MILAN — Jon Cooper wants to rip up your opinion column on Team Canada’s iffy Olympic goaltending before it’s even written.
“I understand people have to write about stuff. But our guys go through a wall for them and they do the same for us,” Cooper says, during the coach’s most impassioned answer since touching down in Milan.
“To me, it’s not a story. I don’t know where it comes from.”
Where it comes from is, Canada’s presumptive starter, Jordan Binnington, having a horrible season in the NHL. The St. Louis Blues netminder’s eight wins, 3.65 goals-against average and .864 save percentage rank last among the 12 Canadian goalies who have appeared in at least 20 games.
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Where it comes from is, projected No. 2, Logan Thompson (19-16-4), being an excellent late bloomer who won his Stanley Cup ring as a backup and who has never backstopped an NHL team past Round 2 of the playoffs.
Where it comes from is, Darcy Kuemper (14-11-9) losing more games than he’s won this season with Los Angeles, never appearing in best-on-best action, and running with a pedestrian .900 save percentage.
Heck, not one of Canada’s three options in net has won more games than he’s lost in 2025-26.
Surefire Hall of Famers like Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, and Carey Price, they are not.
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“To me, Carey Price goes down as one of the greatest goalies, for sure, of his generation and of all time. He was a winner. We have those guys,” Cooper argues.
“Some of these guys may not go down as generational goaltenders, but they’re Stanley Cup winners. They have championship pedigree. They’ve made the big saves at the times they’ve needed to. I watched that in Darcy Kuemper in my own building in Tampa (during the 2022 Cup Final). I watched it in Jordan Binnington. I’ve watched Logan Thompson the last two years. Like, they’re as good as anybody. And what they’ve done for us not only last year but as teammates, I mean, we have all the faith in the world in them.”
Binnington was a non-story story heading into 2025’s 4 Nations Face-Off as well. All he did was gain confidence as that sprint of a tournament rolled on. Then stand on his head in a next-goal-wins versus Team USA, making 31 stops, six of them in the fourth period.
“He made probably three or four all-world saves early in overtime to allow us to score the goal,” Connor McDavid said that golden night. “So, all credit to him, honestly. Hopefully, some of those haters will back off him, because, honestly, he played great.”
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Which is why Cooper (who leaned on Binnington exclusively in ’25) and general manager Doug Armstrong (who owes his own Blues Cup ring to Binnington) will likely give him the gig until he loses it.
“He proved everything I felt about him, right? The biggest stage, at the biggest moment, at the biggest time, he delivered,” Cooper says. “There’s just some guys that got the it factor.”
Clutch can trump statistics and analysis.
Which is why Armstrong, too, is ear-muffing the doubters.
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“Well, I just go back to January last year, hearing the same things, and saw how that turned out,” Armstrong says. “So, it made me quite comfortable.”
Inside and outside the Milano bubble, everyone is at ease with Canada’s firepower up front. Rolling McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sidney Crosby at centre ice is murderer’s row stuff.
But if the favoured country gets undone by a lack of saves, more ink will be spilled.
“Everyone always just says how they think the goaltending is the weakest part,” Thompson says. “It’s been the word for the last couple of years. I don’t see it that way. I don’t think we see it that way. But for some reason, everyone else does.”
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Unlike the 4 Nations, the Olympic tournament allows more time for goalies to be switched out or lose their footing. Heck, Canada opens with a back-to-back against Czechia (Thursday) and Switzerland (Friday), so two guys will get a look off the hop.
Remember, Curtis Joseph started in net for Canada in 2002, gave up five goals in a loss, then got supplanted by Brodeur, who backstopped the country to gold.
In 2010, Brodeur started the tournament only to be replaced by Luongo for the gold medal game.
As long as one stud seizes the net — and provided that goalie is identified early enough — Canada will be fine.
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“I’m not worried about it,” Thompson says. “I’m just out here having fun in practice, and if my number is called, I’ll be ready to go.
“Excited to go out there and prove everyone wrong.”
Adds Kuemper: “We just all prepare like we’re going to be playing. And whoever gets a nod, we’re there either to play or to support the guy. And that’s part of a team game.”
