Good morning, TSFers! I hope everyone had a nice weekend. CF is a little late this morning because I had to drop my car at the shop. I guess I could have written it last night, but morning coffee + CF is part of my morning routine and I didn’t want to deviate from that. I’ll be getting to the news of the day in due course — transfer link to Piero Hincapie and Bukayo Saka injury update.
We’ve got the marquee matchup of the matchweek today — Newcastle vs. Liverpool. Of course, Liverpool are making eyes at Alexander Isak, so Newcastle will be without their best player against the Reds. It’s really something else how Arne Slot’s side keeps getting to face their toughest opponents missing key players.
West Ham 1 – Chelsea 5
The Hammers are DIRE. It’s tough to get a read on Chelsea from this match — that’s how bad Graham Potter’s side looked. Potter has to be shortest odds to be the first manager sacked at this point. Honestly, they should just pull the trigger. It can’t get any worse than it is (actually, it probably can). They should have fired their transfer team but that ship has sailed. They’ve spent terribly for a couple years now, and those chickens have come home to roost.
Manchester City 0 – Tottenham 2
It’s very funny and also very annoying that Manchester City become Cinderella’s carriage at midnight against Spurs — they turn into a (rotting) pumpkin. Except, of course, the one time Arsenal needed something from Spurs against City. I’m not bitter, I swear. This match was more even than a 2-0 scoreline suggests. Spurs converted their chances, City did not. Spurs managed the game well in the second half.
Brentford 1 – Aston Villa 0
Record-signing Dango Ouattara scored on the break in the 11th minute to lift the Bees to the win. Villa have looked worryingly mediocre to open the season. They’re up against it with FFP and haven’t done much business. It shows.
Burnley 2 – Sunderland 0
Josh Cullen scored just after halftime for Burnley and Jaidon Anthony added a late goal. In MW1, Burnley were waxed by Spurs and Sunderland dispatched hapless West Ham, so I don’t know how much we know about either of these sides.
Bournemouth 1 – Wolves 0
Marcus Tavernier scored on a deflected shot in the 5th minute after the Cherries high press pounced on a poor pass by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. Toti Gomes, who picked up a yellow card in the first half, earned a straight red early in the second for DOGSO, which pretty much killed the game.
Crystal Palace 1 – Nottingham Forest 1
Ismaila Sarr gave Palace the lead late in the first half but a Calum Hudson-Odoi equalizer split the points in the MacBeth Derby. The match took a backseat to the drama between the clubs — it was Forest who reported Palace’s ownership structure to UEFA which wound up getting Palace bumped down to the Conference League and Forest getting a spot in the Europa. The Palace fans unfurled a banner depicting Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis holding a gun to Morgan Gibbs-White (referencing Gibbs-White’s apparent “change of heart” that scuppered his move to Spurs), with MGW reciting (on the banner) that the owner is NOT involved in a list of shady / criminal activities. The FA is investigating the banner and Palace will almost assuredly be disciplined for it.
Everton 2 – Brighton 0
The Toffees opened their new stadium Hill Dickinson Stadium with a win. Iliman Ndiaye scored the first goal at the new ground (after scoring the last two goals at Goodison Park). James Garner added to the lead early in the second half with a rocket of a shot into the low corner. Brighton had their chances, but Jordan Pickford played well, including saving a Danny Welbeck penalty, and the Seagulls were wasteful.
Fulham 1 – Manchester United 1
This was an eventful one. Manchester United were awarded a first half penalty by VAR after Calvin Bassey emphatically won the shoving match from a corner with Mason Mount. It probably wasn’t much more than the usual grappling, it’s just that Bassey is a big, strong dude and Mount…isn’t. Bruno Fernandes missed the penalty. Try a normal run-up, you weirdo. United took a second half lead when Leny Yoro’s header went off Rodrigo Muniz. It was credited as an own goal. Emile Smith Rowe evened the score in the 73rd minute off an Alex Iwobi assist — a goal made in Hale End.
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