What the papers say

Manchester United have identified 21-year-old Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as their top transfer target this summer, according to the Daily Star. Branthwaite has a deal with the Toffees until 2027.

The Daily Mirror says United will pursue Branthwaite regardless of boss Erik ten Hag’s future at the club, with the England Under-21 international valued at £75million.

Meanwhile, Everton are said to be interested in Hull defender Jacob Greaves, Football Insider reports, with the 23-year-old likely to leave the club if they miss promotion to the Premier League.

The i says Tiago Pinto, who was formerly at Roma, is interested in taking over the sporting director role from Dan Ashworth at Newcastle, who looks to be headed to Manchester United.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Bruno Guimaraes: Football Transfers says Manchester City are interested in a bid for the 26-year-old Newcastle midfielder who has a £100million clause in his contract.

Pedro Neto: Wolves will be in a battle to keep their winger after Tottenham joined Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal in the race to sign the 24-year-old.

Hull head coach Liam Rosenior praised captain Jacob Greaves after he scored twice in the dramatic 2-1 win over Huddersfield.

Greaves hooked home in the seventh minute and then headed in the winner after Jack Rudoni’s stoppage-time equaliser had seemingly earned the Terriers a point at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Rosenior lauded Greaves for his fine finishing in what was his 200th senior game and for his defending alongside Alfie Jones.

“I was happy for Greavsie, it was his 200th career appearance and he captained his home team and scored two goals,” said Rosenior.

“Alfie and Greavsie were great for us today. I’m so proud of the players. That was a difficult game today. It was never going to be easy.

“Sometimes we’ve played way better than that and come out with a defeat or with a loss.

“What happens when you’re a goal up away from home, you’re caught between going for a second goal and keeping what you have got.

“As a team we have to be more switched on at throw ins. We switched off when the ball went out of play (before the Huddersfield goal). They get a cheap shot from the edge of the area and score.”

Greaves’ winner made it successive wins on the road in Yorkshire for the Tigers following victory at Rotherham.

The central defender had hooked in following an early first-half corner and his diving header late in the game silenced the home fans who were still celebrating an equaliser from Rudoni.

Hull lie just outside the play off places on goal difference but a win for fellow strugglers QPR left the Terriers just two points above the relegation zone.

Huddersfield caretaker manager Jon Worthington, who hands over to new boss Andre Breitenreiter on Monday, had expected a tough game against the Tigers.

He said: “The game was pretty much as I expected it to be. First half the energy levels weren’t quite there.

“Second half we really re-energised. The subs gave us a little bit more impetus.

“To get back in the game so late, it was a bit of a sucker punch to lose it in the end.

“That’s why you can’t shut off for a minute because you get punished.

“The game kind of went the way I thought it would, but it was disappointing to lose it how we did.

“That’s the fine lines against quality teams and you get punished. The players will bounce back, they will dust themselves off and get on with it.”

Hull captain Jacob Greaves snatched a dramatic stoppage-time winner as his side kept pace in the Championship play-off race with a 2-1 victory at Huddersfield.

Greaves had put Hull ahead in the seventh minute and, after Jack Rudoni had seemingly earned the home side a point in added time, netted a diving header in the dying stages to earn victory.

Back-to-back wins following a disappointing home defeat by Swansea has left Liam Rosenior’s side out of the top six only on goal difference while the Terriers lie two points above the relegation zone.

Jaden Philogene forced Huddersfield goalkeeper Lee Nicholls to deflect over for the first corner when the forward made the most of good work by Fabio Carvalho and Ozan Tufan to shoot from the edge of the area.

The Terriers failed to clear it and when the ball fell to Greaves 12 yards out, he hooked left footed towards goal and a diving Nicholls got a hand to it but was unable to stop it crossing the line.

Hull should then have paid the price for giving the ball away at the back, but Josh Koroma curled well over from 20 yards.

The visitors were forced into the first change after half an hour as on-loan Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton limped off following a second spell of treatment.

Ben Wiles’ rising shot was beaten away by Hull goalkeeper Ryan Allsop diving high to his right to preserve his side’s lead five minutes before the interval.

Alex Matos shot through the legs of Alfie Jones, but Allsop got down to block the midfielder’s shot after 50 minutes as the home side tried to force their way back into the game.

Sorba Thomas sent Rudoni clear inside his full-back with a pinpoint pass but the cross from the winger failed to reach a Huddersfield player.

The pressure was increasing from the Terriers and when Thomas curled in a cross from the left it was just too deep for Rudoni.

Tufan sent a dangerous ball across the home box which Jonathan Hogg cleared at the expense of a corner with an hour gone.

Substitutes Brahima Diarra and Delano Burgzorg created openings in quick succession as Hull continued to weather the home side’s pressure.

