Premier League champions Manchester City were held by Wolves at Molineux, Unai Emery recorded his first win as Arsenal manager condemning West Ham to a third straight loss, Mohamed Salah scored the only goal as Liverpool beat Brighton, and Fulham scored four against Burnley to secure a first win since gaining promotion back to the Premier League.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth fought back from two goals down to draw with Everton and Harry Maguire scored a stoppage-time winner for Leicester at Southampton.

Chelsea and Watford maintained their winning starts with victories over Crystal Palace and Newcastle respectively, while 10-man Huddersfield held on for a point against Cardiff.

But who did enough to make my team of the week? Read my selections and then pick your own XI.

Goalkeeper – Rui Patricio

Rui Patricio: The saves that denied Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus were excellent but how Rui Patricio managed to push Raheem Sterling’s cracking shot on to the bar I will never know.

And how on earth did referee Martin Atkinson refuse to award Manchester City’s David Silva a penalty kick? You occasionally see games that make you wonder what exactly the referee saw at the time.

As far as I was concerned, Ruben Neves practically assaulted Silva in the penalty area. Penalty or not, without the heroics of home keeper Patricio it’s the Wolves who would have found themselves on the end of a mauling.

Did you know? Rui Patricio made five saves against Manchester City, compared with just one in his previous game against Leicester.

Defenders – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aymeric Laporte, Harry Maguire, Ryan Bertrand

Trent Alexander-Arnold: This lad gets better every time I see him. Against a dogged Brighton, the Liverpool and England full-back showed a maturity well beyond his years.

I was surprised to see Arnold standing on his own ready to take the free-kick that hit the bar while Mohamed Salah and James Milner stood and watched.

Alexander-Arnold is a defender who loves to play forward, not square or back, because he’s not afraid and has the talent to do it. But the moment of the match for me was the 40-yard pass to the feet of Salah on the other side of the pitch. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. What a ball.

Did you know? Trent Alexander-Arnold completed five open-play crosses – no Liverpool player made more.

Aymeric Laporte: This was a game that Manchester City should have won comfortably and to Wolves’ credit the Midlanders made the champions work like dogs just to get a point.

City’s equaliser was down to Aymeric Laporte, whose bullet header was unstoppable. From the moment Ilkay Gundogan delivered the set-piece Laporte never took his eyes off the ball until he had thundered it past Patricio.

It needed something a bit special to get past the Wolves goalkeeper with the form he was in.

Did you know? Aymeric Laporte scored his first goal for Manchester City in any competition and his first in the top five European leagues in 37 games, since scoring for Athletic Bilbao against Villarreal in April 2017.

Harry Maguire: It was only a matter of time before Harry Maguire got into my team of the week. The former Sheffield United and Hull centre-back had a super World Cup for England and the player has not allowed a scintilla of speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United to affect his game.

He was as solid as a rock for Leicester against Southampton in defence but probably the most unlikely person on the pitch to get the Foxes’ winner in open play – and that’s what he did.

Precisely what this victory meant for Leicester’s manager Claude Puel on his return to St Mary’s – having been unceremoniously booted out of the club – is anyone’s guess, but I bet he slept well.

Did you know? Harry Maguire made a total of 10 clearances against Southampton – the highest in Leicester City’s team.

Ryan Bertrand: In a better team Ryan Bertrand would almost certainly have gone to the World Cup with England. There’s no doubt about the lad’s ability.

His magnificently struck goal against Leicester was testimony to that. Few full-backs in the country can strike a ball like that. What a pity his Southampton team-mate ruined it all with a dive Olympian Tom Daley would have enjoyed.

John Moss was absolutely right to send off Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for a second yellow card for being so galactically stupid and I just hope that Ryan Bertrand told Hojbjerg so in the dressing room afterwards. More about dressing room culture in The Crooks of the Matter below.

Did you know? Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand netted his first Premier League goal in 43 appearances, since scoring against Chelsea in April 2017.

