Manchester United vs Bournemouth
Today, 2pm, Premier League
Wilf McGuinness turns 89 today, improving the record of longevity among former Manchester United managers who have put the “Old” in Old Trafford. The first seven United managers since the Second World War will have lived to an average of at least 87: Frank O’Farrell lived to 94, Tommy Docherty to 92, Sir Matt Busby to 84 and Dave Sexton to 82. The three still alive are McGuinness, 89, Ron Atkinson, 87, and Sir Alex Ferguson, 84. The club’s six former permanent managers since Ferguson stepped down in 2013 are alive and aged between 75 and 41, with Louis van Gaal the oldest of those six.
Today, 2pm, Premier League
Not only did Brighton come into the weekend as the latest team to win a Premier League game by five goals, they had actually produced the last two such results, seeing off Coventry City 5-0 away and then, last week, beating Crystal Palace at home by the same score. Yet at the same time they held the unwanted status of being the side to most recently lose a Premier League match by at least six goals, going down 7-0 away to Nottingham Forest in February 2025. Meetings with Liverpool have generally been close in recent years, but 15 seasons ago Brighton lost 6-1 in the FA Cup with an own goal by Lewis Dunk, who is still turning out for them.
Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal
Tuesday, 8pm, Carabao Cup
[Arsenal](https://observer.co.uk/news/sport/article/arsenal-enjoying-a-big-swing-to-the-left-foot) will play at a ground named Highbury for the first time since they departed from their own home of that name in 2006. Other such cases? Arsenal left the Manor Ground in Plumstead in 1913 and then played at the Manor Ground in Oxford in 1984. Crystal Palace relocated to Selhurst Park from the Nest in 1924 and the following year played at another Nest, that of Norwich City. Southampton left their County Ground in 1898 and soon ran out at Swindon Town’s home of that name in the Southern League; Northampton Town did the same after leaving their own County Ground in 1994.
Wednesday, 5.45pm, Women’s Champions League
Barcelona have reached the Women’s Champions League semi-finals in nine of the past ten years, while Lyon have done so in eight out of ten and Chelsea in six out of ten. But there the similarity ends. Chelsea have not pushed on. In that period Lyon have won the competition five times and Barcelona four but Chelsea not at all. The London club will seek to change that – and neutrals may hope for more change in general. Over those past ten years the 40 semi-final slots have been filled by only eight different clubs, whereas 20 clubs have reached the last four of the men’s competition in the same period.
Tottenham vs Crystal Palace
Saturday, 5.30pm, Premier League
Tottenham will not play on a Sunday this season until they face Sunderland away on 29 November, which constitutes their longest wait during a campaign before a first Sunday fixture since 1994-95. Whatever day it is, Richarlison is unavailable, the Brazilian having been omitted from Spurs’ Premier League squad for the rest of 2026 after he tried, and failed, to engineer a transfer away from the club in the summer. Not to worry though, because Tottenham have another South American player born on 10 May 1997 to call upon: Marcos Senesi, the Argentina centre-back signed from Bournemouth.
Photograph by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images