What's new

The English Premier League Season (2024/25)

Ipswich have signed Burnley defender Dara O'Shea for an initial £12m plus a potential £3m in add-ons

The Republic of Ireland international has penned a five-year deal with the Tractor Boys.

He is Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna's 11th signing of the summer, following the capture of winger Jack Clarke from Sunderland on Saturday.

He is also the second Burnley player to join the club this summer after goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.

"It was really hard not to pay attention to everything the team was able to achieve last season and to have the chance to join a club with such ambition and momentum was really attractive," O'Shea said.

"At this stage of my career it's the perfect time to make the move."

The 25-year-old West Bromwich Albion academy product made more than 100 appearances for the Baggies before joining Burnley for £7m in June 2023, following their promotion to the Premier League.

He scored four goals in 35 appearances for the Clarets, including one in their season-opening win against Luton earlier in the month.

He was not in the squad for Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Sunderland, with manager Scott Parker later revealing he was leaving the club.

www.bbc.com

Dara O'Shea: Ipswich Town sign Burnley defender in £15m deal

Ipswich make Burnley defender Dara O'Shea their 11th signing of the summer for an initial £12m plus a potential £3m in add-ons.
www.bbc.com
 
6dZO0xJ.png
 
1724599126402.png

Dango Ouattara had a stoppage-time goal ruled out in a dramatic finale as Bournemouth had to settle for a draw against Newcastle

The substitute thought he had secured the points with a 93rd-minute winner but it was disallowed for handball.

Marcus Tavernier had given Bournemouth a deserved first-half lead when he turned in Antoine Semenyo's cross.

Bournemouth's club record signing Evanilson, who was making his debut, should have made the points safe in the second half but failed to get a touch to Semenyo's dangerous cross.

Newcastle had been flat for large periods of the match but they improved in the closing stages and, after Neto kept out Joelinton's header, Gordon got the equaliser when he prodded in Harvey Barnes' cross at the far post.

It set up a tense finish as both sides chased a winner, Semenyo going closest with a deflected strike before Dan Burn's header was superbly pushed away by Neto.

With seconds left, it was Bournemouth fans who were celebrating but they were soon cut short when Ouattara's effort was ruled out, leaving the Cherries looking for their first win of the season.

BBC Sport
 
1724599176354.png

Noni Madueke's hat-trick gave Chelsea their first Premier League victory of the season as they beat Wolves in a pulsating and chaotic encounter

Chelsea took the lead after 98 seconds when Cole Palmer's inswinging corner was inadvertently flicked on by Matheus Cunha and an unmarked Nicolas Jackson nodded in at the back post.

Jackson stoked an already feisty Molineux crowd with his celebrations - and Wolves rallied on the field.

Rayan Ait-Nouri's dazzling run set up Cunha and the livewire Brazilian equalised with a crisp low finish from inside the box, before appearing to goad Chelsea's players.

Palmer then restored Chelsea's lead with a deft cushioned lob from 30 yards when he spotted Jose Sa off his line.

Wolves got themselves back level for a second time shortly before the break when Jorgen Strand Larsen poked home from the edge of the six-yard box after a free-kick was squared back across goal.

However, England Under-21 forward Madueke's treble in 14 second-half minutes settled the game as a contest.

The three goals were nearly identical as the winger scored with low angled shots from inside the area, assisted by Palmer on each occasion.

Joao Felix put the gloss on the result late on when he side-footed the ball high into the net from near the penalty spot after being picked out by fellow substitute - and former Wolves winger - Pedro Neto.

BBC Sport
 
1724607457828.png

Arne Slot's first Premier League home game in charge of Liverpool ended in victory as the Reds continued their winning start to the season against Brentford.

Luis Diaz's clinical 13th-minute finish on his 100th appearance for the club since joining from Porto in 2022 set them on their way.

The goal came after a lightning break when a Brentford corner was cleared by Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah set Diogo Jota away with Colombia forward Diaz finishing well.

Liverpool looked full of energy and Mark Flekken made two smart saves to deny Andy Robertson, while Brentford - who were once again without striker Ivan Toney as the transfer deadline approaches - had chances of their own.

Skipper Christian Norgaard spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise from a free header about 10 yards out which he put wide, while Alisson did well to keep out a header by Nathan Collins.

But Liverpool sealed the points when Salah clipped home with his left foot, the Egypt forward's second goal of the season.

There is much to admire about this energetic Liverpool side under Slot and while there is certainly still room for improvement, they head to Manchester United next Sunday with back-to-back wins under the Dutchman.
 
Crystal Palace have signed Wolfsburg centre-back Maxence Lacroix in a deal worth up to £18m

Palace have been linked with the 24-year-old throughout the transfer window and he joins on a five-year deal.

The former France U20s defender joined Wolfsburg in 2020, made 130 appearances and played under Palace boss Oliver Glasner when he was in charge.

Palace sold centre-back Joachim Andersen to Fulham in a deal worth up to £30m but look set to hold onto England international Marc Guehi, who has been tracked by Newcastle.

They are also close to signing Chelsea defender Trevor Chalobah.

Source: BBC
 
2 important games coming up. Waiting for Arsenal and Manchester city games today.
 
1725116276694.png

A second-half goal from Joao Pedro saw Brighton come from behind to draw after Arsenal had Declan Rice sent off in an entertaining game in north London

It looked as though the Gunners were going to continue their perfect start to the season when Bukayo Saka played through Kai Havertz, who lobbed Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton goal for the 38th-minute opener.

However, the game completely changed after Declan Rice was dismissed for a second yellow card in the 49th minute for delaying a free-kick being taken by Joel Veltman. The Seagulls defender could also feel lucky to have got away without picking up a card himself.

Brighton piled on the pressure after that point and drew level in the 58th minute when Yankuba Minteh's shot was parried into the path of Pedro by David Raya and the Brazilian striker slotted the ball under the keeper.

Havertz then had a good chance to win the game when through on goal, but his effort was saved by Verbruggen, before Seagulls substitute Yasin Ayari had an effort saved by Raya late in the game.

Brighton continued to push for a winner and brought on new £39.5m signing Georginio Rutter as they looked for a magic moment, but he mistimed a header as they could not find the decisive strike.

BBC Sport
 
1725121909955.png

Bryan Mbeumo scored twice in a 3-1 win for Brentford against Southampton at the Gtech Community Stadium

Former Bees striker Ivan Toney, who joined Saudi side Al-Ahli on Friday's transfer deadline day, watched on as Mbeumo hit a double to put the hosts in command, while Yoane Wissa added a third.

Mbeumo's first came in the 43rd minute after Taylor Harwood-Bellis lost the ball deep in his own half, allowing Brentford to surge forward.

Kevin Schade's strike hit the post before finding Mbeumo who made no mistake when coolly slotting beyond debutant Aaron Ramsdale.

Cameroon international Mbeumo added his second with a superb finish in the 65th minute after another defensive error from Russell Martin's visitors.

Just four minutes later, the game was put out of reach for Saints as Wissa finished from close range.

Southampton's Yukinari Sugawara brilliantly powered home a consolation five minutes into stoppage time - his team's first goal of their Premier League campaign.

Adam Armstrong had earlier missed a golden opportunity for Saints when his attempt at a volley bounced off his standing leg and fell into the grateful arms of Mark Flekken.

Joe Aribo also went close to scoring for Southampton when the ball deflected off his back and against the Brentford crossbar.

Southampton, without a point after three games, sit 19th in the Premier League while the Bees move up to fifth with this result.

BBC Sport
 
1725122037778.png

Ipswich Town earned their first point after returning to the Premier League, but could not force a win over Fulham in a scrappy encounter at Portman Road

Liam Delap's fine shot in the 15th minute gave the hosts the lead for the forward's first goal since his summer transfer from Manchester City.

But the impressive Adama Traore levelled for Fulham when he drilled in a low strike before half-time.

Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno made several important saves after the break to deny Ipswich their first win in the top flight since April 2002.

Leno's fingertips took a deflected Delap shot away from the target, and he dived at the feet of Chiedozie Ogbene before blocking substitute Omari Hutchinson's effort deep into injury time.

Ipswich finished strongly to claim a gritty draw following a tough start to the season, which saw them lose at home to Liverpool and then away to champions Manchester City.

The result lifted Kieran McKenna's side out of the bottom three, while Fulham lay in 11th place on four points from three games.

BBC Sport
 
1725122087365.png

Aston Villa survived a second-half Leicester fightback as Unai Emery’s side held on for a narrow victory at King Power Stadium

The visitors dominated the opening and took a deserved lead shortly before the half-hour mark when Amadou Onana finished off a well-rehearsed free-kick routine involving Youri Tielemans and Jacob Ramsey.

