Manchester United

Manchester United on Thursday condemned the racial abuse of some of their players following Wednesday's shock 2-1 Premier League home defeat by Sheffield United.

Sky Sports reported that former England under-21 defender Axel Tuanzebe and France forward Anthony Martial were targeted on Instagram, with several users posting racist comments and symbols on their pictures. Tuanzebe also suffered abuse on Twitter, the report added.

One week after Manchester United and Liverpool delivered a 0-0 Premier League stalemate that’s already been largely forgotten, the eternal rivals more than made up for that shit on a stick performance with a roaring FA Cup fourth round match that saw the Red Devils ultimately prevail 3-2 at Old Trafford on Sunday.  

A tense, shouty and ultimately intriguing but largely uneventful meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United ended in a 0-0 stalemate at Anfield on Sunday to keep the Red Devils on top of the Premier League after 18 matches while Liverpool fell to third. 

In the end, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side came closest to securing all three points if not for Alisson’s big second half saves on Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. 

Manchester United’s surprise run at the top of the FA WSL was halted by Chelsea on Sunday with the Blues handing the Red Devils their first defeat of the season and taking their spot at the summit in the process.

The rise of United and legitimacy of its title challenge was highlighted this week by Tobin Heath’s decision to decline a call-up for the USWNT’s January camp in order to stay in Manchester for a couple crucial games, including today’s top-of-the-table clash.  

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford said his former manager José Mourinho had helped him become more "savvy" in the box to win penalties.

Rashford's comments follow some debate over how many penalties his team are awarded, with Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp saying United had more spot kicks in two years than he had in 5-1/2 at Liverpool.

Rashford said he had been denied several penalty claims while working under Mourinho and that the Portuguese had told him he had to become more aware in the box.

There have been a few false dawns but there is growing belief that Manchester United are on the cusp of reclaiming their place as the pre-eminent force in English football.

They are top of the Premier League table after New Year's Day for the first time since Alex Ferguson's glittering dynasty ended with his retirement in 2013, since when they watched first Manchester City and then Liverpool disappear into the distance.

Manchester United will host Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup after the two arch rivals were drawn together on Monday, with the game set to be played a week after their Premier League summit clash.

The two sides, who are both top of the Premier League table and go head-to-head in the league on Sunday, meet in the cup for the first time since Dirk Kuyt scored a late winner as Liverpool beat United 2-1 in January 2012. United have not beaten Liverpool since March 2018, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer yet to taste victory against Jürgen Klopp's side in four attempts.

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has said it is his personal duty and the game's responsibility to address the problem of dementia that has impacted several former players.

The issue of dementia in the professional game was sparked by the death of England's Nobby Stiles in October and there have been calls for the issue of head injuries in sport to be given further attention. Stiles and many of his 1966 World Cup winning teammates had been diagnosed with dementia before their deaths while United great Bobby Charlton also disclosed his diagnosis recently.

Uruguay's players' union and big names like Luis Suarez and Diego Godín voiced their displeasure on Monday over the English Football Association's punishment given to Edinson Cavani. The Cavani ban drama appeared to be over after he had chosen not to contest the punishment, but now his international teammates are demanding that the FA overturns its decision.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Manchester United has the opportunity to pull even with Liverpool on Friday, but the Norwegian and his side will have no easy task. 

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— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 30, 2020