The Nashville Predators are solid 58.7 percent favorites over the New York Rangers. The Predators are favored by AccuScore simulations partly because they have a +4 edge in shots on goal and are projected for 34 shots on goal vs 30 shots for the Rangers. The Predators goalie(s) have the edge in save percentage at 89.6% compared to the Rangers goalie(s) who have a forecasted save percentage of 89.2%. KEY PLAYER STATISTICAL DATA --- SAVES: Pekka Rinne 27, Henrik Lundqvist 30 SHOTS: Roman Josi 3.3, Mika Zibanejad 3 GOALS: Viktor Arvidsson 0.54, Mika Zibanejad 0.45 PTS: Matt Duchene has a 52% chance of scoring at least 1 point and Artemi Panarin has a 60% chance of 1+PTs

The Florida Panthers are heavy 70 percent favorites over the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers are favored by AccuScore simulations partly because they have a +6 edge in shots on goal and are projected for 36 shots on goal vs 30 shots for the Senators. The Panthers goalie(s) have the edge in save percentage at 91.6% compared to the Senators goalie(s) who have a forecasted save percentage of 89.6%. KEY PLAYER STATISTICAL DATA --- SAVES: Craig Anderson 32, Sergei Bobrovsky 28 SHOTS: Brady Tkachuk 3.4, Mike Hoffman 3.1 GOALS: Brady Tkachuk 0.39, Mike Hoffman 0.47 PTS: Thomas Chabot has a 42% chance of scoring at least 1 point and Aleksander Barkov has a 63% chance of 1+PTs

This is a very close match-up. In 10,000 simulations Brighton & Hove Albion won 32.8%, Crystal Palace won 31.3% and there was a 35.9% chance of a draw. Overall, the average simulation score is Brighton & Hove Albion 0.8 to Crystal Palace 0.8. In simulation wins, Brighton & Hove Albion averages 8.8 shots and 3.2 shots on goal. They average 1.7 goals in simulated victories vs just 0.3 in simulation losses. When Crystal Palace wins they average 10.9 shots and 4.2 shots on goal. They average 1.7 goals in simulated victories vs just 0.3 in simulation losses.

There is a 21.8% chance of a draw. In simulations where the game is not a draw Lazio, at 61.1%, are heavy favorites to beat Cagliari who have just a 17.1% chance to win at home. Overall, the average simulation score is Lazio 2.3 to Cagliari 1.2. In simulation wins, Cagliari upsets Lazio by averaging 10.9 shots and 4.3 shots on goal. They average 2.4 goals in simulated victories vs just 0.7 in simulation losses.

The Dallas Stars are heavy 66 percent favorites over the Edmonton Oilers. The Stars are favored by AccuScore simulations partly because they have a +4 edge in shots on goal and are projected for 31 shots on goal vs 26 shots for the Oilers. The Stars goalie(s) have the edge in save percentage at 91.4% compared to the Oilers goalie(s) who have a forecasted save percentage of 89.9%. KEY PLAYER STATISTICAL DATA --- SAVES: Mikko Koskinen 28, Ben Bishop 24 SHOTS: Connor McDavid 3.6, Tyler Seguin 4 GOALS: Leon Draisaitl 0.49, Tyler Seguin 0.45 PTS: Connor McDavid has a 65% chance of scoring at least 1 point and Alexander Radulov has a 53% chance of 1+PTs

The Washington Capitals are slight 52.4 percent favorites over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Capitals are favored despite being projected for 27 shots on goal vs 33 shots for the Blue Jackets. The Capitals goalie(s) have the edge in save percentage at 90.4% compared to the Blue Jackets goalie(s) who have a forecasted save percentage of 87.8%. KEY PLAYER STATISTICAL DATA --- SAVES: Braden Holtby 30, Joonas Korpisalo 24 SHOTS: Alex Ovechkin 4.3, Cam Atkinson 3.8 GOALS: Alex Ovechkin 0.72, Cam Atkinson 0.51 PTS: Evgeny Kuznetsov has a 58% chance of scoring at least 1 point and Cam Atkinson has a 46% chance of 1+PTs

Raheem Sterling was also on target as the champions claimed a convincing win in North London, with all of their goals coming inside the opening 45 minutes.

Arsenal had the first chance of the game as Gabriel Martinelli forced a good save from visiting keeper Ederson after breezing past Fernandinho.

Fernandinho made amends soon after however, as he it ran it out from the back played a superb through ball into the run of Gabriel Jesus.

Jesus created space for himself on the left of the area and cut it back to De Bruyne, who sidefooted a strike into the roof of the net from the edge of the box with just two minutes on the clock.

City were 2-0 up after quarter of an hour thanks to a wonderful team goal.

Rodri started the move on the edge of his own area and managed to pick out Phil Foden in space. Foden, who was making his second successive start in place of the injured David Silva, played it forwards to De Bruyne and the Belgian drove forward before playing a perfectly timed ball to give Sterling a tap-in.

City were out of sight with five minutes of the first half remaining as Foden played in De Bruyne, who took a few steps forward before whipping the ball into the bottom corner with his left foot before any of the Arsenal defenders could close him down.

De Bruyne could have had a hat-trick moments later but Gunners keeper Bernd Leno produced a fantastic save to tip his effort onto the post when it looked destined for the top corner.

Jesus also forced a fine save from Leno in the second half but Pep Guardiola’s men couldn’t extend their lead further, while Arsenal never looked capable of reducing the deficit.

City are third in the Premier League table and they are now 14 points behind Liverpool, who beat Watford on Saturday. Arsenal are ninth in the standings and seven points adrift of Chelsea in fourth spot.

Rangers had leapfrogged the Hoops by one point with a similar victory against Motherwell at Fir Park earlier on Sunday.

But the Hoops, back to full strength after a host of players missed the Europa League dead rubber against Cluj on Thursday, responded appropriately and opened the scoring through returning right-back Jeremie Frimpong six minutes before the interval.

