And that will be all for today. Thanks for reading and commenting. Thanks also for reading and not commenting. I’ll be back in an hour or so for live coverage of England’s World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia. See you shortly.
Rafael Benítez has revealed he always planned to sign Demarai Gray for his next club when he returned to management. “When I was at Newcastle we played against Leicester and he did really well,” said Benitez. “Since then we were following him and I was in contact with his agent asking about how he was doing. I also sent the boy a message when he was in Germany asking how he was getting on and how was he adapting to the style of life in Germany.
“So I had communication and was following him and I told my staff to keep an eye on him because we knew he has the potential. It’s just a question of giving him confidence, having the right teammates around him and the right environment with the fans, who appreciate what he is doing. All of these things together help him to do well.”
Everton will still be without Dominic Calvert-Lewin when they look to maintain their unbeaten start at Aston Villa tomorrow. However, James Rodríguez may be involved for the first time this campaign. (PA)
Xisco Muñoz wants his Watford team at ‘full power’ for trip to Norwich tomorrow.
“It is a new game, a new scenario,” he said. “We have respect but we need to understand and prepare to give maximum power, we need to try to give balance in all of the game.
“We know Norwich, we know the important game we have, we know the style they have, the players they have. It’s important we start well, come into the game with full energy, full power, concentrate and try to give all the best for our team.
“We know about [Teemu] Pukki, he’s scored a lot of goals. They have the same system, very good dictation with the ball and a very good right side. We have control of the information about them, they have very good things with the ball.”
Quotes from the official Watford website.
“We’re going there to win,” roars Daniel Bachmann, the Austrian goalie, in other Watford news:
“𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙣.”@DBachmann1 looks ahead to #NORWAT
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) September 17, 2021
Johann Berg Gudmundsson says there is no sense of panic among the Burnley squad despite a poor start. The Clarets have one point from four games before Saturday’s meeting with Arsenal at Turf Moor.
“Last season we waited a long time for our first win so we’re definitely not panicking yet,” said Gudmundsson. “Our performances have been quite good, it’s just about being able to do it for the whole 90 minutes, to concentrate for the whole time. That’s the next step for us.”
Monday’s defeat by Everton was a case in point, with Burnley taking the lead only to concede three goals in six minutes and lose 3-1. Gudmundsson said: “It was a bit of a shock. Obviously their equaliser gave the whole stadium a massive boost because we were doing really well, the fans were a bit on them at that time as well ... It wasn’t good enough for those six minutes. Brighton game, Everton game, big parts of those games we’ve done really well. We’ve just become a bit sloppy and conceded sloppy goals ... we need to figure out what to do and hopefully we can do that on Saturday.”
Burnley boss Sean Dyche must decide whether to throw in new signing Maxwel Cornet, who was an unused substitute against Everton. (PA)
Updated
Me: “I’m officially reopening GuardiolaGate”
Topher in the comments: “Surely it’s GuardiolaGateGate. Come on Guardian, standards!”
Fair. Or even GuardiolaGateReceiptsGate?
Updated
Just in case you missed Ed Aarons’s piece on Crystal Palace’s Odsonne Èduoard:
Updated
There is nothing funny about football-related violence, but while searching on Twitter for more on Leicester v Napoli, I found the following assessment of the Italian fans:
“Brilliant cooks but not fighting people.”
Someone should send that to Accidental Partridge.
Napoli pulled off an impressive Europa League comeback against Leicester last night with two goals from the fearsomely quick Victor Oshimen. The suits at Uefa will be looking at the fighting that broke out after the final whistle, and I’d imagine there will be a fine in the offing for both clubs.
TEAM 💙
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) September 17, 2021
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/6hK6Mh2SOj
This is from Reuters, on clashes that occurred outside the stadium before the match:
Nine men were arrested following a report of violence between fans of Leicester City and Napoli during their Europa League Group C match on Thursday, Leicestershire Police said. “Shortly before 6 pm, police received a report of a fight taking place in Millstone Lane involving fans of Napoli and Leicester City,” the police said in a statement on Friday.
“Eight men, identified as Napoli fans, were arrested at the scene in connection with the incident. Following further enquiries, a 27-year-old man from Leicester was later arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. All men remain in custody at this time.”
The police added that objects were thrown by both sets of fans towards the end of the game. Napoli supporters were held back in the King Power Stadium at full time to maintain public and officer safety.
