He knew what could happen if Howe “got hold of them” and “had some firepower”, after previously working with the manager at Bournemouth.
“When I first arrived, I would talk about Eddie Howe and Bournemouth,” said the 36-year-old winger, who played for Newcastle between 2016 and 2024 and now at Reading.
“The lads would say, ‘come on, drop it, he can’t have been that good’. But I’d tell them there was no stone left unturned.
“I was so pleased that they got to sample it. Until you actually see it and feel it, you don’t truly believe you have never worked like that before. It’s the attention to detail, the preparation and the desire to improve – all the things that make Newcastle what they are now.”
It has not all been plain sailing, of course, since Howe’s appointment or the takeover a few weeks prior.
Newcastle, currently 15th in the Premier League, missed out on a number of targets during a draining summer window and lost striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a British record £125m.
The club do not have a sporting director after Paul Mitchell left in June, following less than a year in the post.
And the wait continues for announcements concerning the future of St James’ Park and construction of a new state-of-the-art training ground.
But this is a side that ended a 70-year drought to win a major domestic trophy back in March after lifting the Carabao Cup by beating Liverpool.
They have qualified for the Champions League in two of the past three seasons – recording their biggest win in the competition against Union Saint-Gilloise this week – and only Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have picked up more points in the Premier League since Howe took charge.
“A lot has changed just in terms of the general feeling of the club,” added Howe. “Of course, the team has changed. Naturally, teams progress and change over time.
“The way we’re working behind the scenes as a football club is totally different but, also, if you look around the training ground here, there have been big improvements. That’s what the club needed and still needs.
“We need more, but things will change and gradually evolve over time. It’s exciting times for the football club.”
Estevao struck in added time for Chelsea to inflict a third straight defeat on Premier League champion Liverpool.
The Brazilian slid in at the far post to seal a 2-1 win for the Blues that sparked wild celebrations after a thrilling clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
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The teenager’s first goal since his move from Palmeiras ensured Liverpool goes into the international break having been knocked off the top of the standings.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo had given his side a half-time lead following a fierce drive from outside the box, but Cody Gapko levelled.
“Last season, we lost against Chelsea as well. Stamford Bridge is always difficult [to play at]. We were very close to a result. [It’s all about] Small margins,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.
The Dutchman also went on to reflect on the defeats at Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday and at Crystal Palace last weekend.
“As I said at Galatasaray, we had a one-vs-one, then they get a penalty,” he said. “We conceded in extra, extra time against Palace. And then today, they score a goal that could go at either end.”
Arsenal claimed first place, a point ahead of Liverpool, after beating West Ham 2-0 earlier in the day.
Manchester United also secured a crucial victory as they won against Sunderland 2-0.
Relief for Manchester United manager Amorim
Ruben Amorim rang the changes and the Manchester United manager got the result he desperately needed.
United’s win may quieten the mounting speculation over Amorim’s position, even if only temporarily. He has still to lead United to back-to-back victories in the league after almost a year in charge, but this was a step in the right direction.
“Of course, it’s really important to win games and have a better feeling, but we need to forget this game and go for the next one,” he said.
Amorim showed his ruthless side by dropping $84m summer signing Matheus Cunha and handing a first start to new goalkeeper Senne Lammens in a game that was seen as another potential stumbling block after losing three of their opening six league matches.
Those decisions paid off with first-half goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford and a first clean sheet of the season.
This was only Amorim’s 10th win from 34 league games and going into Saturday’s match, he accepted it would be “impossible” to continue in the job if results did not turn.
Which is why victory against Sunderland was crucial in a week when he was criticised by United greats Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, and before the international break, which has traditionally been a convenient time to make managerial changes.
“There’s always a lot of pressure, especially in a club like this, but we always try to take it in a positive way,” said Sesko, who scored for the second game running after his move from RB Leipzig worth up to $99m. “We did it, and we showed once again that we can play well, that we can win games.”
Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal, embraces William Saliba of Arsenal after the team’s victory in the Premier League match [Julian Finney/Getty Images]
Arsenal on a roll
That is four wins in row for Arsenal.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, from the penalty spot, inflicted a first defeat on new West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo in Arteta’s 300th game in charge.
“I wanted to celebrate it with a win, I’ve got it,” Arteta said.
After a daunting start to the campaign, Arsenal was back in the title hunt following three seasons as runner-up.
Saka, who scored on his 200th appearance for the club, is convinced Arteta will deliver trophies.
“We’ve had some tough games, particularly away. We are in a strong place in the Premier League and looking forward to coming back and pushing on,” he told the BBC. “Mikel has very much improved my game. I am very grateful to have him as my coach. He will bring this club success and [I’m] looking forward to when that day comes.”
But victory came at a cost after another injury to captain Martin Odegaard.
Kudus gets off the mark for Tottenham
Mohammed Kudus scored his first Tottenham goal to keep Thomas Frank’s team riding high.
Kudus’ second-half strike from the edge of the box secured a 2-1 win at Leeds to move Spurs up to third.
Spurs were unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions and have lost just once in the league under Frank, who took charge during the off-season.
Kudus was one of Frank’s big signings in the offseason — joining from West Ham — and the forward produced the decisive moment at Elland Road, where he cut in from the right and fired low past Karl Darlow in the 57th minute.
