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Jose Mourinho has stated that he does not belive Tottenham's demolition of Manchester United will "destroy" Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his squad, but the former Red Devils boss did profess his sympathy for his successor after their 6-1 mauling.

Spurs ran rampant over a 10-man Red Devils side at Old Trafford in Sunday's Premier League clash, with doubles for Son Heung-min and Harry Kane helping to deal the damage on an often woeful performance from the hosts.

Despite an early Bruno Fernandes penalty handing them a second-minute lead, United capitulated at the back in dramatic fashion, with further goals from Tanguy Ndombele and Serge Aurier helping to cement a famous victory while Anthony Martial was sent off at the half-hour mark for an altercation with Erik Lamela.

United's abject defending in the first three games of this Premier League season has seen them concede 11 goals. The only other time they let in at least 10 over the same period at the start of a season was in 1930-31, when they were relegated.

The humbling nature of the defeat will cast further doubt over Solskjaer's credentials as the manager to restore United to the summit of English football, but Mourinho, the man he replaced in the dugout in 2018, insists he deserves credit for an obvious overall improvement in the team's fortunes.

"I have sympathy for Ole because of the result," he told reporters. "I don't remember that I lost by six but I lost by five, I lost by four. I know how we hurt.

"I know it's very, very important that the winning manager behaves in a way where he shows sympathy. Of course, I want to win, and of course, I want to win by seven, not by six. Don't get me wrong.

"But it's sympathy in our behaviour. Today was him, tomorrow is me. Of course, I feel sympathy for him. I can imagine that tonight he's not going to sleep very, very well. But this is the hard life of us.

"But when I look to his team, there was an evolution. It's not like he arrives here and the team doesn't improve. The team is improving, they have good players, he bought lots of young players. Very good players. If it's true that [Edinson] Cavani is coming, Cavani is one of the top strikers in the world. Manchester United is Manchester United. It's not a defeat that is going to destroy them. I can imagine they will react like Manchester United always react.

"So, I feel sympathy for the result, but apart from that no sympathy because he has an incredible job and it feels like the players like him, they are with him. They are going to react for sure."

Solskjaer was incensed by Lamela's behaviour, the Spurs winger having flung an arm at Martial and then dropped to the ground under minimal contact as the Frenchman retaliated.

Mourinho, though, suggested United were fortunate not to see further red cards, with Paul Pogba having put in one or two heavy challenges and Luke Shaw having scythed down Lucas Moura as he ran towards David de Gea's penalty area.

"I didn't watch [Lamela's reaction]," he said. "For sure, for sure, for sure, Manchester United could have ended the match with eight players. I can say because some of the reactions were not far from me and easy to see. But I agree with [referee] Anthony Taylor for not showing more red cards to them because it would be a disastrous situation for them.

"So, for example, that Luke Shaw red card...okay, that's a bit...the situation between Lamela, Pogba and Martial, I don't know. I don't know. What I know is that before that we were winning, we were dominating, we were ultra-confident. And that's the only thing that made the game easier. But the game was in our hands."

Liverpool have been left with more than just red faces after their shock 7-2 rout at the hands of Aston Villa, as Jurgen Klopp's side notched up a clutch of unwanted records for both the club and the Premier League in the process.

A first-half Ollie Watkins hat-trick and a Jack Grealish brace after the break helped do the damage against the reigning champions at Villa Park as the visitors found themselves on the wrong end of a magnificent result for Dean Smith's side.

Though Mohamed Salah struck either side of the break, the Reds were unable to turn their vastly superior possession into an advantage, with their hosts mustering just 30 per cent of the ball throughout and registering less than half the number of passes.

On a day where old rivals Manchester United capitulated in just as extraordinary circumstances against Tottenham Hotspur , Liverpool were forced to watch as their aura of near-invincibility which served them so well last term was shattered by a rampant Villans team.

Perhaps the most ignominious stat to arise from defeat was that they became the first incumbent titleholder in the English top-flight to ship more than half-a-dozen goals at the back for almost 70 years, with Arsenal the last side to do so in September 1953, when they lost 7-1 to Sunderland - thereby making it the heaviest defeat by a current Premier League champion to date.

It also represented the first time that Liverpool had conceded seven goals in a game since April 1963, when Bill Shankly's side were drubbed by Spurs on their way to an eighth-place finish in the old First Division.

