Key events
Here’s Will Unwin on tonight’s ‘losing manager, put tin hat on’ showdown at Old Trafford.
United sit solemnly in 12th with only one league win, and misery needs company. The hosts will find just that at Old Trafford on Saturday evening. Tottenham, bottom of the Premier League, visit, with both sides hoping to kickstart their season. Spurs have secured a measly two points after a summer where £300m was spent on Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild but the architect’s drawings are already at risk of being set alight.
And here’s David Estherby on email with a look to the weekend matches.
“Hi David, Well, thank God that (the nation’s league)‘s over.
“Where are we then? As Man City almost certainly won’t be taking the PL title home this season, Leeds could do everyone else a massive favour and give Arsenal a good coating (spoiler – they won’t). Manchester Hotspur v Tottenham United is either gonna be a nine-goal shambles or the worst 0-0 in history.
“And tomorrow?? They may as well call the Anfield game off now; no way anyone’s getting through that one unscathed. Oh, and nice to see Maresca getting his BAFTA nomination in early yesterday. It’s back baby!”
Krishnamoorthy v gets in touch on email. His thoughts are turning to Anfield.
“How much ever we fake interests and yield to club loyalties (Blues here – no jokes please – no one is perfect) the ONLY match that matters is slated for tomorrow evening. K(C)ops vs cheaters, you will never walk alone vs you will never find us guilty … the possibilities are endless. I, for one, will spend more time scanning the stands for innovative taunting posters. If City do not blow their heads and escape without a red card, that will be a miracle.”
The topic of ‘The talk’ this week is, you’ve guessed it, the Manchester City guilty verdict. Here’s what managers Michael Carrick, Andoni Iraola, Vincent Kompany, Mikel Arteta and Roberto De Zerbi think.
“Refusing to be drawn on the controversy” may pop up a few times.
And here’s another West Ham link to a result from last night. Lyon also had the opportunity to go top of their domestic league but, like the Hammers, they blew it too after a 2-1 loss at Lens. By all accounts, the hosts (2-0 up with five minutes left) deserved it. Here’s the table, which shows PSG only in sixth. For now. The Champions League winners for the last two seasons host mid-table Le Mans this evening.
Talking of West Ham and stoppage-time drama – it’ll all become clear – there was also late drama in the Bundesliga last night. Leaders Borussia Dortmund were all set to maintain their 100% start after late goals from Daniel Svensson (80) and Nico Schlotterbeck (85) put them 2-0 up on Werder Bremen. But Ludovit Reis pulled one back for the visitors on 88 before on-loan West Ham striker, Niclas Füllkrug, headed home an equaliser deep into added time to thwart his former team.
West Ham will surely bounce back to the Premier League next season but it’s not been completely smooth sailing so far. There was another hiccup last night as the Hammers had to settle for a 1-1 draw with QPR after Jarrod Bowen’s injury-time penalty was saved. It stopped them returning to the summit.
All the shenanigans (stronger words are available) involving Manchester City will come into sharper focus at Anfield on Sunday. Meanwhile, in France…
(Via AFP)
Six-time French champions Bordeaux, who were sanctioned in the summer for financial irregularities, will play the current season in the sixth tier of French football. Bordeaux were sanctioned for failing to provide the roughly 10 million euros (£8.5million) needed for the 2025-2026 financial year as well as 2026-2027 and meet debt payments.
Once one of France’s leading football clubs and the team where the country’s new head coach Zinedine Zidane made his name, Bordeaux was sold last month for a symbolic one euro to US-based investment group Park Bench who agreed to take on the remaining debt.
Two days after appearing before the oversight commission of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine league, which approved their recovery budget and issued “a positive opinion on their possible participation in Regional 1,” the club was unanimously approved to play in the top tier.
The new owners are due in commercial court on October 20 to ratify the new continuation plan, which now runs over 12 years, with the debt halved from 26 to 13 million euros.
The team is largely amateur although they are permitted five players on professional contracts, one of which will go to former Ligue 1 striker Baptiste Guillaume.
The Lionesses are in the driving seat in their Women’s World Cup playoff tie against Greece after a 3-1 win in the away leg last night. But it wasn’t totally convincing stuff from Sarina Wiegman’s side, who struggled against the hosts’ low block for large parts.
Tom Garry was at the Stadio Pankritio. Here’s his report.
Suzanne Wrack was there too to see England experiment and tweak. Here’s her analysis.
Ten things. You know the drill. Under discussion from our writers: Michael Carrick is wary of ‘Dr Tottenham’, Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park and will Manchester City summon a siege mentality at Anfield?
Max Rushden’s ponderings on Manchester City’s potential punishment include Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley being a nice man. I can actually confirm this. Big Tone once held a door open for me at a buffet. It’s true (soz). I have further details if needed. Anyway, here’s Max.
Right, time to turn the style on a bit after quietening the crowd. Here’s Barney Ronay.
“Welcome to the weirdest weekend of them all. We are now post-judgment, post-statement, postlapsarian. As the Premier League prepares to snap back into what must be described, out of habit, as reality, armed with the knowledge its serial champions have been the authors of a 10-year sham supremacy, the first question is fairly simple. How is it going to feel?”
The Inspiral Carpets have an answer to such a question but how about you?
Leeds could actually go above Arsenal if they win at The Emirates today. There’s a surprising fact. Daniel Farke’s side lost 5-0 there last season but that was before the much-talked about formation change of mid-season. Leeds will be a much tougher nut to crack today. Add in the early kick-off and disruption of an extended international break and are the ingredients there for a shock?
Here’s how the two sides could line up, plus all the predicted team news for the weekend. Kai Havertz and Ezri Konsa are greyed out in the starting XI due to picking up knocks. The official Premier League fantasy game (watch for the early deadline folks) gives both a 75% chance of playing.
Let’s just get an early touch before some more expansive stuff by looking at today’s action.
Here is the full fixture list. What take your eye?
Preamble
Morning everyone. The Premier League is back! Okay, during the international break Manchester City were found guilty, Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina and Harry Kane became England’s joint-highest appearance maker but today Ipswich host Fulham so let’s get our priorities right.
The Portman Road clash is one of six Premier League fixtures today and they’re bookended by two intriguing clashes as champions Arsenal host fifth-placed Leeds at 12.30pm BST and slightly ailing Manchester United head to very ailing, rock-bottom Tottenham for the 5.30pm game.
Are you off to a match today? Or is it some shopping, a walk or even a park run before turning on the telebox? Let us know! Right, here we go…
