Fernandes rounds on Carrick after Man Utd humiliation

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned on head coach Michael Carrick following one of the most humiliating nights in the club’s European history.

A 4-1 Champions League hammering at Como led to Carrick fielding questions about his future.

He apologised to the 700 travelling fans, having ignored his beaten players after the final whistle to march across the pitch and repeatedly hold his hands up - in a manner similar to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following a 4-1 defeat at Watford in November 2021 which led to his dismissal as United boss 24 hours later.

However, Fernandes - widely accepted as a football obsessive who watches games regularly and understands the tactical side as well as any player in the United squad - inflicted more damage when he spoke to TNT Sports afterwards.

“It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence,” he said.

Asked directly whether Carrick got his tactics wrong, Fernandes added: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”

Told of Fernandes’ comments in his post-match press conference, Carrick offered a curt response: “There’s a little bit of whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you aren’t going to win.”

Carrick also refused to answer questions about his own future.

Instead, he described his own feelings about United’s performance and focused on taking responsibility.

“I have to apologise to the supporters,” said the former player. “I care about this football club as much as anyone, if not more, with the position that I’m in and what I value this football club. For us to play in that way is not acceptable.

“I always go over to the fans anyway, regardless, so it wasn’t a particularly different kind of reason why I went over.

“It’s the appreciation and acknowledgement of what they’ve gone through and have done over a period of a few weeks now. As I said, I was one of them.

“I’m feeling the same as them. We’ve got a lot of values in this football club; what we represent and how we want to go about it. We might win, we might lose, but the way we went about it tonight wasn’t acceptable. I just wanted to let the fans know that I feel for them.

“Listen. I’ve not given my own position any thought - this is for the supporters - I was one of them watching that and I wasn’t happy all.”

After winning 12 of his 17 games in charge last season to guide United back into the Champions League after a two-year absence, Carrick was given a two-year contract.

However, as happened with Solskjaer five years ago, the new campaign has unravelled spectacularly and they are 13th in the Premier League, three points clear of bottom club Sunderland.

Although they recovered from their shock opening-day defeat to newly promoted Hull by coming from behind to beat Ipswich the following week, United have not won in the Premier League since. Their only other success in 11 games in all competitions came against Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.

Their latest loss meant they have now gone seven games without a win, their worst run since they went eight without a victory under Louis van Gaal between 25 November and 28 December 2015.

Only Joshua Zirkzee’s injury-time consolation prevented United suffering their joint second-worst European defeat of all time.

The embarrassment was heightened by the knowledge that when they were last crowned European champions in 2008, Como were playing semi-professional football in front of a couple of hundred spectators in Serie D.

It is a basic reality that if Como’s star man Nico Paz, who opened the scoring after 118 seconds, created the second and added a third goal, said he wanted to leave Como, virtually every big club in Europe would want to sign him and United’s chances would be virtually non-existent.

They entertain 15th-placed Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday knowing that prior to last season’s amazing 4-4 draw, the Cherries recorded 3-0 wins on their previous two visits to Old Trafford.

United flew straight back to Manchester after the game.

It remains to be seen whether the position around Carrick changes before the Bournemouth game. However, United supporters sang against the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the shambolic evening unravelled.

Both Carrick and sporting director Jason Wilcox have been absolved of partial blame for the club’s plight by some; Carrick because he was let down badly in the summer transfer window, when the club signed three midfielders, but failed to bring in competition for Luke Shaw at left-back and Benjamin Sesko in attack. Wilcox too, because he had to work to a budget set by those above him, including chief executive Omar Berrada.

“There was a lot going through my mind watching that,” admitted Carrick, who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his United playing career. “It was tough to watch.

“It wasn’t just the goals, if I’m totally honest. It was the manner and way we played at times.

“I’m giving my absolute best all the time, I care about it. My whole life is wrapped around it. It might go well, it might not go so well, but I genuinely give everything that I possibly can.”

How England hopeful Acheampong is giving Chelsea a big decision to make

Acheampong has made 52 appearances since his debut for Chelsea in 2024

Chelsea’s academy has been a production line for England defenders, and Josh Acheampong could become the latest to take that step.

