Hail GFOP!

Rog writes: It's back. Football, sweet football. And it was some start. What a night at Anfield. The pageantry, ritual, and wonder. A juxtaposition of emotions. A game which began by hailing the defending champions whilst mourning one of their own, ended with delirium, turned to existential dread, back to delirium.

The pre-match rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was a human rhapsody. Throughout the weekend, the mourning of Diogo Jota co-existed with the football. A collision of real life and escape. The emotional and the rational. The act of conscious memory making of the past, whilst the present continues to play on.  

The game was a marvel that lived up to the moment. With all the Liverpool splashy new signings in the spotlight, it was last season’s lone new boy – a gent who had fallen into the cracks – who became the hero. Federico Chiesa lashing home balletically in the 88th minute to prove to the world he is more than a meme and a song. Mo Salah’s goal and subsequent tears in front of the Kop, proved to be the lasting emotional exclamation point. Credit Tyler Adams and Bournemouth. They were brilliantly resilient, and indeed, Liverpool were hard to judge on an emotion-soaked day. But for them to win the game was remarkable to witness from a footballing perspective, and even more from a human one.

As I sat there, breathless in my seat, I raised a glass and bellowed “Welcome back, Premier League. I have missed you.” 🍻

ii. Everton play this afternoon. I cannot wait to be disappointed by them and have Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jack Harrison combine to do us. To watch Jack Grealish’s calves roll out in our blue feels sensational. I am rooting for Jack’s redemption more than I can say. He is such a sweet soul. We will find out soon what has propelled his free-fall. Was he lost in Pep’s system? Was it the injuries? Or “lifestyle” choices? I pray it is the former. The world feels like a better place when Grealish is playing with freedom of joy. 💙

iii. This was the first Premier League Weekend with our new MiB DISCORD CHANNEL! It was amazing to experience matches in one continuous stream of Premier League chatter. It felt like being in a pub showing multiple games and we were able to talk together about all of it. Dive in, declare your team, and let the chaos flow. If you have not joined, it is incredibly easy. JUST CLICK THIS LINK and you’ll be with us instantly if you have an account already, or create one and you’ll be added once complete. 🤝🏼

iv. I am so elated to experience the response to the interviews we shot on our Football Holiday trip across the UK, all thanks to our friends at Yeti. The Arteta interview was my favorite. I loved how he said “our Everton” at the end. Priceless. Listening to Big Virg talk about his legacy at the end of our sit-down was spine-tingling. Two fascinating conversations, I hope you enjoy watching them as much as I enjoyed having them. We also have a Pep interview dropping on Tuesday, which is a stormer. He was on ecstatic form. Make sure to tune in tomorrow for that one as well. 📺

PS - The true joy of being with the interviewees, and not just doing them on Zoom, was that it quietened the conspiracy theorists in our comments who are convinced I just cut in my questions onto Sky’s interviews and it is all just an edit. TikTok is melting all our brains… 🧠

PPS - Athletic highlight of my weekend: Watching this German shopping cart return show. CLINICAL 🛒

v. Columbus…the Fortress calls. On Monday, Sept. 8, we’re bringing Men in Blazers to KEMBA Live for a special USA Matchday Eve celebration, presented by the GFOPs at Purina. I’ll be joined by Clint Dempsey and fellow MiB Media Network host Herc Gomez for a night that breaks down the USMNT and salutes Columbus’ legacy as American Soccer’s fortress. And that’s not all – we’ll be joined by Crew royalty in inspirational manager Wilfried Nancy and the king of vibes himself, Frankie Hejduk. It will be an evening of football, laughs, and raising a glass together in one of the great soccer cities in America.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now. Come be with us Columbus. 💛

With wishes for better days ahead. 

Courage,

ROG

United Look Potent, But Arsenal Get the Points 🤔 

By Tommy Stewart

Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal

Manchester United’s glowed-up attack featuring Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha shone in Old Trafford’s late summer sun, while the striker Mikel Arteta finally settled on, Viktor Gyökeres, struck more fear into the hearts of Arsenal supporters than the home team’s defense. In front of a rabid Stretford End, the Gunners picked up where they left off last season with their NFL-style set pieces, taking their sweet time as players shifted like pawns and rooks on a chess board until Declan Rice was ready to whip in a ball from a corner that bypassed United’s defense, and most importantly their goalkeeper, Altay Bayındır, leaving Riccardo Calafiori with a tap-in 13 minutes in. Although the feisty and threatening Cunha made a point of showing the United faithful what they’ve been missing for so long, his quality was constantly superseded by that of Arsenal’s one man wall, David Raya. United’s 62% possession and 22 shots to Arsenal’s nine makes pleasant reading for Ruben Amorim and his faithful, but his team still lost another home match and must resolve that quickly. Only the result matters to Arteta’s team of perpetual nearly-men who know it’s surely time to catch their flowers and become the Premier League’s bride this season.

