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Premier League: Is VAR working and how can we improve it?

Way back in 2019, the Premier League finally bowed to pressure and introduced VAR, with the intention of stamping out high-profile referee mistakes. Fast forward four years and football fans up and down the country have been left scratching their heads, wondering whether it was the right decision.

For years we all scrutinised referee’s decisions and wanted a change. Following the success of video-assisted systems in other sports, such as tennis, rugby and cricket, it felt only natural to bring it into football.

When it finally arrived, it felt like a huge step forward for the sport. There were some obvious drawbacks initially, primarily involving the amount of time it was taking to reach a decision, as well as the lack of clarity for fans watching in the grounds.

The main argument at the time was ‘at least they’re reaching the right decision’ and there were hopes that those delays would eventually be ironed out. But following four years of VAR experience in English football, we’re still regularly seeing wrong decisions and something clearly needs to change.

Is VAR working?

In a word, no. There have been multiple catastrophic errors from officials, most notably the decision to rule out Luis Diaz’s goal against Tottenham last month. The Colombian thought he had fired Liverpool ahead but he was flagged offside, which VAR seemed to quickly concur with.

Yet images quickly began circulating on social media that showed Diaz looked to be onside, which sparked outrage that the VAR check had lasted only a matter of seconds. The audio between the officials was later released and highlighted a major lack of communication.

In this case, it’s more complicated than just saying ‘VAR is bad’. In theory, the system worked just fine. But there was a situation of human error, where VAR official Darren England thought that the goal had been given, hence why he suggested the decision was correct.

The audio revealed that they quickly realised their error but as play had already restarted, the rules dictated that they were then forbidden from intervening. If that rule offered an element of flexibility, all this could have been avoided.

That’s not the only time a VAR blunder has cost Premier League teams. Since its introduction, the PGMOL have issued 13 separate public apologies acknowledging that they have made mistakes.

One notable instance occurred in February 2022, when Manchester City midfielder Rodri handled the ball in the penalty area late on against Everton. VAR failed to award a spot-kick, City won the game 1-0 and eventually pipped Liverpool to the title by a point.

Had the penalty been given and ultimately scored, it could have had huge repercussions on the title race that season. Retrospective apologies can’t be cashed in for points and in huge moments, they’re meaningless when there’s so much on the line.

Another huge downside of VAR that has been present since the beginning is the killing of spontaneity. It takes away the raw emotion that scoring a crucial goal can bring. Players and fans often now only half celebrate through fear that their goal may be chalked off, which often sanitises the atmosphere within the ground.

How can VAR be improved?

There are undoubtedly plenty of people whose solution would be to simply get rid of it. But there’s pretty much a zero percent chance of that happening. Whether you agree with VAR or not, it’s here to stay.

The system has proven to be effective and the majority of the issues seem to stem from those in charge of it. VAR has the potential to be great, demonstrated by the effectiveness we’ve seen in other competitions across the globe.

With that being said, an obvious solution would be to import the best referees from around the world. The Premier League is a global product, watched by hundreds of millions, with the best managers and players the sport has to offer. So why can’t we have the best officials as well?

Similarly, the introduction of semi-automated offsides would immediately improve things. Far too often, fans and players are left hanging as the VAR officials take their time drawing lines to determine offsides, leading to arguments about when the ball was played and whether the lines are in the right place.

Semi-automated offsides have been used in the World Cup and the Champions League, with sensors in the ball that offer a quick, accurate and objective decision.

There also needs to be more transparency for fans. The recent audio releases have been interesting but they ultimately don’t mean much after the event. Allowing fans both in the ground and at home to hear the conversations live, similar to in rugby, would make many decisions a lot more understandable.

A final suggestion to improve the system could be a timer system. Some VAR decisions take so long to reach a conclusion and do little to end debate about whether it was correct. Many incidents are so subjective so if a referee is unable to reach a decision within a set period of a minute or two, then it’s not a clear and obvious error so perhaps the benefit of the doubt should be given.

One thing that’s clear is that VAR isn’t going anywhere. We need to learn to live with it but that doesn’t mean it should be something we all despise. In theory, the existence of VAR stops mistakes, makes matches fair and reduces the pressure on officials. But it clearly needs revamping and fingers crossed the Diaz incident is a catalyst for major change across the board.

The New 2024/25 Champions League Structure

For the third time this season Champions League Group Stage football is back underway as the best sides in Europe battle it out in the hope of finding themselves playing knockout football. This season has already produced some shock results, notably involving English sides including victory for Galatasary at Old Trafford, Newcastle thrashing PSG as well as a shock defeat in France for Arsenal.

However, next season the Champions League will be changing from how we know it with more teams, more games and a whole new format.

That’s right, in the 2024/25 season the Champions League will be undergoing some structural changes. Currently the competition hosts 32 teams but it will be increasing to 36 teams next season in one big league. The 36 teams will be divided into four pots of nine with each pot ordered 1 to 4 with each side’s coefficient for example, pot 1 will hold the winners of the Champions League as well as eight teams with the best coefficients.

Fans can expect more fixtures as well with each club drawn to play two teams from each pot. This will include four home games and four away games as sides will come up against eight different teams in the group stages rather than playing each side twice. It also allows for teams to be drawn against two other sides in their pot meaning the bigger sides will play some of the other bigger sides before the knockout stages.


