Inter Milan moved level on points with Serie A’s top four after a gritty 2-0 victory at Cagliari. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring with his 12th goal in 12 games against the Sardinian side. Inter showed their intent early. Hakan Calhanoglu’s elbow in a second-minute aerial challenge set the tone as the visitors pressed high and denied Cagliari space. Martínez struck in the ninth minute, heading in Alessandro Bastoni’s precise cross. Cagliari struggled to respond. Sebastiano Esposito wasted a decent free-kick, while midfielders Michael Folorunsho and Alessandro Deiola were sloppy in possession. Martínez and Marcus Thuram kept testing the home defence, but Cagliari clung on to reach half-time only a goal down.    

Aston Villa skipper John McGinn praised Ollie Watkins after the striker netted a goal. His first goal of the season in a 3-1 comeback victory over Fulham on Sunday. Villa had been struggling in front of goal, scoring just once in their first five Premier League games. When Raul Jimenez headed Fulham in front early on, the pressure mounted. Relief came in the 37th minute as Lucas Digne slid a clever pass to Watkins. Watkins then darted between defenders and lifted the ball over Bernd Leno to level the match. “He’s had a lot of criticism in recent weeks but what he’ll get from us as teammates and staff is love and support,” McGinn said after the game. “Hopefully that shuts a few people up. What he’s given us over the years has been brilliant. He works tirelessly and when he gets the chance, you expect him to score.” McGinn rifled Villa ahead four minutes into the second half, and Emiliano Buendía sealed the win soon after – Villa’s first league victory of the season, moving them up to 16th with six points. “It’s not an easy place to play when the crowd’s on your back, but when we have momentum. Villa Park is special,” McGinn added. “What a win and a huge show of character.”  

Ryan Sessegnon said Fulham’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa came down to uncharacteristic lapses in focus. Raul Jimenez’s first-half header gave Fulham the lead, but Ollie Watkins equalised before the break. Two quick Villa goals early in the second half sealed the result and halted Fulham’s three-game winning streak. “It’s probably just a lack of concentration, which is bizarre because of how unusual it is for us. It’s very disappointing but we just have to pick ourselves up and go again,” Sessegnon told reporters. Sessegnon added: “We started the second half by conceding a goal, which can happen, and then for us to concede the next one straight away was disappointing. The game was pretty much done after that. “There’s no real explanation – it’s just poor. Poor defending from us, and quite unusual for us, but we’ve got to look at the game back this week and then see where we went wrong.” Fulham will look to respond when they face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Friday, October 3.  

Chris Wilder has returned for a third spell as Sheffield United manager. He stepped in just days after Ruben Selles was sacked following a nightmare start to the Championship season. The  Blades  were thrashed 5-0 at Ipswich Town on Friday night, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table with zero points. That defeat sealed Selles’ fate, with supporters voicing relief at his exit after just five matches in charge. For Wilder, the return is both personal and professional. A lifelong Blades supporter, he has already overseen two promotions during previous stints and now faces the challenge of reviving a team in crisis. His last spell ended in a play-off final defeat to Sunderland, who have since established themselves in the Premier League. Wilder’s immediate task will be to lift morale and secure a much-needed result when United face Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

Middlesbrough moved to the summit of the Championship with a hard-fought  1-0 win over basement side Sheffield United on Saturday. Tommy Conway struck midway through the second half to secure a fourth successive league win for Rob Edwards’ side, underlining their strong start to the campaign. Elsewhere, Wrexham claimed a historic first Championship win of the season, defeating Millwall 2-0. Kieffer Moore opened the scoring with a trademark header before Lewis O’Brien sealed the three points deep into stoppage-time — the Red Dragons’ first second-tier victory since 1982. West Bromwich Albion ended Stoke City’s perfect start, edging them 1-0 thanks to Nat Phillips’ early header, while Oxford United collected their first Championship point in a 2-2 draw against Coventry. Bristol City hit four past Hull in a 4-2 thriller, while Portsmouth overcame Preston 1-0 at Fratton Park. In London, QPR triumphed 3-1 over Charlton in a lively derby at Loftus Road. Norwich City also impressed, with Josh Sargent scoring twice in a 2-0 win at Blackburn, who had Sean McLoughlin sent off before half-time. Elsewhere, Ipswich Town’s search for a first win continued after a 2-2 draw with Derby, Swansea won 2-0 away at Sheffield Wednesday, and Southampton shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Watford.

Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris hailed his side’s resilience after they battled back to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over Brentford at the Stadium of Light. The visitors thought they had drawn first blood in the first half when Igor Thiago found the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Brentford were then handed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock from the penalty spot, but Robin Roefs denied Kevin Schade with a superb save. Thiago did eventually put the Bees ahead in the 77th minute, his header clipping the bar before crossing the line. Sunderland’s response was swift, as Enzo Le Fée levelled from the spot just five minutes later after Habib Diarra was fouled inside the box. With the game finely poised, Wilson Isidor completed the turnaround in the closing stages, rising highest to head in Granit Xhaka’s cross and spark jubilant celebrations among the home supporters. Speaking after the game, Le Bris was quick to praise his players’ determination: “I am happy and we went until the end. We tried to win this game and it was really positive, the way we managed the game with two different halves.The second half was chaotic, but these are two important parts of the same game. We showed a good ability to manage the second half and that was really positive.It was good for Wilson and his family – two incredible days.” The Sunderland boss also highlighted the importance of squad depth in the Premier League: “I told the players from the beginning of the season that we will have starters and finishers, and that was really important today because in the Premier League we are always on the edge.”

Dortmund have reinforced their rule barring agents and family members from the dressing room. The ban is as a result of reports of a confrontation involving Jobe Bellingham’s father, Mark, and sporting director Sebastian Kehl. According to Bild and Sky Germany, Mark Bellingham confronted Kehl in the tunnel following Dortmund’s 3-3 draw at St Pauli on Saturday. The dispute came after Jobe was substituted at half-time during his Bundesliga debut. Sky Germany described the exchange as a “lengthy and emotional discussion.” Dortmund, who had led 3-1 with just five minutes left, collapsed after Filippo Mane’s red card, conceding twice late on to drop points in their league opener. Kehl, speaking to Bild, stopped short of directly referencing the incident but made the club’s stance clear: “We are all disappointed with yesterday’s result. And yet, the active area is and remains reserved for players, coaches and management, not families and advisors. That won’t happen again. We have clearly informed everyone involved of this.” Jobe, 19, joined Dortmund from Sunderland this summer and is viewed as one of England’s brightest prospects. His older brother Jude made the same move to Dortmund in 2020 before sealing a €100m switch to Real Madrid in 2023.

Jeremy Monga made history as the Championship’s youngest-ever goalscorer. However, his landmark moment was not enough to save Leicester from a 2-1 defeat at Preston on Saturday. The 16-year-old came off the bench to equalize, breaking a record previously held by Jude Bellingham.  His goal cancelled out Alfie Devine’s opener for the hosts, only for Milutin Osmajic to strike five minutes from time at Deepdale and seal victory for Preston. Monga had already written his name into Leicester’s record books in midweek. He became the club’s youngest ever starter in their League Cup shootout loss to Huddersfield. That mark surpassed a 59-year-old record set by former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Elsewhere, Stoke continued their strong start with a second consecutive league win, beating a troubled Sheffield Wednesday side 3-0 at Hillsborough.  Fans were still protesting against owner Dejphon Chansiri when Million Manhoef opened the scoring inside the first minute.  Divin Mubama, on loan from Manchester City, doubled the lead early in the second half before Manhoef added his second to complete the victory.