There are many things that Manchester City and Manchester United have in common - but one thing decisively separates them this season.
Based just five miles apart and united by a shared desire to return to the top of the Premier League, their gameplans are almost diametrically opposed.
The best teams in the world often play in similar ways, as demonstrated in last season's Champions League final between between Paris St-Germain and ******* nal - teams who use similar shapes, look to dominate the ball, and encourage rotations into fixed positions.
But looking ahead to Sunday's Manchester derby, expect to see City boss Enzo Maresca and his United counterpart Michael Carrick field teams teams that play in a totally different way to each other.
In short, City use a rigid structure with players precisely positioned, while United have a more fluid approach that has some positional guidelines but allows players the freedom to roam - here is how it works in detail.

#league #similar

Is it possible to build hype around a new professional sport franchise if it does not play in its home city?
Those behind the Belfast Wolves, founding members of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), think 'yes it is' and they have ambitions to attract new audiences to the sport.
Stormont was packed during a summer of international cricket, but the Wolves are so-far playing exclusively on the road. Its owners hope Belfast will host matches next year.
Until it gets its ducks in a row, the franchise's backers are working hard to get the brand known and build a fanbase.
Large crowds enjoyed a summer of international cricket at Stormont [Getty Images]

#sport #summer #Cricket

Russell Crowe showcased his dramatic weight-loss transformation as he enjoyed a rare family appearance at the Venice Film Festival.
The Gladiator star, 62, was joined by his long-term girlfriend, Britney Theriot, 42, and his youngest son, Tennyson, 20, at the premiere of his self-directed documentary, What Love Builds, on Friday.
Looking noticeably slimmer, Russell cut an elegant figure in a black dinner suit featuring satin lapels, which he paired with an open-neck white shirt and polished black shoes.
Britney Theriot and Russell Crowe attend the 83rd Venice International Film Festival (@ Getty Images)
The Oscar winner wore his long hair swept back into a low ponytail, while his full silver beard completed his distinguished red-carpet look.

#festival #theriot #gladiator

Coventry City host Brighton & Hove Albion in a Premier League fixture at the CBS Arena on Sunday, with Frank Lampard's side yet to collect a point this season.
A fourth straight defeat without scoring would match a mark Coventry have set only once before, in 1919-20, their first season in the Football League. Brighton, tenth on four points, have had a mixed start under Fabian Hurzeler, following a 4-0 opening win over Aston Villa with a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea and a 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
The Seagulls have lost each of their last three Premier League away games, and their most recent visit to Coventry — a 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round win in February 2018 — remains the sides' last meeting. The match kicks off at 14:00 and will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League.
Date: Sunday, 13 September 2026
Kick-off: 14:00 BST

#sunday #season #defeat

Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday in the first Manchester derby of the season, with Enzo Maresca's league leaders looking to maintain a perfect start to the campaign against a United side sitting 11th on four points.
Both clubs arrive on the back of Champions League wins in midweek, City beating Porto 2-0 and United thrashing debutants Sabah 4-0. Michael Carrick, who took permanent charge of United since first winning this exact fixture as interim boss in January, has won nine of his 10 Premier League home matches in his second spell at the club and is looking to become the first United manager in 113 years to win both of his opening derbies in the league.
City, meanwhile, have won their first three league games this season and would set an outright record for most consecutive opening-day wins to a Premier League campaign with victory on Sunday. The match kicks off at 16:30 and will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Date: Sunday, 13 September 2026
Kick-off: 16:30 BST

#premier #sports

Bruno Guimaraes's brilliant first ***** nal goal and David Raya's penalty save inspired the Gunners to a 2-0 victory at Sunderland on Saturday to extend a flawless start to their Premier League ***** le defence.
Mikel Arteta's men have conceded just once in five games in all competitions but Sunderland had the chance to breach ***** nal's imposing rearguard when Raya tipped Enzo Le Fee's spot-kick onto the post.
Just over two minutes later Guimaraes silenced the Stadium of Light as the Brazilian smashed into the top corner from outside the box.
Bukayo Saka's penalty sealed the victory with the final kick of the game after Sunderland defender Reinildo saw a second yellow card for taking down the England international.
Despite the victory Arteta was still seething after the game at the award of Sunderland's penalty for Ezri Konsa's pull on Dan Ballard.

