Premier League clubs are calling for Manchester City’s hearing for 115 alleged rule breaches to be held publicly.
Dubbed the ‘trial of the century’, City’s hearing is being played out behind closed doors in accordance with Section W of the league’s rules, with the location even being kept public in addition to the three-person commission hearing the case.
The specific charges against Manchester City, who have won eight of the last 13 Premier League titles, are not publicly known with just the rules that each alleged breach relates to as well as what season they occurred released publicly.
Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today.
The alleged rule breaches occurred between 2009 and 2023 and if found guilty of the charges, City could potentially be kicked out of the Premier League, however it’s much more likely they cop punishments ranging from warnings, fines or a deduction of premiership points.
While clubs are perturbed about how private the City case has been so far, the current process is how the rule book states it should be. Based on the magnitude of the case though, other clubs believe there needs to be greater transparency.
“Justice does not just need to be done – it needs to be seen to be done,” said a lawyer of a rival Premier League club.
“There is no reason, in principle, why it is not being held in public. It would ensure it is covered accurately in the media and that the actual detail of any case – what exactly has been alleged and how it is being defended – is picked over and known to the fans.
“That in itself acts as a control over clubs and owners – who generally care very much about their image – to abide by the rules but is also a protection to help ensure a fair hearing.”
Manchester City’s Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland reacts during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Brentford at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on September 14, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)Source: AFP
If the rules surrounding secrecy in these types of cases are to be changed, at least 14 clubs would have to vote for open hearings.
Due to several clubs recently facing investigations for various rule breaches, such as Everton and Leicester City, winning the majority to change these rules could prove difficult.
Manchester City have denied all charges.
The case, which has only just got underway, will be heard over the next two to three months with a decision to be handed down before the end of the current league season.
Another season has come and gone as Manchester City made history by becoming the first team to win four-straight Premier League titles.
In a campaign in which the most goals were scored in a season since the mid-1960s, Guardiola’s side pipped Arsenal to the post yet again to make it six league titles from the last seven.
It was significantly less successful for Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United as the promoted trio were sent straight back to the Championship in what was a 26-year first.
Sandwiched between City and Sheffield United were a host of teams who all defied, met or fell way below pre-season expectations.
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at how EVERY team went in our Premier League Report Card!
If ever there was a fitting song to describe Arsenal’s season, look no further than Linkin Park’s classic, In The End.
Mikel Arteta’s side really did try oh-so-hard and they got oh-so-far.
But in the end, it didn’t even matter because ultimately no-one remembers who came second.
However, to summarise Arsenal’s season by just a few lyrics is an immense disservice to the way they improved significantly on last year’s efforts.
Granted, the Gunners shelled out a whopping $AUD199 million to sign Declan Rice, but there was a reason Mikel Arteta was desperate to snap up the former West Ham skipper.
Same goes for Kai Havertz, who defied his famous chant and proved to his detractors the $113m Arsenal spent on him did not go down the drain with 13 league goals.
There’s a sense of what might’ve been had summer recruit Jurrien Timber not been injured and the impact he’d have had on Arsenal’s backline too.
It has been a tremendous season for Arsenal as they accrued more points, scored more goals and conceded fewer than they did in 2022/23.
However, a grim run in December in which the Gunners won three of seven league games coupled with a costly 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa in April is what ultimately derailed their title bid.
The loss to Villa will sting given Arsenal could and should have been out of sight in the first half, if not for some dreadful finishing.
Regardless, Arteta’s side will be better off for the experience from another title charge and one senses a first Premier League trophy since 2003/04 is not far off.
Grade: A
Atalanta pump Leverkusen in Europa final | 01:15
Aston Villa (4th, 68 pts, +15)
The sleeping giant is finally awake.
After 41 years, Aston Villa is back among Europe’s elite thanks to a top four finish, a predicament very few outside of those at Bodymoor Heath would have thought was achievable.
But under Unai Emery, Villa have transformed into a team that makes the impossible become possible.
What makes the Spaniard’s revolution even more impressive is he has not had to make significant surgery on the squad, with Youri Tielemans (free), Moussa Diaby ($98m) and Pau Torres ($59m) arriving in the summer.
Emery has instead drastically improved the players already at his disposal, including the likes of midfield duo Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz as well as fleet-footed winger Leon Bailey.
But the most notable example of Emery waving his magic wand on a player is with Ollie Watkins, who scored 19 goals and led the Premier League with 13 assists.
Emery has also had to overcome significant challenges in his first full season with Villa.
Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia, two starting players last season, suffered season-ending injuries before the season began while Kamara tore his ACL in February, exposing Villa’s lack of depth.
Throw in a run to the European Conference League semi-finals and it’s staggering how this squad held on for as long as they did in the race for a Champions League spot.
Yet this is a team who played Manchester City off the park in a 1-0 victory in December and did the double over Arsenal, showcasing just how freakishly good this team is when on song.
Next season will be an even bigger challenge but, as Emery and his merry band of Villa troops have proven, nothing can be out of the question.
Unai Emery has been arguably the manager of the season.Source: Getty Images
Bournemouth (12th, 48 pts, -13)
Stories of Andoni Iraola’s sacking were being written after Bournemouth’s 6-1 defeat to Manchester City in November, the club’s seventh loss in the first 11 games.
But the Cherries, who sat in the relegation zone and were among several pundits’ tips to go down despite a summer spend of $212 million, decided to stick with the Spaniard.
Boy, did it pay off.
The loss to City sparked a staggering run of six wins in Bournemouth’s next seven, including victories over Newcastle and Manchester United, as pressure eased off Iraola.
Key to this run was star striker Dominic Solanke, who went on to record his best goalscoring season in the Premier League with a final tally of 19.
Iraola’s intense high press was pivotal for Solanke and the Cherries’ goalscoring fortunes as a whole, failing to score in just three games from January onwards and even then, those games were against Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Defensive improvement will be required from Bournemouth if they are to rise higher on the ladder and go beyond the 48-point mark, the club’s highest total in the top flight.
But under Iraola, who recently signed a new deal to stay with Bournemouth until at least the end of the 2025/26 season and is a nominee for manager of the season, it feels like the Cherries are on the verge of something special.
Grade: B+
Dominic Solanke had a brilliant season in front of goal.Source: Getty Images
Brentford (16th, 39 pts, -9)
The big pre-season question on everyone’s minds when it came to Brentford was how they would fare without superstar striker Ivan Toney and his 20 league goals, at least until January.
The answer? Not very well.
Thomas Frank’s side sat as high as 9th in early November, but after a 3-2 win over West Ham, results took a nosedive.
The Bees won just three games and lost an alarming 14 across an 21-game stretch from November to mid-April.
It was hoped Toney’s return from a gambling ban would ease the burden on Brentford’s forwards and at first he did, scoring four goals in his first five games back.
But that was as good as it got for the star striker, with the Bees largely relying on Congolese winger Yoanne Wissa for goals.
