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William Saliba was delighted to make a successful return to Premier League action in Arsenal’s win over Nottingham Forest. The France defender missed the closing weeks of last season with a back injury and his absence was felt as Arsenal slipped from the top of the table to finish five points behind champions Manchester City. Up until his injury, the Gunners had been settled at the summit and Saliba had formed a formidable defensive partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes. Saliba returned to the team for the 2-1 win over Forest, providing the assist for Bukayo Saka’s stunning strike after Eddie Nketiah’s deflected effort had broken the deadlock. “I’m really, really happy,” he said of his competitive return. “I’m not 100 per cent at the moment, but I give everything to come back, because it’s been a long time. I didn’t play as I was injured, and I’m so happy to be with the team. The team and the staff helped me to get better and get back to my best. “It’s always better (to play at home). You don’t feel pressure, you don’t feel any pain, it’s good.” I’m not 100 per cent at the moment, but I give everything to come back, because it’s been a long time William Saliba Arsenal had looked in control against the visitors until substitute Taiwo Awoniyi pulled a goal back with eight minutes remaining to give the visitors hope of wrestling back an unlikely point. Ultimately, the hosts hung on and Saliba was pleased to start the campaign with a victory. “It was really good to start the season with a win,” he added. “It’s never easy to win the first game in the league, and we have done a good game. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal in the last 10 minutes, but it’s okay, we learn and will improve for the next game.” Forest are aiming to add to their squad before the transfer deadline, having handed debuts to Ola Aina, Anthony Elanga and Matt Turner. The latter was pleased to make his bow against Arsenal, whom he left for the City Ground earlier last week. “Debut and Prem debut. A dream was finally realised yesterday,” he said on Instagram. “Thank you to the Forest fans who made the trip! See you at the City Ground on Friday. “Also just wanted to say thanks for the warm welcome back to the Emirates, it was truly a special day for me and my family.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Two assists for James Maddison as Tottenham move on without Harry Kane with draw Kylian Mbappe returns to PSG squad after ‘constructive and positive’ talks Beth Shriever: BMX world title win ‘the perfect practice’ for Olympic defence

Tottenham began life without Harry Kane with an entertaining 2-2 draw at Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday

Chelsea and Liverpool had disppointing seasons last year which resulted in plentiful changes at both clubs. Former Chelsea bosses, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, have been replaced with Mauricio Pochettino who hopes to ignite a new successful era at the club. Pochettino has plenty of options to choose from but his focus on passing, speed and improvement of young players offers Chelsea the opportunity to rebuild themselves as a big threat in the top flight. Nowhere is this more on display than 23-year-old Reece James being made captain of the club following the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta. Liverpool, meanwhile, have overhauled their ageing midfield with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both shipped off to Saudi Arabia. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have been brought in to replace them but questions remain over the Reds’ defensive capabilities. Added to all this is the subplot of Moises Caicedo. Liverpool have had a bid of £110m accepted by Brighton for the midfielder but Caicedo prefers to join Chelsea with the Blues thinking about tabling an improved offer for the 21-year-old. The battle for Caicedo’s signature could play out on the pitch as the two clubs clash this afternoon. Follow all the action from Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host Liverpool: Read More Jurgen Klopp wants players to step up as ‘reloaded’ Liverpool look to hit stride Moises Caicedo transfer takes twist as Chelsea look to hijack Liverpool offer Why Axel Disasi could solve Mauricio Pochettino’s defensive problems at Chelsea

Paris Saint-Germain soccer superstar Neymar has reportedly agreed a two-year deal to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal

James Maddison provided two assists to help fill the creative void left by Harry Kane’s departure, but Tottenham could only start the Ange Postecoglou era with a 2-2 Premier League draw at Brentford. Kane’s exit to Bayern Munich – coupled with four full debutants being used in their season opener – contributed to the start of a new dawn at Spurs and along with hosts Brentford, they produced an entertaining affair in west London. New vice-captain Cristian Romero headed Tottenham in front after 11 minutes, but quick-fire efforts from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa turned around this Premier League opener for the Bees. Emerson Royal was able to level on the stroke of half-time after another assist by Maddison, who was wearing the number 10 shirt, and despite both teams fashioning further chances in the second half, the spoils were shared. It had been a whirlwind period for everyone involved at Tottenham with Kane beginning his journey to Germany on Friday and making his debut for Bayern on Saturday night. By that point, his former club had moved on. Son Heung-min was confirmed as Spurs’ new captain, with Hugo Lloris still expected to depart before September 1, and Postecoglou handed out several debuts during his own Premier League bow. A slight delay occurred to kick-off at Brentford due to a sanitation issue inside the stadium, but it took only 11 minutes for Tottenham to score the first goal of this new era. Maddison curled in a free-kick for fellow vice-captain Romero to head home but that would prove the World Cup winner’s last involvement. Romero had clashed heads with Mbeumo after five minutes and despite insisting he could carry on, Davinson Sanchez was introduced. Brentford started to grow into proceedings and Tottenham’s new number one Guglielmo Vicario saved well from Mbeumo before Son started his captaincy duties with a low point. The Spurs forward caught Mathias Jensen inside the area and – while it looked innocuous at first glance – VAR told referee Robert Jones to review the incident with the pitchside monitor and he pointed to the penalty spot. With Brentford without the banned Ivan Toney due to repeated betting breaches, Mbeumo took on the spot-kick responsibility and slotted the ball home after 26 minutes in a similar fashion to his fellow strike partner. Nine minutes later, Thomas Frank’s side were ahead when Rico Henry got in behind Emerson too easily on the right and cut back, where Wissa’s shot was deflected beyond Vicario by fellow debutant Micky Van De Ven. A booking for Oliver Skipp on the stroke of half-time made it five yellows handed out to the visitors, which included coach Ryan Mason and those minor delays contributed towards 11 minutes being added on at the end of the first half. It proved enough time for Tottenham to go in level after Emerson rifled home from 22 yards following Maddison’s pass to continue his resurgence after he was booed onto the pitch against Aston Villa at the start of 2023. Brentford substitute Mikkel Damsgaard should have made it 3-2 after 58 minutes, but he scuffed his effort straight at Vicario from 12 yards after the Italian had punched away Vitaly Janelt’s cross. Spurs improved afterwards with Son testing Mark Flekken, who produced a strong display after replacing Arsenal-bound David Raya. Flekken was equal to Richarlison’s 64th-minute effort when Maddison had slipped through the Brazil forward before a host of changes were made by both managers. Van De Ven breathed a sigh of relief after VAR decided to not intervene when he caught Bees substitute Kevin Schade inside the area with 12 minutes left. And it proved the final noteworthy moment of an entertaining opener, which showed both sides there was life without talismans Kane and Toney. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kylian Mbappe returns to PSG squad after ‘constructive and positive’ talks Beth Shriever: BMX world title win ‘the perfect practice’ for Olympic defence Fred completes move from Manchester United to Fenerbahce

Kylian Mbappe has been reintegrated back into Paris St Germain’s first-team squad following “very constructive and positive discussions” between the club and their star asset. The France captain’s future has been the subject of intense speculation all summer amid his preference of a move to Real Madrid and he was recently barred from senior training amid a fraught stand-off. He watched on from the stands as PSG began their Ligue 1 title defence in underwhelming fashion with a goalless draw against Lorient on Saturday, with Neymar another conspicuous absentee from the matchday squad. But PSG confirmed on Sunday Mbappe had returned to first-team training, amid links the 24-year-old forward is ready to extend his contract with the club beyond next summer. PSG said in a statement on their social channels: “Following very constructive and positive discussions between Paris St Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient game, the player has been reinstated into the first-team training squad this morning.” Mbappe, who had been given permission to speak to Al Hilal after the Saudi Pro League club tabled a world-record bid of £259million last month, has just one year left to run on his existing PSG deal. He has so far refused any extension and would be able to negotiate a free transfer in January but it has been reported he will commit to PSG until 2025, allowing the club to sell him to Real next summer. The 2018 World Cup winner, who is PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 212 goals in just 260 appearances, could come into the reckoning for head coach Luis Enrique next weekend at Toulouse. Enrique had said ahead of the Lorient fixture he was optimistic that the impasse between PSG and Mbappe would be swiftly resolved. “It is something that has already happened in the past and there was a positive solution before I was here,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “I hope and wish that, just like in the past, the same thing will happen again and that the club and the player will reach an agreement.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Player ratings and match report from Brentford 2-2 Tottenham in the Premier League.

