Key events
Suzanne Wrack on the travails of the new Manchester United in the new WSL season.
The problem is that the spotlight is harsh on the red side of Manchester. The minority owner Jim Ratcliffe’s dismissive comments relating to the women’s team, and the lack of serious investment in the squad, provide reasons to be somewhat forgiving of the head coach and her charges, their struggles an indictment of a club that seemingly doesn’t fully care.
Good news for Liverpool, after Bradley Barcola limped from the field against Atletico Madrid.
Andoni Iraola: “Barcola was just cramps. We have to evaluate how he is today, but there is no injury. I think he should be available if everything goes normal.”
On form man Cody Gakpo: “Cody we will see. We will try today and see if he is ready for tomorrow or if we need to wait until the next one.”
Lucas Bergvall has signed a new Tottenham deal; he was already contracted until 2031 so perhaps a pay rise? No word of its length in the club release.
Bergvall said: “I think we’re building something great here. It’s an exciting time for the Club and that’s why I’m happy to extend my contract. I’m always trying to achieve as much as possible, to be the best version of myself both on and off the pitch and I know this is the right place to do that.
Roberto De Zerbi said: “Every day in training you can see Lucas’ desire to learn, improve and push himself to the highest level. Lucas is brave, he wants responsibility and has the personality to play in big moments. He also understands that development is a process and he has shown a fantastic attitude towards working on the areas of his game where he can become even better. I believe his best football is still ahead of him and we want to give Lucas the platform to reach his full potential.”
Bergvall has only featured in one league game so far, and was subbed at half-time in the defeat to Brentford.
Will Unwin
Manchester City travel to Old Trafford on Sunday seeking to continue their perfect start to life under Enzo Maresca and further prove Anderson’s point. The 23-year-old midfielder made his claim upon signing from Nottingham Forest for £116m in the summer and having from afar witnessed City win eight Premier League titles during the past 14 years, compared with United’s one.e
“I think Manchester City was unbelievable what they achieved. It’s normal when Elliot said that,” said Maresca. “If you go back it’s a different picture, but for me the reason he said that is because when he grew up Manchester City was dominant.”
Panic at Fulham? Not yet, though some distress flares.
Brazilian winger Kevin, an unused substitute against Crystal Palace, added a cryptic message on his Instagram story with the caption ‘no speak, no hear, no see’. Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe have, meanwhile, both cleared their own Instagram posts of football-related content, with some fans interpreting it as growing signs of disharmony within the Fulham camp.
Alvaro Arbeloa moved to calm waters today: ““You can learn more about a group after a defeat than after a win, and I saw them work during the week with a very positive attitude, all of them,” the Fulham boss said at a press conference.
“For sure when you are a player and you are not playing, you can’t be happy. It is what I expect from the players that are not playing. I want that they should need to show me that they are not happy during the training session. For me, this is the most important thing.
“Obviously, when you are not winning games and you are not helping your team, I think you have more desire to play games and to help their team-mates. But all of them, they have been working so hard and I have a very, very good group with a very good attitude.”
Fulham have lost all three league matches this season.
Time for another handover. John Brewin will be your news conduit for the next wee while. Catch you’se later.
Hull fined over offensive chanting. Anecdotally, you do detect a slight uptick in unpleasant chants from the tiresome edgelord element among clubs’ fanbases and Hull have copped a fine for the homophobic antics of some herberts in their support after last season’s Cup tie against Chelsea, as Reuters reports:
Hull City have been fined £30,000 ($40,512) by the Football Association over discriminatory chanting during their FA Cup defeat by Chelsea in February, the governing body said on Friday.
An independent regulatory commission also imposed an action plan on the club after it failed to prevent offensive chanting despite warnings over the public address system.
“It was alleged that the club failed to ensure its spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters) do not use words or behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent or insulting way with a reference – whether express or implied – to sexual orientation,” read the statement.
Offensive chanting was heard in sections of the home crowd during the first half of last season’s game, prompting an announcement over the PA system urging supporters to stop and reminding them that CCTV was in operation.
