2023-2024 Premier League

(The Guardian) Arsenal injury news now, and there’s good bits and bad bits from Mikel Arteta’s press conference today:
--Gabriel Magalhaes and Bukayo Saka are fit, having previously been doubts
--Thomas Partey is still out – but is ‘progressing well’ apparently
--Jurrien Timber is a long-term absentee as he recovers from ACL surgery

The Gunners visit newly-taken-over Everton on Sunday afternoon.

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Pep Guardiola is thankful Kyle Walker agreed to sign a two-year extension with Manchester City this week after a summer of rumour about his future.

Walker will stay at City until 2026, despite consistent rumours that Bayern Munich were interested in his services.

Guardiola said: “Really really important, like Nathan [Aké] and Bernardo [Silva] and Rico [Lewis] and [Scott] Carson extending their contracts. Kyle is an important figure for us. He’s a player where his teammates demanded he could not leave. At the end he decided to stay and he is really very important for us.

“His mind is there and he has genetics like few players I have seen with all the conditions. As much as he enjoys his life, it will not be a problem.

“He’s really important in the locker room and he has made a step forward with specific qualities that you cannot find all around the world. He can control the best wingers on the planet and I believe he is getting better on the ball so he is getting ready to compete with Erling Haaland for goals.”

(BBC Sport) Bournemouth and Chelsea continued their lacklustre starts to the campaign with the first goalless draw of the Premier League season.

The Cherries are yet to win in the league under Andoni Iraola, while Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea have one win to show from their five league games.

Chelsea had the better chances with Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling hitting the woodwork and Levi Colwill having a goal disallowed for offside. New Blues signing Cole Palmer had a chance to win the game late on but shot straight at Neto.

Bournemouth had opportunities to win too with Dominic Solanke forcing a Robert Sanchez save and heading wide.

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(BBC Sport) Arsenal dug deep to secure a narrow but well-deserved win over struggling Everton at Goodison Park.

The Gunners - who replaced England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya - have suffered away at Everton in recent years, losing on four of their past five visits. But the Toffees, still without a Premier League win this season, were desperately short of quality and Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock with a classy side-foot finish after 69 minutes.

Arsenal had Gabriel Martinelli's sweeping first-half finish narrowly ruled out for offside against Eddie Nketiah in the build up, but the home side could not hold out in the second period as Trossard finished off some patient Gunners probing around the box.

Manager Mikel Arteta was clearly elated as his side maintained their unbeaten start to the season and moved back to within two points of leaders Manchester City. The home side, meanwhile, look destined for a season of relegation struggle and were a far cry from the side who overpowered Arsenal in manager Sean Dyche's first game in charge in February.

(The Guardian) Speaking to the assembled media before Tottenham’s visit to the Emirates on Sunday, Arteta has also addressed the decision to drop Aaron Ramsdale for David Raya. “I care about every player that isn’t playing, but it’s my job to make a decision in the best possible way for the team,” he said.

“[Ramsdale has] been supportive and great around the place, that’s what I expect from my players. So far he has been really good. Am I comfortable [making the decision]? I’m not sure. In your stomach it’s hard. When players don’t play it’s difficult. You want them to feel wanted, but it’s tough.”

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Asked what it will be like to face Spurs without Harry Kane, Arteta was magnanimous about the way Ange Postecoglou’s side have come to terms with his departure. “They have many other qualities and many other players who can make a difference in the game,” he said. “It’s a big change but they have adapted well without him.

“He was a special player and everything went through him. He glued everything together in many areas of the pitch. Now, it’s different. They have some movement with certain players who are different. We are just focused on the team we face and trying to play the best way to cause problems.”

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As is customary, Arteta also provided some north London derby hype. “This game doesn’t need motivation, it’s the biggest game of the season,” he said. “They have a new manager who has done really well and has changed the vibe around the club. He’s also brought in a new style and we have to adapt.

“I really like [Postecoglou]. I know players who worked with him and they speak highly of him. You can tell straight away that he’s fitting in really well. That’s the beauty of this league, we have so many good managers.”

(The Guardian) Manchester United have announced a new addition to their backroom staff, Gary O’Driscoll. He has taken on the role of head of sports medicine and will oversee all medical activity across the men’s, women’s and academy teams. O’Driscoll left Arsenal in the summer after 14 years with the club, but grew up in Manchester and is, according to his new employers, “a lifelong United fan”. He succeeds Steve McNally, who stepped down as head of sports medicine in February to become the performance sport director at PGMOL, the body which oversees referees in the professional game.

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Before Mauricio Pochettino’s press conference, Chelsea have published a full injury list and, all told, it makes for extensive reading. Benoît Badiashile and Armando Broja have returned to full training but are still undergoing reconditioning, Marcus Bettinelli, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Christopher Nkunku are still in the rehabilitation phase, and Roméo Lavia is just starting his rehab programme.

(The Guardian) Manchester City team news and injuries
Guardiola says Bernardo Silva has joined Kevin de Bruyne and John Stones on the treatment table, while tomorrow’s clash against Nottingham Forest will likely come too soon for Mateo Kovacic who is “in the last part of [his] recovery”.

“Jack Grealish is coming back, he’s training well and could be ready. Muscular issues are [because of] a lot of games.”

On Forest: “They were able to do an incredible game at Stamford Bridge, they fought a lot against Arsenal and at Manchester United they had two [goals] after a few minutes.”