Thierry Henry says Bruno Fernandes ‘killed’ teammate Amad Diallo during Manchester United’s Premier League win over Aston Villa.

Fernandes produced a sensational display to help United beat top-four rivals Villa 3-1 at Old Trafford, providing the assist for two of the goals.

Arsenal legend Henry was hugely impressed by Fernandes’ performance and expressed his ‘love’ for the Portuguese playmaker during a segment on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.

Henry nicknamed the United captain ‘Braino Fernandes’ due to the fact ‘he doesn’t play football – he thinks football’ and was a step ahead of his rivals throughout the game.

‘If you can control the speed of your brain you’re going to be faster than anyone on the field and this is what this guy has in abundance,’ Henry said of Fernandes.

‘I’ve said it before, he doesn’t play football he thinks football. He did it so well again at the weekend.

‘In the second half he was like the kid at school who’s better than everyone, he just got on the ball and passed it forward whenever he could.

‘Something that people don’t often see with Bruno – because he’s so great on the ball – is his work ethic. He can walk around the pitch if he wants because he’s the best player but then he pops up defending.’

Henry also highlighted the moment Fernandes ‘killed’ Amad for not giving him the ball late on during the match.

Fernandes had made a run behind Aston Villa’s defence but Amad did not pick him out and the United captain was seen berating his teammate for a fair while afterwards.

‘He wanted the ball [off Amad Diallo], he wanted the ball,’ Henry added. ‘He gets the ball after but he’s flat-footed by that point.

‘He wanted the ball from Amad Diallo, not Manuel Ugarte, and I wanted to show that because this is at 3-1 with just a few minutes to go.

‘He killed Amad Diallo for at least seven seconds! That’s just him, he will argue with his Dad or with anyone but he still finds a way.

‘Even when he wins he’s like that, he demands excellence from himself and his teammates. For me, that’s a real leader. Look at him, he’s still going at Amad! He didn’t like it.

‘My name for him now is Braino Fernandes because this guy thinks on the pitch and I love it.’

Fernandes’ two assists against Aston Villa took his overall tally for the season to 16 – the most by a Manchester United player in the Premier League.

The 31-year-old is just four behind the overall Premier League record – held by ex-Arsenal striker Henry and former Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne – with eight games still to play.

Henry has ‘always liked’ Fernandes and says the Portugal international deserves respect for staying at Manchester United during some tough times.

Fernandes has been one of the best players in the world since moving to Old Trafford but may have won more silverware at another club, having only lifted the FA Cup and EFL Cup with United.

The playmaker was also offered a huge salary to leave Manchester United for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal last summer but decided to stay put as he wants to keep playing at the top level.

‘I’ve always liked him,’ Henry said. ‘What he’s been doing at Man United in some difficult moments for the club is outstanding.

‘We have to give him credit as well because he could have walked away but he stayed and he’s fighting in every game, I love him.’

Manchester United have a three-point cushion in third after beating Unai Emery’s Aston Villa and return to Premier League action on Friday night against Bournemouth.

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Local outrage after individual destroys wild growing public space

A call has been made to the NI Executive to give special protected status to a coastal North Down public park that suffered a large-scale act of vandalism earlier this year.

In January locals in Donaghadee were outraged after an individual destroyed much of the villages’ second, or rough, Commons, a largely wild growing public space. A person was witnessed by locals to enter the area in a hired tractor and set about destroying hedges, shrubs, trees and wild grasses, which have been a feature of the area for years.

Onlookers at first thought it was work by the local council, but this was later shown to be not the case. Allegations emerged that the person responsible was a local resident, and some have said the person did it to get a better view of the sea. Police are investigating the incident.

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At the March meeting of the Ards and North Down Borough Council Environment Committee a motion by local elected representatives, DUP Councillor James Cochrane and UUP Alderman Mark Brooks, was adopted.

It states the council “notes with deep concern” the recent destruction caused to bushes, trees and wild grass in the Commons, Donaghadee. Councillors agreed for officials to write to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, calling upon him to designate the Commons as either an Area of Special Scientific Interest, or another appropriate form of protected status, to help safeguard the space.

Councillor James Cochrane said at the meeting: “This isn’t about a single incident, it is about recognising the value of natural spaces that exist within our towns and communities. The Commons in Donaghadee is not just a manicured park, it is a piece of land where biodiversity has been allowed to flourish naturally for many years, and spaces like this are increasingly rare in Northern Ireland, where natural habitats are disappearing at an alarming rate.

