AND IT BEGINS (AGAIN)
Football in August is a lie, as they say in Italy and on the evidence of the opening weekend’s action in the Premier League there’ll be no shortage of managers, players and fans already hoping what they saw unfold before them was fake news. But before Football Daily reacts to what we witnessed in the past three days with a series of potentially ACL-rupturing knee-jerks, it behoves us to doff the company titfer in the direction of Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and their respective sets of fans, whose heartfelt tributes to their former player Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva could not have been handled more deftly and were both poignant enough to bring a tear to a glass eye. Chapeau to each and every person concerned.
On an emotional night at Anfield, Liverpool got their title defence off to a winning, if not entirely convincing, start against Bournemouth. The less said about that no-mark who has had his collar felt for targeting Antoine Semenyo the better but the Bournemouth winger rose above it in fine style, both on the pitch and afterwards on Instagram, even if his side were eventually beaten by two late goals. “Football showed its best side when it mattered most,” wrote the Ghana international, in a line he couldn’t have got more straight if it had been his completely unimpeded sprint from one penalty area to the other with the ball at his feet before spanking an unstoppable shot past Alisson.
On a weekend of many first appearances, some were more auspicious than others. No fewer than eight different players made debuts for the home side as newly promoted Sunderland demolished West Ham in the kind of scintillating top-tier performance not witnessed at the Stadium of Light since Beyoncé shook her booty there in May 2023. It was a victory that took Reggie Le Bris’s side to the nosebleed-inducing heights of the Premier League summit until Manchester City knocked them off their perch with a statement win over Wolves. A stellar first contribution under Pep Guardiola from Tijjani Reijnders prompted gasps of admiration and widespread queries of “Kevin who?” At Stamford Bridge, the first ever explanation for a VAR decision to be announced over a top-flight Tannoy by the match-referee was similarly well received, due in no small part because it went in favour of the home team despite involving a law of the game few present had ever heard of, or seen applied since its inception in 2019.
Of course not everyone’s season got off to a flyer and Sunderland’s fellow new boys Burnley shipped an ominous hiding at Spurs. At Villa Park, Anthony Elanga showed no end of willing for Newcastle, but two missed chances and an embarrassing clank off his shins meant that his was ultimately a debut to forget. “If anything, Clive, he was trying too hard”, but unlike some at least he deigned to turn up. On the subject of world-class strikers, Mikel Arteta finally got to showcase the one Arsenal have been crying out for and Viktor Gyökeres only went and played with all the presence, poise and clinical precision of a fly-tipped fridge. A fan plucked at random from the Old Trafford away end would almost certainly have notched up the same number of goals (zero), assists (zero), shots on or off target (zero) and chances created (zero) as the Swede on his debut but his new side were only playing Manchester United … so they obviously still won. “We have players to win any game in the Premier League,” honked Ruben Amorim moments after his team had been beaten, proving it’s not just Italian football in August that has a tenuous relationship with the truth.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
I’m ashamed. I’m totally disappointed with our performance [against Vasco]. The fans have every right to protest, obviously without using violence. But if they want to curse and insult, they’re in their right. To sum up our attitude on the field, it was terrible. I’ve never experienced this [a 6-0 defeat] in my life. The tears were from anger, from everything. Unfortunately, I can’t help in every way. I think everyone today needs to go home and think about what they want to do” – Neymar’s return to Santos continues to be emotional – just not in the way he envisaged when he rejoined his boyhood club early this year.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Manchester United fans must be revelling in a new-found period of stability. Last season United finished in a distinctly horrible 15th place. But after the first Premier League weekend of the 2025-26 season the Red Devils are 15th. Remarkable, and all it took was forking out £200m for a new forward line. By jingo, they might even score a goal next time — but let’s not get carried away just yet” – Mark McFadden.
Well at least some positivity emerged (in our house at least) in the Liverpool v Bournemouth game. Thanks to some especially appalling pronunciation on my part, to the hilarity of my teenage sons I invented a new In The Night Garden character called Ecky-Tecky. Probably friends with Makka Pakka, meaning he’ll have a strange obsession with (John) Stones in due course. Travels separately to games via Ninky Nonk. Anyhoo(ha), erm, must go” – Kevin Goddard.
Re: the Marshall Islands section in Friday’s email. When I was a kid I often had a soft spot for teams just because they had a great kit, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Now, 50 years later, I will be looking out for how the Marshall Islands are doing, because that kit is something else” – Iggy.
Hi, how often are your newsletters – I’m enjoying them thanks?” – Daryl J (and no others).
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Kevin Goddard. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here.
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