Leicester improved after the break, but Villa doubled their advantage against the run of play when Jhon Duran – who had only just come on for Ollie Watkins – sent a looping header over Mads Hermansen for his second goal of the season.

Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte then thumped home his first Leicester goal to give the Foxes hope, but Steve Cooper’s side failed to complete the turnaround.

The hosts thought they had been awarded a penalty deep into added time when Jamie Vardy went down under Ezri Konsa’s challenge, but the veteran striker was flagged offside from Bilal El Khannouss’s through-ball.

Villa have now won their opening two away matches in a Premier League season on four occasions, having also done so in 2009-10, 2014-15 and 2020-21.

Leicester, meanwhile, are still searching for their first top-flight win of the new campaign.

BBC Sport
 
1725122143016.png

Nottingham Forest maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League season by drawing with Wolves at the City Ground

Chris Wood gave Forest an early lead when he nodded in unchallenged from a corner but Wolves' Jean-Ricner Bellegarde responded immediately with a stunning strike from range.

With minutes remaining, Wood thought he had found a winner when he struck it past debutant keeper Sam Johnstone from another corner but he was offside.

Both teams showed attacking intent throughout, with Morgan Gibbs-White coming close for Forest and Matheus Cunha a threat at the other end.

It was a battling performance from the hosts, who have picked up five points from their opening three matches but are still seeking a first win at home this season.

Wolves, beaten heavily at home by Chelsea last week, showed more solidity in defence and plenty of flair in attack.

Deadline day signing Johnstone had a busy debut and was tested by Wood on several occasions, but he produced a smart stop to deny the striker in the second half.

BBC Sport
 
Screenshot_20240831-224934.jpg
Bournemouth produced an extraordinary late fightback as they came from two goals down after 86 minutes to beat shell-shocked Everton in the Premier League at Goodison Park.

Everton had deservedly looked on course to register their first win of the season and a first in August for three years.

However, they self-destructed spectacularly as the Cherries scored three times in nine chaotic minutes to spark joyous scenes among visiting players and supporters.

Antoine Semenyo's tap-in from Dango Ouattara's left-wing cross to make it 2-1 looked little more than a consolation for the visitors, who trailed to second-half goals from Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Instead it signalled a complete capitulation from the hosts, who were suddenly left holding on for a point when Luis Sinisterra crossed for Cherries captain Lewis Cook to level two minutes into added time.

But the Toffees crumbled to their third consecutive defeat when another delivery, this time from Justin Kluivert on the left, was nodded in by Sinisterra four minutes later to give Bournemouth the sweetest of victories.

The incredible turnaround ensured Everton stay bottom of the table and became the first club in Premier League history to lose a game after having a two-goal advantage in the 87th minute.

Source: BBC
 
Screenshot_20240901-000217.jpg
Erling Haaland continued his superb start to the season by hitting back-to-back hat-tricks as defending champions Manchester City beat West Ham United at London Stadium.

The Norway striker struck twice in the first half and added a third late on to take his tally to seven goals in three games and maintain City's 100% start to the campaign.

Haaland slid in a 10th-minute opener after receiving a pass from Bernardo Silva, but West Ham drew level when Ruben Dias turned Jarrod Bowen's cross into his own net.

Haaland restored City's lead midway through the first half, driving a fierce strike into the roof of the net.

The Hammers had struggled to get a foothold in the game but hit the woodwork early in the second half through Mohammed Kudus following a quick break.

That chance sparked them into life and for a significant period they had their opponents on the back foot.

But they did not threaten Ederson enough and Haaland - quiet for much of the second half - beat the offside trap late on to get his and City's third.

The win means Pep Guardiola's side are already top of the table in the early stages of this season while West Ham are 14th with three points from three games.

Source: BBC
 
1725203179269.png

Eberechi Eze scored a superb equaliser as Crystal Palace drew with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

The Blues, who thrashed Wolves 6-2 last week, were the better side in the first half, with Cole Palmer firing just wide and Dean Henderson saving superbly from Noni Madueke before Nicolas Jackson broke the deadlock.

The forward finished off a fast counter by Chelsea, tapping in Palmer's cross at the near post.

Palace were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men when Will Hughes, on a booking, escaped punishment for a foul on Palmer.

And the Eagles were celebrating soon after when Eze curled a fine strike beyond Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea goal.

Sanchez did superbly to push away Daichi Kamada's stinging drive and prevent Palace taking the lead, but Jackson could have won it in stoppage time for Chelsea after going through on goal, but his shot was saved by Henderson.

The draw got Crystal Palace up and running for the season after back-to-back losses, while Chelsea have four points from their three games so far.

BBC Sport
 
1725203232150.png

Newcastle maintained their unbeaten start to the season as they defeated Tottenham in a thrilling match at a packed and atmospheric St James' Park

The hosts took a 37th-minute lead when Harvey Barnes superbly controlled a tricky side-footed finish after Lloyd Kelly had done well down the left and pulled the ball back.

But Tottenham levelled in the 56th minute. After Pedro Porro's shot had been deflected on to the crossbar moments earlier, half-time substitute Brennan Johnson had his shot sliced into his own goal by Newcastle defender Dan Burn.

Keeper Nick Pope then tipped over James Maddison's curled effort and Johnson fired over as Spurs piled on the pressure.

However, against the run of play, Newcastle regained their lead with 12 minutes left.

Joelinton started the move with excellent work in midfield and he released substitute Jacob Murphy who ran at the defence and crossed low for Alexander Isak to net the winner.

In another boost for Newcastle, Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali made his first Premier League appearance since October after he served a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.

The 24-year-old, who played in the away Carabao Cup second-round tie against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday received a standing ovation from the home fans when he came on as a second-half substitute.

BBC Sport
 
1725211184562.png

Liverpool maintained their flawless start under new manager Arne Slot as they outclassed woeful Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The visitors were on a different level to United in a win so comprehensive that it will bring renewed scrutiny on Slot's fellow Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who survived a summer review to win a new contract following last season's FA Cup win.

Liverpool have barely missed a beat since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp, recording three straight Premier League wins now without conceding a goal, and this was the most impressive display so far.

Trent Alexander-Arnold had already had a goal disallowed for offside before Luis Diaz struck twice in quick succession just before the interval to put Liverpool in complete command.

Casemiro, who endured a first-half nightmare before being replaced, was the culprit twice as he conceded possession, with Diaz heading home Mohamed Salah's cross at the far post after 35 minutes before sweeping in the Egyptian's pass in front of the Stretford End seven minutes later.

Salah, inevitably, got in on the act with his 12th goal in 15 appearances against United after 56 minutes, beating Andre Onana from Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass.

United had opportunities, mainly through Joshua Zirkzee, but there were only occasional moments of anxiety for Liverpool as they put Ten Hag's side firmly in their place.
 
Leicester win appeal against decision over PSR charge

Leicester have won an appeal against a decision that could have led to a points deduction for an alleged breach of Premier League profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

An independent panel found the Premier League did not have the jurisdiction to punish the Foxes as the club had been relegated to the EFL Championship when their accounting period ended on 30 June 2023.

The Premier League said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the panel's decision.

Leicester said they had "simply sought to ensure that the rules are applied based on how they are actually written".

The Foxes were charged by the Premier League with breaching spending rules. They appealed against this charge but an independent commission then ruled the league could take action.

Leicester then appealed against that decision - based on the fact they were in the English Football League (EFL) at the time the charge was issued - and the outcome was announced on Tuesday.

Under PSR rules, clubs cannot lose more than £105m over a three-season period.

The Premier League charges related to the three-year period to the end of the 2022-23 season.

But the team were relegated to the Championship at the end of that season and the club only filed accounts after ceasing to be a member of the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest and Everton both received points deductions last season after being found to have breached PSR rules.

Board says PSR rules 'far from well drafted'

In its ruling, the independent panel said the PSR rules "are, in relevant parts, far from well drafted".

Reacting to the decision, the Premier League added: "If the appeal board is correct, its decision will have created a situation where any club exceeding the PSR threshold could avoid accountability in these specific circumstances.

"This is clearly not the intention of the rules."

The panel upheld Leicester's appeal and said the Foxes were "no longer a club" governed by the profit and sustainability rules when the calculation was carried out.

"It is not obvious why such a club should be subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the Premier League," their decision read.

Leicester were "not in breach, and should not be treated to be in breach, of the rules", the panel added.

BBC
 
Referee Kavanagh right to send Rice off – panel

Referee Chris Kavanagh was right to send Declan Rice off in Arsenal's draw with Brighton, the Key Match Incidents panel has ruled.

The board - which reviews the big refereeing decisions in the Premier League each week - agreed the midfielder should have been dismissed.

