Key events
Championship table: Our standings have been updated and it doesn’t make pretty viewing for Sheffield Wednesday fans. They’re now 15 points from safety.
Sheffield Wednesday: Let’s return to our main story today and the news that the Owls were placed into administration by the owner, Dejphon Chansiri, and deducted 12 points.
Wednesday’s manager, Henrik Pedersen, his coaching team, players and wider club staff met the administrators in the training-ground canteen on Friday morning. The Dane said entering administration was necessary to embark on a new era. He said he had not spoken to Chansiri but that his conversations with the administrators left him hopeful that job losses would be prevented.
Pedersen stressed “a sad situation can also still be a good day”, adding: “We knew from the last five, six, seven, eight months it cannot continue. We need a fresh restart to use the potential of this fantastic club. Now there is a belief, a hope, there is a feeling of looking towards better days. When I close my eyes, I can see a bright future for Sheffield Wednesday.”
Full story here from Paul MacInnes and Ben Fisher:
Liverpool: If anything highlights what a bizarre start to the season this has been for the Reds, it’s the news that Federico Chiesa has been voted as Liverpool’s Standard Chartered Men’s Player of the Month for September. Yes, really. The Italian received 34% of the vote, 16% more than anyone else.
Even manager Arne Slot seemed a bit taken aback: “Yes I think surprised is the word I could use? But yes I think it shows how strong our squad is when the fifth choice winger can make such a huge impact from the bench.”
In fairness, Chiesa has been a lively presence on the rare occasions he’s played. The frontman provided assists for Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton and scored in the away defeat at Crystal Palace. And, let’s be honest, he didn’t have much to beat in September as the Reds ended the month with back-to-back defeats.
Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United’s opinion-splitting midfielder plays his 300th game for the club this weekend. Some say he’s carried the team on his back; others believe he’s been a big part of the problem.
Some BF numbers and comments from his manager:
299 Total Man Utd appearances
100 Total Man Utd goals
203 Total Man Utd League apperances
64 Total Man Utd League goals
Ruben Amorim: “I think he’s a little bit different to what I was expecting. Everything you read about the player sometimes is not that.
“You can understand sometimes the frustration he feels is because he wants to help the team-mates a lot. Sometimes it’s not the best way, but he comes from a good place. You don’t know that when you are not here.
“He wants the responsibility all the time. He suffered a lot with the losses. Every time we don’t win a game, you can feel that he takes it personally, as you should as a captain. He is a great leader, a great footballer.”
Manchester United: Anfield hero Harry Maguire, along with midfielder Mason Mount, are both doubts for United’s home game against Brighton on Saturday evening.
Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim said: “The squad is fine, we have some doubts. We had some issues during the week with Harry Maguire and Mason Mount. Knocks but nothing serious. We will see tomorrow. Licha [Lisandro Martinez] is out. The rest are ready for the game.
“I think it’s going to be, like always, a very difficult game. Brighton is a team that is really fun to watch. They are really good on the build-up, they are really strong on transitions, in every aspect of the game. They are doing well in set-pieces this season, so I think they are a team that is really complete.
“We need to be really smart and to face that game with a real focus on everything that we do because they are a very strong team.”
Maguire’s late goal secured a 2-1 win at Liverpool last weekend and several clubs will have taken note given that the defender’s current deal expires at the end of this season. Amorim didn’t want to dwell on the player’s contract situation though.
“We are really happy with Harry,” he said. “It’s not the time to talk about that because that gives the idea that we are thinking so far away. We are really happy with Harry, he is really important for us, but we need to focus on the next game.”
Thanks Barry. More manager quotes and team news coming up shortly.
Handover: David Tindall is here to take you down the home straight. Thanks for your time and your company on what could turn out to be a very bittersweet day for fans of Sheffield Wednesday.
Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs travel to Goodison Park Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, having ridden their luck (and then some) to earn a point in their midweek Champions League match against Monaco. Some injury news from Thomas Frank: Christian Romero remains sidelined, along with Destiny Odogie. Dominic Solanke is back on the grass but not ready for a return to action just yet. Randal Kolo Muani is available for selection but “not at the stage where he can be bombarded with 90 minutes at the intensity”.
Frank acknowledged that Spurs have something of a mini-injury crisis but said he’s not one for grumbling about it. “Every head coach or manager wants their best players fit,” he said. “When that happens, we complain the squad is too big. Injuries are injuries, it is what it is. It would be lovely to be able to use Solanke, Kulusevski, Maddison, but we have some very talented attacking players available. We are working hard getting the flow with the front four. There have definitely been some good games and good spells but we will keep working.”