In terms of more recent history, the defeat also marked the worst result of Klopp's tenure at the helm - and arguably displaces the club's 6-1 loss to Stoke City in 2015 under Brendan Rodgers as their worst of the modern era.

Through the unusual quirk of fate across the M62 to boot, the result also means that Liverpool and United conceded six goals apiece for the first time on the same day in history - leaving both Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with much to think about.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has now scored against 25 of the 26 clubs he has appeared against in the Premier League following his strike against Aston Villa on Sunday.

The fleet-footed forward was one of the standout performers for the Anfield outfit as they suffered a shock 7-2 defeat against Villa.

The Egypt international was afforded his fourth league appearance in the encounter and gave a good account of himself despite his side’s thrashing by Dean Smith’s men.  

The forward reduced the deficit for Jurgen Klopp’s men after Ollie Watkins had given Villa a 2-0 lead with his brace.

Salah reacted first after Guinea international Naby Keita’s shot was blocked, and he calmly tucked home his effort.

The 28-year-old has now scored against most of the sides he has faced in the English top-flight since teaming up with Liverpool.

Salah then got his second in the encounter at the hour mark after benefitting from a through ball from Roberto Firmino.

The forward featured for the duration of the game but his effort was not enough to help the Anfield outfit avoid the heavy defeat.

Salah has been a consistent performer for Liverpool since joining the side from AS Roma in the summer of 2017.

His efforts helped the Anfield outfit won the 2018 Champions League title and end their 30-year wait for the Premier League diadem last term.

The forward has won a number of individual accolades following his impressive displays for the Reds, including the two Premier League Golden Boot awards and African Footballer of the Year prize.

Salah will hope to inspire his side back to winning ways when they slug it out against Everton in their next league game on October 17.

The versatile forward has 67 appearances for the Egypt national team and played a significant role as the North Africans qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Salah will be expected to feature prominently for the Pharaohs in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Juventus could be handed three points in controversial circumstances after they took to the field at Allianz Stadium to face Napoli on Sunday despite the absence of their opponents.

Napoli were blocked from making the journey to Turin by local health authorities after two players, Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas, tested positive for Covid-19 along with a member of staff at the club.

The game was officially cancelled 45 minutes after kick-off by the referee, to bring the curtain down on a strange Serie A saga that will likely be highly contested by the visitors following the decision to forge ahead.

Gennaro Gattuso's side had professed a hope to be able to postpone the tie, much as Genoa were able to put their encounter with Torino on ice following a significant coronavirus outbreak of their own.

In spite of this however, the Bianconeri announced on Saturday that they would take to the field regardless of the lack of opposition, indicating that the match could therefore be forfeited by the visitors, with the hosts handed a 3-0 walkover as a result.

Juve president Andrea Agnelli weighed after the game was called, stating: "Napoli president [Aurelio] De Laurentiis sent me a message and I replied that [we], as always, abide by the rules.

"He wanted to postpone the match, but we have regulations that tell us how to proceed. Every industry has its rules and we need to respect them. I don’t think the ASL [local health authority] of Naples can intervene if the FIGC protocol, which refers back to the government’s circular, is not observed at some point. If the protocol changes, we will once again abide by it".

Andrea Pirlo made three changes to the side who drew 2-2 with Roma in their previous game, with Paulo Dybala, Arthur and Rodrigo Bentancur all drafted into the starting line-up for the non-encounter.

Serie A backed up Juventus' stand ahead of the game on Sunday, stating that there were no laws preventing Napoli from fulfilling the fixture in spite of their positive tests.

“The Council of the Lega Calcio did also approve a set of rules that can lead to the postponement of a game only with several cases of players testing positive for the virus," the league announced in a statement. "These conditions can’t be applied to the current Napoli case at the moment and there are no decisions of the local authorities that prevent the game from being played.”

Napoli have won both of their opening matches of the new season, compared to Juve who have taken only four points - but such an outcome could effectively see them leapfrog their rivals in their quest for further Serie A success once again.

The former have been one of Pirlo's side's closest rivals across the past decade, rarely finishing outside the top three and often providing stern opposition in domestic cup competition, having won last season's Coppa Italia in a penalty shootout against the Bianconeri.

