Man Utd
Assistant Cândido: United never fully put Amorim’s ideas into practice
Adélio Cândido says United failed to implement Amorim’s ideas fully during a turbulent 14 months…
Adélio Cândido, the assistant to Ruben Amorim during a 14-month spell at Old Trafford, has offered a clear account of what he sees as the key shortcoming of that tenure: the coach’s methods were not fully applied.
The period began with a draw and two wins in Amorim’s first three matches, including a 4–0 victory over Everton that hinted at early promise. Amorim warned that “the storm is coming.” That warning was borne out as inconsistent results followed and, in January, Amorim and his backroom staff were dismissed.
The Angola-born coach told A BOLA: “Experience is always experience, whether the outcome is good or bad, we always come away with learning.” He added: “In Manchester, I really liked the city and the way the fans experience football, more focused on the project than on the immediate result. What I liked least was, without a doubt, feeling that our ideas weren’t fully implemented.”
Cândido rejected suggestions that pressure derailed daily routines. “With the existing pressure, it’s normal for people to get more upset than usual on a coaching staff, and that wasn’t the case for us,” he said.
Cândido declined to comment on the club’s resurgence under Michael Carrick, who now has the same players and is getting better results. Benjamin Šeško admitted that the squad have cranked up their work ethic under Carrick, and Lisandro Martínez praised Carrick’s soft touch. Luke Shaw said the “biggest” difference between Amorim and his successor is that Carrick “knows the club.”
Matheus Cunha offered an inside explanation for the struggles, blaming the intense scrutiny of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1: “The pressure for that tactic to work was so great that we forgot how simple the overall context was and focused too much on the negative.”
Amorim persisted with a back three for his first 60 games and defended his approach when forced into makeshift selections for a Boxing Day trip to Newcastle United. He argued, “We don’t have a lot of players, and we need to adapt, so they understand why we are changing,” and added: “It is not because of the pressure of you guys [media], or the fans. When you [media] talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I’m changing because of you and I think that is the end for the manager. When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.”
In the end, a clash with director of football Jason Wilcox precipitated Amorim’s exit. The tenure included heavy spending of around $330 million across two full transfer windows and controversial decisions over Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, as well as January 2025 signings such as Patrick Dorgu and acquisitions including Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo that aligned with Amorim’s preferred system. As the January 2026 window approached, Amorim grew increasingly frustrated at the perceived lack of backing in midfield.
Chelsea
Palmer Avoids Premier League Ban as Chelsea Suspension Falls in Carabao Cup
Palmer serves his ban in the Carabao Cup, so Chelsea avoid a Premier League absence for him.
Cole Palmer will not miss a Premier League match after his red-card suspension was absorbed by Chelsea’s midweek Carabao Cup tie with Liverpool. The one-game ban will be served in that fixture, leaving him available for league duty despite the dismissal.
The midfielder’s night turned late in the contest after stand-in goalkeeper Mike Penders helped the visitors in front with a costly own goal in the 77th minute. Soon afterwards, Palmer picked up a second yellow card, having already been booked for running into Mateus Fernandes. On another occasion, that incident might have brought a red card immediately, but the greater problem came when he stood on Conor Gallagher’s ankle.
The scheduling and the FA handbook have combined to spare Palmer from a Premier League absence, although he will miss Chelsea’s next match, which is the trip to Anfield. That means he will not be available for the fourth round Carabao Cup tie on Wednesday night.
Chelsea’s record at Anfield remains a poor one. They have not won there in front of fans since 2018, when Eden Hazard inspired a side managed by Maurizio Sarri to a Carabao Cup third round victory. This time, however, their No. 10 will be watching from the sidelines.
Palmer addressed the fallout on social media the next morning. “Not good enough by me,” he wrote on Instagram. “Live n learn. Apologies. On to the next.”
The manager was more restrained in his assessment and chose not to publicly escalate the issue. “I need to check the action to talk with Cole, but it is one to learn for the future for sure,” he said after the match.
He added: “I think that Cole, when he is focused on the game, when he is enjoying, and today after the 1–0, it is a moment to keep calm, a moment to keep mature and for everyone.”
Arsenal
Villa’s Win Over City Triggers Another Opta Refresh
Villa beat City, Arsenal stay close, and Opta updates the title, Europe and relegation outlooks.
Aston Villa have delivered the Premier League’s first defeat of Manchester City this season, and they are also the first side to take points from them. Unai Emery’s team earned that landmark result at Villa Park, where City were below their best and paid for it. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marc Guéhi were both singled out for especially poor showings, Nicolas Jackson struck on loan to make the difference, and Zion Suzuki contributed six saves across the 90 minutes.
City remain top of the current Premier League standings, but the performance offered the first domestic indication that they are not untouchable. Arsenal followed by matching them on points after beating Everton, leaving the title race level at the summit and Arsenal second only on goal difference.
That Arsenal victory came with Bukayo Saka unavailable and possibly out until Christmas. The Gunners were short of natural creativity, but they compensated by rediscovering the set-piece strength that served them so well last season.
With those results, and two others on Saturday, Opta’s supercomputer updated its predictions again.
The title model now has Arsenal first with 79.55 predicted points and a 53.82% chance of finishing champions. Manchester City are second on 76.11 points and 34.39%. Brighton remain the only other side above 5%, while Liverpool are at 3.29% and Chelsea at 1.42%.
The Champions League outlook keeps Arsenal and City well clear, with both above 90% to qualify. Brighton stand at 58.37%, Liverpool at 46.70%, Chelsea at 31.28% and Aston Villa at 21.66%. Brentford, Leeds and Everton are further back, and Manchester United’s five-match winless run has left them below 6%.
At the lower end, Tottenham have made a notable move in the right direction. Two wins in a row have cut their relegation chance to 14%, and the model now projects them to finish 13th. That is not especially strong, but it is a considerable improvement on consecutive 17th-place finishes in the last two seasons.
Aston Villa
Premier League Gameweek 8 calls: Chelsea host Spurs as Liverpool face Brighton
Chelsea host Spurs as Liverpool meet Brighton in a weekend of tight Premier League predictions.
The Premier League returns after another midweek round of continental action involving nine English clubs, and Gameweek 8 arrives with little room for recovery. Several of the league’s biggest sides are back in action quickly, while a number of awkward fixtures could shape the standings before the weekend is over.
Friday’s opener at Portman Road looks finely balanced. Ipswich Town have collected nine points from seven matches and have taken two-thirds of that tally at home, with wins over Sunderland and Fulham lifting them to 10th. Nottingham Forest, however, arrive with their own issues, and goals have been difficult to come by for the Tricky Trees. A draw feels the likeliest outcome.
Aston Villa’s meeting with Man City is one of the standout fixtures on Saturday. Villa have won five of their last six, while City have maintained a perfect Premier League run, though their domestic record remains surrounded by uncertainty off the pitch. Even so, their form under Pep Guardiola has been efficient, and with Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden in encouraging touch, they are tipped to edge it.
Arsenal are expected to keep pace at the top with a home win over Everton. The Gunners remain defensively solid, even if their attack will be without Bukayo Saka, while Everton are likely to sit deep and counter through Thierno Barry, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish.
Chelsea’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur closes Saturday and the home side look strong favourites. Spurs have won only once at Stamford Bridge in 25 years, while Chelsea have scored 17 goals in seven matches under Xabi Alonso. João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers have all been in form.
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s meeting with Brighton has the feel of a high-scoring draw, Man Utd are predicted to share the points with Bournemouth, and Sunderland’s test against Leeds United could be decided by fatigue after their trip to Poland.