Henrik Pedersen: “Now there is a belief … a hope”
Ben Fisher
Sheffield Wednesday: I have just been speaking to Sheffield Wednesday’s manager, Henrik Pedersen, who spoke powerfully about what supporters have described as a bittersweet day for such a storied club. Pedersen insisted administration was necessary in order to embark on a new era, stressing a situation that is “so sad can also still be a good day”.
Speaking to the Guardian, he said: “The big picture is so sad that we have to enter into a situation like this, that we have to go into administration and to lose 12 points. But we also knew from the last five, six, seven, eight months it cannot continue like this.
“We need a fresh restart to use the potential of this fantastic football club. It is a sad situation but it can also still be a good day. Now there is a belief, a hope, there is a looking forward feeling to better days for Sheffield Wednesday. When I close my eyes, I can see a bright future.”
Pedersen, his coaching team, players and wider staff were called into a meeting with the administrators on Friday morning. The Dane said those conversations left him hopeful that job losses will be prevented.
Pedersen, previously assistant to Danny Rohl, took charge in July after the German, recently appointed Rangers head coach, left Wednesday 12 days before the start of the season.
Wednesday host Oxford on Saturday, with the administrators encouraging supporters to return in their numbers after thousands boycotted their midweek defeat at home to Middlesbrough. Pedersen said he and his players will fight until the end of the season to avoid relegation.
“We have to be a new Sheffield Wednesday with an old heart,” added Pedersen. “We have a fantastic club that deserves to grow. I have a big belief we can survive in the Championship with this group of players.”
England women: Online debate around Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad has been fierce and occasionally hysterical but Sunday’s game against Brazil in Manchester is about flexibility, not finality, writes Suzanne Wrack …
Arsenal: Mikel Arteta has been getting his chat on ahead of Arsenal’s home game against Crystal Palace on Sunday and has some injury news. Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz all remain sidelined while “Big Gabby” will be assessed over the next couple of days after having to leave the pitch during Arsenal’s win over Atletico Madrid with an injury.
Arsenal have only conceded three goals in the Premier League so far this season and Arteta was asked if he has his eye on the record of 15 held by Jose Mourinho’s title-winning Chelsea team in 2004-05. “Those kind of records bring silverware at the end and the trophies that we want,” he said. “The more we can produce, the closer we will be. The aim is to continue improving things.”
On the prospect of seeing Eberechi Eze lining up against Crystal Palace: “It will be a special match for what he did for Palace but the focus is on the team,” he said, before addressing the issue of having to disappoint players on account of his squad’s new found depth. “I would love to play all of them but I would rather have this situation. We’ve been very short in numbers sometimes over the past few years.”
Manchester City: Pep Guardiola has been asked about the return to fashion of the long throw-in as a weapon of choice for several top flight teams and says his team won’t be using them any time soon, but not because he considers the tactic to be beneath a team as sophisticated as his.
“We’d have to buy a player with strong shoulders and arms to put the ball in [to the box] and we don’t have one,” he said. “Before we had Kyle [Walker] and we didn’t use him. It’s a tendency in many clubs, it’s like a corner and it’s not easy. Brentford do it, Tottenham and Arsenal as well. It doesn’t matter if I like or don’t like. It’s a weapon and we have to adapt.”
Manchester City travel to Aston Villa on Sunday and will face a team that had won five games on the trot before having the rug pulled from under them in embarrassing fashion by Dutch minnows Go Ahead Eagles last night. The City boss took a swipe at pundits and reporters who read too much into winning and losing streaks.
“In the first two, three games we were done and now it looks like Liverpool are done,” he said. “I’ll tell you that we will be back. I’ve said many times that the pundits, the specialists, the former footballers know what’s going to happen after five games, I’m not able to do that. Ten, 15 games to know what’s going on. Liverpool and Arsenal are there, someone else will be there and hopefully we can be there.”
Pep was asked if he had watched the maiden production on Erling Haaland’s YouTube channel and his answer was nothing if not predictable. “No,” he said.
Manchester United: Fabian Hurzeler spent much of his morning press conference blowing smoke up the nether regions of Ruben Amorim ahead of tomorrow’s match between Manchester United and Brighton at Old Trafford and his opposite number has returned the favour.
“I think it is going to be a very difficult game,” said Amorim. “Brighton is a really fun team to watch, they are really good on build up, they are really strong on transitions, in every aspect on the game. They are doing well in this season.