So what if Binnington has lost his past six starts and 11 of his past 12 in North America? Who cares if he’s posted a sub-.880 save percentage in 10 of those?
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He is treating the tournament like a fresh slate and the criticism as fuel.
“That’s something I’ve used as motivation. That’s just part of sports, is people are going to doubt you, and it’s how you handle it. For me, it’s just staying in my own process and building my game and trying to get better every day, every year, and seeing where it takes me,” Binnington says.
“This is a completely different environment. It’s been in the back of our minds or in our minds for the last six, eight months plus. The moment is here, and it’s about just letting go, playing free and playing your style.”
For the sake of a nation, that style must resemble the winner-take-all version of Binnington and not his recent regular-season style.
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“There’s always something to talk about out there. I think for us, it’s just sticking together and whoever’s in there is just supporting and pushing each other. It’s been fun so far,” Binnington says.
“We’re just working at it day to day, and we’ll see how it all plays out.”
Nigeria’s dream of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end after FIFA confirmed the final teams for the inter-confederation play-off tournament.
In a statement released on Wednesday, FIFA named DR Congo as Africa’s representative in the six-nation competition. The decision means there is no place for Nigeria in the tournament.
The Nigeria Football Federation had earlier submitted a formal protest. The federation claimed that DR Congo used ineligible players during their CAF play-off match in November 2025. That game ended 1-1 before Nigeria lost on penalties.
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Nigeria’s appeal asked FIFA to overturn the result and award them a spot in the inter-continental play-offs. However, FIFA’s latest update has now settled the matter.
According to FIFA, six countries will compete for the final two tickets to the World Cup, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 cities.
The qualified teams are Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname. The play-off matches will begin on 26 March.
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With DR Congo officially confirmed, Nigeria’s protest has failed, ending their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
NEW DELHI: The defending champions India take on England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday in the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The winner of the contest will then face New Zealand in the summit clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday, after the Kiwis defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the first semi-final in Kolkata on Wednesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While the weather forecast currently looks clear, fans remain cautious after two earlier matches in the tournament were washed out due to rain, raising concerns about what could happen if the weather disrupts the knockout match.
Why India vs England semi-final match will be a nightmare for bowlers | T20 World Cup 2026
To prevent chaos in the crucial stage, the International Cricket Council has scheduled a reserve day for both semi-finals. If rain or bad weather stops play on the scheduled day, the match will either continue or restart on the following day, ensuring that every effort is made to produce a result.There is also additional time built into the playing schedule. The semi-finals have up to 90 minutes of extra time on the main day, while the reserve day allows up to 120 minutes of extra play if required. For the final, both the main day and the reserve day have 120 minutes of additional time available to complete the match.
Mumbai Weather Forecast at Match Time Today
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For a valid result to be declared, each team must bat at least 10 overs. If rain prevents that from happening on the main day, the match will resume on the reserve day from the exact point where it stopped rather than starting from scratch.However, if the game still cannot be completed even after the reserve day, the rules favour the team that finished higher in the Super 8 stage. This scenario could prove tricky for India. India finished second in their Super 8 group, while England topped theirs with three wins.That means if the India versus England semi-final is completely washed out, England would advance to the final. The tournament final is scheduled for March 8 in Ahmedabad, with March 9 kept as the reserve day.
Mandatory testing introduced last year to verify the sex of track and field athletes has been branded a “backwards step” and a “harmful anachronism” by a group of academics.
World Athletics implemented testing for the SRY gene last September, a measure designed to ensure that only biologically female athletes can compete in the female category at the elite level.
The governing body’s president, Sebastian Coe, stated at the time that the decision was taken to “protect and promote the integrity of women’s sport”.
However, 34 academics have now sharply criticised the testing in a report submitted to the British Journal of Sports Medicine and shared with the Press Association.
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Sebastian Coe spoke out on the testing last year (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)
The group, which includes Professor Alun Williams from the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute for Performance Research, argues that the testing violates athletes’ human rights and risks creating significant stigma and psychological distress.
“These new regulations are an anachronism, and a harmful one,” the report authors wrote.
“They are a simplistic way of reducing a characteristic to a single gene, which does not reflect the complex nature of sex, and is couched in narratives of protecting the sanctity of fair competition in the women’s category that are not based in science and need to be challenged.”
