Lukaku hits double in United rout, Spurs also win

LONDON - Romelu Lukaku scored twice on his Old Trafford debut as Manchester United delivered their biggest Premier League win in nearly three years to rout West Ham United 4-0 on Sunday.

Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba also struck late on as United outshone all their rivals over the weekend to top the fledgling table, leading manager Jose Mourinho to salute their new-found confidence.

Sunday's other game saw Tottenham Hotspur win 2-0 at newly promoted Newcastle United whose captain Jonjo Shelvey was sent off for a deliberate stamp on Dele Alli in front of the referee.

At Old Trafford, a United side inspired by Nemanja Matic, their 40-million-pound ($52.04-million) signing from Chelsea, provided another expensive newcomer, the 75-million-pound Lukaku, with the perfect service.

Lukaku, who also scored against Real Madrid in last week's Super Cup, netted 25 times in the league for Everton last season and looked equally deadly following his move to United.

The Belgian struck in the 33rd and 52nd minutes, first getting on the end of a perfect through ball from Marcus Rashford and then heading a second goal from a drifted Henrikh Mkhitaryan free kick after the break.

Martial and Pogba then ruined former City keeper Joe Hart's return to Manchester with further strikes that sent the crowd away confident that last season's problems of winning at home will not be repeated.

"It was a dream come true," said Lukaku. "The win was good, four goals and a clean sheet.

"Jose Mourinho wants me to be the leader and create as much as I can. The fans want to see attractive football. It is just the start."

Mourinho was not inclined to get carried away, pointing out that United also started last season well, but said: "The team was confident -- a word I like."

At St James' Park, Spurs' victory was almost as easy once Shelvey suffered his moment of madness in the 48th minute.

The spark point was Alli's refusal to give Shelvey the ball after the Tottenham midfielder was fouled. The 25-year-old Shelvey responded with a stamp that left referee Andre Marriner no choice but to give Newcastle's captain the third red card of his career.

Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez said Shelvey apologised to his team mates after costing Newcastle the match on their Premier League return.

Shelvey will now serve a three-match ban.

Goals by Ben Davies and Alli himself sealed the Tottenham win with Kyle Walker-Peters named man of the match on his Premier League debut.

Bizarrely, the full back was a replacement for the almost identically named Kyle Walker, who joined Manchester City in the off-season.

($1 = 0.7686 pounds) (Editing by Clare Fallon)

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United brace for Liverpool crunch, Chelsea eye recovery

LONDON - Manchester United have a golden opportunity to haul themselves into the Premier League title race at the expense of bitter rivals Liverpool this weekend, while leaders Chelsea will look to steady their nerves at Leicester.

United go into the Old Trafford showdown in fine fettle after beating Hull in the League Cup semi-final first leg in midweek to extend their winning streak in all competitions to nine matches.

Jose Mourinho's sixth-placed side still trail Chelsea by 10 points and lag five behind second-placed Liverpool.

But victory on Sunday would be a significant statement of intent and Mourinho promised a far more attacking performance than United delivered in a dour 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield in October.

"You know, at that time I had less time of working together with my players," Mourinho said.

"Now I have a little bit more, we know each other better, we have a certain way of thinking football, we have a certain way to play football.

"We don't just have good performances, we have also the happiness of the good results."

In contrast to United, Liverpool -- after emerging as title contenders thanks to a four-match winning run in December -- have suffered a dip.

A draw at Sunderland in the league was followed by an FA Cup stalemate against fourth-tier Plymouth and a 1-0 defeat in the League Cup semi-final first leg at Southampton.

Manager Jurgen Klopp will hope the return against Southampton of Brazil forward Philippe Coutinho after seven weeks out with an ankle injury provides a timely boost for his team.

"We will try everything we need to make the difference," Klopp said.

"Everyone who wants to see a real fight, then yes, watch it. It will be 100 per cent from our side."

