And that’s it for today. Thanks, as always, for reading and enjoy the weekend.
Team news and predicted lineups for all 20 Premier League teams in one handy article, you say? Ch-Check It Out.
How good are Newcastle? The table shows them in seventh place. About right? Some analysis and number crunching here from PA Media which we’ll condense into bullet points. In summary: strong against the rank and file; shite against big teams.
Newcastle have amassed 57 points in 39 Premier League matches during the year since the Saudi takeover. This amounts to their best 39-game spell since December 2012 - a run that comprised a fifth-place finish under Alan Pardew in 2011-12.
The Magpies rank seventh in the top flight on a points per game basis over the past 12 months, behind only the ‘big six’ of Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United.
The Magpies have a superb record against clubs outside the ‘big six’ in the past 12 months, winning 14 and losing just two of 26 matches for an average of two points per game.
In stark contrast, they have suffered 10 defeats in 13 meetings with the ‘big six’, with their solitary win coming at home to Arsenal towards the end of last season.
Fancy a quiz? Football features in 50% of the questions. You can surely beat my 6 out of 10.
Steve Davis and James Collins will be the men in the dugout for Wolves at Chelsea this weekend. Under-18s head coach Davis was placed in temporary charge along with Collins, who has the same role with the under-21s, following the sacking of Bruno Lage.
Some background From Reuters on how that came about…
Davis said of his conversations with Wolves chairman Jeff Shi: “I was watching my grandson in Keele University on Sunday and late afternoon I got a call to come down Monday and meet with him just to discuss things going forward.
“At that point I wasn’t aware of the situation. Then James was told a little bit later because we had a game against Man City in the Under-21s. We then spoke to each other just to see what we thought and then Monday we spoke about what we were going to do for the rest of the week.
“I’ve supported this football club since I was six, so over 50 years now. I can’t describe how it feels. My dad took me as a boy back in the 70s.
“I remember a lot of very, very good teams. This is probably one of the most talented groups I’ve seen technically. Having been here for a week, they’re fantastic people as well.”
Davis has been pleased with the reaction of the players and he and Collins will look to put their stamp on things this weekend, which could include a first start for striker Diego Costa, who made a difference off the bench against West Ham.
“The spirit’s been good, we’re really pleased with the response,” said Davis, who managed Crewe for more than five years before joining Wolves.
“We look for commitment, we look for something different, a reaction, and we’ve got that. Hopefully we’ll be brave in our selections.
“It is a chance to change things but if you change too much in a short space of time it can lead to a bit of confusion, so we’ve tried to run along the same sort of lines but we’ve just tried to add little things, get them smiling and enjoying it. It’s a difficult situation.
“They’re top players. I’ve worked with top players and played with top players in the past so I’ve not found it any different really.”
Wolves will be without Ruben Neves, who serves a one-match suspension having picked up five yellow cards this season, but Hwang Hee-chan is fit again.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter with some injury updates on defender Wesley Fofana and midfielder N’Golo Kante.
“Wesley’s knee is not as bad as we thought so that is good. It will be a few weeks I think but considerably better than it could be,” Potter told reporters ahead of Saturday’s Premier League home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“A possibility (to play before the World Cup), depending on rehab.”
Kante has not featured since mid-August due to a hamstring problem but Potter insisted he was in no rush to bring the France international back.
“Kante is doing more and more integration with the team. Not ready for the weekend, but getting closer and closer,” he said.
“There’s nothing we can do, the injury happened. We have to make sure when he’s back, he’s back for good, and strong. It’s something we have to deal with.”
Wolves’ visit will mark the return of former Chelsea striker Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge, where he won two league titles and a League Cup during a three-year spell.
“We have a lot of respect for him and his career. He’s at Wolves and he’s going to come and be ready to play,” Potter said of 33-year-old Costa, who scored 59 goals for Chelsea.
“I followed his career from afar and I’ve got a lot of respect for him. They have a lot of good attacking players so we have to be ready.” (Reuters)
An update from that terrible story in Argentina.
The government of Argentina’s Buenos Aires province said it has fired the head of a security operation carried out on Thursday outside a soccer stadium, which resulted in violent clashes and the death of a fan.
Police fired tear gas outside the stadium during a league match between Gimnasia La Plata and Boca Juniors, which then drifted into the stadium making it difficult for players and spectators to breathe, causing people to leave in a state of panic.
Province security minister Sergio Berni told local television the fan had died of a heart problem as he was leaving the stadium.
Some 10,000 people had been waiting outside La Plata’s Juan Zerillo stadium unable to watch the match, according to security personnel, with another 20,000 already filling it inside.
Argentine authorities said on Friday police used rubber bullets and tear gas to force the fans back as they tried to force their way inside.
Players were seen covering their faces, while supporters entered the field as they tried to escape the tear gas. The Argentine top-flight match was stopped after nine minutes.
The province government said it was clear the operation was not able to provide security to those who attended the match, and that it was investigating whether the incident had been caused by overbooking.
“The Governor has instructed the security minister that the head of the operation be removed immediately and that all the evidence is placed at the prosecutor’s disposal,” it said.
“My two-year-old son couldn’t breathe,” ESPN quoted Gimnasia player Leonardo Morales as saying. “We feel desperate and worried about all the people in the stands.
“We were playing a normal football game and it turned it into this and the feeling that our relatives almost died,” he said.
The incident comes five days after a stampede at a soccer game in Indonesia killed at least 131 people when fans tried to flee a riot and tear gas fired by police in one of the world’s worst sporting disasters. (Reuters)
It’s 5pm. What a perfect time for The Fiver!
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West Ham boss David Moyes believes there is still plenty more to come from striker Gianluca Scamacca.
