The Premier League is a ruthless competition and there are only so many times that Arsenal can survive playing in it without 11 footballers on the pitch. Already this season they had escaped with 10 men for long spells against Brighton and Manchester City, but that run of luck ended in painful circumstances here, against an impressive and dangerous Bournemouth side.
On this occasion, Mikel Arteta’s players were forced to play for more than an hour with 10 men, following a straight red card shown to William Saliba. Bournemouth, energetic throughout, eventually found a way through, scoring decisive goals through Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert in the second half.
Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the campaign is over and their disciplinary problem is becoming increasingly damaging, even if Saliba’s red card was different to those picked up by Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard earlier in the campaign. The fact remains that Arsenal have received red cards in three of their eight league matches this season. That, clearly, is not how you win the Premier League title.
“We are gutted because we had to play in that context again,” said Arteta. “It was even more difficult than the previous two that we have faced this season. To do it with 65 minutes [remaining] with 10 men at this level, it’s just an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”
Saliba turning point
A secondary blow is that Saliba, who had never before been sent off in 157 league appearances in France and England, will now be unavailable for next week’s meeting with Liverpool. Arsenal will also be without the injured Martin Odegaard, and there are doubts over the fitness of Bukayo Saka after he did not feature here. Suddenly, these are challenging times.
It was an evening that could be divided into two separate parts: before Saliba’s red, and after. The game that took place in the opening 30 minutes was largely unremarkable, more attritional than aesthetically pleasing, with few chances for either team. A battle, rather than a dance.
Then came the pivotal moment, which stemmed from a disastrous error by Leandro Trossard. The Arsenal forward inadvertently played the ball over his own defence and into the path of Bournemouth’s Evanilson, who would have had a free run at goal if he had not been brought down by Saliba. “It is a split-second decision you have to make,” said Arteta of his defender.
Arsenal were unable to recover from William Saliba’s first-half dismissal Credit: Reuters/Ian Walton
It was hardly the most violent of fouls but it seemed clear that Saliba had denied Evanilson a clear chance to score. In front of the watching refereeing boss Howard Webb, match official Robert Jones upgraded the initial yellow card to a red following a visit to the pitchside monitor.
Social media being what it is, there were some online concerns that Webb had somehow intervened in the decision. The cameras cut to him during the process which resulted in Saliba’s red, and he was evidently listening intently to an earpiece. Telegraph Sport understands, though, that Webb is only able to listen to the refereeing communications network, rather than speak on it himself.
Fans on social media questioned Howard Webb’s involvement in the aftermath of Saliba’s red card Credit: Sky Sports
Amid all the anger in the away end, there was time for some humour, too. “10 men again, 10 men again, olé, olé,” sang the Arsenal supporters as Arteta reorganised the structure of his team.
Inevitably, Arsenal came under sustained pressure following the loss of Saliba. Yet it was Arteta’s side who created the best chance of the game with around 20 minutes remaining. A mistake by Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga resulted in the ball falling to Gabriel Martinelli, but the Brazilian’s finish was weak. “A big moment,” admitted the Arsenal manager.
Arsenal are usually the masters of set pieces but here they were undone by a corner. The delivery was fizzed in low and then diverted into the path of Christie, who finished emphatically.
That opening goal was the least Bournemouth had deserved for their intense and aggressive performance, with wingers Antoine Semenyo and Dango Ouattara both causing frequent problems for Arsenal’s defence. Evanilson’s movement was also a consistent source of bother for the visitors.
“It was a mature win because it is a tricky situation [playing against 10 men],” said Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola. “The red card changes the game. We had to control the game, attack but not lose our minds. Even with 10 men, on set plays and free-kicks they can be a threat. Luckily for us we took the benefit of having one man more.”
For Iraola, a childhood team-mate of Arteta’s, there would have been extra satisfaction at the identity of his goalscorers: both players came off the bench to impact the game. Kluivert’s goal came around 10 minutes from the end, converted from the penalty spot after another Arsenal error — this time by Jakub Kiwior — led to David Raya fouling Evanilson.
Man Utd looking to end five-game winless run against Brentford on Saturday
Red Devils dealing with injury crisis ahead of Old Trafford clash
Bees could welcome Yoane Wissa back into their matchday squad
Manchester United will hope to drag themselves closer to the top half of the Premier League table when they host quick starters Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Devils have made an infamously poor start to the campaign, recording their record-worst points tally at this point since the division reformed in 1992. Manager Erik ten Hag has also been hit by another injury crisis, limiting his resources ahead of the battle with the crafty Bees.
Thomas Frank has his own fitness concerns to deal with and will want a strong away performance to maintain or increase the current two-point advantage they hold over United.
Man Utd team news
Mainoo’s absence is a big blow for United /GettyImages
United boss Ten Hag remains under extreme pressure and hasn’t been helped by the injury crisis which grew larger over the international break.
Kobbie Mainoo is set to miss the new few weeks of action after withdrawing from the England squad with a muscle problem, while Manuel Ugarte is struggling after returning from Uruguay duty with a suspected knock. If he isn’t fit, that would leave only Christian Eriksen and Casemiro available in central midfield.
Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are both absent, though Dutchman Malacia is getting closer to returning. Noussair Mazraoui is good to play after having precautionary heart surgery but Harry Maguire is also out alongside Leny Yoro, while there are doubts over Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho and Mason Mount.
Brentford team news
Yoane Wissa could return from injury on Saturday /GettyImages
Manager Frank has confirmed midfielders Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard are both available having suffered recent injury scares, but fellow Dane Mathias Jensen is unlikely to feature given he’s been out since late August.
Striker Yoane Wissa is training with the squad again and is a surprise contender to be fit for Saturday’s trip, but Igor Thiago, Josh Dasilva, Aaron Hickey and Gustavo Nunes have all been ruled out.
Man Utd vs Brentford prediction
This feels like a huge game for United and Ten Hag, who haven’t tasted victory since thrashing Barsnley 7-0 in the Carabao Cup. It’s been a bleak five-game run ever since and the manager hasn’t been aided by key players going down with significant injuries.
Brentford have already posed problems for the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur this season and their fast starts could provoke more uncertainty and frustration among the Old Trafford faithful.
United will have to be at their most clinical and defensively stout to edge past this resolute Brentford side, but they might just scrape the win they need to alleviate some of the pressure on Ten Hag’s weary shoulders.
Enzo Maresca has said Chelsea captain Reece James has recovered from injury and is available to make his first appearance of the season against Liverpool on Sunday.
James has suffered with frequent muscular injuries over the past few seasons and has not featured in a competitive game for the club since the penultimate match of the 2023-24 campaign when he was sent off during a 2-1 win over Brighton.
Asked about James’ fitness after he returned to full training on Monday, Maresca said: “He’s available, yeah, finally he’s back. He worked with us all the international break and it’s good news especially for him because the injury is not a good feeling. So finally he’s back.”
James played just 482 minutes of first-team football last season as hamstring injuries kept him on the sidelines. The right-back underwent surgery in an attempt to correct the issues in December 2023, before he picked up another hamstring injury during the club’s preseason tour of the United States this summer.
Maresca said that he plans to ease James back into the first-team picture slowly by initially limiting his match time as the player’s body cannot cope with two matches in a week.
“It’s complicated when you get injury, injury, injury again it’s not easy so you are always looking for a solution,” Maresca told a news conference on Friday.
“Probably the solution with Reece is the same solution we are using with Romeo [Lavia] and Wes [Wesley Fofana] in terms of using them just once a week, one game. Because probably in this moment, for different reasons, Reece’s body cannot play for instance twice a week.”
Chelsea will travel to Anfield with confidence following their encouraging start to the season — they are fourth in the table and are looking to maintain their unbeaten record away from home.
Maresca was named the Premier League’s manager of the month for September, while Cole Palmer picked up the player of the month award after he scored five goals and provided one assist in four matches.
Chelsea will be without defenders Marc Cucurella and Fofana for the trip to Anfield after they both picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest before the international break
Gameweek 8 kicks off with London derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Spurs looking to bounce back after shocking 3-2 Brighton loss
Hammers beat Ipswich 4-1 before October international break
The Premier League returns at midday on Saturday with a London derby as Tottenham Hotspur host West Ham United.
