Sunday's Premier League loss at West Ham proved one defeat too many for embattled Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday.

The Red Devils are now seeking their sixth permanent boss since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag all failing to return the glory days to Old Trafford.

Ten Hag led United to the EFL Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup earlier this year, making him their second-most successful boss of the post-Ferguson era after Mourinho, who won the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield.

However, a dismal eighth-placed Premier League finish in 2023-24 has been followed by a dreadful start to 2024-25, prompting the INEOS regime to take action.

Here, we delve into the Opta data to pinpoint where it went wrong for Ten Hag at United.

No defence for United rearguard

When Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford in 2022, having led an exuberant Ajax side to a Champions League semi-final and three Eredivisie crowns, hopes were high that he would bring a modern, possession-based style to a United side characterised by chaos for so long.

However, that dream failed to materialise. Throughout Ten Hag's time in the dugout, United were consistently among the Premier League's worst defensive outfits.

Since his first Premier League match in charge in August 2022, United have registered a total xG against (xGA) figure of 136.

While they only conceded 112 goals under him, their xGA was the fifth-worst of any ever-present Premier League side in that time, better than only Everton, Fulham, West Ham and Wolves. 

Meanwhile, United faced 1,253 shots in the Premier League under Ten Hag – only four teams (Brentford, Wolves, Bournemouth and West Ham) have faced more shots in the competition since the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

The £70million arrival of midfield enforcer Casemiro failed to solve United's defensive issues, and a failure to control games was a key theme of Ten Hag's tenure. Only Brighton (17) and Everton (16) conceded more Premier League goals from fast breaks than United (13) during the Dutchman's reign, and only three teams gave up more shots from such scenarios (61).

Attackers go missing

In the early weeks of 2024-25, however, a failure to take their chances at the other end has primarily cost United. 

Only Crystal Palace and Southampton (six each) have scored fewer Premier League goals than United (eight) this season. They have the biggest negative differential between expected goals and goals scored in the competition this term (-6.56 – eight goals, 14.56 xG).

They were guilty of spurning several clear-cut chances at the London Stadium last time out, and seven of Ten Hag's 27 Premier League defeats came via a 90th-minute winner, the highest percentage of defeats to last-minute goals of any manager to lose 20 or more games in Premier League history.

With 42 goals, Marcus Rashford was United's leading scorer in all competitions under Ten Hag.

Thirty of his strikes came in Ten Hag's debut campaign, though, and he has only netted once in nine league outings this term.

Bruno Fernandes, who Ten Hag installed as captain, has created the most chances for United since the start of 2022-23 with 364. Christian Eriksen (131), Diogo Dalot (116) and Rashford (115) were the other three players to set up at least 100 chances for team-mates under the former Ajax boss.

However, Fernandes – who scored 29 goals under Ten Hag and laid on 31 assists – has struggled for form this campaign, with his 2.48 xG the highest figure of any player yet to net in the Premier League.

The highs and lows

Ten Hag's tenure brought a few obvious highs, with the 2023 EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United ending a near-six-year trophy drought and May's FA Cup showpiece victory over Manchester City denying United's neighbours a domestic double.

That was one of two victories over City under Ten Hag, though they lost more games to Pep Guardiola's men (four) than any other team during his reign.

Most damagingly, Ten Hag's United were blown away in several big games, shipping 17 goals versus City and 16 against Liverpool. Of course, they were trounced 7-0 by the Reds at Anfield in March 2023 – the joint-heaviest competitive defeat in the Red Devils' history.

Ten Hag's reign ends after 128 games, with his 70 victories giving him the second-best win ratio (54.7%) of any United boss post-Ferguson in all competitions, after Mourinho (58.7%).

His record of 1.72 points per Premier League game, though, only bettered the figures managed by Moyes (1.68) and Ralf Rangnick (1.72) in that span.

Only Rangnick (0), meanwhile, has overseen a worse goal difference in the Premier League than Ten Hag (+11), among United bosses to manage at least five games.

And only Moyes (32.4%, 11/34) lost a higher percentage of his Premier League games as United boss than Ten Hag (31.8%, 27/85).