Turkish football club Fenerbahce confirmed the signing of midfielder Frederico Rodrigues de Paula Santos, famously known as Fred,

Conor McGregor fed Anthony Joshua a sip of his Forged Irish Stout just moments after the Brit brutally knocked out Robert Helenius. AJ caught his opponent with a clubbing right hand in the seventh round to suddenly end the fight, sparking celebrations at the O2 Arena. McGregor was one of the first people to greet Joshua at ringside, offering him a swig of his alcoholic beverage. The win sets up a blockbuster fight with Deontay Wilder, with negotiations for a January date already underway.

Jack Harrison is set to sign for Everton on a season-loan loan from Leeds United. The winger, who has been sidelined with a hip injury, is undergoing a medical at Goodison Park and will become Sean Dyche’s fourth summer signing. Everton will not have an obligation buy the 26-year-old, who almost joined Leicester on January and signed a new five-year deal at Leeds in April. Harrison, who has scored 21 Premier League goals in the last three seasons, could add firepower to an Everton team who had 19 shots but failed to score as they opened their season with a 1-0 defeat to Fulham. Everton have also been interested in Leeds forward Wilfried Gnonto, who has been left out of the squad for their last two games after telling the Championship club he did not feel able to play. Harrison will become Dyche’s fourth summer signing after Ashley Young, Arnaut Danjuma and Youssef Chermiti. He will continue the exodus from Leeds after their relegation, with Robin Koch, Diego Llorente, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Brenden Aaronson all loaned out and Tyler Adams attracting offers from Premier League clubs. Read More Brentford vs Tottenham LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Tom Brady greets fans in packed pub ahead of first Birmingham City match

Manchester United midfielder Fred has completed his transfer to Fenerbahce. United announced a deal had been agreed between the two clubs on Friday and the Brazil international travelled to Turkey on Saturday for a medical and to discuss terms. Both happened without an issue, so Fred heads to Istanbul in a move worth an initial 10million euros (£8.6m) rising to a possible 15m euros (£12.9m). The 30-year-old, who moved to Old Trafford from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 and had made 213 appearances for the club, had already said his goodbyes on social media. He said on Saturday: “Thanks for everything, Manchester United Football Club. “Today ends one of the most beautiful stages of my career. I lived the dream of wearing the shirt of one of the biggest clubs in the world. “Going through ups and downs, I leave with the conviction that I always gave my best during all training sessions and games. “It was five years of a true dream for me and my family. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity. Forever a Red!” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

After disappointing campaigns last time around, both Chelsea and Liverpool will be hoping for better as they meet on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. The Mauricio Pochettino era begins for Chelsea as the former Tottenham and PSG manager sets about transforming a squad that finished in the bottom half. Another slightly scattergun summer leaves Pochettino with plenty of options at his disposal, but forging a winning side quickly may be tough, particularly after the injury to Christopher Nkunku. Liverpool’s investment has been more targeted, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister brought in to refresh the midfield. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Chelsea vs Liverpool? Chelsea vs Liverpool is due to kick-off at 4.30pm on Sunday 13 August at Stamford Bridge in London. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 4pm. Subscribers can stream the game via the Sky Go app. Team news Chelsea have confirmed that Christopher Nkunku will be out for “an extended period” after undergoing knee surgery. Mauricio Pochettino continues to chase midfield reinforcements, but centre-half Axel Disasi has been secured to provide the manager with another defensive option. Reece James has been appointed as captain. Jurgen Klopp’s side are also said to still be in the mix for another high-price midfield recruit despite adding Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who could make competitive Liverpool debuts at Stamford Bridge. Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic continue to work their way back from injury lay-offs and may be absent. Predicted line-ups Chelsea XI: Kepa; James, Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Gallagher, Fernandez; Sterling, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk; Jackson. Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gakpo; Salah, Nunez, Jota. Odds Chelsea win 83/41 Draw 11/4 Liverpool win 7/5 Prediction An entertaining score draw to start the season. Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool Read More Liverpool, Moises Caicedo, and the £100m bid that Jurgen Klopp said he’d never make Liverpool offered hope in battle with Chelsea over Moises Caicedo transfer Jurgen Klopp wants players to step up as ‘reloaded’ Liverpool look to hit stride Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Moises Caicedo transfer takes twist as Chelsea look to hijack Liverpool offer Liverpool offered hope in battle with Chelsea over Moises Caicedo transfer