Jose Mourinho laughed at the suggestion that Alex Ferguson is under any pressure, but it needed a defeat of Benfica to let some steam escape from the Old Trafford cooking pot.

It was an encouraging night for Brian Kerr in the Coca-Cola Championship tonight, with two Republic of Ireland strikers on target.

Manchester United 0 Lille 0

Sparta Prague 0 Arsenal 2

Aston Villa manager David O’Leary has been charged by the Football Association with using abusive and/or insulting words towards match official Graham Poll.

Borders 0 Ulster 27

Sunderland 1 Manchester United 3

Manchester City are awaiting official confirmation Nedum Onuoha’s red card in last night’s Carling Cup defeat to Doncaster will be rescinded.

Stuart Pearce refused to play the blame game after Manchester City crashed out of the Carling Cup following a red card that should never have been.

Celtic 2 Falkirk 1 (aet)

Blackburn 3 Huddersfield 1

Celtic captain Neil Lennon has been banned for three matches for his clash with referee Stuart Dougal after the Old Firm derby on August 20.

Celtic captain Neil Lennon has been banned for three matches for his clash with referee Stuart Dougal after the Old Firm derby on August 20.

Arsenal 2 Everton 0

Steve McClaren must wish Middlesbrough could play Aston Villa after every European tie as George Boateng had the last laugh over the Holte End boo boys with a second-half winner.

Everton’s miserable season shows no sign of taking a turn for the better after the rock-bottom Toffeemen slumped to their sixth defeat in seven Barclays Premiership outings.

Livingston 0 Celtic 5

A detective sergeant threatened his Garda interviewers that he had notes and tapes of his conversations with senior officers in Donegal, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

Yeats has been all the rage with the bookmakers ahead of Saturday’s Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh.

Tottenham striker Mido has denied a Football Association charge of improper conduct and reqested a personal hearing.