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Mohamed Salah ignored the Saudi Arabian spotlight focused on him with a goal and an impressive all-round performance in Liverpool’s comfortable 3-0 Premier League rout of Aston Villa which showed his commitment and desire has not wavered. A rejected £150million bid from Al-Ittihad on Friday merely sparked reports the Pro League champions would return with a world-record offer – with their transfer window open until Thursday – but while the speculation continues, the Egypt international got on with what he is good at. This was his 188th goal in 308 appearances, 139th in 222 Premier League matches, his seventh in seven games against Villa and the 150th different game in which he had found the target. His close-range poacher’s finish at a corner made the result safe but even with the game won inside an hour, he was still chasing lost causes on an afternoon when scorching temperatures inside Anfield resembled Saudi Arabia on one of its cooler days. But while Salah provided the killer blow with the third goal, the architect of the victory was Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose corner saw Dominki Szoboszlai open the scoring with his first goal for the club and then a clever whipped pass over the top released Salah – which ultimately resulted in a Matty Cash own goal. However, the sight of him limping off and straight down the tunnel with 20 minutes to go will be of some concern as manager Jurgen Klopp has no one else who can do what he currently does. Klopp himself marked his 300th Premier League match with his 188th victory, losing just 43, but as he stressed in his programme notes when urging fans not to sing his song until after the final whistle, the focus was on the players. This was only the second of seven league matches Liverpool had won without Virgil Van Dijk, currently suspended, but wearing the armband in his place, local lad Alexander-Arnold led by example. However, even he could not have anticipated his third-minute corner reaching Szoboszlai untouched by anyone but the Hungary captain, who arrived from RB Leipzig with a reputation for scoring from distance, made sure the right-back got full value for his delivery. As the ball dropped to him on the edge of the box the 22-year-old hit a sweet, controlled left-footed shot which, on its way back also evaded the crowd to nestle inside the returning Emi Martinez’s left-hand post. Alexander-Arnold was the instigator of Liverpool’s second but it was the helping hand from Salah, for whom the Kop sang their first song in the 10th minute, chasing his brilliant pass with greater determination than Pau Torres which presented the chance for Nunez. The Uruguay international scuffed a shot against the post but the rebound went in off the unfortunate Cash. Liverpool’s right-back-cum-playmaker should have had another assist when he opted to cross a free-kick in prime shooting territory only to find the worst possible option in Joel Matip, whose free header never even threatened the target. Villa – who lost Diego Carlos to injury midway through the first half – saw John McGinn and substitute Leon Bailey (twice) miss their best chances but the final 20 minutes of the first half was played in a bizarre atmosphere with the visitors sitting off, Liverpool at walking pace and the crowd subdued. Nunez can always be relied upon to liven things up though and he smashed a shot against the crossbar from the narrowest of angles after the offside Salah’s clever decision not to chase Alexander-Arnold’s ball over the top. Early in the second half, Alisson Becker parried away Cash’s close-range header on the line before Salah broke down the right, leaving the collapsing Lucas Digne in his wake, to produce a sublime outside-of-the-left-foot cross to the far post – which Nunez somehow managed to bundle wide. But Salah was not to be denied and from Andy Roberton’s 55th-minute corner, Nunez flicked on the ball to the far post for the Egyptian to blast home from close range for the biggest cheer of the day. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live England need 203 to beat New Zealand at Edgbaston and wrap up T20 series Michael Beale urges Rangers to ‘dust themselves down’ and be ready after break I have been placed on death watch by the media – Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers

Mamadou Fall signs for Barcelona on loan from LAFC.

Crystal Palace earned their second victory of the Premier League season with a 3-2 win over Wolves at Selhurst Park. Two goals from Odsonne Edouard and Eberechi Eze’s sublime finish saw off a stubborn Wolves side who had equalised through substitute Hwang Hee-Chan and saw Matheus Cunha net a late consolation. In a match-up between two sides who had scored just four goals between them coming into the game, the first half was unsurprisingly a somewhat dour affair lit up in flashes by the enterprising Eze. The England international thought he should have had a penalty early in the first half when he went down under a Joao Gomes challenge but VAR official Stuart Attwell deemed the contact was insufficient to award a spot-kick. Almost immediately the visitors should have found themselves a goal down when Jose Sa’s poor pass was nicked off the toes of Craig Dawson by Jefferson Lerma who teed up Jordan Ayew, but Wolves skipper Max Kliman blocked his shot on the line. A Pedro Neto effort that was tipped over by Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone just before half-time was the only shot of note from Gary O’Neil’s side before the break, but the game exploded into life after the restart with all five goals coming in the second half. A superb run and cross from Tyrick Mitchell down the left wing picked out Edouard who snuck between two defenders to steer the ball past Sa and give Palace a 56th-minute lead. But Wolves hit back in the 65th minute when Hee-Chan made an immediate impact shortly after his introduction from the bench when he made contact with Neto’s superb free-kick with his shoulder with the ball looping over Johnstone. But Palace always looked the more likely to score with Eze becoming all the more influential and it was the former QPR man who made it 2-1 in the 77th minute with a superb touch and finish after Jean-Philippe Mateta diverted Joel Ward’s pass into his path. Six minutes later Edouard wrapped up the win after Mateta’s back-heel fooled the Wolves defence with the former Celtic striker burying the ball past the helpless Sa. Eze almost added a fourth for Palace with another jinking run into the box but Sa saved well to his left and palmed the ball wide of the post. Wolves pulled a goal back in the sixth minute of time added on when Neto’s cross was met in the box by the head of Cunha but Palace held on for the win. Read More Erik ten Hag says Manchester United looking forward to ‘fight’ with Arsenal Deadline deals and Ricky Gervais plays hide-and-seek – Friday’s sporting social Man City seal Matheus Nunes deal as Cole Palmer leaves and Man Utd sign keeper

The teams with the biggest chance of winning the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League using Opta's analytics.

Fresh off a tough home loss to rebuilding Colorado, let's see if last year's national runner-up TCU Horned Frogs can right the ship and save their 2023 college season.

Kyogo Furuhashi’s late first-half strike gave Celtic a crucial 1-0 Scottish Premiership win over Rangers in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox to heap pressure on Gers boss Michael Beale. The Light Blues had the ball in the net twice in the first half but on both occasions the ‘goals’ were not allowed to stand – offside and a foul picked up by VAR – but Furuhashi could have scored twice before he fired the visitors in front just before the break. There were no travelling supporters – Celtic rejected the offer of around 700 tickets, citing safety concerns – but that seemed to hinder rather than help the home side at times as they tried in vain to get back on level terms. After just four league fixtures, leaders Celtic are already four points ahead of their Old Firm rivals going into the international break and the spotlight will be on Beale, who must have heard the boos ring out at the final whistle. For Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who was under some pressure himself after his team lost to Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup and then drew at home to St Johnstone, it was a return to the overwhelmingly positive derby results he enjoyed in his first spell as Parkhead boss. Rangers had been knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by PSV Eindhoven in midweek on a 7-3 aggregate, a result which brought the doom-mongers back to Beale’s door. Dujon Sterling took over from the injured left-back Borna Barisic in Rangers’ line-up while midfielder Ryan Jack and striker Kemar Roofe returned with Jose Cifuentes and John Lundstram dropping out, while winger Liel Abada replaced Yang Hyun-Jun in Celtic’s XI. There were only seconds on the clock when Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers set up Rabbi Matondo to knock the ball into the Celtic net, but the former was offside. An expected Rangers onslaught failed to materialise. Celtic were calmer in possession and in the 16th minute Hoops skipper Callum McGregor sent Abada down the right and his cross could not bring a clean connection from Furuhashi just yards from goal. When home defender John Souttar lost possession, Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley sent Furuhashi clear but his angled drive was blocked by a combination of Ibrox goalkeeper Jack Butland and Light Blues centre-back Connor Goldson. Moments later, Rangers had the ball in the net again. When Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke was challenged by Dessers just inside the Hoops half the ball broke clear for the Rangers attacker and he raced on before squaring the ball for Roofe, who took a touch before firing past Celtic keeper Joe Hart. When referee Don Robertson checked the pitchside monitor at the behest of the VAR, he ruled the goal out for a foul on the Parkhead defender, albeit it looked soft. Furuhashi eventually got on target seconds before the interval when O’Riley returned a Goldson header into the path of the Japan striker who confidently drove the ball past Butland to silence Ibrox. An early second-half mistake by Goldson gifted the ball to Abada and his angled shot was just missed at the back post by Daizen Maeda. Amid some huffing and puffing from Rangers, Butland had to save a decent drive from Holm on a Celtic break. As the Govan side kept pressing, Hart raced out to foil Sam Lammers before denying Danilo twice from close range as Celtic held on for the win. Read More Arsenal vs Man Utd LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Erling Haaland admits Man City’s controversial second goal against Fulham was offside Mason Greenwood can ‘recover his professional status’ in Spain, says Getafe boss Arsenal vs Man Utd LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Erling Haaland admits Man City’s controversial second goal against Fulham was offside Mason Greenwood can ‘recover his professional status’ in Spain, says Getafe boss

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After some dominating numbers following Tommy John surgery, John Means appears to be on his way back to the Orioles in time for the postseason chase.

Arsenal host Manchester United on Sunday in the big match of the Premier League weekend, with the Gunners still unbeaten after three matches this term and aiming to go one better after finishing runners-up last term. While summer signings Kai Havertz and Declan Rice are still finding their feet somewhat in the team, Mikel Arteta is trying to make the team more offensive-minded without sacrificing defensive balance. Jurrien Timber, however, is already out for the campaign with a knee injury. LIVE! Follow coverage of Arsenal vs Man Utd with our blog Man United were busy on transfer deadline day with both incomings and outgoings, but with Erik ten Hag’s team being underwhelming - to put it kindly - with their performances so far, an improvement is needed quickly, particularly in these bigger fixtures. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match; get all the latest football odds here and the latest offers and tips ahead of Arsenal against Man United here. When is Arsenal vs Manchester United? The Gunners host the Red Devils at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday 3 September with kick-off set for 4:30pm BST. Where can I watch it? This match will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event and Ultra HD. It will be streamed for subscribers live on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. What is the team news? Arsenal are without long-term absentee Jurrien Timber after he suffered an early season injury. Eddie Nketiah might also miss out, despite his first England call-up, but Gabriel Jesus is on the comeback trail. Takehiro Tomiyasu is back from suspension. Man United are missing new signing Mason Mount, left-back Luke Shaw and central defender Raphael Varane. Striker Rasmus Hojlund could be fit enough to make his debut, possibly from the bench. Deadline day additions Sergio Reguilon and Altay Bayindir will perhaps have to wait for involvement from the start, but Sofyan Amrabat might be put straight in. Predicted line-ups Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Partey, White, Saliba, Tomiyasu, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Martinez, Dalot, Casemiro, Amrabat, Fernandes, Antony, Rashford, Martial Odds and tips Arsenal 3/4 Draw 14/5 United 7/2 Latest odds here. Prediction The Gunners to just about see off their rivals thanks to greater firepower in the final third. Arsenal 2-1 Man United. Read More Arsenal vs Man Utd LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Erik ten Hag tips Rasmus Hojlund to have ‘very good impact’ at Manchester United Mikel Arteta hails Eddie Nketiah’s fight to play for England after first call-up Steve Cooper: Forest were spurred on at Chelsea by Old Trafford frustration Premier League summer spending exceeds £2bn for the first time Deadline deals and Ricky Gervais plays hide-and-seek – Friday’s sporting social