#game #gunners #saturday

Arsenal made it four wins from four in the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats played a gritty, physical game, but the Gunners gave as good as they got, and battled to the win. With a massive ***** ist from David Raya saving a, uh, generously awarded penalty that would have made it 1-0 for the bad guys. Minutes later, Bruno Guimaraes put one top bins. Raya made another brilliant save later in the half. Deep in added time, Bruno put Bukayo Saka in on goal, earning a penalty and second yellow to Reinildo. Penalty converted. Game over.
The Sunderland crowd greeted Bruno with a chorus of boos when he replaced Myles Lewis-Skelly at halftime. They take their rivalry with Newcastle seriously. Unfortunately, it was very much a "keep booing, it only makes me stronger" moment. You could see from the little smile on Bruno's face that he was loving it and using it to fuel him. His "I can't hear you" celebration to the crowd after he'd put one on postage stamp was absolute perfection.
Great call from Mikel Arteta to pull Myles Lewis-Skelly at the break. Everything was off from him — poor touches, cheap fouls — it simply wasn't his night. The manager also had to swap Jurrien Timber for Ben White, who appeared to have tweaked his groin. Because when ***** nal get one right back healthy, the other gets injured. That's how it works. Timber was excellent, by the way.
The ***** nal subs that came on later in the second half, Eze, Merino, and Zubimendi, were mediocre to poor. The depth is tremendous but Mikel Arteta has his work cut out for him to keep everyone sharp so that when they are called into action they don't, say, give the ball away the only two times they get on it like Merino did today.
The Gunners could have and should have been ahead at halftime, but once again, they were profligate with scoring chances. Bukayo Saka was caught in two minds on a leaping volley and only managed glancing contact. Kai Havertz shot over the bar from in close. The German striker also forced a smart save with a brilliant control, turn, and volley move. Saka also flubbed two chances in the second half — he picked the wrong pass on a 4-on-2 break and he shot too close to the keeper. The side could do with a bit better finishing, but if you believe (as I generally do) that finishing ebbs and flows, as long as they keep generated the volume of chances, someone is in for a real hiding.

#second

Barcelona star Alejandro Balde remains outside the plans of head coach Hansi Flick as things stand. This comes with the Spaniard having been knocked well down the left-back pecking order in Catalunya's capital.
Defender Balde was of course heavily linked with a move away from Barcelona during the summer transfer window.
After it was widely reported that the Spaniard had been made available for the right price, Premier League giants Manchester United were hotly tipped as a potential landing spot.
In the end, Balde stayed put, eager to fight for his place in the plans of long-time employers Barca. But as alluded to above, as of this moment, the 22-year-old has not managed to win back the trust of his manager.
As per a report from Diario Sport, following the breakout of youngster Xavi Espart, and permanent signing of João Cancelo:

#Barcelona #plans #back

Two Premier League matches at Anfield. Two draws.
For just the third time in 63 years, Liverpool have failed to win both of their opening home games of a league season - not exactly the flying start new boss Andoni Iraola would have been dreaming of.
After such an encouraging midweek performance against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, full of urgency, Saturday's goalless draw against Fulham was a flat follow-up, especially with the Cottagers lacking in confidence and having conceded seven goals in their first three league games.
The Reds looked physically and mentally tired and, to put it bluntly, like an entirely different team to the one that won against a Diego Simeone side that made it to the Champions League semi-finals last season.
On the first real look at how Iraola's style will cope with two games a week, this was certainly not what the Liverpool head coach, nor the Anfield crowd, would have wanted to see.