In the overall Premier League standings since Ten Hag took charge, they sit fifth with 146 points, some 57 adrift of first-placed Man City and also fewer than Arsenal (191), Liverpool (171) and Aston Villa (147).

Manchester United have parted company with Erik ten Hag.

United lost 2-1 to West Ham on Sunday, and that defeat at London Stadium has proved the final straw for the club's ownership.

The Dutchman, who was only rewarded with a new contract in the summer following a win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, had won just one of his last eight matches in charge.

United confirmed in a statement on Monday that Ten Hag, who joined the club from Ajax in 2022, had left his role.

"We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future," the statement read.

United announced that Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined Ten Hag's coaching staff this past summer, will take charge as interim head coach during the club's search for a permanent replacement.

The Red Devils sit 14th in the Premier League, having won three and lost four of their opening nine games. They have also drawn all three of their Europa League matches.

Ten Hag can point to his side missing chances this season – in fact, United have the biggest negative differential between expected goals and goals scored in the Premier League this season (eight goals scored from 14.6 xG).

However, defensively they have been poor for large swathes of Ten Hag's tenure. Indeed, since his first Premier League match in charge in August 2022, United have registered an xG against (xGA) of 136.

While they have only conceded 112 goals, their xGA is the fifth-worst of any ever-present Premier League side in that time.

Ten Hag departs having led United to two trophies – the EFL Cup in 2022-23 and last season's FA Cup.

The 2024 Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side “Peace Through Sports” Football Competition kicked off on Sunday, uniting Waterhouse and neighboring communities at the Red Stripe headquarters on Spanish Town Road. The event aims to foster peace through sport, creating a space for community building and camaraderie.

The opening ceremony featured a vibrant dress parade, with Basement taking the top spot for best-dressed team, followed by Friends For Real in second place and Boom Riddim in third. This year also marked the first time Corporate Jamaica was invited to field teams, highlighting the tournament's growing influence as a platform for positive community engagement.

The day’s matches saw Ball Spot claim a 3-1 victory over Basic, while Legacy edged past Boom Riddim in a tight 3-2 match. The fixture between Fesgas and Youths United ended in a scoreless draw, showcasing strong defense. In another close game, Friends For Real earned a 1-0 win against Basement.

Ashoka delivered an impressive performance, defeating Dream Team 4-1, while Real City closed out the day with a narrow 1-0 victory over tournament hosts Red Stripe.

The competition, part of Fraser-Pryce’s ongoing commitment to community development, reinforces the power of sports as a unifying force and a way to promote peace among communities.

Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera were on target as Los Angeles FC edged out the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Sunday.

LAFC, the 2022 MLS Cup champions, will book their place in the next round should they win north of the border next week.

Ryan Gauld netted in the 94th minute for the Whitecaps, but it was too little, too late for the Canadian side, who hammered the Portland Timbers in the wildcard round.

LAFC have now won seven straight playoff games against Western Conference opponents, while Bouanga has netted eight goals in nine postseason appearances.

Hugo Lloris, however, says LAFC must sharpen up.

"The performance is not [good] enough, but we got the result so that's the most important thing," Lloris said.

"We need to increase [our levels] if we want to have ambition. A win is a win, so that's positive, but there were things we need to fix if we are to improve."

Elsewhere, Orlando City also made a winning start to their playoff campaign as they beat Charlotte FC 2-0.

Facundo Torres put Orlando ahead in the 32nd minute at Inter&Co Stadium, with Martin Ojeda doubling the hosts' tally 14 minutes from time.

A frustrating day for Dean Smith's Charlotte team was compounded when Pep Biel was sent off late on, though they will at least have home advantage when they look to turn the best-of-three series around next time out.

Diego Simeone took full responsibility for Atletico Madrid's disappointing performance after their unbeaten LaLiga run ended with a 1-0 loss at Real Betis on Sunday.

Atleti failed to recover from Jose Maria Gimenez's fourth-minute own goal and wasted the few chances they created in a game riddled with errors that the coach blamed on himself.

Hosts Betis had 24 shots to Atleti's 10, albeit both teams only got three attempts on target.

