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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed what impressed him most about youngster Kobbie Mainoo's performance against Everton last weekend.

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Mainoo starts vs EvertonYoung midfielder is stand-out performerTen Hag reveals what impresses him mostWHAT HAPPENED?

The 53-year-old has waxed lyrical about Mainoo's influential performance against the Toffees, after the Red Devils secured a 3-0 win on Sunday.

The 18-year-old was on the bench for the recent 3-3 draw against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but Ten Hag's comments about his performance against Everton could hint at a return to the starting eleven to face Newcastle United this weekend.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking ahead of the clash against the Magpies, Ten Hag commented on a possible return to the starting line-up for the young midfielder. "If he's ready or not, he showed on Sunday [vs Everton] he was ready," Ten Hag said. "We have to manage three games in six days to get the best results of all the games. We have more than 11 players, we have good options there. Sofyan [Amrabat] also showed he was playing a very good game. We have the options, you manage the load of the players and it's about freshness as well."

When asked what impressed him most about the midfielder, Ten Hag added: "His scanning. It looks like he always has time because he is scanning, he is running free, then he is scanning to see the options and then make the right decisions. He can delay, he can speed up. He makes the right decisions."

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Mainoo's performance in the Premier League is only made more impressive when considering it was his first game in the starting line-up after a four-month spell on the sidelines, after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAINOO?

After a disappointing draw to Galatasaray on Wednesday, the focus will now shift to a tough clash against Eddie Howe's impressive Newcastle side on Saturday evening. The Red Devils currently sit in sixth place, just one point ahead their upcoming opponents in seventh, highlighting how important the upcoming clash will be.

The Argentine may be the greatest player of all time, but he's sadly come to symbolise everything that's wrong with the Qatari-backed club

On Thursday afternoon, Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier finally confirmed the worst-kept secret in football: Lionel Messi will play his final match for the club this weekend, against Clermont. It won't be a fond farewell.

Galtier was grateful for having had the opportunity to work with "the best player in the history of football" – and while the fans wouldn't dispute that claim, they have a very different view of the Argentine. As far as they are concerned, Messi is the personification of PSG's problems, the most miserable manifestation of the Qatari's club's obsession with superstar signings that come to Parc des Princes for nothing other than money.

He may have scored 32 goals in two seasons, and provided ample evidence of his enduring genius, but the majority of supporters don't feel blessed to have had the chance to watch The GOAT in action; they mostly feel used.

Getty Images'Messi doesn't win us anything!'

In their eyes, it is no coincidence that they only saw something resembling the very best version of Messi in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup. The pervading feeling is that PSG primarily served as a springboard, allowing Messi to arrive in Qatar in optimal physical condition.

"The joke is that we saw his matches in Qatar, I saw his movements, how he invested himself," former PSG winger Jerome Rothen fumed on after the pathetically tame Champions League last-16 exit in Munich. "And I don't mind that, considering it's the national team jersey, a separate thing, but hey, respect the club in the [French] capital a little, the one which allows you to maintain a status and salary.

"Only PSG could give him all of that and, obviously, PSG fell at his feet because they thought Messi was going to help us win [the Champions League]. But he doesn't win us anything!" At least nothing of real consequence.

AdvertisementGettyInsignificant, inevitable Ligue 1 titles

PSG won back-to-back to Ligue 1 titles with Messi but, honestly, so what? Just look at the reaction to those inevitable victories. The fans were so disgusted by last season's Champions League capitulation in Madrid that they skipped the club's subsequent title celebrations at Parc des Princes. Some players felt that was disrespectful – but not one dared complain this year, given the meekness of their European exit.

They know full well that such a high-spending club has to be held to higher standards. The success of a season is determined by Champions League results – and the same simply has to be said of Messi's transfer. There were also numerous commercial considerations but, ostensibly, that's why he was signed: to help PSG win a first European Cup.

It was also his stated reason for joining. Messi felt that PSG offered him his best shot at winning a fifth Champions League. In reality, though, it was more to do with the fact that they were the only elite side willing to meet his wage demands.

Understandable fan fury

Let's face it, Messi could have joined a better-run and better-equipped club to challenge for the club game's top trophy, but he followed the money – and the fans were aware of that from early on. They noted that the only time he came to acknowledge their support after a game, he had been pressured into doing so by his good friend and team-mate Neymar.

