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Erik ten Hag knows Manchester United “have a way to go” as they look to kickstart their season with a statement derby victory against rivals Manchester City. All eyes will be on Old Trafford this Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s treble winners look to halt the Red Devils’ wholly unconvincing three-game winning streak. United required their latest ever Premier League comeback to beat Brentford 2-1 before an international break they returned from with a win by the same scoreline at rock-bottom Sheffield United. Ten Hag’s team toiled to a third straight victory in all competitions on Tuesday, when Andre Onana’s last-gasp spot-kick save sealed a crucial 1-0 win against Copenhagen in the Champions League. It was another narrow escape for a United side that need to be far better if they are to stand any chance of winning the 191st Manchester derby. “We are in the right direction, and we have a way to go,” Red Devils boss Ten Hag said. “I see positives, I see also negatives. We are not consistently, in possession, on the level where we can be, where we show in games we can be. “Like for instance, Arsenal away. Also, the first 30 minutes in Bayern Munich away. But we should do this on a consistent basis. “But pressing, we are quite good. We have the most ball regains from the whole Premier League, we have the most middle regains from the whole Premier League. “So, there you see, our defensive organisation, our pressing organisation. I said before the season how we wanted to play, that is us. “But then, we don’t take the benefit in the attacking transition moments, and we should be because we have the abilities in our team, the players there who can take benefit from it. “We paid some attention to it, and this has to grow, this has to progress. Then games will become easier.” United’s spate of defensive injuries has undoubtedly impacted them this term, so too their inability to show a clinical edge in front of goal. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have only managed one goal apiece this term, while summer signing Rasmus Hojlund is looking to open his Premier League account after scoring three European goals. Asked if the lack of goals was the forwards’ fault, Ten Hag said: “Fault? It’s co-operation and that has to click. “We showed this week some examples where we are in overload positions going to the opponents’ goal and we don’t net, or we don’t even hit the target. We should do this better. “I’m sure we don’t have time to train this fact, but we get some coaching and I’m convinced with the qualities from our players, that they will go and score more goals.” The form of Rashford – who scored the winner when these sides last met at Old Trafford back in January – has been particularly alarming. The England forward has looked a shadow of the player that plundered 30 goals in 2022-23 during the opening months of the current campaign, but there is confidence he will soon open the floodgates. “Especially give him the trust, I play him every game,” Ten Hag said. “Most of the games also he finishes. I have a strong belief he will return to scoring a lot of goals.” Read More Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace Luka Doncic scores 49 with four straight three-pointers to beat Brooklyn Texas Rangers win World Series opener in extra innings On this day in 2017: Anthony Joshua beats Carlos Takam to retain world titles Wolves v Chelsea on Christmas Eve means ‘unhappy wife’ for Mauricio Pochettino Matthew Mott wary of ‘raging favourites’ as England look to avoid further shame

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As Newcastle United prepare for their first Champions League home match in over 20 years, their owners have far bigger plans, that could well supersede Europe’s premier competition for decades. The Public Investment Fund and wider Saudi Pro League are targeting Fifa’s first expanded 32-team Club World Cup, to take place in the USA in 2025, to make a major statement of their football power. Such ambitions would also have the added effect of amplifying the prestige of the revised tournament, especially if the Saudi Pro League’s teams at that point feature an even greater proportion of the world’s best players, so as to make it a rival to the Champions League The next phase of a plan that is both a sporting project and a sportswashing project comes as Uefa have made it clear that Saudi Arabian clubs will not be allowed cross confederations to enter their competitions. Internal and informal discussions about the issue involved arguments over whether allowing such a transcontinental switch would facilitate some form of cost control given the disruptive nature of Saudi spending in the last window, but it was ultimately felt this would be an integration similar to LIV Golf. Uefa would also lose the unique leverage that comes with the Champions League. The ambition from Saudi Pro League clubs and the Public Investment Fund - who own four clubs in the competition - is instead to aim for the Club World Cup and help improve its prestige, as that could ensure a glamorous alternative to the Champions League that eventually supersedes it. While many might sniff at that, the argument is that attitudes will change if it features many of the best players in the world. The circumstances have been further conditioned by tension between Uefa and Fifa over a range of issues, but the riches of the club game have proved a core subject. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has long wanted a competition to rival the Champions League, but one that he feels should benefit the wider football world too. An issue is that any expanded Club World Cup would initially need the major European names to make it lucrative, which is why there had previously been talk of £80m offers to the biggest clubs to participate when the idea was first broached before the Covid crisis interrupted the game. Fifa’s plans at that point had been to fund the Club World Cup with Softbank, whose largest investors for the Vision Fund are the Public Investment Fund, the 80 per cent owners of Newcastle United. Such reports brought fury from many stakeholders, because of the argument that figures of that scale would wreak havoc on the competitive balance within domestic competitions. If Boca Juniors and River Plate got huge money for one edition, as an example, it could ensure no one in Argentina is able to financially match them for a decade. Fifa would argue financial mechanisms still need to be resolved, and that this serves to spread the wealth of the game beyond western Europe. That plan was ultimately shelved as the game came together amid Covid, but has since been revised for the 2025 competition. That Club World Cup in effect replaces the Confederations Cup as preparation for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, but with the aim of making it a valued tournament in its own right. That is why the Saudi Pro League’s financial power could be so key to the project. While some former players within Uefa do back the project for reasons of football purism, there is concern that it could be an “Indian Premier League or Kerry Packer-style” disruption with huge impact. Whatever the outcome, Saudi ambition could give both the country’s clubs and Fifa the glamour for the Club World Cup that both want. It could have huge repercussions for the Champions League, without letting Saudi Pro League clubs in. Read More The Premier League now faces a credibility ‘crisis’ – and latest VAR farce is just the tip Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly considering minority stake bid for Manchester United Frank Lampard explains why he is ‘not surprised’ by Chelsea’s struggles PGA Tour have received interest from investors other than LIV Golf Chelsea finally catch a break as Mykhailo Mudryk gets his moment Mauricio Pochettino vows to continue to show belief in Chelsea’s young stars

The divers were identified as Ben Wiggins, 64, Luke Lodge, 26, Daniel Williams, 46, and Evan Williams, 16, as per a Coast Guard press release