The view from the Evolution hospitality suite at Old Trafford Stadium as the stadium begins to fill ahead of a Manchester United home fixture

UEFA Champions League Hospitality


From the final table, the top eight will go through to the round of 16 while positions 9 to 24 will be involved in a playoff. Teams from positions 25 to 36 will be eliminated from European competition; there will be no drop down to the Europa League. There will be only one knockout-round draw for the round of 16 onwards with the route a team takes depending on how high the side finishes in the league.

So what’s the reason for this change? The change creates more revenue for sides competing in the Champions League as well as the possibility for more exciting matches. It will also enable fans to see an extra 64 Champions League games next season totalling 189 rather than 125 games while being able to see their own team play two extra games in the group stage. Not to mention, the chance for opponents to play teams of a similar skill-level.

It is an opportunity for the big teams to excel while also giving a chance to the smaller teams while increasing the stature of one of the biggest competitions in world football.

So where do the other four teams come from? Two places will be awarded to the best performing leagues in the current season for example, this would have been Liverpool and Atlanta if the format was in place last season. One place will be awarded to the third placed team from the league that is ranked fifth in the UEFA coefficient and the other placed will be awarded through the qualifying path for champions.

So what do you think? Are you impressed with the new system or do you just want to stick with the old? Football fans around the world will be hoping that it’s a system that will produce thrilling matches as well as a good chance to see their respective teams progress through the tournament. It will be interesting to see how it will pan out and whether or not it is a good move by UEFA.

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Premier League: Spurs and Arsenal lead the way

The Premier League has paused for yet another international break and while we all just want the domestic action to return, it at least gives us a chance for a breather to take in all the drama that’s taken place so far.

There’s an unlikely contender in the title race while Chelsea are continuing to struggle in mid table. With eight games played so far, we’ve taken a look at all the key Premier League talking points.


North London rivals lead Premier League title race

After sweeping all before them on the way to an historic treble last season and spending handsomely during the summer, City were the clear favourites to step up a gear and secure their fourth consecutive title.

But with two consecutive defeats under their belts, Pep Guardiola’s side find themselves playing catch up to Tottenham and Arsenal at the top of the table. Gabriel Martinelli’s late deflected strike was the difference as the Gunners beat City for the first time in the league since 2015 on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta ran former mentor Guardiola close last term but ultimately ran out of steam. But after improving the squad over the summer with the likes of Declan Rice and David Raya, Arsenal will fancy their chances of securing a first league title since 2004.

But standing in their way, for now, are current league leaders and fierce rivals Tottenham. The North London side remain unbeaten and look reborn under new boss Ange Postecoglou.

The Harry Kane-shaped void up front has been filled by Son Heung-min, who is thriving in a central role, while summer signing James Maddison is pulling the strings from midfield. Spurs have been accused of being weak at times in the past but they’ve certainly shown character so far this campaign.

Goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski deep into stoppage time snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Sheffield United, while a late own goal from Joel Matip secured them all three points in a controversial contest with Liverpool.

It’s still early days so it remains to be seen whether they can sustain their form long term. However, there seems to have been a shift in mentality at Spurs and it would be the ultimate irony if they went on to win the title the season after Kane finally left in search of silverware.

City’s defeat to Arsenal came just a week after surrendering at Wolves and the reigning champions will be desperate to turn things around after the international break. Erling Haaland has picked up where he left off with eight Premier League goals already but with Kevin De Bruyne sidelined with injury, the pressure is on the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva to offer the missing creativity and unlock rival defences.

Landscape shot of Stamford Bridge from the top of the stand

2023/24 Premier League Hospitality

Chelsea and Manchester United struggles continue

While both sides won at the weekend, those results perhaps paper over the cracks of their seasons so far. Chelsea have already suffered defeats to West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, while they also failed to score at Bournemouth.

A scattergun approach to transfers over the summer saw a lot of fresh faces arrive alongside new manager Mauricio Pochettino, who still seems to be working out his strongest line-up.

Saturday’s 4-1 thumping of Burnley was their second win in a row and with Raheem Sterling seemingly back to his best, they could now start to push on. But they may lack the firepower to reach the heights they desire, with new striker Nicolas Jackson struggling to score regularly so far.

Much like Chelsea, Manchester United have also been unconvincing and find themselves 10th in the table. They’ve lost four of their eight games so far, including home defeats to Brighton and Crystal Palace, while two injury-time Scott McTominay goals saved them from embarrassment against Brentford last weekend.

Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes are yet to get going and while Rasmus Højlund has shown promising signs, including an imperious Champions League display against Galatasaray, he’s yet to score in the league.

Both Chelsea and United will undoubtedly improve as the season progresses but for now, both sides look a long way off mounting any kind of challenge for the European spots.

The race for the top four

Liverpool have been flying so far this season and have perhaps gone slightly under the radar. Jurgen Klopp finally seems to have sorted his midfield issues, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister adding a balance to their side.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah has been as consistent as ever, scoring five times in the league so far, while Darwin Núñez is slowly starting to become a reliable forward option.

Aston Villa are hot on their tail and the improvement they’ve shown since Unai Emery’s arrival a year ago has been remarkable. The Spaniard has well and truly put his Arsenal disaster behind him and proven that he’s more than capable of competing on these shores.

The Midlands side made shrewd summer signings, including exciting winger Moussa Diaby, who seems to be getting the best out of Ollie Watkins. The striker is a constant threat and he’s forced himself back into the England squad after scoring a hat-trick in Villa’s 6-1 win over Brighton.

Elsewhere, Newcastle will be targeting another top four finish after securing a long-awaited return to the Champions League. They followed up an 8-0 thrashing of Sheffield United with a stunning 4-1 win over PSG and have shown when the likes of Kieran Trippier and Alexander Isak are at the top of their game, they’re a match for anybody in Europe.

