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Liverpool opened the new Premier League season in triumph and in tears. Extreme emotions will accompany the champions throughout their title defence but were particularly apt on the night Anfield paid tribute to Diogo Jota and Arne Slot’s side showed the incredible will-to-win that defines them.

Mohamed Salah was inconsolable after the final whistle. Moments after sealing an enthralling victory over Bournemouth and recreating Jota’s Baby Shark celebration, the Liverpool forward broke down in tears in front of the Kop as they sang in honour of the tragic Portugal international. Jota’s wife, Rute Cardoso, children and family had found the strength to be present and were welcomed with a sign that read: ‘Rute, Dinis, Duarte, Matilda – Anfield will always be your home. You’ll Never Walk Alone.’ It was one moving moment among many as Anfield remembered their number 20 and his brother, André Silva, following their deaths in July.

• Centre-back succeeds departed Son Heung-min

• Frank: ‘I see a player that will want to lead the team’

Thomas Frank has insisted Cristian Romero is committed to Tottenham and has backed the defender to become an even better leader after being handed the captaincy.

Romero, named captain after Son Heung-min’s departure for Los Angeles FC, has faced questions over his commitment to Spurs in recent seasons. The 27-year-old has been accused of caring more about playing for Argentina and was linked with a move to Atlético Madrid this summer but Frank is confident the centre-back’s long-term future lies in north London.

• ‘He’s been fighting for his career, essentially’

• Case not proved against Brazilian in July 2025

Graham Potter has said a weight was lifted off Lucas Paquetá’s shoulders when the West Ham midfielder was cleared of spot-fixing after a two-year Football Association process.

Paquetá was at risk of a lengthy ban after the FA charged him last year with four counts of deliberately getting booked to influence betting markets so that friends and family members may benefit. The investigation came to light in August 2023, ending the Brazilian’s hopes of joining Manchester City that month, and had the potential to end the 27-year-old’s career.

The £150m-rated Sweden striker has effectively gone on strike as he holds out for a transfer to champions Liverpool

As a player at Bournemouth and Portsmouth Eddie Howe could invariably be found reading the foreign news pages of the broadsheets while travelling to matches on the team bus.

More than two decades on, the Newcastle manager’s ability to construct carefully worded sentences loaded with calibrated between-the-lines subtext make it easy to imagine him as some sort of international envoy.

Thomas Frank takes charge of his first Spurs league match against Burnley while Arsenal travel to Manchester United

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Villa Park

• Guardiola: ‘If they want to leave, knock on my door’

• Rodri set to travel to Wolves game despite injury blow

Ederson is considering his Manchester City future, with Pep Guardiola reluctant to allow the goalkeeper’s exit unless the Brazilian informs him he wishes to leave and a suitable offer is received.

If the 31-year-old decides he wishes to play elsewhere, City may move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma. The 26-year-old is available after Luis Enrique, the PSG coach, signed Lucas Chevalier from Lille to replace the Italy No 1.

• Gyökeres and Zubimendi likely to start at Old Trafford

• Martin Ødegaard unanimous choice to stay as captain

Mikel Arteta has insisted Arsenal will strike gold if they “keep digging” as they start their push to win a first ­Premier League title since 2004 with a trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

In May, Arsenal completed a run of finishing second in three ­successive Premier League ­campaigns – ­matching the club’s record from 1998-99 to 2000-01, before ­winning the title in 2001-02. They have spent almost £200m on players this ­summer. ­Viktor Gyökeres is expected to lead the line against United and the midfielder Martín Zubimendi is also likely to make his debut.

Former set-piece coach says club has not lost its ‘edge’ despite summer of upheaval and Thomas Frank’s departure

Keith Andrews is used to doing things the hard way. The new Brentford head coach was 15 when he left his native Dublin to join the Wolves academy when they snapped up five of Ireland’s most promising young players, including a certain Robbie Keane, in 1995. But despite becoming the club’s youngest captain in more than a century Andrews dropped down the divisions with MK Dons before earning a move back to the Premier League with Blackburn and becoming an established international.

