Key events
And that’s it for today’s blog. Thanks very much for reading and getting in touch. I’ll now point you towards Barry Glendenning’s MBM from The Emirates. Enjoy!
‘Longest ever VAR check’. That’s the title of this email from Man City fan Phil Grey.
“When we finally won that first major trophy in 35 years by beating Stoke in the 2011 FA Cup final, VAR hadn’t been invented yet. Now it feels like VAR has seen something in the build-up to Yaya Toure’s goal and has taken 15 (fifteen) years and counting to make up its mind. Nico O’Reilly was six, Max Dowman was one-and-a-half. And they’re still drawing the lines, and we’re still waiting…”
Some team news for two of Sunday’s games. They involve the matches at Selhurst Park and the MKM Stadium.
Crystal Palace: Ismaila Sarr could make his first start of the season as Palace welcome former manager Oliver Glasner and his Nottingham Forest side to Selhurst Park on Sunday.
An interesting reception awaits the Austrian and defender Daniel Munoz as the pair return for the first time since joining the club that took their Europa League place last year.
Palace dropped into the Conference League and Glasner bowed out by winning the final, with Sarr finishing as both the competition’s top scorer and player of the season. The 28-year-old was targeted by Liverpool over the summer and is finally ready to start having only managed two substitute appearances this term due to a groin injury.
Anan Khalaili has been given the green light to play a match that suspended Axel Disasi will miss, while Conference League final match-winner Jean-Philippe Mateta is closing in on a return.
Everton: Manager David Moyes is prepared to hold back summer signing Christian Norgaard for a couple more weeks as he thinks it may benefit his threadbare squad in the long run.
The former Denmark midfielder has not featured yet for his new club after arriving injured and although he had his first taste of action in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break there is no rush to push him into the squad.
“He has probably had about a week and a half on the grass and he’s only played 45 minutes in a game having not played for four or five months,” said Moyes ahead of the trip to Hull. He’s not had much football at all. He’s making progress, but I don’t know if he’s quite ready yet to be involved.
“We’re going into the part of the season where injuries and suspensions are part of it and we had a difficult time around December and January so I have to be mindful with the squad we have got and how I can try to manage them and get people fit at the right times.
(PA Media)
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has rejected suggestions that summer signing Bradley Barcola was struggling for form after the forward was criticised for his France performances. The 24-year-old received some brutal reviews after Monday’s 4-1 Nations League win over Belgium but a contribution of one chance created and just two shots was not well received by the French media, who took issue with his lack of end product.
With his two senior forwards Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both absent with injury for Sunday’s high-profile visit of Manchester City, Iraola needs Barcola to find the kind of display he regularly put in for Paris St Germain and so he was understandably keen to boost the winger’s confidence.
“I don’t think he’s in a bad moment – the problem with wingers or strikers is if they don’t score a goal, ‘they haven’t played well’,” he said.
“We have to see the games, we have to watch. I said it the first game against Atletico Madrid, he missed two or three quite clear chances. I don’t care. Honestly. I care but I want him to see (it’s) there. With the national team, I have seen he has had a couple of good situations to score; he hasn’t scored, but I want him to be there.”
Barcola could be pressed into action as a centre-forward, which is an unfamiliar role for him but one Iraola believes he can perform.
“He is a top player for us. I think he can play in any position up front,” he added. “He probably has played more as a left winger but has played a little bit as a striker, has played even more as a right winger. I think he can cover the three positions up front. He’s a super valuable player for us.”
(PA Media)
A few Optas for the early Premier League clash.
● Arsenal have won nine of their last 10 Premier League games against Leeds United (D1), including each of the last seven by an aggregate score of 24-5.
● Leeds United have lost each of their last five away league games against Arsenal since a 3-2 victory in May 2003. They’ve conceded at least four goals in four of these five visits.
● Leeds United have started a league campaign unbeaten in five matches (W2 D3) for the first time since their promotion winning campaign of 2019-20 under Marcelo Bielsa, while the Whites have done so in the top-flight for the first time since 2001-02 (first 11).
● Arsenal have recorded the most direct attacks in the Premier League so far this season (13), while Leeds United have averaged the second-fastest direct speed (2.03m/s). Meanwhile, only the Gunners and Manchester United (both 2) have faced fewer direct attacks than the Whites (4).
Team news from The Emirates. Despite being rated as “75% likely to start” by official Fantasy League sources, Kai Havertz and Ezri Konsa are both in the Arsenal XI.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Madueke
Subs: Kepa, Hincapie, Eze, Timber, Gyokeres, Merino, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Dowman
Leeds United: Trafford, Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic, Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson, Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Zetterer, Bard, Bijol, Gruev, Longstaff, Aaronson, Wilson, Bahoya, Nmecha
You can follow the action (kick-off in just over an hour at 12.30 BST) in Barry Glendenning’s live blog.
