• Manchester United star and partner ‘devastated’ at loss
• ‘It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel,’ he says

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that his son has died during childbirth, with the Manchester United forward stating that only the birth of the child’s twin sister is providing him and his partner Georgina Rodríguez with the strength “to live this moment”.

The 37-year-old posted the news on Instagram on Monday evening. “It is with our deepest sadness that we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away,” the statement said. “It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel. Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.

• Dutchman expected to sign three or four year contract
• Ten Hag granted demand to have final decision on transfers

Manchester United are set to announce Erik ten Hag as their new permanent manager once the terms of his €2m release clause from Ajax are finalised in the coming days.

Negotiations over the length of the Dutchman’s deal are continuing as United close in on appointing a successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with Ten Hag expected to commit either to an initial three years plus the option of another 12 months or a four-year contract lasting until 2026.

Liverpool are getting recruitment right, Newcastle have a new hero in Bruno Guimarães and Christian Eriksen can get better

In the summer of 2020, Liverpool were big favourites to sign Timo Werner from RB Leipzig before the move fell through when Jürgen Klopp could not assure his fellow German of regular first-team football. Liverpool fans have spent the last couple of seasons relieved that the striker chose Chelsea instead, his numbers way down on what they were in the Bundesliga. Werner remains a maddening but intriguing presence. Watch the denouement of the FA Cup semi-final. In the final 10 minutes, he overruns the ball to ruin a fast break, has the energy to get back and halt a Palace counterattack, is named man of the match, flashes a cross into the box with no Chelsea shirt in sight, drives into the area again to put the ball on a plate for Romelu Lukaku, who hits a post, and rounds it all off by ballooning a dreadful shot into Row Z. There is Werner’s Chelsea career in microcosm. Wild, erratic and inconsistent and yet he’s capable of being the biggest threat to Klopp and Liverpool in next month’s FA Cup final. David Tindall

Match report: Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace

Match report: Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool

Match report: Manchester United 3-2 Norwich

Match report: Tottenham 0-1 Brighton

Match report: Southampton 1-0 Arsenal

Ralf Rangnick again criticised his Manchester United team, despite their 3-2 win over Norwich and admitted he wasn't impressed by their performance. A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick gave United all three points at Old Trafford but it wasn't enough to please the German as Norwich threatened a comeback. Rangnick also commented on the recent fan criticism of the club and the audible boos targeted towards Paul Pogba during the game.

• Cristiano Ronaldo hits hat-trick to give Manchester United edge over Norwich
  
• Manchester United fans stage anti-Glazer protest before Norwich game

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick gave Man Utd victory over Norwich while Arsenal’s top-four hopes took another knock

Man Utd fans have planned protests ahead of today’s game against Norwich. We’ll have a full story on that later. The “Glazers out” chants can be heard here.

Brighton boss Graham Potter, resplendent in black turtleneck sweater, applauds the travelling Brighton fans and even blows some kisses too. Even commentator Ian Darke called this very Spurs-y. Antonio Conte’s men have just six games left: Brentford (a), Leicester (h), Liverpool (a), Arsenal (h), Burnley (h), Norwich (a). The next four matches will surely decide their fate.

Cometh the hour, cometh Cristiano Ronaldo for the umpteenth time this season to save Manchester United.

After 75 minutes the score was level and Ralf Rangnick’s side were teetering on the brink of another capitulation after holding a two-goal lead. But then Ronaldo smashed a 25-yard free-kick in off Tim Krul’s right post and that was 3-2 – and a second hat-trick since 12 March for the 37-year-old, who now has 15 Premier League goals this season.

• Demonstration shuts corporate venues and club megastore
• Disillusioned supporters gather near directors’ entrance

Manchester United fans staged a peaceful protest against the Glazers’ ownership involving about 1,000 people which caused Old Trafford’s corporate venues and the club megastore to be closed before Norwich City’s visit. Those demonstrating did not enter the game until the 17th minute – one for every year of the American family’s proprietorship.