French striker Odsonne Edouard, also back in the team, doubled the lead in the 66th minute and it could have been a more comfortable victory for Neil Lennon’s side.

But they will settle for going back two points clear of Rangers, and they have the chance to increase that lead against struggling Hearts at Tynecastle on Wednesday.

After his makeshift side had lost 2-0 in Romania, having already qualified for the last 32, Lennon made seven changes in a bid to wrest back top spot from their Old Firm rivals.

Skipper Scott Brown, Fraser Forster, Frimpong, Kris Ajer, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Edouard all returned to the side while Hibs boss Jack Ross kept the same starting XI that beat Aberdeen last week.

After a minute’s applause for former Celtic defender Ian Young who died last week, the home side took control.

In the 10th minute Hibs keeper Ofir Marciano made a good save from Olivier Ntcham’s side-footed effort from 14 yards after fellow midfielder McGregor had set him up with a ball across the penalty area.

At the other end, Celtic defender Ajer’s timely tackle thwarted Jason Naismith 10 yards from goal after he latched on to a Stevie Mallan pass before Martin Boyle jinked inside and curled a right-footed drive inches past the far post.

Celtic increased the tempo. Edouard fired wide from 16 yards after being teed up by Frimpong, then the Frenchman drove wide again before Marciano made two saves from McGregor.

Hoops left-back Boli Bolingoli then went close with an effort from the edge of the box before the opener eventually came in the 39th minute.

Hibs defender Ryan Porteous sloppily lost possession to Edouard, who rolled the ball to Frimpong and the 19-year-old Dutch defender – sent off in the Betfred Cup final win over Rangers last weekend – slipped it through the legs of Marciano for his first goal at Celtic Park since signing from Manchester City in the summer.

Chris Maxwell replaced the presumably injured Marciano for the start of the second half and he too came under fire.

McGregor screwed a shot just wide of the far post from inside the box and Edouard blazed over from close range.

With only a slender lead, anxiety grew among the Celtic fans but that made way for glee when Forrest, after controlling a deep cross from Bolingoli, cut the ball back for Edouard to knock the ball into the net from eight yards.

The home side kept going for more goals but Hibs had their moments.

Striker Florian Kamberi’s deflected drive just missed the target and Celtic keeper Forster had to make a great reaction save from defender Christopher Jullien’s header to prevent an own goal.

But the champions had done enough to finish the weekend where they started it.

Mamadou Sakho will sit out the Premier League clash as he serves the second of his three-match ban for a red card in the 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Joel Ward (knee), Patrick Van Aanholt (hamstring) and Jeffrey Schlupp (muscle) are also sidelined and that leaves boss Roy Hodgson with a selection problem at left-back.

Ex-Ajax defender Jairo Riedewald filled the void off the bench at Watford last weekend and is set to provide cover in that position against the Seagulls.

Brighton will give striker Aaron Connolly as much time as possible to prove his fitness ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.

Connolly is a doubt after missing Albion’s draw with Wolves because of a groin problem, while winger Solly March remains sidelined by a similar issue.

Seagulls midfielder Dale Stephens serves a one-match ban after collecting his fifth yellow card of the campaign. Winger Jose Izquierdo (knee) is still out.

Crystal Palace provisional squad: Guaita, Hennessey, Henderson, Tomkins, Cahill, Kelly, Dann, Townsend, Milivojevic, Kouyate, McArthur, McCarthy, Riedewald, Camarasa, Zaha, Ayew, Benteke, Wickham.

Brighton provisional squad: Ryan, Dunk, Webster, Burn, Bissouma, Mooy, Propper, Alzate, Trossard, Gross, Maupay, Button, Duffy, Montoya, Bernardo, Jahanbakhsh, Murray, Connolly.

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The Colombian followed up Nikola Katic’s first-half opener when he fired home his 27th goal of the season midway through the second half.

But the striker – sent off five times last season – let his emotions get the better of him as he aimed an inflammatory gesture at the home support during his celebrations and was punished with a second yellow card.

Steven Gerrard has been keen to praise his talisman’s new-found self-control this term but the Ibrox boss will now have to turn to Jermain Defoe for the Easter Road clash after seeing Morelos yet again lose the plot.

Stephen Robinson was back in the Motherwell dugout two days after being arrested following an alleged incident in Edinburgh but his side were unable to prevent Rangers ending their run of three games without a win.

Fourth-placed Well’s success this season has come on the back of Robinson’s decision to ditch their direct style in preference for a possession-based gameplan but the Steelmen have lost none of their spikiness.

They were fortunate not to find themselves a man down just six minutes in as Devante Cole landed late on Glen Kamara’s ankle.

Having got off without even conceding a free-kick, Cole was involved soon after as Motherwell created an opening that should have handed them the lead.

Borna Barisic left it to Katic to attack a Mark Gillespie punt but he got nowhere close as Cole leapt highest to flick on. The ball broke off Connor Goldson to send Chris Long racing through against the on-rushing Allan McGregor.

Long took it round the goalkeeper but could not tee up Cole in the middle as James Tavernier raced back just in time to clear.

Rangers took their time to get going after a sluggish start.

Gillespie pulled off two decent saves to deny Morelos, the second a smart stop down to his right.

But from Barisic’s outswinging corner came the opener after 27 minutes. Bevis Mugabi was supposed to be keeping tabs on Katic but found himself being dragged along as the Croatia defender bulldozed through to power home with a header that Gillespie could not keep out.

There were further incidents before the break. Mugabi was again so worried about stopping Katic from meeting another Barisic that he bowled over Morelos.

The Colombian was left astonished as referee Don Robertson refused to point to the spot, although he did flash yellow at Liam Donnelly after he caught Rangers’ leading scorer on the ankle.

The Well midfielder and Gers rival Ryan Jack had to be separated when things got spicy as the players went down the tunnel at half-time. When the teams returned after the interval both Jack and Declan Gallagher were cautioned.

Morelos could have landed a knockout blow within five minutes of the restart but Gillespie blocked again.