Pitso Mosimane's Al Ahly secured a narrow 1-0 in over Al Mokawloon in the Egyptian Premier League match on Sunday night.

The only goal of the encounter was netted by Amr Al Salaya a few minutes before the half-time break and it was enough to hand Mosimane a winning start in Egypt. 

Mosimane, who resigned as Mamelodi Sundowns head coach on Wednesday, was hoping to start his tenure at the Red Devils with a victory after replacing Rene Weiler on Thursday.

The accomplished tactician recalled club captain Mohamed El Shenawy to the starting line-up after he was rested by Weiler in the midweek clash against Tersana.

Weiler led Al Ahly to a 2-1 win over Tersana on Wednesday in what proved to be the Swiss coach's last match in charge of the Cairo giants and he has since been replaced by Mosimane.

Al Ahly were determined to record their 26th win of the season despite having already clinched a record-extending 42nd Egyptian Premier League title. 

The home side broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time after they were awarded a penalty which was converted by Amr Al Salaya.

It was Al Salaya's seventh goal of the season in the league and he has played 26 matches in the competition this term. 

The 31-year-old midfield maestro will be hoping to remain a regular under Mosimane with the Red Devils looking to complete quadruple.

Al Ahly have already won the league title and Super Cup under Weiler this season and the ambitious club is hungry for more success.

Mosimane has been tasked with winning the Caf Champions League title and Egyptian Cup to complete what would be a remarkable achievement by the North African giants.

The Red Devils are scheduled to face Morocco's Wydad Casablanca in the Champions League semi-finals and Abou Qir Fertilizers in the Egyptian Cup quarter-finals later this month.

Al Ahly's next match is against ENPPI SC in a domestic league match on Wednesday, October 07 and Mosimane's side has three games left in the competition. 

Ollie Watkins struck a first-half hat-trick and Jack Grealish starred as Aston Villa claimed an incredible 7-2 victory over Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday. 

Liverpool were without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson due to a shoulder injury and paid the price for some shambolic defending at Villa Park, with John McGinn adding to Watkins' treble in a rampant opening period for Dean Smith's men. 

Mohamed Salah doubled his tally either side of deflected goals for debutant Ross Barkley and Grealish, who contributed three assists in a brilliant display. 

Grealish added another as Villa had unending joy in springing the offside trap against Liverpool's high line, with the Reds conceding seven for the first time since a 7-2 loss to Tottenham in April 1963. 

Adrian's hopes of keeping a clean sheet were dashed within four minutes when his wayward pass to Joe Gomez was seized upon by Grealish, who squared for Watkins to slot home. 

Liverpool did not get a penalty for McGinn's contentious challenge on Salah, while Emiliano Martinez saw a similar error to Adrian's go unpunished before Watkins latched onto another Grealish pass and fired into the top-right corner. 

Salah halved the deficit, yet Villa's two-goal cushion was restored two minutes later when McGinn's wickedly deflected volley found the bottom-left corner. 

Watkins completed his treble before the first half was out by turning home Trezeguet's cross and former Everton midfielder Barkley extended their lead 10 minutes after the restart, aided by a significant touch off Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

Salah swept in a cool finish in the 60th minute but any hopes of a late charge were quickly extinguished by a Grealish strike that hit Fabinho to wrongfoot Adrian. 

Adrian managed to stop Watkins netting a fourth before Grealish made the most of a baffling decision to try to catch him offside on the halfway line, scoring his second. 

Watkins rattled the crossbar in the 85th minute but Liverpool were already set to suffer one of the most remarkable defeats in Premier League history. 

 
What does it mean? A first for Klopp 

Villa were in searing form and became the first team to put at least four goals past Liverpool in the opening half of a Premier League game since Klopp took charge in October 2015. 

In fact, the only time the Reds have conceded four in the opening period of a game in any competition during the German's tenure came on the same ground, when they went down 5-0 to Villa in the EFL Cup quarter-finals. 

However, on that occasion it was a second-string line-up and Klopp was not even in the dugout, as the first-team squad were away at the Club World Cup. 

Glorious Grealish 

Watkins may have become the first player to score a Premier League hat-trick against Liverpool since Dimitar Berbatov in 2010, but he could not have done it without Grealish. The midfielder had multiple assists in the same top-flight game for the first time and created a total of five chances for his team-mates. 

