Unai Emery has said he wants to keep Jhon Duran despite transfer speculation after scoring the winner in Aston Villa's 2-1 victory over West Ham.

Duran slotted home the winner in the 79th minute after Lucas Paqueta’s spot-kick had ruled out Amadou Onana's early opener.

It was Duran's sixth Premier League goal in just 616 minutes of action in the competition, meaning he has averaged a goal every 103 minutes. That rate has only been bettered by Erling Haaland among those who have scored more than five goals.

Duran's goal was all the more fitting given he was seemingly on the verge of joining the Hammers earlier this summer, with the Colombia international even gesturing with an "irons" celebration in a social media video.

But Duran has so far stayed at Villa Park, and Emery is keen to keep it that way, although the Spaniard warned there are no guarantees.

"We were open with every player to accept a good offer and one of those players is him. But we know how much we believe in him and if he leaves it's because the offer is very good, but I want to keep him," Emery told the media.

“We believe in Duran and in his potential. We are always open to working with him if he's like he is today, helping the team and he was fantastic."

Speaking on other possible transfers, Emery suggested Alex Moreno was the most likely left-back to depart the club this summer. 

Having joined in January 2023, Moreno appears to be behind Lucas Digne and new arrival Ian Maatsen in the pecking order, and Nottingham Forest are among the clubs reportedly interested.

"We signed Ian Maatsen and we were speaking with different players in this position. The difficulty is to manage with three left-backs. Moreno is the player who is now close to leaving," he explained.

Debutant Onana headed in Villa's first goal, and while impressed with the midfielder's display, Emery knows there is more to come from the former Everton man.

"There’s still a lot of adaptation ahead, in training and in matches. Today it was his first official match with us. He was very mature, responsible and intelligent," he said.

“I think this is the first step we need. The adaptation is going to be long, because there are a lot of things we want to get out of him, but his potential is most important."

Villa bucked a poor record away at West Ham having gone without a win in their previous nine encounters away from Villa Park.

Despite West Ham’s superior 2.4 expected goals, Emery felt his side were deserving of their victory.

"The first 30 minutes were very good. We were in control of the game, with good positioning. We did'’t concede a corner until the 28th minute. We scored one and had a chance to get a second with Leon Bailey [hitting the post]," he reflected.

"They got a goal too, and we started the second half a bit softly. But we started controlling the game more again and deserved to win."

While expressing his excitement as he prepares to lead the country into Concacaf Nations League battle, recently appointed Reggae Boyz Head coach Steve McClaren also warned against complacency all-round, mindful that the main objective is qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Englishman is under no illusions that the challenge ahead will be easy but remains confident in the Reggae Boyz ability to perform at the highest level. The Boyz will bow into Nations League action on September 6 against Cuba at the National Stadium before visiting Honduras on September 10.

They will then visit Nicaragua on October 10, followed by a return-leg fixture against Honduras on October 14.

“I’m excited; I’ve been excited from day one. The biggest thing is to get started. I’ve called a few players and watched a few games in getting ready for Cuba on September 6. The Reggae Boyz have  great potential and I’m very proud to be a part of this journey, as it’s a privilege for anybody to coach a national team because you are representing a country,” McClaren said during an interview with Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) media.

McLaren, who boasts a wealth of experience coaching in and around Europe, including a stint as Manchester United’s assistant coach, underscored that the Nations League will serve as a crucial stepping stone in the team's preparation for World Cup qualification, offering them a platform to build momentum and fine-tune their strategies.

With the powerhouses Mexico, the United States, and Canada already qualifying for the World Cup as hosts, McLaren knows they can take nothing for granted, as every other team across the region will fancy their chances of booking a spot at the global showpiece.

“Every team in the Caribbean now will be thinking they have a chance. In football, there’s never an easy game; complacency is the biggest killer of all,” McLaren noted.

“Therefore, we can’t be complacent in the Nations League or the qualifiers for the World Cup. We must be committed, we must want to be here, and we must all be aligned to the goal of World Cup 2026, from the president [Michael Ricketts] all the way down,” the former England manager added.

