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Arsenal ruined Ange Postecoglou’s first game in charge of Nottingham Forest as Martin Zubimendi’s double sealed a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Zubimendi bagged his first goals for the Gunners following his close-season move from Real Sociedad.

The Spain midfielder opened the scoring in the first half and netted again in the closing stages after Viktor Gyokeres doubled Arsenal’s lead soon after the break.

Arsenal’s third win in four games took them to the top of the table on goal difference ahead of Liverpool, who face Burnley on Sunday.

A 1-0 defeat against champions Liverpool in their last match before the international break had punctured the optimism at Arsenal after successive wins against Leeds and Manchester United to start the season.

But this was the kind of confident display, highlighted by Noni Madueke’s virtuoso performance, that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta believes will keep his side in contention to win the title.

The only dark cloud for Arteta was an injury to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who was forced off in the first half with what looked like a shoulder problem.

Odegaard joins a lengthy injury list that already includes Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba.

It was a frustrating return to north London for Postecoglou, just three months after he was unceremoniously sacked by Tottenham despite winning the Europa League last season to end the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

Postecoglou was hired by Forest this week following Nuno Espirito Santo’s dismissal after his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis collapsed.

Marinakis immediately piled pressure on Postecoglou, who presided over Tottenham’s worst top-flight finish since 1976-77 last season, by claiming Forest were in a position to challenge for major trophies.

However, the Australian didn’t win a north London derby as Tottenham boss and was unable to guide Forest to their first victory on Arsenal turf since 1989.

– Clinical Arsenal –

Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze made his first start since signing from Crystal Palace in August, while the winger’s England team-mate Declan Rice was left on the bench.

Arteta was criticised for using three ‘defensive’ midfielders in the loss at Liverpool, but Mikel Merino scored a hat-trick for Spain during the international break and he should have put Arsenal ahead in the opening stages.

Merino pounced on the loose ball when a free-kick dropped to him, but Forest keeper Matz Sels repelled his close-range effort.

Odegaard tried to play on after an awkward fall but the Norway midfielder was eventually by Ethan Nwaneri with just 18 minutes gone.

Arsenal’s set-piece excellence had tormented Postecoglou during his time at Tottenham and it nearly paid off again when Jurrien Timber’s glancing header flashed just wide from Noni Madueke’s corner.

It was no surprise when Arsenal took the lead from another dead-ball delivery in the 32nd minute, but Zubimendi’s strike was far from routine.

Meeting the ball on the volley, he blasted a brilliant strike from the edge of the area that took a slight deflection off Forest defender Murillo as it flashed past Sels.

Gyokeres put Arsenal in complete control just 46 seconds after the interval.

It was a goal that showcased Arteta’s summer recruitment as Eze whipped in a low cross for Gyokeres to slot home with ease for the third goal since arriving from Sporting Lisbon.

Forest almost hauled one back immediately as Wood’s flick cannoned off the bar.

Gyokeres nearly wrapped up the points with a drive against the post after Eze and Madueke combined to carve through the creaky Forest defence.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Friday described new signing Alexander Isak as “maybe the best striker in the world” but warned he would be eased into action gradually after a disrupted pre-season.

The Premier League champions signed the Sweden forward from Newcastle on transfer deadline day for a British record fee of £125 million ($169 million), adding further firepower to their impressive squad.

Isak’s arrival after a protracted chase was part of an eye-catching splurge of more than £400 million in the summer transfer window, though a deadline-day move to sign Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi collapsed.

“A lot of things happened on the last day (of the transfer window), which is not always the situation, because last season we hardly did anything during the whole window,” Slot said on Friday.

“But the thing that pleases me most, of course, is us getting the deal for Alex over the line.”

The Dutchman praised Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson for the way he handled Isak’s workload during the international break.

The 25-year-old, who has not played any club football this season, was on the bench for Sweden’s 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw against Slovenia and was brought on as a late substitute in the 2-0 defeat against Kosovo.

“He gets one of the best, maybe the best striker in the world, and needs to play two very important games for his country, but understands that if he would play him twice for 90 minutes, then probably the player would have been injured,” Slot said.

“And that’s not always easy for a manager, that he takes care of the interest of a player, so he deserves a big compliment for that. And we will treat Alex the same as they did, so don’t expect him to be every single game 90 minutes on the pitch.

