Gylfi Sigurdsson cancelled out a controversial Wayne Rooney penalty to secure a 1-1 draw for Swansea City at Old Trafford that damages Manchester United s top-four ambitions.
Rooney swept home from the spot moments before half-time after Marcus Rashford had gone to ground under almost no contract from Lukasz Fabianski, but Swansea s set-piece maestro stole a point that could wreck the hosts hopes of qualifying for the Champions League through domestic competition.
United also saw Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly added to their already lengthy injury list just four days ahead of their Europa League semi-final first leg against Celta Vigo.
Swansea, who are now just two points adrift of safety in 18th place, looked the brighter of the teams for much of the first half but …
Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Mark Warburton as manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
The 54-year-old was out of work following his protracted departure from Rangers last month the Scottish giants stating Warburton, assistant David Weir and head of recruitment Frank McParland had resigned only for the trio to dispute that claim and will get the chance to rebuild his career in the Championship.
It is a league he knows well after guiding Brentford into English football s second tier and then to the play-offs in the 2014-15 season.
That record prompted the call from Rangers, with whom Warburton won the Scottish Championship title and the Scottish Challenge Cup in a 20-month spell at Ibrox.
He joins a Forest side 19th in the table, ju…
Derby County goalkeeper Scott Carson will spend a second season on loan at Manchester City.
The former England international spent the 2019-20 campaign with Pep Guardiola s side as third choice keeper behind Ederson and Claudio Bravo.
City have signed the 34-year-old on for another season, so he appears to have played his last game with Championship side Derby as his contract expires in June 2021.
Carson will again provide cover for Ederson, with Zack Steffen set to be the Brazilian s understudy after the United States international returned from a loan spell with Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Former Barcelona keeper Bravo has left the Etihad Stadium after his contract expired.
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There have been reports recently that Tottenham Hotspur are following the form and progress of Bournemouth s Nathan Ake. Both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have been linked with moves away, and in preparation for such a scenario, acquiring a versatile defender like Ake would certainly make sense for Pochettino.
However, speaking to , Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has revealed there has been no contact from the North-London club on the matter. He said the links are a testimony and a compliment to the way Ake has been playing since joining the Cherries permanently from Chelsea, and believes his form has been highlighted by the individual accolades the centre-back picked up at the end of 2017/18.
Howe also believes the links won t do much in disrupting the player s…
Manchester City s millionaires club cruised to a 2-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg while mighty Juventus struggled to a 3-3 draw with Lech Poznan as the Europa League enjoyed a goal-packed start on Thursday.
Forty goals were scored in the night s opening 12 matches with two players Poznan s Artjoms Rudnevs and Patrick Helmes of Leverkusen scoring hat-tricks.
David Silva grabbed his first goal for Manchester City since his 40 million euro move from Valencia in the summer as Roberto Mancini s team took the lead in Austria after just eight minutes.
The goal was set up by Brazilian striker Jo, who went on to score the second in the 63rd minute after Salzburg keeper Gerhard Tremmel failed to hold a 20-metre drive from Carlos Tevez.
City share the same Group A as…
Arsene Wenger admitted Jack Wilshere deserved to be sent off at the end of Arsenal s 2-1 victory over Birmingham but insisted the England youngster is not a dirty player.
Wilshere, 18, received a straight red card for an ugly lunge on Nikola Zigic in the final seconds of a clash that was decided by Marouane Chamakh s 48th minute goal.
Zigic, who had earlier put his side ahead, escaped serious injury but Wilshere s challenge will only fuel the debate about reckless tackling that has dominated the opening weeks of the season.
Arsenal manager Wenger has been one of the most vocal critics of the nature of some of the challenges and addressed the issue in his programme notes for Birmingham s visit to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
In his notes, Wenger dema…
Luis Fernando Suarez has confirmed that he has left his post as Honduras coach following the FIFA World Cup.
Suarez took over in 2011, filling the void of Mexican Juan de Dios Castillo and he subsequently coached the country to two editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2012 London Olympic games and this year s World Cup.
The Ecuador native guided Honduras to the semi-finals of the Gold Cup on both occasions, while they also reached the second round of the Olympics, helping to knock out Spain.
After ending the World Cup with no points following defeats to France, Switzerland and Ecuador, Suarez opted to not renew his contract and he leaves his post, suggesting the team needs fresh impetus.
Five minutes ago I decided to leave my post, he revealed to repor…
Departed Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said he was leaving the Asian nation well-placed for the future despite their poor FIFA World Cup.
The Italian s team were fancied to have an impact in Brazil but failed, finishing winless and bottom of a group, which included Colombia, Greece and the Ivory Coast.
Former Juventus, Inter, Lazio and Milan coach Zaccheroni, 61, took responsibility and resigned.
In an open letter on the Japanese Football Association s (JFA) website on Thursday, Zaccheroni said there was loneliness and frustration but he feels he leaves the country in a good place.
The frustration has still continued but there is one thing to save me from it, he said.
It is the certitude that I had managed to form a group for the future. I can …
Brazilian forward Neymar is said to be pushing for a PSG exit with growing reports claiming the 26-year-old is keen on a Barcelona return.
Neymar moved to Paris in 2017 on a world-record transfer worth €222 but is believed to be getting increasingly disillusioned with life at Parc des Princes.
Barcelona are reportedly willing to welcome back their prodigal son but Goal reports that certains steps must be taken in a possible transfer procedure.
The Catalans have already begun flirting with the idea of Neymar returning with director Pep Segura opening up on the possibility but the next step is for the player himself to go public with his desire to re-join Barcelona in order to calm wary supporters who were disappointed to see him leave Camp Nou.
Neymar h…
Australia recovered smartly from their opening loss to Jordan to breathe fresh life into their Asian Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Palestine in Dubai on Friday.
The holders suffered a shock 1-0 defeat five days previously but quickfire goals from Jamie Maclaren his first for his country and Awer Mabil in the opening period set them on their way at Rashid Stadium before Apostolos Giannou rounded off the scoring late on.
The first two goals arrived in the 18th and 20th minutes, Maclaren heading home Tom Rogic s cross before Mabil ghosted in to get on the end of Chris Ikonomidis angled ball from the left flank the winger picking up a second assist for Giannou at the end of regulation time.
Victory lifts the Socceroos to second in the Group…