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Boxing coach Brian McIntyre was handed a suspended 20-month prison sentence on Monday, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm. “BoMac”, who coaches undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford among others, was arrested at Manchester Airport on Sunday 3 September, one day after guiding Chris Eubank Jr to victory over Liam Smith at the AO Arena. The American, 53, was detained by armed police after a scan of his checked-in luggage revealed the presence of a firearm and ammunition. A statement from Greater Manchester Police at the time said McIntyre was charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate. On Monday 4 September, McIntyre attended Stockport Magistrates Court and was remanded in custody to await a sentencing hearing. On Monday (9 October), McIntyre pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court, where he received a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years. The news was first reported by journalist Oliver McManus, who added that Crawford was “one of a number of people to give in-person evidence”. The BBC reported that Judge Nicholas Dean KC said McIntyre was a “thoroughly good man” and that the “exceptional circumstances” of the case warranted a departure from the usual five-year minimum jail term. Dean said: “This is manifestly and obviously a case where it is appropriate to suspend the sentence.” Later on Monday, Crawford posted an Instagram photo of himself and McIntyre side by side, seemingly at Manchester Crown Court. On Tuesday (10 October), McIntyre wrote on Instagram: “Thank you HMP Birmingham Prison for your hospitality for the 5 weeks. All the guards and inmates was nice and cool, sorry I couldn’t stay longer but [due] to my outstanding legal team from the USA and London, I have to get back to work, woooorrrk tiiiimeeee!!!!!” In July, McIntyre was in Crawford’s corner for the American’s stoppage win over Errol Spence Jr, which saw Crawford become undisputed welterweight champion. Crawford’s performance was widely hailed as a masterclass, with many fans and pundits crowning the 36-year-old as boxing’s pound-for-pound No 1. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Dillon Danis: Who is Logan Paul’s opponent in boxing match this weekend? Let’s get ready to rumble! Inside the ropes with boxing’s ring announcers

It is only now, despite knowing for months, that those involved in the United Kingdom-Ireland Euro 2028 bid are excitedly talking about the reality of tournament football returning to these islands. There was a sense from inside the campaign of not wishing to tempt fate, given how previous bids have gone. That is despite the fact this has been a fait accompli for well over a year. And, even though this victory should be celebrated, it does provoke bigger questions over football politics, especially given the controversies over the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes and the reforms that followed them. Euro 2028 is one of potentially five consecutive European Championships and World Cups that will have had virtually no competition in the bidding processes. The 2028 bid has been won because Turkey finally withdrew. They were never likely to win due to their comparative lack of infrastructure, which is why they have joined up with Italy to bid for Euro 2032. That Mediterranean joint-bid is similarly the only candidate for 2032, after a prospective Russian campaign was ruled ineligible by Uefa due to the invasion of Ukraine. In echoes of the 2028 process, the Canada-Mexico-USA bid for the 2026 World Cup did face competition from Morocco, but the latter was seen as having no chance for the same reason as Turkey. The “United 2026” bid ended up getting more than twice as many votes as its African rival. That saw Morocco eventually join up with Spain-Portugal for 2030, in a move that was seen as “outmanoeuvring” the politically influential Saudi Arabian bid since it split the African vote. The Gulf kingdom was no longer confident of victory so didn’t want to go through defeat, withdrawing … temporarily. The only competitor at that point was the South American bid to celebrate the centenary of the inaugural Uruguay 1930 World Cup, which had an inspirationally romantic sway. They were instead co-opted into an unprecedented “global celebration” for 2030 by being allowed to host the first three games. Uruguay get the opening match as recognition of their status as 1930 host and champions Argentina get the second match as recognition of their performance as 1930 runners-up and major partner. Paraguay get the third match, doing very well out of being the base of the South American federation, Conmebol. While there is admittedly a similar romance to that solution, and it eliminates any politicking before such a symbolic tournament, it has one more questionable effect. Fifa’s continental rotation rules mean South America has given up the chance at 2034 – since no confederation can host competition fixtures in consecutive tournaments – for a mere three games. It’s quite the trade-off. As one involved figure said, “that’s football politics”. That only leaves countries from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation eligible, and the former are already fully backing Saudi Arabia. Australia and New Zealand are, meanwhile, left scrambling to find at least three extra stadia that meet the 40,000 minimum capacity in time for the 31 October bid deadline. It already looks like the decision may well go to the member associations for mere ratification. That should pose much bigger questions for football governance since one of the crucial points after the farce of 2018-22 was to improve transparency. A key measure in this was supposed to be bringing the World