Key events
Handover: John Brewin is here to take up the cudgels, while I go for a lie-down.
Andoni Iraola: “Semenyo will continue to be our player”
Bournemouth: Andoni Iraola endured a rather miserable international break, losing his Scottish winger Ben Gannon-Doak to a serious hamstring tear and his Dutch forward Justin Kluivert to an adductor muscle injury. Bournemouth’s Spanish head coach has also had to listen to – or try to ignore – no end of gossip linking Antoine Semenyo with a January move to a dizzying array of other clubs at home and abroad.
“We are in November,” he told reporters ahead of tomorrow’s match against West Ham at the Vitality Stadium. “Antoine is our player, he will continue to be our player. In January, you can ask me about the market but right now, I am not worried about the next market. I am not worried about the situation. In January, we will talk about whatever happened, the players we need.”
In slightly better news for Iraola and Bournemouth fans, both Adam Smith and Tyler Adams have been cleared to play tomorrow after undergoing concussion protocols that curtailed their training schedules during the international break.
Paul Pogba set to return after 811 days out
Ligue 1: Paul Pogba is expected to return to action for the first time in 811 days when he is named in Monaco’s squad to face Rennes in the French top flight tomorrow. The 32-year-old midfielder joined the Ligue1 club during the summer after having a four-year doping ban reduced to 19 months upon taking his case to the Court of Aribitration for Sport (CAS). He has spent the intervening months working on his fitness.
Pogba’s last competitive appearance was for Juventus in a Serie A match against Empoli in September 2023. The World Cup-winning France international and former Manchester United midfielder was due to make his Monaco debut against Lens just before the international break but had to delay his return due to an ankle injury. Monaco currently sit in sixth place in the French top flight, seven points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Should Pogba get a run-out tomorrow, he will make his Ligue1 debut.
Brighton: On the eve of his 50th Premier League game in charge (P49 W20 D17 L12) of the club, Fabian Hurzeler has been talking about what an honour it is to manage Brighton. “I’ve always emphasised that being the head coach of Brighton is a privilege,” he told reporters this morning. “So, I am really proud and really proud of working with really good staff members, really good experts that drive a really good culture.
“I am really privileged that I work with great leaders, great personalities as players, with a really great group, a group that drives the togetherness and tries to get better every day, no matter the circumstances or adversity that they face. The biggest thing I really love about the job is to see a team developing, an individual developing, and all these kinds of things, I really enjoy doing it.
“I always emphasised that this club is special, this club has a great identity, and I think identity is the most important. We are going to keep on trying and working hard. We are known for our great values, but we want to be known for success.”
Brighton host Brentford tomorrow and ahead of the game, Hurzeler revealed that it isd “not easy to predict” when Karou Mitoma will return from the ankle injury that has kept him out since the end of September. Solly March, Adam Webster and James Milner all remain out. Jack Hinshelwood has recovered from ankle ligament damage and should be among Brighton’s substitutes after being sidelined for over two months.
Premier League clubs reject top-to-bottom anchoring
Paul MacInnes
Explainer: Premier League clubs have voted overwhelmingly against the introduction of controversial anchoring plans but agreed a squad cost ratio system, as the top flight moved to a new era of financial regulation, writes Paul MacInnes.
Top-to-bottom anchoring (TBA) would have tied the spending of the league’s clubs to a multiple of the revenue earned by the division’s bottom-placed side the previous season in central payments passed on by the league. The plan has long been opposed by the top flight’s two Manchester clubs and a vote in London on Friday brought 12 votes against the measure and seven for, with Burnley abstaining.
The vote on squad cost ratios proved less divisive, with the necessary majority of 14 clubs voting in favour and six against. This means that from next season clubs will be limited to spending no more than 85% of their “football revenue” and “net profit/loss on player sales” on “on-pitch spending”, which includes player transfer fees and wages.
A third measure, referred to as sustainability and systematic resilience (SSR), which will bring real-time monitoring of finances and the introduction of liquidity buffers, was approved unanimously.
