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UFC 295 will culminate in two title fights tonight as Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira clash for the vacant light-heavyweight belt, after Tom Aspinall faces Sergei Pavlovich for interim gold at heavyweight. Prochazka relinquished the light-heavyweight title in 2022 after suffering an injury, and his successor Jamahal Hill succumbed to the same fate earlier this year. As such, the belt is vacant again, and Prochazka will bid to regain it from Pereira, who held the middleweight title from late 2022 until this spring. In the co-main event, Aspinall goes up against Pavlovich in a meeting of quick finishers, as the heavyweights fight on short notice. The original main event of UFC 295 pitted heavyweight champ Jon Jones against divisional great Stipe Miocic, but an injury to Jones opened the door for Aspinall vs Pavlovich. Britain’s Aspinall has sealed all of his UFC wins in the first two rounds, while Pavlovich has earned all of his UFC victories in the opening frame. Follow live updates and results from the UFC 295 main card and prelims, below.

Donald Trump was greeted by cheers as he made his way to ringside at UFC 295 on Saturday. The former US president has attended numerous UFC events in recent years, including 2019’s event at Madison Square Garden, which was headlined by Jorge Masvidal’s win against Nate Diaz. FOLLOW LIVE: UFC 295 – latest fight updates and results And Trump, 77, returned to the famous New York City arena on Saturday (11 November), where two title fights topped the card. Trump was cheered by the crowd as he walked to his seat with UFC president Dana White – a longtime friend and supporter of the former Republican president – as well as ex-Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson and rockstar Kid Rock. Trump, who fist-bumped a fan while walking towards the cage, was seen applauding Diego Lopes after the first fight on the main card, in which Lopes knocked out Pat Sabatini in the first round. After stopping Sabatini, Lopes walked over to Trump and motioned at the 77-year-old. Trump has been in New York this week while part of a civil fraud trial involving his businesses. The former president was incumbent from 2016 until 2020 and is eyeing another electoral run in 2024. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC 295 LIVE: Prochazka vs Pereira – fight updates and results tonight What time does UFC 295 start tonight? How to watch UFC 295 online and on TV tonight

The use of technology in football has been on the increase over the past few years but none seems to create as much heated debate and questioning as that of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). By and large, it is felt that minor and visible calls are improved across the course of the season with on-pitch referees getting extra help. However, there have been several high-profile incidents of late that have led to clubs, or personnel within them, complaining about the eventual decision or decision-making process, with the most recent coming in the Champions League. Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag felt aggrieved that a number of calls went against them in their 4-3 defeat to FC Copenhagen, including a decision to send off Marcus Rashford for serious foul play. Here’s everything on VAR you need to know, including the latest causes for complaint against it. What has gone wrong? Most recently, Man United complained about Rashford’s red card, given out for stepping across and onto the foot and shin of an opponent in a Champions League encounter. Ten Hag insisted his side had seen three “very debatable” penalties go against them in four games and called his forward’s sending off “very harsh”. In domestic football, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta complained over “unacceptable” errors from on-pitch and VAR officials as his team lost to Newcastle, while Wolves boss Gary O’Neil labelled a penalty decision given against his team and upheld by VAR as “scandalous” - also against Newcastle. Ange Postecoglou suggested recently that clubs have to shoulder part of the blame for long stoppages for VAR, saying: “Some of it is self inflicted because if we come out every week complaining about decisions that is what will happen, every decision gets forensically checked and we will be sitting around for a long time in every game trying to figure out what is going on.” However, it must be noted that the vast majority of these are subjective opinions and where Arteta sees fault, another manager, supporter or, indeed, official may see justification in decision. One incident which was not subjective, but instead a quite clear mistake, came with Luis Diaz’s goal for Liverpool against Tottenham being ruled out for offside and then allowed to stay disallowed, despite the VAR officials running their processes and showing the forward was onside. The “significant human error” came as a result of the official, Darren England, appearing to forget that offside rather than a goal had been awarded in the first place. To another extreme, Millie Bright criticised the fact there was no VAR in the first edition of the