UNHAPPY RETURN?
By the time Liverpool kick off at Old Trafford they could be eight points behind Chelsea, who face struggling champions Leicester at the King Power Stadium 24 hours earlier.

Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Tottenham last week halted their 13-match winning run in the league, but the west London club received a welcome boost in midweek with the news that their plan to redevelop their Stamford Bridge stadium into a 60,000-capacity arena has been approved.

"I think the Leicester game is very important. It's important for us to restart winning," Conte said.

On the field, midfielder N'Golo Kante will make a first appearance at Leicester since his £30 million pre-season transfer.

Kante was the driving force behind Leicester's incredible title triumph and his absence has been felt as the Foxes have slumped to within six points of the relegation zone.

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri called on the club's fans to salute Kante, but he hopes his side can make it an unhappy return.

"I hope our fans give to Kante a warm welcome as he was our champion. It's important to remember what he gave to us," Ranieri said.

"We respect Chelsea a lot but we are ready to fight and ready to try to win."

Third-placed Tottenham can extend their winning run in the league to six matches when they host West Bromwich Albion, but boss Mauricio Pochettino isn't getting carried away by that impressive success against Chelsea.

"Today it's about maturity and learning from this period. It doesn't mean that we will win every game," he said.

"It's important to show that maturity we did against Chelsea, that is important for trying to be more realistic and fighting for a bigger objective."

Manchester City, in fourth, look to maintain the momentum from their FA Cup thrashing of West Ham when they travel to Everton, while fifth-placed Arsenal, eight points behind Chelsea, can't afford a slip at second-bottom Swansea.

It will be an emotional day at Vicarage Road as Watford pay their respects to former manager Graham Taylor following his death on Thursday aged 72.

Taylor, who suffered a suspected heart attack, led Watford into the top flight twice in two spells lasting a combined 15 years and the club plan a minute's applause and other tributes before their home match against Middlesbrough.

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Mata fires Man United into League Cup quarters

LONDON - Juan Mata swept home to steer Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over holders and bitter local rivals Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho got one over old adversary Pep Guardiola.

Mata rifled in a low finish past City keeper Willy Caballero early in the second half at Old Trafford on a night of few chances but plenty of derby fervour as United boss Mourinho won the tactical battle against Guardiola's much-changed City side.

The result lifted some of the pressure off Mourinho following Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, but for his old sparring partner, Guardiola, it was a sixth successive game without victory, his longest winless streak as a manager.

West Ham United also moved into the last eight after they overcame Chelsea 2-1 in a London derby spoiled by ugly scenes of fan violence at the end of the game, while Southampton heaped more misery on struggling Sunderland with a 1-0 victory.

Recent results and the gathering pressure on both Mourinho and Guardiola ensured the clash at Old Trafford had all the usual spice of a derby encounter even if City made nine changes to their side against a virtually full-strength United team.

City should have gone ahead after two minutes, but Kelechi Iheanacho darted in front of his marker to direct his header hopelessly off target from close range.

United offered little attacking threat, but gained control of possession as the match wore on and were the more dangerous side for most of the encounter.

It took until the start of the second half, however, for them to create a meaningful chance when Paul Pogba's low shot was turned onto the post by Caballero, sparking an onslaught from the home side that ended with Mata's opener on 54 minutes.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic shrugged off a challenge then played the ball back towards Ander Herrera, who went down dramatically in the box but Mata was following up to powerfully steer the ball home.

DERBY KNOCKOUT

Then it was just a case of holding on, which they did comfortably, as Mourinho recorded his fourth victory over Guardiola in a rivalry spanning 18 matches.

The greater satisfaction for the Portuguese, however, seemed to be erasing some of the negativity of Sunday's thrashing by his former club Chelsea.

"The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clear that feeling because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling," he said.

West Ham's woeful start to the season is turning round and the revival continued in the first derby at their new London Stadium home.

Tight security arrangements, including a ban on the sale of alcohol in the vicinity of the Olympic Park, was intended to prevent flashpoints off the pitch, but there were still ugly scenes towards the end as rival fans clashed behind the goal with several seats being ripped out.