Spurs had been in great form and seemed to be racing towards another victory when they went 2-0 up at Brighton & Hove Albion just before the October international break. However, they chucked away that lead as they slid to an embarrassing defeat, leaving Ange Postecoglou gormless at full-time.
The Hammers, meanwhile, managed to put a run of five games without a win behind them last time out when they thumped Ipswich Town 4-1, earning Julen Lopetegui a first home victory in charge in the process.
Tottenham team news
Son has missed three games due to injury / Marc Atkins/GettyImages
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has been sidelined with a muscle complaint since the 3-0 Europa League victory over Qarabag but there is hope he could be fit to play on Saturday. If not, loan winger Timo Werner will likely retain his place on the left flank.
There’ll be a decision for manager Postecoglou to make whether he picks Rodrigo Bentancur or Yves Bissouma in central midfield, with both players travelling great distances during the international break.
Richarlison has returned to training, having not played since August, but Wilson Odobert is still on the treatment table and unlikely to feature.
West Ham team news
Fullkrug was injured in Germany training / Lars Baron/GettyImages
Lopetegui has few injury concerns, though summer signing Niclas Fullkrug was injured in Germany training back in September and won’t be available at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He hasn’t played for West Ham since a cameo appearance against Manchester City at the end of August.
A strike from Michail Antonio helped the Hammers become the first visiting team to beat Tottenham at their new stadium and the Jamaica international could start up front after scoring his first Premier League goal of the season against Ipswich in their most recent outing.
Tottenham vs West Ham score prediction
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has been stewing ever since the defeat at Brighton and will demand a response from his side on Saturday. A win is needed to reestablish his side as top-four contenders but this London derby is often competitive and the Hammers won’t want to roll over for their London rivals.
Lopetegui oversaw a much-needed win against Ipswich and his style of play may well get some success here if the Irons can take advantage of their opportunities.
It could be a high-scoring thriller, but Tottenham might just edge it.
Saka limped off against Greece and missed England’s win over Finland after returning to Arsenal.
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Mikel Arteta has confirmed Bukayo Saka did not suffer a serious hamstring injury while on international duty and could be fit for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth.
The Arsenal winger was forced off in England’s defeat to Greece and swiftly returned to his club, missing the Three Lions’ victory over Finland.
That left the Gunners sweating over Saka’s fitness, and fearing another injury blow to a key player, but Arteta has suggested the 23-year-old could be fit to face Bournemouth this weekend.
“It’s not a serious injury,” Arteta said at his press conference on Friday. “He’s evolving really well.
“He’s done a few things in the last few days when he came back from the national team after the second game.
“We are hopeful. We have a training session this afternoon and he did some bits yesterday, so let’s see if he can make it on time.”
Saka’s availability would be a major boost for the Gunners heading into a busy schedule, starting on Saturday with a trip to face Bournemouth.
Arsenal then host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in midweek, before welcoming Liverpool to north London for a crucial Premier League clash next weekend.
Interim England boss Lee Carsley had suggested Saka’s injury was a minor one, revealing he would have been in contention to face Finland has he stayed with the England squad.
“Bukayo would have been close but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him,” Carsley said. “He’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”
There are now no two ways about it, Real Madrid must sign a right-back. It was always their aim but it’s turned from a luxury to a necessity, after Dani Carvajal suffered a season-ending injury.
While we wish club legend Dani Carvajal all the best in his rehabilitation, Real Madrid must now focus on finding a solution. In many ways, signing Trent Alexander-Arnold is the most logical solution.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is only under contract at Liverpool until 2025. This means that Real Madrid could either sign him for free in the summer or at a reduced rate in January.
Carlo Ancelotti pushes Real Madrid to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold
According to a report from Football Insider, it is Carlo Ancelotti who is at the heart of Real Madrid’s push to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Italian boss is personally a big fan of the Liverpool defender.
Carlo Ancelotti is very knowledgable when it comes to English football. After all, the Real Madrid boss has spent time coaching in the Premier League, even residing in Merseyside while managing Liverpool’s rivals Everton.
There have been a few Real Madrid transfer targets in the past orchestrated by Carlo Ancelotti following his time at other clubs. While the transfer didn’t happen, Real Madrid wanted to sign Jarrad Branthwaite, since Carlo Ancelotti gave him his Everton debut.