There has been a similar trajectory to his coaching career. He started under Karl Robinson in Milton Keynes after retiring in 2015, then worked as Stephen Kenny’s assistant for the Republic of Ireland. Andrews also spent time at Sheffield United before arriving at Brentford last summer as the set-piece coach. Being asked to replace Thomas Frank in his first senior role at the age of 44 bucks the growing trend of younger managers, but the former midfielder has plenty of experience to call on as he opens a new chapter at Nottingham Forest on Sundaytomorrow.

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Will Liverpool canter to another title? Have Manchester City rediscovered their mojo? Have Arsenal finally found the missing pieces of the jigsaw? Will Chelsea’s midsummer Copa Gianni endeavours catch up with them? Can any or all of the three promoted sides make a decent fist of not going straight back down this time? Will Fulham finish 11th or 12th? How adverse an effect will being the father of twins going through the terrible twos have on the form of Jarrod Bowen? Some early clues to the answers of these and many other questions will be provided this weekend as the latest beautifully packaged model of the Premier League rolls off the assembly line, kicking off with tonight’s ding-dong between Liverpool and what’s left of a Bournemouth carcass that has been feasted upon by a wake of vultures during the transfer window. A club so resilient and resourceful that at one point they exhibited the massed ranks of their lame and halt David Blaine-style in a perspex box at the Vitality Stadium, Andoni Iraola’s side will almost certainly be just fine.

This season you want to make sure that you don’t lose those stupid points. There were a few games where we analysed them back and said to ourselves: ‘This can’t happen’” – Youri Tielemans gets his chat on with Ben Fisher, and reveals how Aston Villa have done the research and will be higher up the table if they cut down on daft mistakes.

All the latest Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A deals and a club-by-club guide

• Women’s transfers summer 2025: all the moves

Every deal in the NWSL, WSL, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue and Serie A Femminile as well as a club-by-club guide

• Men’s transfers summer 2025: all the moves

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This was a long way from the controlled Liverpool of last season, with new signing Milos Kerkez in particular struggling against his old team

To take a side who have just won the league and make four major changes cannot be anything but a risk. There will always be at least some process of adaptation, particularly given the slight change of shape the arrival of Florian Wirtz has entailed.

The danger for Liverpool is that they give up points that could prove costly if this is a tight title race. While that transition goes on, results perhaps matter more than performances, so long as the trend of those performances is towards a greater cohesion.

Midfielder was the players’ player and supporters’ player of last season and is determined to help break the club’s near 30-year trophy drought

The smile on Youri Tielemans’s face widens as he discusses the time Unai Emery visited him in Quorn, the Leicestershire village he has called home since arriving in England six years ago. “The initial conversation was about my ideas as a player, where I wanted to play and how I saw myself and he quite liked me because he came back a second time,” Tielemans says, laughing. “It was really about understanding each other. And I think we clicked the first time we met.”

Fast-forward two years and Tielemans, who joined Aston Villa as a free agent after leaving Leicester, has established himself as an indispensable cog in Emery’s machine. He has been considered a classy midfielder since making his Champions League debut for Anderlecht aged 16 and has proved a dependable force for Villa, an intelligent operator whether sniffing danger or shifting possession. The 28-year-old thinks carefully on and off the pitch, valuing sleep and nutrition; he is teetotal and those close to him highlight the only fizzy drink he may consume is sparkling water.

Vítor Pereira’s side may at best stand still but hopes are high some of their youthful talent could change the picture

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 16th (NB: this is not necessarily Ben Fisher’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 16th

Some fans fear a relegation battle beckons. The optimistic reading, though, is that this is the real start of the Potter era

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 15th (NB: this is not necessarily Jacob Steinberg’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 14th

Frank deserves a chance to prove himself but the new manager will need a strong start after last season’s calamitous league campaign

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 6th (NB: this is not necessarily Ed Aarons’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 17th

Re-establishing themselves in the top tier will be tough but the Wearsiders are throwing everything at the challenge

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 19th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 4th in the Championship

• Defender joins from Parma on six-year contract

• Other clubs including Newcastle wanted him

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of the 18-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni from Parma for an initial £26m. He has a six-year contract and is regarded by the club as a potential long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk.