#league #games #champions #premier

There was a subdued atmosphere at the final whistle among Chelsea's players, staff and supporters.
They had watched the team's free-flowing attacking football come unstuck against a Hull City side who had not conceded a Premier League goal before kick-off.
Chelsea had previously beaten Fulham 3-2, won 4-3 at home to Brighton and lost 2-1 at ***** nal. They also overcame Leeds 6-3 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Having conceded twice here, Chelsea have now gone 20 Premier League matches without a clean sheet, a run stretching back to January. They have also conceded two or more goals in every match against Premier League opposition under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Although Chelsea are the division's top scorers with 10 goals this season, they have also conceded nine, more than all but two other Premier League sides.

#premier #brighton

Irish Premiership
Dungannon Swifts 0 - 1 Linfield FT
Linfield left it late at Stangmore Park but made it five league Irish Premiership wins on the bounce thanks to a Kyle McClean stunner.
McClean's strike from the edge of the box in the 82nd minute was enough to secure a 1-0 and all three points for the visitors.
Chris Johns made multiple saves in the first half to keep his side in the game, with Dungannon Swifts perhaps feeling hard done by on the night.

#irish #made

The biggest game of the young college football season has arrived, as No. 1 Ohio State travels to Austin for a top-five showdown with No. 4 Texas. After the Buckeyes held off the Longhorns 14-7 in last year's opener, Texas now gets its chance at revenge at home in a game that could shape the national championship race.
Before the night's main event, No. 18 Tennessee heads to Atlanta to face a Georgia Tech team looking to recover from a crushing loss to Colorado that ended with its potential game-winning field goal being blocked.
For all of your college football betting picks, here are today's TST Best Bets, brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players receive a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
First Pick: Texas vs. Ohio State - Under 51
Rundown: The premier storyline of last year's season-opening matchup between the Longhorns and Buckeyes was the disappointing debut of Arch Manning, who went 9-of-15 for 38 yards and an interception through the first three quarters of a 14-7 loss for top-ranked Texas.

#bets

Tottenham Hotspur are still searching for their first goal - and first win - of the Premier League season after being held to a goalless draw at home by Everton.
Here's how I rated the players and you can see how you scored them below.
What do BBC Sport's player ratings mean?
Antonin Kinsky: Good save from James Garner free-kick but lucky to get away with passing straight to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, which he redeemed with a save, 6
Archie Gray: Good runs forward from defence to add attacking threat. 7

#good #hotspur

If part of the challenge for Andoni Iraola when he took the Liverpool job was mastering the art of winning Premier League games after midweek Champions League dates, he failed his first test. An Anfield afternoon against a side with the wrong sort of 100 percent record ought to have been the ideal introduction to such ******* ignments.
Instead, Fulham got their first point of the season. A Spanish manager with a playing career at right-back had much to savour; but it was Alvaro Arbeloa, not Iraola. A terrific defender under Rafa Benitez, Arbeloa contributed to many a clean sheet in his time at Liverpool. Now Fulham have a first in the Premier League in his reign. Having conceded three goals to left wing-backs against Crystal Palace last week, they conceded none to Liverpool's three £100m men.
Alvaro Arbeloa could celebrate a first point in the Premier League with Fulham (Getty)
"Happy with the point and more happy with the performance," said Arbeloa. "We were more balanced today. We defended so well." He had made the bold decision to give the Austrian centre-back David Affengruber a debut at Anfield. "He proved how good he is," Arbeloa said.
But Iraola's side delivered a disjointed display, failing to touch the heights they reached in their comeback against Atletico Madrid and failing to score for the first time under him. "What was lacking was quite clear. It is the first game we had problems to create chances and score goals," he admitted.

#first #league #point #alvaro

Liverpool still have a fair few things to sort out this season.
The Anfield outfit are still nowhere near ready to start challenging for the Premier League **** le despite their almost £200 million spend in the summer.
Many players have their futures hanging in the balance with some even already looking for potential ways to exit L4 in January.
However, it's not only the potential exit of players that Liverpool need to worry about.
Virgil van Dijk is still one of Liverpool's most important players.