So, this transfer story comes as no surprise. Carlo Ancelotti has worked with the best players in the history of the game, so he knows a thing or two about how to spot talent. In many ways, Real Madrid are best-placed to listen to any transfer insight given to them by the manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is an attacking full-back. He is one of the best passers in the world and he also possesses a mean set-piece routine. He is primarily a full-back but he can also play in the midfield, which will aid the fluidity of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
Thomas Tuchel has been announced as England’s new head coach, the Football Association confirmed on Wednesday.
Tuchel, 51, will start work on Jan. 1, with interim boss Lee Carsley remaining in charge for next month’s UEFA Nations League doubleheader against Greece and Republic of Ireland.
Tuchel’s appointment concludes a search conducted by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott which began in July following Gareth Southgate’s decision to step down after England lost the Euro 2024 final to Spain.
In a statement, former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Tuchel said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.
“I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.”
Image: Getty
Tuchel’s new assistant will be Anthony Barry. The pair originally met at Chelsea before Tuchel convinced Barry to join Bayern in April 2023. Barry, 38, has previously worked with Belgium and Republic of Ireland before most recently forming part of Portugal’s backroom team under Roberto Martinez.
Tuchel said: “Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
The FA view Tuchel’s arrival as a significant coup given they set themselves the target of securing a candidate with a “strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions.”
Tuchel has won 11 major honours including the 2021 Champions League with a Chelsea side that featured several England internationals including Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount, who has since joined Manchester United. Tuchel also worked with England captain Harry Kane at Bayern before his departure at the end of last season.
Image: Getty
There were widespread rumors on Tuesday evening that the FA spoke with several candidates including Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. In Wednesday’s announcement, the organisation claimed Tuchel signed his contract on Oct. 8.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” Bullingham said.
“Our recruitment process has been very thorough. Before the Euros we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach.
“Since Gareth resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria.
“Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.
“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him — he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway. He will now focus on retaining the U21 Euro title in the summer. These are exciting times for England fans at senior and U21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January.”
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, reacted to the news on social media, saying: “Exciting times for England, with a generation of talented players and a new manager taking the reins.
“Thomas, wishing you the best of luck, we’re all behind you! W.”
Paul Pogba’s four-year doping ban has been cut to 18 months on appeal, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) now explaining their decision.
World Cup winner appealed original ruling
Cleared to resume career from March 2025
Questions asked of his future at Juventus
The World Cup winner was handed a four-year suspension after failing initial tests in September 2023. Serious questions were asked of whether the former Manchester United midfielder would ever play again, as his contract at Juventus was reduced to the lowest possible terms.
Pogba took his case to CAS, in a bid to clear his name and argue that he never intended to break the rules, and has now seen it confirmed that he will be cleared to resume his professional playing career in March 2025. Pogba had unknowingly ingested DHEA after being prescribed a supplement containing the banned substance, although the player accepted he should have been more careful.
Getty images
A statement from CAS reads: “The CAS Panel based its decision on the evidence and legal arguments made that Mr Pogba’s ingestion of DHEA, the substance for which he tested positive, was not intentional and was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida, after Mr Pogba had been given assurances that the medical doctor, who had claimed to treat several high level US and international athletes, was knowledgeable and would be mindful of Mr Pogba’s anti-doping obligations under the World Anti-Doping Code. Mr Pogba sought a sanction of only 12 months in recognition of the presence of some fault on his part (he did not seek a determination of no fault or negligence from the CAS Panel).”
Pogba has been informed that he should “as a professional football player, have paid a greater care in the circumstances” – meaning that he must still serve a ban – but the terms of his sanction have been reduced. It remains to be seen when and where his next appearance will be, with there suggestions that Juve may yet terminate a contract that is due to run until 2026.
The longest unbeaten run in English top-flight history is held by Arsenal between May 2003 and October 2004, with Arsène Wenger’s Gunners side going a ridiculous 49 matches without a Premier League defeat.
38 of these 49 games came in a single season, as Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ went an entire campaign without defeat – the only Premier League team to ever do so – with a record of 24 wins and 12 draws.
When Arsenal defeated Southampton 6-1 at Highbury in May 2003, little did fans know that they were seeing the start of something special.
