LONDON: Jose Mourinho has admitted Manchester United lacked second-half “ambition” as his side narrowly secured victory over a spirited West Bromwich Albion side at The Hawthorns. Goals from Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard in a dominant first half secured a vital three points for the visitors.
“We had less ambition after the break. The intensity in the first half, maybe we didn’t have in the second half. West Brom are really powerful in the air. But after their goal we controlled the game again. We brought the ball into the opposition half,” the Portuguese said of his team’s second interval performance.
“I think we deserved the win. We were the best team. I knew, and the players knew, that West Brom are very dangerous on set-pieces. We controlled the game for a long, long time, then Alan Pardew reacted. We had a few chances to kill the game but I knew they would react,” he added.
United were under pressure to produce a winning display after title rivals Manchester City had thrashed Tottenham 4-1 the day before and the win keeps Mourinho’s men 11 points behind the runaway leaders.
Lukaku, criticized for several below-par performances in recent weeks, repaid his manager’s faith with a battling performance and a neat header to open the scoring for his side after a lacklustre start to proceedings. It was his 31st goal in 39 Premier League appearances against sides outside the “top six”.
United were aided by a poor defensive display in the first period from West Brom, who saw Ahmed Hegazi deflect a tame shot from Lingard past his own goalkeeper to put the visitors 2-0 up and in complete control at the half-time break.
West Brom, much improved after the interval,w were given hope when Gareth Barry pulled a goal back for the hosts in an ugly scramble to poke home the club’s first goal under Pardew and his first for Albion. United were left hanging on as the home side had a penalty shout turned down and came close on several occasions in the final moments but were unable to force a late equalizer.
Albion manager Pardew admitted afterwards that he made team selection errors with his starting XI: “In hindsight, I probably picked the wrong team and we could have had some fresher legs in there. We lacked energy and I have to take some blame for that.”
Mourinho finds reason to smile
Mourinho finds reason to smile
‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026
- Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu
YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.
Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.
Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”
He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”
The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.
Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.
Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.
“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”
Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.
