Key events
Hugo Ekitike has revealed he chose Liverpool over Newcastle in the summer because he could not say no to the champions. Newcastle made a move to sign the French striker from Eintracht Frankfurt as they tried to line up a replacement for Alexander Isak before agreeing to sell the Swede to Liverpool, but instead both forwards ended up at Anfield.
Some questioned how much playing time Ekitike could expect in Liverpool’s overhauled frontline but the 23-year-old was the quickest of their summer signings to make an impact, and his brace in last week’s 4-1 win over the Magpies took him to 15 goals in a red shirt.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Ekitike said it had been an easy decision to pick Liverpool.
“First of all because they are champions last season,” he said. “You can join the best team in England. How can you say no? And obviously the players, the style of play. I saw myself playing in this team, I was thinking it would look really good. For me that was the best choice. Really easy (decision).”
Florian Wirtz laid on the first of Ekitike’s two goals last week, and the two summer signings are developing a flourishing partnership. They have now combined for six goals in all competitions this season – more than any other combination of players in the top flight.
“I think they complement each other really well,” team-mate Alexis Mac Allister said on the Liverpool website. “They are both big talents and I think everyone can see their quality.
“We can notice that they love to play one-twos and these kind of things, which is really good because they can generate goals and assists in just a moment.
“So, I’m really pleased for them. I think they are showing how good they are. But as I said, I think as a team we still need to improve and that’s what we want.” PA Media
Man Utd v Tottenham. Some beefy Opta stats to peruse.
Man Utd are winless in their last six league games against Tottenham Hotspur (D3 L3), their joint-longest ever run without a win against them (also 6 between 1914 and 1921).
Manchester United are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games (W4 D3) and have won all three since Michael Carrick returned as manager. The Red Devils last won four in a row in February 2024 under Erik ten Hag, while they last had a longer run without defeat in February 2022 (8 under Ralf Rangnick).
Tottenham are winless in their last six Premier League games (D4 L2), their longest run since their last seven in 2024-25. However, five of Spurs’ seven league wins this season have come away from home.
Manchester United are unbeaten in all nine of their Premier League games this season when they have less possession than their opponents (W7 D2), winning all seven when having less than 45%. They’ve won just four of their 15 league games when having over 50% of the ball (D6 L5).
Only bottom two sides Burnley (23) and Wolves (21) have conceded more first half goals than Tottenham (18) in the Premier League this season. Spurs are winless in all 10 of their league games when behind at the break this term (D3 L7) and are unbeaten in all six when leading at half-time (W5 D1).
Bruno Fernandes has more assists than any other Premier League player this season, with his 12 also his joint-best tally in a single campaign (level with 2020-21). The last Manchester United player to provide more was Antonio Valencia in 2011-12 (13).
Dominic Solanke – who scored twice against Man City last time out – has scored five goals in his last five appearances against Manchester United in all competitions. He’s averaging a goal every 88 minutes in all competitions this season, the best rate of any Spurs player.
Here’s our favourite weekly double digit column. Jamie Jackson runs the rule over Man Utd v Tottenham.
Manchester United are unbeaten in three games under Michael Carrick and Tottenham are unbeaten in four under Thomas Frank. While Carrick has overseen three victories, Spurs have two Premier League draws alongside Champions League wins. After Sunday’s last-gasp 3-2 win against Fulham at Old Trafford, Carrick was asked if his Midas touch could continue for his remaining 14 Premier League matches. In the interim manager’s calm way he smiled and said, in essence, there are no guarantees. But factor in a reinvigorated and re-engaged home crowd and even a draw for Spurs looks like a tough ask.
Man Utd v Tottenham is getting closer. Any thoughts or predictions for the 12.30pm kick-off?
Here’s Dave Estherby on email: “The Spurs of the North against the United of the South? Gonna be a painful one, this. Good job it’s on TNT…”
Remarkably, Tottenham are unbeaten in their last eight games against United in all competitions. That includes the dreadful Europa League final last May. Spurs won 3-0 on their last visit to Old Trafford so can they stop the Michael Carrick revival train?
As Will said to mechanic ‘Wolfie’ in The Inbetweeners: “You’re 17. You’re 17! There’s looking older and then there’s that. You look about 30.” Those words could easily have applied to a young James Milner and now the Brighton star is ready to update one of the great Premier League quiz questions.
Milner, now 40, can equal the all-time Premier League appearance record if he gets some game time against Crystal Palace on Sunday. That would bring him level with Gareth Barry at the top of the all-time charts with 653 appearances. The midfielder is also just the fifth player to play in the Premier League after reaching 40.
Here’s Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler paying tribute.
He will definitely be in the squad. For me, for us, James Milner is a role model, he’s a great character to work with. I think being a Premier League player in this age and still playing on the level he plays and also training on the level he trains… So when you just followed the last two training sessions, it’s incredible what he’s doing so I’m very pleased to work with him. I think that will be a special thing for him but he is focused on top of that on the ambitions from the club as well. He wants to be always successful like he was his whole life.
We also have action today in the Scottish Cup (3pm GMT kick-off unless stated otherwise):
Dundee Utd v Spartans
Dunfermline v Kelty Hearts
Elgin v Partick
Celtic v Dundee (5:30pm GMT)
Aberdeen v Motherwell (7:30pm GMT)
Pep Guardiola has been making different sort of headlines this week. Barney Ronay looks at what the talking heads are saying and whether the Manchester City boss should “stick to football”.