Since John Terry broke through in the early 2000s, Chelsea have produced Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori for England, while also developing international centre-backs Andreas Christensen and Nathan Ake.

Acheampong has started six of Chelsea’s past nine matches in all competitions.

Only four players - attackers Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, and defenders Colwill and Maxence Lacroix - have played more than his 581 minutes under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Much of that has stemmed from Alonso settling on a more consistent side.

Chelsea had conceded a league-high 12 goals before the international break but have let in only one since, including recording their first clean sheet of the season away at Everton on Saturday.

Acheampong, 20, has operated as a roaming centre-back in a back three alongside more fixed options Colwill and Lacroix, stepping into midfield or moving wide to perform the role of a traditional full-back when in possession.

He has also developed a promising understanding with right wing-back Pedro Neto, combining with him in the move that led to Joao Pedro’s goal against Bournemouth, while keeping £75m signing Wesley Fofana out of the side.

Alonso has been keen to emphasise Chelsea’s defensive improvement as a collective effort, with the return of Moises Caicedo from injury and his partnership alongside 36-year-old Jordan Henderson adding greater stability.

During a pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, Alonso also hammered home his policy of giving minutes to those who most deserve it, rather than on reputation.

It’s in this environment Acheampong has begun featuring regularly, while also starting eight of England Under-21s’ past 10 matches.

Increasingly, the young defender appears to be knocking on the door of a senior call-up should manager Thomas Tuchel seek a versatile option on the right side of defence.

Acheampong is under contract until 2029, meaning decisions need to be made between now and next summer.

Across recent transfer windows, the defender has been repeatedly linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge, only for sources within Chelsea to insist he was “untouchable”.

That message has remained consistent, although it has occasionally raised eyebrows.

Chelsea seriously explored moves for now-Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen in the summer of 2025 and Liverpool centre-back Jeremy Jacquet in January 2026, who possess similar attributes and are only a year older than Acheampong.

At one stage during the summer Chelsea had 10 senior centre-backs on their books, before ending the transfer window with six.

In a season without European football, there were genuine doubts over how much Acheampong would play. Potential loan moves were explored, including a switch to Crystal Palace.

Palace instead signed Chelsea’s Axel Disasi on loan, with Premier League rules permitting only one domestic loan signing from another top-flight club.

Despite being with Chelsea since Under-8s, Acheampong has come close to leaving on more than one occasion.

In 2023, he did not sign a professional contract on his 17th birthday, which is typically the norm for elite academy prospects. The club’s current ownership later moved to secure his future in January 2024, avoiding the risk of losing him for only a nominal compensation fee.

Twelve months later, Acheampong again appeared to be heading towards the exit in what former manager Enzo Maresca described as a “bad situation”.

Before the conclusion of lengthy and ultimately successful negotiations, the club’s hierarchy withdrew him from selection at both academy and first-team level before he eventually signed a contract until 2029.

That agreement, signed in December 2024, remains the deal he is on today.

Chelsea could face important decisions next summer, when Acheampong, Colwill and Fofana will all enter the final two years of their contracts.

Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo were sold to Como and Tottenham Hotspur respectively this summer after entering the final two years of their deals.

The policy stems in part from lessons learned following Chelsea’s 2022 takeover, when Antonio Rudiger and Christensen departed on free transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

Those exits triggered a scramble to reinforce the centre of defence, contributing to expensive moves for Fofana and Marc Cucurella.

Acheampong’s recent performances have begun to attract wider recognition among Chelsea supporters and have raised the stakes surrounding his future.

At present, there are no active discussions over a new deal, although the idea of a seven-year contract has been floated previously.

There is caution within Acheampong’s camp about rushing into negotiations until there is clearer evidence that he can become a regular starter at Chelsea.

However, the first-team football provided by Alonso has given the club its strongest chance yet of persuading one of its most promising academy graduates to commit his long-term future.

Paz, Fabregas and Como teach Man Utd a lesson

When Manchester United savoured the last of their three Champions League triumphs in 2008, Como were a Serie D club, playing in one of nine semi-professional regional leagues.

On Wednesday, at a rainy but picturesque Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on the banks of the iconic Lake Como, the Serie A outfit showed how far they have come.

