With its lightning ball-recycling that swept play left to right and then back into the area for a second Maxime Estève own goal, Manchester City’s third was a picture of their dominance under Pep Guardiola before last season’s decline. Jérémy Doku raced inside from the left and found Phil Foden, whose instant turn-and-pass to Matheus Nunes scattered Burnley. The right-back’s cross was smacked in at velocity and Oscar Bobb’s attempt rebounded off Estève and past Martin Dubravka. Continue reading...

⚽ Premier League updates from the 4.30pm BST kick-off ⚽ Live scores | Top scorers | Follow us over on Bluesky Ed Aarons assesses the new, improved Arsenal There were rumours that [Gabriel] Martinelli and [Leandro] Trossard could be allowed to depart in the summer but it is understood [Mikel] Arteta was keen to keep both despite the arrivals of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. Martinelli and Trossard scored 10 goals each last season and made regular contributions, even if the former has struggled to hit the heights of the 2022-23 campaign when he managed 15. But the Brazilian’s pace provides a very different option on the left to Eze, who prefers to drift inside. Pep Guardiola’s eyes boggled with pleasure as he spoke about the relentlessness of his players. “Erling is a machine,” was Jérémy Doku’s verdict after Erling Haaland had scored two fine goals and in between spent much of the game running over the various portions of sullen human flesh acting as the United defence. Continue reading...

Manchester City striker reaches mark in 49th game Manager backs Norwegian to beat Ronaldo’s record Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland’s 50th Champions League goal in a record 49 games and said he was now in the company of the “monsters Cristiano and Messi” in the competition’s all-time greatest scorers, as Manchester City beat Napoli 2-0 in the opening group match. Haaland’s 56th-minute opener was his 12th in seven appearances for City and Norway, Jérémy Doku’s second clinching victory for Guardiola’s side. Haaland beat Ruud van Nistelrooy’s previous 62-appearance mark for 50 goals. Continue reading...

Pep Guardiola said of drawing Napoli and having Kevin De Bruyne return: “It was always going to happen, right?” But he might have spoken of his No 9’s ruthlessness, as Erling Haaland broke this game open with Champions League goal No 50 in a record 49 matches, a feat that handsomely beats Ruud van Nistelrooy’s previous 62-appearance mark. Continue reading...

⚽ Champions League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off ⚽ Latest scores | Follow us on Bluesky | And mail Simon He’s back! Kevin de Bruyne returns to Manchester, having only just left, this time plotting City’s downfall. “I’ve spoken to Kevin, I’ve asked him a few things,” said Antonio Conte, the Napoli coach. Well, it would probably be awkward if he hadn’t, but sure. De Bruyne, inevitably, has settled beautifully in Italy, and has already scored twice in three league games this season (a free kick and a penalty). "He’s been a part of this club for 10 years and had a great coach like Pep Guardiola,” Conte continued of the Belgian. “Kevin will be excited to be playing but I’m hoping that after the starting whistle he will find his feet and remember he’s playing for our great Napoli.” Well, it would certainly be awkward if he didn’t, but sure. Gianluigi Donnarumma has said he believes Pep Guardiola will help improve his ball-playing skills and that Manchester City were interested in signing him before the summer. Donnarumma joined from Paris Saint-Germain for about £30m (€35m) on transfer deadline day. The move caused surprise because of the view that the 26-year-old is not as accomplished with his feet as Ederson, who left for Fenerbahce, or James Trafford, the £27m signing from Burnley in July. Continue reading...

As the Manchester City legend returns to face his former team, we look back at moments that will never be forgotten On 22 May 2022, in a dictionary definition of carpe diem, De Bruyne shows his greatness with the assist that harvests another title for City, just as Pep Guardiola’s men veer near to losing the plot. After 69 minutes Aston Villa are cruising at 2-0 up and the title is heading to Anfield where Liverpool, drawing with Wolves 1-1, need a goal to seal a famous last-day triumph. But, after City strikes on 76 and 78 minutes, De Bruyne takes charge. A piercing burst along the right prompts a pinpoint cross to Ilkay Gündogan, whose threaded finish on 81 minutes sends the Etihad Stadium ballistic. Continue reading...

Coach has asked Belgian for advice on former team ‘We’re against a team where history speaks for itself’ Antonio Conte said Napoli’s opening Champions League game at Manchester City will pit his “students against the teachers” of Pep Guardiola’s side, with the Italian asking Kevin De Bruyne for advice about his former team. Napoli will make their debut in the 36-club format in Thursday’s meeting with City. While they were last in the competition two years ago, Conte was not in charge then. He views his side as still in development despite being Serie A champions. Continue reading...

Italian preparing to face Napoli, whom his mother supports De Bruyne, McTominay and Højlund could face City Gianluigi Donnarumma has said he believes Pep Guardiola will help improve his ball-playing skills and that Manchester City were interested in signing him before the summer. Donnarumma joined from Paris Saint-Germain for about £30m (€35m) on transfer deadline day. The move caused surprise because of the view that the 26-year-old is not as accomplished with his feet as Ederson, who left for Fenerbahce, or James Trafford, the £27m signing from Burnley in July. Continue reading...

All goals in 3-0 loss to City were avoidable, says captain Mazraoui concedes United ‘just not good enough’ Bruno Fernandes has criticised Manchester United’s lack of control in Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, the captain stating that each of the goals his team conceded at the Etihad Stadium could have been avoided. Phil Foden’s header came after Jeremy Doku moved too easily past Luke Shaw, while Doku’s assist for Erling Haaland’s first goal derived from the space allowed by United’s defence. The Norwegian’s second goal was a breakaway finish, and against resulted from suspect defending by the visitors. Defeat leaves United with four points from their opening four games of the season. Continue reading...

Doku says ‘talent-wise you can’t say a word’ about Foden Belgian reveals he was due to be baptised after the derby Jérémy Doku has stated that Phil Foden can “struggle when people criticise” him and backed the Manchester City forward to return to his best. Foden scored City’s opener in Sunday’s 3-0 derby win over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. Last season he struggled owing to injury and off-field issues, after the finest campaign of his career in which he scored 19 Premier League goals and was the driving force in City’s fourth consecutive title, earning the Professional Footballers’ Association and Football Writers’ Association men’s player of the year awards. Continue reading...

Ruben Amorim is not the biggest problem at Old Trafford, but it is becoming harder to deny he is one of the issues Perhaps the best that can be said of Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United is that you know exactly where you stand with them. It’s 10 months since he was appointed but he is yet to win back-to-back league games. Having beaten Burnley last time out, amid scenes of revealing euphoria, they were never going to win at Manchester City. Which must have been a relief for City, who had lost two of their first three games this season for the first time in 21 years. There was, for them, particularly after half-time, a pleasing sense of normality returning. Rodri, shaky early on, began to dominate as he used to before his knee injury, while there were fine performances from Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Phil Foden. Continue reading...

Draw also pits De Bruyne against Manchester City Arsenal set for return of nemesis Harry Kane Trent Alexander-Arnold will make a swift return to Anfield after Liverpool were drawn to host Real Madrid in this season’s Champions League. The right-back will face his old teammates months after his controversial move to the Bernabéu, which drew vocal disapproval from sections of the Liverpool support. Continue reading...

Serie A champions show fresh tricks in opening win but Milan suffer at hands of Schwarzenegger-inspired defender The new Serie A season was 17 minutes old and already it had started to look like the previous one: Matteo Politano crossing and Scott McTominay scoring, just as they did in Napoli’s title-sealing victory over Cagliari three months ago. Even their positions were practically identical, the Italian cutting in from the right as the Scotsman attacked the six-yard box. McTominay’s finish was less dramatic this time around, a header instead of a scissor-kick, but he dispatched it with equal conviction. Serie A’s Most Valuable Player in 2024-25, scoring the league’s first goal of 2025-26. “Winning the Scudetto changes nothing,” he had said in one interview earlier this month. “We need to recapture and maintain that mentality we found last year.” Continue reading...

Hoffenheim hit back in Bundesliga after Quansah opener Aubameyang scores double in Marseille romp Napoli launched their Serie A season in style with a 2-0 win at Sassuolo on Saturday, as Scott McTominay powered in a first-half header before Kevin De Bruyne curled home a free-kick after the break. The former Manchester United midfielder McTominay wasted no time in making his mark after last season’s impressive campaign, powering a header into the net from Matteo Politano’s curling cross after just 17 minutes to fire Napoli ahead. Continue reading...