Mikel Arteta’s Boring Winning Arsenal

Arteta’s Arsenal have scored 31 goals from corners in all competitions since 2023, 11 more than second-place Liverpool during that period. They’ve been criticized by football purists for set pieces taking such precedence and time, and for their coach in this department, Nicholas Jover’s elevation to leading cast status on the touchlines. But that noise will only fuel the Arsenal manager, and yesterday’s goal was further evidence that it’s a dangerous and unique weapon they have that can hurt any team at any time. His new players, Gyökores and Martin Zubimendi, will need time to adapt to the chaos of the Premier League, but a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season, regardless of performance, sets the tone for a cold and hardened version of Arsenal who seem ready to win at any cost ahead of a long season.

Manchester United: No Goalkeeper, No Party?

In the dubious absence of last season’s fumble highlight reel, André Onana, second-choice keeper Bayındır did not grasp this opportunity with both hands, he in fact let it sail straight through his open arms and into the back of his own net. Raya’s imperious performance, meanwhile, should be the loudest siren to United’s management that a new goalkeeper must be prioritized over absolutely anyone else in this transfer window, because without him, not only would Arsenal have likely lost this match, they also might not be title contenders. A lack of European football will help Amorim’s side this time out, who based on yesterday’s performance, should make positive steps on last season’s abhorrent turnout, but unless the goalkeeper position is addressed, they could spend another year away from the continent and it will be their Portuguese manager who suffers the consequences for that. He’s now lost 15 of his 28 Premier League games, which is the fastest a manager has reached that many defeats without taking charge of a newly promoted team.

📬 Enjoying The Raven? Check out our other Men in Blazers newsletters:

☀️ The Women’s Game: Everything you need to know about women’s football, sent straight to your inbox each week.

🔍 The Correspondent: Rory Smith’s thoughts on the world of soccer, culture, food, and how they all connect – every Thursday.

🇺🇸 USMNT Only: Your weekly update on the most important topics in the U.S. men’s game, all leading up to next year’s World Cup.

Liverpool Will Never Walk Alone ♥️

Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth 

The scoreline doesn’t paint a fair picture of what we saw in this one, because Bournemouth recommenced where they were under Andoni Iraola last season, playing at times, bewitching football. Until the 88th minute of the match, it was 2-2, but the swelling sounds of Anfield, the emotional narrative that engulfed this game following Diogo Jota’s death in the summer, and Liverpool’s enduring stacks of attacking quality made a home win feel inevitable. What wasn’t expected was Liverpool’s match-winning hero being the forgotten man with one of football’s best songs, Federico Chiesa. But before that, their new boy up top, Hugo Ekitike, continued his Community Shield antics, finishing calmly in the first half, allowing Anfield to perhaps stop fantasizing about a certain Swedish stranger and settle with what they have at home. Cody Gakpo doubled the scoreline near the start of the second half before Antoine Semenyo stepped up with a quick brace for the Cherries that most of the footballing world could only applaud, not only for its quality but because of its context. In the first half, he’d alerted match officials that he’d suffered racist abuse from a Liverpool fan, meaning each of his goals felt not just deserved, but important. But after all of that, it was (of course) Mo Salah who rested nerves and sent Reds to bed happy, sealing the result in stoppage time.

Wolves 0-4 Manchester City 

When Liam Gallagher sang, “You need a little time to wake up,” he clearly wasn’t talking about his beloved Manchester City, who laid down a marker on Saturday at Molineux amid concerns that Pep’s side might be on the decline following his denim shorts summer. The script was the same as ever, with Erling Haaland commencing proceedings, making this his fourth consecutive year of scoring in City’s Premier League opener. It didn’t take long for the man who was the puppetmaster in the buildup for Haaland’s goal, Premier League debutant Tijjani Reijnders, to contribute with a stunning finish from a half chance on the counter attack. Serie A’s best midfielder last season weaved through Wolves with more wizardry to assist Haaland for his brace in the second half, quelling any hopes the home team had of a comeback. City’s returning academy product, goalkeeper James Trafford, was calmly impressive throughout, determined to not just be keeping Donnarumma’s gloves warm, as whispers of his arrival continue. Another debutant, Rayan Cherki, came on to decisively drill the final nail into Wolves’ coffin from outside the box late on, as Vítor Pereira was left certainly in need of a pint, sans-points.

Tottenham 3-0 Burnley

Tottenham’s Richarlison regularly threatens to be an elite footballer, but his emotions and fitness have often got the better of him. Spurs’ new manager, Thomas Frank, appears to have anointed him as his prime No. 9 ahead of Dominic Solanke, a decision that seems astute, based on his brace against Burnley, the second of which was a scissor kick that’s ready-made for goal compilations and Premier League ad campaigns for the next few years. The Brazilian forward’s combinations with new $74.5-million recruit Mohammed Kudus will be pivotal if Spurs are to maintain European-chasing form; the former West Ham winger assisted him for both of his goals with beautifully placed crosses from the right side. Spurs fans will be drooling at the prospect of their immediate chemistry and the way Frank’s team controlled possession while not looking totally batshit at the back as they often did under Ange. Scott Parker’s Burnley only conceded 16 goals in the Championship last season, keeping 29 clean sheets in one of the best defensive seasons on record, but without the departed James Trafford in goal, the Premier League slapped them in the face on Saturday.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham 

