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MANCHESTER, England: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim took full responsibility following the heartbreaking 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth late last night which saw thousands of fans head for the exits long before the final whistle.

Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo scored to keep United in 13th place in the league, the first time they have been bottom at Christmas in Premier League history.

“It’s my responsibility to train them,” said Amorim.

“Of course we want to improve. At the moment, everything is too difficult, a club like Manchester United losing 3-0 at home, it’s really difficult for everyone.

“Of course the fans are also really disappointed and tired. You can feel it in the stadium and I understand that, but we have to deal with it.”

Conceding goals from set-pieces has been a theme of United’s lacklustre season and the issue came to a head again late last night when Huijsen headed home from a corner kick in the 29th minute.

It was the 17th goal conceded by United from a set-piece in the EPL in 2024, the most by them in a calendar year in the league’s 32-year history.

“Not conceding a goal to the opponent and then a set-piece made us nervous, everyone in the stadium, I felt it from the first minute. There was a lot of anxiety, that’s normal because of the context and it was really disappointing,” said Amorim.

United had 23 attempts to Bournemouth’s 10, but were unable to finish, with captain Bruno Fernandes firing a powerful shot just wide of the net late in the first half.

Amorim said the team’s struggles were largely “mental.”

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur survived a Manchester United comeback to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup with a 4-3 home win.

Ange Postercoglou’s team comfortably led 3-0 after 54 minutes of action at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium through two goals from Dominic Solanke and one from Dejan Kulusevski.

However, the hosts were punished by a mistake by their goalkeeper, Fraser Forster, which allowed substitutes, Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo, to close the gap for United.

There were still 20 minutes left in the game when Diallo made it 3-2 and United came close to equalising several times before Son Heung-min beat goalkeeper Altay Bayindir with an 88th-minute corner kick.

Jonny Evans still managed to close the gap in injury time but Tottenham ensured United’s comeback did not prevent them from meeting defending champions Liverpool in the semi-finals.

Arsenal face Newcastle United in the other semi-final.

“Leading 3-0 we should have handled the game better, stalled the game but we made things difficult ourselves, but the important thing is we won and advanced.

“That’s football, we’re united. Mistakes are part of football, we try, show passion and do the job,” Solanke said.

Postecoglou’s team had previously led 2-0 before losing 4-3 to Chelsea in their last home match, seemingly repeating the situation against United.

But this time Spurs made sure they did not waste that advantage and moved closer to a first trophy since the League Cup in 2008.

Tottenham’s injury-plagued squad was still capable of dominating Ruben Amorim’s United, who made five changes to the squad that stunned Manchester City on Sunday.

Solanke put the hosts ahead in the 15th minute when Bayindir failed to clear Pedro Porro’s attempt and the Spurs striker finished.

Bruno Fernandes had several chances and Rasmus Hojlund’s effort went wide, but Tottenham comfortably controlled the game and extended their lead when Kulusevski added a goal after the break.

Solanke made it 3-0 after breaking through United’s defence and scoring his second goal in the 54th minute.

United finally found their target when Fernandes intercepted Forster’s pass and the ball reached Zirkzee to finish.

Forster once again gifted United an easy goal when his shot was intercepted by Diallo for the visitors’ second goal.

However, United’s comeback was blocked by Spurs captain, Heung-min, who deflected a corner kick straight into Bayindir’s goal.

Substitute Evans’ goal was too late for United to find another goal.

DOHA: Real Madrid are a better team than they were a month ago but must be wary of Pachuca’s “quality”, said manager Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against the Mexican club early tomorrow morning.

Since suffering a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool in the Champions League, Madrid have won three and drawn one of their last five games in all competitions.

Madrid are third in La Liga with 37 points from 17 matches, one point behind leaders Barcelona, ​​who have played one more match.

Pachuca defeated Egyptian club Al-Ahly 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw to qualify for the Intercontinental Cup final.

However, Ancelotti did not underestimate the challenge of their opponents.

“I think we came into this match better than a month ago. We are highly motivated and excited to bring home the Intercontinental Cup again,” said Ancelotti ahead of the clash at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

“Every game is a trap, if Pachuca qualify it’s because they have something. We have to respect them for the quality they have. Finals are often a special feeling and a worry before the game,” he said.

“They have their own character, it’s a very important match for them. They have a clear system, they are a very dynamic team. I expect an entertaining match.”

Regarding injuries, Madrid will not take any risks with striker Kylian Mbappe.

The 25-year-old France captain, who was substituted in the first half of Madrid’s 3-2 win at Atalanta in the Champions League last week, was confirmed to have suffered a left thigh injury and missed Saturday’s 3-3 La Liga draw at 13th-placed Rayo Vallecano.

“Kylian’s situation is simple, he trained yesterday and had a good feeling. Today is important where he will evaluate his feelings,” said Ancelotti.