Leoni was a target for other clubs, including Newcastle, and is expected to go straight into the first-team squad. The 6ft 4in defender has played for Italy’s under-18s and under-19s.

• Forward cost Liverpool £600,000 from Celtic in 2022

• Bayern open talks with Chelsea over Christopher Nkunku

Bournemouth are closing in on a deal to sign the Liverpool forward Ben Doak for £25m. The 19-year-old would provide a huge profit for Liverpool on the £600,000 they paid Celtic in training compensation in 2022.

The Scotland international has been linked with plenty of Premier League clubs and Porto and the proposed switch comes with Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara poised to join Brentford for up to £42.5m.

• Coote banned for abusive comments about Klopp

• PGMO working to improve approach to mental health

Howard Webb believes there is no way back to refereeing for David Coote, saying the scandal-hit official would find it “really difficult” to return, even as Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) seeks to improve its approach to mental health.

Coote was this week handed a suspension by the Football Association over derogatory remarks he made about Jürgen Klopp on a video recorded during lockdown and leaked online. A number of other claims, which also led Coote to admit to drug use during his time as a referee, prompted his sacking by PGMO late last year and a Uefa ban.

• German has to stay fit like Salah, says Slot

• Giovanni Leoni moves summer spend past £300m

Arne Slot has said Florian Wirtz must reach the standards set by Mohamed Salah to realise Liverpool’s ­expectations of their new record signing.

Wirtz will make his Premier League debut when the champions open the season at home to Bournemouth on Friday. Slot said the Germany international’s “adjustment went better than expected, and we already expected a lot”, but admitted a more accurate gauge would take time.

• Fee for Ipswich winger could be worth about £37m

• Forest remain confident of securing James McAtee

Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign Omari Hutchinson in a potential club-record deal worth about £37m. Forest, who are also closing on a £30m move for James McAtee from Manchester City, are confident of beating rivals to the signing of the Ipswich winger.

Hutchinson expressed his desire to return to the Premier League to the Ipswich manager, Kieran McKenna, after relegation last season and has not featured this campaign. A release clause of about £35m is thought to have lapsed.

Clubs are spending like there is no tomorrow but the title looks to be between Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea

And I heard, as it were, a sound of thunder. I heard multitudes marching to the big kettle drum. Not to mention, it should be said, even larger multitudes talking on the wicked and unholy internet about agent sightings, failed here-we-gos and the Alexander Isak wheel of global conspiracy.

Let he that hath understanding count the number! Because, let’s face it, it really is an absolute beast of a number, 215 live Premier League games on Sky Sports alone, an endless rolling debauchery of games, of graphics that go whoosh, of arguments by the lighted dias.

Marseille, Monaco, Nice, Lille and Lyon face economic realities that do not concern the European champions

By Get French Football News

If Europe’s elite could not contain Paris Saint-Germain last season, what chance is there for Ligue 1’s impoverished chasing pack? Before the season has even started, their rivals seem to have submitted to this logic. Never have PSG felt more untouchable than they do now. Chelsea found the recipe for dismantling Luis Enrique’s machine but the rest of Europe floundered last season. Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Milan all fell by the wayside as PSG were crowned European champions.

That success came at a time when PSG had never looked more vulnerable under Qatar Sports Investments ownership. Despite their prodigious talents Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi were symptoms of the wider ills of the club’s management. But they ensured one thing: that PSG were unshakeable favourites in every domestic game for a decade.

We assess the chances of Premier League’s new teams avoiding the fate of promoted clubs for past two seasons

Reasons to be cheerful There are numerous reasons behind the growing trend of promoted teams going straight back down with a decreasing number of points. One – having to adjust from dominating possession in the Championship to seeing much less of the ball in the Premier League – may not trouble Burnley quite as much as their predecessors.

The 61-year-old developed the career of Formiga and now the pair are dreaming big for Brazil women’s seven-a-side team

Dilma Mendes’s contribution to football has been significant. She is the coach responsible for identifying and honing the talent of Formiga, one of Brazil’s most emblematic female footballers. Mendes trained the player from the age of nine until her professional career began at 16. Now, more than 30 years later, they are working together again, to bring the Football 7 World Championship title to Brazil. The international tournament takes place in Curitiba, in the south of Brazil, from 21-24 August.

