Crystal Palace
Late Nketiah Strike Ends Liverpool’s Perfect Run and Highlights Defensive Flaws
Nketiah’s late goal ended Liverpool’s perfect start; defence exposed and Wirtz’s form worrying. read
Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the season as Eddie Nketiah’s dramatic late winner secured a 2–1 victory for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The Reds looked sharper after the restart and appeared to have rescued a point when Federico Chiesa struck in the 87th minute, but Nketiah rolled the ball beyond Alisson to deny Liverpool an unblemished start.
The home side dominated large periods, and Palace should have been further ahead by the midpoint of the first half. Sarr opened the scoring from close range after poor defending from a corner, and three more goal-bound efforts were thwarted only by Alisson’s reflexes. Had it not been for the goalkeeper, Liverpool would have been well beaten by half time.
Defensive frailty has been a recurring theme for Liverpool so far, and Saturday’s display offered little reassurance. Quick, direct Palace runners exposed holes in the back line repeatedly. Slot must adapt the team’s approach to make them more resilient at the back as the season progresses.
Arne Slot also addressed the fallout from midweek matters. Slot refused to mince his words when discussing Hugo Ekitiké’s ridiculous red card in Liverpool’s midweek Carabao Cup victory over Southampton. The Frenchman’s dismissal, for a second yellow taken after removing his shirt, resulted in suspension and meant Liverpool could not call on him at Selhurst Park.
That absence mattered. Alexander Isak, started in Ekitiké’s place and struggled to impose himself in an underwhelming Liverpool performance. He looked brighter after the interval but fired a gilt-edged chance wide when he should have scored. The inability to introduce Ekitiké from the bench deprived Slot of fresh legs to test Palace’s five-man defence before Chiesa’s late strike.
Florian Wirtz drew attention when deployed on the left. The £116 million midfielder has yet to register a goal or assist for Liverpool and has looked anonymous at times, struggling with the Premier League’s physicality. He offered more when moved centrally but tamely redirected a shot into Dean Henderson’s hands from six yards and was withdrawn in the 74th minute.
Palace’s defensive display, led by skipper Marc Guéhi, was impressive. Guéhi finished with three tackles, seven clearances and an interception, and he provided the assist for Nketiah’s winner. Liverpool are left to rue missed chances and defensive lapses as their perfect run came to an end.
Arsenal
Premier League’s longest-serving managers and the rapid reset shaping 2026/27
A summer reset has left the Premier League with a long list of new managers and just one clear outlier.
The Premier League remains a ruthless place for managers, and the 2026/27 season begins with that reality clearer than ever. A summer of upheaval has left dugouts across the division occupied by a fresh wave of appointments, while one club is still waiting to name a new head coach.
At the top of the list, Mikel Arteta stands alone as the league’s longest-serving manager. Appointed by Arsenal on Dec. 22, 2019, he has outlasted every other current rival and remains comfortably ahead of the pack. Behind him comes Unai Emery, who has been in charge of Aston Villa since Nov. 1, 2022, followed by Daniel Farke, who took over Leeds United on July 4, 2023.
Further down the rankings, the turnover becomes even more obvious. Régis Le Bris and Fabian Hürzeler both arrived in July 2024, while Frank Lampard, David Moyes, Sergej Jakirović, Keith Andrews and Michael Carrick all joined their clubs during 2024 and 2025. The list then tightens further still, with a cluster of appointments made only months before the new campaign.
There are notable cases throughout. Roberto De Zerbi, hired by Tottenham Hotspur on March 31, 2026, sits just outside the top 10. Michael Carrick is inside it after first being named interim Manchester United boss in January and then permanently hired in May. At the other extreme, Álvaro Arbeloa is the latest arrival, taking charge of Fulham on July 7 after an unsuccessful spell as Real Madrid boss.
A number of other clubs have also changed course recently, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. Over half the division has turned to new managers in 2026 if Newcastle United are included, with the club still yet to appoint Eddie Howe’s successor.
For now, Arteta remains the benchmark for staying power in a league that rarely gives managers much time.
Bournemouth
USMNT names set for England across the 2026-27 season
A look at the USMNT players set to feature across England’s Premier League and Championship in 2026-27.
English football has long provided a platform for leading USMNT figures, and that remains true as the 2026-27 campaign begins. A number of players who have earned call-ups in the past year will spend the season in England’s Premier League and Championship, continuing a connection that has defined several generations of American internationals.
Tyler Adams is again part of that picture. Almost eight years after leaving New York for Europe, the defensive midfielder built momentum at RB Leipzig before moving on to Leeds United. A strong first year there ended in relegation, but Bournemouth stepped in and brought him back to the top flight. After an injury disrupted his first season on the south coast, he followed with two solid years.
Haji Wright arrives at the new season with momentum of his own. After spells in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Türkiye, he settled at Coventry City and delivered 17 Championship goals last season to help them reach the Premier League. At 28, and with no previous top-flight experience in England, he faces a significant test under Frank Lampard.
Chris Richards has taken a different route to prominence. After failing to establish himself early at Bayern Munich, he has become a key figure at Crystal Palace since joining in 2022. His consistency helped drive Palace through their most successful spell, with Richards playing a major part in the FA Cup and Conference League successes under Oliver Glasner.
Antonee Robinson has spent his career in England and has continued to progress at Fulham after coming through at Everton and spending time on loan at Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic. His 10 assists from defence in 2024-25 underlined his influence.
Brenden Aaronson remains at Leeds after helping the club return to the Premier League in 2025, while Patrick Agyemang must recover from a long-term Achilles injury that could keep him out until 2027. Sebastian Berhalter has joined Middlesbrough from Vancouver Whitecaps, and Aidan Morris is already established there after a busy 2025-26 campaign.
Arsenal
Premier League clubs step up 2026/27 preseason with fixtures spread across the world
Premier League clubs are spread across Europe, Asia and the US in a busy 2026/27 preseason.
With the World Cup having only recently concluded, Premier League clubs are already deep into their 2026/27 preseason programmes. The calendar is tight, the travel is heavy and the purpose is clear: get players ready, test combinations and give new faces a chance to make an early impression.
Arsenal, the reigning champions, are among the later starters. Their first friendly comes on Aug. 1 against Girona in Catalonia, before further meetings with Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund and Como. They will then face Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Aston Villa have already opened with a 5-0 win over Walsall and continue across Europe and Asia, while Bournemouth began with a 4-1 victory against St. Pauli. Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion both have short schedules remaining, with each taking on European opposition in mid-August.
Chelsea’s first run under new manager Xabi Alonso takes them to Australia for matches against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, before trips through Hong Kong, Jakarta and Malaysia. Their final friendly is against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.
Elsewhere, Everton have mixed early results and face a demanding route through Scotland, Germany and home soil before meeting Lille. Fulham also have work to do after a behind-closed-doors defeat to Norwich City. Hull City, Ipswich Town and Coventry City all have their own preparations mapped out, while Crystal Palace have already played twice and continue with fixtures in Italy and Germany.
Liverpool’s schedule includes a United States tour against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds United, followed by Monaco and two games against Como on Aug. 16. Manchester City are taking a lighter approach, starting with Inter in Hong Kong before facing the K-League All-Stars, Atlético Madrid and Arsenal. Manchester United, meanwhile, have already lost to Wrexham and beaten Rosenborg 5-0, with Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and Milan still to come.
Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur also remain busy, with each club using these final weeks to sharpen up before the league begins.
