Match Preview: Arsenal vs Coventry City

Premier League football returns this weekend as Arsenal kick-off their title defence at home against last season’s Championship winners Coventry City. Both clubs made history last season. Mikel Arteta’s men ended a 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy, while Coventry City, on Friday night in North London, will play in their first Premier League match since the 2000-01 season. Frank Lampard’s side will be hoping to do much better than that Coventry side of 25 years ago, who got relegated following a 0-0 draw against Bradford City. The last meeting between these two sides came back in January 2014 in the FA Cup. Podolski bagged a brace, Giroud netted and Cazorla scored late on as Arsenal won 4-0. Both clubs have been active in the transfer market. The Gunners, ahead of their title defence, have brought in Hincapié, who played a crucial role in bringing the Premier League trophy to North London, Meslier, who has Premier League experience, Tzolis, who registered 51 goal contributions for Club Brugge during last season and Guimarães, who was a consistent performer during his five year spell at Newcastle United. Coventry City have also been busy, as they look to build on their success from last season. The Sky Blues have brought in striker Cherif, who played for Fenerbahçe last season, striker Awoniyi, who has four years of Premier League experience, Hamer, who was a fan favourite during his time in Coventry. Other additions include midfielder Yirenkyi, who represented Ghana at the 2026 World Cup, Rushworth, who made his deal permanent after a fantastic loan spell last season, defender Amenda, who joined from Frankfurt, winger Tchaouna, who played 29 Premier League games for Burnley last season, scoring two and providing one assist, and last but not least Onyeka, who also made his move permanent this summer. Arsenal failed to win any of their three pre-season matches in 90 minutes, however, did manage to beat last season’s FA Cup winners Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield. Coventry City on the other hand enjoyed a successful pre-season, against tough opposition. Following their 0-0 draw against Northampton Town, The Sky Blues beat Espanyol 3-1, who finished mid table in La Liga last season, and Monaco 2-0, who finished 7th in Ligue 1.

Calvin Ramsay Set for a Return to Scotland

St Mirren are weighing up a loan switch for the Liverpool full-back Calvin Ramsay. Calvin Ramsay started his footballing career in Scotland with Aberdeen, coming through the youth ranks and making his professional debut in March 2021 as a late substitute against Dundee United, as well as making his European debut the same year against BK Häcken, grabbing an assist in a 5-1 victory. Ramsay would then go on to win the SFWA Young Player of the Year during the 2021/22 season after a successful season with his boyhood side, making 33 appearances. Liverpool came chasing the Aberdeen youngster, which saw the right-back depart for a fee of around £4.2 million, where Ramsay would make two first-team appearances for the Anfield side. Unfortunately, his career didn’t go to plan, as the former Aberdeen man was struck with multiple injuries, halting his Liverpool career. Calvin went out on loan to Preston in 2023, making just two appearances, before a second loan spell at Bolton, making just 4 appearances, with injuries holding back the Aberdeen-born full-back. His next step would be a loan spell with Wigan, which again didn’t go to plan, despite playing 12 times for the EFL side. A move back to Scotland was then on the cards, but again he went on to make just 8 appearances for the Rugby Park outfit. Ramsay has made a handful of pre-season outings this season, with many Liverpool fans impressed, some suggesting he should be starting over former Celtic man Frimpong, as the full-back has struggled since signing from Bayer Leverkusen. A move to Paisley might be the next best step and might suit St Mirren’s style of play, with his Liverpool days looking likely to come to an end due to an unlucky spell with injuries.

Peter Ambrose Departs Aberdeen for Switzerland

Aberdeen have this afternoon confirmed the departure of Peter Ambrose, with the striker joining Swiss side Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club Serrières. Ambrose arrived at Pittodrie from Hungarian outfit Újpest in 2024, after scoring 10 goals in 32 games for the Hungarian side, but hasn’t lived up to expectations in Scotland. Since joining two years ago, Ambrose has only featured 23 times for the club, netting just two goals: against Dumbarton in the League Cup, marking his first goal for the Dons, as well as a late winner against Dundee United to secure the three points. Since then, Ambrose has struggled to get into the side, featuring many times in the Aberdeen B side in the Challenge Cup instead. Ambrose was loaned out last season to Hungarian side Diósgyőri VTK, where he made 8 appearances but failed to net a single goal, as Diósgyőri VTK faced relegation. “Peter has found regular first-team football difficult to come by for some time, so we felt this was the right opportunity for him to move on and play more regularly,” Dons boss Stephen Robinson said. “He was on loan in Hungary when I arrived at the Club in the spring and, when we spoke during the summer, we agreed that we would look to find a permanent solution that worked for both Peter and Aberdeen. “He now has the opportunity to join a team who have started the season strongly and compete for regular first-team football. “Peter leaves with our thanks for his efforts during his time at Aberdeen and our best wishes for the future.”

