Category: Football (Soccer)

It’s still very early but Mikel Arteta’s side are playing with an authority and freshness that eluded them at times last season

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Three league games played, three games won. For Arsenal this season could only have started better if Manchester City, who look like being one of their two most serious challengers, had dropped points. But it’s not just about results: Arsenal have been comfortably the better side in each of those three games, approaching each of them in very different ways.

After the controlled victory over Coventry City and the tight game against Aston Villa that was won thanks to ratcheting up the pressure in the 15 minutes after half-time, came success in a far more open game in which they conceded for the first time this season. Chelsea tested Arsenal on Sunday, went ahead, and yet Mikel Arteta’s side still always looked like they would win – even if it did take a superb late save from David Raya to keep out an Estevão shot. But the goalkeeper too is part of their strength; even if an opposing team can work a shooting opportunity, Raya has the capacity for spectacular saves that can dispirit opponents.

This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian US. Subscribe for free here.

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Fulham need a win, Tottenham show some spirit and Jack Grealish offers Everton much-needed energy

With 25 minutes to go against Manchester United, the Everton supporters had something to roar about as Jack Grealish made his return after rejoining on loan. The attacking midfielder remains universally popular thanks to his desire to entertain, getting the hosts back on their feet by creating dangerous situations within seconds of his arrival. Everton were limited in the final third for long periods as Thierno Barry sat on the periphery. If David Moyes is to keep his side pushing for a top-half finish, he will need Grealish to be a creative focal point. Will Unwin

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Kai Havertz scored and made the winner for Martin Odegaard as Arsenal asserted their supremacy

And now a third goal…

There’s been a second goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Clickity click click click!

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• Minute-by-minute updates from the action at Hill Dickinson Stadium

• Transfer failures leave Everton scrambling | Mail Tim

“Selected scuttlebut,” says Ian Copestake, promisingly, “from Everton fans on the train from Birkenhead to the game is that the fans have been lied to. Promises made by the new owners (shiny new stadium not mentioned) have not been fulfilled. Mutiny is round the corner (probably at Sandhills).”

An unexpected proposal from John Stedman. “I like the new(ish) Dining Across the Divide series [in the Saturday magazine] and hereby propose a new feature: Drinking Across the Sporting Divide, which you can pitch to your taskmasters in Guardian Towers.

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Enzo Fernández started for Manchester City after Nico O’Reilly’s back injury during the warm-up and sparkled, showing why the club paid a British-record-equalling £125m for the midfielder. The winner came courtesy of Erling Haaland’s 300th goal in club football and Fernández had a key part, feeding Antoine Semenyo, whose cross from the right was crashed home.

In the second half Coventry hammered away, but their wait for a first top-flight goal since Mustapha Hadji’s second in a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa on 5 May 2001 goes on. The visitors did not like losing, but were heartened by holding the star-studded hosts to a slender win, though the bottom line is all three of their Premier League outings on their return have been defeats.

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Just as Bournemouth’s Alex Scott seemed to have succeeded in building a personal playground by the Tyne, another midfielder emerged from the shadows and ruined his afternoon.

Since Matthias Jaissle succeeded Eddie Howe as Newcastle’s manager, Jacob Ramsey has been largely shunted to the margins, but substitute’s superbly executed 88th-minute equaliser ensured Scott and his teammates had to settle for a point.

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Alexander Isak’s early quick-fire double gave Andoni Iraola his first win as Liverpool manager

The teams are out! Ipswich in blue, Liverpool in red. A wonderful start-of-the-weekend, possibly-a-few-pints-to-the-good atmosphere under the lights at Portman Road! Not long now. In the meantime, here’s Dave Estherby with some pre-match words of encouragement for Liverpool: “Not really sure what’s going on upstairs at Anfield. Another summer where they’ve spaffed money up the wall for unproven PL players without realising they need a goalkeeper, two full backs, a centre half, two forwards, a winger and a replacement for whatever Mac Allister is supposed to do. AND back up for Ekitike who probably won’t play until the new year at least. Shambles. I feel sorry for Iraola, he couldn’t really turn them down but it might end up a backwards step.”

Pre-match postbag. “Leaving aside Liverpool’s less than imperial start to the season, you have to admit that’s a very tasty teamsheet on offer tonight - the right blend of youth, experience, Hungary’s answer to Bryan Robson and a World Cup winner in the middle of the park, a striker coveted by Man City, a Champions League winner on the bench and in Wirtz our very own Juan Sebastian Veron!” – Peadar de Burca

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