The £35 million summer signing made an impact off the bench to grab the goal which secured a 1-0 away win over Anderlecht in their Europa Conference League tie on Thursday evening.
That came after the Italy international last weekend produced a fine half-volley to net the opener in a 2-0 win over Wolves as the Hammers claimed only their second Premier League victory of the season.
Having now got off the domestic mark to add to previous European strikes, Moyes believes the 23-year-old former Sassuolo forward can continue his progression.
“He is 23, a young Italian striker in the Premier League and I think he is coming along really well,” Moyes said.
“His goals give you confidence, the centre-forwards will tell you that. His form is getting better all round.
“His fitness is something he knows he has got more to come and to do more. It is always good when there is room for improvement and progress to be made, but he is doing a good job at the moment.”
West Ham’s win over Anderlecht means they have now won four of their last five matches in all competitions, and Moyes is hoping for more of the same when they host Fulham on Sunday.
“I think it’s huge if we can continue to build that momentum,” he told a press conference.
“We want to get on a run of victories. Clean sheets are a good place to start and I can sense that we are a little bit better at the moment.
“We are beginning to see performances from a lot of the players we have brought in, and we knew they could give us that.
“In the early games of the season we may have hit the bar or so, and we may have not got things right, but there are signs that things are getting better.”
Moyes confirmed winger Maxwel Cornet will again miss out on Sunday’s game as he recovers from a calf problem which forced him off during the first half of the win over Wolves.
The Ivory Coast forward, though, is not expected to be out for an extended spell.
“He has got a small calf strain. I don’t think it is as bad as we first feared, but it will keep him out for a few days,” Moyes said.
“Elsewhere, we have got a few knocks and niggles, but hopefully we will be OK by the time we get to Sunday’s game.” (PA Media)
Trent Alexander-Arnold shares a birthday with Vladimir Putin today. Not sure who’s come in for more criticism of late.
Special birthday wishes for @TrentAA ahead of training 🥰🎶 pic.twitter.com/nWhBRtz77U
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 7, 2022
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Patrick Bamford could make his first start for Leeds in almost two months after being declared fit for Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
After a succession of injuries limited the striker to just 11 appearances last season, Bamford has also suffered a disrupted start to this term.
His last start for Leeds came away at Southampton on August 13 but he was withdrawn with an adductor injury, and has made only two substitute appearances since.
But head coach Jesse Marsch said on Friday the 29-year-old is fit to face one of his former clubs.
“I think Patrick is fitter and he’s trained well this week, and I think he’s ready to go,” Marsch said.
“So I think there’s a high likelihood that he’ll be ready from the start.”
Bamford’s return will be a welcome boost as Marsch must shuffle his pack given Luis Sinisterra’s suspension following a red card in the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa.
If Bamford plays, Rodrigo could drop back and Brenden Aaronson move to the right-hand side, although Marsch also backed young Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville to fill that role if required.
Summerville, 20, has impressed since making his debut at Newcastle a year ago but all nine of his league appearances to date have come from the bench.
“First of all, it’s worth noting that we feel that Cree Summerville is in the best form since I’ve been here,” Marsch said.
“So he certainly becomes a factor whether from the start or off the bench.
“Even if you’re not in the XI, the most important thing is that you’re ready to come and make an impact off the bench.”
Leeds will be facing a Palace side hovering just outside the bottom three with six points from their seven games to date this term, but Marsch said that was a false position for Patrick Vieira’s men.
“When you talk about the start Palace have had, I think you have to talk about the opponents they’ve had - Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle,” he said.
“I think if you ask me they’ve played pretty well through that phase.
“It’s a hostile environment down there. Very difficult, they unbalanced us almost the entire match. Tactically we have to be much cleaner.
“(Wilfried) Zaha’s number one. A very good footballer, incredible in transition, clever around the goal. If you pay too much attention to him then (Odsonne) Edouard can have a big match. There’s so much attacking talent in this team.
“We need to manage specifically when we have the ball that they’re not getting out in transition and hurting us. We feel we’ve created a good match-plan.” (PA Media)
Man City fined for title win pitch invasion
Manchester City have been fined £260,000 and given a warning over the pitch invasion which followed their Premier League title win in May.
Fans poured onto the pitch after City came from 2-0 down against Aston Villa to win 3-2 and clinch the top-flight crown on Sunday, May 22.
City admitted a Football Association charge that they “failed to ensure spectators... conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using threatening and violent behaviour while encroaching onto the pitch after the final whistle”.
The sanctions were imposed by an independent regulatory commission during a hearing.
A City fan was given a four-year football banning order in June for entering the field and taunting Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen after Ilkay Gundogan had scored the Blues’ decisive third goal, which kept them ahead of Liverpool in the race for the title.
Inquiries are ongoing into a reported assault on Olsen that occurred during the mass pitch invasion after the final whistle, with City issuing an apology to Olsen over that incident on the day of the match and pledging to issue an indefinite ban to the individual responsible.
The end of last season was marred by pitch invasions at Premier League and EFL fixtures.
Last month Everton were fined 300,000 as fans came onto the pitch at the end of their match against Crystal Palace where the Toffees secured their Premier League status.
Sheffield United forward Billy Sharp was headbutted by a pitch-invading supporter during his side’s play-off semi-final defeat at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
Data released by the Home Office last month showed there were 441 pitch encroachments at matches in England and Wales last season, an increase of 127 per cent compared to 2018-19, the last complete season unaffected by Covid-19 restrictions. (PA Media)
Poor old Lionel Messi. Not only has he been knocked off the top of the Forbes highest-paid footballer list, the Argentine forward is also out of Paris St Germain’s Ligue 1 visit to Stade de Reims on Saturday with a calf injury.
“He asked to be replaced during the Champions League game [against Benfica on Wednesday]. He has a little problem with his calf but he will be back to training on Sunday,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier told a news conference on Friday.
