1:45 PM ET An Arsenal fan has been handed a three-year stadium ban for abusing midfielder Granit Xhaka on social media, the club said on Friday. The season-ticket holder was deemed to have “incited violence” towards Xhaka and aimed discriminatory abuse against an unnamed Tottenham Hotspur player on a social media platform last season. –
Football
6:57 PM ET LONDON — The start of a new Premier League season brings with it a sense of regeneration and hope, everywhere that is except Arsenal. Nowhere was that optimism and anticipation greater than Brentford, an enclave of west London deprived of top-flight football for 74 years and desperate to fill their new stadium
4:54 PM ET Brentford got the better of Arsenal in the first match of the 2021-22 Premier League season at the Community Stadium in West London on Friday night. Goals either side of half-time from Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard sent Thomas Frank’s side on to a historic win. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on
5:30 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he expects Anthony Martial to get back to his best this season. Martial scored 17 goals in the Premier League during the 2019-20 campaign but managed just four last season. The Frenchman has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this
1:50 PM ET The European soccer season gets underway this weekend, with three of Europe’s big five leagues — the English Premier League, Spanish LaLiga, and German Bundesliga — all beginning their 2021-22 campaigns. (The French Ligue 1 began last weekend, and Italy‘s own Serie A kicks off on Aug. 21.) – ESPN+ viewers’ guide:
7:17 AM ET Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said he is puzzled by Manchester United‘s transfer business this summer but not surprised by the spending power of Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. United signed Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million and have agreed a fee around £34m with Real Madrid to sign
9:08 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said Raphael Varane will not be able to make his Manchester United debut this weekend because his move from Real Madrid is not yet complete. United announced they had agreed a £34 million deal with Real Madrid for the defender on July 27 but 17 days
7:40 AM ET Javier Henandez has enjoyed a superb start to the 2021 MLS season, scoring 10 goals in 10 games. Shaun Clark/Getty Images LA Galaxy striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has told ESPN that he suffered depression last season following the death of his grandfather. The Mexico international scored just two goals in his maiden season
10:32 AM ET Adriana Garcia Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino says Lionel Messi will not make his club debut in Saturday’s Ligue 1 game against Strasbourg. Messi, 34, has had just two training sessions since joining PSG as a free agent on Wednesday after Barcelona were unable to complete his new contract. He won 10
7:27 AM ET Barcelona defender Sergino Dest has told ESPN that the club feels “weird” without Lionel Messi following his move to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. The United States international spent one season at Barca alongside Messi after joining from Ajax last season. Dest said he enjoyed his time with Barca legend, who is widely