That emphatic win saw a rare occurrence itself, with both Jermaine Pennant and Robert Pires scoring hat-tricks in the game for the Gunners – up until October 2019, the only occasion that two players had scored trebles for the same team in a Premier League match (Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Pérez replicated this in Leicester’s 9-0 away win, also against Southampton in 2019-20, while Erling Haaland and Phil Foden did the same for Manchester City against Manchester United in a 6-3 victory in 2022-23).
Across the 49 matches, Arsenal won 121 of a possible 147 points (W26 D13), which was 19 more than any other side and they scored 35 more goals than any other side (112), proving that whilst winning matches they kept entertainment high.
Arsenal’s run eventually came to an end at Old Trafford in a 2-0 defeat to Man Utd on 24 October 2004 in a match that had huge ramifications for the 2004-05 title. Goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney in the final 17 minutes sealed the victory for United in a match that was tagged as the ‘Battle of the Buffet’ after it was alleged that a brawl between the players took place at the end, with a slice of pizza hitting Alex Ferguson’s head. It was also alleged that Arsenal players wore shirts underneath their kit with “50 not out” printed on.
Arsenal’s form stuttered following that defeat, dropping nine points in their following five games and eventually losing out to Chelsea for the title by 12 points in José Mourinho’s first season with the Blues.
Liverpool: 44 Matches 12 January 2019 to 24 February 2020
Liverpool came the closest to replicating Arsenal’s 49-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League between January 2019 and February 2020, but eventually fell five games short.
Not only were Liverpool 44 games unbeaten when they travelled to Vicarage Road to face Nigel Pearson’s Watford, they had won their last 18 matches in a row and were looking to break the all-time English top-flight record with a victory in this encounter. As it happened, they were left shell-shocked by a phenomenal display from the Hornets.
Ahead of this game, Liverpool held a 22-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a record of 26 wins and one draw, while Watford were second-from-bottom and a point from safety. In one of the biggest shocks in Premier League history, Watford won 3-0 thanks to goals from Ismaïla Sarr (2) and Troy Deeney.
Across Liverpool’s 44-game unbeaten Premier League run, they dropped just 10 of a possible 132 points and averaged 2.77 points per game. Only two players played in every single match during this run: Andrew Robertson and Virgil van Dijk, with the latter starting all 44.
Despite this defeat – and the eventual three month break due to the Covid-19 pandemic – Liverpool still went on to win the Premier League title for the first time, finishing on 99 points and setting the English top-flight record for the earliest title win in a season, doing so with seven matches remaining.
Chelsea: 40 Matches 23 October 2004 to 29 October 2005
The day before Arsenal’s record 49-game unbeaten run came to an end at Old Trafford, Chelsea started a Premier League unbeaten run of their own – the third-longest in Premier League history.
Following a 1-0 away defeat to Manchester City on 16 October – Mourinho’s first loss during his reign at Stamford Bridge – Chelsea went unbeaten for the remaining 29 games of 2004-05 and then the first 11 of 2005-06. That start to 2005-06 also saw them open the Premier League campaign with nine successive victories, which is the best start to a Premier League season by any side.
The key to Mourinho’s early success during his Premier League managerial career was Chelsea’s mean defensive record. Across their 40-game unbeaten run, Chelsea conceded just 19 goals overall and kept 24 clean sheets. However, that’s not to say they couldn’t entertain in attack either, with the Blues averaging 2.3 goals per game across this stretch.
Just like Arsenal a year earlier, Chelsea’s unbeaten run fell at the hands of Man Utd at Old Trafford. The Red Devils enjoyed a 1-0 win over Mourinho’s side thanks to Darren Fletcher’s first-half header on the 19th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson’s appointment as United boss.
Chelsea didn’t let the defeat affect them too much, however, as they went on to win their following 10 Premier League matches in succession and conceded just four goals.
Arsenal: 30 Matches 23 December 2001 to 6 October 2002
Before Arsenal’s record-breaking 49-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, they had set a new club record 30 games without a defeat in between December 2001 and October 2002.
Starting just before Christmas 2001 with a 2-1 away win at Anfield against Liverpool, the Gunners secured 25 wins and five draws over the 30 games, with the 21-game unbeaten run at the end of 2001-02 helping them secure the Premier League title over Liverpool by seven points.