On the pitch, a vibrant West Ham proved too strong for a Chelsea side much-changed from their weekend trouncing of Manchester United.

Cheikhou Kouyate put the Hammers on their way to a third consecutive win with a thumping header from skipper Mark Noble's driven cross after 11 minutes and Edimilson Fernandes beat Asmir Begovic with a low shot three minutes after the restart.

Gary Cahill did grab a Chelsea consolation in stoppage time but by that time all eyes were on stewards trying to keep rival fans apart.

Southampton's record signing Sofiane Boufal scored from long range in the second half in their 1-0 victory over Sunderland, a fourth defeat in five games for Sunderland manager David Moyes.

(Reporting by Toby Davis, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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Old Trafford gives Mourinho raucous welcome

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom -- Jose Mourinho enjoyed a raucous reception as he watched a charity match from the stands on Sunday in his first appearance at Old Trafford since being named Manchester United manager.

Just nine days after the official confirmation of Mourinho's appointment, the 53-year-old was in Manchester to give his support to Unicef, who use the Soccer Aid friendly to raise money for children in danger across the world.

The former Chelsea boss originally agreed to manage an "England" team consisting of former internationals, musicians, actors and other celebrities, against a Rest of the World team coached by Leicester's Claudio Ranieri and featuring a host of retired legends.

But, following his move to United, Mourinho decided to save his first game on the home bench for the club's clash with Everton in Wayne Rooney's testimonial on August 3.

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce took care of the match-day management duties instead, while Mourinho watched from the directors box as England won 3-2.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more involved tonight, but I'm so happy and involved at the beginning of my job at Manchester United that all the time I have right now is working time," Mourinho wrote in the match programme.

"But I love the boys at Soccer Aid so much -- the atmosphere and especially the cause -- that I couldn't be away on the day of the game."

Plenty of fans were waiting outside Old Trafford to greet Mourinho when he got off the England team bus and some in the stands held aloft signs and banners bearing his name.

Mourinho, hired to replace Louis van Gaal on a three-year deal, was given a loud reception from supporters, some of whom snapped up scarfs emblazoned with the new United manager's name and face, and it didn't take long for the Portuguese to make himself at home.

- New house -

Pele was Unicef's guest of honour and Mourinho posted a photo on his Instagram account of him and the Brazil legend as they shook hands in front of a Manchester United badge in the players' tunnel.

The caption to Mourinho's photo read: "An honour to host Pele at my new house" and he also posted a picture of himself standing in the tunnel looking towards the pitch.

Mourinho gave an interview to ITV before kick-off, but his microphone broke before he could get into full flow.

"I'm very happy to be here, and especially alongside Ranieri, who won the Premier League, and Sam, who saved Sunderland from relegation," Mourinho said.

"It's a shame I've really not had a chance to enjoy this season as much as they did."

Sunderland forward Jermain Defoe scored twice for an England side including Robbie Fowler and Jamie Carragher, as well as pop star Robbie Williams and One Direction's Louis Tomlinson.

Ronaldinho, Cafu, Jaap Stam and Edgar Davids starred for the Rest of the World, whose goals were scored by former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov.

Mourinho will take charge of his first game as United boss when they face Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai on July 22.

With his charity commitments out of the way, Mourinho has to focus on a less pleasant distraction as the employment tribunal brought by former Chelsea first-team doctor Eva Carneiro begins on Monday.

Carneiro is claiming constructive dismissal against Chelsea and Mourinho could be called as a witness.

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Man City, Arsenal the big winners in dramatic finale

LONDON - Manchester City secured fourth place and Arsenal overhauled their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur to come second on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season when a bomb scare rocked Old Trafford on Sunday.

