Despite the disgruntled striker declaring in a heated midweek post on social media that his relationship with the club cannot continue, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is optimistic that Alexander Isak will rejoin the squad.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Isak claimed the club had broken promises about a move that would allow him to leave amid interest from Liverpool and that he was reiterating his desire to relocate, breaking his silence.
Isak’s outburst was addressed by Newcastle, saying no club official had made a commitment to let the striker leave and that they had not received a satisfactory offer from a different team for the Sweden international. On September 1, the transfer window expires.
In a novel twist, Howe announced on Friday that Isak would not play at St James’ Park and that Liverpool will visit on Monday as a follow-up to the saga. After the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the league, he would miss another game in a row.
However, Howe still thinks the club can work with Isak to resolve their differences.
He has worked for us. At a press conference dominated by questions about Isak, Howe said, “He is our player.” He said, “I wish he would be playing with us on Monday night, but he won’t, which is regrettable at this time.”
But I want to see him wearing a Newcastle shirt for the entire time. ”
Even though, according to Howe, Newcastle should have “justifiably” responded to Isak’s social media post by midweek, despite his best efforts to keep such matters secret.
The manager continued to state that Isak is still training with the main squad and that they haven’t met this week.
There are no conflicts between us, Howe claimed. It’s not ideal for both parties, but it’s a challenging situation from both sides, of course. ”
Isak finished second in the Premier League scoring charts last season behind Mohamed Salah, who had 23 goals.
In his Thursday news conference, Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, drew clear terms of conditions out of context.
Although I’m happy with the squad, Slot said, “This club has always shown they can bring a player in who can really make us better,” while declining to be drawn directly on Isak.
Who: Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur What: English Premier League Where: Etihad Stadium in Manchester, United Kingdom When: Saturday, August 23 at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the updates on Al Jazeera Sport from 9:30am (8:30 GMT) in advance of our live match commentary stream at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT).
After the battle of Old Trafford between Manchester United and Arsenal on the opening weekend, the Premier League has served up another mouth-watering early-season meeting between two sides with lofty ambitions this term.
Manchester City and Tottenham both proved to be well below par last season but come into the new campaign full of vigour – and with plenty of new signings.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at another stellar Premier League match-up in only the second round of fixtures.
How did Man City and Tottenham fare last season?
Manchester City’s slide was the most surprising of all last year, as Pep Guardiola’s defending champions struggled through the early months of the campaign before scrambling over the line to claim a Champions League qualifying position at the last.
Tottenham, meanwhile, finished one place above the relegation zone – a position that led to Thomas Franck replacing Ange Postecoglou as manager.
Spurs did, however, lift the Europa League, beating Manchester United in the final, meaning the north London club are competing in the Champions League alongside City this season.
Tottenham Hotspur’s now-departed captain Son Heung-min lifts the Europa League trophy during the victory parade [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]
What happened on the opening weekend for Man City and Tottenham?
City stormed to a 4-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers with Erling Haaland netting twice. Tijjani Reijnders, making his Premier League debut, was one of the key performers and topped his day with a goal, while Rayan Cherki came off the bench to score the fourth.
Tottenham also eased their way into the new campaign with a 3-0 home win against Burnley.
Richarlison scored the first two for Spurs, the opener in the 10th minute, before Brennan Johnson added the third.
Who did Man City and Tottenham sign in the summer?
Former Man City academy player James Trafford was a late summer signing in goal for City and is set to continue between the sticks with Ederson still being linked with a move away from the Etihad.
The 23-year-old, who left City for Burnley in 2023, is the latest of six summer recruits for Guardiola to go with the arrivals of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis in the January window.
The signings of Reijnders, defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, midfielder Sverre Nypan and winger Cherki, alongside Trafford and veteran keeper Marcus Bettinelli, means City’s spending for 2025 has surpassed the 300 million pound ($402m) mark.
Richarlison, left, and new signing Mohammed Kudus, right, will be expected to form the nucleus of the Tottenham attack this season [Matthew Childs/Reuters]
Tottenham have not been shy themselves, when it comes to splashing the cash with eight recruits signed in this window.
The capture of Ghana forward, Mohammed Kudus, from rivals West Ham for 55 million pounds ($73.8m) is the headline news.
Fellow attacker Mathys Tel was hardly cheap, though, with the 20-year-old Frenchman secured for 40.2 million pounds ($53.9m) from Bayern Munich. Both will be looked upon to fill the hole left by Son Heung-min’s transfer to Los Angeles.
