Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim, who will take over at Manchester United next week, hailed Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as the best in the world on Monday.

The Portuguese title holders face City in the Champions League on Tuesday in Amorim’s penultimate match in charge of Sporting.

“(City have) the best team in the world and the best coach in the world,” Amorim told Sport TV on Monday.

Manchester City beat Sporting 5-0 on aggregate in the last 16 of the competition in 2022 and Amorim said despite improving as a coach since then, there is still a gap between him and Guardiola.

“I feel like I’m a better coach (now), unfortunately what I feel is that Pep Guardiola has also become an even better coach, so the gap remains,” Amorim told a news conference.

“Pep Guardiola was an inspiration to many of us coaches, as well as others.”

City have won the Premier League four seasons running and record 20-time English champions Manchester United last won it in 2013, when managerial great Alex Ferguson was at the helm.

Guardiola lifted the Champions League with City in 2023 and has led United’s rivals to six league triumphs.

Manchester United paid Sporting 11 million euros ($12 million) to secure “one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football,” they said after announcing Amorim’s future arrival.

The Red Devils, currently 13th in the Premier League table, sacked Erik ten Hag a week ago before appointing the 39-year-old to try and bring the club back to their glory days.

‘New Alex Ferguson’

Amorim led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in 2021 and then won it again last season.

He said a defeat against City might even help reduce the inevitable pressure on him when he arrives at Old Trafford.

“If the result is very negative, expectations will drop and I don’t think that’s a bad starting point, when you begin at Manchester United,” explained Amorim.

“If we win tomorrow, they’ll think the new Alex Ferguson has arrived, which is very difficult to maintain.

“What matters to me is winning the game, having a good farewell in Alvalade (stadium), winning in Braga and then starting a new life in Manchester.”

He said the Champions League clash in Lisbon will be heavily scrutinised because of his move to the north of England.

“I’m fully aware that I’m going to be judged as a manager on this game, and only on this game, and I realise what (people) can take from this depending on the result,” added Amorim.

“Losing a game, especially to City, is not a failure.”

Amorim will be in charge for one further league game after City, away at Braga on Sunday.

“We want to show that we no longer need Ruben,” said Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand, hoping his team could rise to the challenge of losing their coach midway through the season.

“I felt sad when I heard that he was leaving me and Sporting, but in football opportunities like this arise.

“It’s a normal part of the game, I hope he feels proud to receive such an offer.”

-AFP

Dominic Solanke, born of a Nigerian father and English mother, was pivotal in Tottenham’s 4-1 victory against Aston Villa.

Having fallen behind in the first half, Spurs came out fighting after half-time and would stun Unai Emery’s men with four second-half goals.

Brennan Johnson would get the Lilywhites level, with Solanke then completing Tottenham’s comeback with a brace.

Glenn Murray insisted ‘goals will come’ for Solanke prior to kick-off and the former Brighton man would be ultimately proved right.

Solanke’s first goal against Villa was labelled ‘class’ by Aaron Lennon, with the ex-Bournemouth forward then grabbing his second of the afternoon just four minutes later – a goal which would see the new Tottenham man equal a thirteen-year-old record.

Solanke’s brace will do him the world of good when it comes to confidence, especially when he realises he has just equaled a Tottenham icon’s goal record.

His two goals against Aston Villa now means he becomes the first Spurs player to score at least four goals across their first eight Premier League appearances since Rafael van der Vaart in 2010/11 – according to the Premier League.

Van der Vaart is regarded as an icon by many Spurs supporters and Solanke will hope he can replicate the Dutchman’s success in north London.

Two second-half goals from Dominic Solanke and a sublime James Maddison free kick helped Tottenham Hotspur to come from behind and overwhelm Aston Villa 4-1 on Sunday, ending the visitors’ seven-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Spurs climbed to seventh in the table on 16 points, two points behind Villa who stayed fifth. Should Chelsea win or draw at Manchester United later on Sunday, Villa would drop down to sixth.

Unai Emery’s Villa led at halftime through Morgan Rogers, but Spurs were level soon after the break when Brennan Johnson tapped in at the far post.

Solanke’s two goals in four minutes, including a flowing team move finished off with a delightful dink over Emiliano Martinez, secured the win, before Maddison curled in a free kick in stoppage time.

Emery, whose side had looked comfortable in the first half, said he was disappointed with the result, but not too worried about the manner of the defeat.

“We are disappointed, frustrated but we are accepting it,” Emery told Sky Sports. “We know our way, it is 38 matches, the league is very tight.”

Villa’s goal punctuated a drab first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Rogers poking home from a yard out after Lucas Digne’s corner was flicked on into the six-yard box.

Spurs skipper Son Heung-min provided an assist on his return from injury, whipping an excellent outswinging ball across the goal for Johnson to slot home at the back post shortly after halftime.

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs had struggled to break down Villa in the first half, largely resorting to shots from distance, but they upped their intensity in the second period and two quick goals from Solanke sealed the win.

His first was a flowing one-touch team move, with Solanke latching on to Dejan Kulusevski’s cute pass and chipping the ball over the onrushing Martinez.

Minutes later, a mistake by Villa defender Pau Torres set Spurs charging forward again with second-half substitute Richarlison squaring for Solanke to grab his second goal.

Postecoglou was full of praise for Solanke, a 65-million-pound (77.55-million-euro) signing from Bournemouth this summer, describing his effort levels as “unbelievable”.

“I just can’t speak highly enough of what he’s contributing to our team at the moment,” Postecoglou told reporters.

Maddison put the gloss on a fine display late on, caressing the ball around the Villa wall from 20 yards out and into the top corner past a helpless Martinez.

Spurs have bounced back well from a disappointing defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend, knocking Manchester City out of the League Cup in midweek, but Postecoglou was keen to stay grounded.

“You don’t fall off cliffs and you don’t climb mountains within a week,” Postecoglou said. “I’m totally focused on the long game here.”

-Reuters