Midfielders – Jean Michael Seri, James Milner, Marcos Alonso

Jean Michael Seri: If ever Fulham needed a boost then Jean Michael Seri’s fourth-minute blockbuster was it. The Ivorian’s strike flew past Joe Hart like a rocket.

The last I heard, this was a player we all thought was going to Barcelona, so I’m not entirely sure how he ended up at Craven Cottage. But with goals like this, who cares?

As for Burnley, this is the second time they have lost having played midweek in Europe. At the end of last season I told Sean Dyche to play the kids in the Europa qualifying rounds but he looks like he’s taking these games far too seriously. Ditch this tournament before the proper draw takes place in Monaco and you get caught up in all that glamour.

Did you know? Jean Michael Seri scored his first Fulham goal with his first shot on target in the Premier League.

James Milner: I feel compelled to include James Milner among my selection because if I don’t he will continue to be overlooked for those who are more skilful, excellent finishers or those who simply have a better day.

What you get with Milner is nothing special but you do get a wonderful level of consistency. In fact Milner is almost always a candidate for my team most weeks, such are his performances.

The way the Liverpool captain pounced on Brighton’s Yves Bissouma was reminiscent of a cobra and with a bite to match. Brighton’s error cost them the fixture. The way Leon Balogun gave Bissouma the ball in such a difficult position with his back to the play lacked any thought or consideration for his team-mate.

Did you know? James Milner completed 69 passes in the opposition half – more than any of his team-mates.

Marcos Alonso: When Marcos Alonso takes to the field he almost always affects the game. If he’s not scoring goals then he’s making them.

Against Newcastle this very elegant player did both. This is the second consecutive week Alonso has starred for Chelsea in a run of games that has seen the Blues unbeaten with maximum points.

As for Rafael Benitez and Newcastle – the limited resources at the Spaniard’s disposal at St James’ Park raise the question: is this really the place for him?

Did you know? Marcos Alonso covered 11.39km against Newcastle – only team-mate Jorginho covered more distance.

Forwards – Eden Hazard, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Roberto Pereyra

Eden Hazard: The penalty given by referee Paul Tierney was debatable but there is nothing debatable about the man who took the spot-kick, or his performance. Eden Hazard strolled through this game and was head and shoulders above everybody else on the pitch.

The Belgium international seems to have been given the freedom to do whatever he likes under Maurizio Sarri. Not so under Mourinho or Conte. Both Sarri’s predecessors had volatile temperaments and fragile relationships with Hazard.

For all of football’s rhetoric about sports science, fitness and the tactics of the modern game, there’s one thing that will never change. Managers need to take care of their best players or their best players will eventually desert them.

Did you know? Eden Hazard has now scored seven Premier League goals against Newcastle – he has not scored more against any other team (also has seven v West Brom).

Aleksandar Mitrovic: What a fantastic purchase Aleksandar Mitrovic is proving to be for Fulham. The Serbian international left Newcastle with his tail between his legs and a big question mark about his ability to cope in the Premier league.

I must say, I saw Mitrovic play at the Cottage in the opening game of the season against Crystal Palace and I wouldn’t have paid £22 for him never mind £22m.

But since his arrival in London from St James’ Park he has not stopped scoring and may be the catalyst to Fulham’s survival in the Premier League. I still have my doubts about his ability to star in the top flight, but what a start!

Did you know? Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 15 league goals since his Fulham debut in February – the Serb is matched only by Mohamed Salah in the same period across the top four tiers of English football.

Roberto Pereyra: This was a spiteful game and I was amazed I didn’t see players sent off. One of the few bright moments in this rather vindictive affair was the ability of Roberto Pereyra and his brilliantly taken goal.

The Watford winger has scored three goals this season and there look to be more in the bag. But what was referee Anthony Taylor thinking by ignoring Etienne Capoue’s appalling tackle on Wilfried Zaha?

