William Saliba has hailed Virgil van Dijk as an influence on his game, citing the Liverpool star as a 'good defender to learn from'.

Hannah Dingley’s historic appointment at Forest Green Rovers has “smashed the glass ceiling”, anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has said. The League Two club announced Dingley as their caretaker head coach late on Tuesday night, making her the first woman to manage a professional men’s team in England. Dingley has been the head of the Gloucestershire club’s academy and succeeds Duncan Ferguson on an interim basis after his departure from the club was confirmed earlier the same day. Kick It Out welcomed the news in a tweet on Wednesday morning which read: “That’s the sound of a glass ceiling being smashed! “Congratulations Hannah on becoming the first woman to manage a men’s professional football team in England.” Dingley’s first match in charge will be the pre-season friendly away to Melksham on Wednesday evening. She said: “I’m really excited for this next step of my career. Pre-season has just begun, and the full season kicks off very soon. It’s an exciting time in football. “I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club.” Rovers chairman Dale Vince has spoken previously about the club’s openness to breaking new ground, and said a female coach working in the Women’s Super League was the standout candidate to succeed Mark Cooper in 2021, but that her CV had been submitted without her knowledge. On Dingley’s appointment, Vince said: “Hannah was the natural choice for us to be first team interim coach – she’s done a fantastic job leading our academy and is well aligned with the values of the club. “It’s perhaps telling for the men’s game that in making this appointment on merit, we’ll break new ground – and Hannah will be the first female head coach in English (men’s) football.” Women In Football chair Ebru Koksal tweeted in response to the news, describing Dingley as “a very qualified, capable, well-equipped coach” who had broken “norms and barriers, hopefully not only as a caretaker, but as a permanent appointment”. The EFL’s head of equality, diversity and inclusion Dave McArdle described Dingley’s appointment as a “welcome moment for English football” and added: “With many highly skilled and experienced coaches across the game, it was only a matter of time before the ongoing positive development of female coaches led to an opportunity in the first team at an EFL club. “It has always been a key priority for the EFL to create an environment in which clubs consider qualified candidates from an ever-widening pool of coaching talent and select the best possible person for a role. “This represents another step forward as we strive to make our game representative of the communities we serve.”

Perhaps it sums up the modern-day Manchester United that even as a Dane scored a high-class winner at Old Trafford, it was not their £72m striker. In fairness to Rasmus Hojlund, who was only denied a fine strike of his own by a goal-line clearance, the newcomer figures quite some way down the list of culprits for United’s fifth defeat of a season that has not even reached October. But as boos greeted the final whistle, Joachim Andersen delivered a goal that meant Roy Hodgson, whose managerial career began when Tommy Docherty was in charge of United, added a victory over Erik ten Hag to the two he secured at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s expense at Old Trafford. And United, whose two-game revival swiftly came to look a false dawn, were confronted with the reality that one of Ten Hag’s signature feats of his first season is no more. Old Trafford became something of a fortress under the Dutchman. When Brighton visited two weeks ago, United were unbeaten on home turf in 20 league matches, spanning over a year. Now it is two losses in two. Their problems are not confined to the road now and their latest setback came with all four of Ten Hag’s major summer signings starting together for the first time. Not for the first time, issues abounded and compounded one another. United were disjointed, at times shambolic at the back. They looked susceptible to the counter-attack, long a strength of Palace’s, and frail at set-pieces. After keeping consecutive clean sheets, Andre Onana conceded in a manner that posed the question if he might have done better. Sofyan Amrabat’s full Premier League debut came at left-back and suggested the Moroccan midfielder is not a left-back. He struggled and was booked for hauling down the quick, persistent winger Jordan Ayew. The mitigating – and sadly typical - factor is that United’s three senior left-backs are all sidelined yet it was also remarkable when Ten Hag substituted both central defenders who started, bringing on Harry Maguire to operate on his own. Further forward, United displayed neither the necessary conviction nor the requisite quality. Hojlund was much the best of the front three, with Marcus Rashford poor and Facundo Pellestri utterly ineffectual; Ten Hag may parachute the watching Antony back into the team at the first possible opportunity. Alejandro Garnacho, who came on for Pellestri, was altogether more threatening. There was a perverse logic to Casemiro finishing the game on the right wing – United’s top scorer looks their most dangerous attacker at the moment – but it was nevertheless ridiculous. There was a lack of genuine invention, even though the midfield contained both Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes. United should not take solace in the statistics. They had 77 percent of possession and 19 shots, but as the home side and the favourites who trailed for the best part of 70 minutes, that might be expected. Sam Johnstone denied Fernandes and Hojlund but was not required to make any especially difficult saves. Andersen and Marc Guehi were outstanding but United were not. Subdued before the break, more urgent thereafter, they often seemed to lack both the final ball and the finishing touch. The most invention came from Raphael Varane, whose overhead kick almost yielded a remarkable equaliser and who guided a clever header just past the post. Of the starters, he and Casemiro seemed likeliest to make something happen, and the Brazilian headed just over, but United should not be as reliant on a defensive midfielder in attack. That said, Palace prospered when their centre-backs went forward. They almost combined for a goal when Andersen crossed and Guehi headed wide. Then the Dane delivered a wonderfully clean strike, dispatching a half-volley from 14 yards after Eberechi Eze’s free kick flicked off Hojlund’s head and fell to him. It was an unfortunate assist for a player waiting for his first Old Trafford goal. The majority present had been cheered by the earlier sight of Hojlund on the charge, the new striker powering forward, poking a shot past Johnstone but being denied by Tyrick Mitchell, who executed a goal-line clearance. But a promising start by United gave way to a mediocre display. Perhaps Palace lulled United into a false sense of security with their limp display in the midweek Carabao Cup tie between the sides. With six changes, an altogether stronger side married defensive resolve with menace on the break. In the process, they brought their veteran manager a rare distinction. Only Pep Guardiola had won three away Premier League games at Old Trafford. Hodgson is not often bracketed with the serial Champions League winner but joined him. More immediately, he took Palace above United in the table. And if that may only be a temporary state of affairs, United’s malaise may endure. Read More Manchester United enter another moral maze as Antony return poses questions Antony return to Manchester United will not be a distraction – Erik ten Hag Man United allow Antony to resume training despite assault investigations Manchester United’s struggles continue as Crystal Palace win at Old Trafford Manchester United vs Crystal Palace LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Manchester United enter another moral maze as Antony return poses questions