Cup vote to the members. That may still happen by the letter of the rules, but the spirit of it all has felt somewhat different. If the post-2022 reforms were supposed to be about preventing backroom deals, what has happened here? “It’s clear it’s gone backwards in terms of democracy and bidding,” one centrally involved source said. Wider politics clearly plays an influential role here. After the game was split by the 2018 and 2022 votes, with the World Cup brought to effective autocracies, three successive tournaments are now going back to traditional Western European football powers. England is the biggest partner in 2028, enjoying its first full tournament since 1996. Spain is the biggest partner in 2030, enjoying its first full tournament since 1982. Italy is the biggest partner in 2032, set to enjoy its first full tournament since 1990. Bookending those three tournaments, then, are almost certain to be two of the true geopolitical powers. The USA is now seen by all of football as the priority market with the sport burgeoning there. Saudi Arabia has meanwhile targeted a huge expansion into the game as part of a wider political and economic project. The kingdom also enjoys an increasingly strong relationship with Fifa, and its investment funds were set to bankroll the original idea for the expanded Club World Cup. That plan has now settled into a 32-team event in 2025 in the USA, that Saudi Pro League clubs are targeting for a major statement as the next phase of their development. They want to help make it a competitor to the Champions League, increasing their own profile. The prize and participation money for that event have yet to be decided. There is obviously significant political intrigue to all of this, as well as a lot of accusations behind the scenes. Most of the major forces look to have got what they wanted without much pushback. Many sources talk of “horse trading” between the major nations. Others go so far as using words like “stitch-up”. Some smaller South American federations aren’t overly happy with the 2030 decision, especially with how having three automatic qualifiers – in the three host nations – immediately reduces the value of the highly lucrative qualification league, while denying the chance at a World Cup for 24 years. On the other side, some admit this situation may be better than random bids and huge amounts of money wasted on failed campaigns. A further importance to all of this is that, for all the power of the club game, the hosting of the World Cup is still seen as the most influential development in football. It usually dictates the game for a decade, if not longer. The latter could be seen in how USA 94 directly instigated huge American investment into football, as well as multiple ownerships that started with the Glazers. The decision to award 2022 to Qatar, then, was probably the most influential moment in modern football history. It directly caused regime change at Fifa and Uefa, changed the calendar, and was a factor in Qatar taking over Paris Saint-Germain and Saudi Arabia buying Newcastle United. It has undeniably played a part in Saudi Arabia seeking to host a World Cup, too. The regional rivalry means Mohammed Bin Salman wants his own tournament, before you get to the wider benefits. That speaks to the profound political power of the World Cup, as football increases its pervasiveness as the most popular cultural pursuit the planet has ever seen. It all comes as the tournament itself becomes so big that fewer and fewer countries can actually stage it. That has influenced these bidding processes too. So much of this serves as a metaphor for the game as a whole. And, at the end of it all, there is still pure beauty in how people get to watch these great magical events near them. All of Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff will be thrilled. That, of course, is precisely why all of this has a power beyond emotion. Read More Saudi Arabia bid for 2034 World Cup strengthened after Australia and New Zealand hit hurdle Gareth Southgate questions ‘integrity’ of 2030 World Cup format 2030 World Cup will be hosted by six countries across three continents, Fifa announces Euro 2028: Will host nations get automatic qualification? Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin... The Euro 2028 final should be staged anywhere but Wembley UK and Ireland name 10 venues for Euro 2028

You already know where the Euro 2028 final will be played. You don’t know know because it hasn’t been announced yet. But when I tell you that the UK and Ireland are hosting the tournament, and when I show you the list of 10 allocated venues, then you already know. Wembley is the biggest stadium in the best-connected city of the largest host nation. It is the greatest revenue generator. It is the sort of stadium that assumes it will host a final, the sort that thinks other venues wouldn’t want all that pressure and attention anyway. The English FA will pull rank here and that is understandable, to an extent. After all, Wembley can call upon history and experience, the site having hosted three European Championship finals before: one at the old Wembley in 1996, and both the men’s and women’s finals at the new Wembley in 2021 and 2022. But the last men’s final – and this is a crucial detail – ended in literal invasion. The report on what happened that July day is harrowing, describing a horde of 6,000 mindless thugs rampaging through security lines and terrifying ordinary ticket holders. On their way they beat police officers, knocked over a young girl and trampled over a man sending him into seizure. One insurgent hijacked a boy in a wheelchair, separating him from his father, so he could gain access pretending to be a steward. Italians were subjected to random attacks, and the report makes