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[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

De Zerbi spoke after another 0-0. He said he came to Tottenham last season when the club was in a very bad place. He used strong words. He put his hand to his head and called it “shit.” He was not only smiling. He was honest. He said sorry for the results. But he also said the players played as a team.

That is the real point. Last season he arrived late. The dressing room was broken. Players cried after games. He kept them in the Premier League on the last day. Now the club spent a lot of money and signed many new players. Fans want goals and wins now. Four league games with no goals feels heavy.

De Zerbi is not hiding. He says a team is not built in two weeks. New players, World Cup games, and injuries made the start late. The team now keeps the ball and defends better. The block is in the last third. They need one goal to open the door.

Give him time, but not endless time. He already proved he can lift a broken group. The next step is simple: score, then win. Honest talk is good. Results still decide if people believe.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Ezri Konsa’s words after Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Sunderland tell a simple story. A teammate was on the ground. Granit Xhaka tried to pull him up. Konsa saw no respect in that. He expected better from a man who once wore the Arsenal shirt.

That clash is not hard to understand. Xhaka still fights like a captain. Sunderland needed every second. Konsa is new at Arsenal and wants to protect his own. Two proud players met in a tight game. Heat rose. Hands moved. Voices rose. That is Premier League football.

But Konsa is also right about one line. There is a limit. You can press. You can shout. You can battle for every ball. You should not treat a downed player like a problem to drag away. Respect is not weakness. It is the line that keeps a hard game from turning ugly.

Xhaka will say he was only competing. Many fans will back him. Many Arsenal fans will back Konsa. Both can be true at once. Desire is good. Dignity still matters.

Arsenal won because Raya saved a penalty and Guimaraes scored soon after. The result will fade. The picture of two strong characters arguing over a fallen player will stay. Football needs fire. It also needs a pause when a man is already down. That is the real lesson from this night.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

⚪️⚡️ 7 goals in 6 games. This is Kylian Mbappé doing what he does best.

Look at the six games. He scored a hat-trick against Real Sociedad. He scored against Inter in the Champions League. Then he opened and closed the 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano today, and even gave an assist. One of those goals was a penalty. The last one was a late strike when the crowd was getting restless. That is a player who does not wait for the perfect moment. He creates it.

People still debate if he is the best in the world. The numbers this season make the debate quieter. Six La Liga goals already. Seven in all competitions. Madrid have not been perfect. They lost at Betis. They looked nervous after going 2-0 up today. Yet Mbappé keeps scoring.

This is why the Ballon d’Or talk will not go away. Last season he was Madrid’s main man. This season he started even faster. Speed, finishing, and now more involvement in the build-up. That is growth.

The season is still young. Six games is a small sample. But when a player of this quality starts like this, you notice. Madrid need him to stay fit and stay hungry. If he does, the rest of Europe will have a problem.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Mourinho was clear after Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1. This was a must-win. The Betis loss hurt. Three days after Inter, the team still had to collect three points at home.

The first half showed why he demanded a win. Madrid scored three times. Mbappé, Carreras and Bellingham made the night look easy. The crowd could breathe. The second half was different. Legs got heavy. Rayo scored. Control dropped. The Bernabéu grew restless again, even with a big score.

This is the hard part of the calendar. Three games in a week is not a slogan. It is tired players, short recovery, and a coach who still wants intensity. Mourinho did not hide that. He also did not attack his squad. He gave them respect. That matters. After a bad league result, many coaches look for blame. He looked for effort.

The result is what he wanted. The performance was only half of what he wanted. Madrid can score fast. They still struggle to close a game when the body slows down. That is the next test. Wins will buy time. Weak second halves will bring more noise.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Gabriel Magalhaes did a quiet but strong job against Sunderland. Arsenal won 2-0 and kept a clean sheet.

Gabriel made 11 defensive contributions. That means he was busy all game. He cleared the ball 6 times. Those clearances take pressure off the team when Sunderland pushed forward. He also made 2 recoveries and 2 interceptions. He read the play and stepped in at the right moment. He won 10 duels. That shows he was strong in one-on-one fights. He used his body well and did not lose many battles.

He had 62 touches. It tells us this was more of a defensive evening. Sunderland made it physical. Gabriel stayed focused and did the simple things right.

This kind of performance is why Arsenal look solid at the back. Big centre backs like him give the team calm. When the game gets messy, he stays strong. He does not always make the highlights, but he makes the defence hard to break.