“When they are lost they are often replaced with development, or overly managed landscapes that lack the richness of the natural environment they replace. But the Commons has always been different, it has existed in its natural state for generations, and the land has been allowed to grow and evolve for many years.

“So when that landscape has been altered or destroyed, the loss is not only visual, it is ecological.”

He added: “Designations exist for exactly this purpose, to recognise and protect places that have environmental value, biodiversity significance, or scientific importance. Designation would help that the ecological importance of the site is recognised and safeguarded.

“It would also send a clear message that natural heritage matters, and the landscapes are not disposable, and that they deserve protection. And perhaps most importantly it would give the people of Donaghadee reassurance that the place they cherish will be protected for generations to come.”

UUP Alderman Mark Brooks said: “The local community are rightfully outraged. First of all, they want to see action, and they want to see punishment. In the long term, what we are asking for (with the motion) is correct, it has to be a protected area.”

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It’s our second day inside Iran – a country at war, and its capital Tehran is tense and subdued.  Many have fled, those left behind carry on as best they can.

There is the regular sound of outgoing anti-aircraft fire and the thuds of incoming missiles. Police stations and checkpoints are regularly being targeted, we are being told.

But only two weeks in, people barely seem to register the sounds of war nearby.

Latest updates: Trump threatens NATO

In the market, people were shopping ahead of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, at the end of the week. Shoppers shared their fears and concerns, most unwilling to do so on camera.

It is not just the war of course, this comes after weeks of protests and the crackdown that followed.

Some expressed hope there will be some kind of change after the conflict but most had more pressing worries: last night’s bombardment that came too close and the fact no one knows how this will end.

After a 48-hour marathon journey overland via the snowy passes of Armenia’s border with Iran, we entered Tehran.

Most striking were the faces of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and his assassinated father, ubiquitous, on huge banners lining the highways. Authorities are trying to project continuity.

The government seems firmly in control but the new leader has not been seen in public. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Dr Saeed Khatibzadeh insisted he is very much alive and ‘in charge’ as we interviewed him.

His message was angry and defiant. The war, he insisted, has no mandate and is illegal. And as speculation grows about America’s next move, he had an ominous warning for the enemy.

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Iran’s deputy FM: US boots on the ground would be ‘reckless’

The US leadership should remember Vietnam, he told us, if it’s thinking about putting “boots on the ground” in Iran. That, he said, would be the action of a rogue nation and the US would come to regret it.

We are here for a week, one of only a few international news teams given visas for now.

The capital is dotted with the scars of Israel and America’s air campaign. Entire buildings flattened. The strikes may be called precise and targeted, but try telling that to one elderly man we found in the blackened ruins of his apartment after a missile came in next door at the start of the war.

The attack happened mid-afternoon without warning. The blast wave blew in the windows and filled the flat with dust and smoke. When it settled, he found his wife and daughter injured, peppered with shrapnel and hurt with broken bones.

They were given surgery in hospital but had to leave as quickly as possible, a number of hospitals have also been hit, we were told. They are recovering but their home is devastated.

And 24 hours a day, the people of this city must live wondering if the building next door is also on the target list and they could be next.

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from this week’s Miami Open as she continues her recovery from a recent illness.

The British number one became unwell while playing in the Middle East last month, and is still suffering with post-viral symptoms.

Raducanu decided to play last week’s event in Indian Wells, and reached the third round before losing in just 52 minutes to the world number six Amanda Anisimova.

The 23-year-old has 215 ranking points to defend from reaching the quarter-finals in Miami last year, but has decided it would be best to take a break to recover fully.

Raducanu beat both Anisimova and the then top 10 player Emma Navarro before losing to Jessica Pegula in three sets in last year’s quarter-finals.

This year she had a first-round bye, and could have played British childhood rival Sonay Kartal in the second round.

Raducanu had already decided not to play in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie in Melbourne next month, but is currently scheduled to return to the tour in three weeks’ time.

She has entered the WTA event in Linz, which would be her first clay-court tournament of the season.

Alex Jones and Roman Kemp presented The One Show together this evening

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The One Show viewers were left unimpressed as Alex Jones shared the news about a new show coming to Channel 4 soon.

