Liverpool
Fine margins and off-field strain: Slot and Van Dijk respond to Liverpool dip
Slot: small margins blamed for three losses; Van Dijk: off-field events weigh; squad urged to unite.
Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk offered contrasting explanations after Liverpool slipped to three straight defeats. The run began with a late loss away to Crystal Palace and continued with a 1–0 defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League midweek.
Slot framed the sequence as the product of marginal moments rather than a deeper malaise. “Last season we lost against Chelsea as well,” the Dutch boss pointed out to Sky Sports. “Stamford Bridge is always difficult. We were very close to a result. Small margins. As I said at Galatasaray, we had a one-vs.-one then they get a penalty. We concede in extra, extra time against Palace. And then today they score a goal that could go at either end.
“After we scored 1–1 it went our way and I think I was waiting for us to score the second. Decision-making could’ve been better, last 10–15 minutes was end-to-end. We arrived in their 18-yard box with [Andy] Robertson, we couldn’t control the ball but again it’s fine margins like it’s been for as long as I’ve been here.
“Last week, same as this week two difficult away games, the fine margins haven’t been in our favour.”
The manager noted that, after a Community Shield shootout loss to begin the season, his side had strung together seven straight wins before this spell. Six of those victories were by a single-goal margin and club figures admitted Liverpool had not always looked at their best in those matches.
Van Dijk took a different tack, pointing to the mental burden the squad has carried this year. “It was always going to be a difficult season,” the captain said. “It’s not only because of what happens on the pitch, but also because of what has happened off it.”
Preseason was overshadowed by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. That loss followed months after a car driving into a crowd of fans during the Premier League trophy parade; there were mercifully no casualties.
Liverpool’s forward play has lacked fluency at times despite a record-breaking outlay on a new-look frontline, and defensive concerns have been highlighted by statistics showing newly promoted Sunderland have conceded three fewer goals than the Merseysiders while Manchester United have faced fewer shots.
Van Dijk concluded with a call for unity: “We have to go through this as one. Not only us as players but also the staff and our fans who celebrated with us being champions, which is something we shouldn’t forget.
“The past week has been tough but we can turn this around. It is down to us to find consistency. So much noise is going on and you have to deal with that as well. It is down to us to keep working, find results, stick together, and find confidence.”
Bournemouth
Early returns: Premier League summer signings that have struggled so far
Early evidence suggests several costly summer signings have struggled to justify their transfer fees
More than £3 billion ($4 billion) and 155 incoming transfers set high expectations across the Premier League this summer. Several recruits have settled quickly, but others have produced worrying initial returns that have left managers and supporters asking questions.
Everton’s Thierno Barry arrived from Villarreal after a season that yielded 11 goals and four assists. The 22-year-old joined for £27 million ($36 million) with time to adapt, but he remains behind Beto, has made two Premier League starts, nine appearances in total and is still searching for his first goal or assist for the club. On two occasions he was substituted early: at half time at Anfield and after about an hour at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
West Ham’s £20 million ($26.7 million) signing Mads Hermansen began the campaign as Graham Potter’s first-choice goalkeeper but has endured a difficult start. The 25-year-old conceded 11 times in four appearances, sustained several high-profile errors and has dropped behind Alphonse Areola with Nuno Espírito Santo opting against an early recall.
Anthony Elanga moved to Newcastle for £55 million ($73.4 million) after scoring 18 goals for Nottingham Forest in 2024–25. The 23-year-old has made 10 appearances for the Magpies without a goal or assist and has oscillated between starting and the bench while competing with Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy.
Jean-Clair Todibo’s permanent move to West Ham cost £32.8 million ($43.8 million) after an obligation to buy. He has fallen out of favour following disciplinary issues under Potter and is unlikely to figure under Espírito Santo.
James Trafford returned to Manchester City for £31 million ($41.3 million) but is now behind Gianluigi Donnarumma and has been restricted to the bench following a difficult display against Tottenham Hotspur.
