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Man Utd & Man City to pay tribute to synagogue attack victims

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Before their weekend Premier League games, Manchester United and Manchester City will pay respects to the victims of the synagogue attack.

However, tributes to the incident that left two people dead and three others injured on Thursday won’t be regularly held in the Premier League or English Football League.

United players will observe a minute’s silence and wear black armbands before their Saturday game against Sunderland at Old Trafford, just as the women’s team did on Friday night when they played Chelsea in their Women’s Super League game.

Ruben Amorim, the manager of United men, stated at his news conference on Friday: “It is a crazy world we are living in right now, a lot of big things happened, we will pay tribute tomorrow.

Black armbands will also be worn by United’s under-21 and under-18 teams.

City and the Bees have agreed to hold a moment’s silence before kick-off, and they will also be wearing black armbands when they travel to Brentford on Sunday.

Brentford had already planned a memorial for Christopher Ramsey, the head of the academy, who passed away from bowel cancer on Wednesday.

Given the gravity of Thursday’s attack, Brentford have agreed to reduce the tribute from a minute’s applause to silence.

Women’s Manchester City will also pay their respects before Saturday’s WSL game against Arsenal.

Any club that wants to pay tribute will likely be supported by both the Premier League and the EFL.

Following Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva’s tragic passing in a car crash in Spain, a Premier League-wide moment of silence was observed before all top-flight games.

The Premier League has since abandoned the idea of blanket silences for non-football issues despite supporting anti-discrimination initiatives for some time.

Following the Football Association’s announcement that Wembley’s arch would only be lit for entertainment and football under a new policy in November 2023, the new policy is now in effect.

Following the Hamas attacks on October 7 that resulted in 1,200 fatalities, the decision was made following criticism.

The Premier League, EFL, and FA were accused of “double standards” for holding memorials for the 50 victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks four years ago.

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Man Utd & Man City to pay tribute to synagogue attack victims

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Manchester United and Manchester City will pay tribute to the victims of the Manchester synagogue attack before their Premier League fixtures this weekend.

But tributes will not be routinely held across the Premier League or English Football League over Thursday’s incident in which two people died and three others were injured.

United players will wear black armbands and hold a minute’s silence before their match against Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday, while the women’s team did so at their Women’s Super League match against Chelsea on Friday night.

Speaking at his news conference on Friday, United men’s manager Ruben Amorim said: “It is a crazy world we are living in at the moment, lot of big things happened, sympathy to victims, we will pay tribute tomorrow.”

United’s under-18 and under-21 sides will also wear black armbands in their games.

City will also wear black armbands when they travel to Brentford on Sunday and have agreed with the Bees to hold a moment’s silence before kick-off.

A commemoration was already planned by Brentford in memory of their head of academy goalkeeping Christopher Ramsey, who died on Wednesday of bowel cancer.

Brentford have agreed to change the tribute from a minute’s applause to silence given the gravity of Thursday’s attack.

Manchester City women will also pay their respects before their WSL match against Arsenal on Saturday.

It is understood both the Premier League and EFL will support any club wishing to pay tribute.

On the first weekend of the season, a Premier League-wide moment of silence was held before all top-flight matches in memory of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva after their deaths in a car crash in Spain.

However, the Premier League has, for some time, moved away from the idea of having blanket silences for non-football issues, although it has previously embraced anti-discrimination initiatives.

It comes after the Football Association announced that Wembley’s arch would only be lit for football and entertainment under a new policy in November 2023.

The decision followed criticism when the arch was not lit in the colours of the Israel flag after the October 7 attacks by Hamas in which 1,200 people were killed.

Four years earlier, the Premier League, EFL and FA were accused of “double standards” for not holding tributes for 50 people killed in New Zealand’s mosque attacks.

