Author: Guardian sport

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Delap’s talents resurface in style, Gómez delights Brighton with more fireworks, and hair-pulling confusion at Everton

It would have been very easy for Oliver Glasner to lose patience with Liam Delap. The forward is still only 23, yet the days when he was rattling in 12 in a Premier League season for Ipswich have come to seem a very long time ago (and his six games for Manchester City even longer). A season at Chelsea had left him bereft of confidence, an odd mix of diffidence and overaggression, devoid of composure in the box, arms flailing like a broken windmill. But the old gifts have not left him. Both goals on Saturday were the result of great muscular surges and if the first finish seemed essentially about hitting the ball as hard as possible on target, the second was a precise – and still powerful – finish in off the far post. After games such as this it’s possible to imagine him as England’s long-term replacement for Harry Kane. Jonathan Wilson

Match report: Nottingham Forest 3-1 Manchester City

Match report: Manchester United 4-4 Aston Villa

Match report: Brighton 2-0 Brentford

Match report: Arsenal 1-0 Hull

Match report: Sunderland 1-0 Chelsea

Match report: Leeds 1-0 Tottenham

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Lampard appreciation at Everton, Glasner sparking Forest fire, Zubimendi and Kroupi in spotlight and Carrick v Emery

Nothing better encapsulates the dysfunction that was Everton under Farhad Moshiri than the idea that an unknown vandal with a can of spray paint could influence the club’s managerial direction. “Pereira out, Lampard in” they daubed on a wall at Goodison Park when it appeared Vítor Pereira was in line to replace Rafael Benítez in 2022. Alarmed by fan protests, the Everton board opted instead for Frank Lampard and, while his tenure ended 12 months later with the club immersed in another relegation battle, there will be appreciation for the Coventry manager when he makes a first visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday. The connection between Lampard and Evertonians was genuine and a factor in keeping the club up in 2022. Both parties will be glad to see the other emerging stronger from those troubled times. Jack Grealish, meanwhile, will again be absent for Everton after his recent disciplinary breach, although the manager, David Moyes, said: “We will be working again with Jack soon.” Andy Hunter

Everton v Coventry City, Friday 8pm (all times GMT)

Leeds v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm

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Australian F1 world champion Alan Jones dies aged 80

  • Jones one of just two Australians to win F1 title after triumph in 1980

  • He won 12 grands prix across 10 seasons before retirement in 1986

Alan Jones, the 1980 Formula One world champion, has died aged 80, leading to a string of tributes from across the sport.

Jones won 12 F1 grands prix across his career and became just the second Australian, after Sir Jack Brabham, to be crowned world champion when he claimed the title with Williams in 1980.

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Championship roundup: West Ham stage dramatic comeback on Scott Parker’s opening night

  • West Ham recover from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Cardiff

  • Leaders Middlesbrough beaten 2-0 at Wrexham

Scott Parker’s return to West Ham had had looked like beginning in painful fashion but instead featured a stunning comeback from 3-0 down. The east London club’s new head coach had watched Cardiff’s Jack Moylan help himself to a first-half hat-trick, before a rousing response after the break ended with Max Kilman levelling the scores at 3-3 eight minutes from time. Elsewhere in the Championship, leaders Middlesbrough went down 2-0 at Wrexham.

Parker had been confirmed as West Ham’s head coach earlier on Wednesday, taking over from Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked on Tuesday. The club’s former midfielder was appointed on a two-and-a-half year contract.

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West Ham confirm Scott Parker as head coach after sacking Nuno Espírito Santo

  • Parker takes over team eighth in Championship

  • He has overseen three promotions to Premier League

Scott Parker has been confirmed as West Ham’s head coach, taking over from Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked on Tuesday. The club’s former midfielder arrives on a two-and-a-half year contract with the team eighth in the Championship and takes charge of his first game at Cardiff on Wednesday.

West Ham hope that Parker, a promotion specialist, can spark a revival after defeats in their past two matches. The 46-year-old has led Burnley, Bournemouth and Fulham into the top flight.

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Marco Rose’s tactics are lifting Bournemouth, Roméo Lavia makes progress with Chelsea and Roberto De Zerbi gives youth a chance at Spurs

Good defending is the mark of champions. At Anfield, where Arsenal had not won in the past 13 visits, Mikel Arteta followed the orthodoxy of locking down once his team took the lead. This time around, it proved successful. Arsenal did not allow the occasion or the stadium to get to them as they have on previous occasions. In April 2023, Granit Xhaka entangling with Trent Alexander-Arnold energised home fans previously despondent that Arsenal were 2-0 up. It finished 2-2. On Sunday, Liverpool zipped around zestfully, as Andoni Iraola requests, though the final-ball quality was lacking. That owed a great deal to the organisation of the Arsenal defence. Ahead of the last international break, Brighton set a blueprint for getting the better of Arsenal in winning 3-0. Liverpool’s squad profile might have made a similar strategy possible though Iraola’s outfit is struggling to create chances in the same volume as Brighton or his Bournemouth team. John Brewin

Match report: Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal

Reaction: Iraola responds to Isak penalty denial

Match report: Aston Villa 1-1 Fulham

Match report: Bournemouth 2-0 Leeds United

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Bruno Fernandes owes Manchester United a performance, Mathys Tel has arrived at Spurs and Liverpool are improving

Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes held clear-the-air talks this week. Fernandes was an unused substitute against Bournemouth after criticising Carrick’s tactics during the Champions League defeat by Como but it seems the situation has been resolved – for now. Dropping Fernandes did not do United any good against Bournemouth, who ran riot at Old Trafford, and the captain is expected to return to the starting lineup for the trip to Chelsea. If that happens, he owes Carrick a performance. Fernandes has been poor this season and it is time he did his talking on the pitch. Jacob Steinberg

Chelsea v Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Manchester City v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Bournemouth’s transfer nous puts United to shame, Araújo is winning admirers at Anfield and Suzuki adapts swiftly at Villa

The three Bournemouth goalscorers cost a combined £85m, joining from Vasco da Gama, Middlesbrough, and Porto. The Cherries are smart at investing, far more so than Manchester United, who have wasted a lot of money by failing to look outside the box for players like Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson. United may not have the wealth they previously showed in the transfer market but Bournemouth are showing what can be done within a budget and, more importantly, will be able to make a profit on signings. United, however, only know losses as everyone’s price tag diminishes the moment they come through the Old Trafford door. Jason Wilcox and others can point to certain factors that are against them but there are quality signings to be made at the right price if you have the ability to find them. Will Unwin

Match report: Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth

Will Unwin: Carrick left carrying can for institutional failings

Match report: Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City

Match report: Liverpool 2-0 Brighton

Match report: Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham

Barney Ronay: Glitch in Chelsea’s coding costs Alonso while resurgent Spurs are all systems go

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Burnley sack Nicky Hayen after Lincoln rout leaves them in bottom three

  • Belgian won only one of his 14 games in charge

  • Relegated Burnley expected to challenge for promotion

Burnley have sacked Nicky Hayen after only 14 games in charge, in the wake of a 4-1 defeat at Lincoln that left the Clarets in the Championship’s relegation zone.

The Belgian was appointed in the summer as the permanent successor to Scott Parker, who left in April with relegation from the Premier League inevitable. He leaves having won just one match, a 4-0 league victory at Watford on 10 October.

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