Manuel Pellegrini got off to the perfect start and opened the scoring in the ninth minute thanks to a goal from Abde Ezzalzouli to make it 1-0.

The Spanish outfit took a one-goal lead as the game went into the half-time break.

The Blues drew the game level five minutes after the hour mark when Enzo Fernandez headed home an inviting ball by Cole Palmer.

Palmer grabbed another assist five minutes later when he played a cross into the box for Nicolas Jackson, who put the ball into the net.

Chelsea added a third goal in the 83rd minute when substitute Jadon Sancho beat his man to curl the ball into the far corner.

Enzo Maresca’s side put the game beyond Betis when Moises Caicedo found the back of the net from a shot from outside the box to complete Chelsea’s comeback and to ensure the victory.

The Blues have now made history by becoming the only team to have won every European trophy on offer.

WATCH: Real Betis vs Chelsea

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Southampton 1-5 Chelsea

Chelsea moved seven points behind leaders Liverpool following their comfortable 5-1 victory over Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Goals from Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho cancelled out Joe Aribo’s 11th minute goal as the Blues held on for the win.

The win takes Chelsea up to second place on the log with 28 points from 14 games, while Southampton remain at the bottom of the table with five points from 14 matches.

Newcastle United 3-3 Liverpool

Newcastle United came from behind to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw against log leaders Liverpool at St. James’ Park.

Goals from Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schär cancelled out goals from a brace by Mohammed Salah and a goal from Curtis Jones.

The win saw Liverpool remain at the top of the league table with 35 points from 14 games, while Newcastle are placed 10th with 20 points from 14 matches.

Manchester City 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Manchester City snapped their seven-game winless run following their comfortable 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

The Citizens walked away with all three points thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.

The win sees Man City move into the top four with 26 points after 14 games, while Forest are placed sixth on the table with 22 points from 14 matches.

Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United

Arsenal moved within seven points of leaders Liverpool after they secured a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners secure the win and all three points through defenders Jurriën Timber and William Saliba in London.

Despite the win, Arsenal dropped down to third place on the log with 28 points, while Man Utd dropped to 11th place on 19 points from 14 matches.

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Sancho had been suspended by United for the majority of the season following a public altercation with manager Erik ten Hag.

In September, the 23-year-old claimed on social media that the club was using him as a “scapegoat” for his subpar play after he was left off of the matchday roster during a 3-1 loss to Arsenal.

Since then, Sancho has not played a single minute for the Red Devils and has been made to practise apart from the starting lineup.

Sancho never lived up to his hype at Old Trafford, even before his relationship with the former Ajax manager fell apart.

With just 12 goals in 82 games, he had trouble maintaining a spot in the starting lineup under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag.

But he’s hoping a return to the team that helped him establish himself as one of Europe’s brightest prospects will help him turn his career around.

“Jadon is an absolute difference maker and I’m looking forward to seeing him back in black and yellow soon,” said Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

“He knows this city, the stadium, our fans and our club. Even though he hasn’t played any competitive games in the past few months, we are sure that he will quickly settle back in with us, get into top form and use his qualities to help us achieve our goals for the season.”

The transfer is expected to cost Dortmund about four million euros, according to German media, and Sancho has consented to accept a substantial pay cut from his rumoured £300,000 weekly salary.

Sancho, who joined Dortmund at the age of 17, came from the Manchester City academy. In 137 games, he scored 50 goals and provided 64 assists, helping Dortmund win the German Cup in 2021 and the German Super Cup in 2019.

“When I came into the dressing room today, it felt like ‘coming home’. I know the club inside out, I’ve always been very close with the fans here, and I there was no break in contact with those in charge,” said Sancho.

“I can’t wait to see my teammates again, go out on the pitch, play football with a smile on my face, assist goals, score goals and help achieve Champions League qualification.”

Dortmund is banking on Sancho finding his old form again to help them salvage the season.

With just one victory in their previous eight games before the German season ended for the winter break, they are currently six points outside of the Champions League spots in fifth place in the Bundesliga.

But Dortmund did win the toughest group in the Champions League, knocking out AC Milan and Newcastle to progress to the last 16, where they will face PSV Eindhoven.

In order to spark a bidding war for Sancho’s services come summer, United is also hoping that he can demonstrate why they spent so much money on him.

During his second campaign in charge, Ten Hag has faced criticism for his inability to resolve their differences and get the most out of one of his star players while United has struggled.

The English powerhouses have suffered 14 defeats in 29 games this season, plunging to eighth place in the Premier League standings and elimination from both the League Cup and European competition.

A turn around in events might even increase Sancho’s chances of representing his nation at Euro 2024 in Germany later this year.

