Premier League Football - Latest news, results, stats & transfers - BBC Sport (2025)

We asked for your views on the news surrounding Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and manager Nuno Espirito Santo, with the latter's future at the club now uncertain.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: I know our owner is erratic, but this is difficult to fathom. I just hope they can get over this, as it would be a disaster at this stage of the season when everything looked so hopeful.

Dave: Whatever internal dispute is going on, it shouldn't be aired in public like this. It would be a mistake to get rid of Nuno, and it seems like terrible timing. Both men need to sit down and settle this. No-one is bigger than the club, not even Marinakis.

Stuart: When are the money men going to forget their personal ego and let the professionals do their job?

Gavin: This shows everything about who Maranakis is. The manager who got Forest back into the Premier League - fired with barely a thank you. Now, Nuno, who produced the best season this club has had in nearly 30 years, is being sidelined because apparently the owner cannot sustain a relationship with another person. It's a disgrace.

Andrew: Why do clubs that are successful press the self-destruct button?

Listen to the thoughts of BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Fray on BBC Sounds

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot says the "bar we've set" by winning the Premier League title means his team will come under more scrutiny this season.

After letting Bournemouth back into the game when 2-0 up in the opening match last Friday, the Reds' defence came in for criticism.

Liverpool's full-backs were singled out for playing too high, while central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were also questioned for their roles in the goals.

"Of course that has something to do with the bar we've set, and I agree we were at some moments too open," said Slot.

"The first goal was, I think, mainly unlucky that we lost the ball in a position we shouldn't lose it and then we were three against three, which is normally not a problem but we had a disadvantage to our opponent.

"Second goal is definitely being too open, If all your three midfielders are inside the box, that's too open.

"But also the reason why we scored [to make it] 3-2 was one of our midfielders, Curtis Jones, arrived in the box and made it difficult for the goalkeeper, and the ball fell to Federico [Chiesa].

"So, it's also who we are but we need to find the right balance by not being too open."

The return of midfielder Ryan Gravenberch should help provide more protection for the defence when Liverpool face Newcastle on Monday night, having been so key in the 2024-25 title win.

"I've watched the game back twice and I don't think - apart from the two goals - there were many other counter-attacks from Bournemouth, but if it leads to a goal it's of course a big story," he added.

"For us, conceding two - that's too much in a home game, that's too open.

"If you look back at last season, every time he played Ryan would have been in that position."

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

You suspect Eddie Howe will be glad to see the back of this draining transfer window.

"I will be pleased when it's here," the Newcastle United head coach said in his pre-match news conference. "If we have what we want."

That remains a big if, of course.

With just a week and a half left until deadline day, there is no doubt what Newcastle want. And that is a quality replacement for Callum Wilson.

Finding one has proved difficult, of course, since Wilson left the club last month at the end of his contract, and the Magpies have had multiple bids rejected for Brentford star Yoane Wissa.

The Wissa pursuit illustrates the challenge the club have faced to recruit one striker – let alone an additional centre-forward capable of filling Alexander Isak's sizeable boots.

Isak may want out – the Swede has repeatedly made that clear – but Newcastle do not foresee the "conditions of sale" being met given the lack of viable alternatives available.

And that is before even addressing the possibility of Liverpool even making the sort of offer that actually gives Newcastle a decision to make.

Where does that leave the Tyneside club? In a "lose-lose" situation as far as Howe is concerned.

Either Newcastle lose Isak with so little time left in the window to find a worthy replacement or they are left with a wantaway player who has to, somehow, be reintegrated.

It is rather telling that Howe has not spoken to Isak since his explosive statement on Tuesday night, but the head coach has been consistent throughout this saga that the door remains open to the striker.

Howe even recognised on Friday that there are "two sides to every story" before going on to make the distinction between the "regrettable" situation and Isak's daily conduct during his three years at the club.

Isak may have made his feelings clear but, clearly, Howe has not given up on the 25-year-old one day playing for the club again.

Even if that feels like a distant prospect right now.

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Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

It's not an easy answer. In many ways, the conversation itself ruins the fun of it anyway. When the song first popped up at the beginning of last season, it was used sparingly given Federico Chiesa barely played; then in an almost tongue in cheek fashion, given how little Arne Slot seemed to rate the Italian.

There was an element to it which was a bit silly. Like, 'Look how much we're going for it for a footballer who doesn't even play'. It wasn't mocking Chiesa, but it was much more about the fun of being a Liverpool fan than anything else.

This all changed on Friday night on Premier League Opening Day of course when Chiesa's goal won us the game versus Bournemouth and the rendition was at it's most deserved and brilliant.

I was at the Premier League title-winning parade and it got sung more than Mo Salah's tune. It's just very fun to bounce along to. It's a really, really good football chant, with no context considered.

Is it offensive? I don't really think Liverpool fans are the right people to ask. Ask Juventus fans. If Juve supporters hear the lyrics, 'You can hear them crying in Turin,' and '**** off Juve, I'm a Kopite now,' and feel some anger or hurt, that is their right. Just like it's not for non-Liverpool fans to claim the 'Victims' chant isn't offensive. If I heard a supporters group for Juve speak out against it, I would be less comfortable singing it.

I think intention is key here. When the song started, it was made up by young lads who were not around 40 years ago when Heysel happened. There is no intention at all to reference that disaster in a mocking way - and the fact Chiesa himself said he loved the song and joined in at the end of last season suggests there is no ambition to hurt. Liverpool fans of a younger age shouldn't necessarily carry a guilt from Heysel, but this doesn't mean the song hasn't offended Juve fans at the same time.

I probably won't sing it anymore, because the discussion has tarnished its good-humoured essence anyway. Many will, which is their right.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

Chris Howard
Fan writer

Perhaps if Shakespeare were still alive, even he couldn't have predicted the whirlwind 24 hours that Arsenal fans experienced this week, as we finally got 'our boy' back home with us, following weeks of speculation and what felt like resignation at the prospect of him joining the most local (and disliked) of rivals in Tottenham Hotspur.

But here we are, with one of the most rapid hijack moves since a certain Emmanuel Petit had Spurs pay his cab fare to Arsene's house all those years ago.

This is far more than bragging rights, however, because in Eberechi Eze, Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta have a key component part solved in how they will counter the suffocating low-block football that they came up against time and time again against last season.

The brief was clear at the start of the summer: more directness, more attempts, more chaos. We need goals. We need a different approach. Arteta needs more clubs in his metaphorical golf set. Noni Madueke fits that bill when you look at his style and statistics, Viktor Gyokeres too, but Eze completes the set. His arrival could have the potential to truly 'unlock' Arsenal and those team-mates around him. His ability on the ball, his eye for a goal, his link-up play and versatility; it's all there. And the bonus part? He's an Arsenal fan. A rejected youth scholar returns a man to fulfil a dream that had been decades in the making.

Shakespeare didn't write footballing fairytale stories, but if he did, they probably wouldn't be far off this particular transfer.

Wayne Rooney doesn't think "there is any way back for Alexander Isak at Newcastle" and if he was one of his team-mates then he wouldn't want him to be re-integrated either.

The clock on the transfer window is counting down but Isak remains in the North East despite going on strike and penning a strong Instagram post about moving on.

"If I'm a Newcastle player, I don't want Isak back," Rooney said on the BBC's Wayne Rooney Show. "I think if players leave football clubs - and that happens all the time - there's a way to go about it.

"You can't go on strike, can't not turn up for training and train with your team-mates.

"If you want to leave the club or not, you have to be there for your team-mates and be ready if needed. So I think if I was a player I wouldn't want him back.

"He's deserted you. He doesn't want to be there, he doesn't want to be your team-mate. So I wouldn't want him back.

"Now, Newcastle aren't happy with Isak's behaviour because Liverpool want to sign him. But then on the flip side of that, Newcastle are trying to sign Yoane Wissa who's behaving the exact same way at Brentford.

"I remember Anthony Gordon not playing for Everton because he wanted to go to Newcastle. So you can't have it both ways.

"But in terms of Isak's team-mates, I wouldn't want him back. Once you've overstepped the mark I think it's very difficult to come back in.

"You can ask to leave a football club - that happens - or the club tell you you're leaving. But you have to be professional.

"You've got friends in there who you play with, you have fans who are paying a lot of money to support and you can't just walk out on it. And if they're going to do it once, they'll do it again.

"For me, I don't think there's any way back for Isak at Newcastle. I think there are cases where it can happen, but from me as a person, don't think I could accept them back."

Listen to the Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sounds

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Pre-season is usually a time for optimism among football fans – hopes and dreams that are often sent crashing back down to earth by an unfavourable result on the opening day.

Not many fanbases would actually become more optimistic after losing their first game 4-2 – but Bournemouth's performance at Anfield on Friday showed that Andoni Iraola's side are still capable of going toe-to-toe with the best sides in the division, in what was (on paper at least) their most difficult game of the season.

Clearly both teams were still integrating new players, and Bournemouth might envy the transfer fees Liverpool were able to pay in order to do so. But new Cherries left-back Adrien Truffert immediately looked at home in an Iraola side, arguably outshining his predecessor Milos Kerkez, who had a difficult start to his Liverpool career – given the runaround by two-goal Antoine Semenyo, yellow-carded before half-time and substituted on the hour.

A new-look back four also featured Bafode Diakite, barely 48 hours after signing from Lille. The French centre-back would be forgiven for barely knowing his team-mates' names as he was thrown straight into the cauldron of Anfield, but he displayed plenty of energy and showed he likes a tackle. Time will allow the retooled defence, also including new goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, to gain a greater understanding.

Further forward, the Cherries were missing three key men in Justin Kluivert, Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie, while the absence of Luis Sinisterra (reportedly lining up a move abroad) and Brentford-bound Dango Ouattara left them short of cover in the wide areas.

Iraola prefers to have a group of wide players available so the starters can run themselves ragged before being replaced after the hour mark. The fact he only made one change before the dying minutes at Anfield reflected his relative lack of forward ammunition on the bench.

However, new signings Ben Gannon Doak (as he now prefers to be known) and Amine Adli should remedy that situation. Gannon Doak has pace to burn and vast potential, Adli already has a Bundesliga winner's medal, and the pair are ready to be unleashed when Wolves visit Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Jordan Chamberlain, Liverpool fan writer

Liverpool are in a tricky situation. Despite apparently 'winning the transfer window' with monster deals for Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and others, the Reds are going into the second weekend of the season worryingly short in attack.

We've sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, while tragically losing Diogo Jota. Ekitike doesn't cover all three. Liverpool have seemingly put all our eggs into Alexander Isak's basket. While the striker is desperate to come, Newcastle United, who have failed in all their attempts to buy replacements, have doubled down on their going nowhere stance.

Liverpool usually wait to get the right player instead of buying stopgaps. And for this reason, I see Isak signing in January. The situation mirrors Coutinho's exit to Barcelona in 2018. The Brazilian feigned a back injury and did everything he could to leave the summer previous, but with Liverpool not prepared for his sale, they simply said no. Then, the Reds prepared for his departure and used him well for five months before cashing in. I expect the same thing to happen with the Swede, although reintegration at St. James' Park will be tougher given his scorched earth Instagram statement.

As for Monday's game against the Magpies? Gulp. There is literally no harder game for Liverpool on planet earth right now given the ferocity with which their players and fans will approach it. I'm praying for no injuries.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

Find more from Matty Renton at The Magpie Channel, external

Bardi
Fan writer

It's not so much the player, it's what the failed transfer of Eberechi Eze means long-term for a club that at some point has to negotiate with other Premier League teams.

Daniel Levy's reign has seen an upturn in fortune and fortunes at Spurs, but they still seem unable to compete and complete transfers.

With Morgan Gibbs-White's move to Spurs in pieces, Eze seemed the next logical step, especially with top-four rivals out of the equation, but somehow Levy and Spurs failed to get it over the line.

Who moved the line depends on where you stand in the great Levy debate, but what's clear is that he seems unable to work with other Premier League clubs.

Levy's self-promotion over the years as an "always-on" figure, someone involved with every aspect of the club, has made him a trophy. Over his 24 years at the wheel, he's broken relationships across the league and Europe. Just compare how easy it is for Arsenal to pry players from Chelsea and now Palace.

Premier League chairmen know what to expect from him. They expect to be "drawn over the coals" and they've had enough. People want to move quickly and get on with the business of selling and buying players. Levy, once so adept at negotiating, is now a VHS in a streaming world—everyone has moved on.

Eze was probably not the player we needed. He's not a high-volume creative passer or a dribbling sensation, but he represented far more than that. He's a player at the peak of his powers, and his signature would be a statement of intent. It would also ultimately deny Arsenal a player they coveted.

Spurs now enter the final few weeks of the window reeking of desperation. Selling clubs know what we're holding and how to squeeze us. We have no other option but to pay what they want.

Denying Daniel Levy has become a trophy that football clubs proudly hang in their boardroom. We're no longer Tottenham at the negotiating table—we're Levy, and this is not how business should be done. He needs to remove himself from the equation so we can get back to the business of being a football club.

Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch, external

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Bournemouth's new signing Amine Adli is realising a personal dream to play in the Premier League by moving to the south coast.

The 25-year-old joined from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth up to £25.1m including add-ons on Thursday.

Adli scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists in 42 games in 2023-24 as Leverkusen won the Bundesliga and German Cup double under former boss Xabi Alonso.

Those close to the winger say he is excited to play under manager Andoni Iraola at a club that he feels is growing in stature.

He believes Iraola's style of play will fit his skill set having been pitched the chance to play both number 10 and on the right-wing.

Upon joining the club, Adli said: "The people around give me a lot of confidence here and I'm very impressed with the facilities.

"The people at the club are full of love, so I'm very happy and proud to play for Bournemouth and hopefully achieve good things."

It has been just over a year since Georginio Rutter headed south from Leeds United to join Brighton.

In his latest news conference, Fabian Hurzeler spoke at length about the importance of the French attacker in the dressing room in his first 12 months on the south coast.

"Like he is as a person, [his first year] has been positive," Hurzeler said. "He is always smiling and joking, but when it is time to work he knows to switch on.

"He is a great connector - normally [in the dressing room] you always have groups but he connects the different cultures, ages and characters. He is not only important for me on the pitch, off it as well.

"He is a very positive person, every time you see him you need to smile! He brings a positive energy and he gives it to everyone. That is so crucial because there is pressure, but I want the players to enjoy it when they step into the building.

"It is so important that they find the joy and Georgie brings that."

Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Stephen Torpey as the club's academy director.

Torpey joins the Red Devils from Brentford where he helped rebuild the club's youth structure. He will start his new role in the coming months, as Everton-bound Nick Cox stays on to aid a "smooth transition".

"I am really proud to have this opportunity to lead Manchester United's Academy" said Torpey. "After spending time with the leadership team, it is clear that the Academy will always remain key to the identity of Manchester United, with our primary aim being to produce players ready to support a first team capable of challenging for the biggest honours."

Director of Football Jason Wilcox added: "Stephen's record of youth development is outstanding; throughout his career he has played a significant role in the development of some of the most talented players in the country."

Former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown says Alexander Isak " shouldn't just walk straight back into the team" if his desired move away from Newcastle does not materialise.

The club's statement in response to Isak's own on Tuesday says the wantaway striker "remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his team-mates".

"What's frustrating for a teammate is you start the season and he's in the building but not even at training," Brown told the Football Daily podcast.

"The first thing Isak should be doing is always be fully behind everything his teammates are doing. I think that's only an honourable and right thing to do to go and give that support.

"I do understand when it comes to game days where you can start going 'well, if I get injured here then I could miss this dream move'. That's the danger.

"But, in regards to respect to everybody, I think the dressing room will be disappointed during these first couple of games about how the whole thing is all about him rather than about the success and drive they have at the start of the season and how hard they've worked.

"It's not helping the recruitment side of things. His teammates will want to see bodies coming in. If I'm there am I looking over my shoulder and thinking 'we're not going to be the team that gets top four or five'?

"I'd be trying to get a hold of him and trying to get him back in but it's gone too far now to where this is a real mess. Newcastle have said he'd be welcome back at any point. I think that's also dangerous and not the right message.

"I would tell Isak he can stay where he is if that is his opinion and we'll sort it out at some point. He shouldn't just walk straight back into the team I don't think."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views on Eberechi Eze, who, despite the best efforts of rivals Tottenham, looks set to join Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Robin: At last, the missing link! Eze stood out to me when he was at QPR and he has really come on in the last two seasons. With the support and quality at Arsenal I think he will make the transition to a world class player by helping Arsenal to become a world class trophy-winning team.

Dave: Brilliant move for us. I was worried after seeing Martinelli at Old Trafford. He has just not kicked on to the next level in terms of finishing and creating. Eze, like Palmer, is a player who can grab a game by the throat and make a real difference.

Guy: I love Eze as a player, but I'm not sure he is the right fit for us or the player we need. An out-and-out left winger would be preferable to me, rather than trying to shoehorn people into places they don't belong.

Ant: While not a goal machine, Eze has proven form in the Premier League over several seasons, and will be looking to prove himself worthy of a place in Tuchel's squad next summer. Bonus points that he's an Arsenal fan, and a former Hale End player.

Sterls: Finally, this was the one transfer I'd been waiting for. Eze is an amazing player and one who will give us that X- factor that we have been looking for. It was noticeable when Odegaard and Saka got injured that our lack of creativity, penetration and goal scoring dried up considerably. Now with the likes of Zubimendi, Gyokeres and Eze onboard, we finally have the links to the missing pieces in us winning a major trophy this year.

Aussie Gooner: Go to bed with Havertz injured and out... wake up with Eze close to Arsenal. Hope it's not a dream and the nightmare is over!

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

The lasting memory of an unproductive opening day may be the odd kinship that appears to have developed between Aston Villa and Newcastle - two clubs who have arrived at a similar status by different routes.

Both have proven potential to break into the top bracket of the Premier League and owners with the financial muscle to back their ambition.

And their fans united on Saturday to claim loudly that their clubs are being held back by the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), designed to protect clubs from financial ruin.

Those fans might say that last sentence is contentious, since the very point many of them have made is that the only protecting being done by PSR – and in Villa's case, Uefa's Squad Cost Rules too – is of the established wealthy giants from the perceived nouveau riche like Villa and Newcastle.

And how bizarre that we should be considering clubs with such proud histories as Villa and Newcastle as some kind of insurgent anyway.

Yet it is hard to argue that football does not need some sort of financial control when so many clubs have ended up in trouble - and in extreme cases, ended altogether.

Whether there is a fairer method is a debate likely to outlive both you and me. But if the current system appears to make a transfer like Jacob Ramsey's move to Newcastle more likely, a rethink may be necessary.

Ramsey, an authentic local boy done good, represents "pure profit" for Villa. Unai Emery and his colleagues only ever spoke glowingly of him.

Ramsey himself obviously revelled in playing for the club that nurtured him since just after he started school, and he deserves a warm reception whenever he plays at Villa Park in future.

Should he feel any homesickness, his new club will understand – in another parallel between the sides, Newcastle sold Elliot Anderson, apparently for similar reasons, last year.

Ramsey and Anderson will both prosper. They may play together for England one day.

Perhaps this sort of transfer is caused not by the rules themselves, but the way clubs choose to observe them. We can debate that.

But for now, it may be that the best way for a young player to have a long career at their dream club, if they are in a position like Villa or Newcastle, is to join somebody else's academy first.

"It works from an accounting point of view," said football finance expert Kieran Maguire on these pages this week. "But it's absolutely awful from a footballing perspective."

Villa fans might well agree.

Listen to full commentary of Brentford v Aston Villa at 15:00 on Saturday on BBC Radio WM DAB Birmingham/Freeview 714

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Aston Villa content on BBC Sounds

Nick Barnes
BBC Radio Newcastle commentator

I think it is fair to say Sunderland have defied all expectations when it comes to their summer recruitment.

Not only in terms of the money spent but in the number of players signed.

Unquestionably fans instinctively knew Sunderland's squad from the Championship needed strengthening for the Premier League campaign.

Five or six players with Premier League experience would conservatively have been a lot of people's estimation, but as to how much they would cost and whether that would be enough was always going to be the big question.

No-one really knew how much owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus would be prepared to spend with his model of sustainability at the forefront of everything the club has done in his tenure.

He and his team have blown everyone away with the money spent but also with the quality of the players signed.

Granit Xhaka is the standout example, but he's not the only one. Habib Diarra, Omar Alderete, Noah Sadiki, Simon Adingra, the list goes on.

The defeat of West Ham, albeit only one game, suggested all these players are comfortable in their Premier League skin.

The bonus was their three goals were scored by three players who came up with the team from the Championship.

It's a bold and ambitious bid to stay up but Sunderland fans are certainly backing them to do so.

How does it compare to other promoted clubs?

According to transfermarkt,, external Sunderland now top the all-time list for amount spent by a promoted club in the Premier League.

With a summer spend of £142m so far, both them, and fellow promoted side Burnley - who have spent £109m - are hoping for a solid return on their investment.

As far as the numbers go, the other four teams to have spent big upon their Premier League return have had mixed results.

Both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest narrowly avoided the drop after busy summer windows following promotion, but are now playing in Europe.

However, last summer saw Southampton an Ipswich finish as the bottom two sides in the league.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Lesley, Football Extra reader, asked me: With reference to the Alexander Isak situation, as a player in the dressing room with him, when would you consider a line to have been crossed that means he would not be welcomed back into the team? Missing training, missing a match, missing two... ?

A lot depends on the player, the personality and the way he has behaved. The team will find it hard to fully forgive their errant wantaway team-mate if he is hurting the group, but turning on him totally is different. This is where we are with Alexander Isak right now: they can't use him if he refuses to play and they can't replace him if he isn't sold. Everyone is suffering.

Within the squad, everyone knows it is just brinkmanship on both sides; we have all been there to a greater or lesser degree when moving clubs. When the business is about the money, it almost invariably gets uglier the longer it goes on.‌

The end of the transfer window is getting closer. Isak will be listening to his advisors. He has to know that however unhappy, uncomfortable and unpopular he is just now, if this works out for him and he ends up at Liverpool soon, then in his eyes it will have all been worth it... with bells on.

What the former team-mates think of him will matter little; it is what his new team-mates think that then matters.

Football is generally selfish and there is little loyalty from either clubs or players when it doesn't suit them. One outlook I'm sure Isak would like to be shared just now is that, from his perspective, he arrived costing £60m, did a fine job, scored more than 60 goals three seasons. If he leaves, Newcastle will probably have doubled their money. That isn't a bad return for his services.‌

There is little point in Newcastle - or indeed any football club - trying to claim the moral high ground. Right now, Yoane Wissa is not playing for Brentford because he is hoping for a move to Newcastle. How radically different is that to Isak's situation?‌

Players know this is how it works and it is why the Newcastle dressing room might be very disappointed in Isak, but they will not necessarily turn on him, because next season it might just be them in the same situation.

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Nick Godwin
BBC Radio London reporter

Tottenham's quest for a 'number 10' to fill the gap left by the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski has become one of the dominant themes of the transfer window.

Eberechi Eze may well be the solution to allow Spurs to carry more threat, particularly against the best teams in the land and on the continent. However, there were hints on Saturday that there was another potential player who could step into that role if required.

Lucas Bergvall was selected as part of a very young midfield for Saturday's Premier League opener against Burnley. And while part of a midfield three, he demonstrated some of the flair required to occupy that role just off the main striker.

As Spurs learned last year, simply throwing young players into the front line may have been an unavoidable necessity due to injuries, but it didn't really do much good as far as Premier League results were concerned.

Bergvall nevertheless learned a huge amount last season, and his manager didn't rule out the prospect of using him in a "number 10 role" when I spoke to him after Saturday's match:

"I think he can," Frank said. "I think he's probably more a Szoboszlai 10 than a Maddison 10, but I think these days football is so dynamic and you need to be so flexible, so the more players that can play in different positions the better".

In the search for creative attacking support, Spurs might be able to develop a player or two, as well as import some big-money expertise.

Frank seems well-equipped to do this.

We asked for your views on whether Alexander Isak will join Liverpool after the Newcastle striker and his club exchanged words regarding his future.

Here are some of your comments:

Dave: At the start of the transfer window, I would have seen Isak as a priority signing. With the arrival of Ekitike and Wirtz, and especially with how Isak has portrayed himself in the last month, I am nowhere near as keen. I actually think a centre-back signing is more important now anyway.

Andy: Surely it's now 'when' not 'if', but then again we're waiting for Newcastle to sign at least one striker. We'll soon see, but it's been messy at best. With Isak though LFC will be expected to win the lot. It ramps expectation to new heights not experienced since the 80s.

Ashley: Personally I feel Newcastle are running out of time as Isak has made it clear he wants Liverpool and won't play for them again. It's only because they have wealthy backers they haven't let him go yet. £120m will allow them to throw big money at another decent striker or strikers.

Stephen: Leave him there. He's a troublemaker.

Tom: I don't want him now. To show that attitude to your club is frankly not the behaviour of a player Liverpool should have. He will only do it to us in three years when Madrid come in for him. Ekitike has shown his worth already - why discard him to the bench or the wing?

Mark: It's dragging on too long. It's best for everyone now that Isak gets his move. I can't see any good coming from him remaining at Newcastle.

Fraser: It's pretty clear - Isak wants to join us but Newcastle have let him down. I hope we get him (and there's still a chance we will this window) but even if we don't, I'll be very happy with Hugo Ekitike up front. He's already becoming a fan favourite. We do, however, need another forward or two as we are looking a little light up front. I'm sure we'll get something done. As this window has shown, we actually have a good recruitment team. Newcastle's recruitment team is practically non-existent.

Phil: Can't trust him, what happens when he nears the end of a contract at Liverpool? Move on and get a defender, he's not for sale.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Many people consider Manchester City as outsiders in the title race – only five of our 33 pundits predict them to lift the trophy in May – but their impressive 4-0 win at Wolves means that they have now taken 43 points from their 20 games in 2025 - more than any other side.

Liverpool fans may argue that their team took their foot off the gas for the final four games of last season after winning the title, but City have still taken a point more having played a game fewer.

Rodri's season-ending injury last September clearly derailed their Premier League campaign but, rather than simply awaiting his return, Pep Guardiola has found a solution without him and the former champions have been getting back on track since the start of the year.

The graph below is City's 'non-penalty expected goal difference per game' since the start of last season, which tells us how much a team dominates their games by creating lots of good chances and limiting their opponents to few, bad ones.

It is the X-ray stat - the one that shows how good teams are before hot finishing streaks and the rub of the green come into play.

As we can see, Guardiola's side are now almost dominating games to the level that they were before Rodri's injury, so anyone writing them off does so at their peril.

It seemed reasonable to assume that City would only return to being the dominant force they were once the Ballon d'Or winner himself returned. But, given that only Liverpool have dominated their games more since the start of the year, we may be wrong in that assumption.

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Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Liverpool will score lots and lots of goals this season. Some of the attacking link-up play was extraordinary during the 4-2 win over Bournemouth.

But whether we can retain the title or not will depend on if we can plug the gaps in the middle when we lose the ball.

Both Bournemouth's goals came from counter-attacks. There were no defensive midfielders in both situations to stop the fast break and Antoine Semenyo finished with aplomb on both occasions.

Liverpool were without Ryan Gravenberch, who is the most defensive of Arne Slot's midfielders, but it feels like more of a tactical issue than a personnel one.

At 2-1 up, Liverpool flooded bodies into Bournemouth's box. The full-backs were in the opposition penalty area and the midfielders were in attack mode, too. One transition and it was 2-2.

Thankfully, the power of Anfield and the relentlessness of Liverpool's attack meant we scored two more goals, but it should have been a much more professional job.

In all likelihood, Liverpool will spend huge money on Alexander Isak before the window closes, strengthening an already jaw-dropping attack. Marc Guehi is expected at centre-back, too.

If it were me, I would try to beat Manchester United to Brighton's ball-winning machine Carlos Baleba. He has the tenacity and defensive characteristics required for the double pivot.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

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Former Wolves defender Conor Coady says the Manchester United shirt won't weigh heavy on Matheus Cunha because he plays "with no fear."

"I absolutely love him," Coady said about his former team mate on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "He is an outstanding footballer with an appetite to do well.

"When you go to a club like Manchester United you have to play with no fear and I think he is like that every time he steps on the pitch.

"We knew the type of player he was at Wolves, in terms of his character and mentality to want to take Wolves to the next level.

"The shirt can be heavy for certain players, but I certainly don't think it will be heavy for him.

"I played against him last season and he just doesn't stop. He has the ability to get on the ball and really make things happen.

"He will score goals and he will create chances so I think it was a fantastic signing for United."

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Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Considering Manchester City conceded 44 goals in the Premier League last season - the most in a season since 2009-10 - it would be reasonable to think that Ederson himself didn't have a great campaign in terms of shot-stopping.

His save percentage would certainly suggest that, ranking 13th out of the 26 goalkeepers that played at least 10 games in 2024-25.

But judging a keeper's shot-stopping purely by his save percentage doesn't take into account the quality of shots that he specifically faced, since not all shots are equal.

It's a bit like being a judge at a cooking contest and not considering the quality of ingredients each chef is working with when deciding who made the tastiest meal (this is also why 'shot conversion rate' doesn't tell us who's the best finisher).

The reason why that is so important for Ederson in particular is because although he had one of the quietest shifts in goal last season since City didn't give up many chances, he had the toughest in terms of shot-stopping as the former champions gave up higher-quality shots than any other team in the league.

When taking that into account, only Jordan Pickford of Everton was a better shot-stopper than Ederson in the Premier League last season, with the Brazilian preventing five goals more than expected from hitting the back of the net.

BBC Sport's tactics correspondent Umir Irfan says Arne Slot is "going for a more fluid approach" in Liverpool's forward line and Alexander Isak would fit in very well with Hugo Ekitike.

Although it is unknown whether Isak will get his desired move, Irfan has been looking at the way the Reds may set up if they sign the Newcastle striker.

"There are similarities between Ekitike and Isak, but Ekitike has a great tendency to drop deep and get involved," Irfan told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"From what we have seen so far in their build-up play, Milos Kerkez stays in the back three and Jeremie Frimpong pushes really high and wide. Ekitike and Dominik Szoboszlai then drop really deep and into the wide areas, and when they do that the left-winger comes inside.

"That makes it really hard for opposition players.

"I can imagine a scenario where Ekitike starts in the middle when Liverpool are building-up, before he pulls out wide, which leaves all of that space for Isak.

"In more settled play, you would have Isak down the middle and Ekitike on the left.

"They would be interchanging. When you have two really good players on the ball with experience of moving to the left flank, it will be really hard for teams to pick up."

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