Rice, who was already on a booking, nudged the ball away from Joel Veltman as he prepared to take a free-kick in the 49th minute of Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton last weekend.

It was the first red card of the England star's career, with the panel agreeing his actions were "clear, deliberate and impactful" and a second yellow card was correct.

The panel, which unanimously backed the decision, wrote: "Rice knows what he's doing - it's a gentle touch, but once the referee sees it he has no choice."

Arsenal were 1-0 up at the time after Kai Havertz's goal, but Joao Pedro's leveller earned Brighton a point at the Emirates.

The KMI panel is independent and made up of three former players or coaches, one Premier League representative and one from the Professional Game Match Officials Board, the referees' body.

It also ruled the video assistant referee (VAR) was right to intervene in Trent Alexander-Arnold's goal in Liverpool's 3-0 win at Manchester United.

The goal was initially given but was then ruled out, with Mo Salah deemed to have been offside in the build-up.

It was the only on-pitch decision ruled to have been incorrect out of the 23 looked into for match week three.

The panel was unanimous in its support of every on-field call, except the decision not to give Crystal Palace's Will Hughes a second yellow card in their 1-1 draw at Chelsea.

The midfielder, already on a booking, avoided a caution from referee Jarred Gillett despite pulling back Cole Palmer outside the box just after half-time.

The first caution was unanimously supported as correct, with the majority (3-2) supporting Gillett's decision not to issue a second yellow.

However, two of the panellists argued: "Palmer is the wrong side of Hughes and has options left and right, therefore it is stopping a promising attack."

BBC
 
FearlessRoar said:
Half Time

First Half ends, Southampton 0, Manchester United 2.
Click to expand...
1726322044446.png

Matthijs de Ligt scored his first goal for Manchester United as Erik ten Hag's side claimed a much-needed Premier League victory at Southampton

The Red Devils went into the recent international break on a low after being comprehensively beaten by Liverpool, and needed to put in a performance on their return to action.

They survived a difficult start before a penalty save by Andre Onana from Cameron Archer proved the turning point as soon after they took the lead.

Summer signing De Ligt got the opener, heading into the bottom corner from Bruno Fernandes' fantastic ball into the box.

Six minutes later Manchester United doubled their lead, Marcus Rashford opening his account for the season with his first goal since March, guiding a low strike through a crowd into the net.

The double blow seemed to quell Southampton's eagerness and Manchester United were comfortable in the second half.

A bad day was rounded off for Southampton when Jack Stephens was shown a straight red card late on for a reckless challenge on Alejandro Garnacho.

The substitute then wrapped up the win for the visitors with a thumping finish into the roof of the net deep into stoppage time.

Much-needed win for Red Devils

It did not take long for the joy of the FA Cup final win against rivals Manchester City to fade, with the 3-0 loss at home to Liverpool bringing manager Ten Hag into the spotlight once again.

Casemiro endured a difficult game against Liverpool and paid the price by being dropped to the bench at Southampton.

It initially did not look like the international break had provided the reset Manchester United fans will have hoped for as they were second best for the first half hour.

But Southampton could not take their chances, most notably when Diogo Dalot brought down Tyler Dibling inside the box. Archer stepped up to take the penalty but his strike was a poor one and kept out by Onana.

From then on Manchester United were in full control, and while there is still clearly work to be done to iron out some issues in the team, three goals and a clean sheet is a positive return to action for Ten Hag's side.

Saints pay price for profligacy

It has been a miserable return to the Premier League for Southampton as defeat leaves them waiting for their first points of the campaign.

Manager Russell Martin is sticking steadfastly to the attractive style of football that got them promoted from the Championship, and they should have gained some reward for their excellent start to this game.

The hosts produced some slick build-up play but that was undone by their inability to make it count in the final third and, in the Premier League, failure to be clinical can swiftly be punished, as it proved.

One notable bright spot for Southampton was the performance of Dibling. The 18-year-old midfielder made his debut and was a menace to the Manchester United defence in the first half.

BBC Sport
 
1726330006862.png

Unbeaten Brighton were left frustrated after being held to a goalless Premier League draw by Ipswich at the Amex Stadium

The home side dominated possession but clear cut chances were at a premium and it was the visitors who came closest to finding a winner on the south coast.

Liam Delap broke forward early in the second half and, with no team-mates up in support, just kept running and burst into the box, but his fierce shot across goal came back off the post.

It would have been a goal completely against the run of play with Fabian Hurzeler's side enjoying much the better of the play in the first half and the start of the second.

The closest they came to a goal, though, was 10 minutes before the break when Georginio Rutter ran onto Yankuba Minteh's cute pass and worked space in the box but saw his shot parried by Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.

It fell to Kaoru Mitoma six yards out and the winger looked certain to score but Muric sprung up to repel the rebound as well.

The Seagulls continued to press for the decisive goal, with Evan Ferguson curling narrowly wide late on, but it would not come.

Brighton stay unbeaten with two wins and two draws from their first four games, while Ipswich are still searching for their first win back in the Premier League.

BBC Sport
 
1726330045572.png

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s stoppage-time penalty rescued a draw for Crystal Palace as Oliver Glasner’s team fought back from two goals down to draw with Leicester City at Selhurst Park

Mateta calmly rolled the ball past Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen in the second minute of added time, after Conor Coady hacked down Ismaila Sarr inside the area.

Jamie Vardy had opened the scoring for Leicester midway through the first half, collecting Wilfred Ndidi’s pass before rounding Dean Henderson and sliding the ball into the unguarded net.

It was 2-0 just 23 seconds into the second half, Ndidi capitalising on a poor clearance from Palace debutant Maxence Lacroix and teeing up Stephy Mavididi, who fired high into the net from close range.

Mateta’s close-range finish from Tyrick Mitchell’s low cross was allowed to stand following a video assistant referee (VAR) check, but time appeared to be running out for Palace until Coady’s lunge on Sarr gifted the Frenchman the opportunity to level the score.

Both teams remain without a win this season, but Palace will be by far the happier of the two sides after avoiding a third Premier League defeat by the skin of their teeth.

BBC Sport
 
1726330137857.png

Callum Hudson-Odoi and unbeaten Nottingham Forest stunned Liverpool at Anfield to end Arne Slot's perfect start as Reds boss

The substitute cut in from the left and curled an inch-perfect shot into the far bottom corner, which Alisson could not reach.
This was their first win at Liverpool in any competition since 1969.

The home side's confidence was high at Anfield coming into the game after three wins out of three without conceding a goal.

And Liverpool had the better chances, certainly in the first half.

The hosts went closest before the break when Luis Diaz chased a lost cause, cut in and hammered a shot against the near post from a tight angle.

Forest keeper Matz Sels pulled off a good save to keep out an Alexis Mac Allister header and got lucky moments later when he almost spilled Diaz's effort into his own net.

But Forest did create more after the break, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga shooting off target before Hudson-Odoi's beauty.

Forest fans were jubilant and the Liverpool support tried to get their team going, but they did not really fashion many clear chances to equalise.

The visitors move into fourth spot in the fledgling Premier League table with two wins and two draws. Liverpool are one point above them.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo deserves huge credit for their start to the season.

All the talk was of Liverpool's unbeaten start under Slot - but Forest had not lost a Premier League game either.
And now they are the unbeaten ones.

Their first-half performance was solid and unspectacular. They frustrated Liverpool but did not have a single shot before the break.

But Nuno was brave in the second half, bringing on Hudson-Odoi and Elanga when the temptation might have been to shore things up - and it paid off.

Elanga found Hudson-Odoi, who cut inside Conor Bradley before swinging in his sweet shot into the bottom corner.

Elanga almost doubled their lead late on when he shot straight at Alisson.

But one goal was enough, and they won at Anfield for the first time since the first man landed on the Moon.

Former Feyenoord boss Slot will have known it would not all be plain sailing in the Premier League.

But the start he had, including the hugely impressive win over Manchester United before the international break, had people favourably comparing his set-up to Jurgen Klopp's.

Patience, passing and build-up is their style now. And for a while, it looked like their patience would eventually be rewarded.

Diaz hit the post, several headers went off target, and Mohamed Salah forced a good save from Sels at his near post.

Slot brought on Bradley, pushing Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield, and introduced Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez as he tried to find the winner.

But in the end, Bradley was beaten for the only goal of the game.

The hosts had one late chance to level when Virgil van Dijk headed over, but many fans were leaving Anfield before the final whistle went to confirm the end of their unbeaten start.

BBC Sport
 
1726332649471.png

Danny Ings scored in the 95th minute to rescue a point for West Ham against Fulham at Craven Cottage

Ings was introduced as a last throw of the dice by manager Julen Lopetegui in the 82nd minute as he saved the Hammers from a second consecutive defeat.

