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How 'information' is key to Pickford's penalty save processpublished at 11:05 BST 25 August
11:05 BST 25 August
Everton started Premier League life at their magnificent new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey with their first victory of the season against Brighton.
And it was fitting that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, such a significant figure in keeping Everton in the Premier League in recent seasons, played a key role with the late penalty save from Danny Welbeck that snuffed out any Albion hopes of a late revival.
Rob Green and Troy Deeney broke down Pickford's process of saving the penalty on Sunday's Match of the Day...
'The wrong way round' - pundits criticise 'dubious' VAR callspublished at 11:03 BST 25 August
11:03 BST 25 August
Media caption,
Match of the Day pundits Rob Green and Troy Deeney criticised the "dubious" VAR decisions that the officials got "the wrong way round" in Fulham's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
United were awarded a penalty on Sunday when Calvin Bassey dragged Mason Mount to the ground in the 33rd minute at Craven Cottage.
The foul was not given on the field but referee Chris Kavanagh was sent to the screen by the video assistant referee and the decision was overturned.
Bruno Fernandes blazed the spot-kick over the bar, but the penalty award left some watching perplexed, given United full-back Luke Shaw appeared to commit a very similar foul just yards away on Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz at the same time.
Ruben Amorim's side went on to take the lead in the 58th minute from a corner, with Leny Yoro's header deflecting off Muniz.
As the ball came in, though, Yoro appeared to push Bassey in the back with both hands, but this time VAR did not intervene.
At first glance, the penalty decision is a simple one with Bassey grabbing Mount and throwing him to the ground.
Given the Premier League's stated aim to crackdown on pulling and holding at corners this season, in part brought in to help avoid time being wasted by referees delaying set-pieces being taken to warn the players involved, it was no surprise it was given.
The complication comes from the fact Shaw also seemed to be grabbing Muniz, just behind the Bassey and Mount incident.
The United left-back had both arms wrapped around the Fulham forward and both ended up on the ground.
But the penalty was still awarded because Bassey was deemed to have committed a foul first.
Mainoo's blocked pathwaypublished at 09:50 BST 25 August
09:50 BST 25 August
Simon Stone Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was an unused substitute on Sunday as Manchester United drew with Fulham at Craven Cottage.
When United boss Ruben Amorim made changes during the game, the first was to drop Mason Mount into a deeper role for Casemiro as Benjamin Sesko came on. Then Manuel Ugarte replaced Mount as United looked for a winner.
Mainoo seems to have slipped back quite a way since his 2023-24 breakthrough campaign under Erik ten Hag, when he scored in the FA Cup final and started for England in the Euro 2024 final.
Judging by who the 20-year-old is in direct competition with in the United squad, according to Amorim, the midfielder might be in for a frustrating few weeks.
"He's fighting for the position now with Bruno [Fernandes]," said the Portuguese.
"I changed two midfielders. I left Mason Mount there because we wanted to score a goal - and when I changed again, I felt the team needed to return to one holding midfielder near Bruno.
"He just needs to fight for the position with Bruno, as it should be at Manchester United. He will play with Bruno [as well] but, at the moment, he's fighting in training with Bruno for the position."
Unless Fernandes is moved into one of the number 10 roles new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo presently occupy, it is difficult to see Amorim dropping his captain.
'Riskier high-line' approach needed to give Grealish 'freedom'published at 09:06 BST 25 August
09:06 BST 25 August
Image source, Getty Images
Former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker says Everton will need "to be more adventurous" in their playing style if they are to get the best out of Jack Grealish.
The on-loan summer signing shone in the game at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium and registered two assists as the Blues beat Brighton 2-0.
There is wide-scale hope that Grealish can get his career back on track under David Moyes and there were some very promising signs on Sunday.
"If you look at Moyes and his history as a manager, then you will know he always plays to his strengths," said Reo-Coker on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.
"Grealish works hard off the ball, but to get the best out of him then you need him high up the pitch.
"That means Moyes might need to encourage his team to be more adventurous and play a riskier high line. They did that and got caught out twice but wasteful Brighton didn't take their opportunity.
"That is the risk you have to take because it meant you had Grealish at his best with freedom on the left-hand side.