A second announcement was made in the second half confirming action had been taken, including arrests made. Hull City have admitted the charges.
Tom Garry
Some mid-morning reading: a lovely Moving the Goalposts piece by Tom Garry with Gemma Darvill, coach of the first England women’s Parkinson’s team and how restorative football has been for her dad, who lives with the condition.
When Gemma Darvill’s dad, Les, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease aged 58, joining a walking football team stopped him from confining himself to his own home, and she believes the game saved his life.
What she could never have foreseen was that, eight years later, she would find herself coaching the first England women’s Parkinson’s team, helping transform the lives of women with the disease from all across the country. She is set to embark on a journey to Toronto to help spread awareness of the ways in which walking football can help put the brakes on the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms.
A teacher at Swallowfield primary school in Woburn Sands, in Milton Keynes, Darvill’s interest in walking football was sparked by supporting her dad. She now coaches what is believed to be the first walking football team specifically dedicated to women with Parkinson’s, the Parkinson’s Pioneers, who train in Solihull and have seen a tenfold increase in their membership in just over three years. That led to her appointment as the coach of the first England women’s national side.
And to sign up to Moving the Goalposts, our women’s football newsletter, click below:
There’s a lot of noise about Manchester United’s 15-year-old forward JJ Gabriel, and the volume was ramped up last night when he scored a hat-trick for the U19s in their 5-0 win against Sabah in the Uefa Youth League. Gabriel has already trained with Michael Carrick’s first team and his coach Adam Lawrence sung his praises again after Thursday’s showing, reports PA.
“JJ is surrounded by people that really, really believe in him from the top of the club right the way through,” Lawrence said. “He’s been at the club for so long. He’s got real good relationships with the players, with the staff, so I think over the course of time obviously that helps as well.
“At the moment, just in terms of his game, his games programme, his training programme, it’s about making sure that he’s getting the right exposure across different levels. We’re obviously not perfect but it’s definitely something we put a lot of thought into, so it’s good to see him enjoying his football in a good place.”
“The first thing is that it’s my job is not to ruin him. When you have a talented player like JJ and the other lads, you obviously don’t want to stifle their freedom and their creativity.
“What you try and do is to set the team up to allow the talent to function and to play free at the right moments. It can’t always be free and off the cuff, in terms of the off-the-ball responsibilities that he’s working on and the pressing that he’s thinking about.
“But in terms of how he plays properly and how he connects with other team-mates at the top end of the pitch, he’s just in a real good space.”
Nico O’Reilly is set to return to the Manchester City side for Sunday’s derby at Manchester United. The England left-back has missed the last two games after pulling up with a back problem in the warm-up prior to last weekend’s Premier League victory over Coventry.
Winger Jeremy Doku remains on the sidelines with the calf problem he sustained in the Community Shield but City have no other fitness concerns for the trip to Old Trafford. The manager, Enzo Maresca, said: “Nico is 100 per cent available but Jeremy, I think he needs some more days.” PA
Ed Aarons
Mikel is being intense again …
Mikel Arteta has revealed that he likes to set players challenges, such as delaying their meals before matches and making the dressing room hotter, to ensure they are fully prepared for any eventuality.
Arsenal’s flight to Italy for their Champions League opener against Napoli this week was delayed for more than five hours, with Arteta forced to cancel his pre-match press conference after the squad arrived in Naples just before 10pm local time. The disruption proved no handicap as they made it 13 successive league-stage victories in Europe, thanks to Martin Ødegaard’s second-half winner.
Arteta has a reputation for his innovative methods having previously employed pickpockets during pre-season training camps and preparing for a trip to Anfield by pumping crowd noises through a speaker. The Arsenal manager has now explained how his players have been trained to expect things to go wrong. “I love those challenges. I try to create them in pre-season,” he said. “So when they happen, we already experience them and we already know. So, get to the stadium very late, change the routine as soon as the players have to do something else. Because when it happens, and it can happen, you can miss the flight, the train can be delayed, there’s so much traffic, and I don’t want the players, the staff as well, panicking.
