Bournemouth
Semenyo chose City to work with Guardiola, sources say
Semenyo chose Manchester City to work under Pep Guardiola, rejecting United, Liverpool, Chelsea. Jan
Antoine Semenyo has elected to join Manchester City, turning down approaches from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, a decision attributed to his wish to work under Pep Guardiola. Ironically, Arsenal were thought to be his preferred destination because of his childhood support, per The Athletic, but City emerged victorious in the race.
Reports note that there have been ‘zero doubts’ about the move since Christmas Eve. Guardiola’s reputation and record are presented as central to Semenyo’s choice. Across 15 full seasons in senior management, Guardiola has won the top flight 12 times. Manchester City’s 2024–25 campaign was widely derided as the worst of his career yet he still inspired a top-three finish and a run to the FA Cup final.
Questions remain over where Semenyo will fit into City’s forward group. The club’s most obvious first-choice frontline centres on Erling Haaland, most commonly flanked by Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki. Jérémy Doku is another potent option on the wing. Semenyo will also be competing with Savinho and Omar Marmoush, the latter returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
City’s squad issues have been more clearly identified at centre back, prompting reported interest in Marc Guéhi. Guardiola’s long-term position is also subject to speculation. His contract runs until the summer of 2027, yet there have been reports that City have prepared for his departure in six months, with multiple discussions held between the club and Enzo Maresca before he left Chelsea.
The structure of Semenyo’s release clause has influenced the timing of any move. Bournemouth set a £65 million trigger that had to be activated within the first 10 days of January, a mechanism that allowed the club time to seek replacements. Their first-choice target, Brennan Johnson, has already joined Crystal Palace.
Andoni Iraola has been clear about Semenyo’s availability during a busy spell of fixtures. “Antoine will play tomorrow, yes,” he declared. “I can give you my opinion, from my experience, but there is nothing signed with Antoine Semenyo.
“If you ask me personally, ‘what do you think?’ With all the noise, I think it could be the last game, but I cannot guarantee it. I understand the market, I understand the noise but right now there is nothing agreed, nothing signed, so for me he is our player and I hope he continues.
“But my understanding also, because I have been in the [transfer] market before with this club and others, there is a chance it is his last game also, yes.”
Arsenal
October Premier League award nominees announced
Premier League October award nominees include standout performers and managers across the division.
The Premier League has named the contenders for its October 2026 Player and Manager of the Month awards, with eight players and six managers included on the respective shortlists.
Bournemouth forward Evanilson enjoyed a productive month, finishing October with four goals and one assist from four appearances as his team beat Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United after a slow opening to the season.
Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson also reached four goals in the month. The former Chelsea player scored twice in the 2-1 win over Manchester City and also found the net in draws against Brentford and Fulham.
Arsenal are represented by Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice after a perfect month. Konsa impressed in defence while William Saliba was absent, keeping two clean sheets in three outings and scoring his first goal for the club. Rice contributed two important assists at the other end.
Jack Rudoni’s form has helped Coventry City. The newly promoted side took two wins from four matches in October, with Rudoni scoring three times as they moved further away from the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspur also had an unbeaten month, and Jan Paul van Hecke played a key role in wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No player attempted or completed more passes than the Dutch defender last month.
Brighton have two nominees in Luka Vušković and Bart Verbruggen. Three clean sheets in four matches brought recognition for the Seagulls’ defence.
On the managerial shortlist, Chelsea scored more goals than any other team in October with nine, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta guided his side to the top of the table. Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery, Fabian Hürzeler and Marco Rose complete the list after strong runs during the month.
Month
Player
Club
August
João Pedro
Chelsea
September
Pascal Groß
Brighton
Month
Manager
Club
August
Sergej Jakirović
Hull
September
Arsenal
Gameweek 9 verdicts: Chelsea edge United, Arsenal stun Liverpool
A full set of Gameweek 9 predictions, including Chelsea vs Man Utd and Liverpool vs Arsenal.
Gameweek 9 brings a stacked Premier League schedule, with several meetings that carry clear weight in the early-season picture. The most eye-catching fixtures are Chelsea against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge and Liverpool’s home clash with Arsenal, while there are also plenty of tight contests elsewhere across the division.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are tipped to come through 2-1 against a Manchester United side under pressure after back-to-back three-goal defeats to Como and Bournemouth. Michael Carrick remains in charge for the trip to west London after talks with Bruno Fernandes and the rest of the squad, but this feels like a critical test. Chelsea have their own issues, yet home advantage and the absence of João Pedro could still matter in a narrow contest.
Bournemouth’s strong run is expected to continue with a 2-1 win over Leeds United. The Cherries have produced a striking sequence of results across multiple competitions, and with Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson supported by Eli Junior Kroupi’s return, they look well placed to extend that momentum.
Other calls point to draws for Brentford against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United against Everton, while Coventry and Sunderland are forecast to cancel each other out. Hull are backed to edge Ipswich 1-0, and Manchester City are favoured to beat Brighton 3-2 in what could be the weekend’s most open game.
Tottenham are projected to keep improving with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, while Aston Villa are expected to defeat Fulham 3-0 after their recent uptick in form. The standout result, though, is at Anfield, where Arsenal are predicted to win 2-1 after Liverpool’s recent consistency meets a team looking to respond after a cup setback. The final matchup, Newcastle versus Everton, is also forecast to finish level.
Bournemouth
Carrick’s Fernandes decision goes badly wrong as Bournemouth expose United’s problems
Carrick dropped Fernandes, but United produced another lifeless display in a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
Michael Carrick’s choice to leave Bruno Fernandes on the bench ended in a damaging afternoon for Manchester United, who were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth and produced their bluntest performance of the season.
The absence of Fernandes only sharpened the sense that United had lost whatever edge they were hoping to find. Bournemouth, by contrast, looked organised and cohesive throughout, while United again failed to make sustained use of possession or turn pressure into meaningful chances. It was another reminder of how far the side currently is from the level required, and the result leaves Carrick under renewed scrutiny.
Fernandes had already endured a difficult run before this match. His only Premier League goal contributions this season came in the 5-2 win over Ipswich Town, and United have now gone two months and six top-flight games without another league victory. Carrick’s decision to remove his most productive creator, especially with Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Šeško unavailable, was always likely to be tested. In the end, it was overwhelmed by a performance full of errors and short on conviction.
United did have more of the ball, but the numbers told their own story. Bournemouth generated the better chances, repeatedly punishing mistakes and leaving United with no answer. The team’s shortcomings were reflected in the individual displays, with only a few players offering even brief signs of resistance.
Senne Lammens was beaten three times, while Harry Maguire drew rare praise simply for carrying the ball forward. Carlos Baleba showed some energy, and Mason Mount remained ineffective despite changing positions during the match. The substitutes brought little improvement, as United’s evening drifted away without any meaningful response.
For Carrick, the wider problem is plain. Taking Fernandes out of the side was meant to send a message, but the result only underlined how dependent this team remains on what he provides.
