The Matchday Papers

🚨 BREAKING: Crystal Palace have decided to sack Pierre Sage announcement expected in the next 24 hours. Palace are bottom of the Premier League after Sunday's 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool. Sage has won just 2 of his 10 league games, lost 7, and his side have conceded 24 goals - the worst defensive record in the division. Sources say chairman Steve Parish decided after the Liverpool loss that a change was necessary during the international break. Thomas Frank is the clear frontrunner to take over. The former Brentford and Tottenham boss was interviewed in the summer, is out of work since February, and is understood to be interested in the job. Palace have also sounded out Sean Dyche as a backup option. Frank is expected to hold talks with Palace TODAY.

🚨 BREAKING: Michael Carrick has told Man Utd hierarchy he will NOT sell Diogo Dalot in January. Despite being booed off at Old Trafford on Sunday, Carrick told the board Dalot is a "role model" and "gives absolutely everything." Dalot was rated 3/10 vs Aston Villa, at fault for Alysson's opener after 59 seconds, then tripped the same player to concede the penalty McGinn scored in the 48th minute. He was subbed off in the 66th minute to cheers, with replacement Patrick Dorgu then assisting Zirkzee and scoring the 96th-minute equaliser in the 4-4 draw. Carrick after the game: "Be very careful when you attack Diogo Dalot. He gives absolutely everything." Sources say United have now offered Dalot a new deal to end all speculation.

[🟢] BREAKING: Liverpool have written to PGMOL demanding a full explanation over penalty decisions. Andoni Iraola was left “very upset” after Sunday’s 3-1 win at Crystal Palace. Mac Allister 40’, Wirtz 54’, Isak 89’ sealed the win before Nketiah’s 95th-minute penalty denied Liverpool a clean sheet. Iraola told Sky Sports: “I’m very upset with what they are calling in our box penalties, and the ones they’re not calling in the other box.” Sources say the club have now formally asked PGMOL why Isak was denied a penalty vs Arsenal last week, when Jurrien Timber pulled his shirt inside the box. Isak now on 6 goals in 7 Premier League games is said to “feel the trust of everyone” at Anfield, per Iraola.

🚨 BREAKING: Michael Carrick arrived at Carrington at 7:15AM this morning hours before his future is decided. Despite reports United intend to relieve him of his duties, Carrick took Tuesday's training session as normal. Meanwhile in Monaco TODAY, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is meeting Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, who will formally recommend Carrick is sacked. Mauricio Pochettino remains the leading candidate, his USMNT release clause is understood to be approaching $10m. Carrick told players: "It's not going to happen" when asked if he'd resign. More to follow.

🚨 BREAKING: Manchester United board in Monaco TODAY to decide Michael Carrick's future. After the 4-4 chaos vs Aston Villa left United 18th with just ONE win in 10, Berrada and Wilcox are meeting Sir Jim Ratcliffe to recommend a change. Mauricio Pochettino is now the leading candidate and is understood to be open to listening. United's next game? At Anfield vs Iraola's Liverpool on Nov 22. More to follow.

[🟢] BREAKING: Liverpool have written to PGMOL over the late penalty awarded to Crystal Palace on Sunday. The club want clarification on why VAR did not intervene after Milos Kerkez and Dario Osorio clashed heads in the 95th minute. (@DavidOrnstein)

[🟢] BREAKING: Liverpool are in talks over a new contract for Florian Wirtz following his performance vs Crystal Palace. Understand the club want to reward his first Premier League goal of the season in the 54th minute, plus his assist for Alexander Isak in the 89th minute. (@DavidOrnstein)

🚨 BREAKING: Man Utd have decided NOT to sack Michael Carrick. Sources say the board watched the 4-4 draw vs Aston Villa back and concluded: "At least we scored 4. That's progress." Carrick is now safe until the next draw.

🚨 UPDATE: Mbappé and Harry Kane have reportedly left London and flown home early. ​Why? A private jet just landed at Heathrow carrying Lionel Messi. Despite not being nominated for the 2026 award, FIFA has just created the "Most Exceptional MLS Pre-Season Dribble" category.