Captain Jarrod Bowen did brilliantly to find the striker in the box in the final minutes and Ings needed one touch to set himself before firing beyond keeper Bernd Leno.

Calvin Bassey thought he had won it for Fulham a minute later but he put his free header wide of the post.

Raul Jimenez gave Fulham the lead in the 24th minute with a composed first time finish from eight yards out.

Emile Smith Rowe proved influential once again with his run beyond the Hammers' back line timed to perfection before putting the ball on a plate for Jimenez.

Fulham felt as though they should have been awarded a penalty before the deadlock was broken but referee Tim Robinson judged Max Kilman's challenge on Adama Traore to be fair.

Lopetegui looked to his substitutes bench at half-time after his side failed to register a shot on goal in the opening period.

The arrival of Lucas Paqueta and Crysencio Summerville added some attacking intensity before the Hammers eventually found a way past Leno.

Bowen found space in the box but his bundled effort was met by the outstretched leg of Leno.

The Lopetegui era has got off to a stuttering start with one win, one draw and two defeats in his opening four Premier League games, but there are reasons to be optimistic.

However, that last minute equaliser from Ings may feel like progress in some sense and the Hammers can take huge positives from the fighting spirit shown late on.

Lopetegui’s arrival signalled a change in how the Hammers would shape up and that was evident in spells.

Bowen showed how influential he is for West Ham after he moved into the number nine role for the second half.

The England international worked tirelessly all game despite it looking as though things would not go the way of his side and he came away with an assist.

As Pep Guardiola said after Manchester City’s 3-1 win at the London Stadium before the international break: “It is a question of time and he [Lopetegui] will do it.”

There are signs of Guardiola being correct.

Eyebrows were raised when Fulham completed the initial £27 million signing of Smith Rowe from Arsenal in the summer window.

The 24-year-old opened his Fulham account before the international break in the 1-1 draw at Ipswich and he registered his first assist for his new side against the Hammers.

Marco Silva’s side are tidy in possession with the likes of Andreas Pereira and Alex Iwobi in midfield but Smith Rowe adds more of a cutting edge in the attacking third.

He showed his intelligence when timing his run to perfection for Jimenez’s goal before finding the composure to lift his head on the touchline and pick out the run of his team-mate so he could slot beyond Alphonse Areola.

Smith Rowe would have scored his second goal in Fulham colours but his powerful, goal bound effort could only strike Jimenez in the stomach.

The Fulham fans stood to applaud their new hero when he was substituted in the second half, they know they have a brilliant player on their hands.

BBC Sport
 
1726332776266.png

Erling Haaland scored twice to take his Premier League tally to nine as Manchester City recovered from conceding after just 23 seconds to maintain their 100% record with victory over Brentford

Visiting forward Yoane Wissa scored the quickest top-flight goal of the season, heading into an empty net from close range after John Stones and Ederson inexplicably messed up attempting to clear Keane Lewis-Potter's nod-back.

City were rocking but Haaland steadied the ship, driving home the loose ball after Kevin de Bruyne had been tackled inside the Brentford box.

The Norwegian was playing despite the death of a close family friend in midweek. He scored a second before the break as he outmuscled Ethan Pinnock to reach Ederson's long punt forward.

It left Haaland tantalisingly close to becoming only the fifth player in English top-flight history - and the first since 1946 - to score three successive hat-tricks.

He came close. Brentford keeper Mark Flekken tipped one goal-bound effort over the bar. Haaland then sent an instinctive first-time strike against the post and was unable to get enough power behind the rebound to take it into the net.

But, despite the crowd clearly willing him on, dad Alfie watching from the stands and manager Pep Guardiola opting not to take him off even though his side start their Champions League campaign with a 2023 final rematch against Inter Milan on Wednesday, this time Haaland had to settle for two.

As the game ticked into injury time, Haaland was confirmed as the club man of the match.

He has now taken his overall tally for City to 99 in 103 appearances. His Premier League ratio is more than one a game.

To put that into context, legendary striker Sergio Aguero took 390 games to score his club record 260 for the club. At the current rate, Haaland will overhaul the Argentine within three seasons.

And the secondary point is he scores goals from nothing, which, on days like these, is absolutely priceless.

New arrival Savinho looks a major threat. But despite getting himself into a couple of excellent positions, he could not convert.

It has been said Haaland doesn't contribute to City's overall game and sometimes restricts their fluidity. But he also ensures they win matches when they might drop points, as they almost certainly would have on this occasion had he not made his personal intervention.

It wasn't just about Haaland. There was also evidence of Jack Grealish's return to form with a smart effort that required a full-length low save from Flekken. A week out from a meeting with old rivals Arsenal, Rodri made his seasonal bow as a second-half substitute, although Phil Foden remained on the bench.

But Haaland took the accolades, which, given the personal sadness he has had to deal with this week, seemed fitting.

As Bryan Mbeumo found himself through on goal but failed to convert as Rico Lewis sped back to intervene, a member of the Brentford backroom staff, observing proceedings from the media seats, slammed his hand with some force into the desk in front of him.

It was a good chance. But the underlying frustration went beyond that single moment.

Even though the game was just minutes old, there was a sense City would not continue in the same manner they had started the game.

There were more opportunities for the visitors before the break. Ederson raced from his goal just in time to prevent Wissa getting to the ball with no-one else near, Mbuemo failed to make contact with an ambitious attempted overhead kick. Ederson produced a smart reaction save on his goal-line to deny Nathan Collins and the Brazilian also foiled Lewis-Potter.

It was a volume of opportunities Brentford cannot have expected. The fact they delivered a single goal meant they had not exploited their good work.

Guardiola's decision to bring on Rodri and Josko Gvardiol during the interval was proof the City boss had got the make up of his team wrong.

City weren't perfect after that but Brentford had lost some of their energy. Mbeumo went the wrong way when a pass to his right would have set up Kevin Shade and Yehor Yarmolyuk wasted a decent opportunity late on. But in reality, Brentford's chance of victory disappeared as the media desk table was shaking much earlier in the afternoon.

BBC Sport
 
1726348062545.jpg

Substitute Christopher Nkunku netted a late goal to snatch a 1-0 away win for Chelsea despite a dominant attacking display from Bournemouth

The Cherries' £40m record signing Evanilson had earlier missed an excellent chance to score his first Premier League goal when he had a poor first-half penalty parried away by Robert Sanchez.

Bournemouth constantly tormented Chelsea's defence, capitalising on their often lacklustre distribution and getting in behind the back line.

But the hosts did not make the most of having the bulk of the chances and were made to pay by Nkunku, who prodded the ball past Mark Travers after a through-ball from debutant Jadon Sancho.

It was a hard-fought and aggressive encounter on the south coast, with referee Anthony Taylor handing out a Premier League record 13 yellow cards.

Bournemouth had more final-third opportunities but did not manage to find a way to get ahead as both Marcus Tavernier and Ryan Christie had efforts denied by the woodwork.

Chelsea, who move up to seventh, will play West Ham at 12:30 BST next Saturday in their next Premier League game, while 11th-placed Bournemouth will visit Liverpool at 15:00 BST later that day.

Source: BBC
 

HALF-TIME
​

Tottenham 0-0 Arsenal

The whistle goes for half-time. No goals but seven yellow cards - five to Tottenham and two for Arsenal.
 
FearlessRoar said:

HALF-TIME​

​

Tottenham 0-0 Arsenal

The whistle goes for half-time. No goals but seven yellow cards - five to Tottenham and two for Arsenal.
Click to expand...
1726413698993.png

Arsenal came out on top in a fiery north London derby as Gabriel's second-half header gave them a crucial victory at Tottenham

The Gunners were without captain Martin Odegaard and key midfield Declan Rice through injury and suspension respectively and survived a stern examination from Ange Postecoglou's side to spark ecstatic scenes at the final whistle.

Arsenal keeper David Raya excelled in the early stages to keep Spurs at bay with fine saves from Dejan Kulusevski while Spurs opposite number Guglielmo Vicario had to be at his best to keep out Kai Havertz's header.

Tempers boiled over late in the first half as players from both sides clashed following Jurien Timber's challenge on Pedro Porro, setting the stage for a tense second period.

And it was Gabriel who made the vital contribution after 64 minutes, escaping the attentions of Cristian Romero to rise and power Bukako Saka's corner high past Vicario.

Arsenal always relish any derby victory at Spurs but this one will taste especially sweet as it was achieved without two such significant figures in Odegaard and Rice while providing the perfect platform for next weekend's visit to champions Manchester City.

The Gunners, in the modern football parlance, suffered at moments in an occasionally bad-tempered encounter but - as at Aston Villa earlier this season - they dug deep and showed real grit to stay in the game before Gabriel's thumping header settled the game.