Spurs led through Mathys Tel, whose deflected shot rocketed into the top corner.
Leeds, which was unbeaten at home since February, equalised through Noah Okafor from close range in the 34th.
Former Manchester United and Everton striker Wayne Rooney explains how Chelsea exploited Liverpool down the flanks in their 2-1 win in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United and Manchester City will pay tribute to the victims of the Manchester synagogue attack before their Premier League fixtures this weekend.
United players will wear black armbands and hold a minute’s silence before their match against Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday, while the women’s team will do the same at their Women’s Super League match against Chelsea on Friday night.
Speaking at his news conference on Friday, United men’s manager Ruben Amorim said: “It is a crazy world we are living in at the moment, lot of big things happened, sympathy to victims, we will pay tribute tomorrow.”
United’s under-18 and under-21 sides will also wear black armbands in their games.
City will also wear black armbands when they travel to Brentford on Sunday and have agreed with the Bees to hold a moment’s silence before kick-off.
A commemoration was already planned by Brentford in memory of their head of academy goalkeeping Christopher Ramsey, who died on Wednesday of bowel cancer.
Brentford have agreed to change the tribute from a minute’s applause to silence given the gravity of Thursday’s attack.
Manchester City women will also pay their respects before their WSL match against Arsenal on Saturday.
It is understood both the Premier League and EFL will support any club wishing to pay tribute.
Many people from the UK will have stayed at a Premier Inn, but one guest shared her experience staying at one of the company’s East Midlands hotels, including something she didn’t expect
13:58, 03 Oct 2025Updated 14:28, 03 Oct 2025
A woman was surprised by one thing when she stayed at a Premier Inn hotel (stock image)(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
Premier Inn is a popular budget hotel brand in the UK and can be recognised by its signature purple and white colour scheme. Most of the hotels have similar features, like the room layouts, but one location stood out to a hotel guest.
Kerri, a mum from Norfolk who works in the travel industry, recently stayed at the Premier Inn Derby City Centre Riverlights hotel and was surprised by one thing. Turning to TikTok, she said: “Well, this is new for a Premier Inn. I’ve got a room that I’ve never had before and I’ve stayed in so many Premier Inns I’ve actually lost count.”
The hotel guest first showed viewers the courtyard she could see outside of her room with potted plants growing in the middle hanging on a wooden structure, which she found “strange for one.”
She was also surprised to see tiles on the floor in and near the bathroom and discovered that when you close the bathroom door, it opens the wardrobe.
What Kerri really didn’t expect, however, was the long walk to her car from the hotel room.
The travel worker had to go down a number of corridors and through several doors to get out of the hotel and once she got out, she had to walk around the hotel, cross the road, go under a bridge, walk up some steps into the Derbion Shopping Centre, down some more corridors and down some steps into the basement car park where her car was.
At the end of the video when she finally made it to her car, she playfully said: “Let’s just say the last thing you wanna do is forget something in your car if you’re staying in the hotel. That takes forever.”
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In the caption of her post, she wrote: “It’s a long a** walk to your car staying at this Premier Inn!
“Plus side – you get your steps in and it’s a great location for the mall!”
Premier Inn Derby City Centre Riverlights, located near the River Gardens, doesn’t have on-site parking but guests can park their vehicles at the nearby Derbion Basement Centre Car Park for a discounted rate of £8 for 24 hours by registering at reception.
It takes about 10 minutes to walk to this car park from the hotel. Kerri’s TikTok video has garnered thousands of views, hundreds of likes and more than 70 comments.
One user sarcastically said: “Omg the trauma.” Another added: “Haha I know Derby when I see it, I was a student there and it’s probably because the city centre is very pedestrianised and it’s just a bit of a pain to drive round.
“Car parks have always been scarce.” Someone who stayed at a different Premier Inn commented: “It’s like this for the Cardiff Queen Street Premier Inn – we have got lost so many times walking from the car park to the hotel.”
A spokesperson for Premier Inn told the Mirror: “Our Riverlights hotel is in a fantastic location right by the Derby river gardens and due to its central location, as indicated on our website when booking, there is no onsite carpark.”
Fair play to Leeds, they have really surprised and impressed me so far. There is a good balance to their team because they carry a threat and can dig in too.
Apart from a heavy defeat at Arsenal, they have been competitive in every game so far and their good start would have been even better but for late goals against Fulham and Bournemouth.
Even so, they have got more points than I expected at this stage and Daniel Farke deserves a lot of credit.
I think there were question marks over whether he could manage at this level because of his Premier League record with Norwich but, as I’ve said before, he never really had the squad there to be able to compete.
Tottenham have had a difficult week, having to fight back to rescue draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, and this is going to be another tricky game for them.
I can actually see it ending in another draw for Spurs. At least they played in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night rather than Wednesday but a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday is still far from ideal, and this Champions League campaign is going to stretch their squad.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
Rod’s prediction: I asked in my Leeds WhatsApp group about how much can I say we will win by before I sound like a lunatic, and they were all like ‘6-0’ but that is not going to happen! I want to say 4-1 but it will be a lot closer than that too.
