The first international break of the season provides an opportunity to assess each club’s start to the Premier League campaign.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at who is top of the class and who has to pick up the slack.

Star pupils

Manchester City – A 100 percent record of four wins, 11 goals scored, two conceded, top of the table and six-goal Erling Haaland already well into his stride. Did we expect anything else?

Tottenham – So far there have been no adverse effects from the sale of Harry Kane. The squad have bought into Ange Postecoglou’s brand of football and the goals are being shared around. New signing James Maddison’s form has been a huge boost.

Liverpool – The overhaul of their entire midfield has rejuvenated Jurgen Klopp’s side. Darwin Nunez is starting to look a consistent threat and while defensively there are still issues to iron out, things have begun positively.

West Ham – No Declan Rice? No problem. Another team who are so far thriving without their talisman. The Europa Conference League and some shrewd transfer business have contributed to deserved wins over Chelsea and Brighton.

Promising start

Arsenal – Late goals against Manchester United have given the club a much-needed lift after less-than-convincing performances against Crystal Palace and Fulham. Fixtures have been kind but the Gunners now need to build momentum.

Brighton – The aberration against West Ham aside Roberto de Zerbi’s side continue to impress, scoring 11 times in their other three games. Evan Ferguson’s hat-trick in the win over Newcastle was an added boost.

Crystal Palace – Another team to whom the fixture list has been kind, with their only defeat to Arsenal, but still currently exceeding expectations.

Nottingham Forest – Six points from a start which included Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea is probably more than they could have hoped for. Beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge hugely important for a team which won just once away from home last season.

In line with expectations

Brentford – Yet to be beaten but will have been frustrated by draws against Bournemouth and Palace. Eight goals, scoring in every game, with four for Bryan Mbeumo, shows they are managing without the banned Ivan Toney.

Aston Villa – A seventh-placed finish last season has set the benchmark and wins over Everton and Burnley and defeats to Newcastle and Liverpool are in line with that.

Fulham – Losing Aleksandar Mitrovic was a blow and they have been unlucky with some decisions; a draw with Arsenal was encouraging but losing 3-0 at home to Brentford, albeit with 10 men, was not.

Wolves – After a late change of manager hopes were not particularly high but beating fellow strugglers Everton was massive after two opening defeats to Manchester United and Brighton.

Sheffield United – The newly-promoted club may have only one point, taken at home to Everton, but put up a good show against City.

Luton – Tipped to return the Premier League’s lowest points tally, the club’s return to the top flight after 31 years has so far followed that trajectory but it was always expected to be a struggle.

Must to do better

Manchester United – £180million spent in the summer but two defeats – and fortunate to escape with a win at home to Wolves – suggest things have not clicked. Scoring more than one goal in a game only once shows where the issue lies but the hope is new striker Rasmus Hojland will fix that.

Bournemouth – After replacing Gary O’Neil, the man who guided them to safety relatively comfortably last season, Andoni Iraola has to justify that decision and the early indications are he still has a lot of work to do.

Bottom of the class

Chelsea – £1billion spent in a year and yet the club are still to show signs of moving forward under new boss Mauricio Pochettino. A 3-0 win over Luton is no real gauge but defeats at West Ham and at home to Forest show a successful formula has not been landed upon and goals remain a problem.

Newcastle – Hopes were high after a top-four finish but contriving to lose against 10-man Liverpool and then at Brighton have put them on a three-match losing run – and the Champions League has not even started yet.

Burnley – After running away with the Championship to book an immediate return, hopes were high Vincent Kompany’s brand of football could be transferred to the top flight but they have shipped 11 goals in three games and were torn apart by Spurs.

Everton – Entirely predictable the Toffees would find themselves in the bottom three after a financially-restricted summer saw more departures than arrivals. The signing of Beto offers some hope of goals but after home defeats to Fulham and Wolves the season has all the hallmarks of the last two relegation-threatened campaigns.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has made a stunning start to his Real Madrid career following his £88.5million move from Borussia Dortmund in June.