Simeone, though, accepted Atleti were not up to standard, as his team lost their 24th game in all competitions in 2024, which is their joint-worst total in a calendar year under the Argentine's tutelage.

"I didn't prepare this match well. I am responsible for the plan not working," said Simeone, whose side lost 3-1 to Lille in the Champions League in midweek.

"Starting with myself first, we have work to do and things to improve. I didn't imagine anything different. The new players need to keep adapting, and I need to get more out of their strengths.

"Betis are a competitive team who have improved as they showed today, they outplayed us. We clearly couldn't play our game.

"This happened to us against Lille last week, we fell behind in the game and that didn't allow us to level this game.

"Ultimately, as a coach, I have to resolve these situations first and have a clear idea (of tactics) so that the players can perform in the way I like."

Atleti's first defeat of the season leaves them fourth in the Spanish top flight on 20 points, two clear of Betis and ten behind leaders Barcelona.

They face UE Vic in the Copa del Rey on Thursday before hosting Las Palmas in LaLiga three days later. 

Luis Enrique hailed a complete performance from his Paris Saint-Germain side following their 3-0 victory over Marseille.

PSG took the game away from Marseille, who had Amine Harit sent off in the 20th minute of Sunday's Ligue 1 contest, with a blistering show of force in the first half.

Joao Neves put PSG ahead early on before an own goal from Leonardo Balerdi and an effort from Bradley Barcola all but put the match to bed prior to the break.

PSG's opener, which came after six minutes and five seconds, was the fastest goal in a Classique clash since Marquinhos netted after five minutes and 34 seconds in 2017.

Marseille have gone five games without scoring against PSG in Ligue 1, equalling their longest drought against the same opponent in the top-flight (Bordeaux between 2000 and 2001, Lille between 2000 and 2002), and Roberto De Zerbi's team never really threatened, having only one shot on target, nine touches in the opposition box and mustering just 0.22 expected goals (xG).

"We started very well from the first minute against an opponent who played well, we kept up the pressure, we had several clear chances," PSG coach Luis Enrique said.

"With the sending-off, the game changed – it was closer and also harder for our opponents, but we continued to work.

"In the second half, it was calmer, we could have scored even more. We dedicate this victory to the fans, we know that it is important for them, it is for us too."

Previous incidents of crowd trouble between the two sets of fans meant the visitors were barred from bringing their supporters with them, but it made little difference as PSG dominated from the off, claiming their 51st win over Marseille in all competitions.

"It's a good feeling, the joy. We always want to win here. To do that in this stadium is a special favour," midfielder Vitinha told DAZN.

"They got the red card early, we scored two goals in a row, it killed the game for them. We could have scored more goals, we'll have to keep creating chances, we need to convert," he continued.

"We're happy, we won this game that has a special flavour."

Thiago Motta does not believe Juventus are Serie A title contenders just yet, despite their 4-4 draw with reigning champions Inter.

With Juventus trailing 4-2, teenager Kenan Yildiz came off the bench to score twice and rescue a point in dramatic fashion.

It is the third time in the history of these sides that they have shared an eight-goal Serie A clash, though this was the first such occasion since 1961.

While Juve hit back from a two-goal deficit to avoid defeat against Inter in a league game for the first time since 1978, Motta believes the way the Nerazzurri dominated much of the proceedings shows how far his side away are from challenging for the Scudetto.

"Not at this moment. We delivered a solid performance against one of the favourites for the Scudetto, alongside Napoli, who have maintained the core of their squad from a year and a half ago," Motta told DAZN.

"Right now, they’re ahead and capable of competing until the end for the title. While today was a good performance, we need to keep our feet on the ground.

"We’ll continue on our path, sticking to our ideas and our growth process. We’ll see what we’re capable of when the time comes. I’m being honest; I speak as things are.

"We sought something more in terms of both play and the right spirit; we wanted a different outcome after a first half filled with unfortunate incidents.

"They could have increased their lead but didn’t, and in the end, we could have won it. However, we need to understand why we perform well at times and struggle against the opponent's game at others."