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Chelsea vs Liverpool: Premier League – teams, start, lineups

Who: Chelsea vs Liverpool
What: English Premier League
Where: Stamford Bridge in London, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, October 3, at 5:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 11:15 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Premier League champions Liverpool travel to Chelsea after a rare barren run under Arne Slot.

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The Dutchman led the Reds to their record-equalling title win last season – his first since replacing the popular Jurgen Klopp – but a recent blip has led to questions as to whether the club’s transition between managers will be more noticeable this term.

Chelsea, meantime, are hoping to build on their FIFA Club World Cup victory earlier this year, but have not had the smoothest start to the season themselves.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the pick of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures.

What is Chelsea’s take on the visit of Liverpool?

Liverpool’s back-to-back losses over the last week have shown that they are vulnerable, but that will not make this weekend’s Premier League clash with the champions any easier for Chelsea, the London-based club’s manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday.

Leaders Liverpool started the league campaign with five straight wins but lost at Crystal Palace last Saturday, before a defeat away to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Chelsea, who have lost their last two games in the top-flight and sit eighth in the table, seven points adrift of Liverpool, will look to build on the momentum from Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica at Stamford Bridge.

“There is a vulnerability about any team in the world, not just Liverpool. But if a team wins every game, it is impossible to catch them. Now, they lost one or two games. That shows vulnerability,” Maresca told a news conference before Saturday’s home game.

“I don’t think now it is better to play Liverpool. It is always a tough game, always a big team.”

Do Chelsea have a disciplinary problem?

Red cards have plagued Chelsea, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez dismissed five minutes into the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United and Trevoh Chalobah being sent off in last weekend’s 3-1 loss to visiting Brighton & Hove Albion.

“Most of the games we didn’t get the points were because of the red cards. Also, the injury situation, we have eight players out. It’s a mixed combination, but we don’t have any doubt that slowly we will be again where we need to be,” Maresca said.

Has Chelsea’s blip surprised Maresca?

The Italian, who has led Chelsea to the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup trophies this year, said he had enjoyed the start to the 2025-26 season despite the struggles.

“It’s normal. I am not thinking, [being] the Chelsea manager, everything is always going to be in place. You need to adjust, you need to evolve,” he added.

“I consider [Liverpool] the best team in England at the moment because they have shown that, and they won the Premier League. We are improving and trying to solve problems. For sure, in the end, we will be there and close.”

Alisson injury blow hits Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot already said Alisson would miss the league match at Chelsea, following his injury in the defeat at Galatasaray in midweek, but confirmed on Friday that the keeper would not be joining up with Brazil for its friendlies against South Korea on October 10 and Japan four days later.

Asked for a timescale for Alisson’s absence, Slot said, “It depends on how fast the recovery goes. It’s clear not Saturday, he’s not going to play for Brazil, and I would be surprised if he’d be there for the first game after the international break [against United at Anfield on October 19].

“From there on, things can go a bit faster or a bit slower. It’s always difficult to say.”

It means Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili will get a run in the first team after joining on a full-time basis from Valencia during the offseason.

What is Liverpool’s take on their form before Chelsea match

Liverpool is coming off back-to-back defeats under Slot for just the second time since he arrived in the summer of 2024.

Slot said he saw opponents start to work out Liverpool’s style of play under him in the second half of last season – when the team was already well on its way to winning the Premier League title – and that it has continued into this campaign.

Liverpool is also trying to gel after a $570m spending spree on new players in the summer transfer window, with the likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak adjusting to life at their new club.

Slot suggested Liverpool will start turning to being more efficient at set pieces – an approach he called the “new reality” in the Premier League – to break down opponents.

“Jurgen gave me a lot of gifts, but one of the gifts he gave me was [finishing] third the year before and fifth the year before that, and him being so well known that a new manager came in and everybody thought, ‘OK, let’s start to play against Liverpool,’” Slot said.

