football

The Liverpool star is the first three-time winner of the annual award, given to the best player in English football, as adjudged by the Professional Footballers’ Association.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was named the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year on Tuesday, with the Egyptian becoming the first player to win the award three times.

Salah, who joined Liverpool in 2017, was the Premier League’s top scorer last season, with his 29 goals, along with 18 assists, playing a key role in the club winning the league title, finishing 10 points ahead of runners-up Arsenal.

The 33-year-old had already clinched the Premier League Player of the Season award, the Golden Boot for most goals scored and the Playmaker award for most assists, making him the first player to win all three awards in the same season.

Salah first won the PFA award in 2018 after his first season at Liverpool, and again in 2022, and this year came out on top of a six-man shortlist, voted for by PFA members from the 92 Premier League and Football League teams.

That shortlist included his Liverpool teammate Alexis Mac Allister, along with Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.

Salah signed a two-year contract extension with Liverpool in April, ending months of speculation linking him with a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Aston Villa and England midfielder Morgan Rogers was voted Young Player of the Year, after the 23-year-old scored eight league goals in his 37 starts last season and netted four goals in the Champions League including a hat-trick against Celtic.

Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey was named Women’s Player of the Year. The Spaniard scored nine league goals in her first season with the club, along with eight goals in the Champions League where Arsenal beat her former club Barcelona to win the trophy.

Canadian 21-year-old forward Olivia Smith, Liverpool’s leading scorer last season across all competitions with nine goals, picked up the Young Player of the Year award.

Smith has since joined Arsenal for a reported fee of one million pounds ($1.35m), making her the first female player to break the seven-figure barrier.

Liverpool had four players from last season, including Salah, named in the Premier League team of the year, along with new signing from Bournemouth, Milos Kerkez.

Premier League Team of the Year:

Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest); Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth), William Saliba (Arsenal), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal); Declan Rice (Arsenal), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool); Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Alexander Isak (Newcastle United), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest).

Alan Shearer was in his prime and in the starting lineup for Blackburn when the English Premier League kicked off its first season 33 summers ago.

Shearer scored two goals that day in a 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace. But he had no idea that season would give birth to the most dominant force in the history of club soccer — and perhaps the most dominant force in the history of international sports.

“There’s no way anyone could have predicted back in 1992 that it was going to be this incredible, huge, gigantic force that it’s become,” said Shearer, who would go on to become the leading scorer in EPL history, of the Premier League. “It is sort of chalk and cheese in terms of where it was then to where it is now.”

That’s an English way of saying the league, which kicked off a new season Friday, has progressed.

International soccer is a sport ruled by money, and the Premier League became the best league in the world because it’s also the richest. Six of the 10 wealthiest teams in the world play in the EPL, where the average franchise value is $1.5 billion, according to Sportico. And the 20 teams combined to earn more than $8.5 billion in commercial revenue in 2023-24, according to Deloitte.

That’s allowed the EPL to outbid others for the top talent, resulting in deeper rosters and a level of play no other league can match.

Other leagues may have one or two better teams — France’s Paris Saint-Germain, for example, is the reigning European champion and Spain’s Real Madrid has won 15 continental titles, more than twice what any English club has won — but top to bottom, no league is as competitive as the EPL. That’s why its games are broadcast in 189 countries to a potential audience of 4.7 billion people, part of an international and domestic broadcast package valued at $5.1 billion a season, according to CNBC.

“It is where it is because of the interest and because of how many people want to watch it,” said Shearer, now a soccer pundit for the BBC. “We’ve got, without a doubt, a lot of the best players in the world. We’ve got the best atmosphere in the world. The finances are there.

“Basically everyone wants to be a part of it. And whilst that is the case, it’s only going to get bigger.”

It certainly didn’t start that way. The Premier League formed when English soccer was emerging from a low point that threatened to sink it. In the mid 1980s, hooliganism was rife, English teams were banned from European competition for five years following a deadly clash between Liverpool and Juventus supporters in Belgium, and the Football League First Division, the country’s top level since 1888, lagged well behind Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga in attendance and revenue. As a result, the best English stars, not to mention international talent, played elsewhere.

By 1990 the situation had gotten so bad, England’s top clubs — Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton, known collectively as the “Big Five” — had begun discussions to form a breakaway league that would have commercial independence, allowing it to increase revenue by negotiating its own broadcast and sponsorship deals.

Two years later, the Premier League debuted.

The revenue growth that EPL has enjoyed in the three decades since is well beyond the wildest dreams of the league’s founding fathers. And that’s turned around an exodus of top players out of England; now nearly three-quarters of Premier League players are foreign-born, among them Egypt’s Mo Salah, Norway’s Erling Haaland and Sweden’s Alexander Isak.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring against Wolverhampton on Saturday.

(Dave Shopland / Associated Press)

But what has really made the Premier League great is its relative balance. Although just seven teams have won a title in the league’s 32 seasons, that qualifies as parity in Europe, where Bayern Munich has won 12 of the last 13 German championships, PSG has won 11 of the last 13 French crowns and just one team not named Real Madrid or Barcelona has won the Spanish league in the last 21 years.

In the Premier League, on any given weekend every game is in doubt. That competitiveness is why three EPL teams have won the UEFA Champions League since 2019 and in two of those three seasons, the European champion didn’t win the Premier League title. This summer Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup, making it arguably the best team on the planet, two months after finishing fourth in the Premier League table.

“One week the team at the bottom can beat the team at the top and that’s not a fluke,” said Shearer, who played for a Newcastle team that finished second in the EPL in consecutive seasons, then fell to 13th in each of the next two. “I don’t see that jeopardy in other leagues at all. That’s why the Premier League works and why the Premier League is the most watched.”

The challenge now for the Premier League is staying on top. When the EPL came into being, Serie A and La Liga were widely considered the best leagues in the world, winning a combined six Champions League titles between 1990 and 2000. But financial issues, tactical stagnation and a lack of investment in infrastructure combined to sink Italian soccer while La Liga became so top-heavy, with superclubs Barcelona and Real Madrid choking off all competition, that it became a league of two Goliaths and 18 Davids.

Shearer said there are lessons to be learned from those experiences.

“Every huge business has to evolve and keep going forward and keep improving,” he said. “The Premier League is no different. Since that very first day when I ran out for Blackburn against Crystal Palace to what it is now, there’s been improvement. Whilst the interest is there, whilst the finance keeps coming in, whilst we all want to watch, it is getting bigger and better.

“But yeah, you have to keep an eye on your competitors.”

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

Real Madrid open their La Liga season with a nervy 1-0 home win against Osasuna at Santiago Bernabeu.

Kylian Mbappe struck from the penalty spot as Real Madrid beat a dogged Osasuna 1-0 to make a winning start in La Liga under new coach Xabi Alonso.

The French striker, last season’s European Golden Shoe winner, scored early in the second half on Tuesday after he was fouled in the area by Osasuna defender Juan Cruz.

It was enough to seal the points in Alonso’s first game in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid now unbeaten in their opening fixture of a league campaign since 2008.

“It was special to be back here as a coach, unforgettable,” Alonso said. “Hopefully, it was the first of many victories celebrated here.

“There were positives, beginning with the result. We still need a few things that will give us stability to keep progressing.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold made his La Liga debut after his move from Liverpool, with former Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and left-back Alvaro Carreras, the other summer arrivals included in the starting lineup.

Madrid, though, were without England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is expected to be sidelined until October as he recovers from an operation to solve a recurrent shoulder issue.

Madrid are looking to turn the page on a disappointing end to the Carlo Ancelotti era after relinquishing both their domestic and European crowns last season.

Alonso’s side had to show patience against an Osasuna team that finished ninth last term, with the hosts largely restricted to long-range efforts from centre-backs Huijsen and Eder Militao in the first half.

Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera was equal to both, while Mbappe failed to connect cleanly after being picked out by Vinicius Junior before he curled another shot wide as Madrid struggled to break down their opponents.

But Mbappe grabbed the only goal six minutes after half-time, after he went down following a clumsy challenge by Cruz as he tried to cut past the defender.

Mbappe, who was La Liga’s top scorer, with 31 goals in his first season in Spain, got up and running for the new campaign as he sent Herrera the wrong way from the spot.

Alonso handed 18-year-old Argentinian winger Franco Mastantuono his debut midway through the second half, as Madrid controlled the game and seldom looked troubled.

Ante Budimir headed over in a rare opportunity for Osasuna, and Mastantuono was denied late on by Herrera.

Osasuna finished the match with 10 men, with Abel Bretones sent off in stoppage time for throwing an arm to block the run of Gonzalo Garcia.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is on Aston Villa’s transfer wish list, Chelsea are bidding to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons and Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho, plus Tottenham eye Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche.