I do think we will win, though, because Spurs don’t look that coherent as a team yet. Also, Elland Road is a fortress and the home crowd will just about get us over the line. 2-1
Rod’s favourite Leeds players: Gary Speed was a real hero of mine. I am from a Welsh family so he was absolutely my favourite player when I was growing up. Gary McAllister and Gordon Strachan were fantastic too, and a certain Frenchman who was also part of our title-winning team that I can’t really talk about now.
Speed was the one, though, right up until Alan Smith came through – but then he ended up going to the wrong place as well!
OLIVER GLASNER, Fabian Hurzeler and Andoni Iraola are among the coaches under consideration to replace Ruben Amorim if he is sacked by Manchester United.
Amorim suffered his 17th Premier League defeat out of 33 games in charge of United against Brentford on Saturday, who have lost three of their six league matches this term.
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Manchester United have struggled under manager Ruben AmorimCredit: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock
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Although Amorim retains United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s backing, potential replacements are being consideredCredit: Lucy North/PA Wire
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Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is being eyed by Man UtdCredit: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images
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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler is also being targeted by Man UtdCredit: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Although Amorim retains the club’s backing, United are keeping an eye on potential replacements amid their alarming form.
Club sources insist they do not have a successor to Amorim lined up but accept the speculation around the manager’s role.
Erik ten Hag was dismissed after four defeats from the first nine league fixtures last term, though the United hierarchy is more invested in Amorim, the first managerial appointment under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
United initially placed an emphasis on Premier League-proven signings in the summer with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo and could apply that to their next managerial search.
That has had an impact on former England manager Gareth Southgate’s chances – he has not managed in the Premier League since Middlesbrough were relegated in 2009.
Southgate has suggested he may not return to management while his friend and ally, United director Sir Dave Brailsford, is no longer visible at the club after his disastrous attempt to improve performance at Old Trafford.
Glasner guided Crystal Palace to their first piece of silverware in the FA Cup last season and the Eagles are the only unbeaten side in the top flight, having ended Liverpool’s winning run with a 2-1 triumph on Saturday.
Iraola took charge of Bournemouth two years ago and led them to ninth last season.
However, there is not believed to have been any interest from the Red Devils as yet.
Amorim insists he’s right man
Amorim signed a two-and-a-half year contract with United when he was appointed as Ten Hag’s replacement last November but the club finished 15th last season, their worst top-flight finish since the team was relegated in 1974.
United have invested £256.82million in six signings on Amorim’s watch but the team have plunged to 14th following Saturday’s loss.
Sunderland travel to Old Trafford next week before the October internationals and United resume their schedule against Liverpool at Anfield on October 19.
United are winless in their last ten at Anfield and have not won there since January 2016.
Asked if he can turn it around at United, Amorim replied: “I’m always confident as I know what to do.
“When you lose, you go back to the same place and you fight again for one win that can help you to create the momentum.”
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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola completes Man Utd’s shortlistCredit: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
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Gareth Southgate’s star is waning in United’s eyes and there are concerns over his compatibility with the club’s summer transfer approachCredit: Stu Forster/Getty Images
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Xavi is said to be interested but there are no indications that that interest has been reciprocatedCredit: AP
Hayden, 30, was not in Eddie Howe’s plans but his circumstances were slightly different.
He told SunSport: “I have sympathy because footballers want to play — but everyone’s got different reasons as to why they find themselves in a so-called ‘bomb squad’.
“It happened to me because I couldn’t find a solution during that summer window which fitted in with what Newcastle also wanted.
“But I had constant contact with Eddie and was given nothing but support.”
Hayden made 187 appearances for Newcastle, won the Championship title in 2017 and had five seasons playing in the Premier League.
But a knee injury in December 2021 sidelined him for 5½ months and Howe later told him he was surplus to requirements.
“And the team had been transformed from one fighting relegation to having top-six form.
“Eddie was honest and said he had five players in front of me. You think to yourself, ‘I know where I stand’. I’d rather that than the manager not talking to me.
“You hear people talk about bomb squads where they isolate you, and that’s horrible — but Eddie and Newcastle didn’t do that.
“We had the conversation as to why he couldn’t name me in the 25-man squad.
“And it’s not as simple as, ‘Why not let him train with the first team?’. If you’re doing an 11 v 11 game and everyone’s fit, you’re not going to be able to train with the group because there are too many players.
So Eddie’s solution for me to train with the Under-23s was better. It meant I could train normally every day — and not by myself.”
Hayden actually embraced that period and even did some coaching.
He said: “The bottom line is you’re getting paid good money by the club as a professional footballer. So you give 100 per cent to them in whatever role you’re in.”
After spending the second half of last season on loan with Portsmouth, Hayden joined QPR permanently in the summer.
And now he is hoping to play for Jamaica at next summer’s World Cup.
He said: “One of the huge blessings to come out of that period was I was able to go to Jamaica for a few days to sort my passport out so I could play for them.
“Had I been playing first-team football every week I’d have not been able to.
“Now I have a chance of making the World Cup. It goes to show you can make everything work out in the end.”
Manchester United beat Chelsea in a wild match at Old Trafford, with both sides down to 10 men by half-time.
Manchester United breathed life into their stuttering Premier League season when goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro earned them a thrilling 2-1 home victory over Chelsea.