Thomas curled in a low shot from the left with his right foot and the ball deflected off a Hull defender before hitting the far post.

The game had entered stoppage time when Rudoni’s left foot shot beat Allsop from the edge of the area.

But Huddersfield’s fans were soon silenced as Greaves headed in a cross cross from substitute Abdulkadir Omur in the fourth minute of added time.

Bristol City head coach Liam Manning reflected on winning a Christmas cracker against Hull and admitted: “We like to do things the hard way.”

His side led through Tommy Conway’s 24th-minute penalty, awarded for handball against Jacob Greaves, only to fall behind by half-time to Aaron Connolly’s solo strike and an Ozan Tufan spot-kick after referee Ben Toner spotted a dubious foul on Greaves in a crowded box.

Anis Mehmeti matched the brilliance of Connolly’s goal with a similar effort to equalise on 77 minutes and after Hull lost goalkeeper Ryan Allsop to an injury sustained trying to prevent that goal, Knight beat his replacement Matt Ingram with a deflected effort to settle the outcome.

Manning joked that he had aged 10 years during the previous home win over Sunderland and again had his emotions put through the wringer.

He said: “Up to our goal, we were excellent and caused them real problems. Then we got a bit emotional and they took advantage as a very good side who are well coached and on a good run of form.

“The less said about Hull’s penalty the better. There was so little contact on their player and I’m just glad the result wasn’t influenced by a poor refereeing decision.

“But we responded to the setback well, even in the final minutes of the first half, and the second-half performance was excellent.

“We got on the front foot and showed some moments of real quality. We spoke at half-time and there was so much good in the first half that I didn’t want to derail it.

“The message to the players was that we faced a terrific challenge and could either step up and build on our good first-half play or let the penalty decision have an adverse effect.”

Hull head coach Liam Rosenior, a former player for both clubs, was serving a one-match touchline ban and admitted: “Watching from the stand was horrendous. I have learned my lesson and never want to let it happen again.

“Credit to Bristol for playing well, but for us it was three points dropped. I sound like a broken record when I say that we didn’t get the result we deserved.

“Our level of performance was again good, but we have to manage games better because the end product is all-important. It’s so frustrating because we should have more points on the board than we have.

“The defeat was self-inflicted. There was so much good in the way we played.

“Ryan Allsop hurt his back diving for their second goal and that is just bad luck.

“I believe that if you perform consistently over the course of a season you will end up where you deserve to be. We were by far the better team, but key moments in the game have cost us.”

Jason Knight’s 84th-minute strike earned Bristol City a thrilling 3-2 Championship win over Hull at Ashton Gate.

The hosts took a 24th-minute lead when Jacob Greaves handled Tommy Conway’s glancing header and Conway sent goalkeeper Ryan Allsop the wrong way from the spot.

But Hull battled back to equalise on 33 minutes through Aaron Connolly and went in front eight minutes later with the game’s second penalty, coolly converted by Ozan Tufan after referee Ben Toner spotted a foul on Greaves as he contested a free-kick from the left.

Anis Mehmeti brilliantly equalised and a terrific advertisement for Championship football ended with Bristol fans celebrating thanks to Knight, while those who had made the long journey from Hull could console themselves with the fact that their team had given everything.

Bristol had the better of the opening exchanges, Knight forcing saves from Allsop with a shot and a header before Conway’s opener.

But Zak Vyner had already made a saving tackle on Connolly before the striker’s fine solo equaliser, cutting in from the left to drill a sweet low drive beyond the reach of City goalkeeper Max O’Leary.

The home side bitterly disputed the penalty decision that put them behind but Hull were worthy of their interval lead after finishing the first half strongly.

O’Leary saved well from Tufan after one of several strong runs by Liam Delap, who caused problems down the right wing for Hull.

Bristol began the second period well and Conway was just wide with a near-post volley from a Taylor Gardner-Hickman cross.

Again Hull rallied and Lewie Coyle shot wide from distance after two corners in quick succession.

Delap had a shot from a narrow angle saved by O’Leary and Connolly saw a fierce volley blocked as Liam Rosenior’s men wrestled back the initiative.

At the other end Greaves did well to get in the way of a close-range shot from Knight.

Both teams looked to play out from the back and through midfield as an entertaining contest developed.

On 77 minutes, Mehmeti matched Connolly’s goal with a brilliant solo effort, racing in from the left and placing a perfect low shot beyond the diving Allsop.

Hull had to substitute Allsop through injury on 82 minutes and two minutes later replacement Matt Ingram was beaten by Knight’s fierce shot from just inside the box, which took a deflection.

There were chances at both ends right into seven minutes of stoppage time, when Hull substitute Adama Traore volleyed narrowly wide at the near post.

Neither side deserved to lose and rightly received a rousing ovation at the end of a brilliant game.