🚨🗣️ Gary Neville on José Mourinho's ruthless decision to drop Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Madrid Derby: ​"When the team sheets came out and Trent Alexander-Arnold was sitting on the bench, it had José Mourinho's fingerprints all over it. You are going to the Metropolitano, it is an incredibly hostile environment, and José clearly looked at the tactical battle and decided he needed the raw physical aggression of Denzel Dumfries at right-back instead of Trent's playmaking ability. ​It is a harsh reality check for Trent. He moved to Real Madrid to be the main man on that right side and play in exactly these types of massive games, but Mourinho does not care about your reputation or your passing range if he feels he needs more defensive steel in a dogfight. The ultimate irony is that dropping him for defensive stability completely backfired because the whole backline lost their heads in the second half anyway. But for a player of Trent's caliber, having to sit on the bench and watch your team collapse in your first Madrid derby is going to hurt massively."

🚨🗣️ Rio Ferdinand on Real Madrid completely losing their discipline in the Madrid Derby: ​"When you go away to the Metropolitano, you know exactly what kind of game it is going to be. The crowd is hostile, they want to get under your skin, and you have to keep a completely cool head. For fifty minutes, Real Madrid were dealing with it perfectly. ​But that moment of pure madness from Dean Huijsen completely threw the game away. To get yourself sent off and concede a penalty in the exact same sequence is a catastrophic error in a derby. You hand a team like Atlético a penalty and a man advantage, and the match is effectively over. Jonathan David smelled blood and punished them immediately with the second goal. Yes, Rüdiger grabbed one back late, but the damage was entirely self-inflicted. Real Madrid completely hit the self-destruct button today, and the manager will be absolutely furious with that lack of composure."

🚨🗣️ Jamie Carragher on Liverpool digging deep to beat Bournemouth and dodging the weekend's viral curse: "You could feel the genuine anxiety in that away end at half-time. Everyone was looking at the results from Chelsea and Arsenal, and you just knew the rest of the country was waiting for Bournemouth to complete the holy trinity of upsets. But that second-half response from Liverpool was all about pure mentality. They did not panic, they raised the physical intensity, and they absolutely refused to become the punchline to the internet's favorite joke this weekend. It wasn't the prettiest ninety minutes of the Andoni Iraola era by any stretch, but on a weekend where the other big boys were getting completely turned over, surviving the curse and walking away with three points is a massive statement of character."

🚨🗣️ Gary Neville at half-time on Florian Wirtz's struggles against Bournemouth: "You have to feel a bit of sympathy for Florian Wirtz because the manager was out there fiercely protecting him in the press conferences this week, but when you step over that white line, you have to deliver. And in that first forty-five minutes, he has been completely anonymous. He is playing in that number 10 role, but he is hiding from the ball. He is letting Tyler Adams completely dictate the physical battle, and when Liverpool do transition, Wirtz is half a second too slow in his decision-making. People are saying he looks lost, and it is hard to disagree right now. When you wear that Liverpool shirt and you are brought in to be the creative spark, you cannot afford to just float through games without leaving a fingerprint on them. If he doesn't drastically improve in the second half, Andoni Iraola is going to have no choice but to take him off."

🚨🗣️ Jamie Carragher on the viral "Three Bs" meme and the massive pressure on Liverpool ahead of their clash with Bournemouth: "If you have looked at social media over the last 48 hours, you know exactly what the entire internet is talking about. It is the curse of the 'Three Bs'. You watch Chelsea go out and get completely battered 3-0 by Brentford. Then you think Arsenal will restore some order, and they get absolutely dismantled 3-0 by Brighton. The script is basically writing itself right now. Now it is Liverpool's turn to face the final boss of the trio. Bournemouth must be sitting there licking their lips, looking at what the other two Bs just did to the big boys. If you are Andoni Iraola, you have to be drilling it into your players that they cannot become the punchline to this joke. Every single rival fan in the country is just waiting for Bournemouth to win so they can complete the holy trinity of upsets. Liverpool have to be absolutely ruthless today, because the pressure to not be the third victim is massive."

