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Welcome to Onside/Offside! Each week, Luis Miguel Echegaray discusses the latest from the soccer world, including standout performances, games you might have missed, what to keep an eye on in the coming days and of course, certain things that probably deserved extra love and criticism.

This week, we have lots of previews! From the Premier League, where Mikel Arteta’s undefeated Arsenal visit Eddie Howe’s high-scoring Newcastle United to MLS and a tasty Copa Libertadores final. Plus, what does Saudi Arabia’s sole bid for the 2034 World Cup mean for the future of the sport?

ONSIDE

Newcastle vs. Arsenal: The unbeaten against the goal scorers

This matchup is set to be entertaining: two teams with a clear identity under young, ambitious managers eyeing legitimate objectives while possessing tremendous, eye-catching talent.

Let’s begin with Newcastle United, who alongside Aston Villa, are the current highest scorers in the Premier League. When they’re on, they’re a complete team in the sense that they work as a unit, no matter the XI. They showed it midweek against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup when manager Howe started out with a rotated squad and no discernible striker aside from Joelinton, who now plays as a box-to-box midfielder. The outcome? 7,000 from the Toon Army witnessed a 3-0 destruction.

Newcastle’s biggest strength is that it’s all about the collective. At their best, they are fluid and aggressive, and thanks to the likes of Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almirón and Callum Wilson, there is a single-minded, no-nonsense approach to entering the final third.

But as we shift to the other corner, Arsenal — who like Tottenham are still undefeated in the league — will prove to be a difficult test. They are coming from a 3-1 loss against West Ham in the Carabao Cup, but something tells me that this is a relief for manager Arteta as the Premier League and the Champions League are of greater importance. There’s also recent history to take into consideration when talking about Arsenal vs. Newcastle. From the past 22 meetings in all competitions, Arsenal have won 19 of them, which clearly says that they have Newcastle’s number. They are the Magpies’ bogey side.

But this match is difficult to predict because of both sides’ strengths but most notably, their vulnerabilities. I haven’t even mentioned the injuries and absences (Sandro Tonali being the most prominent for Newcastle.) With Gabriel Jesus injured and Kai Havertz proving largely ineffective, Eddie Nketiah is entering the most important chapter in his career with Arsenal. He has to be the guy right now.

Wilson, meanwhile, who has scored seven goals this season and is netting a goal every 60 minutes for Newcastle, also has to carry a larger responsibility because of Alexander Isak’s temporary absence. Will Arsenal remain undefeated? Can Newcastle take full advantage of St. James’s Park’s support and produce a victory? All I know is that I am excited to watch this one.

Argentina and Brazil’s contrasting styles on show in Copa Libertadores final

There are many angles and talking points you can take from Saturday’s Copa Libertadores final, which will be played at Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. First, this is the first final between Argentina and Brazil since 2019, as the last three editions have been dominated by Brazilian teams. Second, Fluminense, managed by Fernando Diniz (also interim manager of the Brazil national team), are looking to win this trophy for the first time. Third, this is a chance for Boca Juniors to earn some redemption after losing in the violence-ridden 2018 edition against River Plate, which was eventually played in Madrid.

Boca are the second-most successful club in this competition behind Independiente, but have not won it since 2007. Fourth, aside from the obvious distaste toward one another because of nationality and cultural differences, Fluminense and Boca Juniors are also different in style.

Boca manager Jorge Almirón (a former defensive midfielder) has had to rely on resiliency and defensive prowess to get here (they have conceded only five goals). They have also made it through to the final thanks to penalty shootouts in every round. But goals have been a problem. Even with the arrival of Edinson Cavani in July, they have only scored 12 times in the entire tournament.

In the other corner, Fluminense have also scored 12 goals — in the knockout stages alone. In total, Diniz’s side have netted 22 goals in the competition and partly thanks to their Argentinian striker German Cano, they are lethal as much as they are attractive to watch. Diniz wants to bring back the “Joga Bonito” aspect to the Brazilian game as his Fluminense side usually play attractive, quick and short-possession based football, something he hasn’t mustered with the national team just yet.

Watch out for André, too, their 22-year-old defensive midfielder who was reportedly approached by Liverpool in the summer, but Fluminense held on to him for this very reason, to make it in the final. I expect this to be his last season with Fluminense. On Boca’s side, 19-year-old Valentin Barco is also reportedly attracting a lot of attention and this could also be his final campaign in Argentina as Premier League and Bundesliga sides have been keeping tabs on him.

But it’s not just about youth! How about Marcos Rojo or Sergio Romero, Man United fans? The former will miss the game due to being sent off in the semifinals against Palmeiras, but the goalkeeper will be key on Saturday. And then there’s Marcelo for Fluminense. The former Real Madrid star returned to his first club earlier this year and will look to add a Libertadores medal to his five from the Champions League.

No Messi? No problem. The three MVP candidates in MLS

The MLS playoffs are in full effect and this weekend features the second matches from the best-of-three series in Round 1. Just because Inter Miami and Lionel Messi are not involved doesn’t mean there isn’t great action to watch. MLS continues to grow (they recently recorded a highest-ever total attendance of 10.9 million for the season) and provide great moments of entertainment, with or without the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

So let’s talk about the three MVP candidates. First off, Denis Bouanga, the Golden Boot winner from LAFC, is in ridiculous form. The Gabonese striker scored 20 league goals and created three assists in the regular season and helped his club take the lead in the first round with a 1-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps. He arrived from Ligue 1’s Saint-Étienne for $5 million in 2022 and at 28 years old, it was definitely a bargain for the club from Los Angeles.

LUCHO. ACOSTA.

Just when you thought his season couldn’t get any better…#AllForCincy // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ReiKkVYaBv

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 30, 2023

Then there’s Luciano Acosta, who started his career with Boca Juniors and went back and forth between MLS and Liga MX before finding his home with FC Cincinnati. Lucho is the ultimate No. 10 for Cincy, creating 29 league goal contributions this season (16 goals, 13 assists) and in the first playoff match against the New York Red Bulls, he was everywhere, scoring one and assisting another. He’s probably winning the MVP award.

Finally, Thiago Almada, a man I have wanted for Aston Villa for a while (sorry, Atlanta United fans) — 11 goals and 16 assists (the most in the league) in the regular season are only part of the story. He is a dynamite, much in the mold of Paulo Dybala but with a better eye for long-range finishes and set pieces. He didn’t play in Atlanta’s loss against Columbus Crew on Wednesday due to suspension, but will return for the second match next week.

If you’re asking me who’s winning the MLS Cup this season? I think all roads lead to Lucho Acosta and Cincy, who would lift their first title since joining the league from USL in 2019.

A special mention to Cucho Hernández, who scored a brace in Crew’s 2-0 win against Atlanta on Wednesday night. He scored 16 goals and recorded 11 assists in the regular season and will be a force in the postseason.

OFFSIDE

Fans clash ahead of Copa Lib final

I wish I could have left the Copa Libertadores final as an “onside” but sadly I have to also include this. On Thursday night at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Fluminense fans clashed with Boca Juniors supporters. By the time police responded, things had continued into the early hours.

Terrible scenes yesterday as a Fluminense barra attack Boca Juniors fans in Copacabana before police eventually arrived. Violence continued all through the night (via @GerGarciaGrova h/t @golazoargentino) pic.twitter.com/k9aEMTPohD

— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) November 3, 2023

CONMEBOL came out with a half-efforted statement asking for things to calm down (that will do the trick) which prompted the Argentinian ambassador in Brazil to ask for more. “I saw the statement and the truth is that it demands greater firmness and rigor,” said Daniel Scioli. “I am worried because tomorrow a very tough group of fans will arrive.”

In 2018, the Copa Libertadores final had to be suspended and moved to Madrid. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that this time around. One day, CONMEBOL will get it together and realize that these finals require a tremendous amount of infrastructure and protection for fans and their families who just want to enjoy their team in a final.

What do Saudi Arabia want?

Saudi Arabia’s sole bid for the 2034 World Cup was always going to be on the cards, for several reasons. For one, from a calendar perspective, the plans were carefully assembled by FIFA last month when it announced the rotation policy for hosts and — wouldn’t you know it — the 2034 edition was guaranteed for a nation from Asia or Oceania. Enter Saudi Arabia, uncontested after Australia pulled out hours before the deadline because it knew the obvious truth: money talks.

Second, there is the indication of Saudi’s continuous influence on global sports. From PIF’s control of Newcastle United — and consequently the top four clubs in the Saudi Pro League — to Formula 1, boxing, golf and December’s Club World Cup — Saudi Arabia has carefully created a path of sporting impact on the world stage. So, now that we know that this was going to happen (and Qatar setting a new precedent of saying “sorry, not sorry” to Europe with a winter World Cup), the question is: why does Saudi Arabia want this so much and what do they want out of it?

The first part of the question has been answered as there is a clear intention of the Saudi kingdom’s need to attract tourism and create a new identity for the Middle East. How about accusations of sportswashing, where sport is being used to cover and detract from the bigger issues at hand (human rights violations, criminalization of homosexuality, women’s rights abuses, free speech restrictions, the war in Yemen and the 2018 death of Jamal Khashoggi).

Well, it’s not really a concern, as clearly stated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we’ll continue doing sportswashing. … I have 1% growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5%. Call it whatever you want — we are going to get that 1.5%,” he said to Fox Sports in September.

In the end, a lot of question marks remain about the 2034 World Cup bid and how far Saudi Arabia will go to attain what it wants in the sporting market in order to clean its global reputation. But this is not just about Saudi Arabia’s intentions, as we continue to learn that FIFA’s gluttony has no limits.

Novak Djokovic and Ballon d’Or’s clueless decision

On Monday, Aitana Bonmatí received her first ever Ballon d’Or Féminin after an incredible season of success with Barcelona and the Spanish national team. There was a video right after the announcement describing her journey, which started with CD Ribes and CF Cubelles. Her speech was passionate and inspiring, encouraging other teammates to keep fighting (specifically talking about everything the Spanish women’s team has had to do for equal pay, against sexual harassment and of course, the Luis Rubiales incident) and living by example.

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Bonmati ‘proud’ to win Ballon d’Or Feminin after difficult year for Spain

Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati says she is speechless after winning the Ballon d’Or Feminin and now wants to focus on football after the World Cup controversy.

So why, may I ask, would the Ballon d’Or organizers arrange for Djokovic to present Bonmatí with the award? This is Djokovic, one of the greatest men’s tennis players in the history of the sport but who also once argued against equal pay and said male tennis players should be paid more than women. After winning the Indian Wells Masters in 2016, Djokovic was asked about his views on equal pay and said men “should fight for more” and “be awarded more” because they proved to attract larger attendances at tennis matches.

I mean, this is hardly a champion for women’s sports. If you have to have a tennis player present this award (which still baffles me), why not a woman? I’m sure Serena Williams, Coco Gauff or even Bonmatí’s compatriot Sara Sorribes Tormo, the current, highest-ranked Spanish player in the world would have been more than happy to attend.

In addition, the event was held during an international window in women’s football so most nominees couldn’t attend. France Football also don’t offer awards for the women’s best young player, goalkeeper or striker, which were all featured for the men. It may have been a great night for Messi and the men’s game, but once again, much more could have been done for the women.

Final word

What happens when Goliath meets David? Bayern Munich found out on Wednesday in the German cup, courtesy of third division side Saarbrucken who are 15th in the table but it didn’t bother them one bit as Marcel Gaus scored in the 96th minute to secure a historic victory against the Bundesliga champions.

I love this game of ours.

THIS IS WHAT THE DFB POKAL IS ALL ABOUT 😱

SAARBRÜCKEN SCORES IN THE LAST MINUTE AGAINST BAYERN MUNICH! pic.twitter.com/J22mNAYdIu

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 1, 2023

The international break is over and club football came roaring back this weekend. If you had checked the box scores, you’d think there were few surprises as the weekend’s action got underway, but those full-time figures tell only half the story.

We saw Manchester United defeat Sheffield United 2-1 on an emotional day following the passing of club legend Sir Bobby Charlton, while Manchester City achieved an important 2-1 win against Brighton & Hove Albion to stay firm in the race for the Premier League title. In Germany, Serhou Guirassy continues to break all the records at Stuttgart, and Bayern Munich charged to retain their Bundesliga title following their 3-1 win over Mainz.

In France, Kylian Mbappé scored again as PSG remain in the Ligue 1 race. In Spain, Real Madrid dropped points in a 1-1 draw against Sevilla to leave the LaLiga title race wide open. And finally, we saw some Women’s Super League action as Manchester City earned an important 1-0 win at Leicester City.

Sunday added some more big twists and turns, including a teenage academy product saving Barcelona (again), a match-up between AC Milan and Juventus with four American starters and more.

Here is your look back at all the fun from this weekend.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

SUNDAY REVIEW

The Sunday lead: 17-year-old Guiu saves Barca in his debut

Struggling to break down your opponent? Missing your star striker and a handful of other regular starters through injury? No problem, just turn to the academy again.

That’s exactly what Barcelona did Sunday against Athletic Bilbao, throwing 17-year-old forward Marc Guiu on for his debut in the second half. Within about 30 seconds, he had scored the winning goal, beating goalkeeper Unai Simón after being fed by João Félix to give Barça a 1-0 victory.

The win moved the Blaugrana within one point of joint leaders Real Madrid and Girona. It sets up next weekend’s Clásico quite nicely. (Stream it live: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+.)

With starters Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Jules Koundé and Raphinha all watching from the stands with knocks, Barça had struggled to break down an impressive Athletic side managed by their former coach Ernesto Valverde. Felix had come close, hitting the bar, and Simon also produced a good save from Fermín López, another youngster who has emerged from nowhere this season for Barça.

Athletic were more than their match at the Olympic Stadium, though. Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen was in inspired form to twice keep out Iñaki Williams, whose brother, Nico, was also causing problems on the left flank.

And so, with just over 10 minutes to play and having already brought on 16-year-old Lamine Yamal to play alongside fellow academy graduates 20-year-old López, 20-year-old Alejandro Balde and 19-year-old Gavi, manager Xavi Hernandez’s final role of the dice was Spain U-17 international Guiu. It could not have gone any better. Within seconds, he latched onto Felix’s pass to score a goal he will never forget. Barça can always rely on La Masia.

It leaves the top of LaLiga looking very tasty after 10 matches. Madrid and Girona — who beat Almeria 5-2 earlier Sunday — have 25 points, Barça 24 and then come Atletico Madrid with 22 and a game in hand. — Sam Marsden

Sunday talking points around the leagues

Man United hand Toffees humiliation in WSL

With little time to dwell on their midweek loss to PSG that knocked them out of the Champions League before the group stages, Manchester United showed some of their better football to claim a hearty 5-0 win against a struggling Everton team.

The visitors being the team with more bite going forward, Melvine Malard’s header was the highlight of the first half for United but it wasn’t until Nikita Parris doubled the advantage just before the hour that the game fully titled towards the Red Devils. It took just 16 minutes for United to score their last three with Rachel Williams’ brace the body blows to beat the Toffees into submission before Parris added the last in stoppage time.

For United, who were without enigmatic attacking duo Geyse and Leah Galton, the added depth told as new and different combinations worked on the pitch to cut through the hosts. Williams scoring off of the bench is all but part of the script for United but from Irene Guerrero marking her debut with an assist to Malard’s habit of finding the back of the net, United are offering more virtuosity this season.

For Everton, whose defence took a sizable hit over the summer with the departures of Rikke Sevecke and Gabby George, there was a growing capitulation at the back as the goals started to rain in. The team in blue reverting to getting pushed around on the pitch, unable to dictate the tempo or come close to building on their derby win over Liverpool last time out. — Sophie Lawson

Americans Abroad: Pulisic gets the hook as Milan fall to Juventus

If Saturday wasn’t anything to write home about for U.S. men’s national team players in Europe, Sunday was only a bit better. Four Americans started as AC Milan hosted Juventus, making it a high-profile fixture for USMNT fans, but it was a slog.

After a red card to AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw at San Siro, a visibly frustrated Christian Pulisic was sacrificed, subbed off in the 42nd minute so centerback Pierre Kalulu could come on and try to keep the score at 0-0. For Pulisic, it was certainly not the match he was hoping to have. Fellow forwards Rafael Leão on the opposite wing and Olivier Giroud up top had just been far more dangerous on the day, so it’s easy to see why manager Stefano Pioli opted to remove the American from the attacking line.

On the other side of that fixture, Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah didn’t have standpoint performances either, despite Juventus having the man advantage for most of the match, eventually winning 1-0. Weah was technically awarded the assist for passing the ball to Manuel Locatelli before his goal, but the effort came down to Locatelli’s long-range strike that took a wicked deflection. McKennie and Weah did combine for a nice one-two in the 67th minute, but McKennie put his shot wildly off-target.

Weah came off in the 84th minute after walking away gingerly from a collision. In the first half, USMNT teammate and Milan midfielder Yunus Musah delivered a crunching tackle to Weah that sent him into the advertising boards.

With the win, Juventus closed the gap to second-place AC Milan to one point and inched within two points of first-place Inter Milan.

Elsewhere in Europe on Sunday, striker Folarin Balogun played 89 minutes for AS Monaco and mustered up just one shot in a 2-1 win over Metz. — Caitlin Murray

News of the day

• The saga around who will own Manchester United continues, and a star from the world of golf wants a piece of the action. Four-time major-winning golfer Rory McIlroy, fresh off his recent investment in the Alpine Formula One team, has expressed interest in a bit of Man United.

And finally, on Sunday …

Jose Mourinho continues to become the gift that keeps on giving. The Roma manager was sent off towards the end of his team’s 1-0 win against Monza on Sunday for making a crying gesture.

“I don’t know why I got the red card, I only made a gesture to the bench, not a single word,” Mourinho said post-match. “The Monza bench put a lot of pressure on the referee; they shouldn’t have behaved like that.”

With this red card, it means he will not be on the touchline for their important clash against Serie A leaders Inter next Sunday. Never change, Jose. — Roberto Rojas

Jose Mourinho did this to the opposition bench shortly after Roma scored a stoppage time goal to take the lead against Monza.

He received a red card and will miss Roma’s next Serie A match against Inter Milan.

Never change, Jose 😆 pic.twitter.com/wEYsKP7zUU

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 22, 2023

Missed the action on Saturday? Keep reading for all the talking points.

SATURDAY REVIEW

The Saturday lead: Onana, Dalot deliver a much-needed Man United win on emotional day following Sir Bobby Charlton’s death

For the first time in his short Manchester United career, André Onana has won back-to-back Premier League games and he played his part in the victory over Sheffield United on Saturday. It’s been a difficult start to life at Old Trafford for the Cameroon goalkeeper but this was the type of performance that should give him confidence he’ll be able to get through this sticky spell.

United were poor in the first 25 minutes at Bramall Lane and Onana was needed to make low saves from Oli McBurnie and Cameron Archer. It didn’t require anything spectacular but Erik ten Hag will settle for Onana doing the simple things well after a number of costly mistakes since his summer move from Inter Milan.

United are still struggling to score goals and all four of their Premier League wins so far this season have come with a one-goal margin but if Ten Hag can get his team to defend better, then they will start climbing the table. It begins with the goalkeeper and Ten Hag will have enjoyed a post-match news conference during which he wasn’t forced to defend Onana. He still has work to do to win over some United fans but a quiet night and a win at Sheffield United is a good place to start. — Rob Dawson

Saturday talking points around the leagues

Manchester City bounce back from back-to-back defeats

Manchester City don’t need any luck or help to win matches and they got it anyway as they avoided losing three Premier League games in a row for the first time since 2016. Under Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton are set up to win this type of game but they never gave themselves a chance to put City under pressure and were behind at the Etihad Stadium after just seven minutes when Julián Álvarez scuffed a shot which looped in over Jason Steele.

If that was their slice of luck, the help came from Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Not long after Alvarez’s opener, the Brighton midfielder played a blind pass which Erling Haaland and, four touches later, the ball was in the net. It was the Norwegian’s first City goal for nearly a month but it wasn’t the finish — rifled into the corner from outside the penalty area — of a man out of form.

Rodri back from suspension, John Stones fit enough to make his first start of the season and Haaland back scoring goals; it was a good afternoon for Pep Guardiola, only spoiled slightly by a late red card for Manuel Akanji. It was, however, a day to forget for James Milner. The 37-year-old was picked at right-back and tasked with stopping 21-year-old Jérémy Doku but only lasted 45 minutes which consisted of watching Doku set up Alvarez and then twice ploughing into the Belgium winger.

After back-to-back defeats to Wolves and Arsenal, Brighton at home felt like a dangerous game — particularly because they’ve beaten Newcastle and Manchester United and drawn with Liverpool already this season — but it was navigated by City with minimal fuss and despite their small blip, they’re only two points worse off than they were at this stage last year. — Dawson

Ramos stars but can’t score dream winner against Madrid

In the 94th minute, with Sevilla and Real Madrid level at 1-1, Sergio Ramos’ moment arrived. Sevilla had a free kick on the edge of the Real Madrid box. There was only ever going to be one target. Suso floated the ball in, Ramos rose to meet it … and headed over the bar.

Ramos was always going to make headlines when Sevilla hosted Madrid at the Sanchez Pizjuan; it was just a question of how. Would he score against his former club? How about an own goal? Or a characteristic red card? Instead, it was more straightforward than that: Ramos was excellent, arguably the best player on the pitch. With all the noise around Ramos, it’s easy to forget the obvious: this is an exceptional defender, even at 37.

The highlight of his performance against Madrid came in the 34th minute, blocking what looked like a certain goal with an instinctive, outstretched leg. He went close to scoring in the 80th minute too, with a header well saved by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Otherwise, Ramos was efficient and effortless. He had 78 touches, as many as any Sevilla player. He completed 61 of 65 passes, with seven recoveries and five clearances. There were moments of controversy too: a first-half face-off with Antonio Rüdiger in which he appeared to pinch the German’s cheeks, and an 86th-minute bust-up involving multiple players, Ramos at the centre of it.

The 1-1 scoreline wasn’t too much of a disappointment for LaLiga leaders Real Madrid — although they lamented referee icardo de Burgos Bengoetxea’s decision to rule out two early goals — and it was a positive start for Ramos and Sevilla, under new coach Diego Alonso. — Alex Kirkland

Kane shines as Bayern earn crucial win over Mainz

After Leverkusen, Stuttgart and Dortmund had won their respective games, Bayern Munich had to follow suit as the record champions took on Mainz in the Bundesliga’s Saturday evening game. The Moroccan right-back Noussair Mazraoui, who had attracted attention by posting anti-Israel sentiments on social media recently, was left out of the squad because of a muscle injury.

Meanwhile, Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz was once again the backup for Sven Ulreich, who might have made his last start in the Bundesliga for the time being, with Manuel Neuer being expected to return to action next weekend.

As for the game at Mainz’s Mewa Arena itself, the home team neutralised Bayern’s build-up with their three-man high press in the early stages. Unluckily for the hosts, they did not take advantage of forced turnovers near Bayern’s penalty area, and it seemed that the goals scored by Kingsley Coman and Harry Kane during the opening 15 minutes may take the air out of the stadium.

But Mainz continued to fight and play admirably, as they managed to visit Bayern’s penalty area frequently. Shortly before the halftime break, Leroy Sané lost the ball in midfield, which allowed Brajan Gruda to move it forward before Anthony Caci scored Mainz’s first goal with a beautiful strike.For a while, an upset was in the air, but Caci went from hero to zero when he tried to dribble close to the hosts’ box, losing the ball and thus inviting Leon Goretzka to score the deciding third goal for Bayern.

The German champions are currently dealing with defensive issues which cannot solely be attributed to injury woes. There are systematic shortcomings that manager Thomas Tuchel needs to fix in the upcoming weeks.

Otherwise, Bayern’s attacking firepower might not be enough in some games. Perhaps the return of Neuer could stabilise the defence to an extent since the 37-year-old is not just an experienced shot-stopper but also someone who can guide a back line from behind. — Constantin Eckner

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Remembering Sir Bobby Charlton

Alexis Nunes and Mark Ogden reflect on Sir Bobby Charlton’s impact on Manchester United, England and football in general after his death at the age of 86.

Mbappe stellar in PSG’s win over Strasbourg

After four games without scoring for PSG and some unusually underwhelming performances, Mbappé was back to his best on Saturday at the Parc des Princes against Strasbourg. A goal and an assist set his team on the road to a 3-0 victory in a game totally controlled by the Parisians.

The last time PSG came back from the international break with a home league match was in September when they were beaten by Nice (3-2). This time, there were no bad surprises.

Despite a big turnover from Luis Enrique, Paris were dominant and convincing. The Spanish manager rested many key players (Ousmane Dembele, Manuel Ugarte, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Randal Kolo Muani, Achraf Hakimi) and their subs took that opportunity to show what they could do. Carlos Soler and Fabián Ruiz scored and Ruiz is proving that he could be a decent alternative in midfield. Lee Kang-In also started after being out of the picture for a month while winning the Asian Cup with South Korea and can bring creativity and a different profile.

Four days before the huge Champions League clash with AC Milan in the French capital, Saturday was just what the doctor ordered for PSG. — Julien Laurens

Man City earn crucial win over Leicester to go top of the WSL

The last time Manchester City travelled to the King Power Stadium, in February, they were chasing down the top of the pack, desperately making a bid for a Champions League finish. Their opposition were making their own desperate charge, hoping to stave off relegation, the team in a far better place now under new manager Willie Kirk.

That match ended 2-0 to City with the visitors outshooting Leicester 32 shots to four as they boasted 74 per cent of the possession over the 90-minute match. This season, things could not be more different and heading into the fourth matchday of the WSL season, the narrative was set at a top-of-the-table clash.

Indeed, the stats from the game are the best marker for the rapid development and growth the Foxes have shown this season, the two teams splitting the possession, Leicester with six shots on target to City’s eight. The crucial moment came ten minutes in when Jill Roord slipped the ball between Julie Thibaud’s ankles to feed Chloe Kelly with the England international’s tame shot managing to squirm under Janina Leitzig.

There was no dropping of heads from the hosts, however, and it wasn’t long until they were pressuring the City backline although the hosts could not get the better of Khiara Keating in the away goal. The match was a fair contest until the final whistle, with both sides well-matched, something that wouldn’t have even been conceivable eight months ago.

From both a Leicester and Man City point of view, the game has further hammered home how well each team has started the season, as well as the gaps across the league that are finally being closed. As it is, City are top of the table and at this early stage of the season, looking like the team to beat. — Lawson

Americans Abroad: A rough one for USMNT stars

Following the international break that saw the United States lose to Germany and defeat Ghana, numerous players were back in action this weekend in their respective leagues.

Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna played 28 minutes in Friday’s 1-0 win over Werder Bremen to see them firmly in the Bundesliga title race while Ricardo Pepi played 11 minutes in PSV Eindhoven’s 3-1 win over Fortuna Sittard as they stay top of the Eredivisie table with 27 points after nine matches.

These guys 😆 pic.twitter.com/H9nALbFrZH

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 20, 2023

It was a poor day between the sticks for goalkeeper Matt Turner though as Nottingham Forest gave up a 2-0 lead against newly promoted side Luton Town. Chris Wood scored a brace to put Forest up, but Luton had the last laugh as they scored twice in the last seven minutes to snatch an important point at the City Ground. — Rojas

News of the day

• Manchester United and England legend Sir Bobby Charlton has passed away on Saturday at the age of 86, following a statement announced by the club. Charlton was part of the 1966 England squad that won their first and only FIFA World Cup on home soil and played a important part that helped Manchester United win their first ever European Cup at Wembley in 1968. A club statement read “Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world.”

• Everton manager Sean Dyche slammed the “bizarre” refereeing decisions in his team’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday. “It’s a bizarre nature of the modern game,” Dyche said post-match. “There’s no point. I’m going to get myself in trouble. I don’t know how I got yellow carded. All my staff got yellow carded. It’s impossible that we could get yellow carded with that performance but anyways, we did.”

And finally, on Saturday …

The Serhou Guirassy show continues as the Guinean striker netted yet again in Stuttgart’s 3-0 win over Union Berlin, putting his name into the history books with his 14th goal in eight Bundesliga matches.

Not only does that put him atop the goalscorer race by a huge margin (Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane is in second with nine goals), but Guirassy also set a new record by becoming the first-ever player to score that amount of goals after eight matchdays of a Bundesliga season.

Serhou Guirassy is the first player to score 14 goals on the first eight matchdays of a Bundesliga season 😮‍💨📈

(via @OptaFranz) pic.twitter.com/MFv5NMYgZJ

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 21, 2023

To show how impressive that stat is, Guirassy only needs two more goals to equal the amount of last season’s top scorer in the Bundesliga, when Niclas Füllkrug and Christopher Nkunku both scored 16 goals.

This also means that Stuttgart, now in second place, continue their charge in the Bundesliga title race with 21 points, having now won six Bundesliga games in a row. Who knows if Guirassy will continue his hot streak but it’s been a remarkable start for Die Roten. — Rojas

LONDON — England booked their place at Euro 2024 on Tuesday night with the sort of victory that suggests they might soon be ready to clear the final hurdle in their path to tournament glory.

Perhaps the last challenge Gareth Southgate has to overcome in ending the Three Lions’ 58-year wait for a major trophy next summer is consistently beating the best sides in world football.

England have reached a semifinal, a final and a quarterfinal in Southgate’s three tournaments as manager, but his critics frequently point out that defeats to Croatia, Italy and France to end those runs are symptomatic of a longstanding problem in imposing themselves on the elite.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Southgate’s record against sides currently ranked in FIFA’s top 10 prior to Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph over Italy was as follows: 27 games, seven wins, nine draws, 11 losses equating to a win rate of just 26%.

In that context, then, this was a performance that can have England fans daring to dream of what might be possible in Germany next summer, a deserved success coming from behind against the current European champions.

Of course, any talk of revenge was fanciful given the differing stakes, but this will nevertheless contain a cathartic feel for England, beating Italy two years on from their delayed Euro 2020 penalty shootout defeat in the final, Marcus Rashford scoring at the end after he missed one of the decisive spot-kicks.

Eight of that starting lineup began the game here — only Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling were absent — but it was Jude Bellingham who stole the show with an all-action performance encapsulated by England’s second goal.

It will be a further fillip to England’s self-belief that they recovered from a shaky start, conceding to Gianluca Scamacca’s well-worked 15th-minute opener. In reply, Bellingham was brought down by Giovanni Di Lorenzo for Harry Kane to convert a 32nd-minute penalty before he produced one of those game-changing moments for which he is rapidly earning such a lofty reputation.

The 20-year-old — yes, still just 20 — won the ball before collecting Phil Foden’s pass with the sort of surge forward associated with Paul Gascoigne, watching on among the 83,194-crowd, in his prime before releasing Rashford, who cut inside and thrashed a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Kane added a third with the sort of assured centre-forward play that provided yet another reminder he has few modern-day peers, registering his 61st international goal with a wonderfully assured finish.

Southgate enjoys chipping away at England’s historic millstones. After beating Italy in Italy for the first time since 1961 back in March, England secured their first victory over the Azzurri on home soil since 1977.

These are not decisive achievements by themselves but nevertheless serve as a reminder England have not been as good as they would have liked for a long, long time, and Southgate, steeped as he is in Three Lions history, knows progress is a capricious animal. For a team that failed to even reach Euro 2008, securing qualification as comfortably as this should not be taken for granted. Nights like this are tangible proof England are evolving toward something like the finished article they need to be to triumph in Germany, collecting positive experiences that must help them execute their game plan when the pressure becomes most acute next summer.

England have looked at their most exhilarating in recent times when unleashing a new talent on the world stage — think Michael Owen in 1998 or Wayne Rooney in 2004 — and Bellingham has the capacity to make the same impact, even if the cat is well and truly out of the bag given his remarkable form for Real Madrid this season.

Southgate has reshuffled his midfield to give him the platform to affect games from something approximating a No. 10 position, a decision that looks increasingly justifiable with each passing week.

Just as Bellingham excelled against Scotland, so he did against better opposition here, quietening any prematch grumbles over the inclusion of Kalvin Phillips as part of that platform despite 167 minutes of first-team action at Manchester City this season. Phillips was fortunate not to be sent off here, picking up an early yellow card for an agricultural challenge on Davide Frattesi before escaping a second despite a late tackle on Nicolò Barella. He was substituted for his own good, and the 70 minutes he played here means he now has more time on the field for England (188 minutes) than his club since August. Jordan Henderson received a mixed reception, yet again, as his replacement.

Yet England’s attacking play benefitted from the Phillips-Declan Rice axis in central midfield. Kane ended the evening as England’s record goal scorer at Wembley — surpassing Sir Bobby Charlton with 24 goals at this iconic venue — and his influence stretching back over such a sustained period is profound: the 30-year-old has been directly involved in 33 goals in his past 30 appearances for England (27 goals and six assists), including either scoring or assisting in each of his past 10 games.

Rashford, Bellingham and Foden floating around him looked dangerous all evening following that slow start. Bukayo Saka will come back from injury while Jack Grealish and James Maddison sat unused on the bench.

Excitement will now build if Southgate has the majority of these players fit and available next summer. The ultimate question remains whether they can put it together against the very best, but wins like this engender fresh hope.

Erik ten Hag has admitted there is doubt about whether Jadon Sancho has a future at Manchester United.

The 23-year-old is training alone following his public row with Ten Hag in the aftermath of the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal before the international break.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Sources have told ESPN that Sancho has not apologised for his role in the spat and, speaking at a news conference on Friday, the United manager refused to say whether the England international remains part of his long-term plans at Old Trafford.

“I don’t know,” said Ten Hag, when asked whether Sancho will play for United again.

“I prepare my team the best I can, I put all my effort into the players who are available. He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute.”

Sancho has been banished from first-team training after publicly challenging Ten Hag’s reasons for dropping him for the game at Arsenal.

Ten Hag said it was because of poor training performances, before Sancho issued a post on social media to say the comments were “completely untrue” and that he had been “made a scapegoat for a long time.”

Sancho is unavailable for Brighton’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday but Ten Hag insists the rest of his players are focused.

“With fans it’s the talk, with you [the media] it’s the talk, but with the players it is not the talk,” he added.

“They want to perform. For players who didn’t have so much opportunities, they get their opportunity, so this is their chance to come into the team.

“So, as I said, we had a really good spirit, everyone is focusing on this game, and the coming games.”

Sancho is currently training alone with club staff and there is no timeframe for his return to the squad.

Ten Hag is also without Antony, who has been given a leave of absence amid allegations of abusive behaviour towards multiple women. Raphaël Varane, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and new signing Sofyan Amrabat are all out injured leaving United short of options, but Ten Hag insists he had no choice but to take a tough stance on Sancho.

“It’s in favour of the team,” he said.

“That is what my decision is based on. That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team.”

The summer transfer window in Europe enters its final week, but there’s plenty of gossip still swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Chelsea, Roma on verge of Lukaku deal

Chelsea and AS Roma have reached an agreement over a deal involving striker Romelu Lukaku, according to Calciomercato.

The clubs are said to have agreed on a straight loan until the end of the season for a fee of €5 million, with no clauses included that would enable the Serie A side to make the move become permanent.

The 30-year-old is reported to have accepted a salary worth €7.5m-per-season to make the switch to the Stadio Olimpico, where he will return to Italy’s top flight after last season’s loan stint at Internazionale.

Inter were keen to bring Lukaku back but withdrew their interest after he was linked with a move to rivals Juventus. That proposal fell through following sources told ESPN last week that Lukaku became frustrated at the amount of time it took Juventus to negotiate with Chelsea.

Speaking to Belgian newspaper HLN on Saturday while at his son’s first youth game for Anderlecht, Lukaku said: “Tomorrow, I will fly to Rome to sign.”

It is believed that the Belgium international is set to arrive on Monday to undertake his medical before the move can be announced by manager Jose Mourinho’s side.

Lukaku’s impressive record in the Serie A has seen him contribute to 76 goals in 97 appearances for Inter, where he played in three seasons across two loan spells.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

PAPER GOSSIP

– Manchester City have proposed a new deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to Fabrizio Romano. City’s second approach for the 25-year-old’s signature is believed to be worth a total of €60 million, with growing optimism from the club hierarchy that they can get a deal over the line. It is said that personal terms have already been agreed with him.

– Bayern Munich are interested in a loan move for Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, reports Bild. Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel is believed to be keen on the 26-year-old, and amid ongoing talks, it is reported that the Bundesliga champions could also be open to a player exchange deal that involves midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. The 21-year-old Netherlands international has also been linked with Liverpool as uncertainty over his future at the Allianz Arena continues to grow.

– West Ham United technical director Tim Steidten has traveled to Brazil to undergo talks with Corinthians over a move for Yuri Alberto, reveals Sky Sports. The 22-year-old winger, who has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs this summer, is reported to be keen on the switch to the Hammers, and it looks as though they have stepped up their approach to sign him before the transfer window closes. He has contributed to six goals in 19 Brazilian league games this season.

– Nottingham Forest are set to propose an offer for Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, according to Fabrizio Romano. Personal terms are reported to have already been agreed with the 26-year-old, leaving just an agreement over a fee required before he can undertake his medical. Ndidi, a Nigeria international, is said to be the Premier League side’s priority option as they look to acquire a defensive midfielder.

– Manchester United have made an enquiry to Barcelona over wing-back Marcos Alonso, writes Bild’s Christian Falk. The 32-year-old, who arrived at the La Liga side from Chelsea, has one year remaining on his contract at the club, but talks are now said to be ongoing over a potential return to the Premier League.

BURNLEY, England — New season, same old Erling Haaland.

Pep Guardiola spent the week before Manchester City’s game at Burnley trying to lower expectations for how the treble winners might start the new campaign, but Haaland clearly doesn’t watch his manager’s pre-match news conferences. It took the Norwegian striker just four minutes to score his first goal on the Premier League’s opening night, and by the time he walked off at half-time he had two. He was substituted 10 minutes from time with the game over at 3-0 and his job done.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Haaland has now scored opening day braces in each of his last four seasons — twice for Borussia Dortmund and twice for City — so it really shouldn’t be a surprise. You’d think people would learn not to write him off after drawing a blank in the Community Shield.

“It was deja vu,” said Guardiola afterwards. “Last season against Liverpool [in the Community Shield] he didn’t score and then against West Ham [in the first league game] he scored two goals. Today was quite similar.”

Listening to Guardiola speak at the CFA on Thursday, he gave the impression his team were underprepared and undercooked ahead of the trip to Turf Moor, but City are still the team to beat and Haaland is still the most dangerous centre-forward in the league. He scored 52 in 54 games last season — 36 in 35 games in the Premier League — and on this evidence, you wouldn’t put it past him to better it this time. Guardiola says it’s “impossible” but you wouldn’t bet against City repeating the treble, either. There’s a reason they’re already favourites to win everything.

Erling Haaland is at the double ⚽️⚽️

🎥: @TelemundoSports pic.twitter.com/1RBDPyZLge

— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) August 11, 2023

“To come here to a promoted side is always so tricky,” said Guardiola. “The first game against a newly promoted team will always be difficult. They give everything but we were fortunate to find a goal so quick. We started well. We found a goal, we struggled a bit after. We gave away balls, our pass created problems but after a while we played much, much better.”

It wasn’t a night when everything went City’s way. Defender Rúben Dias was ruled out with concussion and Kevin De Bruyne was forced off midway through the first half with an injury, but a dangerous game against a newly-promoted side in front of their home fans was navigated with minimal fuss. Josko Gvardiol, the second most expensive defender in the world after his €90m ($98m) move from RB Leipzig, was only needed for the final 12 minutes.

Burnley, whose substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in stoppage time, had their moments and there was enough there to suggest Vincent Kompany’s side have every chance of staying in the division. With an average age of 23 years and 206 days, Burnley fielded the youngest ever starting XI in Premier League history which also included five new signings, and the hope will be that they will grow into the challenge of turning Championship dominance into top-flight survival. Kompany will be disappointed to concede from two set pieces but few teams, regardless of experience, can live with the ruthlessness of Haaland.

After 35 minutes, the Norwegian had touched the ball nine times and scored twice. His second was a thing of beauty, whipping his finish into the top corner with his left foot from a standing start. Haaland will score plenty more this season, but he might not get a better one than that. You could tell by the smirk on his face as he celebrated that he liked it.

It wasn’t enough to completely please Guardiola, though, who was involved in a heated discussion with his No.9 as they walked off at half-time and a television camera which got too close was pushed away by the City manager.

“Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo [Silva] didn’t give it,” explained Guardiola. I understand Erling, he wants the ball, but Bernardo made the right decision.” Guardiola was happier at full-time, having seen Rodri score from close range in the second half to make the game safe. “We are still away from the best form,” he added.

“We have to try not to drop points in this period and how you solve this lack of preparation was the mentality. The first games are so important to see how our vibes are.”

The worry for the rest of the league is that this is usually the time when City are at their most vulnerable. A team conditioned to finish the season strongly rather than lead from the front, they dropped seven points in their first 10 games last season — the same number as they dropped in their final 17 games and even that included a draw and a defeat when the title had already been won.

Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Aug. 19 will be a better gauge of where City are at, but this was an ominous start for the champions and their star striker.

Atletico Madrid edged to a 2-1 victory over Manchester City under heavy rain in Seoul, South Korea on Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s side concluded their preseason tour of Asia.

Neither side could break the deadlock for over an hour until Memphis Depay delivered a ferocious strike from the edge of the box on 66 minutes to hand Atletico the lead.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Yannick Carrasco doubled Atletico’s advantage less than 10 minutes later with a low show past replacement goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

A Ruben Dias header pulled one back on 85 minutes but it was too little too late as City were dealt their first defeat in this preseason.

City earned wins over Yokohama F. Marinos and Bayern Munich in Japan in their other tour matches. Last season’s Treble winners will now return to Manchester to prepare for the Community Shield against Arsenal on Aug. 6.