Liverpool defeated title rivals Arsenal 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s brilliant free-kick.
With seven minutes left, Szoboszlai curled a sublime set-piece past David Raya at Arsenal’s Anfield to tussle with the two premier league leaders competing for the title.
As Arsenal lost for the first time this season following consecutive victories, the Hungary midfielder’s gem was enough to earn them a third successive league win.
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Since the end of the season, the two teams have been fighting for expensive weapons since Arsenal finished second overall behind Liverpool last year.
At both Anfield and the Emirates Stadium, a number of well-known signings have been made in an effort to shift the balance of power.
At the conclusion of Liverpool’s and Arsenal’s English Premier League clash at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England, on August 31, 2025, Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard applauds the crowd. (Photo by Darren Staples/AFP) /
On Sunday, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Martin Zubimendi, and Viktor Gyokeres from Liverpool and Arsenal, respectively, had a chance to shine in public.
None of the newcomers surprised. The moment was crucial for Szoboszlai, who was deployed out of position at right-back.
25 yards from goal, Zubimendi fouled Curtis Jones, and Szoboszlai delivered a masterful finish.
As they aspire to their record-breaking 21st English title, Liverpool, who have the only 100% record remaining, will enter the international break in a familiar position at the top of the table.
On August 31, 2025, during Liverpool vs. Arsenal in the English Premier League at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England, Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline. (Photo by Darren Staples/AFP)
After a result that suggested their effort to end a run of three successive second-place finishes is still a work in progress, Arsenal must lick their wounds.
Erling Haaland scored his 88th goal for the City in the Premier League earlier that day at the Amex Stadium, marking his 100th appearance there since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2022.
Liverpool prepared for their blockbuster clash with title rivals Arsenal on Sunday while Manchester City extended their troubled start to the Premier League season with a shock 2-1 defeat at Brighton.
Erling Haaland, a city striker, scored his 88th goal in the Premier League as he made his 100th appearance since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2022.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back from last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat against Tottenham when the 25-year-old scored with his third goal this season.
Before Brajan Gruda’s late strike ended Brighton’s collapse, James Milner’s second-half penalty saw Brighton equal.
Since playing for City in the Premier League against Arsenal in September 2024 with a serious knee injury, Spain midfielder Rodri made his first start for City.
On August 31, 2025, Manchester City’s Spanish midfielder #16 Rodri watches at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England, during Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City’s English Premier League game. (Photo by AFP photographer JUSTIN TALLIS) /. /
However, Rodri, who also had a summer-long Club World Cup match started, was unable to give City a second straight win.
After he had a quick race through, Haaland should have given City an early lead, but he scuffed a tame shot straight at Bart Verbruggen.
After a successful City move, he also lashed just wide from 18 yards.
With a poor header from Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross, Verbruggen had a second chance to save it.
After Omar Marmoush prodded the ball into his path, Haaland fought back and in the 34th minute, stumbling past Verbruggen from close range.
On August 31, 2025, Manchester City’s Norwegian striker #9, Erling Haaland, reacts following the English Premier League clash between Brighton, Hove Albion, and Manchester City at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England. The game was won by Brighton, 2-1. (Photo by AFP photographer JUSTIN TALLIS)
Just before half-time, Rodri blazed the chance over after Haaland forced Verbruggen to make a mistaken clearance.
In the 67th minute, Matheus Nunes gave Brighton a lifeline.
Bernardo Silva’s attempt to mark him was met by Lewis Dunk, who blasted a shot that Nunes blocked with his arm adrift from his body.
In a tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate who died in a car crash in July, Milner sent James Trafford the wrong way with a clinical penalty before copying Diogo Jota’s goal celebration.
The 39-year-old is the second-oldest scorer in the history of the Premier League, trailing only Teddy Sheringham, who was 40 when he set the record. It was his first Premier League goal since 2019.
Alejandro Garnacho, a Manchester United outcast, was signed by Chelsea on Saturday for a reportedly $40 million ($54 million) fee.
The 21-year-old Argentine international has a seven-year contract with the world champions.
Garnacho was present at Stamford Bridge to watch the Blues defeat Fulham 2-0 to lift the Premier League title.
