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Latest updates

  1. Follow Tuesday's Carabao Cup games livepublished at 20:16 BST

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    There are six Premier League teams in action on Tuesday in the second round of the EFL Cup, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

    Kick-off 19:45 BST unless stated.

    Follow all of the action and reaction here

    You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Birmingham City v Brentford" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Nottingham Forest match", for example.

    See the full Carabao Cup second-round fixture list

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    Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

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  2. How did O'Neil fare on his Ipswich managerial debut?published at 14:11 BST

    Chief football writer Phil McNulty byline banner
    Ipswich Town boss Gary O'NeilImage source, Getty Images

    Premier League history was made before a ball was even kicked this season as a record nine clubs started the campaign with new managers.

    Gary O'Neil got his first taste of action as Ipswich manager after succeeding Kieran McKenna, who stepped down from his role to spend more time with his family after managing the team for four-and-a-half years.

    So how did he fare on an eventful first weekend of the 2026-27 campaign?

    Ipswich have backed McKenna's successor with big money in the transfer market, £150m on a dozen signings, and O'Neil was rewarded with a vital victory against Sunderland.

    O'Neil may just be the beneficiary from lessons learned during Ipswich's last spell in the Premier League, when it took them 11 games to get a win and they went down with a whimper with just 22 points.

    He will have been delighted with the impact of Julio Enciso, who he worked with at Strasbourg, and his early partnership with Brazilian striker Emersonn. The pair combined superbly for the latter's opening goal.

    There is plenty still to work on, but O'Neil looked in the mood to enjoy his cup of tea and bar of chocolate while watching Match Of The Day on Saturday night.

    Read Phil's thoughts on how the rest of the new faces fared here

  3. 'Why be involved if you aren't going to try to be the best?'published at 10:03 BST

    Media caption,

    Ipswich forward Chuba Akpom says the club will be "ambitious" when it comes to cup competitions this season, while also focusing on staying in the "best league in the world" following promotion.

    The 30-year-old scored two goals and registered one assist last season, as then boss Kieran McKenna guided the Tractor Boys back to the top flight.

    Akpom replaced Emersonn in the 66th minute of Ipswich's 2-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday, after spending over 11 years away from the Premier League.

    "It had been a long time," Akpom told BBC Radio Suffolk. "It was nice to come on at the weekend and be on the pitch when the winner was scored. It was a good step for me.

    "I've taken a look at my career over the past few seasons and it has been quite eventful, so to end up back in the Premier League is amazing. Usually you don't spend so much time away and end up coming back.

    "I always had that drive in me to get back here. It is the best league in the world, it is back in the country where I was raised and it is just a fantastic feeling to be here. It is an honour."

    On facing Leicester City in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday (19:45 BST), Akpom said: "You have to go for it in every game, whether that be a friendly or a cup match.

    "Why be involved if you aren't going to compete or try to be the best? If it was in my hands, I would love to get to the Carabao Cup final this season and finish in the top half of the Premier League - that's why we are here.

    "We are ambitious. We want to achieve certain things. Everyone should think alike. That's definitely the goal for me."

    Listen to Akpom's interview with BBC Radio Suffolk's Brenner Wolley above or click play on the newest The Blue Hour podcast below. You can also listen to both on BBC Sounds.

    Media caption,

  4. O'Neil expecting 'really tough game' against Leicesterpublished at 16:37 BST 24 August

    Ipswich Town boss Gary O'NeilImage source, Getty Images

    Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil believes Leicester City will be "coming here to leave some marks on us" when the two sides meet at Portman Road in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

    The two teams had very different fates in the Championship last season, with the Tractor Boys claiming promotion and the Foxes suffering relegation.

    "The gap is a lot closer than it looks," O'Neil said. "We were both in the same division last year and we played each other twice, so we are familiar with each other.

    "Leicester City also have a Premier League coach in Russell Martin, who has been in the top flight with Southampton and plays a good style of football.

    "It will be a really tough game for us, especially coming off the back of something as high as this win over Sunderland.

    "We need to make sure we reset and we are down to earth. Leicester City won't care that have beaten Sunderland, they will be coming here to leave some marks on us and we need to be ready for that.

    "It is an important game for us. I just want to keep winning. This is a strong group and I feel we are in a good place.

    "We have added to the squad a lot, of course, so there will be an ability to rotate. We will pick a team we think can win. We will try to freshen things up a bit, though, because we have a big week ahead and some of the lads weren't 100% already."

    On long-serving duo Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin returning to Portman Road after making permanent moves to King Power Stadium this summer, O'Neil said: "It is a great draw for them and the guys that know them.