Mendes, twice voted the best women’s seven-a-side coach in the world, has called up the 47-year-old Formiga to lead the fight for a second world title, and Formiga’s wife, the former player Érica de Jesus, will be assistant coach. Mendes’s career with the national seven-a-side outfit began in 2019, when she was hired to develop a new team, and she searched all corners of Brazil to identify players. In 2023, when the men announced the futsal legend Falcão would play for them, the women brought in Formiga.

Another new era at Tottenham, De Cuyper can shine for Brighton and Aston Villa remind us this is a business

A visit to an expectant Anfield, where Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké will be out to impress on their Premier League debuts, represents a daunting start for a Bournemouth team that have lost three-quarters of last season’s backline to the pulling power of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool this summer. Defensive issues are not exclusive to Andoni Iraola before the Premier League opener, however. Arne Slot voiced concern over the champions’ pre-season vulnerability before and after the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, when the absence of Ryan Gravenberch for family reasons was keenly felt. “Three times we lost the ball very simple in our midfield and three times they could counterattack us,” reflected the Liverpool head coach. Gravenberch will be missing again on Friday through suspension but Slot expects the team with the second-best defensive record in the Premier League last season to react as soon as the serious business begins. “Mixed teams, new players coming in, Virgil [van Dijk] being sick, Alisson not being there,” he listed as reasons for Liverpool’s recent difficulties on Thursday. “But all of this is not an excuse when we start the league. We will 100% be ready on Friday.” Andy Hunter

Liverpool v Bournemouth, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Aston Villa v Newcastle, Saturday 12.30pm

Brighton v Fulham, Saturday 3pm

Sunderland v West Ham, Saturday 3pm

Forward has not yet been registered by financially troubled club in a summer when Real Madrid have spent €200m

La Liga begins again in Girona on Friday evening, a five-day weekend to start it off, and for the first time the division’s biggest clubs, every side competing for the title, share a vital weapon: they all have Englishmen in their team. Trent Alexander-Arnold, just Trent now on his No 12 shirt, has joined Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid. Nine players have left Atlético Madrid, but Conor Gallagher isn’t one of them. Marcus Rashford has landed in Barcelona, 39 years after Gary Lineker. And Oviemuno Ejaria has just signed a two-year deal at Real Oviedo.

Or, if you prefer your obvious jokes to have a slightly different bias, another team for the punchline, Tyrhys Dolan has joined Espanyol.

Familiar tones of rage, pain and betrayal that envelop men’s football were missing during England’s joyful run to glory

“You can’t stand their voices? ALL women’s voices?” “Yes.” “Are you married to a woman?” “I am. And she feels the same.” Hmm. To be fair to Dave from Egham, whose name has been changed to protect the confused, the whole setup here was pretty bleak. It was Dave’s destiny a week on from England’s victory at Euro 2025 to find himself going viral after an appearance on LBC radio.

In the clip Dave objects to the sound of all women’s voices, even if they’re Adele or Billie Holiday. Specifically he objects to women talking about women’s sport, which Dave hates because it is being thrown down his throat, and thrown down his throat to the extent he has to ring up a radio station and talk about the women talking about the women’s sport, simply to disentangle its tendrils from his throat, to steal a few gargling, sputtering final breaths.

Its young, diverse and passionate fanbase offers a huge opportunity, but too many clubs are only scratching the surface

The Lionesses are simply the most successful England football team in history, winning back-to-back European Championships and becoming the first England senior team to win a major tournament on foreign soil. It is an incredible achievement and one that will reverberate through the women’s game for many years to come.

The head coach, Sarina Wiegman, is simply world class; it’s an overused phrase but absolutely fitting in this case. To reach five major finals in a row (including a European Championship win and a World Cup final with the Netherlands before joining England) is a record that may never be surpassed. She was an inspired choice by Kay Cossington, the former Football Association technical director who targeted her for her ability to build a strong culture and sense of team as much as her obvious tactical acumen.