That said, the 63-year-old welcomed the camaraderie among the current crop of players, which he believes will make his job that much easier, as his aim was always to ensure there was such a foundation.

“They look like they have great togetherness. I have spoken to players and staff, and everybody loves coming to join up for Jamaica. You have got to enjoy what you do, and that’s a great advantage. All I want to do is carry on with the good work that has gone on,” McLaren declared.

Pascal Gross believes he has room for improvement despite starting his Borussia Dortmund career with two assists in Saturday's routine DFB-Pokal win over Phonix Lubeck.

Gross teed up first-half goals for fellow new signing Waldemar Anton and Julian Brandt as Dortmund advanced to the competition's second round with a 4-1 win over their fourth-tier hosts.

He is the first player on record (since the 2008-09 season) to record two assists on his first Pokal appearance for BVB.

He also created the joint-most chances of any player on the pitch (three, alongside Brandt), while his 154 accurate passes were only bettered by Niklas Sule (191).

As Nuri Sahin's side prepare for their Bundesliga opener against Eintracht Frankfurt next week, the former Brighton and Hove Albion man believes there is more to come.

"There was no alternative but to win the match. We played a good game in the first period and showed some good ideas, but we can and must improve," he told Sky Sports Germany.

"I also have room for improvement. It was my first match, it was decent. I want to get to know my team-mates better every day. 

"My job is to carry our play from back to front, to give it a certain stability and to set our attacking weapons in motion."

Sahin's first competitive game in charge saw BVB dominate possession with an 85.2% share, with Sule (196) attempting the most passes of any player in a Pokal match on record. 

Sahin himself was the previous record holder, having attempted 184 passes for Dortmund versus 1860 Munich in 2013.

"It's important to play in a dominant way in the first round and not let anything go to waste," the former midfielder said. 

Asked about the defensive lapse that led to Phonix pulling a goal back early in the second half, he added: "We played over 1,000 passes, so concentration can sometimes drop in a game like this."

Julen Lopetegui was left feeling his West Ham side had much to improve on after losing 2-1 to Aston Villa in his first game in charge.

Villa took the lead after just four minutes through Amadou Onana before Lucas Paqueta levelled from the spot before half-time.

There would be no dream start to Lopetegui’s time at the helm, however, as Jhon Duran scored the winner after 79 minutes, before Tomas Soucek missed two clear opportunities to level at the death.

Instead, the Spaniard was left pondering improvements to his new side after a disappointing display.

"We're going to have a lot of things to improve. Above all in the second half we have a big opportunity to win the match and we lost. We have to learn and improve in the next step," he told Sky Sports.

"In the second half we started well, we had the initiative. Maybe in the last moments we didn't take the right decisions. 

"They get to score a second goal. I am not happy again because we suffered one goal in set-pieces that in these kinds of matches these little details are going to be key."

Onana’s opener came from a corner, unsurprisingly given all of his Premier League goals (four) have been headers. However, it called into question the host’s defence as Michail Antonio struggled to mark the Belgium international in the box.

But Lopetegui was also disappointed with the Hammers' lack of edge at the other end of the pitch.

"We had the last 20 minutes under control and had a good chance to score the second goal, but didn't," he later told BBC Match of the Day.

"We suffered with their second goal, but after that we had two clear chances [to equalise]. We didn't [take them] and we have to keep the good things. It's a pity for us and for our fans – we had big expectations and ambitions for this match."

West Ham's big misses were evident in their 2.4 expected goals (xG). In comparison, their opponents proved far more clinical, with their goals coming from 1.89 xG.

There was some reason for optimism for Lopetegui, however, as he handed out six debuts during the match, the most for West Ham in a single game in the Premier League since 2018 against Liverpool (also six).

"For a lot of players it was their first match in our stadium. Max [Kilman] did well. Guido [Rodriguez] too," the former Spain coach added.

"A lot of them have to improve and push the players in the line-up to be more competitive."

Roberto De Zerbi has hailed Mason Greenwood's performance after the striker scored a brace on his Marseille debut on Saturday.