A frantic first half got off to the worst possible start for Chelsea on Saturday when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute for a flying lunge at Bryan Mbeumo, upending the United forward as he was through on goal.
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The hosts, with just one victory to their name previously this campaign, made their numerical advantage count, with Fernandes and Casemiro putting United 2-0 in front inside 37 minutes.
Casemiro’s needless dismissal just before halftime evened up the numbers and gave Chelsea a way back into the contest, but Trevoh Chalobah’s late header was all the visitors could muster as a nervy United held on for a vital three points.
The pressure has been mounting on United coach Ruben Amorim after defeat in the Manchester derby last weekend left the Portuguese with a win record of just eight from 31 league games since taking charge last November.
The visit of Chelsea offered Amorim the opportunity to start rectifying that meagre return, with the Blues winless at Old Trafford since 2013. Sanchez’s rash tackle significantly aided the beleaguered United manager’s cause.
Along with the added setback of Cole Palmer being withdrawn through injury, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was forced into an early reshuffle, making three substitutions in the first 21 minutes, the earliest a side has ever done that in a Premier League game.
It was not long before Fernandes added to Old Trafford’s euphoria in the driving Manchester rain, the skipper nudging home his 100th goal for United in all competitions.
Casemiro then seemingly put United in an unassailable position after determined work from Luke Shaw to keep alive the attack, the veteran Brazilian heading in his first goal of the season.
A second booking soon turned Casemiro from hero to villain as he became the first player to score and be sent off in the first half of a Premier League match since Emmanuel Adebayor for Spurs against Arsenal in November 2012.
Even when chasing the game, Chelsea offered very little attacking threat until Chalobah’s header 10 minutes from time. United looked ragged from there on in, but Altay Bayindir remained largely untroubled in the home goal as the hosts held on.
Amorim praised United’s aggression and urgency in a post-match interview, although he wishes his side could have been more clinical to put the game out of sight.
“I have nothing to say to the critics, and most of the time they are right. Today, we won and it is a good day for us,” he told Sky Sports.
“We can lose against Grimsby, [but] we can beat any team. I’m just thinking about the next one. It is really good to win. We need the urgency to win again, that is really important for us.”
Maresca, meanwhile, lamented Sanchez’s early red card.
“We need to start the game better. We cannot concede a red card at Old Trafford after three minutes,” he said.
Elsewhere in the Premier League on Saturday, Liverpool maintained a perfect start in their campaign after Ryan Gravenberch scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Everton at Anfield.
In another bad day for West Ham coach Graham Potter, his team lost for the fourth time in five games, going down at home to Crystal Palace 2-1.
Wolves lost at home to Leeds 3-1, leaving Vitor Pereira’s team bottom of the table and still looking for their first points after five games.
Trailing 2-0 at Brighton, Tottenham came back to salvage a 2-2 draw.
And former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou got his first point as Nottingham Forest coach in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.
Forget Liverpool against Everton or Arsenal taking on Manchester City, the big fixture this weekend is Chris Sutton versus AI chatbot Copilot.
Sutton claimed on this week’s Monday Night Club that he is “more intelligent than AI” and the stats do support him, at least when it comes to football scores anyway.
He is top of the BBC predictions league table (see bottom of page) so far, with three wins in the first four weeks – and he has beaten AI every time.
“I am 4-0 up on AI – I don’t know if it feels pressure, but it should,” Sutton said. “Also, why is it not going to the best source? That’s me. if it wants to do better, maybe it should start copying me?”
AI, however, does not agree that Sutton has superior intelligence, and seems to suggest that it is a bit early for him to be celebrating.
When asked ‘are you worried that Chris Sutton is cleverer than you?’ Copilot replied “not in the slightest”.
And when asked ‘is Chris Sutton better at football predictions than you?’, it also responded confidently.
“Over time, AI tends to improve as it absorbs more data and refines its models,” Copilot said.
It added: “Short term: Sutton’s instincts and experience can give him an edge, especially in unpredictable fixtures.
“Long term: AI may outperform with consistency and breadth, especially across hundreds of matches.”
We will find out who is best, humans or machine, over the course of this season because Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games in 2025-26, taking on BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests as well as AI.
For week five, he takes on some famous fans of Liverpool and Everton, before the 247th Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday.
Who: Arsenal vs Manchester City What: English Premier League Where: Emirates Stadium in London, United Kingdom When: Sunday, September 21, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm (12:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Manchester City will try to finish a challenging week unblemished when they visit an Arsenal side hoping to see some of its injured stars return to match fitness.
City were dethroned as champions by Liverpool last season, following four successive title wins, while the Gunners have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive years.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at another early-season title showdown in the English top flight.
How are Man City shaping up in the Premier League this season?
After a difficult start to the season, City (2-2-0, 6 points) returned from the September international window in impressive form.
Last weekend, Erling Haaland’s brace propelled City to a 3-0 home win over Manchester United, a result that halted a two-match Premier League losing streak.
Then on Thursday night, Haaland and Jeremy Doku scored after halftime in a 2-0 home victory over reigning Serie A champions Napoli to open their UEFA Champions League campaign.
City are nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who beat Everton on Saturday, in the early standings as manager Pep Guardiola’s reworked squad begins its bid to win another league title.
Guardiola, however, is still placing the most importance on his squad’s overall development at the moment, rather than the match-by-match results.