The 20-year-old has hit the ground running in LaLiga and last week was named the division’s August player of the month.

Here, the PA news agency looks at Bellingham’s impact at Los Blancos, after he become only the second Real Madrid player – following Cristiano Ronaldo – to score in his first four LaLiga games for the club.

How has Bellingham played?

Birmingham-born Bellingham has netted an impressive five goals and claimed one assist in Real’s opening four matches, which has seen them take 12 points to sit top of LaLiga.

A debut goal against Athletic Bilbao was followed by a brace away at Almeria in a 3-1 victory, before he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win to Celta Vigo.

The midfielder managed to top that fine start with a stoppage-time winner against Getafe in his first Bernabeu outing as he continues to excel in an attacking role behind Joselu and Rodrygo.

What has the reaction been?

Carlo Ancelotti lauded the new Galactico, who looks set to help Real Madrid rival 2022/23 champions Barcelona at LaLiga’s summit.

The Italian has trusted Bellingham from the get-go, preferring him to the likes of Luka Modric, who has made just one league start so far this term.

Ancelotti told a press conference: “We deserved to win (against Getafe) with a goal from Bellingham who is used to scoring. Bellingham’s quality doesn’t surprise us, the number of goals surprises us.

“Bellingham can reach 15 goals this season.”

The former Birmingham player has won over the Real Madrid fans, who serenaded him after his late winner on Saturday.

He told Real Madrid TV: “It’s the loudest moment I’ve heard in a stadium.

“When they were singing ‘Hey Jude’ at the end, I got goosebumps.

“I just wanted to stand still and listen to them. My legs were shaking.”

What’s next?

Bellingham is in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming games against Ukraine and Netherlands and he looks certain to play a key part in preparations for next summer’s European Championship.

Real Madrid drew Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin in this season’s Champions League group stages which kick off on September 20 and Bellingham’s form could be instrumental if his new club are to claim a record-extending 15th European title.

Gabriel Jesus wants to kick on and get his rhythm back after the Arsenal striker scored for the first time since overcoming a nagging, frustrating knee issue.

The 26-year-old impressed after joining from Manchester City last summer but was laid low in December with an injury sustained in Brazil’s World Cup group game against Cameroon.

Jesus did not return to action for Arsenal until mid-March and had to go back under the knife last month due to irritation with the original knee problem.

The striker made his second substitute appearance since then on Sunday, when he completed a memorable late 3-1 Premier League comeback win against Manchester United.

“I’m feeling good,” Jesus said after the Emirates Stadium triumph. “It’s tough when you just come back from injury.

“After a holiday, I started to feel in my knee again. It was unlucky for me. It’s tough.

“After pre-season, you go and try but you feel in pain. And then I made the decision to do surgery as quickly as possible to come back stronger.

“That was tough, but now I’m getting back. It’s so important to get the rhythm again, so, yeah. I’m back. I feel good and I’m happy.”

Jesus says he felt completely fine at the end of last season and only once felt his knee play up at the end of a training session, but even then it felt fine the next day.

His right knee continued to feel fine during his post-season holiday and the start of pre-season, only for the issue to flare up again.

“When I came back, in the first week, still nothing,” Jesus said. “Then after I started to feel it. And for me, it was (a case of) if I’m not 100 per cent, I won’t be myself. I was trying.

“Personally, I’m good with the pain, so I was keeping playing and training.

“I was feeling it a little bit, but for me it was nothing. But then we hit a point when I couldn’t run or move, so I decided to do a surgery and that was it.”

Asked how mentally tough he found that, Jesus said: “First day is s*** when you just find out. Then the day after you realise you have to keep going, fighting and smile because I have a life.

“God has given me a life, God let me wake up every morning, so I have to be grateful, I’m blessed.

“I can walk, I can be here, I can smile, so nothing to complain. Just believe in God and keep fighting.”

That belief extends to collective success at Arsenal, who head into the international break with 10 points from their first four matches after beating United on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford’s opener was immediately cancelled out by Martin Odegaard, before Declan Rice and Jesus struck in stoppage time after Alejandro Garnacho saw a goal ruled out for the visitors.