The hosts thought they had levelled as Goldson failed to clear Jake Carroll’s long throw. The ball dropped for Long at the back post but McGregor spread himself brilliantly to deny the striker’s point-blank range header.

But the game was put to bed after 68 minutes as once again the two sides of Morelos came to the fore.

First he did brilliantly to collect Joe Aribo’s cut-back before spinning away from Gallagher to fire past Gillespie.

But with the Colombian already on a booking after a late challenge on Carroll, he left Robertson with no choice but to send him off as he aimed an offensive gesture – bringing his left hand down on his right bicep – at the Well supporters in the East Enclosure.

Motherwell could not make use of their man advantage and almost fell three down in stoppage time as Barisic rattled the post with a free-kick.

The Rangers manager Steven Gerrard said: “It’s the first setback Alfredo’s had after huge, huge improvements so we’ll reset that but we certainly have no complaints.

“Unfortunately, the supporters and his team-mates will suffer because he’s not available for the next game.

“There had been a bit of a commotion at half-time between both sets of players, although there wasn’t much in it.

“However, when I saw the referee book Ryan Jack and Declan Gallagher before the start of the second half (for their part in it), I thought that he was waiting for a moment.

“As I said, we have no complaints about the red card but I felt he was desperate to give out a red card today. I had that feeling from the side, which is unfortunate because our player does get that type of abuse.

“Alfredo was unplayable. It is a setback today, he knows that, we know that. I’m sure he hates getting punished in the pocket so hopefully he will get back on the horse and continue to improve in that area.”

Jermain Defoe will now have to lead the line against Hibs, and Gerrard revealed he had been trying to get the Englishman on when Morelos was sent off.

“We tried to take him off, for a couple of reasons – because he was already on a yellow but also because we were flashing balls across the six-yard box and I felt that someone with a bit of nous and experience would have had a tap-in today,” said Gerrard, whose team returned to winning ways after drawing against Aberdeen and Young Boys either side of their Betfred Cup final defeat against Celtic.

“Jermain might have been that person but I couldn’t get him on before the red card came out.

“But the result is exactly what I was looking for – a strong, solid away win. We were fantastic defensively and had a good base and structure about us.”

Well’s build-up to the game was overshadowed by news that boss Stephen Robinson had been arrested by police following an incident in Edinburgh on Friday night.

But the Northern Irishman insists the matter did not influence his team’s performance.

Well had a golden chance early in the second half to level but saw Allan McGregor deny Chris Long with a wonder-save at point-blank range.

“It had no effect whatsoever,” he said. “We were off on Friday but we trained on Saturday and I was there. So not at all.

“I don’t think I need to say anything about that at the moment.

“The result is disappointing as we knew we needed 11 players to be at the top of their game and we had five or six below par.

“In saying that, we should have been 1-1 if not for an incredible save from Allan McGregor.

“We were on top at that stage but when you get denied from a yard out by a save of that quality, you do tend to think it’s not going to be your day.”

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Alfredo Morelos once again found himself back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the striker received a second yellow card for his celebrations after scoring in Rangers’ 2-0 win at Motherwell on Sunday. Never shy of courting controversy, Morelos was dismissed five times for Rangers last season, albeit one of those occasions was later rescinded.

The 23-year-old appears to have cleaned up his act this term and had been booked just twice in the Scottish Premiership heading into Rangers’ trip to Fir Park. His 69th-minute goal doubled the visitors’ lead and seemed to secure their victory, only for Motherwell to be given a lifeline when the Colombian was immediately given a second yellow card due to his celebrations in front of the home fans – which you can watch below.

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Tottenham continued their impressive start to life under Jose Mourinho with a backs-to-the-wall 2-1 victory at Wolves on Sunday.

After Spurs took an early lead through Lucas Moura, Wolves caused the visitors plenty of problems and equalised in the second half through Adama Traore.

Despite being on the back foot for much of the match, Spurs snatched victory late on thanks to Jan Vertonghen’s header.

The result means the north Londoners are now just three points off the top four, an eye-catching turnaround from the position Mourinho inherited when he replaced Mauricio Pochettino.

And the result obviously meant a lot to the Portuguese, judging by his celebration.

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Revisiting Tottenham’s first starting XI under Daniel Levy: Booth, Thelwell…

Can you name every manager to take charge of Tottenham in the Prem?

Duncan Ferguson again insisted he is not the man to lead Everton long term despite overseeing another positive result with a 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

The Scot, appointed caretaker manager after the sacking of Marco Silva earlier this month, guided the Toffees to victory over Chelsea last week and followed up with a strong showing at Old Trafford on Sunday.

A Victor Lindelof own goal gave the visitors a first-half lead but the hosts claimed a deserved point in an enjoyable Premier League encounter with a 77th-minute equaliser from substitute Mason Greenwood.

Former Everton striker Ferguson said: “I think it’s buying them a bit of time until they can get the right man in. That’s what a couple of results does, so we can make that process more diligent.

“We need the best manager in the world to manage Everton Football Club and I’ve not got the right experience. I’m all for us bringing in a top manager and if I can be part of it, brilliant.”

There was no doubting Ferguson’s passion and drive from the touchline as he shouted and gesticulated towards his players throughout.

He even stood in shirt sleeves despite the cold and wet weather, although he claimed he was not aware of how bad the conditions were.

Asked if his shirt had dried out, he said: “Yes it’s dry! Someone told me I took my jacket off but I can’t remember!”

Ferguson was pleased with Everton’s fighting display.

He said: “I thought it was a fantastic performance. It was unfortunate we couldn’t hang on for three points but we’d have been made up with one before the game.”

One curious aspect of the game saw Everton substitute Moise Kean taken off after just 18 minutes on the field, to the striker’s obvious displease. Ferguson insisted the change was only about time-wasting.

Ferguson said: “I was just doing it for fresh legs. Unfortunately he was the one I decided to bring off.

“I see why he’s upset, but it’s about the team.”

United were unhappy with Everton’s goal, believing there to have been a foul on goalkeeper David De Gea but neither referee nor VAR gave anything.