After Manchester United's game against Bournemouth was abandoned due to a security alert, Manchester City drew 1-1 at Swansea City, Arsenal crushed Aston Villa 4-0 and Spurs capitulated 5-1 at 10-man Newcastle United to blow their chance of finishing above their neighbours for the first time since 1995.

"First of all I would like to apologise to our fans," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

"I think they don't deserve all that happened today on the pitch and I apologise."

Champions Leicester City drew 1-1 at Chelsea to end the campaign 10 points ahead of the chasing pack, another staggering achievement in a remarkable season for Claudio Ranieri's team.

Manchester City needed a point to make sure of claiming the final Champions League qualifying spot but their game at Swansea started in a strange atmosphere caused by the events at Old Trafford.

Two stands were evacuated 20 minutes ahead of kickoff and the game was abandoned shortly before the scheduled 1400 GMT start. A controlled explosion was later carried out on a suspect package, described by police as "an incredibly lifelike explosive device".

Manchester City made the perfect start when Kelechi Iheanacho fired them ahead after five minutes.

Swansea equalised on the stroke of halftime through Andre Ayew's deflected free kick and the visitors endured a few nervy moments in Manuel Pellegrini's last match in charge before celebrating the point they needed.

"Well into this season we were well in the title race, but we let ourselves down, we will take positives of a trophy and semi-final of the Champions League, which was history for our club," City goalkeeper Joe Hart said.

"I have enjoyed our time under Manuel, it was important we finished off a good three years working with him."

DISMAL AFTERNOON

Spurs, Leicester's closest challengers in the last few weeks, endured a dismal afternoon at relegated Newcastle.

Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic put the hosts 2-0 up at halftime before Erik Lamela pulled one back.

Mitrovic was shown a straight red card for a dangerous foul but Wijnaldum scored his second from the penalty spot and Rolando Aarons and Daryl Janmaat completed the scoring at a disbelieving St James' Park.

Arsenal took an early lead against relegated Villa through Olivier Giroud and the French striker added two late goals to complete his hat-trick before Mark Bunn's stoppage-time own goal completed the rout.

Arsene Wenger's side finished in the top two for the first time since 2005 after a difficult campaign in which the French manager has been heavily criticised.

"We kept our togetherness and that is part of the DNA of this club," said Wenger, who led his team into the Champions League for the 19th consecutive season.

"We kept fighting until the end. Many big teams finished outside the top four this year."

Cesc Fabregas's second-half penalty for Chelsea looked set to condemn Leicester to only their fourth defeat of the season but Danny Drinkwater rescued a point for the champions with a stunning long-distance strike.

"It was a warm welcome for me, it was fantastic at the beginning and the end," Ranieri said on his return to his former club.

"A draw is OK because we have only lost three times this season and that is an amazing achievement."

Southampton climbed to fifth with a 4-1 victory over FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace and West Ham United's hopes of a top-six finish ended following a 2-1 loss at Stoke City.

(Editing by Toby Davis)

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FOOTBALL: Improved United draw with Chelsea, Arsenal go top

Improved United draw with Chelsea, Arsenal go top

Justin Palmer, Reuters
Manchester United's winless run continued but they gave under-fire coach Louis van Gaal crumbs of cheer with a committed display in an entertaining 0-0 draw with Chelsea while Arsenal went top of the table on Monday.

Arsenal beat Bournemouth 2-0 with goals from Gabriel and Mesut Ozil to move on to 39 points from 19 Premier League games, one ahead of Leicester City who are at home to Manchester City, in fourth, on Tuesday.

Champions Chelsea, who were minus the suspended Diego Costa and played without a recognised striker, are 14th with 20 points.

Tottenham Hotspur rose to third after Son Heung-Min netted a late goal in a 2-1 victory at 10-man Watford.

Spurs went ahead through Erik Lamela at Vicarage Road. In-form Odion Ighalo levelled with his 14th league goal of the season before South Korean Son flicked the ball past former Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes in the final minute.