In fact, on the evidence of their 4-1 thrashing of the English side - and with progressive coach Cesc Fabregas in the dugout - you could argue the European newcomers have leapfrogged the Old Trafford outfit and then some.

Time and again, Fabregas’ side sliced through United - who are now winless in their past seven games in all competitions for the first time since 2015.

At the heart of Fabregas’ team is the brilliant Nico Paz, signed from Real Madrid in 2024, who scored twice and set up another.

Since the start of September, the 22-year-old Tenerife-born Argentina international has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions than any other Serie A player.

“It was a historic night because we played against one of the best teams ever, to do this at home is incredible, we are very happy for our performance,” said Paz.

Wednesday’s superb showing took him to nine goal involvements in eight appearances - four goals and five assists - he is also the youngest Argentine player to be involved in three goals in one Champions League game since Lionel Messi against Bayern Munich in April 2009.

“Paz really runs, he covers a lot of ground. He’s melded the old-school Argentine creative number 10 style with the physical demands of modern football,” said journalist Lars Sivertsen on Champions League Match of the Day.

For Como, this is the most high-profile victory since their project began.

“It’s Manchester United. We are only just getting our heads around the fact we are playing Inter, Milan and Juventus,” said one member of staff.

“This is without doubt the biggest night in the club’s history.”

According to chief executive Mirwan Surwaso, it was Como’s status as an amateur club - they returned to Serie D in 2017 after being unable to convince the authorities of their financial wellbeing - which first attracted the London-based media company Sent Entertainment, owned by Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono.

When they concluded a deal in 2019, the Hartono brothers were planning a TV project, with the idea of screening matches involving young Indonesian players back home. A visit from Manchester United was not part of the plan.

There cannot be many Champions League stadiums you can walk around and in addition to seeing an iconic tourist attraction. Lake Como is 29 miles long and 2.5 miles wide in some parts - you also come across a yacht club and an ‘Aero Club’ for the sea-planes that take off at regular intervals.

The clubs themselves have been there for a long time. But Como also use their natural surroundings to offer one hour Lake Como tours, followed by ‘pre-match Lakeside hospitality’.

In town - Como’s population is just over 83,000, which means 90% of them could fit in the San Siro Stadium - there is a plush new club shop, selling all kinds of branded merchandise. There was no need for that in Serie D.

“Somehow the team got promoted, we had to go professional, and the plan had to be scrapped,” Surwaso told Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored Podcast this month.

The alternative plan is still being amended substantially.

Initially it was expected this season would be a selling year, when some of the developing talents Como thought they could cash in on would be sold.

Instead, manager Cesc Fabregas steered his squad to fourth place in 2025-26, capitalising on AC Milan’s shock defeat at Cagliari.

It meant in the space of five seasons from Fabregas’ arrival as a player, Como had gone from Serie B to the Champions League. Earlier this week, Lionel Messi’s son Ciro gave Como his seal of approval by being pictured with his dad wearing a replica Como kit. Tangible evidence of a meteoric rise.

“Compared to when I finished my career here, it is completely different,” said Fabregas. “It is not even night and day. It is another world.”

“Playing Manchester United is a historic day once again for the club, the city of Como and fanbase.”

“When I retired as a player, I coached to get experience. I explained what I thought of the club and my vision and put the plan to work. We are a family here. Even when we lose, fans come and celebrate. We need to be humble and remember who we were because the story of Como will be beautiful, and we will remember it forever.”

The captivating nature of the Como story does bring with it some questions.

In the short term, some wonder how they can possibly comply with Uefa’s financial rules, which European football’s governing body does not intend to amend despite Como’s rise from Serie B.

Surwaso told Morgan: “The scrutiny is on us but we always have our books in order, so we are not too worried.”

The other point is that three quarters of the 12,300-capacity Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia is uncovered and was exposed to heavy rain during the fixture.

Growing both sides of the club is essential if Como are to maximise their potential.

For Fabregas, whose responsibility is clearly on the playing side, there is a balance to be struck between celebrating the spectacular journey Como have been on, and ensuring his players are not resting on their laurels.