Timothy Weah started in place of Yildiz, and scored in the first half, netting against Inter 25 years and three days after his father George had last scored a league goal against the Nerazzurri.

"I chose Weah because he could offer something interesting for us in transitions. Kenan can help the team in the second half by providing different options, whether as a winger, midfielder, or striker," Motta said.

"We know we have young players, but we believe we can perform much better than we did today. It's clear that the many absences may have had an impact; it’s not an excuse, but a fact." 

Indeed, Juve fielded their youngest starting XI (25 years, 212 days on average) against Inter in Serie A in the three points for a win era (since 1994-95).

Emil Forsberg believes the New York Red Bulls have the capacity to hurt the Columbus Crew in Game 1 of their MLS playoff tie, despite a poor end to the regular season.

The Red Bulls finished seventh in the Eastern Conference despite only winning one of 10 matches after the Leagues Cup break, finishing their campaign with a 3-2 defeat at home to the Crew, in which Forsberg scored.

They will now face the MLS Cup holders again in a three-match first-round series, and Forsberg believes they have shown they can get at Wilfried Nancy's champions.

"I think we were dangerous, we hurt them, we created chances and we showed them and ourselves what we can do when we play with that kind of intensity," Forsberg said.

"We're a really good team when we can do that, and we know we can hurt them. We have a lot to take with us into the playoffs.

"When it comes to the playoffs, it's small details, whether you have your day or not, whether you're mentally prepared for every situation that can occur.

"That's something I'm going to push with the guys."

Nancy, meanwhile, was pleased to see Columbus tested in their final regular-season game, as New York recovered from 2-0 down to level before Malte Andersen hit a last-gasp winner.

"Yeah, we had many highs, and after that, we had 10 minutes where we allowed New York to play their style, and they did it well," Nancy said after the match. 

"I'm happy that it happened, to be honest with you, because we played a really good first half. After that, the second half was also interesting. 

"This is perfect because sometimes we have to feel certain things to get better. We found a way to win the game, and this is also good for team spirit."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Columbus Crew – Cucho Hernandez

Hernandez's assist against the Red Bulls last week was his 32nd goal contribution of 2024 (19 goals, 13 assists), breaking Stern John's Crew record of 31 set in 1998. 

The forward has five goal contributions against New York (two goals, three assists), only totalling more against Atlanta (eight) and Orlando (seven).

New York Red Bulls – Emil Forsberg

Forsberg scored both of the Red Bulls' goals in their 3-2 defeat to the Crew on Decision Day, and only Lewis Morgan (13) has bettered his nine strikes for the team in 2024.

MATCH PREDICTION – COLUMBUS CREW WIN

The Red Bulls won just 18 points from their final 18 regular-season matches of 2024 (three wins, nine draws, six defeats). 

They were one of nine teams to collect 20 points or fewer since that run began in early June, but the only one of those nine sides to make the playoffs.

Having lost 3-2 to the Crew in their last game, they approach this one as major outsiders. The Red Bulls have lost each of their last six away playoff matches dating back to 2018, being outscored 15-5 in those matches. 

The Crew, meanwhile, have won the MLS Cup in each of the last two seasons in which they made the playoffs (2020, 2023), advancing from eight consecutive playoff ties. This equals the best such run in MLS history, after D.C. United won eight straight ties from 1996 to 1998.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Columbus Crew – 64.3%

New York Red Bulls – 16.6%

Draw – 19.1%

Paris Saint-Germain's stunning first half display saw them claim Le Classique bragging rights as they swept aside 10-man Marseille 3-0 at the Orange Velodrome. 

The Parisiens moved three points clear at the Ligue 1 summit following Monaco's defeat to Nice on Saturday, with Luis Enrique's side extending their unbeaten record away from home to 29 matches. 

A dominant start by the visitors was rewarded in the seventh minute when Nuno Mendes' cross was spilt by Geronimo Rulli, with Joao Neves on hand to open the scoring with his first goal for the club. 

It then went from bad to worse for Marseille when Amine Harit was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Marquinhos, leaving Roberto De Zerbi's side with an uphill task of salvaging anything from the game.

