting to ignore comparisons with Jose Mourinho.

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher likened Arsenal's manager to Mourinho, suggesting the Gunners "don't play great football".

That verdict came after Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool before Arsenal eased to a 3-0 win against Preston North End in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday.

Arteta refused to be drawn on the comparison, however, insisting his focus was solely on repaying the faith of Arsenal's board and supporters with victory away to Newcastle.

"I don’t talk about myself. I leave him to give his opinion," Arteta started, referring to Carragher's punditry comments.

"Nobody is un-sackable. When this happens you have earned something and you have it in the bank somehow, but we are here to win football matches – never forget that."

Pressed on his five-year tenure at Arsenal, Arteta reiterated the same message, adding: "Very unusual. Unfortunately, it is very unusual.

"I will carry on with my job in the best possible way and football matches are the most important thing and you have to win many of them to keep your job."

Hosts Newcastle are winless in five league outings, slipping down to 12th in the table, and boss Eddie Howe warned no player is guaranteed selection before Wednesday's 2-0 against Chelsea in the same cup competition.

"No one is undroppable," he said, referring to Bruno Guimaraes.

"I think you make a valid point on Bruno’s minutes, his travelling, he’s done a lot, he’s always been there for us so we need to make sure we manage him well and manage the other players who have had a lot of minutes well."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle United – Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak averages a goal every 133 minutes in the Premier League for Newcastle – only Andrew Cole (one every 121 minutes) has a better average for the Magpies in the competition.

The Sweden striker has also scored 11 goals in his last 11 league appearances at St James’ Park, where he will hope to continue that run of form on Saturday.

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka has created more chances than any other Premier League player this season (27), while he has either scored or assisted in 10 of his last 12 league games – including seven of eight matches this campaign.

His three goals and seven assists in 2024-25 also make him one of just four players to achieve double figures for goal involvements in the Premier League.

MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal may be winless in their last two league games but they will be the favourites against Howe's struggling side.

Newcastle have not tasted victory in their last five league outings, their longest winless streak since a six-match run across August and September 2022.

Arsenal may have been beaten in their last trip to Bournemouth, too, but they have not suffered back-to-back away defeats in the league since May 2022.

The second of those defeats did come at Newcastle, however, where the Magpies have won two of their last three home Premier League games against Arsenal.

That is as many wins as Newcastle managed across 19 previous home league fixtures with Arsenal, who lost this exact fixture 1-0 last season thanks to Anthony Gordon's controversial winner.

Fortunately for Arteta, Arsenal have not suffered defeat in consecutive away league games against Newcastle since their first three such visits in the Premier League between 1994 and 1996.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle United win – 27.1%
Draw – 25.1%
Arsenal win – 47.8%

Glenmuir High School continues to assert their class in the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Wata daCosta Cup as they blanked Ocho Rios High 3-0 in a commanding performance in May Pen on Wednesday.

The victory, featuring goals from Orane Watson (18th), Nyron Allen (79th), and Nuemonie Blackwood (86th), extended Glenmuir’s impressive run in the competition. They sit comfortably atop the zone on six points, three points ahead of Ocho Rios and Dinthill Technical, while Happy Grove remains pointless, heading into Saturday’s final round of games.

Coach Andrew Peart praised his team’s discipline as they reinforced their status as serious contenders in this year’s daCosta Cup.

“It was a very controlled performance, much credit to our team. Credit also goes to Ocho Rios for not allowing a lot of space; you make it through the midfield lines, but they manage to collapse, and the defenders manage to protect the center of the field pretty well. In games like these, it is always good to find ways to score, and we did that by shooting from outside the box. So it was basically us being patient and waiting for the right moments,” Peart said in a post-game interview.

From the opening whistle, Glenmuir displayed confidence and cohesion, controlling the tempo of the game with crisp passes and quick transitions against a disciplined Ocho Rios defence. They went close in the fourth minute when Brandon Wallace got on target, but his effort was blocked on the line.

Ocho Rios responded immediately after with a brisk counterattack, but Keanu Reid’s effort was charged down by a recovering defender.

Glenmuir continued to press and again when Dusting Cohen found space inside the 18-yard box for a right-footed effort, which was denied by Maleek Martin’s outstretched leg.

However, their offensive persistence paid off in the 18th minute when Watson scored his 23rd goal of the season from the penalty spot after captain Ja-Son Whyte was taken out inside the red zone.

Ocho Rios, undeterred, mounted an attempt to level the score and should have done so in the 28th, but Reid, who had a clear look on goal, fired his effort high and wide, as Glenmuir remained 1-0 up at the break.

Glenmuir picked up where they left off on the resumption and had another close shave in the 52nd when Whyte’s shot from a distance was deflected and kissed the upright on the way out.

They eventually doubled the lead in the 79th minute, when Whyte struck another shot from distance that came off Allen’s back, leaving Martin well beaten.

Ocho Rios, struggling to keep up with Glenmuir’s Blackwood’s left-footer from way out, bettered Martin at his near post four minutes from time.

Head coach Veron Peterkin acknowledged that his Ocho Rios team was outplayed on the day.