“So, when that happens, adapt to it. ‘Okay, we have another two or three hours on the plane, how can we use them?’ Play together, spend some time together, sleep, use it, but certainly don’t complain and then use it as an excuse because that’s not helpful at all.”
Asked what other methods he has employed, Arteta added: “Just delay the meals, delay the transport, take a different route. We have done many things: make the dressing room hotter, more difficult, more challenging, less [massage] beds. Those kind of things. Because we are going to have to adapt to different contexts and we will try to anticipate it and create the best possible conditions. But when there is that element of stress or surprise on matchday, it’s important [to be prepared].”
João Pedro named Premier League player of the month
Morning everyone. Off to a game this weekend? What are your hopes and expectations? I always aim low in the vague hope of being pleasantly surprised.
Anyway, the season’s first monthly awards are in, and João Pedro has been named the Premier League’s player of the month for August after registering two goals and two assists in Xabi Alonso’s side’s swashbuckling start to the season. He’s the first Chelsea player to win the award since Cole Palmer in September 2024, fact fans.
The EFL’s monthly trinkets are in too, with Southampton’s Cyle Larin named Championship player of the month, while Jamal Lowe of Sheffield Wednesday and York’s Harry Boyes taking the League One and League Two awards respectively.
The manager awards in the EFL went to Vítor Matos of Swansea (Championship), Huddersfield’s Martin Drury (League One) and Dean Brennan of Barnet (League Two).
Hull’s Thomas ‘unharmed’ in car accident
Thanks Tom. Hull City have confirmed that their winger Sorba Thomas was unhurt following a car accident this morning. After dramatic images were posted on social media, Hull issued a statement saying the Wales winger walked away unscathed.
Hull City is relieved to confirm that Sorba Thomas is unharmed following a road traffic accident near to the club’s Cottingham training ground.
The club is aware of images of Sorba’s car circulating on social media and can reassure supporters that he has sustained no injuries and emerged from his vehicle completely unscathed.
I’m grabbing a break from the blog, to see you through the next couple of hours is Tom Davies.
Matthias Jaissle revealed that summer signing Matias Fernandez-Pardo is edging closer to starting for Newcastle.
The 21-year-old forward arrived on Tyneside from Lille on deadline day and has featured as a substitute in Newcastle’s last two matches.
Speaking ahead of Monday’s clash with Leeds, Jaissle said: “Yeah, he’s getting closer. I said that we need to be smart with his load management. Now he’s getting more and more minutes.
“He has now almost a full training week to Leeds, that helps him a lot. I think it’s the first time now since he arrived, and then we can make the decision on Sunday, maybe even on Monday.” Press Association
Nicolas Jackson is ready to impress, Spurs are scrambled and the 199th Manchester derby takes place at Old Trafford.. here are our 10 things for the upcoming weekend of football:
Spanish World Cup-winner Juan Mata has confirmed he will be departing Australian side Melbourne Victory, but stopped short of calling time on his career.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea ace has enjoyed a late-career resurgence and was voted the domestic A-League player of the year in 2025-26.
But the 38-year-old has decided not to play on at the club as he mulls “the next steps in his career”.
He will remain involved with the Australian side after taking an ownership stake.
“I loved every minute and so greatly enjoyed everything that we achieved last season, falling back in love with football at such a special place, in an amazing city that it was a privilege to call home,” Mata said.
“Now I am excited about our next chapters, believing together in the future of Australian football and inspiring the next generation of Melbourne Victory players and supporters.” AFP
Gianni Infantino has not responded to a request to appear before the US House judiciary committee or sent documents requested by one of its members more than a month past the deadline.
The Democrat Jamie Raskin, the ranking minority member of the committee, wrote to the Fifa president on 26 July informing the Swiss he was launching an investigation into “a sustained campaign” by Fifa to curry favour with the US president, Donald Trump.
