Category: English Premier League

Possession numbers, the intense physicality and the pure rhythm of games all felt noticeably new as the season began

There has been something oddly narcotic and moreish about the drip‑drip of fresh Pep Guardiola content either side of the start of the new Premier League season. Eras come and go. Everything dies, baby, that’s a fact. But four‑part Amazon Prime documentaries make angels of us all.

So we have continued to feast on the Pep-at-City visuals: dead jeopardy, reheated beefs, the uplifting team talks of a departed manager to the departed players of a departed team, and moments that often feel far more gripping than the daily churn of what we must, out of habit, call the real world.

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Cole Palmer capped a majestic performance with the decisive third goal as Chelsea edged Fulham in a brilliant game

Joao Pedro, Chelsea’s new No9, has scored after 30 seconds. Cuenca’s driven ball out of defence was headed whence it came by one of the Chelsea centre-backs. Palmer slipped a simple* first-time pass through to Joao Pedro, who dinked the ball decisively over Leno.

* For him.

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Sunday’s draw with Newcastle shows Andoni Iraola’s new ideas as manager will need to overcome the squad’s lack of balance

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The good news for Liverpool is that, Arsenal aside, every other team with vague title aspirations who played over the weekend looked undercooked, and that Andoni Iraola’s men did, in the end, come away from Newcastle with a point. But the vulnerability to the counter that undermined them so often last season has not gone away, and nor have they suddenly found a new creativity under Iraola.

The main theme of the first three days of the new season was the value of stability. Manchester City under a new manager were poor and fortunate to overcome Bournemouth. Aston Villa, after big changes of players and backroom staff, were hammered at Brighton. Tottenham, midway through yet another overhaul, were dismal in losing at Brentford. Manchester United at least provided a degree of stability by looking very much like the United of the past decade in their defeat to Hull.

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

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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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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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“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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• ‘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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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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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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⚽ Live updates on the 12.30pm (BST) kick-off at the MKM Stadium
⚽ Live scores | Sign up for Football Daily | Mail Tim

Hull, naturally, are in orange too, with black stripes. United are in ivory as Bruno Fernandes gathers them for a pep talk.

The teams come out, and so do the fireworks. The MKM Stadium is a happy swirl of orange smoke.

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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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New-look Tottenham head to Brentford on Saturday while Newcastle v Liverpool is the headline fixture on Sunday

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue MKM Stadium

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Our writers gaze into their crystal balls and deliver their predictions for the Premier League season ahead

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Optimism abounds that De Zerbi and new signings can lead to a big improvement after two 17th-place finishes

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 6th (NB: this is not necessarily John Brewin’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 17th

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Manchester United’s new-look midfield, Ipswich’s ambition is tested and Kevin Keegan tributes at Newcastle

While Myles Lewis-Skelly looks likely to remain at the Emirates, the same can’t be said for Ethan Nwaneri. The 19-year-old was outstanding in his breakthrough season for Arsenal in 2024-25 but barely featured last season and was sent on loan to Marseille. That didn’t really work out and Arsenal are now exploring another temporary move to ensure Nwaneri gets regular football this season. Milan, RB Leipzig, Dortmund and Fulham are all thought to be interested, with Nwaneri unlikely to feature on the bench for Friday’s opener against Coventry as a result. Whether Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are available remains to be seen as Arsenal attempt to find suitors for the Brazil duo. Ed Aarons

Arsenal v Coventry City, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Hull City v Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm

Ipswich Town v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Nottingham Forest v Leeds, Saturday 3pm

Brighton v Aston Villa, Sunday 2pm

Manchester City v Bournemouth, Sunday 2pm

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