“They are a really complete team. We need to be really smart and face that game with every focus that we do because they are a really strong team. You can see by the way they play the game. Really intense. The quality is there. They believe a lot on what they are doing, even under pressure. So I’m a huge fan of Fabian.”
An email: Where I see problems, regular correspondent Joe Pearson only sees solutions. “Regarding the Chansiri seats,” he writes. “I think it all depends on how portable and replaceable the seats are. So they could conceivably take faded seats from another section of the stadium and use them to fill in the Chansiri spaces. Then replace those empty spots with new seats, faded or otherwise. Problem solved.”
I think the seats are very easily replacable – all you need is a twist-handle socket wrench and each one takes less than 30 seconds once you get the hang of it. On an episode of Sunderland Til I Die, the club asked volunteer fans to tool themselves up, come in and help replace the faded seats at the Stadium of Light with new bright red ones and it was very easily done.
Indeed, Sunderland midfielder Luke O’Nien put in a shift on the refurb front and upon interrupting his work to chat to several fans, looked a tiny bit miffed that they didn’t know who he was. To be fair, he had only just signed for the club at the time and he’s still there seven years later. They know who he is now!
SWST announce end of Hillsborough boycott
Sheffield Wednesday: On the back of the news that their club is to go into administration, the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust have announced their boycott of the club is officially over and encouraged as many Wednesday fans as possible to attend Hillsborough for tomorrow’s match against fellow strugglers Oxford United.
“[We are] trying to get as many people back into the ground, get people into the club shop, back onto the concourse,” said Rob Brookes, a SWST board member. “We hope it will be a bumper crowd tomorrow.”
Sheffield Wednesday were beaten by Middlesbrough on Tuesday night at a match where travelling Boro fans outnumbered home supporters at Hillsborough.
Ben Fisher
Nottingham Forest: Sean Dyche has vowed to ignore the price tags of Nottingham Forest players as he seeks his first league win, but admitted the first impressions of his squad have been encouraging. Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, spent about £200m on 13 summer signings to cope with the added challenge of playing in Europe for the first time since 1995-96.
Dyche registered a victory in his first game in charge on Thursday, an impressive 2-0 win over Porto in the Europa League, 48 hours after taking charge. It was the first time Forest had kept a clean sheet in 21 matches. Porto arrived in Nottingham with an unbeaten record this season after 10 wins in 11 matches, during which time they conceded just two goals.
Dyche, who previously managed Watford, Burnley and Everton, is widely perceived as a firefighter but Forest have far grander ambitions after finishing seventh last season. Marinakis believes Forest can win the Europa League this campaign.
Asked if this is the best squad he has managed, Dyche replied: “I don’t know yet. Everyone thinks if you spend some money they’re all brilliant. I think on first impressions it’s a good squad. I’ve worked with some very underrated players, who are very good players and cost next to nothing, who have delivered in the Premier League for many years. I don’t look at price tags, I look at [what’s] right in front of me. What are they doing? What do they know? How can they learn? How can they adapt to the truth of the Premier League?
“The Premier League is not just about quality. What about the nuts and bolts? What about understanding the Premier League? What about shape, discipline, getting into the right passing lanes, seeing the picture? They’re the hardest things to coach, and that often takes time. It takes maturation from playing in the Premier League.”
Forest, who visit Bournemouth on Sunday, have six Brazilian players, including Igor Jesus, who sealed victory on Thursday. “I’m teaching them about my voice because I think they’ve never heard a voice like this. They’re looking at me like: ‘What is that?’” Dyche said. “Some speak better English than others and some converse for me, so they’ve been very helpful in adding some detail. They’ve been great. The good thing with the Brazilian players I’ve come across as a manager is they’ve got a hardiness to them. I don’t mean old-school stuff, I don’t mean big tackling and all that, but just that competitive nature.”
An email: “As the SWFC Trust says (12.57), admin isn’t to be celebrated – apart from the points deduction (the least of our worries), there’ll be local businesses losing money rightly owed to them. However, my overwhelming feeling is utter joy to be rid of the presumably now-ex-chairman,” writes Sean Clayton.
“Dejphon Chansiri was an utterly toxic blend of stubbornness, self-regard, callousness and good-old-fashioned stupidity. There will be very, very few Wednesday fans who will miss him, regardless of whom the next owner might be. If you’re in the mood to raise Owls’ spirits immediately, here’s a sight we’ve been waiting a looooong time to see.”
Sean includes a link to a post on X by the Sheffield Star’s Wednesday correspondent Alex Miller, which shows the white seats which spell out the name ‘Chansiri’ being ripped out of the lower tier of the North Stand at Hillsborough within an hour of the announcement of the club’s application to go into administration.
