Liverpool smash British transfer record hot on heels of win over Arsenal

Premier League champions Liverpool have completed the protracted transfer of Swedish striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a British record fee of about £130 million ($268 million), hours after scoring a 1-0 win over Arsenal.

Negotiations over the deal dominated the Premier League transfer window, which closes on Monday. A Liverpool bid of £110 million was rejected in August.

Isak scored 23 league goals last season to guide Newcastle back to the Champions League with a fifth-placed finish, while he also scored in the League Cup final against Liverpool, giving them their first domestic trophy in 70 years.

Hours earlier, the league champions struck an early-season blow against rivals Arsenal with a 1-0 Premier League victory at Anfield thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free kick in the dying minutes.

Szoboszlai struck in the 83rd minute after Martin Zubimendi’s costly foul on Curtis Jones, unleashing a shot from 30 metres out that ricocheted in off the inside of the post.

It’s now three straight wins to open the season for Liverpool.

For Arsenal, it was a first loss and first goal conceded of the season — extending a winless record at Anfield dating back to 2012.

Liverpool’s summer signing Hugo Ekitike thought he had broken the deadlock in the second half when he bundled ball in after goalkeeper David Raya fumbled Florian Wirtz’s shot. But VAR showed Cody Gakpo was offside in the buildup.

New season, same issues for Man City

Manchester City were also expected to be challenging for the championship this season but collapsing to a 2-1 loss at Brighton – a second straight loss – was another sign that Pep Guardiola’s team has lost its aura of dominance.

The defeat at Brighton followed a 2-0 home loss to Tottenham last weekend for City, who are demonstrating the same vulnerabilities and brittleness they showed last season when surrendering the title to Liverpool after four consecutive years as champions.

“This is the reality – we are not at the level from a long time [ago],” said City midfielder Rodri, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner who was started in the league for the first time since September last year following a serious knee injury.

Brajan Gruda surged through an open defence, rounded goalkeeper James Trafford and slotted into an empty net for the 89th-minute winner for Brighton, who trailed to Erling Haaland’s first-half strike – his 88th goal coming in his 100th Premier League appearance since moving to England in 2022.

City conceded an equaliser in the 67th minute after Matheus Nunes raised his arm in the area to block a shot, with James Milner converting the penalty for Brighton to become – at the age of 39 years and 239 days – the second-oldest scorer in Premier League history. He is also the second youngest, having netted as a 16-year-old for Leeds.

With City noticeably fading, Brighton created a succession of chances before Gruda converted one to seal a repeat of his team’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over City last season.

City’s only points so far this season have come from a 4-0 opening-round win at Wolverhampton, after which some pundits were suggesting Guardiola’s team was back. Now, they have fewer points than stuttering Manchester United.

Surprise win for West Ham

West Ham eased the pressure on manager Graham Potter with a 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest, secured by late goals by Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta – from the penalty spot – and Callum Wilson.

West Ham lost their first two games in the league, conceding eight goals in the process, and were also eliminated from the English League Cup in midweek.

Paqueta, the Brazil midfielder, celebrated his successful penalty kick by pretending to answer a call and throw away a phone before kissing the badge on his jersey — perhaps a nod to being linked over the past 24 hours with a move to Aston Villa.

Martinez missing the action

World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez was left out of Aston Villa’s team for the 3-0 home loss to Crystal Palace amid speculation about his future.

Reports have linked Martinez with a move to Manchester United ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday, and Villa manager Unai Emery chose to play Marco Bizot in goal instead.

Bizot gave away a penalty that was converted in the 21st minute by Jean-Philippe Mateta to give Palace the lead, before captain Marc Guehi – the subject of interest from Liverpool – curled a second into the top corner in the 68th. Ismaila Sarr added a third before going off injured.

Reuters and AP

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