The demonstration, organised by a group calling itself the 1958, began at 2pm outside the Tollgate pub, and had its focal point inside the stadium’s Munich Tunnel, where the directors’ entrance is situated and which protesters brought to a standstill. The crowd chanted: “Love United, stay outside”, “Joel Glazer is going to die” and “We want Glazers out”. Joel Glazer is a co-chairman and one of six siblings who are proprietors.

• ‘I can understand our fans are disappointed,’ says Rangnick
• Larger protest planned at Old Trafford on Saturday

Manchester United fans unhappy at the Glazer family ownership gathered outside the club’s Carrington training ground complex on Friday morning to mount a peaceful protest, with police called to bolster security.

Two anti-Glazer banners were displayed and the crowd of about 30 people dispersed approximately half an hour before Ralf Rangnick held his weekly Friday media briefing at 1.15pm. The gathering comes before a planned protest on Saturday outside Old Trafford when the team host Norwich City.

Question: can this Manchester United season become any worse? Answer: almost certainly given the nadirs Ralf Rangnick’s team keep experiencing, the latest coming in the stupefying loss at Everton. Rangnick has won eight of his 17 Premier League games in charge: the lowest percentage (47%) by any manager. At the moment, then, his hiring has failed and, thus, do not write Norwich off despite the Canaries bottom-place status. Jamie Jackson

Saturday 3pm

Manchester City and Liverpool meet again, while Ralf Rangnick looks a spare part

It has been a physically and emotionally draining week for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola says City are “in big trouble” due to injuries picked up in their triumphant draw at the Wanda Metropolitano after Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker were forced off. Phil Foden spent most of the game sporting a bandaged head after a needlessly robust challenge from Felipe. Although some rejigging will be required for the second meeting with Liverpool in a week, the real challenge for Guardiola will be to refresh the team mentally for another season-defining match. The level of focus required at the Etihad on Sunday and in Spain on Wednesday will have been incredibly challenging for the players, many of whom played in both. An FA Cup semi-final is the kind of contest to sharpen the mind, although there will be no rest after. City face two games a week until mid-May so need to manage their bodies and minds carefully for the foreseeable. There can be no slip-ups. WU

Manchester City v Liverpool, Saturday 4.30pm (all times BST)

• The 1958 group are organising the march on Saturday
• ‘This is start of constant, relentless, legal and peaceful protests’

A Manchester United fans group is planning a fresh protest against the club’s owners, the Glazer family, when Ralf Rangnick’s side host Norwich City on Saturday and have promised it will not turn into “another Liverpool”.

The 1958 group posted details on social media, with supporters due to meet at the Tollgate hostelry in Stretford at 11am before marching to Old Trafford at 2pm. Those involved asked not to attend the game until 3.17pm – a minute for each year the Glazers have been proprietors.

Manchester City miss Rúben Dias, Hugo Lloris sets up Spurs for success and Sean Dyche’s comments come back to bite him

Attackers win games, but defences win titles. Manchester City were without Rúben Dias – the centre-back that led them to Premier League glory last season – and his absence was obvious to see. On an individual level he is the best defender City possess and ensures calm among his colleagues, which limits mistakes throughout the backline. Liverpool’s opener came from Dias’ replacement, John Stones, failing to deal with a cross, heading it immediately into a dangerous area, allowing the visitors to recycle the ball and eventually level through Diogo Jota. To Stones’ right was Kyle Walker, a man who has looked more dependable alongside Dias, but he made a couple of key lapses in concentration. First, he allowed Sadio Mané to get inside him and score the second equaliser. Second, he sat two yards behind his colleagues, allowing Liverpool to beat the offside trap and they would have scored if not for a fine Ederson save. City have the firepower to beat anyone but they still risk being let down by defensive frailties without Dias. Will Unwin

Match report: Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool

Match report: Everton 1-0 Man Utd

Match report: Norwich 2-0 Burnley

• Player appeared to have altercation with a young Everton fan
• Ronaldo has apologised for his ‘emotions’ on social media

Cristiano Ronaldo is at the centre of a Merseyside Police investigation following an incident at the end of Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Everton in which the Manchester United forward appeared to knock a mobile phone out of a supporter’s hand.

