The new Premier League season kicked off with plenty of talking points.
Mohamed Salah got stroppy, Pep Guardiola became angry, Tottenham began life without Harry Kane and Newcastle topped the embryonic table with a five-star show.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the key issues on the opening weekend.
Salah strop
After the battle for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia came the scrap for points between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Honours were shared in a 1-1 draw that saw Liverpool forward Salah show his frustration after being substituted 13 minutes from time.
Salah ripped off his tapes bit by bit and threw them to the ground and did not even acknowledge boss Jurgen Klopp before making his way to his seat in the Liverpool dug out.
Mauricio Pochettino – in charge of Chelsea for the first time – and Klopp renewed a rivalry that began in 2015 and includes a Champions League final four years ago and now they will joust in the transfer market again to strengthen their respective midfields.
Life after Kane
Tottenham fans saw a glimpse of their future without Harry Kane at Brentford – and it promises to be a roller-coaster ride under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
Record Spurs scorer Kane was already settling into life at Bayern Munich having made his debut for the German giants on Saturday night as Tottenham began their new era with a 2-2 draw.
How Spurs supporters would have relished Kane linking up with James Maddison, the stylish summer signing from Leicester who set up both Tottenham goals.
While Richarlison fills Kane’s number nine role, Postecoglou must tighten up a defence that was porous last season and again showed signs of susceptibility in west London.
A Pep talk, but same again from Haaland
Pep Guardiola showed a decent turn of foot to make his way across the Turf Moor pitch at half-time for an animated chat with star striker Erling Haaland.
The Manchester City manager was annoyed that Haaland was keen to run behind the Burnley defence and risk losing possession as the seconds ticked away to the interval with the defending champions leading 2-0.
While some observers complained Guardiola – brushing aside a cameraman determined to capture the conversation between player and manager – might have been better served making his point in the dressing room, it did little to concern the scoring sensation.
Haaland was back in the old routine with a clinical double inside 36 minutes and who would bet against the Norwegian eclipsing the 52 goals he scored last season as City won a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble?
Dream debuts
Newcastle fans needed only six minutes to find out what all the fuss over Sandro Tonali was about.
The Italy international joined from AC Milan this summer for a reported £50million-plus fee and gave a commanding midfield display in the 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa.
Tonali made an instant impression by volleying home Anthony Gordon’s sixth-minute cross and dovetailed superbly with Brazilian pair Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton with his athleticism, passing and vision standing out.
Harvey Barnes came off the bench to also score on debut following his summer switch from Leicester and it seems set to be another exciting campaign on Tyneside after last season’s fourth-placed finish.
Turnstiles, sanitation and delays
There has been loads of chat – and angst from some players and managers – over how long games are going to take this season with a directive for referees to add the exact time lost in goal celebrations, substitutions or injuries to the stoppage time.
But delayed kick-offs because of turnstiles and water supply issues? Hardly becoming of the so-called best league in the world.
Arsenal’s season kicked off in embarrassing fashion as a technical glitch prevented fans passing through the turnstiles, forcing a 30-minute delay for their home game against Nottingham Forest.
Just over 24 hours later, the Brentford-Tottenham game was delayed by six minutes as a problem with the water supply meant toilets could not be used at the stadium.
Everton 1-0 Brentford: Toffees join Bees in ensuring Premier League status
Everton made mathematically certain of remaining in the Premier League on Saturday as Idrissa Gueye's goal handed them a 1-0 home win over Brentford, who are also safe after Luton Town's earlier loss to Wolves.
Luton's 2-1 defeat at Molineux meant Brentford's slim fears of relegation were behind them before kick-off, while Everton knew a third straight victory would also secure their place in the top flight for next season.
The Toffees' old wastefulness was on show in the first half, but Gueye powered home 15 minutes into the second period to hand them a third Goodison Park triumph in the space of six days.
The result saw Sean Dyche's men climb above their visitors to go 15th in the table, one place and point clear of Brentford, who can also plan ahead for 2024-25 in the top flight after pulling clear of danger.
Everton were without Dominic Calvert-Lewin through illness and Beto due to the head injury he suffered against Nottingham Forest. Their absences were felt when the first chance fell their way after six minutes, Youssef Chermiti failing to get a touch on McNeil's tempting cross.
Mathias Jensen had Brentford's first sight of goal 20 minutes in following good work from Vitaly Janelt, but in-form defender Jarrad Branthwaite denied him with a huge block.