Meanwhile, in other football video news:
“A group of indigenous Bolivian Aymara women, known as the Cholitas Climbers, played a football match at 5,890 metres altitude on the Huayna Potosí mountain near La Paz. The current world record altitude for a Fifa-rules game is 5,714m, but Wednesday’s game was not a full 11-a-side match.”
I’m officially reopening GuardiolaGate so you can all watch this video of him talking earlier:
Scott Murray has entered the auditorium, and has today’s Fiver with him:
A few more lines from Brentford manager Thomas Frank before the trip to Wolves:
“Defensively we need to be good; we need to press well, low and high. Wolves’s biggest threat for me is their half and big transitions with the pace of Traore, Trincao, and Jimenez. Their two midfielders are fantastic on the ball”
“We always want to try to win the game, maybe sometimes it doesn’t look like that. We were bold and brave against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. We played forward and we pressed high which is how we want to do it.”
On the defeat by Brighton: “The big thing for me was that we performed well. If we hadn’t performed well then I’d want a big response. I expect that we will go out and do the same as we have done before which is perform well”
And finally, on reaching 150 games in charge of Brentford: “I’ve enjoyed every minute and I am privileged to be here not only as a head coach but also my time before that. I’ve enjoyed every minute. I have a fantastic group of players and staff. We have a bright future ahead of us.”
Quotes courtesy Brentford’s official Twitter.
Who remembers Norwich 2-3 Watford in the Championship in 2010?
Refresh your memories. (Features a cheeky angled winner by Danny Graham.)
John Eustace ⚽️
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) September 17, 2021
Danny Graham ⚽️⚽️
💭 Thinking back to this memorable trip to Norwich City in August 2010!
Steph Houghton is injured and out of tonight’s match against North Macedonia, but before that emerged, she spoke to Suzanne Wrack and said the England Women’s team have a ‘clean slate’:
What’s going on in Spain?
Let’s have a little look at the La Liga fixtures:
Friday
Celta Vigo v Cádiz
Saturday
Rayo Vallecano v Getafe
Atlético Madrid v Athletic Club
Elche v Levante
Deportivo Alavés v Osasuna
Sunday
Mallorca v Villarreal
Real Sociedad v Sevilla
Real Betis v Espanyol
Valencia v Real Madrid
Monday
Barcelona v Granada
Sarina Wiegman, the England Women’s team manager, speaks in a press conference before the World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia tonight: “We have a very good team. The players are willing to become better, to work together, they are eager to learn. So yes, the ingredients are here to perform really well ... The start has been really good, I’m really enjoying it, and these are the ingredients to become better.”
Meanwhile, here is Suzanne Wrack on the issues that Wiegman has in her in-tray:
Sky Sports News have now edited together a montage of Pep Guardiola v Kevin Parker, the Manchester City manager v the Manchester City supporters’ club general secretary. We’ve also got live pictures from Manchester City training. This is all getting a bit ludicrous, and as girlfromthenorth commented below, Guardiola’s comments have been blown out of proportion. I now consider the matter closed.
Jamie Jackson previews Manchester City v Southampton:
While we’re on the subject, these are the Bundesliga fixtures for the weekend ahead. Wolfsburg are top with four wins from four:
Friday
Hertha BSC v Greuther Fürth (2030/1830)
Saturday
Bayern Munich v Bochum
Mainz 05 v Freiburg
Augsburg v Borussia Mönchengladbach
Arminia Bielefeld v Hoffenheim
FC Köln v RB Leipzig
Sunday
Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund v Union Berlin
Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Updated
The Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman had minor surgery on Thursday to address a heart problem but is not expected to be out for more than two weeks, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Friday. The Frenchman, who came on as a substitute in their 3-0 Champions League group stage win at Barcelona this week, will resume training as early as next week.
“He had a faint additional heart beat, a minor heart rhythm issue,” Nagelsmann told a virtual news conference. “He briefly had a bit less air. This is why we decided to do the surgery. He was operated on yesterday. On Tuesday he will start cardio training and will not be out longer than a week and a half or two weeks. It is not that serious. Many people have this issue. He feels well, has no pain.”
The champions Bayern Munich, with three wins from four Bundesliga matches, take on promoted Bochum on Saturday following their win over Barcelona. “I don’t feel I have to motivate my players,” Nagelsmann said. “In every game it is about achieving our goals. In the Bundesliga we are not there where we want to be. We are in second place.” Bayern are second on 10 points, two off leaders VfL Wolfsburg with four matches played.
