Chelsea play host to Liverpool on Saturday while Manchester City travel to Brentford on Sunday
Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Elland Road
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Sunderland eye an upset at Old Trafford, Arsenal hope to settle old scores with West Ham and Everton look blunt
Unbeaten in the league since their Friday night opener at Anfield, Bournemouth’s early momentum has been stalled by consecutive draws: at home to Newcastle and at Leeds last week. Fulham visit the Vitality on Friday, offering Andoni Iraola’s side a presentable chance of recapturing winning ways and going second in the table. After a turbulent summer, Iraola has sought consistency in his team selection. Trailing 2-1 at Leeds, the Bournemouth manager made a triple change to restore three usual starters – David Brooks, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier – to his XI and was rewarded with a late leveller. Bournemouth have also maintained defensive stability, conceding just once in four games between the trips to Liverpool and Leeds. Marcos Senesi, often playing in an otherwise brand-new back five, has been key to the team’s continuity. The centre-back earned praise from Iraola for his defensive work and threat at attacking set-pieces – as evidenced by his headed assist for Eli Junior Kroupi’s equaliser at Elland Road. Niall McVeigh
Bournemouth v Fulham, Friday 8pm (all times BST)
Leeds v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm
Manchester United v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm
Arsenal v West Ham, Saturday 3pm
Chelsea v Liverpool, Saturday 5.30pm
Everton v Crystal Palace, Sunday 2pm
Continue reading...Nuno Espírito Santo says creating identity at West Ham is his ‘priority’
Nuno learning club culture after taking over as manager
‘It’s not about understanding. We have to really feel it’
Nuno Espírito Santo believes it will take time for him to build an identity and philosophy at West Ham. The former Nottingham Forest manager is adjusting to his latest role after a whirlwind start and is looking to connect with his new club’s culture on an emotional level.
Nuno, who was appointed following the brutal sacking of Graham Potter last weekend, said that longstanding members of staff have spent the week filling him in on life at West Ham. He smiled when asked for his interpretation of the West Ham way, a concept that means “gung-ho football” to some fans but passion and resilience to others.
Continue reading...Pitch points: why are United sticking with Amorim? And is Pulisic really that good?
The world of soccer throws up no shortage of questions on a regular basis. In today’s column, Graham Ruthven endeavors to answer three of them
It’s no wonder Ruben Amorim spent the closing moments of Manchester United’s defeat to Brentford staring at the floor. That’s the only place he can escape the reality of his team’s continued slide. United’s latest defeat means the Portuguese manager has now lost nearly twice as many matches (17) as he has won (nine).
Continue reading...Which Premier League manager has the highest low-possession record in a game? | The Knowledge
Plus: teams on epic draw streaks, early season pitch invasions and long-throw world records
Mail us with your questions and answers
“Manchester City had 32.8% possession in their 1-1 draw at Arsenal last month, the lowest of Pep Guardiola’s career,” begins Graham Murphy. “Do any managers have a higher lowest-possession figure in the English top flight?”
That figure of 32.8% was the lowest for Guardiola in a league game, as mentioned in last week’s column. We can’t compare him to every Premier League manager, mainly because possession stats were only recorded from the 2003-04 season onwards. Instead, we asked our friends at Opta to deliver the statistical goods on selected managers, past and present.
Continue reading...Everton v West Ham United: Premier League – as it happened
Michael Keane put Everton ahead, but Jarrod Bowen’s equaliser, West Ham’s first goal under Nuno Espírito Santo, earned them his first point
Seeing as Michael Keane is playing, here’s one of my favourite goals of recent times.
West Ham, meanwhile, will look to play off Fullkrug, with Bowen coming off the flank in support while, down the left, Summerville keeps the width and behind, Paquetá prompts. I don’t think they’re anywhere near as bad as their league position suggests, but i do worry about the centre of their defence – which is why is makes sense to bring Magassa in for Ward-Prowse.
Continue reading...It’s early, but every Premier League title contender already looks flawed
With late goals a major factor, the four major players for the trophy saw their narratives crystalize over the weekend
There’s always a danger this early in the Premier League season of reading too much into a single set of games. Titles may be lost in September but they are very rarely won. This past weekend, though, did feel like one where many of the prevailing narratives crystalised as Arsenal dug deep to win the sort of game they’ve become used to losing, Liverpool’s defensive shortcomings were exposed as they lost for the first time this campaign, Manchester City swept aside lesser opposition in the manner of old and Chelsea fell apart again.
Liverpool have looked defensively shaky all season. Having been the team of control in the last campaign, making the unremarkable 2-0 win a trademark, they have become the side of the late winner, clinching games this season in the 88th, 94th, 100th, 83rd, 95th, 92nd and 85th minutes. That was never going to be sustainable, but the question was whether general performances would improve, or whether the late strikes would dry up.