Kevin Danso’s 21 million pounds ($28.2m) arrival in defence from Lens will also be seen as a major move following the difficulties suffered at the back by Spurs under Postecoglou.
What happened the last time Man City played Tottenham?
The last meeting between the teams was in North London in February with City winning 1-0.
Erling Haaland scored the only goal of the game in the 12th minute.
What happened in the corresponding fixture last season?
Tottenham stormed to a 4-0 win in the Premier League encounter at Etihad Stadium last season.
City were in the middle of a wretched run, which ended their title defence before it got off the ground, and the hammering on November 23 only compounded matters.
James Maddison scored in the 12th and 20th minutes to give Spurs a storming start before Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson rounded off matters in the second half.
Spurs had already claimed a 2-1 League Cup win against City by that stage of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison scores their second goal past Manchester City’s Ederson in last season’s match at Etihad Stadium [Lee Smith/Reuters]
Head-to-head
This is the 165th meeting between the clubs with Manchester City winning 69 times and Tottenham emerging victorious on 68 occasions.
The first meeting came in January 1909 with Spurs winning 4-3 in an FA Cup encounter in Manchester.
The North London club have won two of the last three matches, ending a run of only one win in five against City.
Man City team news
Midfielders Mateo Kovacic, Kalvin Phillips and forward Savinho will all miss the match due to Achilles issues for the former two and an unspecified injury for the latter.
Rodri, Ederson, Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol were all absent from the season-opening win against Wolverhampton Wanderers but returned to training this week.
Tottenham team news
Maddison leads a long list of absentees for Spurs and his loss is doubly felt following his brace in the win at the Etihad last season.
Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, Bryan Gil, Manor Solomon and Kota Takai are all also missing for the trip due to injuries.
Yves Bissouma and Destiny Udogie, however, are both set to be assessed ahead of the match after missing the win against Burnley due to knocks.
Hulk Hogan passed away aged 71 and his wife Sky Daly has said the wrestling legend was likely the victim of medical ‘malpractice’ during a recent operation
Bombshell update in Hulk Hogan cause of death case (Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
The death of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan may have been due to medical negligence, his wife Sky Daly has now claimed.
Hogan, who died at the age of 71, had his phrenic nerve – a crucial part of the body that aids in breathing – “compromised” during a recent surgery, she has claimed.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Daly confirmed an autopsy has been conducted but declined to disclose its findings. She also stated that Hogan’s body has not yet been cremated – Hogan’s cremation was due to take place following his funeral but it did not happen.
The police report from Clearwater PD regarding the emergency response to Hogan’s home is reportedly “on lockdown”.
READ MORE: Hulk Hogan’s estranged daughter makes chilling request to see police body camREAD MORE: Hulk Hogan’s ex-wife Linda shares heartbreaking message on late star’s birthday
Brooke Hogan recently made a chilling request(Image: NY Daily News via Getty Images)
However, sources told TMZ that an occupational therapist was present when Hogan stopped breathing and informed officers that he had fallen victim to medical malpractice as his phrenic nerve had been “severed” during a recent operation.
It’s also been reported that discussions about the therapist’s comments were captured on police body cameras at the scene. Police have confirmed their investigation into the Suburban Commando star’s death is still ongoing. They said: “We have been in communication with family members – including his son, Nick, and daughter, Brooke.
“The unique nature of this case has required us to interview multiple witnesses and seek medical records from a variety of providers, and our detectives continue to do that. All of this takes time. The Hogan family has been appreciative of our efforts and our communication with them.”
The development comes as Hogan’s daughter Brooke Hogan demands to see the police body cam footage and 911 tapes from the day her late father died.
The retired wrestler had been estranged from his 37-year-old daughter for many years, with their strained relationship being thrust into the public eye when she posted an emotional tribute on social media following his death.
She had previously voiced theories about his death, alleging that his cremation was approved without an autopsy or independent examination by the county medical examiner. However, she later retracted these accusations.
Now, Brooke is insisting on viewing the body cam footage from the day of her father’s death. Speaking out on Instagram, she said: “I’ve 100% gotten legit calls from professionals – from police officials to nurses that were supposedly with my dad on the day of his death telling ME I need to see body cam footage and I need to get a hold of the 911 tapes because they supposedly contain information that could potentially shed enough light to change the narrative we/I/everyone’s been hearing.
Questions remain about the wrestler’s death(Image: Getty Images for Fanatics)
“Those same professionals feel so passionately about what they witnessed, they have continued to contact me and push me to find specific answers to this very day. They are quite literally putting their careers at risk because they feel so compelled to do the right thing.”