What’s worse, Taylor then insists on booking Zaha for cleanly winning the ball a few minutes afterwards. Watford won this game comfortably in the end but not before they targeted Zaha and bullied Palace into submission. No thanks to Taylor.

Did you know? Roberto Pereyra has been directly involved in seven of Watford’s past 11 goals in the Premier League, scoring six and assisting another.

Now it’s your turn

You’ve seen my picks this week. But who would you go for?

The Crooks of the Matter

I have been watching the fly-on-the-wall documentary about Manchester City’s title-winning season and, I must say, it’s been absolutely riveting.

I spent a good deal of my early life in football dressing rooms and they are not for the faint-hearted. In fact the day I retired I went to great lengths not to go anywhere near another one for a very simple reason – if you are not a member or part of the team you have no business being in the room at all.

To be given an opportunity to see what goes on in a modern-day dressing room, its facilities, equipment, the science, not to mention the methods adopted for a modern generation of players, is as fascinating to me as it gets.

So I am immensely grateful (and so should the viewing public be) to get a glimpse of what happens during the most intense moments, not just in a Premier League dressing room but the dressing room of the champions. These glimpses might be commonplace in in the USA but they are not to be taken for granted here.

I remember seeing a similar documentary some years ago when my dear friend and contemporary Peter Reid, during his successful managerial spell at Sunderland, gave a camera crew total access.

I remember thinking at the time, has Reidy gone mad? It’s one thing having your mistakes choreographed in front of a football crowd but it’s something entirely different when those mistakes are highlighted in living colour in front of a watching nation. It takes a very special individual with a lot of courage and self-belief to do that.

My admiration for Peter grew after his moment in the spotlight and the same is true of City boss Pep Guardiola. That Jose Mourinho has seen fit to be so dismissive of the documentary is hardly surprising. The programme was showing all who wanted to watch just how badly Mourinho and Manchester United had just had their backsides kicked.

Manchester City beat their neighbours and fiercest rivals by a staggering 19 points, so to call the documentary ‘classless’ was in itself misjudged and ill-timed, and made Mourinho look tawdry.

The reality is Guardiola has taken football to another level and Mourinho is desperately struggling to come to terms with that fact.

BROOKLYN, Ia. —  Rob Tibbetts called upon a devastated community and family to come together in honoring his daughter, who was found dead after more than a month of intense national attention surrounding her disappearance.

“Today, we need to turn the page. We’re at the end of a long ordeal,” he said. “But we need to turn toward life — Mollie’s life — because Mollie’s nobody’s victim. Mollie’s my hero.”

Rob Tibbetts delivered an emotional eulogy Sunday afternoon to a crowd of more than 1,200 inside the gymnasium at Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom High School, a short walk from where she lived with her mother and two brothers.

“The person best equipped to help us through this is Mollie,” he said. “So let’s try to do what Mollie would do. Let’s say what Mollie would say.”

Rob Tibbetts said he wanted to honor his daughter by “celebrating something wonderful.” So he called for a couple in the packed gymnasium to stand up and be recognized — they had just been married the day before. The crowd enthusiastically applauded.

“That felt good. That’s what Mollie would have done,” he said. “Let’s try one more. Let’s hear it for the Bears football team — for their first win.”

More: Led by her brother, a team — and a town — tries to return to normal in aftermath of Mollie Tibbetts’ death

The crowd applauded again inside the gym that’s decorated with banners celebrating the school’s conference and state championships.

Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student, was found dead Tuesday after more than a month of relentless attention on her July 18 disappearance.

Rob Tibbetts thanked the many volunteers, law enforcement officers and the media for assisting in the search for his daughter. While it wasn’t the return home he had hoped for, the weeks of coverage allowed many across the globe to get to know his daughter, he said.

“You want to know why there’s been such an outpouring?” he said. “It’s because we see ourselves in Mollie.”

