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WEEKEND STATS

Man United 0 - 3 Liverpool. Arne Slot becomes the first manager to win his first three Premier League games without conceding a single goal since Sven-Göran Eriksson in 2007, and Mo Salah has scored 10 goals in nine appearances at Old Trafford for Liverpool in all competitions. Arsenal 1 - 1 Brighton. Declan Rice was shown a red card for the first time in 245 Premier League appearances, while Brighton have remained unbeaten in their opening three games. West Ham 1 - 3 Man City. Erling Haaland is the first player to score a hat-trick in two of a team’s first three league games since Paul Jewell for Bradford in 1994-95. More Premier League Matchweek 3 results here.

Plus…

• Champions League league phase fixtures released (More)

• Kylian Mbappe scores his first two league goals in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Real Betis (More)

• For the first time ever someone has won Super 6’s £1mn jackpot (More)

PREMIER LEAGUE

Transfer window spending down 16% as trends shift

Premier League clubs cut back from last summer’s record transfer window as spending is down 16%, per Financial Times. The data from Transfermarkt shows that England’s top 20 clubs spent around £1.98bn, compared to last year’s record £2.34bn. 

But, in a sign of less buying activity, Premier League clubs narrowed their net spend markedly. This summer they spent £642mn more than they received for players, shrinking from a deficit of almost £1.09bn last year.

The more timid approach to this window can be explained by one thing: profit and sustainability rules (PSR). In other words, clubs are realising there are teeth to the regulations.

A changing trend: Adding to this, Saudi Pro League spending has slashed to €300mn from €950mn last year. This cash flow, which acted as a lifeline for PSR, has essentially been cut off.

Focus on developing youth

Premier League clubs completed 37 transfers worth in excess of £20mn and 31 of those were for players 24 or under, per The Athletic. And of the ‘Big Six’, only Manchester City signed a player in his 30s - in Ilkay Gundogan.

With a greater focus on youth amongst the big hitters, it has made it harder for clubs to offload senior players like Ben Chilwell, Kieran Trippier and Casemiro.

POLL

HEAD START

🔴 Salah says it’s his last year at Liverpool. After Mo Salah made it 16 goals in 15 meetings against Manchester United, he told Sky Sports that this will be his “last year at the club”. Salah followed up by saying: “Nobody at the club has spoken to me yet about contracts, so I will play my last season and see at the end of the season”. The Egypt international is likely sending a message to the club’s board, who have also been slow in contract renegotiations with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold - both of which have one year left on their contracts.

🪦 Bamba dies aged 39. Former Cardiff City, Leicester City and Leeds United defender Sol Bamba has died aged 39. Bamba was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2021, but was declared cancer-free. He passed away after falling ill before a match in Turkey, where he was the technical director at Adanaspor.

🧊 Osimhem frozen out of Napoli squad. Victor Osimhen has not been included in Napoli’s 23-man Serie A squad this season after his move away from the club failed to materialise. Things have turned sour since and the 25-year-old plays no part in the club’s plans. Newly signed Romelu Lukaku is Napoli’s first-choice striker this season, who scored on his debut in a 2-1 win against Parma.

LA LIGA

Hansi Flick starts strong with Barcelona

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has unleashed euphoria at the club since taking charge this season, per Marca.

His side won 7-0 over Valladolid on the weekend, with Raphina scoring a hat-trick and assisting two. Barcelona’s strong start places them at the top of the La Liga table with 12 points from four matches and four points ahead of rivals Real Madrid.

The German manager has become the first coach since Ernesto Valverde in the 2017-2018 season to win his first four La Liga matches with Barcelona.

Redemption stories in full swing

Flick has been credited for bringing out the best from his players - like Raphinha and Jules Kounde. In the middle of last season, fans were calling for their departures. But after Raphina slotted his third goal against Valladolid, the home fans sang: “Captain, captain”.

Despite both playing out of position - Raphina on the left, Kounde at full-back - they’re being treated like heroes at the club.

In a short space of time, Barcelona seem to be a long way away from last season’s unease, low confidence and inconsistency - but the season’s still early.

