The season’s first Merseyside derby, an Old Trafford blockbuster and crunch time for Bruno Lage at WolvesSeven games into the season in all competitions and Frank Lampard can finally select a recognised striker he wants in an Everton shirt. Providing someone at the Premier League has registered Neal Maupay in time for the Merseyside derby, that is. Lampard and Jürgen Klopp will be relieved to concentrate on the renewal of old rivalries after the distractions of a transfer window that both believe dragged too long into the season. Everton are without a win in the Premier League but building gradually. A derby debut for Maupay, signed from Brighton last Friday but not cleared to play at Leeds on Tuesday, would...
The next arrival at the City Ground may have been watching from the visitors’ substitutes’ bench as Spurs secured a 2-0 winThe Nottingham Forest Premier League jigsaw puzzle is arriving piece by piece via mail order each week. There are still a few days of sitting at the transfer window hoping the postman will turn up with the missing components after their shortcomings were laid bare by Spurs.The record signing Morgan Gibbs-White has completed the set in the final third, looking constantly dangerous on his home debut. He is the livewire to get the crowd on their feet, and within five minutes he was dazzling Tottenham defenders with tricks and speed. It is no wonder Steve Cooper never wanted to...
Newcastle’s challenge against the champions, Anthony Taylor unfairly in the spotlight and a big Monday showdownCutting off the supply lines between Harry Kane and Son Heung-min worked a treat for Chelsea last Sunday, until the introduction of Richarlison for the ineffective Ryan Sessegnon provided added distraction for the home side’s defenders, his off-the-ball runs repeatedly pulling them out of position. The Brazilian will be hoping to start against Wolves and his inclusion in the lineup could well spell disappointment for Son. Fitness permitting, Clément Lenglet is likely to fill in for the injured Cristian Romero and, with Sessegnon looking a good bet to make way for Ivan Perisic, Tottenham’s uncharacteristically early transfer dealings are already looking as sensible as they...
Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United reign is already in crisis while Leicester may have to make do with what they’ve gotPersuading Daniel Levy to open his wallet is surely one of the greatest achievements of Antonio Conte’s career, but for as long as he refrains from using his new players, it barely matters. Though it does make some kind of sense to retain the men who earned a Champions League spot, making the point that places are earned by performances, not purchase prices, there is an Yves Bissouma-shaped hole in Tottenham’s midfield that on another day would’ve cost them the game. It’s true that Pierre-Emile Højbjerg scored a crucial goal, but it’s equally true that they were lucky to be...
Chelsea and Tottenham managers were engaged in a fierce tactical battle before they squared up to each otherOK. Time for a sit down and a nice cold drink. You know what? They say it’s going to rain on Tuesday. In the meantime Chelsea and Tottenham produced something extraordinary here. This was a steaming, throbbing mosh pit of a game, climate crisis football, pegged out around a series of flares. On and off the pitch, it was an afternoon defined by full-strength collisions.The most interesting of these was tactical, as Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea team produced 70 minutes of expert cover and team defence to smother the Tottenham attack; followed by a successful counter-tweak from Antonio Conte, and two late equalising goals....