“That’s the Premier League,” the Brazil forward said. “Sometimes the game changes a lot. We conceded, we came back, we had a penalty, didn’t have a penalty.

“In my opinion there were some bad decisions from the referee.

“Even with their (disallowed) goal, maybe it was a foul on me, but it was offside.

“Then, after the game changed again, we scored two and we won the game. That’s it.

“When you play a massive game like this against a tough opponent, it’s always like this.

“We tried to win but they have quality as well – behind, in the middle, up front. That’s the Premier League, that’s why it’s the toughest league in the world.”

Jesus now has a fortnight to recuperate and continue to build fitness, while fellow striker Eddie Nketiah gets his first taste of senior international football.

England Under-21s’ all-time top scorer has been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the first time having scored twice in the opening weeks of the campaign.

“First of all, competition is always good – for me and for him,” Jesus said. “In all positions when you have competition it’s a good thing.

“From day one, I’m a big fan of Eddie because of the way he works and the way he trains is amazing. It’s not easy to come from the academy at a massive club and fight to play in the first team.

“Congrats to him, he’s doing so well and he deserves to be called into the England national team.

“For me personally, it’s good competition. It’s always good for the club because for sure he’s making me better and I’m making him better as well.”

Arsenal return to action at Everton on September 17, with United back in action the previous day as they look to return to winning ways at home to Brighton.

Manager Erik ten Hag said: “We have to improve, definitely. But you see, and also what we have seen last year, we can beat everyone. It was such small margins today, so it could also have been our side.”

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson insists the players have no concerns about “ultimate professional” Mohamed Salah’s immediate future as speculation of a potential world-record bid from Saudi Arabia continues.

Pro League champions Al-Ittihad last week had a £150million offer rejected by Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon, who now considers the matter closed.

However, that has not done anything to prevent suggestions they could return with a bid around the £200m mark for the 31-year-old, who is the world’s highest-profile Arab player.

Manager Jurgen Klopp reiterated the club’s stance after the 3-0 win over Aston Villa, in which Salah scored and had a hand in the other two goals, and Robertson said the squad were united in their belief there would be no departure before Thursday’s closure of the Saudi transfer window.

“For us we block that out, Mo blocks it out. We let other people talk about that,” he said.

“For us there is no concern. For us Mohamed Salah is a Liverpool player and we believe that is what is going to be the case for the foreseeable future.

“He’s the ultimate professional. He does what it does, he is one of the best players in the world and he is professional.

“He lets other people do the talking, let’s other people say what they have to say, but he’s always been committed to Liverpool and you saw that with the performance he put in.

“The club’s position was that it knocked it back, it rejected the bid and that is what the stance was.

“For me Mo has been Mo all week. He’s not been affected; I’ve been around him a lot and he’s not been affected by anything.

“Mo has reacted in the best way possible and I think you have seen that with his performance, I think he was pretty special.”

At every media appearance over the last two weeks Klopp and the players have had to deal with questions about the future of Salah, who has two years left on a contract signed last summer which made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

But Robertson said it had not been destabilising or affected the squad’s focus as they made it 10 points from a possible 12 to head into the international break in third place in the Premier League.

“Look, there is speculation around a lot of players and it is how we deal with it and he (Salah) has obviously done well,” he added.

“Our squad is what it is and that’s the squad that is going to go forward now with the window shut.

“It is about getting the most out of the squad, it is about looking forward to the season ahead and trying to do better than what we did last season.”

After some criticism over recruitment following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, coincidentally to Saudi Pro League clubs, Liverpool’s squad looks refreshed and re-energised.

World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, both signed before the start of pre-season, are starting to look like the long-term future of midfield they were brought in to be, with the latter scoring his first goal for the club against Villa in an impressive all-round performance in a comfortable victory.

“I thought it was probably our best performance of the season so far, which is pleasing,” said Robertson.