“Teams played in a completely different way in the first half of the season against us than they did when we were top of the league after half the season and top of the Champions League. I can see this going into this part of this season. We have to find answers to that, and last season, one of the answers was the set piece. Like many teams, we have to unlock low blocks with set pieces and this season we haven’t done that — yet.”

What happened the last time Chelsea met Liverpool

Chelsea won the last meeting between the clubs 3-1 in a Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge on May 4.

Enzo Fernandez and a Jarell Quansah own goal put the Blues two up by the break. Virgil van Dijk pulled one back for the Reds in the 85th minute to set up a tight finish before Cole Palmer’s 90th-minute penalty settled matters.

Head-to-head

This is the 199th meeting between the clubs, with Liverpool winning 83 times and Chelsea winning 66.

Chelsea won in the last meeting between the sides ended a ten-game run without a win against Liverpool, of which the Reds won three.

Chelsea team news

Chelsea are missing injured defenders Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo, as well as defensive midfielder Dario Essugo, who had thigh surgery last month.

“In this moment, I think we have four or five defenders out. We are going to try and adapt and find the right solution for tomorrow,” Maresca said.

Forward Liam Delap and midfielders Cole Palmer and Andrey Santos are also out with injuries.

Trevor Chalobah is suspended for the game following his sending off at Brighton, but Pedro’s sending off in midweek does not affect his participation.

Liverpool team news

Alisson was one of two casualties of the Reds’ midweek loss alongside Hugo Ekitike, but he has not been fully ruled out with his thigh problem.

Federico Chiesa may return from a niggle, but Giovanni Leoni remains a long-term absentee with his ACL injury.

Chelsea predicted starting lineup

Sanchez; James, Acheampong, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Estevao, Buonanotte, Neto; Pedro

Liverpool possible starting lineup

Fubara Cautions Permanent Secretaries Over Conduct During Emergency Rule

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rwanda, has warned permanent secretaries that they will be held accountable for their actions if they violated the civil service’s standards during the state’s emergency.

Austin Ezekiel-Hart was sworn in as a permanent secretary by the governor at the Port Harcourt Executive Chambers.

Governor Fubara explained that Ezekiel-Hart’s elevation, in part due to his professionalism in the state civil service, was based solely on merit.

He urged the new appointee to uphold the values and principles that earned him the promotion, not at any time, telling any permanent secretary to disregard due process.

Also read: Fubara Relieves Commissioners Aren’t Upon Amaewhule’s Eyes.

Further, the governor assured that his administration would be defined by actions rather than rhetoric, and that he would be forced to use evidence to support his assertion that Ezekiel-Hart would never be subject to harassment under civil service regulations.

Osun LG Funds: Court Extends Account Freezing Order Till October 9

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has continued to issue a no-debit order on 30 bank accounts where the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has detained local government funding. The Oyo State High Court has extended its interim injunction against the United Bank of Africa (UBA).

In a decision on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola argued that the extension was necessary to ensure that all parties in the case with the No. number hearing had a fair hearing. Osun State Local Government Service Commission, UBA Plc, and the Attorney-General of Osun State

At the hearing, UBA’s attorney was not present. Despite filing a joinder request and a second challenge to the court’s territorial jurisdiction, Kazeem Gbadamosi, SAN, the lawyers representing the sacked APC council chairmen were present.

READ ALSO: Ozekhome’s Withholding Osun LG Funds “Highly Political”

The plaintiffs’ attorney, Musibau Adetunmbi, SAN, claimed that he needed some time to study the applications, which were only submitted on Friday and Thursday. Because their joinder application hadn’t yet been approved, he claimed that the ex-chairmen lacked locus standi.

Gbadamosi argued in opposition to the extension that his clients had a right to be included in the lawsuit because they were directly affected by the injunction. He added that it is impossible to renew an order that has expired in a court of appeal.

A further affidavit from Boluwaduro LGA’s Head of Local Government Administration, Mrs. Rachael Abidemi, was provided to the court during the course of the proceeding. She alleged that she attempted to siphon money from a private law firm’s account in violation of the court order, citing a letter from two individuals who wrote to UBA demanding that the bank pay 15% of the allocations.