More: She’s nurturing. She’s a Harry Potter fan. We all know Mollie Tibbetts’ face, but her friends and family say she’s so much more.

Davenport Bishop Thomas Zinkula led a Mass of the Resurrection for Tibbetts. Rev. Corey Close, the pastor of  St. Patrick Catholic Church in Brooklyn, delivered a homily.

The gym was outfitted with a makeshift altar, covered in a simple white cloth. Three of Tibbetts’ senior portraits were displayed at the front of the gym. No casket or urn was present.

An hour before the Mass was set to begin, dozens of vehicles filled the parking lot of the school where Tibbetts graduated in 2017. Hundreds had already found seats in the school’s gymnasium. Law enforcement guided traffic outside.

Complete coverage: Everything we know about Mollie Tibbetts’ disappearance, death

In previous interviews with the Des Moines Register, Tibbetts’ family and friends said she demonstrated a desire to help others, a natural ability to work with children and a gift for making anyone feel like the most important person in a room — because she genuinely believed they were.

Those closest to Tibbetts described her nurturing character and nodded in approval at her decision to study psychology at the University of Iowa, a career path they said was an obvious match. In her obituary, her family said she aspired to be a child psychologist and work with children with mental health issues.

More: She’s nurturing. She’s a Harry Potter fan. We all know Mollie Tibbetts’ face, but her friends and family say she’s so much more.

“Mollie loved life,” family members said in her obituary, noting she left behind more than 30 relatives and the “love of her life,” Dalton Jack, and his family. “Her passion for it radiated from those beautiful brown eyes and the smile that she was so quick to share with everyone she met.”

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, of rural Poweshiek County, was charged with first-degree murder after he led investigators to Tibbetts’ body on Tuesday, authorities said. Her body was found in a secluded part of a farm field near Guernsey.

Federal officials have maintained Rivera was living in the U.S. without authorization, fueling debate about immigration laws among politicians and citizens. He is being held at the Poweshiek County Jail on a $5 million bond.

Recent coverage on the death of Mollie Tibbetts:

Tibbetts’ death was ruled a homicide. The state medical examiner said she died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that memorial contributions be sent to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, mailed in care of Smith Funeral Home at P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112.

Check back for updates from the funeral.

More: Led by her brother, a team — and a town — tries to return to normal in aftermath of Mollie Tibbetts’ death

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Recent coverage on the death of Mollie Tibbetts:

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Named for French racing driver Alberto Divo, Bugatti’s latest sports car was revealed this week as an ultra-ultra super sports car.

The Divo — not to be confused with the French automaker’s $3 million Chiron — is a lighter sports car (77 pounds to be exact) with a subtly different look and improved cooling system. The brakes are cooled from four different air flows keeping tire temperature optimal for speed racing. With lightweight tires, less compartment space, and a carbon fiber cover, it’s a nimbler sports car.

These improvements come at a cost: The Divo is a $5.8 million supercar and all 40 vehicles have already sold to previous Chiron customers — it went fast.

Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement about the reveal on Friday, “the Divo is made for corners” and windier roads. It’s supposed to be more agile than the Chiron, but that agility comes with a cost: It’s slower. The max speed is 236 mph while the Chiron can hit more than 260 mph. What a slow-poke.

The turquoise blue on the car was made just for the Divo and is appropriately named “Divo Racing Blue.”

Oh, what money can buy.

Athens, Greece – Well before the sun came up on January 17, 2013, Shahzad Luqman woke up, hopped on his bicycle and took off for work in a suburb of the Greek capital, Athens.

The 27-year-old Pakistani, who had been in Greecefor six years, was going from his home in the Peristeri neighbourhood to nearby Petralona to unload oranges at the farmers market.

But before he could reach work, he was stabbed seven times and left to bleed out in the street.

When police swept the homes of the killers, they found leaflets published by Golden Dawn, the Greek neo-fascist party that currently has 16 seats in the country’s parliament.