She added: “The short of it is – it’s all up to my dad’s wife and I have zero control. I can not do anything, my hands are tied, and I have no say in anything regarding my dad – even as his daughter. Those are the rules as I’ve been told.”
Brooke continued by confessing she has no details about when her father’s post-mortem will take place, or whether it has already occurred. “I do not have any information on and when he is being cremated. Could have been right after he died, could be tomorrow,” she wrote.
“I do not know. I have been told by my brother there will be an autopsy. I do not know who will be performing the autopsy. Any information I receive from an autopsy – if one happens – whether I believe it or not. I will be keeping private out of respect for my father.”
Brooke revealed: “I do not have answers as to if the officials who have contacted me about what they witnessed relayed this information to the medical examiner’s office. And if they did. I do not know why it wasn’t taken into consideration. All body cam footage and 911 dispatch calls are not available via the freedom of information act. It’s all on lockdown. I do not know why.
“Do I question his general physician signing off on his death certificate, given his background which is available for anyone to see via a simple Google search? You can answer that one for yourself. I have to trust that my brother is doing his best to get answers. At the end of the day, answers would be great but none of it brings my dad back. And my hands are tied.”
Wrestling legend Hogan, who is reported to have suffered a fatal heart attack, had previously battled leukaemia and atrial fibrillation – an irregular heart rhythm – according to the District Six Medical Examiner’s report.
But Brooke appeared to suggest authorities were covering something up in the aftermath. She shared a post from Hogan’s mate Bubba the Love Sponge, which read: “Quick cremation without autopsy raises questions about Hulk Hogan’s death.” Brooke responded: “Exactly.”
Article continues below
The Clearwater Police Department issued a statement saying: “As previously stated, there are no signs of foul play or anything suspicious about the death.”
Hulk Hogan passed away aged 71 and his wife Sky Daly has said the wrestling legend was likely the victim of medical ‘malpractice’ during a recent operation
Bombshell update in Hulk Hogan cause of death case (Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
The death of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan may have been due to medical negligence, his wife Sky Daly has now claimed.
Hogan, who died at the age of 71, had his phrenic nerve – a crucial part of the body that aids in breathing – “compromised” during a recent surgery, she has claimed.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Daly confirmed an autopsy has been conducted but declined to disclose its findings. She also stated that Hogan’s body has not yet been cremated – Hogan’s cremation was due to take place following his funeral but it did not happen.
The police report from Clearwater PD regarding the emergency response to Hogan’s home is reportedly “on lockdown”.
READ MORE: Hulk Hogan’s estranged daughter makes chilling request to see police body camREAD MORE: Hulk Hogan’s ex-wife Linda shares heartbreaking message on late star’s birthday
Brooke Hogan recently made a chilling request(Image: NY Daily News via Getty Images)
However, sources told TMZ that an occupational therapist was present when Hogan stopped breathing and informed officers that he had fallen victim to medical malpractice as his phrenic nerve had been “severed” during a recent operation.
It’s also been reported that discussions about the therapist’s comments were captured on police body cameras at the scene. Police have confirmed their investigation into the Suburban Commando star’s death is still ongoing. They said: “We have been in communication with family members – including his son, Nick, and daughter, Brooke.
“The unique nature of this case has required us to interview multiple witnesses and seek medical records from a variety of providers, and our detectives continue to do that. All of this takes time. The Hogan family has been appreciative of our efforts and our communication with them.”
The development comes as Hogan’s daughter Brooke Hogan demands to see the police body cam footage and 911 tapes from the day her late father died.
The retired wrestler had been estranged from his 37-year-old daughter for many years, with their strained relationship being thrust into the public eye when she posted an emotional tribute on social media following his death.
She had previously voiced theories about his death, alleging that his cremation was approved without an autopsy or independent examination by the county medical examiner. However, she later retracted these accusations.
Now, Brooke is insisting on viewing the body cam footage from the day of her father’s death. Speaking out on Instagram, she said: “I’ve 100% gotten legit calls from professionals – from police officials to nurses that were supposedly with my dad on the day of his death telling ME I need to see body cam footage and I need to get a hold of the 911 tapes because they supposedly contain information that could potentially shed enough light to change the narrative we/I/everyone’s been hearing.
Questions remain about the wrestler’s death(Image: Getty Images for Fanatics)
“Those same professionals feel so passionately about what they witnessed, they have continued to contact me and push me to find specific answers to this very day. They are quite literally putting their careers at risk because they feel so compelled to do the right thing.”