The top division of English football has been savage to the Championship’s promoted sides over the last two seasons, with all six of them going straight back from where they came, but Regis Le Bris’s Sunderland seemed to say on Saturday, “Not this season, Premier League.” Although it took 61 minutes for Eliezer Mayenda to score the Black Cats’ first Premier League goal in eight years, they were convincing throughout. Dan Ballard almost mirrored his play-off semi-final header, and Wilson Isidor illuminated the Stadium of Light with a 92nd-minute curled finish that Thierry Henry would be proud of. Graham Potter’s West Ham have had an air of doom about them since last season which seemed to endure through the summer, and other than the site of their talisman, poor Jarrod Bowen, who is seemingly on a solo mission to propel his side, a shadow of pessimism continues to stretch over them.

Elsewhere in the Premier League: Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle, Brighton 1-1 Fulham, Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford

More: Both the football and LA restaurant world lost one of the greats over the weekend with the passing of Dan Tana at the age of 90. The Yugoslavian-born former actor, film producer, and restaurateur also played professional football for Red Star Belgrade, Anderlecht, Hannover and Montreal, before serving as the chair at Brentford starting in the 1970s. RIP, you legend.

Some Absolute Weekend Worldies, Presented by New Balance 🚀 🥅

There were a lot of great goals this weekend, but these three get top marks:

On the Continent 🇪🇺

🇪🇸 Mallorca 0-3 Barcelona

Barcelona’s domestic treble-winners had simply paused their exhilarating brand of Flicki Flacka ball over the summer, seamlessly picking up the controller and pressing play again against Mallorca on Saturday. This team of Ballon d’Or contenders combined within seven minutes, as Lamine Yamal planted the ball on Raphina’s head for the opener, allowing the champions to settle themselves into the game. Ferran Torres scored a screamer from outside the box that was allowed, disallowed and then allowed again, and teenage cheat-code, Yamal, closed things out with his first of the season in what is now his trademark style of goal.

See the full weekend of La Liga results here.

🇮🇹 AC Milan 2-0 Bari

AC Milan should be beating Serie B side Bari at home in the Coppa Italia first round, but with the return of Massimiliano Allegri and the departure of key man, Tijjani Reijnders, the Rossoneri fandom watched with baited breath and cautious expectation. Luckily the quality they retained in Rafael Leão and Captain America himself, Christian Pulisic, assumed the added weight of responsibility and expectation they’ll have this season without Reijnders, both creating myriad chances and both finding the net. With composed finishes like this, Pulisic only shows signs of building on his career-best last season for Milan.

Mid-Week Matches Worth Faking a Meeting for 📺

Leeds vs. Everton (Today, 3 p.m. ET, USA) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Elland Road’s return on our TV screens is a welcome and warm sight, like when “Twin Peaks” came back after all those years away, with its familiar setting and occasionally warped take on reality. Before a ball has been kicked, Leeds’ Daniel Farke already has pressure on him, because he’s a man who’s had shots at the Premier League before with former club, Norwich, misfiring on both occasions with only six wins in 49 games. Everton will be disappointed they can’t start their season at their shiny new home at Bramley-Moore Dock, but they do have the intoxicating prospect of witnessing the best calves in the game, Jack Grealish, playing in their colors. Every point for Leeds and all promoted sides this season is gold dust, but David Moyes’ Everton 2.0 are like the dire wolf: a resurgent beast.

Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig (Friday, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇩🇪

Die Bundesliga ist zurück! This showcase curtain-raiser for one of the world’s most thrilling leagues is surely enough for you to blow the cobwebs off those old stein glasses, pour yourself a pilsner and pretend it’s the 2022 Premier League season as Harry Kane, Michael Olise and new boy, Luis Diaz, are sure to combine for one of the most potent attacking forces in Europe. RB Leipzig will want to improve on last season’s seventh-place finish, but are without former frontman/amateur basketball player, now Manchester United’s Benjamin Šeško.

Some Non-Football to Start the Week Off 📖

• This is beautiful: How Steven Spielberg Taught Me How to Swim.

• You can pry the Em Dash out of my cold, dead hands: The Em Dash Responds to the AI Allegations.

• Good Hannah Cairo: At 17, Hannah Cairo Solved a Major Math Mystery.

• How a Soggy Spring and Hot Summer Nights Made 2025 an ‘Exceptional’ Year for Fireflies. A rare W for nature. Like seeing Everton win an actual game of football.

• These are related I promise: The Revenge of Millennial Cringe + Worst Songs Ever (For Torture).

It’s MiB Trivia Time 🤔

This week’s question: Which Premier League team has won the most opening day fixtures in the competition's history?

Email us with your answer for a chance to win a much-coveted MiB patch!

Last week’s winner: We didn’t receive any correct answers to last weekend’s question – How many teams who have won the Community Shield have gone on to win the Premier League?

The correct answer was eight of the 33 teams who have won the Community Shield have gone on to win the Premier League. There’s hope for you yet, Liverpool fans.

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