Aston Villa are exploring the viability of a move to sign Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, 24, from Chelsea but the asking price needs to be lower than £60m due to the West Midlands club’s financial restrictions. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Bayern Munich’s move for French forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, has stalled, delaying Chelsea’s attempts to sign RB Leipzig’s 22-year-old Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons. (Guardian), external

Chelsea are set to increase their efforts to sign Argentina forward Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United but the 21-year-old will not be allowed to leave Old Trafford on the cheap. (Evening Standard), external

Newcastle are unwilling to pay more than £40m for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa but the Bees have put a £60m price tag on the 28-year-old DR Congo international. (Northern Echo), external

Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen remains of interest to Newcastle – although the 25-year-old Norwegian is not hankering to leave Molineux. (The Athletic – subscription required), external

Tottenham have targeted Monaco’s £47.5m-rated French attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche, 23, as a cheaper alternative to Brazil winger Savinho with Manchester City demanding £70m for the 21-year-old. (Independent), external

Crystal Palace want 19-year-old Southampton winger Tyler Dibling to replace fellow Englishman Eberechi Eze, 27, whose move to Tottenham is edging closer. (Talksport), external

Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, 27, is set to join Nottingham Forest from Juventus after Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis brokered a deal with the Turin club’s general manager Damien Comolli. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external

Leeds are poised to sign 25-year-old Switzerland striker Noah Okafor from AC Milan in a deal worth £18.4m (21m euros). (Sky Sports Italy – in Italian), external

Wolves and West Ham are both interested in Spain midfielder Marc Casado but face a tough ask persuading the 21-year-old to leave Barcelona. (Marca – in Spanish), external

West Ham are close to finalising a deal which will allow 27-year-old Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez to join Fenerbahce on loan. (Talksport), external

Espanyol are in talks with Burnley over re-signing 20-year-old Italy U21 forward Luca Koleosho on a season-long loan. (Sky Sports), external

Brazil forward Rodrigo Muniz’s move from Fulham to Atalanta is off after the Cottagers rejected a proposed £35m deal for the 24-year-old from the Serie A club. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Hundreds of humanoid robots showed of their skills at the first World Humanoid Games in Beijing. The spectacle drew laughs from the crowd, but participants say the technology behind it could shape fields from self-driving cars to healthcare.

Greg Biggins, the 247Sports.com college football recruiting analyst who is one of the best in the nation at what he does, likes to say that you need dudes to win big.

No one has won a national championship in the College Football Playoff era whose roster wasn’t at least halfway stocked with four- and five-star players. Only a handful of teams have made the title game without meeting that blue-chip ratio — and they’ve been walloped.

“So you’ve got to have dudes, you have to have talent,” Biggins recently told The Times. “Coaching and development is huge, but you take coaching and development with guys who look like [star Ohio State wide receiver] Jeremiah Smith, now that’s a different level altogether.”

As UCLA’s DeShaun Foster prepares to open his second season as the head coach at his alma mater, he’s increasingly replenished his roster with dudes. Transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava is a five-star talent, and 13 other players who arrived through the transfer portal were rated as four stars either coming out of high school or as a transfer.

While the Bruins’ blue-chip ratio still falls well short of 50%, it’s creeping upward. But as Biggins mentioned, coaching and development also matter. Former UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who received zero stars coming out of high school, is now with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the second round of the NFL draft.

For the Bruins to have the breakthrough they’re seeking under Foster, they will need both blue-chippers and less heralded prospects to emerge as stars. Here are 10 players who must become dudes for UCLA to succeed in 2025:

Offense

QB Nico Iamaleava: Well, duh. UCLA is not going to have the kind of season it wants unless its quarterback puts himself in the conversation for the school’s best player at the position since Brett Hundley. (Sorry, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Josh Rosen, eight- and nine-win seasons don’t suffice.) Efficiency will tell the story. If Iamaleava exceeds his 2024 accuracy, when he completed 63.8% of his passes and tallied nearly four times as many touchdowns (19) as interceptions (five), then the Bruins will be in business.

OT Courtland Ford: Quickly slotting into the starting left tackle spot in spring practices, Ford projects to have his biggest role since he started the first eight games of the 2021 season at USC. He went on to become a part-time starter with the Trojans in 2022 and at Kentucky in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to UCLA. The hope is that he can provide stability and bolster an offensive line that was a major weakness last season amid several injuries at left tackle.

RB Jaivian Thomas: Jaydn who? Foster likes to point out that Thomas was the top tailback at California last season despite Jaydn Ott receiving much of the hype. There’s a widespread expectation that Thomas will reprise that role with the Bruins as part of a deep group of running backs that also includes Jalen Berger, Anthony Woods, Anthony Frias II and Karson Cox. While each of those players holds promise, Thomas appears to have the biggest upside given his speed, patience and vision.

WR Kwazi Gilmer: Often by Iamaleava’s side getting off the team bus at training camp, Gilmer quickly established a narrative of becoming his quarterback’s go-to receiver. The duo established a strong connection during the short practice viewing window open to the media, Iamaleava often finding the speedy and shifty Gilmer in the end zone. It’s easy to envision Gilmer more than doubling his output from 2024, when he caught 31 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Gilmer showed some swagger by saying he wanted to win the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the nation’s top college receiver; now he’s got to back up those words.

TE Hudson Habermehl: After shedding his surfer look, those long blond locks replaced by a far more streamlined hairstyle, Hambermehl yearns to reintroduce himself as a sleeker, more productive version of the player Bruins fans last saw in the spring of 2024. That’s when he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury that would require two surgeries and more than a year of recovery. Now Habermehl is back, ready to become the team’s most targeted tight end while exceeding his 2023 production (nine catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns).

Defense

LB JonJon Vaughns: Having abandoned his baseball pursuits for football full time, Vaughns needs to slide into a starring role. He’s shown glimpses of promise, particularly during a 2022 season in which he started 11 games and made two interceptions and five pass breakups. Now comes the challenge of sustaining that sort of production while leading a defense that thirsts for new playmakers to emerge at every position.

S Key Lawrence: Perhaps the most energetic player on the team, the Mississippi transfer also boasts plenty of talent thanks to his combination of speed and smarts. Barring a setback from the minor right leg injury he sustained midway through training camp, Lawrence projects to be an opening-day starter. He’ll need to anchor a secondary that’s replacing every starter.

Edge Devin Aupiu: UCLA’s pass rush was meh last season, generating 22 sacks to rank tied for No. 78 in the nation. As a part-time starter, Aupiu made 4½ tackles for loss, including 1½ sacks — decent production given his role and easily the most among returning players. Getting into the backfield more often this season is a must for the redshirt senior.

DT Gary Smith III: Most successful diets don’t end with someone weighing 340 pounds. But after shedding 20 pounds thanks to what he described as clean eating, Smith appears slimmer, stronger and more explosive in his return from the ankle injury that sidelined him all of last season. He posted a video of his squatting a team-high 700 pounds and could combine with fellow interior defensive lineman Keanu Williams to make running up the middle the place where ambitions go to die for opposing tailbacks.

LB Isaiah Chisom: In case Chisom was tempted to get cocky after one season at Oregon State in which he was selected a freshman All-American by The Athletic, he lost out to new UCLA teammate Jalen Woods in the battle to keep his No. 9 jersey. Maybe every time he glances at his No. 32, it will remind him of the work he needs to put in to become a super sophomore.

Olympic sport spotlight: Men’s soccer

The program that produced Sigi Schmid, Cobi Jones and Paul Caligiuri hasn’t been in the news much lately.

UCLA men’s soccer has not made it past the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament since reaching the finals in 2014, when it lost to Virginia. The Briuns’ last national championship came in 2002.

Could 2025 be a breakthrough year?

Answers will start to emerge once the Bruins open the season Thursday evening at UC Irvine. UCLA returns four starters, including junior midfielder Philip Naef, who led the team last season with 10 assists — the most since Jackson Yueill also reached double digits in 2016. A bevy of talented freshmen from the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, according to TopDrawerSoccer, should also help coach Ryan Jorden’s bid to guide his team deep into the NCAA tournament.

Alumni watch

UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger at the NFL football combine earlier this year.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

Carson Schwesinger’s incredible ascent continues.

The linebacker who was essentially unwanted out of Oaks Christian High when UCLA snagged him with a walk-on spot impressed in his NFL preseason debut, leading the Cleveland Browns with six tackles during a 30-10 exhibition victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Making that production all the more impressive, it came in only 13 snaps. Maybe that transition from college to the NFL isn’t so hard after all.

“I mean, I think there’s always going to be a difference going to the next level,” Schwesinger told reporters after the game, “but we’ve been practicing against it so much now that it’s something that I’m getting used to. So there wasn’t a huge difference, I would say, from practice to the game. I think that’s because of how we practice.”

Remember when?

UCLA quarterback Mike Fafaul gets away from Utah defensive back Justin Thomas in a 2016 matchup.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

My favorite UCLA-Utah game felt like one played in an alternate universe.

The Bruins, who ran what could have been called the “Point-Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust” offense under Kennedy Polamalu in 2016, came out in a spread, no-huddle, hurry-up formation against the Utes for the first time all season.

It might have resulted in a UCLA victory had the Bruins’ defense showed up.

