File picture of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag holding the FA Cup trophy after his side defeated Manchester City in the final on May 25, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Erik ten Hag has signed a new contract with Manchester United to extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2026, the Premier League club said on Thursday as the Dutchman gets another chance to restore the record 20-times champions to former glories.

There had been speculation he would be sacked after United ended eighth last season — their lowest ever finish in the Premier League — and with British billionaire and INEOS chairman Jim Ratcliffe taking charge of football operations.

A shock victory over champions Manchester City in the FA Cup final, however, earned the 54-year-old Ten Hag a lifeline,

“Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined,” he said in a statement.

“We must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles.

“In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are strongly committed to making that journey together.”

Ten Hag’s contract had been set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season but denying Manchester City a domestic double and qualifying for the Europa League earned him another chance.

“With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football,” the club’s Sporting Director Dan Ashworth said in a statement.

“While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas of improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes.

“This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing at the top level; now they have to do it more consistently.”

Despite winning two trophies, results and performances have fallen away dramatically despite more than 400 million pounds being spent on new players since Ten Hag took charge.

United struggled early in his first season, but Ten Hag instilled a sense of togetherness that had been missing since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

They enjoyed a nine-match winning run in all competitions, lifting the League Cup and finishing third in the Premier League.

The second season was much worse but United’s fan base largely stayed loyal to Ten Hag and sung his name loudly at Wembley in the Cup final as their team produced the best performance of his spell in charge.

Manchester United lifts the trophy after their victory in the Emirates FA Cup Final match against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London, on May 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Manchester United saved their best performance of a mediocre season to the very end as they upset Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final on May 25 to deprive their rivals of the double.

With speculation swirling about the future of manager Erik Ten Hag, United ripped up the form book as first-half goals from teenagers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo proved enough for them to lift the trophy for a 13th time.

They had to endure a second-half siege, however, as City swarmed forward and a late goal by Jeremy Doku set up a nerve-shredding finale before United could celebrate at Wembley.

Premier League champions City, bidding to become the first club to win the double in successive seasons, had been on a 35-match unbeaten run in all competitions in open play.

But they were well below their best in the first half, gifting Garnacho a 30th-minute opener before Mainoo made it 2-0.

City woke up in the second half and Erling Haaland hit the crossbar, but they had to wait until the 87th minute for substitute Doku to halve the deficit.

United hung on, however, to seal the best result of Ten Hag’s two-season reign and qualification for next season’s Europa League.

“Incredible. Nobody believed in us. But we’re a team, all together. We fought, the game of our lives,” Garnacho, who became the first Argentine to score in the Cup final since Ricky Villa for Tottenham Hotspur in 1981, said.

The build-up had been dominated by talk of the chasm between the two Manchester clubs with City having won an unprecedented fourth successive English title and United suffering their worst Premier League campaign.

Future doubt

Ten Hag’s future was also clouded in uncertainty with reports that the showpiece would be his last game in charge, whatever the outcome.

Even the most optimistic United fans would have walked down Wembley Way in the sunshine fearing a drubbing, but their team turned logic on its head.

Garnacho, one of the few positives in United’s season, had the game’s first shot on target and his movement was a constant threat to a City defence featuring two changes with John Stones and Nathan Ake handed starts.

City looked ruffled by United’s energy and offered a rare gift after 30 minutes.

A long ball forward should have been easily dealt with by Josko Gvardiol but his headed back pass went over advancing keeper Stefan Ortega and Garnacho ran through to tap the ball into an empty net.

Marcus Rashford had a goal ruled out minutes later with Garnacho adjudged offside in the build-up but it was not long before United were in dreamland.

This time there was no help required as a brilliant move saw Garnacho play the ball in to Bruno Fernandes whose no-look pass released Mainoo to slot his shot past Ortega.

City moved up several gears in the second half with substitute Doku causing problems and it was from his pass that Haaland smashed a shot against the crossbar.

United keeper Andre Onana had to make a superb save to keep out a Kyle Walker effort and Julian Alvarez, who came on for Kevin De Bruyne, fired a shot over as City began to exert real pressure.

Alvarez side-footed wide from in front of goal but United’s rearguard began to wobble and City finally broke United’s resistance when Doku cutting in to drive a shot past Onana but they had left it too late.

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer celebrates scoring their fourth goal against Manchester United with Benoit Badiashile and Alfie Gilchrist, on April 4, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Liverpool’s players overcame an unexpected test of their Premier League title credentials against last-place Sheffield United on Thursday. Manchester United, meanwhile, went into meltdown at Chelsea.

This was a latest reminder of the gulf that separates English soccer’s fiercest rivals ahead of their clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Liverpool is back on top after a 3-1 win against Sheffield United, while Manchester United conceded two goals in stoppage time in a stunning 4-3 loss at Chelsea.

Liverpool’s win further demonstrated the resolve of Jurgen Klopp’s team and the growing influence of Alexis Mac Allister, whose stunning second-half strike set up victory.

Anfield erupted as the Argentina international unleashed an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box that crashed into the top corner in the 76th minute.

The atmosphere had been getting increasingly tense before that with the game locked at 1-1. Substitute Cody Gakpo added a third for Liverpool in the 90th to make the win look more routine than it was.

“We had to dig very deep, but that is normal. Our attitude was good, the football was not great in a lot of moments,” Klopp said.

While Liverpool could be knocked off the top again by the time it heads to United on Sunday, the Merseyside club keeps on coming up with the answers as it stares down the challenge of Arsenal and Manchester City.

By contrast, United’s season descended deeper into crisis after losing in dramatic circumstances at Chelsea.

It doesn’t get any easier for Erik ten Hag’s team, which has to pick itself up for the challenge of facing a Liverpool team that is growing in confidence in its pursuit of the title.

United’s 12th league defeat of the campaign was played out in front of new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe at Stamford Bridge and came after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.

The pressure on Ten Hag is growing.

“In five days we dropped five points. That is unacceptable,” he said. “We should have a high standard if we want to compete for Champions League football.”

United stunned

Having conceded late at Brentford, United suffered an even worse collapse at Chelsea after Cole Palmer scored twice in stoppage time to complete a hat trick and an unlikely comeback for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

United had looked set to walk away with a morale-boosting win after recovering from a disastrous start — going 2-0 down early through a goal from Conor Gallagher and Palmer’s penalty.

Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes evened the score at 2-2 before halftime and Garnacho headed his team in front after the break.

But Diogo Dalot’s clumsy challenge on substitute Noni Madueke earned Chelsea a second penalty and Palmer — a boyhood United fan — converted in the 110th.

The drama wasn’t over yet. A minute later, Palmer’s effort from outside the box was deflected past Andre Onana to seal a spectacular win.

“(I’m) So happy because I think we deserved to win. It was tough, but overall we were the better team,” Pochettino said.

Liverpool on top

Liverpool’s win moved it two points clear of second-place Arsenal and three ahead of City in third, but Sheffield United had threatened to spring a surprise in the race for the title.

Up until Mac Allister’s strike it had looked like being a potentially frustrating night at Anfield after Conor Bradley’s own goal had evened the game at 1-1 — canceling out Darwin Nunez’s opener.

Mac Allister’s long-range strike restored the lead and lifted the mood before Gakpo made it 3-1 with a header.

“Patience is the most important thing. You can get frustrated or in a bad mood, but we stayed calm and focused,” Gakpo said.