“No matter who the opponent is we have always got to reach our limits and we will do just that tomorrow. Our goal is the three points,” Nagelsmann said. (Reuters)
If you missed it a while back, here’s Jamie Jackson’s story on Pep Guardiola’s strong words in his press conference earlier:
“I’m a season-ticket holder at the Etihad and I think Pep’s comments have been blown up out of all proportion,” comments girlfromthenorth. “The stadium is full for Premier League matches, not always for the Cup matches. City supporters are generally local, and there is a strong working class fan base. We aren’t all made of money, it’s expensive to watch live football. City generally do well in all competitions – it’s a lot of matches and most people have to decide which to attend.
“Personally, we do the Premier League, but we aren’t in the Cup scheme this year as it’s just too expensive. I suspect a lot of the people who have a pop at City fans never go to a match anywhere!”
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel speaks: “No fresh injury concerns ... it’s good news ... Christian [Pulisic] is in individual training. N’Golo [Kante] is back and in full shape and ready to play.”
Chelsea have the small matter of a match with Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.
Tuchel is also asked about the German international defender Antonio Rudiger, whose contract expires next summer. The player is in talks over a new deal.
“I hope that they find solutions, but it’s not only between coaches and players, and what we wish for,” said Tuchel. “And that’s why it’s between the club, the players and the agent at the moment. We hope that they find the solution and all I can say is he’s playing excellently, and for a long time has been very consistent, on a very high level. I feel him very calm and focused, and it’s not a distraction for him ... He’s in the strongest league in Europe, in a big club, so there are not many reasons to change that. But in the end it’s between him and the club, and that’s in good hands. I am calm and relaxed.”
Updated
Preview – Aston Villa v Everton:
Neil Warnock, whose Middlesbrough side defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Wednesday, leading to Chris Hughton’s sacking, speaking today: “I had a long talk to him before the game ... I think it was always ominous ... and that’s how football clubs are run at the moment. Without going into any details, we’ve all been there now with different owners who have different ways of doing things and unfortunately the manager always pays the price.”
Updated
Thomas Frank assesses Wolves before Brentford’s trip to Molineux: “I thought they were brilliant under Nuno ... I think Bruno Lage has kept the momentum going. I know they have ‘only’ won one match but for me looking through the four matches they are closer to winning two, three matches than losing them ... they performed very well and were very unlucky. It’s going to be a massive task.”
Updated
Graham Searles is here with a preview of Norwich v Watford (tomorrow 3pm):
aftvfanaccount comments: “Tonight is Joe Willock against Kalvin Philly. The best b2b midfielder in the league against the best DLP [deep-lying playmaker] in the league. Should be a classic matchup. Though I’ve got a nagging feeling Newcastle are overpowering Leeds. Few of the Leeds players ... are playing with that confidence and intensity like last campaign.”
Rangers’ Ryan Kent is going for a scan today on an injury and ‘is obviously going to be out for the weekend,” says the manager Steven Gerrard. “Alfredo Morelos has a tight hamstring and he’s a doubt as well but not on the same level as Ryan.”
Rangers, who top the SPL table with four wins from five matches, go to Motherwell on Sunday.
Bruce: I want what's best for Newcastle
Steve Bruce has a chat with Sky Sports News before tonight’s meeting with Leeds:
“I’m not going to win popularity contest ... all I ask for from the supporters ... all I want is the best for the club. And I know their frustrations at the minute. It’s pretty evident at the minute what their frustrations are and I understand that. We want Newcastle to be competing at the top end of the table. I’m a Newcastle fan – so do I. At this particular moment we’re not there. So I’ll keep doing my best as I possibly can to keep the club ticking along. We’re not going to make huge, big changes, or be able to make huge, big changes, but I’ll continue to do my best for the club.”
Glenn Murray interviewed Yves Bissouma for the BBC.
Murray asked him: Who is the best midfielder in the Premier League?
“I don’t want to be arrogant,” Bissouma replied. “But for me, it’s me.”
Catching up with @Yves_Bissouma for @BBCSport #FootballFocus & @OfficialBHAFC 🎥 pic.twitter.com/ypAYUSa3F5
— Glenn Murray (@GM_83) September 16, 2021
Graham Potter, whose Brighton side host Leicester on Sunday, is asked what has led to his team’s strong start: “I think the truth is we’ve just carried on working. I spoke a lot last year about the margins being really tight, and often they fell on the wrong side of us. When that happens you don’t get the points. But our performances were good last year - probably better than our points tally was. But as we all know unless you get the points it doesn’t matter. So we just carried on working.
