Brighton & Hove Albion
Bruno Fernandes’s Record Assist Confirmed Despite Disputed Dorgu Finish
Fernandes’s 21st assist drew scrutiny after Dorgu’s header hit the bar and clipped Verbruggen’s glove
Bruno Fernandes’s 21st Premier League assist, recorded from a first-half corner in Manchester United’s final league game, has become the focus of a narrow but persistent dispute.
Fernandes later admitted: “Jonny believed more than me in that set piece we prepared for Patrick because I was not so sure he would be able to score with his head,” and the delivery found Dorgu, who did get his head on the ball. Replays showed the header strike the underside of the crossbar before the ball bounced against the outstretched glove of Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen. Manchester United finished the match 3–0.
That sequence prompted debate because Opta’s in-house guidance is clear: “In the event of an own goal … an assist will not be awarded.” Several outlets contacted the Premier League seeking clarification on whether the sequence should be classified as an own goal for the goalkeeper and therefore deny Fernandes the landmark assist that surpasses the previous joint record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
The Premier League response was brief. “It was determined a Dorgu goal yesterday,” a spokesperson first told football.london. “Initially by Opta, then no change from the Goal Accreditation Panel.” The panel, previously known as The Dubious Goals Committee, is described by the Premier League as a mysterious trio which “usually consists of a representative of the PGMOL and two football experts,” and it upheld the decision to credit Dorgu with the goal.
Dorgu’s effort came off the crossbar and struck Verbruggen’s wrist almost immediately, leaving limited scope to determine whether the ball would have crossed the line without the goalkeeper’s intervention. The Premier League elected to stand by the accredited scorer and the assist allocation.
Fernandes marked the milestone respectfully. “It was already special being in their [Henry and De Bruyne] company,” he said, and later shared a social video showing their shirts alongside his with the caption: “Inspired by those who set the standard.” There was no animosity from those he surpassed. Steven Bartlett contacted the Arsenal legend before interviewing him for his podcast and published Henry’s warm appraisal. “Please send my regards to him!” the retired World Cup winner wrote. “I love him! Braino Fernandes!”
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.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton training plans disrupted after G7 summit use of local fields
Brighton have reshaped pre-season after summit-related field use disrupted their summer plans.
Brighton & Hove Albion have been left adjusting their pre-season schedule after local fields were used as helicopter landing pads for a major summit in the town.
President Donald Trump, the president of France Emmanuel Macron and former U.K. prime minister Sir Keir Starmer were among the world leaders involved in the three-day Group of Seven summit last month. The event brought extra demands on the area, with the fields repurposed ahead of the meetings of the democracies that make up the G7: France, Italy, Germany, U.K., U.S., Japan and Canada.
That has now forced Brighton to change their plans before the new Premier League season begins on Aug. 21. Fabian Hürzeler’s squad trained at the club’s headquarters in Lancing, West Sussex on Friday, but their preparations will now continue abroad.
The team are set to leave this weekend for an alternative training camp in Austria, where they will complete the next phase of their build-up.
The disruption has already had a direct impact on their fixture schedule. Saturday’s friendly against FC Annecy, a French Ligue 2 side, has been cancelled.
There is, however, no change to the next scheduled closed-door match. Brighton’s friendly against Ligue 1 club Strasbourg is still due to go ahead on Aug. 1.
For Brighton, the issue has been less about footballing opposition and more about logistics, with the demands of the summit leaving them to reshape their pre-season routine at a key point in the summer.
Arsenal
Premier League issues new on-field principles for 2026–27 to tackle holding, timewasting and VAR use
Premier League sets: 2026–27 principles to curb holding, clamp down on timewasting and limit VAR use
The Premier League has set out a revised suite of on-field principles ahead of the 2026–27 season aimed at addressing several contentious themes from 2025–26. The league said referees and match officials will follow the new regulations to reduce cynical play while retaining a high threshold for intervention. “Not every contact is a foul,” the statement said.
Holding and deliberate obstruction are the primary targets. Defenders who focus solely on blocking or holding opponents with no regard for the ball will be penalized, and players deliberately impeding the goalkeeper will also be punished. The intent behind actions will be judged, with officials instructed to act where there is a calculated attempt to prevent a player from playing the ball.
The directive responds to what the league described as widespread physicality from set-pieces, a feature that helped champions Arsenal. The issue prompted Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hürzeler to bring a Mixed Martial Arts fighter to training to teach his side how to cope.
Timewasting is another focus. Behaviours from feigning injury to prolonging substitutions and delaying restarts can now be sanctioned under rules similar to those used at this summer’s World Cup. Any player who receives on-field treatment must leave the pitch for at least one minute, twice the previous guidance. Deliberate delays to throw-ins and goal-kicks will face a five-second countdown and can result in a reversal of the decision in favour of the opposing team.
Substitution procedure has been tightened. A player must exit within 10 seconds of their number being raised by the official. If they exceed that period, the substitute may only enter the field at the first stoppage after one minute of play.
Hair pulling will remain a sending-off offence when malice, excessive force or brutality is evident, but officials will again consider intent and may issue a yellow when excessive force is not present. Of last season’s three red cards for hair pulling, the league noted Dan Ballard’s dismissal might have avoided a straight red, Michael Keane’s red would likely still stand and Lisandro Martínez’s case fell between those examples.
The plan with VAR is to limit its involvement. The system will not be used to correct corner decisions and there will be no intervention to recommend second yellow cards.