“Seeing the team growing up, that is my only concern right now, making a step forward,” he said on Friday. “We are not going to win the Premier League on Sunday, and we are not going to lose the Premier League on Sunday.”
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scores their second goal against Manchester United [Phil Noble/Reuters]
Man City points to irony of Arsenal’s investment drive
Guardiola has suggested Arsenal’s spending has not been held to the same level of scrutiny.
Arteta’s Arsenal side were bolstered by a close-season outlay exceeding 250 million pounds ($337.3m), while champions Liverpool spent more than 400 million ($538.6m), including more than 100 million ($134.7m) each on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
“The only thing I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta is, if he wins the title, it will be just because he spent money, not because he worked hard or because of his players,” Guardiola said tongue in cheek of his former City assistant coach.
“It’s like Liverpool, too. If Arne [Slot] wins it again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right? Because it’s not just Man City that [spend], right?
“For many, many years, every club can do whatever they want, you know? I know how they’ve been treated is completely different [to City], but what they want to spend is because they want it and it’s fine.”
City spent about 150 million pounds ($202m) in the close-season transfer window, adding to the 180 million ($242.4m) they invested in January.
What happened in last season’s corresponding Arsenal-Man City clash?
City suffered a 5-1 defeat at The Emirates last season, and Guardiola said his team face a stiff challenge on Sunday against an Arsenal side bolstered by the close-season signings of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Martín Zubimendi.
“They spent what they believe they can to compete against the best teams in the Premier League and Europe, and they’ve reached that level,” Guardiola said.
“[Arteta] found the club in a [certain] way and step-by-step, window-by-window, Arsenal are getting better.
“Last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward, and they are for me the most solid team,” he added, referring to Arsenal reaching the Champions League semifinals.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland looks dejected after Arsenal’s Thomas Partey scores their second goal in the match at Emirates Stadium last season [Peter Cziborra/Reuters]
How are Arsenal shaping up in the Premier League this term?
Arsenal’s only defeat so far came at Liverpool at the end of August in a tightly contested 1-0 reverse decided by Dominik Soboszlai’s brilliant late free kick.
That is the only goal Mikel Arteta’s Gunners (3-1-0, 9 points) have conceded this season. They rebounded from the defeat with a 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest in the league last weekend and a 2-0 Champions League victory at Athletic Club in Bilbao, Spain, on Tuesday.
Arsenal seek to keep their cool for Man City’s visit
Arteta expects Arsenal to learn from Myles Lewis-Skelly’s provocative celebration against Manchester City last season when the title rivals clash for the first time in this campaign.
Arsenal defender Lewis-Skelly mocked City striker Haaland by copying his zen goal celebration after scoring in the Gunners’ 5-1 rout of Guardiola’s side in February.
With Arsenal falling just short in title fights with City in 2023 and 2024, the rivalry between the clubs has grown increasingly acrimonious.
Haaland had taunted Arsenal boss Arteta by urging him to “stay humble” following a stormy 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium earlier last season.
Teenager Lewis-Skelly, who has not started a game for Arsenal this season, was criticised for his inflammatory celebration.
Asked if he had spoken to his players about their goal celebrations before Sunday’s showdown, Arteta told reporters, “Well, that was done, and that’s part of it.
“There have been a lot of celebrations or non-celebrations in the past from a lot of teams. The experience is to learn and grow as well, and we certainly learnt from that.”
Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly clashes with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, second right, during the meeting in Manchester last season [Molly Darlington/Reuters]
Arsenal team news
There is a chance that forward Bukayo Saka, midfielder Martin Odegaard and defender Ben White could all participate this weekend for the Gunners after recent injuries.
“Everything has been modified so far for them [in training],” Arteta said of the trio. “There are still a few things to clear, and [Saturday,] we’ll have more information on whether they are part of the squad or if they have a chance to be part of the squad.”
Saka, who scored 47 Premier League goals across the previous four seasons, has not played since the second weekend due to a hamstring issue. However, Arsenal’s reinforcements have helped weather his absence, including striker Gyorkeres, who has a team-high three league goals so far.
Gyokeres is expected to be available after needing stitches for a head injury sustained following a clash of heads with teammate Gabriel Magalhaes. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz remain sidelined.
Man City team news
England international John Stones could return to the back line following muscular discomfort that has kept him out of the side.
Rayan Cherki remains out with muscle issues, while Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are also absent.
Swansea claimed their most memorable cup triumph in recent memory against Forest, coming back from 2-0 down to shock the Premier League club thanks to two goals in stoppage time.
Alan Sheehan’s side had no time to celebrate, however, with a tricky league trip to Birmingham City to come on Saturday (12:30 BST).
The likelihood is that Idah will be back among the substitutes at St Andrew’s given the form of Zan Vipotnik, who came off the bench against Forest to score his fifth goal in his past five Swansea appearances.
“That’s the best problem to have,” Idah said.
“Zan has been in fine form and hopefully that continues.
“We all want to get to the Premier League and we are all in it together. I think the competition we have in every position is brilliant. If we are all pushing each other, that’s a good start.”
Erling Haaland struck twice for Manchester City as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Manchester United in English football’s Premier League, giving Pep Guardiola’s side bragging rights in the latest edition of the derby.
