The fretting over Arsenal’s squad depth was supposed to end when the Premier League’s summer transfer window closed on Friday.
Raheem Sterling‘s last-gasp arrival on loan from Chelsea had many Gunners supporters pitching up at Emirates Stadium on Saturday enthused by the options manager Mikel Arteta has at his disposal. Yet they left the ground after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion concerned about a midfield area that suddenly looks light ahead of the biggest week of the season by some distance.
First, there is an international break in which to draw breath and regain some of the composure that Arsenal temporarily lost here following Declan Rice‘s 50th-minute red card. But then comes a seven-day period in which they travel to Tottenham Hotspur for the north London derby, Italy for a Champions League opener against last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta and then to Premier League champions Manchester City.
Right now, the indications are that new €32.5 million signing Mikel Merino will miss all three matches after suffering a fractured shoulder in his first training session. Rice is now suspended against Spurs after a controversial dismissal, the first of his 245-game league career.
After a strong tackle on Joël Veltman just before half-time, the pair tangled again shortly after the restart. As Veltman went to kick the ball — a moving ball — to restart play following a free kick in his favour, Rice nudged it away and Veltman, who had already started swinging his right leg, made contact with Rice instead of the ball.
The Premier League later clarified Rice had “delayed the restart,” something he had technically done but in a manner not consistently punished; Brighton’s João Pedro booted the ball away after it ran out in the first half with no sanction from referee Chris Kavanagh. Arteta also cited another first-half moment and claimed Veltman should have in fact been sent off for kicking Rice.
“I was amazed,” Arteta said postmatch. “Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be.
“In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens. Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan [on the back of his leg], he turns around, he doesn’t see the player coming and he touches the ball.
“By law, he can make that call, but then by law he needs to make the next call, which is red card so we play 10 versus 10. This is what amazed me. At this level it’s amazing. [Declan] obviously had a reaction that his back was to the ball, that they’re not in the middle of the park, trying to counter or anything.
“Anyway, I repeat myself; by law if you want to do it you have to do it, but you have to do it in the first half and play 10 against 10. That’s it. Very simple.”
Brighton took advantage within eight minutes. João Pedro turned home the rebound after David Raya saved Yankuba Minteh‘s shot, cancelling out Kai Havertz‘s well-taken 38th-minute opener, lofted over Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Fuelled by a sense of injustice, Arsenal reorganised and after a short spell in which they seemed flummoxed by how to reorganise with 10 men, Havertz and Bukayo Saka had glorious chances to score, but both were denied by Verbruggen. Brighton inevitably controlled possession and went closest through substitute Yasin Ayari in between those Havertz and Saka chances but had to settle for a point.
“We reacted to what we had to do playing at home with 10 men,” Arteta said. “We didn’t want to be so deep defending like this, but we read the game and we played the game that we had to play and we should have got rewarded.”
There was at least some good news afterwards in that defender Jurriën Timber did not suffer a serious injury and was instead substituted late on with cramp. Timber has been cited as a possible option in midfield given his physicality and quality on the ball. It will likely be something Arteta considers for the challenges ahead, although Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Martin Ødegaard are the most obvious fits to start against Spurs as things stand.
The international break will shape their approach and also give Sterling a chance to sharpen his game ahead of the trip across the capital. Not selected for England by interim coach Lee Carsley, Sterling will instead work at Arsenal’s London Colney base and reacquaint himself with Arteta, with whom he developed a strong relationship during three years working together at Manchester City.
“We have to see him, speak to him [about] what he’s been doing and how he’s feeling about it and try to find quick wins to get him up to speed as quickly as possible and for him to understand what we are looking for from him in the dynamics of the team,” Arteta said of Sterling. “We will use that time to do that and get him involved as soon as possible.”
And what of coping without Rice or Merino? “This is what happens,” Arteta replied. “We have to adapt to that context. That’s why we have other players that can fulfill that [role] and [I can] give that opportunity to somebody else.”
Arsenal secured a fine win against Aston Villa away from home after an instant impact from substitute Leandro Trossard who broke the deadlock before getting involved in the build-up to Thomas Partey’s goal.
The teams played out a frustrating first half at Villa Park that was beset with stoppages and breaks of play that favoured the home side and stopped Mikel Arteta’s men finding any rhythm. The Gunners dominated the early stages and Bukayo Saka was denied by Emi Martinez touching his shot wide of the far post.
Villa created two huge opportunities and both came to Ollie Watkins. The first saw him turn the ball wide after Morgan Rogers picks him out in the box and the second saw the striker’s headed effort palmed away by a scrambling David Raya in what could have been the moment of the game.
Trossard was then brought on and arrived at the right time to turn a loose ball home from inside the box. He then drove Arsenal up the pitch and found Saka at the far post. Saka rolled a pass back to Partey whose shot from range beat Martinez to give the Gunners a cushion.
Arsenal take the points and continue their winning runs.
Relive the action from today’s Premier League encounter below:
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Arsenal pass Aston Villa test and prove why they’re Manchester City’s main title rivals
Aston Villa beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League
77’ GOAL! – Partey’s shot from range doubles Arsenal’s lead (AVL 0-2 ARS)
67’ GOAL! – Trossard comes off the bench and scores (AVL 0-1 ARS)
54’ SAVE! – Raya denies Watkins after Onana hits crossbar (AVL 0-0 ARS)
39’ CLOSE! – Havertz turns Martinelli’s pass wide of the target (AVL 0-0 ARS)
24’ MISS! – Huge moment for Watkins but he hooks a shot wide (AVL 0-0 ARS)
Arsenal pass Aston Villa test and prove why they’re Manchester City’s main title rivals
20:03 , Mike Jones
Two games are no barometer of a team’s title chances but the early psychological signs are on point for Arsenal as they ended their Aston Villa hoodoo with a result the Gunners of a few years ago could not have hoped to claim.
Under a manager desperate to get one over the only club he hasn’t excelled at, Villa had the chances to make it three consecutive victories over the Gunners, to once again do damage to a title challenge when one defeat can be the difference between a first league title in 20 years and further frustration.
Arsenal pass Villa test and prove why they’re Man City’s main title rivals
FT Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
20:00 , Mike Jones
And Thomas Partey’s goal which sealed the victory for Arsenal:
FT Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:56 , Mike Jones
Here is Leandro Trossard’s first touch, and Arsenal’s opening goal:
FT Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:53 , Mike Jones
Two games into the season and Arsenal have scored four goals, conceding none.
It’s the defence that will win them the Premier League this season with Mikel Arteta determined to keep as many clean sheets as possible.
So far so good for the Gunners.
FT Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:49 , Mike Jones
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya speaking to Sky Sports: “Everyone is a hero because we work together. It’s not just me saving the ball. It was a crucial moment in the game where it was 0-0 and they had chances and I was there to save Ollie’s [Watkins] header.
“I think of what I remember, it’s a shot from outside the box. I’m on the floor so I try to get up and I can’t reach it. I just see Ollie going in there so I react as quickly as possible I put my hand there and there’s no one there to get the ball.
“It’s just a repetition of things. You do drills and have to save one ball and get up to save another. This time it paid off. This is a reaction one, I don’t think it’s my best save.
“I try to help the team as much as possible to win games.”
FT Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:42 , Mike Jones
Arsenal are up to third in the Premier League, level on points with Brighton and Manchester City. The champions are currently top due to goal difference after hammering Ipswich 4-1 earlier today.
FT Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:39 , Mike Jones
Arsenal lost both of their Premier League meetings with Aston Villa last season.
They are already three points better off this time around as Mikel Arteta and his team head over to applaud the jubilant away fans.
Full-time! Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:32 , Mike Jones
90+4 mins: No goals for Aston Villa and a tough loss. Arsenal’s two goals were moments of quality from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey.
Aston Villa had their moments but Ollie Watkins twice missed brilliant chances in front of goal and the result swung the way of Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta will be pleased. His team didn’t reach their peak today but have come away from Villa Park with a fine victory and three points.
Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:28 , Mike Jones
90 mins: Four minutes of added time to play at Villa Park.
Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:23 , Mike Jones
83 mins: Time is running out for Aston Villa to get themselves back into this game. Arsenal look more alive, more alert and more dangerous.
The fisr goal unlocked Bukayo Saka and he’s now becoming a nuisance for the hosts.
Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
19:19 , Mike Jones
80 mins: 10 minutes to go at Villa Park and you feel as though the game has gone for the hosts. If they can get a goal back there is a chance but Arsenal have been clinical in this second half and Villa haven’t.
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal (Partey, 77’)
19:16 , Mike Jones
77 mins: Another one!
After a fine run from Trossard who squares a pass across the box Saka has the ball again on the right wing and decides to play it inside for Thomas Partey.
Partet takes a touch then shoots. He drills it well as Martinez leaps across. The goalkeeper gets a hand to the ball but can’t keep it out and Arsenal’s lead is doubled.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
19:15 , Mike Jones
76 mins: Odegaard wins a free kick off Tielemans and takes a couple more seconds out of the game. Unai Emery decides to make a couple of substitutions with Ian Maatsen and Ross Barkley come on to replace Amadou Onana and Lucas Digne.
Will the subs have a similar impact to Leandro Trossard?
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
19:12 , Mike Jones
73 mins: Arsenal were fantastic at controlling games last season when they went in front. They had the best performing defence of the Premier League and will need to show why this evening.
Villa have upped the tempo but as is their way Arsenal are slowing things down when they have possession.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
19:10 , Mike Jones
70 mins: What can Aston Villa muster now? They were playing well but that goal has changed the complexion of the match. The home side need to step through the gears now and force Arsenal to defend more.
The Gunners, despite that goal, aren’t playing to the best of their ability and they are there to be taken if Villa can improve themselves.
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal (Trossard, 67’)
19:06 , Mike Jones
67 mins: Bang!
Leandro Trossard has only just come onto the pitch and his impact is immediate. Arsenal come down the right side of the pitch with Saka pulling the ball back from the byline.
It comes to Kai Havertz who gets tackled by Morgan Rogers.
The loose ball rolls to Trossard who drills it into the back of the net.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
19:05 , Mike Jones
66 mins: Close!
Lucas Digne swings a free kick into the penalty area from the left wing and picks out Ezri Konsa at the back post. Konsa rises above everyone and nods the ball across goal.
None of his teammates can get there though and the ball bounces safely out of play.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
19:03 , Mike Jones
63 mins: Chance!
Odegaard receives the ball on the edge of the box. He spins away from the nearest defender then slips Bukayo Saka in between the lines.
Saka collects the ball, then looks to shift it around Emi Martinez who makes himself wide and pushes the ball away from the winger.
The replays show Saka was probably offside but that was a moment for Arsenal to at least build some confidence by hitting the back of the net.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:58 , Mike Jones
60 mins: An hour played at Villa Park and things are starting to heat up. Martin Odegaard curls a shot into Martinez’s hands and the Villa goalkeeper thinks about a possible counter-attack before deciding against it.
Still, the deadlock is there to be broken.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:56 , Mike Jones
57 mins: Villa’s ascendancy continues as they win a corner. The ball is flung into the box towards Amadou Onana who meets it with a header that flies over the crossbar.
The home fans are singing and bouncing around now.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:53 , Mike Jones
54 mins: World class!
David Raya has just kept Arsenal in this game. Amadou Onana takes a shot from the edge of the box and a deflection bounces the ball onto the crossbar.
Raya leaps to touch it upwards and is on the deck as the ball rebounds back into play.
Ollie Watkins is there first and flings himself at the ball, nodding it towards goal only for Raya to leap up and palm it clear with one hand!
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:48 , Mike Jones
48 mins: Arsenal look to play out from the back again but the build-up is slow and without purpose. They end up flicking an aerial pass over the top and sending it straight through to Emi Martinez.
Second half! Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:44 , Mike Jones
Arsenal get the ball rolling for the second half. No more changes from either manager as the match resumes at Villa Park.
HT Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:40 , Mike Jones
Nothing to split the teams at the half-time interval. Which side will come out for the second half with more purpose and resolve? A win for both could be crucial even in these early stages of the season.
HT Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:37 , Mike Jones
Mikel Arteta provides update on talks over new Arsenal contract
Mikel Arteta has revealed talks over a new contract at Arsenal will take place after the transfer window shuts.
Arteta’s current deal at the Emirates expires next summer, but the 42-year-old promised back in July there would be no issues over him signing fresh terms.
45+6 mins: The whistle goes to end the first half with neither team gaining the advantage. It’s been an evenly balanced affair with the clearest chance falling to Watkins.
All to play for in the second half.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:24 , Mike Jones
45+3 mins: Arsenal’s two centre-backs are really getting stuck in against Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers. They both look as though they’re in trouble but then come away with the ball and usually leave the strikers on the floor.
It’s a great battle developing between them all and brilliant to watch.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:21 , Mike Jones
45 mins: Six minutes off added time to play at the end of this first half. Can one of the teams get the opener and lead at the break?
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:19 , Mike Jones
42 mins: Bailey curls a shot at goal after Ollie Watkins is denied by one of Arsenal’s defenders. For a moment it looks as though Bailey’s effort has lobbed David Raya but the Arsenal goalkeeper jumps backwards and grabs the ball.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:15 , Mike Jones
39 mins: Close!
Arsenal work the ball well from one side to the other. They find Martinelli on the left wing and he dances into the box before drilling a low effort towards the near post.
Kai Havertz is there and gets to the ball first but he can only turn a first time shot wide of the woodwork.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:12 , Mike Jones
36 mins: This game has been awkward for both teams since the start. There’s been repeated fouls, free kicks, injuries, breaks in play. Nothing to get the match flowing.
That probably plays into Aston Villa’s hands as they’re the underdogs in this match and so far they’ve held their own admirably against Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:09 , Mike Jones
33 mins: Villa win a free kick over on their left wing. Youri Tielemans whips the set piece into the penalty area but Declan Rice rises highest to win the ball.
Arsenal burst forward with Rice sending the ball to Havertz on the right. He’s onside as he delivers the cross into the box. Saka is the intended target but Leon Bailey gets ahead of him and manages to intercept the ball.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:06 , Mike Jones
30 mins: Arsenal are trying to slow down the game. Regain possession and build an attack after weathering Villa’s best period of the match so far.
There’s a tense battle developing in the middle of the pitch. Arsenal are trying to play through Villa, Villa trying to keep them quiet.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:04 , Mike Jones
27 mins: Watkins’ miss was unforgivable in truth. His manager, teammates and the fans will all be gutted about it but Villa have finally sparked into life.
If they can get the opener then all will be forgiven.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
18:01 , Mike Jones
24 mins: Chance!
Massive moment for Aston Villa. Gabriel is hurried by Leon Bailey who manages to poke the ball into the path of Morgan Rogers. Rogers carries the ball into the box then squares it to Ollie Watkins who is wide open.
All he needs to do is hit the target but the striker hooks his shot wide of the near post!
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:57 , Mike Jones
21 mins: Bailey is still being treated over on the right side of the pitch. Unai Emery looks concerned but his winger is jogging up and down the sidelines which is a good sign at least.
The match restarts with Arsenal picking up where they left off.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:56 , Mike Jones
18 mins: Matty Cash has gone off the pitch and has been replaced with Kosta Nedeljkovic. Leon Bailey looks in trouble too. He tries to weave his way into the box from the right wing after receiving the pass from Amadou Onana.
As he turns his back to goal, he goes to ground and seems in a bad way.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:51 , Mike Jones
15 mins: Save!
Ben White makes a run into the box on the overlap and Martin Odegaard looks for him. Bukayo Saka intercepts the ball and check sto the left before drilling a shot at goal.
Emi Martinez drops to the right and pushes the ball wide of the target.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:48 , Mike Jones
12 mins: Arsenal have been the team on the front foot with a high aggressive press. Villa have been forced to go long numerous times already which is hindering their desire to keep possession.
Martinelli puts a cross into the box from the left and lifts it over to Saka. He’s up against Matty Cash who goes to ground after that attack comes to an end.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:43 , Mike Jones
9 mins: Havertz releases Gabriel Martinelli up the pitch from deep inside his own box. The winger carries the ball to the edge of the box before squaring it over to Saka.
Saka’s cross is flapped away by Martinez and the ball drops to Rice. Rice shoots but fizzes his strike straight at the goalkeeper who clings onto the ball.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:42 , Mike Jones
6 mins: Saka brings the ball down the wing and flicks a pass inside to Martin Odegaard. Odegaard’s fancy footwork sees him skip to the edge of the box before looking for Kai Havertz and Declan Rice making runs into the left side.