Awful Adrian 

With Alisson to be assessed "week by week", Klopp will be desperate to have him back as soon as possible. In his 21 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, Adrian has now committed five errors leading directly to goals. Alisson has the same amount in 92 such games. 

Key Opta facts

- Aston Villa have won each of their opening three league games to a season for the first time since the 1962-63 campaign.
- Liverpool are the first reigning English top-flight champions to ship seven goals in a league match since Arsenal against Sunderland in September 1953.
- Since the start of the 2019-20 season, Watkins has scored more league goals than any other player in England's top four tiers (29, including play-offs).
- Liverpool's tally of 11 goals conceded is their most after four games of a league season since 1937-38 (also 11).
- Grealish is only the second Villa player to assist three goals in a single Premier League game, after James Milner against Burnley in February 2010.
- Salah has now scored against 25 of the 26 sides he has appeared against in the Premier League for Liverpool (96 per cent).

What's next? 

Liverpool will hope to get back on track after the international break with a Merseyside derby against Everton, while Villa face Leicester City next. 

Thembi Kgatlana and Charity Adule enjoyed a winning start, while Dorine Chioguoe endured a losing debut as Eibar defeated Real Betis 1-0 in Sunday's Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter.

South Africa striker Kgatlana joined Eibar from Portuguese side SL Benfica this summer, while Equatorial Guinea defender Chioguoe teamed up with Betis from Spanish rivals Logrono in July.

Iker Dorronsoro handed Nigeria's Adule a starting place in their first top-flight game since 2009, while offering the Banyana Banyana star her first outing as a substitute for his newly-promoted side.

On their part, Betis coach Pier Cherubino, who is seeking to lead top-flight success, chose Chiogoue in his starting XI, while bringing on Cameroon striker Michaela Abam as a second half substitute.

Brazilian star Juliana's solitary effort on the brink of half time handed the Armadillos a dream start at Unbe Sports Complex.

Debutant Kgatlana earned her debut in the colours of Eibar after coming on for Adule in the 69th minute of the match.

For Chiogoue, she lasted the duration of the match, while Abam featured for the last 21 minutes after she replaced Eva Llamas but the African duo could not rescue their side for an opening defeat.

The result saw Eibar move to sixth on the log with no point after the first game, while Betis are 16th on the standings.

In their next fixtures, Eibar will continue their campaign at Levante while Betis host Santa Teresa, both on Sunday.

Ode Fulutudilu made history with Aland United as her side won the Finnish Women's Cup title for the first time following a 2-1 final victory over TiPS at Myyrmaki Stadium on Sunday.

The South Africa international joined the Wiklof Holding Arena outfit in January months after leaving Spanish side Malaga in 2019 and has continued to impress, with 5 goals in 13 games.

Samuel Fagerholm's team reached their second successive final following a 4-3 semi-final win on penalties after a 2-2 draw over KUPS and aimed to avoid a back to back title final defeat.

Manager Fagerholm offered Banyana Banyana star a starting role following her impactful appearance in 3-1 victory over PK-35 Helsinki, scoring the second goal of the match for her club.

Aland started their quest for title on a high as Anni Miettunen delivered a perfect cross for Pille Raadik to head them in front in the 19th minute of the encounter.

This time, Fulutudilu provided a superb free kick for Miettunen to double the advantage for Aland in the 33rd minute.

TiPS, however were reduced to 10 from three minutes after the restart but pulled one back when Tiia Peltonen scored from a rebound after goalkeeper Anna Tamminen saved Jenna Topra's effort.

Despite TiPS's late fightback in the second half, Aland United held on to secure their first Cup title in front of 525 people in Dickursby.

The victory ends Aland's wait for domestic silverware since 2013 when they last won the Finnish Naisten Liiga title.

Following the Cup success, Aland will continue their quest for a domestic double for the first time in their history as they top the Finnish log with 34 points from 17 matches.

They would aim to maintain their momentum against PK-35 Vantaa in their next fixture on October 17.

Inter Allies attacker Victorien Adebayor has joined Danish outfit Koge, the Ghana Premier League club has announced.

The Niger international has signed a three-year deal with the second-tier outfit.

He was heavily linked to local giants Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak owing to his outstanding performances in the domestic top-flight.

"Victorien Adebayor joins HB Koge in Denmark," Allies announced on their official website on Sunday.

