NOVEMBER EPL GOAL OF THE MONTH AWARD - JESSE LINGARD

Jesse Lingard's first senior goal for Manchester United, in the 2-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion, has been voted the club's Goal of the Month for November.

Early in the second half of the game at Old Trafford, Lingard trapped the ball on the edge of the box and calmly placed it beyond Baggies goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, to send the Stretford End into raptures.

The measured strike was a comfortable winner in ManUtd.com's poll, picking up 50 per cent of fans' votes. Memphis's volley at Watford came second with 19 per cent, while Angel Gomes's fine finish for the Under-18s at Derby County completed the top three with 9 per cent. Five other goals were shortlisted.

United manager Louis van Gaal said after the West Brom game: "In the training session earlier this week, Jesse had these chances but shot directly. I told him to control the ball first because, with that touch, you have more of a feel of the ball – he did that today and scored a fantastic goal."

Lingard's team-mate Juan Mata added on MUTV: "It was a very, very good goal. We have seen him doing that in training almost every week. Jesse is a great guy and we are very happy for him. He has all the qualities you need to succeed at this club and we are happy for his first goal."

The accolade caps a dream few weeks for the Warrington-born winger, who also earned a maiden call-up to the England squad and was nominated for the Reds' Player of the Month award alongside Chris Smalling and eventual winner Bastian Schweinsteiger.

SCHWEINSTEIGER BANNED FOR THREE GAMES

The Football Association published the following statement regarding Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on its website at 16:30 GMT on Thursday:

Bastian Schweinsteiger will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after he accepted an FA charge for violent conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.

The Manchester United midfielder was involved in an incident with West Ham United's Winston Reid in the 40th minute of the game on Saturday 5 December 2015.

Mourinho - We can win Champions League and make top four

Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea can overcome their underdog status to win the Champions League after a 2-0 win over his former club Porto sealed top spot in Group G.

Chelsea are toiling domestically but responded to an eighth Premier League defeat of the season against Bournemouth with a victory which sealed their place in the last 16.

“A team struggling so much like we are is not obviously a candidate to win the Champions League,” said Mourinho, twice a winner of the competition as a manager.

“But when we won at Porto in 2004 we were not candidates. When we won at Inter (Milan) in 2010 we were not candidates.

“When we were candidates we lost two semi-finals with Real Madrid, we lost two semi-finals with Chelsea, so let’s see. You never know.”

Chelsea can play Paris Saint-Germain – for a third straight season – PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, Juventus, Roma or Gent in the next round.

“I think everybody wants to play us,” Mourinho added.

“They don’t want to play Barcelona, they don’t want to play Real Madrid, they don’t want to play Atletico (Madrid), they don’t want to play Bayern (Munich).

“Every team finishing second want to get us, they want to get Zenit (St Petersburg).”

With the competition not due to resume until February, Mourinho will now focus on attempting to overturn his side’s domestic troubles.

The Blues could be in the bottom three by the time they next play at Leicester on Monday, but Mourinho is not giving up on a place in the top four, despite being 14 points adrift after 15 games.

“While mathematically it’s still possible, let’s fight every game for every point and see if it’s possible to finish fourth,” Mourinho said.

Manchester United players disagree with Van Gaal’s tactics

Manchester United players are becoming increasingly frustrated by manager Louis Van Gaal’s tactics, according to reports.

Van Gaal has been the subject of plenty of criticism from fans and pundits due to United’s less than inspiring style of play this season, and this has only increased after failing to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League due to the 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg.

While it is understood the club’s hierarchy still have faith in the Dutchman, The Timessuggest there is a “growing resentment” of Van Gaal in the dressing room.

It is believed the 64-year-old’s decision to substitute Juan Mata, who created Anthony Martial’s opener, with United trailing 2-1 in Germany was met with particular bemusement by the players.

Mata was replaced by 21-year-old midfielder Nick Powell, who had not appeared for the club in 16 months.