Brentford: The west London club announced last night that Fabio Carvalho has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that will rule the Portuguese winger out for the rest of the season and end any hopes he might have had of staking a claim for a place in the Portugal squad for next summer’s World Cup. Keith Andrews has been discussing the latest misfortune to befall the injury prone player.
“It’s been a tough week for obvious reasons – it’s devastating for him,” he said. “He did it around a week ago in training, unfortunately. Devastating news for him. I feel for him. He’s someone who I have a lot of respect for as a man. This season he’s not been given as much of an opportunity as I ideally would’ve liked. He knows that.
“We were in constant communication before the injury about his development as a player and ambitions. Unfortunately, that’s been taken away from him for a period. We’ll support him really well as we always do. Fabio knows he’ll get support from everybody at the football club during this difficult period.”
Premier League rejects top-to-bottom anchoring
Football finance: Premier League clubs have rejected the idea of introducing top-to-bottom anchoring (TBA), which would prevent any club from spending more than five times the money earned the previous season by the league’s last-placed side in central payments passed on by the league. They did, however, at a meeting on Friday agree to bring in squad cost ratio (SCR) and sustainability and systematic resilience (SSR) proposals.
A league statement said: “SCR will regulate clubs’ on-pitch spending to 85% of their football revenue and net profit/loss on player sales. Clubs will have a multi-year allowance of 30% that they can use to spend in excess of the 85%. Utilising this allowance will incur a levy and once the allowance is exhausted, they will need to comply with 85% or face a sporting sanction. The new SCR rules are intended to promote opportunity for all clubs to aspire to greater success and brings the League’s financial system close to Uefa’s existing SCR rules which operate at a threshold of 70%.”
The Sustainability and Systemic Resilience rules assess a club’s short, medium and long-term financial health through three tests – Working Capital Test, Liquidity Test and Positive Equity Test.
Celtic AGM abandoned inside five minutes
Celtic: The club’s annual general meeting was adjourned moments after it began when board members were jeered. Directors were met with boos and dozens of red cards from shareholders as they entered the Kerrydale Suite at Celtic Park.
Cries of “Out! Out! Out!” followed before there were cheers for interim manager Martin O’Neill when he was introduced by chairman Peter Lawwell. As a season review video began to play on big screens, Celtic Trust vice-chair Jeanette Findlay approached the top table to ask that the meeting move immediately to questions. As more shouts and chants of “sack the board” came from shareholders, Lawwell said: “This disruptive behaviour is not on. It’s got to stop. We have to have respect for everyone else in the room.”
Amid shouts of “you respect us”, Lawwell called a 30-minute adjournment before the meeting resumed shortly after 11am. The board has been under major criticism from supporters’ groups over the club’s summer transfer business and failure to qualify for the Champions League. Principal shareholder Dermot Desmond was not present at the meeting, which took place in a packed Kerrydale Suite. Other fans watched via video link from another function suite.
Cole Palmer broken toe update: So it turns out he stubbed it on a door. I’ve done it myself, pulling the door open over an uncovered big toe and while I managed to avoid breaking mine, it doesn’t half hurt!
If my experience is anything to go by, I suspect that the effing and jeffing emanating from chez Palmer at the exact moment the bottom edge of the door struck his toe and started removing the skin from the knuckle could be heard from miles around.
Brighton: Fabian Hurzeler plans to celebrate his 50th match in charge of Brighton with the acquisition of three points, but wants more tangible success moving forward. The 32-year-old become the youngest permanent boss in Premier League history when he was hired in the summer of 2024 and after an eighth-placed finish last season, the Seagulls are 11th with 16 points after 11 games this term.
Brighton have often been talked up as one of the most innovative clubs in England for their ability to develop players and deal with constant changes to staff, but Hurzeler wants to be known for bringing success on the field. “I am really proud of being head coach and really proud of working with really good staff members,” he said ahead of tomorrow’s match against Brentford at the Amex Stadium.