Ferguson said: “Someone said he put his arm across the goalkeeper but they’ve got VAR haven’t they? So obviously it’s a good goal or VAR would have picked up on it.”

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw it differently.

The Norwegian said: “It was a clear foul but there’s no point me complaining. It (VAR) will be better next year. They’ll have to look at it.”

After victories over Tottenham and Manchester City the result was a setback for United.

Solskjaer said: “You always want wins and the momentum to carry on. We’ve had three wins since the Aston Villa draw and taken a few steps forwards.

“Today is not a big step backwards, it’s more of a stand still, not improving.”

Solskjaer refused to be drawn on reports linking United with Salzburg striker Erling Braut Haaland with January move to United, but hinted the player has made a decision.

He said: “I don’t comment on them speculations so that’s it. He (Haaland) knows what he wants to do and he knows what he’s going to do. So I don’t have to give any advice to any other teams’ players.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says it will be hard for him to leave Mason Greenwood out of his lineups after the teenager scored an equaliser against Everton.

Manchester United had to settle for a draw in the 4,000th consecutive game in which they have named an academy product in the squad, and it was one of their own that earned them the point.

United had to be rescued after falling behind via a Victor Lindelof own goal – with Solskjaer believing it should have been chalked off for a foul.

However, the Norwegian admitted that there were other factors in his side not winning, such as a lack of creativity.

“We’re disappointed we didn’t get three points,” he told Sky Sports. “We didn’t have the ideas to win it towards the end. We kept them on the back foot and if any team was going to win it, it was us.

“We came back after the disappointment at half time. You shouldn’t concede goals like this at set plays. But it’s a foul.

“There’s no point me complaining but his arms are over David’s shoulders as he was going to punch it.”

In the end, United got back on level terms courtesy of Greenwood’s first Premier League goal at Old Trafford.

With that being his seventh goal in all competitions this year, the teenager is someone who Solskjaer has been very impressed with thus far.

“Mason Greenwood is different class in and around the box. You’re not surprised when he scores goals.

“It’s fitting that it should be an academy player that scores in the 4,000th match and it makes it hard for me to leave him out.

“We’ve always had the DNA, with added players from other top clubs, and that will always be the philosophy here.

“We’re disappointed today but we have a quarter-final in the Carabao Cup to come on Wednesday and I have a big strong squad to choose from.”

Jose Mourinho was very complimentary of Wolves after his Tottenham side beat them 2-1.

Jan Vertonghen scored a last-minute winner to give Spurs an important win that lifts them to fifth in the Premier League.

The result ended Wolves’ 11-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, and Mourinho highlighted the significance of that for his own team.

“I’m very proud. Nuno has to be very proud of Wolves’ record,” he told BBC Sport.

“They are a very difficult opponent. I said that in press conference on Friday that they are tactically, technically, mentally very strong.

“We knew the game was going to be difficult. They didn’t catch us by surprise.

“We had a very good start like we tried to. We almost scored a second goal but against Wolves that would not have killed the game.

“They are very strong. They use the sides, then the centre, very difficult in transition. Adama Traore and Diogo Jota are incredibly fast and difficult to stop.

“We coped with their spirit. At 1-1 they tried, Wolves are not a team satisfied with a point. We knew if we arrive in the last part we knew we could score.

“After that we had to close the door for the last five mins, three incredible points.”

Mourinho noticed plenty of ambition from his opponents, who he claims can break into the top six and beyond.

However, focusing on his own team, the Tottenham boss explained his pleasure at improving their away form – while saying that they too can start looking up the table again.

“I think maybe ask Nuno but my feeling is they are fighting for more than they said – with their quality, conditions and ambitions. They are not just there for the top six. They can do more.

“They are a fantastic team. The coach, players, fantastic team. This is a big victory.

“We controlled the game in periods. It is very difficult to control against them. Traore and Jota can kill you out of nothing.

“The referee was very good. The emotion, crowd, fantastic stadium, intensity, two games who wanted to win – it was a good game.

“We went about a year without winning a Premier League game away and we’ve managed two in a short amount of time. Now we are not looking to bottom of table, we’re looking higher up.

“This game is a special game because the opponent is a special opponent.”

The hosts named the same starting XI who began the derby win over Manchester City last weekend.

Caretaker Toffees boss Duncan Ferguson made four changes to the side who defeated Chelsea 3-1, with Yerry Mina, Bernard, Seamus Coleman and Tom Davies replacing Theo Walcott, Morgan Schneiderlin, Djibril Sidibe and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

United went close within the opening minute as Jesse Lingard fired wide following a fine run from Fred, while soon after David de Gea had to be alert to tip away a looping cross from Mason Holgate.

Marcus Rashford and Daniel James both then failed to hit the target when well-placed, before the Toffees were forced to replace injured left-back Lucas Digne with veteran Leighton Baines.

Jordan Pickford was forced to parry a Rashford free-kick as the hosts went on the hunt for an opener, but it was Everton who hit the front nine minutes before the interval.

Baines swung over a corner and the unfortunate Victor Lindelof deflected the ball into his own net, with a VAR check eventually confirming the goal.

The Red Devils threatened from a Fred free-kick early in the second half, but Harry Maguire was just unable to get his head to the set-piece delivery.

Pickford then parried a stinging Luke Shaw drive and the follow-up from James struck Lingard in the face to ensure that the visitors kept their lead intact.

Lindelof fired a shot over the top as the hosts upped the pressure as the game moved into the final 20 minutes, with the visitors somewhat hanging on to their one-goal advantage.

And their resistance was broken 13 minutes from time as substitute Greenwood struck a left-foot shot from the edge of the area into the corner of the net, leaving Pickford grasping at thin air.

Alex Iwobi extended De Gea following a rare Everton counter-attack and, despite some late huffing and puffing from both sides, the spoils were shared when the final whistle sounded.

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Wolves supremo Nuno Espirito Santo named the same starting XI which began the 2-2 draw with Brighton last weekend, while Spurs stuck with the same line-up which started the 5-0 victory at home to Burnley.