"We are excited to announce that our talismanic forward Victorien Adje Adebayor has joined HB Koge, which is part of Capelli Sport’s global network of clubs.

"The Nigerien star man joins the Danish First Divison side on a three-year deal after completing his medical.

"He left Ghana last night and arrived in Denmark today and is expected to immediately team up and integrate into the HB Koge team.

"Adebayor’s match displays and goal returns were one of the highlights during his stay in the Ghana Premier League."

Adebayor led the 2019-20 Ghana Premier League goalscorers' chart with 12 goals as at matchweek 15 when the championship was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He netted 19 goals in 25 league games for the Eleven-Is-To-One over two seasons.

“We have high expectations for Victorien Adebayor," Koe director Per Rud said.

"When we pick up such a high-profile player, we also believe that he can become a crucial figure with us.

”Adebayor is an exceptional player who can cover all places in the offence. Both on the edges, centrally behind the front attacker and all the way in front.

”He has speed in his feet and some technical skills that allow him to put his direct opponent, and then he has a strong left leg."

Adebayor joined Allies in 2018 after impressing while on international duty with Niger at the 2017 Wafu Cup of Nations in Ghana.

In February, he became the club's record goalscorer in a single Premier League season after registering a double against Berekum Chelsea to take his term's tally to 10.

After scoring his 11th goal of the season later that month, the Eleven-Is-To-One issued a statement, declaring the player not-for-sale to any club in Ghana and “warning’ all other domestic clubs to stay away from the player following reports of overtures from Kotoko and Hearts.

Gary Neville says Manchester United looked "pathetic" and "spineless" as they suffered a 6-1 trouncing at the hands of Tottenham on Sunday.

Despite taking an early lead through a Bruno Fernandes penalty, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team soon found themselves on the receiving end of a humiliating defeat. 

Spurs had gone 2-1 up just seven minutes into the clash thanks to goals from Tanguy Ndombele and Son Heung-min before Red Devils forward Anthony Martial was shown a straight red card.

The fun continued for Tottenham as Harry Kane and Son netted before half-time and Serge Aurier made it 5-1 shortly after the restart.

Jose Mourinho's team then equalled the biggest ever Premier League victory against the Red Devils when Kane converted a penalty in the 79th minute.

The result left former United full-back Neville apoplectic as he lambasted Solskjaer's team for their display.

“There is no excuse for those players who were out on that pitch today, they were absolutely pathetic," Neville said on Sky Sports. "Their body language was terrible, it was spiritless and spineless.

“When you’ve got a squad that lacks resilience and know-how to win games, the off the pitch stuff with Harry Maguire and Mason Greenwood, the darkness surrounding recruitment and not getting players when Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are signing players, the minute Spurs went two goals up it was almost as if all those negative thoughts came and drained every bit of confidence out of them.

“It’s not right, but that is what happened.”

He added: “These United players at this moment in time felt as though they wanted support, Luke Shaw has said he feels United need players.

“Good players, really good players, don’t mind other good players coming into the dressing room. Liverpool players would have grown 10 foot tall when Thiago came in because they knew they would have been made stronger by a great player coming in.

“These Manchester United players expected to get some help. They have not helped themselves today because their own reputations have been damaged by a performance that was nowhere near good enough, but the off the pitch stuff doesn’t help.”

Neville is concerned United will not be able to build on last season's third-place finish in the Premier League, as he feels they have fallen even further behind champions Liverpool and runners-up Manchester City.

“This is almost a repetitive cycle. We saw it with Louis van Gaal when he won a cup final and the club pulled out on him just as he was building a half-decent squad and team. With Jose Mourinho they backed out on him in that transfer window a couple of seasons ago having given him a contract.

“I just feel Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did achieve the maximum with these players but getting them to third, there was no way he was going to get to the level of Liverpool or Manchester City.

“I thought Jose was playing a game a few years ago when he said it was an unbelievable achievement finishing second with that squad, but on reflection he is probably right.

“It was good United finished third last season, they were on the shoulders of Liverpool and City, but they needed to make sure they got closer. City have spent £150 million and Liverpool have strengthened with Thiago and [Diogo] Jota.

“They have pulled away psychologically before the season even started, and the psychological damage of not bringing players in is hampering the current squad. The club’s job is to build a title-winning team, those are the standards for Manchester United.”