“I think the biggest thing what I really love of the job is to see a team developing, to see an individual developing and all these things I really enjoy. I always emphasis that this club is special, it has a great identity and identity is the most important. We try to keep on driving and keep on working hard.
“On the one side, we are known for great values but on the other side we want to be known for success and this is really what we live for, what we work for and we have to keep pushing to achieve it.”
Of the job being done by his opposite number, the Brentford boss Keith Andrews, Hurzeler had this to say: “Yeah, really impressed. I know him a little bit and he is a great person. He had a great start with Brentford and they really understand how to win games.”
Newcastle United: Having spat the dummy in a bid to get a move from Brentford to Newcastle during the summer transfer window, Yoane Wissa has yet to make his debut for his new club having missed pre-season before injuring his knee while on duty with DR Conga in the first international break of the season. Eddie Howe has been discussing the striker’s fitness or lack thereof …
“I have not got a clear, defined return date for you,” he told reporters. “He’s working well. He’s not back training with us yet but he’s close. He’s working with the sports science team and almost entering a pre-season with them currently.
“He’s doing a lot of work, he’s looked good and looked better with every session. He’s close to training with us but until he gets there, it’s very difficult to give you a return date.”
Upon being asked if Wissa might be fit enough to go to play at Afcon, which kicks off on 21 Dec and ends on 18 January, Howe said: “Well, we will wait and see what happens.” DR Congo are also in the Global Intercontinental World Cup playoffs which are scheduled for March, when they will play either New Caledonai or Jamaica in Guadalajara for a place in next summer’s tournament.
Manchester City: We’ve mentioned elsewhere that despite it only being November, Erling Haaland has already scored a phenomenal 32 goals for club and country this season. The 25-year-old banged in his most recent four for Norway in two World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Italy during the international break to help his country qualify for next summer’s jamoree in North America. The City striker goes into tomorrow’s match against Newcastle having scored eight goals in his past five games.
“He has been incredible this season,” said Pep Guardiola. “He has broke all the records and is breaking a lot of personal and individual records in the Premier League and for Norway.
“I’m happy for him and his national team. Many of the squad from Norway were not even born when they were last at the World Cup. They have had an incredible qualification, scoring lots of goals and playing very good. He is a world class player and deserves to play in the World Cup. He is the perfect age. I am so happy for him.”
Pep Guardiola: ‘The real season starts now’
Manchester City: Pep Guardiola’s side begin the weekend four points behind Arsenal in the title race but will reduce the deficit to just one and ramp up the pressure on their rivals ahead of Sunday’s North London derby if they beat Newcastle tomorrow evening. Pep was asked for his thoughts on the strong start to the season enjoyed by Mikel Arteta’s side and how he thinks his own team is getting on.
“The truth is the team as strong as Arsenal in the last season, they have been impeccable in many things,” he says. “The feeling that I have had in the past, where we have fought incredibly against Liverpool, I have had the feeling that we will not drop many points and if they can take a lot of distance it will be difficult to catch up with them.
“When the distance is too big it is more difficult but at the same time we are in November and in November, in this league, nothing is defined. What happens in February, March? Be careful. But now is the start of the season.
“Now, the international break is done, we have games every three or four days and the real season starts now. The important thing is to be there and to be close and after that, arrive at the end of the season with a chance that we can fight it. Winning tomorrow would be an important step for us.”
Newcastle: Eddie Howe on the threat Newcastle face tomorrow: “Manchester City have lots of threats from lots of different areas of their team so if you focus too much on one, I don’t think that’s right,” he says. “But of course, Haaland is an outstanding goalscorer and can score all different types of goals so we’re going to have to defend really well.
“There’s not one way of doing it. If you press high there’ll be weaknesses and if you drop low there will be weaknesses to that – you have to do what you think is right based on the players you have.”