Women’s Nations League, after a clearly offside goal was allowed to stand against England which would have been simple to rule out. Further clear VAR errors which PGMOL have had to apologise for include no penalty being awarded to Wolves against Man United after Andre Onana clattered Sasa Kalajdzic, a Brentford goal against Arsenal not being checked properly with no offside lines drawn and a West Ham late equaliser being ruled out for a foul, where none was apparent. What has gone right? In truth, a lot. It’s overlooked when three or four calls are spot-on, when one causes serious complaint or at least is a subjective call which a majority seem to disagree with. As an example, in the incident-packed Tottenham vs Chelsea fixture, several goals were correctly ruled out for offside through use - or checking - of VAR and the penalty awarded which saw Cristian Romero sent off was also a result of VAR intervention. Generally speaking, these calls that are widely accepted as correct do not get highlighted, partially because the technology exists for that very reason: it’s expected to help officials make the right calls with a second look. That doesn’t mean they don’t occur, though. The Premier League reported that 82 per cent of decisions were correct in the season before VAR was introduced, rising to 94 per cent being correct in 2019/20. What is the process for VAR checks? From the Premier League website: VAR will be used only for “clear and obvious errors” or “serious missed incidents” in four match-changing situations: goals; penalty decisions; direct red-card incidents; and mistaken identity. When any of those match situations occur or potentially occur, VAR is constantly rewatching and monitoring match footage from the hub at Stockley Park. If there is a decision to be made, the VAR or Assistant VAR (AVAR) will relay to the referee that play should be halted while checks are made, before recommending either an overturn, a pitchside check of the monitor for the ref or a continuation of play with the on-pitch original decision. The video officials have until the ball goes dead to inform the referee that a check is underway if play is already ongoing. The referee can then either check the monitor or accept the VAR recommendation. Upon reviewing the pitchside monitor, they may then stick with their own initial assessment or overturn the original, before communicating their new decision to the crowd. What have PGMOL said? The refereeing chief of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, Howard Webb, took over the role last year to improve the standard of officiating in the English game and to help oversee a smoother use of technology. PGMOL confirmed to the League Managers’ Association “they are actively looking at how best to incorporate VARs into match-day refereeing teams, to ensure the dynamic between on-field referee and VAR is conducive to producing positive outcomes.” After the Diaz incident, the organisation “acknowledge[d] a significant human error occurred” and brought in additional processes to ensure no repeat happened. They also released the audio of that incident, an “unusual step” according to Webb, “to show everybody what was very quickly pretty apparent to us, a human error and loss of concentration.” Webb has suggested the pool of VAR-specific officials will be increased but Lee Mason presents a cautionary tale. The former referee was appointed a full-time VAR for 2022/23, but departed the role last season after the aforementioned error over Brentford’s goal against Arsenal. Mason, who had already been stood down from the officiating list that campaign previously for wrongly disallowing a Newcastle goal, was labelled a “serial offender” by ex-PGMOL boss Keith Hackett - however, at the start of the current campaign, Mason was re-hired as a referees’ coach for the lower leagues. It is not thought he has ongoing work with VAR but that has not been confirmed by PGMOL, nor why his credentials are suited to guiding less-experienced officials despite having been removed from his post already. Read More What is VAR, how does it work and what are the biggest problems? Mikel Arteta: ‘I’m completely with referees’ Mauricio Pochettino learned lessons from famous battle to mature as manager Unai Emery acknowledges good fortune opened the door for Villa’s victory ‘Great result’ cheers David Moyes as West Ham have another good European night Liverpool angered by VAR as Jarell Quansah goal ruled out in Europa League defeat