Both sides opened up by showing plenty of attacking intent and it was the visitors who broke the deadlock with eight minutes played.

Home keeper Rui Patricio parried an initial effort from Son Heung-min, but was beaten as Lucas Moura picked up the loose ball and cracked a shot into the roof of the net.

Patricio was back in the action shortly afterwards to deny Dele Alli, who had tricked his way past a couple of defenders.

Wolves responded with Adama Traore forcing a block from Paulo Gazzaniga, while Raul Jimenez sent an effort wide as the hosts upped the pressure.

Mexican striker Jimenez then passed up another opportunity after being set up by Diogo Jota, before Eric Dier rattled an upright for Spurs after linking up with Alli.

The second half opened with Gazzaniga making a good claim from a Matt Doherty cross, before the Spurs keeper was down quickly to keep out a low drive from Jimenez.

Harry Kane then took a tumble in the Wolves area, but fleeting penalty claims were waived away by referee Stuart Attwell, before Alli curled a shot just wide from the edge of the box.

Wolves found the equaliser their overall performance deserved midway through the second half as Traore took a pass from Jimenez, advanced and smashed a right-foot shot beyond the despairing dive of Gazzaniga.

Romain Saiss went close for Wolves with a header but Gazzaniga made another fine save and that proved to be even more crucial when Vertonghen netted a Spurs winner in stoppage time, meeting a Christian Eriksen corner with a firm, downward header.

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The Manchester United manager was asked about his reported trip to Austria in midweek when he spoke to the media after his side’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Everton on Sunday.
Scandinavian sources claimed a private jet had taken off from Manchester on Friday morning, destined for Salzburg, before returning later in the day and then headed to a small airport in Norway close to where the Haaland family live.
And when the 19-year-old striker, who has scored 16 Austrian Bundesliga goals and eight Champions League strikes for Salzburg this season, was not in the Rote Bullen line-up for their 2-2 draw with Hartberg on Saturday, it all began to fall together.
Solskjaer did not exactly confirm he had met Haaland, but his refusal to even deny he had been in Salzburg left many in the room to conclude he had been on the plane.

Norwegian TV station TV2’s reporter asked the question: Do you have any advice on what Haaland will do in January?

“He knows what he wants to do,” replied the United boss. “And he knows what to do, so I don’t have to give any advice to any players on other teams.”
Widespread reports on Sunday morning had stated that the ex-Molde player, who was given his Norwegian top-flight debut by Solskjaer in June 2017, had decided United was the right club for him – in the face of intense competition from Juventus and clubs in the Bundesliga.
RB Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche hinted last month that the Bundesliga leaders were interested in raiding their former sister club for the teenager in the summer.
However, Haaland’s stunning first half of the campaign and United’s need to strengthen their forward ranks after failing to replace Romelu Lukaku appear to be accelerating the striker’s path to the Premier League.

United had taken a firm grip on the game when Helder Costa and Patrick Bamford scored within the first eight minutes.

They looked to be cruising when Bamford converted a penalty that he had won seven minutes into the second half.

Lee Tomlin pulled a goal back after 60 minutes after Kiko Casilla failed to claim a cross.

Sean Morrison pulled another back with eight minutes to go before he was red carded for violent conduct four minutes later.

But the 10 men shrugged off the setback and pulled level through Robert Glatzel with two minutes to go.

Leeds started strongly from kick off with Pablo Hernandez shooting wide inside the first minute.

They got their reward when Costa fired in off the post after Hernandez’s long ball picked him out following a sixth minute counter-attack.

It got even better for the home side two minutes later when Bamford doubled their lead after getting on the end of a Stuart Dallas cross.

Gaetano Beradi headed over from a Kalvin Phillips corner after 16 minutes before Jack Harrison had a shot deflected over following a surging run.

The Welsh side survived penalty shouts after 24 minutes when Joe Bennett appeared to bring down Costa.

Bamford blazed a dangerous free-kick well over after 28 minutes before Nathan Mendez-Laing curled wide two minutes later.

Danny Ward and Joe Ralls failed to hit the target as Cardiff enjoyed a better spell.

Hernandez could only shoot straight at the keeper after 40 minutes after he latched on to a defensive mix-up.

Luke Ayling fired over seconds after the restart as Leeds showed no sign of letting up.

And it 3-0 after 52 minutes when Bamford slotted home from the spot after he had been fouled by Neil Etheridge.

It was nearly 4-0 two minutes later when Etheridge did well to keep put Mateusz Klich’s header.

Tomlin pulled a goal back on the hour mark when he lifted the ball into an empty net after Casilla messed up a cross.

Klich saw a shot deflected wide for a 71st minute corner before Hernandez fired just wide after a bursting run.

Morrison headed home after 82 minutes from Bennett’s cross as Cardiff set up a tense finish.

But he was the villain minutes later when he was sent off for a lunge on Eddie Nketiah.

Cardiff then dramatically levelled after 88 minutes when Glatzel slotted home after Pascal Struijk failed to clear his lines.

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Jose Mourinho believes Wolves can qualify for the Champions League after Tottenham’s smash and grab win at Molineux.

Jan Vertonghen’s injury-time header gave Spurs a fortunate 2-1 victory to end the hosts’ 11-game unbeaten run.

Adama Traore had earlier cancelled out Lucas Moura’s opener at Molineux on Sunday.

Tottenham climbed to fifth, three points behind Chelsea ahead of their clash next Sunday, while Wolves sit two points back in eighth.

But Spurs boss Mourinho expects their opponents to push the top four and challenge in the Europa League, with the draw for the last 32 made on Monday.

He said: “It’s a question for Nuno (Espirito Santo) but they’re with us, Chelsea, United, Arsenal fighting for top six and smelling the top four.

“I think that’s what they do. In the Europa League I always think it’s unfair that the losers (in the Champions League) drop back.

“For me, the losers of the Champions League should go home. But now they get Inter, Ajax, and teams that are already good.

