Category: English Premier League

The former Tottenham manager made a rash Premier League return, and it will probably be his last

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The weirdest aspect of Ange Postecoglou’s 40-day reign at Nottingham Forest was how inevitable it all felt. The only shock was that he was sacked on Saturday, within minutes of a 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea, rather than a day or two later. But by then, it was obvious this ill-starred adventure had run its course; perhaps it was kinder to everybody to bring it to an end. Forest, certainly, had to act quickly if they are to make the most of their first European campaign in three decades.

But why was such an obviously terrible appointment made in the first place? What was it that made the Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, ever think that Postecoglou was the right man to succeed Nuno Espírito Santo? They met in July at an event staged by the Greek league to celebrate Postecoglou winning the Europa League with Tottenham, but was it really just that? That they got on well over a glass of wine?

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.

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Arsenal’s title chase picks up pace, Yankuba Minteh gets one over on Newcastle and Wolves are in a tight spot

The high-stakes duel in one of the fiercest rivalries in the English game came down to a crucial in-game management decision. Arne Slot, a manager lauded for smart substitutions last season, took a gamble in the 62nd minute, making three changes that aggressively shifted Liverpool into a 4-2-4, leaving Curtis Jones and Florian Wirtz dangerously exposed in midfield. The gamble initially appeared worthwhile: after rattling a post twice, Cody Gakpo finally delivered a 78th-minute equaliser to breathe some life into the deflated Anfield crowd. But Ruben Amorim remained calm and trusted his vision. Liverpool were undone just six minutes later after Bruno Fernandes’s fantastic cross found Harry Maguire inexplicably alone at the far post, the lack of defensive bodies evident as he thumped in the winner. Slot was hoping for a high-risk, high-reward outcome but ultimately, United’s grit in the second half paid off. Amorim has his critics – droves of them – but his tactics, including starting Maguire, were vindicated to earn United’s first win at Anfield since 2016. Two league wins on the bounce is a first for Amorim at United. Are the wheels shifting? “It’s an embarrassing stat to have had,” said Maguire. “We have to start putting a bit more consistency together. We have set a benchmark.” Yara El-Shaboury

Match report: Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa

Match report: Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Match report: Nottingham Forest 0-3 Chelsea

Match report: Brighton 2-1 Newcastle

Match report: Manchester City 2-0 Everton

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Bryan Mbeumo’s early goal and Harry Maguire’s late header gave Man Utd their first win at Anfield in a decade

‘Ten years, man’

Given Mo Salah’s recent form (poor) and record against Man Utd (peerless), we may well hear the phrase “Who else?” at some point this afternoon. Opta’s supercomputer reckons there’s a 74.19 per cent chance.

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⚽ Buildup, news and discussion before Sunday’s action
⚽ Postecoglou could be least effective PL manager ever
⚽ Slot gambling on more Wirtz and less Salah | Mail us here

You could cast Anfield today as flop striker Alexander Isak versus flop striker Benjamin Sesko, if you wanted. Jonathan Liew would rather you didn’t.

Frank Lampard’s Coventry, to give them their legal name, are flying. The thought of them back in the top division is rather stirring to those of a certain age.

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Another goal from a corner, another three points for the Premier League leaders

The teams emerge from the Cottage. Fulham in white, Arsenal in second-choice blue. A heady atmosphere down by the river. It won’t be too long now.

Marco Silva talks to Sky. “[To have Raúl Jiménez back] is crucial … we have two strikers who have been scoring more than 20 goals a season together … we miss Rodrigo [Muniz] … it is crucial to have at least one of them.”

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For most of this breathless encounter, Bournemouth supporters were relishing the prospect of going top of the Premier League, albeit perhaps for only a few hours, and inflicting Crystal Palace’s second home defeat of 2025. Andoni Iraola’s impressive side had led through two goals from the teenager Eli Junior Kroupi before being pegged back by Jean-Philippe Mateta and thought they had won it when the substitute Ryan Christie scored with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Mateta, who scored on his first start for France in midweek, had other ideas as he converted an injury-time penalty to complete his hat-trick, although he missed a golden opportunity to win it at the death.

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Erling Haaland’s double seized the points, took him to 23 goals in 13 games for club and country this season, and kept Tottenham as the only foes the uber-striker has failed to score against this season.

The 25-year-old’s goals – on 58 and 63 minutes – shredded the visitors in two high-quality moments that decorated a generally middling affair.