The report further highlights an absence of robust data demonstrating that the presence of the SRY gene in individuals with a difference in sexual development (DSD) directly correlates with athletic performance advantages.
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Professor Williams added separately: “There are already stigma and shame to people both inside and outside of sport arising from these regulations, and these consequences cannot be considered proportionate to the objective pursued by World Athletics.
“The longevity of the new regulations will probably be determined in court, but not before subjecting women and girl athletes to foreseeable and unjustifiable harm.”
The report also challenges World Athletics’ implication that genetic tests are straightforward, easy to administer, preserve dignity and privacy, and maintain confidentiality.
“These ostensibly reassuring words ignore the practical challenges, legal constraints, and huge ethical problems of implementing such tests across 214 member federations,” the report concluded.
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In response, a spokesperson for World Athletics defended the policy, stating: “Biological men competing against biological women violates the human rights of thousands of female athletes who have the right to compete on a fair and level playing field. The expansive research on the performance advantage of biological men in sport is unequivocal.”
IOC president Kirsty Coventry is expected to explain how the female category at the Olympics can be best protected in the coming weeks (AP)
They added: “All athletes competing in the female category at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year successfully took a once-in-a-lifetime low-invasive SRY test – an excellent example of global co-operation among our 214 member federations and World Athletics to ensure the protection of the female category.
“Our thanks go to them for having the passion and determination to make this happen.
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“Clear and comprehensive communication, counselling if requested, complete confidentiality, and robust follow-up processes if test results are inconclusive are a critical and core part of World Athletics’ implementation of this test designed to protect and promote the integrity of women’s sport.”
The International Olympic Committee is expected to issue a consensus statement on how it believes the female category could be best protected in the first quarter of this year, according to its president Kirsty Coventry.
NEW DELHI: Speculation surfaced on social media after India’s win over West Indies that Sanju Samson could face disciplinary action — or even a ban — for his emotional on-field celebration in Kolkata. The rumours claimed that the Indian batter might miss the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England on Thursday because he dropped his helmet to the ground after hitting the match-winning boundary.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The moment came at the end of a tense chase when Samson sealed India’s victory with a boundary. As the ball raced away, the right-handed batter removed his helmet and dropped it onto the ground before falling to his knees and offering a prayer. The emotional celebration quickly went viral, with some observers suggesting the act might fall under the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct related to equipment abuse.
Why India vs England semi-final match will be a nightmare for bowlers | T20 World Cup 2026
Sanju Samson’s possible ban: What do the ICC rules say?
A closer look at the rules suggests that the fears of a suspension are largely misplaced. Under Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, players can be penalised for “abuse of cricket equipment,” which includes actions such as throwing or striking items like helmets, bats, or stumps in frustration. The rule also covers deliberate damage to advertising boards, boundary fences, or dressing room fixtures.Even if Samson’s act were to be reviewed under this provision, it would most likely fall under a Level 1 offence — the lowest category of disciplinary breaches. Level 1 incidents typically attract fines or demerit points rather than suspensions.Former international umpire Anil Chaudhary also dismissed the speculation, explaining that Samson’s gesture appeared to be an emotional celebration rather than an act of anger or protest. According to him, such moments are common in high-pressure matches and are rarely treated as serious offences.Recent examples support this interpretation. Scotland’s George Munsey received only one demerit point earlier in the tournament after throwing his helmet in frustration following his dismissal.As things stand, there has been no official charge or complaint against Samson from match officials. India are scheduled to face England in the semi-final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5, and the wicketkeeper-batter remains fully eligible to play.
India and England will face off in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday, March 5. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will play host to this contest.
India finished at the top of Group A in the initial round. In the Super 8s, they finished second in Group 1 and qualified for the semifinal. The Men in Blue made it to the top four for the sixth time in the history of the tournament.
On the other hand, England finished second in Group C to advance to the Super 8s. In the Super 8, they topped Group 2 and remained unbeaten. This is also England’s sixth semifinal appearance in the T20 World Cup.
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While the Men in Blue are the defending champions, having won the previous edition in 2024, England won the tournament in the 2022 edition.
On that note, let us take a look at three players who could score the most runs in today’s clash between India and England.
