Ten Hag defends record after United equal 37-year-old record with defeat to Man City
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag defended his record after a 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City condemned them to their worst start to a season since 1986.
Erling Haaland scored twice, including a penalty, and teed up Phil Foden for the other goal as City climbed to third and handed United a fifth league defeat in the opening 10 games for the first time in 37 years.
That dire sequence preceded the sacking of Ron Atkinson but Ten Hag insisted his team had deserved more from recent results against their neighbours and bitter rivals.
“We have played three games with City this year and we played all times very good,” said the Dutchman.
“The first half was very good, we made it very difficult but then they got the first goal. The penalty changed the game. Last year we were in the same situation. We have to forget this game and recover.”
City manager Pep Guardiola hailed Haaland and midfielder Bernardo Silva after a deserved win that moved them to within two points of Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur.
“He’s a top top class player,” he said of Haaland. “Today he could have scored four goals, he is an incredible threat for the opponent and it gives us a lot of confidence.”
Of Bernardo, he added: “He is a player who is so good in all depts. We are in love with him. No tattoos, no big cars – he’s humble and everybody loves him in the locker room. We were scared to lose him as he is irreplaceable.”
Earlier, Liverpool players rallied behind teammate Luis Diaz in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest that kept them fourth, one point behind Arsenal and City.
Diogo Jota held aloft Diaz’s No7 shirt after scoring the opener in support of Diaz, who was not selected after his parents were kidnapped in his native Colombia.
Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah also netted as Liverpool continued their 100 per cent record at Anfield in all competitions this season.
Aston Villa stayed hot on their heels with a 3-1 defeat of Luton, Unai Emery’s 12th consecutive home win in the Premier League.
John McGinn and Moussa Diaby strikes plus an own goal from visiting defender Tom Lockyer kept Villa fifth and Luton on track for an immediate return to the Championship.
West Ham United slumped to their third defeat in a row as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal earned Everton three points in East London.
It brought a positive end to a traumatic week for the Toffees that included the death of long-serving chairman Bill Kenwright and lifted them into the top half of the table.
In the other top-flight game of a busy Sunday programme, Joao Palinha’s equaliser earned Fulham a draw at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Evan Ferguson opened the scoring for the Seagulls, who have not won in the league since September.