Hail GFOP!

Rog writes: Thank God Premier League Football is back. I don’t know about you, but I have honestly rarely needed its solace more, and it did not disappoint. In a Manchester derby played out amidst chaos and uncertainty, Manchester City gave United a bare-bottom spanking, swaggering to victory in the Bucket Hat Clásico. It was cathartic to witness Phil Foden float and sting once again, and to experience Haaland in his pomp. I spoke to Erling last Thursday and told him how menacing I find it when he does his “finger swivel in the air” celebration, which suggests he wants to score again. He just laughed menacingly – and we lived to experience that very outcome on Sunday. #CurseOfRogIsDead 🩵

How long left for Ruben Amorim, who in 10 months has gone from smiling confident winner to shattered husk of a broken man? Even those within Amorim’s circle are briefing the press that he can’t believe he has not been fired. 🤔

ii. I watched Liverpool grapple with a robust Burnley on the flight home from London. Was their 95th-minute winner the least surprising occurrence of all time? They did exactly what Mo Salah told me they would late on in games: break their opponents at the last with their experience and insatiable confidence. The more you do it, the more you can do it. Are the Reds now just 34 short games away from that perfect season? ❤️

iii. Arsenal ran rampant to ruin Ange Postecoglou 2: Electric Boogaloo. What do you think Arsenal fans enjoyed more: Zubimendi’s opening master-blaster of a goal or the chance to sing “Are you Tottenham in disguise?” at a defeated Ange? The other delights of the weekend: Watching Bournemouth AKA Hydra FC win again and soar to fourth, and experiencing lanky Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade mark his debut with a goal. At 6’6”, is he the most potent goalscorer when measured by the square inch? 📈

iv. My Everton match report is below, but the highlight of last week was filming in person with the American architect of our stunning new stadium, Dan Meis. The response to this conversation has been so magical to experience. Dan’s story is life-affirming. Shout out to the viewer @pfella1987 who wrote, “Two of my favorite follicly-challenged Blues.” 🏟️

v. New York City. I can’t wait for Thursday night to raise a glass with so many of you and Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart of the New York Knicks. We will revel in the magical kingdom that is New York sports and its singular football culture with our friends at MLS and Walmart. If you’re in town, come be with us at Terminal 5. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and we start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are here.🗽

vi. The Champions League returns to our loving arms tomorrow, and we will celebrate on Tuesday with a brand new episode of European Nights with Rory Smith, in which we dive deep into the biggest stories across the continent. Then on Wednesday, we will bring you a mid-week Raven to recap and preview the week’s biggest UCL matchups, before we Do it Live! with the inimitable James Horncastle to close out all the action from across Europe. That will be on our YouTube at 5 p.m. ET. Come and join us. 🏆

Courage,
Rog

City Dominate in the Bucket Hat Clásico 🩵❤️

By Tommy Stewart

Manchester City 3-0 Manchester United

It was serendipitous that just a couple of hours after the devastating news of the death of former world-champion boxer, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, his Stockport compatriot, Phil Foden, opened the scoring for their beloved City in the Manchester derby. Foden’s celebratory outburst after ending his 232-day goalless streak in the Premier League with an opportune header, was colored with a swirl of emotions that were impossible not to connect with Hatton. United survived the first half, politely prodding rather than poking the bear in its own backyard, with any semblance of a threat being smeared away by new City goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma. Erling Haaland turned center-back at the start of the second half, clearing a handful of tepid Manchester United crosses before remembering he’s probably the most potent striker in world football and shoving Luke Shaw aside to dink Altay Bayındır for the second. Donnarumma prevented the goal of the season from Bryan Mbeumo with the save of the season, before Big Erl finished the job with a cool finish after another unforced error from Shaw. By the end of the match, Hitman Haaland had the England defender bent over and panting “he’s a freak” like Officer Michaels in “Superbad.” 