Utah running back Joe Williams ran for a school-record 332 yards and four touchdowns during the Utes’ thrilling 52-45 victory, overcoming a record-setting day for UCLA quarterback Mike Fafaul. Continuing to start in place of the injured Josh Rosen, Fafaul completed 40 of 70 passes for a career-high 464 yards and five touchdowns while breaking Rosen’s previous school records for completions (34) and pass attempts (57).

In a lost season for the Bruins, this was as entertaining as it got.

You can watch highlights from that game here.

Poll results

We asked, “Which UCLA football player not named Nico Iamaleava will be the team’s most important in 2025?” and gave you five choices: offensive tackle Courtland Ford, running back Jaivian Thomas, wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, defensive tackle Gary Smith III or linebacker Isaiah Chisom.

After 534 votes, the results:

Running back Jaivian Thomas, 37.4%
Wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, 23.7%
Offensive tackle Courtland Ford, 17.6%
Defensive tackle Gary Smith III, 17.4%
Linebacker Isaiah Chisom, 3.9%

Opinion time

UCLA’s 2025 football schedule features a handful of games that scream intrigue.

The opener against Utah is a battle of former Pac-12 rivals. A showdown against presumed national title contender Penn State could match undefeated teams if the Bruins get off to a hot start. The game at Ohio State provides fans willing to travel more than halfway across the country a chance to visit one of college football’s top venues. The rivalry game at USC speaks for itself.

Which game are you looking forward to most?

Utah on Aug. 30

Penn State on Oct. 4

Ohio State on Nov. 15

USC on Nov. 29

Click here to vote in our survey.

In case you missed it

UCLA’s training camp a real tearjerker as players, coaches open up to bond

Michigan hit with major fine for sign-stealing scheme. Jim Harbaugh’s NCAA exile extended 10 years

Can UCLA’s Kwazi Gilmer win the Biletnikoff Award? He’s going to give it a go

UCLA stars Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Gabriela Jaquez share lessons with kids close to home

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on X @latbbolch. To order an autographed copy of my book, “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,” send me an email. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The addition of girls flag football is helping fuel rising participation in high school sports nationally, with a record 8,260,891 boys and girls having participated in the last school year, according to the annual survey from the National Federation of State High School Assns. released on Monday.

There were 68,847 girls playing flag football, a 60% increase from the previous year.

Girls sports led the increases, including wrestling rising 15%.

Football remains the most popular boys sports at 1,001,039. Track and field tops girls sports at 513,808.

Girls flag football has been rising in popularity in Southern California. In the Los Angeles City Section, there are now more flag football teams (91) than 11-man football teams (71).

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. Zero week has arrived for high school football. Let’s examine some of the big games.

Showdown openers

Eagle Rock All-City quarterback Liam Pasten is 6 feet 1 and 145 pounds.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

After months of preparation, the high school football season begins this weekend. Here are some attractive games to watch.

North Hollywood at Granada Hills. If you want to see a game that lasts less than 90 minutes, this Thursday game is it. Two double-wing teams running the ball again and again. They played in last year’s City playoffs. You better eat that hot dog quick. The pick: Granada Hills.

Mayfair vs. Yorba Linda at SoFi Stadium, 5 p.m.. You’ll have to pay a hefty fee for parking and to get in on Thursday night, but Yorba Linda is a top 25 team. The pick: Yorba Linda.

Eagle Rock at Kennedy. It’s two All-City quarterbacks going at it on Friday night, with Liam Pasten vs. Diego Montes. Both teams are favored to win their respective leagues, so this is big for playoff seedings. The pick: Eagle Rock.

Leuzinger vs. Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium. It’s the senior season for the little running back that will run through a brick wall if needed, Leuzinger’s Journee Tonga. Combined with quarterback Russell Sekona, that’s a formidable duo. Poly returns veteran quarterback Deuce Jefferson for first-year coach Justin Utupo. Look for a close, intense matchup. The pick: Leuzinger.

Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills. Carson Palmer debuts as head coach for the Eagles, which have perhaps the toughest schedule in Southern California. It won’t be easy taking down quarterback Luke Fahey & Co., but the return of Trent Mosley at receiver, the arrival of Trace Johnson at quarterback and a strong defensive line makes this the most intriguing game of the night. The pick: Mission Viejo.

Downey at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Downey quarterback Oscar Rios is a magician with his arm and legs. Notre Dame won’t have USC commit Luc Weaver at receiver (injured). Quarterback Wyatt Brown debuts for the Knights. This game is certain to go down to the final seconds. The pick: Downey.

JSerra at Sierra Canyon. Keep track of touchdowns allowed by Sierra Canyon this season. There won’t be many. That’s how good defensively the Trailblazers are. Sierra Canyon has aspirations of being a Final Four team in Division 1 and this will be the first big test. The pick: Sierra Canyon.

Newbury Park at Long Beach Millikan. It’s the final season for quarterback Brady Smigiel, and he’ll have to wait until the sit-out period ends to get his full complement of receivers, giving Millikan the opening to try for an upset. The pick: Newbury Park.

Hart at Birmingham. The Patriots begin their annual five-game stretch of playing Southern Section teams. They intend to feature an offensive line filled with 300 pounders. One lineman won the pizza eating contest with 10 slices in seven minutes. Hart returns a veteran quarterback in Jacob Paisano. The pick: Hart.

Orange Lutheran at Miami Northwestern. This was supposed to be a big national game, with Teddy Bridgewater coaching Northwestern. He was suspended, so now Orange Lutheran gets to show off its powerful offensive and defensive lines to help its new quarterbacks. The pick: Orange Lutheran.

St. John Bosco at Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee. The Braves get a nice trip to Florida to show off their many skill-position players. The pick: St. John Bosco.

Mater Dei at Florida St. Aquinas. It’s another national TV game on Saturday in which the No. 1-ranked Monarchs are going to dominate. Who’s going to stop their exceptional receiving group featuring tight end Mark Bowman, a USC commit, and two Ohio State commits? The answer is no one. The pick: Mater Dei.

Here’s the link to the complete zero week schedule of games.

Cousins Diego Montes (left) and James Montes of Kennedy.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The Valley Mission League held a media day. Kennedy and San Fernando are considered the league favorites but don’t forget about Van Nuys and quarterback Carlos Herrera. Here’s a report.

Here’s the top 10 City Section preseason rankings.

Here’s The Times’ top 25 preseason rankings.

Quarterback Jack Thomas (left) and receiver Demare Dezeurn should form one of the best passing duos in the City Section at Palisades.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Here’s a look at scrimmages last week and how Palisades could have the best passing duo.

Here’s the Foothill League media day.

Here’s the West Valley League media day.

Simi Valley’s Micah Hannah makes interception against Spanish Springs.

(Craig Weston)

There were three games played last week with Los Alamitos and Long Beach Millikan picking up wins. Here’s a report.

West Adams, Dymally and Maya Angelou canceled games this week in the City Section because rosters were not ready to play.

Prep series

Defensive tackle Mikhal Johnson of Sierra Canyon makes his first ever reception on tackle eligible play to score go-ahead touchdown in 21-20 win over Gardena Serra last season.

(Craig Weston)

The Times’ nine-part series previewing top high school football players continues this week with top linebackers on Monday.

Here’s the link to the series.

Dos Pueblos came close to pulling off the shocker of the early season in flag football, taking unbeaten Orange Lutheran to triple overtime before falling 23-21 in the championship game of a tournament at Beckman High.

JSerra has three of the best freshmen players in Tessa Russell, Katie Meier and Ava Irwin. Irwin is the sister of former Hart, Stanford and NFL receiver Trent Irwin, so catching passes comes in the family.

Girls volleyball

Redondo Union started the season going 8-1 in Hawaii, including a win over Sierra Canyon, to finish runner-up in the Iolani tournament.

Here’s a preseason girls volleyball preview, with Mater Dei, Santa Margarita and Redondo Union looking like the teams to beat.

Notes . . .

Logan Brooks from El Segundo has committed to San Diego baseball. . . .

Guard Nick Giarrusso has transferred from Oaks Christian to Crean Lutheran. . . .

One of the state’s top basketball players, Brandon McCoy, is not returning to St. John Bosco for his senior season. He was not enrolled when classes began this week. There has been speculation he might transfer to Sierra Canyon. Top Eastvale Roosevelt sophomore guard Cam Anderson has enrolled at St. John Bosco. . . .

Capistrano Valley has added a football game against Crean Lutheran on Sept. 5. Most notable: Capistrano Valley’s head coach, Sean Curtis, is the son of Crean Lutheran coach Rick Curtis. Someone is going to have to pay for dinner after a loss. . . .

Offensive lineman Blake Graham of Leuzinger has committed to Cal Poly. . . .

Eagle Rock is scheduled to get a new football field and new track in 2026. Construction would begin in December. . . .

Erik Zimmerman is the new boys water polo coach at Mater Dei. . . .

Junior outfielder Tyler Vladic of Cypress has committed to Oregon. . . .