clear that there probably would have been deaths had it not been for England’s defeat and a late downpour of rain which combined to dampen the atmosphere. It should be said here that the report did not lay blame at Wembley’s steps, specifically; rather it was a perfect storm of lockdown energy, summer heat, sporting tribalism, nationalist sentiment, drugs, alcohol, the internet and a unique gathering of goons gripped by herd mentality. But if ever there was a red flag for hosting a European Championship final, hosting a disastrous European Championship final might be it. It feels like an almost dangerously radical thought, but what if the Euro 2028 final wasn’t held at Wembley Stadium? Wembley hardly showcases the best of these isles. The immediate area has the personality of an airport terminal, and while the stadium was once a state-of-the-art bowl, it is not even the best in London these days given what Tottenham have built. Admittedly, the options are limited. Anfield’s pitch is too small for Uefa’s liking, Old Trafford too decrepit to be used. Everton’s unbuilt stadium made the final list along with Birmingham’s Villa Park, Manchester’s Etihad Stadium and St James’ Park in Newcastle, and the Etihad would be the most obvious of those to host a showpiece event. Then there are the four stadiums beyond England. The redevelopment of Belfast’s Casement Park is still just a saved file on an architect’s hard drive, and it would only be around 34,000 capacity. But the others are viable alternatives to host a final. Hampden Park is a tired venue but there are plans for much-needed regeneration ahead of Euro 2028. Glasgow is a city that gets its edge and its energy from football, and it knows how to throw a party. As does Dublin, and its Aviva Stadium has hosted everything from the Europa League final and international rugby games to Taylor Swift concerts. Personally, I would choose the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Wales enjoyed a rekindled love affair with football during the Bale era, ignited by their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016. Football has overtaken rugby as the country’s most popular sport and the Wrexham story is adding momentum. It is the next biggest option after Wembley with 74,000 seats, and the stadium sits near the heart of the city only a short walk from Chippy Lane, one of the great cultural institutions of this country. Tournament mission statements are always lukewarm sentiments and Euro 2028 is no exception, but if organisers really want to “engage new fans”, then staging the final in Wales would fit that brief. All this is likely wasted breath. The early signs are that Cardiff may stage the opening game but Wembley will host the final and both semi-finals, too. The English FA says it has learnt lessons from the past, and Uefa recently dismissed concerns when its president Aleksander Ceferin said that those violent scenes “could have happened anywhere”. Uefa lost £700m in revenues during the pandemic and needs a sure thing like Euro 2028 to guarantee a profitable tournament. Wembley is a significant part of that appeal. It is the biggest stadium, in the biggest city. But it is also the scene of unbridled anarchy only two years ago, and perhaps that is as good an excuse as any to spread the wealth. Read More FA reveal tournament plans after UK and Ireland confirmed as Euro 2028 hosts Euro 2028 venues: UK and Ireland name 10 stadiums as Anfield and Old Trafford miss out Euro 2028: Will host nations get automatic qualification? UK and Ireland name 10 venues for Euro 2028 FA reveal tournment plans after UK and Ireland confirmed as Euro 2028 hosts

The United Kingdom and Ireland are set to be announced as the hosts for Uefa Euro 2028 with another joint bid between Turkey and Italy the likely destinations for the 2032 edition. Uefa still need to grant official approval to the bids, which have so far been unopposed, when they meet Switzerland on Tuesday. Ten stadiums across the UK and Ireland are set to play host to Euro 2028 with Wembley Stadium (London), Principality Stadium (Cardiff), Hampden Park (Glasgow), Aviva Stadium (Dublin), and Casement Park (Belfast) all named as venues in the bid. The final is due to be held at Wembley, the same location where the Lionesses won the 2022 Euros and where the men lost to Italy in the 2020 Euro final. Germany host the competition next year after the previous edition was held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Follow along with all of the latest updates as the 2028 and 2032 hosts are announced. Read More Euro 2028 venues: UK and Ireland name 10 stadiums as Anfield and Old Trafford miss out UK and Ireland set to host Euro 2028 after Turkey withdraw bid Saudi Arabia bid for 2034 World Cup strengthened after Australia and New Zealand hit hurdle

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Monday proposed a $45 million shareholder-funded penalty against Pacific Gas and