PSG then hammered home their man advantage nine minutes after Harit's dismissal when the unfortunate Leonardo Balerdi turned the ball into his own net. 

Bradley Barcola all but sealed the triumph before the break, firing home his eighth league goal in nine games to cap an impressive first 45 minutes for the visitors.

They were unable to add further gloss to the scoreline after the break, though, but the damage had already been done by their ruthless first half showing.

Data Debrief: Parisiens purr on enemy turf

After a disappointing draw in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven in midweek, PSG responded emphatically at the expense of their long-term rivals. 

The visitors ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.98 from their 19 shots, while also attempting 918 passes, their highest in Ligue 1 this season. 

Barcola was a particular standout, accumulating a 0.97 xG tally to his side's total, as well as recording the most touches in the opposition box (13) for his side.

For Marseille, meanwhile, they suffered a 51st defeat in their 108 games against PSG, which is at least five more than they have suffered against any other opponent in all competitions.

Paris Saint-Germain's stunning first half display saw them claim Le Classique bragging rights as they swept aside 10-man Marseille 3-0 at the Orange Velodrome. 

The Parisiens moved three points clear at the Ligue 1 summit following Monaco's defeat to Nice on Saturday, with Luis Enrique's side extending their unbeaten record away from home to 29 matches. 

A dominant start by the visitors was rewarded in the seventh minute when Nuno Mendes' cross was spilt by Geronimo Rulli, with Joao Neves on hand to open the scoring with his first goal for the club. 

It then went from bad to worse for Marseille when Amine Harit was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Marquinhos, leaving Roberto De Zerbi's side with an uphill task of salvaging anything from the game.

PSG then hammered home their man advantage nine minutes after Harit's dismissal when the unfortunate Leonardo Balerdi turned the ball into his own net. 

Bradley Barcola all but sealed the triumph before the break, firing home his eighth league goal in nine games to cap an impressive first 45 minutes for the visitors.

They were unable to add further gloss to the scoreline after the break, though, but the damage had already been done by their ruthless first half showing.

Data Debrief: Parisiens purr on enemy turf

After a disappointing draw in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven in midweek, PSG responded emphatically at the expense of their long-term rivals. 

The visitors ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.98 from their 19 shots, while also attempting 918 passes, their highest in Ligue 1 this season. 

Barcola was a particular standout, accumulating a 0.97 xG tally to his side's total, as well as recording the most touches in the opposition box (13) for his side.

For Marseille, meanwhile, they suffered a 51st defeat in their 108 games against PSG, which is at least five more than they have suffered against any other opponent in all competitions.

Simone Inzaghi vented his frustration at Inter's missed opportunities and defensive errors during their 4-4 draw with Juventus in the Derby d'Italia on Sunday. 

Piotr Zielinski handed Inter the lead from the spot before Dusan Vlahovic and Timothy Weah responded for Juventus with two goals in the space of six first-half minutes.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and a second penalty from Zielinski restored Inter's advantage, with Denzel Dumfries notching their fourth eight minutes after the break.

But substitute Kenan Yildiz struck twice to seal a share of the spoils at the San Siro, becoming the youngest player to score at least two goals in a fixture between the two sides in Serie A.

However, Inzaghi rued his side's inability to take their chances, having ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 3.13 compared to Juventus' 2.17. 

"There is bitterness but as a coach I must analyse and talk to them tomorrow, as the players looked sad in the dressing room," Inzaghi told Sky Sports Italy.

"It’s frustrating, as we were facing a Juventus side whose greatest strength is defence and we created so many scoring opportunities without winning.

"We lost our shape a bit, then on the fourth goal we made a series of mistakes. These compromised a match we clearly deserved to win."

Despite the result, Inzaghi was keen to highlight the positive aspects of his side's display in a game that saw eight goals scored between the two sides for only the third time in Serie A.

"It is right that the team feels disappointed and angry, but we must also look at the positives, creating nine or 10 clear scoring opportunities against a side that had conceded only once in Serie A this season," he said.

But Inter's defensive fragility was on show once again at the San Siro. 