Kyogo Furuhashi’s late first-half strike gave Celtic a crucial 1-0 cinch Premiership win over Rangers at Ibrox to heap pressure on Gers boss Michael Beale. The Light Blues had the ball in the net twice in the first half but on both occasions the ‘goals’ were not allowed to stand – offside and a foul picked up by VAR – but Furuhashi could have scored twice before he fired the visitors in front just before the break. There were no travelling supporters – Celtic rejected the offer of around 700 tickets, citing safety concerns – but that seemed to hinder rather than help the home side at times as they tried in vain to get back on level terms. After just four league fixtures, leaders Celtic are already four points ahead of their Old Firm rivals going into the international break and the spotlight will be on Beale, who must have heard the boos ring out at the final whistle. For Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who was under some pressure himself after his team lost to Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup and then drew at home to St Johnstone, it was a return to the overwhelmingly positive derby results he enjoyed in his first spell as Parkhead boss. Rangers had been knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by PSV Eindhoven in midweek on a 7-3 aggregate, a result which brought the doom-mongers back to Beale’s door. Dujon Sterling took over from the injured left-back Borna Barisic in Rangers’ line-up while midfielder Ryan Jack and striker Kemar Roofe returned with Jose Cifuentes and John Lundstram dropping out, while winger Liel Abada replaced Yang Hyun-Jun in Celtic’s XI. There were only seconds on the clock when Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers set up Rabbi Matondo to knock the ball into the Celtic net, but the former was offside. An expected Rangers onslaught failed to materialise. Celtic were calmer in possession and in the 16th minute Hoops skipper Callum McGregor sent Abada down the right and his cross could not bring a clean connection from Furuhashi just yards from goal. When home defender John Souttar lost possession, Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley sent Furuhashi clear but his angled drive was blocked by a combination of Ibrox goalkeeper Jack Butland and Light Blues centre-back Connor Goldson. Moments later, Rangers had the ball in the net again. When Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke was challenged by Dessers just inside the Hoops half the ball broke clear for the Rangers attacker and he raced on before squaring the ball for Roofe, who took a touch before firing past Celtic keeper Joe Hart. When referee Don Robertson checked the pitchside monitor at the behest of the VAR, he ruled the goal out for a foul on the Parkhead defender, albeit it looked soft. Furuhashi eventually got on target seconds before the interval when O’Riley returned a Goldson header into the path of the Japan striker who confidently drove the ball past Butland to silence Ibrox. An early second-half mistake by Goldson gifted the ball to Abada and his angled shot was just missed at the back post by Daizen Maeda. Amid some huffing and puffing from Rangers, Butland had to save a decent drive from Holm on a Celtic break. As the Govan side kept pressing, Hart raced out to foil Sam Lammers before denying Danilo twice from close range as Celtic held on for the win. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Prop, scrum-half and full-back – the World Cup selection dilemmas facing England Wales centre Mason Grady has tough family act to follow at first Rugby World Cup Tributes paid to former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak after his death aged 49

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

Erling Haaland admits Fulham have a right to be angry over Manchester City’s controversial second goal in Saturday’s Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland scored a hat-trick as champions City ultimately ran out comfortable 5-1 winners over the Londoners but the game turned on a highly contentious incident just before half-time. Nathan Ake headed City 2-1 ahead but Fulham complained vociferously that Manuel Akanji, stood in an offside position, had attempted to kick the ball on its way past and hindered goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The protests, both on the field and the touchline, continued long after VAR had ruled the goal should stand and Haaland accepts the visitors had a point. “I think it was offside as well,” the Norwegian told beIN Sports. “I feel bad for them, I would be fuming after this as well. It must be a horrible feeling for them.” Prior to that, the game had been rather more sedate with few chances until Julian Alvarez scored a 31st-minute opener that was quickly cancelled out by Tim Ream. City did not dwell on the incident after the break, moving through the gears with Haaland typically coming to the fore. He finished clinically from an Alvarez pass, fired home a penalty and then turned in a Sergio Gomez cross to claim his seventh City hat-trick in stoppage time. “I’m back,” said Haaland, who scored 52 goals last season. “I am always hungry. It’s a new season and I am ready. “We started a bit sloppy but we ended in a good way. It was important to win – four out of four – and we go into the international break after a really good start.” City’s victory was their second without manager Pep Guardiola on the touchline as he continues his recovery from back surgery, but the Spaniard is expected to return for the trip to West Ham in a fortnight. “I think he misses us,” said Haaland. “We also miss him sometimes too, so we look forward to having him back.” Fulham go into the international break without a win since their season-opener at Everton, but veteran defender Ream expects the team to hit back. The American said: “That’s just the nature of the squad, the mentality (manager) Marco (Silva) has instilled in us. It’s just a shame that we have an international break and it’s two weeks between games for some guys. But we’ll come back. We’ll look at things we can improve upon and we go again when we come back.”