It’s a Manchester 1-2 in the Women’s Super League although City are absolutely running away with it. United travel to Leicester in the only WSL fixture today. It kicks off at 12pm which is a bit daft given that the men’s team are in action at 12.30pm. What if you’re a big fan of both? Anyway, here’s the table. United will hope to cut the gap to eight points.
Premier League team news. Okay, the fantasy deadline has already gone due to Leeds playing Nottingham Forest last night but for those who love to ponder starting XIs, see who’s crocked and check current form along with each club’s top scorer, this is the article just for you.
Man Utd v Spurs team news will be with you at 11.15pm today by the way.
All games across the EFL will kick off a minute later than usual today and there’s a very good reason why.
It’s part of the Every Minute Matters campaign which calls on football fans across the country to learn CPR and help build an army of 500,000 lifesavers during Heart Month.
The gesture serves as a powerful reminder that every minute counts when someone suffers a cardiac arrest – with survival chances dropping by up to 10% for every minute without CPR or defibrillation.
Micah Richards has joined forces with Bristol Rovers defender, Tom Lockyer, who suffered a cardiac arrest in December 2023 when playing for Luton.
Former Manchester City defender and now TV pundit, Richards said: “Every Minute Matters is a brilliant partnership that is just bigger than football. Learning CPR takes just 15 minutes, and it could save a life. It doesn’t get bigger than that.
“Listening to Tom and seeing what he has achieved is inspirational. We’re asking fans to ‘Show Your Heart’ this February and learn one of the most important skills of all, CPR.
“If football can do this and create an army of half a million lifesavers, it would be an incredible achievement.”
After an appalling tally a fortnight ago, I managed a healthy haul of 80 Premier League Fantasy points last week. That was mainly thanks to the blossoming relationship of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. There was an Opta start doing the rounds later that the Liverpool pair have combined for six goals in all competitions this season, more than any other Premier League duo. They’s assisted each other three times. It’s pretty obvious that Wirtz and Ekitike are now the heartbeat of the Liverpool attack, with Mo Salah’s influence receding.
Having said all that, I’ve captained Bruno Fernandes (v Spurs) this weekend. You?
Whoops, I forgot to mention two other Friday matches. Perhaps because neither witnessed a goal.
In Ligue 1, bottom club Metz did well to hold fifth-placed Lille to a 0-0 draw while there were also blanks in a Championship London derby. Charlton 0-0 QPR left the hosts in 17th while the visitors snuck up a place to 10th. It’s cramped around the playoff spots, as you can see.
So what else happened on Friday night? A quick spin through some of the games in Europe.
Serie A
Verona 0-0 Pisa. A goalless draw between the two bottom teams. Not very helpful for either.
La Liga
Celta Vigo 1-2 Osasuna. A good away win for Osasuna, who nudged up to eighth, one spot behind Celta. The hosts could have gone fifth with a win but Osasuna stole the points via a late goal from Raúl García de Haro.
Bundesliga
Union Berlin 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt. It all happened late here with both goals and a red card in the final six minutes. Frankfurt are now managed by former Liverpool winger, Albert Riera, but he was denied a winning start by Leopold Querfeld’s 87th-minute penalty.
The Premier League kicked off last night with a crucial game at a windy and rainy Elland Road. And, for the fifth straight time this season, Leeds won a night game in front of their home fans. Supporters and atmosphere make a difference, right. Here’s Aaron Bower’s match report.
And this is what it did to the table. Leeds are now nine points clear of the drop zone.
Yesterday was the 68th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster. Manchester United boss, Michael Carrick, was asked what the remembrance meant to him.
Munich is probably the biggest part of the history of this club in terms of the tragedy itself, how the team and the football club bounced back from it and went on to success… and everything from there was carried on. Sir Alex when I came would mention it, it was important to him, it was important to us [the playing squad at the time] and then it becomes a way of life and a way of the club. I think it’s important that we carry that on. I was here for the 50th [anniversary], I was here for the 60th, we’ll see about the 70th, we’re not sure yet. But being aware of it and being around it, especially in those moments, you really feel that emotion to be honest with you. On Saturday, inside the stadium, we’ll feel it as well.
Today’s Premier League fixtures (3pm GMT kick-off unless stated otherwise):
Man Utd v Tottenham (12:30pm GMT)
Arsenal v Sunderland
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
Burnley v West Ham
Fulham v Everton
Wolves v Chelsea
Newcastle v Brentford (5:30pm GMT)
Preamble
There’s still something about a Saturday morning that can never be beaten in terms of sporting anticipation. And, if the feeling is mutual, you’ve come to the right place!
While you may want to dabble in the Winter Olympics and Six Nations later on (we have live blogs on both), this page is all about the football. And what a cracker we have to start things off at 12.30pm – rejuvenated Manchester United v rejuvenated Tottenham. Although the latter refers to one good half against Man City, let’s go with it.
It’s one of seven Saturday fixtures in the Premier League, with two on Sunday including the blockbuster that is Liverpool v Manchester City. If you’re finger counting and have only reached nine, that’s because we’ve already had Leeds v West Ham. More on that Friday result shortly.
And how about you? Off to a game? Let us know! Lots to discuss as we cast our eye around the football world so strap in and let’s get things on the road!
