Welcome to All Football’s Kick Off, bringing you the major football stories from the past 24 hours.
Manchester United’s difficult start to the new campaign continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Everton at Hill Dickinson, conceding an extraordinary equaliser from Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the 95th minute. United led twice but have now won only one of their opening three games.
Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko scored for Manchester United, but their goals were not enough to secure victory on Sunday. Maitland-Niles marked his Toffees debut with a dramatic late leveller, leaving Michael Carrick’s side to settle for a point.
Carrick admitted the result “hurts” after United surrendered the lead twice. Gary Neville also warned that his former club’s defensive problems showed no sign of disappearing after they conceded two goals for the third consecutive match. Neville said he had a “big fear” about the defence and could not see an obvious way for the team to end its regular habit of allowing goals.
Arsenal produced the weekend’s headline result in the Premier League, recovering from a goal down to defeat Chelsea 2-1 in a pulsating London derby. Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard completed the comeback in what was the first major heavyweight meeting of the new campaign and an early contender for game of the season.
During the match, England team-mates Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers came to blows in a furious exchange. Arsenal’s attacking options were also praised, with Odegaard, Havertz and Bukayo Saka showing the team can improve even without the blockbuster signing they had wanted.
In one notable second-half move at Emirates Stadium, Odegaard received possession in an inside-right position before sliding a pass towards Havertz. His flick created an opportunity for Saka, who tested Emiliano Martinez.
Xabi Alonso was not disheartened by Chelsea’s narrow defeat. He said his team would recover and insisted they were prepared for the “long, long ride” ahead.
Elsewhere in Spain, Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the defence of their LaLiga title with a 5-0 victory over Valencia at Estadio de Mestalla. Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal were the standout performers, with Yamal scoring twice and Raphinha also finding the net.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said there was still room for improvement despite the emphatic win and his side’s flawless opening to the title defence.
In Italy, AC Milan’s perfect start under Ruben Amorim came to an end as Juventus drew 1-1 with Milan at Allianz Stadium. Federico Gatti came off the bench to score a stoppage-time header and rescue a point for Juventus.
Atlanta United twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Inter Miami. Breel Embolo marked his debut by scoring a late penalty to earn Atlanta a share of the points at Nu Stadium.
Transfer and disciplinary developments
Jadon Sancho is being lined up for a return to Borussia Dortmund, according to Monday’s newspapers and transfer rumours.
There has also been a police investigation involving Cardiff City’s Krystian Bielik. The former Arsenal player appeared to grab a young Portsmouth fan by the throat during Cardiff’s 2-0 Championship defeat on the south coast.
Manchester United were also criticised after one former player reportedly discovered through social media that he had not been included in the squad, following a move being blocked after deadline day. The player said he only found out about the decision online.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has been important to Andoni Iraola’s side so far, although he might not have remained at Anfield if a proposed transfer to Manchester City had been completed in the final days of the window. Virgil van Dijk has made his feelings about Gakpo clear after the Dutchman’s transfer situation changed.
The Women’s Super League began with London City, Arsenal and Manchester City all making winning starts. Chelsea and Manchester United, however, stumbled on the opening weekend. Sky Sports’ analysis highlighted the arrival of new contenders and the failure of some established sides to impress in the first fixtures of the 2026/27 season.
Manchester United’s poor defensive record remains one of the main concerns after the Everton draw. Carrick, though, responded calmly when asked about the team’s start after three games, saying: “It’s not that bad.” He also acknowledged that the late equaliser was particularly difficult to accept after his players had twice been in front.