Who’s in danger of relegation?

After the first few games of the season, you’d have been forgiven for assuming the relegation battle was done and dusted. The three promoted clubs looked doomed and those above them were breathing sighs of relief.

But after gaining their first wins of the campaign, both Luton and Burnley are beginning to find their feet. Rob Edwards secured Luton’s first ever Premier League win away at Everton and they limited high-flying Spurs to just one goal at the weekend.

While they still have a huge job on their hands to survive, they’re not quite proving to be the whipping boys they were predicted to be over the summer. Meanwhile, it was against Luton that Burnley’s first three points of the season arrived.

With just one point from their opening eight games, Sheffield United are rooted to the bottom of the table and desperately need their luck to change. Similarly, Bournemouth are yet to win despite backing new manager Andoni Iraola heavily in the summer transfer window.

Wolves and Everton have improved after tough openings to the campaign while Brentford, who started the season strongly, seem to have stagnated and they’re struggling to get wins on the board without the suspended Ivan Toney.

EURO 2024: Who will make the England squad?

Dust off your England flags and get ‘Three Lions’ on your speakers because EURO 2024 is just around the corner. We’re now just nine months away from the tournament in Germany and England will be desperate to avenge their 2021 penalty shootout heartbreak in the final.

In what seems to have become a strangely familiar feeling, England fans have every reason to be optimistic. We’ve got a squad full of young, exciting talent, and Gareth Southgate’s record in major tournaments speaks for itself.

Ahead of the Euros, we’ve taken a look at who might make the final squad and whether they can go all the way.

Who will definitely be in the England squad?

While even Gareth Southgate won’t know how his final squad will look, there are some players that we already know will be on the plane providing they’re fit and available. Captain Harry Kane will be familiar with the German venues following his switch to Bayern Munich and he’ll be keen to make amends following his penalty miss in the World Cup defeat to France.

Meanwhile, he’ll be joined in attack by Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. Superstar midfielders Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are shoo-ins following their big-money moves over the summer.

At the back, Manchester City duo John Stones and Kyle Walker are guaranteed to feature in the final squad, along with Kieran Trippier and Jordan Pickford. Elsewhere, left-backs Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell should also be called up.

Southgate has come under scrutiny for being too loyal to his favourites, even when they’re not playing for their clubs. And while their inclusion may not please everyone, there’s a strong chance that Harry Maguire, Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips will also be in the squad.

Who will be hoping to force their way in?

For any other country in the world, Trent Alexander-Arnold would be one of the first names on the plane. However, he’s never quite forced his way into Southgate’s plans, particularly given our strength at right-back. Yet his recent England appearances have seen him deployed in central midfield so there’s hope for the Liverpool man yet.

James Maddison has been on the fringes for a few years and having started the season strongly at Tottenham, you’d expect him to be in contention. Similarly, a return to form for Raheem Sterling could thrust the Chelsea winger back into the fold, despite him being ignored for the recent international break.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has also featured in the last few squads but with such strength in depth in attacking areas, he may just miss out.

Stones seems to be the only nailed centre-back, which gives an opportunity for the likes of Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Levi Colwill and Fikayo Tomori to impress from now until the end of the season.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen who will be trusted to provide back-up for Kane up top. Callum Wilson appears to be the frontrunner but he’ll be looking over his shoulder at the form of Eddie Nketiah and Ollie Watkins alongside Ivan Toney, with his gambling ban ending in January, giving him 5 months to fire himself back into form.

England haven’t quite secured their place yet, with a few more qualifiers to go. You can cheer on the boys in style as they take on Italy and Malta at Wembley.

England face Germany in an international football match in front of home fans at Wembley Stadium

International Football Hospitality

Can England win EURO 2024?

After narrowly losing the final on penalties last time out, England will fancy their chances at going one better next summer. But they’ll face stiff competition from France, who are favourites to go all the way.

They boast a squad packed full of young talent, spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe, who has cemented his place among the world’s elite. But England aren’t far behind and having run France close at the World Cup, combined with their young stars getting another 18 months of experience under their belts, there’s no reason to fear anybody.

Hosts Germany will inevitably improve in time to be in contention next summer. A recent 4-1 defeat to Japan saw manager Hansi Flick dismissed. Yet more often than not, the Germans step up when it matters in tournaments.

As ever, Spain and Portugal will be among the contenders. Cristiano Ronaldo will be 39 by the time the competition gets underway and it will likely be his final chance to claim another international trophy.

Meanwhile, holders Italy will be looking to retain their crown, while the Netherlands and Belgium will always be dark horses.

Premier League 2023/24: Three Weeks in

We’ve enjoyed an incredible summer of sport but nothing quite hits the spot like the return of the Premier League. Manchester City dominated last season on the way to an historic treble and they’ve started the new campaign in a similar vein.

Arsenal are looking to bounce back after fading away in last year’s title race while Chelsea and Liverpool will be keen to show the world that they can still compete at the top. We’re now three weeks into the new season so we’ve taken a look at all the key talking points so far.

Manchester City pick up where they left off

After winning the treble last season, there were concerns that City might take their foot off the gas and give somebody else a chance of success for once. But Pep Guardiola doesn’t do things by halves and his side have continued to be imperious, winning their opening three games so far.

Wins over Burnley and Newcastle set them up for a trip to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United at the weekend, where Erling Haaland proved he is human by missing a hatful of chances, including a first-half penalty that struck the post.