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Ange Postecoglou was sacked less than half an hour after Chelsea inflicted another defeat on Forest

1 min After the players take a knee, Morgan Gibbs-White gets the match under way on a dank, drizzly afternoon in Nottingham.

A bit of news from elsewhere. Crystal Palace have confirmed their captain Marc Guehi will leave the club in the summer after rejecting the offer of a new contract.

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Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal from Nottingham Forest hogged the early-afternoon headlines, before Manchester City, Burnley, Brighton and Sunderland returned to winning ways after the international break

Burnley v Leeds United: Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts and Zeki Amdouni all remain sidelined for Burnley, but Scott Parker is hoping to have Lyle Foster and Jaidon Anthony available despite the duo suffering recent injuries.

Harry Gray and Willy Gnonto are both absent for Leeds United, while Noah Okafor is a doubt. Lucas Perri has recovered from a hamstring injury, while Dan James will have to undergo a fitness test as he tries to return from an ankle injury.

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• Sweden striker missed pre-season training at Newcastle

• Arne Slot says Isak is at full fitness ahead of United clash

Arne Slot has said Alexander Isak is ready to showcase the qualities that made him Britain’s most expensive footballer.

Isak’s low-key start to life at Liverpool has been attributed to him missing the majority of pre-season training with Newcastle while he forced through a record £125m transfer to Anfield. Seven weeks after joining the Premier League champions, however, and having played the entirety of Sweden’s two recent World Cup qualifiers, Slot believes match fitness is no longer an issue for a striker who aims to kickstart his Liverpool career against Manchester United on Sunday.

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• Tottenham have taken 13 points from past 17 home games

• ‘We need the fans, especially in the tough moments’

Thomas Frank believes that Tottenham’s poor home form will improve if there is a better connection with the crowd, the fans make more noise and stay positive during tough spells.

Frank’s side have made a strong start to the season, 14 points from their first seven games taking them into third place, but they will need to raise their level when they host Aston Villa on Sunday. The statistics do not reflect well on Spurs, whose record of 13 points from their past 17 Premier League home fixtures is the worst of any team to have been in the division throughout that period.

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• England defender is out of contract in the summer

• Stones played only 11 Premier League games last season

John Stones’s Manchester City future will be reliant on the defender’s fitness, according to Pep Guardiola. The England international’s contract expires in the summer and the club must decide if he deserves an extension after an injury-hit spell at the Etihad Stadium.

The 31-year-old recently said he contemplated retirement last season due to fitness problems, which resulted in him making only 11 Premier League appearances and missing the final three months of the campaign with a hamstring injury. Stones was an unused substitute for City’s past two league matches but will hope to return to the starting lineup against former club Everton on Saturday, having featured twice for England during the international break.

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Out-of-form Liverpool host Manchester United on Sunday while leaders Arsenal visit Fulham on Saturday evening

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue City Ground

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West Ham’s lack of forward planning, Rodri’s fitness concerns and a crunch clash at Anfield

• Top scorers: check out the latest standings

Ange Postecoglou is under increasing pressure at Nottingham Forest having failed to secure a win in his seven games in charge. Reports suggest Sean Dyche is waiting to take over, but history shows Evangelos Marinakis sways like the wind, and victory against Chelsea could be enough to save Postecoglou’s job for now. Goals have been a mounting concern for a team that have been beaten in four of their last five league matches and failed to score in any of those defeats. Failure to find their shooting boots will ensure Forest go three consecutive top-flight games without a goal for the first time since 1999. It will be a tough task against a buoyant Chelsea team, who entered the international break having beaten Liverpool. Moisés Caicedo was instrumental in the win against the defending champions, scoring the opener, and the 23-year-old leads the league in tackles (28) and interceptions (18). Elliot Anderson, whose total of 55 turnovers is also a league-high tally, will have his work cut out for him in what may be his toughest midfield battle of the season. Yara El-Shaboury

Nottingham Forest v Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Brighton v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm

Burnley v Leeds, Saturday 3pm

Crystal Palace v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm

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Our new daily puzzle, On the ball, involves guessing the identity of the Premier League footballers, past and present

That “dudes can just sit around and name old sports players” is a time-honoured social media meme. In football, this is especially true. Such wistful recollections can bring together all types of people.

A couple of seasons ago, on a Saturday night train back to London from reporting for the Guardian a match between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, I thought I had landed in the sanctuary of an abandoned carriage on the train home.

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