On their way to the title last season, the Nerazzurri conceded just 22 times, but have already let in nine goals from their first nine games this term.

"We have been conceding goals that are frankly unacceptable. We probably would’ve won this by quite a bit last season," Inzaghi said.

"It’s a draw, not a defeat, but admittedly it feels a bit like that. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been part of a game like that.

"There seemed to be no warning of a Juve comeback, maybe I could’ve done more."

Michael Carrick was impressed with Middlesbrough's showing against another top opponent in the Championship after they played out an enthralling 3-3 draw with Norwich City.

Borja Sainz had given the Canaries a ninth minute lead before Tommy Conway's brace and Finn Azaz's close range effort had Boro in the ascendency at the interval. 

Conway then saw his penalty saved by George Long after Jose Cordoba fouled Riley McGree, with that moment proving pivotal in the outcome of the contest. 

Sainz doubled his tally two minutes after Boro's spot-kick with a stunning effort that kissed the underside of the crossbar, before an own-goal by Seny Dieng drew Norwich level.

The Canaries finished the game with a man less after captain Kenny McLean was shown a straight red card late on, but Middlesbrough were unable to find a winner.

Despite letting a two-goal lead slip at Carrow Road, Carrick was pleased with his players' efforts in a game he felt his side edged.

"I thought we were fantastic for the most part, we showed what a good team we are and played some really good football," Carrick told BBC Radio Teesside.

"We conceded three goals, the third wasn't nice at all but the other two, he put them in the top corner from distance and if they’re going to score like that from there, there's only so much you can do [to stop it].

"I thought we were pretty much the better team throughout, [although] the momentum swung a little bit towards the end.

"That’s two games against really good, top opposition in this league and we’ve been the better team in both games.

"Today was a test in terms of going a goal down but the confidence we showed and togetherness to get through that was top-class."

For Norwich, meanwhile, the draw ensured they maintained their 11-month unbeaten home record. 

A win would have put them fifth in the table, but they remain eighth on the same number of points as ninth-placed Boro, both of them still one point adrift of the top six.

But it was a contest they were perhaps fortunate to claim a point from. The Canaries ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of just 1.1 compared to the visitors' 3.86. 

"When a game is that hectic, with so many situations in it, then it's hard work for me from minute one to minute 90," Johannes Hoff Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk

"We had to be very specific at half-time about what was important for us [to do], very specific with in-game communication to the players because there were so many details to put focus on.

"The moments we have when we are calm on the ball, especially in their half, the spaces we highlighted before the game opened up and we created chances, or at least got into some dangerous positions."

Arne Slot was pleased by Liverpool's resilience in coming from behind twice to earn a draw against Arsenal, but acknowledged the Gunners were the better team on the day. 

Virgil van Dijk's header cancelled out Bukayo Saka's opener, before Mohamed Salah sealed a share of the spoils after Mikel Merino had restored Arsenal's advantage. 

The Reds had their chances to return to the Premier League summit after Arsenal lost Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber to injury, but they were unable to find a winner. 

Slot preserved his unbeaten away record during a pulsating encounter at the Emirates, but said the Gunners deserved their half-time advantage.

"Eventful, exciting. Both teams scored from a set piece. In my opinion, Arsenal were the better team than us," Slot said. "They deserved to be one up at half-time.

"We had less to recover and prepare for this game and if I look at how strong we were in the second half, that pleased me and most being two times down."

Slot is now the first Liverpool manager to not lose any of his first seven away matches in charge since William Connell in February 1923.

But Liverpool conceded twice in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time since December 2023 (two versus Fulham).

Indeed, 40% of the Reds’ goals conceded in the competition under Slot were scored by the Gunners today, but the Dutchman was keen to focus on the positives.

"Two times behind then it's pleasing to see we can come back into the game especially with one day less to recover," he continued.

"To be stronger in second half than first pleases me. You come here to win but maybe a draw was a result we can take with us, especially after the first half.

"You know coming here that they have many quality players, you can have difficult moments in the game. Pleased me to score from a set piece.

"We needed that because from open play we weren't dominant at all. They deserved to be up 2-1 at half-time. But the way we showed up second half was impressive."

