Premier League

West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Football writer Alex Keble analyses Postecoglou’s tactical philosophy, his fit with the current squad, the players who could thrive and the opening matches of his tenure.

If nothing else, Postecoglou is box office.

But that isn’t why Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has decided to hire him.

Nuno Espirito Santo leaves Forest in the middle of a transition towards more progressive football and in the middle of a Europa League campaign. We know Postecoglou will favour entertainment – and we know he can go all the way in Europe.

Here’s what Postecoglou brings to the City Ground.

Self-made Ange has taken the long route to the top

That Europa League triumph with Spurs was the culmination of a 30-year climb to the top for Postecoglou.

Beginning his coaching journey at South Melbourne in 1994, where Postecoglou had spent most of his playing career, he worked in Australian football for 17 years, winning league titles with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar either side of a long stint as head of Australia’s youth teams.

Postecoglou then took Australia to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and qualified for the 2018 edition before leaving to join Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos, where in 2019 he won the club's first J-League title in 15 years.

Celtic came calling, and that’s when Postecoglou’s reputation in Europe started to grow. He won five domestic trophies in two years in Scotland, earning the adoration of the Glasgow club’s fans for his unique brand of wild attacking football.

Spurs took a punt on him in 2023 and, via a long and sometimes painful route, it paid off.

What is his style?

“I'll correct myself: I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year.”

That was Postecoglou’s much-quoted line as Spurs’ 2024/25 campaign went off the rails, but Postecoglou proved the doubters wrong – and came good on his word.

It sums up his character: entertaining, sometimes abrasive, but, in the end, loveable. It’s a personality befitting of his tactical beliefs.

Postecoglou was adamant he only knew one way of playing and that his team would stick to it, famously doing so to extraordinary effect when nine-man Spurs held their line in a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in November 2023, playing half a game like this.

That was his first defeat in charge, and it followed eight wins and two draws from Postecoglou’s opening 10 Premier League games, when a weird and wonderful all-out attacking system caught the league off-guard.

Spurs’ rivals soon cottoned on. Over the next 66 Premier League games Postecoglou would win just 78 points and for the most part refused to let go of his idealistic tactical philosophy – until the final six months.

Spurs finished 17th in 2024/25 as Postecoglou prioritised the Europa League, a tournament won with conservative and counter-attacking football that was supposedly anathema to Ange.

It was a surprising twist that threw out three decades of work devising an ultra-expansive, ultra-expressive tactical idea renowned for the use of two inverted full-backs and a dangerous high line.

And in the end, Postecoglou, after losing so many, won the fans over again.

A first trophy since 2008 continued a career studded with silverware. But it ended his supposedly unshakeable faith in the ideology.

Will he suit Forest's squad?

Postecoglou’s speciality, then, is ending trophy droughts. Forest haven’t won anything since Brian Clough’s final League Cup triumph in 1990.

Clough, too, was a character; an uncompromising and principled man. Indeed, in terms of personality and aura, there is something in Postecoglou’s wildness that chimes with Forest’s two-time European champion.

Winning in Europe is presumably one of Postecoglou’s missions at Forest. Whether or not that’s possible depends on just how quickly he can rewrite the team’s tactics – or how willing he is to build on the final stretch at Spurs, and adapt.

If he wishes to reassert “Ange-ball”, if he believes that the endgame at Spurs was simply emergency measures, then he has his work cut out.

Forest were one of the most defence-first and reactive teams in the Premier League under Nuno, while Spurs were one of the most attack-first and proactive. Comparing stats from the two years 2023 to 2025 shows the extent of the gap.

Forest v Spurs comparison, last two seasons (PL rank in brackets)

Nott'm Forest Spurs PPDA* 16.4 (19th) 9.1 (1st) Ave. height of defensive line when out of possession 35.4m (18th) 39.4m (4th) Ave. possession 41.9% (19th) 54.7% (5th) No. 10+ open-play passing sequences per game 7.1 (15th) 14.1 (6th)

*PPDA (passes per defensive action) measures pressing intensity, and is calculated by the number of passes completed by the opposition divided by the number of defensive actions by the out-of-possession team (defensive actions are interceptions, successful tackles, attempted tackles and fouls).

Nuno sat deep, Postecoglou pushed high; Nuno backed off, Postecoglou pressed hard; Nuno went direct, Postecoglou tried to play his way out of trouble.

Radically altering Forest’s style will be challenging mid-season (even if Nuno had subtly begun that process), especially with Thursday night football in the Europa League clogging up the calendar.

Forest v Spurs team style comparison, last two seasons

This is by far and away the greatest threat to the Postecoglou revolution.

The second is whether he has the right defenders to deploy a high line or play high-risk possession football.

Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo are powerful central defenders who excel in a deeper defence, but their speed (or lack of) could be exposed by Postecoglou’s adventurous nature.

Of the 128 defenders to play in the Premier League so far this season, Milenkovic ranks 95th for top speed recorded (30.31km/h) and Murillo ranks 69th (31.52km/h).

Tellingly, only seven defenders who have featured in all three Matchweeks have made fewer sprints than the Forest pair (16 each). Nuno knew they aren’t great sprinters and devised a system that meant they rarely had to do it.

Similarly, Milenkovic and Murillo aren’t great passers of the ball, in stark contrast to Spurs’ star defender Micky van de Ven.

It will be interesting to see if the Forest centre-backs can adapt to Ange-ball, or indeed if, leading on from those final six months in north London, Postecoglou adapts to them.

Which Forest players could thrive under him?

Elsewhere, the squad is a good fit.

Ola Aina has the speed, athleticism and intelligence to be an inverting all-action full-back, while the loan signing of left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal provides the second inverter on the other side.

Douglas Luiz, Elliot Anderson, James McAtee and Morgan Gibbs-White feel perfect for what Postecoglou needs in midfield, their respective abilities to play under pressure and drive forward suiting Ange-ball.

Chris Wood is just the kind of big No 9 Postecoglou likes and thankfully the system needs pure wingers of the sort Forest tend to buy: Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dan Ndoye will fit right in.

Possible Forest XI under Postecoglou

What are his first matches?

A debut at Arsenal is a very tough start for Postecoglou, so much so that we probably won’t learn much about his long-term ideas. Forest will be forced to play without the ball, continuing, loosely, Nuno’s football for the time being.

After that, Forest visit Burnley before hosting Sunderland in the Premier League, sandwiched between an EFL Cup trip to Championship side Swansea City and a Europa League match in Spain against Real Betis.

It is a fairly tame start that gives Postecoglou the chance to build some momentum with a good first impression. He’s done that before, at Spurs, only for a zig-zag journey to follow.

The big question hanging over these early games is whether Postecoglou’s turn away from Ange-ball signalled a new understanding that he must be flexible – or whether he will double down in new surroundings.

At a time when adaptable managers are in-vogue and ideological ones increasingly passé, it’s a question of profound significance for Nottingham Forest and the Premier League.

Forest fans can expect an entertaining and unpredictable path ahead. If it ends like it did at Spurs, it will have been worth it.

Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur's winning start to life under Thomas Frank continued on Saturday, as the north London side triumphed 2-0 at Manchester City.

Although Spurs were also victorious at the Etihad Stadium last season, that previous 4-0 success was against a Man City side suffering their fifth straight loss in all competitions.

This time, the hosts were on a high after opening the new season with a resounding 4-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, so Frank's achievement in overturning Pep Guardiola's side has impressed the pundits - including Alan Shearer, the Premier League's record goalscorer.

In his Team of the Week below, Shearer has selected five Spurs players - and Frank as the manager.

Jordan Pickford (Everton)

"Nothing was going to get past him on such a huge occasion for Everton, in their first match at their new stadium. Not even Danny Welbeck's penalty, which he saved comfortably."

Jurrien Timber (Arsenal)

"Another match, another Arsenal defender on the scoresheet. Went one better than Riccardo Calafiori at Old Trafford by netting two against Leeds United, and he also assisted Bukayo Saka's goal."

Cristian Romero (Spurs)

"The captain gave nothing away at the back as Spurs kept a second consecutive clean sheet this season and deservedly won at Manchester City - again."

Micky van de Ven (Spurs)

"Like his centre-back partner Romero, Van de Ven was also rock solid. Erling Haaland had a frustrating afternoon against them."

Djed Spence (Spurs)

"Nothing went past him on Spurs' left side. I could have picked their full back four - Pedro Porro only misses out because of Timber's goals for Arsenal."

Joao Palhinha (Spurs)

"The midfielder scored the second goal at the Etihad Stadium and also played his part in stifling Man City's attack. He could prove a clever signing for Spurs."

Watch Palhinha's goal v Man City

Pape Matar Sarr (Spurs)

"Never stopped running and it was his pressing in the Man City box that led to Palhinha's goal, as he cut out James Trafford's attempt to play out from the back."

Josh Cullen (Burnley)

"Scored the first goal and assisted the other for Jaidon Anthony to give Burnley their first win of the season. A huge result for them at home to Sunderland."

Jaidon Anthony (Burnley)

"Like his captain Cullen, Anthony also produced a goal and an assist to get Burnley up and running in the new campaign."

Joao Pedro (Chelsea)

"Just too good for West Ham. Scored the equaliser, then set up the second goal for Pedro Neto, and got his second assist of the game when Trevoh Chalobah made it 5-1."

Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal)

"Like his team-mate Timber, Gyokeres has to be in my line-up for scoring two goals. An important day for the forward, getting off the mark in an Arsenal shirt."

Another round of Premier League matches is upon us, and this week former Leicester City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Gary Lineker has given his Matchweek predictions.

There are some exciting matches this weekend as Manchester City host Spurs while champions Liverpool travel to Newcastle United on Monday night.

Lineker thinks there will be goals in both matches, as he's predicted a 2-2 draw between Man City and Spurs, while he believes Liverpool will edge Newcastle in a five-goal thriller.

Watch the video above to see what Lineker thinks will happen in each fixture, and his reasons why. Then use our predictor tool to see if you can beat him!

Gary Lineker's Matchweek 2 predictions

West Ham v Chelsea: Chelsea win

"I think Chelsea will be buzzing after their Club World Cup win, so I'm going for an away win. 2-1 Chelsea."

Man City v Spurs: Draw

"This is a bit heart and head, I would love to see Spurs get three points there but I can't let my head take over completely so I'll go 2-2."

AFC Bournemouth v Wolves: Bournemouth win

"Bournemouth have lost their defenders, Wolves have lost their best players. I'm going 1-0 home win for Bournemouth."

Brentford v Aston Villa: Villa win

"Brentford have lost their manager, lost some of their best players. Villa haven't done much in the transfer window, but they've kept most of their players. I'm going 2-0 Villa."

Burnley v Sunderland: Burnley win

"Two promoted teams of course, I think it's going to be difficult for both these teams but Burnley are difficult to score against. I'm going 1-0 Burnley."

Arsenal v Leeds: Arsenal win

"Tough one for them [Leeds] at Arsenal. I'm going 3-1 Arsenal."

Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest: Palace win

"Forest were so good last season, as were Palace. I'm going with Palace's momentum. Palace 2-1."

Everton v Brighton: Everton win

"Everton, great second half of the season, new stadium and I'm going to get them to pull through at the new stadium 1-0."

Fulham v Man Utd: Draw

"I think all of us are wondering what Man Utd are going to be like this season. Fulham pretty consistent mid-table side the last couple of years. I'm going 1-1."

Football writer Adrian Clarke identifies the key players, team tactics and where matches could be won and lost in Matchweek 1.

Team analysis: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur

Man City and Spurs produced resounding clean-sheet victories on the opening weekend, and their contest at the Etihad Stadium is a real eye-catcher in Matchweek 2.

Spurs won 4-0 in this fixture last season, but Pep Guardiola’s new-look side showcased imperious form at Molineux last Saturday.

Can Spurs stop Reijnders?

Finding a way to curb the influence of summer signing Tijjani Reijnders will be high on the list of priorities for Thomas Frank.

Netherlands international Reijnders produced a box-to-box midfield masterclass against Wolverhampton Wanderers, constantly driving City forward with his energy, skill and footballing IQ.

Reijnders undeniably gives City greater verve inside the heart of the midfield.

His athletic data (below) from his Premier League debut shows how effervescent he was, with and without the ball.

How Reijnders ranked v Wolves

Total City rank Distance ran 11.57km 2nd Intensive runs 324 3rd Off the ball runs 21 2nd Runs into box 6 1st Runs targeted by a pass 8 1st Pressures in middle third 22 2nd

The 27-year-old covers a lot of ground, but many of his runs also have a positive purpose.

No City player made more runs into the box for example, and the quality of Reijnders' movement meant team-mates picked him out with those sprints too.

We saw this when he raced forward from inside his own half to intelligently create a 3v2 before scoring with a precise left-foot finish.

Reijnders' highlights v Wolves

Sensing that Oscar Bobb’s turnover presented an overload opportunity, he made it happen with a magnificent burst.

Reijnders' powerful running also played a huge part in Erling Haaland’s second goal, cutting the ball back to the Norwegian following another long-distance sprint.

And it was the Dutchman’s quick feet and clever scoop pass for Rico Lewis which unlocked the door for Haaland’s opener too.

Reijnders’ intent to make a difference will test Spurs' midfielders, who must ensure that space is not left for him to surge into.

Speed of service into Haaland

Like all centre-forwards, Haaland feeds off early passes or crosses that he can attack, and there was a sense last season that City did not provide enough of those.

Savinho - who supplied five of his eight assists for the Norwegian - played his part, but 2024/25 was a campaign where too many creators suffered a downturn in form.

Jack Grealish (one assist), Phil Foden (two assists), Bernardo Silva (four assists) and Kevin De Bruyne (seven assists) were not as influential as they had been.

This was reflected in the number of big chances Haaland received.

Getting on the end of 0.63 fewer big chances per match compared to the season before equates to 24 less opportunities over a full 38-match campaign.

If he converts around half of those big chances, or even just under that, it remains a substantial dip.

Haaland big chance stats by season

Last weekend Haaland had three big chances, converting one, so it was a step in the right direction.

The speed of City's play was a factor, with fit-again Bobb, Reijnders, Lewis and Bernardo all brimming with early-season energy.

Both of Haaland’s strikes came from moves that saw a runner get beyond the last line of defence to square the ball, or cut it back for him.

Haaland's first goal v Wolves

Committing opposition defenders with successful dribbles is another avenue to open up defences.

In this respect they were improved in MW1 in no small part by Bobb’s brightness on the ball.

The Norwegian made five dribbles, completing three, on a day where City attempted 26, a Premier League high.

Teams with most dribbles in MW1

Most dribbles attempted Most dribbles completed Man City 26 Man City 14 Arsenal 25 Chelsea 12 Chelsea 24 Spurs 11

If Guardiola’s side are as positive against what is likely to be a five-man Spurs defence, it will help them fashion the quality opportunities Haaland craves.

Will Frank turn to a back five?

Spurs head coach Frank is adaptable when it comes to formations, so after the success of his 5-3-2 shape against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Super Cup Final, it would be a surprise if the Dane does not revert to it this weekend.

Spurs sacrificed possession, averaging just 25.7 per cent, and defended well as a team to nullify the European champions right up until the closing stages.

This Expected Goals graph (below) highlights how well they contained PSG.

Click here to zoom in on the graphic.

If they mimic these tactics against City, Guardiola’s men will also have to ready themselves for plenty of long balls hit from back to front.

Aiming for Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus in forward areas, 24.7 per cent of all Spurs' passes against PSG were long.

Not interested in playing through the press, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario launched a stream of kicks that unsettled PSG (below).

Playing the percentages, looking to pick up second balls, we may see something similar on Saturday.

Spurs' threat on the right

Kudus has made a wonderful early impression down Spurs' right side, forging instant connections with Pedro Porro and Richarlison.

City’s new left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri will want to tuck inside when his side have the ball, but he must not leave too much room out wide for Spurs to pick out Kudus or Porro when turnovers occur.

The duo made eight chances between them against Burnley (Kudus - five, Porro - three) so they will target the Algerian on his home debut and be brimming with confidence.

Frank’s men certainly found greater productivity from that wing.

Spurs' key passes/crosses v Burnley

Key:Yellow – Key Passes/Assists, Red – Unsuccessful Open Play Crosses, Green – Successful Open Play Crosses

Kudus only passed to Richarlison twice in that encounter, but on both occasions his crosses were fired home by the Brazilian.

Richarlison is a forward adept at attacking crosses both with his feet and head, so look out for Spurs whipping early balls into the area.

Can subs make the difference?

Head coaches like to talk about starters and finishers, and there is no question both benches will contain potential match winners.

Guardiola’s bench last weekend was frighteningly strong.

Rayan Cherki scored after coming on as a substitute, with Omar Marmoush, Foden, Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan all outside of the starting XI too.

If Spurs switch to a back five we could see a visitors’ bench containing players such as Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, which also offers plenty of goal threat.

Last season, Spurs' substitutes scored seven goals, with City’s contributing six.

With extra strength in depth in both squads for 2025/26, those figures should rise this season.

The opening weekend of the 2025/26 Premier League season featured some outstanding individual performances. We've picked out eight of the best and want you to vote to determine the Premier League Player of the Matchweek.

You have until 17:00 BST on Wednesday 20 August to make your selection.

Dan Ballard (Sunderland 3-0 West Ham)

The 25-year-old centre-back, from Northern Ireland, produced a dominant display at both ends of the pitch, leading Sunderland to a win in their first match back in the Premier League.

He made a crucial goalline clearance at 0-0, won more ground duels (10) and aerial duels (10) than anyone else, and led the match in defensive actions (14). His towering header to double Sunderland’s lead capped a display of authority.

Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth)

Ekitike shone on his Premier League debut with a goal and an assist in an opening-night win at Anfield for defending champions Liverpool.

The French forward opened the scoring with a cool finish eight minutes before half-time before setting up Cody Gakpo after the break, becoming only the second Liverpool player ever to record a goal and assist on his Premier League debut.

Erling Haaland (Wolves 0-4 Man City)

Haaland began his pursuit for the Golden Boot with a brace at Molineux to maintain his perfect goalscoring record in Premier League Matchweek 1 fixtures, striking on his fourth consecutive opening weekend.

He tapped home Rico Lewis’ low cross for the opener before finishing clinically from the edge of the box to score his second and Man City's third goal.

David Raya (Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal)

Tijjani Reijnders (Wolves 0-4 Man City)

Summer signing Reijnders announced himself in style with a goal and assist at Molineux.

The Dutch midfielder became the first Man City player since Sergio Aguero in August 2011 to score and assist on his Premier League debut.

Only Erling Haaland had more shots and touches in the opposition box than Reijnders, while only Nico Gonzalez completed more final-third passes in the match than the Dutchman (20).

Richarlison (Spurs 3-0 Burnley)

Richarlison lit up Thomas Frank’s first Premier League match as Spurs head coach, striking twice in a win over promoted Burnley.

His sharp first-time finish from Mohammed Kudus’ cross opened the scoring, but it was his acrobatic second goal, a stunning overhead kick, that stole the headlines.

Antoine Semenyo (Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth)

Despite defeat for Bournemouth, Semenyo produced a memorable individual performance as he gave Liverpool's defence problems all evening.

He struck twice in the second half to drag Bournemouth level at 2-2 after they were 2-0 down, with his second goal being an extraordinary solo run from his own half.

It is the 10th longest ball carry leading to a goal by a player on record in the Premier League.

Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford)

Wood picked up where he left off after his 20-goal campaign last season with a clinical display against Brentford.

The New Zealand striker opened the scoring from a corner and then doubled his tally on the stroke of half-time by rounding Caoimhin Kelleher and calmly slotting home to put Nottingham Forest out of sight.

Football writer Alex Keble highlights the hot topics and tactical lessons from Matchweek 1, including:

- Man Utd’s more direct approach undermined by old flaw

- Sunderland suddenly in strong position to stay up

- Liverpool’s new defensive frailties are problem to be solved

- Evolving Forest look refreshed, updated, and ready to challenge for Europe again

- Slow and sideways Chelsea still carry flaws of Maresca’s tactical system

- Emery’s conservative team selection highlights Villa’s need for attacking players

- Reijnders hints at direction of Guardiola rebuild as Man City find rhythm

- Frank’s changes already present in easy opening-day win for Spurs

- Brighton among the losers in summer of striker transfers

- Goals may be hard to come by for Everton this season

Man Utd’s more direct approach undermined by old flaw

Altay Bayindir has a history of struggling to defend in-swinging corners and Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0 at the Emirates in December last year with two goals from corners. It was with grim inevitability, then, that this should be Man Utd's downfall.

Familiar flaws exposed in familiar ways; you could read Man Utd’s opening-weekend defeat as a case of more of the same. But that one moment in the 13th minute should not detract from marked improvements in almost every department.

Man Utd pressed very effectively, going man-for-man all over the pitch and successfully stopping Arsenal from gaining any control of the match.

It is to Man Utd’s credit that the Gunners completed only 75 per cent of their passes, their lowest figure in a Premier League game since a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in September 2024, and that Arsenal had just four 10+ open-play passing sequences, down from an average of 14.5 last season.

This aggressive disruption was caused partly by Man Utd’s direct approach on the ball, which stretched the game and continually ruffled Arsenal’s feathers. Bruno Fernandes led the cause with urgent forward passes towards the runs of Bryan Mbeumo and co, as Man Utd stretched the pitch with their approach before rushing up behind to win the second balls.

However, we must caveat the analysis by saying Arsenal were as poor as Man Utd were good. Martin Zubimendi struggled on his debut, and if Mikel Arteta’s midfield hadn’t been so stilted they would have found enormous holes in the middle.

The foundational issue with deploying a two-man midfield, and then stretching the pitch with longer passes to create an end-to-end match, is that big patches of grass will appear through the centre.

As the graphic showing Man Utd's average positions below illustrates, if you pull the shape lengthways with direct football, and if there are only two players (RCM and LCM below) in the middle to begin with, there will be a distinct lack of compression between the lines:

Goalkeeping mistakes might continue, but sewing the midfield shut will define Man Utd’s campaign.

Sunderland suddenly in strong position to stay up

The Sunderland supporters could hardly have asked for a more perfect day.

An incredible atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light seemed to super-charge the hosts, whose three goals – each from debutants – sparked pandemonium in the stands and, as is so often the case in the sunny days of August, triggered a wave of giddy optimism.

Supporters have every right to feel that way. What their team did on Saturday is vanishingly rare.

In the last 10 Premier League seasons, newly promoted clubs have only managed to win five out of their 30 opening matches between them. Three of those five winning teams (Brentford, AFC Bournemouth and Huddersfield Town) stayed up.

Huddersfield are the example worth scrutinising. In 2017/18, they began with seven points from three games, a lightning-quick start that pretty much kept them up. David Wagner’s side were able to collect just 30 points from the remaining 35 matches but still finished above the relegation zone, in 16th place.

Sunderland have Burnley away and Brentford at home in their next two fixtures. Those are distinctly winnable matches. A fortnight from now, they could be over a quarter of the way to safety.

Liverpool’s new defensive frailties are a problem to be solved

"That’s who we were and who we are - and that’s why you see such a nice game when you see Liverpool." Arne Slot’s optimistic analysis of Liverpool’s chaotic performance on Friday evening sounded more like Ange Postecoglou than himself.

And Liverpool really were playing "Ange-ball". Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz dazzled on their Premier League debuts but, following the same pattern as Liverpool’s Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, there is now legitimate concern that Slot has lost the balance of his side.

Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai were, once again, too far ahead of play, while Milos Kerkez was regularly beaten by Antoine Semenyo, and Jeremie Frimpong was often too advanced.

All put together, this left Liverpool with too many bodies forward and too much attacking focus in the team, allowing Bournemouth to counter-attack to devastating effect.

Even after Slot substituted both full-backs, the problems continued; lightness in midfield and weakness down the flanks.

As you can see in this image of Bournemouth’s first goal, Wirtz and Szoboszlai are ahead of play, leaving Alexis Mac Allister with too much to do:

Then, for the second goal, all three midfielders, including defensive midfielder Wataru Endo, were ahead of the ball as the opponent broke forward:

Slot has a serious problem to solve.

Evolving Forest look refreshed, updated, and ready to challenge for Europe

Any concerns that Nottingham Forest might regress this season were emphatically rejected at the City Ground, where Nuno Espirito Santo’s side won their opening game of a league season for the first time in eight years.

Forest played some lovely possession football, too, in the latest sign that the head coach is evolving their style of play.

They held 55 per cent of the ball, which might not sound like a lot but equals their highest share in any Premier League match of 2024/25. It was also only the second time since they returned to the top flight that Forest have won a match with more than 50 per cent possession, following a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace last October with just 51 per cent.

With James McAtee arriving from Man City to bring even more elegance and control, and fellow new signing Omari Hutchinson being a natural replacement for Anthony Elanga, there is every reason to assume Forest will hold their ground in the Premier League.

Slow and sideways Chelsea still carry flaws of Maresca’s tactical system

After so much excitement following Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup victory, all the old concerns with Enzo Maresca’s slow, precise, chess-like tactical system came to the fore again on Sunday.

At its worst, Maresca’s football at both Leicester City and Chelsea has looked like a caricature of how his mentor Pep Guardiola used to play: "juego de posicion" - or "positional play", defined by a highly-structured shape – taken to an extreme.

Chelsea seemed to endlessly pass sideways against a formidably compact and well-drilled Palace midblock, the complex 3-3-3-1 formation coming to nought as Oliver Glasner’s side crowded Cole Palmer and blocked the route to goal.

In possession, Maresca’s team lined up with three at the back and Marc Cucurella inverting alongside Moises Caicedo, plus an unfamiliar twist: Enzo Fernandez in a deep right-midfield position.

It meant Palmer was the only player between the lines for Chelsea, allowing Palace to easily snuff out the danger; it meant a predictable system defined by slow and sideways passing from the hosts, as their "passing network" neatly illustrates:

Maresca needs another No 10 next to Palmer for such a rigid system to work. We are only one game into the Premier League season, but it already looks as though Chelsea will again lack the incision or the experience to mount a title challenge.

Emery’s conservative team selection highlights Villa’s need for attacking players

The headline story here is Alexander Isak’s absence and its obvious effect on Newcastle, who have now failed to win any of their last six Premier League matches without him, scoring just three goals in those games from an xG of 9.4.

But with that situation likely to be resolved by the end of the window, the tactical conundrum of greater long-term concern is Aston Villa’s lack of creativity. They did not take a single shot in the first half and managed three in total, fewer than in any of their 2024/25 Premier League games.

In the 4-1 victory against Newcastle in April, Unai Emery used three narrow No 10s to overwhelm Sandro Tonali. The difference on Saturday was that Emery only put two players here, Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, in a more conservative setup from the hosts.

And with John McGinn also failing to fully invert off the right Rogers was left to plough a lonely furrow as he sought to find Ollie Watkins, ultimately ensuring Newcastle shut down breaks and controlled possession long before Ezri Konsa’s red card.

Here was clear evidence Villa need to replace Marco Asensio.

Reijnders hints at the direction of Guardiola rebuild as City find rhythm

With half an hour gone at Molineux, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ compact defending had Man City looking a bit lost. Bernardo Silva couldn’t find space between the lines and everything was happening in front of the Wolves midfield.

Then Tijjani Reijnders ghosted through the team, chipped a lovely through ball into Rico Lewis, and just like that, Man City broke the deadlock.

Reijnders went on to score the second goal and assist the third in a superb debut. But beyond his goal contributions, it was Reijnders’ style of football that stood out.

He likes to break lines in the dribble, playing in a more direct and forward-thinking way than a typical Pep Guardiola midfielder like Mateo Kovacic.

Here we see the beginnings of Guardiola’s evolved approach for 2025/26. Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri are likely to have a similar impact as Reijnders, whose urgency in possession clearly helped get the best out of Erling Haaland, a player who excels in the transition.

Frank’s changes already present in easy opening-day win for Spurs

Burnley fought well in north London and were not as bad as the 3-0 scoreline suggests, undone only by some brilliant work between Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison for the first two Tottenham Hotspur goals.

The relationship between Kudus and Richarlison was first among the many small differences between the Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank approach.

Seeing a winger play with freedom out wide, and seeing a No 9 reach their potential, are signs of Frank’s influence; his more direct style of football suits wide players, while from Ollie Watkins to Ivan Toney, Frank has a strong track record with strikers.

Elsewhere, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray started together in central midfield for only the second time in the Premier League, hinting at Frank’s preference for technicians in the middle of the park.

It was also notable how often Spurs goalkeeper Vicario tried to launch quick counter-attacks, and of course it’s worth mentioning this was the team's first clean sheet in 13 Premier League matches.

A sturdier defence, and a preference for fast breaks, were key features of Frank’s Brentford.

Brighton are one of the losers in the summer of strikers

In a transfer window defined by big-money moves for No 9s, it’s easy to forget this creates just as many losers as winners. Judging by Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham, Brighton are among the losers – for now.

They have 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas to come into the team, although the £30 million striker is likely to need a lot of time to adapt to English football.

Until then, Fabien Hurzeler might struggle without Joao Pedro, who was involved in more Premier League goals (16) than any other Brighton player last season.

Brighton were the better side against Fulham but just couldn’t put the game to bed, attempting a meagre 10 shots, many of which were from distance.

Goals may be hard to come by for Everton this season

"[For] the attacking players, we are desperate to get more quality," said Everton manager David Moyes after Monday night's narrow defeat at Leeds United. "But let's be fair, it's something I think I've been saying for a while, that I'm having to try to find ways of getting that better."

Everton have a habit of starting slowly - last season they earned their first point in Matchweek 5 - and a summer transfer window that has featured France Under-21 international Thierno Barry as the only attacking addition has heightened Moyes's need to further boost his options up front.

Under the lights at a raucous Elland Road, Everton struggled to mount an effective attacking threat through the match. Indeed, according to stats website FotMob, the Toffees created an Expected Goals (xG) of zero in the first half, while their first shot of the new campaign came from Idrissa Gueye after 54 minutes.

Last season, Everton scored 42 goals in total, with only the three relegated sides - Leicester City (33), Ipswich Town (36) and Southampton (26) - netting fewer.

For Leeds, it could not have been a better start to the 2025/26 campaign, marking their Premier League return with a win and clean sheet.

Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Football writer Alex Keble reflects on Son Heung-min's impact and achievements at Tottenham Hotspur, following the South Korean's departure this summer.

As Tottenham Hotspur fans went wild in Bilbao, as the tears and the alcohol flowed, and as the feat of winning a first major trophy in 17 years started to sink in, there was one player who repeatedly came to mind.

Son Heung-min had long since become the fans’ representative on the pitch.

The image of their captain sobbing on James Maddison’s shoulder at full-time spoke to how every Spurs fan felt after the UEFA Europa League final, and there was of course nobody more fitting to lift the famous trophy than Son: a player who across 10 years at the club secured his place as a legend.

That Son will not be a Spurs player beyond this summer is difficult for fans to take. But he leaves with his legacy secure, not because of that Europa League victory but for a decade of service and for consistently dazzling performances that brought 127 goals and 71 assists in the Premier League alone.

The Puskas Award winner of 2019, the Golden Boot winner of 2021/22, and the first Asian player to join the 100 Club: Son Heung-min goes down as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever players.

Watch Son's best Premier League moments

A top-20 player for both goals and assists

Son netted 127 Premier League goals and registered 71 assists, ranking him 16th and 17th respectively for those statistics in the competition's history.

That’s 198 goal involvements combined, for which he is ranked 13th in the all-time chart.

It speaks volumes that Son is one of only seven players to sit in both of the separate top 20 lists for all-time goals and assists, along with undisputed legends such as Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, Andrew Cole, Teddy Sheringham, and Mohamed Salah.

Son scored more goals than Dwight Yorke or Ian Wright; assisted more than Paul Scholes or Eden Hazard. The statistical evidence alone tells us we have witnessed greatness.

Comparing Son to his contemporaries provides further evidence. Since his Premier League debut in 2015, only Salah (270) and Harry Kane (231) have scored and assisted more goals:

PL goal involvements since Son's debut (Sep 2015)

Player Goals + assists Mohamed Salah 270 Harry Kane 231 Son Heung-min 198 Kevin De Bruyne 190 Jamie Vardy 177 Raheem Sterling 154 Sadio Mane 134 Roberto Firmino 132 Riyad Mahrez 132 Marcus Rashford 131

And in Spurs terms, it’s even starker. He is ranked fifth in the club’s all-time chart for scoring goals (173) and has played more Premier League matches than any other Spurs player (333).

When a Son goal won global recognition

It isn’t just for statistical reasons that Spurs fans fell in love with Son.

No, it was because of his consistently phenomenal performances and his ability to conjure magic out of nothing, perhaps most memorably for his Puskas Award-winning solo goal against Burnley in 2019.

That goal was typical of Son’s brilliance; of his ability to ghost past people - on either side - with blistering pace and a ruthless finishing touch.

Watch Son's Puskas Award-winning goal

Son and Kane - a prolific pairing

Son’s time in England was also defined by his iconic partnership with Kane, which peaked during the Mauricio Pochettino era when Spurs' two superstars propelled them to a runners-up spot in the 2016/17 Premier League and a place in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.

Kane and Son combined directly for 47 goals (Son assisting 23 for Kane, Kane assisting 24 for Son), making them the most prolific partnership in Premier League history.

Yet even this isn’t what assures Son’s iconic status.

Son stayed to win silverware

Kane is perhaps Spurs’ best-ever Premier League player in terms of quality, while Luka Modric and Gareth Bale are widely considered to be better players than Son.

But all three decided to leave Spurs in the pursuit of silverware. Son chose to stay.

At the height of his powers in the summer of 2021, with Spurs having finished seventh and Son’s contract beginning to run low, he could have jumped. Instead, he signed a new four-year deal.

It is that decision that separates him from other recent greats. Well, that and his reward for doing so: Spurs’ first trophy since 2008 and first European honour since 1984.

Breaking barriers for Asian players could be Son’s greatest legacy

But perhaps Son’s most extraordinary impact of all was his influence as the first Asian superstar in English football.

His sheer talent has helped to challenge stereotypes about Asian footballers, and while many of these sadly still exist, Son’s talent should pave the way for wider acceptance that signings from Asia can be so much more than industrious.

Spurs' crowds over the last 10 years have been richer in diversity, too, as South Korean supporters have regularly flown across the world for a glimpse of Son's celebrity.

It’s a celebrity that is often misunderstood in England. Son has extraordinary, David-Beckham-in-his-prime levels of fame in Korea, ranking second in Forbes' 'Korea Power Celebrity 40' in each of the last three years.

That fame comes from his phenomenal success compared to any Asian footballer before him.

Son is the all-time top Asian goalscorer in both the Premier League and Champions League. He was the first Asian player to reach 100 Premier League goals and the first Asian player to win the Golden Boot.

He has won the "Best Footballer in Asia" award in eight of his 10 years at Spurs and, unsurprisingly, is widely regarded as the greatest Asian player of all time.

That’s why Son is an icon back home, yet his nationality has nothing to do with Spurs fans celebrating him as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever.

Nor does winning the Europa League. That was just the icing on the cake.

In a pitchside interview shortly after the final whistle in Bilbao, Son was asked if he thought he was now a legend.

He didn’t even have time to answer before fellow Spurs great Bale, working as a pundit for TNT Sports, stepped in to say what all of the club's fans were thinking: "He already was!"