“And this time I think the margins have been in our favour. It’s not like we’ve been the dominant side [in the matches so far] ... they are tight games - could have drawn, could have lost - but we’ve managed to win and that’s credit to the players. They’ve learned, they’ve grown. And we’re happy with the points we’ve got.”
Staying in the Midlands, here is Paul Doyle with a piece about Aston Villa and life after Jack Grealish:
The Wolves head coach Bruno Lage insists that forward play is not just about hitting the onion bag: “Not just the strikers, the forwards, the wingers ... they needs goals, they need chances ... Raúl [Jiménez] is an experienced guy to don’t come in the ‘dark side’ of the striker ... when you don’t score goals, you start to doubt yourself ... for me it’s not a concern, the way he worked for the team, the way he helped us to be, the way he pressed for us, the way he run for us, the way he created chances for us ... it made me happy with his work.”
I think by the ‘dark side of the striker’ Lage means Jiménez is too experienced to get down on himself because he’s not scoring just at the moment.
Wolves meet Brentford in the early kick-off tomorrow at 12.30pm.
Updated
You want a quiz? We’ve got a quiz:
#Quiz
“Well done to the Guardian for highlighting the awful shambles happening at Oldham,” comments RHConnon. “It sounds horrendous, can only hope it improves soon. Keep the faith, Latics fans.”
Here is Ben Fisher’s piece:
Following last night’s 2-2 Europa League draw with Napoli, the Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has said his side are yet to hit top gear in a mixed start to the campaign: He said: “There’s no doubt we need to improve and that’s something I’m very confident we’ll do throughout the remainder of the season. It’s still so early. I think everyone will assess it after 10 games and see where it’s at. It’s still so early, you’re still trying to get your rhythm and get your players up to a level of fitness as well.
“The competition is always very challenging and the top teams who were strong last year have invested in big players so they expect to be up there. The likes of ourselves will look to fight and compete against that. The players have been magnificent in terms of their attitude and mentality. They are always in the game, fighting, running and working - doing all the unglamorous stuff, as I say to them, which they do as everyone saw against Napoli. But we have to be better with the ball, especially when you play a team like Napoli, then for sure, you need to have a higher technical level to compete.” (Quotes via PA)
Updated
Injured Houghton withdraws from England qualifiers
The England captain Steph Houghton has withdrawn from the squad for the World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and Luxembourg due to an ankle injury. The FA announced Houghton had sustained the injury during the Lionesses’ final training session prior to Friday’s clash with North Macedonia at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium, and was returning to Manchester City for further assessment. Arsenal’s Leah Williamson, Houghton’s fellow defender, will now skipper England in Friday’s contest.
England boss Sarina Wiegman said in a statement from the FA: “First and foremost we would like to wish Steph a speedy recovery and hope to see her back fit soon. This is also an exciting opportunity for Leah Williamson to wear the captain’s armband at senior level for the first time and I look forward to seeing her in action. We hope to see as many of our fans as possible at this evening’s match as we get our World Cup campaign under way.”
After hosting North Macedonia in their first game under Wiegman - and first in front of fans since 2019 - England then take on Luxembourg away next Tuesday. Houghton’s withdrawal from the squad follows that earlier in the week of her Manchester City team-mate Esme Morgan, who suffered a broken leg against Tottenham last Sunday. England were already without the City quartet of Ellie Roebuck, Keira Walsh, Lucy Bronze and Chloe Kelly due to injury. (PA)
Updated
Jamie Jackson reports on those strong words from Pep Guardiola in his press conference after criticism from fans’ groups:
Andy Hunter previews Liverpool v Crystal Palace:
Eagles manager Patrick Vieira speaks to media before Palace’s trip to Liverpool tomorrow. Can Conor Gallagher expect an England call? “[Laughs] ... This is the biggest problem in our world ... when we have one or two performances, we always think he deserves a national call ... I still believe he needs to be more consistent in his performance. I think he has abilities, yes, but I believe as well it’s too early for the call for him. He still has to improve. But all the credit to Chelsea, he’s not just a really good football player, he’s a really good human being, a good person, and I’ve really enjoyed working with him and talking with him ...
“His time will come, but first what he needs to do is to perform on a consistent basis, to allow him to go higher, to the international level. But he needs to perform well week in, week out with us ... I think his focus and concentration has to be with us. How can he repeat these performances he’s had in the last couple of games?
Marcelo Bielsa, speaking via his interpreter, with a few words on Steve Bruce, who is coming under fire by Newcastle fans before the meeting with Bielsa’s Leeds this evening: “I always feel saddened when this happens to a manager when his own fans go against him ... it’s one of the worst feelings that a manager can have.”
Re: Guardiola, these were his initial comments about the crowd at Leipzig and asking fans to come to the Southampton match. He has a smile on his face, and he ‘invites’ fans to come and watch team who have scored tonnes of goals recently. It doesn’t appear to me to be a criticism of the Manchester City fans:
"I'd like more people to come on Saturday, we need the people."
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 16, 2021
"I invite all our people to come Saturday, 3 pm, to watch the game."
A rallying cry from Pep Guardiola... pic.twitter.com/TJFd2zDHN4
Daniel Farke is speaking before Norwich’s meeting with Watford tomorrow afternoon:
“[Dimitris] Giannoulis is back in training and available. [Josh] Sargent is a topic [potential member] for the squad. [Christoph] Zimmermann is out due to an ankle injury. [Przemyslaw] Placheta is out due to symptoms of Covid-19. We had some concerns with [Jacob] Sorensen and [Pierre] Lees-Melou but they seem to be alright.
“Watford are a really good side and kept players like [Ismaïla] Sarr, while bringing in experienced players like King. It’s an important game, like all the others.
“To be there with a good record against the other promoted sides is definitely helpful, but all points are valuable. Of course we’re disappointed when we lose, but we have to stay positive. If we doubt ourselves and lose the trust in the process, we have no chance to establish ourselves on Premier League level.”
Quotes courtesy of Norwich City Twitter
Tottenham trio due back from Croatia
Nuno Espírito Santo has a chat about his three lads who are coming back from Covid-19 quarantine in Croatia: Davinson Sanchez, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso. Tottenham take on Chelsea on Sunday.
“They arrive Saturday. We have a training session in the afternoon ... and if they are available and fit ... ... They have been working hard back in Croatia with the sports science. It’s not the same, of course [as full training] but due to circumstances we we have to assess them properly. If we [think] they will be an option, we must consider them. For us, as a group, it’s been hard, it’s been hard, because absences are always a problem, it requires solutions, it requires adaptations. But hopefully they return Saturday and we can move forward.”
Tanguy Ndombele returned last night against Rennes, and Nuno added: “It was the first game Tanguy was involved since the beginning of the season ... let’s be patient.”
Updated
More from Guardiola: “We are who we are ... we are proud of who were are ... I learned the history of this club when it was in the lower divisions, how it means to travel and follow the team, I respect all that. I don’t want to be like United, I don’t want to be like Liverpool, I don’t want to be like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Madrid, all the big clubs ... don’t misunderstand and put words in my mouth.
“ ... I will never be a problem for my fans. Never, ever ... If I’m a problem for my fans I will make a step aside. It’s not a problem for me. But I am one of them. Since day one, I tried to do my best, my job, as best as possible. That’s for sure. I like to play in the Etihad Stadium with my fans ... it was an incredibly tough game against Leipzig ... I was incredibly happy, I was exhausted. I saw my team in the dressing room and in that moment I was thinking about Southampton in three days because I know how difficult it will be ... If I make mistakes, I’m here to say” guys, I’m sorry, apologies. But in that case: I will apologise for what I said.”
Updated
Guardiola: I won't apologise for comments about fans
Pep Guardiola was criticised by Kevin Parker, the general secretary of Manchester City’s official supporters’ club this week after commenting on the attendance for the Champions League match against Leipzig.
Pep, speaking today: “Did I say after the game against Leipzig I was disappointed because the stadium was not full? No. [Kevin Parker’s] Interpretation is interpretation ... I’m not going to apologise for what I said. I’m surprised about what happened about this man ... what I said: We would love ... we need their support ... with 10,000, 50,000, 40,000, 60,000 ... it doesn’t matter how many people come. I invite them to enjoy another game ... because we need their support. If after five seasons people can’t understand [what I said] ... I’m not going to apologise for what I said ... I’m incredibly grateful for the support we have had ... If they don’t come for any reason it’s perfect ... I never was here to say: “Why you didn’t come?” ... if you don’t, you don’t ... [but] I will not apologise to him, absolutely not.”
Updated
Thank you David and afternoon all. A bit of breaking news to start: Steph Houghton, the England Women captain, has picked up an ankle knock and is out of this evening’s World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia at St Mary’s.