He competed for England in the 2021 European Championship and made it to the championship game, losing to Italy on penalties shootout after he missed one of the most important spot kicks.

However, October 2021 marked the completion of Sancho’s 23 international caps.

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Sancho can’t train with United’s first team anymore because England’s international player angered Ten Hag when he said he was a “scapegoat” for being dropped after a loss to Arsenal in September.

Ten Hag has hinted that this wasn’t the only thing that Sancho did wrong that was taken into account when the punishment was decided.

Ten Hag told the 23-year-old that he was not in the right physical and mental shape to play for United, so he spent part of last season training alone in the Netherlands.

The United manager said before Saturday’s Premier League game against Brighton that he didn’t know how long Sancho’s punishment would last or if he would ever play for United again.

Asked whether the former Borussia Dortmund star would pull on the United shirt again, Ten Hag said: “I don’t know. I am sitting here. Tomorrow we have a big game, we are going into a new block of games, many games in a condensed programme. I focus on that.”

Before the transfer deadline, there were rumours that Sancho would move to Saudi Arabia, but he will now stay with United at least until the window reopens in January.

Sancho was praised as one of English football’s rising stars when he moved to United from Dortmund in 2021. His fall from grace is shocking.

Ten Hag was clearly annoyed that he had to answer so many questions about Sancho the night before a big game for his team, which had started the Premier League season poorly.

“He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute,” Ten Hag said.

When he took over United last year, Ten Hag said he took over a club with “no good culture.” He was very clear that he was not focused on Sancho.

“It’s in favour of the team. That is what my decision is based on,” he said.

“That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team. I don’t think about that (Sancho’s tweet) and I don’t talk about that, because I have to win a game. It is all about that.

“The players who are there and available deserve me. I have to guide them, I have to prepare them, it is about that. I only focus on the players who are available.”

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The 23-year-old player didn’t go to London for Sunday’s Premier League game at Arsenal, which United lost 3-1. He said he was a “scapegoat.”

Since he came off the bench in United’s first three games, the English winger’s absence stood out.

At the Emirates, Ten Hag didn’t have many experienced attackers to choose from. Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Facundo Pellistri were among the substitutes.

The Red Devils were on track for a 1-1 draw, but they gave up two goals in stoppage time to lose badly and fall to 11th in the Premier League table.

“Jadon, on his performances in training, we did not select him,” the Dutchman said after the game.

“You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices in the front line. So for this game he was not selected.”

But Sancho fought back with a strong social media post later on Sunday.

“Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”

He added: “All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and (am) grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”

Since moving to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million ($92 million) in 2021, Sancho hasn’t been able to keep up his good play.

He has played 82 times for United and scored 12 goals in all of those games.

Sancho, a youth player for Manchester City, had a good start to Ten Hag’s first season, but he didn’t play from late October until February. He missed the World Cup and did a personal fitness programme in the Netherlands during that time.

After he got back, he played in the League Cup final win over Newcastle. At the end of the 2022–23 season, he had seven goals and three assists.

Photo by EPA/JUSTIN LANE

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Fans of the two Premier League teams from New York and New Jersey saw a lively first half with both goals. In the second half, when both teams made a lot of changes, the game lost its way.

Andre Onana, a Cameroonian custodian who joined United on Thursday in a £44 million deal from Inter Milan, did not play even though he flew out to join the team on its tour of the United States.

Back-up After Harry Maguire, a defender, was replaced by Fernandes as captain, Tom Heaton started in goal. Fernandes wore the captain’s armband.

Antony, a Brazilian winger, had United’s first chance when he was left alone in the middle of the box, but he messed up his shot and it went harmlessly wide.

Arsenal started their tour of the United States with a 5-0 win over the MLS All Stars on Wednesday. Gabriel Martinelli came close to scoring the first goal, but Heaton made two great saves to keep him out.

At the half-hour mark, United took the lead when Fernandes cut in from the right and shot with his left foot low enough to fool Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Seven minutes later, Sancho made it 2-0 when Gabriel, an Arsenal defender, mis-kicked the ball on the half-way line. The England forward ran away and shot the ball home with confidence.

United was still looking for a central striker in the transfer market, so Sancho played in the middle instead of on the wing, where he usually plays. He did a good job with the change.

After halftime, both Erik Ten Hag and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta used all of their players, which made the game less intense. United’s lead was never in danger, though.

Kobbie Mainoo, who is only 18, played well in the middle of United’s midfield, and Fernandes had a lot of good things to say about him.

“Honestly, Kobbie is a great player, he shows great resilience. Everyone can see it. He’s good on the ball, strong, he can defend and attack. He’s still pretty young but we see a bright future for him. Hopefully he will get more minutes,” said the Portuguese.