Pep’s Monstars FC 😈

There’s so much hypothetical discussion around systems in football, but when Pep can field Haaland and Donnarumma, arguably the best in Europe in each of their respective positions, none of that matters. Add fellow giants, Rúben Dias and Rodri to that spine, and psychologically that’s grim reading for any opposition player or manager before a ball’s even been kicked. This City team concedes more shots than previous incarnations, so the addition of the giant Italian is vital, but arguably just as crucial is his presence, which was immediately clear as teammates surrounded him for tribal celebrations as he snuffed United out when called upon. Haaland looks fully evolved this season, already scoring 11 goals in five matches for club and country, so with City bookended with two men who make Monstars look meek, they will fear no one.

United or Divided in Defeat? 😵‍💫

Whoever coined “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” might have been being a tad hyperbolic, but it isn’t worlds away from defining Ruben Amorim and his unyielding 3-4-3 formation. He’s already declared that the system stays, so if he does eventually get buried as the boss of United, it’ll be in his own grave, but his 31 points in 31 Premier League games in charge suggests a tactical change is now necessary. It’s not that his team disgraced themselves yesterday, and were it not for the individual performances of Donnarumma and Haaland, the Red Devils might have got something out of the match, but the reality is, they didn’t. Only a win will quell the worries of a patient but understandably concerned fanbase in a huge game at Old Trafford against Chelsea this Saturday.

The Breakfast Club Collection Drops Tomorrow 🍻 

The most important meal of the day is also the club that connects all football fans. Tomorrow, 9/16, the official Men in Blazers Breakfast Club Collection drops at 11 a.m. ET! MiB Discord members get to shop it first. Join us now.

Arsenal Chop Down Ange’s Not-So-Tricky Trees 🪓 

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Martín Zubimendi paid back a decent chunk of his $76.6 million fee on Saturday with a brace that included a volleyed opener that will secure him a lifetime of fans screaming “SHOOOOT” every time he gets the ball in the opposition half at the Emirates. The combinations between new signings Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze were the healthiest show of Swedish and English relations since “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” and it was Eze who perfectly provided Gyökeres with a simple palette cleanser at the start of the second half. Every Arsenal goal involved new recruits, and this feels like the strongest their squad has been under Arteta, because rather than being forced to shoehorn players in places they shouldn’t be, now if Ødegaard’s injured, in comes Zubimendi, and with Saka out, Madueke steps up. Their fans ruthlessly serenaded former Spurs manager, Ange Postecoglou, with chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” in his first game in charge of Forest, where he’ll have to adapt quickly to keep his team treading water in the Premier League.

Burnley 0-1 Liverpool

Resplendent in their new mint green kit, the champions’ 27 shots and 81% possession (👀) at Turf Moor very nearly meant nothing much at all, but like the weather, or Pedro Pascal being cast in any film whatsoever, Liverpool are inevitable. Before that, Scott Parker’s Burnley played like the Kings of Clean Sheets that saw them promoted last season, as 11 men blocked and sacrificed body parts to keep Liverpool out. But as is their way this season, they left it later than late to secure the goods, capitalizing on a clumsy handball that allowed Mo Salah to smash home a penalty into the top corner. With the victory, Liverpool became the first side in Premier League history to win four consecutive games thanks to winning goals scored in the final 10 minutes or later.

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

This was Spurs’ second 3-0 victory this season, and although West Ham under Graham Potter feel like watching the Titanic having already been to history class, Thomas Frank’s side currently look assured at third in the Premier League. Pape Matar Sarr opened the scoring with an unmarked header at the back post at the start of the second half from a beautifully-whipped Xavi Simons corner, before Tomáš Souček simultaneously ripped the sock of João Palhinha and any shred of hope for his team with a dangerous challenge that deservedly saw him red carded. That allowed Christian Romero the space to find Lucas Bergvall for his first Premier League goal with an inventive looped header, and Micky van de Ven to seal the victory in front of a near-empty, unsurprised but sad London Stadium. It’s early days, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that the best signing any club made this summer was Tottenham’s acquisition of Frank, who’s so far done what many thought impossible in making it look fun to be a Spurs fan.

