Mikel Arteta said Arsenal needed “fresh legs” after making five changes to his starting line-up for the match against Everton.

The Arsenal manager altered his team following a demanding run of fixtures in recent days. The changes came as the London club prepared for their eighth-round match of the English championship.

Arsenal responded with a 2-0 victory over Everton, a result which moved them level on points with leaders Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta praised Gabriel dos Santos’ leadership after the defender scored in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Everton.

The Arsenal manager highlighted the Brazil international’s influence following the match, saying: “His leadership qualities are unique.”

The result moved Arsenal to 21 points from eight matches in the English championship. They have the same number of points as Manchester City, who lost their latest fixture 2-1 to Aston Villa.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta highlighted the significance of his side scoring from a set piece for the first time this season after their 2-0 win over Everton.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Arteta said: “We scored from a set piece – for the first time this season.”

The result came in the eighth round of the English championship and moved Arsenal to 21 points in the table.

Arsenal are second, level on points with Manchester City.

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa said his side achieved its objective after securing a 1-0 victory against Coventry in the eighth round of the Premier League.

Speaking after the match, Arbeloa said: “We achieved what we set out to do.”

The result leaves Fulham on eight points, with the club currently 12th in the Premier League table.

Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa described the club’s 2-0 victory over Everton as a “fantastic day” after the eighth-round Premier League fixture.

The result gave Mikel Arteta’s side all three points, with Arsenal moving to second in the Premier League table on 21 points.

Konsa was asked whether Arsenal’s opening goal had been building before it came from a set-piece routine. He also commented on Gabriel scoring in his 200th Premier League appearance.

British agent Ralph Francis says Galatasaray and Russia midfielder Batrakov is a player who could attract interest from Premier League clubs.

Francis was responding to a question about the circumstances in which the Russian footballer might continue his career in the Premier League.

Reports previously claimed that five top-flight English clubs were interested in Batrakov, who represents Galatasaray and Russia. No clubs were named in those reports.

Batrakov joined Galatasaray last summer and signed a contract running until the summer of 2031.

Francis described him as an interesting player and suggested that a move to the Premier League could become a possibility if interest develops in his services.

Coventry manager Frank Lampard said the “gap in class is an objective reality” after his side lost 1-0 to Fulham at home in the Premier League.

The defeat leaves Coventry on six points and second from bottom of the Premier League table.

Gabriel dos Santos scored as Arsenal defeated Everton 2-0 in the eighth round of the Premier League, setting a notable scoring record for a defender in the competition.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has now scored 21 goals in 200 Premier League appearances for Arsenal. According to Squawka, that is at least three more than any other defender has managed since dos Santos made his competition debut in September 2020.

The goal against Everton was his first of the current season. Dos Santos has played 13 matches in all competitions during the campaign and has received two yellow cards.

Arsenal’s victory moved them to second in the Premier League table on 21 points.

Joao Pedro has been left out of Chelsea’s squad for their Premier League match against Tottenham after suffering an injury.

The 25-year-old forward played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s previous game against Everton, making his absence from the squad unexpected.

According to Standard Sport, Joao Pedro is currently undergoing medical examinations to determine the extent of the injury.

Joao Pedro has made seven appearances for Chelsea in the 2026/2027 season, scoring five goals and providing three assists.

The match between Chelsea and Tottenham will be covered in detail through LiveResult’s text commentary.

Fulham secured a narrow 1-0 win against Coventry in the eighth round of the Premier League, with Oscar Bobb scoring the only goal of the match in the closing stages.

The two sides were unable to break the deadlock for most of the game. Coventry looked to make the most of home advantage, while Fulham searched for openings in attack.

Both teams approached the contest cautiously, aware that a single mistake could decide an evenly matched encounter. Clear chances remained limited as neither side was prepared to take unnecessary risks.

The decisive moment came in the 80th minute, when Bobb found the net for the hosts to put Fulham ahead. Josh King provided the assist.

Coventry could not find a response before the final whistle, allowing the London side to leave with all three points.

Tottenham are leading Chelsea 2-0 in the London derby during the eighth round of the Premier League.

The current score, live match updates and the starting line-ups are available for the game.

Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after beating Everton 2-0 in the eighth round of fixtures.

The Gunners made a fast start and took the lead after only seven minutes. Ezri Konsa found the net to put Arsenal in front and give the London side control of the contest.

Everton attempted to respond after falling behind, creating pressure as they searched for an equaliser. Arsenal’s defence, however, dealt successfully with the visitors’ attacks and preserved their advantage.

The hosts then added a second goal in the 68th minute when Gabriel Magalhaes scored for Arsenal.

The result leaves Arsenal and Manchester City level on 21 points, with both clubs at the top of the table. Everton have 10 points and occupy ninth place.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery praised Nicolas Jackson after the Senegal forward scored twice in his side’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the eighth round of the Premier League.

Jackson joined Aston Villa from Chelsea in the summer of 2026 and made a decisive contribution, scoring both of his team’s goals in the win.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has placed Manchester City among the five strongest teams in the world after his side’s Premier League victory over Enzo Maresca’s team in the eighth round.

The match in Birmingham ended 2-1 to the hosts, with Emery subsequently highlighting the level of Manchester City.

Xabi Alonso has named his Chelsea starting XI for Saturday evening’s Premier League derby against Tottenham.

Chelsea will begin with Penders in goal, while the defence consists of Achimpon(g), Lacroix, Colwill and Hato. Caicedo and Henderson form the midfield, with Neto, Kenda, Palmer and Rogers completing the starting line-up.

The match between Chelsea and Tottenham is scheduled to kick off at 19:30 Moscow time.

Chelsea currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League table. Alonso’s side have collected 13 points from their opening seven matches of the season.

