Aston Villa
Solskjaer on Rashford: management responsibility, public fallouts and a return to form
Solskjaer: managers must address unhappiness; Rashford has rediscovered form while on loan in Spain.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has suggested Ruben Amorim could have done more to try to help Marcus Rashford before the forward was effectively banished and sent on successive loans. The former Manchester United manager framed the issue as one of duty and proximity, arguing a manager should probe a player’s wellbeing when form and mood change.
Rashford has this season been rediscovering his goalscoring output while on loan with Barcelona. Solskjaer, who led United when Rashford scored 20-plus goals in successive seasons in 2019–20 and 2020–21, said he sees renewed enjoyment behind the improved output in Spain.
“I’ve not spoken to Marcus since, since I left… texting a little bit. It’s circumstances,” Solskjaer said on the new episode of Stick to Football , on The Overlap network. “I don’t know what’s happened in Marcus’s life, but you can see he’s enjoying himself now in Barcelona. It looked like he didn’t enjoy himself [at Manchester United ] at the end.”
Solskjaer did not name Amorim directly while offering his view that managers must try to understand why a player is unhappy, particularly when it affects performance. He warned against handling such issues publicly and described a manager’s role in addressing off-field and on-field pressure.
“All the pressures, every single one is different… the pressure of life, the pressure of football. We don’t know what’s happened to players when you walk in, in the morning, and see them grumpy,” he said. “That’s the manager’s job, [to] speak, ‘What’s up? I can see something’s wrong.’ And you don’t talk about that in the media most of the time.
“We don’t really know what’s happened, you just want him to do well because he’s an incredible player when he’s in form and he’s happy, and when he’s got energy.”
Solskjaer also referenced a public falling out elsewhere at United, that between Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag. Sancho, signed under Solskjaer in 2021, is on a third consecutive loan this season at Aston Villa. “We wanted players who could break teams down, and Jadon, with his skill, link-up play, and little passes around the box, gave us that,” Solskjaer explained.
Aston Villa
Salah’s 250th Liverpool Goal Secures 2-0 Win Over Aston Villa
Mohamed Salah reached 250 goals for Liverpool with his strike in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Proud.
Mohamed Salah reached a landmark 250 goals for Liverpool when he opened the scoring in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa.
The goal arrived after a loose pass from Emiliano Martínez left the goalkeeper exposed. Salah reacted quickly to a sloppy ball and converted into an empty net. It was among the easiest goals of Salah’s career and took his overall tally for Liverpool to 250, a total matched only by Roger Hunt and Ian Rush in the club’s history.
“It’s a great feeling to score goals for such a big club, it’s something I don’t take for granted,” Salah reflected. “I’m so proud and happy about that achievement.”
Manager Arne Slot praised the milestone and the wider contribution Salah made in the match. “It’s huge,” Slot said of Salah’s latest achievement. “It is almost unbelievable if you score 250 goals, let alone 250 goals for one club. You don’t see that much in football any more.
“Apart from the goal he had a very good performance. When we had to play long, we mainly played to him and he held the ball and the team could come to him. What I liked was that he also helped the team defensively as well. After the first goal he was helping Virgil [van Dijk] around the halfway line. I liked his performance tonight. For him to score is not special but 250 is special.”
The milestone places Salah third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring list. The club’s leading scorers and their appearance totals are: Ian Rush 346 goals in 660 appearances; Roger Hunt 285 in 492; Mohamed Salah 250 in 415; Gordon Hodgson 241 in 377; Billy Liddell 228 in 534; Steven Gerrard 186 in 710; Robbie Fowler 183 in 369; Kenny Dalglish 172 in 515; Michael Owen 158 in 297; Harry Chambers 151 in 339.
Stats correct as of Nov. 1, 2025.