Arsenal then defended with determination to close out the three points, match-winner Gabriel and goalkeeper Raya delivering towering performances as Spurs eventually ran out of ideas.

Such are the fine margins in the Premier League because of Manchester City's supremacy, any failure to win is seen as a slip and after drawing at home with Brighton, Arsenal's victory assumes greater importance because they go to the champions in their next league game.

Manager Mikel Arteta will take extra pleasure in the way Arsenal coped without the quality and calming influences of Odegaard and Rice in the engine room - a fact reflected by the joyous reaction of players, management and supporters at the final whistle.

BBC Sport
 
1726425803353.png

Harvey Barnes' stunning strike maintained Newcastle's unbeaten start after the Magpies came from behind to win at Wolves.

The winger, on as a substitute, curled in from 20 yards with 10 minutes left soon after Fabian Schar had levelled.

Mario Lemina's first goal since February gave the hosts the lead but Gary O'Neil's side remain winless from their opening four games.

Newcastle started strongly and Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone tipped Jacob Murphy's shot over after the winger burst through, prompting an animated discussion between O'Neil and defender Craig Dawson.

The visitors continued to make the early running and Anthony Gordon hit the post when he ghosted past Nelson Semedo and nutmegged Yerson Mosquera.

But Wolves settled and Lemina put them ahead nine minutes before half-time, sweeping in Jorgen Strand Larsen's cross after Joao Gomes' cute dummy.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe had seen enough and sent on Barnes, Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock for Alexsandar Isak, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton at the break.

Yet the changes failed to have an immediate impact and, after Johnstone saved Bruno Guimaraes' strike, Strand Larsen came close to doubling Wolves' lead when he hit the post after 52 minutes.

Nick Pope denied Strand Larsen and Matheus Cunha but Schar levelled with 15 minutes left when his 30-yard effort clipped Craig Dawson and flew in before Barnes' superb goal won it.

Pope denied Cunha a stoppage-time leveller and Barnes could have added a third for Newcastle, only to dink wide with just Johnstone to beat.
 

Referee 'didn't like' Rice red card in Brighton draw​


Referee Chris Kavanagh said he "didn't like" the decision to send off Declan Rice in Arsenal's draw with Brighton last month, but said he "had no choice".

Rice was sent off during the 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium for a second yellow card after nudging the ball away from Joel Veltman as he prepared to take a free-kick.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was "amazed, amazed, amazed" at the decision immediately after the match.

Audio released on Tuesday night from the Premier League's latest episode of Mic'd Up revealed Kavanagh said he had no choice but to show the England midfielder a second booking.

"I don't like it, but he's knocked the ball," said Kavanagh.

"Second yellow, for me. I had no choice, he knocks the ball away. As [Veltman's] about to kick it, he knocks the ball.

"I have no choice. He's put me in an awful position. Dec, you need to go I'm afraid."

The decision, supported by the Key Match Incidents panel, was also backed by Howard Webb, chief operation officer of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

"He's clearly seen Declan Rice commit a foul, then kick the ball away for an opponent that was in the process of taking a free-kick," Webb told Mic'd Up.

"We've messaged very clearly and strongly to the players in pre-season around the importance of not getting involved with the ball once the whistle is gone, not delaying the restart in that way.

"Once he's seen Declan Rice deliberately, clearly kick that ball away from the position of that free-kick, then I don't think he's got any choice."

In the same match, Brighton forward Joao Pedro also kicked the ball away, but received no punishment.

While Webb felt they were different scenarios, he did say Kavanagh should have booked the Seagulls' forward.

"It sits in the same kind of book around delaying the restart. Of course, he should have been cautioned here," said Webb.

"The officials on the field gave him too much benefit of doubt.

"They do delay Arsenal's ability to restart. We've certainly messaged that back to the officials."

Among the six decisions assessed in the latest edition of Mic'd Up was Bournemouth's disallowed late goal against Newcastle United.

Dango Ouattara's header from a corner was ruled out late on at the Vitality Stadium, with the ball hitting the top of his arm.

With no conclusive evidence as to whether the ball was low enough on Ouattara's arm to deem it a handball, Webb said it was incorrect of video assistant referee (VAR) Tim Robinson to intervene, with no evidence either way to prove whether or not it was a handball.

"In this situation, the ball strikes Ouattara's shoulder, upper-arm area. It's hard to be totally conclusive as to exactly where," said Webb.

"The VAR looked at this and decided that, in his professional opinion, that was in the area of the arm that has to be penalised below the bottom of the armpit. That's the important reference point. I don't think that's conclusive enough to intervene.

"Equally, if the goal had been disallowed by the on-field officials, I don't think there's evidence here to say that there's no handball either. So again, it goes back to referee's call. It's an important concept. And for those factual matters you need evidence. It's very clear that the on-field call is wrong, I don't think we have it here."

www.bbc.com

Declan Rice: Referee Chris Kavanagh 'didn't like' red card in Arsenal v Brighton draw

Premier League referee Chris Kavanagh says he "didn't like" Declan Rice's red card during Arsenal's draw with Brighton last month.
www.bbc.com
 
FearlessRoar said:
Half Time

First Half ends, West Ham United 0, Chelsea 2
Click to expand...

1726925592620.png

Nicolas Jackson scored twice as Chelsea condemned lacklustre West Ham to a third consecutive home defeat in the Premier League

Chelsea took a fourth-minute lead after West Ham's players switched off at a free-kick which allowed Sancho to send Jackson clear on the left.

Jackson left Edson Alvarez trailing in his wake then cut inside on to his right foot and threaded a low shot through the legs of Alphonse Areola.

The Hammers' lack of intensity was in evidence again 14 minutes later as Moises Caicedo was afforded time to slip the jet-heeled Jackson in again.

This time Jackson left behind Max Kilman and produced a deft finish with the outside of the boot, with Areola caught in no-man's land.

Chelsea effectively wrapped up the points two minutes after half-time as Jackson turned provider.

A swift counterattack culminated in the Senegal striker outfoxing the retreating West Ham defence with a clever reverse pass, and Cole Palmer fired emphatically beyond Areola.

West Ham had earlier felt aggrieved when a strong penalty appeal - checked by VAR - was turned down after Crysencio Summerville went to ground following a tussle with Wesley Fofana.

Mohammed Kudus, West Ham's most likely source of a goal, had the ball in the net before half-time but was flagged for offside while Aaron Bowen forced Robert Sanchez to save well at his near post after the break.

Chelsea's victory puts them within two points of Premier League leaders Manchester City, while West Ham are left languishing in the bottom half, three points above the relegation zone.

BBC Sport
 
1726935400863.png

Aston Villa scored two late goals as a frantic finish helped Unai Emery's side beat rivals Wolves at Villa Park

Wolves had been the better side in the first half and took the lead through Matheus Cunha in the 25th minute after the winger had intercepted Diego Carlos' sloppy pass.

But the home side, who won on their return to the Champions League in midweek, woke up in the 73rd minute when striker Ollie Watkins was played in by Morgan Rogers and equalised with a deflected effort.

Defender Ezri Konsa then completed Villa's turnaround in the 88th minute, meeting Youri Tielemans' superb cross with a sliding finish.

The home side rounded off their win on the break, as substitute Jhon Duran scored his fourth goal of the season deep into injury time by tapping in a Rogers pass across goal.

BBC Sport
 
1726935442157.png

Newcastle United missed the opportunity to move top of the Premier League as Fulham ended the visitors' unbeaten start with a performance full of purpose and intent

Fulham took an early lead through Raul Jimenez's sharp turn and finish, just 44 seconds after Joelinton had a goal for Newcastle ruled out by an offside flag.

Summer signing Emile Smith Rowe continued his fine start at the Cottagers by doubling the lead after a slick move.

Newcastle, who mustered only one shot on target in an insipid first-half performance, narrowed the gap through Harvey Barnes within 28 seconds of the restart.

But, while the Magpies posed much more threat, they were unable to find an equaliser as Fulham held out.

Fabian Schar came the closest when he blasted into the side-netting after capitalising on a slack pass by Fulham keeper Bernd Leno.

The home side had chances to restore their two-goal advantage in an even second half but did not seal victory until stoppage time.

Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes' woeful clearance went straight to Reiss Nelson in the penalty area and the substitute emphatically fired in to secure Fulham's second league win.

Newcastle drop to fifth in a Premier League table still shaping up on gameweek five, with Fulham moving up to ninth as their solid start continues.

BBC Sport
 
1726935487999.png

Stephy Mavididi's second-half equaliser earned Leicester City a Premier League draw against Everton in treacherous conditions at the King Power Stadium, leaving both sides still searching for their first victories of the season

Saturday afternoon's encounter at the bottom half of the table started under blue skies but made way for a thunderstorm and heavy downpour as Everton collected their first point to slightly brighten a faltering opening to the campaign.