But he finally found a way through in the second half, heading home the opener before Rodri’s unsaveable strike cancelled out Jayden Bogle’s equaliser to secure the three points for Man City.

It’s far too early in the season to come to any conclusions but with Fulham, West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Wolves to come in their next four games and their rivals already dropping points, a fourth consecutive Premier League title could be on its way to the Etihad.

Official Premier League Match Ball

Premier League Hospitality

Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham put the pressure on

Arsenal ran City close last season and after investing heavily into their squad, they’ll have ambitions of securing their first Premier League title since 2004. But a limp start to the season has raised concerns about their prospects, particularly with the distraction of Champions League football to come.

Mikel Arteta’s side just about edged past Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace in their opening two games but they dropped points for the first time at the weekend, with Joao Palhinha’s late effort rescuing a point for Fulham at the Emirates.

And with four of the traditional ‘big six’ to come in their next six games, the Gunners face a big test in terms of their title credentials this season.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last term and they remain unbeaten so far with two wins and a draw. Their trip to Newcastle on Sunday looked destined for disaster when Anthony Gordon’s opener was followed up by a Virgil van Dijk red card.

But last season’s misfiring misfit Darwin Nunez stepped up to the plate with two late goals to complete a remarkable turnaround for Jurgen Klopp’s side. Newcastle looked somewhat demoralised and sit 13th in the table following two defeats so far.

The Magpies started the season strongly with a 5-1 thrashing of Aston Villa but they’ve looked toothless since and with the Champions League to come, they may find they don’t have the squad depth required to repeat the highs of last season.

Whisper it quietly but Tottenham look to be playing better as a cohesive unit without Harry Kane. Their free-flowing, attacking style under new boss Ange Postecoglou has resulted in two wins and a draw, with summer signing James Maddison adding an extra dimension to their attack.

The England international bagged his first goal for Spurs in Saturday’s win at Bournemouth and with Kane now plying his trade at Bayern Munich, the onus could be on Maddison to inspire the north London side. They currently sit third in the table and with all three of the promoted sides to come in their next five games, they’ve got a real chance to build some momentum.

Chelsea and Manchester United’s struggles continue despite wins

Both Chelsea and Manchester United won at the weekend but there’s a fear that those results merely paper over the cracks. Chelsea in particular had a woeful time last season, finishing 12th in the Premier League.

They’ve since undergone a major squad overhaul as well as bringing in former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino to oversee the operation. The Blues are a work in progress and Friday’s 3-0 victory over Luton could be a sign of things to come.

However, a disappointing defeat to West Ham the week before is evidence that things aren’t what they seem at Stamford Bridge and they may continue to struggle when coming up against stronger opposition.

United were convincingly brushed aside by Tottenham last weekend and they were shocked at home to Forest on Saturday, who went 2-0 up after four minutes at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag’s men eventually fought back to claim all three points but it’s clear that they’re not as strong as they were and something needs to change if they want to challenge their rivals for honours this term.

With the Premier League season only just getting started, there are plenty more huge games to come. Secure your place to watch a thrilling match in premium hospitality with Engage Hospitality.

Women’s World Cup: Inspiring the next generation

With the final of the Women’s World Cup fast approaching, we can look back on a tournament that has inspired women, men and children alike across the world. It has been a tournament that has touched the hearts of many with inspirational moments throughout.

In a tournament that has provided us with some scintillating football, emphatic results and shock upsets, it has been the biggest yet. It is the first Women’s World Cup to be held across multiple nations with Australia and New Zealand both hosting games. It has been branded the most successful ‘Women’s World Cup in history’ with record breaking viewing figures across the last five weeks. An astonishing 7.2 million people tuned in to ITV to watch England’s 2-1 victory over Colombia.

And it’s not just England who are breaking viewing records. An incredible 7 million people (a quarter of the population) viewed Australia’s penalty shootout win over France on Australia’s Channel 7, the highest viewed sports programme in over a decade.

Not only on the screens have viewing figures skyrocketed but in the stands, there has rarely been an empty seat with Football Australia announcing at the conclusion of the group stage ticket sales had surpassed 1.7 million ticket sales smashing the record set by Canada in 2015 of 1.35 million making it the most popular Women’s tournament yet. Has hosting the competition in a sport obsessed country helped to drive interest levels or is the sport simply becoming more popular on the whole?

Womens Football, England

According to the FA, ‘since October 2021, there’s been a 17% increase in female affiliated players across all levels of the game, a 30% increase in female registered football teams, and a 15% increase in female youth teams’. You can’t help but think after the World Cup, as more and more people watch the game, this will only increase.

The growth of the women’s game is inspiring women across the world to get involved in football and other sports around the world. And it’s not just the impressive standard of football that has got people talking. The 2023 Women’s World Cup has not been without its touching moments. In Morocco’s 1-0 win over South Korea we Nouhalia Benzina made history by becoming the first player to wear a hijab inspiring Muslim women all over the world that they too can be involved in this sport.

People have also been struck by the sportsmanship specifically from Lionesses’ star Chloe Kelly when she scored the winning penalty to send England through against Nigeria. Before Kelly celebrated properly with teammates she consoled, clearly distraught, Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, blocking the television cameras from zooming in on the goalkeeper’s face.

Like in any World Cup we’ve seen great goals, milestone achievements and shock upsets from some of the countries involved. A shock result saw Sweden knockout holders USA on penalties as the Americans saw their hopes of a third consecutive trophy stripped away. It was made all the more painful for the US as the final Swedish penalty was decided by a millimetre to have crossed the line. There was agony as well for Megan Rapinoe as the two time World Cup winner blazed her spot kick over the bar in what will likely be her final competitive game after announcing her retirement.