The Italian started life in Ligue 1 with an impressive 5-1 win over Brest, with Luis Henrique also scoring twice on either side of Mahdi Camara's goal, before Elye Wahi rounded off the win from the penalty spot.

Greenwood, who joined Marseille on a permanent transfer last month having spent last season on loan at Getafe, settled in quickly, netting his first goal within three minutes and slotting in his second from 12 yards just after the half-hour mark.

He is just the third player to score twice on his Ligue 1 debut for Marseille this century, after Dimitri Payet (2013) and Luis Suarez (2022).

De Zerbi was particularly impressed by the 22-year-old, explaining what sets him apart from other players.

"Mason Greenwood is a player who is different from the others, he has an extraordinary level," De Zerbi said after the game.

"I am happy that he scored. This will calm the controversies that surrounded his arrival."

Marseille finished eighth in the French top-flight last season before bringing in De Zerbi to improve on that result.

And the 45-year-old was pleased that their work in the off-season led to such an emphatic start to the season.

"I'm happy. We started from a long way back, we had to rebuild a team," De Zerbi told beIN Sports.

"It gave me satisfaction, especially in the second half where the team showed mental strength to go for the victory." 

Junior Messias scored a last-gasp equaliser as Genoa held Inter to a 2-2 draw, denying the Nerazzurri a winning start to their Scudetto defence at Luigi Ferraris.

Messias struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to ensure a share of the spoils, slotting home the rebound after Yann Sommer saved his initial penalty.

Genoa took the lead after 20 minutes when Alessandro Vogliacco tapped in after Mattia Bani's strike ricocheted kindly into his path via the crossbar.

Although, Inter were level just 10 minutes later as Marcus Thuram rose to head home Nicolo Barella's lofted cross.

The Nerazzurri's second-half pressure eventually paid dividends eight minutes from time when Thuram completed the turnaround, latching onto Davide Frattesi's throughball and lifting it over the advancing Pierluigi Gollini.

There was to be a late twist in the dying moments of stoppage time, however. Yann Bisseck was penalised for handball following a VAR review and, despite Sommer thwarting Messias, the Brazilian reacted quickest to snatch a point for Il Grifone.

Data Debrief: Inter's winning streak stalls 

Inter were on course to win on matchday one for a sixth successive Serie A season, until Messias had other ideas with one of the final kicks of the game.

It marked only the second time in the last 14 seasons that the Scudetto holders had failed to win their league opener, after Juventus in 2015-16.

The Nerazzurri have now drawn three straight Serie A matches for the first time since doing so under Antonio Conte in January 2020.

Julen Lopetegui lost his first Premier League game in charge of West Ham, as Jhon Duran's strike secured a 2-1 victory for Aston Villa at the London Stadium.

West Ham have spent big in the transfer market to back their new coach, but the Hammers ultimately fell short in their opening match of 2024-25.

Lucas Paqueta's penalty cancelled out an early opener from Villa debutant Amadou Onana, while Leon Bailey had struck the woodwork for the visitors too.

Substitute Duran – who was reportedly a target for the Hammers – would have the final say though, neatly finishing off a team move to restore Villa's lead with 11 minutes of normal time remaining.

Villa's win takes them into the top four, while West Ham sit in 15th, albeit both teams will not be paying too much attention to the table just yet.

Data Debrief: Villa end London Stadium woes

A trip to the London Stadium to start the season was probably not what Villa fans were hoping for when they saw the fixture list, having lost each of their last nine Premier League trips to east London.

But, they dug deep to end that run on Saturday, getting their first away win against the Hammers since April 2011 when they won 2-1 at Upton Park.

Duran proved the hero in the end - he has scored six Premier League goals from just 616 minutes played in the competition, an average of one every 103 minutes; among players to have scored 5+ Premier League goals, only Erling Haaland (85) averages a better minutes-to-goals rate

Meanwhile, West Ham have lost their opening game 16 times in the Premier League, more than any other team in the competition's history. 

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed Danilo suffered a broken ankle during their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on the opening matchday of the Premier League season.