“They get guys from the Champions League, but they can beat anyone – home or away.

“They have an incredible mentality.”

Tottenham have now won five of their seven games under Mourinho since he replaced Mauricio Pochettino last month to continue their revival.

“It was one of those victories where quality is not enough. If you are not a real team in the real sense of what the word team means, it’s impossible,” added Mourinho.

“Sometimes football is strange because you could have exactly the same game and no goal in the last minute and you’re speaking about a draw.

“Wolves would be one point ahead of us and we would not be as happy as we are now.”

Moura opened the scoring after eight minutes, drilling in after a jinking run took him past Jonny and Romain Saiss.

Eric Dier hit the post in the first half but Spurs were second best and Traore’s 20-yard rocket levelled after 67 minutes.

The hosts looked the only winners but Vertonghen’s header from Christian Eriksen’s corner in the first minute of stoppage time stole the points.

Wolves boss Santo called for more protection from referees for Traore after Toby Alderweireld, Harry Kane and Dier were booked for fouls on the winger.

This season 24 players have been cautioned for fouling Traore in 26 games.

Nuno said: “Referees know, we mentioned that, and they realise. They should punish the tackles and protect the players, players who have talent like Adama.

“It’s tough to defend (against) and opponents do what they have to do, it’s up to the referee to judge.

“All the referees knows in cases of players like this they must act immediately to prevent an injury because sometimes a tackle can cause a serious injury and it’s not fair.

“He scored a good goal, it’s one of the things he must do.

“We controlled most parts of the game and created a lot of chances.

“Mistakes happen in football, it happened at the end, but I’m very proud with the way the team performed. We keep on going, it’s football.”

Bowen’s future at the KCOM Stadium continues to be a major source of newspaper speculation heading into January with a number of clubs thought to be ready to test the Tigers’ resolve to hold onto the 22-year-old.
Bowen has been in sensational goalscoring form for Hull City this season, netting 15 goals in the Championship and one in the Carabao Cup.
Unsurprisingly, he has attracted a lot of attention with Premier League clubs tracking him in their droves.
Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds United are also understood to be keen on signing the ex-Hereford United forward as they attempt to secure their long-awaited return to the top-flight.
His contract situation is becoming a little concerning for Hull City as he now has just over six months left on his deal, although the club are very likely to take up their option to extend that by a further year.
Back in October, the Hull Daily Mail reported that the Tigers’ vice chairman Ehab Allam had tabled a new and improved deal running to 2022 to replace Bowen’s current contract that effectively ties him to the club until the end of next season.
But, according to a report from the Sunday Mirror, Leicester City are set to win the race to sign Bowen.
The Foxes are shrewd operators in the transfer market and have never been scared to throw big money at players yet to be proven at Premier League level.
They splashed £25million on James Maddison after he scored 13 Championship goals for Norwich City and even delved as deep as League One to sign promising right-back James Justin last summer.
Meanwhile, The Sun on Sunday claim Hull City have slapped a £20m price tag on Bowen, with Newcastle and Everton among the teams tracking his progress.

Things don’t get any easier for Arsenal as they host the champions. Follow it live here.  

Celtic ensured their removal from the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership was brief with a deserved 2-0 win over Hibernian at Parkhead.

Rangers had leapfrogged the Hoops by one point with a similar victory against Motherwell at Fir Park earlier on Sunday.

But the Hoops, back to full strength after a host of players missed the Europa League dead rubber against Cluj on Thursday, responded appropriately and opened the scoring through returning right-back Jeremie Frimpong six minutes before the interval.

French striker Odsonne Edouard, also back in the team, doubled the lead in the 66th minute and it could have been a more comfortable victory for Neil Lennon’s side.

But they will settle for going back two points clear of Rangers, and they have the chance to increase that lead against struggling Hearts at Tynecastle on Wednesday.

After his makeshift side had lost 2-0 in Romania, having already qualified for the last 32, Lennon made seven changes in a bid to wrest back top spot from their Old Firm rivals.

Skipper Scott Brown, Fraser Forster, Frimpong, Kris Ajer, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Edouard all returned to the side while Hibs boss Jack Ross kept the same starting XI that beat Aberdeen last week.

After a minute’s applause for former Celtic defender Ian Young who died last week, the home side took control.

In the 10th minute Hibs keeper Ofir Marciano made a good save from Olivier Ntcham’s side-footed effort from 14 yards after fellow midfielder McGregor had set him up with a ball across the penalty area.

At the other end, Celtic defender Ajer’s timely tackle thwarted Jason Naismith 10 yards from goal after he latched on to a Stevie Mallan pass before Martin Boyle jinked inside and curled a right-footed drive inches past the far post.

Celtic increased the tempo. Edouard fired wide from 16 yards after being teed up by Frimpong, then the Frenchman drove wide again before Marciano made two saves from McGregor.

Hoops left-back Boli Bolingoli then went close with an effort from the edge of the box before the opener eventually came in the 39th minute.

Hibs defender Ryan Porteous sloppily lost possession to Edouard, who rolled the ball to Frimpong and the 19-year-old Dutch defender – sent off in the Betfred Cup final win over Rangers last weekend – slipped it through the legs of Marciano for his first goal at Celtic Park since signing from Manchester City in the summer.

Chris Maxwell replaced the presumably injured Marciano for the start of the second half and he too came under fire.

McGregor screwed a shot just wide of the far post from inside the box and Edouard blazed over from close range.

With only a slender lead, anxiety grew among the Celtic fans but that made way for glee when Forrest, after controlling a deep cross from Bolingoli, cut the ball back for Edouard to knock the ball into the net from eight yards.

The home side kept going for more goals but Hibs had their moments.

Striker Florian Kamberi’s deflected drive just missed the target and Celtic keeper Forster had to make a great reaction save from defender Christopher Jullien’s header to prevent an own goal.

But the champions had done enough to finish the weekend where they started it.

‘Have Manchester United turned a corner with Ole at the wheel?’ reads the headline to an article on the BBC website. It is dated December 9.