Events from the match will be available to follow through the text commentary provided by LiveResult.

Manchester United have made the worst start in the club’s history, collecting only seven points from their opening seven league matches. Speculation over Michael Carrick’s future is growing, with Antonio Conte, Julian Nagelsmann, Fabian Hurzeler and Eddie Howe among the possible replacements being considered.

Antonio Conte

Conte has reportedly indicated privately since leaving Napoli that he is waiting for a major project. Media reports claim the representatives of the Italian have already contacted Manchester United’s hierarchy to signal that he would be willing to take on the challenge.

The former Chelsea manager also has experience of rebuilding a struggling Tottenham Hotspur side. When he took charge, Spurs were ninth, but they finished the season in fourth and qualified for the Champions League.

Conte would be expected to deliver an immediate improvement, although his record of leaving clubs relatively quickly creates the possibility that United could soon be looking for another manager. The key question for the club is whether it prioritises short-term results or a longer-term project.

Julian Nagelsmann

Nagelsmann became Hoffenheim’s head coach at the age of 29 and, over the following 10 years, worked in both club football and with the Germany national team, although without major success.

He has been linked with Manchester United on several previous occasions, but a move has never materialised. Reports suggest sporting director Christopher Vivell is pushing for the German to be considered.

The appointment would carry significant risk. Nagelsmann is regarded as a strong tactician, but he has not always shown himself to be an especially effective psychologist. That was reflected in the number of controversies surrounding him at the 2026 World Cup.

United need a figure capable of uniting the club, and it is unclear whether Nagelsmann would be the right choice for that role.

Fabian Hurzeler

Hurzeler guided St. Pauli into the Bundesliga before accepting an offer from Brighton in summer 2024, aged 31. By August, he had been named manager of the month.

Brighton are currently third and have been praised for the quality of their football. Fabrizio Romano has reported that there are major admirers of Hurzeler on Manchester United’s board.

He has established a reputation as a flexible tactician who can also impose discipline while producing attractive football. However, his contract with Brighton runs until 2029, meaning United would first need to negotiate with the club if they chose to pursue him.

Eddie Howe

Howe is closely associated with Bournemouth, whom he led into the Premier League before overseeing several respectable seasons in the top flight.

He later took charge of Newcastle United when they were 19th and ultimately guided them to 11th place. After Saudi Arabian investors arrived, the club chose to retain Howe rather than appoint a more celebrated manager. He repaid that faith by taking Newcastle into the Champions League for the first time in many years.

Howe has shown that he can build a team and establish an attractive style. Newcastle’s most recent campaign was disappointing, but injuries and an exhausted squad made his task particularly difficult. At Manchester United, he could be given the opportunity to construct another major project.

Other names

Gareth Southgate was reportedly considered in April, but he showed no interest and is not seeking club employment after leaving the England job.

Kieran McKenna, a former Manchester United coach who won the northern division of the Premier League Under-18s, is impressing at Ipswich. His name continues to appear in the media, although he is unlikely to be appointed.

Mauricio Pochettino also retains supporters on the United board. There was reportedly a plan to wait until after the 2026 World Cup before attempting to persuade him to take charge, but convincing him to leave the United States national team would be difficult.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery described his side’s victory over Manchester City as a match played at the highest level of football.

Aston Villa secured a 2-1 win against Manchester City on Saturday in the eighth round of the English championship.

“What a match! This is the highest level of football,” Emery said after the game.

The result leaves Aston Villa with 11 points from eight league matches. The Birmingham club are sixth in the table.

Sunderland will aim to improve a difficult start to the Premier League season when they host Leeds on Sunday, 25 October 2026.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:30 Moscow time and will be the eighth-round meeting between the two sides.

Sunderland have collected only four points from their opening seven league games and currently sit bottom of the table. They have scored six goals and conceded 14.

Their latest result was a 2-0 away defeat by Bournemouth, leaving them with just one victory in their past five matches in all competitions. During that run, they have also suffered three defeats.

Leeds arrive in considerably stronger league position, with 10 points from seven games placing them eighth in the standings. Their goal record is also positive, with nine scored and six conceded.

They drew 1-1 at home against Manchester United in their most recent fixture. Leeds have recorded one win in their past five matches across all competitions.

Match statistics

Leeds are regarded by bookmakers’ experts as the favourites for the fixture.

Recent meetings between the clubs have tended to produce few goals. The total of over 2.5 goals was not reached in each of the three most recent head-to-head matches.

The available form and scoring figures point towards a closely contested game, with neither side expected to dominate. Sunderland’s defensive record has been weaker than Leeds’ so far this season, but the visitors have also won only once in their last five matches in all competitions.

Prediction

A tight encounter is expected at Sunderland, with the match unlikely to produce a high number of goals.

The prediction is for fewer than 2.5 goals to be scored.

Arsenal are 1-0 ahead of Everton at half-time in their eighth-round English championship fixture at Emirates Stadium in London.

Ezri Konsa put Mikel Arteta’s side in front in the seventh minute, scoring after receiving a pass from Viktor Gyokeres. It is the defender’s first goal for Arsenal.

Everton have been unable to respond before the interval, leaving Arsenal with the advantage at the halfway stage. Coverage of the second half will be available through the text commentary on LiveResult.ru.

Arsenal began the round in second place in the English championship table, having collected 18 points from their opening seven matches. Everton started the weekend ninth on 10 points.

Aston Villa forward Nicolas Jackson has spoken about the club’s 2-1 win against Manchester City in the eighth round of the Premier League.

The Senegal forward scored both goals for the Birmingham side in Saturday’s match, bringing Manchester City’s seven-match winning run in the English league to an end.