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Premier League

Bullet point previews of Premier League matches

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 Premier League – Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United – The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain – May 7, 2022 Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Gros REUTERS/Ian Walton

Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the first round of Premier League fixtures from Aug. 5-7 (all times GMT).

Friday, Aug. 5

Crystal Palace v Arsenal (1900)

* Arsenal will be involved in the opening game of a Premier League campaign for the fifth time. They have won thrice but were beaten 2-0 by Brentford in the 2021-22 season-opener.

* Four of the last six league matches between the two teams have ended in draws, with Palace and Arsenal winning one each.

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* Arsenal lost four out of their last six away league matches in the 2021-22 season.

Saturday, Aug. 6

Fulham v Liverpool (1130)

* Liverpool won six straight Premier League games against Fulham between 2012 and 2019, but were unable to beat them in the 2021-22 season, drawing 1-1 away and losing 1-0 at home.

* Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah became the first player in Premier League history to score on the opening weekend of five successive seasons with his goal against Norwich City last year, and could extend his own record with a strike against Fulham.

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* Liverpool won five of their six games against promoted sides in the 2021-22 season.

Bournemouth v Aston Villa (1400)

* Promoted Bournemouth last played in the top flight in the 2019-20 season, when they finished 18th.

* Villa have won only one of their five opening day Premier League games against newly promoted teams (D1 L3), a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth in 2015-16.

* Bournemouth have won three of their four league meetings with Villa, all by a 2-1 scoreline (L1).

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Leeds United v Wolverhampton Wanderers (1400)

* After winning only three league matches in a run of 25 at Leeds, Wolves have won three out of their last four at Elland Road.

* Luke Ayling scored a 91st-minute winner to seal a 3-2 win for Leeds the last time the teams faced off in the league.

* Only one of the six Premier League meetings between the teams have ended in a draw, with Wolves winning three and Leeds winning two.

Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest (1400)

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* Nottingham Forest are back in the Premier League after a 23-year absence.

* Forest have failed to beat Newcastle in eight Premier League meetings. (L5 D3)

* Forest have been busy during the summer transfer window, with former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard one of 12 new recruits.

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton (1400)

* Southampton have only won four Premier League away games against Spurs.

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* Late goals by Mohamed Elyounoussi and Che Adams sealed a 3-2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their last meeting.

* Spurs’ new signing Richarlison will miss the game after being suspended for one game for throwing a flare off the field while playing for Everton against Chelsea last season.

Everton v Chelsea (1630)

* Everton have won four of their last five home matches against Chelsea in the league (D1).

* Chelsea have won 27 out of 60 Premier League meetings (D20) between the teams.

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* Everton forward Salomon Rondon is suspended after being sent off against Brentford last season.

Sunday, Aug. 7

Leicester City v Brentford (1300)

* Brentford will be seeking a first Premier League win over Leicester in their third attempt.

* Brentford are winless in their last 10 meetings with Leicester in all competitions (D1 L9) since a 3-2 win in League Division Two in March 1953.

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* Leicester are yet to make a signing in the summer transfer window.

Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion (1300)

* United have won seven of their 10 Premier League matches with Brighton, including all five at Old Trafford.

* Brighton thrashed United 4-0 at the Amex Stadium when the teams last met in May.

* New United boss Erik ten Hag will take charge of the team in the league for the first time.

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West Ham United v Manchester City (1530)

* After losing four home games in the league against City in which they conceded 17 goals, West Ham have drawn the last two, including a 2-2 stalemate in May.

* West Ham have beaten City only nine times in 42 Premier League meetings, with seven of those wins coming at home.

* New City signing Erling Haaland could make his Premier League debut for the champions.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Premier League

Arsenal defeat ‘accident waiting to happen’ after card – Arteta

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Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season against Bournemouth. Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his side’s defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday was “an accident waiting to happen” after William Saliba was sent off in the first half.

Bournemouth won 2-0 thanks to goals from Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert after Saliba was shown a red card for a challenge on Evanilson after 30 minutes as Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the campaign.

It is the third time this season Arsenal have been forced to finish a match with 10 players, leaving Arteta frustrated that his side’s lack of discipline cost them points.

“We are obviously very disappointed with the result and gutted because we have to play again in that context,” he said. “This time was even more difficult than the previous two we faced this season.

“Playing for 65 or 68 minutes with 10 men at this level is just an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen, not to get the points.

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“I cannot fault the team for their effort, their commitment, how intelligent they are to play in the way that we have to do it.”

Declan Rice was sent off in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at home to Brighton earlier in the season, while Leandro Trossard was also shown red in the 2-2 draw against title rivals Manchester City.

Arsenal host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.

-ESPN

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Joe Aribo’s goal not enough to Southampton’s suffering

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Premier League - Southampton v Leicester City - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - October 19, 2024 Southampton's Joe Aribo in action with Leicester City's Stephy Mavididi Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Joe Aribo scored a goal for Southampton on Saturday,but it was not enough to curb the club’s miserable run as they succumbed to a last-minute defeat by Leicester who snatched victory by 3-2.

Leicester scored three second-half goals to come from behind and stun 10-player Southampton, denying them a first Premier League win of the season.

The result means Saints have set a club record for the longest winless run in their entire top-flight history, having failed to emerge victorious from any of their last 21 Premier League encounters.

Inside five minutes, Joe Aribo had crashed a header onto the crossbar and inside seven minutes, the hosts had taken the lead. Kyle Walker-Peters led the charge after a quick free-kick and dropped the ball off to Ryan Manning, who squared for Cameron Archer to coolly slot in and send a wave of both relief and belief around St Mary’s.

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Leicester fight back to clinch 3-2 win and extend Southampton’s suffering

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Jordan Ayew scored in the 98th minute as Leicester staged a second-half comeback to earn a 3-2 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, with the 10-man hosts setting a club record of 21 matches without victory in the English top-flight.

Leicester moved up to 13th in the standings with nine points from eight matches, while Southampton fell to 20th – level on points with Wolverhampton Wanderers, who face champions Manchester City on Sunday

“It’s just unbelievable, that’s why we play football. We didn’t have a good first half,” Ayew told Sky Sports.

“Second half we got ourselves back together and attacked the game properly. It’s just an unbelievable feeling.

“It’s a good step forward to move up the table. We’re going to continue fighting and it’s not going to be easy so well done the lads and everyone.”

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Having failed to win in their last 13 matches in the 2022-23 season when they were relegated, Southampton are without a win in the Premier League since they beat Leicester in the same fixture in March 2023.

Southampton shot out of the blocks and took the lead in the eighth minute when Ryan Manning squared for Cameron Archer to finish a sweeping counter-attack, before midfielder Joe Aribo added to their tally with a side-footed effort.

Leicester defender Wout Faes nearly scored a spectacular own-goal five minutes into the second half by sending a diving header straight at his own keeper Mads Hermansen, who spared the Belgian’s blushes with a deft save.

The visitors grew into the contest in the second half and created some half-chances before pulling one back in the 64th minute.

Buonanotte turned in a cross after a driving run from substitute Abdul Fatawu and the goal signalled the beginning of Southampton’s unravelling.

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Minutes later, Vardy was denied on the line by an excellent Aaron Ramsdale save, but Leicester were awarded a penalty after a VAR review found that the forward was held back by Ryan Fraser.

Fraser was sent off and Vardy stepped up, blasting his effort past Ramsdale to equalise.

Leicester smelled blood and pushed forward in their quest for a winner, which came deep into stoppage time when Ayew’s low shot went through a sea of bodies and crept into the bottom corner, breaking the hearts of home fans at St Mary’s Stadium.

-Reuters

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