Erik ten Hag is fighting for his Manchester United job after a humiliating 3-0 defeat at home to lowly Bournemouth.
Goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi prompting loud jeers as ten Hag’s team missed out on the chance to move level on points with defending champions Manchester City.
The Dutch manager hasn’t had the worst results and was actually named Manager of the Month, but performances have been dreadful and supporters roundly booed the team after the third goal and again at the final whistle.
It was United’s 11th defeat of the season and seventh in the league, but Bournemouth’s first ever win at Old Trafford makes it four wins in five league games for Andoni Iraola’s in-form side.
On Match of the Day, host Gary Lineker posed the question: “Has anyone ever won manager of the month and lost their job in the same weekend?”
Former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves tore into the team.
“Listen to the boos, look at all the open seats,” he said in commentary after the final whistle. “The fans have spoken. The performance was embarrassing and it has been like that all season.
Michael Owen was equally as brutal in his assessment.
“There is absolutely no identity in this team whatsoever. I have no idea what they’re trying to do,” he said in commentary post-game.
Ten Hag conceded “as a group, we have to improve and get tougher, and be ready from the start. In this league, you can’t not be playing on the highest levels or you will get killed.
“I’ve to take responsibility for it. We are really inconsistent. As a squad, we are not good enough to be consistent.”
Mohamed Salah scored his 200th Liverpool goal as Juergen Klopp’s team came from behind to beat 10-man Crystal Palace 2-1 in the English Premier League.
Mohamed Salah fires in a Liverpool at Selhurst Park. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Substitute Harvey Elliott struck Liverpool’s winner on Saturday with a long-range shot in the 91st minute at Selhurst Park to put the Reds top of the table.
Palace had taken the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty after VAR ruled that he had been fouled by Jarell Quansah.
Salah levelled with a deflected shot, a minute after Palace striker Jordan Ayew had been sent off for a second yellow card.
Salah became the fifth Liverpool player to reach 200 for the club. It was also his 150th in the English Premier League.
Arsenal missed their chance to return to the summit when they lost 1-0 at third-place Aston Villa in the late game.
Villa captain John McGinn won the match with a seventh-minute strike, extending their winning home league run to 15 games in the process.
Arsenal twice had the ball in the net in the second half but Bukayo Saka was offside and Kai Havertz was denied a late equaliser having been penalised for handball.
Villa beat champions Manchester City at home on Wednesday night and they are legitimate title challengers.
Unai Emery’s side are just a point behind Arsenal, and two adrift of Liverpool.
Brighton were frustrated by Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford’s heroics in a 1-1 draw. Burnley scored against the run of play thanks to Wilson Odobert’s sensational solo effort but Simon Adingra headed an equaliser for the hosts in the second half.
Matheus Cunha’s goal for Wolverhampton Wanderers denied Nottingham Forest a much-needed win. Harry Toffolo headed Forest ahead but Cunha made it 1-1 after 32 minutes.
A wonderful curling shot by on-loan James McAtee gave bottom club Sheffield United a 1-0 win against Brentford, their first since manager Chris Wilder returned to the club.
Salah’s goals
Mohamed Salah has scored 200 goals for Liverpool since joining from Roma in 2017.
In his first season he hit 32 in the league – a record for a 38-game Premier League campaign until beaten last season by Erling Haaland’s 36 for Manchester City.
He has scored at least 19 in every EPL campaign with Liverpool.
With 148 league goals, and two for Chelsea earlier in his career, his goal against Palace was his 150th in the EPL. He is level with former Liverpool striker Michael Owen for 10th place in the all-time scoring chart since the EPL was created in 1992.
Sarah also has 42 Reds goals in the Champions League and three in this season’s Europa League, plus five in the FA Cup and one each in the League Cup and Community Shield.
Liverpool offered a breakdown on social media of how he has scored his goals: 162 with his left foot, 30 on his right and eight headers.