“I thought they (the midfield) were excellent, but to be honest I thought every player was excellent – even the subs who came on – it was a complete squad performance.”

On Szoboszlai’s goal, a sweetly-struck shot from the edge of the penalty area for which he built a reputation at previous club RB Leipzig, the Scotland captain added: “We’ve maybe not seen as much of it in games as we have seen in training but he’s got a pretty nice strike on him, that’s for sure.

“Technically he is a very gifted player, we’ve seen that already and I think he’ll have a big career here and we are looking forward to being a part of it.”

Police have launched an investigation after footage was circulated on social media following an alleged assault on Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane.

Sky confirmed that fellow pundit Micah Richards attempted to “defuse” the situation at the Emirates Stadium following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

The Metropolitan Police said there had been no arrests but they are investigating an alleged assault after the game on Sunday.

Sky said the alleged assault “immediately” preceded the footage on social media.

Confirming the incident, a Sky Sports spokeswoman said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media.

“In the footage seen, Micah Richards was acting to defuse a situation.”

In their own short statement, the Met said: “Police are investigating following an assault that is alleged to have occurred at the Emirates Stadium during an Arsenal v Manchester United match on Sunday, 3 September.

“There have been no arrests. Inquiries are ongoing.

“Any witnesses or those with information are asked to call 101 ref CAD 6961/3 Sept.”

What the papers say

The now-closed transfer window may have left Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha with the crumbled wreck of a failed deal with Bayern Munich, but, according to the Daily Mail, there is still room for a deal to be done eventually.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco seems likely to ditch Europe after a juicy offer from Saudi Arabia. As per the Daily Star, Saudi pro League club Al Shabab is to offer the 30-year-old £12.8million to sign on before the Saudi trade window closes.

Across the pond , Wayne Rooney looks like he could soon be parting ways with DC United after the US club left him on read when he tried to kick off negotiations for a new contract, the Daily Mail reports.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Sergio Ramos: ESPN reports the 37-year-old defender is closing in on a deal to return to Sevilla. He has been a free agent since July, when his Paris St Germain contract expired.

Robert Lewandowski scored an 85th-minute winner from the spot as Barcelona snatched a 2-1 LaLiga victory at 10-man Osasuna on Sunday.

The Spanish champions were outplayed for large spells of the game at El Sadar but Jules Kounde put them ahead in first-half injury time.

Chimy Avila looked to have rescued a deserved point for the hosts after 76 minutes but Alejandro Catena was sent off for pulling back Lewandowski in the box and the Pole scored the resulting penalty.

Elsewhere, Portu scored in the 88th minute to hand Girona a 1-0 win over Las Palmas that leaves them second, two points behind Real Madrid, while Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao played out a goalless draw.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as French champions Paris St Germain powered to a 4-1 win over troubled Lyon in Ligue 1.

Achraf Hakimi and Marco Asensio also got on the scoresheet at the Groupama Stadium as PSG piled on the misery for under-fire home manager Laurent Blanc.

The result left Lyon bottom of the table with just one point from four games.

They were overtaken by Clermont, who claimed their first point of the season by fighting back from 2-0 down to snatch a last-gasp 2-2 draw against Toulouse. Florent Ogier scored their injury-time equaliser.

Metz and Reims also drew 2-2 while Le Havre overpowered Lorient 3-0, Lille edged out Montpellier 1-0 and Nice saw off Strasbourg 2-0.

Lautaro Martinez struck twice as Inter Milan moved to the top of Serie A with an emphatic 4-0 win over Fiorentina at San Siro.

Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu, with a penalty, also got on the scoresheet as Inter maintained their 100 per cent start to the campaign.

Juventus continued their unbeaten start with a 2-0 triumph at Empoli. Danilo and Federico Chiesa scored in each half.

Nemanja Radonjic scored a stoppage-time winner as Torino beat Genoa 1-0 and Lecce beat Salernitana 2-0.

In Germany, Benjamin Sesko scored twice in the last five minutes to wrap up a 3-0 win for RB Leipzig over 10-man Union Berlin.

