The highlight fixtures for the 3rd week of the EPL are MAN CITY versus COVENTRY and ARSENAL versus CHELSEA. Our feature columnist, John Newsome, brings you his unique and insightful previews of these and all Game Week 3 matches. You can view all previous analysis from John’s regular column here: English Premier League Predictions For Saturday.
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Be sure to check out John’s new book, entitled “Three Days At Anfield“, a riotous and heartfelt tribute to Barnsley FC that blends football nostalgia, fan memoir, and a love letter to the beautiful game. Available on Amazon now.
Please note all prices quoted below were correct at the time of publication.
Game Week-3
Friday, September 04th
IPSWICH v LIVERPOOL
20.00 in England
Sky Sports
The Tractor Boys have brought in Exequiel Palacios paying Bayer Leverkusen £24 Million for the Argentinian Midfielder.
Ipswich have taken the Burnley Striker Zian Flemming to Portman Rd, paying the Clarets around £17 Million.
After an opening-day victory over Sunderland, Ipswich were brought back down to earth in the rain of Old Trafford.
Leif Davis did score a superb goal to give the away team a lead, however, that just kicked United into gear, scoring an equaliser before the break, then 4 more in the 2nd-half.
Chuba Akpom scored a late 2nd for Ipswich but the damage had already been done, leaving the Tractor Boys’ faithful with a long wet journey home after a defeat from a 5-2 scoreline.
Ipswich sit in 12th place with the same 3 points as Sunderland, Manchester United and Brighton, after the opening 2 fixtures.
Liverpool twice came from behind against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday, with goals from Alexander Isak and Victor Munoz cancelling out the Forest goals, to give both teams a point apiece from a 2-2 draw.
The Archbishop was happy.
That leaves Liverpool in 13th place, a place below today’s hosts, with 2 points from 2 draws by the same 2-2 scoreline.
The on/off Summer Transfer of Bradley Barcola finally happened, with the Paris Saint-Germain Winger coming to Anfield for a fee of £106 Million, potentially rising to over £120 Million with add-ons.
Also coming into Anfield is the young 18-year-old goalkeeper, Lucca Brughmans from Genk, with Liverpool paying a fee which will eventually rise to £30 Million.
Harvey Elliott has left Liverpool and joined Valencia on a season-long loan deal.
Liverpool’s Champions League-League Phase opponents have been confirmed, with Andoni Iraola’s Reds up against-
09/09/2026- Atlético Madrid- H
14/10/2026- Lask- A
20/10/2026- Villarreal- H
04/11/2026- Fenerbahçe- A
25/11/2026- Club Brugge- A
09/12/2026- Porto- H
19/01/2027- Inter Milan- A
27/01/2027- Lens- H
Betfred offer Ipswich at 9/2, the Draw at 7/2 and Odds On 8/15 for Liverpool to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 7/2 that Alexander Isak Scores First and Evens 1/1 that Liverpool Score in Both Halves.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Away Win 0-2- Get 17/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
Saturday, September 05th
NEWCASTLE v BOURNEMOUTH
12.30 in England
TNT Sport
Newcastle stunned Tottenham at the New Stadium in North London on Saturday.
Anthony Elanga scored his 2nd goal of the season after the opener against Liverpool last week.
Yoane Wissa added a 2nd for Newcastle, giving Matthias Jaissle’s Black and Whites their 1st win of the campaign, leaving Newcastle in 6th place with the same 4 points as Brentford, Everton and Leeds.
Nico Gonzales comes in from Man City, with Newcastle paying £50 Million for the Spaniard, after Nico became surplus to requirements at the Etihad.
The Magpies have also signed Matias Fernandez-Pardo from the French club Lille, paying a fee of around £51 Million for the Belgian Midfielder.
Departing St James Park, is the German Striker Nick Woltemade who heads to Italy to join Juventus on loan, with Newcastle receiving a £4 Million fee.
Alex Scott, who was wanted by several clubs, was categorically told that he’s not leaving the Vitality Stadium.
Alex scored the Cherries’ goal in the 1-1 draw against the Toffees on Saturday, with Everton scoring a late equaliser to give both teams a share of the points.