The incident wrought trauma in Greece’s migrant community, particularly among Pakistanis, who are estimated to be around 50,000 in number and have been migrating in ebbs and flows to the Mediterranean country since the 1970s.

Javied Aslam, the 50-year-old president of the Pakistani Community of Greece and head of the Union of Immigrant Workers, remembers the day Luqman was killed as a turning point.

“They [had] targeted and attacked around 1,000 workers. And not one Golden Dawn member was punished until Luqman was killed and his two murderers were arrested,” Aslam told Al Jazeera.

“That was the first time anyone from their party was arrested.”

Five years later, Aslam said migrant workers continue to bear the brunt of far-right violence.

In 2017, the number of hate crimes motivated by race, skin colour and national origin almost tripled compared to the year before, according to police.

Qamar Zaman was among those attacked when he got off a bus in Athens. A group of young Greeks followed him, beat him up and fled with some of his belongings when passersby approached.

“My life was saved because of that [people approaching],” said Zaman. “Otherwise, I would’ve probably died.”

Peter Hartley’s 94th-minute goal denied Rangers a win at Motherwell, but Steven Gerrard’s side still stretched their unbeaten record to 11 matches.

Hartley, who apologised on Thursday after saying it was “fun to watch” ex-Rangers defender Fabio Cardoso “weeping” after breaking his nose against Motherwell last term, tapped in a stoppage-time corner in a frantic conclusion to a gripping contest.

Gerrard’s men had trailed twice, for the first time in his tenure, to goals by Danny Johnson and Carl McHugh.

But a double from Kyle Lafferty – a volley and a header – brought the visitors level, before Ovie Ejaria had put them 3-2 ahead at the end of a stunning opening half.

The two dropped points left Rangers four points behind early Scottish Premiership frontrunners Hearts as they enter another taxing week.

Gerrard’s side take a 1-0 lead to Russia for Thursday’s second leg of their Europa League play-off tie against FC Ufa, before the first Old Firm game of the season next Sunday at Celtic Park.

Motherwell’s first league point of the season moved them off the bottom of the table.

Rangers’ defensive solidity unravels

Rangers’ rearguard have earned deserved praise for their resolve so far this season, with only four goals conceded in their first 10 competitive games under Gerrard.

But they looked anything but solid in the opening stages, breached twice inside 18 minutes as Motherwell set about reversing a run of 40 matches since their last league win over Rangers on Boxing Day 2002.

Richard Tait’s long ball should have been dealt with comfortably, but Connor Goldson slipped horribly to allow Johnson in to lift the ball left-footed over the advancing Allan McGregor.

Chris Cadden’s dangerous ball across the face of the Rangers box might also have found a recipient as the hosts rediscovered some of last season’s vigour.

If Goldson’s error was unfortunate, the marking for Motherwell’s second was non-existent. Gael Bigirimana swung in an enticing free-kick, but McHugh was given the freedom of Fir Park as he steered a precise header into the far corner.

After a fitful second half punctuated by stoppages, Motherwell laid siege to the Rangers goal in the final 15 minutes, with Hartley heading over and Curtis Main nodding a good chance wide.

Their onslaught paid off in the fourth minute of injury time as the visitors failed to deal with another set-piece.

Bigirimana’s corner from the left eluded everyone and the unmarked Hartley could hardly miss from three yards out.

Lafferty’s second coming

Lafferty, given a second full debut for Rangers 10 years after his first, was clearly eager to make an early impression, and his partnership with Alfredo Morelos offered plenty of promise as Motherwell’s back three struggled to cope.

An early header forced Trevor Carson into a save, but the Northern Ireland striker did not have long to wait for the first goal of his second Ibrox spell.

When Hartley’s headed clearance fell to him on the edge of the area in the 15th minute, Lafferty showed superb technique to volley it right-footed into the net with the help of a deflection off Tait.