St. Francis quarterback Shawn Sanders suffered a broken collarbone in a scrimmage last week and will be sidelined at least a month. . . .

Newport Harbor water polo standout Kai Kaneko has committed to Stanford. . . .

Santa Margarita softball player Camryn Legeny has committed to Utah State. . . .

Defensive back Dillon Booth from Crean Lutheran has committed to Hawaii. . . .

Pierce College has closed its cross-country course for 2025, forcing City Section schools to scramble for a new site. Here’s the report. , , ,

Pete Cassidy, a former basketball coach and teacher at St. Genevieve and later Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, has died. He was always confused with the late former basketball coach with the same name at Cal State Northridge. He became a much-beloved teacher at Notre Dame and lover of sports who’d ride his bike to games.

From the archives: Lorenzo Booker

Lorenzo Booker was once one of the top running backs in California, if not the nation, in 2001 at St. Bonaventure. He ended up playing for Florida State and had four seasons in the NFL after being a third-round draft pick, retiring in 2012. He’s a member of the Ventura County Hall of Fame, He played on three unbeaten St. Bonaventure teams and rushed for nearly 8,500 yards and 137 touchdowns.

Now he’s an assistant coach at Newbury Park with another former St. Bonaventure standout, Whitney Lewis. His son played for the Panthers last season.

Here’s a story from 2006 about his days at Florida State.

Recommendations

From 13wmaz.com, a story on new high school transfer requirements in Georgia.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Jaime and Gabriella Jaquez hosting a basketball camp.

From Deseret.com, a story on former Murrieta Valley QB Bear Bachmeier challenging for starting job at BYU.

From SI.com, a story on former Santa Margarita football player Jacob Bower making impact at Nebraska.

From MaxPreps, a story on more than 100 former NFL players being high school coaches this season.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, and the happiest of birthdays to my son, Camden, who turns 2 today. Judging by how often he’s pointing at the TV and screaming for me to turn on NFL preseason games, I’d say he is as ready for “ball ball” season as anyone.

Fortunately for him — and us — we are less than two weeks out from USC’s season opener against Missouri State. There’s still a lot we don’t know. But before we walk our way through the schedule next week, it’s time to get on the record with a few things I think might happen with USC..

Here are six bold predictions for the Trojans in 2025:

Jayden Maiava will throw for 30 touchdowns this season. But he’ll also throw 15 interceptions.

Maiava made a concerted effort over the summer to eliminate the back-breaking mistakes he struggled with last season. He dug deeper into Lincoln Riley’s offense, and he worked on his mechanics with the experts at the 3DQB training academy. But Maiava’s style is always going to lend itself to high variance. He loves to chuck it deep and still seems to throw it too often into coverage. That’s going to yield some thrilling results at times on an offense that should be more conducive to big plays. But 4.3% of his passes last season were deemed turnover-worthy by Pro Football Focus. That was third-highest in the Big Ten and too high for USC’s offense to reach its potential. His big-time throw rate was also third-highest in the Big Ten at 5.1%, though, and that was before he fully grasped the Trojans offense. There’s room to grow here. But I’d caution that his proclivity for throwing caution to the wind might just be a part of the deal with Maiava.

USC will be shuffling its offensive line all season.

USC hasn’t really had a reliable front since Riley’s first season, and this is by far his most unproven unit yet. The interior is a legitimate concern if DJ Wingfield isn’t deemed eligible. I expect at some point this season we’ll see a former walk-on (Kilian O’Connor) and a preferred walk-on (Kaylon Miller) start a game at center and guard, respectively. And while both should be commended for their development, that’s not a good sign for USC’s offense. The Trojans desperately need Elijah Paige to deliver on his huge potential this season at left tackle, Alani Noa to iron out some of his inconsistencies at right guard, and Tobias Raymond to live up to Riley’s billing of him as one of the best players on the team. That’s a lot to ask. Expect many different combinations up front for USC, with J’Onre Reed, Micah Banuelos and Justin Tauanuu also logging starts throughout. That’s eight different starters on the line, which would be the most since Riley took over at USC.

USC will have two 1,000-yard receivers.

The last time a duo of Trojan receivers crossed that mark was 2019, so not that long ago, but it’s been pretty rare around college football the past decade. Less than two teams on average per year, to be exact. Still, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon both cross that mark. Lemon’s last eight games of 2024 put him on pace for more than 1,000 yards already, and that was with a much less potent downfield passing game for most of the season. Lane might be the more unlikely of the two to reach this mark, but I’m betting on talent. He has to see more targets this season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a target share for the two of them that nears 50%. In the bowl game, the two of them saw a combined 18 targets, a 46% target share.

Walker Lyons will be USC’s most productive tight end.

This is no shade on Lake McRee, who has been a reliable tentpole of the Trojans’ attack for a while now. But Lyons is just the sort of tight end that should thrive in Riley’s offense. More than anyone Riley has worked with yet at USC, Lyons is more in the mold of Mark Andrews, who emerged as one of the top tight ends in college football in Riley’s first season at Oklahoma. Like Andrews, he came to college as more of a skilled receiver learning to play inline. Now it’s clear he’s ready for the next step. A breakout season could be incoming.

USC will have three first-round picks next April.

A look at recent history might suggest that I’m crazy. USC had three players drafted total last spring and haven’t seen three Trojans drafted in the first round since 2009. Alas, I’m still not deterred. Either or both of Lemon and Lane could hear their names called in the first round. Kamari Ramsey might have been a first-round pick last season, if he’d declared, and Gentry has all the tools to make it happen. It’s not crazy to think that others could enter the chat too. With a huge breakout season, Maiava, Paige and defensive tackle Devan Thompkins are intriguing cases to consider. Though, the first round might be a bit too optimistic.

USC will rediscover its pass rush.

Count me as someone who believes USC’s defense takes another step forward. And I expect that progress will be most apparent in the defensive front, where USC could barely conjure a pass rush last season. Braylan Shelby led the 2024 defense with … three measly sacks. I expect we’ll see five different Trojan pass rushers pass that number this season. Gentry and sophomore Kameryn Fountain are both capable of reaching double-digit sacks, while Shelby, Anthony Lucas and freshman Jahkeem Stewart each are sure to chip in a handful on their own. Judging by early praise, Stewart could very well be the team’s best pass rusher by December.

Have your own bold takes or predictions that you want to get on the record in the next Times of Troy newsletter? Send them to me at [email protected], and I’ll include some of the best ones next week.

Makai Lemon

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

—The NCAA’s 2010 sanctions of USC only get more insane by the year. This week, the NCAA issued its punishment in the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. Aside from a $20-million fine, which is substantial, the punishment reflected how much has changed societally since 2010, and the reality of how toothless the NCAA has become. That wasn’t the case in 2010, when the NCAA dropped the hammer on USC, taking away 30 scholarships and banning them from bowl games for two seasons amid the Reggie Bush saga, while the BCS stripped the school of its 2004 title. That punishment was devastating primarily to players who had nothing to do with the crime. This latest ruling clearly tried to avoid that, which is a commendable change from the NCAA. But it did understandably upset some USC fans who are still frustrated with how they were treated in a case that had far less of an actual influence on the field.

—Special teams coach Ryan Dougherty understands USC’s placekicking hasn’t been good enough. Michael Lantz hit just 14 of his 21 attempts (66.7%) last season. Denis Lynch hit 10 of 14 (71%) in 2023 and 15 of 22 in 2022 (68.2%). A few more made field goals last season might have made the difference in some of USC’s narrow losses. This season, Dougherty will put his faith in sophomore Caden Chittenden, who set the Mountain West record last year for a freshman kicker with 26 made field goals. Chittenden seems like a safe bet to be a significant improvement at a position that’s been lacking during Riley’s tenure.

—Makai Lemon will be USC’s top punt returner. Some of you might wonder why USC would invite the added risk of having Lemon return punts. But Riley wouldn’t even entertain that line of thinking this week. The coach said that “there’s nothing anyone would do that would keep us from playing them on punt return.” Given how electric Lemon can be in the return game, I get it. USC has just one punt return touchdown during Riley’s entire tenure. That unit needs to be better.

—Rawlinson Stadium is officially open. Which means the first step of USC’s $200-million Athletics West capital project is complete. Reporters were invited last week on a tour of the Trojans’ gleaming new soccer and lacrosse stadium, and let’s just say it’s a significant improvement on their old home, McAlister Field. McAlister could barely fit 1,000 people, didn’t have lights and didn’t even have locker rooms for the team. Rawlinson has a capacity of 2,500, a press box, viewing decks for fans and a video board, while the lockers are customized based on feedback directly from the players. Women’s soccer coach Jane Alukonis made clear to reporters how much Rawlinson would influence the program’s recruiting efforts. USC invested $38 million to make it happen. Now we can see why.

In case you missed it

Michigan hit with major fine for sign-stealing scheme. Jim Harbaugh’s NCAA exile extended 10 years

Micah Banuelos works to make up for lost time as USC aims to build its strongest offensive line

Why USC is not in the AP Top 25 preseason poll

What I’m reading this week

Todd Marinovich reacts as he scores against Michigan in the Rose Bowl game, Jan. 1, 1990.

