A Premier League weekend which will be remembered off the pitch for Cristiano Ronaldo’s impending return to Manchester United proved eventful on it, too.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Brighton and Tottenham continued their 100% starts to the new Premier League season while champions Manchester City got off the mark, but the early signs were ominous for new boys Norwich.
The Premier League 2021-22 season kicked off in emphatic fashion on Friday, with fans welcomed back in numbers for the first time in 18 months.
Chelsea and Bayern Munich secured the last remaining two Champions League quarter-final places on Wednesday night.
Their fortunes have seemingly changed over the past few weeks, with Kaizer Chiefs finding their feet under Gavin Hunt and Orlando Pirates dipping in form after their MTN8 triumph. This leaves Saturday’s Soweto Derby perfectly poised, with the two teams separated by just four points.
Manchester United go into the weekend top of the Premier League table – the latest in a season they have been able to say that since they last won the title in 2013.
The Premier League’s crowded schedule continues following a full midweek round with eight fixtures across Saturday and Sunday, followed by two more on Monday.
This weekend there were fierce complaints over fixture scheduling, Leicester moved to the top of the Premier League table and a truly awful penalty cost Fulham a point.