Brentford 2-2 Chelsea

History was on Chelsea’s side going into this one at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday as Brentford have never won at home against the Blues in the Premier League, with their last home league victory against their West London neighbors coming in 1938. Naturally, that meant it was time for a bit of chaos to ensue. While the Bees went ahead in the first half thanks to Jordan Henderson’s first Premier League assist in 880 days, the second half included two beautiful sights for Chelsea in Cole Palmer’s return and almost immediate goal off the bench and an instant impact from Garnacho’s debut, which led to the visitors taking a lead into stoppage time. However, the Blues’ leaky defense against Brentford’s comically-long throw-ins meant Fábio Carvalho’s 93rd-minute tap-in was inevitable, leaving Chelsea still undefeated, but dropping them to fifth in the table as they head to Munich for a mid-week Champions League bout before squaring off against the league’s most nightmare-fueled side at Old Trafford three days later.

And Now, Rog’s Super Chill Thoughts on WTF Happened to Everton this Weekend 💙

Everton 0-0 Aston Villa

Rog writes: Back at our new gaff with Jack Grealish Main Character Energy against the team who reared him. Everton dominated, dumping the ball into turncoat Jackie G. at every opportunity, but our lack of an overlapping full-back meant that Villa could just focus all their attention on Jack and double and triple-team his tiny shin pads. The absence of a top-dollar true striker – God bless you, Beto – is going to gnaw at us. Villa are a shadow of the Champions League challengers of our imagination, and are incredibly the 162nd and final team in England’s top seven divisions to score this season. Even more surprising is they did not break that duck against us. I don’t know who we are anymore. The odd positive as an Everton fan is that it felt disappointing to draw against Villa, which is progress. Not dreading to watch Everton Football Club is like an emotional trophy in its own right.

Elsewhere in the Premier League: Fulham 1-0 Leeds United, Bournemouth 2-1 Brighton, Newcastle 1-0 Wolves, Crystal Palace 0-0 Sunderland

🚨🗣️ Your Help Needed More Than We Can Say: Our 2025 GFOP Survey 🇺🇸👏

One of the greatest joys of Men in Blazers is this community we’ve built together. A ragtag band of football obsessives spread across the nation, united by the joy, the pain, and the wonder of this game.

Every year, your voices in our annual GFOP Survey help us understand what matters most to you, and how we can make this community even stronger. From the pods, to the newsletters, to the live shows and everything in between, your feedback truly shapes what we do.

It only takes a few minutes to complete, but it helps us create something even better, together. We’d be so grateful for your time... and honestly, who doesn’t like answering questions about themselves?

To thank you, a lucky few who take the survey will win free gear from the soon-to-be-released Breakfast Club Collection from our store. It’s the least we can do.

👉 Take the 2025 GFOP Survey here

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 🇪🇺

La Liga 🇪🇸 - The La Liga title race between leaders Real Madrid and second-place Barcelona already feels like a two-man who-blinks-first contest, and we’re only four games into the campaign. Madrid and Kylian Mbappé feel in synergy this season, and their 2-1 away win against Real Sociedad on Saturday, where the French striker scored despite a Dean Huijsen red card, felt important. Barcelona put Valencia to the sword with a 6-0 decimation yesterday that included braces from Fermín López, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski in what felt like a friendly match at Camp Nou placeholder, the moderately sized training ground, Johan Cruyff Stadium. 

More: Why Barcelona’s first home game was not at Camp Nou. 

