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• Man City failed to execute their ‘process’ in defeat at Wolves – Pep Guardiola

  Pep Guardiola said Manchester City failed to properly execute their “process” and was keen to praise Wolves after his side’s 100 per cent start to their Premier League title defence ended with a 2-1 loss at Molineux.

  City went into the contest looking to make it seven league victories at the start of a campaign for the first time.

  But the treble-winners were condemned to defeat by Hwang Hee-chan’s 66th-minute finish, eight minutes after an early Ruben Dias own goal had been cancelled out by Julian Alvarez’s free-kick.

  City boss Guardiola, who watched from the stands as he served a one-match ban for picking up three yellow cards, said: “Congratulations Wolves, they defended really well.

  “We had our moments. We didn’t do properly our process, to attack (with) a little bit more fluidity and that’s why we struggled a little bit.

  “And the transitions – (Pedro) Neto (who was key for the first goal) was better than us, so they beat us in that situation.

  “When they defend that well, (Mateo) Kovacic or Ruben has to attack central defenders of the opponents and we didn’t do it, that was why it was more difficult.

  “The opponent played really good, defended really well, and after, when they contact with the players up front, they had the ability to keep it and drive and dribble and drop you. They are so strong.

  “Today some details didn’t happen, because it’s football, because the players, it happens, maybe I apply bad some decisions, I don’t know.”

  City’s starting line-up included Matheus Nunes, signed from Wolves last month, with it reported that he had stopped training with the midlands outfit ahead of the move.

  The Portuguese was the subject of boos and chants from the crowd during the first half before being brought off at the interval for Oscar Bobb.

  Guardiola said, when asked why he had made the change: “I needed more dynamic. Oscar is really good to find in small spaces, the creativity he has.

  “That was the reason why – not because he wasn’t playing not good at all. It’s just because I thought Oscar could give us something different.”

  On having to watch from the stands, Guardiola said: “The view is perfect. The problem is when you are banned and you are in the hotel. But they allow you to be here…in the Champions League it cannot happen.

  “I spoke before the game, half-time and after the game. During the game you can be involved in something, but not much.”

• Rob Edwards ‘very, very proud’ of Luton after landmark Premier League win

  Rob Edwards expressed his pride after a landmark win for Luton at Everton.

  The Hatters’ 2-1 victory at Goodison Park was their first ever win in the Premier League and first in the top flight since April 1992.

  Tom Lockyer and Carlton Morris scored from set-pieces in the first half, with Everton pulling one back before half-time through Dominic Calvert-Lewin but unable to find an equaliser.

  “I’m just very, very proud of the players and pleased for the club,” said Hatters boss Edwards.

  “I know it’s a big moment, I get that. I don’t want this to come across in any kind of arrogant way but I expected us to (win) today, I really did. I told the boys before the game, ‘I know this is going to be a good day’.

  “We really believed we could come here and win the game. We had a really good plan. Everton have got some good players and they were very fluid, especially in that first half.

  “At 2-0 up there was a lot of movement, a lot of stuff going on. We had to adjust, which we did at half-time, then I thought we looked more solid again. I thought we deserved it. It felt great.”

  Luton’s band of supporters celebrated with glee at the final whistle, and the three points were enough to lift the newly-promoted side out of the bottom three.

  “Amazing day for the supporters,” said Edwards. “They deserve it, our board deserve it. They’ve really stuck with us. I know they’re going to because we’re on a brilliant journey and where the club has been. They’re going to enjoy this.

  “But it’s important we give them something to shout about as well, and not just, ‘Well done lads, unlucky’. They’re amazing supporters, I love them. They’ve travelled a long, long way today in the rain and they get to enjoy their day.”

  Everton began the game on the front foot and with optimism flowing that they could build on victories over Brentford and Aston Villa during the past week.

  But instead they suffered a fourth straight home victory, leaving manager Sean Dyche hugely frustrated at a big opportunity lost in front of their prospective new owners.

  “I’m disappointed in the result, obviously,” he said. “Performances, broken-record time – dominated so much of the game, give away really poor goals and don’t take our chances.

  “Changing the story, which I’ve spoken about endlessly this season, is our responsibility. We had a brilliant chance I thought today, a platform to begin the process of changing the story, the depth of it the last two years, all the noise and the rest of it, and we don’t take it.

  “It’s very frustrating because the team are there, it’s like, ‘Go on then, change the story, be the person that makes the difference, don’t wait for someone else to do it’. Then it spreads like wildfire.

  “And we sort of nearly do. Today just that weird thing when everyone’s sort of looking for someone else to change it. It’s an odd thing and I’ve been trying to break it since I’ve been at the club. And we keep trying.”

• Mikel Arteta delighted to see Arsenal’s ‘human qualities’ after Kai Havertz goal

  Mikel Arteta hailed the “empathy” of his Arsenal players after what he hopes was a game-changing goal from Kai Havertz in their win at Bournemouth.

  The £65million summer signing from Chelsea had not registered a goal or assist in his first nine games for the Gunners but finally hit the target as he converted a penalty in a 4-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium.

  Arsenal were already two goals to the good through Bukayo Saka’s header and a Martin Odegaard penalty when an on-field decision handed responsibility for a second spot-kick of the afternoon to under-fire Havertz.

  He tucked away his chance to break his duck, as his team-mates and the away end greeted the goal with jubilant celebrations.

  “I’m really happy for the win, but I’m even happier to be part of a team that shows the human qualities that they did today,” Arteta said.

  “Without me telling them nothing, to show that empathy to a player that has some question marks to resolve externally, they warmed me even more today. They’ve done it in a really natural way.

  “I’m delighted they made that decision. And so thankful as well to our supporters for the way they sung his name and made him feel today. If there’s a player who deserves that it’s Kai Havertz, so happy for him.

  “We have all tried to give him support and the right tools. He’s doing so many great things in the game. It was about that moment, that was the question that had to be resolved and today he has done it.

  “To show that level of empathy and understanding, worrying and caring for somebody is just great.”

  Arteta referenced Olympic champion Usain Bolt when discussing how Havertz deserved his moment in the south coast sunshine following his hard work in recent weeks.

  “Probably it will change everything,” the Spaniard replied when asked what the goal could do for Havertz.

  “If he had any question marks about how we feel about him, about what he does, I think they are out.

  “I think in sport – Usain Bolt said it once – ‘I have to train four years to run nine seconds’. Sometimes you have to do a lot and you don’t see that.

  “In that moment you see it. I think after everything he’s been through in the last few weeks that moment is worth all of it, so really happy for him.”

  The one sour note for Arsenal came as Saka limped off injured for the second game in a row, raising the possibility he could miss next Sunday’s showdown with champions Manchester City.

  Bournemouth, meanwhile, remain winless in the Premier League under new head coach Andoni Iraola.

  The Cherries have come close on previous occasions but that was not the case here, with Iraola admitting the hosts did not deserve a result.

  “It was the first time we were not at the level the competition required and we did not finish the game well,” he said.

  “For sure this game leaves the worse sensation for me. You can lose against this type of team because they are really good but it is the first game this season where I have felt that we were not at the level.

  “You have to be at your best to compete against these teams and we weren’t after the first goal. We cannot concede two penalties and also the first goal is a bit strange, we should be there but we lost the positioning of Saka.

  “We started really well, were doing well but after 1-0 I think they were better than us.”