With the US out, there is going to be a new name on the trophy and this week four teams battled it out for a place in the final of the most prestigious competition. First up, Spain faced Sweden. After an extra time winner in the quarter finals, the Spaniards once again left it late to open the scoring as Salma Paralluelo broke the deadlock in the 81st minute with her second goal of the tournament. Sweden, runners-up, in 2003 hit back late on in the 88th minute as Rebecka Blomqvist continued her impressive goal-scoring form but only moments later Spain were back in front late on courtesy of an Olga Carmona stunner that hit the underside of the cross-bar on the way in.

So Sweden will have to wait for that desired title, one which they have come close to all too many times. Spain, on the other hand, find themselves in new territory with their previous best finish being the round of 16 in 2019. Now it’s no doubt how successful the men’s team have been in major championships in the last 20 years; can they replicate it in the women’s game?

With Spain through, all eyes were on the home nation as Australia faced England. Fresh from being crowned European Champions in 2022 as well as beating Brazil in the Women’s Finalissima in 2023, the Lionesses went into the tournament with their heads held high. With that said, up against an Australian team with the home crowd behind them not to mention England being less than convincing in previous rounds, it was going to be all to play for.

The game certainly lived up to the expectation as 75,000 fans inside the stadium, and millions on television witnessed the Lionesses march to their first ever World Cup final. It was Ella Toone who opened the scoring inside 36 minutes with a brilliant finish inside the box. Just after the hour, Australia’s golden girl Sam Kerr equalised with a screamer into the top left hand corner. However, goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo sealed the win for England and will see them play in yet another major final.

So all eyes of the footballing world will be on Sunday as England’s women will play Spain’s women with both countries making their debut in a World Cup final. England remain unbeaten in the tournament unlike Spain who in their opening group game saw themselves thumped 4-0 by 2011 champions Japan. It has to be said, the Lionesses go into the final as favourites especially considering their experience of major finals in the last couple of years.

What an incredible achievement it would be for England if they can win it. Not only would it be an achievement for women’s football but also women’s sport in England as a whole. It would inspire women young and old to get involved with sport, showing that anything is possible.

Rule changes ahead of the new Premier League season

The new Premier League season is upon us. With major changes to cut down on time wasting and dissent being applied this season, here is the breakdown of all the new rule changes to be aware of heading into the start of the new football season.

Significant changes to stoppage time

The biggest change to be implemented this upcoming season will be substantial changes to added time. As was the case at the Qatar World Cup, match officials will be firm with adding on the specific amount of time that is lost during periods when play is stopped, such as goal kicks, penalty kicks, free kicks, goals celebrations, substitutions or injuries.

This has come off the back of concerns about time wasting across the Football League. The average ball in play over the past 10 seasons in the Premier League averages around 55 minutes per game, with some matches last season such as Brentford v Aston Villa leaving fans short-changed with the ball in-play for under 45 minutes.

Therefore, the Premier League’s initiative to combat this issue will see games lasting far longer than the norm. These new plans were implemented during the EFL’s opening match week, where all but two games ticked over 10 minutes of added time due to these new changes in the law.

This extra time added onto matches could result in more drama beyond the 90 minutes with more late goals potentially being scored in injury time. But there is an argument that this new rule change will benefit the bigger teams like Manchester City or Arsenal who will be given more time to wear down their opponents and stamp their authority on matches.

Whichever the case, more stoppage time will give the season an interesting new dynamic to watch out for during the first few months.

Smith Rowe and Saka - Emirates Stadium

Stamping out dissent

Another area of the game that often prevents new fans from watching the league is dissent from players towards the referee.

Last year the numbers of incidents that involved groups of players crowding around the match officials attempting to aggressively argue their case began to rise dramatically, meaning referees will take a stricter stance in order to stamp it out of the game.

In the new laws automatic yellow cards will be shown to players who approach the referee or run from a distance towards them.

Football has often come under criticism for a lack of respect between players and those in charge of running the game, so this is a change that could be universally applauded.

A crackdown on manager behaviour

In line with the changes around dissent, the Premier League will also be cracking down on abuse and aggression from the touchlines aimed at the fourth official.

In domestic competitions alone in 2023, Brighton’s manager Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham head coach at the time Cristian Stellini and Fulham’s Marco Silva have all been sent off during matches, and Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp has been charged with improper conduct by the FA due to the way he acted and spoke about match officials.

Consequently, stricter rules are being brought in to limit the amount of dissent from the benches. In 2023/24 only one coach will be allowed in the technical area and aggression from coaches will be firmly met with red cards.

These crackdowns on the behaviour of players and managers were witnessed during Arsenal’s clash with Manchester City in the Community Shield, where several players, as well as Mikel Arteta, received cards for kicking the ball away and trying to argue with the referee – giving us a good insight into how the new rules will be applied this season.

Allowing the game to run smoothly

One of the league’s biggest initiatives during the past few seasons is trying to allow the games to flow better, making it a better product to watch for fans.

This will continue in 2023/24 with a higher threshold to be applied to physical contact in the hope that this will lead to fewer free kicks and more free flowing games of football.

The traditional rules will still be applied to reckless challenges or tackles that are overly physical but, like the other changes planned for this season, the league will hope this will make the game more enjoyable to watch and lead to another unforgettable season of Premier League football.