“We made some little errors here and there and it cost us the game, but to be fair, Glenmuir had the better game and came out on top. When we had our chances we just weren’t decisive enough, so it was just one of those games,” he said.

Wednesday’s results

Munro College 2, Clarendon College 1

Glenmuir 3, Ocho Rios 0

McGrath High 1, Manchester High 0

Frome Technical 1, Cornwall College 0

Central High 1, Denbigh 0

Russell Martin is hopeful his Southampton players can use their midweek EFL Cup win to provide some momentum when they take on Everton. 

The Saints have picked up just one point from their first nine games back in the Premier League ahead of Saturday's visit of Everton to St Mary's. 

All three of Southampton's wins so far this season have come in the EFL Cup, most recently beating second-tier Stoke City 3-2 on Tuesday. 

Despite only just scraping through thanks to a late winner after squandering a two-goal lead, Martin wants it to be used as a springboard to push on in the league. 

"We need to celebrate every victory as a group," Martin said. "Whether it's against a Championship team in the cup, a Premier League game, you have to enjoy those moments together. 

"The guys were a bit annoyed coming in, they didn't look very happy, so I reminded them they're allowed to smile. By the end they are smiling and the music was on. Hopefully we can carry that on on Saturday." 

Everton are eight points better off than bottom-place Southampton in 16th, having recovered from a slow start by collecting nine points across a five-game unbeaten run. 

The Toffees were far from their best in last weekend's clash with Fulham at Goodison Park, but Beto came off the substitutes’ bench to rescue a last-gasp 1-1 draw. 

And that spirit to fight until the end is something manager Sean Dyche wants to see more of from his side as they prepare for their trip to England's South Coast. 

"I thought we were short of where we have been against Fulham," he said. "On the other hand, the balance of football is it lasts for 90-plus minutes. I have asked the players for relentlessness and I thought that was on show. 

"We weren't playing our best, but we found a way to get something from the game. Over a season, it is important to keep getting something from games in the Premier League." 

PLAYERS TO WATCH  

Southampton - Jan Bednarek  

Bednarek has started all nine of Southampton's games in the Premier League this season and also started the midweek cup win over Stoke. 

While he boasts the second-most completed passes (691) of all players in the division this season, he is currently on the longest run of starts without winning a game (22) since Jonny Evans between April 2017 and January 2018 (28 games). 

Everton - Ashley Young 

Young has managed to prove his doubters wrong with recent performances, which includes three assists in his past five Premier League appearances - as many as he had across his previous 124. 

The full-back is one of three players to have assisted as many as three goals after turning 39 years of age, along with Teddy Sherringham and Ryan Giggs. 

MATCH PREDICTION - DRAW 

Southampton are without a win in their past 22 Premier League matches - only Derby County (32) and Sunderland (26) have even endured longer runs. 

Should the Saints lose this weekend, they will equal Sheffield United's unwanted record for the fewest points (one) after the first 10 games of a Premier League season. 

Everton, meanwhile, are five league games without defeat after losing their previous five, making this their best-such run since between August and October 2022 under Frank Lampard (six games). 

The Toffees have lost five of their last seven top-flight games away at Southampton, though, albeit the most recent such trip ended in a 2-1 win in October 2022. 

One further glimmer of hope for Southampton is that they have won 13 Premier League home games against Everton - against no side have they won more often on home soil (also 13 wins versus Newcastle United). 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Southampton - 37.5% 

Everton - 36.2% 

Draw - 26.3%

Ruud van Nistelrooy says he "couldn't ask for more" from Manchester United as they marked his first match in interim charge with a 5-2 victory over Leicester City.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes both scored twice, while Alejandro Garnacho was also on target as the Red Devils booked their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, where they will play Tottenham.

Van Nistelrooy was overseeing United in their first match since Erik ten Hag's dismissal on Monday, with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim expected to be announced as the latter's replacement.

"Credit to the players, they were fantastic today. I couldn't ask for more," he said.

"Against West Ham and Fenerbahce, we created so much and couldn't finish. All of a sudden, we had some luck on our side, and that made it a great night.

"It is always the target to react and attack. The reaction of the players after the Leicester goals was excellent, and they deserve credit. I am glad the crowd will go home happy."

Van Nistelrooy acknowledged he had mixed emotions at taking over the reins from Ten Hag, who brought the former United striker back to Old Trafford as his assistant coach in July.

However, he underlined the importance of concentrating on the job in hand, and ensuring his players were ready for Wednesday's tie.

"It is clear that this is going to be short term, so for me, today was the most important day after what happened," he added. "Of course, receiving the players and getting together for the first day after Erik had to leave was a sad day to share.

"He was the one that asked me to work back here again, and in the first conversation we had, I felt such a passion and care for this football club. That is why I was so sad to see him go.

"Having said that, football and life continue, and we knew that 75,000 people would be waiting for us here today, with millions more watching at home behind their screens and radios. You have to switch then as players.

"We tried to switch that button for the players, try to get the mindset going, and go out tonight and give everything for the fans."

On his own future at United, he continued: "I am here to help, to serve and give my everything for the club. That will never change."