Their run of 30 games unbeaten came to an end with a 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park to Everton on 19 October 2002, before losing again the following Saturday at home to Blackburn Rovers by the same score – one of only two home defeats in league competition across just over three years.
Wenger is still the only manager in Premier League history to have secured two unbeaten runs of 30+ games.
Manchester City: 30 Matches 4 April 2017 to 2 January 2018
Man City ended the 2016-17 Premier League season in strong form, with an eight-game unbeaten run (W6 D2), before carrying through that form into 2017-18 with a 22-game unbeaten start in which they dropped just four points (W20 D2).
City’s unbeaten run was finally ended by Liverpool at Anfield in a brilliant 4-3 win for the Reds, but this was one of only two defeats and six games that they failed to win in 2017-18, as Pep Guardiola’s side became the first team in English top-flight league history to secure 100 points in a single season.
Manchester City: 30 Matches
10 December 2023 to Present (Ongoing)
City were deserverdly beaten by Aston Villa in December 2023, but they didn’t let that get to them; they didn’t lose again in the 2023-24 Premier League season and went on to win the title for a fourth campaign in a row.
Their quest for a fifth consecutive title has begun by continuing that unbeaten run into 2024-25, with a 3-2 win over Fulham taking them to 30 without defeat overall, matching a club record.
Other Longest Top-Flight Unbeaten Runs (Pre-Premier League Era)
Of course, football didn’t begin in 1992. We’ve given you the six longest unbeaten runs in Premier League history, but what about the other runs of 30 matches or longer in English top-flight history?
Nottingham Forest: 42 Matches 26 November 1977 to 25 November 1978
Any Nottingham Forest supporter who witnessed a 0-0 home draw with West Bromwich Albion on 26 November 1977 would have been forgiven for not believing they wouldn’t lose a game again for over a year – especially after losing two of their previous three matches.
That draw with WBA was their 17th game of the 1977-78 season and they didn’t suffer another defeat, as Brian Clough led them to their first (and so far, only) top-flight English league title.
Ironically, it was in their 17th game of the following season that Forest’s 42-game unbeaten run finally came to an end, losing 2-0 away at Liverpool on December 9, 1978. That result was to prove pivotal, as Liverpool eventually pipped Forest to the title by eight points in 1978-79.
Whilst they might not hold the all-time English top-flight league unbeaten run record, Forest do hold the record in all competitions by an English top-flight club – 40 games in a row across 1978.
Leeds United: 34 Matches 26 October 1968 – 26 August 1969
Leeds United went 34 matches unbeaten under the management of Don Revie between October 1968 an August 1969, but few would have expected such a long run considering how it began.
After losing 5-1 away at Burnley on 19 October 1968, Leeds drew three consecutive games 0-0 to start their unbeaten sequence. Twenty-eight of these matches came in the 1968-69 season and saw Leeds pick up their first top-flight league title, before continuing the run in the first six games of 1969-70.
Their 1968-69 title win saw them pick up 67 points overall, which was the most at that time in the two-points-for-a-win era (and eventually bettered only by Liverpool in 1978-79), while they only conceded 26 goals: the third fewest of any title winner in a 42-game season.
During their 34-game unbeaten streak, Leeds conceded just 16 goals and only on one occasion did they allow the opposition to score more than once.
The run eventually came to an end on 30 August 1969 in a 3-2 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park, but they went on to go unbeaten for another 18 games after this loss. Unfortunately for Leeds, they could only finish second in the table come the end of the campaign, losing out to Everton by nine points.
Liverpool: 31 Matches 4 May 1987 – 16 March 1988
Following a miserable run of form that saw them lose five times in the space of seven top-flight league games, Liverpool lost out to rivals Everton in the 1986-87 Division One title race.
Kenny Dalglish’s side ended the season well, though, with a 1-0 win against Watford and a 3-3 away draw at Chelsea. These two matches began a sequence of 31 matches without a loss, including the opening 29 of the 1987-88 campaign.
With 22 wins and seven draws, Liverpool built an unassailable lead at the top of Division One and eventually went on to win the title by nine points ahead of Manchester United.