Jiri Prochazka will bid to regain the UFC light-heavyweight title tonight, taking on ex-middleweight champion Alex Pereira for the vacant belt. Prochazka, the UFC’s first-ever Czech champion, was forced to vacate the title due to injury in 2022, and he will challenge for the gold again at UFC 295, headlining against Brazilian Pereira. The pair were due to clash in the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, but Jon Jones’s heavyweight title defence against Stipe Miocic was cancelled when Jones suffered an injury in October. As a result, the original co-main event was elevated, while the new co-main event sees Britain’s Tom Aspinall fight Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight belt. The winner of that bout should be in line to challenge Jones in 2024 – possibly leaving former champ Miocic out in the cold. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC 295? The event is set to take place on Saturday 11 November at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The early prelims are due to begin at 11pm GMT (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am GMT on Sunday 12 November (6pm PT, 8pm CT, 9pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am GMT on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds Prochazka – 11/10; Pereira – 13/20 Pavlovich – 10/11; Aspinall – 10/11 Via Betway. Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Main card Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira (vacant light-heavyweight title) Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall (interim heavyweight title) Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern (women’s strawweight) Matt Frevola vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight) Diego Lopes vs Pat Sabatini (featherweight) Prelims Steve Erceg vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez (women’s strawweight) Mateusz Rebecki vs Nurullo Aliev (lightweight) Nadim Sadykhov vs Viacheslav Borschchev (lightweight) Early prelims Jared Gordon vs Mark Madsen (lightweight) John Castaneda vs Kyung Ho Kang (bantamweight) Joshua Van vs Kevin Borjas (flyweight) Dennis Buzukja vs Jamall Emmers (featherweight) Read More How to watch UFC 295 online and on TV tonight UFC 295 card in full with two titles on the line Tom Aspinall admits he’s ‘scared’ ahead of UFC title fight Tom Aspinall makes UFC 295 vow ahead of Sergei Pavlovich fight Dana White responds to Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey UFC 300 rumours UFC announces three major title fights will kick off 2024

Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira will meet in a tantalising UFC main event tonight, as they clash for the vacant light-heavyweight title. The original headline bout at Madison Square Garden pitted heavyweight champion Jon Jones against Stipe Miocic, but an injury to Jones has led the initial co-main event to be elevated. The bout will see former champion Prochazka, who vacated the light-heavyweight belt due to injury last year, face ex-middleweight champ Pereira in an intriguing match-up of striking specialists. In the new co-main event of UFC 295, Britain’s Tom Aspinall and Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich will fight for the interim heavyweight title, with the winner in line to challenge Jones in 2024 – possibly leaving former champion Miocic out in the cold. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC 295? The event is set to take place on Saturday 11 November at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The early prelims are due to begin at 11pm GMT (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am GMT on Sunday 12 November (6pm PT, 8pm CT, 9pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am GMT on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds Prochazka – 11/10; Pereira – 13/20 Pavlovich – 10/11; Aspinall – 10/11 Via Betway. Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira (vacant light-heavyweight title) Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall (interim heavyweight title) Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern (women’s strawweight) Matt Frevola vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight) Diego Lopes vs Pat Sabatini (featherweight) Prelims Steve Erceg vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez (women’s strawweight) Mateusz Rebecki vs Nurullo Aliev (lightweight) Nadim Sadykhov vs Viacheslav Borschchev (lightweight) Early prelims Jared Gordon vs Mark Madsen (lightweight) John Castaneda vs Kyung Ho Kang (bantamweight) Joshua Van vs Kevin Borjas (flyweight) Dennis Buzukja vs Jamall Emmers (featherweight) Read More What time does UFC 295 start tonight? UFC 295 card in full with two titles on the line Tom Aspinall admits he’s ‘scared’ ahead of UFC title fight Tom Aspinall makes UFC 295 vow ahead of Sergei Pavlovich fight Dana White responds to Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey UFC 300 rumours UFC announces three major title fights will kick off 2024

Erik ten Hag will serve a one-match touchline ban after getting his third booking of the season in Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Luton. The Dutchman, who also got yellow cards in the defeats to Arsenal and Tottenham, will be forced to watch United’s game against Everton on 26 November from the stands. Ten Hag was cautioned for dissent in injury time at Old Trafford against Luton for disputing the award of a throw-in. He said: “So that was about a moment so clear, a throw-in, but it was the second time. I was on top of it and it was so clear and obvious our ball, it was my remark therefore I got booked.” But he accepted he may have been wrong to argue, adding: “There is a certain point you have to accept decisions, what I should do as well.” Ten Hag believes his assistants, including former England manager Steve McClaren, will cope in his