• Carter feared Lauren James would face similar abuse

• ‘It’s about knowing how it’s going to be if we miss’

Jess Carter has said she was relieved when three of her white England teammates joined Lauren James in missing penalties in the Euro 2025 quarter-final shootout against Sweden. Carter, who was the target of online racism during the tournament, feared James would be on the receiving end of similar abuse if she had been the only one to miss.

Beth Mead, Alex Greenwood and Grace Clinton then missed as well, but the Lionesses progressed before going on to defeat Spain in the final in another shootout.

Choosing the best matches from Switzerland provokes plenty of debate along with the outstanding players and the pick of the goals

England seemed to have lost it once, twice, three times against Sweden on a night of nail-shredding drama that sharpened the sense that destiny had rich bounty in store for Sarina Wiegman’s side. It was also the first match, no doubt of many over the coming years, that made a hero of Michelle Agyemang. Nick Ames

Portuguese club kept Luuk de Jong’s move under wraps, stunning their fans and making André Villas-Boas happy

Transfer news spreads like wildfire in this day and age. Leaks have become not only common but expected, by clubs, journalists and agents. So when Porto unveiled Luuk de Jong, it stunned the football world. Not even employees and teammates knew until moments before his presentation at a friendly against Atlético Madrid. So how did they pull it off?

What unfolded was a story with the intrigue of a spy thriller. The striker was the last to board the plane he took from the Netherlands to Porto last Sunday and timed his arrival on matchday to avoid crossing paths with anyone. Upon landing, he was the first off the plane and ushered into a van with tinted windows that drove him to the stadium. His entourage – anonymous to fans – collected his luggage.

• Sonia Bermúdez and Iraia Iturregi to take over

• Federation thanks Tomé for work and dedication

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) has confirmed the contract of its women’s team manager, Montse Tomé, will not be renewed when it expires at the end of August. The under-23 manager, Sonia Bermúdez, has been appointed to replace Tomé, with the former Spain international to be assisted by Iraia Iturregi in a new joint model.

Tomé was appointed in 2023, the assistant manager taking over from Jorge Vilda, who was sacked after Spain’s first World Cup win. Long-held frustrations boiled over after the federation’s then president Luis Rubiales’s inappropriate actions during the medal ceremony, including kissing Jenni Hermoso.

• Madrid urge Spanish federation to withdraw request

• Uefa to begin procedure to obtain authorisation from Fifa

Real Madrid say they are opposed to plans by their bitter rivals Barcelona to play a league match in the US this season, saying the move “sets an unacceptable precedent”.

Barcelona and Villarreal are seeking permission from the football authorities to play in Miami in December. Fan groups of the clubs have already threatened legal action if the plan progresses, and now Real have expressed their opposition to the move.

Footballer Suleiman al-Obeid was killed in an Israeli attack in southern Gaza last week, according to Palestine Football Association

Mohamed Salah has criticised Uefa for failing to state how a footballer known as the “Palestinian Pelé” died in a tribute it posted.

Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday in southern Gaza when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) said.

It was only the Community Shield, but issues from pre-season popped up again for Arne Slot in Liverpool’s loss on penalties to Crystal Palace

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It was the Community Shield, and that should not be forgotten. There isn’t anybody who has been watching English football for any period of time who hasn’t made the mistake of taking too seriously a conclusion drawn in the midst of the traditional curtain-raiser, giddy on the sight of Wembley in its pomp and the return of competitive club football from the summer wilderness.

Any analysis has to be tempered. Teams are always works in progress, evolving and developing, but that is never truer than in early August with new signings adapting to their teammates and surroundings, and others shaking the summer from their legs. Things will change. But after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and subsequent defeat on penalties in the Community Shield, it can be said with a degree of certainty that their new signings have gelled better at the front of the pitch than the back.

The grass catwalk returns with appealing Adidas, funereal keepers and cartoon collars – but whose jersey will be top of the league?

Football strips nowadays are big business. Especially for the not insignificant number of clubs flogging shirts for £85+ a pop. As sport and fashion become ever more intertwined – Jack Grealish as an ambassador for Gucci; Son Heung-min for Burberry; Kalvin Phillips in those massive Loewe boots – mainstream football’s interest with clothes has moved on from just David Beckham in a sarong. It is a state of affairs that former catwalk model Pep Guardiola no doubt appreciates.