The 23-year-old sustained the injury just minutes into the new campaign, falling awkwardly following a challenge involving Antoine Semenyo, who scored an 86th-minute equaliser for Bournemouth after Chris Wood put Forest 1-0 up.

The midfielder was treated by medical staff for over eight minutes and Nuno has now confirmed the severity of his injury, saying he will be a big miss for his side.

"It was a horrible moment for everybody. It’s serious, we’re going to miss him, not only on the pitch," Nuno said after the game.

“He’s a wonderful boy. He’s always smiling, always with joy and we wish him all the best.

“I think we have a good squad that allows us to have options coming from the bench, but we are going to miss Danilo because he is a top player.”

While Danilo's injury exacerbated Forest's frustrations as they dropped two points in the dying stages, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola was delighted by the fight shown by his side.

“I am pleased because you score at the end and you feel like you recovered one point," Iraola said to BBC Sport.

"We had the momentum and we were pushing a lot, I could feel the win was close. But unluckily for us we didn’t put it in, we had to live with the point."

Iraola was also encouraged by the fluidity of his forward line in their first match since the club-record sale of striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham.

He said: "We didn’t have a specific number nine and were changing a lot of times. 

"I think we dealt quite well, right now we have to push and everyone has to adapt to the situation."

Burnley thrashed Cardiff City 5-0 to continue their perfect start to the season and go top of the early Championship standings.

Having started life under Scott Parker with a 4-1 win at Luton Town on Monday, the Clarets produced another dazzling display on their first home outing of 2024-25.

Ethan Horvath's own goal after just nine minutes gave them the lead and they never looked back from there, with further goals from Luca Koleosho, Josh Brownhill, Zeki Amdouni and Johann Berg Gudmundsson giving them a handsome win one day after they sold star winger Wilson Odobert to Tottenham.

Watford also made it two wins out of two with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Stoke City at Vicarage Road, with Edo Kayambe grabbing a brace and Ryan Andrews also netting.

Managerless Preston North End, meanwhile, continued their woeful start to the campaign as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at Swansea City.

Bristol City sit just two points off the pace after edging Millwall in a seven-goal epic, their new signing Scott Twine coming off the bench to net the winner in a 4-3 triumph.

Twine's 88th-minute effort decided a game in which the Robins threw away an early 2-0 lead to go 3-2 down, with Fally Mayulu dragging them back to 3-3 with 12 minutes to play.

Finally, Blackburn Rovers began life without Sammie Szmodics with a battling 2-2 draw away at Norwich City, with Yuki Ohashi scoring with just three minutes left.

Josh Sargent had a goal and an assist for the Canaries, and he has now netted 11 times in home Championship fixtures in 2024, more than any other player.

Danny Welbeck hailed Kaoru Mitoma as a "special talent" as Brighton and Hove Albion got off a flier under Fabian Hurzeler with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Everton.

Mitoma missed the final few months of last season with a lower back injury but was on target at Goodison Park alongside Welbeck and Simon Adingra as the Seagulls started the Premier League campaign in convincing fashion.

Former Manchester United and Arsenal forward Welbeck was particularly impressed by what Mitoma brought to the team.

In quotes reported by the club's official website, he said: "He is a special talent and we all know the ability he’s got.

"In one v ones there’s not many better in the Premier League and it’s great to have him back and adding to the firepower we’ve got."

Aged only 31, Hurzeler is the Premier League's youngest-ever permanent manager and he was proud of the defensive stability his side showed on Merseyside.

"It was a tough game, especially the first minutes it was exactly what we expected it to be at Goodison Park but we survived together, we defended compact, especially in the box, especially the crosses, there was a lot of crosses from Everton," he told Sky Sports.

"Then also good moments in possession, not so much in the first minutes but then after a quiet time in the game we controlled the game, had some good actions with the ball.

"In the end I think it's a deserved win for us and I'm really happy for the club."

Toffees boss Sean Dyche felt his find were punished for a lack of clinical edge in the final third.

"Certainly the way we performed in the first half was I thought decent. But we know one of the biggest challenges is finding the clinical moments which we didn't do," he said.