Three wins in Brentford’s last six games ensured Frank’s troops would avoid being sucked into a relegation battle but the Dane knows a similar slump in form could be more costly next season.
Grade: D
Ivan Toney’s gambling ban had a huge impact on Brentford’s season.Source: Getty Images
Brighton (11th, 48 pts, -7)
A season that began with such so promise for the Seagulls ended with little more than a whimper.
With a Europa League campaign to contend with as well as the departures of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez, enigmatic Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi had his work cut out for him.
But concerns about how De Zerbi would cope without the star trio were initially alleviated as the club won five of its first six games, including victories over Newcastle and Manchester United.
However, that winning feeling largely deserted Brighton for the remainder of the season as De Zerbi struggled to keep the side humming on multiple fronts, finishing with seven defeats from the final 12 league games.
There was also a lack of consistency between the sticks as summer recruit Bart Verbruggen and Jason Steele battled to be the starting goalkeeper, the last position that needs constant chopping and changing.
In fairness, Brighton were dealt a horrible hand with injuries with the likes of Solly March, Julio Enciso, Kaoru Mitoma and Adam Webster among others missing large chunks of the season.
De Zerbi also cut a frustrated figure in the media and struggled to deal with constant speculation linking him to bigger clubs as Brighton ultimately elected to mutually split with the Italian.
Time will tell if a fully fresh Brighton can get back to the heights they initially scaled under De Zerbi.
Grade: C-
Fans were grateful for Roberto De Zerbi, but his Brighton time came to a poor end.Source: Getty Images
Burnley (19th, 24 pts, -37)
Fresh off a Championship season in which they finished first with 101 points and lost only three games, some predicted Vincent Kompany’s Burnley side to be one of the surprise packages of the season.
And in some ways, maybe they were a bit of a surprise. But only in how bad they were.
Kompany quickly learned his possession-heavy approach simply would not work in the Premier League as Burnley were time-and-time-again sliced open by their rivals.
Burnley won just a solitary game before December as points deductions to Everton and Nottingham Forest was all that kept them in with a shout of a miraculous survival effort.
The Clarets’ transfer dealings were also questionable as they failed to properly replace Nathan Tella and Ian Maatsen, who accounted for 32 goal involvements in the Championship.
Instead, Kompany elected to bring in several young faces into the team who had little to no Premier League experience and it backfired spectacularly.
Burnley will be one of the favourites for promotion next season and if they achieve that, Kompany — if he is still in the job — knows he cannot afford to make similar mistakes again.
Then again, there’s shock rumours that he might be heading off to Germany to take over Bayern Munich. Stranger things have happened.
Grade: F
Burnley’s season was a disaster, but their coach might be rewarded for the flop with a cushy new gig.Source: AFP
Chelsea (6th, 63 pts, +14)
Now, there’s two ways one can look at Chelsea’s season.
They finished with 19 more points than they did in 22/23 — the biggest improvement of any team — as Cole Palmer emerged as one of the brightest talents in the Premier League with 22 goals and 11 assists.
New boss Mauricio Pochettino also guided the team home to a sixth-place finish, bringing European football back to Stamford Bridge after a season without it.
Chelsea also made it to the League Cup final and the semi finals of the FA Cup.
Sounds decent, right?
Then you remember this is the same Chelsea who forked out $828 million on recruits in the summer — a Premier League record for a single window — and were well on track for a mid-table finish, if not for a five-game win streak to round out the season.
Sections of Blues fans called for Pochettino’s head, Nicolas Jackson had more yellow cards than goals for a brief period and the club suffered embarrassing defeats to Nottingham Forest, Wolves as well as a 5-0 thumping against Arsenal.
We’ve opted for the more optimistic approach because this is an awfully young Chelsea squad and although it took quite some time for them to hit their straps, they showed what they’re capable of in the final third of the season.
But how will they cope under yet another new manager next season?
Chelsea’s Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been punted.Source: AFP
Crystal Palace (10th, 49 pts, -1)
Whisper it quietly, but Crystal Palace might actually be fun.
As the Eagles sleepwalked towards relegation under Roy Hodgson, the club wielded the axe on the 76-year-old and brought in former Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner on February 19.
What a masterstroke it proved to be.
Glasner, who took over at Selhurst Park with Palace sitting 15th but perilously close to the bottom three, immediately brought a sense of excitement back to the club.
He found a way to re-energise Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise who, when on song, are two of the most electrifying talents in the Premier League.
But most impressive was Glasner’s ability to unlock a whole new level in Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Prior to Glasner’s arrival, Mateta had scored just 10 goals from 79 league appearances for the Eagles.
But the Frenchman transformed into a completely different player once Glasner took over, scoring 14 goals in 14 games.
Glasner won seven and lost just three games from his 14 in charge, with a memorable run of six victories from the final seven fixtures of the season sparking the most immaculate of vibes among the Palace fanbase.
If Palace can keep a hold of Eze, Mateta and Olise in the summer, there’s no reason why this team can’t kick on next season.
Grade: B-
Palace turned into a thrilling attacking side, and there’s plenty of optimism for next season.Source: Getty Images
Everton (15th, 40 pts, -11)
If there was a Premier League equivalent to Rocky Balboa, it’s Everton.
You can knock them down as many times as you like and throw haymakers until kingdom come, but the Toffees just won’t go quietly into the night.
Everton were slapped with an initial ten-point deduction in November for breaking the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), dropping them into the relegation zone.
Those ten points were reduced to six in February upon appeal, but a second PSR breach resulted in a further two-point deduction in April.
Oh, and don’t forget the messy takeover saga with 777 Partners which still looks no closer to being ratified amid concerns over the group’s finances.
Having flirted with relegation the previous two seasons, it was feared the initial deduction might have been a mountain too high to climb for Sean Dyche’s side.
A 13-game winless streak from late December to April exacerbated those fears even more, but Dyche is no stranger to a relegation fight and knows exactly what was needed to steer the team to safety.
Roared on by a rabid fanbase desperate to survive and stick the proverbial finger at the Premier League, Everton went on to win five of their last eight — including a 2-0 victory over arch rivals Liverpool — to secure safety.
One of the most impressive aspects about Everton this season is how strong their defending had been, with their tally of 51 goals conceded bettered only by Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
If Dyche can find a way to get the Toffees firing up front and maintain that defensive steel, Everton should enjoy a relatively drama-free 24/25 season.
Grade: C
Five wins from their last eight games ensured Everton’s survival, but it was another messy season.Source: Getty Images
Fulham (13th, 47 pts, -6)
Some feared the worst for Fulham when talismanic striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and his 14 league goals departed for the vast riches on offer in Saudi Arabia.
Why? Well, Fulham’s next highest goalscorers behind Mitrovic were Willian and Carlos Vinicius with just five goals each.
Raul Jimenez joined in the summer but struggled to fill Mitrovic’s boots and had his campaign derailed by injury.