Earlier this season, captain Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick approached Van Gaal on behalf of the squad to voice their dissatisfaction at Van Gaal’s methods, although it is suggested they will not repeat that act again – as they believe nothing is likely to change.

To make matters worse, United face somewhat of an injury crisis ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth.

Rooney, Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Antonio Valencia, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger are all set to be unavailable.

It's a lucky year for Us - Wenger

Arsene Wenger suggested it may be a “lucky year” for Arsenal in the Champions League after Olivier Giroud’s hat-trick at Olympiacos earned them a place in the last 16.

Having started their Group F campaign with three defeats in four, Wenger’s side needed to win by two goals or more at the Karaiskakis Stadium or better the 3-2 defeat they suffered at home to the Greek champions in September.

With seven key first-team players missing through injury, Giroud produced the goods when it mattered as Arsenal made light work of a seemingly difficult task to seal a 3-0 win.

Only seven sides in Champions League history had managed to progress from the group with three points or less after four games – but Arsenal have now added their name to an exclusive list with a result that left their manager beaming.

“I told you before the game it would be a great escape, and I must say I’m very proud of the team,” Wenger said. “We needed to be right on the mental side and right on the tactical side as well. We knew we had to push for the third goal because it’s very dangerous at 2-0, and we had the perfect game.

“Nine times out of 10 in that position you are out of the group. We needed something special to switch it on and come back like we did tonight. We needed a complete team performance and that’s what it was. Maybe it is a lucky year for us in the Champions League. You never know.”

After a somewhat cagey start, Arsenal controlled much of the rest of the game at their pace, picking off Olympiacos at the right times.

Giroud opened the scoring when his near-post header squirmed past Roberto in the hosts’ goal after great work from Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey.

The France international then had a scare early in the second half as he went down with an ankle knock – but he soon dusted himself off and added the second.

This time it was great work from Joel Campbell, once a loanee at Olympiacos, as he controlled an Ozil pass before producing the perfect pass into Giroud for him to sweep home.

His hat-trick was complete when referee Nicola Rizzoli pointed to the penalty spot as Nacho Monreal’s shot was blocked by the arm of the diving Omar Elabdellaoui.

Giroud duly despatched the resulting penalty and left Wenger purring at his display.

“It was a perfect performance,” he said.

“He scored a header, one with a good combination thanks to a good pass by Campbell, and also a penalty on top of that.

“He was sometimes in uncomfortable positions, but he fought like mad and he has shown skill and character.

“I always defended Olivier on the character side because he has always had something special on that front. He showed that in the game again today.”

Arsenal could now face Andre Villas-Boas’ Zenit Saint Petersburg, Manchester United’s conquerors Wolfsburg or the Spanish trio of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the next round.

Olympiacos, meanwhile, drop into the Europa League after failing to join Bayern Munich in qualifying from Group F.

Their head coach, Marco Silva, felt his side were left in a state of limbo after Giroud’s second goal meant they needed to score themselves to advance.

“We started strongly, we tried to create chances,” he said.

“In the second half I think we were influenced the second goal of Arsenal. The truth is that we fell somewhat below the strength of our team.

“It is true that at 2-0 we intended to take risks, to keep trying. We had the opportunities to score but our goal was at risk. The third goal killed our hopes and there ended the match. Whatever we did from that point we knew what it was too late.”

United fails to qualify after defeat to Wolfsburg

Manchester United have crashed out of the Champions League after suffering a 3-2 loss to Wolfsburg on a night of high drama at the Volkswagen Arena in Germany.

Anthony Martial put United ahead after 10 minutes, but Naldo equalised before the Bundesliga runners-up went ahead following a delicious 11-pass move that was finished by Vierinha.

A late own goal by Josuha Guilavogui gave United hope but Naldo found the net shortly after to earn a 3-2 win and send the injury-hit three-time European champions out.

CSKA Moscow were unable to pull off a shock win over PSV Eindhoven, and United now face the prospect of playing Europa League football in the new year.