Matty Cash intercepts and sends the ball forward to Morgan Rogers. Rogers tries to spin around the nearest defender but loses the ball and the attempted counter-attack breaks down.
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:39 , Mike Jones
3 mins: Villa’s formation seems fluid between a 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 with Leon Bailey doing the work of running between the lines depending on when and how forceful Villa want to press.
Arsenal attempt to pass the ball through midfield with an inward stepping Timber slotting one over to the right wing. Bukayo Saka is the target but Lucas Digne intercepts and takes over.
Kick off! Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal
17:36 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa, finally, get the ball rolling at Villa Park. They work it back to Emi Martinez who sweeps a long ball over to the right side of the pitch.
Jurrien Timber gets his first involvement by clearing the ball away but Villa recover possession and look forward again.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
17:30 , Mike Jones
There’s a slight delay as the communications between the referee and the fourth officials were down. The players now leave the tunnel and head out onto the pitch.
This is another fascinating match-up which could go either way. Aston Villa have the home advantage and could spring a surprise on the Gunners.
Kick off is up next…
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
17:25 , Mike Jones
With both of these two teams finishing inside the top four last season this is an early clash of teams wanting to be top of the table. Both earned opening day victories last week and will want to keep that momentum going.
It’s Villa’s first home game of the year, can they earn a win against the Gunners?
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
17:20 , Mike Jones
Unai Emery has lost only one of his seven matches as a manager versus Arsenal in all competitions, Villa’s 4-2 Premier League home defeat in February 2023 when the Gunners scored twice in stoppage time.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
17:15 , Mike Jones
Morgan Rogers has scored in each of his last three Premier League appearances at Villa Park.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
17:10 , Mike Jones
Kai Havertz has an unrivalled 17 Premier League goal involvements since mid-February, with 10 goals and seven assists in 15 appearances.
The German is yet to score or set up a goal in seven games against Aston Villa, the most he has faced an opponent without doing so.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
17:05 , Mike Jones
Ollie Watkins has gone six Premier League appearances without a goal since he scored in a 2-0 win at Arsenal on 14 April. He has five career league goals against the Gunners.
(David Davies/PA Wire)
It doesn’t matter that it’s early – Arsenal face major test in a title fight of tiny margins
17:00 , Mike Jones
Both of these managers have done very good jobs, both of these clubs have made sizeable strides. One of them is nonetheless likely about to get criticised and told they need to do more in the next week or risk missing out on their objectives. And it almost doesn’t matter which coach it’s aimed at.
Such is the relentless, never-stand-still nature of the Premier League and the focus point of most outsider commentators, who see transfer necessities in draws and trophy pushes in victories, even two weeks into the season.
It doesn’t matter that it’s early – Arsenal have a title fight of tiny margins
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
16:55 , Mike Jones
The Gunners have won 17 of their 19 top-flight matches in 2024, with their only defeat coming at home to Aston Villa in April. They can equal the record of 18 league wins from the first 20 matches of a calendar year, set by Liverpool in 1982 and matched by Manchester City in both 2019 and 2021.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
16:50 , Mike Jones
Arsenal have won eight of their nine Premier League away games so far in 2024, drawing the other, scoring 28 goals and keeping seven clean sheets. It is their longest unbeaten away streak since a run of 12 in 2016 under Arsene Wenger.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
16:45 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa are looking to win their opening two Premier League matches of a season for a fourth time, having done so in 1995-96, 1999-00 and 2020-21.
They have won their opening home league fixture in each of the past four seasons – and began 2023-24 with eight straight top-flight victories at Villa Park.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
16:40 , Mike Jones
Arsenal have won 14 Premier League games at Villa Park, their joint most at an away venue along with Selhurst Park.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
16:35 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa did the double over Arsenal last season, accounting for 40% of the Gunners’ Premier League defeats in 2023-24.
Villa have won five of the past nine Premier League meetings, keeping a clean sheet each time. It’s as many victories as they’d managed in their previous 46 attempts against Arsenal.
Gabriel Jesus not on the bench
16:30 , Mike Jones
Neither Fabio Vieira nor Gabriel Jesus are on the bench for Arsenal. Vieira is being rumoured with a move to Porto so as the transfer window comes to a close Arsenal are taking no chances with the midfielder.
Gabriel Jesus meanwhile seems to have picked up an injury (rumoured to be with his groin) and will play no part in today’s proceedings.
Arsenal set to send Fabio Vieira back to Porto?
16:25 , Mike Jones
Arsenal could lose Fabio Vieira as they move closer to securing Mikel Merino in a midfield shuffle.
Fabrizio Romano reports that the Gunners will send Vieira to Porto on loan.
There will be no buy option, yet the Portuguese club will cover Vieira’s salary for the season.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal team changes
16:20 , Mike Jones
Unai Emery makes no changes to his Aston Villa side backing the team who defeated West Ham last time out to perform well against Arsenal too.
Mikel Arteta meanwhile replaces Oleksandr Zinchenko with Jurrien Timber at left-back.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal line-ups
16:16 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins
Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana was the only one of Villa’s eight summer signings to start against West Ham last weekend, when full-backs Ian Maatsen and Kosta Nedeljkovic made their club debuts as late substitutes.
Arsenal don’t have any fresh fitness concerns though Mikel Arteta is unsure whether Jurrien Timber is ready to start as the club carefully manage his comeback from long-term injury.
Emery on Martinez contract extension
16:05 , Mike Jones
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has signed an extension to his existing contract and will now be at the midlands club until 2029.
Here’s what Unai Emery had to say about working with the Argentinian in the future: “We are very happy because Emiliano Martínez is very important. He’s involved completely in this project.
“When I arrived here, I knew him before because we were working in Arsenal together. I knew his mentality and even now it’s stronger than before because he’s achieving individual objectives with his national team and here with Aston Villa.
“His extension is fantastic for us and very good for every supporter of Aston Villa, we can be proud of him.”
Unai Emery on facing Arsenal
15:40 , Jack Rathborn
“We are excited, we are motivated, but we have to show again our capacity,” says Unai Emery.
“If we are able to repeat with the different players, with the different ways, one year more here how we can compete, how we can face teams like Arsenal.
“The challenge is motivating for us and our supporters to face them.”
Aston Villa vs Arsenal team news
15:30 , Jack Rathborn
Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara remain as long-term absentees for Villa, with Robin Olsen also a major doubt.
Jhon Duran will likely have to settle for a place on the bench despite his winner against West Ham, though Jacob Ramsey and Ian Maatsen will hope that their cameos have shown Unai Emery that they are deserving of a place in the starting line-up.
For Arsenal, Declan Rice limped off in the last minutes of the win over Wolves, though reports suggesting that the midfielder is fine – Arteta suggested it was cramp – and will be in line to start. Tomiyasu, Vieira and Tierney remain injured while Eddie Nketiah will likely sit out amid reports of a move to Nottingham Forest.
Bukayo Saka was also seen limping at times during the match, and was eventually replaced by Leandro Trossard after scoring, but he should be fine to start against Villa.
Jurrien Timber replaced Zinchenko at the weekend, and was lively in his cameo, and may have done enough to warrant a place in the starting eleven. Thomas Partey will be fighting Jorginho for a starting berth, with Rice and Odegaard guaranteed to start in midfield.
The front three will likely stay the same as it was against Wolves, with neither Jesus or Trossard doing enough during their cameos to suggest they should start.
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal’s Aston Villa test
15:20 , Jack Rathborn
“It’s one of the toughest places to go for sure,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference. “We know that, we’ve prepared really well to understand what we have to do to go there and win the game.
“They dominate every aspect of the game, when you give them space to run they are phenomenal, when there is no space and they have to find it they can do that. In any restarts or set-pieces, they are at it, and that’s why they did what they did.
“They scored and we didn’t, it’s very simple. In two games we had an enormous amount of chances to do that, and that was the big difference. There were other details for sure which we have analysed, and we will have to do better tomorrow because they are a really good side with a good coach.