Updated
And with the clock now striking 1pm I’ll hand over to Luke McLaughlin to guide you through the rest of the day.
Some lines from Jurgen Klopp during his lunchtime press conference ahead of Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace...
On resting Virgil van Dijk in midweek: “I’d say it’s a short-term thing. We’re still in an extended pre-season for him. I have to be sensible in these moments. We had three long-term injuries with Joel (Matip), Joe (Gomez) and Virgil.
“We have three games a week; playing Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday is tough. So we have to think about these kind of things. We will have to make changes again. That’s clear.”
On Sadio Mane: “Sadio looks really sharp. The important stuff is the amount of chances he’s getting. He’s in a really good moment, physically and mentally.”
On Divock Origi, who was a surprise starter against Milan: “It was absolutely exceptional to come in and play like that. Div really showed up in training and that’s why I decided to start him in the game. He was really focused. He helped us a lot offensively and defensively. Really happy for him.”
As for his other strikers, Klopp adds that Roberto Firmino isn’t fit to return yet but should be back training with the team next week.
He adds that there is “nothing new” to report on Mo Salah’s contract situation.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been addressing his side’s lack of goals.
The newly-promoted Bees scored twice in their opener against Arsenal but have netted just once in three games since, managing only nine shots on target.
Ivan Toney, who hit 33 goals in the Championship last season, has just one so far while Bryan Mbeumo missed a series of chances in the 1-0 home loss to Brighton last week.
“I think it’s natural, when you get a promoted team going into the Premier League, and you are going in with the lowest budget, a bit under 19th, then the most difficult thing to add to your team is the offensive quality,” said Frank.
“I think we have the offensive quality. I have a massive belief in Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney, our two strikers. They look brilliant together and I believe there is much more to come from them.
“They are still learning, every single day. In Yoane Wissa we also have a very good player who will grow into it, and I believe we have other players in the team who can add that offensive bit as well.
“But I’m pretty sure we are never going to have 23 shots on target on average like City and Chelsea and these clubs.”
Manchester United record £36.9m loss
Manchester United recorded an operating loss of £36.9million last season due to the impact of Covid-19.
In their previous annual results, the Old Trafford giants’ revenue dropped from £627.1m to £509m – figures that incorporated just a three-month hit of the coronavirus pandemic.
The economic ramifications continued in the year ending June 30, 2021, with United seeing revenue drop down to £494.1m.
The net loss of £92.2m – up 297.4 per cent from £23.2m in 2020 – was largely down to the accounting impact of a £66.6m non-cash tax charge.
Net debt was down from £474.1m to £419.5m year on year, thanks in no small part to season ticket revenues and favourable exchange rate.
Champions League participation was a key reason behind wages increasing by 13.6 per cent to £322.6m.
United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: “It has been an exciting start to the season at Old Trafford, with capacity crowds in attendance for the first time in almost 18 months. (PA)
“We were delighted to welcome back Cristiano Ronaldo to the club, along with Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton, to further reinforce the progress that our first team has been making under Ole.
“This was made possible by the strength of our operating model, with sustained investment in the team underpinned by robust commercial revenues.
“Everyone associated with Manchester United can be proud of the resilience we have shown through the challenges created by the pandemic and we look forward to the rest of the season and beyond with great optimism.”
Updated
Some Des Lynam nostalgia on his 79th birthday.
Today is Desmond Lynam’s 79th birthday.
— The Rothmans Years (@RothmansYears) September 17, 2021
In April 1996, the doyen of presenters* appeared as a guest on TFI Friday and they were kind enough to produce this MOTD-esque montage for him…
Which is more than ITV did when he retired. Enjoy.
* Copyright G. Lineker pic.twitter.com/DkUUKcpb7j
Four games in and a transfer window complete, where do the bookies see the title going?
It’s a four-horse race but are those horses in the right order?
6/5 Man City
13/5 Chelsea
9/2 Liverpool
6/1 Man Utd
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be speaking to the press at 12:30.
You’d presume Sadio Mane - a sub against Milan in midweek - will be the first name on the teamsheet given Saturday’s opponents.
- Liverpool’s Sadio Mane has scored in each of his last eight Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace – no player has ever scored in nine consecutive games against a single opponent in the competition.
Updated
Next up with words is Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, who seemed to be trialling his Oktoberfest outfit in last week’s home game against West Ham, a 0-0 draw.