🚨🗣️ Gary Neville on Chelsea's absolute second-half collapse against Brentford tonight: ​"You look at Xabi Alonso on that touchline at 3-0 down, and he has the thousand-yard stare of a manager who simply cannot believe what he is watching. For sixty minutes, they are completely in the game, and then the minute Jaidon Anthony finds the back of the net, Chelsea completely fold. There is absolutely no backbone in that defense right now. ​To go to the Gtech Community Stadium and concede three goals in the second half is completely unacceptable for a club with Chelsea's ambitions. Brentford wanted it more, they were hungrier in the physical battles, and they punished every single mistake. Keith Andrews has built a team that actually fights for the badge, while Chelsea look like a collection of expensive individuals waiting for someone else to take responsibility. It is a historic night for Brentford, but for Chelsea, this is a massive, massive reality check."

🚨🗣️ Raphinha on his incredible form since transitioning to a center-forward role under Hansi Flick: "If you told me two years ago that I would be leading the line for Barcelona as a number nine, I would have said you were completely crazy. When you lose your preferred spot on the wing, you have to completely reinvent yourself to survive at a club of this magnitude. But Hansi Flick pulled me aside this summer and told me he saw something different in my game. He didn't want me hugging the touchline anymore; he wanted me in the center of the chaos. Playing as a striker in this system is not about just standing in the penalty area and waiting for tap-ins. It is about relentless pressing, dragging center-backs completely out of position, and running yourself into the ground for the badge. The manager trusts me to dictate the spaces, and right now, I am playing with absolute freedom. I have never felt more dangerous in front of goal, and to be brutally honest, I finally feel like I can be the main man for this team."

🚨🗣️ Jamie Carragher on Dominik Szoboszlai's spectacular strike against Tottenham tonight: "When Dominik Szoboszlai winds up his right foot from anywhere near the penalty area, the entire stadium just holds its breath. To hit a football with that amount of pure venom and dip is absolutely ridiculous. Tottenham gave him half a yard of space, and he punished them instantly. You simply cannot leave a player with that kind of elite ball-striking ability completely unmarked on the edge of the box. The goalkeeper had absolutely no chance. It is just an unstoppable finish that completely kills the game."

🚨🗣️ Alexis Mac Allister on his goal against Tottenham: "I just saw the space and hit it. Thankfully, it went in. A great night at Anfield."

🚨🗣️ Ian Wright on Alexis Mac Allister’s absolute masterclass in bypassing Tottenham's high press today: ​"When you play against this Tottenham side, their entire game plan is to completely suffocate you in the middle of the pitch. They hunt in packs and try to force you into panic. But Alexis Mac Allister is out there playing like he has wing mirrors on. ​The way he receives the ball on the half-turn with two Spurs players breathing down his neck, drops a shoulder, and just casually breaks the lines is an absolute joke. He is single-handedly destroying their pressing triggers. People talk about players needing time and space, but Mac Allister creates his own space inside a phone box. If you want to know how to control the tempo in a chaotic, high-intensity Premier League match, just clip up his performance today. Pure silk."

🚨💣 BREAKING: Fabrizio Romano on the stunning twist in the JJ Gabriel saga at Manchester United: "The situation between JJ Gabriel and Manchester United is completely broken. After a total breakdown in the relationship with a recent phone call from Michael Carrick reportedly acting as the final straw, the 15-year-old prodigy formally requested to cancel his registration with immediate effect. He was meant to make his senior debut against Brighton in the Carabao Cup this week, but that is now completely off the table. But here is the absolute bombshell: I am told by top sources that Gabriel’s absolute priority right now is to join Liverpool. While clubs like Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been pushing hard in the last 24 hours, Gabriel and his family have made it clear that Anfield is their dream destination. He looks at Liverpool's recent track record of trusting youth in massive games and sees the perfect environment for his development. Manchester United are absolutely devastated. Losing a generational talent they have dubbed the 'Kid Messi' is already a massive disaster, but the prospect of him walking away for free and putting on a Liverpool shirt is the ultimate nightmare for the Old Trafford board. If United cannot miraculously repair this relationship in the coming days, Liverpool are completely ready to swoop in and complete an incredible hijack."