This unbeaten run came to an end with a 1-0 away defeat at reigning champions Everton on March 20, but it would be one of only two defeats in the 1987-88 league season.
Burnley: 30 Matches 6 September 1920 – 25 March 1921
Burnley enjoyed their club record 30-match unbeaten run within the English top-flight back in the 1920-21 season, with a period of six months without a single loss. Astonishingly, this came following a four-match losing streak, with three of those coming in the opening three games of the campaign.
In fact, in losing their first three games of the 1920-21 season and winning the English top-flight league title in the same season, Burnley became only the second (after Liverpool in 1905-06) and last team to achieve such a feat.
Their unbeaten run came to an end in the 34th game of the season, in a 3-0 away defeat to Manchester City on 26 March. Maybe tiredness was to blame, as they’d only played Manchester United a day earlier on 25 March, winning that game 1-0.
Burnley still went on to win the Division One title – their first top-flight league win – despite winning only two of their final nine league games to the season.
Leeds United: 30 Matches 9 May 1973 – 9 February 1974
Leeds United ended the 1972-73 season with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Arsenal at home, and then carried that form through to the 1973-74 campaign. Interestingly, this unbeaten run began sandwiched between defeats in two cup finals: in the FA Cup versus Sunderland and against Milan in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
The Whites remained unbeaten in their opening 29 games of the following season under the legendary Don Revie, winning 19 and drawing 10. In winning their first seven league games of 1973-74, Leeds became only the fifth top-flight team to do this at the time.
Despite the end of the unbeaten run – a 3-2 loss to Stoke City on 23 February – starting a spell of just one win in seven league games, of which they lost four, Leeds still went on to win the 1973-74 top-flight title.
PSG travel to the south of France to face Nice this Sunday, and this is set to be an exciting match.
Nice made a flying start to last season. They were competing for the top position in the table for several months. Their first defeat of the campaign didn’t come until December. A disastrous run of form from January onwards led to Francesco Farioli’s dismissal in the summer.
He has since been replaced by Franck Haise. Farioli enjoyed a successful four-year run at Lens, but he hasn’t been able to hit the ground running with his current club. Nice earned a 0-0 draw away at Lens last weekend.
PSG lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid in the summer. The forward netted 27 goals as his team won Ligue 1 last season, finishing eight points ahead of Monaco. Many questioned how the Parisians would perform without their star player, but the initial signs are promising.
Luis Enrique is in charge of an exciting project in the French capital. He has a wealth of young talent at his disposal and things are developing nicely. This possession-hungry PSG team is capable of beating anyone.
They are expected to continue their dominance in the domestic league, but it will be interesting to see if they can get over the line in the Champions League.
PSG have dropped just two points this season, meaning they are at the top of the league, ahead of Monaco on goal difference. Luis Enrique’s side is yet to taste defeat in a competitive match this season.
Nice, on the other hand, have struggled for consistency. They have picked up just two wins in their seven competitive matches.
The Parisians did the double over Nice last season and have won on six of their last seven visits to this ground. Over that period, they conceded an average of just 0.57 goals per game during that impressive run in Nice.
Barcola Continues to Step Up
Bradley Barcola is one of the players who has stepped up to fill the goal void left by Kylain Mbappe. The winger has netted three goals in his last three league appearances for PSG.
The young French winger has scored six goals in as many matches in Ligue 1. He netted a brace in the 3-1 win over Rennes last weekend and seems set for a bright future.
Barcola has a non-penalty xG of 0.47 per 90 minutes played in the last 12 months, meaning he ranks in the top 7% of wingers across Europe’s top five leagues. Be sure to take a look at Bradley’s impressive start to the season.
Nice Can Trouble PSG’s Defence
Franck Hiase’s team have scored in their three competitive home matches so far. That includes an emphatic 8-0 win over St. Etienne. Both teams have scored in their other two games at the Allianz Riviera.
Despite PSG’s domestic superiority under Enrique, maintaining clean sheets has proven challenging. They have recorded a clean sheet in only one of their six league matches this season.
Both teams have scored in four of the last five head-to-heads between PSG and Nice. Those matches have seen 3.4 goals on average, 1.2 for Les Aiglons and 2.2 for the reigning champions of France.