Without wanting to be a Barry buzz-kill, it’s worth pointing out that once the seats are gone, the gap they leave behind will still spell “Chansiri”, as will any replacement seats that don’t happen to be the exact same shade of faded blue as those around them. Still, you can only applaud that kind of pettiness.
Sheffield Wednesday handed 12-point deduction
A very bad day in the history of the storied football club that is Shefield Wednesday has just got a little bit worse following the news that the club has been docked 12 points with immediate effect by the EFL after going into administration.
The penalty was inevitable but has now been confirmed. Wednesday host Oxford United at Hillsborough tomorrow and will go into the game bottom of the table on -6 points after 11 games.
“The EFL can confirm that it has now received formal notice that Dejphon Chansiri, the director of Sheffield Wednesday football club, has taken the necessary steps to appoint administrators to both the club and also the company which owns Hillsborough,” said an EFL statement.
“Whilst this development results in the automatic deduction of 12 points in accordance with regulations agreed by all clubs, it also presents Sheffield Wednesday with the opportunity to move matters towards a successful sale and secure future under new ownership. The Championship league table will be updated with immediate effect.”
The Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, who has publicly criticised the manner in which Chansiri runs Sheffield Wednesday before, has had her say on today’s events. “For the fans, staff and players of Sheffield Wednesday this is an extremely worrying situation,” she said. “Having been in this position with my own team, Wigan Athletic, I know everyone who loves the club will be hoping for a resolution as soon as possible.
“Situations like this are exactly why this Government set up the new Independent Football Regulator. Owners should be good custodians who act with their club’s best interests in mind and clearly, in this instance, that has not been the case. We are working quickly to give the Regulator the powers it needs so it can better secure the future of football clubs and ensure they remain at the heart of their communities.”
That’s my cameo done. I’ll hand you back to Barry with more hot news and press conference reaction.
Sheffield Wednesday: Some quotes here from The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust, who have described today’s news as “one of the most bittersweet days in our club’s proud 158-year history”.
“Entering administration was the inevitable outcome of years of financial mismanagement, a lack of accountability and repeated failures to engage credible buyers,” the Trust statement continued.
“Administration is not to be celebrated. It needn’t have ended this way. But we are overjoyed to have Dejphon Chansiri out of our club for good.”
El Clasico: It’s the latest showdown between Real Madrid and Barcelona this weekend (3.15pm Sunday), with the hosts looking to end a run of four straight defeats across league and cup. It’s fair to expect goals!
11 May 2025: Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid
26 Apr 2025: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
12 Jan 2025: Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona
26 Oct 2024: Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona
21 Apr 2024: Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona
14 Jan 2024: Real Madrid 4-1 Barcelona
Here’s Sid Lowe’s report from the last meeting when Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick but ended up on the losing side.
Wayne Rooney is 40! Wazza shares his birthday (October 24) with Roman Abramovich, Bill Wyman, Drake, Kevin Kline and former Emperor of Ancient Rome, Domitian.
Let’s take a look back at his best bits…
Fun and games at IFAB: Extending VAR’s reach, potentially to cover second yellow cards, could be discussed at a meeting of football’s lawmakers next week.
Olympiacos player Santiago Hezze was controversially dismissed against Barcelona in the Champions League this week when he was shown a second yellow for what was deemed a foul on Marc Casado.
Replays showed minimal contact between Hezze’s arm and Casado’s face as the pair challenged for the ball, but the Barca player’s reaction convinced Swiss referee Urs Schnyder to issue a second yellow.
Under the current protocol, the VAR could not send Schnyder to review the decision. However, that could change in the future.
The football and technical panels of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the laws of the game, will meet next Tuesday. The panels, which include former players, are free to raise topics they wish to discuss, which could include a debate around the effectiveness of the existing VAR protocol and whether it should be extended.
That could be the first step to decisions being taken at a later date by the IFAB directors – the chief executives of the English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh football associations and Mattias Grafstrom, the secretary general of FIFA.
The PA news agency understands there have been debates around the inclusion of second yellow cards since ‘day one’ of VAR’s introduction, but there have been – and remain – concerns around whether extending the protocol may change referee behaviour in awarding first or second yellow cards.
The panels are also set to discuss whether fresh measures to tackle time-wasting should be looked at.
The introduction of the eight-second rule for goal kicks out of hand has generally been deemed a success, and consideration is set to be given by the panel to whether time limits could be brought in for throw-ins and dead-ball goal kicks.
Trials may then be approved as early as the IFAB’s annual business meeting in January.
