“Arsenal’s turbo-charged start to the new season has come to a shuddering halt. The Premier League champions’ perfect record across all competitions was shredded by a 3-0 defeat at an inspired Brighton & Hove Albion, who celebrated their 125th anniversary (an occasion which saw them wear a special edition shirt) in style. The hosts were simply too intense for Arsenal to handle. They were 2-0 down by half-time courtesy of long-range strikes by Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas and the game was effectively killed off by Chema Andres’ header early in the second period. Kai Havertz saw one effort saved by Bart Verbruggen in an otherwise toothless performance by Mikel Arteta’s side. …”
NYT/ATH
Brighton demolish champions Arsenal 3-0 to mark anniversary in style
“So much for the new Invincibles. Arsenal were brought back down to earth with a shuddering bump by a scintillating display from Brighton as Fabian Hürzeler’s vibrant side celebrated the club’s 125th anniversary in style. The special edition shirts they wore to mark the occasion will end up being collector’s items after the Premier League champions were ripped apart. Arsenal were attempting to record an eighth successive victory in all competitions to start the new campaign for the first time since 1903 when they were still known as Woolwich Arsenal. …”
Guardian
YouTube: Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. v. Arsenal F.C. | PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS, Brighton v. Arsenal | PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS | 9/19/2026
“Clock-watching. It’s a cherished element of the workday for uninspired office employees, but for referees, timekeeping is serious business. And this season, their handling of it is under more scrutiny than ever. That is because the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that sets the sport’s laws, introduced a suite of tweaks this season designed to curb time-wasting. These measures include a 10-second limit for substituted players when leaving the pitch. If they take longer, their replacement is not allowed to enter the pitch for a further minute. Referees have also been instructed to use five-second countdowns for goal kicks and throw-ins. …”
“Thomas Tuchel has admitted there are times when he craves greater control in matches. But the England head coach feels the more chaotic, adrenaline-fuelled nature of the Premier League will remain his template as he targets glory at Euro 2028. Tuchel described his team as ‘maybe not the most economical to play football’ in terms of their habit of constantly playing at full throttle. They 
“Alessandro Costacurta lasted 15 minutes of his first game at San Siro. He was, admittedly, not playing, but tagging along to watch his older brother’s favourite team. … But happily, far from the last. Costacurta was recruited into Milan’s academy a year later and played 663 times for their first team – helping them win Serie A seven times and the European Cup five, either side of its Champions League rebrand. Only his fellow defenders Paolo Maldini (902) and Franco Baresi (719) have made more appearances for the Rossoneri. Many of those were alongside him. …”
“Three months ago, Iran was one of the biggest stories in football as Team Melli arrived at the World Cup to try to play in the US, a country that had been bombing and firing missiles at Tehran and other targets. A disallowed goal and a last-minute effort that hit the bar in the final group game against Egypt confirmed Iran’s group‑stage exit – 
“WHEN Leicester City won the Premier League in 2016, it was something of a modern fairy-tale. The club was not what anyone would have classified as small, but Leicester were not accustomed to silverware and they were largely in the shadows of bigger, more-resourced rivals. The successful squad of 2016 was built on a budget, but a hard-working, committed team deservedly finished as champions. It was a triumph for honest endeavour and a core unit that included a decent goalkeeper, solid defenders, one or two outstanding midfielders and a difficult-to-handle striker in the form of his career. The hub of the squad cost no more than £ 40 million, a small percentage of the money spent by the usual title contenders. It seemed too good to be true. …”
“Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd. A helter-skelter 4-3 win against Norwich City has been secured in added time. In the directors’ box, owner-chairman Steve Gibson blows out his cheeks while a euphoric stadium falls over itself with happiness and relief. This really mattered. 