Sean Dyche's men got the perfect start on 12 minutes courtesy of Iliman Ndiaye's first English top-flight goal, collecting Ashley Young's fizzed pass and squeezing home a low effort in off the post.

Leicester fans thought their side had levelled when Mavididi's cross was pushed on to the crossbar by Jordan Pickford before bouncing down, although referee Darren England made it clear the ball had not crossed the line.

Following a short delay to the second half because of the adverse weather, home goalkeeper Mads Hermansen made a fine reflex save to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin and it proved costly for the visitors.

After Jordan Ayew's acrobatic effort and Harry Winks' long-range curler both drifted over, Mavididi reacted quickest at a corner with a swivelled 73rd-minute finish to grab a valuable point for Steve Cooper's team.

For the fourth consecutive game, Everton will be left wondering what may have been as they let slip another lead - but this point allowed them to move off the foot of the table.

The Toffees had lost their previous two league games 3-2, having been 2-0 ahead, and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by Southampton on Tuesday after relinquishing a 1-0 advantage.

They failed to build on Ndiaye's well-taken opener and similar to the game during the week, on-loan winger Jesper Lindstrom was guilty of missing numerous presentable openings.

The Dane volleyed wide at the far post inside the opening five minutes when he should really have buried the chance, while a thumping drive was kept out by Hermansen and blazed over another effort from the angle.

Without a number of first-team players through a combination of injury and illness, Everton seemed to run out of puff towards the end and were holding on by the full-time whistle as their winless run on the road extended to 15 games.

BBC Sport
 
1726935550433.png

Luis Diaz scored twice in two first-half minutes as Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League with an emphatic victory over Bournemouth at Anfield

Arne Slot’s team, beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest last weekend, thought they had fallen behind after only five minutes when Antoine Semenyo turned in Justin Kluivert’s cross, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside by the video assistant referee.

The Reds responded in ruthless fashion, going close through Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez before Diaz rounded Kepa Arrizabalaga and slid the ball into an empty net to open the scoring.

The Colombian struck again moments later to double the hosts' lead, collecting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass and firing through Kepa’s legs from close range.

Nunez, making his first Premier League start since April, made it 3-0 with a tremendous, curling drive – his first top-flight goal since a 3-1 home win over Sheffield United over five months ago.

Summer signing Federico Chiesa enjoyed a lively cameo on his Premier League debut, sending a long-range effort straight into Kepa's arms before striking the woodwork late on - albeit from an offside position.

Bournemouth were also denied by the crossbar in the latter stages as Andoni Iraola's team slipped to a second successive league defeat.

The win lifts Liverpool top of the Premier League before Sunday's game between last season's top two Manchester City and Arsenal.

BBC Sport
 
1726935591687.png

Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser as his goal denied Southampton their first Premier League win of the season

The Saints had been beaten in all of their first four top-flight games of 2024-25, but pounced on a mistake from the visitors to take the lead after only five minutes through Tyler Dibling's first Southampton goal.

Ipswich's Axel Tuanzebe lost possession inside his penalty area and Southampton kept the ball well, with 36-year-old Adam Lallana setting up 18-year-old Dibling, and the teenager calmly slotted past Arijanet Muric.

Cameron Archer missed a penalty in the 3-0 loss to Manchester United last Saturday and almost doubled the Saints' lead, but hit the post.

Archer, searching for his first Saints goal since his £15m move from Aston Villa in the summer, had another chance when played in by ex-Ipswich midfielder Flynn Downes, but Muric saved well.

But that miss proved costly as Morsy, in the 95th minute, shot past Aaron Ramsdale, with the effort taking a deflection off the unfortunate Joe Aribo.

BBC Sport
 
1726935637503.png

Dominic Solanke scored his first goal for Tottenham as they came from behind to beat Brentford in an entertaining game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The visitors went in front after just 23 second when Bryan Mbeumo superbly volleyed home from Keane Lewis-Potter's cross.

Spurs were level on eight minutes when Ethan Pinnock's pass was cut out on the edge of the box by James Maddison and after his shot was saved, Solanke coolly tucked in the rebound.

It was the striker's first goal since his £65m move from Bournemouth in the summer.

The home side continued to dominate, and after another loose Brentford pass led to Brennan Johnson firing a neat finish past Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken just before the half-hour, they were more than deserving of their lead.

Maddison made sure of the points late on with a delicate dink after running on to Son Heung-min's pass.

After falling behind so early, Spurs responded well and were much the better side in a chaotic first half, with Brentford gifting them possession time and again.

But it was the visitors who had the best opportunity late on in the half with home keeper Guglielmo Vicario saving from Mbeumo after he had been robbed of possession on his own six-yard line by Fabio Carvalho.

Spurs had their chances early in the first half but Brentford felt they should have been afforded a way back into the game just before the hour when Vicario appeared to handle outside of his box.

However, referee John Brooks turned away their appeals and as it was not deemed denial of a goalscoring opportunity, the video assistant referee team did not intervene.

Brentford's frustration was added to when the Italian goalkeeper produced a fine save to claw out Kevin Schade's well-directed header.

While the away side tried to force an equaliser, Maddison's goal on the counter ensured eased the home fans' nerves as Spurs clinched a second league win of the campaign.

BBC Sport
 
HALF-TIME

Brighton 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Two late first-half goals from Brighton mean it is them who are on course to remain unbeaten and move into the Champions League places.
 
1727019506049.png

One player and both managers were sent off as Brighton and Nottingham Forest maintained their unbeaten Premier League records in an entertaining draw

After four goals at Amex Stadium, the match ended in controversial fashion when Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White was shown a second yellow card for a sliding challenge on Brighton's Joao Pedro.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was dismissed by referee Rob Jones, who then also showed a red card to Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo for their reactions to the incident.

The visitors had gone ahead when former Brighton striker Chris Wood scored against his old club with a well-taken spot-kick after Carlos Baleba tripped Callum Hudson-Odoi in the penalty area.

But two goals in a three-minute spell just before half-time looked to have transformed the match.

Nineteen-year-old midfielder Jack Hinshelwood scored his fourth Brighton goal with an excellent, powerful header from Jan Paul van Hecke’s cross from deep to make it 1-1.

The Seagulls then took the lead in style thanks to Danny Welbeck’s superb 25-yard free-kick that curled around the wall and left away goalkeeper Matz Sels with no chance.

Welbeck almost added a third for the hosts with a fine dribbling run in which he beat three Forest players only to shoot just wide.

But Forest equalised in the 70th minute after breaching Brighton’s offside trap.

Gibbs-White timed his run perfectly to be through on the home goal and unselfishly squared the ball to substitute Ramon Sosa to score his first goal in English football.

Either side would have gone fourth with a win, but instead Brighton remain seventh, while Forest climb a place to eighth.

Both teams have enjoyed fine starts to the campaign and have now won two and drawn three of their five Premier League matches, while Brighton have also reached the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.

The hosts made a bright start as Simon Adingra caused problems, but his low, powerful cross from inside the penalty area could not find a team-mate.

Forest came into this match after an excellent 1-0 win at Liverpool and Nuno's side maintained their record of scoring first in each of their league matches this season.

Wood, who had a loan spell at Brighton in 2010-11, calmly sent home goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Brighton gave Forest a warning when Georginio Rutter spun and shot wide from 20 yards, before Hinshelwood equalised with the Seagulls’ first effort on target.

That was quickly followed by Welbeck’s superb free-kick for his third goal of the season.

But Forest equalised midway through the second half and, following the three red cards, had a late chance to snatch the three points.

Sosa was clean through on goal in injury time, but instead of shooting he overhit a pass to Hudson-Odoi and the chance was wasted - though his blushes were somewhat spared when the flag was raised for offside.

Nevertheless, a point apiece was a fair conclusion to a hugely entertaining match.

BBC Sport
 
1727027819299.png

John Stones scrambled home an equaliser seconds from time amid chaos and controversy to deny Arsenal a famous victory against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal had mounted a magnificent rearguard action following the first half-dismissal of Leandro Trossard - and stood moments away from arguably the finest moment in manager Mikel Arteta's reign - until substitute Stones forced home following a corner at the end of seven minutes of added time.

There will be pride as well as pain for the Gunners, who went behind early on to Erling Haaland’s 100th goal for Manchester City but turned a thrilling encounter on its head to lead before the interval.

In moments of huge significance, City lost talisman Rodri with a knee injury after 21 minutes, manager Pep Guardiola's mood worsening even further when Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori swept home an angled finish high past Ederson seconds later.