There are more injury woes for PSG as fullback Nuno Mendes will be out of action for three weeks with a muscle injury while Kylian Mbappe is suffering from a throat infection.
The France forward, however, is expected to be included in the squad, Galtier said, though he could be on the bench, allowing 20-year-old Hugo Ekitike to be handed another start.
Unbeaten PSG lead the standings with 25 points from nine games, two ahead of second-placed Olympique de Marseille, who host bottom side AC Ajaccio on Saturday.
After coming under fire for their alleged excessive use of planes to travel to Ligue 1 games, PSG will this time travel by bus for the 150km journey to Reims, Galtier added. (Reuters)
Erling Haaland content. Erling Haaland content. Erling Haaland content.
— Out Of Context Football (@nocontextfooty) October 7, 2022
Pep responds to the petition to get Haaland banned from the Premier League 😂 pic.twitter.com/mpJQLPa4vQ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 7, 2022
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has scored 14 goals in eight Premier League games, netting a hattrick in each of his last three appearances at the Etihad. It’s just one goal fewer than the Citizens’ top league scorer netted last season (Kevin De Bruyne, 15).
Man City’s Erling Haaland is averaging a goal once every 48 minutes in the Premier League so far, the best rate of anyone to score more than once in the competition’s history. Meanwhile, he’s also found the net with 42% of his shots (14 goals, 33 shots), the best conversion rate of any player with at least 20 attempts (since 2003-04).
Thanks Luke. Barry just putting the finishing touches to the Fiver so we’ll have that soon. In the meantime, let’s focus on the man of the moment.
That’s all from me for today. David Tindall is stepping into the breach until stumps. Bye!
Brighton will check on midfielder Moises Caicedo ahead of new manager Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game in charge against Tottenham. Caicedo is being assessed on an unspecified fitness issue which forced him out of training on Thursday, but De Zerbi is hopeful he can be involved.
Enock Mwepu is not expected to feature again, having returned early from international duty with Zambia after falling unwell, while fellow midfielder Jakub Moder (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Tottenham will be without Emerson Royal due to suspension. The Brazilian defender was sent off in last weekend’s loss at Arsenal and will now serve a three-match ban.
Spurs remain without forwards Lucas Moura (calf) and Dejan Kulusevski (hamstring) but defender Ben Davies (knee) returned to action away to Frankfurt in midweek and could start. (PA Media)
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If you fancy a squizz at this weekend’s fixtures, they can all be found on here, on the page helpfully entitled ‘Fixtures’.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé has emerged as the world’s highest-paid football player, according to Forbes magazine, the first time a player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the list in eight years.
Mbappé, 23, is estimated to earn $128m (£115m) for the 2022-23 season before agents’ fees, a record for Forbes’ annual rankings, with PSG teammate Messi second at $120m (£115m) and Manchester United’s Ronaldo ($100 / £90m) occupying third spot.
PSG’s Neymar ($87 / £78m) and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah ($53m / £47m) rounded off the top five.
Erling Haaland, who has made a blistering start to his Manchester City career after joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in the close season, makes his debut in the top 10 with earnings of $39m (£35m). The rise of Frenchman Mbappé and Norwegian Haaland, the only players under the age of 30 on the list, signals a shift in the global game, the Forbes report said, as Messi and Ronaldo edge closer to the end of their glorious careers. (Reuters)
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Walker could still play at World Cup, suggests Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has said it is too soon to say whether Kyle Walker has a chance of playing at the World Cup. Walker, the Manchester City and England right-back, had groin surgery earlier this week after being forced off injured against Manchester United last Sunday.
Walker now faces a race against time to recover fitness ahead of the tournament in Qatar, which begins in six weeks. The City manager Guardiola said: “The same as the doctor said - he’s out for a few weeks.” Asked if it was too early to make a judgement about the World Cup, Guardiola said: “Yes.”
Everton’s James Tarkowski (left), Conor Coady (centre), Dwight McNeil (second right), and Salomon Rondon (right) during a training drill that no doubt involved plenty of banter.
Who, I hear you cry, is second-left with his back to the camera? Don’t know, if I’m honest.
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The Lionesses’ showdown with the world champions, the USA, on Friday was the fastest-selling England game – men’s or women’s – at the new Wembley.
Tickets went on sale on 2 August, two days after England’s victory over Germany in the final of the Euros, and sold out in less than 24 hours.
We’ve had a few Steve Cooper quotes already after he penned a new deal at Nottingham Forest that runs until 2025. Here are more, courtesy of our friends at PA:
“It is good that there is clarity to my contract situation because I know there have been a lot of questions over the last few weeks and months so it puts an end to them,” Cooper said. “Everyone who knows me knows how much I have loved and am loving my time at Forest, everyone knows how important it is to me. If I am being really honest, my real focus is about winning a football match. Obviously we are on a poor run of form, let’s not hide away from that. That is the thing that is in my mind more than anything.
“It puts clarity on speculation. No one had ever questioned how much I love it here and want to be here, that has never been in question. If there is talk about that it can stop. It doesn’t mean we are going to win the next match and everything is going to be OK.
“It has put an end to the questioning and that is great.”
The Welshman insisted he never listened to speculation, saying: “Rightly or wrongly, I am not a media follower. I am probably not as informed as what has been said or not said as much as everyone else, but internally there have only been normal conversations. We were obviously disappointed after Monday’s game with the performance and the result. The conversations we have had with the owner and the chief executive have been around that. They have been normal, wider issues that have been reported. I can’t say I have been in any conversations like that.”