Even though Jimenez was billed as Mitrovic’s replacement, it turned out to be Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz who stepped up when the Cottagers needed a hero.
The Brazilian enjoyed a stunning run of form in February and March, scoring eight goals in as many matches to show he belongs at Premier League level.
Alex Iwobi also proved to be a shrewd summer recruit, driving Fulham up the field with slaloming runs and picking out intelligent passes.
Considering Mitrovic’s importance and the goals he brought, Marco Silva has done well to keep Fulham up with relative ease.
But will Cottagers fans accept another season of mid table mediocrity?
Grade: C-
The Klopp era has ended at Anfield.Source: Getty Images
Liverpool (3rd, 82 pts, +45)
It was going so, so well for Liverpool.
Even as late as April 4, Jurgen Klopp’s side sat on top of the Premier League.
But the Reds just simply ran out of steam, winning just three of their final eight games to slip away in the title race.
If anything, Liverpool’s late collapse mirrored Klopp’s reasoning for why he would depart the club at the end of the season, citing he was “running out of energy”.
Granted, Liverpool were dealt a brutal hand when it came to injuries, forcing a number of young stars to step up.
Liverpool’s defensive struggles were also on full display in the second half of the season, keeping just four clean sheets from December 26 onwards.
Unsurprisingly Mohamed Salah was the Reds’ main goalscoring threat but in somewhat alarming scenes, it was his lowest goalscoring return since joining Liverpool with a final tally of 18.
It was still a marked improvement on Liverpool’s 22/23 season in which they finished outside the Champions League places, but some may be wondering what could’ve been in Klopp’s last dance.
As the German rides off into the sunset, or the more fitting weather depiction in Liverpool of grey skies and rain, one must wonder if similar memories are on the horizon or if that’s as good as it may get for some time.
Grade: B+
Klopp’s PERFECT goodbye to Anfield crowd | 01:11
Luton Town (18th, 26 pts, -33)
Just about every fan of the other 19 Premier League teams had Luton Town circled as the one away day they wanted most this season.
Famed for its rather unique entrance for travelling fans in which they enter between townhouses, Luton’s Kenilworth Road is an old, tiny ground, but that’s where its charm lies.
However, it’s an away day that lasted just one season in the Premier League as Luton, unsurprisingly, were relegated.
The Hatters elected not to spend heavy in the summer, opting for sustainability should they end up being relegated rather than recklessly burning cash and needing to deal with an inflated wage bill in the Championship.
Although Luton showed they rarely had issues scoring — shut out in only five games this season — they conceded a whopping 82 goals, the second-most in the Premier League.
It was a valiant effort from Rob Edwards’ troops this season and a run of three wins and two draws from six games across the festive period gave Luton fans hope that maybe, just maybe they’d survive their debut Premier League campaign.
However, 12 losses in Luton’s 16 games sucked the life out of their survival efforts as the gulf in quality ultimately proved too large.
Grade: D-
EPL Wrap: City CHAMPIONS again! | 03:10
Manchester City (1st, 91 pts, +62)
Once again we’ve reached the end of the Premier League season and once again Manchester City are champions.
This year’s triumph made it a record fourth-straight league title for Pep Guardiola’s side, highlighting the vice-like grip they have on the Premier League trophy.
Although City had a few wobbles in the first half of the campaign, they did not lose a single match after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on December 6.
City also had to cope without superstar playmaker Kevin de Bruyne for half of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in the opening match against Burnley while goalscoring freak Erling Haaland also spent time on the sidelines.
But Guardiola’s side found a way to overcome every challenge as English midfielder Phil Foden enjoyed his best season yet, scoring 19 goals and delivering eight assists in the Premier League.
Yes, City have 115 charges of breaching the PSR rules hanging over their head, leaving many to view their accomplishments with a big asterisk.
Yet until any punishment comes from that, we can only marvel at this unprecedented dominance from the best manager and one of the best teams in world football at the moment.
Grade: A
City players URGE fans to hold off | 01:21
Manchester United (8th, 60 pts, -1)
It was a season of unwanted records for Manchester United.
A lowest-ever Premier League finish. Their most losses in a league season. The most goals they’d conceded in a single Premier League season.
In fact, the Red Devils conceded more shots (668) than the infamous Derby County side of 2007/08 did (630). Yes, that Derby side that won just one game all season.
They’re not entirely exiled from European football just yet, as a win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final would secure a berth in the Europa League.
But that is not a reward Erik ten Hag’s side deserve one bit.
Marcus Rashford and Casemiro looked a complete shadow of the forces they were last season while a disjointed backline caused chaos, with Leicester City discard Jonny Evans drafted in to save the day.
The emergence of teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was undoubtedly the brightest spot of Manchester United’s season while Alejandro Garnacho continues to impress.
But the less said about this United season, the better.
Grade: C-
Rashford LEFT OUT of Euro squad | 01:17
Newcastle (7th, 60 pts, +23)
If you tuned in to a Newcastle game this season, you were, quite literally, guaranteed goals.
A team that scored four or more goals in a single match on ten occasions, the Magpies ended the season with a whopping tally of 85 goals scored.
Alexander Isak enjoyed a stunning season in which he scored 20 goals from 28 league appearances, while Anthony Gordon made himself undroppable with his impressive displays.
But at the other end of the field, the club took a major step backwards.
Having conceded just 33 goals last season, Eddie Howe’s side shipped 62 goals.
However, the team was decimated by injuries this season, with an alarming 258 games missed by players due to injury.
There’s also the small sideshow of Sandro Tonali, who was the club’s marquee summer signing but copped a 10-month ban for breaching Italian betting regulations.
Newcastle also had to contend with a Champions League campaign, which tested the club’s depth levels.
Although Newcastle suffered some patchy runs of form throughout the season, Howe deserves plenty of plaudits for guiding the Magpies to Europe once again, even if it is the Europa Conference League and dependent on Manchester City winning the FA Cup.
Grade: B
Alexander Isak had one hell of a season.Source: Getty Images
Nottingham Forest (17th, 32 pts, -18)
Nottingham Forest must be incredibly grateful for how badly the three promoted teams struggled this season, otherwise they would have been in serious strife.
After yet another big summer window, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had high expectations of Steve Cooper and his squad but they simply weren’t met in the first half of the season.
A 2-0 loss to Tottenham brought an end to the well-liked Cooper’s time at the City Ground as Marinakis brought in former Wolves boss Nuno Esperito Santo.
The Portuguese manager didn’t exactly transform the clubs fortunes but he did enough to ensure Forest stayed up, even though the club copped a four-point deduction for PSR breaches.
The brightest spot of Nottingham’s was the emergence of Brazilian defender Murillo, who joined in the summer from Corinthians, as the club faces a fight to keep him next season.
Although Forest’s on-field performance may have been lacking, they were box office entertainment off it.