(Bob Galbraith / Associated Press)

So much has been written about Todd Marinovich over the years, but never has he written about his harrowing journey in his own words until now. In “Marinovich: Outside the Lines of Football, Art, and Addiction”, the former USC quarterback opens up a vein, giving readers an unvarnished look at how he went from child prodigy and “Robo Quarterback” to drug addict and NFL washout. It’s rare that athletes really examine themselves at the level that Marinovich does in this autobiography. He even tries to correct the record about his father, Marv, who he writes was a “thorny scapegoat.”

If you find Marinovich and his story of redemption at all interesting, I’d recommend checking it out.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Who: Real Madrid vs Osasuna
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
When: Tuesday 9pm (19:00 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 6pm (16:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream of the match.

Real Madrid will open their 2025-2026 La Liga campaign with a home game against Osasuna on Tuesday at the Bernabeu.

The 36-time Spanish domestic champions approach the new season with several new signings and fresh hope under recently appointed coach Xabi Alonso and are looking to turn the page on a disappointing end to the Carlo Ancelotti era with “ambitious” football.

But as Alonso saw firsthand in his Real managerial debut at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States this summer – Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Madrid 4-0 in the semifinal – there is plenty of work to do if the megaclub wants to reclaim its La Liga title from Barcelona in the new season.

Alonso’s Vinicius-Mbappe challenge

Alonso, who wants to implement some version of the 3-4-2-1 formation that won him the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, faces a huge challenge to unlock the chemistry between his two superstar forwards: Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

Both Mbappe, who scored 44 goals in his debut season at Real, and Vinicius, whose scoring output dipped substantially after the Frenchman’s arrival, are being told they must contribute more off the ball this season and set a better example for the team, according to reporting by the Marca newspaper.

Alonso is reportedly concerned about a lack of teamwork and visible negative gestures among some of his top players – a trend that has persisted since last season.

If the two players again fail to consistently connect up front in the 2025-2026 season, the constant rumour mill of a Vinicius exit from the club will begin churning once more.

Where did Osasuna finish last season?

The Pamplona-based club had one of their most successful La Liga seasons, finishing ninth in the standings and making it to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

What happened the last time Real Madrid met Osasuna?

The teams played out a controversial 1-1 draw on February 19 when 10-man Real squandered a chance to cement their lead on top of the La Liga ladder after Jude Bellingham was sent off in the 39th minute for what appeared to be an argument with the match referee.

Modric out, Guler in

Real Madrid enters the 2025-26 La Liga season without inspirational veteran Luka Modric in the squad for the first time in more than a decade. The lack of the Croatian’s experience and quality will be felt in a side lacking some guile in midfield.

Los Blancos’ hope is for Turkish playmaker Arda Guler, who is entering his second season with the club, to be able to thrive there and become a player who can control the tempo of a game.

“The coach is trying to make us have more control of the game, and that’s better for me,” Guler said.

The 20-year-old should get plenty of chances to play at the start of the season with another key midfielder, Bellingham, sidelined until around mid-October.

Who are the new players signed by Real Madrid?

Ex-Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, widely considered one of the best right backs in the world, was Real Madrid’s highest-profile signing over the summer. He is a near-certainty to start in his La Liga debut against Osasuna on Tuesday.

Towering centre back Dean Huijsen joins the club from Bournemouth after signing a 50 million pounds ($67m) deal on May 17 and is also expected to line up in the starting XI.

Real also added new left back Alvaro Carrera from Benfica as well as promising Argentinian teenager Franco Mastantuono, who will occupy a midfield role at Madrid.

Team news: Real Madrid

Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga may miss the Osasuna fixture after picking up an injury to his right ankle, the club announced on August 10.

“Following tests conducted on Eduardo Camavinga by the Real Madrid Medical Services, the player has been diagnosed with a sprain to his right ankle,” the 15-time European champions wrote on their website. Madrid did not give a timeline for the 22-year-old’s return.

England international Bellingham has undergone successful shoulder surgery but will miss the first two months of the season.

Antonio Rudiger is serving a one-game suspension carried over from last season.

Team news: Osasuna

Osasuna have no reported injuries or suspensions.

Promising winger Victor Munoz, who joined Osasuna from Real Madrid’s youth system over the summer, is tipped to make his debut against his old club in the season opener.

Possible lineups:

Real Madrid possible starting XI: Courtois (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, Militao; Carreras, Guler, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe

Osasuna possible starting XI: Herrera (GK); Arnaiz, Boyomo, Catena, Cruz; Torro, Garcia; Oroz, Munoz, Gomez; Budimir

Head-to-head:

In their last five matches against Osasuna, Real Madrid have won four and drawn once:

Osasuna 1, Real Madrid 1 – February 16, La Liga
Real Madrid 4, Osasuna 0 – November 10, La Liga
Osasuna 2, Real Madrid 4 – March 17, 2024, La Liga
Real Madrid 4, Osasuna 0 – October 8, 2023, La Liga
Real Madrid 2, Osasuna 1 – May 7, 2023, Copa del Rey final

WEEK 0 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

THURSDAY

CITY SECTION

Nonleague

North Hollywood at Granada Hills

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Aliso Niguel at Beckman

Arrowhead Christian at Yucca Valley

Ayala at Summit, 7:30 p.m.

Bloomington at Perris, 7:30 p.m.

Bosco Tech at Rosemead

Century at Gabrielino

Citrus Hill at Redlands, 7:30 p.m.

Desert Hot Springs at Rubidoux, 7:30 p.m.

Eisenhower at Moreno Valley, 7:30 p.m.

El Cajon Christian at Rancho Mirage

El Segundo at South Pasadena

Estancia at West Covina, 5:30 p.m.

Foothill at Anaheim

Fontana at San Bernardino, 7:30 p.m.

Fullerton at Anaheim

Glendora at Chino Hills

Glenn at Mountain View

Hawthorne vs. Lawndale at SoFi Stadium, 8:30 p.m.

Heritage at Elsinore, 7:30 p.m.

Huntington Beach at Orange

Laguna Beach at Chino

La Puente at Covina

Mayfair vs. Yorba Linda at SoFi Stadium, 5 p.m.

Newport Harbor at Murrieta Mesa

Ocean View at Fountain Valley

Orange Vista at Apple Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Ramona at Riverside

Riverside Prep at Big Bear

Salesian at Western

San Jacinto at Beaumont, 7:30 p.m.

Santa Ana Foothill at Marina

Savanna at Bolsa Grande

Tahquitz at Hemet

Temple City at Whittier

Vista Murrieta at Great Oak, 7:30 p.m.

Warner at Public Safety Academy, 6 p.m.

Whittier Christian at San Gabriel

INTERSECTIONAL

Narbonne at Los Osos

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Santa Clarita Christian at Cornerstone Christian, 6 p.m.

INTERSECTIONAL

Milken at East Valley

FRIDAY

CITY SECTION

Nonleague

Arleta at Westchester

Banning at South East

Chatsworth at Monroe

Contreras at Rivera, 4 p.m.

Eagle Rock at Kennedy

Fairfax at Crenshaw

Fulton at Canoga Park

Hawkins at Bernstein, 7:30 p.m.

Jefferson at Reseda

King/Drew at Jordan, 7:30 p.m.

Manual Arts at Locke

Maywood CES at Legacy

Panorama at Chavez

Santee at Poly

University at Lincoln, 7:30 p.m.

Verdugo Hills at Marquez

Wilson at Grant

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Alemany at Calabasas

Arcadia at El Monte, 6:30 p.m.

Arlington at St. Margaret’s

Barstow at Capistrano Valley

Beverly Hills at Vasquez

Bishop Diego at Lancaster

Bonita at Muir

Bosco Tech at Rosemead

Brentwood at Monrovia

Buena vs. Saugus at College of the Canyons

Burbank at San Dimas

Cajon at Norco

California Military Institute at Redlands East Valley

Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary at Pasadena

Capistrano Valley Christian at Claremont

Castaic at Adelanto

Cathedral at Loyola

Chaminade at Oaks Christian

Chaparral at San Juan Hills

Charter Oak at Canyon Country Canyon

Colony at Ontario Christian

Colton at Jurupa Valley

Compton Centennial at Compton Early College

Corona Santiago at Yucaipa

Cypress at Cerritos

Damien at Aquinas

Del Sol at San Marcos

Desert Chapel at Desert Mirage

Don Lugo at Buena Park

Downey at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

Duarte at Azusa

El Modena at Troy

El Rancho vs. South Hills at SoFi Stadium, 8:30 p.m.

Fillmore at Royal

Firebaugh at Santa Clara

Gahr at Valley Christian

Ganesha at Diamond Ranch

Gardena Serra vs. Palos Verdes at El Camino College

Garden Grove at Los Amigos

Garden Grove Pacifica at La Palma Kennedy

Garden Grove Santiago at Saddleback

Golden Valley at Westlake

Grand Terrace at Etiwanda

Heritage Christian at San Marino

Highland at Oak Hills

Hillcrest vs. Corona at SoFi Stadium, 5 p.m.