“What Unai [Emery] and Julen [Lopategui] did for us [Basque managers] was set the standard so high, they won a lot. The way they coach their teams, the way they represented their clubs was at the highest level, and that gave a platform for the younger ones like myself, like Xabi [Alonso], like Andoni [Iraola] to earn that curiosity that there are coaches from here, so we need to be grateful to those two.”
Mikel Arteta compares Bukayo Saka to Lionel Messi after Arsenal beat Wolves: ‘You can’t stop him’
15:10 , Jack Rathborn
Mikel Arteta praised an “unbelievable” contribution from Bukayo Saka after the winger fired in Arsenal’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Wolves at the Emirates to kick off their Premier League campaign.
The Gunners are looking to end a 21-year wait for the title, having finished second to Manchester City in each of the last two seasons, missing out by two points in May despite winning 16 of their final 18 games.
And they got off to an ideal start in north London against Gary O’Neil’s side when Kai Havertz dashed towards the six-yard box to meet Saka’s cross in the 25th minute, squeezing between goalkeeper Jose Sa and defender Yerson Mosquera and heading his side into a deserved lead following early pressure.
Kai Havertz talks up Bukayo Saka after Arsenal start season with victory
15:00 , Jack Rathborn
Kai Havertz praised Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka’s “perfect” contribution after the winger scored and assisted to help his side to a 2-0 opening-day Premier League win against Wolves.
Saka’s cross from the right in the 25th minute set up Havertz to head in the Gunners’ first goal of the new season and hand them an ideal start at the Emirates Stadium as they seek to end a 21-year wait for the title.
Gary O’Neil’s side gave their hosts some nervous moments thereafter and Arsenal twice had goalkeeper David Raya to thank for preserving their lead, most spectacularly after he pulled off a brilliant one-handed save to deny debutant striker Jorgen Strand Larsen midway through the first half.
The win was sealed 16 minutes from time when Saka’s left-footed drive inside the near post capped a fine individual display.
The PA news agency understands the bid, submitted on Monday, also includes an option to buy at the end of the campaign.
Ramsdale fell out of favour last season as manager Mikel Arteta promoted David Raya to number one and he made just 11 appearances, only two of which came after the turn of the year.
Despite his lack of activity the 26-year-old, whose contract has two years to run, was still included in England’s Euro 2024 squad.
Before that tournament Ramsdale told talkSPORT: “No footballer wants to not play. I’ve had a tough year personally not playing and I never want to do that again.”
Wolves have made a bid to sign Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on loan (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)
Arsenal might have to wait as they target Nico Williams
14:40 , Jack Rathborn
Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams is Arsenal’s preferred target for a wide player in the last week of the window, although there is an acceptance they may have to wait for a major move.
It isn’t quite a case of the club just being willing to pay a certain amount for a necessary position. Arsenal are willing to pay what it takes for those specific named targets they feel would be certain starters, as could be seen with Declan Rice last summer.
Arsenal might have to wait as they target Nico Williams
Arsenal train ahead of trip to Aston Villa
14:30 , Jack Rathborn
(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta provides update on Arsenal contract situation: ‘We are on it’
14:20 , Jack Rathborn
Mikel Arteta has told Arsenal fans not to panic about his contract with talks set to get under way once the summer transfer window shuts.
Arteta has entered the final 12 months of his deal at the Emirates and while he insisted last month fresh terms would not be an issue, no announcement has been forthcoming.
Ahead of facing predecessor Unai Emery on Saturday night, the Gunners boss attempted to allay any fears amongst supporters.
It doesn’t matter that it’s early – Arsenal face major test in a title fight of tiny margins
14:10 , Jack Rathborn
Both of these managers have done very good jobs, both of these clubs have made sizeable strides. One of them is nonetheless likely about to get criticised and told they need to do more in the next week or risk missing out on their objectives. And it almost doesn’t matter which coach it’s aimed at.
Such is the relentless, never-stand-still nature of the Premier League and the focus point of most outsider commentators, who see transfer necessities in draws and trophy pushes in victories, even two weeks into the season.
Defeat? That can mean anything, from a side going stale to a manager falling short. But both of these clubs will sidestep those hot takes, of course. Regardless of a single result in isolation, both will feel they are prepared and on course for their respective seasonal objectives – it’s just that Arsenal have far less margin for error. And that makes this trip to Villa Park a particularly noteworthy one, with the Gunners up against their former boss Unai Emery, and their former goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
It doesn’t matter that it’s early – Arsenal have a title fight of tiny margins
Welcome!
Friday 23 August 2024 15:21 , Alex Pattle
Hello, and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Aston Villa vs Arsenal in the Premier League!
The Gunners are aiming to build on a strong start to their title challenge, having beaten Wolves 2-0 at home on the season’s opening weekend. That victory came courtesy of goals from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, who provided the assist for Saka’s second-half strike after nodding home inside the first half-hour.
Aston Villa also enter this fixture on the back of a win in gameweek one, however. Emery’s side came out on top against West Ham at London Stadium, as Amadou Onana struck early and Jhon Duran ensured a 2-1 victory.
For Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, almost every game is a must-win this season, after their last two campaigns saw them challenge Manchester City valiantly but come up short both times. They could, therefore, be in for a nervy afternoon at Villa Park, as play a team that beat them twice last season – en route to securing Champions League football, no less. Emery and co prevailed 2-0 away and 1-0 at home, and they will believe they can repeat the trick here.
Follow live as we build up to kick-off at 5.30pm BST.
Is that a penalty? Wolves forward Hwang, I think, goes down in the box and the visitors yell for a penalty. VAR check it… and uphold Jarred Gillett’s on-field decision not to give it.
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil gets a yellow for his protests. They came out on the end of a couple of tough VAR calls last season, and I imagine O’Neil will have something to say about it after the match, too…
Then another weird yellow card. Gabriel Jesus leans over, Yerson Mosquera taps him on the… behind, and Jesus reacts angrily, shoving over his opponent. All a bit unnecessary.
Manchester United and Fulham kicked off the 2024-25 Premier League season on Friday, and United won 1-0 at Old Trafford on a late goal by Joshua Zirkzee.
In a bit of scheduling coincidence, the owners of the two clubs will square off again Saturday on the other kind of football field, as the Glazer family’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, owned by Shahid Khan, in an NFL preseason game.
The Glazers and Khan are among nine American ownership groups of Premier League teams, which will have a full slate of games this weekend. The list includes newly promoted Ipswich Town, which is owned by American financial firms ORG, Bright Path Sports Partners and Avenue Sports. They are all chasing Manchester City, which has finished atop the EPL standings for four straight years.
The second division Championship also has nine teams controlled by Americans after Mark Attanasio recently increased his stake in Norwich City through his Norfolk Holdings, which first took a stake in the team in 2022 and will now own 85%.
Americans have invested heavily in English football teams over the past two decades, starting with Malcolm Glazer’s leveraged buyout in 2005 that valued Man United at £790 million ($1.4 billion at the time). Stan Kroenke started buying shares of Arsenal in 2007 and took full control in 2011 at a $1.2 billion valuation.
Man United ranked on top of Sportico’s global soccer team valuations at $6.2 billion, while Arsenal was eighth at $3.91 billion.
In 2010, John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool for £300 million ($476 million at the time). FSG built a strong performer on and off the field, including three Champions League finals appearances in five years. The value is up more than tenfold to $5.11 billion and fourth overall.
Attanasio also owns MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers and follows a string of U.S. sports team owners to invest in the UK. They are attracted by the global reach of the clubs, but most of them want to see more restrictions on player spending, akin to the major leagues in North America. The lack of salary caps can trigger massive losses as teams spend in a fight to avoid relegation or gain promotion to the Premier League. At the top of the financial table, teams compete for a Champions League spot and to field the best squads to advance in European tournaments.
Only five English Premier League teams out of 20 made money after player trading during the 2022-23 season. The aggregate loss before taxes and finance costs was £530 million ($684 million based on current exchange rates), according to company filings. The NFL’s pre-tax profit: $4.6 billion.
Khan’s team investments offer a window into the economic structure of different sports leagues. In 2011, he spent $770 million to buy the Jaguars. The club turns a hefty profit each season that can top $100 million in a good year, and the Jags are now worth nearly $5 billion.