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I won't quit, says defiant Van Gaal after United draw

Reuters
Under-fire manager Louis van Gaal said he would not quit after Manchester United extended their run without a victory to eight games in all competitions with a 0-0 draw with champions Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday.

Sixth-placed United produced an improved display at Old Trafford, having limped to a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday, enjoying two-thirds of the possession without being able to break down Chelsea's defence.

Asked about the constant media speculation over his job, Van Gaal told BT Sport: "I cannot have any influence on that. I can only work with my players and you have seen my players are fighting for me and they have given a good performance.

"Even after this result, the fans were applauding so I cannot say I am very much concerned but in this football world you never know.

"I have full confidence in the board and in my players. When the players can give such a performance under this pressure, then it is not any reason to resign for me. Maybe the media wants that but I shall not do that," added Van Gaal.

Hiddink pleased with striker-less Chelsea's point

Reuters
Interim manager Guus Hiddink was satisfied with Chelsea's 0-0 draw at Manchester United on Monday, especially as the Premier League champions played without a recognised striker.

Diego Costa was suspended after being booked in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Watford while fellow attackers Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao were sidelined by injury, forcing winger Eden Hazard to occupy the unfamiliar position of centre forward.

"Tactically it was okay, defensively we were well organised," Hiddink told reporters at Old Trafford.

"We didn't have full power to hurt United ... we have some problems in the striker position due to suspension and injuries so we had to think how to solve that problem.

"Hazard has done it before and he is capable of doing it because he's a very versatile player," added Hiddink who took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho earlier this month.

"I'm pleased because we had some good opportunities in the second half."

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Real Madrid's expulsion from King's Cup confirmed

Reuters
Real Madrid's expulsion from the King's Cup for fielding an ineligible player was upheld on Monday by the Spanish government's Disciplinary Committee for Sports (TAD) following an appeal by the 10-times European champions.

Real included Denis Cheryshev in their starting lineup in a last-32, first-leg game at third-tier Cadiz in early December when he should have been serving a one-match ban. The Russia forward opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory.

The TAD, which had already turned down attempts by Real Madrid to get their expulsion temporarily suspended, said in a written ruling it had rejected the appeal and that the decision was final.

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Hired, fired in same day - Barcelona sack 'insulting' player

Agence France-Presse

Diehard Real Madrid fan Sergi Guardiola's decision to write offensive tweets aimed at Barcelona came back to haunt him Monday when he was hired and fired by the Spanish giants on the same day.

The 24-year-old striker penned a deal with Barca's B team but was sacked just a few hours later when angry fans of the Catalan club made officials aware of Guardiola's Twitter tirade from 2013, www.lequipe.fr reported.

"FC Barcelona has decided to terminate the contract signed with Sergi Guardiola, after finding that he had published offensive tweets about the club and Catalonia," said a Barcelona statement.

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FOOTBALL: Van Gaal on knife-edge as United tackle Chelsea

Van Gaal on knife-edge as United tackle Chelsea

Agence France-Presse

Manchester United's besieged manager Louis van Gaal could see his troubled Old Trafford reign put out of its misery on Monday with fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink cast in the role of executioner.

United's 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday was their fourth loss in succession -- the club's worst run within a season since 1961 -- and reduced Van Gaal to a dead man walking in the eyes of the British media.

The Dutchman admitted afterwards that he could not be certain of the United board's support and raised the prospect that he could choose to leave Old Trafford of his own accord.

"I have said already in former press conferences that it is not always that the club has to fire or sack me. Sometimes I do it by myself," he said.

"But the scrutiny is all right for me, I am used to that."

Should United fail to win on Monday, they will end the year with their lowest points total in 26 years.

Chelsea dispensed with their own manager last week, Jose Mourinho paying the price for a calamitous start to the season, and the Portuguese is the favourite to take over at United in the event that Van Gaal departs.

Hiddink has replaced Mourinho as interim manager, reprising a role he previously performed in 2009.