At the end of the game, both teams agreed to a penalty shootout no matter who won.

Even though there was nothing on the line in the shootout, which United won 5-3, both managers agreed that it would be a good idea for their players to see how they did from the spot.

United will play again on Wednesday against Real Madrid in Houston, while Arsenal will play Barcelona in Los Angeles.

But Barca’s friendly against Juventus, which was supposed to be played later on Saturday, was cancelled because a virus spread through the Spanish team and made everyone sick.

“A significant part of the blaugrana squad has a viral gastroenteritis,” Barcelona said in a statement.

At least a dozen players were sick, the Spanish media said.

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After United scored twice in the first half, it looked like Tottenham was going to lose again badly in the Premier League. This was just a few days after they lost 6-1 at Newcastle.

United’s goals were scored by Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, but in their first game under caretaker manager Ryan Mason, Tottenham showed the kind of spirit that has been sorely missing from their troubled season.

Pedro Porro’s goal early in the second half gave them a chance, and Son’s close-range goal in the final minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finished off the comeback.

Even though Tottenham’s comeback was a morale boost during a tough time, the result hurt their slim chances of getting into the Champions League by finishing in the top four.

Tottenham is in fifth place, six points behind United, which is in fourth and has two games in hand, and eight points behind Newcastle, which is in third place.

“Pleased with the reaction. In the second half, we were outstanding, with the character we showed after last Sunday and going two goals down tonight,” Mason said.

“I hope the fans can see that we were a team today and we ran for each other. In the second half we could have scored a lot more. I have a team that’s willing to fight.”

Tottenham hasn’t won a trophy since 2008, and it still looks like they won’t make it into the lucrative Champions League. Their future is uncertain, and chairman Daniel Levy is under more and more pressure.

Levy got the most hate from angry fans on Thursday, when the stress of a bad season came to a head.

There was mutiny in the air in north London as fans gathered outside the stadium before the game to demand that he step down.

During the whole game, people chanted the same things against Levy. Black balloons with the words “£NIC OUT” on them, referring to the company that owns Tottenham and is called ENIC, floated around the stands as the chairman looked sad from his seat in the directors’ box.

On Sunday, Tottenham’s terrible season hit a new low when they were beaten badly at Newcastle. They gave up five goals in the first 21 minutes, which was a new record for them.

Photo by EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY

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The Glazer family, who owns United, is weighing competing offers from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, chairman of one of Qatar’s largest banks, and Jim Ratcliffe, a British billionaire.

United may be under new ownership within six weeks, according to rumors; however, Ten Hag’s squad has kept its focus firmly on the field.

Rashford has been crucial to United’s impressive form during Ten Hag’s first season as manager, and the England forward was too hot for Leicester to handle at Old Trafford.

“Leicester played brilliant in the first half but second we were rubbish. We were really inconsequential, undisciplined. It was only by David de Gea that we kept our clean-sheet,” Ten Hag said.

“We repaired some stuff and the second half was brilliant. It was the way I wanted to see our team playing.”

This season, Rashford has scored 24 goals in all competitions for United, the most goals he has ever scored in a single season.

Remarkably, he has scored 16 goals in 17 appearances since returning from the World Cup in December.

The 25-year-old is also the first United player since Wayne Rooney in 2010 to score in seven consecutive home league games.

Rashford endured a difficult period prior to Ten Hag’s appointment at Old Trafford last season, prompting rumors that the forward would seek to leave the club.

As he rediscovers the form that made him a teen sensation, Rashford is now United’s most influential player.

“He’s getting in the right position, but don’t forget our team because they are team goals,” Ten Hag said.

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The backstory behind Jadon Sancho’s special tribute to a young Manchester United fan 🔴 pic.twitter.com/4BSr13F715

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 16, 2022

This is for you Jacob, Young Legend 🙏🏼❤️ pic.twitter.com/asQCZMtLSv

— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) September 15, 2022

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United were unchanged from the side that won 1-0 at Southampton last weekend, meaning Cristiano Ronaldo was reduced to a second half substitute appearance for a third successive game.

Ronaldo had hoped to leave United before the transfer window shut on Thursday, but the Portugal star was unable to find a suitor willing to meet the club’s asking price and able to offer him Champions League football.

The standout moment came in the 23rd minute when Bruno Fernandes and Rashford combined to carve Leicester open and Sancho took a touch around Leicester keeper Danny Ward before slotting home.

Leicester are bottom after taking one point from their first five games, their worst start since 1994.

United moved up to fifth and sit just one point adrift of the top four as Ten Hag begins to make an impact after a nightmare start to his reign.

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