"Brighton also had to double up on him, which created opportunities and openings for other players."
Liverpool are in a tricky situation. Despite apparently 'winning the transfer window' with monster deals for Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and others, the Reds are going into the second weekend of the season worryingly short in attack.
We've sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, while tragically losing Diogo Jota. Ekitike doesn't cover all three. Liverpool have seemingly put all our eggs into Alexander Isak's basket. While the striker is desperate to come, Newcastle United, who have failed in all their attempts to buy replacements, have doubled down on their going nowhere stance.
Liverpool usually wait to get the right player instead of buying stopgaps. And for this reason, I see Isak signing in January. The situation mirrors Coutinho's exit to Barcelona in 2018. The Brazilian feigned a back injury and did everything he could to leave the summer previous, but with Liverpool not prepared for his sale, they simply said no. Then, the Reds prepared for his departure and used him well for five months before cashing in. I expect the same thing to happen with the Swede, although reintegration at St. James' Park will be tougher given his scorched earth Instagram statement.
As for Monday's game against the Magpies? Gulp. There is literally no harder game for Liverpool on planet earth right now given the ferocity with which their players and fans will approach it. I'm praying for no injuries.
My contract renewal is 'done' - Cucurellapublished at 11:58 BST 23 August
11:58 BST 23 August
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has confirmed that his contract extension is "done".
The 27-year-old started Chelsea's 5-1 win away at West Ham amid pre-match rumours that he signed on improved terms at Stamford Bridge.
There has yet to be any official announcement about Cucurella's new contract, whith his previous deal set to expire in 2028.
However, when asked by Spanish media at London Stadium, Cucurella said: "Yes, it's done. We already did it.
"I'm very happy, the club gave me the confidence and I'm very happy to be here. Hopefully I will have a great year."
Cucurella delivered seven goals and four assists in all competitions last season as the Blues won the Club World Cup and Conference League while qualifying for the Champions League through a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, after victory in the London derby on Friday, fellow defender Trevoh Chalobah says Chelsea have the squad to challenge for big titles.
He added: "I think definitely. By having a strong squad like that, with Champions League and Premier League, in different positions then everyone is going to be important to achieve something big."
'This is difficult to fathom' - fans on Nuno's futurepublished at 17:37 BST 22 August
17:37 BST 22 August
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on the news surrounding Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and manager Nuno Espirito Santo, with the latter's future at the club now uncertain.
Here are some of your comments:
Peter: I know our owner is erratic, but this is difficult to fathom. I just hope they can get over this, as it would be a disaster at this stage of the season when everything looked so hopeful.
Dave: Whatever internal dispute is going on, it shouldn't be aired in public like this. It would be a mistake to get rid of Nuno, and it seems like terrible timing. Both men need to sit down and settle this. No-one is bigger than the club, not even Marinakis.
Stuart: When are the money men going to forget their personal ego and let the professionals do their job?
Gavin: This shows everything about who Maranakis is. The manager who got Forest back into the Premier League - fired with barely a thank you. Now, Nuno, who produced the best season this club has had in nearly 30 years, is being sidelined because apparently the owner cannot sustain a relationship with another person. It's a disgrace.
Andrew: Why do clubs that are successful press the self-destruct button?
'We need to find the right balance by not being too open'published at 16:55 BST 22 August
16:55 BST 22 August
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool boss Arne Slot says the "bar we've set" by winning the Premier League title means his team will come under more scrutiny this season.
After letting Bournemouth back into the game when 2-0 up in the opening match last Friday, the Reds' defence came in for criticism.
Liverpool's full-backs were singled out for playing too high, while central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were also questioned for their roles in the goals.
"Of course that has something to do with the bar we've set, and I agree we were at some moments too open," said Slot.
"The first goal was, I think, mainly unlucky that we lost the ball in a position we shouldn't lose it and then we were three against three, which is normally not a problem but we had a disadvantage to our opponent.
"Second goal is definitely being too open, If all your three midfielders are inside the box, that's too open.
"But also the reason why we scored [to make it] 3-2 was one of our midfielders, Curtis Jones, arrived in the box and made it difficult for the goalkeeper, and the ball fell to Federico [Chiesa].
"So, it's also who we are but we need to find the right balance by not being too open."
The return of midfielder Ryan Gravenberch should help provide more protection for the defence when Liverpool face Newcastle on Monday night, having been so key in the 2024-25 title win.
"I've watched the game back twice and I don't think - apart from the two goals - there were many other counter-attacks from Bournemouth, but if it leads to a goal it's of course a big story," he added.
"For us, conceding two - that's too much in a home game, that's too open.
"If you look back at last season, every time he played Ryan would have been in that position."
'Two sides to every story' - Howe has not given up on Isak returnpublished at 12:55 BST 22 August
12:55 BST 22 August
Ciaran Kelly Newcastle United reporter
Image source, Getty Images
You suspect Eddie Howe will be glad to see the back of this draining transfer window.
"I will be pleased when it's here," the Newcastle United head coach said in his pre-match news conference. "If we have what we want."
That remains a big if, of course.
With just a week and a half left until deadline day, there is no doubt what Newcastle want. And that is a quality replacement for Callum Wilson.
Finding one has proved difficult, of course, since Wilson left the club last month at the end of his contract, and the Magpies have had multiple bids rejected for Brentford star Yoane Wissa.
The Wissa pursuit illustrates the challenge the club have faced to recruit one striker – let alone an additional centre-forward capable of filling Alexander Isak's sizeable boots.
Isak may want out – the Swede has repeatedly made that clear – but Newcastle do not foresee the "conditions of sale" being met given the lack of viable alternatives available.
And that is before even addressing the possibility of Liverpool even making the sort of offer that actually gives Newcastle a decision to make.
Where does that leave the Tyneside club? In a "lose-lose" situation as far as Howe is concerned.
Either Newcastle lose Isak with so little time left in the window to find a worthy replacement or they are left with a wantaway player who has to, somehow, be reintegrated.
It is rather telling that Howe has not spoken to Isak since his explosive statement on Tuesday night, but the head coach has been consistent throughout this saga that the door remains open to the striker.
Howe even recognised on Friday that there are "two sides to every story" before going on to make the distinction between the "regrettable" situation and Isak's daily conduct during his three years at the club.
Isak may have made his feelings clear but, clearly, Howe has not given up on the 25-year-old one day playing for the club again.
Even if that feels like a distant prospect right now.
Is the Chiesa song offensive?published at 08:31 BST 22 August
08:31 BST 22 August
Jordan Chamberlain Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It's not an easy answer. In many ways, the conversation itself ruins the fun of it anyway. When the song first popped up at the beginning of last season, it was used sparingly given Federico Chiesa barely played; then in an almost tongue in cheek fashion, given how little Arne Slot seemed to rate the Italian.
There was an element to it which was a bit silly. Like, 'Look how much we're going for it for a footballer who doesn't even play'. It wasn't mocking Chiesa, but it was much more about the fun of being a Liverpool fan than anything else.
This all changed on Friday night on Premier League Opening Day of course when Chiesa's goal won us the game versus Bournemouth and the rendition was at it's most deserved and brilliant.
I was at the Premier League title-winning parade and it got sung more than Mo Salah's tune. It's just very fun to bounce along to. It's a really, really good football chant, with no context considered.
Is it offensive? I don't really think Liverpool fans are the right people to ask. Ask Juventus fans. If Juve supporters hear the lyrics, 'You can hear them crying in Turin,' and '**** off Juve, I'm a Kopite now,' and feel some anger or hurt, that is their right. Just like it's not for non-Liverpool fans to claim the 'Victims' chant isn't offensive. If I heard a supporters group for Juve speak out against it, I would be less comfortable singing it.
I think intention is key here. When the song started, it was made up by young lads who were not around 40 years ago when Heysel happened. There is no intention at all to reference that disaster in a mocking way - and the fact Chiesa himself said he loved the song and joined in at the end of last season suggests there is no ambition to hurt. Liverpool fans of a younger age shouldn't necessarily carry a guilt from Heysel, but this doesn't mean the song hasn't offended Juve fans at the same time.
I probably won't sing it anymore, because the discussion has tarnished its good-humoured essence anyway. Many will, which is their right.
An Arsenal 'fairytale' as 'Eze completes the set'published at 08:31 BST 22 August
08:31 BST 22 August
Chris Howard Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Perhaps if Shakespeare were still alive, even he couldn't have predicted the whirlwind 24 hours that Arsenal fans experienced this week, as we finally got 'our boy' back home with us, following weeks of speculation and what felt like resignation at the prospect of him joining the most local (and disliked) of rivals in Tottenham Hotspur.
But here we are, with one of the most rapid hijack moves since a certain Emmanuel Petit had Spurs pay his cab fare to Arsene's house all those years ago.
This is far more than bragging rights, however, because in Eberechi Eze, Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta have a key component part solved in how they will counter the suffocating low-block football that they came up against time and time again against last season.
The brief was clear at the start of the summer: more directness, more attempts, more chaos. We need goals. We need a different approach. Arteta needs more clubs in his metaphorical golf set. Noni Madueke fits that bill when you look at his style and statistics, Viktor Gyokeres too, but Eze completes the set. His arrival could have the potential to truly 'unlock' Arsenal and those team-mates around him. His ability on the ball, his eye for a goal, his link-up play and versatility; it's all there. And the bonus part? He's an Arsenal fan. A rejected youth scholar returns a man to fulfil a dream that had been decades in the making.
Shakespeare didn't write footballing fairytale stories, but if he did, they probably wouldn't be far off this particular transfer.
'If I was a player I wouldn't want Isak back'published at 08:14 BST 22 August
08:14 BST 22 August
Wayne Rooney doesn't think "there is any way back for Alexander Isak at Newcastle" and if he was one of his team-mates then he wouldn't want him to be re-integrated either.
The clock on the transfer window is counting down but Isak remains in the North East despite going on strike and penning a strong Instagram post about moving on.
"If I'm a Newcastle player, I don't want Isak back," Rooney said on the BBC's Wayne Rooney Show. "I think if players leave football clubs - and that happens all the time - there's a way to go about it.
"You can't go on strike, can't not turn up for training and train with your team-mates.
"If you want to leave the club or not, you have to be there for your team-mates and be ready if needed. So I think if I was a player I wouldn't want him back.
"He's deserted you. He doesn't want to be there, he doesn't want to be your team-mate. So I wouldn't want him back.
"Now, Newcastle aren't happy with Isak's behaviour because Liverpool want to sign him. But then on the flip side of that, Newcastle are trying to sign Yoane Wissa who's behaving the exact same way at Brentford.
"I remember Anthony Gordon not playing for Everton because he wanted to go to Newcastle. So you can't have it both ways.
"But in terms of Isak's team-mates, I wouldn't want him back. Once you've overstepped the mark I think it's very difficult to come back in.
"You can ask to leave a football club - that happens - or the club tell you you're leaving. But you have to be professional.
"You've got friends in there who you play with, you have fans who are paying a lot of money to support and you can't just walk out on it. And if they're going to do it once, they'll do it again.
"For me, I don't think there's any way back for Isak at Newcastle. I think there are cases where it can happen, but from me as a person, don't think I could accept them back."
Truffert 'looked at home' and Iraola has fresh 'ammunition'published at 07:28 BST 22 August
07:28 BST 22 August
Mark Mitchener BBC Sport Senior Journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Pre-season is usually a time for optimism among football fans – hopes and dreams that are often sent crashing back down to earth by an unfavourable result on the opening day.
Not many fanbases would actually become more optimistic after losing their first game 4-2 – but Bournemouth's performance at Anfield on Friday showed that Andoni Iraola's side are still capable of going toe-to-toe with the best sides in the division, in what was (on paper at least) their most difficult game of the season.
Clearly both teams were still integrating new players, and Bournemouth might envy the transfer fees Liverpool were able to pay in order to do so. But new Cherries left-back Adrien Truffert immediately looked at home in an Iraola side, arguably outshining his predecessor Milos Kerkez, who had a difficult start to his Liverpool career – given the runaround by two-goal Antoine Semenyo, yellow-carded before half-time and substituted on the hour.
A new-look back four also featured Bafode Diakite, barely 48 hours after signing from Lille. The French centre-back would be forgiven for barely knowing his team-mates' names as he was thrown straight into the cauldron of Anfield, but he displayed plenty of energy and showed he likes a tackle. Time will allow the retooled defence, also including new goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, to gain a greater understanding.
Further forward, the Cherries were missing three key men in Justin Kluivert, Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie, while the absence of Luis Sinisterra (reportedly lining up a move abroad) and Brentford-bound Dango Ouattara left them short of cover in the wide areas.
Iraola prefers to have a group of wide players available so the starters can run themselves ragged before being replaced after the hour mark. The fact he only made one change before the dying minutes at Anfield reflected his relative lack of forward ammunition on the bench.
However, new signings Ben Gannon Doak (as he now prefers to be known) and Amine Adli should remedy that situation. Gannon Doak has pace to burn and vast potential, Adli already has a Bundesliga winner's medal, and the pair are ready to be unleashed when Wolves visit Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Eze leaves Spurs 'reeking of desperation'published at 16:06 BST 21 August
16:06 BST 21 August
Bardi Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It's not so much the player, it's what the failed transfer of Eberechi Eze means long-term for a club that at some point has to negotiate with other Premier League teams.
Daniel Levy's reign has seen an upturn in fortune and fortunes at Spurs, but they still seem unable to compete and complete transfers.
With Morgan Gibbs-White's move to Spurs in pieces, Eze seemed the next logical step, especially with top-four rivals out of the equation, but somehow Levy and Spurs failed to get it over the line.
Who moved the line depends on where you stand in the great Levy debate, but what's clear is that he seems unable to work with other Premier League clubs.
Levy's self-promotion over the years as an "always-on" figure, someone involved with every aspect of the club, has made him a trophy. Over his 24 years at the wheel, he's broken relationships across the league and Europe. Just compare how easy it is for Arsenal to pry players from Chelsea and now Palace.
Premier League chairmen know what to expect from him. They expect to be "drawn over the coals" and they've had enough. People want to move quickly and get on with the business of selling and buying players. Levy, once so adept at negotiating, is now a VHS in a streaming world—everyone has moved on.
Eze was probably not the player we needed. He's not a high-volume creative passer or a dribbling sensation, but he represented far more than that. He's a player at the peak of his powers, and his signature would be a statement of intent. It would also ultimately deny Arsenal a player they coveted.
Spurs now enter the final few weeks of the window reeking of desperation. Selling clubs know what we're holding and how to squeeze us. We have no other option but to pay what they want.
Denying Daniel Levy has become a trophy that football clubs proudly hang in their boardroom. We're no longer Tottenham at the negotiating table—we're Levy, and this is not how business should be done. He needs to remove himself from the equation so we can get back to the business of being a football club.
Adli scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists in 42 games in 2023-24 as Leverkusen won the Bundesliga and German Cup double under former boss Xabi Alonso.
Those close to the winger say he is excited to play under manager Andoni Iraola at a club that he feels is growing in stature.
He believes Iraola's style of play will fit his skill set having been pitched the chance to play both number 10 and on the right-wing.
Upon joining the club, Adli said: "The people around give me a lot of confidence here and I'm very impressed with the facilities.
"The people at the club are full of love, so I'm very happy and proud to play for Bournemouth and hopefully achieve good things."
Rutter is the 'connector' in the dressing room - Hurzelerpublished at 10:54 BST 21 August
10:54 BST 21 August
Image source, Getty Images
It has been just over a year since Georginio Rutter headed south from Leeds United to join Brighton.
In his latest news conference, Fabian Hurzeler spoke at length about the importance of the French attacker in the dressing room in his first 12 months on the south coast.
"Like he is as a person, [his first year] has been positive," Hurzeler said. "He is always smiling and joking, but when it is time to work he knows to switch on.
"He is a great connector - normally [in the dressing room] you always have groups but he connects the different cultures, ages and characters. He is not only important for me on the pitch, off it as well.
"He is a very positive person, every time you see him you need to smile! He brings a positive energy and he gives it to everyone. That is so crucial because there is pressure, but I want the players to enjoy it when they step into the building.
"It is so important that they find the joy and Georgie brings that."
Torpey appointed as academy directorpublished at 10:37 BST 21 August
10:37 BST 21 August
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Stephen Torpey as the club's academy director.
Torpey joins the Red Devils from Brentford where he helped rebuild the club's youth structure. He will start his new role in the coming months, as Everton-bound Nick Cox stays on to aid a "smooth transition".
"I am really proud to have this opportunity to lead Manchester United's Academy" said Torpey. "After spending time with the leadership team, it is clear that the Academy will always remain key to the identity of Manchester United, with our primary aim being to produce players ready to support a first team capable of challenging for the biggest honours."
Director of Football Jason Wilcox added: "Stephen's record of youth development is outstanding; throughout his career he has played a significant role in the development of some of the most talented players in the country."
Welcoming Isak back 'dangerous and not the right message'published at 08:54 BST 21 August
08:54 BST 21 August
Image source, Getty Images
Former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown says Alexander Isak " shouldn't just walk straight back into the team" if his desired move away from Newcastle does not materialise.
The club's statement in response to Isak's own on Tuesday says the wantaway striker "remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his team-mates".
"What's frustrating for a teammate is you start the season and he's in the building but not even at training," Brown told the Football Daily podcast.
"The first thing Isak should be doing is always be fully behind everything his teammates are doing. I think that's only an honourable and right thing to do to go and give that support.
"I do understand when it comes to game days where you can start going 'well, if I get injured here then I could miss this dream move'. That's the danger.
"But, in regards to respect to everybody, I think the dressing room will be disappointed during these first couple of games about how the whole thing is all about him rather than about the success and drive they have at the start of the season and how hard they've worked.
"It's not helping the recruitment side of things. His teammates will want to see bodies coming in. If I'm there am I looking over my shoulder and thinking 'we're not going to be the team that gets top four or five'?
"I'd be trying to get a hold of him and trying to get him back in but it's gone too far now to where this is a real mess. Newcastle have said he'd be welcome back at any point. I think that's also dangerous and not the right message.
"I would tell Isak he can stay where he is if that is his opinion and we'll sort it out at some point. He shouldn't just walk straight back into the team I don't think."
An 'X-factor' signing - fans on Ezepublished at 08:48 BST 21 August
08:48 BST 21 August
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Eberechi Eze, who, despite the best efforts of rivals Tottenham, looks set to join Arsenal.
Here are some of your comments:
Robin: At last, the missing link! Eze stood out to me when he was at QPR and he has really come on in the last two seasons. With the support and quality at Arsenal I think he will make the transition to a world class player by helping Arsenal to become a world class trophy-winning team.
Dave: Brilliant move for us. I was worried after seeing Martinelli at Old Trafford. He has just not kicked on to the next level in terms of finishing and creating. Eze, like Palmer, is a player who can grab a game by the throat and make a real difference.
Guy: I love Eze as a player, but I'm not sure he is the right fit for us or the player we need. An out-and-out left winger would be preferable to me, rather than trying to shoehorn people into places they don't belong.
Ant: While not a goal machine, Eze has proven form in the Premier League over several seasons, and will be looking to prove himself worthy of a place in Tuchel's squad next summer. Bonus points that he's an Arsenal fan, and a former Hale End player.
Sterls: Finally, this was the one transfer I'd been waiting for. Eze is an amazing player and one who will give us that X- factor that we have been looking for. It was noticeable when Odegaard and Saka got injured that our lack of creativity, penetration and goal scoring dried up considerably. Now with the likes of Zubimendi, Gyokeres and Eze onboard, we finally have the links to the missing pieces in us winning a major trophy this year.
Aussie Gooner: Go to bed with Havertz injured and out... wake up with Eze close to Arsenal. Hope it's not a dream and the nightmare is over!
Do transfers like Ramsey's mean a rule rethink is needed?published at 15:03 BST 20 August
15:03 BST 20 August
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images
The lasting memory of an unproductive opening day may be the odd kinship that appears to have developed between Aston Villa and Newcastle - two clubs who have arrived at a similar status by different routes.
Both have proven potential to break into the top bracket of the Premier League and owners with the financial muscle to back their ambition.
And their fans united on Saturday to claim loudly that their clubs are being held back by the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), designed to protect clubs from financial ruin.
Those fans might say that last sentence is contentious, since the very point many of them have made is that the only protecting being done by PSR – and in Villa's case, Uefa's Squad Cost Rules too – is of the established wealthy giants from the perceived nouveau riche like Villa and Newcastle.
And how bizarre that we should be considering clubs with such proud histories as Villa and Newcastle as some kind of insurgent anyway.
Yet it is hard to argue that football does not need some sort of financial control when so many clubs have ended up in trouble - and in extreme cases, ended altogether.
Whether there is a fairer method is a debate likely to outlive both you and me. But if the current system appears to make a transfer like Jacob Ramsey's move to Newcastle more likely, a rethink may be necessary.
Ramsey, an authentic local boy done good, represents "pure profit" for Villa. Unai Emery and his colleagues only ever spoke glowingly of him.
Ramsey himself obviously revelled in playing for the club that nurtured him since just after he started school, and he deserves a warm reception whenever he plays at Villa Park in future.
Should he feel any homesickness, his new club will understand – in another parallel between the sides, Newcastle sold Elliot Anderson, apparently for similar reasons, last year.
Ramsey and Anderson will both prosper. They may play together for England one day.
Perhaps this sort of transfer is caused not by the rules themselves, but the way clubs choose to observe them. We can debate that.
But for now, it may be that the best way for a young player to have a long career at their dream club, if they are in a position like Villa or Newcastle, is to join somebody else's academy first.
"It works from an accounting point of view," said football finance expert Kieran Maguire on these pages this week. "But it's absolutely awful from a footballing perspective."
Will 'bold and ambitious' spending pay off?published at 13:57 BST 20 August
13:57 BST 20 August
Nick Barnes BBC Radio Newcastle commentator
Image source, Getty Images
I think it is fair to say Sunderland have defied all expectations when it comes to their summer recruitment.
Not only in terms of the money spent but in the number of players signed.
Unquestionably fans instinctively knew Sunderland's squad from the Championship needed strengthening for the Premier League campaign.
Five or six players with Premier League experience would conservatively have been a lot of people's estimation, but as to how much they would cost and whether that would be enough was always going to be the big question.
No-one really knew how much owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus would be prepared to spend with his model of sustainability at the forefront of everything the club has done in his tenure.
He and his team have blown everyone away with the money spent but also with the quality of the players signed.
Granit Xhaka is the standout example, but he's not the only one. Habib Diarra, Omar Alderete, Noah Sadiki, Simon Adingra, the list goes on.
The defeat of West Ham, albeit only one game, suggested all these players are comfortable in their Premier League skin.
The bonus was their three goals were scored by three players who came up with the team from the Championship.
It's a bold and ambitious bid to stay up but Sunderland fans are certainly backing them to do so.
How does it compare to other promoted clubs?
Image caption,
Transfermarkt data showing the highest spending promoted clubs in the history of the Premier League
According to transfermarkt,, external Sunderland now top the all-time list for amount spent by a promoted club in the Premier League.
With a summer spend of £142m so far, both them, and fellow promoted side Burnley - who have spent £109m - are hoping for a solid return on their investment.
As far as the numbers go, the other four teams to have spent big upon their Premier League return have had mixed results.
Both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest narrowly avoided the drop after busy summer windows following promotion, but are now playing in Europe.
However, last summer saw Southampton an Ipswich finish as the bottom two sides in the league.
'Dressing room won't necessarily turn on Isak' published at 13:32 BST 20 August
13:32 BST 20 August
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
Lesley, Football Extra reader, asked me: With reference to the Alexander Isak situation, as a player in the dressing room with him, when would you consider a line to have been crossed that means he would not be welcomed back into the team? Missing training, missing a match, missing two... ?
A lot depends on the player, the personality and the way he has behaved. The team will find it hard to fully forgive their errant wantaway team-mate if he is hurting the group, but turning on him totally is different. This is where we are with Alexander Isak right now: they can't use him if he refuses to play and they can't replace him if he isn't sold. Everyone is suffering.
Within the squad, everyone knows it is just brinkmanship on both sides; we have all been there to a greater or lesser degree when moving clubs. When the business is about the money, it almost invariably gets uglier the longer it goes on.
The end of the transfer window is getting closer. Isak will be listening to his advisors. He has to know that however unhappy, uncomfortable and unpopular he is just now, if this works out for him and he ends up at Liverpool soon, then in his eyes it will have all been worth it... with bells on.
What the former team-mates think of him will matter little; it is what his new team-mates think that then matters.
Football is generally selfish and there is little loyalty from either clubs or players when it doesn't suit them. One outlook I'm sure Isak would like to be shared just now is that, from his perspective, he arrived costing £60m, did a fine job, scored more than 60 goals three seasons. If he leaves, Newcastle will probably have doubled their money. That isn't a bad return for his services.
There is little point in Newcastle - or indeed any football club - trying to claim the moral high ground. Right now, Yoane Wissa is not playing for Brentford because he is hoping for a move to Newcastle. How radically different is that to Isak's situation?
Players know this is how it works and it is why the Newcastle dressing room might be very disappointed in Isak, but they will not necessarily turn on him, because next season it might just be them in the same situation.
Is Bergvall an option at 10?published at 12:48 BST 20 August
12:48 BST 20 August
Nick Godwin BBC Radio London reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham's quest for a 'number 10' to fill the gap left by the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski has become one of the dominant themes of the transfer window.
Eberechi Eze may well be the solution to allow Spurs to carry more threat, particularly against the best teams in the land and on the continent. However, there were hints on Saturday that there was another potential player who could step into that role if required.
Lucas Bergvall was selected as part of a very young midfield for Saturday's Premier League opener against Burnley. And while part of a midfield three, he demonstrated some of the flair required to occupy that role just off the main striker.
As Spurs learned last year, simply throwing young players into the front line may have been an unavoidable necessity due to injuries, but it didn't really do much good as far as Premier League results were concerned.
Bergvall nevertheless learned a huge amount last season, and his manager didn't rule out the prospect of using him in a "number 10 role" when I spoke to him after Saturday's match:
"I think he can," Frank said. "I think he's probably more a Szoboszlai 10 than a Maddison 10, but I think these days football is so dynamic and you need to be so flexible, so the more players that can play in different positions the better".
In the search for creative attacking support, Spurs might be able to develop a player or two, as well as import some big-money expertise.
Dave: At the start of the transfer window, I would have seen Isak as a priority signing. With the arrival of Ekitike and Wirtz, and especially with how Isak has portrayed himself in the last month, I am nowhere near as keen. I actually think a centre-back signing is more important now anyway.
Andy: Surely it's now 'when' not 'if', but then again we're waiting for Newcastle to sign at least one striker. We'll soon see, but it's been messy at best. With Isak though LFC will be expected to win the lot. It ramps expectation to new heights not experienced since the 80s.
Ashley: Personally I feel Newcastle are running out of time as Isak has made it clear he wants Liverpool and won't play for them again. It's only because they have wealthy backers they haven't let him go yet. £120m will allow them to throw big money at another decent striker or strikers.
Stephen: Leave him there. He's a troublemaker.
Tom: I don't want him now. To show that attitude to your club is frankly not the behaviour of a player Liverpool should have. He will only do it to us in three years when Madrid come in for him. Ekitike has shown his worth already - why discard him to the bench or the wing?
Mark: It's dragging on too long. It's best for everyone now that Isak gets his move. I can't see any good coming from him remaining at Newcastle.
Fraser: It's pretty clear - Isak wants to join us but Newcastle have let him down. I hope we get him (and there's still a chance we will this window) but even if we don't, I'll be very happy with Hugo Ekitike up front. He's already becoming a fan favourite. We do, however, need another forward or two as we are looking a little light up front. I'm sure we'll get something done. As this window has shown, we actually have a good recruitment team. Newcastle's recruitment team is practically non-existent.
Phil: Can't trust him, what happens when he nears the end of a contract at Liverpool? Move on and get a defender, he's not for sale.