While the 37-year-old subsequently apologised on Instagram and invited the fan to a game at Old Trafford, police are now appealing for witnesses after a video of the incident was posted on social media as the Portuguese headed towards the tunnel at Goodison Park.

The Dutch coach’s friends and former charges say he is a football-obsessed control freak who’s hugely loyal to his players

Erik ten Hag, the Ajax coach targeted by Manchester United, has a reputation as a control freak. He analyses opponents from head to toe, even if he already played against them twice in the season. He sends his players video clips of opponents, provides tips and is in constant conversation with them, even about which newspapers they should read or what time they should be in bed.

He imposes strict rules. When he began his coaching career at youth level, Ten Hag immediately shortened his pupils’ holidays: whoever dared come back too late had a problem.

• Player appeared to knock phone from fan’s hand
• ‘I would like to apologise for my outburst’

Cristiano Ronaldo has apologised after he appeared to knock a mobile phone out of a supporter’s hand after Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat at Everton. Footage emerged on social media of Ronaldo appearing to swipe his hand towards the ground as he walked off the pitch and headed for the tunnel at Goodison Park.

Eyewitnesses said the 37-year-old had knocked a fan’s phone out of their hand and it smashed to the ground. Ronaldo took to Instagram to apologise for the incident.

• De Gea: ‘Everton had more desire than us’
• ‘We don’t deserve Champions League,’ says Rangnick

David de Gea labelled Manchester United a disgrace after their hopes of Champions League qualification faded with a dismal 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Everton. United suffered a third defeat in five matches courtesy of Anthony Gordon’s deflected goal and despite impressive contributions from the England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford they failed to seriously test an Everton defence that conceded three at Burnley in midweek.

De Gea did not hold back in a scathing analysis of United’s effort, admitting they lacked the desire Everton showed in their fight to avoid a first relegation since 1951.

Anthony Gordon scored the only goal of the game to help Everton win three precious points against clueless, mightily obliging visitors

• Read Andy Hunter’s match report from Goodison Park
  

A minute’s applause: Goodison Park remembers their former left-back and coach Terry Darracott, who died in March at the age of 71. May he rest in peace.

Not long now: Everton emerge from the narrow Goodison Park tunnel led by Seamus Coleman. Harry Maguire wears the armband for Manchester United. Neither skipper has been in particularly good form this season.

It will not rank as the finest goal of Anthony Gordon’s career but it could prove the most important. The boyhood Evertonian brought his club a precious victory in their increasingly fraught attempt to avoid relegation as Manchester United’s top-four prospects suffered a serious setback.

Gordon’s deflected first-half strike was the difference between an Everton team that scrapped for their lives and a United side that is disgracefully going through the motions. They enjoyed plenty of possession but a spiritless, dispassionate display underlined the extent of the task the caretaker manager will bequeath to the likely successor Erik ten Hag.

• Rangnick has agreed contract to continue as an advisor
• Erik ten Hag likely to be next manager at Old Trafford

Ralf Rangnick has given the Manchester United board his verdict on his squad and which of their underachieving players he thinks should stay or go in the summer overhaul at Old Trafford. The interim manager has also offered to brief his successor – likely to be Erik ten Hag – on his conclusions from his six-month reign in temporary charge.

Rangnick will remain involved at United with a consultancy role for the next two seasons but, while he has not played a leading role in the recruitment process for his successor and was reluctant to discuss the move for Ten Hag, he is willing to offer the current Ajax manager, or whoever ends up being United’s next permanent manager, his thoughts on the present group.

The stakes for Frank Lampard are even higher than the visitors’ need for
Champions League qualification. Eight defeats in 12 matches, the latest an
act of self-implosion at Burnley, has left Everton’s latest manager
fielding questions about his future already and the club’s Premier League
status on the critical list. His four victories have all come on home soil,
however, while Ralf Rangnick’s team have won only three of their last 11
fixtures in all competitions. Cristiano Ronaldo is available having missed
last week’s fortunate draw against Leicester through illness. Andy Hunter

Saturday 12.30pm BT Sport 1