Paris (AFP) – New Bordeaux coach Jocelyn Gourvennec saw his side hold off a late Saint-Etienne fightback to win a thrilling encounter 3-2 on the opening weekend of the French Ligue 1 season. Gaetan Laborde, Uruguayan international Diego Rolan and Brazilian youngster Malcom all netted for the hosts at the Matmut Atlantique but they were […]

London (AFP) – Newcastle United's troubled start to life in the Championship took a turn for the worse as they were beaten 2-1 by Huddersfield Town at St James' Park on Saturday. Rafael Benitez's side were installed as pre-season favourites for promotion after finishing last term strongly despite their relegation. But the Magpies slumped to […]

NBC Sports' coverage of the 2016/17 Premier League season began with a downer on the opening day when Microsoft Windows 10 and Xbox One users discovered they were unable to use the NBC Sports App to watch the world's most exciting soccer league. The NBC Sports App, previously named NBC Sports Live Extra, allows soccer […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – The battle between new Southampton manager Claude Puel and his equally fresh Watford counterpart Walter Mazzarri ended in a 1-1 draw in Saturday's Premier League opener at St Mary's. Etienne Capoue put Watford ahead early on, but Nathan Redmond levelled on his debut for Southampton following his move from relegated […]

London (AFP) – Robert Snodgrass scored the winner as crisis club Hull City brought Premier League champions Leicester City crashing to earth with a shock 2-1 victory on Saturday's opening day. Three months on from their 5,000-1 fairytale title triumph, Leicester fell to Scottish winger Snodgrass's 57th-minute strike after Riyad Mahrez had cancelled out Adama […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain's summer signing Jese Rodriguez requires surgery and faces up to three weeks on the sidelines after being diagnosed with appendicitis, Spanish media announced on Saturday. Sports daily AS reported that the 23-year-old would be out for a month while Marca said the Spanish attacker would only be missing for two […]

London (AFP) – Salomon Rondon's 74th-minute header earned West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis a 1-0 victory on his return to former club Crystal Palace on Saturday's Premier League opening day. The Venezuelan striker glanced in a free-kick from substitute James McClean to give West Brom a first league victory in 10 attempts. It was […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Erik Lamela's second-half header rescued a 1-1 draw for Tottenham Hotspur and denied new Everton manager Ronald Koeman a winning start at Goodison Park on Saturday. Lamela equalised in the 59th minute after Everton had claimed a deserved lead through Ross Barkley's early goal. Everton had the better of the first half […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich's attacking midfielder Arjen Robben, who injured himself in July during pre-season, resumed physical training on Saturday, a day before the Bundesliga side face Borussia Dortmund in the German Supercup. The Dutchman has had recurring injuries to his hamstrings throughout his career and hasn't featured for Bayern in a competitive […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola dropped goalkeeper Joe Hart in favour of Willy Caballero for his opening Premier League game against Sunderland on Saturday. Guardiola has been linked with German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who plays for his former club Barcelona, and cast doubt on Hart's future during a press […]

Middlesbrough (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Middlesbrough were left frustrated on their return to the Premier League as Stoke's Xherdan Shaqiri rescued a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday. Aitor Karanka's team are back in the English top flight after a seven-year absence and they experienced a rollercoaster opening match of the new campaign. […]

Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Claudio Ranieri says Leicester City's shock 2-1 defeat against troubled Hull City on Saturday should serve as a reality check for the Premier League champions. Ranieri's side were stunned by goals from Adama Diomande and Robert Snodgrass at the KCOM Stadium. Foxes boss Ranieri believes Leicester's loss proves […]

London (AFP) – Leicester's Premier League title defence got off to an embarrassing start as the champions crashed to 2-1 defeat at troubled Hull in the season opener on Saturday. Just three months after their astonishing title triumph, Claudio Ranieri's side were brought back down to earth by a team whose preparations for the new […]

Dundee (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Rangers earned their first win of the Scottish Premiership season as they ground out a 2-1 victory over Dundee at Dens Park. The off-balance Harry Forrester scored a superb opener for the Glasgow giants as he fired past Bain in the 14th minute, before veteran striker Kenny Miller doubled their […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli will wear his first name on the back of his shirt this season, rather than his surname, his club announced on Saturday. "I wanted a name on my shirt that represented who I am and I feel I have no connection with the Alli surname," the England […]