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Premier League

Bullet point previews of Premier League matches

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Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the next round of Premier League fixtures from Sept. 16-18 (all times GMT):

Friday, Sept. 16

Aston Villa v Southampton (1900)

* Southampton have won 16 of their 40 Premier League matches against Villa (L15 D9).

* In their last meeting in the league, Villa defeated Southampton 4-0 at home.

* Villa are winless in the league this season after winning their first game, while Southampton have won twice in six games.

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Nottingham Forest v Fulham (1900)

* This will be the first Premier League meeting between Forest and Fulham.

* The teams last met in the second-tier Championship, where Forest won 1-0 at Fulham in April this year.

* Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (six goals) is second behind Erling Haaland (10) in the Premier League’s list of top scorers this season.

Saturday, Sept. 17

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Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City (1130)

* City have won 10 of their 16 Premier League matches against Wolves (L4 D2).

* City won 5-1 at Wolves in their last league meeting in May this year.

* Wolves last defeated City in the league in December 2019, winning 3-2 at home.

Newcastle United v Bournemouth (1400)

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* Newcastle have won four of their eight Premier League games against Bournemouth (L2 D2).

* Newcastle won 4-1 away to Bournemouth in their last league meeting in July 2020.

* Bournemouth last defeated Newcastle in the league in November 2017, winning 1-0 at St James’ Park.

Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City (1630)

* Spurs have won four out of their last five league meetings with Leicester (L1)

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* Four or more goals have been scored in the last three league meetings between the two sides.

* Bottom club Leicester have lost their last five league games.

Sunday, Sept. 18

Brentford v Arsenal (1100)

* Leaders Arsenal were handed their first defeat of the season by Manchester United in their last game, while Brentford are on a three-match unbeaten streak (W1 D2).

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* Brentford won this fixture 2-0 last season, in what was the pair’s first Premier League encounter.

* Arsenal have won both London derbies they have played this season.

Everton v West Ham United (1315)

* West Ham are targeting a third consecutive win at Goodison Park, a feat they have never accomplished before.

* West Ham have won three of their last four league meetings with Everton (L1).

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* Everton are winless in the Premier League so far, having drawn four and lost two of their opening six games.

Chelsea v Liverpool, Manchester United v Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace have been postponed ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday. 

-Reuters

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

Former Arsenal soccer player Partey charged with five counts of rape

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 Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - February 2, 2025 Arsenal's Thomas Partey during the warm-up before the match REUTERS/David Klein/File Photo

Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.

Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.

Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.

Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.

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He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.

-Reuters

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Rashford, Garnacho among five players seeking Man Utd exit

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Premier League - Manchester United v Newcastle United - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 30, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford warms up as a substitute during the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.

Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.

Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.

Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.

Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.

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United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.

“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”

Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.

Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.

-Reuters

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Fernandes rejects Al-Hilal offer to stay at Manchester United

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.

The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.

“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.

“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”

Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.

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“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.

“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.

“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”

The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.

However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

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-Reuters

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