#3 Jos Buttler
England opener and senior pro Jos Buttler has had a tournament to forget so far. Despite his experience, he has failed to get going at the top. In seven games, he has scored just 62 runs at an average of 8.85 and a strike rate of 106.89.
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That said, England will back Buttler in a knockout game and expect him to come good under pressure. He is due for a big score and would like to deliver in the semifinal.
Buttler has played 27 T20Is against India and has scored 644 runs at an average of 32.30 and a strike rate of 143.75. Moreover, having played for the Mumbai Indians (MI) and a lot of IPL cricket, he will be aware of the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium as well. In 24 IPL games at the venue, he has scored 761 runs at an average of 34.59 and a strike rate of 141.19.
#2 Harry Brook
England captain Harry Brook has been in solid form for them in the tournament so far. He is their leading run-getter with 228 runs from seven games at an average of 32.57 and a strike rate of161.70 with a century and a half-century.
Brook has a decent record against India. In 10 T20Is, he has scored 171 runs at a strike rate of 140.16. In India, he has scored 179 runs from nine T20Is at a strike rate of 147.93 with two half-centuries.
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At the Wankhede Stadium, Brook has played three T20Is, scoring 72 runs at a strike rate of 144.00 with a half-century. The England skipper will aim to lead from the front with the bat in a crucial game.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav‘s form has been hot and cold in the tournament. He began on a brilliant note with an unbeaten 84 against the USA, but has not gotten a big score after that. However, he has been batting well, scoring 231 runs from seven games at an average of 38.50 and a strike rate of 135.88.
Against England, Suryakumar has scored 349 runs from 13 games at a strike rate of 171.92. In three T20Is at the Wankhede, he has scored 93 runs at an average of 43.50 and a strike rate of 150. Moreover, he has played 39 IPL games at the venue, piling on 1394 runs at an average of 43.56 and a strike rate of 165.36.
Playing domestic cricket for Mumbai and IPL for the Mumbai Indians (MI), he will be expected to do well with the bat in familiar conditions.
Arsenal toil to just about do enough, but it may mean an awful lot more.
Mikel Arteta’s minimalism led to what was almost the maximum outcome on the night at Brighton, as a 1-0 victory ensured they went seven points clear at the top with a game more played. The news that Manchester City had drawn 2-2 with Nottingham Forest was greeted by even greater celebration from the Arsenal travelling support than their own final whistle. Moments later, for the first time this season, they were singing “we’re gonna win the league”.
That might yet tempt fate but it’s hard to begrudge them given how big this felt for the season. There have nevertheless rarely been matches so potentially seismic that were so muted – at least until Fabian Hurzeler’s press conference started. “I will never be the type of manager who tries to win that way,” he said. It was still Arsenal that won, though.
The post-match theatre was consequently one of those where multiple things were party correct: Hurzeler had a point, but also missed the point, and yet Arsenal could also heed some of what he said, at least in terms of not wanting to live too many games like this. But then a win in these circumstances, to bring it full circle, may actually release Arsenal and prevent that.
It wasn’t a riproaring game.
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Arsenal secured the lead from Bukayo Saka’s fortuitous opener… and that was pretty much that. Mikel Arteta’s side duly kept their first clean sheet in five, since the 7 February 3-0 win over Sunderland, which may also prove highly significant.
But that is important because it will go someway to ease all of this angst, still palpable throughout this match. City’s result instead means Arsenal are now also on the longest winning run in the Premier League, at three.
Not for the first time this season, mind, this one probably didn’t need to feel so tense.
When asked whether he remonstrated with Arteta about time-wasting, Hurzeler just said “there were so many”. He also repeatedly argued the Premier League need to look at the rules.
Arteta’s response was a simple and sarcastic: “What a surprise?”
When asked whether he cares what other managers say, the Basque simply said “depends”. On who? “Yeah. And the comments… and the purpose.”
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Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal an early lead (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
Before debating the actual merits of such arguments and the mechanics of the game, the extra psychological layer of Wednesday’s results should be acknowledged.
This was probably the kind of night when it was expected that Arsenal might slip in an awkward away game as City won a forgiving home game, only for the reverse to happen. For Arteta, the damage of that 2-2 draw away to Wolves is undone. For now.