Cooper also vowed to pay the fans back for their support: “My main message, being a leader is about dealing with difficult times,” said Cooper. “I want them to see that I am going to be the guy standing at the front and be the guy that people look at first. And in this difficult time I and my team are going to work harder and be hungrier than before because that is the least these supporters deserve. Incredible support from the fans, which makes me even hungrier to do well.”
Updated
Crystal Palace need a mindset shift if they want to stop conceding late goals in close games, said Patrick Vieira.
“It’s something we’re looking at closely to try to find the best way not to concede those goals, because those goals are stopping us from taking points that we deserve. When you look at our performances themselves, especially the last game against Chelsea, we deserved to get the points in that game.
“There are some mindsets we need to work on to change that. It is about coming from the bench, coming from me as well as a manager, but this is something we have to resolve if we want to win football matches. But, since I’ve been here, we’ve had issues with different parts of the game that we managed to work on and we will improve. I don’t have any doubt in that.” (PA Media)
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Thanks, David. Hello everyone.
And on that bombshell, I’ll hand back to Luke McLaughlin again.
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From the archives: “He should be shot, it’s as simple as that.” Tommy Smith had little time for refs.
Tommy Smith makes his feelings clear after the reds were beaten 0-1 to a John Robertson penalty given which ultimately lost us the League Cup Final in '78. pic.twitter.com/EKnuMAVEbX
— Davolaa (@Davolaar) October 6, 2022
New Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi made an instant impression after overseeing the 3-3 draw at Liverpool last weekend. Next up for the former Sassuolo and Shakhtar manager is a home game against Spurs. Some quotes here on that Anfield thriller, settling in, and his high regard for Antonio Conte’s side.
“I never speak about the result, but my teams always play with courage and braveness.
“I want my team playing to make the game with personality and the right mentality to build the right condition to win the game.
“It is a difficult moment for a lot of things, for the language, for the new staff, the new team, for the new ideas.
“I would like to put more ideas in, but I don’t want to change that much, but of course I want to put my hand (on the squad).
“If (owner) Tony Bloom and (chief executive) Paul Barber have chosen myself, it means they want to see the team playing with my idea of football.
“At the same time you have to deal with not changing too much, but also how to put my ideas on top.”
On Spurs: “I think Tottenham are in the right condition to win the Premier League.
“It’s not easy, because there’s (Manchester) City, Liverpool, Chelsea, but in the transfer market they bought very good players and after one year to work with Antonio (Conte) I think they are able to win the Premier League.
“The squad is better than one or two years ago. If he doesn’t play (Dejan) Kulusevski, he plays Richarlison, if he doesn’t play (Pierre-Emile) Hojbjerg or (Rodrigo) Bentancur, he can play (Yves) Bissouma.
“Tottenham are a good team, not only the first 11 - but 20 or 22 players.”
I can’t say I’m overly aware of William Saliba being compared to Virgil van Dijk but Mikel Arteta was asked about it in his press conference.
So Mikel, could he become as good as VVD? “Wow, that’s a really big question. I am really happy with where he is at the moment. He is Saliba, he’s no-one else and he needs to make his own career.
“The way he has established himself, the composure and leadership he has shown on the pitch has been really good.
“And then that he has done it in a really natural way without any flashing lights, just being himself. He’s very quiet and at the same time very confident.”
Fulham fans and fantasy managers take note: Aleksandar Mitrovic is a doubt for Fulham’s Premier League match at West Ham on Sunday.
The Serbia international, who has scored six times in the top flight this season, was withdrawn in the first half of Fulham’s 4-1 defeat against Newcastle last weekend with ligament damage in his foot.
Manager Marco Silva hopes the injury to his star striker is not serious, but admits he faces a race against time to be fit for his side’s clash at the London Stadium.
“He is still a doubt,” said Silva. “He was outside this morning, doing some work, getting better. We will assess him tomorrow, and then take a decision for the match.” (PA Media)
Transfer Ivan Toney in? £7.3m to Mitrovic’s £6.8m.
Some actual quotes from actual, and still, Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper after he put pen to paper on a new contract.
“It puts clarity on speculation. No one had ever questioned how much I love it here and want to be here, that has never been in question.
“If there is talk about that it can stop. It doesn’t mean we are going to win the next match and everything is going to be OK.
“It has put an end to the questioning and that is great.”
More Everton but this time it’s off the pitch news. Take a read while I fight my ridiculous Pavlovian desire to write Orville.
This week the club has been the subject of more takeover talk, with the LAMF Global Ventures Corp special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) - led by Los Angeles film producers and investors Jeff Soros and Simon Horsman, advised by former Everton director Keith Harris - reportedly having held preliminary discussions.
It is the second such approach after talks between another American-based consortium, spearheaded by former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, broke down over the summer.
Boss Frank Lampard insists he is not distracted by off-field matters.
“It’s something that I probably don’t know enough about, and certainly can’t affect apart from doing my job well,” said the Toffees boss.
“My job is to coach this team and build relationships with the fans and those above me.” (PA Media)
Everton have the best defensive record in the Premier League (yes, really) but goals still remain thin on the ground. So, here’s some good news then: Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be back for the visit of Manchester United.
The England international sustained a knee problem on the eve of the opening weekend, but after a couple of false starts, with manager Frank Lampard holding him back to give him extra time to improve his fitness, he looks set to re-join the squad for Sunday’s game.
“Yes, he’s in contention,” said Lampard. “We’ll have to see how match-fit he is, but in terms of the injury he’s better. It’s a really good boost.
“He’s a good player for us, pivotal in us staying in the league last year and we want to get him playing regularly.”
Defenders Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate, neither of whom have featured because of ankle and knee injuries, are also on the road to recovery.
“They’re training with us. Yerry joined us in the past couple of days, Mason came in today for part of training. They’re both working hard to get back (to full fitness).
“This weekend comes too soon probably for both of them, definitely for Mason, but we hope with a good week’s training next week they can be in contention from then on.”