Two years after buying Jacksonville, Khan bought EPL club Fulham for more than $200 million. Fulham was relegated to the Championship the following season, where it has spent six of 11 seasons under Khan. He has piled up $500 million in operating losses in the London club, and the team is likely worth one-tenth of the Jaguars.
The lousy economic model that exists across European soccer explains why Manchester United and Real Madrid are the only soccer teams to crack the top 30 among the world’s most valuable sports franchises, which skews heavily toward the NFL with its strict salary cap and $400 million-a-year TV checks, along with a few NBA and MLB teams mixed in.
Americans can’t kick their UK soccer habit, though. Brit Steve Parish runs Crystal Palace, but American John Textor owns the largest stake at 45%, and private equity titans Josh Harris and David Blitzer each own 18%.
Textor wants his own UK club to control and has entered exclusive talks to buy Everton from Farhad Moshiri after a pair of failed attempts to buy the club by American firms 777 and Friedkin Group. Everton lost $107 million during the 2022-23 season, its sixth straight year of losses that totaled $623 million, based on current exchange rates. The club escaped relegation on the last day of the 2022-23 season and finished 15th last year. Yet still, there’s a Yank who wants to purchase it.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
The 2024-2025 Premier League season is here! Arsenal and Wolverhampton will play their first match at 10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday at Emirates Stadium.
Look to the defense to decide Saturday’s matchup. Arsenal made their goalie’s life a bit easier last season, having only averaged 2.3 shots on goal allowed per game. It’s a different story for Wolverhampton, though, as they averaged 5.6.
Looking back to last season, Arsenal had a phenomenal run, finishing with a superb 28-5-5 record. On the other hand, Wolverhampton will seek to improve after finishing 13-7-18.
Arsenal was able to grind out a solid win over Wolverhampton in their previous matchup back in April, winning 2-0. Does Arsenal have another victory up their sleeve, or will Wolverhampton turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Arsenal is expected to start their campaign with a win, which bodes well given the team’s 27-3-5 record as favorites last season. Betting on them to win was the most profitable play last year, as bettors who put $100 on that outcome in every game walked away with $253.74. Sadly, Wolverhampton will open their season as the underdog, and the team was 9-5-16 as such last year.
Odds
Arsenal is a huge favorite against Wolverhampton, according to the latest English Premier League odds, being -526 to win.
The over/under is 3.5 goals.
Series History
Arsenal has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Wolverhampton.
The game started off in a slow fashion, with Alejandro Garnacho breaking the deadlock in the 82nd minute with a stunning strike, before Bernardo Silva equalised with just a minute of normal time to take the game to penalties at Wembley.
There were just two misses from Bernardo Silva and Jadon Sancho in the first five penalties, which included a goal from Ederson, before it went to sudden death.
Jonny Evans did not look confident stepping up for his side’s eighth and ended up firing over the bar, while Akanji rolled his into the back of the net to give Pep Guardiola’s side the victory.
Community Shield LIVE: Man City v Man United
Penalties: MCI 7-6 MUN – Akanji wins Community Shield for Man City in sudden death penalties
FT: Game is going to penalties MCI 1-1 MUN
GOAL! Bernardo Silva hits equaliser – MCI 1-1 MUN (‘89)
GOAL! Alejandro Garnacho breaks deadlock with stunning strike – MCI 0-1 MUN (‘82)
Half time: Man City 0-0 Manchester United
Premier League champions Man City face FA Cup winners Manchester United
Community Shield is a rematch of FA Cup final, won by United against their rivals
Man City XI: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, O’Reilly; Bobb, McAtee, Doku; Haaland.
Manchester United’s missing piece exposed as Manchester City end Community Shield streak
18:00 , Chris Wilson
There are times in recent years when it has felt that Manchester City have had an annual ritual. Lose the Community Shield, win the Premier League. Their seasons started in disappointment and ended in glory. But, the runners-up three times in a row have finally got their hands on a trophy they value less than most. City came from behind in the game and then the shootout, showing resilience and a determination to beat Manchester Unitedwith a weakened team.
There was a redemptive moment for Manuel Akanji, who scored the winning spot kick in a marathon shootout. He had missed from 12 yards when Switzerland exited Euro 2024 to England but, after seven teammates had stepped up, was called upon to apply the final touch. There was a starring role for Ederson who, with City behind in the shootout, palmed Jadon Sancho’s penalty onto the post and then calmly scored himself. There was a remarkably eventful cameo from Bernardo Silva, who equalised in the 89th minute only to then miss City’s first penalty.
Manchester United’s missing piece exposed as Man City end Community Shield streak
Pep Guardiola explains reasons behind Man City selling Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid
Guardiola revealed he gave his approval to the World Cup winner’s move and accepted Alvarez probably wanted more first-team football after understudying Erling Haaland.
Guardiola explains reasons behind Man City selling Alvarez to Atletico
Aaron Wan-Bissaka nears Manchester United exit as West Ham talks advance
Talks between the clubs are progressing well and United are expected to move for Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazrouai if the right-back is sold.
Wan-Bissaka, who has one year left on his contract at Old Trafford, is likely to cost around £17m.
It had been thought personal terms could be an issue, given his salary at United, but there is growing confidence that he will move on.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka nears Manchester United exit as West Ham talks advance
Pep Guardiola prepared to wait for right players despite Manchester City’s increasing need for ‘deputies’
19:20 , Chris Wilson
Pep Guardiola was staring at the start of a season that could span 48 weeks for Manchester City. He has often sounded the alarm about the impact of a crowded schedule for players and the Club World Cup will only add to it. He also reflected on the challenge City face to retain the Premier League title. “Everyone wants the crown that we have worn for four years,” he said. “I understand it.” Some of his rivals do more than merely want it: they seek to strengthen to secure it. Manchester Unitedhave been more active in the transfer market. “They’ve done it for many years, but it’s not news; just when City spend,” noted Guardiola. It could be seen as an observation or a dig.
And if it has been a quiet summer in the blue side of Manchester, with only Savinho arriving, Julian Alvarez’s departure to Atletico Madrid raises the question if City will be weaker this season. “I’m very pleased with the squad for the quality of human beings and the quality,” countered Guardiola. He has touted the introduction of the teenager Nico O’Reilly to the squad and the return of James McAtee from loan at Sheffield United, while admitting Sergio Gomez, another fringe figure, is a loss.
Guardiola prepared to wait for right players despite Man City’s need for ‘deputies’
Matthijs de Ligt poised for Manchester United transfer as fee agreed
De Ligt, who captained the Ajax team Erik ten Hag took to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, is likely to become the second centre-back United have bought this year, after Leny Yoro.
The 24-year-old has been a target throughout the transfer window and United, who were reluctant to pay a huge fee, reached a breakthrough in talks with Bayern.
Matthijs de Ligt poised for Manchester United transfer as fee agreed
Jonny misses from the spot as City beat United to Community Shield title
18:40 , Chris Wilson
A horror moment for Manchester United veteran Jonny Evans gifted the Community Shield to Manchester City after a penalty shoot-out.
Evans lifted his spot-kick over the crossbar before Manuel Akanji tucked in the winning penalty as Pep Guardiola’s side secured the first silverware of the season.
Alejandro Garnacho thought he had inflicted more Wembley misery on the four-time Premier League winners when he repeated his FA Cup final goalscoring heroics from just 77 days earlier with nine minutes remaining.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
18:25 , Chris Wilson
United’s focus will now turn to their first Premier League match, which takes place this Friday.
They play Fulham in the Premier League opener at Old Trafford – that game kicks off at 8pm BST on Friday, 16 August.
(The FA via Getty Images)
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
18:20 , Chris Wilson
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is last to speak to ITV. He says it was a “tough result to take”.
“When the performance is right, when you lose, everyone feels this. It hurts in your stomach. You have to feel pain and we have to hurt. We have to take this belief in to the league.
“We did very good to produce the second goal in the FA Cup final before half-time and weren’t able to do that here,” he adds.
On Jadon Sancho, he says that the England winger “is a very good penalty taker and today he missed but that is part of the game”.
“We managed to be on an equal level with Man City and got [Marcus] Rashford high on the pitch and good defending. We created chances, we got pressure in the ball and in possession we had some very good chances from this, so there are many positives we can take,” he adds.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
18:10 , Chris Wilson
City have their seventh Community Shield win, after victories in 1937, 1968, 1972, 2012, 2018 and 2019.