LOWER LEAGUE LOUNGE

Championship

Sunderland lead the pack. The Black Cats have gone four for four in the league after a 1-3 win over Portsmouth. Watford’s three-game unbeaten streak comes to an end. Despite a strong start, Watford’s 1-0 loss to Sheffield United leaves them trailing behind Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion. Cardiff City and Luton Town are yet to win. Both sides are at the bottom of the league, with 1 draw and 3 losses.

League One

Stockport County, Wrexham and Birmingham City are neck-and-neck. All three sides remain unbeaten with 3 wins in 4; Stockport lead the table with a +7 goal difference. Blackpool, Cambridge United and Leyton Orient struggle at the other end of the table. All three are yet to secure 3 points, while Leyton Orient have lost all four opening fixtures.

League Two

Gillingham maintain top spot. A 1-0 win over Chesterfield means that The Gills are ahead of five other teams by just one point. Walsall, Barrow, Newport County AFC, Doncaster Rovers and AFC Wimbledon are all on 9 points. The only thing that separates these sides is goal difference. Morecambe continue to struggle. Their 1-0 loss to Doncaster Rovers means they’ve lost all four league games this season.

MORE NEWS

Around the football world

• Bayer Leverkusen lose their first league game in 462 days (More); Harry Kane scores his first goal of the season in Bayern Munich’s 2 - 0 win over Freiburg (More)

• Luis Suarez scores a brace in Inter Miami’s 4-1 win over Chicago Fire (More)

• Napoli winger was robbed at gunpoint after a 2-1 win over Parma (More) / in Italian

• Romeo Beckham quits Brentford B to sign for a Paris fashion agency (More)

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ROUTER’S VOICE

On Friday, we asked you: Do you think the new Champions League format will be more exciting?

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ 🥳 Absolutely, I can't wait... (39.1%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👎 Nope, too many games... (57.73)

⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (write in!)... (3%)

Your punditry takes:

• 🥳 C.S: “Groups have been a snooze in recent times; now we get top seeds playing each other earlier.”

• 👎 Z.K: “Look as a fan, I love having games every three days. It's amazing. However, the quality of these games go down as we progress, just due to injuries and being tired. It's not right for the players, and that impacts the fans as well.”

• 👎 Q.T: “More games, more travel, more cost to the fan...and despite everything it's even more skewed in favour of the top clubs. I expect to see the same group of 3 or 4 teams win it over and over.”

• ✍️ D.M.G: “No. It's very inconsistent in terms of who plays who. What's the basis of the match selections? Some of the leading sides have much tougher or easier 8 teams selected as opponents than others. Groups of 5 teams using the normal seeding processes, playing each other home & away, would be better.”

EXTRA TIME

Comparing Haaland’s stats to Ronaldo and Messi’s.

The Championship is producing incredible goals.

Virgil van Dijk mocks Andre Onana’s elbow to the chest.

Transfer spending summarised across every league.

Wayne Rooney’s karaoke night in Plymouth is interesting.

How Mo Salah wants to be remembered by Liverpool fans.

When Sol Bamba asked the reporter to keep a cheeky secret.

Jose Mourinho matches the height of the reporter.

How FC Copenhagen are building their women’s team.

GAME FACE ON

Question: Manchester City’s win on the weekend means that Guardiola has gone more Premier League games unbeaten against West Ham than any other manager against a single team. Can you name the manager and the opposition he has overtaken?

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

League Two

• Salford vs MK Dons (20:00 BST)

National League N / S

• Aveley vs Dorking Wanderers (19:45 BST) 

• Boreham Wood vs Worthing (19:45 BST)

• H. Hempstead vs Welling United (19:45 BST)

*EST -5. PST -8. CET +1. CST +8. JST +9.

Answer

Sir Alex Ferguson vs Charlton. In 16 games, Ferguson’s side won 14 and drew 2, taking 44 points from a possible 48.

Guadiola vs West Ham is slightly better, with 15 wins and 2 draws in 17 games, taking 47 points from a possible 51.