The best opportunity of a low-key opening period, though, fell to Abdoulaye Doucoure, who sent an awkward volley spinning well wide after finding space on the stroke of half-time.
Brentford should have gone ahead within five minutes of the restart, but Jordan Pickford brilliantly smothered Ivan Toney's shot when his England team-mate looked destined to tap home at the far post.
McNeil then rattled the crossbar from range as Everton turned up the pressure, and they made the breakthrough on the hour.
Gueye fired into the top-left corner after Brentford failed to clear following a goalmouth scramble, with the goal confirmed by VAR amid questions about a subjective offside.
Keane Lewis-Potter worked Pickford from the edge of the box, but that was as close as Thomas Frank's men came to an equaliser, and Everton almost had a second when James Garner's free-kick struck the bar in stoppage time.
Everton rescue act complete
When Everton welcomed Burnley to Goodison Park on April 6th, they remained in severe danger of seeing a chastening campaign end in relegation.
However, a run of four wins in five games – the most memorable being Wednesday's 2-0 triumph over Merseyside rivals Liverpool – has dragged the Toffees clear and ensured there will be no repeat of last year, when they remained at the highest level by the skin of the teeth on a nervy final day.
Having earned their first win of the campaign against Brentford back in September, Everton have also done the double over the Bees for just the second time, previously beating them home and away in the second tier back in 1952-53.
Toney struggles continue
While Brentford had enjoyed a resurgence of their own prior to Saturday's game, beating Sheffield United 2-0 and Luton 5-1 in their last two matches, both of those victories came without injured striker Toney.
He returned to the Bees' lineup here but was uncharacteristically quiet, failing to beat Pickford when presented with the visitors' best chance shortly after half-time.
Toney has now failed to score in his last eight Premier League matches, his longest ever run without a goal in the competition. With Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke in fine form as Gareth Southgate prepares to name his England squad for Euro 2024, his barren spell has come at a poor time.
‘Too many draws have cost us’ – De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi has highlighted too many draws as Brighton’s problem this season while looking ahead to their trip to Bournemouth on Sunday.
The Seagulls suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to title-hopefuls Manchester City on Thursday, extending their winless run to five games.
Despite sitting in 12th, Brighton still have an outside chance of getting a European place next season, though they would have to win all five of their remaining matches against teams above them in the table.
Asked how his side will approach a tough fixture list at the end of the season, De Zerbi said: “It’s not a good thing we’re playing teams above us. We should be better. Chelsea and Bournemouth are very close with us, and we have the chance to win the game and fight to reach the highest position we can.
“We’ve had too many draws. For sure we can lose 11 games in this moment, but we could win more games. Sometimes I think what I could do better to win more games, but it’s tough because we drew a lot, shooting a lot of times on goal without scoring, especially at home.”
Sporting CP boss Amorim apologises for holding West Ham talks
Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim has publicly apologised for holding talks with West Ham, who view the 39-year-old as a contender to replace David Moyes at the end of the season.
This week, widespread reports said Amorim had travelled to London for talks with the West Ham hierarchy, as they weigh up their options ahead of Moyes' contract expiring in June.
Moyes delivered the Europa Conference League trophy to the London Stadium last season but has long struggled to win over sections of the Hammers' fanbase, and a poor run of form has seen their hopes of European qualification fade in recent weeks.
Amorim, who led Sporting to the Primeira Liga crown in 2020-21 and looks likely to oversee another title triumph this term, has also been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool in the past.
He was roundly criticised for making the trip to London while still under contract, and on Saturday he admitted the visit was a mistake.
"So, let's get the elephant out of the room and I'll talk about it once," Amorim said in a press conference to preview Sunday's trip to Porto.
"The first thing is to say that the club was aware of my trip. It's important and changes the context.
"Then, let's talk about the 'cloak of secrecy' that surrounded the trip... I 'secretly' parked the car outside, secretly walked past 15 people and took photographs, then got on a plane behind the club's back.
"It didn't happen in secret or without permission. Obviously my trip was a mistake, the timing was completely wrong, it didn't seem right at the time.
"It was wrong, especially when I'm so demanding with my players and always the first to say that each one's actions can overpower the team. I have removed players from the squad for much less.
"It was my mistake, I have to accept it and live with it. It didn't seem so bad at the time but thinking about it later, it's very clear.
"Now it's time to move on. I apologise to the Sporting fans, the staff and, mainly, to my players for the mistake I made."
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