They begin their season a week on Sunday, as they return to London to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
That match kicks off at 4.30pm BST on Sunday, 18 August.
(Getty Images)
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
17:55 , Chris Wilson
Guardiola is next to speak to ITV.
“At this stage of the season, in Manchester I know what it means for the fans,” he says. “To start the season with a title is good”.
“I love the personality to take it, and he did it,” he says about Akanji. Regarding Ederson, he says that the Brazilian is “our best penalty taker, alongside Erling and Kevin”.
On Bobb, he says: “What action. He’s really good in small spaces, his work ethic is so aggressive”.
“[It was] a difficult game, and after 35 [minutes], we lost a lot of balls, and in transitions they are one of the best teams in the world,” he continues.
“The lesson is…it’s nice to play this game becausew you won something in the lats season. Now we see how the players come back, try and create a routine.
“The target is not to win the Premier League, but the next game.”
FT: Man City 1-1 Manchester United
17:50 , Chris Wilson
(Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
17:45 , Chris Wilson
Oscar Bobb, who was awarded man of the match, is the next to speak to ITV. He says it’s a “great feeling” to win today.
“[It’s] the first time we’ve won it in three or four years, so it’s amazing,” he says.
“I think the belief, all the way through we had it, we kept going, and then it [the goal] came.
“I though it was going to be Erling, but Bernardo was there,” he adds
He’s asked if Ederson is the best penalty taker at City, to which he replies: “I haven’t seen him miss!“
“It’s another trophy, its a great start,” he says as he’s given the MOTM award.
17:35 , Chris Wilson
Trophy number 18 for Man City under Pep Guardiola. Not a bad return.
(The FA via Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
17:30 , Chris Wilson
Manuel Akanji was the first player to speak to ITV after the match, and he calls it “a great start to the season”.
“I let the others shoot first because obviously when you miss a penalty [as he did against England at Euro 2024], you don’t go into the next one with that much confidence. I told Ederson I would shoot it down the middle in training so I did it and it went in.
“It wasn’t easy. We played well, United got a bit better before it went to 1-0. Then it was a great cross from Oscar [Bobb] and Bernardo’s header.
“Ederson is probably the best penalty taker in our team, Erling [Haaland] as well. When Ederson takes the penalty I know it is a goal.
“I haven’t won the Community Shield yet so I’m really happy that I got this trophy as well and we look forward to hopefully win the next one soon.”
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
17:24 , Chris Wilson
City have avoided being just the second team – after United – to lose four Community Shield matches in a row.
They lost on penalties to Arsenal before winning the league last year – will we see the same outcome in May 2025?
For United, it’s a disappointing start to the season, but they know the importance of three points in their Premier League opener. The signing of De Ligt looks almost certain, but their midfield needs addressing immediately if they’re to get top four.
(The FA via Getty Images)
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
17:18 , Chris Wilson
A similar story for United, with players who probably shouldn’t even be at the club letting them down once more.
For City, their ever-reliable players get them through the game once more, with Bernardo Silva scoring the equaliser and even Ederson converting a penalty (as well as saving one)!
The trophy ceremony will be up soon.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
17:15 , Chris Wilson
(The FA via Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens – MAN CITY WIN THE COMMUNITY SHIELD
17:12 , Chris Wilson
Manuel Akanji’s penalty is blasted down the middle and City take the win in the curtain-raiser! They go one better than last season.
Plenty of antics once again from Onana, but for nothing in the end.
(Getty Images)
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 7-6 on pens
17:10 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
It will be Akanji to win it for City. He scores and City win the Community Shield!
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 6-6 on pens
17:10 , Chris Wilson
MISSED!
Evans makes his way to the penalty spot – and he rifles a terrible effort over! So poor.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 6-6 on pens
17:09 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Dias is next for City. He confidently dispatches his penalty, with Onana going the wrong way once more.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 5-6 on pens
17:08 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Martinez steps up and sends Ederson the wrong way too! A stutter and then right into the side-netting.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 5-5 on pens
17:08 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
A superb pen from Nunes – the best of the day as he rifles into the roof of the net.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 4-5 on pens
17:07 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
McTominay up next, and he doesn’t look to confident, but his pen has enough power to creep past Ederson despite the Brazilian diving the right way.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 4-4 on pens
17:06 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Ederson steps up and dispatches confidently, winning the battle of the ‘keepers. He sent Onana the wrong way too!
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 3-4 on pens
17:06 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Casemiro is composed as he steps up and sends Ederson the wrong way. Ederson will take next!
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 3-3 on pens
17:05 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Savinho steps up and it’s as confident as you like, side-footing into the corner and sending Onana the wrong way.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 2-3 on pens
17:04 , Chris Wilson
SAVED!
Sancho steps up, and he doesn’t look to confident. He fires a poor penalty to Ederson’s left, and the Brazilian gets an arm to it.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 2-3 on pens
17:03 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Haaland is the next taker. He confidently sends Onana the wrong way. Not fazed at all.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 1-3 on pens
17:02 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Garncacho is another with a leisurely run-up, but he sends Ederson the wrong way and clips it wide into the side-netting. Great pen.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 1-2 on pens
17:02 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
De Bruyne is next for City. A small stutter in the run-up and he sends Onana the wrong way to get City on the board.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 0-2 on pens
17:01 , Chris Wilson
GOAL!
Dalot steps up for United and fires a low effort that Ederson reaches, but he can’t save it due to the power on it!
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 0-1 on pens
17:00 , Chris Wilson
SAVED! Bernardo Silva is the first taker for City.
He takes a leisurely run-up and hits it low, and Onana dives the right way and saves!
Man City 1-1 Manchester United: 0-1 on pens
16:59 , Chris Wilson
So we head to penalties. They’ll be taken at the United end. Fernandes is up first!
The Portuguese steps up with his usual run-up and slips it past Ederson into the opposite corner.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United
16:55 , Chris Wilson
95 mins
Kovacic skips past the challenge in midfield as City look for a late winner. They shift it across to De Bruyne, who plays in a dangerous ball that Onana eventually collects.
The referee blows the final whistle and the Community Shield goes to penalties for the fourth time in eight seasons.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United
16:52 , Chris Wilson
93 mins
A free-kick for United near the edge of the City box as it’s handled. Plenty of players up for United, but the ball in from Fernandes doesn’t even beat the first man.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United
16:51 , Chris Wilson
90 mins
Doesn’t look like we’re seeing Zirkzee today for United, which is a strange decision.
City attack as they look for the winner, and United are lucky to clear as they were wide open there.
Man City 1-1 Manchester United
16:50 , Chris Wilson
90 mins
Oscar Bobb comes on for Kevin De Bruyne, as the referee adds five minutes on for injury time.
GOAL! Man City 1-1 Manchester United
16:49 , Chris Wilson
89 mins
GOAL! City get for the equaliser.
Great play down the right wing from Bobb and Lewis, with the former getting in behind the United defence and clipping a cross over to the far post. Bernardo Silva has lost Pellistri, and he nods into a practically open goal!
Man City 0-1 Manchester United
16:45 , Chris Wilson
86 mins
Bernardo Silva gets the second booking of the day as he comes in very late on Garnacho.
Man City 0-1 Manchester United
16:44 , Chris Wilson
84 mins
Jadon Sancho has come on for Marcus Rashford, who will be pleased with his performance overall (though he should’ve had a goal).
City are looking for a goal now, with United dropping deeper as they look to keep their lead.
GOAL! Man City 0-1 Manchester United
16:42 , Chris Wilson
82 mins
GOAL!
The deadlock is broken. Collyer wins the ball and Pellistri ships it in field to Fernandes. He sweeps it wide to Garnacho, who drives into the box with a diagonal run, cutting inside and eventually releasing a low shot that creeps past Ederson!
16:41 , Chris Wilson
81 mins
Bernardo Silva has come on for McAtee in the third City change so far.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:40 , Chris Wilson
79 mins
CLOSE! Close again from United as Rashford heads the corner back across goal, but McTominay narrowly misses as he tries to connect with it in front of goal!
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:38 , Chris Wilson
77 mins
Another good chance for United there, and the commentators say that Erik ten Hag will be ‘pleased’ with the overall performance, but the finishing has still been lacking, as it often was last season.