Over to David Tindall, who’s had his sandwiches, for the next hour.
Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to be nastier and smarter as the manager attempts to make them challengers again.
After United came from behind to beat Omonia Nicosia 3-2 in Thursday’s Europa League group match, Ten Hag said he believed they have to add an edge to their play and be more streetwise to avoid needless yellow cards. He referenced Diogo Dalot’s booking for a challenge on Jack Grealish in the opening moments of Sunday’s 6-3 loss at Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola is asked about Erling Haaland. Is it a shame he won’t be at the World Cup?: “He’s young, he will have another opportunity in five years. It’s a shame for the fans.”
Did Pep Guardiola see the poll asking for Haaland to be banned from football, he is asked: “As a joke it’s good.” But he doesn’t laugh and is stony faced. Which is quite correct response of course.
Guardiola is then asked about his smile on the touchline after one of Haaland’s goals in midweek: “He has an incredible sense [for where the ball will go] … he goes one second before the ball arrives. How can I teach him? It’s complete instinct, it’s natural … he did it in Germany, in Norway, he’s doing it here. Thank you so much for choosing us and to all the people involved to bring him he. What a talent we have.”
(Then speaking not about Haaland but in general): “… Every player can improve. The only thing to never stop, until we die, is to improve.”
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Jesse Marsch speaks before Leeds’s meeting with Crystal Palace: “We know that going down to Palace will be difficult … the table is really compact and a lot of mid-table teams are very close to each other … we’re trying to be a mid-table team and not a bottom of the table team … we need to focus on the moment and the match. I think Patrick Vieira is a fantastic manager and they have a very talented team. We’ll be ready.”
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The Football Association is awarding Jack Leslie, the first black player to receive an England call-up, a posthumous honorary cap. The inside left, who scored 137 goals in 400 appearances for Plymouth between 1921 and 1934, was called-up to the national team in 1925.
But Leslie would disgracefully be denied an England appearance due to the colour of his skin after selectors discovered his heritage. The Argyle favourite died in 1988 and is to be immortalised by a statue that will be formally unveiled outside Home Park on Friday. The FA chair Debbie Hewitt has also confirmed that Leslie has been posthumously awarded an England cap 97 years after his call-up.
“Jack Leslie is a true football legend who, through his own adversity, has positively shaped attitudes and behaviours to identify and remove discrimination from football,” she said in a statement.
“The FA is awarding Jack a posthumous honorary cap, to recognise his unique contribution and set of circumstances - and to right the historical wrong. I had the privilege of meeting Lesley, Jack’s granddaughter, at a recent international game at Wembley, where we had the opportunity to recognise the family’s determination, courage and resilience to have Jack’s story told and through the efforts of Lesley and her sisters Lyn and Gill, to change perceptions in football and more broadly in society.
“We have made progress in recent years to ensure that English football is more diverse and inclusive and a game for all. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Jack and to his family for comprehensively and consistently driving positive change through football. We are pleased to support this campaign and to recognise Jack’s career.” (PA Media)
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“Hey Luke, Forest chat-boards are jubilant with this morning’s news,” emails Ben Watson (no relation) about Steve Cooper.
“No-one saw it coming, what with all the Benitez/Dyche/Nuno speculation, but everyone’s delighted. It’s one in the eye for football shithousery in general.”
I met THE Ben Watson in a supermarket on the Algarve in 2013 just a few weeks after his goal for Wigan won the FA Cup final against Manchester City. He stopped for a chat and was very friendly. He told me that even though he was on holiday he was going for a run or to the gym every day. Anyone else got any Ben Watson stories?
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What’s going wrong at Liverpool? We asked several supporters for their views:
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Chelsea are expected to appoint Christopher Vivell as their technical director after the German was sacked by RB Leipzig on Friday.
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Patrick Vieira, the Crystal Palace manager, was asked about his Leeds counterpart Jesse Marsh, with whom he has a bit of history from the MLS.
“The people outside invented this,” Vieira said. “There is no negativity between Jesse and myself. There is huge respect.”
Cheers David. Mikel Arteta has spoken before the match against Liverpool on Sunday.
“I’m very conscious that we can get much better,” Arteta said. “The challenge now is to do it every three days. You always want to get better, you always want to improve.”
Any team news? “No. We have another training session, and we will know more tomorrow.”
Is the pre-World Cup programme too much? “We know that the fixtures we’ve been given have no precedence in this League because of the World Cup ... if you have robust players, who can play every three days, it’s much easier. We have to ‘taste’ and see how it goes.”
On the Arsenal fans: “[We must] keep giving them more reasons to be be more impressed and support the team ... the atmosphere is fantastic and we want to keep having those moments together.”
On Liverpool’s drop in form: “What Liverpool have done in the last five years doesn’t need any ‘presentation’.”
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Luke has been fed and watered so I’ll hand you back to Mr McLaughlin for the next stretch.
A sentence I never expected to write – Arsenal can go 14 points above Liverpool with victory at the Emirates on Sunday.
But here’s Karen Carney offering some hope for the Merseysiders.
The Opta stats also give visiting fans some extra optimism and suggest a start for Diogo Jota.
Arsenal have won one of their last 14 Premier League matches against Liverpool (D4 L9), a 2-1 home win back in July 2020. They’ve lost their last four in a row but have never lost five league games in a row against Liverpool.
Arsenal are on a run of 13 consecutive Premier League matches without a clean sheet against Liverpool, conceding 39 goals in those games. They have only had one longer run against an opponent without a clean sheet in the competition: 14 versus Man City (ongoing).
Liverpool’s Diogo Jota has six goals in eight Premier League appearances against Arsenal, including five in four for the Reds. He is averaging a goal every 67 minutes against the Gunners, the best ratio of any player in Premier League history against Arsenal to play at least 200 minutes against them.