Hueneme at Thousand Oaks

Indio at Shadow Hills

JSerra at Sierra Canyon

Kaiser at Carter

Keppel at Baldwin Park

Laguna Hills at Anaheim Canyon

Lakeside at Pomona

La Puente at Covina

La Salle at La Canada

La Sierra at Miller

Leuzinger vs. Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium

Loara at Godinez

Long Beach Cabrillo at Artesia

Long Beach Wilson at Portola

Los Altos at Hacienda Heights Wilson

Magnolia at Costa Mesa

Maranatha at Arroyo

Marshall at Hoover, 5:30 p.m.

Mission Viejo at Santa Margarita

Montclair at Indian Springs

Moorpark at Rio Mesa

Newbury Park at Millikan

Nogales at California

Norte Vista at Silverado

Northwood at Irvine

Norwalk at Montebello

Oak Park at Agoura

Pacific at Nuview Bridge

Palmdale at Hesperia

Patriot at Chaffey

Peninsula at Alta Loma

Pioneer at Santa Fe

Rancho Cucamonga at Murrieta Valley

Rancho Verde at Corona del Mar

Rialto at Ontario

Riverside Notre Dame at Banning

Riverside Poly at Vista del Lago

Riverside Prep at Big Bear

Roosevelt at Riverside King

San Clemente at Tustin

San Gorgonio at Victor Valley

Santa Ana at Bellflower

Santa Ana Valley at Katella

Santa Barbara at Camarillo

Santa Paula at Grace

Schurr at Rio Hondo Prep

Segerstrom at Palm Springs

Servite at Corona Centennial

Simi Valley at Valencia

Sonora at Brea Olinda

St. Bonaventure at St. Francis

St. Paul at Bishop Amat

Sultana at Granite Hills

Sunny Hills at Westminster

Temescal Canyon at Paloma Valley

Temecula Valley at Liberty

Tesoro at El Toro

Upland at La Habra

Viewpoint at Channel Islands

Walnut at Garey

West Ranch at Oxnard Pacifica

West Valley at Valley View

Woodbridge at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel

Workman at Western Christian

Xavier Prep at Linfield Christian

INTERSECTIONAL

Bell at Bell Gardens

Brawley at Palm Desert

Cleveland at Harvard-Westlake

Clovis West at Edison

Coachella Valley at Vista

Crespi at Gardena, 4 p.m.

Desert Oasis (NV) at Dana Hills, 6 p.m.

El Centro Southwest at Canyon Springs

Franklin at Lynwood

Garces at Paraclete, 7:30 p.m.

Hart at Birmingham

Huntington Park at Village Christian

Imperial at Serrano

Inglewood at Central East

Jurupa Hills at Central

Knight at El Camino Real

Lakewood at Carlsbad

LA Marshall at Glendale

LA Roosevelt at Paramount

La Serna at Rancho Bernardo, 7:15 p.m.

Los Alamitos at Kapolei (HI), 10:30 p.m.

Mendez at Bassett

Mission Hills at Quartz Hill

Mountain Empire at Anza Hamilton

Mullen (CO) at Crean Lutheran

Nordhoff at Taft

Northview at Green Valley (NV), 6 p.m.

Oxnard at Mission College Prep

Rancho Christian at University City

Rancho Dominguez at Compton

Ridgecrest Burroughs at Tehachapi, 7:30 p.m.

Rosamond at Eastside

Santa Ynez at Dos Pueblos

South Gate at La Mirada

St. John Bosco at Manatee (FL), 4:30 p.m.

St. Monica at Venice

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy at Sierra Vista (NV), 6 p.m.

Summit Academy (UT) at North Torrance

Torrance at San Pedro

Valhalla at San Jacinto Valley Academy

Warren (Downey, CA) at Farrington (HI), 10 p.m.

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Calvary Baptist at Victor Valley Christian

Desert Christian at Vista Meridian, 5 p.m.

INTERSECTIONAL

Academy of Careers & Exploration at Horizon Prep

Avalon at Fresno Christian

Cuyama Valley at Frazier Mountain, 7:30 p.m.

New Designs University Park at Southlands Christian, 4 p.m.

Tehillah Christian Academy at Valley Oaks CES

SATURDAY

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Cathedral City at Santa Rosa Academy, 6 p.m.

El Dorado at Diamond Bar

South El Monte at Alhambra

INTERSECTIONAL

San Fernando vs. Trinity Classical Academy at College of the Canyons, 6 p.m.

Bishop Montgomery vs. St. Louis (HI) at Radford, 10 p.m.

Carson vs. Villa Park at Fred Kelly Stadium

Mater Dei at Aquinas (FL), 12:30 p.m.

Orange Lutheran at Northwestern (FL), 4 p.m.

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

California Lutheran at Temecula Prep

Downey Calvary Chapel at Entrepreneur

Manchester United weigh up bid for Adam Wharton, Chelsea’s bid for Alessandro Bastoni rejected and Xavi Simons keen on Stamford Bridge switch

Manchester United are weighing up whether to make a bid for Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton, 21. (Talksport), external

Inter Milan have turned down a 50m euros (£43m) bid from Chelsea for Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni, 26. (La Gazzetta dello Sport), external

RB Leipzig and Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons, 22, has told the club he wants a transfer to Chelsea, despite interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City. (ESPN), external

AC Milan are keen to push through a 35m euros (£30.2m) deal for Denmark and Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund, 22, but are also considering Juventus and Serbia forward Dusan Vlahovic, 25, as an alternative. (La Gazzetta dello Sport), external

Manchester City and England right-back Rico Lewis, 20, say he has no intention of leaving the club despite interest from Nottingham Forest. (Mail), external

Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana, 29, was left out of Manchester United’s Premier League opener against Arsenal with the club considering a shock move to bring Spanish stopper David de Gea, 34, back to the club from Fiorentina. (Sun), external

However, United have committed their transfer funds to other positions after inquiring about Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 32, and Paris St-Germain and Italy stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Jadon Sancho’s salary is the sticking point in a £20m move from Manchester United to Roma. The 25-year-old England winger is keen to see if any other clubs step in and match his weekly wages of about £250,000. (Teamtalk) , external

Roma have also made contact with Manchester United about a deal for 26-year-old Netherlands left-back Tyrell Malacia, who is also interesting Besiktas. (Fabrizio Romano) , external

Atalanta are hoping to thrash out a deal with Fulham to sign their Brazilian forward Rodrigo Muniz, 24, for about 40m euros (£34.5m) on Monday. (Teamtalk), external

France forward Randal Kolo Muani, 26, has agreed a pay cut to join Juventus from Paris St-Germain, in a deal worth about 60m euros (£51.8m). (Corriere dello Sport in Italian) , external

Tottenham are considering a move for 24-year-old Real Sociedad and Japan winger Takefusa Kubo as Thomas Frank looks to bolster his attacking options. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Burnley and Sunderland are both interested in FC Copenhagen’s Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Pereira, 25. (Teamtalk), external

Arsenal are ready to swoop for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 28, with the Netherlands international’s contract set to expire next summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

United’s expensively-assembled new forward line draw a blank as Arsenal began title campaign with a tight win at Old Trafford.

Arsenal kept Manchester United’s expensively assembled forward line at bay and scored again from a set piece to win 1-0 at Old Trafford in the marquee match in the opening round of English football’s Premier League.

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori nodded in from close range in the 13th minute on Sunday after United back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayındır flapped at the ball from a corner whipped in by Declan Rice.

After finishing second for the past three seasons, the pressure is on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to deliver the club’s first league title since 2003-04.

The Spaniard was left to depend on his reliable defence and goalkeeper David Raya to secure a huge three points as the visitors never fully got going as an attacking force.

United, meanwhile, fell to a loss that is all too familiar under Ruben Amorim following a woeful 15th-place finish last season by the struggling giants of English football.

United spent around 200 million pounds ($270m) on revamping their attack in the preseason, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha starting the match and Benjamin Sesko coming off the bench in the second half.

Cunha and Mbeumo unsettled Arsenal’s normally unflappable centre-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba early on.

However, United’s good work was undone by a glaring error from Bayindir, who was deputising for Andre Onana.

Patrick Dorgu came closest to a United reply before half-time with a powerful effort from distance that came back off the post.

Mbeumo and Cunha saw tame efforts easily saved by Raya, while the Spaniard did brilliantly to divert another Cunha shot across the face of goal.

Arsenal had held interest in Sesko for well over a year before instead pursuing a move for Viktor Gyokeres as the solution to their need for a number nine. The Swede had a quiet Premier League debut and was replaced before the hour mark by Kai Havertz.

Sesko made his entrance moments later to a hero’s welcome after rejecting the advances of Newcastle for the lure of the 20-time English champions.

United continued to enjoy the better of the play without finding the finish as Mbeumo saw a powerful header expertly clawed out by Raya.