Garnacho goes with the long-range effort and his shot is deflected behind.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:35 , Chris Wilson
75 mins
CLOSE! So close from United.
It’s so simple too, as a great pass over the top from Fernandes feeds Garnacho in behind the City defence. City are back-pedalling, and Garnacho plays a lovely ball straight to Rashford, who just needs to tap it in on target for a certain goal. But it comes off his ankle and hits the base of the post!
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:34 , Chris Wilson
73 mins
United resorting to counter-attacking mostly now, as City pile on the pressure, with Bobb and Savinho a constant threat on each wing.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:30 , Chris Wilson
70mins
A great pass from Onana sets McTominay away, but he’s fouled almost midway into the City half.
United have a breakaway attack and Fernandes is nearly through, but he doesn’t have the pace and rifles a shot straight at Ederson.
City counter, and a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Martinez prevents Savinho from a goalscoring opportunity.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:27 , Chris Wilson
67 mins
Savinho’s first involvement sees him lay it off to Nunes, who wins a corner. City work it from the clearance, but Pellistri blocks at the back post.
City come again, with Savinho easily beating Pellistri, but there’s nobody to meet his cross.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:25 , Chris Wilson
65 mins
Nicely worked from United as Fernandes and Garnacho combine to get United to the edge of the box, before the Portuguese clips a ball into McTominay in the box, but the Scot can’t get it under control.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:23 , Chris Wilson
63 mins
City’s turn to make changes. Matheus Nunes and Savinho come on, the latter for his debut. Doku and O’Reilly make way.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:22 , Chris Wilson
61 mins
It’s United’s turn to press City in defence, though City play out in their usual manner. City attack, with Doku getting the better of Pellistri before Gvardiol curls an effort wide from outside of the box.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:19 , Chris Wilson
59 mins
United make four changes. Diallo, Mount, Maguire and Mainoo make way.
Pellistri, McTominay, Garnacho and Toby Collyer come on. Minutes in the legs for some, but those changes don’t exactly increase United’s chances of winning.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:16 , Chris Wilson
57 mins
Kovacic intercepts the loose pass from Casemiro, but Dalot does well to take it from Doku. United sweep it wide to Diallo, who eventually ships it to Fernandes, but his cross is headed behind by Lewis.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:14 , Chris Wilson
DISALLOWED GOAL!
It’s clearly offside, but it was brilliant from Fernandes.
He latches on to the through ball and cuts back, eventually curling a shot over Ederson and into the far corner.
The VAR check is quick, and it’s ruled out.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:13 , Chris Wilson
53 mins
Well played from Casemiro in defence to dispossess Doku in the box, but United can’t capitalise as ball over the top to Rashford is intercepted.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:11 , Chris Wilson
51 mins
The second half has started in a similar way to the first, with United knocking it around the back and City not bothering to press as of yet.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:09 , Chris Wilson
49 mins
United have started with more purpose than they had during a lot of the first half, but they’re struggling a little when they have the ball near the City box. The lack of centre-forward has been telling so far.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:06 , Chris Wilson
46 mins
Some great play from Mainoo to scoop a pass out of a tight area to Fernanfes. The Portuguese plays Rashford in behind the defence, though he can’t make anything as City get numbers back.
Kick-off: Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:05 , Chris Wilson
McAtee gets the second half started in London.
HALF-TIME: Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:04 , Chris Wilson
Both teams are back out onto the pitch now. No changes at half-time from either manager.
Both sides have new signings on the bench – United have the Netherlands’ Joshua Zirkzee, signed from Bologna, while City have new Brazilian Savinho, who spent the last season impressing for Girona in La Liga.
HALF-TIME: Man City 0-0 Manchester United
16:02 , Chris Wilson
A few minutes away from the second half now. Will we see penalties or will one of these sides take it in normal time?
A reminder that the Community Shield goes straight to penalties, rather than extra-time, if there’s no winner in the 90.
HALF-TIME: Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:55 , Chris Wilson
(The FA via Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
HALF-TIME: Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:50 , Chris Wilson
The referee blows the whistle and we go into the break at 0-0. Not a classic by any means – United probably with the better chances overall, but City dominated as usual in parts too.
Not a lot to read into for City, with a severely depleted squad but a clear plan. For United, there have been flashes of attacking innovation, but the way they played in parts won’t be the cause for a lot of hope among their fans.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:47 , Chris Wilson
45 mins
There’ll be two minutes of added time, as Mainoo can’t quite connect with a Fernandes free-kick.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:45 , Chris Wilson
43 mins
Great carrying from Kovacic as he wins the ball off Fernandes and surges towards the United box. He lays it off to Doku, who tries a shot from a similar to where he scored in the cup final, but this one is off-target.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:43 , Chris Wilson
41 mins
Great play from Lewis as he gets into the box, works the space past Mainoo and cuts the ball back, but Maguire is there to intervene.
Both Maguire and Casemiro are receiving treatment.
No shots on target yet from either side, but United with the best two chances of the game so far.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:40 , Chris Wilson
39 mins
A confident spell of possession from City as they look to take the sting out of the recent spell of United pressure.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:38 , Chris Wilson
34 mins
Fernandes with the long-range effort that hits Dias square in the face, and he has to take a time-out.
United come forward again and it’s another well-worked move, with Fernandes laying off to Casemiro, and the Brazilian playing the one-two with Mainoo on the edge of the box before shipping it wide to Rashford. He’s got plenty of space as he opens his body up to curl it towards the far post, but it’s wide.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:34 , Chris Wilson
31 mins
CLOSE! Brilliant from Amad Diallo!
Fernandes ships it down the line to the Ivorian, who plays a one-two with Casemiro. The Brazilian plays a lovely return to slip it behind the defence, and Diallo is one-v-one, but he tries to square it to Mount rather than shoot!
Maybe a bit harsh to say he should’ve shot, but some brilliant play nonetheless.
Dare I say, more impressive than anything I saw Antony do last season.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:30 , Chris Wilson
28 mins
Fernandes nicks the ball off O’Reilly and United spread it wide to Diallo. He runs at Gvardiol and squeezes in between him and Doku, but his shot is wide.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:29 , Chris Wilson
26 mins
United’s first foray forward in a while ends with Rashford playing a good cross-field ball to Fernandes, whose lay-off into the path of Diallo is slightly overhit.
Unitedeventually regain possession though, as Ederson fires a pass out of play.
62 per cent possession for City overall.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:26 , Chris Wilson
24 mins
CLOSE!
United give the ball away in defence, and it’s straight to Bobb. He turns and flicks it into the path of McAtee – he weighs up the curled effort in the box and it’s great technique, but he hits the post!
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:25 , Chris Wilson
23 mins
City are starting to press higher when United have the ball, forcing them into going long – and we know how that ends. United are struggling to threaten at the moment.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:23 , Chris Wilson
22 mins
Fernandes is chasing shadows at the moment whenever Onana punts the ball long up to him, which has happened on a few occasions.
A half-chance for City as Lewis carries and then, facing no pressure, bursts into the box before hanging up a cross, which is deflected towards the back post. Haaland can’t get clean contact with his back to goal.
Moments later, Bobb goes closest as he picks it up on the wing, cuts inside Martinez to find the angle, and blasts well over.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:19 , Chris Wilson
18 mins
Straight away, Doku wins the next battle against Dalot too, and follows it up by skipping past Maguire and into the box. He clips a cross backwards towards O’Reilly, but it’s too far back and the danger’s gone.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:18 , Chris Wilson
16 mins
Casemiro’s clearance earlier is the closest the ball has got to either goal so far.
Doku wins the latest battle against Dalot as the full-back brings the Belgian down on halfway.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:16 , Chris Wilson
14 mins
Nice feet from McAtee on the edge of the United box, but his cross can’t find a blue shirt.
Harry Maguire is briefly down as he collides with Haaland as the Norwegian chased a pass to Onana.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:13 , Chris Wilson
12 mins
City are starting to impose themselves now, having kept a large chunk of possession over the last five minutes or so, though it ends when the cross-field ball goes out for a goal kick.
Ridiculous from Jonny Evans as he fails to clear and gives away a needless corner.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:11 , Chris Wilson
9 mins
Bobb’s corner is a good one and Casemiro does well to head away at the near post. United clear the second corner, but Diallo fouls Lewis as he tries to win possession.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:10 , Chris Wilson
8 mins
United have actually set up with Fernandes more as a false 9, with Mount at 10 and Rashford on the wing. It would be nice to see Zirkzee at some point from a United point of view.