The night’s results should nevertheless remain a warning that this is highly unlikely to be a straight line to the end, in the way the 2018-19 season was, say. Arsenal have to be conscious of how the competitiveness of the Premier League brings a new and constant danger of dropping points, which is why they probably still have to be conscious of performance. While Hurzeler had that spiky comment on how he wouldn’t want to play that way – which Arteta refused to comment on – and there’s obviously been wider debate about whether you’d want to win to win the league that way, the Basque himself wouldn’t want to play every game like this.
It creates too much psychological toil, but that points to a wider pattern.
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Mikel Arteta brushed off the frequent criticism of his side (Getty Images)
There have been times this season when Arsenal have anxiously toiled for a goal, which is why a fortuitous strike like Saka’s must feel like such a reprieve – and maybe like they were due. There are certainly those among Arteta’s staff who believe that the club have been unlucky in many games, where the scoreline has not reflected the xG.
So here was Saka suddenly cutting inside to try a surprise long shot – in the way some demand he should do more – that had an xG of 0.01. It duly took a deflection to wrong-foot Bart Verbruggen.
And yet, as has been the case in many recent games, Arsenal didn’t press on. Their next shot didn’t even come until the second half. Brighton were allowed to control play, if not quite force it. It was so familiar to so many recent Arsenal matches – but also familiar to so many recent Brighton matches. That Joao Pedro had a hat-trick performance for Chelsea against Aston Villa was so pointed, since he is one talent that the club have not managed to replace. Kaoru Mitoma was allowed to roam without doing much. Brighton are so well structured until the final third, which then gradually erodes some momentum. Hurzeler’s complaints sound a little more embittered when you consider Brighton only created 0.8xG themselves.
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Maybe that’s why Arsenal let them have the ball, but recent patterns suggest there are other reasons. Arteta evidently doesn’t want this. He can often be seen urgently gesturing to his players to get up the pitch. While Arteta has rightly been criticised for a certain conservatism, his general ideology is fundamentally based on players taking the ball on in possession. That does involve some risk, or at least a willingness to constantly be proactive.
Defeat for Manchester City kept Arsenal a step ahead in the title race (Action Images via Reuters)
One of the things that visibly happens with Arsenal in such situations, however, is that too many players stop doing it. They don’t take the step up. It might be subtle, sometimes almost imperceptible, but the cumulative effect is that they become vulnerable. It seems obvious this is down to the psychology that comes with so badly desiring to win this first title in 22 years – which is where Hurzeler misses the point a bit. It’s now about how you prefer to win. It’s about winning.
That approach can still mean just one slip changes everything, which Arsenal now know all well – not least from this very fixture last season. Arsenal’s 2024-25 title challenger arguably first faltered when they went 1-0 up against Brighton early on only for a contentious penalty to bring a damaging 1-1 draw.
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This has the potential to be similar. The feeling had been that Arsenal might get caught and, if they didn’t, too many needlessly contained performances like this would gradually erode their edge. This time, though, it didn’t happen. Arsenal beat Brighton.
And the manner in which last season’s situation was reversed may be symbolic, as well as significant. Crucially, it may also ease Arsenal and bolster reassurance to the point they may not suffer this type of game again soon.
The profile of attackers does help. Arsenal immediately looked more lively when Kai Havertz came on for Viktor Gyokeres. The German just offers more control.
Arsenal now have full control of the title race, for the first time in weeks. They did what they needed. They have just been given fair warning this isn’t a pattern to repeat.
People First Stadium will play host to Friday’s
Round 1 AFL game between Gold Coast SUNS and
Geelong Cats. The game kicks off at 8:05 pm with Gold Coast SUNS heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Gold Coast SUNS vs.
Geelong Cats
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Friday night at People First Stadium offers an early measuring stick for two clubs with genuine premiership ambitions. Gold Coast enters 2026 on the back of its most successful campaign to date and has doubled down on that momentum, recruiting Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan while securing academy talents Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson inside the top five of the draft.
Geelong’s offseason was comparatively restrained after last year’s Grand Final defeat, missing out on Rowan Marshall and Charlie Curnow but bolstering its midfield with James Worpel.