Arsenal’s set-piece expertise was in evidence again as Gabriel, in a replica of his winner at Tottenham last week, headed home a corner at the far post seconds into first-half stoppage time.

The most contentious incident came seconds before the break when Arsenal’s Trossard was given a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, leaving the visitors nursing a sense of injustice after City’s Jeremy Doku had escaped punishment for a similar offence.

It set the scene for a City siege after the break, but Arsenal defended with courage, resilience and organisation, aided by the heroics of goalkeeper David Raya, only to be denied right at the end - as they were on the brink of inflicting the first home Premier League defeat on the champions since Brentford won at Etihad Stadium in November 2022.

Stones’ dramatic intervention means City stay top of the Premier League.
 
The Friedkin Group has reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri's majority 94% stake in Everton.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval from the Premier League, the Football Association and the Financial Conduct Authority.

A spokesperson for The Friedkin Group said in a statement on Monday: "We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club. We are focused on securing the necessary approvals to complete the transaction.

"We look forward to providing stability to the club and sharing our vision for its future, including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock."

The Friedkin Group had agreed a deal in principle to purchase current owner Moshiri's 94% stake in June.

But talks were called off a month later after the two parties failed to finalise an agreement. That followed Miami-based 777 Partners being unable to a complete a deal earlier this year.

Chairman Dan Friedkin, who also owns Serie A side Roma, has a net worth of £5.7bn according to Forbes., external

In a complex saga surrounding the takeover, American businessman and Crystal Palace owner John Textor then jumped in for talks but could not complete a deal because Premier League rules prohibit individuals from owning more than one team.

Source: BBC
 
Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick as Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a convincing win over League Two Barrow at Stamford Bridge.

Nkunku opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a cool finish after a fine chipped pass from Joao Felix.

The forward soon added his second with a clever flick to divert Malo Gusto's low cross into the net, before a Felix free-kick hit the post and bounced in off Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman to give the Blues a 3-0 half-time lead.

Two minutes after the restart Pedro Neto scored his first Chelsea goal by tapping in after Mykhailo Mudryk's pass across goal.

Nkunku completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute after tackling keeper Farman and passing the ball into an empty net.

Thanks to his first Chelsea treble, the 26-year-old Frenchman now has six goals in eight appearances this season for the Blues.

Nkunku was making his first start for the hosts since their opening-day defeat by Manchester City last month.

Five-star Chelsea beat brave Barrow

Sixty-four places separate League Two Barrow and Premier League Chelsea, who were facing each other for the first time in 76 years.

Chelsea were too good for the Bluebirds even with manager Enzo Maresca making 11 changes to the team that beat West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.

Meanwhile Barrow, who beat Championship side Derby in the last round, equalled their best run in the EFL Cup, last reaching the third round in 1967.

They were cheered on by a bouncing away support who travelled 300 miles from Cumbria.

Visiting striker Emile Acquah volleyed a half chance over at 1-0 and Kian Spence had two free-kicks easily saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen at 3-0.

Chelsea were playing their first EFL Cup match since losing 1-0 to Liverpool in the 2024 final.

Out-of-favour Blues defender Ben Chilwell came on as a half-time substitute to make his first appearance since April and was immediately given the captain's armband.

Maresca previously said Chilwell would "struggle" if he stayed at the club, and the 27-year-old was made to train with 15 other players away from the main first-team group.

But when asked about the England full-back's involvement after the match the Italian said Chilwell "has shown he is ready and working well".

"There is not any problem," Maresca said. "If we have a chance, we will give him some more minutes in games."

Chelsea host Brighton in the Premier League next on Saturday while Barrow travel to Gillingham in the fourth tier on the same day (both 15:00 BST).

BBC
 
Disputes cost Premier League £45m in legal bills

The Premier League has warned its clubs that it spent more than £45m on legal bills last season due to various disputes over its financial regulations.

The figure is contained in papers sent to clubs ahead of a shareholders' meeting on Thursday in central London.

The league has been embroiled in a series of investigations, disciplinary arbitration processes, and appeals. Cases have involved Manchester City, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Leicester City.

An independent commission hearing into more than 100 charges of alleged financial rule breaches by Manchester City, following a four-year investigation, is now into its second week. The champions deny wrongdoing. The hearing is expected to last 10 weeks.

Clubs at Thursday's meeting could be told about any outcome in City's legal challenge over the league's Associated Party Transactions (APTs) rules, which were tightened earlier this year after being introduced in 2021. They regulate commercial deals between clubs and bodies linked to their owners.

If an arbitration panel has found in City's favour, and the rules have to be amended, other clubs will have to be notified, although no formal announcement is expected.

Sources have indicated that league bosses are likely to defend the spiralling legal costs - which are paid for from central funds - by emphasising the need to uphold rules and referring to the high number of recent cases.

According to The Times, the league had budgeted for legal bills to only be around £8m.


BBC
 
West Ham star makes ambition clear in message to Julen Lopetegui after freak injury at Anfield

West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell says the club should be aiming to get back into European competitions, despite making a poor start to the season.

The Hammers were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of defending champions Liverpool on Wednesday night. Julen Loptegei’s side took the lead through a Jarell Quansah own goal, only to be blown away 5-1 as Liverpool roared back.

Diogo Jota headed in from close range to equalise before finding the bottom corner to give the home side the lead. Mohamed Salah came off the bench to fire in a rebound for 3-1 before Cody Gakpo added two late goals following Edson Alvarez’s second yellow card.

West Ham wasted some good chances and were punished by a side much more clinical in front of goal. Defeat was their fourth in seven games this season – a statistic which stings even more because 2024/25 is the first campaign in four years that won’t include European football.

“We’re all absolutely gutted with the result, because of the support we had,” Cresswell said. “There were just under 6,000 fans here tonight, which is incredible, but we will do our best to improve and start turning things around.

“It isn’t the start [to the season] that we wanted, and we want to be further up the table and competing at the top and challenging for Europe again. We had three fantastic seasons there, and that is where the club deserves to be. It’s what we are striving for.”

Lopetegui is already under pressure as manager after being booed during the 3-0 home defeat by Chelsea on Saturday, but Cresswell is convinced that their form will turn around. “We are progressing behind the scenes and working hard, there is no doubt about that,” he added.

“We’ve had some tough fixtures and some bad results, and we know we’ve got to pick it up. We’ve got two massive games now before the international break, and we’ve got to go there and stay positive, stay together, stick together as a club and keep moving forward.”

To make matters worse, Lopetegui injured his calf while reacting to a missed chance from Crysencio Summerville. The Spaniard limped into his post-match press conference and left Anfield on crutches, according to the Daily Mail.

“I don't think that we deserve this score. I think that we have been in the match, in a lot of moments, even better than them,” Lopetegui said. “I prefer not to talk about the referee. It is very clear for me the decisions have been against us and the key decisions.

“But in the end when we had chances to score we didn't do. To win these kinds of matches you have to stay close. After the third goal and the red card it was much more difficult. The last part of the match was very bad for us.”

www.mirror.co.uk

West Ham star makes ambition clear in message to under-fire Julen Lopetegui

West Ham were thrashed 5-1 by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and their poor start to the campaign under Julen Lopetegui is made worst by the lack of European football this season
www.mirror.co.uk www.mirror.co.uk
 

Takeover will bring 'stability' and 'clear up noise' - Dyche​


Everton's impeding takeover will bring "stability" and "clear up the noise" that surrounds the club, says manager Sean Dyche.

On Monday, the Friedkin Group reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri's majority 94% stake in the Toffees, but the transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Sources close to the deal have "full confidence" completion can be achieved within the next eight to 12 weeks.

"It looks like a stronger situation from the past," said Dyche. "There is a long way to go to get everything to a final point but the early signs look favourable in the situation but we will we will have to wait and see.

“Openly speaking, [the takeover will bring] more of the stability. It has been on unsettled ground for such a long time now, with varying situations and various opinions.

"It will clear up the noise that surrounds Everton football Club."

www.bbc.com

Everton takeover: Friedkin Group will bring 'stability' and 'clear up noise'

Everton's impeding takeover will bring "stability" and "clear up the noise" that surrounds the club, says manager Sean Dyche.
www.bbc.com
 
1727530497872.png

Anthony Gordon’s second-half penalty earned Newcastle a point as Manchester City were held to a draw at St James’ Park

City defender Josko Gvardiol had put the visitors ahead after 35 minutes when he finished smartly from Jack Grealish’s lay-off.

However, while Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis combined well in covering for the influential Rodri, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, City eventually buckled during Newcastle’s best spell of the game just after the break.

When Bruno Guimaraes played an excellent pass through the City defence, Kyle Walker played Gordon onside and the England forward went down under Ederson’s challenge. Ederson was booked and Gordon kept his cool to send the Brazilian the wrong way from the spot.