Arsenal have started the season well. Games like this show why. Gabriel is not flashy every week. He is reliable. That reliability helps the team keep winning.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

From the start of 2025/26 until tonight, Kylian Mbappe has 79 goals and assists. Only Harry Kane sits above him with 85.

More than a year of club games, cups, Champions League nights, and a World Cup. Mbappe led Real Madrid’s attack, won the Pichichi, and kept scoring for France. Kane did the same at Bayern. Week after week, both men found the net or set a teammate up.

Age makes the race more interesting. Kane is 33. Mbappe is 27. Kane is still the more complete finisher right now. He drops deep, links play, and rarely wastes a chance. Mbappe is faster and more explosive. When Madrid give him space, he looks unstoppable. He just added more to the tally against Rayo Vallecano.

Stats like this can mislead if you ignore context. Kane plays in a machine that creates huge chances. Mbappe has had to carry more of Madrid’s load at times. Both still produce at a level almost nobody else can match.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

FT at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid 4-1 Rayo Vallecano.

Madrid needed a reaction after losing to Betis. They got it fast. Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot in the 14th minute. Three minutes later he set up Alvaro Carreras for 2-0. Jude Bellingham made it 3-0 before half-time after a good pass from Vinicius Junior. The first half was one-way traffic.

Rayo did not give up. Sergio Camello pulled one back early in the second half after a sloppy Madrid mistake. That goal woke the visitors up. They created a few more chances. Thibaut Courtois still had work to do.

Madrid stayed in control. They added a fourth late on and closed the game. Possession was high. The attack looked sharp again. Mbappe led the line. Bellingham found space. Carreras showed he can score as well as defend.

This result keeps Madrid in the title race. Barcelona sit above them, so every home win matters. Rayo worked hard and took their chance, but they were second best for most of the night.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

FT at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal.

Sunderland fought. They sat deep, pressed when they could, and earned a penalty. Enzo Le Fee stepped up. David Raya saved it. That moment changed the game. Two minutes later, Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench and smashed a long-range shot into the top corner. Declan Rice set it up. The home crowd booed him. He scored anyway.

Arsenal did not play their best football. Possession was good, but chances were tight. Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka had looks that did not go in. Granit Xhaka, now Sunderland captain, made life hard for his old club. Still, Arteta’s side stayed patient. They added a second late on and left with three points.

This is what title defence looks like. Not always pretty. Just enough quality when it matters. Raya’s save. Guimaraes’ first Arsenal goal. Clean sheet on the road. Four wins from four in the league.

Sunderland can hold their heads up. They made the champions work. But Arsenal keep rolling. The gap at the top stays healthy. Next week will ask more questions. Tonight, the answer was simple: they got the job done.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Cole Palmer just hit 100 Premier League games for Chelsea with 71 goal involvements. That means he has scored or set up 71 goals. Only Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink did better in his first 100 league games for the club, with 77.

This number is huge. Palmer is not a pure striker. He plays as an attacking midfielder. He creates chances and finishes them. Hasselbaink was a centre-forward who lived in the box. Palmer does both jobs.

Look at the names behind him. Drogba had 70. Hazard had 58. Lampard had far fewer at the same stage. Palmer has already beaten most Chelsea legends before his 24th birthday.

People once said Chelsea paid too much for him from Manchester City. Those people were wrong. He became the main man almost at once. He scores penalties, late winners, and four-goal games. He also gives the ball to teammates in good spots.

The club has changed managers and teammates around him. Palmer has stayed the same. He keeps producing.

Seventy-one involvements in 100 games is not luck. It is skill, calm, and work. If he stays fit, he will pass Hasselbaink soon. Chelsea have found a player who can carry them for years.

That is why this record matters. It is not just a stat. It shows Palmer already belongs with the best attackers the club has ever had.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Chelsea fans have talked about a No.9 curse for years. Big strikers took that shirt and then struggled. Torres. Morata. Lukaku. Aubameyang. After Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the number felt heavy. That is why João Pedro’s start matters.

Four games. Three goals. Three assists. That is six big actions already. He is not only a finisher. He drops deep, links play, and helps teammates score. Today he scored again to save a point against Hull City. The numbers match the eye test.

A shirt cannot score. A player can. Pedro already had a strong first Chelsea season. Now he wears the famous number and still produces. That is the real story.

It is still early. Four games do not make a title run. Chelsea have dropped points. The team still leaks goals. But this is the best start a Chelsea No.9 has had in a long time.

If he keeps this level, the curse talk will fade. Fans will stop looking at the number and start looking at the player. That is how it should be. Simple football. Good work. Goals and assists. Keep going.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Kylian Mbappe is starting this season in a very good way for Real Madrid.