Has some of the criticism he's come in for been over the top? Undoubtedly. Some supporters have also gone way too far in expressing their dissatisfaction with both Messi and Neymar. However, Messi has never come close to investing as much in PSG as they did in him, meaning this has always felt more like a transaction than a transfer, one that didn't benefit the fans in any way.

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(C)Getty ImagesThe Messi effect

PSG obviously received a significant boost on a commercial level. As PSG's sponsorship director, Marc Armstrong, told GOAL in December 2021, "We have really felt an impact in all of our business areas: from sponsorship and merchandising to hospitality and ticketing.

"The club also gained 20 million new subscribers to their social media accounts in the week which followed his arrival. We had the highest engagement rate in the history of player announcements," Armstrong enthused.

These impressive numbers explain why PSG were initially so keen to keep Messi for another season. He was utterly integral to a brand built on high-profile players. "Messi was more of a marketing deal than a sporting signing,"one fan recently told GOAL's Marc Mechenoua. "He ended up representing everything we hate about the QSI project for the past three or four years."

The Manchester United shot-stopper came up with a huge save late on to ensure the European champions won their opener in Australia

European champions England kicked off their Women's World Cup campaign on Saturday in what proved to be a tricky opening encounter with Haiti, the Caribbean nation causing lots of problems despite the Lionesses winning 1-0.

Georgia Stanway's penalty was the difference in an entertaining game, one she had to take twice for it to count. There were plenty of chances for England aside from that, too, but none of which were taken.

It's rare that a title contender produces a world-class performance in their first game – just look at Australia's victory by the same scoreline or the United States' surprisingly low-scoring triumph over Vietnam. But there were concerns for England in this match.

That said, there were also positives for head coach Sarina Wiegman to take, and a thrilling performance from a particularly exciting young player on the opposing team, too.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane…

Please enable Javascript to view this contentGetty ImagesWINNER: Georgia Stanway

England's best player on the night, it was fitting that Stanway proved to be the match-winner. No one created more chances than the Bayern Munich star, whose passing around the edge of the penalty area was as excellent as her crossing into the box.

She was denied by an excellent save first up from the spot, but her second penalty attempt showed coolness and composure that was crucial to the Lionesses getting the result. She put in her shift defensively, too.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Millie Bright

This was Millie Bright's first official match since March, a knee injury having ended her season with Chelsea early, and it was evident in her performance. She had the chance to shake some of that rust off in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Canada last week, but with roll-on, roll-off subs used, and no media watching, there's no info on how much the England skipper actually played.

Sadly for her, that rust was on show still in Brisbane, with her misjudging the ball several times and caught out of position at others to allow Haiti some opportunities.

She and her team will hope that is all the cobwebs gone now, with the Lionesses' next game, against Denmark, anticipated to be their toughest of the group stage.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Jess Carter

While Bright struggled next to her, Jess Carter played well at centre-back having got the nod to be her partner while Alex Greenwood played on the left. She completed all but four of her 102 passes attempted, came out on top in both of her tackles, made four clearances and won possession back on seven occasions.

It was a very strong outing on her World Cup debut, with the Chelsea defender more than justifying her place in the starting XI.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Ella Toone

England continue to have a problem in the No.10 role, with Ella Toone once again not at her best in this game. She rarely picked up the pockets of space in front of the defence, instead dropping into deeper or wider positions that meant the Lionesses didn't have someone dedicated to pulling those strings in that dangerous area.

It was surprising that she played the 90 minutes with Lauren James having impressed in the position against Portugal earlier this month, but perhaps Wiegman was trying to let her find her rhythm. Sadly, though, she didn't and the coach will surely be pondering what to do in that area from here on out.

Teenage wonderkid Endrick is showing Real Madrid that he packs a punch prior to completing a €60 million (£52m/$66m) transfer to Santiago Bernabeu.

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Teenager heading to Spain in 2024Continues to star in Brazil for nowHas become hottest of prospectsWHAT HAPPENED?

The highly-rated 17-year-old is heading to Spain, with a big-money move to La Liga giants Real set to be pushed through in July 2024 once he turns 18. For now, the precocious youngster continues to turn out in his native Brazil for Palmeiras.