We have hospitality options for some of the biggest clubs in the world who will all be fighting for the Premier League title, including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and more so embrace the new season with a premium package of your choice.

Premier League Football Returns

The countdown is on, only one week to go until the first ball of the new Premier League season is kicked on the 11th August. We will see a new title race, a new relegation battle along with new players hoping to make a name for themselves. The eagerly anticipated campaign threatens to be the best one yet, with predictions very difficult to make. Managers will be preparing their sides for what promises to be a thrilling opening weekend.

The Premier League season will kick off at Turf Moor in the first Friday night game of the season as Burnley host Manchester City. The Champions of the Championship take on the Treble winners. What better way to begin the 2023/24 season as two champions take on one another. Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking for a convincing win to begin defending last term’s titles and perhaps win the quadruple while Vincent Kompany looks for a shock result against the side he used to captain.

The first early kickoff of the season on Saturday will see runners up Arsenal host Nottingham Forest, after their Community Shield victory over City on Sunday with a 4-1 penalty shootout win. All eyes will be on Arsenal’s new man Declan Rice as he makes his Premier League debut for the club after a club record signing of £105 million.

After missing out on the title last season, the Gunners will hope they can go one better and beat City to the title, or whomever else may challenge. Meanwhile Steve Cooper’s men will be hoping they can produce another successful season by remaining in the top flight after surviving in May against the odds.

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Onto the Saturday 3pm kickoffs where eight teams are in action.

Crystal Palace travel to South Yorkshire to face newly promoted side Sheffield United. The Blades were relegated from the league back in 2021 after a miserable season only picking up 23 points. Paul Heckingbottom’s side will be keen to return firing after a two year absence but after starman Iliman Ndiaye made the move to French giants Marseille, it will be interesting to see how they respond to Premier League football once again.

On the other hand, Roy Hodgson’s side will be without long time servant Wilfred Zaha and it remains to be seen who is going to come in and replace the winger. Without someone who has been such a key player over the years, will Palace struggle?

Bournemouth will host West Ham in another one of the 3 o’clock games as the Irons look to carry momentum into the new season after their European success. With that said, it was Declan Rice who captained them to Europa Conference League Champions back in June and you do wonder how much David Moyes’ side will miss their star man.

Bournemouth will begin their campaign under a new manager, after what appeared to be the harsh sacking of Gary O’Neil who helped them survive last term. It remains to be seen whether or not new man Andoni Iraola will be able to repeat the Cherries’ good finish this season.

One of the most prominent 3pm fixtures will see Premier League new boys Luton Town travel to Europa League side Brighton in a tough opening fixture for Rob Edwards’ players. Luton’s first appearance in the top flight since 1992 and after having their opening home fixture against Burnley postponed due to required ground improvements, you can’t help but envisage the Hatters struggling this season.

It won’t be an easy start for them either as they face Brighton, a team off the back of two consecutive record breaking season’s finishing in their highest ever position in England’s top flight with a 6th place finish being the latest and Europa League football to go with it. They are a force to be reckoned with and will be extremely tough for Luton to break down.

The final 3pm kickoff will see Fulham visit Goodison Park to face Sean Dyche’s Everton. In a relatively good season for Fulham where many tipped them to face the drop, they finished a respectable tenth and will hope to complete a similar feat this season.

Everton, however, narrowly avoided relegation for the second season running. But with only one defeat in May, Sean Dyche steered his side away from the drop. With that said, he will have his work cut out if they are to move up the table. They will hope to get off to a flying start against the Cottagers so they are in the best position to rule out what would be a disastrous era in the club’s history if they were to go down.

Aston Villa play at their home ground Villa Park in front of a sell-out crowd

The first Saturday Night Football of the season sees Aston Villa make the trip to the North East to play Newcastle. Two clubs who had very successful seasons with the Magpies achieving Champions League qualification for the first time since 2002 and the Villans achieving Europa League football for the first time since 2010.

It was only the 2016/17 season where both sides were playing each other in the Championship now they will be playing against Europe’s elite. It will be one of the most anticipated opening weekend fixtures and a game that will be closely contested.

All of a sudden, the first Super Sunday of the 2023/24 season will be upon us. The first of the two fixtures will see Brentford host fellow Londoners Tottenham. A disappointing campaign for Spurs and a successful one for the Bees only saw Tottenham edge 8th place by a point to the West London club. It promises to be another close game with Spurs appointing former Celtic treble winner Ange Postecoglou with fans keen to see how he will cope with Premier League football.

Brentford will be without top scorer Ivan Toney as he is serving an 8 month ban for gambling offences. It will be interesting to see how Brentford cope without him for the first part of the campaign.

The second game of the day will also take place in West London as Chelsea host Liverpool in the 4:30 kickoff. Both sides had relatively disappointing seasons as Liverpool missed out on Champions League football and Chelsea finished a woeful 12th place.

For a brief period of time last season, the Blues were cautiously looking over their shoulder at the possibility of being caught up in the relegation battle. Luckily for the London side, they had done enough earlier in the season to risk that embarrassment. With the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino and the squad transformation at Chelsea, they will hope to start their season on the right foot. With that said, it will be no easy game after Liverpool’s brilliant form in the second half of last season, unbeaten in their last 11 games.

The final game of the opening weekend will see Manchester United take on Wolves in the first fixture of Monday Night Football. A relatively poor season saw them involved in the relegation battle at one stage in the season but some important wins saw them climb to 13th in the table. United, on the other hand, achieved a respectable league finish of 3rd place last season.