An eagle-eyed fan spotted Marinakis’ accreditation nestled in the bushes of someone’s front garden in Fulham, presumably hurled in frustration having seen Forest lose 5-0.
Then there were the accusations Stuart Atwell, the VAR operator for Forest’s 2-0 loss to Everton, was a Luton Town fan after the team had a number of penalty shouts turned down.
A less chaotic campaign both on and off the field surely isn’t too much for Forest fans to ask for, right?
Grade: D
Murillo deservedly won the club’s Player of the Year for a brilliant season, but he could be out the door with bigger clubs circling.Source: Getty Images
Sheffield United (20th, 16 pts, -69)
If there’s one small comfort Sheffield United fans can take from this season, it’s that they weren’t worse than the 2007/07 Derby County side.
However, the Blades’ tally of 104 goals conceded is 15 more than Derby shipped, so it’s still rather grim.
In fact, Sheffield United lost a game by five or more goals a staggering seven times.
Regardless, Sheffield United will want to forget this season ever happened.
Practically doomed from the start with a squad weaker than what it was in the Championship, the sales of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye made the Blades an easy choice to come last.
The club’s summer recruits also didn’t exactly inspire much confidence either given they were largely young players who had never played in the Premier League.
Paul Heckingbottom got sacked after a 5-0 loss to Burnley, leading to Chris Wilder making a surprise return to Bramall Lane.
But not even Wilder, who worked miracles when he got the Blades promoted in 2019, could muster any magic as Sheffield United trudged towards their inevitable fate.
Grade: Expelled
The Blades were truly atrocious this campaign.Source: Getty Images
Tottenham (5th, 66 pts, +13)
Not many would have given Ange Postecoglou a chance of overseeing an improved season from Tottenham Hotspur.
Throw in the exit of superstar striker Harry Kane and many feared the worst for the Aussie boss.
Instead, Postecoglou rolled up his sleeves, spent wisely in the transfer market and had his players quickly adapting to his all-action, high intensity style of play.
The Aussie brought an excitement factor to a team that had been devoid of any joy on the field for some time, even overseeing a ten-match unbeaten run which had Tottenham on top of the ladder.
However, injuries soon exposed Tottenham’s alarming lack of depth and it sparked a mid-season wobble as Postecoglou attempted to right the ship.
Although ambitions of a top four spot fell away with a horror run of five defeats in the final seven games, this season shouldn’t be viewed as anything but a success.
After all, it’s typically during the second season when Postecoglou really shines with his team.
Grade: A-
Ange Postecoglou entertained Spurs fans with a thrilling season … but there should be more to come.Source: Getty Images
West Ham United (9th, 52 pts, -14)
Grade: B-
After a difficult 2022-23 league campaign saw them manage just 40 points and a 14th-placed finish (partly down to focusing on the Europa Conference League, which they won), this year was another slog – even if they bounced back up the Premier League ladder.
It was always going to be hard this season after losing superstar skipper Declan Rice to Arsenal for £100 million plus bonuses.
In truth, they never really managed to mitigate that loss. Defensively, they were very poor: the third-most xG against, the third-most shots on target against, and a whopping 74 goals conceded. They clearly missed Rice’s defensive protection.
On the other hand, there were strong signs up front. For a team without a genuine striker, Jarrod Bowen banged in 20 goals in all competitions, their most by any player since 2004-05.
Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus were excellent, the latter becoming one of the breakout stars of the season and almost guaranteed to move to a bigger club in the off-season.
Manager David Moyes has turned West Ham into a solid, reliable unit in his last four-and-a-half years. A ninth-placed finish that sees a manager leave, and yet the fans are happy to see him go? It’s proof of how far he’s taken the Hammers.
Yet after a handful of gruelling seasons with European commitments placing an additional drain on players, his preference for a small squad proved his downfall.
Moyes started just 20 different players in the league, and made the fewest substitutions of any manager.
In the end, his team just ran out of legs – and their small squad means incoming manager Julen Lopetegui has a big transfer window ahead of him.
There were great moments for the Hammers, but another hectic schedule took its toll.Source: Getty Images
Wolves (14th, 46 pts, -15)
Grade: C+
Speaking of Lopetegui, remember when he left Wolves less than a week before the start of the season?
The Spanish manager had guided Wolves from a relegation scrap to a 13th-place finish in the space of seven months before walking out the door over a lack of spending on the squad.
Wolves were forced to sell a host of players to meet financial fair play rules and were widely predicted to be relegated.
In short, they were an absolute shambles. No wonder Lopetegui wanted out.
Wolves were left with a ridiculously thin squad, which injuries exposed – especially when they won just one of their last 10 games.
But they nevertheless achieved the most important things: they avoided a financial fair play punishment and balanced the books, ensured safety from relegation two months before the end of the season, and Gary O’Neil got the most out of just about every player at his disposal.
Just ignore their dire collapse in the last two months, and things seem a little bit more rosy.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has vowed to ‘keep fighting’ despite his side staring down the barrel of a worst-ever Premier League finish after a 4-0 thumping by Crystal Palace.
A makeshift centre-half pairing of Casemiro and Jonny Evans was torn apart by Palace, with Casemiro suffering one of the worst performances of his stellar career.
United has now lost 13 games in the league this season, their most ever in the Premier League era, and their 81 goals conceded across all competitions – so far – is the worst since 1976-77.
They need to either finish in the top seven or beat Manchester City to secure qualification for European football next season, something that is looking increasingly unlikely given their dismal recent form. It would be just the second time since 1989/90 that United have failed to qualify for continental competition.
Little wonder Ten Hag’s hopes of remaining in charge next season increasingly appear untenable.
“It’s clear and it’s obvious this is underperforming,” said Ten Hag. “We didn’t act how we want to do it and this is by far not good enough.”
Asked if he’s the right man to take the side forward, he replied: “Absolutely.
“If we have the right players available we have a good squad but we miss almost the whole backline and then we have problems.
“I will keep fighting and I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, by far not good enough, so I have to take the responsibility for that but I will find the energy and I will prepare them for Sunday.”
Manchester United’s Dutch manager Erik ten Hag was furious at his team’s dismal performance.Source: AFP
But Ten Hag was lashed by Liverpool great Jamie Carragher after the match, while even two Manchester United legends said the Dutchman must be sacked.
So far, Ten Hag has been spared due to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking a minor ownership stake and control of the football department mid-season, leading to a sweeping review of the entire organisation with a view to long-term adjustments.
The raft of injuries facing the side has played a factor – as has the lack of elite coaches currently out of work.
But Michael Owen said the side will get “annihilated” by City in the FA Cup final and declared Ten Hag could be sacked immediately, adding he “simply cannot manage the team next season.”
It was a dire performance from United – especially out-of-position Casemiro (C).Source: Getty Images
“I’ve said it for a long time that Ten Hag is not the right man for this job, I’ve been saying it for ages and ages,” Owen told Premier League Productions after the game.
