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MANCHESTER, England: Nottingham Forest inflicted Manchester United’s second consecutive defeat in the English Premier League early this morning, defeating Ruben Amorim’s men 3-2 at Old Trafford.

United striker Rasmus Hojlund cancelled out Nikola Milenkovic’s early goal but Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood put the visitors ahead and they held on to that advantage after Bruno Fernandes closed the gap.

Forest’s first win at Old Trafford since 1994 lifted them to fifth in the league table but United are stranded in 13th.

Amorim has made a positive start to his career as United manager after replacing Erik ten Hag, who was sacked last month, drawing once and winning two of his first three matches.

But he warned “a storm is coming” for the troubled club, who are enduring their worst start to the season.

Reality is now starting to set in after a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in midweek followed by a defeat early this morning at home.

“It was a difficult game in a difficult moment but we have to keep going,” a disappointed Amorim told the BBC.

“It’s been a long journey. We’ve improved in a number of ways. We need to win games to help us improve as a team.

“We are at the beginning of something big because we are focusing on every detail. We already know it is a big task so we have to keep going.”

The former Sporting Lisbon boss must have been disappointed with the way the goal was conceded.

Corners proved difficult for Arsenal to stop and Milenkovic headed in Elliot Anderson’s corner in the second minute after soaring high past Lisandro Martinez.

United came back and equalised in the 18th minute with Hojlund heading in after Alejandro Garnacho’s attempt from Manuel Ugarte’s pass was blocked by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.

But Forest once again started brilliantly in the second half.

Fernandes lost the ball to Callum Hudson-Odoi and he found Gibbs-White, whose flicked shot from 20 yards out went past goalkeeper Andre Onana.

New Zealand international Wood met Gibbs-White’s cross in the 54th minute with a header that went over the line as Matthijs de Ligt, Onana and Martinez all failed to save the situation.

United hit back after the hour mark when Amad Diallo showed great skill as he raced down the right wing before feeding Fernandes, who beat Sels from the edge of the box.

LIVERPOOL: Pep Guardiola calmly responded to the boos of Liverpool fans during Manchester City’s defeat at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side beat the defending Premier League champions 2-0 and extended the gap on City, who slipped to fifth, to 11 points – thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool fans taunted Guardiola by chanting “you’ll be sacked in the morning” towards the end of the game.

The City manager, however, simply responded with a six-finger gesture – the number of Premier League trophies he has won over the past seven seasons.

Guardiola once again showed the same gesture when applauding the City supporters after the match.

The defeat at Anfield continued City’s poor record which has now lost six of their last seven games.

“We didn’t have pre-season and then injuries, but we are aware of that and we have to deal with it. We competed but didn’t create many chances.

“We don’t have the strength in midfield at the moment and they are stronger in the ball, so need to work harder when we get the ball.

“I sit here as a manager and defend what we have done before, the result of their efforts. I want to continue with them and embrace them.

“We have to change this result and when the time is right we will. The whole stadium wants me to be sacked, it started in Brighton! Maybe they were right based on the previous results. I didn’t expect it at Anfield.

“They didn’t do it when it was 1-0, but after 2-0. Maybe they should sing it in the past.

“I didn’t expect it from Liverpool fans but that’s okay. It’s part of the game and I understand it. We went through a lot of great fights together. I respect them,” said Guardiola.

HEIDENHEIM, Germany: Chelsea cemented their position at the top of the UEFA Conference League table after a 2-0 win over Heidenheim, who lost their 100 percent record earlier this morning.

Manager Enzo Maresca made 10 changes to the squad that defeated Leicester in the English Premier League (EPL) last weekend.

But the Blues dominated the first half, with Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Mueller letting them down with some impressive saves.

Chelsea needed six minutes after the break to break the deadlock when Christopher Nkunku made a brilliant touch to control Jadon Sancho’s cross before firing into the top corner.

Nkunku, second only to Nicolas Jackson in Maresca’s EPL list of strikers, has scored five goals in four Conference League games this season.

The German club rallied from behind and almost equalized in the 69th minute when Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen brilliantly denied attempts from Paul Wanner and Leo Scienza.

The two-time European champions sealed victory four minutes from time when Sancho assisted for his second goal, sending the ball to Mykhailo Mudryk who fired home after playing a one-two with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

After winning their first four games, Chelsea lead the Conference League with a maximum of 12 points and goal difference ahead of Polish club Legia Warsaw.

LONDON: All eyes will be on Ruben Amorim’s first team as head coach of Manchester United this Sunday.

A visit to Ipswich Town awaits and the 39-year-old’s starting line-up at Portman Road is highly anticipated, especially with one change in formation expected.

At his previous club Sporting CP, Amorim often used a formation of three defenders, either a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 system.

