Premier League
Opening Weekend Round-up: Bayindir Error Decides Arsenal at Old Trafford; Eze, Forest and Ramsey Stories
Bayindir error hands Arsenal 1-0 at Old Trafford; Eze, Forest, Ramsey and Brentford updates today now
Arsenal took the honours in the first big clash of the Premier League season, edging Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford after an early set-piece miscue. Altay Bayindir’s blunder handed Arsenal victory and undid a positive Manchester United performance in Sunday’s pulsating Premier League encounter.
Old Trafford rocked as Mikel Arteta’s runners-up headed to the rebuilding Red Devils in the most eye-catching fixture of the opening weekend. United looked far better than the side that finished 15th last season, yet Amorim’s men fell to another loss as Riccardo Calafiori capitalised on Bayindir’s early flap.
United’s summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo looked sharp on their debuts, while Patrick Dorgu hit a post in the first half. Arsenal keeper David Raya also produced a string of important stops to keep the hosts at bay. Bayindir was given the nod to start the game with Andre Onana still working his way back from injury.
Amorim defended his keeper after the goal and stressed the difficulty of the situation. “You’re allowed to do a lot of things in the corner, we need to do the same,” he said. “When you touch that way the goalkeeper, he needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not push players, or he chooses to push players and let the ball past.”
On Bayindir’s previous error and wider context Amorim added: “He suffered a goal like this where? Against Tottenham? It was without VAR. With VAR it was a foul.
“Then in the next game against Arsenal , who saved the penalty? Who saved the game? You don’t remember the game but I remember the game and Altay was unbelievable in that game. I am happy with the three goalkeepers.”
Crystal Palace began their campaign with a goalless draw at Chelsea, Eberechi Eze having a first-half free-kick controversially ruled out by VAR. Palace manager Oliver Glasner said Eze will play while at the club. “As much as I know, Eze has a contract with Crystal Palace, he’s a Crystal Palace player and he showed it today,” he said. “As long as he is a Palace player and performs like this, he will play for us. Nobody has told me something else.”
Nottingham Forest beat Brentford 3-1 as Chris Wood scored twice and Dan Ndoye netted on his debut; Igor Thiago converted a second-half penalty for Brentford. New signings Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee were unveiled before kick-off.
Newcastle completed the signing of Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey. The 24-year-old has signed a long-term contract after an initial £39million fee, with £4m in add-ons; he made 167 appearances for Villa, 10 of them in last season’s Champions League. Ramsey said: “I’m delighted to be here. It’s been a mad two or three days, but I’m really happy to be here and I can‘t wait to get started.” Eddie Howe added: “His qualities will bring us something different on the pitch and he fits the profile of being young and hungry to develop, but also with a wealth of Premier League football under his belt.”
Leeds mark their return to the Premier League on Monday when they host Everton, with Daniel Farke’s side hoping to use the Elland Road crowd to trouble the visitors. Jack Grealish could be in the Everton squad. Facing the Toffees, meanwhile, could be forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who spent nine years on Merseyside before departing at the end of his contract earlier this summer.
Arsenal
Eze volley and a resolute defence secure 1-0 win for Arsenal over Crystal Palace
Eze’s volley from Declan Rice’s free kick decided defensive encounter as Arsenal kept a clean sheet.
Eberechi Eze’s first-half volley proved decisive as Arsenal closed out a 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates. The goal, from a Declan Rice free kick in the 39th minute, was the only breakthrough of a tight contest and preserved Arsenal’s defensive run.
The opener arrived when Rice’s lofted free kick dropped 15 yards out. Eze reacted first, meeting the loose ball on the volley and converting the chance, described in the report as the first Premier League goal of his Arsenal tenure against his former club. “There is something in your tummy,” Arteta said of the feeling a player has up against his former club. Eze’s strike gave the hosts room to breathe and allowed their attack to flow more freely in the second half.
Defensively Arsenal were compact. David Raya was not unduly tested and, for the sixth half of Premier League football in succession, was not forced into a single save. Gabriel nearly extended the lead five minutes after the interval, crashing a header from a set piece against the crossbar amid penalty-box scramble.
Arsenal’s backline held firm in the closing stages as Dean Henderson and Crystal Palace probed without creating a clear chance. The clean sheet was Arsenal’s 10th of the season.
Player ratings (out of 10):
GK: David Raya — 8.2
RB: Jurriën Timber — 7.4
CB: William Saliba — 6.7
CB: Gabriel — 7.7
LB: Riccardo Calafiori — 7.1
CM: Eberechi Eze — 7.9
CM: Martín Zubimendi — 7.4
CM: Declan Rice — 7.7
RW: Bukayo Saka — 7.1
ST: Viktor Gyökeres — 6.2
LW: Leandro Trossard — 7.1
Substitutes: Cristhian Mosquera (46’ for Saliba) 6.7; Gabriel Martinelli (66’ for Saka) 5.8; Piero Hincapié (82’ for Calafiori) N/A; Mikel Merino (82’ for Rice) N/A; Myles Lewis-Skelly (87’ for Eze) N/A. Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben White, Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Nwaneri.