She added: “The short of it is – it’s all up to my dad’s wife and I have zero control. I can not do anything, my hands are tied, and I have no say in anything regarding my dad – even as his daughter. Those are the rules as I’ve been told.”
Brooke continued by confessing she has no details about when her father’s post-mortem will take place, or whether it has already occurred. “I do not have any information on and when he is being cremated. Could have been right after he died, could be tomorrow,” she wrote.
“I do not know. I have been told by my brother there will be an autopsy. I do not know who will be performing the autopsy. Any information I receive from an autopsy – if one happens – whether I believe it or not. I will be keeping private out of respect for my father.”
Brooke revealed: “I do not have answers as to if the officials who have contacted me about what they witnessed relayed this information to the medical examiner’s office. And if they did. I do not know why it wasn’t taken into consideration. All body cam footage and 911 dispatch calls are not available via the freedom of information act. It’s all on lockdown. I do not know why.
“Do I question his general physician signing off on his death certificate, given his background which is available for anyone to see via a simple Google search? You can answer that one for yourself. I have to trust that my brother is doing his best to get answers. At the end of the day, answers would be great but none of it brings my dad back. And my hands are tied.”
Wrestling legend Hogan, who is reported to have suffered a fatal heart attack, had previously battled leukaemia and atrial fibrillation – an irregular heart rhythm – according to the District Six Medical Examiner’s report.
But Brooke appeared to suggest authorities were covering something up in the aftermath. She shared a post from Hogan’s mate Bubba the Love Sponge, which read: “Quick cremation without autopsy raises questions about Hulk Hogan’s death.” Brooke responded: “Exactly.”
Article continues below
The Clearwater Police Department issued a statement saying: “As previously stated, there are no signs of foul play or anything suspicious about the death.”
Model Princess Andre headed for a glitzy night in the capital with her pal as she tried to brush off her family drama as mum Katie Price opened up on her mental health
Princess Andre appeared in high spirits as she headed out to a showbiz bash despite her very public family drama. The 18-year-old made a solo appearance at the Superdrug Presents Launch event in London, where she resembled her famous mum Katie Price’s early modelling days.
She appeared to take time for herself by attending the lavish do with her pal and opted for a casual look. Princess looked stunning in a black velvet jacket and matching bottoms.
The teenager, who recently launched her own TV show The Princess Diaries, added a white shoulder bag and vest top with white chunky trainers. Her night out came as her former glamour model mum Katie told her fans about her anxiety and PTSD.
She has been locked in a public row with Princess’ dad Peter Andre after he issued a bombshell statement accusing her of “peddling baseless lies”. Katie hit out with her own message as she admitted to not always being the mother she wanted to be.
The mum-of-five received another blow as her ex Alex Reid released a shock video of Katie counting stacks of cash when she was bankrupt. Katie has also faced rumours of a rift with Princess after she was banned from appearing on her daughter’s ITV2 series.
Katie told her followers: “Here I am at the horses, it’s so relaxing, what I call my safe place. The past 10 days my PTSD, anxiety, mental health have been triggered like you would not believe.
Model Princess Andre headed for a glitzy night in the capital with her pal as she tried to brush off her family drama as mum Katie Price opened up on her mental health
Princess Andre appeared in high spirits as she headed out to a showbiz bash despite her very public family drama. The 18-year-old made a solo appearance at the Superdrug Presents Launch event in London, where she resembled her famous mum Katie Price’s early modelling days.
She appeared to take time for herself by attending the lavish do with her pal and opted for a casual look. Princess looked stunning in a black velvet jacket and matching bottoms.
The teenager, who recently launched her own TV show The Princess Diaries, added a white shoulder bag and vest top with white chunky trainers. Her night out came as her former glamour model mum Katie told her fans about her anxiety and PTSD.
She has been locked in a public row with Princess’ dad Peter Andre after he issued a bombshell statement accusing her of “peddling baseless lies”. Katie hit out with her own message as she admitted to not always being the mother she wanted to be.
The mum-of-five received another blow as her ex Alex Reid released a shock video of Katie counting stacks of cash when she was bankrupt. Katie has also faced rumours of a rift with Princess after she was banned from appearing on her daughter’s ITV2 series.
Katie told her followers: “Here I am at the horses, it’s so relaxing, what I call my safe place. The past 10 days my PTSD, anxiety, mental health have been triggered like you would not believe.