The point gained gives Bournemouth their 1st of the season, leaving Marco Rose’s team in 14th place, with the same 1 point as Nottingham Forest.
Bournemouth’s Europa League-League Phase opponents-
17/09/2026- Real Sociedad A
15/10/2026- Sturm Graz H
22/10/2026- AC Milan H
05/11/2026- Sparta Praha A
26/11/2026- Celta Vigo A
10/12/2026- Viktoria Plzen H
21/01/2027- Lillestrom A
28/01/2026- Hapoel Beer-Sheva H
Betfred offer Newcastle at 6/5, the Draw at 11/4 and 2/1 for Bournemouth to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 7/1 that Harvey Barnes Scores First and 8/5 that Evanilson Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-1- Get 15/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
BRENTFORD v SUNDERLAND
15.00 in England
Brentford gained a point from a draw by a 1-1 score, against Leeds United at Elland Rd on Sunday.
As predicted in this EveryTip column last week.
Kevin Schade scored first just before the break, with Leeds equalising in the 79th minute to give both teams a point apiece.
The Bees sit in 5th place with the same 4 points as Newcastle, Everton and Leeds, from the opening 2 games played.
Brentford have signed El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham, with the Bees paying the Hammers £40 Million for the Senegalese Left-Back.
El Hadji was on the Bees bench for the game against Leeds but didn’t see any action.
Sunderland got their first win of the campaign on Sunday following last week’s defeat against Ipswich.
Wilson Isidor scored the solitary winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Fulham at the Stadium of Light, as predicted in this EveryTip column last week.
Sunderland sit in 11th place with the same 3 points as Ipswich, Manchester United and Brighton following the opening 2 games of the season.
The Black Cats have brought in the Lyon Forward Malick Fofana for a fee of around £25 Million, with a further £4 Million in add-ons.
Arsenal and Crystal Palace were after the Belgian but Malick has chosen the Stadium of Light as his next destination.
Kevin Danso comes in from Tottenham on a season-long loan that contains an obligation to buy worth £25 Million.
Sunderland’s Europa League-League Phase opponents-
16/09/2026- AZ Alkmaar H
15/10/2026- Torreense A
22/10/2026- Lech Poznan A
05/11/2026- Dinamo Zagreb H
26/11/2026- Jagiellonia H
10/12/2026- AC Milan A
21/01/2027- Anderlecht A
28/01/2026- Levski Sofia H
Betfred offer Brentford at slight Odds On 3/5, the Draw at 3/1 and 9/2 for Sunderland to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 11/4 that Igor Thiago Scores First and 6/4 that Brentford Win To Nil.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-0- Get 13/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
BRIGHTON v LEEDS UNITED
15.00 in England
Brighton played in a great game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, however, were on the wrong end of a 7-goal thriller.
Chelsea scored 3 in the first half hour, before Malick Yalcouye pulled a goal back before the break.
Malick by the way, had a great game and the Seagulls faithful will enjoy watching the 20-year-old over the course of the season.
The ex-Seagull Joao Pedro, must have thought he was still playing for Brighton, scoring an Own Goal just after the hour mark, making it 3-2.
Chelsea then made it 4-2 but that wasn’t the end of the goals, with Pascal Gross scoring a late 3rd for the away team.
Unfortunately, for the flying Seagull faithful, the referee blew the whistle soon after the 7th goal, ultimately, leaving Brighton with a defeat from a 4-3 scoreline.
Brighton sit in 9th place with the same 3-points as Manchester United, Sunderland and Ipswich after the opening 2-games completed.
The Seagulls have brought in the Millwall Winger Femi Azeez, for a fee of £15 Million.
There was a last-minute deal with Stuttgart for the purchase of Chema Andrés, with the Seagulls paying the German club around £20 Million.
Brighton’s 6 Europa Conference League-League Phase opponents-
15/10/2026- FK Kauno Zalgiris H
22/10/2026- Jablonec A
05/11/2026- Getafe A
26/11/2026- CS Uni. Craiova H
10/12/2026- Monaco H
17/12/2026- Panathinaikos A
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored an equaliser in the 79th minute to earn Leeds United a point from a draw by a 1-1 score, against Brentford at Elland Rd on Sunday.