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The full story on Steve Cooper signing a new contract at Nottingham Forest until 2025.
Erling Haaland’s goalscoring numbers are pretty daft and he goes into the weekend way clear at the top of the Premier League’s Golden Boot charts:
14 Erling Haaland
7 Harry Kane
6 Aleksandar Mitrovic
5 Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, James Maddison, Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney, Leandro Trossard
True, Manchester City have an easier game than most this weekend – home to Southampton - but the discrepancy in the odds for some of the leading strikers to score a hat-trick is quite something.
Haaland is just 9/2 to bank his fourth straight home Premier League hat-trick although, at his current rate, that seems fairly generous!
Looking at other hat-trick odds, the shortest I can find is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at 40/1 to net a treble in Chelsea’s home game with Wolves. Darwin Nunez is 80s to bag a hat-trick at Arsenal while Gabriel Jesus and Mo Salah are both quoted at 66s. Harry Kane is 50/1 to wheel away in celebration three times at Brighton.
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou admits it will be a challenge to fill the void left by Callum McGregor as the “influential” Celtic captain prepares for a lengthy period on the sidelines.
The Hoops are still waiting to learn the exact extent of the knee injury that forced the Scotland midfielder off in Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League defeat by RB Leipzig in Germany.
However, manager Postecoglou did confirm on Friday that “it’s not a short-term one”.
“There’s a reason Callum is the captain,” he said. “He’s a fantastic player who contributes to the way we play our football. He is influential on and off the field so you can’t just replace him with one person overnight.
“That just doesn’t happen. It’s about other people filling in the breach. We missed him for a few games last season, it’s just something we have to cope with.
“I’m disappointed for Callum more than anything because he’s very influential and he wants to be involved all the time. His performances have been super but we just have to deal with what’s ahead of us.
“The one thing I know about Callum is whatever timeline they give him, he’ll try and come back earlier. That’s what happened last year with his cheek fracture. He got the mask on and played.
“He’s been around long enough to know this is part of being a professional footballer. You’re not always going to play 70 games a year. Injuries will happen. He’s just been unlucky the other night. He’s a professional on and off the field and he’ll tackle his rehab as determined as anyone.” (PA Media)
From the Timmy Mallet collection? This is quite the thread. Well worth 10 minutes of your time over lunch.
#129 - the England team get decked out pic.twitter.com/2OgpPyRUsh
— Miles McClagan (@TheSkyStrikers) October 6, 2022
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Former Olympiakos head coach Pedro Martins has turned down the chance to take over at Hull City. The Portuguese attended the club’s win over Wigan on Wednesday after holding talks with the club. He was offered a two-a-half-year deal with the option for a further years.
Martins flew back to Portugal on Thursday morning before deciding against accepting the role. He is keen on the vacancy at Wolves.
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Thanks Luke. Steven Gerrard spoke earlier about Steve Cooper being given more time and that’s now come to pass. Here’s more from Gerrard on Aston Villa’s trip to Nottingham Forest on Monday night, including team news.
Villa are set to be without Ludwig Augustinsson after the defender was sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in the goalless draw at 10-man Leeds last weekend.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last three fixtures and Gerrard has demanded his squad continue to improve in order to move up from 14th in the table.
The Villa boss, who expects Matty Cash and Calum Chambers to return from injury on Monday, added: “There’s been an improvement, but what I will say is we need to keep striving for more improvement and better results.
“I felt as if the weekend was a missed opportunity to take maximum points, not just on the back of them going down to 10 men, but on the back of the opportunities we created. We did enough to win that game.
“We’ve got another opportunity against Forest to go away and try and build on our recent performances and try to get an away win. If we do, we’ll creep closer to where we want to be.
“Recent performances have given us a platform but there’s no one on the inside at Villa who thinks we’re there. We know we’ve got to keep pushing in every way, shape and form.” (PA Media)
I’m off for a break – David Tindall is into the hot seat for the next while.
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Bayern Munich will be without attacking midfielder Thomas Müller for Saturday’s Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund but team mate Joshua Kimmich has been ruled fit. The pair had tested positive for Covid-19 last week but both returned negative tests on Friday after their mandatory five day-isolation ended.
Germany international Müller, however, was still having some cold-like symptoms, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Friday.
“Both are (Covid-19) free but Thomas still has some cold-like symptoms and he won’t be in the squad. It is still too early for him to travel with us. He is not 100%,” Nagelsmann said. “Josh does not feel anything and all his values are high. We will wait for the last training and see what makes sense after five days. I assume he will travel with us.”
Bayern are in third place in the Bundesliga on 15 points as many as fourth-placed Dortmund. Union Berlin and Freiburg lead the title race on 17. Nagelsmann will also have France winger Kingsley Coman back after a month out with a hamstring injury.
“He is fit and he overcame the stress tests. He is not a candidate to start ... but he can play 30 or 40 minutes.” Both teams are going into Der Klassiker with midweek wins in the Champions League group stage. Bayern beat Viktoria Plzen 5-0 while Dortmund earned a 4-1 away win at Sevilla.
“Dortmund are a good team. They added some good players, lost some good ones too but they built a good team,” Nagelsmann said. “Especially when they defend deep and they can then hit you on the break. We saw that against Sevilla. They are playing a good season and it will be a good game. But what is important is that we are winners in the end,” he added. (Reuters)
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“Really refreshing from Forest,” says Sanguine66 of the Cooper contract news. “They looked doomed already, but Cooper has a terrific record and his boss has rewarded him for that. Also in a sense represents the owners taking their share of responsibility for the longer-term transfer strategy. Good to see.”