During Monday’s (March 16) episode of the BBC hit chat show, Alex and co-host Roman Kemp made a return to our TV screens as they delivered the day’s leading stories alongside exclusive chats with several celebrity guests.

Among the many guests joining the duo on the iconic red sofa was Sarah Beeny, who came on to promote her new home renovation show titled I Bought It At Auction.

Speaking to viewers at home, Alex announced: “Now talking about big projects, Sarah is helping home owners renovate new properties in her brand new series, which give viewers front row seats into the world of property buying at auction.”

The show then cut over to a preview clip of the show as Alex said: “Sarah Beeny, I can feel a binge coming on. This looks brilliant.”

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She pointed out: “Now you haven’t done this sort of programme before have you? The auction side of it all. What sort of journey do you go on with the contributors on the show?”

Sarah explained: “Buying at action has changed considerably from 20/25 years ago because now I think it is more accessible. I think buying a house or selling a house has got more complicated.

“It takes longer so people are going to auction so at least when you sell a house at auction it’s sold and if you buy a house at auction it’s bought. There is no time wasting.”

However some viewers watching at home were not keen on the idea of another renovation show, as one wrote: “Are people really wanting to watch property buying programmes anymore, dull dull dull. #TheOneShow.”

Another fumed: “Guessing all renovations being paid for by the beeb just to make the programme #theoneshow.”

Another commented: “Surely we DO need another property buying and renovation TV show #theoneshow.”

I Bought It At Auction with Sarah Beeny, explores the risks and rewards of property auctions. Each of the six episodes will follow the people who bravely buy a property at auction, from the initial purchase through to the final renovation.

Beeny will be on hand to offer her advice and guidance to the buyers as she follows the highs and low of their property journey. Speaking about the new show, Sarah previously said: “Buying property at auction is risky and not for the faint-hearted but for those who dare, it can be an exciting, albeit nerve-wracking, way to get on or move up the property ladder.

“I’ve always believed there is possibility in almost any piece of land or building, and those sold in auction are sometimes packed with potential – if you know what and what not to look for.”

The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.   

Liverpool dropped points against Tottenham on Sunday, with Jamie Carragher citing the biggest issue with the Reds this season as Arne Slot battles to ensure Champions League qualification

Jamie Carragher confessed that the lack of pressing is the “biggest problem” with Liverpool at present after they dropped points late on against Tottenham.

The outgoing champions have made an unwanted habit of letting points slip late on. They’ve lost to the likes of Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Manchester City in stoppage time and Tottenham, off the back of the worst form in the Premier League, secured a point at Anfield on Sunday.

Richarlison’s equaliser came in the 90th minute and further dented Liverpool’s Champions League hopes. The Reds face the prospect of going from winning the top flight to missing out on Europe’s elite competition the following season.

Liverpool’s drop off has been well documented, and came after a squad overhaul in the summer, but Carragher believes the lack of intensity when they play at Anfield is a major reason for their mammoth decline.

The Sky Sports pundit was quizzed on the problems facing the Reds and replied: “I think they’re really deep. I said on commentary yesterday that they are lots of things wrong with this Liverpool team, nothing’s working. But the biggest thing that stands out for me that Liverpool have lost is the press.

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“Pressing wasn’t just a Jurgen Klopp thing, but the whole point of people saying ‘its tough going to Anfield’ is not that Liverpool are always amazing on the ball or got the best players. It was that its a tight pitch, the fans are on top of you, Liverpool get after you and win the ball back and go forward – and that is something that is sorely lacking and is the biggest problem at Liverpool right now.”

The Reds twice broke the British transfer record in the summer, first landing Florian Wirtz and then signing Alexander Isak. They arrived alongside the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong. All had performed impressively at their previous clubs, but Carragher believes they are quality individuals who don’t necessarily compliment the team.

“They’re not a team, they’re a team of individuals,” he added. “Quality players yes, but just been dropped in with no cohesion. You can see that on the clips and that’s what they lost. That is the most important thing for Liverpool, I don’t think of some fancy team with superstar players. Its always been about top players, but being a team.”

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Carragher claimed the stalemate with Tottenham represented a “big shift” in the feeling of the fanbase, who booed the team at full-time. Slot is only into his second year at the club but frustration has mounted whilst the style of play is now a far cry from the football that was such a huge hit under Klopp.

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