Xavi Simons had opened the scoring after 51 minutes and Union’s hopes of getting back into the game were hit when Kevin Volland was sent off just after the hour.

Niels Nkounkou struck in the 87th minute to cancel out a penalty from Florian Kainz and earn Eintracht Frankfurt a 1-1 draw at home to Cologne.

Captain Callum McGregor claims Celtic’s 1-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox was made even sweeter with home fans only in attendance.

Amid an ongoing ticket spat between the two clubs, the Parkhead club rejected the offer of around 700 tickets, citing safety concerns.

Hoops fans watching at home and in pubs and clubs saw Japan striker Kyogo Furuhashi fire in the winner just before the interval to take the Parkhead side four points clear of their Old Firm rivals after only four league games, going into the international break.

Scotland international midfielder McGregor said: “It’s probably like a different fixture now with no away supporters in.

“But, again, that can galvanise you. It’s a really difficult moment to come here.

“It’s almost like a siege mentality where it’s everyone in the stadium against you.

“That’s when you need your big players and big personality to step up and I thought we did that.

“It probably makes it even sweeter. The reason why we play football is obviously to play in front of fans but if you can’t do it, the next best thing is to make them proud wherever they are watching and hopefully we did that today.

“I always think when the going gets tough and the chips are down, there’s no better thing (than) to come out and perform like that and make a statement.

“We are happy with our day’s work. But we know there’s a long way to go.

“I’ve been over the course many, many times. I’ve won these ones and I’ve lost them.

“You win it, you enjoy today, then you draw a line under it. Then when you come back from the international break you are good to go again.

“There’s no better place to come and win and to do it under the circumstances we have, we have to use it as a springboard now.

“There’s no point in winning today and going back and starting to drop points again. It makes this pointless.

“We understand. Everybody feels good in there (the dressing room) but we are under no illusions that we have to kick on.

“You’ve got four weeks between every international break now. You have to go strong, have your break then go strong and finish the first half of the season very well.

“We know what’s at stake now and we have to get to work.”

Skipper James Tavernier admits Rangers fans were justified in venting their frustrations at the end of the 1-0 defeat by Celtic at Ibrox.

The home side thought they had taken the lead in the 29th minute when Kemar Roofe fired past Joe Hart but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check saw referee Don Robertson award a foul to Celtic for Cyriel Dessers’ challenge on defender Gustaf Lagerbielke in the build-up.

Kyogo Furuhashi’s late first-half strike proved to be a winner and it took the Hoops four points clear of Rangers after four cinch Premiership games, going into the international break.

The boos rang around Ibrox at the end of the game and Tavernier said: “Well, it’s justified. It’s as simple as that. We didn’t get the result the fans wanted and it’s totally justified.

“(The dressing room is) obviously disappointed. Angry and disappointed.

“You’ve just lost to your rivals. It never sits right. So we’re all really disappointed.

“It’s not the result we wanted and obviously we fully understand the fans’ frustration.

“First half, we weren’t good enough. Second half (we were) a lot better but we’ve got to be more clinical in the final third.

“It’s obviously international week and everyone knows the lads who will be going away and we want them back fit and safe.

“But it’s down to us boys who are still going to be here to correct things, work hard on the training pitch and moving forward we have to obviously get better with what we do.”

Kyle Walker has revealed he was “close” to joining Bayern Munich in the summer but is now set to sign a new contract at Manchester City.

The City right-back was the subject of strong interest from the German giants during the close season and, coupled with uncertainty over his future at the Etihad Stadium, he admits he was seriously tempted.

The 33-year-old had a spell out of favour last spring and, although he regained his place towards the end of the treble-winning campaign, was left out of the starting line-up for the Champions League final in June.

As he entered the final year of his contract, Bayern turned his head with an attractive package but, with City later offering what is understood to be a two-year extension, Walker opted to stay put.

“It was close but in football things can happen,” Walker said. “Decisions can be made, things can turn. It wasn’t meant to be.