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage the team next season.
“I almost wonder now, they’ve got a cup final and they’ve got a few important games that could mean European football next year or not.
“At some point you’ve got to make a decision, they’re going to get absolutely hammered by Manchester City [in the FA Cup final], they’re going to get annihilated, in fact, Arsenal will smash them to bits at Old Trafford, Newcastle will probably beat them and I wouldn’t even fancy them going to Brighton either. They might not get anything out of the rest of the season, playing like that.
“I just wonder there’s just so much at stake, even if it’s only for four games, I wonder whether the board might just have to try to do something here and now and be quite radical about it.
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He’s not good enough. I’ve thought it for ages, and he’s just not good enough to manage Manchester United.”
His former United teammate Paul Scholes was similarly brutal, calling it the “final nail in the coffin”.
Injuries forced United into a makeshift backline, but there was no excuse for their lack of effort elsewhere.Source: Getty Images
“That was tough to watch,” said the ex-United midfielder. “That could have been 7-0.”
“But tonight felt like the final nail in the coffin, really,” he added.
“There was a lack of know-how from the team, a lack of effort which is the big disappointing thing.
“It felt like the end. If it is the end, I’m not sure what’s out there at the minute.
“I’ve felt he might get another year and work for a club that has calmed down a little bit by the new owners but it just doesn’t feel like it now … I think the problems are there anyway, it’s quite plain to see it feels like borrowed time.
“Watching that performance tonight, sometimes you get those performances where you think, ‘this is the end’. That almost felt like it. I remember Ole Gunnar [Solskjaer] at Watford away. It felt very similar to me, it just fell at the end.
“But what do you do for the last four games? You’ve got a big cup final. You can’t see where a win is coming from. They can’t beat Burnley at home.”
The pair agreed that respected assistant coach Steve Maclaren should take charge of the final four games.
Owen added: “That team is absolutely clueless, right the way through it. There’s not one thing I think works in that team. I don’t rate anything about it … They’re going to get smashed out of the ball park by every team playing like that today.
“Manchester City are going to demoralise them at Wembley in front of millions of people, it’s just embarrassing how they’re playing, something’s got to change, I know it’s going to change in the summer but I think it’s got to change now.
“There’s European football next year, this is a trophy.”
Moyes shown the door at West Ham | 00:36
Meanwhile Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher slammed Ten Hag, saying even the club’s under-23 team would have performed better.
“This is one of the most poorly coached teams in the Premier League,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“That is a fact. That is not an opinion. That is a fact. The numbers tell you that when you see them bottom of the league defensively (in terms of shots conceded), lower than Sheffield United.
“I struggled to see how United would win tonight but I thought Palace would win one or two nil. No Manchester United team should be getting beaten 4-0 by Crystal Palace.
“Manchester United’s U23 team, if they are at Manchester United, have come through their academy, have been coached and taught to play, I would still not expect them to lose 4-0.
“I have never been a manager or a coach but I have been a player and I have been coached by top coaches and some of the things that I see are just wrong.”
United next face Arsenal before clashes with Newcastle and Brighton to conclude their league season, before Ten Hag’s last chance saloon arrives with the FA Cup final against City at the end of the month.
West Ham manager David Moyes will leave “by mutual consent” when his contract expires at the end of the season, the Premier League club said Tuesday (AEST).
The announcement of Moyes’s impending exit came just a day after the Hammers suffered an embarrassing 5-0 loss to London rivals Chelsea.
“West Ham United can confirm David Moyes will leave the club by mutual consent at the end of the 2023/24 season, when his contract expires,” said a club statement.
Monday’s announcement came amid media speculation that former Real Madrid, Wolves and Spain manager Julen Lopetegui had agreed a deal to replace Moyes, in his second spell as West Ham manager, after the end of the current campaign.
The Chelsea defeat was the second successive away game where West Ham conceded five goals following their loss at Crystal Palace, another London club.
And it added to the pressure on Moyes that had been mounting all season, with West Ham fans criticising him throughout the campaign for perceived negative tactics.
West Ham are currently ninth in the table, a huge 18 points adrift of the top four.
Moyes, however, guided West Ham to the Europa Conference League title last season — the club’s first major honour since they won the 1980 FA Cup.
Moyes will depart the Hammers after an impressive four-and-a-half-year spell. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But they were knocked out of the Europa League last month following a quarter-final loss to Bayer Leverkusen.
“I have enjoyed four-and-a-half brilliant years at West Ham, and the club is in a stronger position than when I returned back in 2019,” Moyes told the club’s website.
“When I joined West Ham for a second time, the club was one place above the relegation zone, and it has been a terrific journey to have achieved three consecutive seasons in Europe.” The 61-year-old Scot, a former manager of both Everton and Manchester United, added: “After leading the club (West Ham) to safety, we guided the team to finishes of sixth and seventh in the Premier League, and I was delighted when we won the Europa Conference League title last June — the club’s first major trophy in 43 years.
“I would like to thank all the players for their support, and all the success they have achieved, over the last four-and-a-half years.”
West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan paid tribute to Moyes by saying: “On behalf of everyone at West Ham United, I would like to offer our sincere thanks and gratitude to David for the contribution he has made to the football club during his time as manager.
Lopetegui appears set to replace Moyes at West Ham. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“David has been responsible for a period of great progress and success in our history, and we are extremely grateful for all of his hard work, commitment and dedication to the role,” added Sullivan, who hailed Moyes as an “absolute professional”.
Sullivan said making the announcement with two games left to play in the league season “allows David to get the send-off he deserves from the West Ham supporters and for us all to show our appreciation to him at our final home fixture of the season against Luton Town on Saturday”.
Lopetegui could now be set to succeed Moyes at the London Stadium. The Spaniard guided Wolves to Premier League safety last season, but left the Midlands club after nine months on the eve of the new campaign in August.
The former Porto and Sevilla manager helped lift Wolves from the bottom of the table to a 13th-placed finish during his time in charge at Molineux.
The Melbourne Rebels may be saved by an 11th hour private equity cash injection that will see the bankrupt Super Rugby side relocate and share facilities with an A-League club.
A private equity-backed consortium led by former Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford says it’s close to raising $30 million to invest into the struggling Rebels.
The Rebels looked set to see out this season and then dissolve after being placed into voluntary administration in January with debts exceeding $23 million.
The only place to watch every game of every round LIVE with no ad-breaks during play is Fox League, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >
But now there are plans to relocate the club to Melbourne’s western suburbs where a 15,000-seat stadium is being built in Tarneit for A-League side Western United.
Rugby Australia took back the Rebels’ licence when it entered administration and the consortium would need the support of the governing body to save the club.
The consortium released a statement on Wednesday stating they have nearly raised between $20 million and $30 million from private equity.
“This would be the game changer that the Melbourne Rebels and the sport of rugby desperately needs in Victoria,” consortium spokesperson and current Melbourne Rebels director Georgia Widdup said.
