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English Premier League talking points

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Premier League - Chelsea v Liverpool - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - August 13, 2023 A big screen displays a VAR decision message Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Talking points from the opening weekend of the Premier League season:

HAALAND HUNGRY FOR MORE RECORDS

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland needed only four minutes to open his account for the new season and ended up with a brace in a 3-0 win for the champions at Burnley on Friday.

After ripping up the record books last season with 36 goals in the Premier League and 52 in all competitions, logic suggested he may find his second season a little tougher as teams figure out ways to shackle the Norwegian.

But on the evidence of his display at Turf Moor, Haaland will again be almost impossible to stop.

Not that it spared him a reprimand from manager Pep Guardiola at halftime, with the Spaniard annoyed that Haaland had risked losing possession, but those are the standards that make it hard to bet against City mounting another treble run.

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OLD HABITS DIE HARD FOR ARSENAL

One of Arsenal’s major problems last season as they let the Premier League title slip from their grasp was an inability to kill off games after taking the lead.

Arsenal saw two-goal advantages slip in consecutive draws against Liverpool and West Ham United in April which allowed Manchester City to catch up and overhaul them.

They made things frantic for themselves again in a 2-1 home win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday despite cruising for most of their league opener.

“When you are 2-0 up and have some chances to kill the game, we didn’t,” Arteta said.

“It was more about the feeling than actually what happens. The reality is we didn’t concede anything but you are running the clock down and in this league that’s a very dangerous thing to do.”

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If they are to mount a title challenge again this season Arsenal will have to make sure they shut games down.

POCHETTINO FINDS A WAY TO CHEER UP THE BLUES

New Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino said Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool was “just the start” of the turnaround he wants to engineer at Stamford Bridge after last season’s shocking slump in form for the high-spending Blues.

The Argentine, who used to manage rivals Tottenham Hotspur, gave Chelsea debuts to four of his starting 11 and the way the side grew in confidence, after conceding an 18th minute Luis Diaz opener, suggested the club might be getting back on track.

Axel Disasi marked his first Chelsea game with a goal while fellow debutant Nicolas Jackson, a striker, used his power to create chances. Academy graduate Levi Colwill recovered from a testing first few minutes in a Chelsea shirt to frustrate Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez looked confident.

Chelsea fans responded with the kind of vocal support that became increasingly rare last season as the team misfired, and the team were applauded off at the final whistle as they looked forward to a more promising season under their new coach.

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TONALI SETS THE TONE AS NEWCASTLE THRASH VILLA

Newcastle United’s new signing Sandro Tonali set the tone with a goal after six minutes, instantly showcasing what he can contribute to the Tyneside club as they seek to compete for the Premier League title.

The 23-year-old arrived in England on the back of a brilliant season for AC Milan where he combined creative passing and crunching tackles, and he showed the full register in his first league appearance in front of his new home crowd.

Alexander Isak may have scored twice, including a tremendous second-half chip to make it 3-1, but that Tonali was still given the man of the match award for his work in the centre says everything about his performance.

The 5-1 win puts the Magpies top of the table for now; whether or not they can stay there will depend greatly on how well Italy international Tonali can continue to shoulder the role of midfield motor as well as he did on Saturday.

TOTTENHAM SHOW THERE IS LIFE AFTER KANE

Club record scorer Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich on the eve of Tottenham Hotspur’s first game of the season left fans crestfallen but a 2-2 draw at Brentford offered some hope of better things to come for the north London club.

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New manager Ange Postecoglou said he had planned for a season without the England striker as he looks to put his thumb print on the club and a new-look Spurs side responded well to the departure of their talisman.

Playmaker James Maddison impressed on his debut, setting up the opening goal for Cristian Romero, while Yves Bissouma offered the sort of high-energy midfield performance that Australian Postecoglou demands from his teams.

Only time will tell, however, if Brazil forward Richarlison, who was a bit-part player last season, can fill the gap left by Kane. On the evidence of Sunday that looks unlikely.

-Reuters

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Former Arsenal soccer player Partey charged with five counts of rape

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 Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - February 2, 2025 Arsenal's Thomas Partey during the warm-up before the match REUTERS/David Klein/File Photo

Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.

Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.

Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.

Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.

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He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.

-Reuters

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Rashford, Garnacho among five players seeking Man Utd exit

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Premier League - Manchester United v Newcastle United - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 30, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford warms up as a substitute during the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.

Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.

Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.

Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.

Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.

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United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.

“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”

Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.

Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.

-Reuters

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Fernandes rejects Al-Hilal offer to stay at Manchester United

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.

The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.

“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.

“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”

Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.

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“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.

“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.

“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”

The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.

However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

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-Reuters

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