Rather than hopping across the border to Bavaria, the Austrian is heading up to Manchester to take on City and he’s ready for the challenge. Oh yes.
“It is pure football, pure Premier League, it is the highest level and this is why you want to do this job,” Hasenhuttl said.
“You know how tough it is, this is the challenge and the thing we like.
“To surprise Pep is quite hard, because he always finds the answers, but our goal is to keep the game open as long as possible.
“I know Pep will come with everything they have, it will be tough to compete, but we have also some qualities.
“This is why the Premier League is so special, every weekend you face fantastic opponents and very experienced managers.
“The feeling before a game is a mixture of enjoying what is to come, high respect about the opponent, but always hoping for the big surprise for everybody.
“We go there with a good balance of braveness and respect.”
Team news (via PA):
Southampton will have Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long available again after he recovered from a positive Covid-19 test while on international duty.
Midfielder Will Smallbone has stepped up his recovery after a long-term knee problem, but, along with winger Theo Walcott and Stuart Armstrong, will not be rushed into a return.
Hasenhuttl said: “We give them all the time they need to come back, because we have enough alternatives, especially for these positions.”
It was reported in plenty of outlets last week that Cristiano Ronaldo hit a top speed of 32.5kmph when bursting through to score the second goal of his comeback brace against Newcastle.
But I haven’t seen any stats about how far he ran in the match. Anybody?
Of course, it’s not beyond a man in his mid-30s to outrun his teammates as Liverpool’s James Milner often clocks up more kilometres/miles in a match than Mo Farah/Eddie Izzard do in a week.
But the perception by some is that Ronaldo has to be wheeled into place these days before he goes on the attack.
Some analysts said he was here, there and everywhere against Newcastle but was he?
Where is the truth and does it matter? Some (including our floating brain in a jar Jonathan Wilson) believe Ronaldo’s own personal numbers will be excellent but may come at a cost. As Wilson said: “Might his reluctance to press expose that threadbare midfield against better sides? Newcastle levelled through a breakaway and a more composed side might easily have had a couple more.”
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has been speaking ahead of Saturday’s home game against Everton.
Argentina stars Emi Buendia and Emi Martinez are set to return to Birmingham just hours before kick-off so Smith will have to make a late decision over their inclusion.
He said: “We are expecting them to join us tomorrow morning and I’ll assess it then and decide if they’ll be involved or not.
“We have got their numbers of what they have been doing each day. That gets sent straight to the performance department and passed onto the coaches. They are in a good place physically which is what we need to know.
“I’ll assess that in the morning and wait until tomorrow.”
Smith has also spoken up for Tyrone Mings after the defender’s underhit backpass allowed Mateo Kovacic to score the second of Chelsea’s three goals in the 3-0 loss last weekend.
“I’ve not had to help him, I thought he dealt with it really well. He owned the mistake and held his hands up to the players and owned it on social media as well. He made a mistake, they happen in football.
“He has probably saved us 20-odd times before he made a mistake. As long as he keeps learning, and from what I have seen in training this week he has, he will keep getting better as a player.”
Updated
Which two teams had the best net set-piece record (goals scored v goals conceded) last season? And which two had the worst (one makes sense; the other is a surprise)?
You’ll find the answers in this excellent piece from Richard Foster.
Updated
I’ve just had to fork out for a new boiler, crashed the car and found evidence of dry rot in the attic. Then again, Orange club biscuits are on offer for £1 in my local Co-op so it’s probably been the best 10 days of my life.
The philosophy of Mikel Arteta there after the Gunners followed up three awful defeats with a 1-0 home win over Norwich last week. Even his fiercely loyal mirror must have sniggered when he rehearsed that line. More positive spin than that ball Shane Warne got Mike Gatting with.
After the trip to Burnley on Saturday, Arsenal’s next Premier League outing is the derby against Spurs.
Updated
From Rick Astley to another charming man, Sean Dyche. The Burnley boss is a confessed Smiths fan but, altogether now, heaven knows he’s miserable now after the Clarets’ poor start to the campaign: third bottom with just a single point.
Here’s a team news-based preview from the PA:
New signing Maxwel Cornet may have to wait again for his Burnley debut when the Clarets take on Arsenal on Saturday.
The Ivory Coast international was an unused substitute against Everton on Monday and boss Sean Dyche is keen not to rush him into action.
Defender Nathan Collins is available again but fellow new signing Connor Roberts (groin) and defender Kevin Long (leg) are not quite ready yet while Dale Stephens (ankle) is also sidelined.