“We have an exciting vision and a detailed, common-sense plan to grow the sport of rugby in the fastest-growing municipality in Australia.
Rebels players celebrate a try scored by Filipo Daugunu this season. AFPSource: AFP
“The Rebels are committed to the women’s game, the Pasifika community and important programs for the western region’s youth and this move will enable us to significantly expand these critical areas.
“This is an opportunity to grow rugby’s grassroots supporter base and attract significant new private investment to make the game sustainable into the future.
“We are passionate about keeping rugby in Victoria but we realise for the Rebels and the sport generally to thrive we need to innovate and be smarter.”
Western United are supportive of the consortium’s plans to share the stadium in Tarneit.
Wallabies prioritise Super Rugby players | 01:07
THE FULL STATEMENT
A private equity-backed consortium is in the final stages of high-level talks to move the Melbourne Rebels women’s and men’s professional rugby Club to Melbourne’s fast-growing western suburbs.
Under the innovative masterplan, the Melbourne Rebels would negotiate a deal with Western Melbourne Group which would see them sharing the Wyndham Regional Football Facility in Tarneit with the Western United Women’s and Men’s A-League teams.
Led by Leigh Clifford, the former Chair of Qantas and former CEO of Rio Tinto, the consortium he has assembled are all a part of the Melbourne business community that see the benefit of keeping professional women’s and men’s rugby in Victoria, but equally see the benefit of their first of its kind business model for Super Rugby, based out in the West of Melbourne.
The Melbourne Rebels consortium is well on the way to raising $20-$30 million from private equity to invest in the Rebels over a number of years.
The Federal Government and Wyndham City Council have been briefed on the plan over recent months.
There are obvious synergies and cost efficiencies between the sporting codes which would see both Western United and the Melbourne Rebels share a community-based facility and growth strategy. Wyndham is home to one of the largest Pasifika communities and already has a large Rugby Union fan base in the West of Melbourne.
The deal will include playing games in the recently opened 5000 capacity stadium and the 15,000 capacity stadium which is anticipated to be ready for the 2026/27 A-League Season and the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The broader precinct owned by Western Melbourne Group in partnership with Wyndham City Council, features a 1000+ residential estate and over 100,000sqm of commercial land, which is earmarked to be the centrepiece of Wyndham’s Riverdale town centre and proposed Oakbank PSP.
Jason Sourasis, the Chairman of Western Melbourne Group, the parent company of the Western United Football Club, said: “The Western Melbourne Group’s vision has always been to host Multi Sports and create a vibrant city underpinned by sports, education, health and wellness.
“We are proud to have created only the second rectangular stadium in Victoria that is built for both men and women and is already A-League and Rugby Union compliant.
There are obvious synergies hosting both Western United and the Melbourne Rebels and naturally, we are keen to explore those opportunities,’’ said Mr Sourasis, who is also Executive Chairman of Western United FC.
“Our first Women’s A-League game at Tarneit last month was a great success and this Saturday the 6th of April we take another huge step with the first Men’s A-League game at the facility. The growth of both our organisations will come from connecting with the local community and providing a precinct that the region can be proud to call their own.
“We welcome the opportunity to continue to achieve that connection in close collaboration with the Melbourne Rebels women’s and men’s teams.’’
Consortium spokesperson and current Melbourne Rebels Director Georgia Widdup said the move to Tarneit “would be the game-changer that the Melbourne Rebels and the sport of rugby desperately needs in Victoria’’.
“We have an exciting vision and a detailed, common sense plan to grow the sport of rugby in the fastest growing municipality in Australia,’’ Ms Widdup said.
“The Rebels are committed to the women’s game, the Pasifika community and important programs for the western region’s youth and this move will enable us to significantly expand these critical areas.’’
The Rebels club was placed into voluntary administration earlier this year and is restructuring for a bright future for the game, in one of the fastest growing rugby corridors in the country.
“The Tarneit Masterplan is a new financial model for our club, teams, our players and our fans that is sustainable and embraces our future, not our past,’’ said Ms Widdup.
“This is an opportunity to grow rugby’s grassroots supporter base and attract significant new private investment to make the game sustainable into the future,’’ she said.
“We are passionate about keeping rugby in Victoria but we realise for the Rebels and the sport generally to thrive we need to innovate and be smarter.’’
“We are also impressed by the vision of the facility and future of the precinct in respect to a core focus on the women’s game. As the first Super Rugby Club to pay its professional women players in Australia, we are focussed on continuing to develop the women’s game and we believe this provides us that opportunity to once again lead the sport”.
Rugby Union in Victoria has seen major expansion over the last decade throughout some of the fastest growing Pasifika communities in the country; through its growth in State school curriculum programs; and through its community Clubs that have embraced diversity and the women’s game in a leadership capacity.
Rugby’s investment through the State Government in the North at our State Centre of Excellence at La Trobe where women will be based for training and high performance, our investment in Clubs in the South East, and now our ground-breaking professional model in the West of the city, make rugby a game for all,’’ said Ms Widdup.
“Combined with the greatest sporting facilities in Australia in AAMI Park, Marvel Stadium and the MCG, we intend to continue to bring rugby to all of the Victorian community, and we look forward to being an integral part of the innovation and work that Jason and the Western Melbourne Group are doing in the West of Melbourne.’’
Bayern Munich said Wednesday they would part ways with manager Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season, as the reigning German champions struggled to stay in the Bundesliga title race.
“We came to the mutual decision to end our collaboration in the summer,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said in a statement, following talks with Tuchel.
The coach, whose contract was set to run through to 2025, would exit the club on June 30 this year.
“Until then, my coaching team and I will of course continue to do everything we can to ensure maximum success,” Tuchel said in the statement.
Bayern would look for a “new sporting direction” under a new coach next season, CEO Dreesen said.
Tuchel’s pre-emptive dismissal comes after a series of three straight defeats, including a painful 3-0 loss to league rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
With 12 games left in the season, Bayern sit eight points behind Xabi Alonso’s side, who have yet to lose during the campaign.
Leverkusen are on a historic 32-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, equalling a record set by Hansi Flick’s Bayern across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
Following the loss to Leverkusen, Bayern slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Italian side Lazio in the Champions League round of 16 and an humiliating 3-2 loss to minnows Bochum in the league.
Tuchel’s time at Bayern hasn’t exactly gone to plan. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)Source: AFP
However, Leverkusen might only enjoy Alonso until the end of the season as Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano report the Spaniard is high on Bayern’s list to replace Tuchel.
It would be a bitter blow to Leverkusen but also to Premier League giants Liverpool as the Reds have been heavily linked with their former midfielder ever since Jurgen Klopp confirmed he’d depart Anfield at the end of the season.
Tuchel suffers the same fate as his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann, who was fired in March last year with the perennial German champions second in the league.