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Anderlecht miss spot kick but still win

Reuters

Anderlecht squandered a penalty for the fifth time this season but still beat Westerlo 2-1 on Sunday to move second in the Belgian league, just two points behind champions Gent.

Anderlecht were awarded two spot kicks in the game, with defender Guillaume Gillet converting the first in his last game before moving to France but Matias Suarez missing out with the second when Anderlecht were already 2-1 up.

The win lifted Anderlecht to 41 points with Gent now in their sights after the champions suffered a surprise defeat at Mechelen on Saturday.

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Former Salvadoran national soccer player Alfredo Pacheco shot dead

Reuters

Alfredo Pacheco, a soccer player who played for the Salvadoran national side before being banned from the sport for life for his involvement in match fixing, was murdered on Sunday, the Salvadoran attorney general's office said.

Pacheco, 33, was with a group of friends chatting in a petrol station when an unknown assailant shot at the group various times, authorities said. Two other people were injured and were taken to a nearby hospital in the city of Santa Ana, west of the capital San Salvador.

Pacheco was a defender who played for the Salvadoran clubs Club Deportivo FAS and Asociacion Deportiva Isidro Metapan. He also played for the New York Red Bulls in the United States.

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Garcia's FIFA corruption report must be published - Prince Ali

Reuters

FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has called for Michael Garcia's report into allegations of corruption during bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to be published immediately, the BBC said on Sunday.

Former United States Prosecutor Garcia resigned as the independent ethics investigator of world soccer's ruling body in protest at the way his report into the bidding for the tournaments in Russia and Qatar was handled.

"People need to know what has been going on at FIFA," Jordanian Prince Ali said.

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Messi, Barcelona win big at Globe Soccer Awards

Agence France-Presse

Barcelona and star player Lionel Messi triumphed at the seventh edition of the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday, taking home the prizes for best team and best player.

Messi had travelled from Argentina to attend the ceremony.

"It's very nice to receive these awards, but I always say that the team makes it possible," said Messi. "It's been an extraordinary year."

Barcelona won five titles in 2015 -- the Spanish league title, the Copa del Rey, Champions League, European Super Cup and the World Club Cup.

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Chelsea rocked, United's Martial makes instant impact

LONDON -- Jose Mourinho refused to condemn his Chelsea flops after their title defence was plunged into turmoil by a 3-1 defeat at Everton, while Manchester United's Anthony Martial exploded onto the Old Trafford stage with a superb strike in his new club's 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

Mourinho's side made a miserable start at Goodison Park as Scotland forward Steven Naismith came off the bench to score twice in the space of five minutes mid-way through the first half.

Nemanja Matic pulled one back for Chelsea before the interval, but Naismith completed his treble in the closing stages to condemn the Blues -- with three defeats and only four points from their five matches -- to their worst start to a season since 1988.

It left Chelsea 11 points below leaders Manchester City, who snatched a late 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, but Mourinho claimed he had no complaints about his team's performance and blamed bad luck for their recent woes.

"I am a champion, the players are the champions, the way they are playing is not as bad as the results, but in every single game things are going against us," Mourinho told BT Sport.

"We have to cope with it. Football is about results. It's easy to say and I agree completely, but results are too bad.

"I don't blame my players and I don't blame myself. I don't accept the results."

At Old Trafford, Martial made one of the more memorable United debuts in recent memory as the teenage French striker came off the bench to mark his debut with the clinching goal against Liverpool.

Signed from Monaco on transfer deadline day for a reported initial fee of £36 million ($55 million) that even United manager Louis van Gaal admitted was "ridiculous", Martial had been dismissed in some quarters as a panic buy.

But the hefty price tag, that made the 19-year-old the world's most expensive teenage player, didn't seem to bother Martial, who came on as a 65th minute substitute and settled one of English football's heavyweight clashes with a devastating knockout blow.