Lafferty’s second arrived seven minutes before the interval to restore parity for a second time. This time his movement to the front post eluded Tom Aldred and he buried James Tavernier’s superb in-swinging cross with a downward header.

Incredibly, Rangers were in front by half-time. Borna Barisic, who provided a regular supply of ammunition from the left flank, found Ejaria on the edge of the Motherwell penalty area.

The 20-year-old midfielder, on loan from Liverpool, controlled the ball with his first touch before turning and curling an effort towards the right corner. Carson got a hand to it, but the Motherwell keeper could not prevent it bouncing over his line.

‘Slip-ups, square-ups & goals to remember’ – analysis

BBC Scotland’s Chris McLaughlin at Fir Park

What a game. What stunning entertainment in the pouring Lanarkshire rain. From the start it was obvious this was never going to be ordinary. The Goldson slip and the early goal set the scene and what follows left everyone inside Fir Park breathless.

We got slips-ups, square-ups and goals to remember; debut strikes and a last-minute leveller to make amends for unwise words. This one had just about everything.

Both managers feel they should probably have taken more, but any neutral watching will tell you a point each was fair.

When the dust settles, both bosses will look at the positives.

Rangers showed good mentality to fight back from a goal down, and then looked like the side who might run away with it. And Motherwell showed again what made them feared by many last season – a group of players up for the physical fight but also more than capable of playing football.

A cracking advert for the Scottish game. More of the same please.

Justin Verlander — the “Dodger killer” who was hit with a fake $1 million lunch bill while dining at The Beverly Hills Hotel this weekend — revealed that his meal was comped.

No, not the $1 million, but the actual bill, which included a $42 salad, $10 cranberry juice and $30 pancakes. 

“The manager came over and we ended up laughing about it,” said Verlander, whose Houston Astros beat the Dodgers in the World Series last year. “They actually ended up comping the meal. Everyone was talking about how expensive the pancakes were and the salad. It was comped. It worked out well for both sides.”

Sure, Verlander — who has an MVP, Cy Young Award and seven All-Star appearances on his resume — is one of the highest-paid players in baseball, but who can say no to a free lunch?

Contributing: The Associated Press

 

Image: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Chaos erupted at an esports tournament in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday when a mass shooting ended with multiple fatalities and many more injured.

Word of the shooting first emerged on Twitch, from a live feed of the Madden NFL 19 Classic qualifier at Jacksonville’s GLHF GameBar. In the disturbing audio-only account, rapid bursts of gunfire are heard multiple times over the shouts of attendees.

As of Sunday afternoon, four are dead and “several others” are injured, according to a local report from News 4 Jacksonville. The shooter hasn’t yet been identified, but police confirm that there are “no outstanding suspects” and the scene is now “secure.”

Steven “SteveyJ” Javaruski, a pro Madden player who was participating in the event and witnessed the shooting, told the Los Angeles Times that the shooter was a competitor who had lost. He added that he witnessed a number of deaths, including the shooter, who he said killed himself. 

Mashable has not been able to verify these details independently, but Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams confirmed at 4:30 p.m. ET that the gunman, a white male, is dead. 

 The wounded victims have been taken to Memorial Hospital, where three victims were in stable condition, and UF Health Medical Center, where one person with serious injuries and five more in good condition. 

A number of tournament participants have taken to Twitter in the hours since the shooting to speak out about what happened.

Reached for comment, Madden publisher Electronic Arts shared the following statement with Mashable: “We are aware of an incident at a sanctioned Madden Championship Series competition in Jacksonville. We are working with authorities to gather facts at this stage. This is a horrible situation, and our deepest sympathies go out to all involved.”

Local news notes that Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams will be addressing the situation in a press conference later on Sunday. We’ll update this story as more details emerge.

UPDATED Aug. 26, 2018 5:00 p.m. ET with additional details from Jacksonville police and social media.