Manchester City: Pep Guardiola faces the press ahead of Manchester City’s trip to St James’ Park to play Newcastle tomorrow. He says that all his players are fit and available for selection apart from Mateo Kovacic and Rodri. He also tells reports that “the real season starts here”. Grrrr!
Jacob Steinberg
Chelsea: It seems Palmer’s toe is broken. Jacob Steinberg has the latest from Enzo Maresca’s press conference: “Bad news for Chelsea fans, who have been left reeling by the revelation that Cole Palmer’s comeback from a groin injury has been delayed by the forward fracturing a toe in a freak accident at home,” he writes.
”Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Burnley, Enzo Maresca said: ‘He is not available for tomorrow for sure, Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure. Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe but it is nothing important but he won’t be back in the next week. It’s fractured.’ I’m reminded of this …”
Domestic mishap delays Cole Palmer’s return …
Chelsea: Enzo Maresca has revealed that Cole Palmer’s eagerly awaited return to the Chelsea line-up following his recovery from a groin injury will be delayed because the midfielder has hurt his toe in some unspecified accident at home. The Chelsea head coach says he doesn’t know whether or not the little piggy in question is broken.
“I wake up many times in the night to go to the toilet,” he says. “I hit my head and leg and everything. It can happen. He was very close. He was back with us almost with the groin, which is very good news, but he has this small problem. We don’t know it’s fractured. The only thing we know he is not available for this week and next week.”
Palmer will miss tomorrow’s match against Burnley, Chelsea’s midweek Champions League match against Barcelona and next weekend’s visit of Arsenal to Stamford Bridge.
Burnley: Scott Parker says forward Armando Broja “maybe dodged a bullet” with an ankle injury he suffered against England appearing to be less serious than first feared. Broja could yet face former club Chelsea on Saturday having trained since Wednesday but that certainly had not looked like being the case when he left Albania’s World Cup qualifier against England on a stretcher on Sunday.
The 24-year-old’s reaction was understandable given the number of injury problems he has faced in recent seasons, but this time the news appears to be better. “It was his ankle,” Parker said. “I think maybe the mechanism of the injury, I think maybe there was an element of shock for him and obviously a bit of fear there because it looked like he rolled the ankle and felt it was on an ankle that he’s previously done as well.
“I’m sure there was an element of, ‘Oh, I’ve done something serious here’. But while there was initial pain, it seems to have settled down really, really quickly. There’s an injury there, but it’s very, very, very minor and it looks like we’ve maybe dodged a bullet.”
Burnley go into Saturday’s game hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference, with Parker looking for his side to improve on a number of details in their game but generally happy with the progress shown. “We’ve developed and definitely I’ve seen a massive improvement from us,” he said. “They’re just little tiny bits at this present moment in time [we need to work on].”
Newcastle: Eddie Howe is rocking the mic and has some injury updates. Anthony Gordon has “worked very hard over the break” to recover from his hip injury and is touch-and-go for tomorrow’s match against Manchester City. Tino Livramento is “very close” after recovering from the knee ligament injury that has kept him sidelined since the end of September and is also in contention for tomorrow’s game. Nick Pope is “fine” after undergoing concussion protocols, while Joelinton and Sandro Tonali are also both fit to face City.
Liverpool: Slot has been asked about Liverpool’s title chances and in light of Andy Robertson’s heartbreaking post-match admission that he spent the day leading up to Scotland’s win over Denmark thinking about and crying over the tragic summer loss of his good pal Diogo Jota, has also addressed the subject of grief.
““I’ve said many times, at this moment in time we are not thinking or talking about it,” he says of Liverpool’s hopes of retaining their title. “Same last season when we were top of the league, it is just about the next game. The best way to judge a league table is after 38 games. The next best, in my opinion, is after 19 games. Let’s see where we are then. For now, the only focus we have is on winning games of football.”
On Robertson’s interview: ““We are always judged, sometimes fair, sometimes not fair. But I saw the interview live and I know that it is an issue for us, which is completely normal. At this moment in time, I always think how must it feel for his wife and his children?
