Michael Carrick admitted he was frustrated by his Manchester United side’s lack of cutting edge in their 1-1 draw at West Ham (in 18th place) on Tuesday. The Red Devils were well below their best for long periods, and trailed to Tomas Soucek’s 50th minute strike. United needed Benjamin Sesko’s equaliser deep into stoppage-time to avoid the first defeat of Carrick’s five-match reign as interim boss. Although United retained fourth place in the English Premier League thanks to Sesko’s dramatic leveller, Carrick conceded there was a lack of cohesive play in the final third from his team. A dejected Man Utd skipper Bruno Fernandes after the loss to West Ham on Tuesday. Pic/Getty Images “I think we were a little disappointed and we were definitely not at our best. I’m a little frustrated at that,” he said. “It is a tough place to come and we didn’t have that sharpness to find the answers. [But] great spirit again and we will take the point and move on. It didn’t come easy and we found a way, so we will take some positives from it,” added the English manager. He also reserved special praise for striker Sesko, who scored his fifth goal in the last six games after a woeful start to the season, following his move from RB Leipzig. “Fantastic finish. He has done it again. It is important. It is a great finish. Delighted for him. Another big goal and a good step,” Carrick said. NineNo. of shots taken by Man Utd vs West Ham; their second lowest in an EPL game in ’25-26 This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 February,2026 09:52 AM IST | Manchester | AFPTottenham Hotspur have sacked coach Thomas Frank after less than eight months in charge following a 1-2 loss at home to Newcastle on Tuesday, which left them a mere five points above the English Premier League relegation zone. Spurs are 16th in the table and without a win in their past eight EPL ties — their worst run since October 2008. Spurs have won just two of their past 17 league games and collected only 12 points in that time. The club’s statement on Wednesday said: “The club has taken the decision to make a change in the head coach position and Frank will leave today. We have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.” TwoNo. of EPL wins for Spurs in their last 17 matches This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 February,2026 08:17 AM IST | London | AFPManchester Utd legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he attempted to turn into a professional boxer following his retirement from football in 2015. Ferdinand, 47, a centre-back, who also played 81 games for England, told Men’s Health magazine recently: “I trained for six months. Sparring at the gym in Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield. I’d drive for five hours in the car on a Monday to train. I was serious, but they didn’t give me a license. Someone died the weekend that my license went in. I could have been fighting Anthony Joshua [two-time unified heavyweight champion] for a hundred mil! I can’t wait around. It was either now or never,” said Ferdinand, who won six English Premier League titles.
12 February,2026 08:16 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentManager Arne Slot admitted this has been his toughest season to date as a coach, with his inconsistent Liverpool side battling to seal UEFA Champions League qualification less than a year after coasting to the English Premier League (EPL) title. The Reds lost their most recent EPL encounter 1-2 to rivals Manchester City, further ramping up the pressure on the Dutch coach, who is hoping they can rebound from that result in style when they host Sunderland on Wednesday. Arne Slot When asked by a reporter if this was his toughest season as a coach, Slot replied: “Yeah, that’s fair to say. By a mile! Because all the other seasons there was only positives. The reality is we haven’t performed to Liverpool’s standards” said the Dutchman. The Reds have won just one of their last seven EPL games, and find themselves in sixth place (39 points), a situation that Slot thinks is unacceptable come the end of the season. “If we don’t have Champions League football [secured] it has not been an acceptable season. It has an enormous impact on how this club is run. I am completely aware of that.” Slot admitted. 01No. of EPL wins for Liverpool in their last seven games This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 February,2026 09:19 AM IST | Liverpool | AgenciesManchester City captain Bernardo Silva said anything other than victory at Liverpool would have meant that the Premier League title race was all but over after Pep Guardiola’s men snatched a dramatic 2-1 win at Anfield. The visitors were set to fall nine points behind leaders Arsenal as they trailed to Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick late on. Silva’s equaliser on 84 minutes sparked a crazy finale. Erling Haaland put City in front three minutes into stoppage time, but there was still more chaos and controversy to come. Rayan Cherki thought he had sealed victory by rolling into an empty net from the halfway line as Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker went forward chasing a leveller. However, the goal was ruled out after Szoboszlai pulled Haaland back before the Norwegian retaliated in similar fashion. Szoboszlai was instead shown a red card for committing the first offence. “For the distance that we have to Arsenal, coming here, it is the toughest place in the League by far. I feel the whole team knew before the game, if we lost it then the title race was probably over. We felt we needed to win. The hope is there and we are going to fight until the end. We need to keep doing our job that we haven’t lately,” said Silva. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 February,2026 09:18 AM IST | Liverpool | AFPBrooklyn Beckham, son of Manchester United great David Beckham and former Spice Girls star Victoria, has quietly removed a tattoo on his arm that was dedicated to his father amid a worsening family feud. David Beckham The 26-year-old has reportedly replaced the word ‘Dad’ on his arm — part of a larger tattoo depicting an anchor — with small symbols. Brooklyn had recently posted a six-page comment on Instagram, slamming his parents’s behaviour towards his wife Nicola Peltz ever since their 2022 marriage. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 09:57 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesMikel Arteta said Viktor Gyokeres has raised his game to the “highest level” after the striker’s brace in a 3-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday. Victory took the Gunners nine points clear at the top of the English Premier League. Martin Zubimendi scored the other goal. “Confidence is the magic word. When you feel confident, that’s when you can take your game to the highest level, which he has,” said Arteta. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 09:50 AM IST | London | AFPPep Guardiola insisted Erling Haaland is the “best striker in the world” despite refusing to confirm if the misfiring Manchester City star will start Sunday’s crucial English Premier League (EPL) clash with Liverpool. Haaland has scored just twice in his last 12 appearances, and Guardiola elected to drop him to the bench for City’s 3-1 win over Newcastle in the EFL semi-final second leg on Wednesday. He has suffered a significant loss of form after scoring 19 goals in 14 games in all competitions in a blistering start to the season that included become the fastest player to reach 100 EPL goals. Haaland’s form, a concern City have subsequently struggled during Haaland’s dip, falling six points behind league-leaders Arsenal. The Norwegian scored when City beat Liverpool 3-0 earlier this season, but Guardiola would not reveal if he will feature against Arne Slot’s side this weekend. “I don’t know until tomorrow. But all I say is Erling is the best. Erling is the best striker in the world,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday. Pep Guardiola City have won just once at Liverpool since Guardiola’s arrival as manager in 2016, with that fixture in February 2021 played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guardiola was asked whether Anfield is the hardest fixture on the Premier League calendar. “Yep. Always a tough opponent and a difficult place and stadium, especially with the quality of the players and the managers. Yes, it’s been tough,” he said. Guardiola coy about future Guardiola side-stepped a question about his own future as speculation mounts that this will be his last season at City, saying: “I have one more year on my contract. It is the same answer I answered two months ago.” The Spaniard signed a two-year contract extension in November 2024 and the deal is due to expire in June 2027. The 55-year-old also doubled down on his comments about the “hurt” he feels for victims of conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan after Jewish community leaders told him to “focus on football”. “To be honest I didn’t say anything special. I think why should I not express how I feel just because I am a manager? So I do not agree but I respect absolutely all opinions,” he said. OneNo. of times Man City have won vs Liverpool at Anfield since 2016 — in 2021 ZeroNo. of goals for Man City’s Erling Haaland in three appearances at Anfield This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 February,2026 09:11 AM IST | London | AgenciesManchester United profited from Tottenham captain Cristian Romero’s red card to secure a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the English Premier League (EPL) on Saturday. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes ended an eight-game winless run against Spurs for the Red Devils. Bruno Fernandes This was United’s fourth win under interim manager Michael Carrick, and skipper Fernandes reckons things are looking brighter. “It’s incredible [beating Spurs]. We’ve had moments when we were not great, but when you win games, everything looks brighter. Michael [Carrick] came in with the right ideas of giving the players the responsibility, and freedom on the pitch. We hope we can help him more,” said Fernandes. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 February,2026 09:04 AM IST | Manchester | AFPManager Michael Carrick oozed confidence ahead of Manchester United’s English Premier League (EPL) clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, suggesting that coming through a run of tough games on the winning side has awakened the Red Devils. Carrick has made a rip-roaring start to his tenure after taking over from Ruben Amorim, winning all three of his EPL games in charge, including two convincing victories over rivals Manchester City (2-0) and Arsenal (3-2). They also edged out Fulham 3-2 with a last-gasp winner. “Certainly the three wins have been fantastic in different ways, so we feel confident we’ve got a lot of growth in the team and the squad. It’s a big challenge ahead [playing Spurs], but we’re looking forward to it,” said Carrick. Michael Carrick Tottenham, meanwhile, are at a low ebb, sitting in 14th place (29 points from 24 games). There are plenty of fans calling for coach Thomas Frank’s ouster, while there appears to be internal turmoil brewing, which came to the fore in a recent social media post by skipper Cristian Romero, wherein he slammed the club’s ‘disgraceful’ lack of spending in the transfer window amidst a raft of injuries. Nevertheless, the North Londoners have not lost to United in their last eight encounters, which is why Carrick urged his squad to be cautious. “They certainly bring a challenge. They’ve got really good attackers who look to stretch the backline and play forward and attack the box an awful lot. It’s something we’ve got be aware of,” said Carrick. Meanwhile, Frank took solace from their last two draws and reckons his side can take the fight to the Red Devils. “I think the performances are more competitive and consistent [recently]. Are they perfect? No, but we are getting closer,” said the Danish manager. 04Man Utd’s current standing in the EPL table 07No of matches since Man Utd’s previous loss in the EPL This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 February,2026 10:06 AM IST | Manchester | AgenciesManager Pep Guardiola hailed Manchester City’s consistency after securing a 3-1 win over defending champions Newcastle United (5-1 on aggregate) in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday. City effectively ended the tie in the first-half itself, scoring thrice via striker Omar Marmoush (7th min, 29th min), and Tijjani Reijnders (32nd min). Although Anthony Elanga pulled one back for the visitors in the 62nd minute, it was too little, too late. This is the sixth time 11 years that the Sky Blues will play the summit clash at Wembley Stadium, demonstrating their incredible consistency in this competition, something which Guardiola referenced after the match, while admitting he does not take this for granted. Pep Guardiola “I’m really pleased [with the result]. Except last season, we have been an incredible machine, and that’s good. [But] it’s not for granted [because] I know how difficult it is,” said the Spanish coach. Guardiola also lauded how his team approached the game: “To reach the final you have to be consistent over two games and we were really good. What I like the most is that we started like it was 0-0. It was 2-0 [on aggregate], but we didn’t play to control what we won there [in the away leg], it was completely the opposite.” Man City will now face Arsenal in the final on March 22. Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was left to lament an underwhelming first-half performance from his charges. “Really annoyed with the first-half display. We pride ourselves on being really organised and tactically we want to be able to handle any problem the opposition gives us. [But] that first-half we weren’t good enough individually and our duels were off and it gave us huge problems,” said the English coach. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 February,2026 10:04 AM IST | Manchester | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