#league

Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I'm really proud of the team's performance and the spirit they showed. We did better after 10 or 15 minutes but we were a little bit impatient in the final third.
"We were too impatient and eager. It was a little bit up and down. In the second half we moved the ball quicker and switched from left to right and we saw the confidence grow.
"Liam Delap's hit didn't surprise me because I see it in training. That's what a striker should do. I feel this goal gave him a lot of confidence because he was a lot more present. It was a top team performance."
Nottingham Forest striker Igor Jesus, who scored the 88th-minute winner: "It's our first win in the Premier League this season and we know how important it is for us. It's very important for us and we need to keep it going. I just want to say thank you to everyone who came to support us today."
Did you know?

#forest #impatient #confidence

The Manchester City squad is "buying into the idea" of new manager Enzo Maresca, says new captain Ruben Dias.
City spent a Premier League record £458m during the recent transfer window, with incomings including midfield trio Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
But there weren't only major changes to the playing squad. Maresca replaced the legendary Pep Guardiola, who stepped down at the end of last season after 10 years in charge.
Maresca was previously ******* istant to the Spaniard at Etihad Stadium, before spells at Leicester City and Chelsea.
Dias said Guardiola's departure was not an "easy moment for the club", while Maresca was the "perfect person for the job" as he "knew the house so well".

#dias #ruben

Pierce Brosnan made a rare appearance with his 25-year-old son Paris at the MobLand premiere on September 10.
The actor wore a gray suit, while his son wore a leather jacket.
Brosnan shares Paris with his wife Keely Shaye Smith.
Pierce Brosnan and his son Paris Brosnan made a rare joint appearance in London on September 10. The pair posed together on the red carpet at the premiere of Pierce's show MobLand and looked move alike than ever. The 73-year-old actor wore a navy suit with a white shirt and dark gray tie. Meanwhile, Paris, a 25-year-old model and actor, looked a little more casual in a white T-shirt with brown cords and a distressed brown leather jacket.
Pierce Brosnan and son Paris Brosnan.
Credit: Getty

#brosnan #pierce #actor #made

Arsenal may have just won the Premier League and reached the final of the Champions League, which means the club has been making significant amounts of money in recent campaigns.
However, the Gunners are also keen to ensure that they have their house in order financially, and the club has reportedly employed BCG to audit its finances in a bid to cut out waste.
Arsenal are one of the clubs that laid off staff during the COVID pandemic, and they also sacked their scouts and reorganised that part of the club despite the many successes it had achieved previously.
They came under significant criticism for that decision, and the Gunners will continue to do what they can to ensure the team remains the main focus of their operations.
The Daily Mail reports that BCG managing director Jean Paul Petranca is leading the review, and it has caused staff to become annoyed and shocked.

#club #arsenal #significant #staff

Lili Reinhart kept things effortlessly cool during a recent outing in London, pairing a delicate slip dress with a rugged leather jacket for a look that balanced soft and edgy in equal measure. The actress stepped out for a visit to Capital Buzz on September 8, drawing attention for her laid-back take on off-duty style.
Lili Reinhart pairs delicate slip dress with Saint Laurent leather jacket in London. Reinhart wore the Theory Velima Slip Dress, a cream-toned piece held up by nothing more than two thin straps. The dress featured a loose, tiered silhouette that fell just above the knee, with soft, flowing fabric that gave the look an airy, undone quality despite its minimal strap construction.
Over the dress, Reinhart layered a black leather biker jacket from Saint Laurent, noted as a secondhand find rather than a new purchase. The structured, moto-inspired jacket added a sharp contrast to the softness of the slip dress underneath, giving the overall look a lived-in, rock-and-roll edge.
She finished the outfit with Golden Goose's Kurt Boots, a slouchy black leather style priced at $1,130, along with Elisa Johnson's Dakota Sunglasses, retailing at $135. Photos from the outing show Reinhart walking confidently along a London street, her blonde hair loose and tousled as the jacket slipped slightly off one shoulder.
The London stop comes in the middle of a packed press run for Reinhart's new film, "The Love Hypothesis." Just a day after this street style moment, she stunned at the film's London premiere in an archival plunging Emanuel Ungaro dress, and she recently wore a custom Rodarte beaded tulle gown for the film's German premiere.