In Erik ten Haag’s first full season in charge of the club he took them to League Cup champions as well as FA Cup runners up and at times looked to be threatening a title challenge. It wasn’t a poor season for the Red Devils by any means, however, if they want to challenge for the title this season, they must start their campaign strongly.

See if you agree with our predictions for the opening weekend:

●    Burnley 1-3 Manchester City

●    Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest

●    Sheffield United 1-0 Crystal Palace

●    Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

●    Brighton 3-0 Luton

●    Everton 1-3 Fulham

●    Newcastle 3-2 Aston Villa

●    Brentford 2-2 Spurs

●    Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool

●    Manchester United 1-1 Wolves

Excitement is building for football fans across the world as the top flight of English football is almost back. It’s safe to say there will be twists and turns throughout the campaign, hopefully the opening weekend will give us a taste of what is yet to come. Will we see a new name on the Premier League trophy or will Man City make it four on the bounce? Find out by watching the Premier League live with Engage Hospitality.

Community Shield Kicks Off the Season

With pre-season well underway and the new Premier League season racing towards us, we take a look at the battle for the season’s first piece of silverware, The Community Shield.

The Community Shield is a contest between the reigning Premier League Champions and the holders of the FA Cup. As a result of Manchester City winning both trophies last season, the game will be between Manchester City and Arsenal at Wembley next Sunday. It is a chance to see the treble winners and the Premier League runners up in competitive action with their new signings before the season starts.

The clash of the two favourites for the league next season will hopefully give us a taste of how the Premier League title race will unfold. Will City win the league for the fourth consecutive year or can Arsenal throw the cat amongst the pigeons after some incredible new signings. It’s safe to say both teams will be keen to make a statement victory in London next Sunday in order to set themselves up for the beginning of the new campaign.

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We start with Arsenal. After what was an ultimately disappointing finish to the season last year having the title snatched from their grasp as a result of a poor run in April seeing them drop points in four consecutive matches, they will be eager to make amends.

Mikel Arteta has wasted no time in getting down to business in the transfer market with the signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea, Jurrien Timber from Ajax and most notably winning the race for Declan Rice.

The former West Ham midfielder, who captained them to Europa Conference League champions, joined for £105 million, making him the second most expensive Englishman ever as well as Arsenal’s record signing. After a battle to sign Rice with City, it will be interesting to see how he plays football under Arteta and whether he will take time to gel with his new teammates.

They have not been hesitant to splash the cash on other players as well with Havertz joining for a fee of £65 million as well as Timber for £38 million. Arsenal will be a force to be reckoned with this season and it seems the Gunners are after revenge in the hope to go one better than last term. What better way to do it than starting with a win over the treble winners?

With that said, Manchester City will certainly not make it easy for them. After winning the treble last season (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League) Pep Guardiola showed the world that he has a well drilled, persevering and dominant group of players at his disposable that are capable of pushing any team aside.

Not only was he blessed with Erling Haaland’s incredible scoring form, a lot of the credit must be given to him due to the way he conducts his players and the scintillating football he instructs his team to play. With Haaland’s record breaking goal tally in the Premier League, they could not be stopped as they marched to their 3rd consecutive Premier League title, an FA Cup win and their first Champions League.

So how have they strengthened? The only signing so far for Guardiola has been midfielder Mateo Kovacic for £30 million. The Croatian was a standout for Chelsea last season in what was a poor campaign for the London side and he will be keen to win trophies under the Spaniard in Manchester. At the moment, this is the Citizens’ only business in the market as they continue to chase RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.

However, City will be without winger Riyad Mahrez and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan after they both completed moves away from the club. Two players who have been pivotal in City’s success in recent years, will they be a big miss for Guardiola and his side?

So what can we expect? In a game that will be a close-fought encounter we will see new signings from either side, how each side will set up for the season and if Arsenal look threatening enough to maintain a title challenge all the way to the finish line this term.

It will hopefully give fans of both clubs as well as the Premier League an insight into how the season will pan out. A test of fitness and how City and Arsenal have come back from the summer break is what many will be looking out for, however, both teams will know a win could be fundamental to getting the psychological edge over one another before the beginning of the season. There is a lot more to this game than meets the eye.

Fancy watching Declan Rice come up against Erling Haaland for the first time this season? Watch it live from the best seats in the house with Engage Hospitality.

Transfer Talk: Two Weeks in to a Busy Summer

Premier League Transfer Sagas Continue

Almost 2 weeks have passed since the beginning of the Premier League transfer window and as predicted it’s not been quiet. With teams getting down to business immediately, the rumours have been flying around with some huge names tipped for a move.

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The Battle for Rice

The future of Declan Rice has remained uncertain for over a year now after his consistent impressive form for both West Ham and England. Arsenal have made it clear for some time now that they want Rice and are willing to pay big money to sign the midfielder.

However, similarly to how the title race panned out, Manchester City have joined the battle for the West Ham captain. It is believed Arsenal are still hopeful of completing a deal before City have the chance, but with numerous Arsenal bids rejected as well as City’s first offer of £90 million rejected, they are running out of time.

With Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan likely to be departing for Barcelona, Rice could be the perfect fit to play alongside Croatian international Mateo Kovacic. The Chelsea man is set to sign for the treble winners, having undergone a medical on Friday. Kovacic was one of the standout players last season in what was a disappointing campaign for Chelsea.

Another big money signing could also be on the horizon for Manchester City with interest shown for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol. It is reported that the German side would only let the Croatian leave if the asking price of £85 million including bonuses was met. If the deal was to go through it would make Gvardiol the most expensive defender in the world.