“That’s definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks. He missed a proper pre-season, I think he missed three or four months of team sessions, so now we have to build him up gradually, with us playing so many games, hardly any training time.”

 Isak criticism

Slot, speaking ahead of Sunday’s match against Burnley, brushed off criticism that Isak received after he agitated to leave Newcastle, where he still had three more years to run on his contract.

“Sometimes people cheer for you, so I think after he won the League Cup (trophy last season), everyone was really happy with him,” he said.

“And in other moments you get criticised — this is part of his life, my life, our jobs. Now he’s a player for us and I’m really happy with that.”

Slot, whose team have won all three of their Premier League matches so far this season, admitted he had been keen to sign Guehi but would not be drawn about any future bid.

“I think it would be a bit ridiculous if I’m going to deny that we were close to signing him,” he said. “That’s so out in the open, that would be ridiculous.

“These things happen in football, it happened to our players maybe in the past as well, that they thought they were so close on signing somewhere else, and then in the last moment things changed.”

Slot, who is eyeing a record 21st English league title with Liverpool, said he had options in defence.

“It’s a pity, not only for us but also for the player, I think,” he said. “But he’s in a good place playing at Palace, where he won the Community Shield and the FA Cup, with a very good manager as well. So let’s see what the future brings for him and for us.”

Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland is “a little bit above” Alexander Isak as the Manchester City boss responded to Arne Slot’s claim that Liverpool’s new signing was “maybe the best striker in the world.”

Isak could make his Liverpool debut at Burnley on Sunday after the Sweden star completed a British-record £125 million ($169 million) move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day.

Liverpool manager Slot hailed Isak’s quality after the 25-year-old trained with the Premier League champions for the first time this week.

But his suggestion that Isak could be the world’s best did not go down well with City boss Guardiola.

Haaland has scored 88 times in 100 Premier League games for City since signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, helping them win two Premier League titles, the Champions League, and the FA Cup.

Isak moved to Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022 and scored 54 goals in 86 league appearances, helping the Magpies end their 56-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup last season.

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Guardiola was quick to back Haaland as the cream of the crop on Friday.

“A little bit above,” he said of Haaland. “Isak is an exceptional player. You asked me about Erling, and he is top.

“Isak must be a top player because of what they paid. Another one would say Kylian Mbappe, another Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I wouldn’t change Erling for anyone. I know him. I like him.”

Guardiola will need Haaland at his predatory best as City seek to get back on track in Sunday’s Manchester derby after successive defeats against Tottenham and Brighton.

After a disappointing third-place finish last season, Guardiola hoped his revamped team would hit the ground running, but they have been beset by injuries and defensive problems.

 ‘Huge’ Donnarumma

City have brought in Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain to replace Ederson, who left for Fenerbahce after eight years in Manchester.

The Brazilian was a mainstay of City’s dynastic run in the Premier League, but his form dipped over the past two seasons.

Ederson’s ability to launch attacks with his superb range of passing contrasts with Donnarumma’s more rudimentary skills on the ball, but Guardiola has no concerns about the change.

“I always try to adapt to the quality of the players. I wouldn’t demand Gigi do something he is uncomfortable with,” said Guardiola, who refused to confirm whether Donnarumma or James Trafford would start in goal against United at the Etihad Stadium.

“We are talking about the best goalkeeper I have ever seen with distribution, short and long passes, in Ederson.

“We didn’t take Gigi to do what Ederson has done. Gigi has another quality. He is so tall. He is so huge.

“All the keepers save shots, bring personality to the team, and are a big presence. He has done that in the biggest games.”

Guardiola is not worried despite City’s slow start to the season.

“When you change 10 players in four or five months, everything needs to be settled, fixed, and consistent,” he said.

“We are still doing many good things, but we still need to be more consistent than we have been. Step by step we will do it.”

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said on Friday that goalkeeper Altay Bayindir will keep his place for this weekend’s derby at Manchester City despite the arrival of Senne Lammens.

Goalkeeping woes have been at the heart of another sluggish start to the season for the Red Devils.

Bayindir has played all three Premier League games so far but was criticised for his part in goals scored by Arsenal and Burnley at Old Trafford.