The Cats had the upper hand when these sides last met, grinding out a 61-37 win in heavy conditions at GMHBA Stadium. Max Holmes was influential with 40 disposals and 10 clearances, while Tyson Stengle booted four goals. With Stengle sidelined, the Suns will sense an opportunity to turn the tables at home.
This is at least the ninth time Garrett has been cited for speeding in the Cleveland area since being drafted by the Browns back in 2017. It’s the second citation Garrett has received since he flipped his Porsche in 2023. Last summer, Garrett was cited for driving 100 mph in a 60 mph zone just hours after Cleveland’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.
Garrett, 30, had been stopped for speeding at least seven other times since he was drafted by the Browns. He was once given multiple tickets within a 24-hour span after being clocked driving 120 mph and 105 mph. Garrett has also previously been charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
In September 2022, Garrett was injured after his Porsche went airborne and rolled multiple times. Garrett and a passenger were treated at a local hospital following the accident.
“This will be definitely a wake-up call for me, just try to be smart overall with driving,” Garrett said after that incident. “Don’t take anything for granted. Be grateful that I’m still able to be here and just take my time.”
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Garrett, who is just one year into his four-year, $160 million extension that he signed last offseason, recently won his second Defensive Player of the Year award after recording 23 sacks in 2025, an NFL record. He set the record after taking down Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the Browns’ Week 18 win over the Cincinnati.
Garrett’s 125.5 sacks since 2017 are the most in the NFL over that span. He’s currently tied with Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney for 28th on the NFL’s career sack list.
ENGIE Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 1 AFL game between GWS Giants and
Hawthorn Hawks. The game kicks off at 4:15 pm with Hawthorn Hawks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the GWS Giants vs.
Hawthorn Hawks
game and give you our free tips and bets.
In a rematch of last season’s Elimination Final, GWS and Hawthorn launch their 2026 AFL campaigns at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Giants enter the season under a cloud, with a lengthy injury list headlined by Tom Green’s ruptured ACL. Key contributors Josh Kelly, Sam Taylor and Brent Daniels are also sidelined, leaving Adam Kingsley’s side to test its depth early in the year.
Hawthorn arrives in far better shape, although star midfielder Will Day remains unavailable as he targets a mid-season return from a shoulder injury. The Hawks will, however, welcome Jai Newcombe after his preseason suspension was overturned. Newcombe starred the last time these sides met, collecting 32 disposals and 12 clearances in Hawthorn’s 107–88 finals victory, a performance that helped halt a late Giants surge. With momentum from that September clash, the Hawks will look to make another fast start.
Man Utd now have a 10-day break before they return to action and they will be licking their wounds after losing to Newcastle.
Defeat has become an unfamiliar sensation for Manchester United. Before Wednesday night on Tyneside, the last time they lost a Premier League game the Christmas presents were still unopened.
That was a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on December 21 and although the recovery began slowly under Ruben Amorim, it has accelerated since Michael Carrick took charge in January.
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But it ground to a shuddering halt at St James’ Park. For the first time, Carrick felt what it was like to lose a game as United head coach, and what made it more painful was that the performance was so flat and they failed to take advantage of Newcastle being down to 10 men.
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In those circumstances, most managers would welcome another game quickly to put things right and get it out of the system. United don’t have that luxury.
They will be in at Carrington on Thursday but will have a few days off here and there as part of a 10-day break between games, before Aston Villa visit Old Trafford.
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That game has taken on greater meaning as the battle for Champions League football becomes congested. United had the chance to give themselves breathing room this week, and although they remain third, there are only three points separating them from Liverpool in sixth.
With the stakes now raised, Carrick has issued a rallying cry, calling for his squad to learn the lessons of their painful defeat to Newcastle and come back stronger against Unai Emery’s side.
“We’ve got to make the best out of it, we’ve got to make it a help,” Carrick said of the break. “There’s no sense in not learning lessons and understanding why tonight was what it was and how it happened and developed. We’ve got to learn from that, so we look at it and we’ll learn from that.
“It’s an important game, it’s a big week for us, it’s one we look forward to. We’re in a position now that we’ve put ourselves in, the boys have put themselves in, that can be really exciting. So we’ve got to be really positive going into the next game and look forward to it, because there’s a lot to play for.”