Arsenal will be without Granit Xhaka for the trip to Turf Moor.
The midfielder is suspended following his red card at Manchester City before the international break while Mohamed Elneny (hamstring) is also absent.
Rob Holding (knee) is sidelined as the Gunners aim to build on their narrow win over Norwich last weekend.
Burnely provisional squad: Pope, Hennessey, Norris, Cornet, Lowton, Taylor, Tarkowski, Mee, Collins, Pieters, Bardsley, Thomas, Cork, Gudmundsson, Brownhill, McNeil, Lennon, Westwood, Wood, Barnes, Rodriguez, Vydra.
Arsenal provisional squad: Leno, Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Chambers, Cedric, Mari, Gabriel, White, Tierney, Tavares, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Lokonga, Partey, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Saka, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Balogun, Martinelli, Nketiah.
Anyone got tickets for the big one in Manchester next month? Nope, not Cristiano Ronaldo locking horns with Liverpool at Old Trafford on the 24th, I mean Rick Astley performing The Songs of The Smiths with Blossoms at the Albert Hall on the 8th.
I recall Rick saying in Smash Hits once that The Smiths were his favourite band and finding it strangely brilliant. That one day he’d break free from the clutches of Stock, Aitken and Waterman and show us the real Rick. And now the day has come!
Here’s Virgil van Dijk being put through his paces in a training session yesterday.
Liverpool conceded two goals inside two minutes against AC Milan in midweek as the big Dutchman watched from the bench. Bit of a contrast to the single goal they’ve conceded in four Premier League games so far with van Dijk playing every single minute.
Liverpool deservedly beat Milan thanks to a lovely strike from skipper Jordan Henderson.
Newcastle v Leeds tonight. Here’s Louise Taylor highlighting a clear contrast between the two managers, Steve Bruce and Marcelo Bielsa.
One of these men said: “I clearly saw the plan of the opponent in the last game had a superior effect to the one I proposed. It is very clear it is the manager’s fault.”
Any guesses?
Tottenham also played out a 2-2 draw in their Conference League Group C clash with Rennes.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s 75th-minute leveller earned Spurs a point, but Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura limped off. Not ideal ahead of their London derby against Chelsea on Sunday.
Leicester were also leading 2-0 last night but got pegged back by Napoli.
Paul Doyle was at the King Power Stadium where a double from “the outstanding Victor Osimhen” gave the visitors a 2-2 draw.
Those Sunday fixtures include the newest members of the Thursday night club: West Ham.
David Moyes’ men got their European adventure off to a bright start with a 2-0 away win at Dinamo Zagreb last night.
Jacob Steinburg was at the Maksimir Stadium.
Here’s the full set of weekend Premier League fixtures. It’s a 1-6-3-0 split for those who like to keep records.
Friday 17 September
20:00 Newcastle v Leeds
Saturday 18 September
12:30 Wolves v Brentford
15:00 Burnley v Arsenal
15:00 Liverpool v C Palace
15:00 Man City v Southampton
15:00 Norwich v Watford
17:30 Aston Villa v Everton
Sunday 19 September
14:00 Brighton v Leicester
14:00 West Ham v Man Utd
16:30 Spurs v Chelsea
Preamble
Good morning!
Until Everton played Burnley last Monday night, the top four in the Premier League were (spoiler alert) the quartet of plucky giants who will almost certainly occupy the top four at the end of the season: Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City. Doesn’t take long to sort itself out, does it.
But Rafa Benitez loves a fact and the new hero (too soon?) of the Gwladys Street End will tell you that the top four going into Match Day 5 now includes Everton after their 3-1 win.
The Blues seem to love a fast start and back in those giddy days last season when James Rodriguez knew who they were playing, Everton were the pacesetters after four games following a 100% start. The Rafa-lution continues with an away game at Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
Before that, and a set of 3pm fixtures which include Liverpool v Crystal Palace and Manchester City v Southampton, the action gets underway tonight with our friends in the north, Newcastle and Leeds.
Marcelo Bielsa twice got the better of Steve Bruce last season – 2-1 at St James’ Park and 5-2 at Elland Road – and Leeds will be seeking a third straight win over the Magpies. They haven’t managed that since October 1967, the exact same time The Beatles were filming Magical Mystery Tour.
So, roll up roll up, the Friday blog has everything you need.
Roll up, satisfaction guaranteed (possibly).