“Because it is so, so, so much harder for them than it is for us. But that we will miss the player and the person is completely clear. Now we play Nottingham Forest, last season there we were 1-0 down and it only took him [Jota] one minute to score the equaliser. So now I am talking about the player that we miss for sure. That we also miss him as a person is also clear.”
On grief: “It is good for us to remember him [Jota] at all times it is possible because of the person and player he was. It is impossible to measure what it does to the players and to our results. The last thing I would do is use it as an excuse. I don’t know. What I do know is that we miss the player, that is 100% sure, and we miss the person, but I cannot measure the impact that has on our results. That is impossible for me to say and we will never use it as an excuse.”
Bradley, Wirtz and Frimpong all out for Liverpool
Liverpool: Hurzeler and Howe must be watching the cricket, because it’s Arne Slot who is the first managerial cab off the rank. He comes bearing mixed tidings for Liverpool fans ahead of their match against Nottingham Forest at Anfield tomorrow.
A quick summary: Alisson has fully recovered from his hamstring injury, but Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong will be out for at least three weeks. Florian Wirtz is also unavailable, while Joe Gomez missed training yesterday but should be OK for today. However, Slot is reluctant to risk him for 90 minutes. “Maybe one or two players have to play in positions they normally don’t do,” he says.
Premier League press conferences: I don’t have today’s schedule to hand but it’s normally a toss-up between early birds Fabian Hurzeler and Eddie Howe to see who is first out of the traps. It’s a state of affairs that ensures football reporters on the Brighton and Newcastle beats have to be up with the lark on Friday mornings.
Brighton’s form this season has been up and down like an Eiffel Tower elevator but their home form is good, so you’d fancy their chances this weekend against a Brentford side who aren’t great on the road under Keith Andrews.
If you haven’t been paying close attention to Newcastle, it may come as a shock for you to learn they could finish this weekend in the relegation zone if they lose at home to Manchester City and results elsewhere don’t go their way. It’s an unlikely scenario but not one that’s totally inconceivable.
The omens for the Mags aren’t great because Howe’s record against Pep Guardiola in the Premier League is little short of dismal. In 18 attempts to mastermind a league win against him as Bournemouth or Newcastle manager, he’s drawn twice and lost 16 times.
Not football: They’re still playing in the final session of the Ashes series opening day in Perth, where England’s seam bowlers have helped their team mount a stirring recovery following a depressingly chaotic and kamikaze first innings with bat in hand. The doyen of over-by-over reporting that is Rob Smyth has the latest from Western Australia, mate …
Premier League fixtures
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Burnley v Chelsea (Sat 12.30pm GMT)
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Liverpool v Nottingham Forest (3pm)
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Bournemouth v West Ham (3pm)
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Wolves v Crystal Palace (3pm)
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Brighton v Brentford (3pm)
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Fulham v Sunderland (3pm)
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Newcastle v Man City (5.30pm)
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Leeds v Aston Villa (Sun 2pm)
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Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (4.30pm)
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Man United v Everton (Mon 8pm)
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View the Premier League table
Preamble
And just like that, a chaotic, emotionally charged and often wild international break is over. Selected highlights: Troy Parrott knocking Portugal and Hungary off their respective perches, Erling Haaland propelling Norway to the World Cup, a magnificent seven from Wales, and Scotland sealing their place in the tournament courtesy of a bonkers, late-night, six-goal Hampden Park thriller against Denmark.
After all that excitement it’s back to the weekly grind. The Premier League returns this weekend, kicking off its twelfth match-week with all the glorious, high-stakes drama we love. The big questions, as always: whose star players have survived the past fortnight unscathed.
We’re here to filter through the noise so you don’t have to. The Guardian’s Friday Football blog is open for business, bringing you all the pithiest quotes, rambling monologues and pertinent team news from today’s pre-match press conferences. We’ll be flagging up every significant injury scare, tactical hint, and managerial mood swing ahead of kick-off tomorrow.
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