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw admitted he was "embarrassed" by the club's performance in Sunday's lopsided loss to Tottenham.

The Red Devils were thumped 6-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, equalling the club's worst-ever Premier League defeat.

Following an early Bruno Fernandes goal, the match completely shifted in Tottenham's favour, with Spurs firing off seven consecutive goals against a hapless Man Utd.

The first half saw Spurs find goals from Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Kane, while Son Heung-min took the lead with a brace within 37 minutes.

In the second half, Kane completed his double from the penalty spot while Serge Aurier got on the scoresheet as well. 

Making matters worse was Anthony Martial's first-half dismissal, with the forward handed a red card for putting his hands on Eric Lamela's face.

The defeat will only add to the frustrations of club supporters, with Man Utd's lack of new signings this summer already proving a point of contention.

Following the match, Shaw said that the team was left both saddened and embarrassed by their own performance while also admitting that the club is nowhere near where it needs to be.

He told Sky Sports: "It was a lack of concentration and then a mistake, another mistake, another mistake. We switched off. It really hurts.

"Manchester United shouldn't lose in this manner. It really hurts, it's embarrassing and we've let a lot of people down. We've let ourselves down and the staff down.

"We need to look in the mirror, we are nowhere near it at the moment. Maybe it's lucky that we've got a break now.

"When we went down to 10 men maybe we gave up, there wasn't that character on the pitch. We were too quiet and naive. There was many mistakes, we need to do more.

"It's embarrassing. I was embarrassed on the pitch. We need a long hard look at ourselves."

Following Sunday's defeat, Manchester United will look to regroup against Newcastle following the international break.

After that they will begin their Champions League campaign, which begins with a visit to last season's runners-up Paris Saint-Germain. 

AmaZulu FC attacking midfielder Sinethemba Sithebe has been called-up to the South Africa national team.

The playmaker has been included in the Bafana Bafana squad for the upcoming international friendly matches against Namibia and Zambia in Rustenburg.

Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki recently announced a 25-man squad which will face the two Southern African teams later this month. 

Sithebe's club released the following statement on Sunday evening.

"AmaZulu Football Club jersey number 10, Sinethemba Sithebe has been called up to join the national team, Bafana Bafana," a club statement read. 

"What a feat, congratulations Sinethemba. We can't wait to see you representing Usuthu Pride with the country’s national team."

Sithebe has been one of AmaZulu's most influential players since the club returned to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in 2017 after purchasing Thanda Royal Zulu's top-flight league status.

The 27-year-old, who joined Usuthu from then-NFD club Mbombela United in July 2017, was an ever-present in the league for the team during the 2019/20 season having netted once in 30 matches. 

Sithebe will now be hoping to make his international debut for Bafana, who will be using the two friendly matches as prepare for their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.

The 1996 African champions are scheduled to take on Sao Tome and Principe in two Group C matches in November 2020.

Bafana will take on Namibia on October 8 at Royal Bafokeng Stadium and three days later lock horns with Zambia at the same venue.

South Africa are currently placed second in Group C with four games left and the top two teams will qualify for the finals which will be hosted by Cameroon.

Ntseki's side started their qualifying campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Ghana's Black Stars in a clash which took place in Cape Coast in November 2019. 

However, Bafana returned to winning ways in their next Group C fixture as they edged out Sudan's Falcons of Jediane 1-0 in Soweto four days later. 

Patrice Evra says that Manchester United's key figures on and off the field "need a good slap" following their 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham, with the former Old Trafford favourite adding that their performance was dire enough to make him want to tear up his Sky Sports punditry contract.

The Red Devils were outgunned and outplayed by the visitors at Old Trafford, with the shortcomings of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad highlighted in particularly painful fashion as former boss Jose Mourinho ran rampant over his old side.

A Bruno Fernandes penalty inside the opening two minutes was to prove the cruellest of false dawns as a Harry Kane and Son Heung-min-inspired Spurs scored six times past a frequently inept United, reduced to 10 men half-an-hour in after Anthony Martial was dismissed for a slap on Erik Lamela.

The result equalled United's worst top-flight defeat of the Premier League era, matching the 6-1 scoreline they were on the wrong end of in a Manchester derby the better part of a decade ago - but their performance here was arguably even more damning.