absence at Goodison Park. He added: “We have a very competent coaching staff and they will take over.” United face an anxious wait to see if Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen have joined their lengthy injury list after coming off against Luton. Striker Hojlund seemed to have a hamstring problem and Ten Hag said: “We do an assessment but have to wait for 24 hours to see what is the conclusion. Give them, the medical [team], 24 hours to see what is the problem, if there is a problem.” Ten Hag claimed United are in a fine position in the Premier League, considering the injury problems that have interrupted their season, and feels they can make up ground on rivals when they lose players. “Now we won our last four games of five games in the Premier League, which is good. We are in quite a good position if you see all the trouble we had, we are in a very good position,” he explained. “That is a reason to be optimistic. Even after all the setbacks we dealt with, we are still in a position near the top four and when we start to play well and when we get it done a team is set for a couple of weeks and months [and] also other teams will get their setbacks and drop points.” Read More Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag urges team to become more clinical Man United produce the bare minimum to avoid embarrassment against Luton Man United v Luton LIVE: Result and reaction from crucial Premier League clash

The choruses from a corner of Old Trafford amounted to a cascade of derision. “You are embarrassing,” sang the Luton Town supporters, even after their side trailed. It was, though, a day when Manchester United averted embarrassment. Perhaps that is as much as they can hope for at the moment, but Erik ten Hag’s side just about won what ought to have been the most winnable of games. They were scarcely impressive and there was precious little evidence to suggest a corner has been turned or that a better run will follow in an altogether tougher sequence of fixtures after the international break. But they won. Perhaps they could thank their expanding injury list for that, or Ten Hag’s recent reluctance to pick Raphael Varane. Because, when Jonny Evans was ruled out until December, Victor Lindelof was recalled. The Swede delivered just a fourth goal in almost 250 United games and United, who had only previously led at Old Trafford for 28 minutes in the Premier League all season, had 31 minutes to savour and defend an advantage. They did and a relatively uneventful victory formed a contrast with the extraordinary drama of Wednesday’s defeat in Copenhagen. United needed it: partly to stop them spiralling downhill again, partly for the points that mean that, for all their failings, they somehow finished the game sixth in the table, partly to avoid historic markers of decline. They had lost their previous two matches at Old Trafford, but still have not been beaten in three in a row on home soil since 1962. Meanwhile, Luton’s last point away at United came in 1897, at the old Bank Street ground. They have never returned from Old Trafford with as much as a draw. Rob Edwards’ side are entitled to think they could have ended that statistic. Agonisingly close to beating Liverpool last week, they could have imagined another famous scalp. Certainly United had reasons to be indebted to Andre Onana. Culpable so often this season, the Cameroonian only had one save of note to make, but it was a vital and terrific stop, preserving parity by plunging to his left to turn Carlton Morris’ first-half header away. It came during what felt an extended impasse, with United lacking incision, ideas or urgency and when the ball was often at Harry Maguire’s feet. Then another stopper turned scorer: forward for a corner, Lindelof lifted a shot into the roof of the net after Marcus Rashford’s low cross was not cleared. It was a second league goal this season for United’s centre-backs, twice as many as their various forwards have mustered. That statistic should have changed but Rasmus Hojlund’s wait for a maiden Premier League strike now stands at nine games. The Dane reacted well when an early Rashford cross was deflected but, from four yards, he only managed to knee the ball towards Thomas Kaminski, who made a point-blank block. Later, Hojlund headed Bruno Fernandes’ free kick wide before limping off: United, who lost Aaron Wan-Bissaka to illness before the game while Christian Eriksen hobbled off in the first half, may feel they have enough injury concerns already without worrying about their £72m striker. Rashford, meanwhile, produced a bright display but ought to have ended his own drought, which now extends to 12 games. Instead, he fired a shot straight at the excellent Kaminski, who also made a fine save from Scott McTominay’s header. Yet these were exceptions on a day when United fashioned too few chances. There was insufficient creativity, just a hope Rashford’s pace or Fernandes’ delivery would yield something. Mason Mount came on when Eriksen went off, but to no great effect. Antony’s cameo was eminently forgettable and United actually played better for much of the defeat in Copenhagen. If the watching Sir Alex