Football essentials for 24 October: City fall at Villa Park, Arsenal draw level

Seven wins from seven league games, then Villa Park. Manchester City’s first defeat of the season reshuffled the Premier League on Saturday, while Arsenal confirmed their title credentials and Madrid and Paris got ready for Sunday.

Aston Villa cut City down, Jackson scores twice

Nicolas Jackson scored twice and Zion Suzuki kept the door shut: Aston Villa won 2-1 on matchday eight, the first league defeat for a City side that had taken seven wins from seven. A handling error from Gianluigi Donnarumma proved costly, three days after the emphatic win over AEK Athens. Our “Aston Villa or draw” pick at 2.19 with 1xbet landed: $59.50 net profit from half a unit. My match report. 18+. Only bet what you can afford to lose.

Arsenal move level

The champions beat Everton 2-0 in the rain at the Emirates and joined City at the top of the Premier League, kept ahead only on goal difference. It was the perfect response to the draw against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Two leaders now, and a title race back on.

Clasico: Mourinho will play his own game

Sunday, 9pm at the Camp Nou, and José Mourinho insists he has no special plan for Lamine Yamal: “It would mean forgetting our own identity.” Real Madrid, six points behind a Barcelona side with nine wins from nine in LaLiga, travel without any new absences, while Barcelona lose Jules Koundé. A mural of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal was even vandalised before the game. My full Clasico preview.

PSG: no January signing, a big Monday night

“No, not particularly.” Asked about a winter signing to make up for the cruciate injury Khvicha Kvaratskhelia suffered against Barcelona on Tuesday, Luis Enrique shut the question down and backed his player. PSG host Lyon on Monday at 8.30pm, a fixture moved because of the protests planned in France. My notes from the press conference.

Ligue 1: Rennes without Lepaul, Monaco honour Sagnol

Estéban Lepaul, Ligue 1’s top scorer with seven goals, misses the home game against Strasbourg on Sunday as his left ankle has not healed. Franck Haise, back to a back three in Turin on Thursday, likes having “different strings to our bow”. In Monaco, the club will invite 3,000 young players to the Stade Louis-II and pay tribute to Willy Sagnol, the 2000 champion. Rennes without Lepaul, Monaco’s tribute to Sagnol.

Bundesliga: Leipzig roll on, Werder win at Mainz

The German multiplex delivered: Leipzig thrashed Elversberg 4-0, Werder Bremen won 3-2 at Mainz, Paderborn beat Hamburg 1-0, and Augsburg and Union Berlin shared a 1-1 draw. Every result from Saturday is with L’Équipe.

Araujo opens up, Liverpool look to Brighton

Ronald Araujo has spoken about his fight with anxiety and depression, in a Times interview picked up on Saturday. The Liverpool defender described the break he took at the end of 2025. His side host Brighton on Sunday on matchday eight of the Premier League. My piece on his words.