Romeo Beckham, son of David, is training with Brentford’s B team after the end of the Major League Soccer Next Pro season. The 20-year-old is contracted to Inter Miami II, the reserve team of Inter Miami, the MLS club founded by his father in 2018, but is in London after the end of his season in the United States.
Bournemouth will be without captain Lloyd Kelly when they host Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday. The defender, who has been out for a month with an ankle problem, is making encouraging progress but the visit of the Foxes comes too soon.
Summer signing Joe Rothwell (quad) and midfielder Ben Pearson (knee) are back in full training and nearing action while Junior Stanislas and Ryan Fredericks are also expected to recover from knocks soon. Leicester are without Wilfried Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy.
Ndidi aggravated a hamstring injury in Monday’s 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest and is set to be out for a few weeks while Mendy has a knee injury and will miss this weekend’s clash. Full-backs Ricardo Pereira (achilles) and Ryan Bertrand (knee) remain long-term absentees for the Foxes. (PA Media)
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The second entry here, by Chris Lees, is also well worth a look, ending as it does with the following line:
“I’m in the middle of thousands of Villa fans who are abusing my team, having wet myself. The magic of the FA Cup.”
And here, by a reader named Hyndlandia, is a quite brilliant account of an ill-fated trip to a sub-zero Bundesliga encounter in 2010, which was a BTL comment on the original article:
“A stag weekend in Berlin in January 2010 took us to the Olympiastadion for Hertha vs Borussia Mönchengladbach. Berlin was gripped by a winter the like of which I’d never experienced before, and things were equally bleak on the pitch. We were colossally, spectacularly hungover from the night before, and the temperature on matchday peaked at a balmy -12; I’m not sure the sun rose at all that day.
“Our stag – rather ill-advisedly dressed as Jurgen Klinsmann – had been harassed by some local ne’er-do-wells on the way to the ground, taking exception to his outfit and mistaken in their belief that he was, underneath the blonde wig, actually Turkish. Inside the half-empty ground, our hair-of-the-dog beers froze before we could drink them; we resorted to taking turns with a penknife to chisel shards from the ice. Some of party took to doing shuttle runs up and down the stairs in at attempt to stay warm. Others – having managed to drink enough beer-popsicle to require a visit to the facilities – didn’t come back for the second half; we afterwards discovered that they’d found a lukewarm water-pipe in the bowels of the stadium and clustered round it for protection from the cold.
“Matters on the pitch were trivial in the face of the weather, but for the record - and to the surprise of absolutely no-one - the game finished 0-0. I recall almost nothing as almost nothing happened. I don’t believe there was a single effort on target, and that includes the late Gladbach penalty which was scuffed harmlessly and pathetically wide.”
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Here’s the original “My least favourite game” for those needing:
In a continuation of our successful “My Least Favourite Game” series – thanks to you, dear readers, for sending us your accounts of the worst experiences you’ve had at the football:
A bit more from Klopp, pouring praise on Mikel Arteta: “Really, really good job … when you need some time nobody wants to give you time, and maybe not all of us deserve time, you have to be good to use the time … I have to say really lots of respect [for the job Arteta has done] … I spoke to [Martin] Ødegaard when he was 15 and when the whole world wanted him … he decided to go to Madrid. He became the player everybody expected … [Bukayo] Saka, incredible, and Gabriel Jesus, in a fixed No 9 shirt … it’s a young team, an exciting team, and they are in the position they are [top of the league] it’s well deserved. We will try to cause them problems, I think that makes sense, eh?”
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Steve Cooper signs new Nottingham Forest deal
Amid all the speculation, and the terrible recent run of results … Steve Cooper has signed a new contract at Nottingham Forest, until 2025. That’s a great show of faith from the club following their first promotion to the top flight in 23 years. And it certainly gives him time to bed in those players they brought in over the summer.
Nottingham Forest is delighted to announce that Head Coach Steve Cooper has signed a new contract with the Club until 2025.
— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) October 7, 2022
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Ralph Hasenhüttl has promised Southampton fans his side will show no fear on Saturday against Premier League champions Manchester City.
Three straight league defeats have cranked up the pressure on the Saints head coach, with speculation mounting over his future before a daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium.
Hasenhüttl said: “The message is a very clear one. We have had three very tight games, which we lost with one goal difference and, especially in the last one, we had a much higher chance of winning than the opponent.
“But we didn’t do it and this is what we have to learn. We see that the progress is there, but the Premier League is tough, we know this. We are going there and you can be sure we are not scared when we go to Man City and we want to show we are a brave team and hopefully a successful one.” (PA Media)
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“Neto injured, again,” comments PSmd. “Pity, before that other injury he was looking like he was set for top level, like a potential Mahrez or Salah replacement. Hope he still is.”
Megan Rapinoe and her teammates are “emotionally exhausted” after the release of the Sally Yates report into emotional and sexual abuse in the NWSL, but she added that the US women’s national team are used to shouldering off-field burdens.
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The Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said the main issue holding back his side was a lack of intensity after they had to fight back from a goal down to beat Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia 3-2 in Europa League.
United trailed 1-0 at half time before Marcus Rashford, with a double, and Anthony Martial scored in the second half to inspire their comeback. The win came four days after United were thrashed 6-3 by Manchester City in the Premier League.
“We have to carry on and every time learn the lessons and give the maximum, because only good for me is good enough - and at this moment, by far, we are not that good,” Ten Hag told reporters. “We have seen on Sunday and we have to do much better. I think the main problem is, and that is what we did in games before much better - intensity.
“We have to bring every game the intensity on the pitch. That was the big difference between City and us, so that is the demand to our squad, to all of our players, you have to take responsibility for that.” (Reuters)
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Klopp continued: “We have to be good until we are outstanding. From here go and go and go, improve ... we have to perform. The body language was good [against Rangers] and now things have to be really good again on Sunday.