And, after a couple of years of subpar kit designs – running the gamut from insipid to truly horrifying – the 2025-26 Premier League season has upped its sartorial game. All-black away strips and turquoise touches have proved popular; while manufacturers still insist on “taking inspiration” from home stadium architecture and surroundings. (The success of this varies immensely; but Everton, Leeds, and Burnley have all nailed it this time around.) No brand has let the side(s) down, but the Adidas designers have done especially well with a series of understated new strips. The smaller labels have also impressed. And it is pleasing to see the three returnees dressed up for the occasion.

Former third-tier club with no financial muscle from remote municipality of 14,000 inhabitants lead country’s top flight

For Mjällby’s opponents, a trip to the far south of Sweden feels like a journey to the Earth’s end. “When teams come on here on the bus they drive and drive, through the farms, past the fishing harbours,” says Hasse Larsson. “They keep driving and then, when they can’t drive any further, they find our stadium.”

They discover an institution whose heart and soul are rooted in Sölvesborg, a remote municipality of 14,000 inhabitants. Nowadays they find a club front and centre of an extraordinary story unfolding in Allsvenskan, the country’s top flight. Mjällby are four points clear at the top with 12 games left; they have lost once and, should they escape intact from a visit to the champions Malmö on Saturday, the unlikeliest of dreams will become vivid.

A summer without a sporting director and failure to keep Alexander Isak happy has left the club with an almost dysfunctional feel

“If you want to understand Newcastle you first need to understand its place in the world – that is, a very long way from anywhere. The next major city is Leeds, two hours drive to the south … London feels very far away.”

If Eddie Howe can only hope his prospective signings do not stumble across the Rough Guides introduction to England’s northern cities, Newcastle’s manager may also reflect that it was not supposed to be like this.

Our cartoonist on the wacky plotlines and big characters to look out for as the new season begins

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• David’s latest book, Chaos in the Box: buy it now

The Guardian’s fans network looks ahead to the new season: fresh talent, weak links, and who will be sacked first

Optimism abounds in London N5. I had some doubts about Arteta’s ability to keep motivating this group, but this summer’s heavy spend should fix that, reinvigorating the squad. Only time will tell whether the new faces can gel and develop chemistry, but it’s a relief to have the clamour for a centre-forward answered at last. Hopefully come May we’ll be lauding Victor’s veni, vidi, vici Premier League triumph.

Bernard Azulay onlinegooner.com; @GoonerN5

Jonathan Pritchard (With thanks to Ozzy and all the Holte Enders in the Sky.)

From a Saturday Night Fever-inspired video to a bizarre Lionel Richie-theme, it has been a creative time for signings

Sometimes it’s best not to overcomplicate things. The former Atalanta playmaker Alejandro “Papu” Gómez loves a dance (his hit single Dance Like the Papu went viral in 2017) and Padua is an absolutely gorgeous city in northern Italy, so this Saturday Night Fever-inspired transfer announcement video for the Argentinian that showcases both works a charm. In what feels like a high-quality production, the 2022 World Cup winner struts around the city in 1970s clobber: a leather jacket, an enormously lappelled shirt and a vintage pair of Copa Mundials, all to the sound of the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive. The context of this transfer to the Serie B side is that Gómez is finishing a two-year doping ban after taking a banned substance, which the now 37-year-old claimed came from his son’s cough medicine. Gómez, fifth on the all-time list of Serie A assists, continues to train independently but can start training with his new Padova teammates on 19 August.

Belgium-born coach on being tagged a ‘laptop manager’, the pressure to get Saints promoted and why village cricket is his secret to relaxing

“You don’t call it Opel, you call it Vauxhall,” says Will Still. “A Corsa, little black thing that eventually died. Actually, no, Nico, my younger brother crashed it … it was crap, though, it didn’t even have a radio.” Still, who grew up in Grez-Doiceau, near Brussels, laughs as he recounts his days driving to work as an unpaid video analyst at Sint-Truiden while living at home with his mother, Jane. “Best time of my life, to be honest. It was like the dream was coming true.”