“THERE are surprise early leaders in the Bundesliga in the form of Freiburg, who won 5-0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach, taking their tally for the season to 10 goals in three games. Freiburg’s Yannik Engelhardt and Igor Matanovic scored two apiece. After the game, Gladbach’s third defeat of the campaign, coach Eugen Polanski became the first Bundesliga coach to be sacked this season. Polanski was appointed a year ago and had a win rate of 29.73% in his 37 games with Gladbach. Borussia Dortmund also maintained their 100% record with a 3-0 win against Paderborn with goals from Serhou Guirassy, Maximilian Beier and Marcel Sabitzer. Bayern Munich made hard work of beating newly-promoted Elversberg, who fell to their first defeat since arriving in the top flight. Harry Kane and Lennart Karl scored Bayern’s goals. Augsburg kept pace with the leaders but were denied a 2-1 win by a last-minute goal from Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick. Frankfurt picked up their first win at Mainz with Can Uzun netting twice in a 3-1 win. …”
“Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensational strike sealed Liverpool’s progress into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup via a 3-1 home win against Tottenham, with all three goals being particularly impressive. With Spurs searching for a late equaliser, the Hungary international connected sweetly on the half-volley with Cody Gakpo’s pass looped from 25 yards out, giving goalkeeper Martin Dubravka no chance. 
“After the opening weekend of this season, the Premier League trumpeted a record of 100 per cent accuracy in key decisions made by match officials. Across those first 10 games, it listed 21 key match incidents (KMIs), ranging from penalty appeals and potential red-card challenges to goals being double-checked for possible offside. The league’s KMI panel agreed that the on-field officials had made correct decisions in 18 of the 21 cases — and that ‘following VAR intervention, 100 per cent of calls were deemed correct’. But that wasn’t quite the case. …”
“While London has a host of top-flight clubs and Liverpool have been regular contenders, the story of the 
“Kiat Lim wanted to see 
“The Manchester derby was dominated by two controversial refereeing calls, with the goal from Erling Haaland — finally given after a long VAR check — proving decisive in City’s 1-0 away win. That came after an hour, with the striker looking offside as he slotted home a Josko Gvardiol cross, only for VAR to find him onside due to the position of United defender Patrick Dorgu’s foot as the ball came in. It was also decided that a diving Enzo Fernandez did not interfere with play as he tried to head the cross in before Haaland’s back-post finish. On Sunday evening, 
“A below-par Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham at Anfield, a result which maintains their unbeaten start to the season but will surely be viewed as a missed opportunity. The visitors had lost their opening three Premier League games and have looked vulnerable defensively under former Liverpool right-back Alvaro Arbeloa, but Andoni Iraola’s side could not take advantage. There was a full league debut for Bradley Barcola but he had a quiet afternoon as the home side failed to follow up their Champions League victory against Atletico Madrid with another win. …”
“Premier League representation is low when it comes to the 16 attacking players on 
“
“ASK any fan from the north and they will tell you the real passion in the game is found in cities like Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. It is true these locations have long been at the heart of the sport and to some extent, the capital city was an underachieving metropolis for many years. But in terms of seats sold at matches and the number of football clubs – at all levels – London is a major hub in every sense of the word. In fact, according to historian and stadium expert Simon Inglis, only Argentina’s Buenos Aires can boast a greater football presence. …”
“If things had worked out differently, 
“Old photos of Manchester United’s history fill the walls of the Old Nag’s Head public house in the city centre and many feature the club’s illustrious European history. There’s George Best with the European Cup in 1968, manager Sir Matt Busby and Best with the big cup too. There’s a bleak snowy field in Munich after the 1958 air disaster, a huge 1968 colour picture of a toothless Nobby Stiles parading the European Cup with his sidekick Paddy Crerand equally jubilant. Best again, wearing a sombrero in Lisbon in 1966 
Richard Hughes has left Liverpool. Who will replace him?