"The hardest thing to affect is goal scoring. We've been in a situation this summer where we've brought in players who we think can be more effective but they haven't experienced the Premier League."

Eddie Howe believes Fabian Schar's early red card helped "galvanise" Newcastle United during their 1-0 victory over Southampton.

The Magpies made a winning start to the new Premier League season, with Joelinton's 45th-minute strike settling matters at St James' Park.

Although, the hosts were forced to play for over an hour with 10 men, as Schar was dismissed for violent conduct after squaring up to Ben Brereton Diaz, who appeared to go to ground a little too easily.

Nevertheless, they withstood their numerical disadvantage and stubbornly kept Southampton at bay, with Lewis Hall clearing off the line to deny former Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong.

The Magpies' fourth straight Premier League win over the Saints came despite them enjoying just 22.3% of possession, and registering only three shots to their opponents' 19.

"It wasn't an enjoyable game to experience," Howe said. "The result is unbelievable for us, but how we got there was very, very difficult.

"The sending off changed the game completely. Contact was minimal. It was a harsh sending off, but we'll learn from it.

"I don't know if a sending off ever truly helps you, but it gets the crowd to inspire you – and that made a difference. We needed something to galvanise us and [the red card did]. We had our backs to the wall and I think [the fans] knew how much we needed them.

"Last season, we scored a huge amount of goals, but conceded too many. We've done a lot of work on our defensive shape in pre-season. The players regrouped today and produced a great display. To a man, we were blocking shots, we were covering space very well."

Howe also saluted stand-in skipper Bruno Guimaraes, who wore the armband with Kieran Trippier on the bench, for his all-action display in the middle of the park. 

"I thought he led by example," the Newcastle head coach said of the Brazil international, who led the way with game-high tallies of 12 duels won, six fouls won and four tackles won.

"Defensively, he covered every blade of grass. He was immense today. I thought Sean [Longstaff] and Joelinton were equally good."

Bournemouth began life without Dominic Solanke by battling to a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on the opening matchday of the Premier League season.

Andoni Iraola's second season in charge of the Cherries looked set to begin with a defeat when Chris Wood pounced from close range to give Forest a first-half lead.

However, Bournemouth plugged away in search of a leveller and were rewarded in the 86th minute as Harry Toffolo's clearance rebounded kindly for Antoine Semenyo to lash home, having been selected as a central striker following Solanke's move to Tottenham.

Forest's frustrations were compounded by a potentially serious injury suffered by Danilo, who received lengthy treatment before being carried off on a stretcher in the first half.

The draw is the first to be played out in the 2024-25 Premier League season and leaves Bournemouth and Forest in sixth and seventh respectively, with one point apiece.

Data Debrief: Semenyo the away-day specialist

Selected to lead the line following Solanke's move to Spurs, Semenyo bailed Bournemouth out at the death following a largely turgid attacking performance from the Cherries, and he is developing something of a reputation as an away-day specialist.

He has now found the net on four occasions in his last eight away games, after scoring just once in his previous 16.

His goal ensured Forest's poor record on the opening day was maintained. They have not started any of their last seven seasons with a victory, last doing so against Bristol City in the Championship in 2018. 

Kai Havertz labelled Bukayo Saka as "unbelievable" as his team-mate was the catalyst for Arsenal starting their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Wolves.

England winger Saka produced a wonderful cross for Havertz to head home the opener at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Provider then turned scorer in the second half when Saka cut inside Rayan Ait-Nouri and drilled low into the near post.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Havertz said: "Saka is unbelievable. There are not a lot of players like him on the planet and he is still so young. 

"He can get better. It is very rare to see a young player like this perform every week at the highest level."

Arsenal were impressive in the first half but were thankful to David Raya for a couple of big saves and there was a noticeable shift in atmosphere during a second period in which Wolves posed a few more questions.

But manager Mikel Arteta was impressed with the way his side, who finished second to Manchester City in the league last season, were able to ultimately get the job done to start the new campaign with three points.

"I am really happy. With the first game you have some uncertainty in how you will respond," he said.