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Endrick’s exploits in front of goal have allowed him to catch Real’s eye, with the forward racking up goals despite his tender years. He is, however, proving to his future employers that he boasts much more than creative ability and finishing skills.

DID YOU KNOW?

During a meeting with Fortaleza, with Palmerias trailing early in the second half to a goal from Thiago Galhardo, Endrick appeared to lash out at marker Titi. He was clearly not impressed with the attention being shown to him by the no-nonsense defender and looked to have delivered a punch into the midriff of his opponent.

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WATCH THE CLIP

The Real Madrid and Juventus centre-backs head up the list of the best defensive players on the new iteration of the game

Getty Images10. Toby Alderweireld | CB | Tottenham | Belgium

Overall rating: 85

Defending: 88
Physical: 78

AdvertisementGetty Images9. Miranda | CB | Inter | Brazil

Overall rating: 85

Defending: 88
Physical: 76

Getty Images8. Thiago Silva | CB | PSG | Brazil

Overall rating: 88

Defending: 88
Physical: 79

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Getty7. Samuel Umtiti | CB | Barcelona | France

Overall rating: 87

Defending: 88
Physical: 82

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are set to fight it out for Lille's centre-back Leny Yoro, with Manchester United also in the mix.

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European giants interested in wonderkid YoroAgent Jorge Mendes will be key to transferLille set €60m price tag on defenderWHAT HAPPENED?

The upcoming summer transfer market is already heating up, and one of the hottest prospects attracting attention is the 18-year-old central defender from Lille. With the Kylian Mbappe transfer saga still dragging on between Madrid and PSG, the focus now shifts to Yoro, who has been dubbed as one of the most promising talents in European football.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to Madrid have been monitoring Yoro for months and the technical staff of Los Blancos hold the young centre-back in high regard. Meanwhile, PSG had already attempted to secure his services in the previous winter window, but Yoro opted to remain at Lille until the end of the current season.

However, PSG face a significant obstacle in their pursuit of Yoro: Lille's reluctance to sell to a direct competitor like the Parisians, with whom they have strained relations. Lille's president, Olivier Letang, favours selling Yoro to an overseas club rather than PSG, given the history between the two clubs. However, the player's agent, Jorge Mendes, has a strong relationship with PSG's sporting advisor, Luis Campos which could tilt the scales in favour of the reigning Ligue 1 champions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Lille has reportedly set Yoro's price tag at €60 million (£51m/$65m), a significant rise from the €20m (£17m/$21.56m) at the beginning of the season. However, Lille's negotiating position has weakened as talks for Yoro's contract renewal have allegedly stalled and his current deal expires in 2025. Amidst this backdrop, Manchester United have also expressed interest in Yoro, further intensifying the competition for his signature.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

As the summer transfer window approaches, the battle for Yoro's services is expected to escalate, with Lille facing the prospect of losing their prized asset to one of Europe's elite clubs. In the short term, Yoro will be in action against Le Havre in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner admits there's "a lot" for new partial owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to do to turn the women's side into WSL contenders.

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Ratcliffe completes partial Man Utd takeoverUnited Women boss Skinner approves of moveAdmits there's 'a lot' to do at WSL outfitGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The INEOS billionaire completed a£1.25 billion partial takeover of the Red Devilsin December and that has reportedly led to an extra burst of 'energy' around the club. While Skinner, head coach of United Women, is excited by this move, he feels the Red Devils are a way off competing for the biggest trophies in the women's game.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MARC SKINNER SAID

The United boss said: "We [he and Ratcliffe] have not managed to meet yet, I know it’s on the horizon very soon. But we have our constant kind of feed through our bosses anyway in terms of kind of how we want to go forwards, what’s going to work and there’s a lot to do. I see it as a real positive move. I think if you know me as a character, my energy is full in, I’m all in so with my energy, coupled with the fantastic movement of the Ineos investment, I think it’s a real positive moment. We have to capitalise on that, we’re going to try to do that, we’re going to put all our behaviours in place for that. It’s hopefully a springboard for everybody to find the success that everybody wants for Man Utd.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ratcliffe has spoken about returning United's men's team to its former silverware-winning glory, and knocking rivals Manchester City and Liverpool off their perch in the process, but they are a long way off from achieving that goal. And the same could, arguably, be said for the women's side. While they finished second in the WSL last term, they are 10 points behind joint-leaders Chelsea and Man City in 2023/24. If anything, they may have gone backwards.