The offside law is also on the agenda for Tuesday. Panellists are set to be updated on trials of the ‘daylight’ offside law – where an attacker is onside if any part of his body that can score is level with the second-last defender.
The trials, backed by FIFA chief of global football development Arsene Wenger, were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic but have now taken place in youth competitions in countries such as China and Canada.
Panellists will be asked to take a step back and have a discussion on what the issues are around the offside law that football would want any law change to solve – would the change aim to cut out ‘marginal’ offsides, or to promote attacking play, for instance.
There is acceptance that care must be taken not to change the law purely for the benefit of top-level football, where VAR is in use, and that it must be applicable and understandable all the way down to grassroots.
(PA Media)
Premier League table: It’s 16th plays 19th tonight and, apparently, this is the first time Elland Road has staged a Friday night Premier League game since December 2020 when the visitors were… West Ham. The Hammers won that one 2-1 via goals from Tomas Soucek and Angelo Ogbonna.
Thanks Barry. Just under eight hours until the first of this weekend’s Premier League matches – Leeds v West Ham. I’m 37 minutes away from Elland Road according to my Sat Nav. Currently sunny with a moderate breeze although rain forecast for later. Some more interesting facts for you here:
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With just four points in eight Premier League matches, this is West Ham’s worst ever start to a Premier League season, while in the top-flight they last had as few as four after eight games in 1988-89 (also 4), eventually finishing 19th and being relegated.
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Leeds are averaging 13 shots per game in the Premier League this season, the highest rate by a promoted side since Leeds themselves in 2020-21 (13.7). However, their conversion rate is just 6.7%, their lowest on record in a league season (since 2013-14).
Handover: David Tindall is here for an hour while I take a break.
Lionesses: England women head coach Sarina Wiegman has confirmed Brighton goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley has joined the Lionesses squad as Hannah Hampton recovers from a “small injury” that will keep her out of Saturday’s game against Brazil at the City of Manchester Stadium. Wiegman has also confirmed that Lotte Wubben-Moy has withdrawn from the squad after “feeling unwell.”
Sheffield Wednesday file for administration
Breaking news: Championship side Sheffield Wednesday have filed for administration amid the club’s mounting financial issues, a court filing from this morning showed. The English Football League (EFL) had previously charged the club with multiple breaches of regulations for the persistent late payment of players’ wages.
This is the latest in a series of off-field setbacks for Wednesday, whose owner Dejphon Chansiri has failed to pay players and staff on time in five out of the last seven months. Thousands of fans boycotted their home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough earlier this week in protest against the club’s ownership. Wednesday have been placed under various embargoes amid tax debts and for their late payments to players and staff, including in September.
Under EFL rules, Wednesday, who are already bottom of the Championship, will now receive an automatic 12-point points deduction for going into administration. The penalty would leave them on -6 points after 11 games. Wednesday host fellow strugglers Oxford United tomorrow.
Even the Government has joined calls for Chansiri to sell up. “The Government’s view is very strongly that football club owners are custodians of those clubs, and they have a responsibility to hand them on in better shape to the next owner and to the next generation of fans,” the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told a select committee on 10 September.
“In Sheffield Wednesday’s case, I am really extremely concerned about the current ownership and the lack of willingness to sell the club and invest in the club, something I’ve been discussing very closely with local MPs. The Government is keeping a very close eye on it and our message to those owners is that change is coming.”
Brighton: Fabian Hurzeler’s side travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United tomorrow evening and the Brighton head coach has been discussing the tactics he envisages Ruben Amorim’s side employing.
“I think they are playing more direct and more vertical style so more long balls trying to target [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Benjamin] Sesko, trying to win the second balls and continue on the wing,” he said. “Trying to attack the box with deep runs and of course they have a lot of individual qualities. They can change the game with one action. No matter who it is. They are a danger for us and we have to be staying alive for 90 minutes because they can score from every phase.”
Asked about United’s difficulties when it comes to stringing back-to-back victories together, the young German was understandably both diplomatic and complimentary. “It’s not my job to comment on that but the only thing I can say is that I am really looking forward to competing against one of the best managers,” he said. “I think [Amorim] is one of the best, of course he’s not in an easy phase with Manchester but he’s proved in the past how good he can be. Why can’t they win three games in a row? I don’t know because I’m not there.”
Should United win tomrorow it will be the first time they have won three consecutive Premier League matches since Amorim took charge almost a year ago. In January this year they won back-to-back-toback games in two different competitions against Rangers, Fulham and the Romanian side FCSB.