Crystal Palace starting XI: Dean Henderson; Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guéhi; Daniel Muñoz, Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada, Tyrick Mitchell; Ismaïla Sarr, Yeremy Pino; Jean-Philippe Mateta. Subs used: Eddie Nketiah, Will Hughes, Borna Sosa, Jefferson Lerma, Christantus Uche.
Match statistics: Possession 66%–34%; xG 0.11–0.08; Total shots 3–3; Shots on target 2–0; Passing accuracy 88%–73%; Fouls 3–6; Corners 0–2.
Brentford
Henderson urges patience as he assesses Liverpool after Brentford victory
Henderson urged patience, calling Liverpool a world-class side despite recent poor results. Be calm.
Jordan Henderson used his post-match briefing after Brentford’s result against Liverpool to offer a measured assessment of his former club and to appeal for patience from their supporters.
Having faced Liverpool for the first time since leaving the club in 2023, Henderson encouraged backing for Arne Slot’s side while acknowledging their recent run of poor results. He stressed his view that quality remains across the Liverpool squad.
“You look all over the pitch, there’s not much to go at, they’re all quality players,” he said. “I don’t really see a weakness in the team.
“I know there’s been results of late that haven’t been great for them but, for me, they’re still top players and a top, top team and it’s a matter of time before they get in a rhythm and get going.
“I think there’s been reasons why they haven’t hit the heights from last season but they’re still a world-class team and wherever you look on the pitch there’s world-class players, so it’s always going to be difficult but I thought the [Brentford] lads dug deep, stuck together and caused some problems on the counter.”
Henderson’s own history with Liverpool framed his comments. His first meeting with Liverpool took place in March 2011 when he was at Sunderland; he moved to Anfield that summer and remained there for 12 years, a period that produced Premier League and Champions League success.
Reflecting on that time, he said: “I had been at Liverpool for so long,” the midfielder reflected. “It’s always deep inside me forever now as it was my life for 12 years.
“It was a little bit strange but as soon as the whistle went, it was business as usual and I was ready to go and I’d be in the right frame of mind, which I was.
“I was fully in and felt as good as I ever have. I was there 12 years, dedicated a lot of my life to it. My kids were born there. It holds a special place in my heart.
“I still want Liverpool to do well—of course not when we’re playing them—but overall. That will never change. The fans have always been amazing. It was nice to see a few of them, I know a few of them left a bit early because of the result. But it was nice to see them again.”
Man Utd
Man Utd raise concerns with Premier League over midweek home schedule
Man Utd lodged a complaint with the Premier League over a heavy run of midweek home fixtures and TV.
Manchester United have formally notified the Premier League that their upcoming fixture pattern, which contains no home weekend matches until Christmas, is a matter of concern for the club and supporters. United’s 4–2 victory over Brighton on Saturday evening was the team’s last weekend fixture at Old Trafford for the next two months. The next three scheduled home matches will all take place on weekdays, complicating travel and attendance for fans planning to attend Everton, West Ham and Bournemouth.
United CEO Omar Berrada has contacted Premier League CEO Richard Masters to discuss what the club describes as an unfavourable sequence of fixtures and its effect on match-going supporters. The Athletic report the two parties had a “constructive conversation” centred around the “cultural importance” of supporters, who face greater difficulty attending games at Old Trafford on weekdays as opposed to weekends. Man Utd also requested any broadcast-related schedule changes be done with greater advanced notice so fans can properly plan during a time of increased commitments due to the holiday season.
The club’s schedule through to Christmas includes the following fixtures and kick-off times as listed by the club:
Nottingham Forest (A) — Saturday, Nov. 1 — 4 p.m. BST / 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Tottenham Hotspur (A) — Saturday, Nov. 8 — 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT
Everton (H) — Monday, Nov. 24 — 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Crystal Palace (A) — Sunday, Nov. 30 — 12 p.m. BST / 7 a.m. ET / 4 a.m. PT
West Ham (H) — Thursday, Dec. 4 — 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Wolves (A) — Monday, Dec. 8 — 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Bournemouth (H) — Monday, Dec. 15 — 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
Aston Villa (A) — Sunday, Dec. 21 — 4:30 p.m. BST / 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT
Next up for Man Utd are consecutive Saturday trips to the City Ground and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur. The Red Devils return to Old Trafford on Monday, Nov. 24 to host Everton, then travel to Selhurst Park the following weekend to meet Crystal Palace. Four days later United are due to host West Ham, then face Wolves away before Bournemouth visit on Monday, Dec. 15. The final match before Christmas is away at Aston Villa.