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WHAT NEXT?

Following the international break over the past fortnight, fourth-placed United return to WSL action on Sunday when they travel to lowly West Ham – looking to bounce back from their 3-1 loss to title-chasing Arsenal last time out.

The Gunners' hopes of landing a first title since 2004 took another wobble as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's title hopes took another hit on Saturday as they let a second-half lead slip against Brentford at the Emirates.

Leandro Trossard looked to have given the league leaders a massive three points when he came off the bench to score his first Arsenal goal with 24 minutes remaining, slotting home at the back post after being picked out by Bukayo Saka.

But Brentford, who were the better side for the majority of the contest, got the equaliser they deserved when Ivan Toney was left all alone to head home from point blank range soon after.

It was a goal the visitors fully warranted and it stretched Arsenal's run without a win to three games in all competitions.

Victory for Manchester City against Aston Villa on Sunday will see Pep Guardiola's side cut the gap at the top of the table to just three points ahead of their visit to north London on Wednesday night.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Leandro Trossard

What a moment to score your first Arsenal goal. The reason Arsenal signed Trossard in January was to give Arteta another much needed option in attack and that paid off this afternoon. The hosts were struggling to make any sort of inroads into the Brentford defence, but Trossard changed that within minutes of coming on for Gabriel Martinelli in the second half. It may have been a tap in at the back post, but he made sure he was in the right place to turn in Saka's cross. Arsenal may not have held on to get the win, but it was still a big moment for the January signing, who looks set to play a major role over the second half of the season.

Pep Guardiola

Manchester City's manager will have been watching this with a smile on his face. There will have been times this season when Guardiola must have feared Arsenal were going to run away with the league, such was the consistency of their performances and results. But he will now know his side have a massive chance to ramp up the pressure on the Gunners with a win against Aston Villa on Sunday. Victory for City would move them to within three points of Arsenal ahead of Wednesday night's massive meeting between the sides at the Emirates. Guardiola's men passed up an opportunity to close the gap last weekend, he will do all he can to ensure they won't do the same this time around.

Ivan Toney

Brentford's striker was magnificent all afternoon. William Saliba has coped relatively comfortably with all the striker's he's faced this season, until today. Toney caused him problems from the first whistle and really should have helped himself to a hat-trick. The only thing you could criticise him for was his finishing because he wasted two great chances either side of half-term, but he kept getting into dangerous positions and deserved the goal he eventually got to make it 1-1.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

William Saliba

This has to be the toughest test Saliba has endured all season. The Frenchman has snuffed out the threat of many a centre forward since August, but today he was given a pretty torrid time by Ivan Toney. Saliba's physicality and dominance in the air has been such a strength this season, but that counted for little against Toney, who won almost everything that was played up to him and consistently overpowered the Arsenal centre-backs, Saliba especially. To his credit, Saliba battled until the last minute, but he will certainly have been happy to hear the full-time whistle.

Gabriel Martinelli

It's just not happening for the Brazilian at the moment. Many wondered whether Arteta would leave him out against Brentford in favour of Leandro Trossard, but the Arsenal boss stuck with the winger despite his recent under-par performances. Unfortunately for Martinelli, he couldn't repay that faith and it was no surprise to see him replaced just after the hour mark. He's been electric for Arsenal this season, but there has undoubtedly been a drop off in recent weeks. He's yet to score this year and never looked like breaking that barren run against Brentford's well-disciplined defence.

Arsenal's momentum

It's three games without a win now for Arsenal in all competitions. It's far too early to call it a crisis just yet, but there's no doubt that their confidence has taken a hit over the past fortnight. The energy and intensity that they've shown all season has been lacking in recent games and that will be a worry, with Manchester City to come on Wednesday night. Mikel Arteta's side built up so much momentum during the first half of the season and they were clearly feeding off that. That has been halted now and questions are being asked of them, how they respond over the next few games will be key to their title hopes.

Getty ImagesArsenal Ratings: Defence

Aaron Ramsdale (7/10):

Commanded his box well and played the ball out confidently with his feet despite being put under pressure.

Ben White (6/10):

More like his old self after a couple of nervy performances. Solid.