His letter said seeking of favours extended to the dismissal of high-profile corruption cases, while also accusing Fifa of “gouging” American consumers with “exorbitant” World Cup ticket prices this summer.
The Swiss was asked to respond to the letter by 9 August with the requested documents and to make contact with the committee to schedule an interview, but it is understood no response at all had been received as of Thursday.
Because no subpoena was issued, there are no criminal consequences for ignoring Raskin’s request. Press Association
In totally normal Turkish football news… the Fenerbahce head coach, Ismail Kartal, announced his resignation on Thursday after his team drew 1-1 at home to Roma in the Champions League – but minutes later, the club president said Kartal would stay in the job.
Kartal shocked the post-match press conference by claiming he was leaving Fenerbahce “never to return”. The 65-year-old added that he was taking the drastic decision “to clear the way for the club” – but the Fenerbahce president, Aziz Yildrim, quickly moved to play down his manager’s remarks.
Minutes after the press conference, Yildirim told reporters that Kartal “continues in his role” with the Turkish side. “Some fans threw a bottle at the coach’s head this evening during the game. He is upset about it,” the club president added.
Full story:
The French football federation’s president, Philippe Diallo, said Gianni Infantino had “seriously damaged the image and the unity of football” as he announced the end of France’s support for the Fifa president’s re-election.
The FFF’s executive committee unanimously voted on Thursday to withdraw its backing, which had been formalised at the end of June. Diallo referred to “events during the World Cup” which had “flagrantly gone against the way we believe our sport should be run” and to Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan, which was revealed in July and scrapped after a widespread backlash.
United were the only Premier League club in Champions League action last night but Englishman Harry Kane scored for the eighth game in a row in the competition as Bayern Munich beat Bodø/Glimt 5-0 at the Allianz Arena. Starting their Champions League journey were Cesc Fabregas’s Como, who beat RB Leipzig 4-1 Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, while Lens scored twice in added time to reverse a 2-1 deficit and secure a 3-2 win. Our roundup of all of Thursday night’s European action is here.
David Hytner
Manchester United were back in Europe’s elite competition after a two-year hiatus and in need of something to soothe them after the trauma of their last-gasp coughing up of two points in last Sunday’s Premier League draw at Everton. And before the extremely serious business of the derby here against Manchester City on Sunday. They got it on the back of a first-half performance that burned slowly before catching fire.
Sabah were game. United were clinical. It was Matheus Cunha who broke the deadlock midway through the first half and the defining moments came at the end of the period when Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko sent United into half-time with a three-goal cushion. Lisandro Martínez added the fourth late on. It was a case of job done for Michael Carrick, no wobbles. Now for City.
Read David Hytner’s full report from Old Trafford:
Hall agrees contract extension
Newcastle United defender Lewis Hall has signed a new long-term contract with the club.
Reports suggest the left-back, 22, has agreed a two-year extension to his original deal that would take his contract up to 2031.
Hall has been the subject of interest from Manchester United, among others, but has now committed his immediate future to Newcastle.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to play for this club and to represent the supporters,” he said. “I know how much it means to them.
“To be able to bring joy to their faces, it’s a big thing for me. I obviously have a family connection with the club, which is incredibly important to us all.
“One of the main reasons I play is to make my family proud, and I know how much it means to them to watch me playing for Newcastle United.”
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Preamble
No club embraces chaos quite like Chelsea. Stability has been absent at Stamford Bridge going back even as far as the Ken Bates era. The latest twist in west London has been foreseen for a while, with warring factions between the current ownership meaning a parting of ways was always likely but Mark Walter’s issues with US tax authorities have accelerated the timeline. Then, on Thursday evening, Matt Hughes and Jacob Steinberg came through with the report that Chelsea’s majority owners, Clearlake Capital, are closing in on an agreement to buy out co-owners Todd Boehly and Walter in a deal that would see the pair make a profit on their investment and value the club at around £5bn.
We’ll be across any further updates on that story, plus the reaction to last night’s European action and all the other news ahead of the weekend football. Plenty to get stuck into.
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