Manchester United vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick

Follow live coverage as Antonio Conte’s Spurs travel to Old Trafford in a pivotal match in the race to finish in the top four of the Premier League

(REUTERS)

Tottenham travel to Manchester United in the evening kick-off in the Premier League with the outcome likely to be pivotal in the race for a top four finish.

Spurs went down 3-0 at home to the Red Devils last October with both sides under different managers. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Nuno Espirito Santo have since been replaced by Ralf Rangnick and Antonio Conte, while Arsenal are the pace-setters in fourth after an impressive run of form from Mikel Arteta’s side, most recently in their slick attacking display at Watford.

Discussion has centred around Conte’s future, which will be decided at the end of the season as the Italian has demaned the club match his ambition with facts and not words: “For sure at the moment there is only one truth - I am committed to this club for another year. For sure it is true that I would like this - to fight for the future, to fight to be competitive, to fight to win and not only to finish fourth in the league, because I repeat, that is not my ambition.

“My ambition is to be competitive and to fight to win. I want this and I know my heart, my soul, my mind wants these things. I hope myself and the club match each other in this situation. For sure, you need in the future to have other important steps and to have ambition. And it needs to be ambition with facts, not only with words.” Follow live goal and score updates, build-up, analysis, reaction and more from Old Trafford below:

Manchester United vs Tottenham Premier League updates

• Bruno Fernandes misses out for United with illness
• Sergio Region replaces Ryan Sessegnon for Spurs
• GOAL! 12’ - Cristiano Ronaldo smashes home opener from range, 1-0
• GOAL! 35’ - Harry Kane penalty brings Spurs level, 1-1
• GOAL! 38’ - Ronaldo has a double, converting Jadon Sancho’s sublime square ball, 2-1
• GOAL! 72’ - Harry Maguire deflects into his own net, 2-2
• GOAL! 81’ - Ronaldo grabs hat-trick with powerful header at corner, 3-2

[12 March 2022 12:15 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool

Moh Salah has been involved in 10 goals in nine Premier League appearances against Brighton, averaging a goal or an assist every 75 minutes.

Salah needs one goal to reach 20 in the Premier League for the fourth time in his career.

[12 March 2022 12:12 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool: Liverpool benefit from Luis Diaz leverage in Mohamed Salah contract talks

Mohamed Salah deserves to be the best-paid player in the Premier League. The Liverpool forward is arguably the finest footballer in the world at the moment. He is the sort of performer who should be tied into a long future at Anfield.

His deal expires in 15 months. Letting his contract get into its last year would be a dangerous game for Liverpool to play. The problem is that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) would rather not pay anyone more than £400,000 per week, especially someone who will be 30 by the time next season starts.

There are a number of factors that are squeezing Salah’s salary expectations. The impact of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz has considerably strengthened Jurgen Klopp’s attacking options. Both players are 25 and have time on their hands. The front three of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are all four years older. The success of Jota and Diaz give FSG options as they assess the immediate future. Like Salah, Mane and Firmino are out of contract in 2023. At least one of the title-winning attacking trio is likely to be surplus to requirements.

[12 March 2022 12:08 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool

Graham Potter’s side have scored once and conceded nine in their last four matches and have only won once in 10 Premier League home fixtures with five draws and four defeats.

(AFP via Getty Images)

[12 March 2022 12:04 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool

Liverpool have won seven Premier League games in a row, scoring 19 goals and conceding just twice.

The Reds are two goals shy of becoming the second club to score 2,000 in the Premier League, emulating Manchester United.

[12 March 2022 12:01 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool

Brighton have just one win from their last nine games in all competitions and have suffered four consecutive Premier League defeats.

They could lose five top-flight fixtures in a row for the first time since May 1982.

[12 March 2022 11:58 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool: Chelsea situation not a surprise when authorities and fans turn blind eye to ownership concerns says Klopp

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes football authorities and fans have wrongly turned a blind eye to ownership issues in the Premier League so Chelsea’s current predicament should not come as a surprise.

The Stamford Bridge club are operating under a special licence after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government over his ties to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.

Stringent restrictions have been placed on the day-to-day operations at Chelsea, who are attracting interest from a number of parties after being put up for sale – currently paused – by Abramovich before sanctions were imposed.

[12 March 2022 11:54 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool

Liverpool have arrived at the Amex Stadium. The warm-ups will soon be underway before kick off at 12:30pm. Which way will this one go today?

[12 March 2022 11:51 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool: Alzate confident Brighton can turn around form

Brighton midfielder, Steven Alzate, is confident his team can turn around their fortunes and finish the season with more than 41 points which would be a record tally for the Seagulls.

However, four consecutive defeats for Brighton has seen them drop down sharply down the table but Alzate says that kind of run is to be expected over the course of a season.

When it’s not going your way in football it feels like nothing will fall for you. We’ve got a good group and despite a few losses we’ve still got high spirits in the dressing room,

“Every team will have a tough period and we’re going through ours now, so we need to stay strong and keep believing. We will start getting points again soon.

“Every season you want to demonstrate progress and we showed some of our best form at the start of the season – we need to rediscover that. Before the season people outside the club said we should be happy with staying in the league, then after five games they thought we’d be challenging for Europe.

“In the dressing room we’ve always been realistic. We’re confident we can beat that points tally of 41 with 11 games still to play.”

[12 March 2022 11:47 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool: ‘We are not good losers’: Jurgen Klopp expecting Liverpool reaction to Inter defeat

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits his players take defeat worse than he does and so he expects a reaction after experiencing only their third loss of the season.

The 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter Milan on Tuesday was offset by the fact a 2-0 first-leg lead meant the team progressed to their fourth quarter-final in five years.

However, it was Liverpool’s first defeat at Anfield in a year and there were muted celebrations at the final whistle.

[12 March 2022 11:42 · Michael Jones]

Brighton vs Liverpool: Head-to-head

Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in three Premier League meetings with Liverpool - winning one and picking up two draws.

However, Liverpool have not lost in eight top-flight trips to Brighton - four wins, four draws - a record for the most away games without losing against a particular opponent.