“Welcome to week three of The Athletic’s Premier League performance table — a ranking system that really does not appreciate tightly-contested matches. In case you missed 
“THE first ‘big six’ clash of the season saw two clubs with a 100% record come face-to-face. Arsenal played host to Chelsea at the Emirates but the hosts received a shock in the first minute when Morgan Rogers netted his second goal since arriving from Aston Villa. Former Chelsea man Kai Havertz scored the equaliser in the 25th minute with a shot that goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez should probably have stopped and the game was clinched by Martin Ødegaard in the 50th. Arsenal showed they are out to retain their title and Chelsea suggested they are a better equipped side than last season, but they are still some way from being contenders. Manchester City also have a 100% record after beating Coventry City with a goal from Erling Haaland. Liverpool secured their first win under new manager Andoni Iraola as they beat Ipswich Town at Portman Road (pictured). …”
Torino’s Nikola Vlasic equalises from the spot against Inter Milan in Serie A
“As Stefan R left the stadium of his favourite German football team in the summer of 2019, a powerfully built man dressed in black approached him, grabbing his arm. Then, at least two other men appeared from behind. He was surrounded. The men had been waiting for him on the street and the chilling message that followed was delivered at speed. … Stefan, whose name has been changed in this article for safety reasons, had promoted a banner that championed diversity, hanging it from one of the terraces at Stadion an der Gellertstrasse, the home ground of Chemnitzer FC, around 150 miles south of Berlin, during a German cup game against Hamburg. The lettering was presented in rainbow colours and included the words ‘cosmopolitan’ and ‘tolerant’. Stefan had previously been involved in a supposedly apolitical fans’ group where some of the fringe members harboured Islamophobic and anti-refugee views. …”
The banner at Chemnitzer FC that put Stefan R in danger.
“Three league games played, 
“It was 6pm on 5 July in 
“Lamine Yamal struck twice for Barcelona as they demolished Valencia 5-0 on Sunday to maintain their 100% start in La Liga. The reigning champions moved three points clear at the top of La Liga after Jose Mourinho’s 
“I never believed it would actually happen. Not really. Not until this week, when, for the first time, there was a sense, as The Godfather makes so abundantly clear, that you really can get to anyone. 
“When Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the penalty spot on Sunday afternoon, all eyes were at first on him. Understandably so: Manchester United’s captain had missed two penalties in pre-season. But after Fernandes duly converted for the second goal of his hat-trick against Ipswich Town, it was Youri Tielemans’ antics in the background that drew attention. As Fernandes undertook his trademark run-up, Tielemans mirrored him exactly, sidestepping and stuttering in synchronisation. …”
Bournemouth might have unearthed another top talent in Alvaro Rodriguez
“… That is how one senior Atletico Madrid source described the situation surrounding Julian Alvarez this summer. Although deadline day ended with Alvarez staying at Atletico, the fallout from the window’s most bitter transfer saga is only just settling — and the story is far from over. 
“Anfield is a 
“Welcome to week two of The Athletic’s Premier League performance table — the sort of ranking system Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage refuses to take any comfort from. In case you missed 
“If Raphinha has any misgivings about playing as a makeshift No 9 for 
“It’s late summer in the hazy Bavarian countryside. In a sports club half an hour outside Munich, beside pale stone houses buttered by the sunshine and deer chewing quietly at the grass, Harry Kane is talking The Athletic through an individual season for the ages. Kane scored 73 goals for club and country. But he is a prohibitive favourite to win the Ballon d’Or later this year because of his many other dimensions. Kane is football’s heavyweight goalscorer, but also the creative, physical and emotional heart of a Bayern Munich side that won a domestic double last season and will again contend to become European champions. …”
“Two 
“Newcastle’s 2-0 win away to Tottenham Hotspur confirmed more than just Matthias Jaissle’s first victory as head coach. Three weeks after replacing Eddie Howe, this performance and result showed that Jaissle’s side have a clearer and better tactical identity than Spurs under Roberto De Zerbi — who is nearly five months into his tenure. Newcastle were not box office, but they were organised and effective. Inside a minute they showed their game plan, when No 6 Nico Gonzalez hit a diagonal ball from deep to advancing right-back Amar Dedic. The narrow positioning of winger Anthony Elanga, who occupied Spurs left-back Andy Robertson, created an overload. …”
“As Barcelona have 
“Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool twice came back from a goal down to draw 2-2 against Nottingham Forest. With Anfield anticipating the arrival of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, it was another of their summer signings, Victor Munoz, who had the stadium bouncing when he scored a brilliant equaliser with eight minutes to play. Liverpool had been facing the prospect of a third successive home defeat to Forest when the 23-year-old Spain international winger spun superbly in the box and smashed in a powerful finish. …”