In five La Liga games he has five goals and one assist. He also scored once in his first Champions League match. That is six goals and one assist in six games overall.

Today against Rayo Vallecano he scored a penalty and then helped Carreras score the second goal. He is not only finishing chances. He is also creating them for teammates.

Madrid need this kind of start. They want to stay close to Barcelona. When Mbappe scores early, the whole team looks more dangerous. Vinicius and Bellingham also benefit because defenders must watch the French striker.

Five goals in five league games is a strong number. It shows he is fit and sharp after the summer. One assist is also useful. It proves he can play for the team, not only for himself.

The season is still young. There will be harder games. But this beginning gives Madrid fans hope. If he keeps this level, Madrid will score many goals this year.

When Mbappe is on form, Real Madrid look much stronger. The next matches will show if he can stay this consistent.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Half time at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid lead Rayo Vallecano 3-0 after a strong first 45 minutes.

Mbappe opened the score from the penalty spot in minute 14. Three minutes later he passed to Carreras, who scored the second goal. Bellingham added the third in minute 35 after a smart ball from Vinicius.

Madrid hold most of the ball and keep attacking. Rayo look tired and struggle to get forward. Courtois made one good save early, but Madrid stay in control.

This result helps Madrid stay close to Barcelona in the league table. The home side play with speed and purpose. Carreras had a fine game at left back and even scored.

Rayo need a big change after the break or the gap will grow. Madrid should keep the same intensity and look for more goals. A clean sheet and a big win would send a clear message.

Simple, clear football so far. The second half starts soon. Madrid look ready to finish the job.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

HT: Sunderland 0-0 Arsenal

The first 45 minutes at the Stadium of Light ended goalless. Arsenal, the champions with a perfect start, had most of the ball. They moved it well through Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka. But Sunderland stayed organised and hard to break down.

Kai Havertz came closest. One shot went over the bar. Goalkeeper Robin Roefs made a good save on another. Sunderland sat deep, waited, and looked dangerous on the break with Brian Brobbey.

Granit Xhaka led Sunderland against his old club. The home crowd backed him strongly. Mikel Arteta even received a booking after stepping into the home technical area. The game felt tight and tense.

Last season Sunderland took a point here with a late equaliser. They will hope for something similar. Arsenal must show more cutting edge after the restart if they want all three points.

The second half should open up. Arsenal will push higher. Sunderland will stay compact and look for one chance. Both teams still have everything to play for. The first goal will decide the mood of the night.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Martinelli joined Al Hilal from Arsenal only days ago for a large fee. He scored his first hat-trick in the new shirt today. He had gone many months without a club goal. The finish on the first goal was wow. He reacted fast to a loose ball. The second goal came from a through pass. The third was a simple tap-in from a low cross.
Al Hilal are back on top of the Saudi league. The team now has several former Premier League attackers. They look dangerous in attack. Martinelli is only 25. Last season he helped Arsenal win the English title. Now he starts a new life in Saudi Arabia with bigger wages and a different style of play.
The match was one-sided. Al Taawoun had no answer. Good movement and calm finishing decided it. Fans will now ask if Martinelli can keep this form week after week. One strong night does not make a season. Still, it is a good start for the Brazilian in his new colours.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Real Madrid look sharp at the Bernabeu tonight. After only 17 minutes they already lead Rayo Vallecano 2-0. Kylian Mbappe scored first from the penalty spot in the 14th minute. Alvaro Carreras won that penalty with a strong run down the left. Three minutes later Carreras scored himself. A full-back scoring so early is a big bonus.

This is the kind of start Jose Mourinho wants. Madrid lost last week. They needed a fast reply. Mbappe stays ice-cold from 12 yards. Carreras is not just defending. He is attacking with real purpose. That is why he is in the team.

Rayo came to sit deep and wait. They cannot sit now. Two early goals change the plan. Madrid have the ball and the crowd. If they keep this pace, the second half can become comfortable. But Rayo can still fight. One sloppy moment can bring them back.

Madrid struck twice in three minutes. The star striker and the young full-back both delivered. That is how you take control of a home league game. The night is young, but the lead already feels heavy.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Hull City stay unbeaten after four Premier League games. They drew 2-2 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and now sit third with eight points.

Chelsea took the lead early. Morgan Rogers scored after seven minutes. Hull stayed calm. Mohamed Belloumi hit back with two goals in six minutes before half-time. Hull led 2-1 at the break.