Cole Palmer signs new Chelsea contract until 2034
The Chelsea website now has photos of a smiling Cole Palmer holding a pen. The forward has signed a new contract on improved terms that runs until 2034, a year longer than his previous deal.
He signed that in August 2024, a year after joining from Manchester City for £42.5m
He says: “Chelsea means a lot to me and I think the club is going in the right direction, so I’m delighted to sign and I’m obviously very happy.
“Speaking to the owners, to the sporting directors and obviously the manager, they gave me a lot of confidence so it was only right to sign.
“Speaking to players as well, everyone has the same ambitions. I feel like we win major trophies here consistently and I want to be a part of that and play a big role in it too.”
Here’s a reminder of today’s Premier League fixtures. Arsenal v Leeds team news coming very shortly.
Saturday
12.30 Arsenal v Leeds
15.00 Aston Villa v Brentford
15.00 Chelsea v Bournemouth
15.00 Ipswich v Fulham
15.00 Sunderland v Brighton
17.30 Man Utd v Tottenham
Sunday
14.00 Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
14.00 Hull v Everton
16.30 Liverpool v Man City
Monday
20.00 Coventry v Newcastle
Back to Xabi Alonso although it’s Cole Palmer rather than Emerson, Lake & Palmer under discussion here.
And, as I write this, the breaking news is that Palmer (the footballer) has just signed a new Chelsea contract until 2034.
Loved this Sid Lowe chat with Raya Vallecano’s Sergio Camello. Not many interviews with footballers start like this…
“An 11-year-old, second-hand VW Beetle with more than 300,000km on the clock pulls over on Fofó the Clown Street in the heart of Vallecas. The music goes off, the Smiths silenced and out gets Sergio Camello: movie aficionado with 156 films reviewed, part-time photographer, sometime drummer, Olympic gold medallist and the second-top goalscorer in Europe’s biggest five leagues.”
I do hope Camello has chatted with Xabi Alonso, whose Spotify playlist includes Teenage Fanclub, The Velvet Underground and Belle and Sebastian.
Here’s a personal TF fave. Look out for the 60s dude who thinks he’s in The Byrds.
Has a footballer ever had a bowl haircut? You know, a proper one.
Our Jamie Jackson was at Enzo Maresca’s press conference yesterday. It was all pretty scripted stuff from the Manchester City boss but did Jamie spot a crucial ‘tell’?
To boo or not to boo? That’s one for the Crystal Palace fans as former boss, Oliver Glasner, returns to Selhurst Park with his new club Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Here’s Ben Fisher’s chat with the Austrian coach, who brought unprecedented success to the Eagles before his summer switch to Nottingham which didn’t go down very well.
Some xG analysis. Which Premier League team is the biggest overperformer so far? The club in question have scored 4.5 more goals than expected which rules out Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Spurs and Coventry as none of those have even scored more than four times.
You’ll find the answer, and more, in this article from Andrew Beasley.
Here’s Will Unwin on tonight’s ‘losing manager, put tin hat on’ showdown at Old Trafford.
“United sit solemnly in 12th with only one league win, and misery needs company. The hosts will find just that at Old Trafford on Saturday evening. Tottenham, bottom of the Premier League, visit, with both sides hoping to kickstart their season. Spurs have secured a measly two points after a summer where £300m was spent on Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild but the architect’s drawings are already at risk of being set alight.”
And here’s David Estherby on email with a look to the weekend matches.
“Hi David, Well, thank God that (the nation’s league)‘s over.
“Where are we then? As Man City almost certainly won’t be taking the PL title home this season, Leeds could do everyone else a massive favour and give Arsenal a good coating (spoiler – they won’t). Manchester Hotspur v Tottenham United is either gonna be a nine-goal shambles or the worst 0-0 in history.
“And tomorrow?? They may as well call the Anfield game off now; no way anyone’s getting through that one unscathed. Oh, and nice to see Maresca getting his BAFTA nomination in early yesterday. It’s back baby!”
Krishnamoorthy v gets in touch on email. His thoughts are turning to Anfield.
“How much ever we fake interests and yield to club loyalties (Blues here – no jokes please – no one is perfect) the ONLY match that matters is slated for tomorrow evening. K(C)ops vs cheaters, you will never walk alone vs you will never find us guilty … the possibilities are endless. I, for one, will spend more time scanning the stands for innovative taunting posters. If City do not blow their heads and escape without a red card, that will be a miracle.”
The topic of ‘The talk’ this week is, you’ve guessed it, the Manchester City guilty verdict. Here’s what managers Michael Carrick, Andoni Iraola, Vincent Kompany, Mikel Arteta and Roberto De Zerbi think.