    "We were obviously planning to keep Wes Burns but when he got the offer that he did and he was interested in it, we didn't want to stand in his way as such a servant to this football club.

    "It will be good for the fans to welcome those guys back, as I'm sure they will."

  5. Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:45 BST 24 August

    Your opinions graphic
    Media caption,

    We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Ipswich and Sunderland.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Ipswich fans

    Walter: First class performance against a very good Sunderland side. We thoroughly deserved our victory and a wonderful winning goal from Jack Clarke. I was very dubious with so many new signings and sad to see so many players leave, but if we maintain this level of performance then the future looks bright.

    Raymond: Alright. I called O'Neil's appointment hugely underwhelming but I'm ready to eat my words and be convinced! What a game.

    Frank: This was a very important victory. I predicted 2-1. Town controlled large portions of this match and yet, in the end, it took a bit of ingenuity from super sub Jack Clarke to get the Suffolk side all three points.

    Ebeenezer: Exciting, fast-paced team with old and new players mixing in well. O'Shea finally taking on the captain's role, Diop running like a gazelle, Maeda working with Emersonn well. Defence was a true team effort - the goalie was only average at times but made one save that paid his wages. Substitutions excellent in composition and timing from our new manager. Let's hope all games are as exciting and the goals keep plopping into the net.

    Sunderland fans

    Denise: Deja Vu. We had plenty of possession and played some decent football, but like last season sloppy mistakes and our limited ability to create or capitalise on goal scoring opportunities cost us the game.

    Stephen: Our biggest flaw last season was on full display at Ipswich - struggling to create enough opportunities to score goals, and when we did create opportunities they were wasted.

    David: Two errors eventually cost us in a game we looked like we could go on to win at the break. More questions than answers for the management, particularly around the back four line up, the right side of midfield and how to improve our goal threat. Definitely no need for panic but a home win next weekend would help to calm the early season nerves.

    Walter: It will be a hard season for the Black Cats and my advice would be to play reserves in European matches. I wish them good luck. Good goal from the free kick, but they need to create more in open play and turn possession in to effective possession, which is exactly what Ipswich did in this opener.

  6. 'Steady defense and attacking buzz'published at 12:52 BST 23 August

    Chris Wise
    Final score reporter

    Emersonn celebrates with Julio EncisoImage source, Getty Images

    South Americans in Suffolk; they were all the rage over the weekend.

    Quite a few make the conversation list. Brazilian Emersonn, who scored on his Premier League debut, offered an industrious, clever display in Ipswich's forward line. For someone of his age playing at this level for the first time, I thought he grew into the game nicely after his goal.

    Then there was the Ecuadorian Nilson Angulo's free-kick for Sunderland, which was very special. The pace was too much even for the wingspan of the giant Kjell Scherpen in the Ipswich goal.

    But the best player on the pitch - in my opinion - was Julio Enciso. The most expensive of all of Ipswich's recruits, but the Paraguayan looked every inch the business at Portman Road on Saturday. A crowd pleaser, a creator, a force of energy and enthusiasm; he was the point of difference. It'll help Enciso that he has an existing relationship with Ipswich Town, and he certainly played like he felt at home.

    These are early days, but Ipswich had a balance about them that perhaps wasn't there when they were last in the Premier League. Defensively, they looked steady, but there's an exciting buzz about their forward line. And it feels like Enciso could be front and centre of that.

  7. How the 'new boys' of Ipswich got their season off to a dream startpublished at 12:06 BST 23 August

    Media caption,

    Match of the Day's Wayne Rooney is full of praise for Ipswich Town on their return to the Premier League as they earn a late victory over Sunderland.

  8. Ipswich experience 'magical' opener at Portman Roadpublished at 20:48 BST 22 August

    Media caption,

    Ipswich Town were delighted with the "unbelievable" start to Ipswich Town's Premier League campaign, as Jack Clarke sealed a 90th-minute winner against Sunderland.

    The home side scored a late goal through the substitute, who curled the ball into the far bottom corner from just inside the box, leaving the score 2-1.

    Media caption,

  9. Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland: What O'Neil and Clarke saidpublished at 18:34 BST 22 August

    Media caption,

    Ipswich manager Gary O'Neil speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We were never going to settle for 1-1, even if 1-1 would have been a good result for us against a good Sunderland side. We were still trying to get up the pitch and get pressure high up. For our goal to come from a pressure phase that late in the game shows the togetherness, fitness and work-rate of the players.

