• Forward’s form has dropped for Manchester United
• Rashford responds to social media post supporting him

Marcus Rashford has criticised the abuse he has received this season and said on social media “enough is enough”.

The forward is enduring a disappointing campaign in which he has scored only eight times in 41 appearances for Manchester United, having managed a career-high 30 goals last season. At 12.36am on Friday Rashford retweeted a post on X, formerly Twitter, that said: “The way Marcus Rashford is being treated is absolutely disgusting. It’s cruel. It’s abuse.” Above this he wrote : “I appreciate your support! It is abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough.”

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Liverpool await a dead-ball salvo, Luton have to keep their chins up, and things could get spicy at the City Ground

David Moyes will surely have taken note of Liverpool’s struggle to defend set pieces against Everton. Jürgen Klopp, who must be delighted with a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, should prepare his team for another bruising test when they visit West Ham. For Moyes, this is a chance to repair the sizeable damage to his reputation caused by last weekend’s collapse at Selhurst Park . West Ham were 4-0 down to Palace after 31 minutes and are preparing to part company with Moyes at the end of the season, but they should take heart from how Everton unsettled Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. Everton scored twice from set pieces and West Ham pose a similar threat from dead balls. James Ward-Prowse’s deliveries towards Tomas Soucek, Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio will have Klopp’s defenders sweating. Jacob Steinberg

West Ham v Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Fulham v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Newcastle v Sheffield United, Saturday 3pm

Manchester United v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

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Ethan Wheatley became the latest homegrown talent to make their first-team debut in the win over Sheffield United

The quarter of a century has been 93 years in the making at Old Trafford and it was poignant that a local lad, Ethan Wheatley, became the 250th academy graduate to make their debut for Manchester United’s senior men’s team on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old had spent the previous evening scoring two goals to help defeat Manchester City to win the Premier League Cup. Wheatley, who like his teammate Kobbie Mainoo was born in Stockport, became the 101st player from Greater Manchester to make the leap from academy to elite when he replaced Rasmus Højlund late on against Sheffield United .

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With 81 minutes gone Bruno Fernandes collected a Kobbie Mainoo pass and with a swish of his left foot fired a laser past Wes Foderingham and Manchester United were 3-2 ahead. The question now was could they at last hang on to a lead.

This was answered emphatically by Rasmus Højlund, whose strike as the end of regulation time neared gave Erik ten Hag’s team security and was the best way to close before a watching Jason Wilcox, the new technical director, who will lead the football department until Dan Ashworth joins from Newcastle.

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• Manager forgives Garnacho and says: ‘We move on’
• Wilcox leaves role as Southampton’s director of football

Erik ten Hag has denied claims of ­factions within his Manchester United squad, while attempting to put a line under a string of recent controversies.

On a day when Jason Wilcox was confirmed as United’s technical director, joining from Southampton, Ten Hag sought to further cool waters after Alejandro Garnacho apologised for the faux-pas of liking a social media post critical of his manager .

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• Winger liked posts on X criticising Manchester United coach
• Argentinian withdrawn at half time in 2-2 draw at Bournemouth

Alejandro Garnacho has been spoken to by Erik ten Hag after the Manchester United winger liked tweets that criticised his half-time substitution at Bournemouth and suggested he had been “thrown under the bus” by the head coach.

Garnacho quickly removed his like on the two messages, which the club believe shows contrition, and any further action will be decided internally.

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For Manchester United, is there a more damning indictment of their current state than the fact they have faced more shots than anyone else in the division this season? André Onana’s goal was peppered again here and they have now conceded a league-high 574 shots. The other teams at the top that list? Sheffield United, Luton and Burnley, a trio mired deep in relegation trouble. It is so easy for sides to ruffle United and it seems Erik ten Hag does not know the solution either, though Bruno Fernandes scored twice at Bournemouth to prevent a humbling defeat. Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert struck for Andoni Iraola’s swarming side and the hosts thought they earned a stoppage-time penalty, only for VAR to rescue Willy Kambwala from further pain.

There were nine minutes of first-half stoppage time and while Fernandes, the United captain, clipped the crossbar with a dipping shot from 25 yards as he went in search of an equaliser, when the fourth official indicated as much it was the visitors who badly required some respite.

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• Updates from the 5.30pm BST kick-off at the Vitality Stadium
• Get in touch! Share your thoughts in an email to Barry

Referee: Tony Harrington,

Assistants: Matthew Wilkes and Derek Eaton.

Fourth official: Graham Scott.

VAR: Jarred Gillett.

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• ‘A lot went against us this season’
• Dutchman accepts responsibility ‘like a minister’ for struggles

Erik ten Hag claims Manchester United have suffered huge bad luck but accepts that, like a government minister, he is held responsible for how his team perform.

After last season’s Carabao Cup triumph and third-place finish, Ten Hag has had to contend with myriad problems. These include uncertainty regarding Mason Greenwood’s future, Jadon Sancho’s refusal to play, Antony’s off-field issue, serial injuries and the club’s state of flux owing to Sir Jim Ratcliffe becoming a part-owner at Christmas, then conducting a structural overhaul.

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