‘The moment that showed Manchester United might be starting to turn a corner’ the Manchester Evening News teased on November 15.

‘Have Manchester United turned a corner?’ asked Sky Sports on October 31.

‘Ashley Young insists Man Utd are ‘very close’ to turning corner under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’ said the Daily Mirror on September 15. That is just a snapshot of the headlines that encapsulate Manchester United in 2019: a team turning so many corners so often that they can only be trapped in an infernal maze. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to his credit, has identified the problem.

“If you beat Man City, like we did, Alkmaar. After that, Everton. Under Sir Alex, we had to earn the right to win every game and had the feeling we would. That is how it is supposed to be at Man United.

“We need to keep our identity – intensity, aggression, urgency and quality – against every team,” he continued.

“We haven’t done that in games we are expected to win.”

But there is a difference between diagnosis and treatment. Solskjaer is qualified enough as a doctor to notice the ailment; he is yet to show he is adept or experienced enough to remedy it. This, a home draw from behind against Everton, can be framed one of two ways.

The result in isolation can only be disappointing and predictable: United squandering chances, dominating possession and tripping over their own shoelaces. But the context and circumstance is a little more generous. United did not surrender; they fought, scrapped, maintained their course and eventually broke through. It was Mason Greenwood who scored the equaliser and earned the point with a fine finish. But United’s response to Victor Lindelof’s own goal was an improvement. They had nine shots before Everton had their next.

Luke Shaw and Daniel James both tested a presumably post-rave Jordan Pickford. A first Ferguson win at Old Trafford since May 2013 was thus prevented. But it is tough to view this result as anything other than United struggling to break down a resolute defence while being given most of the ball, and having to battle for a draw against a team in interim management.

One in the bottom half, no less, meaning they now have one-third of the points Liverpool do from such games.

“A glance at our next few fixtures and the Premier League table may have a few fans drooling because, with the exception of Everton, we have a run of matches against teams from the bottom half of the table,” Ferguson told United Review in January 2013, naming the Toffees in one of those delightful quirks of fate.

“Some might feel this presents us with an opportunity to turn the screw and put our championship rivals under big pressure,” he added.

“But let’s not fool ourselves into believing that we are now entering a phase against the lower teams that will present us with easy pickings. That would be a rubbish attitude and if we slip into that kind of attitude I can’t think of an easier way to blunt our challenge, because there just aren’t any easy games in this league of ours.

“On their day, teams can beat anyone,” the Scot pointed out, and United themselves have proved that this season with victories over the teams in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, while forcing the side in 1st to drop their only points of the season. So a draw with the outfit in 16th can only really be a step back, albeit a slightly smaller one than we have become accustomed to after great strides forward.

United at least avoided a repeat of April’s 4-0 defeat at Goodison Park. Solskjaer described “that game at Everton” as “the biggest eye-opener” of his nascent reign on Friday. Progress has been made since then, but only from a remarkable low point.

Only a fool would feel United have turned a corner when it seems just as likely that they have backed themselves into one. Matt Stead  

France manager Didier Deschamps has told Olivier Giroud to leave Chelsea if he wants a place at Euro 2020.

Giroud was a member of the World Cup winning squad of 2018, but his place at the next major international tournament is in doubt due to his lack of gametime at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard has said he would be happy for Giroud to stay at the club, but with just half a season left to impress Deschamps, the 33-year-old may have to look elsewhere to keep his international hopes alive.

“Giroud, like others, may have to move,” said the France boss.

“His situation at Chelsea hasn’t changed in two months.

“It would be better for him, of course, to go to a club where he would get more playing time. If he can’t get it at Chelsea, the idea is to get it elsewhere.

“It’s his decision. I don’t know what offers he has, where it might be possible for him to get more playing time.

“We saw each other not so long ago. As with every player, he’s the one who decides.

“But keep in mind that it’s the daily life of players with their clubs that leads to France selection. He knows it. It’s up to him to decide the best solution for himself.”

Giroud has just six months left on his contract with Chelsea, and has been linked with Inter Milan.  

The former AC Milan boss was handed the reins at the Stadio San Paolo in midweek following the decision to sack Carlo Ancelotti.
Ancelotti left having failed to guide the Naples outfit to a win in seven previous Serie A matches, although he did sign off with a 4-0 Champions League triumph over Genk on Tuesday.
A return to domestic action, even with a new manager at the helm, brought about more disappointment for Napoli though as they slipped to a surprise loss.
Dejan Kulusevski gave the visitors a surprise lead early on before Arkadiusz Milik drew Napoli level in the second period. However, Gervinho finished off a fine counter-attack as Parma snatched all three points.
Napoli are now on their worst run of league form in 19 years and have find themselves in eighth, eight points off fourth-placed Cagliari.
Gattuso believes his players are low on confidence and is confident he can turn their season around given enough time.
“Napoli have potential and we need to start believing in ourselves again, getting the problems out of our heads,” said Gattuso.
“This is a great team, made up of very good players, but it’s one of those moments and we are paying for it.”
Not only did he suffer defeat in his first game in charge, Gattuso also saw one of his key players go off with an injury early on in the clash.
Kalidou Koulibaly made a mistake for Kulusevski’s opener and then left the field with a thigh injury.
Napoli haven’t revealed the extent of the issue and Gattuso will be keeping his fingers cross the Senegal international isn’t out for long ahead of next Sunday’s trip to Sassuolo.

Former Manchester City captain Richard Dunne believes Jonny Evans would be the perfect January signing to solve their defensive issues – even if he thinks the move is unlikely.

The reigning champions have nearly conceded as many goals in the Premier League as they did throughout the whole of last season. Having failed to sign a replacement for Vincent Kompany in the summer, things took another turn for the worse when Aymeric Laporte was ruled out for several months with injury back in September.

Midfielders Rodri and Fernandinho have had to deputise in the backline at times, and ex-defender Dunne thinks it was a mistake not to have brought in a new natural centre-half.

“For all their attacking prowess, and it is very good, City have failed over the last couple of years because you always think they’re not strong enough at the back,” he told the Irish Independent.