This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Mikel Arteta proves he may have changed his ways while Eddie Nketiah shows off his worth for Crystal Palace
St James’ Park has done strange things to Arsenal. It had become Mikel Arteta’s bogey ground, defeats the last three visits, his team unable to score. Each time, bright beginnings had given way to becoming bogged down by refereeing controversy, Arsenal pulled into the rolling maul football that better suits Newcastle’s muscle. Sunday’s attacking team selection and Arteta throwing the kitchen sink in chasing a win when a point had already been rescued hinted at a change in mentality. Arteta’s team eventually wrested control of the physical battle to push for three. If the dimensions that Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres have added failed to pay off, the Premier League’s deepest squad found the aerial power within itself, via Arteta’s attacking substitutions. An early overturned penalty and missed chances felt all too familiar. Arsenal’s response to those reverses, overturning their St James’ mental block, suggested a fresh determination that will serve them well in the title hunt. John Brewin
Match report: Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Match report: Aston Villa 3-1 Fulham
Match report: Brentford 3-1 Manchester United
Match report: Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool
Continue reading...Everton’s David Moyes takes no comfort from turmoil at former club West Ham
Nuno is third manager since he left 16 months ago
Moyes’ Everton host West Ham on Monday night
David Moyes has said he takes no comfort from the turmoil at West Ham with his former club on to their third manager since he departed 16 months ago.
Moyes delivered West Ham’s first trophy for 43 years in the 2023 Europa Conference League only for many supporters to demand a change of manager and more adventurous style throughout the following season. He admits that 2024 was probably the right time to leave from his perspective too.
Continue reading...Gabriel Magalhães stuns Newcastle with last-gasp comeback winner for Arsenal
During a year as a Newcastle midfielder under Rafael Benítez, Mikel Merino struggled to settle in the north-east. He departed for Real Sociedad without offering Tynesiders more than a few glimpses of his best work but, when Merino trotted on as a 70th-minute Arsenal substitute here, Eddie Howe had reason to be fearful.
At that stage Newcastle were leading thanks to Nick Woltemade’s second goal for the club but their manager did not need telling that Mikel Arteta’s reincarnation of Merino as an emergency forward last season proved one of the triumphs of his north London tenure.
Continue reading...Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened
Arsenal moved up to second after late headers from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes gave them a precious win
Mikel Arteta’s pre-match thoughts
[On Eberechi Eze’s inclusion] We’re very happy with what he’s doing so he’s earned the right to start the game.
[On Cristhian Mosquera’s inclusion] Willy [Saliba] is coming back from an ankle injury that he is still trying to resolve. He’s played twice in six days and we have another two games coming up this week so we have to managed the squad.
Continue reading...Aston Villa 3-1 Fulham: Premier League – as it happened
Aston Villa came from behind to record their first league win of the season, the goals coming from Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Emi Buendía
Email! “Thank you for your kind, and deserved, words about Fulham and Marco Silva,” begins Richard Hirst. “As a lover of Bob Dylan you’ve always been known as a man of great discernment, other than in your support of Man Utd. On that note, I’m interested in your views of whether Marco is the kind of manager United could do with; has a clear tactical plan but is willing to be flexible and certainly won’t be pictured staring helplessly at the turf or not watching penalties? Marco’s contract expires at the end of this season and I imagine he’ll walk if he doesn’t get Fulham into Europe, and quite possibly even if he does.”
I’m not sure: managers have different strengths, and it might be that his is what he’s doing now. I think he’s got the aggression you need to manage the biggest clubs, but I’m not certain he whether he can coach a side to dominate the ball, or whether anyone in the world can turn United into anything resembling a football team.
Continue reading...Tottenham 1-1 Wolves: Premier League – as it happened
Wolves were seconds away from a deserved win when Joao Palhinha scored a brilliant equaliser for Spurs
13 min That Spurs lorner leads to another, which leads to a Wolves throw-in on the far side.
12 min The Spurs crowd appeal for a penalty when Udogie’s cross hits the arm of Doherty in the area. It was tight to his body to a corner is all Spurs will get.
Continue reading...Manchester City pile misery on Burnley and Maxime Estève after two own goals
With its lightning ball-recycling that swept play left to right and then back into the area for a second Maxime Estève own goal, Manchester City’s third was a picture of their dominance under Pep Guardiola before last season’s decline.
Jérémy Doku raced inside from the left and found Phil Foden, whose instant turn-and-pass to Matheus Nunes scattered Burnley. The right-back’s cross was smacked in at velocity and Oscar Bobb’s attempt rebounded off Estève and past Martin Dubravka.
Continue reading...Nketiah’s stoppage-time winner ends Liverpool’s perfect start at Crystal Palace
Could things get any better for Crystal Palace? Now the only unbeaten side left in the Premier League having stretched their run to club record 18 matches thanks to this dramatic late victory over champions Liverpool, Palace are about to embark on their first European tour when they face Dinamo Kyiv in the Conference League on Thursday and have a manager that is proving to be a bit of a genius.
Arne Slot’s expensively assembled side thought they had kept up their run of rescuing late points when Federico Chiesa equalised Ismaïla Sarr’s opener. But the winning goal came from another substitute as Eddie Nketiah’s volley in the seventh minute of stoppage time recorded their first victory against Liverpool here since November 2014 and sent the home supporters wild. While Marc Guéhi put in another faultless performance against the club that came so close to signing him earlier the month and even provided the assist for Nketiah’s clincher, above all this was a triumph for the system that has been implemented by Oliver Glasner since he arrived in south London 18 months ago. On this form, Palace are a match for anyone.
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