Phil Foden also scored for City in his first start of the season on Sunday, heading in Jeremy Doku’s cross in the 18th minute. Doku squeezed brilliantly through United’s defence and had his first cross blocked, but dug out a second that Foden leapt to guide in.
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Haaland scored his first of the afternoon in the 53rd minute, when Doku muscled past Lenny Yoro before sliding a pass to the big Norwegian, who chipped the ball over goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
The 25-year-old, who charged at United’s defence like a bulldozer all day, completed his double in the 68th when the visitors lost the ball. Haaland, lining up at the centre circle, easily outpaced Harry Maguire to Bernardo Silva’s ball forward for another one-on-one with Bayindir.
The match lacked the intrigue of derbies past, with both teams going into the game mid-table after sputtering starts.
City climbed to eighth with their second win from four, while United are at 14th with just one victory.
Haaland almost had a hat-trick, thanks to United’s shambles at the back. He had Bayindir beaten, but missed a sitter to hit the post. Guardiola was already celebrating, but then held his head in disbelief.
The victory capped quite a week for Haaland, who scored five goals on Tuesday when Norway pummelled Moldova 11-1 to maintain their perfect record in men’s World Cup qualifying.
He also scored his 50th goal in his 50th home Premier League game for City. In the competition’s history, only Alan Shearer required fewer home appearances, 47, to hit 50 goals.
He nearly set up Tijjani Reijnders for a fourth City goal late in the game, but Reijnders chipped the ball just wide.
City had six shots on target to United’s two, but Guardiola’s new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma quickly proved his worth, diving to push away an early shot from Benjamin Sesko and then making a brilliant diving save from a second-half shot by Bryan Mbeumo.
Foden told Sky Sports that he was pleased to score after receiving some criticism this season.
“There’s been a lot of talk, everything I see at the moment is quite negative, but that is the world we live in when you play at the highest level,” he said.
“It’s about reading the comments and trying to react as best as I can and come back to my level.”
He also praised Haaland’s performance.
“A complete performance, especially the way he held up the ball. He did everything today: defending, attacking, running in behind, doing the dirty work,” he said.
Haaland, meanwhile, told Sky Sports that City “needed” that win after a difficult start to the season.
“You could feel it as well from the fans,” Haaland said. “We needed [the win], you could feel a bit extra today, and I am so relieved and so happy that we managed to do this all together.”
United captain Bruno Fernandes said his side should have done much better, but said there were positives from the game.
“The result is very bad and bad on us, but I think there are two ways of looking at this game as the goals could have been avoided. On the ball, we were positive, brave and playing the ball forward,” he said.
“City were smart to get the goals the way they did and have a very good team and very good players.”
Elsewhere in the Premier League on Sunday, Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time penalty ensured Liverpool maintained their winning start to the season with a 1-0 victory at promoted side Burnley.
With British record signing Alexander Isak forced to wait for his Liverpool debut, having been left out the squad for the trip to Lancashire, the champions struggled to break down a dogged home side in the first half.
After a regroup at the break, the visitors upped the ante in the second half, with Dominik Szoboszlai finally forcing a fine save from Martin Dubravka in the Burnley goal.
Burnley were holding on for a well-earned point with ease, before the ball agonisingly struck substitute Hannibal Mejbri’s arm in the penalty area and Salah slotted the spot kick into the net in the 95th minute to break home hearts.
The Asian Champions League begins on Monday, elevated by a host of star names, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
Former English Premier League stars could make the difference in the Asian Champions League that begins Monday. Ivan Toney, Jesse Lingard, Riyad Mahrez and Darwin Nunez all have a chance of winning Asian football’s premier club tournament.
Saudi clubs dominated last season, providing three of the semifinalists before Al-Ahli won the final in front of 60,000 spectators at Jeddah in May. Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal are also back and expected to challenge again for the title.
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Since the country’s Public Investment Fund took over the leading clubs, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, in 2023, Saudi Pro League clubs have spent about $1.5bn on players.
Toney signed for Al-Ahli from Brentford in August 2024 and would welcome more success in Asia.
“It was great to win the Champions League in front of our fans, and they are so passionate,” Toney told The Associated Press news agency.
The England striker scored six goals in last season’s continental tournament and has forged a fruitful relationship with Riyad Mahrez, who won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester City in 2021.
“If you get into the right positions in the area, then great players like Mahrez will find you,” Toney said. “The standard in Saudi Arabia is very high.”
There are 24 teams in the group stage, split into western and eastern zones in Asia, with the top eight from each progressing to a round of 16.
Riyadh’s Al-Hilal is the most successful club in the tournament’s history with four titles, and was the only Asian team to get out of the group stage at the Club World Cup in June, defeating Manchester City to reach the quarterfinals.
Al-Hilal has been bolstered by the $70m signing of Uruguayan striker Nunez from Liverpool.
Al-Ahli’s Roberto Firmino lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Asian Champions League by beating Kawasaki Frontale in the 2024-2025 final [Reuters]
Coach Simone Inzaghi guided Inter Milan to the final of the UEFA Champions League and a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain before quitting in June and moving to Al-Hilal.
The Italian coach will be hoping to go one better in Asia.
Two-time champion Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, is looking to Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, who have won the European version, to do the same in Asia.