Such an emphatic loss is unlikely to boost the club's hopes of swaying any last-gasp transfer targets such as Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho to join their ranks and leaves Solskjaer facing a difficult international break as his side prepare for their return to Champions League football against last season's finalists Paris Saint-Germain.

But Evra refused to lay the blame for the result solely at the Norwegian's feet, instead blasting the club's structure as a whole, with captain Harry Maguire and the board headed by Ed Woodward coming in for particular criticism from the former United favourite, adding that their poor showing made him want to quit his new gig covering games for Sky Sports.

"Alexis Sanchez said a comment, where he signed for United and after his first training session he asked his agent to rip up his contract," the Frenchman stated after the match. "That is what I am going to ask Sky. I would really like to rip up my contract [after that].

"I'm passionate and I love my club [...] but this is a shambles. Gary Neville, you hear him say that Maguire needs a holiday, a break. We always talk about pairing him with someone, but what about taking him out of the squad?

"I don't want to start to criticise players. I've been there. But tonight, there is no excuse. They have let down all the United fans. I don't care about the result because I have been beat 6-1. It's just... every year is the same story. I feel like all the United fans right now. It's why I'd prefer to commentate on a different game than United if I keep working for Sky."

Pressed on what he had hoped for United to achieve this term following a third-place finish last season and with a return to the European high table, Evra admitted that he had low expectations due to how the club was run.

"Nothing," he added. "Nothing! I'll be honest, I feel sad for the manager. After this, we'll talk about the manager and who's going to be the next one. But what about the board? Since Ferguson left, all managers have been sacked.

"So is that the solution? It feels like every year, you're going to talk about whether Ole is the man. Maybe he's not. Maybe he is. But we don't know about the transfers, we don't know if he's a puppet - we don't know! Because we won't get players like Sancho, we don't go for the right prices. It's like if I'm going to buy a car. I know the price.

"But what's going on with my club? What's going on today? I'm really emotional. It's difficult to break me. I'm a positive person. I'm not one to promote violence but many people need a good slap right now. That's what I would do right now."

Zinedine Zidane felt Real Madrid struggled to kill the game off in their 2-0 victory against Levante because they are still "lacking something" in the early stages of the season.

Madrid took the lead at the Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday through Vinicius Junior in the 16th minute, before Levante's Nikola Vukcevic hit the crossbar before half-time.

Karim Benzema struck the post and Vinicius missed a pair of chances to add to his tally within 10 minutes of the restart.

Levante did not wilt but they were unable to find a way past Thibaut Courtois, who did superbly to deny Enis Bardhi on three occasions.

Madrid finally put the game to bed in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Rodrygo released Benzema on a fast break and the Frenchman scored his first goal of the season.

Zidane saw some positives as his team moved top of La Liga but knows the reigning champions remain some way short of their best.

"It was a game we suffered in. We had chances to kill the game off in the second half, and it could have been a very different match," Zidane told Movistar . "We suffered a lot because they had chances too. I'm happy about the first half but the game is 90 minutes.

"It's the beginning of the season and we know we're lacking something in attack and defence. We are not playing perfectly. I'm happy with the effort, they've given their all.

"I've seen it against this same opponent, they have good chances that you have to contain.

"Maybe physically we're not quite there. The opponent put a little more energy in and had two or three chances.

"I'm very happy going into the international break. The team is working well together, wanting to show what they can do."

Before the game, Zidane had played down suggestions that Madrid could be boosted with a move for Lyon midfielder and long-time Arsenal target Houssem Aouar.

"I don't know what information you have about him [Aouar]," Zidane told reporters. "He's a great player, I have no doubt about that.

"Maybe one day he could play at Real Madrid, but right now we have this squad and we're going to go forward with the players we have."

Chris Wilder accused referee Lee Mason of showing a lack of courage by not sending David Luiz off for a professional foul in Sheffield United's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Luiz tugged Oliver Burke's shirt as the Blades winger tried to race clear after the Arsenal centre-back made an early mistake in the clash at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal's defender was not punished for the incident and the Gunners went on to secure three points courtesy of two goals in the space of three second-half minutes from Bukayo Saka and substitute Nicolas Pepe.

David McGoldrick scored United's first top-flight goal of the season to set up a tense finale, but they were unable to prevent a fourth defeat out of four.

Blades boss Wilder was baffled to see David Luiz escape punishment just a couple of weeks after his defender John Egan was dismissed for grappling with Ollie Watkins in a defeat at Aston Villa.

Asked to compare the two incidents, Wilder replied: "It makes no odds what happened to John Egan because that was a mistake. Mike Riley [referees' boss] admitted that to me, and the [Sander] Berge one last week was a mistake too. There was another one today.

"The referee has got to show courage. There are five officials now, I see it and all our staff and subs see it and five people don't. He's pulled his shirt. I'm not clutching at straws or grasping, Oli's shirt has clearly moved.

"All the stuff with VAR was supposed to be about making the right decision, is it the right decision? He pulls his shirt when going through and the decision has got to be made.

"With John Egan, the decision was made there. He didn't go over to look at the screen, and I don't understand why. I'm going to be annoyed and frustrated.

"We're looking for small margins that might help us. I think Luiz should get sent off and I think it's clearer than John's at Villa. When it's not going your way, you look for something to go your way."

The Blades have lost seven games in a row for only the second time in their history, the previous run of that many defeats coming in 1976.

Robert Lewandowski scored four goals, including a 93rd-minute penalty, to rescue Bayern Munich a 4-3 victory over Hertha Berlin in a dramatic Bundesliga clash at the Allianz Arena.

The German and European champions' 32-game unbeaten streak was ended in a shock 4-1 loss at Hoffenheim last weekend and they nearly dropped two more points on Sunday.

Lewandowski had put Bayern two goals in front - the second assisted by full debutant Chris Richards - but Jhon Cordoba powered in a header with almost an hour played and Matheus Cunha scored an impressive equaliser soon after.

The prolific striker's hat-trick goal was then instantly cancelled out by Jessic Ngankam in an incredible second half, but Lewandowski won a penalty in stoppage time that he stepped up to convert as Bayern got back to winning ways in the league.

Hertha thought they had the lead inside 15 minutes, only for Cordoba's thumping strike to be ruled out for offside.

Bayern had an offside goal of their own chalked off by VAR when Thomas Muller headed in from close range, though they were in front four minutes later via Lewandowski.

Alexander Schwolow parried Lewandowski's initial header but the ball was sent back to the edge of the six-yard box and the striker volleyed in.

Lewandowski's landmark 100th Bundesliga goal at the Allianz Arena arrived five minutes into the second half as he collected Richards' pass inside the box, worked a bit of space and arrowed a shot into the bottom-left corner.

But Cordoba headed in Cunha's free-kick to pull one back, before the latter exchanged passes with substitute Krzysztof Piatek to coolly tuck past Manuel Neuer and equalise.

Bayern, who beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 to win the DFL-Supercup in midweek, temporarily restored their lead thanks to Lewandowski's tap-in after Muller helped on a free-kick with 85 minutes on the clock.

The visitors levelled once again two minutes from time - Ngankam, on the field for 64 seconds, stooping in to head past Neuer.

But there was still time for one last twist as Lewandowski was dragged down in the box and stepped up to win the match for Hansi Flick's men.

What does it mean? Normal service resumed for Bayern - just!

Bayern had won 23 games in a row in all competitions prior to last week's shock loss to Hoffenheim.

They showed signs of a hangover here, and Flick will not be pleased with his side's defending, but they have at least picked up back-to-back wins following that DFL-Supercup triumph.

The champions had 67 per cent of the ball and managed an incredible 22 shots - 12 of those in the second half - as they edged a thrilling contest to go fourth place in the embryonic table.

Lewandowski the four-goal hero

Perhaps the biggest factor in Bayern's loss to Hoffenheim last week was that Lewandowski did not start - the first time in two years he had been benched for a league game.

In the week he was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year for 2019-20, he showed yet again why he is the best striker in the world with four more goals here from 13 attempts.

Neuer finally beaten

Bayern keeper Neuer had kept 15 clean sheets in 21 previous Bundesliga meetings with Hertha and needed one more to set a new record for shutouts against one opponent.

He was beaten three times here, though, and will feel he could have done better to keep out at least one of those attempts - particularly Cordoba's header, which he got a hand to.

What's next?

Bayern face Duren Merzenich in their rearranged DFB-Pokal first-round tie on October 15, while Hertha's first game back after the international break is a league meeting with Stuttgart two days later.