Slot unconcerned about Salah’s lack of goals
Liverpool: Arne Slot is sitting before reporters and tells them that both Alexander Isak and Thomas Gravenberch are “a doubt” for tomorrow’s away trip to Brentford. Jeremie Frimpong has definitely been ruled out with the hamstring injury that put a stop to his midweek gallop against Eintracht Frankfurt early on Wednesday night. Alisson also remains sidelined with a hammy he picked up against Galatasaray.
As is becoming customary, Slot was asked about Florian Wirtz who had one of his better games in a Liverpool shirt against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday. “It was more difficult to do what he did against Manchester United [to provide an assist for Cody Gakpo] than his assist for Dominik Szoboszlai,” said Slot. “His general game I have liked, but if you lose a game then you hear about the negative things. On Wednesday we generated the same amount of chances from open play than we did in those recent defeats.”
Asked if this is a difficult time for Mo Salah, who is enduring a slump in form by his own usual high standards and was dropped against Frankfurt, Slot had this to say: “It’s a difficult moment for all of us because no one is used to losing. Players miss chances and he is a human being. We are not used to him missing chances.
“The main thing is that he always has scored goals for Liverpool. The last thing I worry about is Mo scoring goals again. He’s done that his entire life and I expect him to do that again in the coming weeks and months. Quite a few changes in the squad means everyone needs to find new connections.”
Chelsea’s Liam Delap is back in training
Chelsea: Speaking of the hamstrung Chelsea striker, Enzo Maresca has just told reporters that Delap is back training with the first team squad after recovering from the hamstring injury that forced him out of his side’s match against Fulham at the end of August and has kept him sidelined ever since. Tomorrow’s match against Sunderland has come too soon for the 22-year-old but all going well he will be in the Chelsea squad for next week’s Carabao Cup match against Wolves.
Sunderland: Staying in the north-east, the head coach of the region’s biggest club has been talking ahead of his team’s trip to Chelsea tomorrow afternoon. Level on points with their hosts but behind them on goal difference, Sunderland have defied the expectations of many (including me and I’m a fan) by taking 14 points from the first 24 available since coming up through the Championship playoffs and their youthful side will take on any even younger one tomorrow in what should prove a stern test of both sides’ metal at Stamford Bridge.
“You can’t solve everything with money,” said Regis Le Bris, presumably after being asked about the £170m on new players his employers spent during the summer. “You need money to be competitive in the market, but after that, you have to develop your own expertise according to the profile you need and the identity you have at the club. I think the identity of the club is totally open with the young profiles we need for the squad, and the balance of the squad with more experienced players.”
Sunderland will be without Paraguayan defender Omar Alderete due to concussion, but Reinildo Mandava is available again after serving a three-match suspension. Noah Sadiki has overcome a minor ankle knock.
Le Bris shrugged off the prospect of facing striker Marc Guiu, who joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from Chelsea in August only for the deal to be terminated less than a month later after Liam Delap suffered a serious injury. “We appreciated the short spell we had with Marc, but now it’s another story,” he said, of a youngster who scored one in three appearances before leaving with the best wishes of fans. “The market is the market and sometimes you have to face unpredictable situations.”
Newcastle: Eddie Howe’s side were mightily impressive in Champions League victory against Benfica in midweek, arguably a performance of the season that stood in contrast to last weekend’s defeat at the hands of Brighton and their stuttering start to the Premier League campaign. Howe was asked to explain the differences between his side’s two performances.
“It’s all down to mentality,” he said. “It is down to our attitude. There is no difference to me between a pre-season game or Premier League game. Whatever the competition, our attitude has to be the same. Our attitude against Benfica was very, very good but now we need to back that up with a consistent performance and a will to win.”
Newcastle host Fulham tomorrow in one of only two Saturday kick-offs scheduled for three o’clock.
Brighton: Following his recent run of good form, there have been calls for Thomas Tuchel to consider the Brighton veteran Danny Welbeck for selection when picking his next England squad. The 34-year-old has not played for England since 2018 but scored his highest ever tally of 10 Premier League goals last season for Brighton and already has four to his name this time around.
While those numbers are far from mind-blowing, given the paucity of quality back-up for Harry Kane in Tuchel’s squad, calls for the German to give him a run-out are understandable although his chances of getting on The Plane to the World Cup would appear to be fairly slim unless he qualifies as a commercial pilot or flight attendant in the next seven or eight months.
“I didn’t talk to him about that but I’m sure he’s only focused on performing here and performing well, that’s the only thing he can influence, the rest isn’t in his hands and he can’t control,” said Fabian Hurzeler, his head coach at Brighton this morning.
“It’s only about performance and improving every week and being ready to play at the highest level. I’m sure Thomas [Tuchel] will watch him and I’m happy to see that England are progressing well with Thomas so I’m sure he will make the right decision and let’s see what he will decide regarding Danny.”
Bernardo Silva lauds “special” John Stones
Jamie Jackson
Manchester City: Bernardo Silva is clear that “special” John Stones maintaining his fitness can be the key to Manchester City again being a force.
“John gives us something that is difficult to find in terms of him as a central defender: that with the ball he can go into the midfield to help us in the buildup,” said the City captain. “And that’s something that is very difficult to find. Look, it’s my ninth season at Man City and when John is fit, the team always plays much better. It’s not a coincidence. He’s a special player. He just needs to take care of his body and make sure that he’s available. Because I’m pretty sure that if he’s available, he’s going to be a real force.”
City are unbeaten in nine games, drawing two. Silva pointed to the rearguard as fundamental to their good run. “We found a bit more of our rhythm,” he said. “We found the stability at the back; I think that gives the freedom for the guys at front to play in a different way. I always say that when you’re stable at the back, when the team defends properly, and we’re now defending quite well, then that’s when you can win football games.
“The guys up front can make a difference. That’s what we didn’t have for a long time last season, and that’s what we’re getting back to, to having that stability. We’re happy with the momentum, but still a long way to go. It’s just one month that we were quite good. If we want to be successful this season, we need to keep it that way for much longer than just one month.”
Rodri may return soon from a hamstring problem. “He’s almost there,” said Silva. “He’s almost training with the team. He feels better. We need to be calm because he’s coming from an injury [anterior cruciate ligament sustained in September 2024] that we all know about. His body hasn’t been working for a long time, but little by little he’s coming back. We need him a lot. He’s very important to us.”
Newcastle United: Eddie Howe is in the house and his first order of business is to discuss Sandro Tonali, who sat out Newcastle’s impressive midweek Champions League win over Benfica with a knee injury. It was revealed during the week that the Italian midfielder had signed a new deal with Newcastle during the 10-month ban for gambling he served from October 2023. Tonali is now contracted to Newcastle until May 2029, while the club have an option to extend the deal for another year.
Howe revealed that Tonali is a doubt for tomorrow’s match against Fulham but is being monitored. “A lot happened around the time that he was banned,” he added. “A lot of discussions between Sandro’s representatives and the football club. Obviously there was the contract situation involving him and sacrificial wages that Sandro volunteered, which I thought spoke volumes for his mentality and how he conducted himself in that period.
“And the club came to an agreement so he had an extension of his contract which is a great thing but most importantly how he conducted himself in that ban – I thought he was brilliant and that has led to his brilliant performances. It’s a two-way thing. Sandro has felt the love with everyone connected to the club.
“The supporters have been absolutely incredible with him, during the ban for one but that support during the ban then followed through with helping Sandro return to football and helping him with his issues off the pitch. He needed that support at that time and now we are seeing the benefits. He has been brilliant since returning to football.”
Rafa Benitez appointed Panathinaikos boss
Greek Super League: The 65-year-old former Liverpool, Valencia, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Inter boss has signed a two-year deal to become the new head coach of the Greek side Panathinaikos. It’s his 17th different managerial job but his first in Greece. Benitez has not worked as a head coach for 19 months, since being sacked by the Spanish side, Celta Vigo. His new club currently sit seventh in the Greek Super League table with nine points after six games.
Friday press conferences: I am a habitually early riser and can rarely be found in my cot after 6am but it’s not often I’m up and about before Eddie Howe, who invariably forces the ladies and gentlemen of the north-eastern press pack out of their beds at the crack of dawn for his Friday morning press conferences. There’s no word from the Newcastle head coach yet but I’m told we’ll be hearing from him soon ahead of his team’s match against Fulham at St James’ Park tomorrow …
Nottingham Forest: Following an eight-game winless run under Ange Postecoglou, Nottingham Forest kept their first clean sheet for 21 games in beating Porto 2-0 at the City Ground last night, in the process consigning the Portuguese side to defeat for the first time in 12 matches this season. It’s small wonder Sean Dyche, Postecoglou’s replacement, looked pleased with himself and his players afterwards.
“When you are on the side you don’t hear every word, you hear a noise and you know if it’s a positive noise or a negative noise,” he said. “I’m not here to judge or question anything, just deliver what I can to the job. It’s nice when they support you from the off, winning helps.