    "The subs really helped, fresh energy, three of them, maybe four of them, involved in the pressing phase at the end. We wouldn't have been able to do that if we only had our starting XI. It's going to take everyone at this football club pushing together to get us results like today. And that's the plan, that's what we're trying to do.

    "I'm pleased, I thought we deserved to win. On the balance I know Sunderland had a lot of the ball. They scored a world class goal to get back in it. That was a welcome back to the Premier League [moment], that one. But I'm really pleased with our players, they were excellent to a man."

    On pressing high up the pitch: "We tried to get the ball to that side of the pitch, all afternoon. If you watch all of our pressing phases we try to get the ball to their left, we try to be aggressive. I thought it worked well, and for it to still be functioning at that stage of the game, for the subs to come on and know it so well, and for us then to punish them, I thought the second goal showed good team understanding and the first one was unbelievable quality from Julio [Enciso].

    "I was pleased with so many. The lads who have been here a long time and suffered during the last Premier League season, for them to step up there were some excellent performances. The new lads brought extra quality for us. It's still only one win. No one is getting carried away. But I'm please with what I saw. The togetherness of the group is what's going to get us through this year.

    "You can see how hard it is to win Premier League games, we need to find a way to win enough of them to make it a successful season. The only way to do that is not with individuals but with us all pushing together."

    On Julio Enciso's performance: "We worked our socks off to sign him, not only does he bring those moments of magic, his work ethic and ability to defend, to stop Xhaka finding his rhythm, there's not that many number 10s that have his quality and can do that side of it. He's special in that way. It was an excellent performance and that's why we brought him because we need difference-makers.

    "It felt like a welcome back to the Premier League. You're 1-0 up, looking comfortable and someone smashes a free-kick in from 25 yards and I was like 'I remember what this is like'. It's tough. To just win one Premier League game is tough."

    Ipswich match-winner Jack Clarke, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It's a nice moment for everybody. The last time we were in the Premier League it took us a while to get that first win. So it was nice today to kickstart with a win and use that momentum and confidence we had before the start of the season to keep on snowballing.

    "The gaffer has tried to instil in us the past seven weeks that, as long as we stay in games, we'll get opportunities. We know the level, it's a ruthless league. We know the level. We saw Sunderland get a half-chance and put it in the top corner. That's the level we're playing against. We've just got to stay difficult to beat and hope the chances come and luckily one came today."

    Hear more from Clarke, speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, below or on BBC Sounds here

    Media caption,

    Did you know?

    • Courtesy of Jack Clarke's 90th minute winner, Ipswich have begun a Premier League campaign with a victory for the first time since 1993-94 (3-0 v Oldham Athletic) having lost four consecutive MD1 games in the competition before today. The Tractor Boys have also ended their nine-game losing streak at Portman Road in the top-flight.

    • Jack Clarke became just the third Ipswich Town player to score a 90th minute winner in the Premier League after Fabian Wilnis (November 2000 v Coventry City) and Jack Taylor (December 2024 v Wolves).

  10. Analysis: Clarke and Enciso impress for new-look Ipswichpublished at 17:11 BST 22 August

    Josef Rindl
    BBC Sport Journalist

     Gary O'Neil, Manager of Ipswich Town, celebratesImage source, Getty Images

    Jack Clarke, 25, was signed by Ipswich from Sunderland two years ago in a deal worth £20m.

    He was left on the bench for the Tractor Boys' opener by manager Gary O'Neil who was overseeing his first competitive match in charge, having replaced Kieran McKenna over the summer.

    The hosts, who were relegated after one year in the top flight two seasons ago, have spent more than £100m in the transfer window and O'Neil started seven new signings on Saturday.

    Of those seven, Julio Enciso, who joined from Strasbourg for an undisclosed fee, was the star, setting up Town's first goal by intercepting Luke O'Nien's sloppy pass and dribbling past Dan Ballard.

    He was replaced in the 71st minute by Clarke - whose moment of magic, after Sunderland defender Omar Alderete had a pass intercepted, decided the game.

    Ipswich's next match is at home to League One Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

    They then play Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday, 30 August.

  11. Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland - send us your thoughtspublished at 16:54 BST 22 August

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    Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

    Have your say on Ipswich's performance

    What did you make of Sunderland's display?

    Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

  12. Follow Saturday's Premier League games livepublished at 11:21 BST 22 August

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    There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday as the opening weekend continues, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

    Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

    Follow all of the action and reaction here

    You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Ipswich v Sunderland" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Tottenham match", for example.

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    Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

    Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

    Read more about it here

    You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

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  13. Sutton's predictions: Ipswich Town v Sunderlandpublished at 11:06 BST 22 August

    Chris Sutton smiling on a yellow and black background with 'Sutton's predictions' written below his face

    I must point out that Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil is a former Norwich player, so where do his loyalties really lie? And has he gone to Ipswich to sabotage them?

    Seriously though, I wish him well and I genuinely hope for East Anglia that Ipswich can make a decent fist of it and stay up.

    I really like some of their signings too - Daizen Maeda is a player I know well and is a really good piece of business, coming in from Celtic.

    Maeda plays with such intensity. He will be the best pressing player in the Premier League bar none and, if you want to play on the counter-attack and you want someone to run in behind, there are not many quicker than him.

    Seeing what Sunderland did last season, when they also signed lots of players after getting promoted, will give Ipswich hope. Ditto with Leeds, who also recruited well.

    But then it is about knitting the new players together and connecting early on. That has to be O'Neil's aim, but it will be difficult.

    Sunderland did so well they qualified for Europe, and I am not sure how their squad will cope with the extra games. For now, though, I think they will remind us of how good they were last season.

    Like I said on Monday Night Club, I never saw another team beat Arsenal up the way they did.

    They faded as the campaign went on and they are not going to surprise anyone this time, but they still have the leadership of Granit Xhaka in midfield and Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey up top to hurt teams.

    Sutton's prediction: 0-1

    Read the full predictions and have your say here

  14. Ipswich Town v Sunderland: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:22 BST 21 August

    Paul Birch
    BBC Sport journalist

    Ipswich are back in the Premier League and Gary O'Neil's side face a tough task against a Sunderland side that excelled last season in qualifying for Europe. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into their opening-weekend encounter.

    A promoted club spending big on a raft of ambitious signings from clubs around Europe. Sound familiar? Well, Ipswich have followed Sunderland's playbook from last season by spending big in the hope of giving themselves a better chance of survival than they had on their Premier League return two years ago.

    Replicating the Black Cats' stunning achievement of qualifying for Europe will be a stretch of course, but the Tractor Boys hope a switch in recruitment policy will pay dividends.

    During Kieran McKenna's four-and-a-half-year reign in charge at Portman Road a remarkable 32 of the 39 signings they made were either born or raised in Britain or Ireland, with just two joining directly from European clubs. However, this off season players have arrived who hail from the likes of Brazil, Japan and Ghana.

    The summer hasn't all been plain sailing, though, given McKenna's bombshell departure from the club just a month after leading them to a third promotion in four seasons.

    His replacement Gary O'Neil knows the Premier League well and also impressed at Strasbourg last season, but he has a point to prove having been wounded by the end of his tenure at Wolves. He won just two of his last 19 top-flight matches at Molineux and his reign was actually brought to an end by a fractious defeat to the Tractor Boys.

    That win for Ipswich was one of only four they managed as their first top-flight season for 22 years ended in an immediate return to the Championship. Their form at Portman Road was particularly wretched in the second half of the season as they lost their last nine home league matches in a row to bow out with a whimper.

    Graphic showing Ipswich's summer signings

    Tipped as relegation candidates at the start of last season, Sunderland defied the odds on their Premier League comeback to record their highest finish since 2000 with seventh place enough to secure European football for the first time in 53 years.

    Having spent over £150m last summer they have gone the opposite way this time round with veteran Belgian defender Thomas Meunier their only major acquisition so far on a free transfer.

    Arguably their most important piece of business was keeping hold of their key players and staving off a move from Chelsea for inspirational captain Granit Xhaka, who proved to be one of the signings of last season.

    The strength of their recent recruitment was shown by their players doing so well at the World Cup. Only players from Real Madrid, PSG and Arsenal scored more goals in the USA, Canada and Mexico than their eight.

    Balancing the rigours of the Europa League with the bread and butter of the Premier League will be a real challenge for Le Bris, but it is one he and his players are relishing.

    Graphic showing the most goals scored by club sides at the World Cup
  15. O'Neil on excitement, transfers and spiritpublished at 16:06 BST 21 August

    Marissa Thomas
    BBC Sport journalist

    Media caption,

    Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Sunderland at Portman Road (kick-off 15:00 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • O'Neil had a positive team news update ahead of Ipswich's opener as only Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor are not fit to be in the squad. He said his side are "in a good place", adding: "Other than a couple I anticipate us to be at full strength."

    • He added: "I'm really pleased with where we're at and what we've managed to build, but I do expect us to be even stronger again in two to three weeks with those players coming back from injury and the close of the transfer window."

    • O'Neil was asked about the mood with Ipswich being back in the Premier League and said: "Excitement. Everybody inside the playing group, inside the training ground, around the town, everyone I bump into just really excited to get going. Obviously it has been a big summer, an awful lot of work has been done on the pitch, in the transfer market, everywhere."

    • He added: "One big effort from everyone inside Ipswich and that's how it will continue throughout the season. I've seen too much spirit and fight and togetherness from everybody inside and outside of the football club to think that this is going to be anything but a really successful campaign where we have a right go at it and see what we can do."

    • When asked how many players he expects to join the club before the transfer window closes, O'Neil said: "There will be some more arrivals if everything goes to plan. We're working hard, myself and all the guys behind ownership, Mark [Ashton] and the recruitment team. So much work has gone into attracting the calibre of player to this challenge, and that will continue over the next few days."

    • On Ipswich's summer spending: "We've spent a lot of money because the transition from Championship to Premier League is big. There is a big, big difference. We're trying to give this football club the best chance it can have to be competitive at the level."

    • He continued: "Ipswich were in the Premier League two years ago and spent a lot of money then as well. It doesn't guarantee you anything. Sunderland were successful last year, Leeds were successful, but spending money doesn't guarantee anything. The players that have been here, the core of the group, the club, Portman Road, the supporters, that's all going to be far, far more important than anything we've spent in the transfer window."

    Hit play above to hear more from O'Neil or listen on BBC Sounds here

    Listen to full commentary of Ipswich v Sunderland on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 from 14:55 BST on Saturday

    Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

    Got a question about Ipswich? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

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  16. Ipswich's numbers last seasonpublished at 09:11 BST 21 August

    Chris Collinson
    BBC Sport statistician

    Ipswich Town players celebrate promotion

    Despite only clinching it on the final day, Ipswich deservedly finished in the second automatic promotion spot in the Championship last season as they had both the second-best goal difference and the second-best expected goal difference.

    Only two sides scored more goals and took more shots than the Tractor Boys, while only champions Coventry had a higher xG.

    They were very much the second-best side defensively as only Coventry conceded fewer goals and only Middlesbrough faced fewer shots and had a lower xG against.

    Funnily enough, Ipswich scored and conceded almost exactly the number of goals expected given the number and quality of shots involved, scoring 80 goals from 79.2 xG and conceding 47 from 46.6 xG against.

    While that proves there was nothing fortunate about their promotion, new manager Gary O'Neil will hope that they can be a bit more efficient (or luckier) in both boxes this season.

    Ipswich's Championship stats and rankings 2025-26
Goals scored 80 3rd
Shots 693 3rd
Shot conversion rate 11.5% 6th
Expected goals 79.2 2nd
Goals conceded 47 2nd=
Shots faced 485 2nd
Shot concession rate 9.7% 7th=
xG against 46.6 2nd
Goal difference +33 2nd
xG difference +32.6 2nd
xG performance +0.4 13th
Points and position 84 2nd
  17. Why was the Premier League so competitive in 2025-26?published at 08:14 BST 21 August

    Chris Collinson
    BBC Sport statistician

    The logo / badge of the Premier League is seen on an umbrellaImage source, Getty Images

    In the Premier League last season, 13 of the 20 teams finished with between 40 and 60 points - the most in an English top-flight campaign since 2003-04 (also 13).

    Was the Premier League so competitive in 2025-26 because the quality of the 'lesser' teams got better or the top teams got worse? It is hard to know for sure.

    Given how savvy clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are, the vast amounts of money that enable even bottom-half sides to sign the best talent from abroad and the Premier League's current dominance of the Europa League and Conference League, it would seem to be the former.

    However, the fact that promoted play-off winners Sunderland were able to finish above 13 teams in their first season back suggests the league was maybe not as strong as we think.

    Graphic showing spread of points across the past 10 Premier League seasons

    What we do know is that whether because they got worse or their opponents got better, four of the sides that finished in the top seven in 2024-25 - champions Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest - took 79 points fewer between them last season.

    While Forest's decline was perhaps expected given their incredible seventh-place finish in 2024-25 and their journey to the Europa League semi-finals last season, the others were far more surprising.

    Premier League points for clubs in 2024-25 v 2025-26

    Sunderland and Leeds smashed the recent run of promoted sides struggling to compete by taking 64 more points than the teams they replaced in the top flight.

    As a result, this season will be a bit of an upside-down one in that Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland have European campaigns to navigate while Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle do not.

    Will we therefore see a bounce-back to the more 'traditional' order in 2026-27 or are we truly entering a new, fiercely-competitive era of the Premier League?

    Read more on the Premier League's competitiveness