But Arsenal held firm to keep pace with title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, who also won on the opening weekend of the campaign.

Calafiori told Sky Sports after the match that his side have room to improve, despite the win.

“Like always, we were working a lot on our set pieces, and that is what we showed today. We have to improve if possible and keep going,” he said.

“If we want to compete at the high level, we have to be good in every position. My teammates are ready to play, and it is not easy to play every game. The confidence we have inside is going to bring up the level. Hopefully, I play a lot but if not there is another teammate that can play.”

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes said that while his team played well, they need to be more clinical in front of goal.

“We created lots of chances and didn’t score, so we have to do better next time. We controlled the game well, we were good on the ball,” he told Sky Sports.

“[Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo] created a lot [of opportunities and] they were in the right positions. We know they are dangerous, and they are a threat. We are very aware of what they can give to the team. It was a good first impression for them, but I’m pretty sure they will do much better.”

Elsewhere in the Premier League on Sunday, Chelsea failed to score in their opening league game, as they were held 0-0 by Crystal Palace in the Blues’ first competitive match as the Club World Cup champions.

A month after stunning Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, Chelsea toiled at Stamford Bridge after a short preseason because of the team’s exertions in the United States.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest hit the ground running with a 3-1 win over Brentford, with striker Chris Wood – the team’s top scorer last season, with 20 goals – netting twice in the first half, on either side of a goal by Dan Ndoye on his debut.

All matches on Sunday featured a period of silence before kickoff as a tribute to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, the brothers who were killed in a car crash in Spain last month. Jota was a player for Liverpool at the time.

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

Huntington Park 20, Kennedy 7

Sotomayor 21, New Designs University Park 0

Sotomayor 8, New Designs University Park 7

Wilson 37, Huntington Park 6

Wilson 38, Kennedy 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 13, Long Beach Poly 6

Classical Academy 53, Mission Viejo 0

Dos Pueblos 12, Aliso Niguel 0

Dos Pueblos 20, Fullerton 6

Esperanza 19, Woodbridge 6

Esperanza 19, Mira Costa 0

Fullerton 20, Long Beach Poly 6

Gahr 34, Cypress 13

Hacienda Heights Wilson 13, Villa Park 12

Lancaster 19, Saugus 12

Long Beach Cabrillo 33, Glenn 22

Long Beach Jordan 42, Mayfair 6

Mater Dei 25, Mission Viejo 0

Mission Hills 30, Santa Monica 0

Norwalk 13, Western 6

Orange Lutheran 32, Warren 6

Orange Lutheran 12, Western Christian 0

Sage Hill 15, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

Segerstrom 33, Garden Grove Santiago 0

St. Anthony 12, St. Paul 7

Vasquez 33, PACS 0

Villa Park 12, Hacienda Heights Wilson 13

Western Christian 20, Warren 6

INTERSECTIONAL

LA Marshall 35, Alemany 6

Mission Hills 30, Santa Monica 0

Vincent Memorial 28, Mira Costa 6

Vincent Memorial 21, Woodbridge 19

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 20, Ayala 6

Agoura 48, Oxnard Pacifica 7

Anaheim Canyon 12, Upland 0

Anaheim Canyon 25, Upland 6

Ayala 39, Oxnard Pacifica 6

Beaumont 51, Shadow Hills 16

Bishop Amat 20, Hart 6

Bonita 25, West Covina 12

Bonita 45, San Gabriel 0

Bonita 48, Sierra Vista 0

Buena Park 14, Nogales 7

California 32, Montebello 0

Camarillo 26, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 8

Camarillo 33, Westlake 22

Canyon Springs 19, Yucaipa 7

Chaparral 33, Ontario Christian 8

Chino 13, Colton 0

Citrus Valley 23, Los Osos 19

Corona Santiago 6, El Dorado 0

Esperanza 20, Aliso Niguel 14

Fillmore 24, Calabasas 7

Fullerton 7, Mission Viejo 6

Keppel 12, Baldwin Park 12

La Sierra 23, California Military Institute 6

Los Osos 50, Victor Valley 2

Mater Dei 20, Esperanza 19

Mission Viejo 14, Long Beach Poly 13

Newbury Park 44, Highland 16

Norco 18, Murrieta Valley 0

Orange Lutheran 26, Aliso Niguel 0

Oxnard 52, Thousand Oaks 6

Oxnard 54, St. Bonaventure 0

Rio Mesa 28, Fillmore 0

Rio Mesa 46, Calabasas 0

Riverside Poly 21, Canyon Springs 0

Riverside Poly 24, Yucaipa 7

San Marcos 52, Highland 6

San Marcos 33, Newbury Park 12

Santa Margarita 13, San Marcos 0

Santa Margarita 44, Newbury Park 12

Sierra Vista 25, San Gabriel 15

Temescal Canyon 2, Norco 0

Temecula Prep 20, Chaparral 12

Temecula Prep 32, Temecula Valley 0

Temple City 28, Arroyo 6

Thousand Oaks 19, St. Bonaventure 14

Upland 19, South Hills 13

Upland 26, Corona Santiago 19

Warren 13, Mira Costa 6

Warren 12, Fullerton 7

Westlake 28, Camarillo 6

Woodbridge 13, Mission Viejo 0

Woodbridge 20, Warren 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Castaic 7, San Fernando 0

Bonita Vista 18, Downey 2

North County San Marcos 27, Santa Monica 0

Valencia 26, Kennedy 12

Colombian winger scores on his competitive debut for Bayern Munich in a victory over Stuttgart in the German Supercup.

Luis Diaz, making his Bayern Munich debut, and Harry Kane scored for the reigning Bundesliga champions in a 2-1 away victory against Stuttgart in the German Supercup.

The match, which opens the German season with the league and cup winners facing off, was held for the first time since it was renamed for football legend Franz Beckenbauer, who died in 2024.

A year into their attacking partnership, Michael Olise and Kane were again Bayern’s most dangerous pairing, combining for the opener with 18 minutes played.

Off balance and falling, Kane collected Olise’s pass and hit a low shot across the grass and into the bottom corner for his 86th goal in his 97th Bayern appearance.

Pushed on by a 60,000-strong home crowd, Stuttgart went looking for an equaliser late in the second half, but Bayern broke through on the counter, with Diaz heading in from close range in the 77th minute.

Diaz – who joined Bayern from Liverpool last month and remains the club’s biggest deal of the offseason – ran to the corner post and sat on the grass, mimicking former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota’s video-game celebration.

It was the latest tribute for Portugal winger Jota, who died in a car accident in July.

Stuttgart pulled a goal back through Jamie Leweling in stoppage time.

The win netted Kane a second team trophy of his career after the 32-year-old broke his duck to win the Bundesliga last season.

Praising his charges for a “deserved win”, Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich said the victory would set the tone for the season.

“We wanted to show everyone that we’re here. Wins and titles are not a given – we have to appreciate them,” Kimmich told Germany’s Sat 1 network.

Bayern open the Bundesliga season on Friday at home against Leipzig, while Stuttgart face Union Berlin in the German capital a day later.

The Argentinian superstar returns from injury to score a goal and add an assist as Inter downs Galaxy at Chase Stadium.

Lionel Messi returned from injury as a reserve and scored in the 84th minute to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over the defending Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions, Los Angeles Galaxy.

The iconic 38-year-old Argentinian striker was back on the field on Saturday for Miami after suffering what Inter coach Javier Mascherano had called a “minor muscle injury” – an apparent hamstring strain – in Inter’s Leagues Cup victory over Mexican side Necaxa on August 2.

“It had been something very small,” Mascherano said of his injury after the match. “The three training sessions we had were good. The important thing is that the match ended. As the minutes went by, I saw him better. We have to see how he feels tomorrow.”

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who missed a Leagues Cup win over Pumas UNAM and last weekend’s MLS loss at Orlando City, was on the bench as a reserve before entering in the second half, replacing Telasco Segovia.

“We had planned the match to give minutes to Leo [Messi]. The idea was to give him 45 minutes so that he can find sensations,” Mascherano said. “I didn’t see him after the game. Tomorrow, we’ll see what feelings he had.

“He’s an extraordinary player. I saw that he was clearly not 100 percent comfortable, but as the minutes went by, he was loosening up more and more. We will have to see how he ended with the fatigue.”

Jordi Alba scored for Miami in the 43rd minute, but Joseph Paintsil equalised for the Galaxy in the 59th minute.

Messi dominates late

Messi’s brilliant goal six minutes from full-time – a thunderous left foot strike fired from the edge of the penalty area that caromed off the bottom corner of the net – restored the lead for Miami.

He then put the victory beyond doubt with a sensational 89th-minute assist to teammate Luis Suarez, who put the home side ahead 3-1.

Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, has 19 goals and 10 assists in 19 MLS appearances for Miami this season.

He also has the Herons into the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, which they won in 2023, just after Messi’s arrival. Miami will play the Tigres in a Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday.