Pep Guardiola’s side should have been further ahead at the break but Ilkay Gundogan fluffed his attempted chip after Newcastle keeper Nick Pope had presented a clearance straight to City when he was a long way out of his goal.

Both sides tried to force a winner, with Newcastle substitute Sean Longstaff going closest but the Magpies remain with only one win in 34 top-flight meetings with City.

The visitors have have now dropped four points in the space of a week after their 100% start to the campaign.

BBC Sport
 
Hat trick inside 30 mins for Palmer, Chelsea 3-1 vs Brighton
 
1727540959634.png

Arsenal scored twice in stoppage time to earn a dramatic victory over Leicester

A Wilfred Ndidi own goal in the 94th minute and a close-range Kai Havertz strike in the ninth minute of stoppage time denied a Foxes side who were within reach of an unlikely point at Emirates Stadium after clawing back a two-goal deficit in the second half.

Gabriel Martinelli had given the dominant Gunners a deserved first-half lead when he steered home Jurrien Timber's cross, before providing the pass for the second, converted by Leandro Trossard, on the stroke of half-time.

Leicester had managed only one touch in the Arsenal area before the break, but they reduced the arrears a little over a minute into the second half when James Justin's header from Facundo Buonanotte’s free-kick struck Havertz on its way in.

Justin doubled his personal tally in spectacular fashion shortly after the hour mark, meeting Ndidi's left-wing delivery with a swerving volley that beat David Raya via the inside of the post.

If Arsenal were momentarily stunned by Leicester's recovery, they soon recovered their poise and Mads Hermansen produced two superb saves to keep the Foxes level, denying Havertz with a point-blank stop before keeping out Trossard's shot - moments after giving the ball away inside his own area.

But Trossard's late effort was deflected past the Danish goalkeeper by Ndidi before Havertz struck from close-range to complete the scoring.

Victory lifts Arsenal level on points with Manchester City, who could be overtaken by Liverpool if they beat Wolves at Molineux in Saturday's late game.

BBC Sport
 
1727541007083.png

Tomas Soucek's second-half strike earned West Ham a point at Brentford after Bryan Mbeumo scored another quickfire goal for the hosts in the first minute

For the third Premier League game in succession Brentford scored with less than 60 seconds on the clock, with Mbeumo curling a volley out of Alphonse Areola's reach.

Despite falling behind so early, West Ham remained positive and created the lion's share of the chances in the opening 45 minutes.

Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Mohammed Kudus all had opportunities, although only the latter managed to find the target.

Brentford seemed happy to sit back and soak up pressure after such a bright start, with their next effort at goal coming in the 34th minute when Mbeumo headed over the bar.

West Ham's pressure finally told shortly after half-time when Soucek, brought into the starting XI for the suspended Edson Alvarez, pounced on a loose ball to slot in from close range.

With the game finely poised, Brentford started to control possession and eventually worked their way into some positive positions.

Yehor Yarmoliuk went closest to re-establishing a lead for the home side but his shot was saved.

West Ham forced Brentford to defend deep in the final 10 minutes and the visitors almost snatched a winner when substitute Crysencio Summerville's shot from a tight angle was deflected on to the roof of the net.

The draw keeps Brentford 12th in the Premier League table, while West Ham remain 14th.

BBC Sport
 
1727541055407.png

Cole Palmer became the first player to score four first-half goals in a Premier League game as Chelsea swept away Brighton to go third in the table

In a remarkably entertaining match, Palmer, 22, also hit the post and had a further goal ruled out before the break as Chelsea’s rapid frontline cashed in on Brighton’s stubborn insistence on playing a high defensive line.

Albion scored twice early on themselves as fans were treated at a sun-kissed Stamford Bridge, with both of their strikes owing something to errors from Chelsea's former Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

But, after Georginio Rutter headed the visitors ahead, Palmer took a firm grasp of the game with a stunning individual display.

The England player had hit the post and put the ball in the net from an offside position before opening the scoring from Nicolas Jackson’s pass - with all three chances coming in the space of 138 breathless seconds.

Palmer then scored his 10th consecutive successful penalty for Chelsea after the impressive Jadon Sancho was brought down, before capping a 10-minute hat-trick with a brilliant 25-yard free kick into the top corner.

A fourth for Palmer, arrowed in from a Sancho pass, came soon after Carlos Baleba had seized on Sanchez’s poor ball out to give Brighton hope.

Chelsea, who put six past Wolves last month, were again superb going forwards but Brighton's refusal to change their approach after such a flurry of identical chances was bizarre, bordering on naive as young manager Fabian Hurzeler tasted defeat for the first time.

Perhaps predictably the second half was far less incident-packed - although Palmer did waste a great chance for a fifth when he fired wide.

BBC Sport
 
1727541100188.png

Dwight McNeil's second-half double gave Everton their first Premier League victory of the season against winless Crystal Palace to relieve the pressure on manager Sean Dyche

The Toffees had collected just one point from their opening five games and although Saturday's contest did not start too well, the win moved them out of the bottom three for the first time this term.

Palace took the lead on 10 minutes courtesy of England centre-half Marc Guehi, who reacted quickest to poke in from close range following Maxence Lacroix's knock down from a corner.

Set-pieces have been causing Everton issues this season and they almost conceded again, this time via Daniel Munoz's goalbound header which was cleared off the line by Iliman Ndiaye.

At the other end, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and McNeil failed to convert headed efforts as Everton struggled to work visiting goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the opening period.

But the home side responded immediately after the restart as McNeil's thumping drive from range curled past Henderson and nestled in the far corner of the net.

The equaliser brought the crowd to life and Everton quickly grabbed a second, McNeil controlling Jack Harrison's cross before volleying in from the angle.

Oliver Glasner's side barely threatened after an impressive opening period and are in need of improvement, collecting just three points from their six games so far.

BBC Sport
 
1727541146196.png

Raul Jimenez scored his 50th Premier League goal with a clinical penalty as Fulham’s impressive start to the season continued with victory at Nottingham Forest

Fulham were awarded a penalty early in the second half after referee John Brooks was urged to consult the pitchside monitor by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

Brooks had seemingly missed the infringement but determined from the replays that Forest defender Murillo had scraped his studs along the back of Andreas Pereira’s calf, and Jimenez emphatically buried the spot-kick.

The goal opened up what had hitherto been a tight contest as the directness and tricky skills of Forest substitutes Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga gave the home side greater purpose.

Hudson-Odoi went close after a mazy dribble when he cut in from the left, but could only lift his shot over the crossbar while Fulham keeper Bernd Leno had his palms stung by a spectacular volleyed effort from Jota Silva.

Jimenez went close to scoring a second when he curled wide from a good position before Marco Silva's side showed composure to see off Forest's late pressure.

Fulham's victory was their third of the season and helped them climb up to sixth in the table - just three points off top spot.

Jimenez plundered 13 and 17 goals in his first two Premier League campaigns while at Wolves between 2018 and 2020.

His goalscoring returns since suffering a fractured his skull which threatened to end his career in November 2020 have, however, been relatively modest.

There has always been the unerring sense that the psychological baggage of such a shocking injury – which kept him out for more than seventh months - meant Jimenez would never be the same player again.

The fact he is still playing, thanks to a special head protector, is testament to a love of the game.

To see him reach a half-century of goals in England’s top-flight is heartening.

Jimenez emphatically notched his 50th from the penalty spot, stuttering with his run-up to deceive Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels before striking the ball into the side netting.

He was unlucky not to have scored a second later in the game.

Former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez (53) is the only Mexican with more goals in the Premier League and Jimenez will surely overtake that milestone.

Three goals in his last four appearances – and nine in his past 10 league starts – hints at a striker on the cusp of the kind of hot streak he produced when he burst into English football.

Shortly after the final whistle Jimenez peeled off his Fulham shirt and ran over to the away supporters.

He presented his shirt to a dumbfounded Fulham fan wearing a Mexico national team top. At 33, Jimenez is clearly relishing every moment.

BBC Sport
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Amjid Javed
The FA Cup - 2024/25 season
Replies
2
Views
77
aboveandbeyond
A
Amjid Javed
Arsenal FC | 2024/25 Season
37 38 39
Replies
3K
Views
68K
shaz619
shaz619
FearlessRoar
Tottenham Hotspur FC | 2024/25 Season
Replies
20
Views
488
BouncerGuy
BouncerGuy
Amjid Javed
  • Poll
Manchester United beat Manchester City 2-1 in the final to win the FA Cup 2023-24
2
Replies
118
Views
3K
Amjid Javed
Amjid Javed
Firebat
Newcastle United FC | 2023/24 Season
2
Replies
148
Views
3K
Cricket Warrior
C
Back
Top