Arsenal have business of their own as well with the announcement of Chelsea star Kai Havertz close. The German scored Chelsea’s winning goal in the Champions League Final in 2021 and he is expected to sign for £65 million. The Gunners are also in advanced talks with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber with a deal expected soon.

Although somewhat of an outsider in the race for Rice, Manchester United are also interested in the 24 year old. If Arsenal and Manchester City both fail to offer an acceptable bid, Ten Haag might be licking his lips at the possibility of enticing Rice with a move to the Red Devils.


Ten Haag’s hunt for a midfielder

With that said, the Stretford club have their eyes set on another London midfielder in Chelsea star Mason Mount. The England international was only involved in five goal contributions last season, however, United have had a third bid of £55 million pounds rejected. A counter proposal from Chelsea sees Mount’s price tag at £58 million but with no signings made so far, will the Reds take their interest elsewhere?

There is also the question over David De Gea’s future at the club after the Spaniard’s poor season that was littered with mistakes. He is out of contract at the end of the month and even if he were to stay, there is no guarantee he would be the number one as Man United have been linked with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya and Porto’s Diogo Costa.

The Chelsea Clearout

Mauricio Pochettino’s overhaul of the Chelsea team is well underway. With 9 players possibly departing the club and Kante already making the move to Saudi Arabia, the Argentine has made it clear what his mission is.

With the possible departures of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Kovacic’s all but confirmed move to Manchester City, Chelsea have no time to waste in getting down to business. And that they have done with the signing of Christopher Nkunku for £52 million from RB Leipzig. The French forward scored 16 goals in 25 appearances in the Bundesliga last season.

The Blues are also close to signing another goalscorer, Nicolas Jackson from Villareal. The Senegalese man is thought to have undergone a medical on Saturday and is expected to join for a fee of £35 million. He scored 12 goals in La Liga last season and Chelsea will hope he can be a fitting replacement for Romelu Lukaku who is looking increasingly likely to remain at Inter Milan after his loan spell.

With Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy soon to be following Kalidou Koulibaly to Saudi Arabia, Chelsea are expected to approach Brighton over the signing of midfielder Moises Caceido once a number of these deals have been completed.

The Saudi Revolution

One of the big talking points of this summer’s transfer window so far is the marquee signings being made by teams in the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N’golo Kante are all blockbuster names that have introduced themselves to Saudi Arabia.

This is a common occurrence for players nearing the end of their career to move to a club outside of Europe and receive a healthy paycheck. However, this time it is a little bit different with players entering their prime making the move to the Middle East with the latest one being Ruben Neves.

The 26 year old Portuguese midfielder has signed for Al Hilal for a fee of £47 million, much to the disappointment of many Wolves fans. Often the first name on the team sheet at Molineux, the move seems a strange decision, however, who could blame him with a rumoured salary of £300,000 a week. Neves isn’t the only player in his prime being linked with Saudi Arabian clubs. Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is heavily linked with a move to Southwest Asia as well as teammates Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech.

The Race for Maddison

Not quite as high profile as the Declan Rice saga, another battle between two Premier League clubs unfolds. Both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are thought to be battling it out for the signature of Leicester City midfielder James Maddison. Another England man caught up in a transfer war, the 26 year old has been on the wishlist of both clubs for some time and as a result of Leicester’s relegation, a deal is looking promising.

Could this be a way of new Spurs boss, Ange Postecoglou, making a first statement signing in order to gain disgruntled fans back on side after last season’s misery? It is thought that Spurs lead the race for the midfielder and are close to a deal although Newcastle’s offer of Champions League football next season may make the North East a more tempting move.

Aside from the Maddison battle both sides are carrying out business of their own. With reports that long-time goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could be on the way out, Spurs have agreed a deal with Serie A club Empoli for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. The 26 year old is expected to undergo a medical in the coming days and could replace the French international after 11 years at the club.

With the future of Harry Kane remaining in the balance after a bid from Bayern Munich was rejected, which striker will Spurs target to replace their starman if he was to leave?

Newcastle on the other hand have had a quiet start to the window with no signings as of yet, however, they are expected to announce the signing of Sandro Tonali from AC Milan in the next few days.

The Italian defensive midfielder captains Italy under 21s and is expected to arrive on Tyneside for £55 million much to the disappointment of many AC Milan supporters. It’s safe to say this will not be Eddie Howe’s only signing considering their shock qualification for the Champions League and they will still be very keen on drafting in Maddison to bolster their attacking strength.

Klopp’s lack of squad depth

With the signing of Alexis Mac Allister announced before the window had even opened, Liverpool were limbering up to do some serious business this summer. Yet since the signing of the Argentine they have been relatively quiet with no other signings made.

After missing out on Champions League football for the first time since 2016, fans are worried about their side’s squad depth next season. The departure of James Milner, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita, their squad is beginning to look a bit bare.

With that said, there are reports Liverpool are hoping to have talks with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in the coming days. The Nigerian international was pivotal in Napoli’s title winning success last season scoring 26 goals in 32 appearances in the Serie A. However, it is thought Liverpool will be faced by competition from Chelsea and Manchester United for Osimhen’s signature.

At this early stage, it is still hard to predict who will be the signing of the summer but with rumours surrounding Harry Kane and Declan Rice, not to mention the transfer of Jude Belligham to Real Madrid, there are going to be some big deals made.

Why not see how some of these stars perform at their possible new clubs from the best seats in the house with Engage Hospitality.

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