Villarreal

In the build up to Manchester United’s top-of-the-table Champions League Group F clash with Villarreal at El Madrigal, caretaker manager Michael Carrick revealed that his revolution would be a subtle one; blink and you just might miss it.

“Obviously I’ve worked closely with Ole for a long time now and we do have very similar beliefs,” the defeatist inside Carrick said. “We did as players and we certainly do as coaches and manager so, yes of course, I’ve got my own personality to Ole, but it’s very similar.”

There are some things that will never get old, no matter how often they happen or how much you hate the team doing it. Two of those things are volleys off set pieces and Cristiano Ronaldo taking his shirt off to celebrate a goal. Both happened on Wednesday at Old Trafford.

Two years ago, Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be taken off in the closing minutes of a Carabao Cup match when coach Mauricio Sarri wanted to bring on Willy Caballero for penalty kicks before losing to Manchester City. On Wednesday, it was Kepa brought on in the closing minutes, and this time he came off as a winner. 

LONDON - Leicester City will be seeking a center back after French defender Wesley Fofana broke his leg in a friendly against Europa League winners Villarreal, manager Brendan Rodgers said on Thursday.

Rodgers told reporters the injury, after a 'horrendous' challenge, was a major blow for the club only 10 days before the start of the Premier League season.

"He fractured his fibula and we are devastated for him," said Rodgers. "He's a top-class player so he's going to be a huge loss for us.”

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO

These are the nights that live long in the memory. This was a night Villarreal will never forget. The Yellow Submarine defeated Manchester United after an epic Europa League final shootout, claiming Europe’s secondary club competition 11-10 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the first 120 minutes on Wednesday in Gdánsk, Poland.

Gerard Moreno and Edinson Cavani both scored in regulation to send the match to extra time, which finished scoreless to set the stage for an incredible penalty kick shootout.

Let’s just go ahead and say it: Barcelona made the dumbest transfer of the year — maybe ever? — when it sold Luis Suárez to join rival Atlético Madid for the paltry fee of $7.7 million. Suárez, who won four league titles with Barça, left the the club in tears in September but ended the season with the the biggest, toothiest smile in Spain.

LONDON — Villarreal held out for a 0-0 draw on a nerve-jangling night at Arsenal on Thursday to reach the Europa League final 2-1 on aggregate as visiting manager Unai Emery returned to haunt the London club that sacked him in 2019.

The Spanish side, who had lost their four previous European semi-finals, one to Arsenal in the 2005-06 Champions League, protected their first-leg advantage with a disciplined display.