#dress #leather #lili

Courteney ***** made a rare appearance at the Toronto Film Festival on September 11.
She wore a sheer open knit green top and black pants.
She celebrated her upcoming feature Evil Genius at the festival.
Courteney ***** just made her first red carpet appearance in seven months. The actress celebrated a career milestone as she brought her film Evil Genius to the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11. She kept things understated in the wardrobe department, opting for a simple forest green turtleneck sweater paired with black pants and a gold pendant necklace. Her sweater featured a sheer open pointelle knit design. She completed the look with a crossbody black purse and a fresh rosy makeup look. ***** last stepped out on the red carpet for the Scream 7 premiere in February.
Courteney ***** wore a green knit sweater.
Credit: Getty

#september

The Buffalo Bills will open the 2026 NFL season in a place where they have struggled to find success in recent years: on the road against the Houston Texans, who boast one of the league's stingiest defenses.
Since coming to the Bills as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Josh Allen has led the Bills into Houston four times. And in all four prior matchups, the Bills couldn't pull out the win.
Sunday will mark the third consecutive season where Buffalo has traveled to Houston, and today's edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by sharing the key matchups to watch and positional ***** ysis as the Bills look to snap that streak and begin the season with a big road win over a fellow playoff participant from last season.
Check out the ***** sments below and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments section.
Linked below: Breaking down the key story lines to watch, including dissecting the approach new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will take to contain the Texans; how Joe Brady can better position Josh Allen and the offense for success against a Texans pass rush that sacked Allen eight times in last year's loss; why starting right tackle Spencer Brown thinks things will go much differently against Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, two of the game's premier pass rushers, now that both Brown and starting left tackle Dion Dawkins are fully healthy; how Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb need to generate more pressure on Texans QB CJ Stroud than the Bills have their last two trips to Houston (one total sack); and more!

#last

Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday looking to respond to last weekend's defeat at ****** nal, but Hull City will offer a very different kind of test.
Xabi Alonso's side have scored eight goals in their opening three Premier League games and followed that with a 6-3 League Cup win over Leeds in midweek. Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro have already become the main attacking reference points, while Chelsea have scored inside the opening five minutes in all three of their league matches.
Hull, though, have built their impressive start in almost the opposite way.
Sergej Jakirović's newly-promoted side have taken seven points from games against Manchester United, Coventry and Aston Villa without conceding a goal. They remain the only Premier League team yet to be breached this season.
The clean sheets do not mean Hull have dominated games. They had just 26.5% possession against Villa and have regularly been happy to defend in a compact 5-4-1, give the opposition the ball and wait for opportunities to counter. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis has already played more passes into the opposition half than any other Hull player, which says plenty about their willingness to go direct.

#games #villa #scored #opening

Gabriel insists ******* nal are not satisfied with winning the Premier League last season, and they have their sights set on several more trophies as a team, with many people tipping them to dominate both domestic and European football.
The Gunners finished second in three consecutive seasons before finally winning the league, and in the same season, they reached the final of the Carabao Cup and the Champions League. It was one of the best periods in the club's history, as they continued to perform consistently well under their manager.
Arteta is keen to ensure ******* nal perform at a high level during this campaign as well. The manager recognises the importance of maintaining certain standards, but his players understand this too, and they have returned for the new season as hungry as possible.
Their start to this season has been impressive, and many expect them to add more ******* les to their cabinet when the campaign ends next summer. Gabriel will be an important part of that challenge, and the defender has made it clear that the players are determined to achieve more after winning the Premier League.
Arsenal's ambition is not limited to one competition, with the squad aiming to challenge for the major trophies available to them. Gabriel believes the desire to win must remain strong, particularly because the players themselves welcome the pressure that comes with representing the club.