“Would I have enjoyed the experience? Of course I would, but this is a great club and you can’t underestimate what this club has done in the last six or seven years.

“Why should I walk away if I am going to get enough game time that’s right for me? That is all I want.

“It was about who gave me the most years. It wasn’t like I was going to a worse club because Bayern Munich is a massive club and seeing what Harry (Kane) is doing there and will do, it wasn’t a step down.

“In the back of my head I always wanted to play for Manchester City but I had to do what was right for me and my future. It was just about which club gave me the years in my contract to play football at the highest level.”

The speculation linking Walker with Bayern was at its most intense in July, just as City played the Bundesliga club during a pre-season friendly in July.

To some surprise at the time, Walker not only started for City but took the captain’s armband.

He said: “I am a Manchester city player. I am contracted to them so what do you want me to do? Turn round and say ‘I am not playing because I want to force a move to Bayern Munich’?

“That is not me as a person. I have a contract with the club and I will play for the club until the contract (ends) or they sell me – and I wasn’t sold.”

Walker, who joined City from Tottenham in 2017, says confirmation of the new deal which would commit him to the reigning Premier League champions was imminent.

“The extension is coming,” said Walker, who has five title-winner’s medals. “It’s my seventh season here and I feel like one of the old ones.

“I love the place. I’ve experienced things I only dreamt of here – especially the last season – so why would you want to leave a club like this?”

Walker is also keen to take on the City captaincy full-time with manager Pep Guardiola planning to hold a squad vote to identify Ilkay Gundogan’s replacement in the coming weeks.

He said: “The vote hasn’t been yet. They like to do it after the transfer window is closed.

“It is an honour of privilege, of course I want it. If you can’t pass on your knowledge and life experiences on or off the field, I shouldn’t be playing at a great club like this.”

Barcelona moved to within two points of LaLiga leaders Real Madrid with a 2-1 victory at Osasuna on Sunday.

The reigning champions were on course for a third consecutive league success when Jules Kounde gave them the lead in first-half added time at Estadio El Sadar.

Chimy Avila levelled for the hosts in the 76th minute, only for Robert Lewandowski to convert a penalty he had won which earned Osasuna defender Alejandro Catena a red card with five minutes remaining.

The three points means Xavi’s side join second-placed Girona on 10 points from four matches in Spain’s top flight.

Barcelona almost took an early lead when Frenkie De Jong hit the bar and Lewandowski was unable to convert the rebound.

Lamine Yamal was next to threaten for the visitors in the 10th minute but his effort was repelled by Osasuna goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez.

Osasuna’s Jose Arnaiz drew a sharp save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the 23rd minute and eight minutes later the home side threatened again, with the Barca goalkeeper keeping out an effort from Aimar Oroz.

However, the Catalan club were ahead shortly before the interval through France international Kounde, who headed in an Ilkay Gundogan corner from eight yards. It was the 24-year-old defender’s first goal for Barcelona since their derby win at Espanyol on May 14.

Joao Cancelo came on as a substitute for his debut just before the hour mark and 11 minutes later he almost set up a second goal for the visitors.

The on-loan Manchester City full-back found Lewandowski at the far post but Fernandez was able to block his close-range effort.

However, the visitors levelled soon after with a stunning left-footed strike from Avila.

The Argentinian forward made space for himself on the edge of the Barca box before unleashing a 20-yard curling effort which beat Ter Stegen and found the net via a post.

However, the hosts’ hopes of taking a point ended with 10 minutes remaining when Catena dragged back Lewandowski inside the Osasuna penalty area.

Referee Miguel Ortiz consulted VAR before dismissing the centre-back and, after a delay of nearly five minutes following the original offence, the Pole kept his nerve to send Fernandez the wrong way from the spot.

Osasuna had appeals for a penalty of their own turned down in the third minute of stoppage time when Ante Budimir went down under pressure from fellow substitute Inigo Martinez.

However, the game was not to get a second spot-kick and Barca saw out a further eight minutes to secure the three points.