“The map shows the average attendance of the 20 clubs that comprise the 2026-27 Premier League. The main map [of England & Wales] shows the locations of 14 of the clubs; the Inset-map shows the locations of the 6 clubs that are based in Greater London. The larger the club’s average attendance from last season [2025-26], the larger their circle-and-badge are on the map. Each club’s home venue-name, and regional location, are also shown. Clubs are grouped by region (that is, by City or County). One other detail on the map is that all 3 promoted clubs are indicated by small green-lined boxes. The 3 the relegated clubs from last season are also indicated on the map, by red-lined boxes. (Promoted from the 2025-26 EFL Championship: Coventry City, Ipswich Town, Hull City. Relegated from the 2025-26 Premier League: West Ham United, Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers.) …”
“While it is not uncommon for Scottish Premiership sides to perform their own version of Brexit in August, something of a nadir seems to have been reached this time around. On Tuesday night, 
“Outside the Tollington Arms, Steve Chandler is in full flow. On the back of his replica shirt is the number 26 and a single word, “Champions” and, on the front of his head, lips are flapping overtime. Pint in hand, Steve is telling anyone who will listen that the first word he spoke as a kid was ‘Gooner’ (a slang term for an Arsenal fan). … After a brutal summer, London is parched, but the Tollington specialises in quenching and the mood is just as it should be: loose and liquid. Over the opening weekend of the Premier League season, versions of this conversation are ubiquitous across the country — in pubs, queues at burger vans, stadiums, online, at home. We are hopeful and fearful and excited precisely because, in this moment of not knowing, you can invest in possibility. …”
“First things first, this isn’t the official Premier League table. It’s a performance one that will be updated weekly, which means you can go from top to bottom, and vice versa, in the space of seven days. There’s a clean slate at the start of each gameweek, which will be good news for some clubs — Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at this rate. Results matter, but when deciding where to rank teams from one to 20, we’ll be looking primarily at how well they played last time out, which means dissecting (or, in the case of this weekend, watching) every Premier League game. If nothing else, it will provide you with a snapshot of how each team performed in the 2026-27 Premier League, week by week. And, naturally, you’ll be in full agreement with every summary, given that it’s a totally subjective process. …”
“Over the last couple of seasons, Ryan Gravenberch has been Liverpool’s bellwether player. When the Dutchman has been on form, Liverpool have been on a title-winning level. When Gravenberch has looked tired and struggled to make a positive impact, Liverpool have often been wretched. There’s a chicken-and-egg debate to be had there, but Gravenberch was magnificent in the first half of 2024-25 in 
“After a weekend on which 
“Julian Alvarez was whistled and insulted by Atletico Madrid fans as he made his first appearance for the club since expressing his desire to move away, amid interest from Barcelona and Arsenal. Alvarez’s name was jeered by the Atletico supporters at the Metropolitano when it was read out before their La Liga game against Villarreal, while many gestured and made their feelings clear towards the Argentina striker when he began to warm up around the hour mark. …”
“For an opening-game upset of the season, Hull City’s win at home against 20-time champions Manchester United was rather convincing. They were 2-0 up after 38 minutes and managed the game with control and comfort in the second half to see out a statement victory. Not a bad start for the Championship play-off winners up against last season’s third-place side, especially as they have the least ‘valuable’ squad in the Premier League, 
“THE Premier League may feel as though it has been constantly dominated by Manchester City over the past decade, but there are plenty of leagues that have been far less democratic. Most competitions have one or two clubs that consistently finish in the top places; there is an air of predictability in France, Germany and Spain and there are no surprise teams at the summit in Italy. The Netherlands and Portugal are effectively both run by three teams, while Scotland has almost always been bossed by two clubs from Glasgow. ….”
“There was a period in the early 1990s during Kevin Keegan’s first, electrifying spell as Newcastle United manager when he and assistant Terry McDermott would turn up at St James’ Park at 10.30 on Saturday mornings for 3pm kick-offs. The pair would inspect the pitch, assess the level of watering and chat to the groundsman. St James’ was open then at both ends, vulnerable to the wind and rain blowing down the Tyne Valley. Keegan and McDermott were European Cup winners. Looking around, Keegan said it was ‘more like a bus shelter than a football stadium.’ But, as Keegan’s impact upon Newcastle — the club and the city — rose, the dilapidated ground changed, too. As it shed its old skin, St James’ became a visible focal point on the modern skyline. It still is. …”
Scissors Kick 