“We were at minus 10 when we started, but we don’t want to spend time thinking about what has passed,” said the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea star.

“If you want to do that, retire and go write a book about what Como did. We must look at what is in front of us.”

While Como now attract thousands to their games, those who followed the club when crowds were in the hundreds remain.

“I had an uncle who supported Como,” said Marco Melillo, an out-of-town fan.

“He showed me the sticker collection, I saw the blue shirt and the blue colours and totally went crazy about it.”

“I know in England a lot of people support teams in lower leagues, but that is not so true in Italy, where people support bigger teams. I do not like that that much. I was not really interested in supporting a team that was winning something. I liked the colours. I liked the stadium and when I came here and saw the lake, it was ‘wow’.”

“We know the club is in the best situation ever in its history but when I see the faces of the guys and ladies that were also here in Serie D, we just see in our eyes and say, ‘OK, we hope that this story will go on as long as possible, as best as possible, but if it maybe abruptly ended, because in the past we had also some bad things, we know we will be there’.”

Federico Borghi is a local, and despite the weather, came with his huge Como 1907-2007 history book.

“In 2008, I had just started to go to the stadium to attend games,” he said. “Not even in our best dreams could we think of playing Manchester United. I get chills even thinking about it.”

“As soon as I entered the stadium for the first time I realised this was going to be my faith. I was there in the bad times and that has strengthened my faith and my relationship with the club.”

“The Premier League is my inspiration and to face one of the top three or four biggest clubs in the world, it’s a big honour.”

Saka injury 'does not look good' - how will Arsenal cope?

Mikel Arteta says the quadriceps injury Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka picked up in the 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich “does not look good at all”.

The 25-year-old winger went down in the 10th minute at Allianz Arena - attempting to play a pass with nobody around him - and had to be replaced by Eberechi Eze, who went on to score the opening goal.

“They are a bit concerned. A player who has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news but we have to wait and see,” Arteta told TNT Sports.

Saka has had fitness issues in recent months and his game time was managed at the end of last season, as well as with England at the World Cup, because of an Achilles injury he picked up in March.

He missed the March international break and seven games for the Gunners, but returned to help them lift the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.

Saka started the Champions League final defeat by Paris St-Germain but was substituted after 54 minutes, and only started three of England’s eight games at the World Cup - scoring a hat-trick in the 6-4 third-place win over France.

The forward also had surgery on a hamstring injury he picked up in December 2024, which kept him out for 101 days in the 2024-25 season.

He made 49 appearances as Arsenal won the title last term, despite a stop-start season - as well as the Achilles issue, he pulled out of the warm-up against Leeds with a hip injury in January and a hamstring problem kept him out for about four weeks.

But he remains vital to the Gunners, whose win percentage is notably more impressive with him in the team.

Despite the loss of Saka early on in the game, Arsenal still produced a good performance and could have won the match late on after Declan Rice’s late equaliser.

“The only negative is seeing one of their star players, Saka, having to pull up with an injury early in the first half,” said Champions League Match of the Day pundit Nedum Onuoha.

“He was lying on the floor with his hand up and he knew he was in a bit of trouble, so now the concern will be how long he is out for.

“It’s not necessarily something that means the team will struggle heavily, but there is a reason why he is regarded as one of the best players in this Arsenal team and is seen as being important for them.”

After Saka’s withdrawal Noni Madueke, who had started on the left wing, switched to the right and looked bright, while Eze scored the opening goal from the left after coming off the bench.

“This is one of the reasons their squad has been built the way it has been and I think Madueke and Eze did well on the wings today after Saka came off,” added Onuoha.

“In terms of options, at this moment in time for Arsenal, it is not going to be an issue - they will miss the star power that he has, they still have plenty of other wide players who can step up and do the job while they wait for him to come back.”

Arsenal’s style of play has been criticised this season but, even before Saka’s withdrawal, the Gunners played on the front foot and enjoyed more possession than their German opponents.

Losing Saka, who has scored four goals in 11 appearances in all competitions, will be tough to deal with.

But the Gunners have invested heavily in their squad over the past two summer transfer windows and have options.