United had taken a two-goal lead thanks to Daley Blind's sumptuous long-range finish in the 49th minute and an Ander Herrera penalty in the 70th minute following Joe Gomez's foul on the Spanish midfielder

But the hosts were clinging to a 2-1 lead after Christian Benteke's brilliant bicycle kick in the 84th minute had given Liverpool hope of snatching a draw.

That was the cue for Martial to steal the spotlight two minutes later as he took possession on the left, surged past Martin Skrtel and cut inside before calmly steering his shot into the far corner.

"Anthony Martial scored a marvellous goal and physically he can play in the Premier League," van Gaal said.

"He's been with us for three days, that is too short to judge his personality but he made a very good impression."



- Pace-setters -


Early pace-setters City sit five points off second placed United after they won 1-0 at Palace courtesy of a last-minute goal by substitute Kelechi Iheanacho.

City had earlier lost Sergio Aguero through injury, but prevailed when 18-year-old Nigerian striker Iheanacho poked in the rebound from a Samir Nasri shot to preserve the visitors' 100 percent record.

Aguero was forced off in the 24th minute after a heavy challenge by Scott Dann, which saw Kevin De Bruyne come on for his City debut following his £54 million ($83.3 million, 73.5 million euros) switch from Wolfsburg.

"I think the team is demonstrating why we have won five games," said City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who hopes Aguero will be fit to face Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"Last season is in the past and now we are thinking about the future. It's important to have a gap between champions, but three or four teams can be very strong and can win the title."

The result left Alan Pardew's Palace fourth, six points below City and a point behind United and Arsenal, who won 2-0 at home to Stoke City.

After Alexis Sanchez had twice hit the post, Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead from Mesut Ozil's pass in the 31st minute and Olivier Giroud sealed victory with a header five minutes from time.

Elsewhere, Swansea City saw their unbeaten start to the season ended in a 1-0 defeat at promoted Watford.

Norwich City beat fellow promoted side Bournemouth 3-1 to claim their first home win of the campaign.

The day's other game saw Southampton draw 0-0 at West Bromwich Albion.

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Old Trafford new chapter in Messi-Ronaldo rivalry

LONDON - Cristiano Ronaldo's second Old Trafford home-coming will be another highly-charged affair with big rival Lionel Messi leading Argentina in their friendly with Portugal on Tuesday.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford for the first time after leaving Manchester United in 2009 when Real Madrid beat United 2-1 with his winning goal in a Champions League tie in March last year, but he can expect plenty of support this time from fans who would love him to make a permanent move back.

The Portugal captain will not have it all his own way, though, given the backing the Manchester-based Argentine colony in coach Gerardo Martino's squad can also expect in the two great players' 27th clash though only the second at national level.

Messi, on top in their head-to-head record with 12 wins to Ronaldo's seven and the remainder drawn, gave Argentina a 2-1 win with a late penalty in a February 2011 friendly in Geneva after Ronaldo had scored Portugal's equaliser.

Carlos Tevez, recalled for the first time since July 2011, will also be looking for a part, having played for both United and Manchester City who provide Argentina with three players including Sergio Aguero.

Tevez and Aguero, though, look set to start on the bench with Gonzalo Higuain taking the centre forward role as coach Martino looks to give most of his squad a game on their two-match tour in England that started with Wednesday's 2-1 win over Croatia in London.

RIGHT WING

Messi, whose winning penalty against Croatia was his 45th goal in his 96th international, played on the right wing -- nominally Ronaldo's position too -- where Martino believes he can best serve the team with three top candidates vying for the centre forward role, Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Tevez.

"It had been a long time since I played in that position, having done so for Barca. I've got to get used to it now, it's not something new but I have to adapt again," Messi said after Thursday's match.

Ronaldo, with 52 goals in 117 internationals, comes fresh from scoring the only goal in Portugal's 1-0 win over Armenia in a Euro 2016 qualifier on Friday.

Argentina, preparing for next year's Copa America in Chile, have a record of three wins and a defeat in four matches under new coach Martino since they lost the World Cup final to Germany in July.

(Editing by Mike Collett)

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