Manchester

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We asked you for your views on how Manchester United have started the season - and where you thought they might finish.

The most popular selection from respondents was between sixth and 10th (49%), while 25% believe United will occupy one of the top four spots at the end of the campaign.

Here are some of your comments:

Rob: I expect them to improve in the next few games, though it will be hard not to. If United lose at Southampton I think Erik ten Hag will be asked to leave. I was hopeful for the season given the summer transfers but it all looks a bit the same. Drop Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Andre Onana for a few games and see how the team does. Overall I think they'll be sixth.

Nigel: Stagnation - the only word to describe things at the moment. No motivation, no pride, no direction and no leader. Quite sad.

Chris: Three games in, so give him time. We have a new defensive midfielder starting and this team will get better. Confident that we will be top four by the end of the season.

Oggymeister: Confidence and self belief are difficult to build after a negative start. They look vulnerable and are no longer feared, either playing at home or away. Constantly playing from the back is a daft strategy and gets opportunity bells ringing from any aggressive forward. Either the game approach changes or they will struggle to be in the top six.

David: Hopefully a new settled back four and a young aggressive defensive midfielder will allow a more dynamic style of play to develop in the coming weeks. A few goals for Rasmus Hojlund and we'll be on our way. I'm saying fifth but a chance of winning the Europa League if the momentum builds and continues.

Grace: I think the fans have to exercise patience. Only a few years ago, Ralf Rangnick told of the open heart surgery the club needs, so we were never going to be suddenly winning every game. The fact Ten Hag has won two trophies deserves credit for that considering the squad isn't ready and needs time to develop. Fans need to chill and be patient.

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We asked you for your views on how Manchester City have started the season - and where you thought they might finish.

City, who have won their first three league matches, were tipped to win the Premier League title by 83% of respondents.

Here are some of your comments:

Chris: Champions again, five on the trot.

Michael: Excellent start to the season and more so without Rodri, Kyle Walker and also Phil Foden (against West Ham). Mateo Kovacic has put in really standout performances already and I am confident City will be top once again in May next year.

GT: City looks incredibly hungry and clinical this year. Scary to consider no Rodri or Foden yet.

Kurt: A very solid start. Rico Lewis and Erling Haaland in particular look brilliant and there's still Foden and Rodri to come back. Just hoping that the off-pitch situation doesn't distract us but I don't think it will. As for new signings, Savinho looks exciting and Ilkay Gundogan's return has made my summer.

Scott: Incredible business by Txiki Begiristain and co. I was sad to see Julian Alvarez leave but he had won all he could at City. Gundogan returned on a free, Savinho was a matter of time and development and the first games have been excellent. Some good loans concluded allowing for development of players. Kovacic has settled in and for the first time in a while, no Rodri feels OK.

Dan Roan, Simon Stone and Tom Mallows
BBC Sport

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Leicester City's successful appeal against an alleged breach of Premier League financial rules means they are set to avoid any punishment or points deduction - but what does this mean for the rest of the Premier League?

In February 2023, the Premier League charged Manchester City with 115 alleged breaches of its financial rules between 2009 and 2018 and referred the club to an independent commission.

BBC Sport understands the hearing is set to start in September with the result possibly known early next year.

City have denied all charges and say they are supported by a "body of irrefutable evidence".

Premier League chief Richard Masters told BBC Sport in August that it was "time to resolve" City's long-running case - and added on profit and sustainability rules (PSR) more generally that "we want to move to a new system that people have confidence in and can comply with".

With Leicester arguing that their successful appeal was based on “flaws” in the Premier League rules, Manchester City may be encouraged by this outcome, but it is uncertain how relevant this very different case is to theirs. City obviously cannot rely on what may appear to be something of a technicality over the date of relegation. Nor is their case about a PSR overspend.

However, this was still a significant defeat for the Premier League and City's illustrious legal team will certainly scrutinise the wording of the rules to see if they are being correctly applied.

Read the full analysis of Leicester's PSR case

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Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker has credited manager Pep Guardiola with helping him "fall in love with football more" during his time playing for the club.

Guardiola signed Walker from Tottenham in 2017, during which time City have won numerous honours and the England international has also been made captain.

Speaking on his You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast on BBC Sounds, Walker said of Guardiola: "He's unbelievable. My game over the past seven years has come on leaps and bounds. I'm probably not as marauding a full-back as I was at Tottenham, but I probably fell in love with the game more by working under Pep.

"He's that obsessed with the game of football, the chess pieces and how things are going to be moved. I probably have become more into football at 27 when I signed for City than I ever was prior to that."

Asked which players within the current City squad could become future managers, Walker said: "Kevin [de Bruyne] automatically earns the respect from the lads. He knows the game of football and sees things that we don't really see quickly enough to see before we get tackled.

"I'd probably say Kevin, Bernardo [Silva], Rodri and Ruben [Dias] are [future] managers."

Listen to more from Walker on BBC Sounds

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Rico Lewis is pleased to have taken his opportunity to impress in the early weeks of the season for Manchester City, with his performances earning him a recall to the England squad.

The versatile 19-year-old played in City's Community Shield win over Manchester United and has started all three Premier League games so far this season.

Lewis, who won his only England cap to date in November 2023, was not selected for Euro 2024 by Gareth Southgate but he has returned to the squad under interim England boss Lee Carsley for the upcoming Nations League matches against Republic of Ireland and Finland.

"I knew that England were doing really well in the Euros," Lewis said. "That meant that the lads like John [Stones] and Kyle [Walker] would be coming late and that would give me opportunities on the tour and then for the first few games.

"I had to be on it and I had to be fit so I could play. Just focus and every time I have the chance to play, just take it. I just want to continue focusing as much as I can."

Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, 28, is wanted by Real Madrid, who plan to make a move for him at the end of the season. (AS - in Spanish, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Galatasaray are interested in a loan deal for Casemiro, 32, but Manchester United would have to cover some of his £300,000-a-week salary. (Times - subscription required, external)

Saudi Pro League clubs could also be interested in a cut-price move for the midfielder in January. (iSport, external)

The Brazil midfielder is set to reject interest from elsewhere as he is determined to fight for his place at United. (Mail, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester City’s Carabao Cup tie with Watford has been confirmed for Tuesday, 24 September (1945 BST).

This means City will have to play two games in three days as their high-profile Premier League encounter with Arsenal is on 22 September.

Under normal circumstances, City would have played the match on Wednesday.

However, on the same night, Manchester United play Dutch side FC Twente at Old Trafford in their opening Europa League game.

Having that fixture – when many visiting fans are expected – on the same night as a City game was deemed a security risk.

This season, Uefa has expanded its European competitions, with each being granted an ‘exclusive’ week. This has created problems for the EFL, who had to seed the third round draw to prevent teams playing in the Europa League being paired with clubs in the Champions League as there would have been nowhere for the fixture to go.