Richard Martin

Whisper it quietly, but Manchester United are close to being a proper team once again. They have a competent goalkeeper at last in Senne Lammens, as well as top-level forwards who cannot only create quality chances but also finish them off in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. They have also developed some resilience, as evidenced by their crucial late goals at Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Liverpool of late.

Jeremy Doku always had the ability to do something extraordinary on the football field, but what he lacked was the sense of when and how to pull off his magical tricks. He had stood out for possessing a unique footballing talent as young as 15, but on Sunday against Liverpool, the club who wanted to sign him before he turned 16, Doku emerged as the player many knew he could become.

Since Pep Guardiola won his first Premier League title back in 2018, only two teams have been able to compete with Manchester City: Arsenal and Liverpool. The Gunners led the way for the majority of the 2022-23 season before they were overhauled by Guardiola's treble-chasing juggernaut, while only two points could separate them in 2023-24, when City won a fourth successive title.

Jeremy Doku ripped Liverpool to shreds in one of the great individual displays this fixture has seen as Manchester City outclassed their rivals in a dominant 3-0 win. The Belgian winger gave Conor Bradley a living nightmare throughout the time he was on the pitch but no Liverpool player was safe from him and after monstering the Reds he topped his performance off with a fittingly brilliant goal.

Erling Haaland needed less than four minutes to score his first ever goal against Liverpool. Aged just 19 at the time, he had started on the bench for RB Salzburg's Champions League visit to Anfield in 2019, despite scoring a hat-trick on his competition debut against Genk. He was introduced by coach Jesse Marsch with his side in the middle of a comeback from three goals down and duly made it 3-3.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has warned Arsenal that the title race is far from over even with his side trailing the Gunners by six points after 10 games. City could fall even further behind Mikel Arteta's side as they face a daunting game on Sunday against Liverpool in what will be Guardiola's 1,000th match since moving into coaching back in 2007.

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has praised the club for improving the character of the squad, emphasising the importance of all the players pulling in the same direction. Head coach Ruben Amorim has spoken many times of the need to improve the culture at the club and in his year in charge at Old Trafford he has taken high-quality players who he felt did not have the right attitude.

Within the last week, Amad Diallo has pulled off the rather impressive feat of being seen as one of Manchester United's greatest weapons and yet also one of their most obvious weak points. The Ivory Coast international's incredible volley at Nottingham Forest last Saturday grabbed his side a point, while he was a few inches away from snatching the winner in added time. Yet while he was rightly hailed as a difference-maker in United's attack, a lot of the post-match analysis focused on his defensive shortcomings.

Phil Foden has admitted he is feeling happy again amid his resurgence in form following a difficult last season with Manchester City. Foden scored two spectacular goals as City thrashed Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday and he highlighted the team's improved attitude and team spirit compared to one year ago.

Pep Guardiola has claimed he had never heard of Jobe Bellingham as the Borussia Dortmund midfielder and brother of England and Real Madrid star Jude prepares to face Manchester City in the Champions League. The younger Bellingham followed his older sibling's path by moving to Dortmund last summer from Sunderland, having also come through Birmingham City's youth ranks.

Manchester United legend David Beckham has spoken of his pride after being officially knighted by King Charles. The former England captain's long-awaited knighthood was confirmed in the King's Birthday Honours list in June for his services to sport and charity. He received the award at a ceremony on Tuesday in Berkshire, which was attended by his family, including wife Victoria, who will now be known as Lady Beckham.

If there was an air of inevitability about Erling Haaland scoring Manchester City's first two goals against Bournemouth on Sunday, the same could not be said of the man who provided both of the assists. Rayan Cherki was making his first Premier League start in 10 weeks due to injury, but even before he picked up a thigh problem in August, there were many questions about his suitability to playing for Pep Guardiola.

Gary Neville has admitted he is yet to be convinced by one of Manchester United's biggest signings of the summer. The Red Devils were held to a 2-2 by Nottingham Forest on Saturday which interrupted their three-game winning streak in the Premier League. And former United captain Neville took aim at one player in particular, who failed to make the most of starting at the City Ground.

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could be set to return to English football after being considered for the vacant role at a Premier League club. Ten Hag is a free agent after being sacked by Bayer Leverkusen in September, becoming the first manager in Bundesliga history to lose his job after two games. He was fired by United in October 2024, four months after signing a new contract.

Amad Diallo insisted Manchester United's players are fully supportive of Ruben Amorim's style of play after the the Red Devils were held to a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Amad rescued a point for United with a brilliant late strike but could not hide his disappointment at the fact his side's run of three consecutive wins had come to an end.

Erling Haaland gave yet another reminder of his monstrous goalscoring powers as he scored twice in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth, and afterwards the Cherries' boss Andoni Iraola and captain David Brooks admitted there was almost nothing they could do to stop him. Haaland drew a rare blank in last week's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa but responded in a typically ruthless fashion.

Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki combined to devastating effect as Manchester City comfortably beat Bournemouth 3-1 and provided the perfect response to last week's defeat at Aston Villa. The French playmaker started at No. 10 after impressing against Swansea City in midweek and proved to be the perfect foil to City's insatiable striker, who he provided with two goals.

Pep Guardiola has described what an honour it is to have watched Phil Foden's rise up close as the midfielder prepares to play his 200th game for Manchester City. The 25-year-old will reach the milestone if selected to face Bournemouth on Sunday. The coach, however, is staying out of the debate over whether Foden should be recalled to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel.