Key events
And that’s a wrap on today’s matchday live. It’s had a fair amount: reaction to yesterday’s EFL stuff, Sheffield Wednesday chat, transfer comings and goings, and predictable stuff from the Scottish Premiership. A real mix.
Time for our collective attention to turn to the Community Shield, with just half an hour remaining until kickoff on Wembley Way. Will it be Palace or Liverpool who triumphs under the arch? Rob Smyth is your man for that one.
Thanks for reading and, of course, for all your comments below the line and emails. It’s always appreciated. Bye bye.
FT: Aberdeen 0-2 Celtic
Goals from Benjamin Nygren – his first for Celtic – and Reo Hatate, either side of half-time, have secured a straightforward victory for the perennial Scottish Premiership champions at Pittodrie.
The Dons were never really in the game, a distant second best to Brendan Rodgers’ side. After just two games of the season, have they got one hand on the trophy already?
In the dying embers now and Celtic are about to go two points clear (already) atop the Scottish Premiership. Hearts and Hibs will need to win their games (at 3pm) to stick with them. A four-point advantage on Rangers within the first two games is ominous stuff indeed for the blue half of Glasgow.
It’s 2-0 to Celtic at Pittodrie, by the way, and what a splendid goal it was from Reo Hatate to double the visitors’ lead. With 15 minutes or so remaining now, I don’t think Brendan Rodgers’ side will be caught this afternoon.
Liverpool v C Palace Community Shield team news
Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez; Jones, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Elliott, Roberson, Nyoni, Doak, Ngumoha.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell, Sarr, Eze, Mateta.
Subs: Benitez, Lerma, Clyne, Hughes, Esse, Edouard, Sosa, Devenny, Cardines.
Speaking of the Charity Community Shield, the official team news has just dropped …
An email comes in from Jeremy Boyce:
Hi Dom. Thinking about Samuel Dobson’s email earlier, I see the Community (formerly Charity) Shield in a more Kant-ian way.
‘We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.’
Palace have obviously always done without it and not minded, Liverpool have done without it quite often and not minded. Let’s be realistic. It buys you diddly-squat. Whereas the once-ridiculed League/Carabao Cup at least gains you entry to something else.
Much as I’m sure Palace would dearly love to get their hands on it today, I think the last time the Community Shield really mattered was when it was the Charity Shield and Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan evidently had their own views on how to dispense it.
Aberdeen still have a foothold in the game at Pittodrie. Celtic have been largely dominant and deservedly lead, but at 1-0 the Dons will believe they can snatch something in front of their own fans.
Russell Martin and Rangers will be egging them on, after their own inauspicious start to the campaign.
Chelsea target possible Simons and Nkunku swap deal
Chelsea are in talks with RB Leipzig over a potential swap deal for Xavi Simons that could lead to Christopher Nkunku returning to the German club.
It is understood Leipzig would like to re-sign the France striker, who moved to Stamford Bridge on a six-year deal in 2023 for £52m but has failed to settle in west London, as a replacement for Benjamin Sesko after his £73.7m move to Manchester United. Chelsea have been in negotiations with the Bundesliga club over a fee for Xavi Simon.
More from our man Ed Aarons here.
Cheers Daniel. Some more transfer news from Sunderland to get my stint back up and running… former West Ham left-back Arthur Masuaku has become the Black Cats’ 10th signing of the summer.
The DR Congo international is now 31 and cheered to the club’s website that he’s “really happy to be back in the Premier League… I want to bring a winning mentality and joy to the fans.”
Righto, my watch is over – but do join me for for Leicester City v Sheffield Wednesday from 3.30pm BST, kick-off at 4.30pm. In the meantime, though, Dominic Booth is here to hang for the next hour, after which you’ll also be able to enjoy Rob Smyth’s coverage of Crystal Palace v Liverpool in the Community Shield.
Also going on, by the way:
It’s half-time at Pittodrie, and it’s still Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic.
This is a remarkable fee. Three years of erratic chaos, three years older, and his fee has only decreased £18m from what Liverpool gave Benfica in 2022.
A bit of telly news:
I didn’t see Bale’s performance in Bibao as I was in the ground. I guess I might’ve preferred a player more recently retired, as it’s interesting to hear specifics about playing against certain players, managers and teams – Rio Ferdinand, whom he’s replacing, was initially excellent in that aspect but ran out of steam as he ran out of players he knew personally – but if he’s good, fair enough.
The view from Wembley
John Brewin
Our reporter John Brewin checks in before the Community Shield:
Olympic Way was already packed out before 1pm. Crystal Palace fans are in big numbers; Wembley doesn’t come around too often for them after all. Liverpool fans see the national stadium as “Anfield South” and they are travelling in their usually huge numbers. Florian Wirtz’s No. 7 shirt seems to have been a summer best-seller. It’s gentle out there, the summer heat beating down. Plenty of content creation around, with the selfie-stick very much back in vogue, it appears. This fixture, the one that doesn’t matter if you lose but is fun to win, will, as with all Liverpool’s pre-season schedule, form part of the continuing memorial to Diogo Jota. Post-match will probably see a fair few questions for Arne Slot about Alexander Isak while Oliver Glasner is likely to have to talk about Palace’s ongoing Uefa dispute. Jota, though, will be in most people’s thoughts.