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest and one of the oldest religious institutions in the world. 

But it’s facing some of its biggest scandals and criticism in recent history.

Pope Francis, who leads the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, is under pressure to strongly act against child abuse by priests and the cover-up by church officials that often follows.

The issue has overshadowed his two-day trip to Ireland, the first papal visit to that country in nearly 40 years.

So, how will he address this problem? And what will it mean for the future of the Roman Catholic Church?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Christopher Lamb – Rome correspondent for The Tablet Weekly Review

Michael Walsh – Vatican historian and editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Popes

Donnacha O Beachain – director of research at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University.

Source: Al Jazeera News

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic praised his team’s “brave” performance as Fulham secured their first victory since returning to the Premier League in an eventful match against Burnley.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice for the hosts as they recovered from losing their first two matches to leave their opponents without a league win this season.

“We scored four goals and showed we could be a brave, attacking team,” Jokanovic said. “It’s an important step for us and we are satisfied with many things.”

Jean Michael Seri, signed from Nice in July, gave Jokanovic’s men the perfect start by firing a wonderful 25-yard strike into the top-right corner of Joe Hart’s goal after just four minutes.

Burnley drew level in the 10th minute as Jeff Hendrick converted at the second attempt after good work from Aaron Lennon down the right flank, but a cleverly worked corner allowed Mitrovic to head the home side back in front on 36 minutes, as Tom Cairney’s perfectly weighted cross from the edge of the area found the alert Serb.

Seeking another quick response, the Clarets were caught on the break two minutes later, as Mitrovic beat Stephen Ward in the air to glance beyond Hart – though the visitors were able to half their deficit before the break through James Tarkowski.

Mitrovic missed numerous chances to complete his hat-trick in a much quieter second half and agonisingly struck the post before Schurrle converted the rebound to add Fulham’s fourth with seven minutes remaining.

“We are improving, definitely. We know a huge job is ahead of us and we must keep going,” added Jokanovic.

“This is most competitive league in the world and this is not going to be an easy job for us.”

Lift-off for Fulham

With the knowledge that their opponents have been stretched by European engagements, the Cottagers seized their opportunity to kick-start their season in style with a first Premier League victory since April 2014.

After two defeats, Jokanovic’s attempts to gel Fulham’s new and old saw him hand a first start to Atletico Madrid loanee Luciano Vietto in a side consisting of seven summer additions.

They began with purpose, taking the game to slow-starting Burnley and Seri’s superb strike set the tone as Fulham demonstrated quality across their side – with the Ivorian himself at the heart of the hosts’ good play.

Fulham enjoyed more than two-thirds of the possession in the first half and both Schurrle and the lively Timothy Fosu-Mensah had attempts that, though unable to trouble Hart, offered warnings to Burnley.

But Mitrovic, now with three goals in as many Premier League games since signing permanently from Newcastle, looks as if he will be vital for Jokanovic’s side, proving a constant nuisance to Tarkowski and Ben Mee – though he should have added even more to his tally.

Fulham’s heavy investment in high-quality players over the close season – a reported £100m across 12 additions – suggests that, although survival is an obvious priority, continuing to play positively is also high on the agenda.

They demonstrated their ability to do so here very effectively.

“It’s an important step for us. We showed it is possible and we are satisfied with many things,” Jokanovic said.

“We know after the first two defeats it’s not easy for us to find the right way. There is room for improvement and we need to push harder on the training ground.”

Burnley’s tough start continues

Following a 3-1 loss to Watford last weekend, Burnley’s midweek Europa League play-off defeat by Olympiakos in Greece by the same score raised further questions over the Clarets’ capacity to successfully balance European and domestic competition.

They extended their winless run in the league to eight matches with defeat at Fulham, and have now conceded 10 goals in their past three in all competitions despite surrendering just four in six previous to that.