As long as 30 minutes after the game, and at least 30m from the Arsenal dressing room, you could still hear the raucous celebrations inside. The cheers were especially audible as the door to the media room swung open and Mikel Arteta came in for his press conference, when he eventually allowed himself to smile – and quite widely. “A great feeling,” the Arsenal manager said after his side’s 1-0 win over Manchester City, which represented his first points against his former employers, not to mention his club’s first points at all against the champions since April 2017. “You could sense, it’s been so many years without beating them. “They were all dancing and super happy. They go into the international break and the mood is much better. They’re gonna have a few days off, the ones who are not involved, and it just sends everybody away until the next game against Chelsea with the right feeling. It’s great so I’m really happy.” If these sound like the sort of scenes usually reserved for when a trophy is won, that is kind of the point. It’s all about taking this team closer to that first Premier League since 2004. Arteta has taken them step by step over the last four years, and we’re now at the point where it’s truly decisive moves rather than the earlier strides. It was why this was so important. If you are going to actually beat a team as powerful as this Manchester City in the title race, you obviously need to beat them on the pitch, and in the league. Arteta naturally tried to play down its exact psychological significance, but he couldn’t but admit this was important. His interpretations of previous games were maybe a bit generous but that was understandable. “I don’t know if it was a barrier. Obviously it was something we needed to go through. To beat them we have to lose against them, we have to lose probably the way we lost at the Etihad. The team showed a real maturity today, that comes from experiences. Sometimes you need that to become a better team.” That is probably what Arsenal are, even if their points return is worse than this point last season. They are clearly a more substantial team, with more conviction, as a season like last year will ensure. It was an arrival, even if it ended in frustrating fashion. It ultimately proved Arsenal are at that level again. The summer signings have since been about giving them more dimensions. It is one of the more interesting elements of Arsenal’s start to the campaign, as well as what might have been lift-off for Kai Havertz. Arsenal clearly hit on a superb first XI last season, which propelled their campaign for months. The issue was it eventually left Arteta in a bind. He could either persevere with the XI, at the cost of energy given how little they were rested, or he could change up but also remove some of the verve. He tried to do a bit of both in the end, and they somewhat inevitably ran out of steam. Since then, Arteta has obviously been trying to give them more depth, but also variety. Havertz was about exactly this. Arteta will especially enjoy his contribution, the pass to Gabriel Martinelli for the goal coming as it did just minutes after the German came on. It looked simple but was about his spatial awareness and presence of mind. The effect of just doing that can’t be discounted either – as with the win. Arsenal will believe, even more than before. Nobody should believe this is going to be the City for the rest of the season of course. They have some huge absences, especially with Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne. They will return and both the team and Erling Haaland will inevitably go on the sort of run they did last season at least once. Arsenal should be more equipped to go that bit further, to get more points. That was what the celebrations felt like they were about, at least in part. The team is that bit closer to completion. Read More Mikel Arteta hails ‘fantastic’ young Arsenal side as they break Man City hex Arteta provides Saka injury update and rules Arsenal star out for England Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hails ‘maturity’ of young Gunners after City win Gabriel Martinelli snatches last-gasp victory for Arsenal against Man City Fortune favours Arsenal as Mikel Arteta finally outdoes Pep Guardiola Pep Guardiola says he learned ‘a lot’ from Mikel Arteta ahead of Sunday reunion

KSI and Tommy Fury will meet in the boxing ring on Saturday, in what is set to be one of the biggest fights of the year. KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) rose to fame on YouTube and has since ventured into rapping, boxing and business – the latter via his Prime energy drink company, which he launched with former opponent Logan Paul. The Briton’s next in-ring challenge comes against compatriot Fury, a former Love Island contestant and the half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. Neither KSI, 30, nor Fury, 24, has been beaten – though the latter has greater professional experience. In the co-main event, Paul will be in action against fellow American Dillon Danis, a former teammate of UFC star Conor McGregor. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the event? The fights are set to take place on Saturday 14 October at the AO Arena in Manchester. The main card is due to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Paul vs Danis is likely to take place at around 10.30pm BST (2.30pm PT, 4.30pm CT, 5.30pm ET), with ring walks for KSI vs Fury expected at 11.30pm BST (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on Dazn pay-per-view, at a cost of £19.99 in the UK and $54.99 in the US. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds KSI – 5/2; Fury – 2/7 Paul – 2/9; Danis – 3/1 Full odds via William Hill. • Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) • KSI vs Tommy Fury • Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis • Salt Papi vs Slim Albaher • Deen The Great vs Walid Sharks II • King Kenny vs Anthony Taylor • Whindersson Nunes vs My Mate Nate • NichLmao & Alex Wassabi vs Luis Alcaraz Pineda & BDave • Astrid Wett vs Alexia Grace • Swarmz vs Ryan Taylor II • Chase DeMoor vs Tempo Arts S-X vs DTG Read More Who is KSI? From ‘endearing’ class clown to YouTuber who has changed the face of boxing Tommy Fury explains why he has ‘never been fan’ of KSI ahead of crunch boxing match Let’s get ready to rumble! Inside the ropes with boxing’s ring announcers What time does Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis start this weekend? How to watch Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis online and on TV this weekend What time does KSI vs Tommy Fury start this weekend?