“If he’s good, he’ll play, but if there’s even a small risk, he won’t play.”

MANCHESTER: Manchester United added to the misery of defending Premier League champions Manchester City when late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo gave Ruben Amorim’s side a 2-1 victory at the Etihad.

Amorim’s first Manchester derby looked set to end in victory for Pep Guardiola’s City when Josko Gvardiol’s 36th-minute header put the hosts ahead.

However, Diallo sparked United’s comeback when the young Ivorian won a penalty kick that was converted by team captain Fernandes two minutes before the end of the game.

Diallo once again surprised City when he received a long pass and beat goalkeeper Ederson from a difficult angle.

City have now lost eight of their last 11 matches in all competitions, with just one win recorded.

They remain fifth in the Premier League on 27 points from 16 matches, nine points behind leaders Liverpool who have played one match less.

United, who briefly climbed to 12th on 22 points, slipped back to 13th when Tottenham thrashed Southampton 5-0 at St Mary’s.

Fernandes, who missed a golden opportunity to equalise before Diallo won a penalty, praised the United winger’s performance.

“He’s been really good, he’s done some great things, I think he’s got a lot more to do. When he’s like this, it’s hard to stop him,” Fernandes said of Diallo’s performance.

Meanwhile, Diallo said his team’s determination to win the Manchester derby sparked United’s comeback.

“In the second half, we put pressure, we wanted to win, this is a derby. We proved that we can win every game and we are happy to have done it today,” Diallo said.

MANCHESTER: Paul Pogba is expected to return to Manchester United after his contract was terminated by Juventus following a doping scandal, former Red Devils striker Louis Saha has said.

The 31-year-old left Old Trafford to join Juventus in 2022 after scoring 39 goals in 233 appearances for United.

He arrived at Old Trafford in 2016 for a then world record transfer fee, but failed to live up to expectations.

After a year in Turin, Pogba failed a doping test and was given a four-year ban, which was later reduced to 18 months when his appeal was upheld.

This means the World Cup winner with France could resume his career in March, but he is currently without a club.

Former United star Saha said his compatriot would return to Old Trafford to join a training session with Ruben Amorim’s squad.

“I’ve heard rumours that Paul Pogba will be offered the chance to come back and train with Man United in the New Year, and I think it’s the best opportunity for Paul.

“He needs to get back to his best as soon as possible, and training with great players will help him. I think he will be excited to be back at the club.”

“I also think Paul Pogba is still a special player. When you think about midfielders, Pogba has unique qualities.

“I think United’s squad lacks strength in midfield, and they don’t have the skilled players who can dominate from box to box, so he will add strength to United,” said Saha.

Last month it was reported that clubs from Major League Soccer, the Saudi Pro League and the English Premier League were interested in Pogba’s services.

MANCHESTER, England: Improving Manchester United’s defensive weaknesses, especially when it comes to set-pieces, has become a priority for new head coach Ruben Amorim, whose meticulous planning has been hampered by his team’s failure to deal with corner kick dangers.

Nottingham Forest needed just 90 seconds to score from a corner at Old Trafford late on Wednesday night as United suffered a 3-2 defeat and showed Amorim’s side had learned little from their 2-0 midweek defeat at Arsenal when both goals came from the spot.

“When this happened it was my fault, because I was responsible. We tried to do it in the best way, we worked a lot in this area because we saw it at Arsenal and it was really difficult,” Amorim told a news conference.

“At the beginning of the game (against Forest), you suffered with the first movement, it was really difficult to inject energy into the team, but then we managed to equalise and finally in the second half the same thing happened.”

United’s lack of height and strength at the back was exposed at free kicks and corners and Amorim reshuffled his team in the second half, bringing on centre-back Harry Maguire at 3-2 when he feared he would concede again.

“We put Harry Maguire on because of the set-pieces, to have more control over who wins the first ball. The only way to attack Nottingham is on the counter-attack, to try and win the first and second balls. When Harry is in the middle of the pitch he wins all the first balls,” said Amorim.

However, by then the damage had already been done.

United’s defence were careless in allowing Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic space, who rose above Lisandro Martinez to head home.

Martinez and goalkeeper Andre Onana were then at fault for Forest’s third goal in the 54th minute, a header from Chris Wood that should have been dealt with.

“Everyone is aware of the importance of set-pieces today, they are huge, a way to make a difference for you and your opponent. We did well today,” said New Zealand forward Wood.

Amorim insists he will stick to his principles, despite his shaky start at Old Trafford.

“This is happening to a lot of clubs and we need to keep trying to do the same thing in order to improve the team, because all this will change,” he said.

MADRID: Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with Kylian Mbappe’s performance during their 2-0 La Liga win over Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 25-year-old France captain scored Real’s second goal eight minutes after Jude Bellingham converted a penalty in the 30th minute.

Mbappe is now the club’s top scorer in the league this season along with Vinicius Jr who also scored eight goals.

After a lackluster performance in Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at the hands of Liverpool, which included a second-half penalty miss, Mbappe came into full force against Getafe to score his 10th goal of the season in all competitions.

“He’s active, dangerous and scores great goals which is very important to control the game. That’s what we want from him.

“The fans understand more about the team and the players. They continue to support Mbappe after Anfield because it’s the right thing to do,” said Ancelotti.

The defending La Liga champions are now just one point behind leaders Barcelona with one more game to play.

LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool can go one step closer to winning the English Premier League title for the second time in 35 years against fragile Manchester City on Sunday as Ruben Amorim eyes a chance to win his first Premier League (EPL) game as Manchester United manager.

The clash between the top two sides at Anfield offers Arsenal, who face West Ham, and Chelsea, who host Aston Villa, the chance to close the gap.

Arne Slot’s Reds head into the weekend full of confidence after beating Real Madrid 2-0 to go top of the Champions League table.

Liverpool have also rarely made mistakes in the EPL, jumping eight points clear after just 12 games.

All three teams enjoying a lead of eight points or more at this stage in the EPL season ended the campaign as champions.

City is in a critical position.

Winless in their last six games, the English champions are physically and mentally “fragile”, according to manager Pep Guardiola, who is having the worst spell of his career on the sidelines.

“It has been, is and will be a difficult season for us. We had to accept it in many circumstances,” he said.

Even at their best in a glorious era under the Catalan, City have failed to conquer Anfield, with their last victory in front of home fans coming in 2003.

Amorim did not give up after watching Manchester United struggle to a 1-1 draw at bottom side Ipswich in his debut in charge last weekend.

“We will suffer for a long time,” said the Portuguese coach. “It will take time, but I know we have to win the game.”

Troubled club Everton’s visit to Old Trafford offers the Red Devils the perfect opportunity to reinject the challenge under their new boss.

The Toffees (10) are one of three teams to have scored less than United’s 13 goals in the EPL this season.

Sean Dyche’s men are just two points above the relegation zone and have not beaten United away from home since 2013.

United, who are 12th, will need to make the most of their home advantage to move up the table a bit with tough visits to Arsenal and City awaiting in two of their next three league games.

Aston Villa another team struggling with form. A 0-0 draw with Juventus in midweek extended their winless streak to seven games in all competitions.

Unai Emery’s men remain well placed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League in their first campaign in Europe’s elite club competition in four decades.

But their fatigue in Europe began to affect their challenge at the domestic level. Villa have only picked up seven points from their last seven league games to drop to eighth place.

Ahead of them is a tough visit to Chelsea, who have excelled in Enzo Maresca’s debut season.

The Blues sit third, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference and could end the weekend as Liverpool’s closest challengers if City fail to end their losing streak at Anfield.

Arsenal bounced back with comprehensive wins over Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon and will move into second place for at least 24 hours if they win at West Ham tomorrow night.

LONDON: Henrique Hilario is set to end his 18-year career with Chelsea by leaving the club to join Thomas Tuchel in the England national team.

The goalkeeper joined the Blues in 2006 as a reserve goalkeeper behind Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini.

He spent almost a decade as a reserve goalkeeper before retiring in 2014 after being part of Premier League and Champions League winning squads.

Two years after hanging up his gloves, Hilario returned to Chelsea under Antonio Conte as assistant goalkeeping coach.

He was then promoted two years later by Maurizio Sarri and remained in that role including under Tuchel.

But the German manager – who replaces Gareth Southgate as Three Lions boss – will take Hilario with him to Wembley.

Tuchel, 51, who will start his job on January 1 after signing an 18-month contract, is using the free time to organize his coaching staff.

He also convinced current Chelsea performance analyst James Melbourne to join him.

Hilario and Melbourne will welcome former Blues coach Anthony Barry, who will be number two behind Tuchel.

PORTO: Cristiano Ronaldo once again signaled his retirement after scoring twice for Portugal.

Ronaldo, 39, one of the greatest players in football history, has scored more than 900 goals in his career.

The Portuguese forward, who has represented Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, is now with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner took his international tally to 135 goals in 215 appearances after netting twice in Portugal’s 5-1 win over Poland in the UEFA Nations League yesterday.

After the match he insisted that his focus remains on football, with retirement depending on his level of motivation by the age of 40.

“I just want to enjoy it. Plans for retirement? If it’s in another year or two, I don’t know. I’ll be 40 soon.

“I still want to enjoy it as long as I feel motivated to continue. When the day comes when I no longer have the motivation, I will retire,” Ronaldo said.

According to Ronaldo, he has no intention of becoming a coach once his playing career is over.

“I don’t see myself as a team manager, it’s not in my plans. My future is outside of football, but only time will tell,” he said.