2020-2021 Premier League

(BBC Sport) Burnley manager Sean Dyche said "it needs to come quickly" as they look "to get on the right side of the margins" after a goalless draw with fellow strugglers Brighton. The Clarets, having their worst ever start to a top-flight season, are on two points from seven games, while the Seagulls have not won in six league games.

Burnley's best chance was accidental as Matt Lowton's deep cross flew over Mat Ryan but hit the crossbar.

Brighton dominated as they often do but could not beat Nick Pope in Burnley's goal. Pope did well to deny Danny Welbeck on his first start for Brighton.

This was a game that will have not been watched by many - behind closed doors and on pay-per-view - and that is probably for the best. "We didn't create as much as we'd like," Dyche told BBC Sport. "I thought the mentality was right. We looked more like ourselves with our defensive shape and urgency. We know we have to create better chances but it's a base to build on. We're never a million miles away. We're getting closer."

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(BBC Sport) Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl told his side to believe "anything is possible" after they went top of the Premier League for the first time ever.

Just over a year on from a 9-0 home humiliation by Leicester, which left the Austrian in danger of being sacked, he guided Saints to the summit of the English top flight for the first time since 1988 with a comfortable victory over Newcastle.

"Our fans will love it and they'll make a picture of the table," Hasenhuttl said. "For us it's nice but it shouldn't kill the hunger for more. We should stay hungry and we should feel anything is possible with this team.

"I must be very proud. We developed not with a lot of invested money but with a lot of invested work. We had some good results in the past two or three months and it was important everyone can see the philosophy we are following can be successful. Everyone was on the highest level and it's a little bit scary what we're doing at the moment. But it's not surprising because I see them working."

It was a dominant performance for Hasenhuttl's side, who moved the ball well and deservedly ran out winners after Che Adams' superb first-half volley and Stuart Armstrong's drilled effort late on.

Newcastle, who remain 11th in the table, were the exact opposite and contributed to their defeat by carelessly losing the ball in dangerous positions for both goals. "The goals we gave away probably summed up our evening," said Magpies manager Steve Bruce. "We gave it away far too cheaply and far too often. We were a shadow of the team I saw against Everton."

Sunday saw another quartet of matches across the grounds....

(SU) A near-stoppage time goal from Spurs striker Harry Kane gave the visitors a 1-0 smash & grab win over hosts West Brom out at the Hawthorns
(SU) It was another Jamie Vardy Party as the Leicester striker hoisted a penalty kick past the Wolves keeper, lifting the Foxes to a 1-0 win at the King Power
(SU) In the day's marquee matchup, neither Manchester City or Liverpool could break through in a scintillating 1-1 draw at the Etihad and
(SU) In the day's late match, Aston Villa played giant-killers once more, this time in a 3-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates

After the final international break of the calendar year, football returns to the grounds of England...

(SA) Up in the Northeast of England, a 'humble' Chelsea thumped Newcastle United 2-0 to move into 2nd in the table for the time being
(SA) In a dramatic 90 minutes, Brighton overcame a rugged Villa side to win 2-1 at Villa Park
(SA) In a battle of Top-6 sides, Tottenham Hotspur went top of the table w/a 2-0 win at White Hart Lane over Manchester City and
(SA) While it took two takes to score, a Fernandes' penalty was all Manchester United needed to defeat visitors West Brom 1-0

(The Guardian) Leeds have named the East Stand at Elland Road the Jack Charlton Stand in honour of their former defender.

Charlton, a World Cup winner with England in 1966, died in July aged 85, six days before Leeds secured promotion back to the Premier League.

Leeds announced their tribute to the former defender, who made a club-record 773 appearances during 23 years as a player for the club, as part of a new two-year sponsorship deal with the electronics manufacturer Hisense. A statement on Leeds’s website read: “His legacy will now be engrained at Elland Road forever and he joins fellow greats John Charles, Norman Hunter and Don Revie, who also have stands named in their honour, along with the great Billy Bremner whose statue stands proudly outside.”

Charlton, who joined Leeds aged 15 in 1950, won promotion to the top flight with them in 1956 and 1964 and formed the bedrock of the side built by Don Revie. Big Jack went on to win the old First Division title, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Fairs Cup twice as Revie’s side regularly challenged for major honours.

Leeds chief executive officer, Angus Kinnear, added: “The contribution made by Jack Charlton to Leeds United and the game of football is immeasurable. It is only right that we name a stand in his memory, he is an icon.

“We thank Hisense for giving us the go-ahead to name the East Stand after Jack, alongside their sponsorship, and we are looking forward to the day fans return to Elland Road to celebrate the life of Jack along with Norman Hunter and Trevor Cherry.”

Five more matches on Sunday & Monday rounded out the weekend...

(SU) Edinson Cavani earned his pay Sunday as his two goals led Manchester United to a 3-2 win down on the South Coast over Southampton
(SU) Tottenham Hotspur retook first in the league courtesy of a 0-0 draw vs. their London neighbors Chelsea down at Stamford Bridge
(SU) Arsenal's woes continue courtesy of a 2-1 defeat to visitors Wolverhampton at the Emirates Stadium
(MO) Fulham pulled off the shock decision of the weekend, defeating hosts Leicester City 2-1 at the King Power and
(MO) Finally, out at the London Olympic, West Ham moved up to 5th in the table w/a 2-1 win over Aston Villa

Even though Friday's match btwn Villa & Newcastle was postponed due to COVID, four matches took place across the grounds on Saturday...

(SA) In an entertaining tug-of-war match at Turf Moor, Burnley & Everton split the points in a scintillating 1-1 draw
(SA) Manchester City hosted visitors Fulham and easily dispatched them in a 2-0 win at the Etihad
(SA) In the first match w/fans back in the stands since mid-March, Manchester United defeated West Ham 3-1 at the London Olympic and
(SA) Out at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea took to the top of the league table for the time being with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over visitors Leeds United