The Bees had scored their goal in the 41st-minute.
The point gained, leaves the Whites in 8th place with the same 4 points as Everton, Newcastle and Brentford following the opening 2 games.
Leeds have brought in the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt Goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, for a fee of £4 Million.
Michael will become the backup GK to James Trafford following the departure of Lucas Perri, who heads to Juventus on loan.
The Elland Rd club have also brought in the Eintracht Frankfurt Winger Jean-Matteo Bahoya, initially on loan with a view to a permanent deal.
Melvin Bard, a Left-Back, who plays for the French club Nice, comes into Elland Rd in a loan deal with an option to buy.
Wilfried Gnonto has left Leeds to join Fiorentina on loan.
Betfred offer Brighton at slight Odds On 5/6, the Draw at 11/4 and 16/5 for Leeds United to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 15/2 that Diego Gomez Scores First and slight Odds On 10/11 that there are Under 2.5 Goals.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 1-1- Get 13/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
FULHAM v CRYSTAL PALACE
15.00 in England
Fulham suffered their 2nd loss of the season, away at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland on Sunday.
After a tight affair, the Black Cats scored the solitary winning goal in the 75th minute, to inflict the defeat on the Cottagers from a 1-0 score.
That leaves Fulham in 16th place with the same zero points as Coventry, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Tottenham, all having played 2 games.
David Affengruber has arrived at Craven Cottage from Elche, with Fulham paying £25 Million for the Austrian Centre-Back.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Swedish Midfielder Hugo Larsson comes into Fulham for a fee of around £22 Million.
Added to those two, Real Madrid’s Manuel Angel, makes it three of Alvaro Arbeloa’s former young players from the Bernabeu, following the earlier signings of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios.
Fulham have paid around £4 Million for the young Midfielder.
Palace put in a competitive display against Man City on Friday Night Football but were simply second best in all departments.
Adam Wharton had a decent game and looks levels above his teammates, so it has been interesting to see Crystal Palace hold on to him.
Unfortunately, the Eagle Ultras only saw their idols have 1 shot on target, which, although Palace did score a goal, it wasn’t from the shot on target, the goal was from a free kick which hit the bar and rebounded in off Gianluigi Donnarumma, meaning an Own Goal.
Chris Richards had the solitary shot on target.
Man City scored 4 goals, to inflict the 2nd defeat in a row for Palace, who sit in 18th place in the Premier League, with the same nil points as Tottenham, Aston Villa, Coventry and Fulham from 2 games played.
Palace have confirmed the signing of Zavier Gozo from Real Salt Lake City for a fee of £11 Million.
Honest Ahanor has signed from Atalanta, to complete a season-long loan at Selhurst Park.
It’s understood that Honest has agreed terms with Chelsea but will play for Crystal Palace then go to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, with Chelsea paying Atalanta around £40 Million.
There is a rule that a Premier League club cannot loan more than one player from the same team, so there’s some sort of agreement that Honest Ahanor is technically on loan from Atalanta, then will join Chelsea at the end of this campaign.
Axel Disasi is on loan from Chelsea, so maybe the Blues want the 2-Centre-Backs to form an understanding at Selhurst Park before returning to the Bridge next May.
Jurrien Timber’s brother Quinten is set to join Palace in a late move, with Palace paying £17 Million.
There is something called a ‘Deal Sheet’ that the Premier League clubs submit to sign a player, if the deal hasn’t been done prior to the 11 PM deadline, it gives the clubs an extra 2-hours to confirm the deal.
Quinten’s name is on one of those ‘Deal Sheets’ along with several players at other clubs, who haven’t been signed prior to the deadline but are in the process.
Another deal that’s on a sheet for Palace is the signing of the Chile Midfielder Dario Osario from FC Midtjylland for £27 Million.
The ex-Chelsea Left-Back Ben Chilwell could come into Selhurst Park, if that deal sheet is passed.
Crystal Palace’s Europa League-League Phase opponents-
17/09/2026- Lech Poznan H
15/10/2026- Lyon A
22/10/2026- Beşiktaş A
05/11/2026- Hoffenheim H
26/11/2026- Real Sociedad H
10/12/2026- Jagiellonia A
21/01/2027- Sparta Prague H
28/01/2026- RB Salzburg A
Betfred offer Fulham at 5/4, the Draw at 5/2 and 21/10 for Crystal Palace to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 4/1 that Jean-Philippe Mateta Scores First and 9/5 that Goncalo Garcia Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 1-1- Get 6/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
***Premier League Team of the Week***
GOALKEEPER- Konstantinos
Tzolakis- Hull
RIGHT-BACK- Ben White- Arsenal
CENTRE-BACK- James Tarkowski- Everton
CENTRE-BACK- Harry Maguire- Manchester United
LEFT-BACK- Lewis Hall- Newcastle
MIDFIELDER- Anthony Elanga- Nottingham Forest
MIDFIELDER- Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United
MIDFIELDER- Phil Foden- Man City
FORWARD- Joao Pedro- Chelsea
FORWARD- Rayan Cherki- Man City
FORWARD- Erling Haaland- Man City
STAR MAN- Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United
***Last Week’s Winning Tips-
Man City To Win- 3/5
Bournemouth v Everton To Draw- 13/5
Leeds United v Brentford To Draw- 5/2
Sunderland To Win- 8/5
Manchester United To Win- 2/5
Arsenal To Win- 4/7
Correct Scores-
Bournemouth v Everton 1-1- 6/1
Leeds United v Brentford 1-1- 6/1
Sunderland v Fulham 1-0- 7/1
Correct Tips-
Crystal Palace v Man City-
Erling Haaland To Score First- 12/5
(Betfred paid 24/5 as Erling Scored a 2nd)
Bournemouth v Everton-
Under 2.5 Goals- 5/6
Coventry v Hull-
Both Teams DON’T Score- 11/10
Under 1.5 Goals- 11/4
Tottenham v Newcastle-
Yoane Wissa To Score Anytime- 2/1
Sunderland v Fulham-
Under 1.5 Goals- 9/4
Manchester United v Ipswich-
Manchester United To Score In Both Halves- 21/20
Aston Villa v Arsenal-
Arsenal Win To Nil- 11/8
MAN CITY v COVENTRY
15.00 in England
The last time these two met was in the 2001/02 campaign, however, surprisingly, both teams were in the Championship.
Both games were classics, with Coventry getting the win over Man City at Highfield Rd in September 2001, from a 4-3 scoreline.
The reverse fixture at Maine Rd, in March 2002, saw City get revenge by winning from a 4-2 score.
The referee at Maine Rd was the brilliantly named Mike Pike.
Man City, under the guidance of the legend that is Kevin Keegan, romped the Championship, finishing at the top with 99 points, 10 points ahead of West Bromwich Albion who finished 2nd.
Played- 46
Won- 31
Drew- 6
Lost- 9
Coventry finished 11th with 66 points.
John Newsome’s beloved Barnsley FC finished in 23rd place with 48 points and were relegated to League One, where they would spend 4 seasons before being promoted back to the Championship at the end of the 2005/06 campaign.
Man City jumped to the Top of the Premier League with a victory over Crystal Palace on Friday Night Football.
Man City, along with Arsenal, Hull and Chelsea all sit with 6 points from 2 games played.
Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scored 2-goals apiece in the 4-1 win at Selhurst Park, which meant that City, sit at the summit, with a 100% record of 2 wins from 2.
Granted, it’s early days at the moment but everyone likes to see a league table, regardless of how many games have been played.
With Erling scoring the opening goal, it meant that Betfred Doubled the odds from 12/5 to 24/5 in their ‘Double Delight, Hat-Trick Heaven’ promotion, when EH scored his 2nd.
Ayyoub Bouaddi came on for the last 10 minutes and looked a great prospect, who the Citizens will love to watch over the next couple of seasons.
Man City finally agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Enzo Fernandez.
The Argentinian Midfielder cost City £125 Million, with Enzo signing a 6-year contract at the Etihad.
Another signing, which could be considered a surprise, is Iliman Ndiaye, who comes into the Etihad from Hill Dickinson, with City paying Everton £65 Million.
It’s considered a surprise, as Iliman was thought to be heading to Tottenham.
Jack Grealish goes in the opposite direction and signs another season-long loan with the Toffees.
Man City have signed the Palmeiras Winger Allan Elias, in a deal worth up to £34 Million.
Allan, as he likes to be known, is a direct replacement for Savinho who has joined Tottenham.
Man City’s Champions League-League Phase opponents are as follows-
08/09/2026- Porto- A
14/10/2026- Paris Saint-Germain- H
20/10/2026- AEK Athens- H
05/04/11/2026- RB Leipzig- A
24/11/2026- Napoli- H
08/09/12/2026- Barcelona- A
20/01/2027- Lens- A
27/01/2027- Sporting Lisbon- H
Coventry suffered another defeat, this time from a 1-0 score, against Hull on Saturday.
This EveryTip column did predict a 0-0 draw, which was almost up, until Hull scored late on.
There were a couple of tips offered, one being that ‘Both Teams DON’T Score’ and the other being there would be ‘Under 1.5 Goals’ which hopefully a few followed and earned a few quid.
The fixture hadn’t been conducive to goals over the last few seasons, which continued on Saturday.
The back-to-back loss, leaves Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues sitting in 17th place with the same zero points as Tottenham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Fulham.
Coventry have brought in the ex-Barnsley Centre-Back Ethan Pinnock from Brentford, paying the Bees £6 Million.
Ethan is still held in high esteem at Oakwell.
All the best EP.
Betfred offer Man City at Odds On 2/11, the Draw at 13/2 and 12/1 for Coventry to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 7/4 that Erling Haaland Scores First and 6/1 that Elliot Anderson Commits 2+ Fouls, Nico O’Reilly Commits 2+ Fouls and Caleb Yirenkyi Commits 2+ Fouls.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 4-0- Get 9/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
NOTTINGHAM FOREST v TOTTENHAM
15.00 in England
Nottingham Forest got a point on the scoreboard following a draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Dan Ndoye scored the opener to give the Tricky Trees a lead at the break.
Liverpool equalised that opener on the hour mark, however, Forest were awarded a penalty 10 minutes later, which was coolly converted by Morgan Gibbs-White.
The home team pushed on for another equaliser which came in the 82nd minute and with no further goals, both teams gained a point apiece.
Forest sit in 15th place with the same 1 point as Bournemouth from the opening 2 games.
Nottingham Forest have paid Chelsea £50 Million for the Striker Liam Delap, which is a club record for the Tricky Trees.
Oliver Glasner has raided his old club Crystal Palace and brought Daniel Munoz to the City Ground, paying Palace £22 Million for the Right-Back’s services.
Tottenham were booed off by the home fans following the defeat against Newcastle at the New Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Newcastle inflicted a defeat on Tottenham by a 2-0 scoreline and were simply the better team.
Tottenham have some good players, however, as the great Eric Morecambe once said to the famous Conductor Andre Previn-
‘I’m playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order!’
Which personally, one thinks the Spurs Manager Roberto De Zerbi, has the right players but is not necessarily playing them in the right order.
Early on in the Tottenham v Newcastle game, the ball went out for either a goal kick or a corner.
Pedro Porro was convinced that the ball had hit Lewis Hall last and it should have been a corner.
The linesman and the on-field referee, Peter Bankes were unsure so just gave a goal kick as it was the least controversial decision of the two.
What’s strange about that incident, which really doesn’t make sense, is the fact that if a corner is awarded and it should have been a goal kick, the dreaded VAR can get involved and inform the referee that it should be a goal kick.
However, if the reverse happens and a goal kick is awarded when it should have been a corner, then the VAR can’t get involved.
Surely, that doesn’t make sense.
It was mentioned in last week’s EveryTip column that Omar Marmoush was a potential target for Tottenham.
That deal has now been confirmed, with Omar heading to London, initially on a loan deal but with Tottenham having an ‘obligation to buy’ for a fee of around £60 Million.
That ‘obligation to buy’ will be triggered when certain criteria have been met, which are usually achievable such as the number of games played, avoiding relegation or winning a specific trophy.
One hopes, for everyone concerned, the ‘obligation to buy’ isn’t based on Tottenham winning the Premier League, as if so, Omar will be back on the train to Manchester.
Mr Marmoush did play the full 90 minutes against Newcastle and had a fairly decent game which could have produced a goal or two, however, it wasn’t to be for the ex-Man City Striker who will be hoping for a better return today against Forest.
The other ex-City player Savinho, or as he now wants to be called, Savio, didn’t play against Newcastle, after picking up an injury in the Carabao Cup win against Charlton.
Savio is the Brazilian’s birth name, however, when the Winger was called up for the Brazil National Team, the organisation put Savinho on the shirt, so Savinho continued with that at Man City but has reverted to Savio for his fresh start at Tottenham.
Tottenham agreed a double deal to sign Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo from Chelsea.
Mykhailo joined on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent, while Tottenham have paid around £10 Million for Tosin.
Pape Matar Sarr has headed to Italy, joining Juventus on a season-long loan.
Tottenham sit rock bottom of the Premier League with the same nil points as Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Coventry and Fulham.
Betfred offer Nottingham Forest at 6/4, the Draw at 12/5 and 7/4 for Tottenham to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 11/2 that Liam Delap Scores First and 2/1 that Omar Marmoush Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 1-1- Get 6/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
HULL v ASTON VILLA
17.30 in England
Sky Sports
Hull left it late to get the win over Coventry at the Coventry Building Society Arena, or CBS Arena for short, on Saturday.
Liam Miller scored the solitary winning goal in the 82nd minute to give Sergej Jakirovic’s Tigers back-to-back victories from the opening 2 fixtures.
That goal was a parting gift from Liam, who joined Birmingham on loan until the end of the season, on Transfer Deadline Day.
Hull sit in 3rd place with the same 6 points as Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea.
It’s Sergej with a j, not Sergei with an i, by the way.
Hull have completed the signing of the 21-year-old German Striker Ilyas Ansah, paying Union Berlin £21 Million.
The Tigers have added the French Striker Mohamed-Ali Cho from Ligue 1 side Nice on a five-year contract, paying around £11 Million.
The 22-year-old did see game time against Coventry, with Sergej sending Mohamed-Ali on to box smart in the 83rd-minute.
Hull have also signed the Everton Midfielder Tim Iroegbunam for an undisclosed fee.
The Tigers have also signed Brooke Norton-Cuffy from Genoa, paying the Italian’s nothing, as the signing is part of a swap deal, with Hull’s Cody Dramah, heading to Genoa, who will give Hull, BNC and £3 Million for the deal.
It was mentioned last week that ‘Hull have had a bid of £7 Million for the Stoke Winger Sorba Thomas, turned down.
A couple of Million more, should see that deal done.’
Well a couple of Million more did just that with Sorba signing for the Tigers from Stoke for £9 Million.
Christos Mouzakitis completes the signings coming into the MKM Stadium, with the Greek Midfielder signed from Olympiakos for a fee of around £13 Million.
Aston Villa did put in a better performance against Arsenal at Villa Park on Monday Night Football, following a disappointing game at the Amex in Game Week-1.
Unfortunately, for everyone connected with Villa, the performance didn’t produce a goal, with Unai Emery’s Claret and Blues suffering another defeat, this time by a 1-0 scoreline.
Aston Villa sit in 19th place with the same zero points as Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Coventry and Fulham, all having completed 2 games.
Ollie Watkins has left Villa Park and headed to the Desert of Saudi Arabia, signing for Al-Hilal, with Villa receiving £51 Million for the England Striker.
As well as the £51 Million that the Saudi’s are giving Aston Villa, Ollie will receive a reported £12 Million (net) a year over a 3-year contract.
That works out around £230,000 a week, which is net, meaning Mrs Watkins will see £230,000 in her bank account every 7-days.
Wow!
