Mohamed Salah turned on the style as Liverpool fended off Leeds United in a seven-goal thriller on the first day of the Premier League season.
The Reds 4-3 victory over their promoted visitors came on the back of two penalties and a sumptuous finish from Salah, whose hat-trick was an opening-day rarity.
As last season s top-flight champions launched their season in dramatic style, so others began to show what they might offer in the months ahead.
FA Cup holders Arsenal are targeting a much-improved league campaign in 2020-21, and their 3-0 win at Fulham was a promising start, with new signing Willian playing a key role.
Crystal Palace made an early breakthrough and made it count against Southampton, while Newcastle United s recent investments began to pa…
Robin van Persie played his last game as a professional in Feyenoord s Eredivisie loss to ADO Den Haag on Sunday.
Former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Van Persie rejoined his boyhood club in January 2018 and said earlier this season that he would not prolong his career solely in pursuit of the Eredivisie title.
The 35-year-old has been in typically prolific form for Feyenoord this term, scoring 16 goals in 25 appearances, but was unable to prevent his side slipping to a 2-0 home defeat to Den Haag.
He will not take part in the final league match of the campaign on Wednesday at Fortuna Sittard, which was originally due to be played on April 28 and moved to accommodate Ajax s Champions League semi-final against Tottenham.
Van Persie initially …
Son Heung-min has been named Premier League Player of the Month for October, the first time he has won the honour in three and a half years.
Tottenham forward Son has made a sensational start to 2020-21, racking up eight goals and two assists in eight Premier League appearances.
Four of those goals came in the month of October, including in Spurs spectacular 6-1 away win at Manchester United when the South Korea international scored two and set up another.
He also netted in wins over West Ham and Burnley to be named Player of the Month for the third time in his career, having previously triumphed in September 2016 and April 2017.
Spurs have not had a winner in the award since Lucas Moura claimed the accolade in August 2018.
Son beat seven other no…
According to a recent report from El Desmarque, three Premier League clubs in the form of Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham are locked in a three-way battle to try and sign Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti.
The belief is that Barca are very keen on the idea of selling the Frenchman who has been with the club across the last three years. As they continue to evolve so does their first team, and it appears as if Umtiti isn’t going to be featuring in that conversation for much longer.
All three of the clubs in question are in desperate need of some defensive help and structure, whether it be due to injuries or just a distinct lack of talent within their ranks currently. Umtiti may not have the experience in the Premier League that some feel he’d need, b…
Manchester United defender Eric Bailly said the players have been told about the arrival of a new manager amid mounting speculation regarding Ralf Rangnick.
United are reportedly set to appoint former RB Leipzig boss Rangnick on an interim basis until the end of the season.
Rangnick, currently working as head of sports and development at Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow, is the man United are targeting to lead them through until the end of the season, which is when they intend to make a more permanent appointment – Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax s Erik ten Hag have been heavily linked.
Michael Carrick continued in his caretaker role for Sunday s 1-1 draw at Premier League leaders Chelsea, though Bailly lifted the lid on matters at Old …
Robert Lewandowski scored one goal and made another as Bayern Munich increased their lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim.
The defending champions nosed, briefly at least, 10 points ahead of RB Leipzig as they aim to secure a ninth successive title.
Hoffenheim offered plenty of threat and Ihlas Bebou should have done better with two gilt-edged chances, with his profligacy punished by Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller.
Bebo atoned by teeing up Andrej Kramaric to volley in his first away league goal at Bayern on the stroke of half-time, but quickfire strikes from Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry ensured a fourth straight Bundesliga win for Hansi Flick s team.
Hoffenheim stunned Bayern 4-1 early in the campaign and Bebou could h…
Ivan Toney has a gambling addiction, an independent regulatory commission has found.
The written reasons for the eight-month betting ban imposed on the Brentford forward were published on Friday and it found Toney had bet on himself to score in addition to betting on his own club to lose during a four-year period.
It did state, however, that: “There is no evidence that Mr Toney did or was even in a position to influence his own team to lose when he placed bets against them winning – he was not in the squad or eligible to play at the time.”
The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons regarding Ivan Toney’s recent sanctions have now been published here:
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson)
Toney was charged with 262 betting …
The pursuit of 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland is well known.
Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have all been linked with Haaland.
The race is set to heat up, with Haaland reportedly holding a €75 million (£68m) release clause in his Dortmund contract which triggers at the end of the current season.
TOP STORY – MAN CITY LEAD THE WAY IN HAALAND RACE
Football Insider reports that Man City are in the box seat to sign Haaland in a major development with his father Alf-Inge Haaland s connection with the club.
Alf-Inge played with City from 2000 to 2003 and is telling Erling to join the club ahead of other suitors.
City s Abu Dhabi owners are set to launch a concerte…
Mikel Arteta has paid tribute to Pep Guardiola ahead of their FA Cup fourth round clash.
The Arsenal manager worked under Guardiola at Manchester City before taking charge at Emirates Stadium in December 2019, and is now in the middle of a title race in the Premier League with his former mentor.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Friday s game between the Gunners and City and the Etihad Stadium, Arteta said he was inspired by Guardiola, and compared his impact on football to that of Johan Cruyff.
I feel gratitude, first of all, because he inspired me as a player, and he inspired me and gave me the opportunity as a coach, the Spaniard said.
I wouldn t probably have had the career that I had as a player, the understanding of the game or the purpose …
Karim Benzema missed a penalty and hit the post on his return to the France side, but the hosts took advantage of Neco Williams contentious red card to beat 10-man Wales 3-0 in Wednesday s friendly at the Allianz Riviera.
Real Madrid striker Benzema was making his first international appearance since October 2015 in a star-studded starting line-up that also included Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, who both found the net.
Mbappe opened the scoring from close range shortly after Benzema had his penalty saved by Danny Ward following Williams handball – an infringement that also saw the Liverpool youngster sent off after a lengthy VAR check.
Fellow forward Griezmann doubled France s tally early in the second half and substitute Ousmane Dembele added a third a…