“It’s a wonderful club for my family and I,” he said. Garnacho remarked, “I can’t wait to start.”
“We are the best team in the world, and to watch the Club World Cup is special,” said one participant. He continued, “I’m very happy and it’s amazing that I’m here.
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Garnacho made 26 goals in 144 United appearances, including the goalkeeper’s 2-1 FA Cup victory over Manchester City in 2024.
However, he lost interest with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford and was a member of a small group that included Antony and Jadon Sancho, who had been kept from first team training with the rest of the squad this year.
Chelsea’s spending in this window has grown to more than £250 million thanks to Garnacho’s arrival.
Enzo Maresca has also expanded his attacking options with Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Estevao, and Jamie Gittens.
However, Nicolas Jackson’s loan to Bayern Munich could be prevented by a hamstring injury suffered by Delap against Fulham.
The Senegalese international was supposed to join the Bundesliga champions, but according to reports, Chelsea have ordered Jackson to move back to London, with Pedro as the only fit player.
It’s sufficient when you have two strikers. When one of them has been injured for several weeks, Maresca said, “probably it’s not enough,” adding that he anticipates Delap to miss six to eight weeks.
Oussama Lamlioui’s late strike earned Morocco a stunning 3-2 victory over Madagascar in Nairobi, which is their record third African Nations Championship title.
In the ninth minute, Felicite Manohatsoa’s long-range strike gave Madagascar’s first-ever winners a surprise lead.
Jean Luc Ranaivoson, the forward of Madagascar, reacts after receiving his medal following their defeat to Morocco in the final game of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) at the Nairobi Stadium on August 30, 2025. (Photo by Luis TATO/AFP)
However, Youssef Mehri broke free of the Malagasy defense in the 27th minute to the delight of the largest crowd in the Kenyan capital.
Just before the break, Berkane forward Lamlioui put the Atlas Lions in front for the first time.
Midway through the second half, substitute Toky Rakotondraibe equalized for his team with an extra-time winner in Madagascar’s semi-final victory over Sudan.
With just 10 minutes left, Lamlioui’s double, which included six goals, ensured Morocco equaled their 2018 and 2020 titles.
The final game of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final football game between Madagascar and Morocco, played at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi on August 30, 2025, is held at the hands of FIFA President Gianni Infantino (R), Kenya’s President William Ruto (C), and President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe (R). (Photo by Luis TATO/AFP)
After their youth teams won the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations and advanced to the Under-20 tournament final, the year has come for Moroccan football.
The senior AFCON will be held in the North African nation for the first time since 1988, with the start date for the event set for December 21.
Erik ten Hag’s first league victory came at the hands of Bayern Leverkusen, who let a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at 10-man Werder Bremen on Saturday.
After Patrik Schick’s Panenka penalty midway through the second-half, Leverkusen were 3-1 up and 3-1 up. Bremen’s Niklas Stark received a second yellow card for the foul that caused the spot-kick.
However, Leverkusen restored Bremen’s lead when goalkeeper Mark Flekken advanced out of his zone and stumbled on a long ball, giving Isaac Schmidt the best of finishes.
In stoppage time, Bremen continued to attack and scored with a point when Karim Coulibaly headed in after the ball veered off the crossbar.
Coulibaly, age 18, is the Bundesliga’s youngest ever goal scorer for Bremen.
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Erik ten Hag, the Dutch head coach for Bayer Leverkusen, reacts during the German first division Bundesliga game between Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen on August 30, 2025 in Bremen. (Photo by Ibrahim OT/AFP)
After Schick scored the opening goal in the fifth minute and debutant Malik Tillman added another, Leverkusen were also 2-0 up in the first half.
Before the second-half drama, Bremen won a contentious penalty that Romano Schmidt converted on the stroke of half-time.
Ten Hag is trying to piece together a team full of freshmen while reviving his own reputation following a subpar start to his Manchester United career.
Tillman told DAZN, “We made too many simple mistakes. We made stupid mistakes and gave the game away.”
Leverkusen’s remarkable away run continued despite the disappointment, which saw the team remain unbeaten on the road since May 2023.
It’s difficult to accept, she said. We must quickly get better. This is obviously not a favorable circumstance, according to Schick.