Aston Villa have immediately replaced Ollie Watkins, bringing in Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a fee of £65 Million.
Nicolas was thrown straight into the starting lineup for the game against Arsenal on Monday Night Football.
The ex-Chelsea Striker did have a few moments of good form but ultimately couldn’t score against a resilient Gunners Defence.
It was mentioned in the Game Week-1 preview that the Paris Saint-Germain Midfielder Ibrahim Mbaye was a potential Liverpool target.
It looks like the Anfield club were too indecisive in signing the player, with Aston Villa stepping in and getting the influential Midfielder for a fee of around £47 Million.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis comes in from Southampton for a fee of £25 Million.
The German Midfielder Leon Goretzka comes in from Bayern Munich on a free transfer.
There was talk of the Portuguese Midfielder Rafael Leao signing on a loan deal from AC Milan, however, Rafael has joined Galatasaray instead.
Maybe the lad wanted some new hair and teeth!
If one looks at Villa’s Champions League-League Phase opponents below, Galatasaray are one of them.
Aston Villa’s Champions League-League Phase opponents-
08/09/2026- Club Brugge- A
14/10/2026- Fenerbahçe- H
21/10/2026- Viking- H
03/11/2026- Barcelona- A
24/11/2026- Galatasaray- A
08/12/2026- Paris Saint-Germain H
19/01/2027- Borussia Dortmund- H
27/01/2027- Slavia Prague- A
Betfred offer Hull at 16/5, the Draw at 11/4 and slight Odds On 5/6 for Aston Villa to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 13/2 that Ollie McBurnie Scores First and 5/2 that there are Under 1.5 Goals.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 1-0- Get 11/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
Sunday, September 06th
EVERTON v MANCHESTER UNITED
14.00 in England
Sky Sports
Everton left it late against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
After conceding a goal in the 1st-half, James Tarkowski scored an equaliser in the 91st minute to give both teams a share of the points.
The Toffees remain unbeaten, now sitting in 7th place with the same 4 points as Brentford, Newcastle and Leeds United, from the opening 2-games played.
Jack Grealish returns to Everton for another loan spell.
Man City let Jack leave after saying they wouldn’t stand in his way.
Enzo Maresca did pick JG for the Community Shield and gave Jack a cameo appearance against Bournemouth, however, Mr Grealish wasn’t included in the squad for the game against Crystal Palace on Friday.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles completed his signing for Everton paying Lyon around £4 Million.
Beto has left Hill Dickinson and heads to Italy to join Fiorentina for a fee of just over £15 Million.
Nathan Patterson has also left Everton and joins Torino for an undisclosed fee.
Manchester United got back on track on Sunday, following last week’s defeat against Hull.
At Old Trafford, against Ipswich, goals from Jacob Greaves (Own Goal), Bryan Mbeumo and a superb Bruno Fernandes hat-trick, gave Carrick’s Casuals their first win of the season.
The away team did score first on the half-hour mark to scare the Red Devils faithful but ultimately, Captain Bruno showed his class, orchestrating a masterclass which included a coolly converted penalty, that would have been a nervy proposition considering Bruno had missed his 2 previous spot-kicks.
Ipswich then scored a late 2nd goal coming from an error by Lisandro Martinez, who had a solid game up to then.
United’s back-5 of Senne Lammens, Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw, added to the front-4 of Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford may become the go-to 9 for Michael Carrick.
It’s then who Mr Carrick picks as the middle-2.
Youri Tielemans got the nod in the opening game against Hull, along with Andrey Santos.
Youri was then paired with Kobbie Mainoo for the win over Ipswich, so it might be a case that Michael rotates the 4 players over the coming weeks.
The 4th being Carlos Baleba.
United didn’t do any business on Transfer Deadline Day, however, there are still doubts over Luke Shaw, so that’s probably the next position to be addressed in January.
The win leaves United in 10th place with the same 3-points as Ipswich, Sunderland and Brighton, following completion of the opening 2-games.