While both are somewhat foreign to the squad he inherited, his first team selection is expected to be interesting.

If Amorim wants to expose the weaknesses of the opposition, his team will definitely need a strong player who will press Ipswich fiercely.

Aggressively closing down space is key to Amorim’s tactical approach, but Kieran McKenna’s men are already showing fragility when pressed in their own half.

Manchester City, Southampton, Aston Villa and West Ham United all scored against the newly promoted side after winning the ball back in the attack.

Forcing the Ipswich players to make mistakes when playing from the back must have been at the heart of Amorim’s game planning.

Who is good at pressing for United?

Mason Mount has struggled for game minutes under Erik ten Hag, but the midfielder has been working hard all week on the training ground with Amorim, while many of his team-mates are in action with their respective national teams.

This gives him the chance to be in action at Portman Road this Sunday.

Mount’s style of play certainly suits the new head coach, who likes his players to work hard even when not in possession.

Mount, who can operate in midfield or as one of two No 10s, exerts more pressure in the opposition area than any other player at United.

When looking at the amount of pressure applied throughout the 90 minutes by United’s players, Mount is at the top of the ladder leaving his nearest challengers far behind.

He averaged 45.6 pressures with Joshua Zirkzee second at 38.3.

Mount’s efforts, coupled with proven technical ability, will impress Amorim.

The 25-year-old will definitely want a fresh start, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays and shines over the next few weeks.

Which strikers will feature in Amorim’s starting line-up?

Ipswich’s midfield and defense are not among the fastest in the division and as a result they were exploited on many occasions by the pacey opposition.

Mohamed Salah sneaked in effectively as Liverpool won at Portman Road in the opening week of the league, while Erling Haaland, Jarrod Bowen, Vitaly Janelt and Jordan Ayew also contributed to exposing Ipswich’s weaknesses with quick runs that opened up the defence.

For this match, United will try to play in the three-quarters of the field, before looking for opportunities to break through the home defense with a quick attack.

United’s fastest players were Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, with Marcus Rashford in third.

Amorim likes to attack quickly, so this trio is definitely in his consideration.

The new head coach will certainly want Bruno Fernandes (4.4 runs into the penalty area per 90 minutes) and Rashford (3.3 per 90 minutes) to enter the opposition penalty box more often than they have done so far this season.

This Sunday, look for Garnacho and Amad Diallo to offer a threat to break through the defense alongside forward Hojlund.

Given Amorim’s record of trusting and shaping young players, it would not be surprising if Garnacho and Diallo were named in his first XI.

Both have scored impressive individual goals under caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, which their new boss will surely be aware of.

Does Fernandes have a new role?

In Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 formation, Fernandes was used as a No 10, but he will definitely have to adapt to the new position.

The captain’s role is most likely as an ‘inverted wide’ striker. Ensuring both full-backs operate effectively alongside him, it may not be a big difference for him.

But you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of Amorim experimenting with Fernandes as an orthodox midfielder.

LONDON: Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo wished Ruben Amorim the best of luck who is now settling in as a new manager at Old Trafford.

Amorim, who was appointed to replace Erik ten Hag on November 1, arrived in England last Monday, less than 24 hours after coaching Sporting Lisbon for the last time.

Amorim, 39, who is awaiting work permit approval, was greeted by United officials upon his arrival at Carrington.

He was also given the opportunity to visit Old Trafford and hold his first interview as United head coach.

Amorim is expected to take charge of his first game when United travel to Portman Road against Ipswich Town in the Premier League next week.

He takes over a team currently 13th in the league, with a tough task to ensure they finish in the top four this season.

For Ronaldo, the Portuguese legend who was born just a week after Amorim, the club needed a bit of ‘luck’ after the failure of several previous managers.

“I wish Ruben Amorim luck in the world because Manchester (United) really needs him,” said Ronaldo.

Ronaldo made the comments after helping Portugal to a convincing 5-1 win over Poland in the UEFA Nations League, where he contributed two second-half goals.

London: Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted he was not surprised by his team’s excellent start to the season, as he was already aware of the strength of the team he inherited when he arrived at Anfield as Juergen Klopp’s replacement.

Slott’s side, who have won 14 out of 16 games in all competitions since he took over, are expected to remain at the top of the Premier League when they host Aston Villa in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Liverpool now have a two-point lead over defending champions Manchester City.

They are also top of the Champions League group as the only team to win four games from all meetings.

“I think ‘surprised’ is not the right word because I know the quality of our team.

“But quality is one thing and consistency is another. I’m not surprised because I see the energy my players give every day.

“Sometimes, a bit of luck helps. Most of our results were deserved but there were a few close matches,” he added.

“(Also) when I started working with them, I saw how hard they worked to achieve this result,” Slot told reporters.