William Saliba (5/10):

Toney caused him all sorts of problems.

Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

Tough afternoon, but stuck to his game.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (6/10):

Saw plenty of the ball. Lively, but couldn't prize an opening.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Thomas Partey (6/10):

Looked calm, always looking to play forward.

Granit Xhaka (5/10):

Worked hard, but couldn't really get into the game.

Martin Odegaard (6/10):

Did his best to get Arsenal on the front foot, but Brentford handled him well.

DeAndre Yedlin claims Inter Miami’s 2023 season, with Lionel Messi helping to deliver a historic Leagues Cup win, cannot be considered a success.

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Argentine superstar now in the StatesInspired one trophy winMissed out on other major honoursWHAT HAPPENED?

The Florida-based outfit endured a disastrous start to the current campaign, but saw collective fortunes improve dramatically once seven-time Ballon d’Or Messi was welcomed onto the books at DRV PNK Stadium over the summer.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THEY SAID

Messi made an immediate impact, inspiring Inter Miami to Leagues Cup glory within weeks of his arrival, but an unfortunate injury saw him sit out the U.S. Open Cup final and the closing stages of a failed bid to reach the MLS play-offs. USMNT star Yedlin has said when summing up the season as a whole: “If you were to say in June that we’re going to end the season with a trophy, you’d probably deem it a success. But after July, if you’re to say you’re going to end with only one trophy, you probably wouldn’t deem it a success. It’s how you look at it. As professionals, we want to win everything. So, for me, it’s not a success. We won the first trophy in club history, and that’s great, but we could have won Open Cup and wanted more from the play-offs.”

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Goalkeeper Drake Callender – who has also forced his way into the United States national team squad – believes there is cause for optimism at Inter Miami heading forward, with his assessment going: “If you look at 2023 as a whole, we won Leagues Cup, we made it to the final of Open Cup, and unfortunately, we won’t be going any further in the league, but to make two finals and win one is a good sign we are headed the right direction. But not making the play-offs hurts. We want to win it all. For the next two games, we will be playing for pride and setting the stage for next year.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Messi’s 2023 campaign at club level may have already come to a close, but he will be back for more in 2024 – having committed to an initial two-and-a-half-year contract – and will be hoping to challenge for more honours next term once fully settled in new surroundings.

Mohamed Salah continues to be linked with a transfer to Saudi Arabia, with Glen Johnson naming the price that Liverpool have to accept in any deal.

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Egyptian star centre of speculationMove to Middle East mootedReds reluctant to consider saleWHAT HAPPENED?

The Egypt international forward is tied to a contract at Anfield through to 2025, but that has done little to curb the speculation regarding his future. Al-Ittihad are said to be readying a second approach for the 31-year-old that could see world transfer records smashed.

AdvertisementGettyImageWHAT THEY SAID

It would take a bid of that kind for Liverpool to consider parting with a talismanic presence, and former Reds defender Johnson has told of the figure that may get a green light: “If a Saudi club wants a player, then they’ll make it very hard for teams to say no to them because they’re prepared to offer crazy money. Mo Salah is not the Mo Salah of two years ago and if Liverpool receive an offer of £200 million, then they’ve got to accept it. Mo has smashed a load of records and has won everything with Liverpool, so it should be his decision. Does he want to continue challenging for major honours or does he want to play in a league that’s of a lower standard and earn an absolute fortune? It all depends on what Mo wants and if Saudi wants him and he wants to go, then it’s going to be very difficult for Liverpool to stop it.”

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Pressed on whether Liverpool’s owners would run the risk of damaging their relationship with Jurgen Klopp were a sale to be sanctioned, Johnson added: “Yes, definitely. The manager is only as good as his players, so he’s going to want the strongest team possible. I’m not suggesting they’re going to but if the owners decide to sell Mo after the Premier League’s transfer window has closed, then that’s going to cause friction as Jurgen will be desperate to keep Mo. However, if Liverpool can sell Salah for £200 million and Jurgen can spend that money on four new players in either January or next summer then it’s not the worst thing in the world, but the owners and the manager need to be in the same camp.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Salah has spent the last six years at Liverpool, scoring 188 goals through 309 appearances that have seen him break countless records. His efforts have helped the Reds to Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Community Shield honours.