Manchester United are close to securing a return to the Champions League, sitting third in the Premier League with five games remaining. The top five clubs are guaranteed automatic qualification, and sixth place could also become a spot if Aston Villa finish fifth and win the Europa League. United host Brentford at Old Trafford on Monday after a 1-0 win at Chelsea, with Matheus Cunha scoring the only goal.
According to Daily Mirror - Main, Bruno Fernandes apologised to Jamie Carragher for referencing his penalty miss in the 2006 World Cup quarter-final shootout against Portugal. Carragher's penalty was saved by Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo, who also denied Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the same shootout. Carragher had initially converted his penalty but was forced to retake it for not waiting for the referee's whistle. Fernandes said: 'Obviously 2006, everyone remembers because of Cristiano and Wayne's little bit of fire. (It) ends up with Jamie Carragher missing the penalty. I had to say this - sorry, Jamie.' He added: 'I had to get a little bit off you, you get on me all the time. I can get on you with that penalty. When I miss a penalty, don't say anything about it, please.'
Obviously 2006, everyone remembers because of Cristiano and Wayne's little bit of fire. (It) ends up with Jamie Carragher missing the penalty. I had to say this - sorry, Jamie.
In other news, Arsenal have opened talks over Sporting CP left-back Maxi Araujo amid interest from Manchester United, according to Record (Portuguese newspaper).
I had to get a little bit off you, you get on me all the time. I can get on you with that penalty. When I miss a penalty, don't say anything about it, please.
Sven Goran Eriksson summoned me and gave me one job: to dispatch a spot-kick as convincingly as I had in every practise session. I had not missed a penalty in six weeks. 'You'll take the fourth', Eriksson told me. Not a problem. England were 2-1 down by the time I made that 40-yard walk, but I was feeling confident staring at Portugal's No. 1 Ricardo. Knowing precisely where to place the ball, I struck it sweetly to the right, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way - my first touch of the game. There was a momentary sense of relief. Then the referee blew his whistle. The Argentine official, Horacio Marcelo Elizondo, said I had taken it too soon. Take two. Now I was engaged in a game of bluff with Ricardo, wrongly presuming he would think I would try to score in exactly the same way. I changed my mind and went left. So did he, pushing away my attempt.