Bayern bosses pounced to make highly rated Tuchel their coach after his dismissal from Chelsea in late 2022.
The new man was given a brief to salvage Bayern’s season and compete across all competitions, domestically and in Europe.
His tenure got off to a rocky start, with Bayern eliminated from the domestic cup at the quarterfinal stage by Freiburg.
Bayern were subsequently dumped out of the Champions League in the quarters by Manchester City and muddled through the end of the league season.
A 3-1 loss to Leipzig left them in second place behind Borussia Dortmund going into the final day of the Bundesliga season.
Only a slip by Dortmund, who drew 2-2 with Mainz, allowed the Bavarian giants past to seal their 11th-straight Bundesliga title.
Bayern went into this season as favourites to make it a dozen Bundesliga trophies in a row.
The signing of English marksman Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur crowned Bayern’s summer business.
But despite Kane leading the league with 25 goals, Bayern have faltered in the league and were sensationally dumped out of the German cup race by third-division side Saarbruecken.
Everton and Nottingham Forest have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League after admitting to breaches of financial rules.
The alleged breaches of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules relate to the 2022-23 season and leave both clubs facing the threat of a points deduction.
With Everton and Forest currently embroiled in a relegation battle, that would plunge their top-flight status into severe doubt.
UFC 297: STRICKLAND VS DU PLESSIS | SUN 21st JAN | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the new exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View events!
The Merseyside club are appealing against that sanction, which ranks as the biggest points sanction in Premier League history.
“Everton FC and Nottingham Forest FC have each confirmed to the Premier League that they are in breach of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR),” a Premier League statement said.
“This is as a result of sustaining losses above the permitted thresholds for the assessment period ending season 2022-23.
“In accordance with Premier League rules, both cases have now been referred to the chair of the Judicial Panel, who will appoint separate Commissions to determine the appropriate sanction.”
Ange’s army draw even with Man United | 01:54
Premier League regulations allow clubs to lose a maximum of £105 million ($133 million) over a three-season period or £35 million per campaign.
However, Forest spent two seasons in the Championship within the three-year assessment period, with their maximum loss set at £61 million.
All top-flight clubs had to hand in accounts for the 2022-23 campaign by December 31 under new rules to prevent punishments being imposed years after the transgressions.
A case of over 100 charges against Manchester City is still outstanding despite the investigation into the Premier League champions beginning in 2018.
Everton claimed there was a “clear deficiency in the Premier League’s rules” as part of their PSR calculation for the 2022/23 season remains in dispute pending the appeal of their points penalty.
“Because of the Premier League’s new commitment to deal with such matters ‘in-season’ – the club is in a position where it has had no option but to submit a PSR calculation which remains subject to change, pending the outcome of the appeal,” Everton said in a statement.
“The club must now defend another Premier League complaint which includes the very same financial periods for which it has already been sanctioned, before that appeal has even been heard.
Socceroos wary of ‘improved’ opponents | 02:01
“The club takes the view that this results from a clear deficiency in the Premier League’s rules.”
Forest were widely expected to struggle to meet the regulations after splashing out nearly £200 million on 30 new players last season.
In a statement, Forest said: “The club intends to continue to co-operate fully with the Premier League on this matter and are confident of a speedy and fair resolution.” Everton are 17th in the Premier League, just one point above third bottom Luton, while Forest are four points clear of the relegation zone in 15th.
The bombshell announcement could massively shake up the fight for Premier League survival if points are deducted.
Any hearing will have to be concluded by April 5, with the final games of the league season scheduled for May 19.
Australian manager Ange Postecoglou has joined rare air in the Premier League with a third consecutive Manager of the Month award – but there’s been a brutal injury update that will make claiming a fourth-straight award much tougher.
Postecoglou led Tottenham to a perfect trio of wins in October, beating Luton Town and Crystal Palace away and Fulham at home – enough to scoop him the award for the third month in a row.
It makes him just the fourth manager to achieve the feat, but the first to do it at the opening of the season.
Antonio Conte (Chelsea), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) each won the award three months’ running, while Postecoglou will have Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola in his sights, the manager who holds the record for four consecutive awards (September-December 2017)
Postecoglou has also revealed that Tottenham are expected to be without James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until 2024.
Dutch international centre-back Van de Ven suffered a hamstring injury while midfielder Maddison injured his ankle in Monday’s 4-1 loss at home to Chelsea.
Spurs also had Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie sent off during their first defeat of the league season, which means Postecoglou will be without several key players for Saturday’s trip to Wolves.
Brighton too good for Ajax in Europa | 00:50
“Fair to say a fair bit happened after Monday,” Postecoglou said on Friday. “Micky obviously with that hamstring injury, we knew it was fairly significant, probably a couple of months for him looking into the new year.
“Madders is a lot worse than we thought. He came off with an ankle injury and the next day wasn’t great, so we sent him for a scan. Again probably into the new year for him.” Tottenham, who are second in the Premier League table, a point behind champions Manchester City, earlier Friday confirmed that Maddison had withdrawn from the England squad for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Arsenal staged a stunning fightback from two goals down as Leandro Trossard’s late equaliser rescued a dramatic 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Sunday (AEDT).
Mikel Arteta’s team were 13 minutes away from their first Premier League defeat this season after Cole Palmer’s early penalty and Mykhailo Mudryk’s second-half goal put Chelsea in control.
But a miscued pass from Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez allowed Declan Rice to give Arsenal a lifeline and Trossard bundled home the leveller with six minutes left.
Arsenal’s gritty comeback extended their unbeaten start to the league season to nine games, leaving them in second place behind leaders Manchester City on goal difference.
It was another display of the character and spirit pulsing through Arsenal over the last 18 months, qualities that are underpinning their bid to finally win the club’s first title since 2004.
For Chelsea, it was a hammer blow after they were on the brink of delivering the first significant statement victory of Mauricio Pochettino’s maiden season in charge.
The Blues have failed to beat Arsenal on home turf since 2018 and they will never get a better chance to inflict defeat on their London rivals.
Following a minute’s silence to mark the death of former Manchester United and England star Bobby Charlton earlier on Saturday, Chelsea had made a vibrant start in the torrential rain.
The Blues took the lead in the 15th minute after William Saliba’s outstretched arm blocked Mudryk’s header.
Chelsea’s penalty appeal initially looked set to be ignored, but referee Chris Kavanagh eventually awarded it after being advised by VAR to consult the pitchside monitor.
However, English football great John Terry was left baffled as to why the handball was awarded.
“Delighted we got the penalty but I don’t agree with the rules on this, very harsh on defenders,” Terry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I would have been fuming if that was given against me back in the day. But happy now.”
Saliba gave away a penalty against Chelsea for a handball. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Palmer calmly drilled the spot-kick past David Raya to claim his second goal since signing from Manchester City earlier this season.
Rice led the Arsenal response as the midfielder fired narrowly wide of the far post from an acute angle.