Twelve years on, the 32-year-old, one of the most intriguing managers in the game, has been tasked with returning Southampton to the Premier League after impressing with Lens. The only other time he lived in England was as a teenager when he spent two years studying at Myerscough College in Lancashire, where his degree included coaching Preston’s under-14s. At the time Still felt like “the little posh Belgian kid” but that period provided a handy lesson in English football-speak.

Poised for a move to Al-Hilal, the striker will depart in the affections of many despite a hit and miss time at Anfield

It started with a goal to clinch the Community Shield against Manchester City on his Liverpool debut and a red card for a head-butt on his Anfield bow. There were glaring misses, falling-outs and some telling contributions in between, before it ended with Liverpool taking a rare financial hit on a one-time club record signing. Darwin Núñez never reached the heights Jürgen Klopp predicted he would, but it was an eventful three-year ride that ensures the striker is poised to depart in the affections of many at Liverpool.

Klopp led the signing of Núñez before and especially after his two appearances for Benfica against Liverpool in the 2021-22 Champions League. But he was not the only Liverpool coach to be sold on the Uruguay international’s talents, become frustrated by attempts to accommodate the forward and ultimately sideline him. Arne Slot followed an identical path with the mercurial 26-year-old.

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Today’s Football Daily would like to start with the topical events of 15 February 1983. That was the day Manchester United outplayed and outviolenced Arsenal in the first leg of their Milk Cup semi-final at Highbury. United won 4-2; they were 4-0 up after 80 minutes before taking their foot off Arsenal’s throat, and shinbone, and head. “Perhaps we’ve been concentrating too much on passing and technique,” lamented Don Howe, Arsenal’s head coach and assistant to the manager, Terry Neill. “Against United we went out to strike the ball about instead of putting some meat into the game.” In 1980s English football, there was no place for veganism. Things have changed since the days when ABH was a bookable offence, and only then after the first 10 minutes, but English football still has a pretty noxious meat footprint.

Winger with millions of followers explains how the ‘female-first mentality’ at the Serie A minnows was a big draw

It is not difficult to understand why any Italian club would want to sign Alisha Lehmann: last season she helped Juventus win a league and cup double, she is an international winger who accumulated 19 goals and 10 assists in England’s Women’s Super League and, yes, there is the small matter of her 16.7m Instagram followers and 12m TikTok followers, an online presence that commands a commercial power vast for any athlete and pretty unique in women’s football.

What is perhaps not so immediately obvious is why, aged 26 and with her peak football years probably ahead, she would opt to join a club that finished in the bottom half of Serie A last season and cannot yet offer European football. However, the Switzerland forward’s reasons for signing a three-year deal with FC Como Women, she says, have a deeper meaning.

After 10 goals in 12 league games earned West Ham player a rising star award she talks dogs, sleep and her football dream

Shekiera Martinez’s family were sceptical when she told them, aged eight, she wanted to start playing football. She was one of four girls and a boy in her family, growing up in Germany, and one of her older sisters had by then given up the game. “I wanted to start but when I told my mum, she firstly said: ‘No, you won’t play for long, you’ll be like your sister,’” Martinez recalls. “And so then I gave her a promise that I would play for longer than my sister.”

Sixteen years later, the West Ham striker has certainly kept that promise. After progressing through her local boys’ team, playing for Eintracht Frankfurt for six years and thriving at youth level for Germany, Martinez most recently collected the Women’s Super League’s Rising Star award for the 2024-25 season after a breakthrough second half of the campaign in which she scored 10 times in 12 WSL games.

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Today’s tall tales want to swing their hips

It’s been an unusually busy summer at Manchester City: lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous. And Hugo Viana, City’s new director of football, isn’t done yet. According to selected rags, City may hijack Chelsea’s move for the RB Leipzig and Netherlands forward Xavi Simons.

City are also attempting to reunite last year’s France Olympic squad by stealth. First they signed Rayan Cherki; now they’re being linked with the Monaco midfielder Maghnes Akliouche.

How well do you remember the goals, games and controversial moments of previous opening weekends?

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Liew and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan for the first of our Premier League preview podcasts

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast today: after finishing second for the third consecutive season, will Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal go one better and be crowned Premier League champions? They have their striker at long last.