As with Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Aston Villa, Manchester United’s Champions League-League Phase opponents were confirmed last Thursday-
10/09/2026- Sabah Baku- H
13/10/2026- Atlético Madrid- A
21/10/2026- Como- A
03/11/2026- AS Roma- H
25/11/2026- Sporting Lisbon- A
08/12/2026- RB Leipzig- H
20/01/2027- Bayern Munich- H
27/01/2027- Villarreal- A
Betfred offer Everton at 2/1, the Draw at 13/5 and 5/4 for Manchester United to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 6/1 that Bruno Fernandes Scores First and 3/1 that Both Teams Score, there are Over 2.5 Goals and Over 9.5 Corners.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Away Win 1-3- Get 16/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
ARSENAL v CHELSEA
16.30 in England
Sky Sports
‘One-nil to the Arsenal’ was the song coming from the away end at Villa Park on Monday, as the Gunners got the win over Aston Villa from the iconic 1-0 scoreline.
Bukayo Saka with the solitary winning goal.
Whilst the performance wasn’t emphatic, it was a professional display that leaves Arsenal in 2nd place with the same 6 points as Man City, Hull and Chelsea from the opening 2-games played.
Gabriel Jesus has departed North London and has headed to the Nou Camp to join Barcelona, with the Spanish club paying £9 Million for the ex-Man City Striker.
Ethan Nwaneri has also left the Emirates, heading to Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan.
Another departure is Fabio Vieira, who has left Arsenal and heads to Germany to join Hamburg for a fee of around £8 Million.
Arsenal’s Champions League-League Phase opponents-
08/09/09/2026- Napoli- A
13/10/2026- Lille- H
21/10/2026- Bayern Munich- A
04/11/2026-Slavia Prague- A
24/11/2026- Borussia Dortmund- H
09/12/2026- Real Madrid- H
20/01/2027- Real Betis- A
27/01/2027- Sabah Baku- H
It was evident from Chelsea’s opening game against Fulham that, if the Blues want to seriously challenge for the Premier League Title, then Robert Sanchez needs replacing as the Number One Goalkeeper.
Chelsea have done just that and brought in Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa, paying £8 Million for the Argentinian Stopper.
That does appear harsh on Robert but that really is the nature of the beast, to have the chance of winning the Premier League Title, a team needs a World Class Goalkeeper.
Mikel Arteta did that straight away by dropping Aaron Ramsdale and bringing in David Raya from Brentford, ultimately winning the Premier League last season.
Emiliano was thrown straight into the starting eleven for the Blues game against Brighton on Sunday.
Robert Sanchez has subsequently left Stamford Bridge and headed to Cesc Fàbregas’ Como on a loan deal.
Como are in this season’s Champions League.
It could be argued that Chelsea have played in the 2-most entertaining games of the season so far.
Following last Monday’s win over Fulham from a 3-2 scoreline, Chelsea followed that up with a victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge by a 4-3 score.
Goals from Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and the ex-Brighton Striker Joao Pedro, gave the home team a comfortable lead after half an hour.
Brighton did pull a goal back before the break.
Then the ex-Seagull Joao was credited with an Own Goal, to make it 3-2.
Cole Palmer, who had another great game in front of the England Boss Thomas Tuchel, scored Chelsea’s 4th and his 2nd of the season so far to give the Blues a 4-2 advantage.
Brighton did score a 3rd in the final seconds of the game, however, the referee immediately blew his whistle, to give Chelsea the narrow win in the 7-goal thriller.
Chelsea sit in 4th place with 6 points from 2-games and match Man City, Hull and today’s opponents with a 100% record of 2 wins from 2.
Marc Guiu leaves Chelsea and joins RB Leipzig for £14 Million.
Betfred offer Arsenal at Odds On 7/10, the Draw at 11/4 and 4/1 for Chelsea to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 11/2 that Bukayo Saka Scores First and 6/5 that Both Teams Score and there are Over 2.5 Goals.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-1- Get 7/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
To caveat some of the Transfer News mentioned in all the previews, there is something called a ‘Deal Sheet’ which allows a club to submit a sheet to the Premier League if the deal isn’t done before the 11 PM deadline and gives each transfer a further 2 hours to complete.
John Newsome is 57 on Monday, the 7th of September.
Happy Birthday JB!
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