Madueke can play on both wings, while summer signing Christos Tzolis - although currently out with a hamstring injury - has started the season well.

The Gunners also have 16-year-old Max Dowman as an attacking option, and the youngster has already shown that he can have an impact for the senior side after scoring in the Premier League last season.

Arteta, who was asked what the rest of the forward line will need to do in Saka’s absence, said he was pleased with what he saw against Bayern.

“I think Ebs [Eze] had a great game. Not only the ball, but the actions. His overall performance, I think his commitment without the ball as well,” he said.

“And when the other ones come in, I think they really contributed to this. First of all, the energy.

“And then to bring different tools that the team needed in that moment to get something out of the game. So, very pleased again.”

Why do Man City fans boo pre-match anthems?

Manchester City fans held up literal ‘boos’ during a Champions League game at Sevilla in 2015

The cacophony of boos that greet the Premier League and Champions League anthems before kick-off have now become a fixture at Etihad Stadium.

The jeers from Manchester City fans were turned up a notch against Ipswich last Saturday when the side played their first home game since being found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.

“I can’t remember a Premier League or Champions League home game where the anthems haven’t been booed,” City season-ticket holder Dave Wilson told BBC Sport.

The pre-match dissatisfaction towards top-flight chiefs can likely be traced back to February 2023, when the 115 charges for breaching the rules were first announced.

Later that same year, Everton had 10 points - reduced to six on appeal - deducted after being found to have broken profit and sustainability rules.

In their first game back after the sanction, Toffees fans displayed their ire at Goodison Park by loudly booing the league’s pre-match anthem as well as holding up red cards with the word ‘corrupt’ printed underneath the Premier League logo.

Though City supporters did not organise a similar display, their anger was clear.

“The Premier League anthem has been booed by City fans for many years,” said Wilson. “It was probably heightened on Saturday because it was the first home game since the [guilty verdict] announcement.

“There hasn’t been much love lost between City and the Premier League for a long time. For certain games it will be louder than others, it definitely wasn’t co-ordinated for that [Ipswich] game but a symptom of everything coming together.”

There was audible booing before Tuesday’s Champions League fixture against AEK Athens too.

Everton fans held up cards with the word ‘corrupt’ printed underneath the Premier League logo and booed during the top-flight anthem in November 2023

City fans’ displeasure towards Uefa goes back even further, there being a litany of disputes with Europe’s top brass.

In 2012, Porto were handed a fine of around £17,000 by Uefa after City made a complaint of racial abuse towards striker Mario Balotelli to the organising body.

In that same season, City were given a fine of around £24,000 for being one minute late back on to the pitch for the second half of a game against Sporting.

In 2014, Uefa fined City £49m and capped their squad size for the Champions League after they failed Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

Six years later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) overturned City’s two-year ban from European club competitions after clearing them of “disguising equity funds as sponsorship contributions” - Uefa initially ruled City had committed “serious breaches” of FFP regulations between 2012 and 2016.

Wilson adds: “City fans generally feel there is a conspiracy against them, like the booing of the Uefa anthem too. There is a feeling of being targeted, rightly or wrongly.

“City fans just don’t seem to like the competitions we play in!”

City and their supporters are currently in limbo as they await the outcome of the appeal and any potential sanctions.

The side are currently top of the table having won all seven league games so far and that 100% record will be given a stern examination with a difficult trip to Aston Villa on Saturday (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Nick Clarke is interim chair of The Citizens Trust - Manchester City supporters’ union, a member-led trust that was set up earlier this year at a time when the “potential biggest issue affecting City fans in the club’s history” had transpired.

Though it has been a “difficult time”, fans are “completely behind the team” and he says his job is to ensure their views are heard amid the external noise.

“The booing of the anthem on Saturday was totally organic,” says Clarke. “Whereas the bananas at Liverpool was a fan-led initiative co-ordinated by the 1894 atmosphere group and they did great work handing those out before the game.

“Even though there are fans who are conflicted about what has happened with the club, there is still a general feeling among the majority [of City fans] that the Premier League is not fit for purpose in regulating itself and how it is ran.”

Whatever the outcome of the appeal, City fans are likely to continue making their feelings clear before kick-off.