Ferguson, returned to Old Trafford for the first time since he lost his wife, Lady Cathy, could have enjoyed the result, there were few reminders of his best teams. Given the two worlds these clubs occupy, there may be more to satisfy Luton. Barring an FA Cup tie against a lower-league outfit, there will not be a greater gulf in resources between United and their opposition this season. Yet there is no such thing as a simple match for Ten Hag’s team. And, in fairness, Luton are defying predictions they would prove cannon fodder. There is an obduracy to the Hatters; they have not lost by more than two goals since August. Well coached, well organised and spirited, they are illustrating that limited teams can still acquit themselves well. Yet the reality is that they only have six points from 12 games. Their supporters enjoyed a day out at Old Trafford, but they probably will not have another next season. Read More Victor Lindelof strike enough for Manchester United to edge past Luton Man United v Luton LIVE: Result and reaction from crucial Premier League clash Harry Maguire ‘showing he can do the job’ – Erik ten Hag Ten Hag ‘not happy’ with Rashford’s Manchester United form Rasmus Hojlund says ‘a matter of time’ until Erik ten Hag improves Man United Ten Hag calls out referee’s ‘harsh’ decision to red card Rashford

Manchester United host Luton Town at Old Trafford in what could be seen as a must-win match for the Red Devils to stop their slide into full-blown crisis. Almost everything that can gone wrong has gone wrong for United this season and manager Erik ten Hag is finding his job under increasing scrutiny as the bad results pile up – the latest of which saw them lose 4-3 to FC Copenhagen in the Champions League in midweek. Luton have battled hard in their maiden Premier League season, and currently sit outside the relegation zone on goal difference, but United will expect to beat the Hatters at home and any other result will only increase the heat heading into the international break. Follow the latest action from Old Trafford below:

Two minutes: that’s how long it took for Tottenham Hotspur to ease a first few lingering nerves that a decimated defence might make them a less-effective team, following that wild and wacky defeat to Chelsea last time out. It wasn’t the end of them by any means, but it gave Spurs both an early lift and something to fight for. And 88 minutes: that’s how long Ange Postecoglou had to observe and realise that – despite his makeshift team’s obvious effort, desire and willingness to go above and beyond – there just wasn’t the cohesion and balance needed to keep out the best attacks in the Premier League. And that was before Wolverhampton Wanderers’ late turnaround. Brennan Johnson it was who scored early, tapping in after a typically fast-flowing move down the right flank but Spurs rarely threatened thereafter and it was a very different type of performance for the majority of the rest of the game. Even so, they still led until just when the injury time board was being raised; a magnificent first touch and volley from Pablo Sarabia later, matters were levelled. And with the latest of late sucker-punches, Mario Lemina slid in to send the home fans delirious, six minutes past the 90, for Wolves 2-1 Tottenham. In between, a whole lot happened to give Postecoglou both reason for optimism and pause for thought. While the back line was very much a restructured one, the attack was merely the same, but different: James Maddison’s injury meant his scheming and invention was replaced by Pape Sarr moving slightly higher up, a ferocious runner into the channels and still a hard-working operative in deeper areas. But without Maddison as that connection, and perhaps without the left-wing thrust from deep of full-back Destiny Udogie, Spurs found it a lot more difficult to break out of their defensive shape, a lot more difficult to maintain possession high upfield. Their intermittent threat, when it came, was of the counter-attacking variety, mainly through Dejan Kulusevski’s ball-carrying, and rarely with the weight of numbers to make a telling final difference. At the other end of the pitch was where the real tale was told, where Postecoglou’s real lessons to take from the match were. Eric Dier was making his first league start of the season, recalled at centre-back, alongside Ben Davies – just a second start for him. Both played well, is the starting point of any assessment. But the issue is that they played well individually: recovery challenges, last-ditch clearances, a couple of vital interceptions of low crosses and cut-backs. There was not, as would perhaps be expected given their minimal gametime this term, any semblance of cohesion, of understanding, of partnership. That has been the big plus at the back this term for Spurs, the rapid way in which Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have filled in for each other, complemented each other’s skillsets and coped with attacks between them. Here instead – and add in a switched-to-left-back Emerson Royal under the same headings – it was all about each defender desperately trying to be that last man, get that last touch, make that last