Leigh Wood dropped and stopped Josh Warrington at the end of round seven to retain his WBA featherweight title in an unforgettable fight in Sheffield. Late on Saturday night, Wood was losing on points, cut and hurt when, with just seconds left in round seven, he connected with six perfect punches to send Warrington down. There was shock and pandemonium in the arena and close to 10,000 fanatics had no idea whether to laugh or cry. Warrington somehow beat the count, stumbled to his own corner as the bell sounded, put his hands on the top rope and turned round too late to satisfy the referee, Michael Alexander; there was a second of deliberation and then Alexander called it off. It was the right decision at that moment; it was also heartbreak and relief in equal measure for the two boxers. Wood started screaming in victory, Warrington complained briefly, but was quickly placed on his stool; he dropped his head forward in bitter disappointment. “I’m devastated,” he told me a few minutes later. He was still in the ring, looking from corner to corner and trying to understand what had gone wrong. Warrington had easily won rounds three, four, five, six and 2:58 seconds of round seven. All three of the scorecards had him comfortably in front at the point of the stoppage. The final, devastating punches came from nowhere, but Wood has a glorious history of salvaging lost causes. “There is no quit in me,” Wood said from the ring, his right eye cut and swollen and his face a blur of developing bruises. It was a hard fight, make no mistake. Back in 2021 Wood won the WBA featherweight world title with a stoppage in the 12th and last round, and was losing his first defence against Michael Conlan before finding the punches to dump Conlan out of the ring for the full count with just 90-seconds remaining in the final round. In Sheffield, he performed one more salvation act and it was dramatic and shocking and wonderful. The pace of the fight was relentless and from the start of round three, Warrington took control and there were moments when all the rumours and talk about the struggle Wood has making the weight looked true; by the start of round seven, Wood was trailing, but more than that, he looked like a beaten man. At the start of round five, with the entire arena standing in admiration and hope, and the signs of the struggle clear on their faces, the pair touched gloves; it was a small, lost and quickly forgotten moment, but it reveals a lot about these two boxers. Pride was the title, respect was the story. There was no sign of the finish as the seconds ticked closer to the bell to end the seventh, and then the combination started; Warrington went down in shattered instalments and Wood just kept throwing. It was a genuine ‘wow’ moment. Wood connected cleanly with six punches, starting with a short right hook. It was a savage and calculating finish, a mix that is not as common as you think. They each left the ring to uncertain futures, and they could, in theory, fight again. Warrington wants a rematch; Wood would make a lot of money from a rematch. However, it will not be at featherweight as Wood confirmed that his battle with the scales is over and that he is moving up in weight. Warrington would be at a considerable size disadvantage in a rematch at a heavier weight. Incidentally, Wood retained his WBA bauble, but in the heat of the moment, that piece of jewellery was ignored. Wood is one of modern boxing’s best fairy tales, a family man, a quiet man and a fighter capable of changing a fight with just one punch. In boxing, that is arguably the ultimate. Read More The sporting weekend in pictures ‘It’s some turnaround’: Leigh Wood relishing late career resurgence Leigh Wood celebrates ‘best win’ as he retains WBA title Leigh Wood stops Josh Warrington with outrageous KO out of nowhere Leigh Wood: I’m Josh Warrington’s last chance to get back into title contention Wood vs Warrington LIVE: Results after vicious KO

A crucial deflection, and maybe a diversion in the fortune of many of those involved in this growing fixture. Arsenal claimed their first Premier League victory over Manchester City since December 2015, and the first points for Mikel Arteta against his old employers. The Gunners came into the match facing the prospect of 13 losses in a row against the champions, but it was instead Arsenal that enjoyed the luck as the numbers finally changed. City themselves have lost two successive league games for the first time since December 2018, after Gabriel Martinelli’s opportunistic effort cannoned off the head of Nathan Ake and past Ederson for a win that may yet prove significant in the burgeoning title race. That shouldn’t just be dismissed as fortune, though, since Arteta’s side forced it. He had quite a telling intervention himself. At a key moment, the Basque introduced Kai Havertz, who offered a moment that may well prove a turning point in his early Arsenal career. It