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Fulham manager Marco Silva described Willian as “class” after the Brazilian’s stunning display in the 3-1 victory over Sheffield United at Craven Cottage. The 35-year-old added Fulham’s third in stoppage time and was largely unplayable during a dominant performance. Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s strike and an unfortunate Wes Foderingham own goal had twice put the Cottagers ahead with the Blades equalising after Antonee Robinson put into his own net. After Willian opened his account for the season, Silva said: “He was class. He’s a class player and he has incredible quality. “He played with a very good intensity and it was probably one of his best games this season so far and I’m really pleased for him because of the quality he has. “He did so many things. The way he created on the left was very good. “The players with the top quality can decide any moment of the game and they make the difference in football. The decisions Willian made came in the right moments and he’s a top-class player. “He scored the goal because he believed he had other chances to score and I’m really pleased for him.” Fulham have struggled for goals since the August departure of star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, scoring five times in the Premier League prior to the victory over the Blades. Silva believes his players need to be more clinical in front of goal after missed chances in the first half gave Sheffield United a way back into the game through Robinson’s own goal. “The first half we were at a very good level,” Silva added. “From the right and the left we were creating from the first moments and when you create so many chances, the normal thing is to put the ball in the net because some of the chances were so clear. “We are creating more and the goals have to come if you are creating the number of chances we are. “It was a game where we could have scored more goals. But we got three and we have to be happy with three.” Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom was left frustrated. He said: “In the second half when you’re in control of the ball, losing it at the top-end of the pitch and for us to concede is poor and it’s a naivety. “I can’t fault the effort, the organisation and the intent of the players but it’s a naivety when you’re playing against these.”

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Jurgen Klopp believes Mohamed Salah still has the body of a young player even as the Egyptian grows wiser with experience. Salah came off the bench to get Liverpool’s final goal in Thursday night’s 5-1 Europa League win over Toulouse, his 43rd European goal for the club – breaking surpassing Thierry Henry’s tally of 42 for Arsenal as the most scored by any Premier League player for a single club in continental competition. It came after the 31-year-old got both goals in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton, which meant that Salah has now scored or assisted in each of his last 13 Premier League games at Anfield. Salah will aim to extend that run when Nottingham Forest visit on Sunday and Klopp is enjoying the spectacle of a maturing player with a more-rounded game, yet one who still has the physical attributes to match anyone. “Off the pitch he behaves like a grown-up man but besides that he’s still a young player,” Klopp said. “He’s so fit. I think if we scan him the majority of the bones are probably 19 or 20 (years old) because he just keeps in such good shape. “(He has) game understanding. That’s what we try to give young players. They all know an awful lot about football when they finish their career at 35 but the earlier you can get this information the more useful it is. “And with Mo he understands the spaces much better, he knows how players react on him and if he cannot score he can still be a threat for us and that’s super important… I cannot compare Mo to other 30-odd-year-old players because I don’t think biologically he is.” Klopp admitted he had no idea that Salah had surpassed Henry’s European tally but, given the number of records the Egyptian has broken during his time at Anfield, it is not easy to keep up. I cannot compare Mo to other 30-odd-year-old players because I don't think biologically he is Jurgen Klopp “Maybe he would have broken a few more records if I would be more into that because sometimes I left him out when he could have broken a record,” Klopp said. “It wasn’t intentional but I’m not too much into this. “He broke a record (against Toulouse) but if not he would have broken it in two weeks or three that’s clear. He’s just such a good player. “We appreciate him and we will appreciate him even more after his career when we realise we saw something really special.” Klopp had made eight changes from the Merseyside derby for the visit of Toulouse, but will reverse most if not all of them on Sunday when Forest head to Anfield. Liverpool go into the weekend three points off the top of the Premier League table and aiming to show they can balance a Europa League campaign with a title challenge at home. “So far we could do it,” he said. “Thursday-Sunday is not great but it’s something we know really for long enough and that’s fine. “The boys that didn’t play (against Toulouse) will have a proper training session so that’s good. “If you play always the same team like we did in the past in the Champions League then it’s no training at all, it’s just recovery and then go again but so far we are able to do it like this with not too many injuries. “A lot of the players who didn’t play will probably start on Sunday so for them they had if you want a day off, just warming up and kicking a few balls. (On Friday) we will have a proper session to prepare for Nottingham. “This rhythm is the rhythm we have this year. We should get used to it sooner rather than later.” Read More Mike McMeeken’s move ‘out of comfort zone’ to Catalans earned England recall Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham not a better team without Harry Kane, just different Sandro Tonali could play for Newcastle this weekend despite 10-month ban England’s woes at World Cup down to lack of preparation – Sir Geoffrey Boycott How ‘the best ever Scotland team to take the field’ fared at the Rugby World Cup A closer look at Ireland’s World Cup campaign and what the future might hold