Category: Football (Soccer)

Football (Soccer) News

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Premier League: 10 talking points from opening weekend of the season

Manchester United’s under-powered attack, Brentford’s £39m bargain and Dewsbury-Hall delivers for Everton

Arsenal’s treatment of Gabriel Martinelli has been questioned by Ian Wright after the Brazil forward was left out of their squad for Friday’s opening game against Coventry. Martinelli turned down a move to Galatasaray last week after Arsenal had agreed a fee with the Turkish club and the former striker Wright revealed on Sky Sports after the Coventry game that no one at the club has spoken to the 25-year-old to discuss his future. “I know they might want him out, and a lot of people might say, ‘yeah, it’s time for him to move him on’. But there’s ways of doing that and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave,” said Wright. “He’s done enough with this squad to be treated with a little bit more respect than he’s being treated with at the moment.” Ed Aarons

Match report: Arsenal 3-0 Coventry

Match report: Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa

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Liverpool’s Szoboszlai spot on with late, late leveller to salvage point at Newcastle

Before kick-off a banner was raised in the Gallowgate End inscribed with a quotation from the late Kevin Keegan. “I want people to dream about their football,” it read. “We should all be dreamers at heart.”

Out on the pitch it swiftly became apparent that both Matthias Jaissle, Keegan’s latest successor in the Newcastle dugout, and Liverpool’s new manager Andoni Iraola are on individual missions to create forms of organised chaos capable of subjecting the best opponents to torrid nightmares.

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Guéhi and Gvardiol late show earns Manchester City dramatic win against Bournemouth

“WELCOME BACK ENZO” read the tifo beforehand and by the breathless close this was a joyous return for Manchester City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, as a damaging loss became a memorable win due to Marc Guéhi’s 84th-minute equaliser and Josko Gvardiol’s added-time winner.

Until then, Marco Rose had been closing in on leading Bournemouth to a first ever away victory at City. But two lapses in defence and suddenly City were the ruthless proposition they had failed to be before.

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European football: Torres double rescues PSG point after Rennes threaten shock win

  • Atlético’s Alvarez booed by own fans in home draw

  • Salah scores first goals in Trabzonspor victory

Ferran Torres came off the bench to score a late double ⁠on his debut as Paris Saint-Germain rallied from two goals down to draw ⁠2-2 with ⁠hosts Rennes in their Ligue 1 season opener on Sunday. Sebastian Szymanski and Esteban Lepaul gave ⁠the home side a 2-0 lead at half-time but PSG piled on the pressure in ⁠the second period and were rewarded with a point.

Rennes led ​inside nine minutes as ‌Szymanski’s shot went ‌in off the post to provide the perfect start ‌to the season for the hosts. Désiré Doué thought he had levelled for PSG, but his effort was ruled out for offside, and the home side made it 2-0 seven minutes before the break. Przemyslaw Frankowski found space ‌on the right wing and his low cross into the box was turned into the ​net by Lepaul.

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West Brom surge back to floor Flemming-less Burnley amid transfer speculation

West Brom’s head coach, James Morrison, insisted his side must “stay humble” after Isaac Price inspired them to a 3-1 comeback win against promotion favourites Burnley in the Championship at the Hawthorns. The Northern Ireland international scored twice in the second half after setting up Harry Whitwell’s equaliser to cancel out Callum Styles’s early own goal.

“I felt it was a top performance. I enjoyed it at times for the intensity with the lads willing to run for each other,” Morrison said. “We did the basics really well – we won tackles, and when we lost the ball, we ran back and when the opportunities were given to us, we took advantage.

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Enzo Maresca searches for ‘new Rodri’ and embraces Manchester City challenge

  • ‘You need to be good at recruiting the next one’

  • Maresca’s City take on Bournemouth on Sunday

Enzo Maresca has brushed off the loss of Rodri to Barcelona for £65m by stating Manchester City will search for the “new Rodri” in the same way Sergio Agüero was replaced by Erling Haaland.

Rodri’s departure is a sizable blow to the club’s new manager as he embarks on a first season in charge. Yet the Italian is not fazed by the absence of a player considered one of the world’s best No 6s.

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Brentford 3-0 Tottenham: Premier League – as it happened

New-look Spurs were outclassed by Brentford, for whom Mamadou Sangaré had a debut to remember

The teams are out! Brentford wear their red and white stripes, while Spurs are in their blue, pink, purple and many more colours away kit. According to the marketing blurb, which presumably took upwards of 30 seconds to write, these are “never-before-seen visuals inspired by never-before-seen destinations”. They haven’t even tried to make anything up. No spurious allusions to local industry, significant figures, bus routes? Proper feet-on-the-desk vibes there. Anyway, we’ll be off in a minute.

Roberto De Zerbi speaks to Sky. “We have big confidence because all three [debut defenders] are very important players with experience and qualities … we have no problem with them … [Archie Gray, stand-in captain for the day] is very young but has a big personality … he deserves to be captain today … we do not have the complete squad today … but no excuses … the quality is enough to complete … [Brentford] have a clear style … very strong … we have to adapt … the Premier League is a very tough competition and we have to play in our way.”

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Nottm Forest 0-1 Leeds, Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace, Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland: football clockwatch – as it happened

There were victories for newly promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town, while Leeds United and Everton also got their campaigns off to winning starts

Championship: Millwall have doubled their lead against Norwich, with Tairyk Arconte scoring his second goal of the game from a Jake Cooper knockdown at a set-piece. It’s 2-0 at the Den and hapless Norwich are staring down the barrel of their second league defeat of the season in two games.

Manchester United: The club has agreed a deal worth an initial £65m for Carlos Baleba and the 22-year-old Brighton midfielder will have his medical this weekend, writes Jamie Jackson.

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Championship roundup: Nuno admits West Ham ‘let down’ fans with Charlton defeat

  • Wolves sink teeth into Preston; Blackburn stun Boro

  • Southampton’s late show leaves Stoke pointless

Charlton maintained their perfect start to the Championship season with a 2-1 victory at West Ham in a pulsating London derby to pile more pressure on the Hammers manager, Nuno Espírito Santo.

Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell put Charlton 2-0 ahead before Joel Piroe, signed on loan from Leeds, marked his first appearance for the home side with a goal that set up a frantic finish. Taty Castellanos then missed a stoppage-time penalty for West Ham that would have salvaged a point.

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Lionel Messi fined for slapping opposition player in MLS game

  • Incident happened when Inter Miami met Philadelphia Union

  • Argentinian lashed out at Quinn Sullivan in 2-2 draw

Lionel Messi has been fined for slapping an opponent during a Major League Soccer game. The 39-year-old Inter Miami forward lashed out at Quinn Sullivan of Philadelphia Union during their match on Wednesday, catching the midfielder around the back of the head.

The Argentinian appeared to be angry Sullivan had elbowed him after he had played the ball, with the referee intervening before the situation could escalate. The match at Subaru Park finished 2-2.

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Arsenal 3-0 Coventry City: Premier League – as it happened

Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard were all on target as Arsenal began their title defence in style

Plenty of debutants in the cast tonight. Every single one of them will have been dreaming of something like this …

Mikel Arteta’s turn to talk pitchside to Sky. “The players need that desire to go again … I certainly have it … we have to create an opportunity … we don’t know what other clubs are going to do … we have to be the best version of ourselves … we have to deliver our game for 96 minutes every three days … if you are not capable of doing that, you are in trouble … we have to get better … we are trying to improve the team [in the transfer window] … but so far I am very happy.”

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