was the midfielder’s presence of mind and spatial awareness that set up Martinelli. It was also precisely the area that Rodri usually patrols, which ensured that these two league defeats in a row also made it three defeats from three without the defensive midfielder commonly seen as the best in the world now. That in turn made City look less than the European and English champions they are. They can admittedly point to other absences, but Arsenal were themselves missing Bukayo Saka to go with lesser depth. This will give the north Londoners much more substance, certainly from a psychological perspective. They won’t feel inferior any more. That could be seen in Declan Rice’s raucous reaction after the match, having put in a superb individual performance. It was more than deserved. City had never really been at it. Erling Haaland again went without scoring. One of City’s most productive periods of attacking was actually in the opening few minutes, only to be shut down by Rice. That was to become a theme. This moment was much more box-office than all the steadier work he did, as the midfielder headed a bouncing Josko Gvardiol strike off the line. It was in this period that City were closest to the Arsenal goal – if not necessarily any closer to a goal than that – as Julian Alvarez had evidently been instructed to hound David Raya for every touch. One quickfire interception was so close that it seemed like it rippled the inside of the net rather than the side. It felt like something that could end up proving influential, as did Michael Oliver’s first big refereeing decision. Rice and Jorginho did an awful lot to steady the general element of chaos about the Arsenal defending and get their side much higher up the pitch, and that evidently frustrated Mateo Kovacic. The Croatian went in wildly with two challenges. If Kovacic was fortunate the first wasn’t given as a red, it was simply remarkable it wasn’t two bookings. That just summed up how something wasn’t quite right about City. They weren’t always the only team like that, too. For a long time, it felt like it could be destined for a 0-0, amid that sense it was a game between the top two that came that bit too early in the season. There was a lot of frantic action but not that much focus or purpose. It was as if there was initially a subconscious awareness there was so much more football to come, lessening the stakes as well as the intensity. Neither of the managers felt like that, mind. They were watching in increasing agitation, looking to affect something. Arteta did so first. Arsenal did admittedly recover from their erratic start to assert themselves but most of their attacks were Gabriel Jesus or Martin Odegaard trying to dribble through. It was really as if Arsenal were missing Saka’s intensity. With a quarter of the match remaining, Alvarez was taken off for Jeremy Doku but City persisted with getting on Raya any time he got on the ball. Arsenal responded by introducing Havertz. It was to prove inspired, in a subtle way, which was a bit like how to describe the onfield product of that change. On 86 minutes, with the game looking like it was going to peter out in a stalemate but with Arsenal still pushing, the German found a bit of space around the area to also find Martinelli. The Brazilian forward took his chance and the shot, to claim the reward. He got some luck, but he had made that luck. It now completely changes Arsenal’s outlook for the season, as well as the very profile of the title race. Just nine days ago, after all, City had a 100 per cent record and looked like they could just roll to a record four titles in a row. They are now back in third, two behind both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, and one ahead of Liverpool. It is enticingly tight, even if it is still early. Arsenal’s late winner brought that feeling, as well as so much more emotion around the stadium. The significance of this was all too palpable, for the team, as well as so many individuals involved. This time, after that shot, it fell for them. Read More Brighton’s new midfield gem Carlos Baleba stays calm in the chaos of Liverpool draw Gary O’Neil plays down tension after Unai Emery walks away before handshake Substitute Mohammed Kudus earns West Ham a point with late equaliser against Newcastle How did the VAR system fare after a week under the spotlight? Gabriel Martinelli snatches last-gasp victory for Arsenal against Man City Arsenal deal blow to Manchester City, but the significance will only be felt in May