Alexander Isak joined Liverpool for a Premier League record £125 million ($166.9 million) but missed pre-season after a strike. Arne Slot has eased him in, using him alongside Hugo Ekitiké, with the record signing yet to reach expected levels.
Newcastle paid £55 million ($73.4 million) for Yoane Wissa from Brentford, but a knee injury means he is yet to play for his new club and has only two competitive appearances since the end of last season.
Chelsea’s £51.5 million ($68.7 million) addition Jamie Gittens has made seven appearances and three starts without making a major impact. At Liverpool, Milos Kerkez arrived for £40 million ($53.4 million) to succeed Andy Robertson but has made a sluggish start, was bullied on his debut by Antoine Semenyo and was hooked in the first half against Burnley as he edged toward a red card.
It remains early and circumstances differ across clubs, but the opening weeks have provided enough evidence to raise concerns about several high-cost recruits.
Bayern Munich
Upamecano contract standoff gives Liverpool and Real Madrid an opening
Upamecano seeks a large signing fee, leaving Bayern and suitors Liverpool, Real Madrid and PSG plus
Bayern Munich face a serious negotiation impasse with Dayot Upamecano as the defender weighs his options ahead of free agency. Club officials have publicly stated a desire to keep him, but recent suggestions of progress were dismissed by Christian Falk.
According to reporting, a basic agreement on salary exists but the dispute centres on a signing-on payment. Alphonso Davies is reported to have received close to €20 million (£17.4 million, $23.2 million) to turn down Real Madrid and extend last year, and Upamecano is seeking a comparable package. The gap between the parties is described as “very, very big”, and Bayern are unlikely to match the terms a player could command on a free transfer.
Florian Plettenberg says Upamecano will not lower his demands and has made it clear he would happily walk away next summer if the club will not meet his conditions. “Top clubs” are already moving, with Liverpool specifically named by German reporters and Fabrizio Romano listing Liverpool alongside Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as potential suitors.
Interest from those clubs has reportedly been formalised with Upamecano’s representatives. The France international remains settled in Munich and would be prepared to sign an extension if his demands were satisfied, but he is free to discuss overseas moves from January.
The situation also sits within a wider market context: Upamecano and Ibrahima Konaté, former teammates at RB Leipzig, are among several central defenders attracting attention, and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi is named as another figure of interest to much of Europe’s elite, including both Liverpool and Madrid. Players who leave on free transfers commonly receive substantial signing-on fees, reflecting the ability of buying clubs to reallocate funds saved by not paying a transfer fee.
Chelsea
Diego Costa shown yellow after heated return in Chelsea legends charity match
Diego Costa returned to Chelsea in a charity friendly, booked after clashes with Martin Škrtel. Sat.
Diego Costa returned to Chelsea on Saturday and did so in familiar fashion, picking up a yellow card after squaring up to Martin Škrtel during a charity friendly. The match ended with Liverpool claiming victory through a late Ryan Babel goal, but Costa’s presence dominated the conversation.
Several confrontations with Škrtel followed a physical challenge from Costa, with the clash culminating in a booking for a reaction that briefly overshadowed the charity context. The pair have a well-documented Premier League history: Costa received a three-match ban after being found guilty of stamping on Škrtel in 2015, and months later avoided punishment for what appeared to be a kick in Škrtel’s direction.
Their latest incident did not carry the same fallout. The two appeared to make up after the final whistle, an outcome Costa underlined with an Instagram post following the game.
Those familiar with Costa’s Chelsea career between 2014 and 2018 will recognise the temperament on display. The striker scored 59 goals in 120 appearances for the club, won two Premier League titles, and collected 32 yellow cards at Stamford Bridge without receiving a straight red.
“Of course, this guy [Costa] is still the same, we saw it!” former teammate Eden Hazard, who also featured in the game, reflected.
Costa has not played competitively since being released by Grêmio in January this year. His time at the Brazilian club included a notable sending off during a fitness-building Under-20 friendly for an on-field fight in September 2024. He finished his spell at Grêmio with eight goals in 26 games.
He has not formally retired, and whether he is actively seeking a new club remains unclear.