Mrs. Abidemi argued that the individuals lacked legal authority and that Osun’s 2025 LG administration only allowed the directors of finance and administration and general services to signify council accounts. She submitted exhibits to confirm the current officers.

In Suit No. 4, the plaintiffs argued that the Supreme Court still has jurisdiction over the council chairs’ legitimacy. releasing funds at this point would undermine justice, according to SC/CV/773/2025.

Adetunmbi explained to journalists following the sitting that the Supreme Court’s hearing on October 7 was pending, and that the interim order was extended to protect the disputed billions.

He said, “Our contention is simple: those who paid the money knew the case was already before the court.” The Supreme Court should speak first, not the Supreme Court. The funds might have gone awry without this preservation order.

How Smith inspired England’s statement win

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In their World Cup opener against South Africa, England made a statement, and they did so tenfold.

Following their 16-0 Ashes victory in the T20 World Cup this year and their group-stage exit, the team was criticized.

In fact, almost every game they have played has been dominated by what had already gone so badly wrong before ever since that 2024 winter of discontent, news conferences, articles, and narrative.

The standard was broken by subsequent series victories over West Indies, but subsequent series defeats by India reopened the gaps.

Although it is still a long way to go before they won their first game of the tournament, their script needed to be rewritten, and that is exactly what was required.

After the Ashes, there has been a lot of talk about this England side, and they have obviously moved on,” said World Cup winner Alex Hartley on BBC Test Match Special.

Don’t get me wrong, they will have learned a lot from Australia, but they simply cannot have started to rewrite everything that has been said about them.

From the batters to the bowlers, to their fitness levels and fielding standards, every aspect of England’s setup had been questioned.

Even their inclusion in the Ashes squad, as well as their strict selection, made things difficult to believe. In contrast, new coach Charlotte Edwards and new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt were firm about things going to change.

Although Edwards had a short time to implement her plans, it didn’t work out against India at home, and on balance that was expected. However, Sciver-Brunt responded bravely and confidently that this side was “chalk and cheese” from the earlier versions, which came out.

The signs are encouraging, and while it would be grating to get carried away knowing a long tournament is ahead of England, it was a churn and cheese affair.

Smith leaves a lasting impression on England as “a huge asset”

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Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who only made her ODI debut against West Indies this year after a few brief stints in and out of the T20 set-up, took the victory in Guwahati.

Before Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp were bowled by stunning drifting deliveries in the second over, the powerful top three in the format were removed by Smith, who was immediately caught and bowled by the opposing captain Laura Wolvaardt.

The 30-year-old was relentless in her quest to target the stumps, which was also true for the bowlers in general, and averaged 2.2 degrees of drift, which was the most of any game in her England career. They took six wickets with them, took just four runs, and then took just four more as they bowled 38 balls that would have hit the stumps.

Fellow slow left-armer Hartley said: “She’s an in-swing bowler, really. She’s an in-swing bowler. She can spin it, and she will spin a few, but because she has a very low arm, the ball’s trajectory follows you right-hander.

The ball lands into the pads as you see her begin to become wider. With someone like Smith, the inside edge is more of a threat than the outside, as we saw a few instances where South African batters prodded forward and the ball moved between the bat and pad.

She performs as a left-arm spinner, which means she experiences far more drift and movement through the air than most other spinners. Because she is skiddy and will challenge the lbw, she is a very difficult bowler to face because you have so few options. You can’t sweep her either.

South Africa could have given England a challenging opening that they simply couldn’t afford to fall short of.

But now that Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are all set to play their games against favorites India and Australia, they are in a fantastic position.

“Everyone needs to stay focused and not get too ahead of ourselves about where they’re at,” Hartley continued, noting that “nothing went wrong for England today, everything was in their favor.”

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