Former Manchester United and England star Lingard is flying the flag for FC Seoul. The South Korean league is the most successful in Asian club competitions with 12 titles overall, but has produced just one winner since 2016.
Lingard joined the K-League team in 2023 and, after a slow start, became club captain and a fan favourite.
“Now, we have to compete in the league as well as the AFC Champions League Elite,” Lingard said. “As captain, I will do my best to help the team achieve good results.”
Seoul FC coach Kim Ki-dong is giving the 32-year-old Lingard more responsibility.
“He has played for England and in the Premier League, but this will be his first AFC Champions League,” Kim said. “I know he’s really looking forward to this, and he’s working hard for it.”
Japanese clubs have offered most of the opposition to Saudi clubs recently. Kawasaki Frontale beat Al-Nassr in the semifinals in April but didn’t qualify this time.
J-League champion Vissel Kobe may present the strongest challenge, but of the 12 eastern teams, only South Korea’s Ulsan has been a previous champion.
Who: Manchester City vs Manchester United What: English Premier League Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom When: Sunday, September 14 at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm (12:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
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Manchester City and Manchester United have spent fortunes on some of the world’s best attacking players, and yet, Sunday’s derby will spotlight their goalkeepers.
City secured Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain, and United landed Belgium international Senne Lammens on transfer deadline day to solve problems in their lineups.
Even though United confirmed on Friday that Lammens would not be starting in goal, all the focus will be on those attempting to stop the goals rather than score them.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the latest Manchester derby, and this time, one with a twist.
What have Man City said about Donnarumma?
City manager Pep Guardiola says he is willing to adapt the team’s approach following the signing of Donnarumma and will not expect the Italian to offer the same ball-playing abilities as the departed Ederson Moraes.
Ederson, who ended his trophy-laden eight-year spell at City by joining Fenerbahce last week, revolutionised the goalkeeper position in English football with his distribution and technical skills.
That made him a perfect fit for Guardiola’s style of play, but the same cannot be said of Donnarumma, a brilliant shot-stopper whose strength isn’t passing the ball out from the back.
Donnarumma is in contention to make his debut for City against United following his move from Paris Saint-Germain, although Guardiola wouldn’t confirm whether the Italy international will start.
“Always, I try to adapt to the quality of the players,” Guardiola said Friday. “I will not demand Gigi do something that is uncomfortable.
“We are talking about the best player I have ever seen in the distribution, short or long, with Ederson. We didn’t take Gigi to do what Ederson has done. Gigi has another quality.”
Guardiola said he wasn’t trying to “undermine” Donnarumma by pointing out Ederson’s qualities and spoke glowingly about his new signing’s strengths.
“He’s so tall. He’s so huge,” Guardiola said with a smile, adding: “He’s a big presence on the big stages.
“What he has done in the Champions League last season at Villa Park, Anfield, many games, proves how good he is.”
Guardiola said he met Donnarumma for the first time on Wednesday but didn’t see him train on Thursday.
“We’ll see,” Guardiola said when asked if Donnarumma will come in for James Trafford, who has started City’s first three games in the Premier League – a win at Wolverhampton before back-to-back losses to Tottenham and Brighton.
Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates after the World Cup qualifier against Estonia on September 5 [Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters]
What have Man Utd said about Bayindir and Lammens?
Altay Bayindir will continue in goal for United in the derby match despite the signing of Belgium international Lammens.
The goalkeeper position has been problematic for United manager Ruben Amorim, who sent last year’s first-choice, Andre Onana, on loan to Turkish club Trabzonspor on Thursday.
Bayindir has made some high-profile errors, particularly from balls into the box, on the occasions he replaced Onana, but retains the faith of Amorim after Lammens – an unheralded 23-year-old from Belgium – was brought in from Royal Antwerp on September 1.
“Altay is going to continue,” Amorim said on Friday. “Because it’s a different league, it’s a different country, different trainings, different ball. So we will try to maintain that.
“They will fight for the position. For this game, it’s clear Altay will start.”
Lammens is largely unknown outside his native country, and Amorim said he is a goalkeeper with “great potential”.
“I know that we are in the moment that the goalkeeper has to be really strong and have a lot of experience,” he said, “but we are also in the moment that we have to look at the present and also with a focus on the future.”
Lammens, Amorim added, is a keeper who can “give us different things” and can be United’s first choice “for a lot of years.”
On the departure of Onana, Amorim added: “In this club, the pressure is sometimes so hard in every detail. Sometimes you need a change.”
Manchester United’s goalkeeper Altay Bayindir has taken over as first-choice at Old Trafford this season [Bernat Armangue/AP Photo]
What are Man City and Man Utd’s forms like ahead of the derby?
The Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium already feels like a must-win for both teams.
City, whose four-year title reign ended last season, is playing catch-up after only three games (1-2). Back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton have highlighted concerns that Guardiola’s squad is not equipped to mount a challenge at the top.
United lost their opening day encounter with Arsenal and drew their second match, away at Fulham. The entirety of the Gunners’ trip to Old Trafford and the first half in London appeared to be vast improvements from Amorim’s side, playing his much-debated 3-4-3 formation.
The second half against Fulham was underwhelming, however, as was the 3-2 win against Burnley, which needed a 97th-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes to seal the points.