Juventus maintained their unbeaten start to the Serie A season with a 2-0 win at bottom side Empoli.

Danilo fired the visitors in front in the 24th minute and Federico Chiesa made sure of the points late in the second period after Dusan Vlahovic had seen a poor first-half penalty saved by debutant Etrit Berisha.

The win lifts Juve to third in the table, two points behind Inter and AC Milan, while Empoli have now failed to score in any of their three league games this season after crashing out of the Coppa Italia to Serie B Cittadella.

Vlahovic had the first shot on target in the seventh minute, but his right-footed effort was gathered at his near post at the second attempt by Berisha and moments later Jacopo Fazzini fired a shot high and wide at the other end.

Danilo thought he had opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he headed home from close range, only to be penalised for blocking the goalkeeper as Empoli struggled to clear a corner.

Vlahovic then sent a glancing header wide of the post as the home side again had difficulty clearing their lines and that weakness was to prove costly in the 24th minute as Danilo edged the visitors in front.

Danilo’s initial effort following a corner from the left was inadvertently blocked by team-mate Federico Gatti, but the ball came back to the Brazilian defender and he made no mistake with a side-footed finish from eight yards.

Juventus then had numerous chances to double their lead, with a mishit shot from Vlahovic falling kindly for Chiesa to set up Weston McKennie, but his right-footed effort was deflected wide.

Vlahovic himself then fired wide before squandering a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Youssef Maleh clipped Gatti in the box.

Vlahovic had scored a penalty in the opening-day win over Udinese but his left-footed shot lacked enough power and was saved by Berisha with his legs as he actually dived past the ball.

Juventus continued to dominate the game after the interval and Chiesa curled a shot inches wide on the hour mark after playing the ball through the legs of Sebastian Walukiewicz and bursting into the area.

Substitute Paul Pogba then looked to have doubled his side’s lead just four minutes after coming on, only to see his delightful volley ruled out due to Vlahovic being deemed offside in the build-up.

The overdue second goal finally arrived eight minutes from time as Chiesa raced on to a defence-splitting pass from Arkadiusz Milik and was clipped by Berisha as he rounded the goalkeeper, but quickly got to his feet and switched the ball on to his right foot before slotting it into the empty net.

There was still time for Milik to hit the bar with a header from Timothy Weah’s cross and for Moise Kean to clip the post from outside the area, but the two goals were more than enough for a dominant win.

Kylian Mbappe struck twice as champions Paris St Germain powered to a 4-1 win over troubled Lyon in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

It continued the France World Cup-winner’s strong start to the season after a summer overshadowed by a high-profile contract dispute.

Achraf Hakimi and Marco Asensio also got on the scoresheet as PSG effectively wrapped up victory with all four of their goals in the first half at the Groupama Stadium.

Corentin Tolisso scored a second-half consolation for the hosts but the result piled on the pressure for under-fire Lyon manager Laurent Blanc.

Blanc’s side are now bottom of the table with just one point from four games and were booed off at half-time and the end of the game.

Mbappe, by contrast, is enjoying an upturn in fortunes. After months of headlines and speculation relating to his future, the forward let his football do the talking in recent weeks.

The 24-year-old scored three goals in his first two outings of the season and bagged another after just four minutes after PSG were awarded an early penalty.

Tolisso was the guilty party as he brought down Manuel Ugarte and Mbappe made no mistake from the spot.

Rayan Cherki fired wide at the other end but Vitinha and Mbappe both went close to a second for PSG before Hakimi did double the lead when he pounced on a rebound after 20 minutes.

Duje Caleta-Car and Cherki both had opportunities as Lyon responded but Hakimi hit the crossbar for PSG and the visitors took firm control when Ugarte teed up Asensio for a third, seven minutes before the interval.

PSG were not finished there as a quick break led to Asensio releasing Mbappe and the striker showed great football to slot his second in first-half injury time.

Lyon were booed off at the break and things almost got worse after the resumption when a looping Ousmane Dembele header hit the crossbar.