Aston Villa
Gameweek 10 preview: Cup influence and weekend predictions for the 2025–26 season
Gameweek 10 predictions: Carabao Cup adds spice as top clubs and struggling sides face key tests soon
Gameweek 10 of the 2025–26 Premier League season arrives with the Carabao Cup fourth-round still reverberating through selections and momentum. A packed Saturday schedule contains a number of consequential fixtures, led by Liverpool hosting Aston Villa and a north London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea.
Brighton & Hove Albion arrive at Falmer after their Carabao Cup exit and sit 13th in the table. Fabian Hürzeler’s side have not managed consecutive league wins recently but will hope a home match gives them a chance to build some consistency against Leeds United. Leeds beat West Ham in their last league outing to end a three-game winless run and come into this game with confidence.
Arsenal travel to Burnley holding a four-point lead at the top. Mikel Arteta’s team are viewed as strong favourites to continue their run, while Burnley have won back-to-back matches and could make the contest uncomfortable.
Brentford and Crystal Palace have both shown efficiency in recent outings. Brentford enjoyed a 3–2 win over the champions and a dominant display against West Ham, while Palace impressed at Anfield midweek. A tight affair is expected.
Fulham face a difficult weekend with Marco Silva’s side having lost four in a row. Wolves sit bottom with two points but showed fight in recent cup and league encounters under Vítor Pereira.
Nottingham Forest have previously troubled Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United when allowing territory and exploiting counters. Sean Dyche’s approach may prompt another physical battle.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are experiencing defensive concerns ahead of the trip to Tottenham, where Thomas Frank’s adaptability could be decisive.
A 13-point swing over five weeks has left Liverpool and Aston Villa level on points, making Anfield a hostile stage for Villa. Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth head to the Etihad looking for a statement result after a strong start to the campaign, while Pep Guardiola’s side should have Erling Haaland available.
Gameweek 10 concludes with Sunderland hosting Everton under the lights, a fixture expected to be competitive given Régis Le Bris’s side’s recent form.
Arsenal
October 2025: Premier League Player and Manager of the Month Shortlists
October Player and Manager of the Month shortlists feature Cash, Guimarães, Haaland and Amorim. fans
The shortlists for the Premier League Player and Manager of the Month awards for October have been published.
Matty Cash’s individual form was central to Aston Villa’s resurgence in October. The Villans went three for three, with Cash making a huge impact at both ends of the field. His second goal of the campaign downed Manchester City last time out, after a glorious pass the week prior had put Tottenham Hotspur to the sword.
Bruno Guimarães dominated Newcastle United’s highlight packages this month. A delicious strike from range stole the show in victory over Nottingham Forest, and he saved the best for last with a 90th-minute winner against Fulham to keep the Magpies climbing the table.
Erling Haaland, September’s Player of the Month, remains among the favourites. Three goals in three games saw Haaland reach 11 for the campaign—nobody else in the squad has more than one to their name.
October was a breakout month for Bournemouth summer signing Junior Kroupi. He marked his first Premier League start with two goals against Crystal Palace and followed that with another strike against Nottingham Forest to lift the Cherries into second in the standings.
Bryan Mbeumo forced his way into the race with a dazzling October. Nobody in the league managed more than his four goal involvements—three goals, one assist—as United roared to a three-game winning streak.
Sunderland’s understated summer signing Nordi Mukiele has proven to be a masterstroke. His goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers helps his case, and he was a defensive force across October while adding menace with long throws.
Igor Thiago moved into second in the Golden Boot race with two goals for Brentford this month, scoring against West Ham United and converting a penalty to see off Liverpool. Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber emerged as one of the most in-form right backs and helped the Gunners build a record-breaking defence which did not concede a single goal this month.
On the managerial front, Ruben Amorim enjoys his first nomination as Man Utd manager after a dream October that delivered back-to-back Premier League victories and three consecutive wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion. Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola also feature among the nominees.
Previous winners listed include Jack Grealish (Everton, August) and Erling Haaland (Man City, September).