Prior to that match, United were dumped out of the League Cup on penalties at fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
What happened the last time Man City played Man Utd?
The teams last met at Old Trafford in a Premier League clash on April 6. With United destined for a bottom-half finish and City’s title defence long over, the game resulted in a drab 0-0 draw.
What happened in the same fixture between City and Utd last season?
The match at the Etihad Stadium last season ended in a remarkable 2-1 win for United. The match was played on December 15, less than a month after Eric ten Hag was sacked, and appeared to be heading to another defeat for United with City leading through Josko Gvardiol’s first-half strike. Fernandes scored an 88th-minute penalty to level the match, before Amad Diallo netted a 90th-minute winner.
Head-to-head
This is the 196th Manchester derby, of which United have won 79 matches compared with City’s 61 victories.
City have not won in the last four matches against United, although the Community Shield meeting at the start of last season saw City lift the trophy after coming out on top on penalties.
The FA Cup final the season before was won by United and ended a three-game losing streak against City.
Manchester City team news
Striker Omar Marmoush will miss Sunday’s game against United after he hurt his knee on international duty with Egypt.
Marmoush went off injured early in his country’s World Cup qualifying game against Burkina Faso on Tuesday.
“Initial results on a scan performed in Egypt indicate he will not be available for the Manchester derby on Sunday, and he will now return to Manchester for more assessment and to begin his rehabilitation,” Manchester City said Wednesday in a statement. “Everyone at City wishes Omar a speedy recovery.”
The 26-year-old forward joins a lengthy injury list at City, with John Stones and Phil Foden among several players who missed international games.
City didn’t specify how soon Marmoush might return. City starts its Champions League campaign against Napoli on September 18.
Egypt’s game was a 0-0 draw, which meant Egypt has to wait to confirm its place at next year’s World Cup.
Manchester Utd team news
Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot and Mason Mount are all out of Sunday’s match.
Amorim said he “doesn’t know” how long the trio will be unavailable.
Given Cunha’s absence in attack, Benjamin Sesko is in line for his first Premier League start following his big-money move from RB Leipzig.
“I’m really pleased for him. You’d have to say it’s a big privilege to be given that accolade and I’m pleased for him because everybody knows he’s back again,” Moyes told a news conference.
“It’s nothing down to me, it’s down to Jack Grealish. He’s looked after himself and worked incredibly hard.
“He’s come back with the right mindset to produce and he has produced for us. He’s made a big difference. It’s just the start for Jack.”
After making his Premier League debut for Aston Villa in May 2014, Grealish has now made 193 appearances in the competition and won the title three times with Manchester City.
Before joining Everton, he had provided two assists in the same Premier League game only twice before.
Grealish is the first Everton player to record multiple assists in consecutive Premier League matches and has the chance to be the first to do so in three when the Toffees host his former club Villa on Saturday at 15:00 BST.
He topped an eight-man shortlist after a public vote combined with those of a panel of football experts.
Moyes said it was a “big motivation” for Grealish to break back into the England team before next summer’s World Cup and his performances in the early part of the season have “put a marker down”.
“I don’t pick the England team and I’m glad I don’t because there’s so many good players,” added the Everton boss.
“They played really well against Serbia, some really good performances, so Jack needs to keep playing well for us to get ahead of them.”
CLUB football is back for the Premier League this weekend after the international break.
After the last round of fixtures, a chaotic transfer deadline day followed as clubs splashed out £375million on new talent to take the overall spending for the window to over £3BILLION.
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Alexander Isak is in line to make his Liverpool debut at the weekendCredit: Reuters
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Nick Woltemade, Newcastle’s record signing, will have big boots to fillCredit: Getty
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Alejandro Garnacho could play for Chelsea this weekendCredit: Getty
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Harvey Elliott completed a move to Aston Villa from LiverpoolCredit: Getty
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While Jadon Sancho was a deadline-day loan arrivalCredit: Instagram @avfcofficial
And with that wave of new arrivals, including emergency loans, the conclusions of blockbuster sagas and shrewd deals, there will be several new faces for fans to watch.
SunSport has taken a look at stars who could make their debuts this weekend, including two club-record signings.
Kicking off the team in goal is new Manchester City star Gianluigi Donnarumma, who arrived on deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain for £26million.
New £18m Manchester United star Senne Lammens could have been selected just as easily, but they can let their goalkeeping do the talking during the Manchester Derby on Sunday.
Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m sale from Man Utd to Chelsea, was not a deadline day switch but was only announced after the Blues’ most recent game at Stamford Bridge – meaning he will be in line for his debut this weekend.
The 23-year-old German looked impressive during the Under-21 Euros this summer, while he scored 17 for Stuttgart last season.
But he – alongside fellow new Toon ace Yoane Wissa – will have big boots to fill following Alexander Isak‘s record-breaking £130m departure to Liverpool.
Isak’s saga dragged on all summer and was on and off and then on and off again, before possibly the move of the summer was finally put to bed on deadline day.
Elsewhere, there are the likes of Kevin, Fulham‘s own £35m record-breaking arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk, Jaydee Canvot at Crystal Palace and Brian Brobbey at Sunderland who could also make first appearances for their new clubs at the weekend.