The hosts did pull one back after Warren Zaire-Emery brought down Nicolas Tagliafico and Tolisso converted the resulting penalty after 74 minutes but it was never going to change the outcome.

PSG eased off in the final stages as they closed out a comfortable victory.

Mbappe had a chance to complete a hat-trick in injury time but lashed the ball into the side-netting.

Celtic’s 1-0 win over Rangers was undoubtedly the big match of the fourth weekend of the cinch Premiership season.

But there were plenty of talking points elsewhere with late equalisers in Perth and Livingston, controversy in Kilmarnock and big wins for Motherwell and Hibernian.

Here are five things we learned from the weekend’s action.

Michael Beale is under real pressure

Defeat by Celtic at Ibrox took Brendan Rodgers’ side four points clear of their rivals, who have already lost two league games before the first international break. The Rangers supporters turned on Beale and his players in a toxic atmosphere at the end of the game and there will have to be a marked improvement in results if Beale is to win the fans back. With one win in six meetings against Celtic, which came after the title was decided last season, Beale will need to improve that record in a fixture that ultimately decides how his tenure is viewed.

Some things VAR cannot correct

Kilmarnock were left with a huge sense of injustice after referee Kevin Clancy blew for a penalty just as the ball was flying into the net off Stuart Findlay’s head. The referee apologised to Killie manager Derek McInnes for being too quick with his whistle after spotting a shirt pull but the mistake cost Killie a point after Ross Laidlaw saved Danny Armstrong’s spot-kick. Even without the benefit of VAR, Clancy would have been far better waiting to see if an advantage emerged.

David Gray gets a big win

The caretaker manager earned Hibernian only their second win at Pittodrie since 2012. The previous one was achieved by Jack Ross on a night when Hibs clinched third spot in 2021 but Lee Johnson, Shaun Maloney, Paul Heckingbottom, Neil Lennon and Terry Butcher had all failed to win at Aberdeen. The international break will likely allow Hibs to make a permanent appointment but Gray’s win could even tempt the Hibs board to take their time.

St Mirren and Motherwell enjoy the view

Saints moved top of the Premiership table on Saturday night thanks to Stav Nahmani’s last-gasp equaliser at Livingston, which took the Paisley side’s unbeaten run to eight matches. Celtic went back top on Sunday but Motherwell later joined them on 10 points thanks to a 1-0 win at Hearts despite having Paul McGinn sent off. The Steelmen are now unbeaten in 10 Premiership matches and have not lost a league game on the road in more than six months under Stuart Kettlewell.

Liam Scales seizes his chance

The Celtic defender looked likely to move on after a season-long loan at Aberdeen but four injuries to centre-backs saw him catapulted into the team for the first time in 18 months when the Hoops drew with St Johnstone. While his return was underwhelming, his next game will live long in his memory. The Irishman produced a superb display to shut out Rangers at Ibrox and help seal an important victory.

Jadon Sancho claimed he has been “a scapegoat for a long time” as the Manchester United winger hit back at boss Erik ten Hag for saying he was dropped for the Arsenal game because of poor training performances.

The 23-year-old did not travel to north London for Sunday’s Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, where two stoppage-time goals condemned the Red Devils to a 3-1 defeat.

Sancho was conspicuous by his absence from the squad having come off the bench in their first three matches, with Ten Hag revealing afterwards that he was dropped due to sub-par training.

“Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him,” the United boss said after the defeat.

“You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices in the front line. So for this game he was not selected.”

Sancho later posted on Twitter: “Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week.

“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, l’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair! “All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team.

“I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and (am) grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge.

“I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”

Sancho has struggled for consistent form since moving to Old Trafford for Borussia Dortmund for £73million in 2021. The England international has scored 12 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils.

He started Ten Hag’s first season brightly but did not feature from October 22 until February 1 – a period that saw him watch the World Cup from afar and do an individual winter fitness programme in the Netherlands.

Sancho played in the Carabao Cup final win against Newcastle after returning and ended the campaign with seven goals and three assists.