“He wants to play every single game,” Mascherano said. “You have to understand why Leo is Leo. He always wants to be on the pitch. He’s happy there. Sometimes, we try to explain him that we have to go slowly, but when he feels good, he knows himself like no one. In the end, we tried to give him some minutes today to start having good feelings for Wednesday.”

Inter Miami rank fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference, six points behind MLS leaders Philadelphia, but with three matches in hand.

The Foothill League doesn’t have to take a back seat to any league when it comes to tradition and success, from producing state champions to being the league where Hall of Fame coaches Harry Welch and Mike Herrington once saw huge success.

All seven schools that are part of the William S. Hart Union High School District took part Saturday in the first Foothill League media day at Saugus High. There’s much to admire about the league, including that all seven schools have athletic trainers and six of the seven head coaches are also full-time teachers.

Hart, Canyon and Valencia have produced their share of NFL players. And this season, Valencia has the talent to make a run in Southern Section Division 2 or 3 with the return of running back Brian Bonner, a Washington commit, and quarterback Brady Bretthauer.

Coach Larry Muir is entering his 20th season as head coach and still teaching four classes of U.S. history each day. “He’s a lot nicer in the classroom,” Bretthauer joked. “He picks on the football player.”

Bretthauer also revealed how he motivates his linemen to block. “If I get sacked, no In-N-Out,” he said.

Even though Muir is challenged daily to balance his time and commitment from teaching to coaching football, Muir said he wouldn’t want it any other way. “I love being in the classroom,” he said. “I literally don’t feel I go to work. “

The rivalries in the league guarantee the sports-crazed Santa Clarita Valley weekly entertainment. About the only issue is a lack of stadiums. Canyon and Valencia have stadiums and College of the Canyons also hosts games.

“It’s playoffs every week,” Golden Valley coach Dan Kelley said. “There are no slouches.”

Golden Valley will have a four-year starter in lineman Evan Nye, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior.

Castaic is turning to junior Aidan Mojica, a former tight end, as its new quarterback. There’s a promising sophomore linebacker in Lucas Duryea, who will be eligible at the end of September after transferring from Chaminade.

West Ranch has a first-year head coach in TJ Yonkers. Its top returning defensive player is Max Piccolino, who had 15 1/2 sacks last season.

Carson Soria, a former receiver, is moving to quarterback for Canyon. He’s also the punter, so beware of trick plays.

Hart quarterback Jacob Paisano will be trying to get the ball to junior Matix Frithsmith in a variety ways, whether Frithsmith is playing running back or slot receiver. Two of Hart’s players are the sons of principal Jason D’Autremont.

Saugus has the son of Valencia principal Kullen Welch playing for them, which should make for an interesting game when those two schools play. Beckham Welch is an offensive lineman for the Centurions.

Saugus coach Jason Bornn, who organized the media day, wondered how many championships would be won if the talent in the area was concentrated at one or two schools rather than seven.

“If we only had one or two high schools, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco wouldn’t have a chance,” he said.

Who: Manchester United vs Arsenal
What: English Premier League
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, August 16 at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Arsenal face an immediate test of their Premier League title credentials against a revamped Manchester United.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the game.

How does the season shape up for Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to keep digging for gold.

The Gunners have finished as Premier League runners-up for the last three seasons, sparking criticism of their failure to get over the line in the title race.

Arsenal blew significant leads when Manchester City pipped them to the trophy in 2023 and 2024, before Liverpool left the injury-plagued north Londoners trailing in their wake last season.

Arsenal’s title frustrations are mounting, with fans questioning whether Arteta is the right man to end their drought after winning only the 2020 FA Cup since he took charge in December 2019.

But the Gunners showed their potential last season, with a run to the Champions League semifinals that ended with a narrow defeat against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.

And, buoyed by a host of new signings worth more than 180 million pounds ($244 million) in total, Arteta is convinced they can finally get their hands on the Premier League silverware this season.

“You keep digging, digging, digging, and you have to be digging because one day the gold is going to be there,” he told reporters on Friday.

“For three seasons, we’ve had more points than [nearly] any other team in this league, which is incredible.

“You have the consistency, but now we have to do it in a season, to end with more points than any other team.

“That’s the objective. When I’ve been taught, when I’ve been educated, that’s it.”

Hampered by injuries to Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz at various stages last season, Arsenal lacked a cutting edge and were held to 14 draws compared with Liverpool’s nine.

That was a crucial edge as Arsenal finished 10 points behind the champions.

Who did Arsenal sign this summer?

In an attempt to insulate Arsenal against another fitness-related collapse, Arteta has brought in Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, Chelsea winger Noni Madueke and Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard.

After bemoaning Arsenal’s failure to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins as Liverpool pulled away during the January window, the Spaniard is a far more upbeat figure on the eve of the new season.

“I think we have great versatility, very different qualities in relation to the opposition, so we are very happy with that,” he said.

Arteta said that “too many” teams have a legitimate shot at winning the Premier League for his liking, some he even suspects will “surprise everybody”.

Whether that was a hint that United, who suffered their worst season since 1973-74 last term, could emerge as contenders after their summer spending spree remains to be seen.

Arsenal were linked with a move for United’s new striker Benjamin Sesko before deciding to bet on Gyokeres for a fee that could rise to 66 million pounds ($89.5m).

The Swede netted 97 times in 102 games in two years at Sporting, much of which came under United’s current manager, Ruben Amorim.

How is the season shaping up for Man Utd?

Instead of being reunited with Gyokeres, Amorim overhauled his attack with the signings of Leipzig’s Sesko, Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo and Wolves forward Matheus Cunha at a combined cost of more than 200 million pounds ($271m).

United, who have not won the title since 2013, had to spend big to erase the stench of their putrid campaign.

Amorim’s team finished a dismal 15th in the top-flight, and squandered a chance to qualify for the Champions League with a toothless 1-0 defeat against fellow underachievers Tottenham in the Europa League final.

The pressure is on Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, to deliver major improvements in his second season.

Amorim knows Sesko will be key to that target and believes the 22-year-old Slovenian is ready to rise to the challenge.

“I don’t need to tell Ben, ‘Ben, this is Manchester United, a lot of pressure. Every game is like do or die’,” Amorim said.

“He is always thinking about football. He’s really obsessed about that.”

Head-to-head

This is the 244th meeting between the clubs, with United winning 99 of those games and Arsenal winning 89.

The last two meetings ended in 1-1 draws, although one of those was in the FA Cup with United advancing on penalties.

The Red Devils have not beaten the Gunners since December 2022, a 3-1 home win lead by a Marcus Rashford double.

The Gunners have won four of the six following meetings.

Manchester United team news

Defenders Lisandro Martinez (knee) and Noussair Mazraoui (hamstring) are both injury absentees for United.

Joshua Zirkzee and Andre Onana have, however, both recovered from knocks and are available for selection.

Arsenal team news

Arteta has said that the new signings, Gyokeres and Zubimendi, are both “fit to play”.

Leandro Trossard has had a groin problem but is expected to recover in time for selection. Gabriel Jesus remains a long-term absentee with an ACL injury, but otherwise, Arteta has a full squad to choose from.

Manchester United predicted starting lineup

Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko

Arsenal predicted starting lineup

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha both find the net in Barcelona’s 3-0 La Liga win at Mallorca, who had two players sent off.

Barcelona began the defence of its La Liga title with a comfortable 3-0 win at Mallorca, scoring early and taking advantage of two first-half red cards for the hosts.

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who led Barcelona’s prolific attack last season, needed only seven minutes to impress again on Saturday. Yamal’s curling cross found Raphinha by the far post, and the Brazil forward headed in from close range.

Ferran Torres’s shot from outside the area in the 23rd was a goal that drew complaints from Mallorca because one of its players was on the ground after being hit by the ball in the head in the buildup.

Some Mallorca players stopped playing after their teammate went down, but the referee allowed play to continue. Mallorca immediately complained after Ferran scored.

The host went a man down 10 minutes later when Manu Morlanes was sent off for a second yellow card for fouling Yamal on the run. His first yellow was for protesting Barcelona’s second goal.

The second red card in the 39th came from Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi hitting the head of Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García with his left foot while reaching up for a high ball. The referee changed the card from yellow to red after a video review.

Yamal made it 3-0 in second-half stoppage time by hitting the top corner.

Barcelona, which won the league last season after scoring 102 goals, was without veteran striker Robert Lewandowski because of an injury. Newly signed forward Marcus Rashford went in as a substitute in the 69th.

New Barcelona goalkeeper García did not have to work much in his Barcelona debut after being signed in the offseason in a transfer from city rival Espanyol.

Regular starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out after undergoing lower back surgery, and García started ahead of Wojciech Szczesny and Iñaki Peña, who replaced Ter Stegen last season.

Later Saturday, Valencia hosted Real Sociedad and promoted Levante visited Alaves.

On Friday, Rayo Vallecano won at Girona 3-1, and Villarreal defeated promoted Oviedo 2-0.

Atletico Madrid is at Espanyol on Sunday, while Real Madrid hosts Osasuna on Tuesday.