Manager Louis van Gaal wanted to guide United to Champions League glory, but he will have to get used to long trips to far-flung corners of Europe on Thursday nights instead.

United may have been beset by injuries, but Van Gaal cannot use that as an excuse. United should have cruised through this group. The Dutchman’s critics will now only grow louder.

Without seven first-team regulars, Van Gaal was forced to hand defender Guillermo Varela his full debut. The Wolfsburg fans did their best to try to make David Moyes’ first signing feel uncomfortable and so did the players tearing about the pitch in white and green.

The hosts lived up to their nickname of Die Wolfe and hounded United like a pack of aggressive wolves.

Van Gaal’s team were never allowed to settle on the ball. Varela drifted inside, allowing Andre Schurrle a chance to shoot but he fluffed his lines and United breathed again.

Wolfsburg were well on top but somehow found themselves behind in the 10th minute.

Daley Blind found Juan Mata, who carved open the Wolfsburg back four to set Martial free. The Frenchman went into the game in poor form, but his finish was exemplary. He took one touch before rolling the ball past Diego Benaglio.

It was a superb finish, but Wolfsburg equalised with an even better one just three minutes later. Ricardo Rodriguez whipped in a low cross and Naldo got in front of Chris Smalling before volleying past David de Gea. United were back to square one.

Fellaini almost put them ahead again with a close-range header but Benaglio saved. Wolfsburg went on the attack at a devastating cost for United.

Wolfsburg switched the play from right to left and Schurrle drifted infield before laying the ball off to the sensational Julian Draxler. He glided past Bastian Schweinsteiger and two more United players while playing a one-two with Max Kruse before squaring to Vierinha and he slotted the ball in from close range. It was a stunning goal, one worthy of a team seemingly bound for a place among Europe’s elite.

Draxler drew yet more gasps from the despairing United fans when he wriggled free in the box, but De Gea saved his shot.

United were reeling. They needed the half-time whistle to regroup. Instead they were handed another problem as Darmian had to be replaced by 19-year-old Cameron Borthwick-Jackson because of an injury to the Italian.

United thought they had equalised when Jesse Lingard’s ball sailed into the goal, but the referee ruled Mata, who was in an offside position, had interfered with play.

United performed better at the start of the second period. Memphis Depay drew a save from Benaglio with an acrobatic volley. Wolfsburg still looked dangerous though. De Gea tipped an effort over from Schurrle and Kruse missed a sitter.

Van Gaal threw on Nick Powell for his first game in almost a year.

United supporters’ spirits were raised when CSKA took the lead, but PSV soon equalised and Van Gaal’s men were heading out. They needed an equaliser and they got it when Guilavogui knocked Fellaini’s header into his own net, but just a minute later Naldo headed in to send the locals inside the Volkswagen Arena wild.

United pushed for an equaliser but it did not come. It would not have mattered anyway. PSV’s winner in Eindhoven meant United were already out.

The Manchester United star was charged on Monday after the incident was missed by the officials in the goalless draw and is facing a three-match suspension.

But, Schweinsteiger, who has until noon on Thursday to respond to the charge, will appeal against the decision in the hope that a disciplinary panel see the incident differently.

The 31-year-old appeared to used his forearm to fend off the West Ham defender – with the duo jostling for a corner just before half-time.

Both Reid and West Ham boss Slaven Bilic thought it was a sending off offence, but Bilic said the referee could be excused because it was difficult to spot in the melee.
“It was a red card. He knows what he’s done – he’s elbowed me in the face. The referee couldn’t see it, so we move on,” said Reid.

“It was a moment of madness and he deserved to be sent off, but it’s impossible for the ref to see everything,” added Bilic. “No matter how many referees you have, sometimes they can’t see.

“I’m sure if he did see it, it would have been a straight red. Of course we are disappointed but it happens. He just didn’t see it.

“I saw it on the replays at half-time. It was a red, a big-time red. I understand the decision but it was a crucial moment. I can’t blame the referee.”