Premier League to investigate Tottenham for ignoring heading guidelines

The Premier League will demand answers from Tottenham Hotspur after coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted that they are ignoring the guidelines put in place over heading the ball in training.

Recommendations made at the start of the season suggested that players should perform no more than ten high-force headers per week, as the authorities aim to reduce the risk of future cases of dementia among sportsmen.

However, the Daily Mail reports that the Premier League is set to investigate Spurs and their training habits after Nuno openly confessed that they are not counting how many times players are heading the ball.

“That’s why we have training sessions without anybody seeing us,” Santo began, when asked how his side can improve on their defending from set pieces.

“I’m concerned with the situation of dementia and what heading the ball can cause. It’s a big concern for us but it’s part of the game. Honestly I will not lie to you. I don’t count how many times our players head the ball. Maybe I will get myself in trouble for this. But football is jumping, heading, it’s part of the game.”

These comments will concern the Premier League, who are attempting to lessen the risk of dementia diagnoses in the future by reducing the number of times players head the ball throughout the week.

Officials confirmed in a statement that they maintain these guidelines to be ‘an important component’ in player welfare, and will speak to clubs like Spurs who refuse to follow them, in order to ‘understand their challenges in implementing it’.

“Player welfare is paramount and the guidance is an important component,” the statement began. “We continue to liaise with clubs and football partners on the guidance and will speak directly with the club to understand their challenges in implementing it.”

Chelsea to reignite interest in Juventus’ Federico Chiesa

Chelsea are set to make a fresh offer for Juventus star Federico Chiesa in the coming months, after the Blues saw their advances knocked back in the summer.

Thomas Tuchel tried to follow up his Serie A raid of Romelu Lukaku by snatching another of the league’s best talents, but the Bianconeri rejected a bid of €100m, stating that their talisman is ‘untouchable’.

But Juve’s reluctance to lose such a hot prospect has not diminished Chelsea’s desire to sign Chiesa, and Calcio Mercato reports that the Blues are readying another mega offer to try and lure the Euro 2020 winner to Stamford Bridge.

They’re not the only club keeping tabs on the winger’s progress, either. Liverpool and Bayern Munich are both keen to land the former Fiorentina star, meaning the Old Lady could be forced to fend off interest from all over Europe.

Chelsea would certainly be an attractive destination for Chiesa, having seen Lukaku land his dream move back to west London and hit the ground running in the Premier League. The champions of Europe are riding the crest of a wave at the moment, and are considered one of the favourites to lift the Premier League trophy at the end of the season.

Owner Roman Abramovich has invested heavily in the playing squad in recent transfer windows, and tried to add Chiesa to his ranks last summer. They made a surprise approach for the Italian, but Juve were not willing to entertain any bids.

Juve’s position on Chiesa is unlikely to have changed since the summer, and it could take an unthinkable bid to even trigger talks between the two clubs. The Italian is a leader in the team following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit, and his contributions for club and country have proven critical in recent months.

Chiesa arrived in Turin in the summer of 2020 on an initial two-year loan with an obligation to buy and has fast become the present and future of this Juventus side. He is a fan favourite and a national hero following his exploits at Euro 2020, so the Bianconeri will not give him up without a fight.

Barcelona open contract talks with Ousmane Dembele

Barcelona are in talks with Ousmane Dembele over a new contract, hoping to tie the Frenchman down to a new two-year deal at Camp Nou.

The 24-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of the season, meaning the Blaugrana risk losing him for nothing next summer should they fail to agree terms over an extension.

Sport reports that Barça have now kicked off negotiations with Dembele’s representatives, in the hope of coming to an agreement over a potential two-year deal for the France international.

The Catalan giants are hoping that the winger’s agent will agree to their terms, which would see the pay cut organised by former president Josep Bartomeu remain in place. Failing that, the club are prepared to offer the former Borussia Dortmund star a three-year deal on a slightly improved salary.

Talks were held in July, and the club were confident at the time of convincing Dembele to put pen to paper. They also threatened him with a year in the reserves if he didn’t sign the contract, and negotiations stalled.

Barcelona do not want to lose Dembele in the summer, and they know that time is of the essence in striking a deal, given that the forward could open talks with other clubs from 1 January.

They also know that there is a lot of interest elsewhere, particularly given that Dembele will be a free transfer, meaning clubs won’t have to pay a fee to Barça.

However, they are banking on the French winger repaying the club’s patience and support over the past few years, after he has been forced to spend a lot of time on the treatment table with serious injuries.

In fact, Dembele has yet to make an appearance for Barça this season, after he underwent knee surgery in June, sidelining him for around four months.

Kylian Mbappe caught on camera complaining about Neymar in PSG win

Mauricio Pochettino’s struggle to juggle the plethora of egos at Paris Saint-Germain continued on Saturday night, as Kylian Mbappe was caught on camera moaning about teammate Neymar.

The Parisiens had just recovered from Lionel Messi’s refusal to shake his coach’s hand after being substituted in the 2-1 win over Lyon last weekend when they then took on Montpellier in the French capital.

And more trouble has been spotted among the star-studded squad, after Mbappe was caught on camera complaining to another teammate about Neymar’s selfishness on the PSG bench.

Goals from Idrissa Gueye and Julian Draxler were enough to seal all three points for the hosts on Saturday evening, but that didn’t stop Mbappe from voicing his frustrations from the substitute’s bench.

Having been brought off in the dying minutes of the game, the World Cup winner was caught by Canal+ TV cameras turning to goalscorer Gueye on the bench and saying: “He doesn’t pass me the ball,” in reference to Neymar.

The snipe came moments after the Brazilian had assisted Draxler, with Mbappe suggesting he doesn’t get the same service.

The lack of cohesion between the forward line was evident on the night, with Mbappe and Neymar both squandering great goalscoring chances, or refusing to pass to teammates placed in better positions.

Neither player ended the evening on the scoresheet, as Pochettino had to rely on substitute Draxler to kill the match in the last minute.

Kylian MbappeKylian Mbappe

Mbappe cut a frustrated figure on the night / Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images

There had been fears that this all-star frontline, all of whom want to be the centre of attention, would fail to click due to their own personal interests. PSG sporting director Leonardo has already spoken out on the subject, stressing that there is no jealousy between Messi, Neymar and Mbappe.

But harmony is certainly lacking within the squad, as evidenced by Messi’s anger upon being replaced a week ago, and now the very public frustrations between the two other superstar forwards.

Pochettino faces a major challenge in keeping everyone happy in Paris, that’s for sure.

Premier League: Saturday results & Sunday/Monday predictions – Gameweek 6

After a brief pause for some Carabao Cup ‘fun’, the Premier League has returned – and boy have we had some cracking games already.

Title contenders Chelsea and Manchester City had the chance to send a message to the rest of the league when they met early on Saturday, and it was the latter who did just that with a narrow win at Stamford Bridge.

There were also impressive wins for Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton, while Brentford held Liverpool to a thrilling 3-3 draw. Leicester, Burnley, Watford and Newcastle also shared the spoils in their respective games.

Sunday offers up a north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham, before the action is rounded off by bitter rivals Crystal Palace and Brighton on Monday night – which should be played out in front of a raucous Selhurst Park crowd.

Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo SilvaGabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva

Gabriel Jesus netted the game’s only goal / Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Manchester City made their title intentions known as they walked all over Chelsea en route to a comfortable 1-0 victory.

Pep Guardiola’s men dominated the game from start to finish and could have easily had a few goals, but they had to settle for Gabriel Jesus’ scrappy strike early in the second half to deliver all the points.

Chelsea did not even manage a shot on target and lost Reece James to an ankle injury early in the second half. A bad day at the office.

Read the player ratings for Chelsea vs Man City here.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Bruno FernandesOle Gunnar Solskjaer, Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty / Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Manchester United had plenty of shots on goal but could not find a way through Aston Villa, who snatched the victory late in the day thanks to a strike from Kourtney Hause.

Hause’s goal wasn’t the end of the fun, however, as United were awarded a late penalty which was surprisingly taken by Bruno Fernandes, who fought off Cristiano Ronaldo to keep his place as the team’s first-choice taker.

The result? He skied it over the bar. Awkward.

Read the player ratings from Man Utd vs Aston Villa here.

Abdoulaye DoucoureAbdoulaye Doucoure

Abdoulaye Doucoure wrapped up Everton’s win over Norwich / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

Everton put a difficult week behind them with a 2-0 win over Norwich, who are now rooted to the bottom of the table with six defeats out of six.

The victory ensures the Toffees’ 100% home record this season remains intact, and was handed to them by a first-half penalty from Andros Townsend and a second half goal from Abdoulaye Doucoure.

The hosts were good value for their win, but Daniel Farke is still scratching his head and wondering how he’ll bring to an end a streak of 16 successive Premier League defeats.

Read the player ratings from Everton vs Norwich here.

Michail Antonio, Illan MeslierMichail Antonio, Illan Meslier

Michail Antonio won the game late on for West Ham / Stu Forster/Getty Images

West Ham fought back from a goal down to beat Leeds 2-1 at Elland Road, courtesy of a dramatic late winner from Michail Antonio.

The home side had taken the lead through Raphinha, who punished a costly Tomas Soucek error with a terrific low drive into the corner.

But David Moyes’ Hammers were the better team for much of the game, and despite Illan Meslier making a string of saves, got back on terms via a deflected Jarrod Bowen effort. They then sealed the points at the death, with Antonio superbly taking Declan Rice’s pass into his stride before coolly skipping through on goal to score.

Read the player ratings from Leeds vs West Ham here.

Jamie Vardy, Youri TielemansJamie Vardy, Youri Tielemans

It was quite the afternoon for Jamie Vardy / Visionhaus/Getty Images

Jamie Vardy had an eventful day to say the least at King Power Stadium – scoring twice as well as netting an own goal in a 2-2 draw with Burnley, who had a Chris Wood winner ruled out for offside in added time.

Vardy opened the scoring at the wrong end, glancing home a Burnley corner, before he atoned from his mistake with a typical run in behind and low finish.

The Clarets pulled ahead again soon after through a superb Maxwel Cornet effort, but Vardy was again on hand to level in the second half – rounding Nick Pope before slotting home from an acute angle. Wood thought he’d won it for the visitors, only to see the flag go up and deny Sean Dyche’s side their first three points of the season.

Read the player ratings from Leicester vs Burnley here.

Ben FosterBen Foster

Ben Foster was a relieved man as Ismaila Sarr rescued a point / Alex Morton/Getty Images

Watford and Newcastle played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road, which saw another late winner ruled out for offside.

The visitors were hot out of the blocks and took the lead through a blockbusting Sean Longstaff effort – although having watched the replay, goalkeeper Ben Foster will be bitterly disappointed that he didn’t shovel his powerful drive around the post.

Ismaila Sarr responded for Watford with less than 20 minutes remaining, continuing his hot streak of form with a firm header at the back post, before Josh King thought he’d won it with his first goal for the club – only to see his effort ruled out for offside.

Read the player ratings from Watford vs Newcastle here.

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Brentford showed what they can do against Liverpool / GLYN KIRK/Getty Images

Brentford continued their sensational start to the season as they twice came from behind to a earn 3-3 draw with leaders Liverpool.

Thomas Frank promised prior to kick off that his team would attack Liverpool, and so it proved as they took the game to Jurgen Klopp’s side, They were rewarded with the game’s opening goal, tapped in at the back post by Ethan Pinnock after good work from Sergi Canos and Ivan Toney.

Diogo Jota levelled soon after for the Reds, and they hit the front nine minutes into the second half through Mohamed Salah – his 100th Premier League goal for the club. Vitaly Janelt got Brentford swiftly back on terms but they were soon behind again, this time after a wonderful finish from Curtis Jones.

But a well-deserved point was claimed eight minutes from time, as Yoane Wissa climbed off the bench to coolly dink over Alisson in front of a boisterous full house.

Read the player ratings from Brentford vs Liverpool here.

Ralph Hasenhuttl and Bruno Lage meet at St Mary'sRalph Hasenhuttl and Bruno Lage meet at St Mary's

Southampton entertain Wolves on the south coast / Matthew Ashton – AMA/David Rogers/Getty Images

When is it being played? Sunday 26 September, 14:00 (BST)
Where is the match being played? St Mary’s Stadium
TV channel? BT Sport 1 (UK), Peacock Premium (US), DAZN (Canada)
Highlights? BT Sport YouTube Channel (UK), Match of the Day 2 (BBC – UK)
Referee? Andy Madley
VAR? Paul Tierney

15th will host 16th when Wolves make the trip to the south coast to meet Southampton in Sunday’s opener.

Despite being higher up in the table, Southampton are still searching for their first win of the campaign and are on a run of four straight draws, the last two of which have both been 0-0.

Wolves, on the other hand, have lost four of their opening five games but have at least picked up three points. With both sides struggling, expect the spoils to be shared.

Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Wolves

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta & Tottenham head coach Nuno Espirito SantoArsenal boss Mikel Arteta & Tottenham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo

A huge north London derby main events Sunday’s action / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images

When is it being played? Sunday 26 September, 16:30 (BST)
Where is the match being played? Emirates Stadium
What TV channel is it on? Sky Sports Main Event (UK), fuboTV (US), DAZN (Canada)
Highlights? Sky Sports YouTube Channel (UK), Match of the Day 2 (BBC – UK)
Referee? Craig Pawson
VAR? Stuart Attwell

It’s derby season as Arsenal and Tottenham continue their legendary rivalry in Sunday’s headline game.

Both sides are in pretty uninspiring form, but form almost always goes out of the window in north London derbies and these two are about as tricky to predict as any side you’ll find across Europe.

These derbies always produce goals, controversy and a boatload of drama, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Read 90min’s preview of the game here.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham

Patrick Vieira takes on Graham Potter for the first timePatrick Vieira takes on Graham Potter for the first time

Week six ends with a clash between rivals Palace and Brighton / Paul Ellis/AFP/Tony Marshall/Getty Images

When is it being played? Monday 27 September, 20:00 (BST)
Where is the match being played? Selhurst Park
What TV channel is it on? Sky Sports Main Event (UK), fuboTV (US), DAZN (Canada)
Highlights? Sky Sports YouTube Channel (UK)
Referee? Andre Marriner
VAR? Chris Kavanagh

High-flying Brighton go in search of their fifth win of the campaign when they head to Selhurst Park to meet Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace.

Graham Potter’s men have exceeded expectations so far this year, picking up four wins from five games, and they’ll fancy their chances of adding three more points against a Palace side who haven’t figured themselves out thus far.

Memories of their 3-0 win over Spurs were abruptly dismissed when Palace fell 3-0 to Liverpool last time out. There might not be as many goals in this one, but the visitors may edge a cagey affair.

Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Brighton

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