Andre Onana started United’s embarrassing League Cup exit to fourth-tier Grimsby but has since been shipped out on loan to Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Lammens, 23, joined from Royal Antwerp for a reported initial fee of £18 million ($24 million) on September 1.

Amorim said the Belgian would compete to be his number one, but is wary of throwing him in at the deep end against City at the Etihad.

“We are really pleased. He’s a goalkeeper with a lot of potential. We are in a moment where we have to look at the present, but also with a focus on the future. So it’s a little bit of both,” said Amorim on Lammens.

“Altay is going to continue because it’s a different league, it’s a different country, different training, different ball, so we’ll try to maintain that (consistency of selection) and they will fight for the position.”

Victory at the Etihad last season was one of Amorim’s few Premier League success stories.

Despite taking just four points from their opening three games, there have been small signs of improvement in United’s Premier League performances, either side of the Grimsby debacle.

And Amorim believes his side are better than when they beat their cross-city rivals in December, a month after he took over.

“I think we are a better team. I think if you see any aspect, if you see the data, we are a different team,” he said.

“We are ready to play the game, but we have to show it on Sunday.”

Chelsea striker Liam Delap could be sidelined until December after injuring his hamstring before the international break, manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday.

Delap signed from Ipswich for £30 million ($40 million) in June and has featured in all of Chelsea’s three Premier League matches so far.

But he was forced off early in the 2-0 win against Fulham on August 30.

“Liam, I think it’s around 10 to 12 weeks, so a long way to go,” Maresca told reporters on Friday.

Chelsea recalled forward Marc Guiu from a loan spell at Sunderland to cover for Delap after Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson left the Blues for Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day.

Maresca also has another forward option in Joao Pedro, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Brighton in July.

But the Chelsea boss admitted Delap’s injury left him short of forward options ahead of Saturday’s west London derby at Brentford.

“We have the injury for sure now in this moment as a number nine,” he said.

“The only one is Guiu. And Joao (Pedro) also can play there. Against Fulham, we used Tyrique (George) as a nine. So we can also think about him.”

England forward Cole Palmer is nearing a return after missing Chelsea’s victories over West Ham and Fulham with a groin injury and could be involved on Saturday.

But Maresca said there was a question mark over the involvement of Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian and Andrey Santos, all of whom arrived back in England on Thursday after playing in Brazil’s 1-0 defeat to Bolivia.

Moises Caicedo returned late on Thursday following Ecuador’s victory over Argentina.

Brazil’s game took place at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres, creating a further complicating factor in recovery times.

“The three Brazilian players arrived yesterday, they didn’t train, they did some recovery sessions,” said Maresca. “Moises arrived last night. They’re all a question mark for tomorrow.”

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Maresca said winger Alejandro Garnacho was “working well” since his arrival from Manchester United but was not yet 100 percent fit.

Chelsea, who won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup in Maresca’s first season, sit second in the Premier League after three games this term.

The club were charged by the Football Association on Thursday with 74 alleged breaches of rules related to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022.

The FA said the charges primarily relate to the period between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 seasons when the Blues were owned by Roman Abramovich.

“I know the club are satisfied about the situation, about the process,” Maresca said.

“Personally I don’t have anything to add because I don’t have any idea. If I say something I could be wrong. I just focus on the pitch side, which I can control.

“I don’t think the players are too worried about the situation to be honest.”

Manchester United’s Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana has completed a season-long loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Onana’s future at Old Trafford was in doubt after United signed Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens for 21 million euros (£18.2 million) plus add-ons.

The 29-year-old Onana joined United from Inter Milan in 2023 for an initial 51 million euros plus a potential four million euros in add-ons and ended his first season with an FA Cup winner’s medal.

But Onana’s increasingly erratic performances and clashes with manager Ruben Amorim last season left his position in doubt.

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A hamstring injury prevented Onana from being involved with the team during pre-season, and he made a mistake in his first game of the campaign in United’s humiliating League Cup exit at Grimsby.

The arrival of Lammens was the final straw.

“Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has joined Trabzonspor on loan for the duration of the 2025/26 season, subject to international clearance and registration,” United confirmed in a statement.

“The move has been completed ahead of the Turkish transfer window closing on Friday. We would like to wish Andre good luck,” the club statement added.

United return to action after the international break with an away trip to rivals Manchester City on Sunday.