“We have to defend the shit out of everybody we face, and that’s why we ues the word rubbish.”
(I didn’t quite catch Klopp’s previous use of the word ‘rubbish’, so I am not entirely sure what he means there, but will try and clear it up once I’ve seen more quotes.)
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Wolves' Neto needs ankle surgery and will be out until next year
Not great news for Wolves or Portugal this morning, with winger Pedro Neto ruled out of the World Cup and sidelined until next year because he requires ankle surgery after straining ankle ligaments in defeat by West Ham last weekend. It is another blow for Wolves, who are already without Raúl Jiménez and Sasa Kaladjzic for their trip to Chelsea on Saturday. Nathan Collins and captain Ruben Neves are also both suspended. Academy coaches Steve Davis and James Collins will lead the team at Stamford Bridge but Wolves hope to have a new man in charge soon.
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A football fan died in Argentina and the match between Gimnasia La Plata and Boca Juniors was abandoned on Thursday after teargas fired by police outside the venue drifted into the stadium and made it difficult for players and spectators to breathe.
Klopp gives an injury update: “Curtis Jones was in training yesterday … he’s closest … nothing new about Naby [Keita] and Ox [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain] are still a little bit away. One new injury is Arthur Melo, in the last session before the Rangers game … he just injured a muscle … we have to wait for further assessment.
“Robbo [Andy Robertson] is running a lot, looks like he’s close, but probably Curtis is closest.”
The Liverpool gaffer, Jürgen Klopp, is speaking to the media now before Sunday’s seismic clash with Arsenal. The hottest lines coming up shortly.
The Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard believes Steve Cooper must be given time to turn Nottingham Forest’s fortunes around. Gerrard’s Villa face bottom-of-the-table Forest on Monday night, with Cooper facing a fight to save his job following five consecutive Premier League defeats.
“To sign so many new players in one window is unique,” said Gerrard ahead of his side’s trip to the City Ground. “I’ve never seen it or heard it before. From where I am, to think about how you’d deal with that and manage that, it would be extremely tough and challenging.
“He [Cooper] deserves the time for that to settle, for them to get used to the club, and how Steve plays. That takes time.” (PA Media)
Erling Haaland is banging them in like Franny Jeffers in his pomp. Here’s a piece about the Norwegian goal machine, and Premier League records:
Midway up the stands inside Wembley, the signage flashes with “European v world champions”. The buildup to England’s showdown with the USA has been overshadowed, rightly, by the weight of the findings of the Sally Yates report into abuses in women’s football in the States and the burden of it on the US players, but the narrative of the match itself is hugely exciting.
Sport-washing latest from Newcastle – the head coach Eddie Howe has been speaking, and says it’s down to the Premier League to decide who can and can’t own Premier League clubs. This is from PA Media:
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has insisted he put his faith in the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test as he considered the club’s offer of employment. Howe was offered the job of head coach by the Magpies’ new Saudi-backed owners, who completed their takeover a year ago on Friday, prompting criticism as a result of the Gulf state’s human rights record.
However, asked if he understood why some people were uncomfortable with that, he said: “Yes, I do and I understand the question. But for me, the directors’ and owners’ test ratified by the Premier League, I have to have faith in that process. Obviously I’ve been the decision-maker behind where some of that money has gone, and I’ve looked at it purely from a football perspective trying to recruit the best players for Newcastle.”
Asked how he dealt with that focus on a day-to-day basis, Howe added: “I’ve said this right from day one - it’s always about the football for me. If I veer too far from that and I go into areas of the club that won’t benefit my players or the team, then I’m not going to do my players justice. “Everything for me is about trying to get the best out of the players that I have every single day, and hopefully that shows when we play. I’ve never veered too far from that in my management career and I think that’s vitally important for me.”
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A minute’s applause will take place before Tottenham’s match at Brighton on Saturday in memory of fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone. Spurs confirmed on Thursday morning the highly respected Italian had died at the age of 61.
Ventrone had joined the club last November alongside manager Antonio Conte and was described as a “hugely popular figure with players and staff” in a statement to confirm his death. Tottenham have now revealed plans to pay their respects to the experienced coach, with players from both clubs wearing black armbands at Brighton while further tributes will occur in next week’s home fixture with Eintracht Frankfurt.
“Following yesterday’s sad news, we can confirm that we shall pay our respects to Gian Piero Ventrone at Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium,” a club statement read. “Our squad will warm up in t-shirts that pay tribute to our late fitness coach, while players on both sides will wear black armbands as a mark of respect. There will also be a minute’s applause ahead of the 5.30pm kick-off.
“We shall look to further honour Gian Piero at Wednesday night’s UEFA Champions League fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, our first home match since his passing. Our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends at this sad time.” (PA Media)
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If you were busy having a life last night and missed the football, here are some match reports:
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A bit of breaking Chelsea news: Wesley Fofana looks set to be out for around a month, maybe six weeks, with the knee injury he suffered in the win against Milan on Wednesday. There were fears he may have badly damaged his ligaments so Graham Potter will take it, no doubt:
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Preamble
England Lionesses return to action at Wembley this evening for the first time since their famous Euro 2022 final triumph against Germany at the end of July. Each and every ticket for the friendly match against the world champions was snapped up inside 24 hours of going on sale, and excitement will doubtless build through the day as we move closer the 8pm kick-off.
The Premier League programme kicks off with Newcastle v Brentford at 3pm tomorrow and the weekend’s action includes a tasty match-up between Arsenal and Liverpool on Sunday.
QPR v Reading is this evening’s fixture in the Championship – there’s a full dose of EFL action and football all across Europe, too. Team news and previews coming up, but let’s start with 10 thing to look out for in the Premier League this weekend:
