To put Ruben Amorim's decision to use just one substitute in Sunday's defeat at Tottenham into context, this was the first time in his reign at Manchester United the former Sporting boss has done that in the Premier League.

In fact, it is the first time Manchester United have used fewer than two substitutes in the Premier League since October 2022, when Erik ten Hag made just one sub against Newcastle.

In his 13 previous Premier League matches as Manchester United manager, Amorim had never made fewer than three substitutions.

He has made the maximum allotted five substitutions in eight of his 14 games in charge, while he has used four in three games and three subs in his other two matches.

The table above shows the number of subs Amorim has used in his Premier League games as United boss.

John Murray
BBC Radio 5 Live chief football correspondent

For Ruben Amorim, in his 21 matches, he’s lost as many matches as he’s won in all competitions. They’re not in a great place, but the thing you have to point out is, from a Spurs point of view, it was a novel experience for Tottenham playing a team that has a longer list of injuries than they had.

That has bitten Manchester United heavily and you just have to look at the subs bench…not only is it a list of inexperienced substitutes as I’ve ever seen Manchester United have but I’m struggling to think of a line-up as inexperienced as that of Manchester United yesterday.

There was a shot of them sitting in a line and eight of them were teenagers, three 17-year-olds, three 19-year-olds, two 18-year-olds and Lindelof.

It looked like he’s the teacher taking the sixth formers on a field study.

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Spurs have gained the unwelcome moniker of "Dr Tottenham" for their propensity of losing against teams that had previously gone on a long run of games without a win.

Well on Sunday it was Manchester United's turn to dish out some of that friendly medicine, as Ange Postecoglou's side beat them 1-0 to claim a first home league win in 105 days.

Spurs moved up to seventh in the table when they beat Aston Villa 4-1 at home on 3 November.

At that point, they were handily placed just two points outside the Champions League places and still only nine points behind early leaders Liverpool.

Fast forward three months and they are now down in 12th - 14 points off the top four and a whopping 30 points behind Arne Slot's table toppers.

Ange Postecoglou spoke about the job facing opposing manager Ruben Amorim in his wider post-match news conference.

He was asked if he had any sympathy for Amorim over the number of players Manchester United had missing because of injury, considering Spurs' own injury-hit season:

"If I check my office I don't have any sympathy cards from other managers so I can tell you that hasn't happened, but there is definitely empathy there.

"Ruben has had to put a team together, play players out of position, have kids on the bench. Well welcome to my world. That's for one game, now do that for two months."

England

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Chloe Kelly has been recalled to the England squad for the Women's Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain.

The forward, who made her Arsenal second debut after a loan move from Manchester City in a 5-0 win against Tottenham on Sunday, was initially left out when the squad was announced last week.

But the 27-year-old, along with Aston Villa defender Lucy Parker, will join the squad to replace Arsenal duo Beth Mead and Lotte Wubben-Moy, who have both withdrawn with injury.

The Lionesses will face Portugal in the Algarve on Friday before hosting Spain at Wembley Stadium on 26 February.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Anon: Hi Phil Chelsea fan here. Do you think Maresca is in danger of the sack? Everyone is fed up with no plan B, like-for-like replacements when things are obviously not working and too stubborn to change tactics during a match plus players out of position. We seem to be going backwards under him compared to Poch last season. Surely we must have some good academy strikers better than Nkunku?

Phil: I never, ever make predictions about what Chelsea will do when making decisions on managers. Been burned too often in the past to do that. I agree there has been a real slump in form, with Chelsea being talked about as possible title contenders at one point now dropping down to sixth, although still only a point off the top four.

This has almost been a self-fulfilling prophecy for Maresca, who regularly talked down their title chances – maybe the players have started to believe him. Has he given them an excuse? It has also co-incided with a drop-off in form for Cole Palmer, so brilliant early in the season. I do not see Maresca being in any danger of the sack – but this is Chelsea so I won’t say anything is certain.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Michael, Lincolnshire: Hi Phil, we've seen recently how the game operates with and without VAR. Games flow better but there have been some glaring errors. I think there should be a time limit on VAR, surely if it's not immediately obvious then it's not a clear and obvious error. Too much time is given to looking for reasons to allow/disallow goals etc. One thing that struck me was the ball going out of play, there's an obvious break so why can't VAR quickly look to see that restarts are given to the correct team? It's an obvious, possibly costly, injustice if it's wrong.

Phil: Morning, Michael. Totally agree. If no infringement can be found in 90 seconds then it is not clear and obvious. I am a VAR sceptic these days, but even I accepted there was a case for it when Harry Maguire scored Manchester United’s winner against Leicester City in the FA Cup, and there was the controversial goal scored by Newcastle at Birmingham City when it was almost impossible to tell if it crossed the line, even from television pictures.

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Liverpool supporters' group Spirit of Shankly has welcomed today's ticket price freeze, external, describing it as a "positive step and a recognition of supporters' concerns about the rising cost of attending matches".

However, it said the fight "continues": "This freeze is progress, but our fight for fairer ticketing, lower prices and the preservation of football culture continues."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Pete, Birkenhead: Morning, Phil. Last week you said you were not convinced Beto was a £30m striker. Care to revise that opinion?

Phil: I knew this one would be coming. All I will say is that up until two weeks ago I’m not sure even Beto’s biggest admirers would say he looked like a £30m striker. And now we come to Beto under David Moyes. Moyes has got him playing to his strengths, running into channels rather than with his back to the goal, and the fact Everton are actually playing forward and quickly has also been to his benefit. He has looked composed and a real focal point, a handful. One thing you could never accuse Beto of was a lack of effort, so it is great to see his endeavour rewarded. If he continues this form consistently, then I will be very happy to revise my opinion. He has been excellent in the last few weeks.

Liverpool

Liverpool explained the steps they had taken to hold "meaningful engagement" with fans over ticket prices in today's statement announcing a freeze of general admission and season ticket prices for the 2025-26 campaign.

They said a survey was sent out to 500,000 supporters in October asking for views on ticketing-related topics.

Key issues highlighted by the 62,000 supporters who responded to the survey included access to tickets and the process used to buy tickets online.

The club said they had an "ambition to make ticket access a realistic goal for all supporters", adding that they would now open discussions with the Liverpool Supporters Board on how to improve ticketing policy.

Liverpool

Liverpool's season ticket prices range from £713 to £904 for adults.

There are also concessions for over-65s (£534.75-£678) and young adults (£356.50-£452).

Season ticket prices for all juniors are set at £165 and there are also reductions for disabled supporters.

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Fans from Liverpool joined supporters of rival clubs Everton, Manchester City and Manchester United in protesting at rising ticket prices during Premier League matches in November.

United fans held up a 'Stop Exploiting Loyalty' banner along with their Everton counterparts - in support of a Football Supporters' Association (FSA) campaign - before their teams played at Old Trafford.

Similar banners were unfurled by Liverpool and Manchester City supporters during their game on the same weekend.

Gareth Roberts, the spokesman of Liverpool fan group Spirit of Shankly, explained the group's support of the protest, which followed a 2% rise in ticket prices ahead of this season.

"It’s time for clubs to remember that their wealth and success are built on the unwavering loyalty of their supporters.

"Raising prices when financial pressures on fans are at an all-time high is an insult. We’re proud to unite with fans from Manchester in this campaign to fight for fairness."

Liverpool

Liverpool have announced a freeze in general admission and season ticket prices for the 2025-26 season.

A statement from the club said that the decision had been taken following "meaningful engagement discussions" with Liverpool's official Supporters Board.

The club added that, as well as adult prices remaining the same, junior tickets will also "continue to be frozen at £9 for the 10th season in a row". They remain the same price as local tickets, available to those with a Liverpool postcode, which have been in place since the 2016-17 season.

"The latest price freeze comes despite significant increases in Anfield matchday operating costs and continued rises in the cost of football operations in general," the statement added.

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport

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Carlos Alcaraz scored the winner on his first Premier League start for Everton as the Toffees beat Crystal Palace to continue their fine form under David Moyes.

Alcaraz, who joined on loan from Flamengo in January, side-footed home from close range with 10 minutes remaining after Will Hughes had diverted Ashley Young's low drive into his path.

In-form Beto had given the Toffees a first-half lead with a composed finish from Alcaraz's pass, barely a minute after Ismaila Sarr had struck the underside of the crossbar for Palace.

But the hosts were back on level terms early in the second half, with the video assistant referee (VAR) eventually awarding Jean-Philippe Mateta's close-range finish after a lengthy check for offside against the Frenchman.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Macca from Thailand: Hi Phil, Do you think that some pundits, including yourself as a football reporter, should be eating humble pie? All the nonsense about Sean Dyche being the best manager to keep Everton in the Premier League. David Moyes has taken Dyche's reputation and shredded it. Thoughts?

Phil: Morning. I do not comment on other pundits because they are perfectly entitled to their opinions. My view, expressed here many times, was that I thought Dyche would keep Everton up this season then leave at the end of the season as the club needed to take a new direction. In the end, Dyche clearly decided he could not get any more out of the squad and the decision was made to part ways with new owners The Friedkin Group. Moyes has been, quite simply, transformative. Look at the results. Look at the goals. And it is the sign of a good manager that players who either struggled, in Beto’s case, or were effectively ignored, like Jake O’Brien, have flourished. In the space of a few weeks, Moyes has got Everton looking up rather than down. In time, I think history will be kind to Dyche as he kept Everton in the Premier League in tough circumstances, such as lack of finances and points deductions, but there is no doubt Moyes has been a breath of fresh air at Goodison Park.

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Liverpool's upcoming trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City are two of their three most difficult games left of the Premier League season, based on the opponent's points-per-game.

Among the 13 opponents that the Reds will face in the run-in, City, who they face on Sunday, have the highest points-per-game in away fixtures at 2.17.

Aston Villa, who they meet on Wednesday, are third on that table, collecting an average of 1.85 points per game at Villa Park this season.

Second-placed Arsenal, who they host on 10 May, have an average of 1.92 points on the road this season, putting them second in difficulty.

Liverpool

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Liverpool enter a crucial juncture in their bid to win the Premier League title, with the leaders facing Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle - all in the space of eight days starting Wednesday.

Their first challenge comes at Villa Park where they were held 3-3 by Unai Emery's men last time around, followed by a trip to Etihad to face the champions only four days later.

Pep Guardiola's City might currently be 12 points behind Arne Slot's side but the Reds have only won once in past five meetings between the sides across all competitions.

It doesn't get any easier for Liverpool after that as they then face Newcastle in what would feel like a final before the duo meet at Wembley in the EFL Cup title clash next month.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Chris, Chester: Morning Phil, do you agree the next three league games for Liverpool will decide the title?

Phil: Hi, Chris. They won’t decide the title but they can certainly go a long way towards winning it if Liverpool can go and get good results away to Aston Villa and Manchester City, then at home to Newcastle United. Come through that unscathed – and even with a couple of wins – and it will make life a lot easier in the run-in.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Mick: Although Arsenal are still in with a decent chance of catching Liverpool, there is a real danger of this season being yet another case of "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" if they were to finish SECOND for a THIRD year in a row. In fact, some Arsenal fans are inclined to give the manager only ONE more season to win the Premier League before getting rid of him. So will it be "Four Weddings and a Funeral" for Mikel Arteta?

Phil: Good morning, Mick. As you say, Arsenal are still in with a chance of catching Liverpool but Arne Slot’s team are in a strong position. The Gunners are also straight into the last 16 of the Champions League, so I wouldn’t be questioning Mikel Arteta’s future but there is no doubt he needs to start winning a trophy soon, having won the FA Cup in 2020. Arsenal have made progress under him, but a club of their stature needs silverware and it needs to arrive sooner rather than later. The club has great faith in Arteta but mistakes have been made in not signing a striker, which may still cost them dear this season. In the end, though, it is about trophies and Arteta needs one, not this season then certainly next.