block to protect the fragile lead. There shouldn’t be any blame headed to Dier or Davies for that, as both reasonably did as much as they could, but Spurs’ lack of cohesion saw them exposed and exploited time after time by a very progressive – and very wasteful – Wolves attack. The hosts averaged fewer than 12 shots per game in the Premier League this season; they had surpassed that tally well before the hour mark here. But a combination of wayward strikes, those aforementioned blocks and frankly odd decision-making meant Guglielmo Vicario was nowhere near as tested as he might have been. In the end, it took shots number 16 and 17 to beat the Italian, and to beat Spurs. But as harsh as that late turnaround in scoreline might feel at the final whistle, the truth is a more ruthless and prolific team, one who averages more than Wolves’ 1.3 goals per game this season perhaps, would have had the points sewn up far earlier. Postecoglou can take solace in the heart and effort, and the fact that a third of Romero’s ban is over, plus the entirety of Udogie’s. But had Spurs held out, the truth of the game wouldn’t have been any different to the boss, they’d just have more points at the end of it. Van de Ven in defence and Maddison in attack have been core components of both recovery and intricacy in Spurs’ play this season, and neither have obvious replacements. Work lies ahead over the international break to ensure Tottenham’s early season promise doesn’t fade away entirely in the aftermath of that damaging defeat to Chelsea. Read More Wolves vs Spurs LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Football fan convicted of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand Wolves vs Newcastle United LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Malmo v Elfsborg is the Swedish title decider you (probably) haven’t heard about Chelsea’s downward spiral offers stark warning to Man City Chelsea will be fighting for titles sooner rather than later, says Pep Guardiola

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea’s victory at Tottenham on Monday proved he has matured as a manager in the years since his first spell in England. A frenetic 4-1 win in north London came amid two red cards for the hosts as emotions threatened to spill over in a manner reminiscent of the so-called “Battle of Stamford Bridge”, when Pochettino’s Spurs lost their discipline and a two-goal lead to concede the 2015-16 Premier League title. After that game, which confirmed Leicester as champions, Pochettino was criticised for allowing his players to lose control of the match and let slip the chance of claiming a first league title since 1961. Yet on Monday, it was his former side whose discipline failed them.

Manchester City face an anxious wait to see if John Stones will be fit to face Liverpool later this month. The England defender, who has only made six appearances in an injury-hit season, came off at half-time in Tuesday’s win over Young Boys of Bern and manager Pep Guardiola has ruled him out of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea. Guardiola said Stones’ muscular problem is not as serious as he initially feared but is unsure when the 29-year-old will be fit again and he has a race against time to be available for the clash with Liverpool on 25 November. The City manager explained: “He’s not ready for tomorrow [game against Chelsea on Sunday] and we will see when we come back from the international break. I don’t know. “The doctor said to me it’s not as bad [as feared] but I still don’t know. I want to create tempo. When he’s going to be fit again, he’s going to come back.” Stones was reinvented last season to operate partly as a midfielder in addition to his duties at the back and Guardiola believes summer signing Josko Gvardiol is not yet ready to take up a similar role, coming forward in possession. “Still he didn’t prove it in training sessions and drills that we do to see how you move in more central positions,” he said. “Still I didn’t see it. Maybe in future, because he is still young and at the beginning we didn’t expect John could do that but he can do that because he has been here eight years.” Rico Lewis is able to play both as a full-back and in midfield and Guardiola believes that, were he bigger, the teenager would be one of the outstanding footballers in the division. He added: “If he was a little bit taller, we would consider him one of the best players in the Premier League. He is so small but he is an exceptional player.” Kevin de Bruyne, who has been out since August and has undergone an operation on his injured hamstring, has had a further scan this week. The Belgian is expected to be out for the rest of the calendar year but Guardiola has not put a timeframe on his comeback. He added: “I spoke with him two days ago and he said he feels really good but it’s not necessary to take bad decisions or wrong decisions in coming back early and getting injured again. Kevin was a tough injury, a surgery.” Read More Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Rumours: Man United could sell duo in January and Newcastle target midfield pair How can Man United qualify in Champions League?