Palmer was inches away from scoring again with a low drive that fizzed wide from the edge of the area.
Pochettino told Arteta not to go into coaching when the pair played together at Paris Saint-Germain, advice the Arsenal boss will be pleased he ignored.
The pair, who this week described their relationship as “like brothers” shared a warm embrace before kick-off, but there was little love lost between their teams.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was singled out for some crude challenges by Marc Cucurella, while three players were booked in a feisty half.
Mykhailo Mudryk got on the scoresheet for Chelsea against Arsenal. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Raya gifted Chelsea their second goal in the 48th minute when the Arsenal keeper failed to follow the flight of Mudryk’s miscued cross from the left flank as it drifted over his head into the far corner.
Mudryk’s fortuitous strike was also a painful twist for Arsenal after he spurned them to sign for Chelsea last season.
Raya has been preferred to Arsenal’s former first choice keeper Aaron Ramsdale in recent weeks, but has looked far from comfortable at times.
Raya’s confidence was shaken by his latest mistake and he almost handed Chelsea another goal with a wayward pass that Palmer intercepted but was unable to convert from 12 yards.
It was a crucial miss as Sanchez returned the favour in the 77th minute with a woeful pass that was seized on by Rice, who gratefully lofted his shot into the empty net from 25 yards.
Suddenly, Chelsea looked riddled with nerves and Arteta’s side made them pay in the 84th minute.
Saka curled a cross to the far post and Trossard got in front of Malo Gusto to slot home from close range.
Eddie Nketiah should have capped Arsenal’s remarkable late surge, but the striker fired wide from a golden chance to steal all three points.
Leandro Trossard scored a late equaliser to rescue a point for Arsenal. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Manchester City beat Brighton 2-1 on Saturday to return to the Premier League summit and end Liverpool’s brief stay at the top after their victory in the Merseyside derby.
Mohamed Salah scored twice as Jurgen Klopp’s men beat 10-man Everton 2-0 in the early kick-off at Anfield, extending their dominance over their struggling neighbours.
But champions City put their recent wobble behind them as they saw off high-flying Brighton thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.
Arsenal can become the fourth team to top the table on Saturday if they beat Chelsea in the early evening kick-off.
Liverpool had fortune on their side at home.
Everton’s Ashley Young was sent off before halftime for two bookable offences, while Ibrahima Konate escaped a second booking in the second half with the game still goalless.
Liverpool struggled to make their man advantage count, but finally achieved the breakthrough 15 minutes from time when Salah smashed home from the penalty spot after Michael Keane handled.
Salah was then teed up by Darwin Nunez to make the points safe deep into stoppage time.
Everton manager Sean Dyche was angry about the decision not to send Konate off. “I have no clue how he didn’t feel it was a bookable offence,” he said.
“I like to think there are a lot of fair-minded people here today who are stunned that wasn’t a second yellow card.”
Even Klopp said he could understand Everton’s frustration at a lack of consistency from referee Craig Pawson.
Everton boss Sean Dyche was left baffled as to why the referee didn’t send Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate off in the Merseyside derby. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But the three points mean the Reds have lost just one of their last 29 Merseyside derbies and remain unbeaten at Anfield in front of a crowd against Everton since 1999.
City, who had lost their previous two league games, dominated the first half of their match at the Etihad against Brighton, taking the lead through Alvarez in the seventh minute.
Jeremy Doku was the creator as he reached the byline and pulled back for Alvarez to tuck home his seventh of the season from 12 yards.
Haaland ended his brief goal drought by doubling City’s lead 12 minutes later, driving home a fierce left-footed shot from just outside the area.
But it was a different story after the break and Brighton pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute.
Moments after Alvarez failed with an attempt to catch Jason Steele off his line, the ball was quickly sent upfield and, after Kaoru Mitoma’s attempted pass was blocked, Ansu Fati tucked home.
City defender Manuel Akanji was sent off in the closing minutes but they held on to win despite late pressure.
Newcastle, whose early-season struggles are now a distant memory, romped to a 4-0 win against sorry Crystal Palace, with goals from Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon, Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson.
The win, their fourth in five Premier League matches, lifts Eddie Howe’s men to fifth in the Premier League.
Elsewhere, Brentford beat Burnley 3-0 while Wolves came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Sasa Kalajdzic.
Luton recovered from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Nottingham Forest, while Manchester United overcame Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramall Lane.
Ange Postecoglou continues to blow the world away after his Tottenham side ran riot with a 5-2 demolition of Burnley on Sunday morning.
The Aussie manager insisted his team is only just getting started after a Son Heung-min hat-trick inspired a performance of absolute class.
Postecoglou’s side bounced back after their disappointing midweek League Cup exit at Fulham to record a third successive Premier League victory.
Ange and his man. Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP.Source: AFP
Asked if Son’s performance showed how Spurs can cope without Harry Kane following the England captain’s move to Bayern Munich, Postecoglou said: “It’s not exactly why but it’s one of the reasons.
“I’ve got a picture in my head about what I want the team to look like and I keep saying we’re still at the beginning of it.
“We’re still building and there’s a lot to be done. It’s about putting all the pieces together.”
He added: “Sonny was outstanding.
“He led our press, then he has the quality to take his chances. I’m really pleased for him.”
And Son was equally effusive in his praise for the Aussie.
“I am so grateful that I am working with him,” he told Optus Sport.
“I have learnt so many things as a player, but also as a human being. It has been a fantastic journey until now, but I think in the future we will have more fun working together.
“I will do everything he asks because he is giving so much good information to us as a human and manager. We are very, very happy working with him.
“I think players should take more responsibility to make him happy and move this club forward.”
Football commentators around the world were speaking with admiration about the impact Postecoglou has made.
It was best shown in a video captured from after the match with showed Postecoglou as the last Spurs team member left on the field thanking fans.
BBC sport commentator John Bennett said: “The post match celebrations summed up the relationship that’s developing between the Tottenham fans and Ange Postecoglou.
“He was last off the pitch to acknowledge the sustained applause from the away end. There was so much to admire about Spurs today but what stood out was the Son and Maddison partnership.
“They look like they’ve been playing together for years. Ange-ball continues to impress.”
Losing Kane was a huge blow to Tottenham ahead of the new season, but Postecoglou said their record goal-scorer’s departure could allow others to shine.
Son and Maddison will be key to Postecoglou’s overhaul as the former Celtic boss tries to bring entertaining football to a fanbase staved of eye-catching performances during the dour reigns of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.
“There are some really good footballers in this club and they have the ability to play in the way this team needs to set up,” Postecoglou said.
“Sonny, whether he’s playing central or right, he’s got all the characteristics to play the way we want to play.
“I thought today was a real testament to Sonny, Madders and Romero, the way they embraced that responsibility not just with words but with actions and not just on game day but on a daily basis.
“That’s as encouraging for me as anything because as good as they are individually, they have that team spirit and that’s important for me.”