Bobb and Haaland look for the one-two on the edge of the United box, but there’s a little too much on it from the City striker. Moments later, they win their first corner of the match.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:07 , Chris Wilson
4 mins
So no De Bruyne, Silva, Foden, Walker or Rodri for City today, though looking at the United defence, you would probably still fancy City to nick it come full-time.
The presence of Jonny Evans and Casemiro at the start of the 2024/25 season will not be a comfort to any United fans, that’s for sure.
No chances at all yet, with both teams trying to settle.
Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:03 , Chris Wilson
2 mins
A cagey opening couple of minutes, with neither side able to keep sustained possession. United are passing it around in their defensive third, with City happy to leave them to it for now.
Kick-off! Man City 0-0 Manchester United
15:01 , Chris Wilson
Bruno Fernandes gets us underway in the annual Premier League curtain-raiser.
Man City vs Manchester United
14:57 , Sonia Twigg
The teams are ut on the pitch and lining up for the national anthem and the match will get underway in just three minutes’ time
Matthijs de Ligt poised for Manchester United transfer as fee agreed
De Ligt, who captained the Ajax team Erik ten Hag took to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, is likely to become the second centre-back United have bought this year, after Leny Yoro.
The 24-year-old has been a target throughout the transfer window and United, who were reluctant to pay a huge fee, reached a breakthrough in talks with Bayern.
The German club will make a loss on De Ligt, selling him for an initial €45m, plus a further €5m in add-ons, after buying him for €67m from Juventus in 2022.
Matthijs de Ligt poised for Manchester United transfer as fee agreed
Pep Guardiola reveals Jack Grealish injury
14:50 , Sonia Twigg
Pep Guardiola said to ITV ahead of the match: “We are here because we did something good last season. The rival deserves to be here because they won something.
“In the holidays the energy is gone but once you start the competitions the energy rises. Waiting for all the squad to come back and see how we are training and what is our mentality to see what is going to happen.
“Unfortunately Jack [Grealish] was a little bit niggles. He had some discomfort and didn’t feel good yesterday.
“The mentality will be to try and play.”
Erik ten Hag speaks ahead of the Community Sheild
14:46 , Sonia Twigg
The Manchester United manager told ITV: “The FA Cup final win was a long time ago, I almost forgot, it was last season so look forwards. It was a very good performance, we overperformed probably but we have to do that consistently.”
When asked about pre-season, he said: “Mixed, many players were not available. We just have one week and then this game before we have to go into the new season. I don’t like friendlies, I like real action.”
On the new season, he said: ““I’m always excited. The future. You start on zero, you have to prove yourself for a season. You want to win again, you want to make a next step so it is a lot about moving forward.”
Community Shield LIVE: Man City v Man United
14:45 , Chris Wilson
Just 15 minutes until kick-off now. Will this match go as expected and end with a fairly straightforward win? The bookies seem to think so.
But with a weaker-than-usual starting eleven for both sides, who knows what could happen as both try and get up to speed early on ahead of the beginning of the Premier League season.
A reminder that United kick off their season in the Premier League opener on Friday, 16 August, while City travel back to London to start their campaign against Chelsea.
Man City vs Manchester United
14:40 , Sonia Twigg
The players are out there warming up and here are some photos of them in action:
(Adam Davy/PA Wire)
(Manchester United via Getty Imag)
(Getty Images)
Head-to-head
14:35 , Chris Wilson
These two sides have played a total of 193 matches in all competitions, with the first match taking place in 1891. The first game with both under their current club names took place in 1902.
As it stands United have won 79 games, with City winning 61 and 53 ending as draws.
The most recent match was of course that 2-1 win in the FA Cup final for Manchester United, though City won both league games last season: 3-0 at Old Trafford and 3-1 at the Etihad.
14:30 , Chris Wilson
(The FA via Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
(The FA via Getty Images)
Match stats
14:25 , Chris Wilson
This match marks United’s first appearance in the Community Shield since a 2-1 win over Leicester in 2016 in Jose Mourinho’s first match in charge.
Both City and United have been runners-up nine times in Community Shield matches. Whoever loses today will be the first club to do so on 10 occasions.
The last time these two sides met in the Community Shield was in 2011, when City went 2-0 before a second-half United comeback stole the match in injury time, courtesy of a Nani winner.
Pre-match stats
14:20 , Chris Wilson
This is the eighth time in the history of the Community Shield that the match has been a repeat of the previous season’s FA Cup final, with the most recent two coming in 2007 (Man Utd v Chelsea) and 2017 (Arsenal v Chelsea).
This is the fourth consecutive year Manchester City are appearing in the Community Shield, though they failed to win the trophy in any of 2021, 2022 or 2023. Only United (1998 to 2001) have failed to win the Community Shield in four consecutive years.
Man United have won the Community Shield more times than any other side, with a total of 21 victories. United have won the trophy in their last four appearances.
Is Man United vs Man City on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Community Shield fixture
14:15 , Chris Wilson
Around 45 minutes before kick-off now, so a final reminder of how you can watch today’s match.
When is it?
Man City v Man United will kick off at 3pm BST on Saturday, 10 August at Wembley Stadium in London.
How can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on ITV 1, with coverage starting at 2.15pm. Subscribers can also stream the match via the ITVX App.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Is Man Utd vs Man City on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch
Community Shield is a perfect restart – except Man United face many of the same old issues
14:10 , Chris Wilson
For Erik ten Hag, the new start comes in the fixture that could have been his endgame. He could have bowed out against Manchester City at Wembley. Instead, reports of his demise proved exaggerated. Manchester United confounded expectations. He won the FA Cup and lost the sack race. Ten Hag’s reward was to keep his job, with a one-year extension triggered, and another Manchester derby in London, two months later and after making two summer signings.
There can be a sense of renewal to United, but also one that the past is inescapable. Ten Hag had hoped that injuries would be consigned to last season but Leny Yoro seemed to exhibit the characteristics of a 2023-24 United centre-back by promptly getting injured: the £52m teenager’s debut will be delayed for three months.
With Tyrell Malacia out and a further four doubts, he only has three senior defenders guaranteed to be fit to face the champions.
Community Shield a perfect restart – except Man United face all the same old issues
Pep Guardiola prepared to wait for right players despite Manchester City’s increasing need for ‘deputies’
13:51 , Chris Wilson
Pep Guardiola was staring at the start of a season that could span 48 weeks for Manchester City. He has often sounded the alarm about the impact of a crowded schedule for players and the Club World Cup will only add to it. He also reflected on the challenge City face to retain the Premier League title. “Everyone wants the crown that we have worn for four years,” he said. “I understand it.” Some of his rivals do more than merely want it: they seek to strengthen to secure it. Manchester Unitedhave been more active in the transfer market. “They’ve done it for many years, but it’s not news; just when City spend,” noted Guardiola. It could be seen as an observation or a dig.
And if it has been a quiet summer in the blue side of Manchester, with only Savinho arriving, Julian Alvarez’s departure to Atletico Madrid raises the question if City will be weaker this season. “I’m very pleased with the squad for the quality of human beings and the quality,” countered Guardiola. He has touted the introduction of the teenager Nico O’Reilly to the squad and the return of James McAtee from loan at Sheffield United, while admitting Sergio Gomez, another fringe figure, is a loss.
Guardiola prepared to wait for right players despite Man City’s need for ‘deputies’
Team news
13:40 , Chris Wilson
We’re expecting the line-ups to be announced any moment now…
Zubimendi, Neto, Solanke and more: Premier League transfers set to be completed before start of 2024/25
13:30 , Chris Wilson
The Premier League season is now barely a week away from starting – and while some clubs have done business already in preparation for 2024/25, there are no doubt lots of transfers still ahead before the window shuts at the end of the month.
While the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United have made moves in defence, Chelsea have added squad options everywhere and champions Manchester City have brought in one attacking reinforcement, Liverpoolhave yet to do any incoming senior business at all, so expect that to change sooner or later at the very least.
Further down the table there are still moves in the works for West Ham, Tottenham, Newcastle and more, as top-flight teams look to get set for the campaign ahead.