“These fans are pretty fair, win, lose or draw if they see a team out there wearing the shirt with pride and I think they’ll accept that. To get it off with a good performance and a win is very pleasing for them. If they can accept me and my staff and what’s going on that’s got to be a bonus. Hopefully it will fast track the feeling around the ground.”
James Tavernier: “A disgraceful performance”
Rangers: With his side anchored to the foot of the 36-strong Europa League group stage table with zero points from three games, Rangers captain James Tavernier did not mince his words after he and his teammates suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of Brann in Norway last night.
“It’s just a disgraceful performance, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “All the years I’ve been here, the consistency of poor performance that we’re putting in, I’ve not experienced it before. Some of us show our aggression after the games, after we get beaten – you expect all the lads to take that in, but we have to look at ourselves much harder.”
Just a thought, James, but maybe try showing some of that aggression during the games?
Marcus Rashford: “Sometimes you just need a change”
In news that is unlikely to come as much of a surprise to many, Marcus Rashford has made it clear he wants to stay at Barcelona as he gears up for his first El Clasico against Real Madrid this weekend.
Rashford moved to Barcelona on loan from Manchester United this summer and the La Liga giants have the option of making the deal permanent next year. Having scored five goals in 12 games including a double in the midweek Champions League thrashing of Olympiacos, the 27-year-old is clear where his future lies.
“Oh yeah, for sure,”” he said, upon being asked by ESPN if he wants to stay at the Spanish champions. “I’m enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it’s an honour.”
Rashford has a contract at Old Trafford until 2028 but having also spent a brief spell on loan at Aston Villa last season it is highly unlikely he will return under current boss Ruben Amorim. “People forget this, but 24, 23 years of my life was with Manchester United, so sometimes you just need a change,” added Rashford. “I think maybe this is the case with me and I’m enjoying everything.”
Celtic 2-1 Sturm Graz
Europa League: On a night when Rangers and Aberdeen were humbled in Norway and Greece respectively, Celtic flew the flag for the Scottish Premiership with a come-from-behind win against Sturm Graz, writes Ewan Murray from Celtic Park.
Brann 3-0 Rangers
Europa League: Newly appointed Rangers boss Danny Röhl discovered his new side’s problems run deeper than their former manager Russell Martin as they were blitzed 3-0 by Brann in Bergen.
Crystal Palace 0-1 AEK Larnaca
Europa Conference League: Oliver Glasner’s side were handed a harsh lesson about what it takes to be successful at this level by the team from Cyprus. Ed Aarons reports from Selhurst Park …
Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 Aston Villa
Europa League: Emi Buendia missed a late penalty and Aston Villa suffered a Europa League humbling as they failed to do it against the Dutch minnows on a wet and windy Thursday night in Deventer.
Nottingham Forest 2-0 Porto
Europa League: Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus got the goals as Sean Dyche managed to achieve in one match what his predecessor Ange Postecoglou couldn’t pull off in eight – victory for Nottingham Forest. Ben Fisher reports from the City Ground …
This weekend’s Premier League fixtures
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Leeds United v West Ham (Friday 8pm)
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Chelsea v Sunderland (Saturday 3pm)
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Newcastle United v Fulham (3pm)
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Manchester United v Brighton (5:30pm)
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Brentford v Liverpool (8pm)
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Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest (Sunday 2pm)
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Arsenal v Crystal Palace (2pm)
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Aston Villa v Manchester City (2pm)
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Wolves v Burnley (2pm)
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Everton v Tottenham Hotspur (4.30pm)
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Friday and Saturday times BST
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Sunday’s times GMT
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Clocks go back at 2am on Sunday morning
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In case you didn’t know
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And yes, your smart phone does know
Something for the weekend …
Greetings all and welcome to your Friday football fix at a time when the Premier League weekend is so close you can almost taste the over-priced, simultaneously lukewarm and volcanically hot half-time pie. As well as the usual glorious chorus of managerial clichés that precedes each weekend’s action, we’ll be bringing you updates on varous touch-and-go “knocks”, insistences that there “no easy games in this league” and assorted solemn declarations that various head coaches are “taking it one game at a time”.
We’ll also have slightly bleary-eyed reaction to last night’s Europa League and Europa Conference League action. Who played a full-strength side and won? Who rotated their squad and lost 2-1 to a team whose shirt sponsor is a Dutch 3D printing company? And which coach is most likely to blame the “Thursday night effect” for any domestic Sunday struggles?
Beyond the main talking points, we will, as usual, cover any other news that may present itself as the day unfolds. It’s all to play for, so settle in and let’s get this show on the road.
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