#players #arsenal #premier #trophies

| Saturday, September 12th |
Premier League | Anfield
3PM BST/10AM EST
A couple of words maybe a single short para serving as a micro preview for the match, why it's important, what the main concerns are, or whatever. Mostly it's to make sure the word count gets up to 170 so that the story gets picked up by search.
PREVIEW & HOW TO WATCH
Full Match Preview: Liverpool vs. Fulham
Television & Streaming: No Legal Coverage Still in 2026 (UK); NBCSN & Peacock (USA); Stan Sport (Australia); FuboTV (Canada); Star Sports 3 Asia (India); Astro Premier League (Malaysia); SuperSport Maximo 2 (Nigeria); StarHub TV+ (Singapore); SuperSport Maximo 2 (South Africa); other listings at LiveSoccerTV

#league #match #september

Led by Elliot Anderson, reloaded Man City midfield gets first chance to impress in Manchester derby originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Manchester City were one of the biggest spenders in the free-wheeling 2026 summer transfer window, as the Premier League side made a host of big-money moves ahead of the current season.
Always known as one of the most lavish clubs in the world with their transfer budget, they went especially big this summer as they looked to refurbish the squad in a period of transition after the departure of legendary manager Pep Guardiola.
The club mainly focused on the central midfield position, where multiple key players departed and an immediate refresh was needed to keep the club's levels up.
With the new players now slotting into their established roles and Enzo Maresca's system beginning to become evident, Sunday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford is the perfect showcase for all the pieces to finally come together.

#manchester #transfer #players

Liverpool head into another Premier League test with momentum building, and Virgil van Dijk has made the message clear. Good performances matter, results matter more, but consistency is what separates serious sides from the rest.
After a comeback win over Atletico Madrid in midweek and a 2-0 league victory against Ipswich Town before that, Liverpool now have the chance to make it three wins on the bounce at Anfield against Fulham. The captain is not interested in noise or sentiment. He is focused on standards.
In his programme notes, Van Dijk said: "After an important and, in my opinion, well-deserved win over Atletico Madrid, it is great to be back at Anfield again this afternoon as we return to Premier League action against Fulham.
"I thought the atmosphere on Wednesday night was exceptional, particularly in the second half as we chased the victory.
"I have said many times that we are at our best when everyone is pushing together, and I hope you can see how hard we are all working to give you a team to be proud of."

#premier #dijk #fulham

Xabi Alonso was asked to compare his main striker with the top number 9 in the world right now, and came up with a favourable conclusion.
If you enjoy Talk Chelsea coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a preferred source on Google to make us a favourite and see more of our content.
Joao Pedro just won the Premier League's player of the month for August, after a run of 3 games where he racked up two goals and two ******* ists.
That made it the perfect time to ask manager Xabi Alonso about him and where he sees the striker's ceiling. The big question was asked in yesterday's presser – is JP as good as Erling Haaland?
"I would say yes," replied Alonso when asked if the Brazilian could be put alongside the Norwegian in the very top category of striker.

#talk #joao #premier

This is a hard one because while Aston Villa still haven't won or scored in the Premier League, they got a good win over Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Nicolas Jackson got off the mark in that game and, although his finishing can be erratic, he's the kind of player who will mature and get better every season. I think he will do well for them.
Forest are also yet to win. I know there was controversy over Neco Williams' disallowed goal in their draw against Tottenham last time out but I do think they got the decision right in the end.
This is going to be close and I am tempted to go for another Forest draw, but Villa are obviously going to score in the Premier League at some point so I'll be brave and say they will edge it.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1

#think

Liverpool have made a lot of changes to their squad this summer.
Some players such as Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones have been moved on, while others, such as Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet have been brought in.
It's not just their playing staff what have changed either with a decent chunk of the Reds' backroom staff also being re-jigged.
Richard Hughes is now Al-Hilal's sporting director and Michael Edwards just decided to quit after Fenway Sports Group's multi-club model was thrown in the bin.
Even though all these changes have been made, it still feels like more needs to be done before Liverpool are ready to be seen as genuine contenders for the Premier League ******* le again.

#Liverpool #jones #victor