“Refusing to be drawn on the controversy” may pop up a few times.
And here’s another West Ham link to a result from last night. Lyon also had the opportunity to go top of their domestic league but, like the Hammers, they blew it too after a 2-1 loss at Lens. By all accounts, the hosts (2-0 up with five minutes left) deserved it. Here’s the table, which shows PSG only in sixth. For now. The Champions League winners for the last two seasons host mid-table Le Mans this evening.
Talking of West Ham and stoppage-time drama – it’ll all become clear – there was also late drama in the Bundesliga last night. Leaders Borussia Dortmund were all set to maintain their 100% start after late goals from Daniel Svensson (80) and Nico Schlotterbeck (85) put them 2-0 up on Werder Bremen. But Ludovit Reis pulled one back for the visitors on 88 before on-loan West Ham striker, Niclas Füllkrug, headed home an equaliser deep into added time to thwart his former team.
West Ham will surely bounce back to the Premier League next season but it’s not been completely smooth sailing so far. There was another hiccup last night as the Hammers had to settle for a 1-1 draw with QPR after Jarrod Bowen’s injury-time penalty was saved. It stopped them returning to the summit.
All the shenanigans (stronger words are available) involving Manchester City will come into sharper focus at Anfield on Sunday. Meanwhile, in France…
(Via AFP)
Six-time French champions Bordeaux, who were sanctioned in the summer for financial irregularities, will play the current season in the sixth tier of French football. Bordeaux were sanctioned for failing to provide the roughly 10 million euros (£8.5million) needed for the 2025-2026 financial year as well as 2026-2027 and meet debt payments.
Once one of France’s leading football clubs and the team where the country’s new head coach Zinedine Zidane made his name, Bordeaux was sold last month for a symbolic one euro to US-based investment group Park Bench who agreed to take on the remaining debt.
Two days after appearing before the oversight commission of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine league, which approved their recovery budget and issued “a positive opinion on their possible participation in Regional 1,” the club was unanimously approved to play in the top tier.
The new owners are due in commercial court on October 20 to ratify the new continuation plan, which now runs over 12 years, with the debt halved from 26 to 13 million euros.
The team is largely amateur although they are permitted five players on professional contracts, one of which will go to former Ligue 1 striker Baptiste Guillaume.
The Lionesses are in the driving seat in their Women’s World Cup playoff tie against Greece after a 3-1 win in the away leg last night. But it wasn’t totally convincing stuff from Sarina Wiegman’s side, who struggled against the hosts’ low block for large parts.
Tom Garry was at the Stadio Pankritio. Here’s his report.
Suzanne Wrack was there too to see England experiment and tweak. Here’s her analysis.
Ten things. You know the drill. Under discussion from our writers: Michael Carrick is wary of ‘Dr Tottenham’, Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park and will Manchester City summon a siege mentality at Anfield?
Max Rushden’s ponderings on Manchester City’s potential punishment include Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley being a nice man. I can actually confirm this. Big Tone once held a door open for me at a buffet. It’s true (soz). I have further details if needed. Anyway, here’s Max.
Right, time to turn the style on a bit after quietening the crowd. Here’s Barney Ronay.
“Welcome to the weirdest weekend of them all. We are now post-judgment, post-statement, postlapsarian. As the Premier League prepares to snap back into what must be described, out of habit, as reality, armed with the knowledge its serial champions have been the authors of a 10-year sham supremacy, the first question is fairly simple. How is it going to feel?”
The Inspiral Carpets have an answer to such a question but how about you?
Leeds could actually go above Arsenal if they win at The Emirates today. There’s a surprising fact. Daniel Farke’s side lost 5-0 there last season but that was before the much-talked about formation change of mid-season. Leeds will be a much tougher nut to crack today. Add in the early kick-off and disruption of an extended international break and are the ingredients there for a shock?
Here’s how the two sides could line up, plus all the predicted team news for the weekend. Kai Havertz and Ezri Konsa are greyed out in the starting XI due to picking up knocks. The official Premier League fantasy game (watch for the early deadline folks) gives both a 75% chance of playing.
Let’s just get an early touch before some more expansive stuff by looking at today’s action.
Here is the full fixture list. What take your eye?
Preamble
Morning everyone. The Premier League is back! Okay, during the international break Manchester City were found guilty, Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina and Harry Kane became England’s joint-highest appearance maker but today Ipswich host Fulham so let’s get our priorities right.
The Portman Road clash is one of six Premier League fixtures today and they’re bookended by two intriguing clashes as champions Arsenal host fifth-placed Leeds at 12.30pm BST and slightly ailing Manchester United head to very ailing, rock-bottom Tottenham for the 5.30pm game.
Are you off to a match today? Or is it some shopping, a walk or even a park run before turning on the telebox? Let us know! Right, here we go…