Joao Pedro made it 2-2 in the 66th minute. Chelsea pushed for a winner. Hull held on. Both sides missed late chances.

This is a big result for a newly promoted side. Many expected Hull to fight relegation. Instead they have already beaten Manchester United and taken points from Chelsea and Aston Villa. Eight points from four tough games is an excellent start.

Chelsea have a dangerous attack. Their defence still looks shaky. They dropped points at home again.

Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic said his players can be proud. He is right. The team looks organised, works hard, and hurts teams on the counter.

If Hull keep this level, they will not just stay in the Premier League. They can surprise a lot of people this season. Chelsea must tighten up at the back if they want to stay near the top. The Tigers have announced themselves.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

FT Tottenham 0-0 Everton.

Four league games. Still no goal. That is the story of this evening in north London.

Tottenham had more of the ball and more touches in the Everton box. New signings started. Solanke led the line. Marmoush and Savio tried to create. Tonali and Fernandes pushed from midfield. The crowd wanted a first win under De Zerbi. It never came.

Everton did what Moyes sides do. They stayed compact. They defended their box. Branthwaite and Tarkowski won the important duels. Pickford made the saves that mattered. They left with a point and stayed unbeaten.

A draw at home against a well-organised Everton team feels like two points dropped for Spurs. The big summer spend has not yet produced a Premier League goal. Possession without a finish is empty. Fans will ask how long this wait can last.

Everton will take the result. A clean sheet away from home is useful. They look organised and hard to break down.

The season is still early. Tottenham need a goal soon. Until they score, every draw will feel the same: progress in shape, no progress on the scoreboard. Everton can keep collecting points this way. Spurs cannot.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Yan Diomande starts his first game for Real Madrid tonight.

One year ago he was a young boy from Ivory Coast who trained in Florida. Then he played a few games for Leganés. His first senior minutes even came against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. Now he wears the white shirt and starts at the same stadium.

Real Madrid paid a record fee for him. He is the most expensive African player ever and the first Ivorian at the club. That is heavy pressure for a 19-year-old.

Mourinho did not start him in the first league game. Fitness and experience were the reasons. Tonight the coach trusts him. That is a big step.

Fans will watch his speed and dribbling. Can he beat defenders the way he did in Germany? Can he stay calm when the Bernabéu is loud?

This start is not just a lineup change. It is the start of a new chapter. Young talent, big money, and huge expectation now meet on the pitch.

If he plays well, people will talk about a future star. If he struggles, the talk will be about the price tag. That is life at Real Madrid.

Tonight is his first real test in white. Many boys dream of this moment. Very few get it so young and so fast.

Watch him run. Watch him try. The rest of the story begins now.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Gabriel Martinelli left Arsenal for Al-Hilal this month. Big money. New country. New teammates. New pressure. Today he scored his first Saudi Pro League goal.

This is why the move makes sense for him. At Arsenal he was a loved player who no longer started every week. In Riyadh he is a main attacker next to other Premier League names. Speed still matters. Direct running still hurts tired defences. One goal will not define a season. But a first goal after a long club drought does something important. It settles the mind.

Saudi football is not a holiday. Al-Hilal want titles. Fans want instant impact. Martinelli now has a moment they can replay. That helps him. It also helps the league. Every time a known Premier League name scores, more people watch the next match.

Do not call this “arrival” as if the job is done. Arrival is week one. Staying good is months of heat, travel, and new habits. If he keeps running in behind and finishing simple chances, Al-Hilal will look even more dangerous. If the goals stop, the same questions that followed him in London will follow him here.

One goal. One night. A new chapter that just got a little louder.

[Codedking Sport @codedkingsport]

Morgan Rogers has made a loud start at Chelsea. Six games. Three goals. Four assists. That is not luck. That is a player who already looks at home at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea paid a huge fee to bring him from Aston Villa. Big money brings big pressure. Rogers has answered it fast. He scored on his debut. He has kept finding the net and creating chances. He does not wait for the game to come to him. He runs at defenders, picks the right pass, and finishes when the chance is there.

The link with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro already looks sharp. When those three play together, Chelsea look more dangerous. Rogers gives them another option in attack. He can score. He can set others up. That mix is hard to stop.

It is still early. Six games do not make a season. The Premier League will get harder. Teams will study him. They will try to shut him down. That is when we will see the real level.

For now, the start is strong. Fans wanted a signing who could change games. Rogers is doing that. He looks hungry. He looks confident. If he keeps this form, Chelsea have a real weapon in attack.

The numbers are good. The way he is playing is even better. This is how a big move should begin.