Serie A 🇮🇹 - Before the season started, not many had Igor Tudor’s Juventus as Serie A frontrunners, but based on the doggedness his side showed to overcome a 3-2 deficit and beat Inter Milan 4-3, the Old Lady could be up for the fight. They’re joint top with Napoli, aka a retirement home for former footballing residents of Manchester, who emerge from their rainy recent past to be reborn under Antonio Conte. Both KDB and Rasmus Højlund scored in their 3-1 away defeat of Fiorentina, while Luka Modrić once again reminded us that age is just a number, knocking home the winner for AC Milan against Bologna days after his 40th birthday.

Bundesliga 🇩🇪 - Bayern Munich beat Hamburger SV 5-0 to retain their 100% win ratio this season, Harry Kane scored two and is the Bundesliga’s top scorer, Borussia Dortmund are second in the table and the sky is blue.

Mid-Week Matches Worth Faking a Meeting for 📺

Athletic Club vs. Arsenal (Tuesday, 12:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🇪🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

The Champions League is where Mikel Arteta’s expansion pack squad will be truly put to the test, with an estimated $345 million net spend this summer expected to keep them healthy in all competitions. After their easy win at the weekend, they’ll be bouncing into the Basque country tomorrow, where a very good Athletic Club side awaits them in the same beautiful Estadio de San Mamés that Spurs won the Super Bowl of Sadness against Manchester United last season. Ernesto Valverde’s side are fourth in La Liga, but their main threat Nico Williams, a man who Arteta tried to lure to the Emirates, may miss out due to injury. 

Real Madrid vs. Marseille (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🇪🇸🇫🇷

This is the Champions League version of White Goodman’s Globo Gym Purple Cobras vs. Peter LaFleur’s Average Joe’s in “Dodgeball,” and that’s exactly how Marseille likes it. Los Blancos might welcome Jude Bellingham back to their side after his injury, although they’ve been flying without him in La Liga, where Mbappé leads the goalscoring charts. Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille side have been inconsistent thus far this season, but a convincing 4-0 win at the weekend will fill them with the dangerous currency of hope ahead of their trip to the Bernabéu.

Tottenham vs. Villarreal (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇪🇸

Thomas Frank has made Spurs fun again, and in his post-match interviews after their 3-0 win on Saturday, it was joyous to see such boyish excitement at the prospect of managing a side in the Champions League for the first time. In Xavi Simons, he’s added a young player with experience at this elite level of football, and Villarreal visit after a 2-0 loss to Atlético Madrid at the weekend, meaning that not only will their spirits be crushed, but so will their shins.  

The MiB Fantasy Premier League Is Here 📊

Join the official Men in Blazers Fantasy Premier League presented by Adobe to play against thousands of fellow GFOPs—including Rog—and create your team’s very own badge with Adobe Express. Fueled by Firefly generative AI, you can whip up your own Fantasy Premier League team badge in seconds: just type a prompt, tweak the style, and voilà—your unique badge drops right into your fantasy squad to rep your club’s vibe, all thanks to Adobe Express. Etch your team’s badge into MiB History, sign up now.

Some Non-Football to Start the Week Off 📖

• We Take Clouds for Granted. Important disclosure: "Mr. Pretor-Pinney is an author in Somerset, Britain, and the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society."

• “Jimmy Vivino, hit me!” The End of the Late Night Band.

• The Futile Search for the Bullsh*t-Less Job. The emails, they must flow!

• Macro to Micro: Actor Oscar Nuñez goes from 'The Office' to 'The Paper'. What's next, 'The Ink'???? 

• Let's go, Kent! Meet the 66-year-old retired accountant living his dream in the LSU marching band.

• You're familiar with the concept of Florida Man, BEHOLD Florida Woman: Snake Charmer.

It’s MiB Trivia Time 🤔

This week’s question: Bayern Munich meet Chelsea in the Champions League this week: who scored the winning penalty when Chelsea beat the German side in the 2012 Champions League final?

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

Last week’s winner: Congratulations to Michael Young who was the first to correctly identify that Bruce Arena was the coach the last time the USMNT beat Japan in 2006.