August 26: What the back pages of the newspapers say

Also: This was a night when nothing appeared to go right for Portsmouth.  

DAILY STAR

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood last night hit back at critics of Arsene Wenger, saying they were talking "rubbish".

Also: Patched-up Manchester United got their season up and running with a hard-fought win at Portsmouth last night.  

DAILY EXPRESS

Sir Alex Ferguson said this was a must-win game and his team delivered - albeit with a huge helping hand from Portsmouth as the champions left Fratton Park with a 1-0 victory.

Also: Golden girl Rebecca Adlington believes Britain can make an even bigger Olympics splash in London 2012 following the nation's stunning Beijing triumph.  

Golden girl: Rebecca Adlington is reunited with her parents Steve (left) and Kay after Team GB returned home yesterday

DAILY MIRROR

Angry Tottenham last night vowed not to buckle in their war of attrition over Dimitar Berbatov - despite him sulking his way out of Juande Ramos' plans.

Also: Real Madrid striker Robinho will sign for Chelsea this week for £28million.  

THE SUN

Shaun Wright-Phillips is poised to return to Manchester City this week.

Also: Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is ready to snatch Espanyol winger Albert Riera from under the noses of bitter rivals Everton.  

THE GUARDIAN

Darren Clarke's prospects of making another Ryder Cup appearance went from long-shot to odds-on last night when it emerged that Ian Poulter, his principal challenger for one of Nick Faldo's two captain's picks, has withdrawn from this week's Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland.

Also: France are the latest country to react badly to Great Britain's Olympic success, with a withering comment from their sports minister, Bernard Laporte.  

THE INDEPENDENT

It has rained mixed messages at Manchester City this summer and the confusion showed no sign of drying up yesterday when the executive chairman, Garry Cook, said that Thaksin Shinawatra remains committed to the club and has no intention of selling up.

Also: The Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos yesterday agreed to a one-year loan deal at Milan as Arsene Wenger's remarkable clear-out continued.  

THE TIMES

Manchester United will travel to Monaco on Thursday with a spring in their step after avoiding a potential banana skin at Fratton Park last night, a 1-0 victory moving the Barclays Premier League champions to within two points of Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the table.

Also: There was relief at Manchester City yesterday with the news that Micah Richards will not face a long stint on the sidelines after being knocked unconscious during the 3-0 win at home to West Ham United at the weekend.  

DAILY TELEGRAPH

It can be a gilded life as a double Olympic gold medallist, as Rebecca Adlington discovered when British Airways upgraded her to first class for her flight back from Beijing.

Also: Great Britain's problems in assembling an Olympic football team for 2012 are unlikely ever to become as profound as those faced by Matt Busby at the London Games in 1948, when he was forced to pull together an arbitrary assortment of players from the four home nations at six weeks' notice - and to conduct training on a school playing field.