Champions League Debut Patches

Good morning. The latest Premier League projections following the opening two rounds, Uefa introduces Champions League debut patches, and everything else you need to know.

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Arsenal’s chance of retaining the title has increased from 38% to 47.4% following the conclusion of Matchday 2, according to Opta’s projection model. Manchester City remain second favourites, and their title probability has risen from 20.5% to 27.2%.

Chelsea have climbed from sixth to fourth favourites to win the Premier League following their start to the season. Xabi Alonso’s side were given a 4.1% chance of winning the title before a ball was kicked, but that has risen to 5.35% following their 3-2 win over Fulham and 4-3 win over Brighton. Liverpool, meanwhile, have fallen from 9.2% to 5.4%, while Manchester United’s title probability has fallen from 6.2% to 3.3% and Aston Villa have dropped from 4.8% to just 1.1%.

Hull City, who were initially projected as the most likely side to be relegated, are now considered the eighth most likely. They have won both of their opening league matches, and only three sides in Premier League history have been relegated after winning their opening two games, including Hull themselves in 2016-17.

Players who are making their first appearance in the men’s Champions League will wear ‘debut patches’ on their shirt sleeve. It is the latest display of how sponsorships in football are becoming more sophisticated, as this move is part of a deal between Uefa and sports merchandiser Fanatics. The Women’s Champions League is expected to adopt the programme from the 2027-28 season.

The patch will be retrieved after the match and authenticated. It will then be integrated into one-of-one collectable trading cards, signed by the player and sold by Topps, the trading card company owned by Fanatics. The patch will also be available to players coming off the bench to make their debut.

The move aligns with a growing demand for sports collectables. The global sports trading card market is estimated to be worth $14.5bn in 2026 and is forecast to reach $24.7bn by 2033, an increase of around 70%. In 2025, football accounted for 35.6% of global sports trading card revenues, making it the largest individual sport segment, according to Grand View Research.

Jose Mourinho's first Clasico against Barcelona since returning as Real Madrid manager will be played on October 25 at the Camp Nou.

Both teams have started the season in top form, winning their first three La Liga matches. Barcelona have scored 12 goals in these three, including five against both Elche and Rayo Vallecano, while winger Raphinha has scored five goals already. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have scored 10 goals, four of which have come from Kylian Mbappe, while Jude Bellingham has scored twice and assisted twice.

The last El Clasico was played in May, when Barcelona won 2-0 at home to win their second consecutive La Liga title. Remarkably, both teams have won 106 El Clasico fixtures, and they’ve drawn 52 others. Real Madrid have also scored 444 goals in the fixture, three more than Barcelona.

Wednesday’s results: Championship (More) | Women’s Champions League (More) | Scottish Premiership (More)

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• A Belgian mayor is refusing to let his city host Israeli club Hapoel Beer-Sheva for a Europa League game (More)

• Zinedine Zidane, France’s new manager, will unveil his first squad on September 18 (More) | Kylian Mbappe was reportedly among the targets of an alleged kidnapping plot in France (More)

• MLS NEXT Pro has updated the League’s Playoff format for 2026, including a new Play-in Round to determine the last two teams to qualify for the Playoffs (More) | Inter Miami sign Brazilian winger Riquelme Fillipi (More)

• Lionel Messi’s Argentina number 10 shirt is expected to be given to Nico Paz if Lionel Scaloni continues as manager (More) | Leandro Paredes hopes to have his 10-match ban given by Fifa reduced on appeal and has also said that he is unlikely to play for Argentina again (More)

• The top two NWSL teams, Gotham FC and Washington Spirit, have the easiest fixtures in September, according to Opta (More)

• Ollie Watkins scored on his debut for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in their 3-0 win over Al Ahli (Watch)

• Egypt manager Hossam Hassan, who led his country to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, has renewed his contract until 2030 (More)

Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think Harry Kane deserves to win the men’s Ballon d’Or?

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 ⬜️ 👍 Yes (76%)

🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅‍♂️ Nope (24%)

Your punditry takes:

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Question: Which club finished bottom of the table at the end of the first-ever Premier League season?

Scroll below for the answer.

Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.

Answer

Nottingham Forest.