Ritsu Doan, the new Eintracht Frankfurt winger, added an assist and scored a brace in the other half of the club’s 3-1 victory over Hoffenheim.
Doan, a Japanese winger from Freiburg in the summer, superbly curled the ball into the top corner to give Frankfurt the lead in 17 minutes.
Doan doubled 10 minutes later, tapping in a Jean-Matteo Bahoya pass on the break before making Can Uzun’s third goal.
Just hours after Nick Woltemade’s official departure from Newcastle was announced, Stuttgart defeated Borussia Moenchengladbach 1-0 at home with a late header from Chema Andres.
After some poor marking by the Gladbach defense, the German Cup winners were sluggish but eventually scored with Andres’ header in the final 79 minutes of play.
With goals from Christoph Baumgartner and Romulo Cardoso, RB Leipzig recovered from last week’s 6-0 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich. The team won 2-0 at home against Heidenheim.
Bayern, the defending champion, will face Augsburg in Saturday’s late game.
Ruben Amorim’s under-fire manager had a much-needed first win of the season, but Manchester United needed a 97th minute Bruno Fernandes penalty to beat newly promoted Burnley 3-2.
The Red Devils twice took the lead at Old Trafford on Saturday after leaving Grimsby in the League Cup on Wednesday.
However, they were saved in stoppage time when Fernandes scored from the spot after a VAR review for a pull on Amad Diallo, who had missed a penalty in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Fulham.
With victory, United can now take four points from their first three Premier League games and relieve Amorim’s workload ahead of their two-week international break.
The 20-time English champions’ humiliating defeat to League Two opponents in midweek was the club’s most recent and biggest scandal of its tenure.
In the aftermath, the Portuguese coach doubted his future, saying that “something has to change” and that he would “think things through.”
Andre Onana was replaced by Amorim in the third successive Premier League game, while Benjamin Sesko made a third-place start on the bench.
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On August 30, 2025, Manchester United’s Slovenian striker #30 Benjamin Sesko reaches the highest head of the ball during the English Premier League game between Burnley and Manchester United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north of England. (Photo by Oli SCARFF/AFP)
United started as a team determined to win back their fans.
Before United had a penalty overturned by a VAR review after Mason Mount fell victim to Kyle Walker’s challenge, Martin Dubravka did a good job of denying Bryan Mbeumo an early opener.
Rodrigo Muniz’s penalty at Fulham was United’s only previous Premier League goal of the season when he converted into his own net.
Casemiro’s header hit the crossbar, breaking the deadlock, and into the unlucky Josh Cullen, who Amorim’s men needed another own goal.
Before half-time, Diallo had a huge chance fired wide from Mbeumo’s pass. United should have been in the lead.
In the first half, Burnley hardly faced any threat as an attacking force, but United did so effortlessly when United equaled on 55 minutes.
Jacob Bruun Larsen’s pinpoint cross was crossed by Lyle Foster as she stretched.
United regained control right away after the first whistle.
The Frenchman’s first Premier League goal since joining Brentford for £65 million was scored thanks to Mbeumo’s clever movement, which saw him divert from his market to meet Diogo Dalot’s cross.
As Burnley once more came from behind, United’s frailty from set-pieces and their goalkeeping issues persisted.
The Clarets and Foster were denied a second equalizer by the best of margins for offside against the South African international.
On August 30, 2025, Manchester United’s South African striker #9 Lyle Foster (L) dribbles round Turkey’s goalkeeper #01 Altay Bayindir (R) to score, but he is ruled offside and the goal is overturned in the English Premier League game between Burnley and Manchester United at Old Trafford in north-western England. (Photo by Oli SCARFF/AFP)
When Loum Tchaouna’s effort was stifled by Jaidon Anthony in the middle of the goal, it was Jaidon Anthony who scored the winner.
In the final fifteen minutes of the search for a winner, Amorim finally called Sesko.
The enormous Slovenian twice missed his heroes’ goals.
After a lengthy VAR check to determine whether Anthony’s pull on Diallo continued inside the box, Fernandes instead rode his side to his rescue.
Burnley now has three points from their first three games following an agonizing defeat.