They’re actually talking about Isak on SSN at the moment. Henry Winter just said “all sympathies with Eddie How,” not words I ever expected to hear from anyone. Howe knows who he works for though he evades questioning on it; he knows why he got Isak in the first place and the wider issues around state ownership of football clubs; and just as Newcastle use their financial muscle to relieve poorer clubs of their best players, so that is now happening to him. Cry me an ocean.
In the summer of 2001, Manchester United, having won the league three times in a row and twice by miles, bought Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistelrooy. A fourth consecutive title looked inevitable, but the changes in style the new players necessitated, along with the sale of Jaap Stam, cost them; football isn’t an exact science nor can it be perfected, so if you add something in once place, you lose something in another.
That said, Liverpool have clearly bought well and look rammed with goals – any side hoping for a point off them will probably have to score at least twice. And yet there are doubts: Mohamed Salah’s form tailed off at the end of last season and some point age will reduce his impact; Virgil van Dijk, though still good, isn’t what he was and lacks a reliable partner; while in midfield they have good but not great players.
Which is to say they look fearsome but fallible, likely champions but with existing weaknesses that haven’t been addressed – nor will they be if Alexander Isak arrives.
We’ve not got to our Liverpool preview yet, so here’s Jonathan Wilson’s verdict.
GOAL! Aberdeen 0-1 Celtic (Nygren 27)
You know what? I really fancy Celtic to do something this season.
Apologies for the long break there, I nipped off for a comfort break and returned to discover I’d not launched my previous post.
That completes the previews so far, but stay tuned for the rest, which’ll be with you “in the coming days”. But in the meantime, here’s what the fans think:
Marco Silva’s men are one of the league’s major success stories, establishing themselves as a staple with the minimum of fuss. Every year, you wonder if they can do it again but there’s no reason whatsoever to assume to the contrary – though if I was going to out a fear, it’s whether they’ll score enough goals at the right time.
Next up: Fulham.
Everton’s main task – club and fans – is to turn their new ground into something simultaneously fearsome and homely. Goodison Park was exactly that – nowhere sounded more insulted by decisions not given – and it’s no exaggeration to say that the crowd helped keep Everton up the season before last. As for the players, Thierno Barry is a really exciting acquisition and Adam Aznou is a proper talent; I think David Moyes’ side might surprise a few people.
How are Evertonians shaping up?
Bournemouth agree a deal to sign Bafodé Diakité from Lille
It’s absolutely wild that we can almost assume he’s really good. His arrival will, presumably, ease Zabarnyi’s move to PSG.
The euphoria of that day in May will never leave, even if the European competition aggravation is an unwelcome distraction. It’s also unclear if the wonderful Eberechi Eze will stay, but in the meantime, Borna Sosa and Walter Benitez are unlikely to make major impact. On the other hand, Oliver Glasner has a system that works and good players who believe in him, fired by the confidence of winning a trophy. They may, though, find it difficult to compete abroad and at home, so I’d not be surprised to see a drop-off in league for, even if they remain a major threat in the cups.
So what of the FA Cup winners?
At some point, you’d think the summer’s endeavours will exact a toll but, on the other hand, Chelsea have a squad that might – might – be able to cope. I don’t think they’re good enough to win the league or even that close, but they’re good enough to win any game at any time and if they start well, you never know. I’m not, though, sold on the keeper or defence; the balance in midfield needs resolving; and well though Pedro and Liam Delap have started, I’m not sure either will be prolific enough to alleviate the goalscoring burden that rests on Cole Palmer. I also think Enzo Maresca’s safety-first style is good for one-off games but less so for winning games every week.
So what of the inaugural Club World Champions?
Let’s be honest: it’s almost impossible to fathom three clubs getting fewer points. That said, Lesley Ugochukwu is a really good signing – I thought he might’ve attracted interested from established Premier League clubs – Armando Broja can score and Marcus Edwards could be a lot of fun. Otherwise, Scott E. Parker will have to work some kind of miracle; one that’s unlikely to be catalysed by a v-neck jumper and hair like Bart Simpson going to church.
As for Burnley…
Word to the wise: as well as the Community Shield, we’ll have live MBM coverage of Leicester v Sheffield Wednesday. I’ll be bringing you that from 3.30pm, kick-of 4.30pm.
Unlike Bournemouth and Brentford, it barely seems to matter who Brighton let go. This summer, João Pedro, Simon Adingra and Pervis Estupinan have departed; Carlos Baleba might yet join them. But you just know they’ll be alright and, if the predators chasing their players had any sense, they’d investigate the targeted replacements as well as or instead of. I’m really excited to see Charalampos Kostoulas and Tom Watson, and expect them to finish highest of the non-mega-rich clubs.
And Brighton…
If we’re concerned for Bournemouth, we’re fear for Brentford. They’ve lost Thomas Frank, their inspirational manager and cunning coach, while Bryan Mbuemo, last season’s top scorer, Christian Norgaard and Mark Flekken have also gone, and Yoane Wissa wants to. Caoimhín Kellher looks a decent goalkeeping replacement, while Antoni Milambo and Michael Kayode have potential, but are either ready to impact the league immediately? They might have to, while Keith Andrews is an intelligent thinker and talker about the game – but that’s very different to carrying a club. If I supported a promoted team, this is one place I’d be looking when trying to find other relegation candidates. You can bet Sunderland, for example, will be targeting three points when the teams meet at Stadium of Light third game in.
On to Brentford:
