Phil Foden Suspension | First Touch – Sep 15
Good morning. The Manchester derby fallout continues to dominate the narrative, with Phil Foden’s three-match ban now confirmed and VAR’s controversial role in Haaland’s winner sparking fresh debate about consistency in the Premier League. Elsewhere, PSG finally got their Ligue 1 season moving, Juventus suffered an embarrassing collapse in Italy, and there’s history waiting to be made—or broken—down at St James’ Park. Strap in.
Phil Foden Suspension: The Three Man City Games He Is Set to Miss After Derby Red Card
The Manchester City winger will sit out domestic fixtures following his straight red against Manchester United, a decision that represents a significant blow to Pep Guardiola’s attacking options during a crucial period of the season. Three matches is the standard tariff for violent conduct, and it’s hard to argue the decision was harsh—Foden’s petulant kick was indefensible, even if the frustration was understandable. City will have to navigate this spell without one of their most in-form players, which could prove costly.
How many times has a Premier League gameweek had no home wins?
Monday’s clash between Leeds United and Newcastle United could create genuine Premier League history if the result follows the pattern of this weekend’s extraordinary gameweek. A run of away victories would represent something genuinely rare in English football’s top division, a statistical anomaly that speaks to unusual competitive balance—or unusual circumstances. It’s the kind of quirk that reminds us football still has surprises left to serve.
VAR made ‘error of judgement’ to allow Erling Haaland’s Manchester derby winner, confirms Pro Ref
The Professional Referees’ Association has effectively admitted that Haaland’s goal should not have stood, with Enzo Fernández clearly interfering from an offside position in the build-up. This is the exact kind of decision that erodes trust in VAR—not because the technology failed, but because the judgment call was botched. When the PFA itself has to clarify that a goal was incorrectly awarded, you have to ask serious questions about who’s making these calls and why they’re getting it wrong.
Lamine Yamal says Mbappé his only rival for Ballon d’Or
The Barcelona sensation has thrown down a marker with characteristic confidence, suggesting he sees only one peer in the conversation for football’s individual prize. Whether that proves prescient or premature will depend on the next eight months of action, but there’s no denying Yamal has the form and the platform to make a genuine claim. The Ballon d’Or conversation just got more interesting.
Claude Makelele backs ‘exceptional’ Frank Lampard to keep Coventry City in the Premier League
The former Chelsea midfielder has thrown his weight behind Lampard’s credentials to maintain Coventry’s top-flight status, offering a ringing endorsement from someone who knows what it takes to operate at the highest level. Lampard’s appointment has already generated genuine optimism around the Sky Blues, and when figures of Makelele’s stature are offering public support, it suggests there’s real substance behind the mood. Coventry fans have reason to believe their fortunes might be turning.
Torres fires PSG to first win of Ligue 1 season
Ferran Torres has provided the spark that PSG desperately needed, securing their opening victory of a campaign that threatened to spiral into genuine crisis. After a worrying start to the season, this result will provide some breathing room and a foundation to build from. Whether it represents a turning point or merely a blip remains to be seen, but momentum—however fragile—is better than nothing.
Read full story at Paris Saint-Germain (Google News Local) →
Serie A: Four goals in 12 minutes as Sassuolo defeats Juventus 3-2
In a frenetic spell of Italian football, Sassuolo pulled off one of the weekend’s most shocking results, dismantling a Juventus side that frankly looked vulnerable when it mattered. A three-goal turnaround in 12 minutes is the kind of collapse that costs managers their jobs and raises serious questions about mentality in the Juve camp. This wasn’t just a loss; it was an embarrassment that Massimiliano Allegri will need to address immediately.
Foden got a straight red for a petulant kick | The Technical Area
The Technical Area’s breakdown confirms what everyone saw: Foden deserved to go, Oliver got the call right, and any attempt to portray this as a soft dismissal is just noise from the commentary box. Roy Keane’s revisionism about Bruno Fernández’s involvement in the broader incident is precisely the kind of nonsense that clouds rational discussion—yes, plenty of players would have done the same, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. Moving on.
PSG have finally won a game in Ligue 1 – but they were far from convincing
While Torres provided moments of genuine class, the broader PSG performance was a reminder that they’re still some distance from where they need to be tactically and collectively. One win doesn’t erase a concerning start, and there’s plenty of work still to do before anyone at the Parc des Princes can relax. The foundation is there, but only if they can build on this quickly.
VAR from Manchester derby stood down from duty
The decision to remove the VAR official from this weekend’s fixtures is a tacit admission that the error was significant enough to warrant consequences—a rare moment of accountability in a system that too often operates without transparency. Whether this is genuine punishment or mere performance management, it sends a signal that standards matter. Small steps toward restoring faith, perhaps.