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Man United shred Ten Hag’s nerves, Caitlin Clark crowned: what happened in sport overnight

Spurs’ and Chelsea’s European adventures and the start of the Women’s T20 World Cup also feature

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Porto’s Samu Omorodion celebrates scoring his side’s third goal against Manchester United. Photo: AP

Thursday night football carries unflattering connotations, but it’s all relative.

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For a club such as Manchester United, playing in Europe would preferably mean a place among the elite of the Uefa Champions League, which books up your Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Continental fixtures later in the week indicate you’re playing for one of the lesser prizes. So it is that the humble Thursday was weaponised to tease United about their fall from grace.

The spiral has lasted long enough that any pot bearing a Uefa logo would now be welcomed into the Old Trafford trophy cabinet, and the same must be true for Tottenham Hotspur. Both were playing on a Thursday while you were sleeping.

Tottenham players look reasonably happy to be out on a Thursday after Brennan Johnson’s strike. Photo: Reuters
Tottenham players look reasonably happy to be out on a Thursday after Brennan Johnson’s strike. Photo: Reuters

Spurs day

Football chiefs have done much to strip the Europa League of jeopardy and prestige by lowering the bar for entry and tampering with the format, but it has a long and storied history, which counts for something … doesn’t it?

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