It was also a memorable game for Van Dijk, who scored on his 100th appearance as the captain of Liverpool. 

His goal was his 17th with his head, with only John Terry (27) now the only defender to have netted more headed goals in the Premier League than Van Dijk. 

But away from his personal milestones, the Reds captain echoed the thoughts of his manager and was happy to leave the Emirates with a point.

"Listen, it's a very tough place to come. They created a solid team and make it difficult for everyone. To come back twice is a good thing, we take the point and we move," he said.

"You play here in London, they have the fans behind them and they created some momentum.

"You have to be ready to fight because you will have some tough moments. One point and we take it."

The Dutch defender was also asked about his ongoing contract situation at the club, with his current deal set to expire at the end of this season.

"I'm very calm. Let's see what happens towards the end of the season," Van Dijk said.

"I'm enjoying my football, physically and mentally. Keep enjoying the game because it's a beautiful game that we play and I play."

Piotr Zielinski and Kenan Yildiz both scored twice as Derby d'Italia rivals Inter and Juventus played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in Serie A on Sunday.

An absorbing opening half featuring five goals began with Marcus Thuram winning a penalty for the Nerazzurri, which Zielinski converted coolly after 15 minutes.

Juve equalised five minutes later through Dusan Vlahovic, however, then took the lead through a strike from Timothy Weah within six further minutes.

After Henrikh Mkhitaryan equalised following a neat piece of interplay with Thuram in the 35th minute, Zielinski scored his second penalty of the game to put Inter back on top, Pierre Kalulu mistiming his clearance and fouling Denzel Dumfries.

Dumfries extended Inter's advantage early in the second half, converting at the back post after a corner was flicked into his path, but Juventus were not to be denied a share of the spoils.

Substitute Yildiz reduced the deficit for Juve in the 71st minute, placing an angled drive into the far corner, then stunned San Siro by firing home at the back post eight minutes from time. 

The result leaves Inter second, four points adrift of early-season pacesetters Napoli, while Juve are one point back in third.

Data Debrief: Goals galore in Derby d'Italia 

One could certainly make the case for Sunday's Derby d'Italia being the most entertaining in the fixture's storied history.

It was just the third game between Inter and Juventus to feature at least eight goals in Serie A history, after a 9-1 Juve win in June 1961 and a 6-2 Inter triumph in 1932.

It was the first Serie A fixture between the teams to ever see five goals scored in the first half, meanwhile. 

Jose Maria Giminez's own-goal dealt Atletico Madrid their first defeat of the LaLiga season as they lost 1-0 to Real Betis on Sunday. 

Having won 10 of their previous 15 visits to the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Diego Simeone's side were outclassed as they lost pace with the early leaders in the table.

The decisive moment in the contest came in the fourth minute when Giminez deflected Abde Ezzalzouli's cross beyond Jan Oblak to hand the hosts a perfect start. 

Betis looked to increase their lead before the break with Ezzalzouli striking the woodwork, while Vitor Roque also spurned several glorious opportunities. 

Manuel Pellegrini's side continued to dominate proceedings, but struggled to find their second goal, with Roque seeing his effort ruled out for offside after the break. 

Visiting substitute Angel Correa was twice denied by the woodwork late on, with the Argentine first hitting the post before cannoning an effort off the crossbar.

Atletico now sit fourth in the standings after 11 games of the season, finding themselves 10 points behind leaders Barcelona after their stunning win over Real Madrid.

Data Debrief: Unwanted history

It was a night to forget for Giminez, with his telling contribution at the wrong end of the pitch putting him in the history books, but for all the wrong reasons. 

The Uruguayan's unfortunate error hit the back of the net with three minutes and 15 seconds on the clock, the earliest own-goal Atletico have conceded in the 21st century.

Simeone's side have now lost three of their last five matches in all competitions (W1 D1), as many defeats as in their previous 20 matches (W13 D4 L3).

But Betis deserved their long-awaited victory on home soil against Atletico. They ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.95 from their 24 shots, compared to their opponents' 0.54 from their 10 attempts.