Slot does not expect striker Diogo Jota, who has been sidelined since Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on October 20 due to injury, to return until after the international break.

Slot did not elaborate on Jota’s injury and stated that it had to keep the cause a secret.

“He will be back one or two games after the international break,” he said.

Curtis Jones, named in interim England manager Lee Carsley’s squad for the upcoming internationals, has been in excellent form in recent weeks.

Jones created a beautiful pass for Luis Diaz to score in Liverpool’s 4-0 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

Slot said Jones has stepped her game up a notch since the birth of her daughter, Giselle, on Oct. 13.

“Since becoming a father, he’s started to perform really well,” Slot said.

ASUNCION, Paraguay: Brazil lost for the fourth time in five World Cup qualifiers after Diego Gomez’s goal gave Paraguay a 1-0 win in Asuncion.

Five-time world champions Brazil, who beat Ecuador 1-0 last Friday, are now fifth in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup on 10 points, ahead of Venezuela on goal difference.

Only the top six teams will qualify for the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with the seventh-placed team having to go through another qualifying round.

Dorival Jr, who took over the Brazil squad from Tite after the team was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, saw his side overcome by Gomez’s 20th-minute goal.

“The coach is still looking for the best way for us to play and it is evident in the results of the matches.

“A lot of new players, we’re not confident enough. It’s not easy to qualify, it’s a difficult period and we have to know how to deal with it.

“Now the phase of change, we are not confident enough. We have to work hard, getting results on the field is the best answer,” said Brazilian defender Marquinhos.

Brazil will continue their qualifying campaign next month against Chile and Peru.

LONDON: Liverpool opened the curtain on the Premier League with the goal of striker Mohamed Salah, which is a routine matter for the Anfield club.

At 32 and out of contract next summer, the Egyptian forward is still a revelation at Anfield.

Salah has now scored the most goals in a first game in Premier League history, with his second-half goal against Ipswich the ninth time he has started a campaign with a goal.

Salah also helped Diogo Jota’s goal to complete Liverpool’s 300th goal in 350 appearances.

“Every year he comes back in better shape than the season before. He’s one of those players who has a longer summer break and he takes advantage of it.

“He was brilliant, especially in the second half when he helped us win.

“Mo looks after his body very well. He is a professional who needs to be emulated. If our main players play like that, he will help the team,” said defender Andy Robertson.

LONDON: Chelsea are closing in on signing Brazilian teenage sensation Gabriel Mec from Gremio.

The London club has begun scouting talented players since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over the club in 2022, with the aim of building a long-lasting squad.

The Blues have signed seven players in this transfer window, hoping to improve on last season’s achievements after a big spending spree.

According to Brazilian media, Chelsea have reached an agreement with Gremio to sign the 16-year-old.

The midfielder is worth 20.5 million pounds and Mec agreed to sign a five-year contract with the option of a further two years.

The teenager is yet to feature for Gremio’s main squad but has made an impact in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship – scoring once in six appearances.

If he manages to sign for Mec, he will only join the Stamford Bridge club after turning 18, in line with international transfer regulations for underage players.

Mec will be the 17th teenager signed by Chelsea since Boehly took over the club in 2022.

Ecuador striker Kendry Paez, 17, will also sign a contract at Stamford Bridge after turning 18 in May 2025.

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur brightened their chances of qualifying for the Champions League after winning 3-1 at home earlier this morning over Nottingham Forest who are trying to avoid relegation while climbing to fourth place in the Premier League.

Second-half goals from Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, after Forest striker Chris Wood had saved Murillo’s own goal in the first half, saw Spurs seize the opportunity after their challengers Aston Villa and Manchester United suffered losses this weekend.

Tottenham’s win kept them tied with Villa on 60 points but played one match less and left United behind on 49 points after they drew 2-2 with Liverpool.

Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou however told reporters it was “not so much about fighting for the top four places, what I care about is how this team develops.”

Tottenham took the lead after 15 minutes when Brazil’s Murillo, who a few minutes earlier had almost scored a stunning goal from inside his own area, dabbled in Timo Werner’s cross into his own goal.

Spurs were free and a second goal seemed inevitable until Forest equalized against the grain in the 27th minute with Wood’s fourth goal in four games.

Forest felt Spurs should have gone down to 10 men just before the break if James Maddison appeared to have tackled Ryan Yates during an off-the-ball incident but VAR was reluctant to intervene.

“It doesn’t look like he’s pounding it, he’s pounding it,” Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo told reporters.

“I’m surprised VAR didn’t tell (referee) Simon (Hooper) to check it again because to be honest, Maddison lost his mind and he had a blow to the stomach.”

The defeat left Forest in 17th with 25 points from 32 games, ahead of third-placed Luton Town only on points difference.