In one of Europe’s biggest three-horse races, an unexpected fourth leads the way. Where usually Barcelona, Real Madrid and, on sporadic occasions, Atletico Madrid reside, there’s an altogether less-expected club sitting top of LaLiga after a third of the campaign – a free-scoring, attack-minded team who spent a net of barely £4m in the summer, have a stadium capacity of under 15,000 and whose best-ever season in LaLiga to date saw them finish 10th. Welcome to Girona FC. The story of their rise is a tale in itself, but their opening 12 games of this campaign might yet make for the stuff of local legend. As recently as 1999 the club was playing in the Catalan regional leagues, the fifth tier of Spanish football, but after achieving their first-ever top-flight campaign in 2017-18 and surviving for a second, they returned to LaLiga for 2022-23 and ended 10th last year – just as they did five years earlier, in fact. There appears to be no danger of season four emulating season two, though. Where then they were relegated, this term they top the table, two points ahead of Real Madrid, four clear of champions Barcelona and a full six ahead of Atletico. Between Girona and fifth is a massive 10 points, after just a dozen matches. Masterminding this unexpected rise is head coach Michel Sanchez Munoz, better known just as Michel, a former Rayo Vallecano and Real Murcia player who has been in the dugout at Estadi Montilivi since 2021. Michel has the team playing offensive football – they’ve not only won more games than anyone this term, they’ve also outscored everyone in LaLiga– and the manner of it is even more impressive given the turnover of the squad: 10 in, three out, another half a dozen loaned away. That new group has been quickly moulded into a cohesive unit with a very identifiable approach to matches, as one of those new arrivals, former Manchester United and Ajax defender Daley Blind, told The Independent. “It’s always difficult to compare managers, each one has his own ID and way of playing. But what stands out is the manager is really clear in how he wants to play football, he has a really clear idea about every game we play and having a real tactical plan,” Blind says on a call. “He tries to give that to the team and make sure we understand the gameplan. “The story he told me before I came to Girona was really intriguing and I can’t say anything other than he did not lie – I got excited and wanted to play here after speaking to him. “You can’t know it for sure beforehand but we’re really happy with how it’s going and it’s always important for a coach to be clear about that.” Blind is happily effusive about Michel’s man management as well as his tactical acumen. Having spent most of his career under the likes of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, father Danny Blind and others, he’s well placed to talk about who is impressive or otherwise on the coaching ground. And while he won’t directly look at matching up Michel’s attributes to anyone else’s, he makes the point that there’s a real connection between coach and squad. “I don’t want to compare [to others] but, for me, he’s a manager who is human, who connects on a personal level as well. He joins in the rondo [training game of keep-ball] and is part of the guys; at the moment training really starts he’s then really on top of it and not holding back,” the centre-back explains. “He expects every training [session] to be the best but there’s always time for a joke here and there. He has a good connection with every player – that’s very special.” Blind freely admits that his spell in Spain came at the second time of asking. He got the call from Girona last year after leaving Ajax; while considering his next move, Bayern Munich swooped in and he felt he needed to go. This summer, though, he was confident Girona was the right move. While the Dutchman has been a mainstay at the back this term, central midfielder Aleix Garcia has caught the eye, while in attack young winger Savio has been impressive and new centre-forward Artem Dovbyk has not so much hit the ground running as thundering through defences, scoring six in eight starts or one every 109 minutes. Among LaLiga’s best goal-getters, only Gerard Moreno (105), Alvaro Morata (105) and top scorer Jude Bellingham (95) can beat the Ukrainian’s strike rate. So has the fast start by Girona altered their season aims, made them aim higher than might have been the objective at the start of the campaign? Not for Blind, who maintains the “one game at a time” mantra. “For me, it hasn’t changed, you want to finish as high as possible in the league and that’s what we aim for. We’ll see where that is at the end of the season,” he says. “You always be ambitious and have an aim but in the end, you look game by game because the next one is most important and you want the three points. But you see which games are in the next couple of weeks and be ambitious about it. It’s not for me to reveal what we say about [those runs] but it always comes back to the next game.” For Girona, the next game is away on Saturday to Rayo Vallecano, Michel’s oldest and most closely linked club. Beat them and the Catalan club will remain top across the international break, the envy of not just smaller clubs around Europe hoping to improve their own fortunes and challenge higher in the league but of every club in Spain – including the very biggest and the supposed best. Perhaps, just perhaps, they won’t be this year. Watch LaLiga on Viaplay, available in the UK on Sky, Virgin TV, Amazon Prime Video and via streaming Read More Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Ange Postecoglu gives injury update for Tottenham star James Maddison Football stadium plunged into darkness after rivals turn off lights during title win Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Ange Postecoglu gives injury update for Tottenham star James Maddison Football stadium plunged into darkness after rivals turn off lights during title win