Carlos Baleba finished his first Premier League start in tatters. The 19-year-old had given everything to Brighton’s cause, and in the final minutes, he could be seen bent double, gasping for breath, telling his goalkeeper to keep hold of the ball for a few seconds longer, like a man begging for mercy. By this point, he looked a little disheveled, with his socks fallen down and shorts rolled up. His final act was to chop down Liverpool’s galloping Ryan Gravenberch, for which he was rightly booked. And when the whistle blew on this wild 2-2 draw, he dropped to the grass in relief and stretched out the cramp coursing through his legs. Baleba hobbled over to shake the hands of various Liverpool players, most of whom wouldn’t have known anything about this Cameroonian teenager before their team meeting on Friday. But after a performance full of energy, guile, skill, outrageous confidence and physical dominance in midfield – one that sapped his body dry – they do now. Ask people inside Brighton who will be the next diamond in the rough, the player who will be sold for five times their asking price after doing wondrous things on this Amex Stadium pitch, then you might be pointed to Kaoru Mitoma or Evan Ferguson, Mahmoud Dahoud or Joao Pedro. But those really in the know will point to Baleba. That includes the manager, Roberto De Zerbi, who said without hesitation on Baleba’s signing this summer: “He will be the future of the club.” If that sounded like hyperbole, there was enough evidence in this 100-minute sample to suggest the Italian is right, as he has tended to be about most things in his short Brighton career. After a Carabao Cup start and a couple of league appearances off the bench, De Zerbi showed enormous faith in Baleba with this full Premier League debut against Liverpool, and that faith was repaid in spades. This was Baleba’s kind of match, stretched and full of holes, with little fires popping up all over the pitch that needed putting out. As the defensive shield, he rushed to cover off counter-attacks and snuff out threatening direct balls. He stood in front of his back four checking over his shoulder for Mohamed Salah’s movement, and then cut out the through ball when it came. When Lewis Dunk pressed so high up the pitch that he left a void in Brighton’s defence, Baleba instinctively slotted back and filled the space. In possession, he was calm and composed and occasionally he injected little jolts of energy, like early in the first half, in his own half, where he threw in a stepover before charging away from Liverpool’s midfield and setting Brighton’s attacking players away as the crowd urged him on. Or a few minutes after Brighton had scored their first goal, when he dribbled through the centre of the pitch from the halfway line, jinked away from a defender on the edge of Liverpool’s box and hit his shot just wide. Baleba was a source of calm in what was a wild game. The first half could have been the subject of an art installation simply titled: ‘Get rid’. All three goals were the result of kamikaze passing at the back that went disastrously wrong, enough to boil the blood of proper football men everywhere. First, it was Virgil van Dijk plodding a pass to Alexis Mac Allister, which Brighton’s Simon Adingra (like Baleba, the 21-year-old winger was exceptional) stole and quickly swept past an out-of-position Alisson Becker for Brighton’s opener. Liverpool hit back with two goals of their own, first when Dunk misplaced a pass and Salah finished off a flowing counterattack, and then just before the break when Pascal Gross lost the ball in his own box and hauled down Dominik Szoboszlai, and Salah scored from the penalty spot. Brighton went into the break 2-1 up, so it was a compliment to the Baleba-Gross partnership when Jurgen Klopp brought on Ryan Gravenberch at half-time to stabilise Liverpool’s overrun midfield. It worked, and for a period Liverpool took control, but they failed to score a third and Brighton went hunting for an equaliser, which came late through Dunk’s close-range volley. Baleba never stopped, and his defensive nous regularly kept counter-attacks at bay. “I have to congratulate the club on finding two more amazing players, in Adingra and Baleba,” De Zerbi said after the game. “Baleba is very young and I think this club needs the characteristics of Baleba. He is a great replacement for Caicedo. But we can’t forget Ansu Fati, Mahmoud Dahoud, Joao Pedro.” In other words, there is plenty more where that came from. Why give Baleba his first start now? “I gave him the right steps. He played a part of the game with Bournemouth, played 70 minutes in Stamford Bridge [in the League Cup] in a big stadium. I gave him time to understand the new style of play, the timing of when to receive the ball, the right line of passing: our idea. It is not so easy [to learn] because our style, in the defensive phase we can change depending on the opponent, our build-up play can change. “He’s very young, a very good player with incredible potential, and he can be one of the most important midfielders in Europe in the future.” De Zerbi believes. And after this performance, we’re all Balebas now. 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The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

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