"We had our moment after 1-0 when we were not in control but after Saka's goal we were much more comfortable. The way the boys go about their job is unbelievable, so very happy.

"We knew Wolves could change the game and they did in the second half but with our changes we became a bit stronger.

"We certainly are. We had a really good pre-season. There are things to improve for sure, but overall very happy.

"The lack of control in the second half [we can improve], we gave so many simple balls away. We also had to finish situations better but overall very happy."

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil felt his side applied themselves well and thought the visitors were the more likely to score with the game at 1-0.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "I thought we were good. I was pleased. I obviously don't like losing but we gave Arsenal a tough game. We restricted them to not too many chances.

"In terms of being in the game and having a chance I felt that, at 1-0 down I felt we were more likely than them.

"I'm pleased with what we were able to produce, but I've spoken to the players about the little details, especially against teams like Arsenal.

"They found two moments of quality and we just missed a couple of ours."

Fabian Hurzeler made a fantastic start to his Brighton tenure as the Seagulls opened their Premier League campaign with a resounding 3-0 victory over 10-man Everton at Goodison Park.

Having endured a difficult start on Merseyside, Brighton found their groove with goals from Karou Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Simon Adingra securing an impressive triumph.

Mitoma rounded off a fine first-half move after being picked out by debutant Yankuba Minteh, with Welbeck adding a second in the 56th minute. 

Everton’s chances of a comeback were all but halted 10 minutes later as Ashley Young was given his marching orders for a pull on goalscorer Mitoma, with Adingra adding a third four minutes from time before Yasin Ayari saw a goal awarded on-pitch but overturned after a VAR review

The result sees Brighton – at least temporarily – top the pile, with Everton propping up the table.

Data Debrief: Hurzeler impresses on debut

Hurzeler became the Premier League’s youngest ever coach when he replaced Roberto De Zerbi in June, and his side's performance will excite Brighton supporters. 

The Seagulls outperformed their expected goals (xG) by 1.44 from their 10 shots, nine of those came inside the box with five on target. 

Welbeck's goal and assist saw him register his 10th goal involvement against the Toffees (five goals and five assist), more than he has managed against in the Premier League.

Everton, meanwhile, were dealt their biggest defeat in the opening game of a Premier League season since 2009-10, when they lost 6-1 to Arsenal under David Moyes.

Joelinton scored the only goal as 10-man Newcastle United got off to a winning start in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over newly promoted Southampton at St James' Park.

The Magpies midfielder's decisive strike came just before half-time for Eddie Howe's side, who claimed all three points despite having Fabian Schar dismissed for violent conduct earlier on.

Southampton enjoyed large periods of possession on their Premier League return. 

Jack Stephens strike was denied by the offside flag in the 10th minute, before they were handed a numerical advantage 18 minutes later when Fabian Schar was shown a straight red card after squaring up to Ben Brereton Diaz.

But it was Newcastle who broke the deadlock in the final minute of the first half, when Alex McCarthy's loose pass was ruthlessly punished with Alexander Isak quickly finding Joelinton, who neatly slotted home.

The Saints sought a response and Lewis Hall denied Adam Armstrong on the line within five minutes of the restart, before Nick Pope tipped over the former Magpies striker's long-range effort.

Armstrong then saw a shot deflect narrowly wide while substitutes Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Archer headed straight at Pope, as the hosts stubbornly kept the visitors at bay and held out for victory.

Data Debrief: Saints' Howe hoodoo continues 

Though they enjoyed just 22.3% of possession and registered only three shots to Southampton's 19, Newcastle held out for their fourth successive Premier League victory over the Saints - achieving the feat for the first time.

Howe has now won all six of his matches against Southampton as Magpies boss, and he is the first to win three straight league openers at St James' Park since Joe Harvey between 1972 and 1974.

Ironically, Harvey was the last Newcastle manager to deliver notable silverware courtesy of the 1969 Fairs' Cup, so Howe will hope that is a positive omen for him this season.

The Magpies have also now found the net in 20 successive home Premier League games, with only Kevin Keegan's 'Entertainers' enjoying a longer run of 24 between January 1995 and February 1996.