Sean Dyche reverted to the same side that had contested Burnley’s opening two Premier League fixtures, a total of six changes from Thursday night, but the Clarets conceded early for a second league game on the bounce.

There has been plenty made of Burnley’s busy schedule, but they now face an uphill task if they are to reach the Europa League group stages, and exiting that competition will only increase pressure on their league performances.

“It’s about working hard as well as smart,” said Dyche.

“The players have been peppered with messages of ‘it’s too much being in the Europa League’. You can’t make excuses because everyone wanted that challenge at the club.”

Once again Dyche’s men showed spirit to respond positively to going behind, pulling back to 3-2 just before half-time when Tarkowski converted from close range.

But spirit was far from enough to deny a lively Fulham side, who peppered Hart’s goal in the closing stages as the Clarets saw their winless record away to promoted sides extend to 10 games.

Man of the match – Aleksandar Mitrovic

‘We can’t make excuses’ – what they said

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic: “It was a tough game. Every goal is a nice goal and a great feeling but the most important thing is we grab the three points and give the fans a nice afternoon.

“We have so many new players. They came from different leagues and some don’t speak English but this is the best league, we want to stay with the best and we will work hard to do that.

“No matter what we do, we will stick to our system and that will give us more confidence to stay in this league.”

Burnley manager Sean Dyche: “Fulham had a good season last season but they have added some quality. It was a fair shift of money. But I thought they were the better side overall. They had the best player on the pitch in Mitrovic.

“Things aren’t going our way with injuries. We didn’t get as many in in the market as we’d like to help us across two competitions. We have to concentrate on what’s in front of us and that’s the next game.”

Mitrovic fares well against Hart – the stats

• Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 15 league goals since his Fulham debut in February – and only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah can match that total in that time across the top four tiers of English football.
• Four of Mitrovic’s 13 Premier League goals have been scored against Joe Hart, having also scored for Newcastle in October 2015 against Manchester City and West Ham.
• Burnley goalkeeper Hart has conceded at least three goals in five of the past past six Premier League games he has played in the month of August, conceding 17 in total.
• Since a run of five consecutive Premier League wins between March and April, Burnley have collected just three points from three draws in eight league games.
• After failing to score with any of his first 24 shots in the Premier League, Burnley defender James Tarkowski has scored with two of his last three in the competition.

What’s next?

Fulham host Exeter City in the League Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST), followed by a trip to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Burnley host Olympiakos in the second leg of their Europa League play-off on Thursday (19:45 BST) before Manchester United visit Turf Moor in the Premier League on Sunday (16:00 BST).

Jemele Hill’s run at ESPN will end Friday as she and the company have reached a buyout of her contract, according to multiple reports. ESPN declined comment.

Hill, who left the 6 p.m. SportsCenter earlier this year, has become one of, if not the most controversial Bristol talent in recent times. Last September she tweeted that President Donald Trump was a “white supremacist” leading to the White House to call for her firing during a press briefing. Last October she was suspended after criticizing Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jonesand pointing out what would be an effective way to hurt his pocketbook.

Since leaving SportsCenter, Hill has been far from the public’s eye at The Undefeated. Anyone paying attention has known this day was coming, as the marriage had become hopelessly strained. She was a bad fit at this ESPN, the version of seemingly afraid to be seen as overly political. The one timid in the face of bad-faith actors.

There’s no doubt she pushed the envelope when it came to expressing personal views. There’s no doubt she upset a huge faction of the country by going after those in power. But one wonders why she became the avatar for the “stick to sports” crowd’s rage. She is not the only ESPNer who dips into social, racial, and political issues. She’s just the one who paid the most public price.

Hill’s departure comes after 12 years at the company. It may be the best thing for her personally, as there’s undoubtedly a place for her on cable news or another outlet willing to let her speak freely. Her legacy will be a complicated one, and much of it will hinge on what ESPN does in the future to solve its political problem. Or, if one day it decides it’s not a problem at all.