“And now they need two centre-backs. One, Aymeric Laporte, is out with an injury and the other two don’t seem capable of putting together a string of performances to allow them keep clean sheets.

“I can’t see Guardiola going out to buy one, but they need someone who could come in right now and help out.

“Jonny Evans has been brilliant for Leicester, he knows the league and I wouldn’t be surprised if they did earmark him to come in for a year or 18 months.  

“If, as expected, Manchester City do end up losing their league title, they will really have lost it last summer in the transfer market when Pep Guardiola decided not to sign a centre-back.

“You need to plan for injuries and suspensions and City didn’t do that.

“They seemed to think they would be OK, but they didn’t take into account that injury to Aymeric Laporte or the form of Nicolas Otamendi.

“So they were wrong to not sign a defender in the summer.”  

Jan Vertonghen’s injury-time winner stunned Wolves to continue Tottenham’s revival under Jose Mourinho.

The defender’s header completed a smash and grab 2-1 win for Spurs to end the hosts’ unbeaten run.

Adama Traore’s screamer had earlier cancelled out Lucas Moura’s opener.

Eric Dier hit the post for Spurs in the first half but Mourinho’s men were forced to cling on before Vertonghen’s late goal.

They climbed to fifth in the Premier League, despite being second best for long spells, and have won five of Mourinho’s opening seven games.

Wolves drop to eighth and their unbeaten run, their longest in the top flight since 1962, ends after 11 games – although they have still lost just twice in their last 19 outings in all competitions.

The hosts made an industrious start but it was Spurs who scored after eight minutes.

Son Heung-min’s drive was beaten away by Rui Patricio but the ball was worked to Moura on the right and he slipped past flimsy challenges from Jonny and Romain Saiss.

The forward glided into the area before rifling in high from an angle for his third goal in seven games under Mourinho.

Wolves remained undaunted though and after Paulo Gazzaniga gathered Traore’s low effort they began to create openings.

Diogo Jota was a menace and it was from his work Raul Jimenez nearly levelled after 26 minutes but his low effort flashed wide.

Soon after Jota was denied by the recovering Davinson Sanchez after the defender’s initial mistake allowed the forward through.

Wolves continued to dominate but should have been 2-0 down nine minutes before the break.

Referee Stuart Attwell played a good advantage after Moura was fouled to allow Dier forward.

He played a cute one-two with Dele Alli to leave the midfielder with just Patricio to beat but his low strike hit the post.

It would have been harsh on Wolves, the better side without anything to show for it, and they continued push after the break.

Jota failed to turn in Traore’s cross and Gazzaniga pushed away Jimenez’s shot.

Spurs’ defence had lived dangerously, Vertonghen struggling against Traore and Sanchez occasionally cracking under pressure.

Mourinho’s men struggled to get going, even if Alli curled wide, and Wolves finally struck back after 67 minutes.

Traore had given the visitors problems all game and he made them pay, collecting Jimenez’s pass and unleashing a rocket which flew past Gazzaniga from 20 yards.

Tottenham then never looked like restoring their lead before the late drama. Harry Kane had barely been given a sniff and the England captain fired wildly wide with 11 minutes left.

Wolves remained the aggressors and Saiss’ glancing header four minutes later forced Gazzaniga into a fine stop.

But Spurs silenced the hosts in the first minute of injury time when Vertonghen nodded in Christian Eriksen’s corner.

Dunvegan could head for Naas early in the new year following an impressive start to his chasing career at Punchestown.

A dual winner in the bumper sphere and successful on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse 12 months ago, the grey disappointed when stepped up to Grade One level at Leopardstown in February and at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

However, he did everything right when cruising to an 18-length victory on his fencing debut and seasonal reappearance, albeit his task was made significantly easier by the fall of his main market rival Breaken when leading three fences from home.

Fahy said: “I was delighted with him and he’s come out of the race well. He seems happy and everything is good.

“He did what he had to do on the day. We’ll never know what would have happened if the other horse had stood up. I just hope he’s a good horse as well and I’d say he is, the gallop they went.

“I’ll have to speak to the owners, but I’d say we’ll probably go for the winners’ novice chase in Naas just after Christmas (January 5).”

Fahy’s other stable star is the high-class chaser Castlegrace Paddy.

The eight-year-old won the Grade Two Hilly Way Chase at Cork little over a year ago, and rounded off his campaign by finishing a distant third behind Un De Sceaux in the BoyleSports Champion Chase at Punchestown – but he has not yet returned to action this season.

“He’s fine, he’s just not right enough to come into training. He’s not injured, he just didn’t summer that well and he’s not 100 per cent,” Fahy added.

“I’m sure he’ll have plenty done when he comes back. We can’t wait to have him back as he’s pretty useful.”

Academy graduate Mason Greenwood came to the rescue on a landmark day for Manchester United’s youth system and earned a share of the spoils against Everton.

Sunday’s Old Trafford encounter was the 4,000th consecutive match in which the club had included a youth graduate in the matchday squad – an occasion that did not go to plan following back-to-back Premier league wins against Tottenham and Manchester City.

Victor Lindelof’s own goal had much-loved caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson bouncing on the touchline in celebration, but homegrown teenager Greenwood came off the bench to deny Everton a first Old Trafford win since 2013 as it ended 1-1.

It was a frustrating afternoon just as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side appeared to have turned the corner, yet it would have been a lot worse was it not for Greenwood, Thursday’s man-of-the-match against AZ Alkmaar.

Injury-hit Everton played with confidence following the impressive win against Chelsea and were on course for another shock triumph when Lindelof turned into his own goal and the video assistant referee cleared Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s challenge on David De Gea.

It extended United’s wait for a Premier League clean sheet to an 11th match and left them with a mountain to climb, leading Solskjaer to turn to the club’s latest academy star.

Greenwood has impressed whenever given the opportunity this season and did not disappoint when brought on in the second half, with the 18-year-old finding space to get away a low shot and secure a point.