Dundee United 0-4 Celtic – Celtic put United to the Sword in a 4-0 Rout

Celtic ran out convincing 4-0 winners over Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup at Tannadice on Saturday night. Goals from Auston Trusty, Camilo Duran, Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren ensured that Martin O’Neil’s side booked their place in the Quarter finals of the Premier Sports Cup. Celtic started the game on the front foot, and their first chance of the game came when Sebastian Tounekti drove to the byline before playing a pass to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian, whose effort from the edge of the penalty area was gathered with ease by Jack Walton in the Dundee United goal. On the 12th minute, United’s long throw aimed towards the Celtic box was followed on by two headed flick-Ons before the ball would fall to Julius Eskesen inside the area, his low strike cannoned back off the woodwork from 16 yards out. Eight minutes later, the hosts seen another strike hit the same post. Emmanuel Agyei tried his luck with another low effort, only to be denied by the smallest of margins. Celtic had controlled the early stages and found themselves ahead in the 22nd minute, Benjamin Nygren’s corner kick delivery found the head of Auston Trusty who was lurking at the far post to head the ball beyond Jack Walton to break the deadlock. Within a matter of minutes, Celtic netted their second goal of the evening with summer arrival Camilo Duran striking to score his first Celtic goal. United had failed to clear the ball from danger inside their own box, Club record signing Kasper Hogh attempted to force the ball goalwards before Duran collected to calmly finish from close range. On the brink of half time, Kasper Hogh used his physicality to force his man into losing the ball before finding Camilo Duran who played an inviting ball to the far post, however Hogh was unable to get a proper connection onto the ball from a tight angle. Jim Goodwin’s men had responded well to being two goals behind, but it was Martin O’Neil’s side who went into the interval with a two-goal advantage. The hosts made a positive start to the second half but were made to watch the ball come off the frame of the goal a further two times. The first one came from a powerful and rising strike from Zac Sapsford in the box which flew past Celtic Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo who was outstretched, with the second coming from Bert Esselink’s headed attempt. Despite an improved start from United, it would count for nothing when Sebastian Tounekti finished off a brilliant counterattacking move by Celtic in the 53rd minute to put the champions in cruise control. The Tunisian winger who had been a danger all evening, cut inside on the edge of the box before unleashing a low strike past two United defenders before finding its way into the net. On the hour mark, Mika Baur came on to make his Celtic debut with Haissem Hassan also introduced for his debut shortly after. Baur, Celtic’s new midfielder from German side Paderborn was involved in play instantly and played a part in Celtic’s fourth goal in the 62nd minute. Baur flicked the ball onto Tounekti who played the ball to the feet of Benjamin Nygren as he let fly from 18 yards out, curling a fine effort high into the net leaving Walton with no chance. It was an uneventful last half an hour to the game, United continued to struggle to cause the Celtic defence any real trouble, with Celtic doing enough to claim a deserved clean sheet and progress into the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup.

Talking Points: Aberdeen vs Dundee

Five talking points ahead of Aberdeen vs Dundee. Can Aberdeen stop brilliant Bevan? Scottish winger Joe Bevan has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2026/27 season. The 22-year-old racked up four goal contributions in four League Cup Group matches, before looking bright against Celtic and then bagging and providing an assist against Aberdeen, who Dundee meet again tomorrow, this time at Pittodrie. Nesta Guinness-Walker was the man who had the displeasure of marking the inform Bevan at Dens Park last weekend and definitely lost the duel. Stephen Robinson will have to come up with a solution to stop the Scotsman, whether that’s putting two players on him, changing shape, or personnel, he has to change something from last weekend. Dundee’s impressive recent record against the Dons. Since Aberdeen’s 3-1 win away at Dens in December 2025, there have been three meetings between the sides, all three of which won by Dundee. The first of which came at Pittodrie in a 3-2 win, which marked their first win at Pittodrie since 2004, the second came on the last weekend of last season at Dens Park, in another 3-2 win, and the last one came just last weekend. Those three consecutive wins against Aberdeen was the first time they have beaten Aberdeen three times in a row in their history. Pressure piling on Robinson. When Stephen Robinson was announced as the new Aberdeen manager back in March, many supporters vented their frustration. In continuation, following Aberdeen’s dismal display at Dens Park, more fans have turned against the Northern Irishman, which was clear after the full-time whistle last weekend. If Aberdeen were to get knocked out of the cup on Saturday by Dundee, a team that Robinson has recently struggled against, only winning one in his last eight matches, Robinson will be under huge pressure, especially with a double header against the Old Firm on the horizon. Selection headaches for Robinson. Selection headaches are typical viewed as a positive, however, in Aberdeen’s case, it’s very much a negative. Very few individuals impressed last weekend, which could provide an opportunity for those who were on the bench last weekend, for instance, Lewis Smith, who changed the game when he came on against Hearts, and Moroccan striker Ayoub Mouloua, who is yet to start a match this season. When will the draw take place? The draw for the Quarter-final stage is set to take place on Sunday, following the conclusion of the Rangers vs St Mirren match at Ibrox, which begins at 16:00.

Scottish Cup Hero Departs Pittodrie for Germany

Dimitar Mitov has this morning departed Aberdeen as he completes a six-figure move to 2. Bundesliga side St Pauli. Mitov arrived at Pittodrie from St Johnstone back in 2024, making 78 appearances for the Dons, including playing a crucial role which saw Aberdeen defeat Celtic in 2025 to lift the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years, after saving two penalties in the penalty shoot-out to lift the trophy. The Dons’ number one made it clear he was looking to take on a new challenge elsewhere, as the Scottish Cup hero became second choice, with Marius Müller taking the first-choice spot over the Bulgarian international, as Stephen Robinson believes the move was best for both sides. “Dimi has made a significant contribution to Aberdeen FC and, during my time at the Club, he has carried himself with the utmost professionalism and been a real leader both on and off the pitch. “We were aware of his desire to pursue a new challenge and, when St Pauli presented an offer which met our valuation, it was a deal that made sense for both the player and the Club. “Of course, you never want to lose good players, but we respect Dimi’s ambition, and this is a good opportunity for him at this stage of his career. “He leaves Pittodrie as a Scottish Cup winner, having played a big part in a historic day for the Club, and he will always be welcome back at Aberdeen.” Since his arrival from Perth, Mitov quickly became a key player between the sticks, becoming a fan favourite at Pittodrie, having shown great character during his spell in the North-East. Mitov was one of the main reasons Aberdeen lifted the Scottish Cup, saving both Callum McGregor’s and Alistair Johnston’s penalties as Aberdeen defeated Celtic in the shoot-out. The Bulgarian leaves on a positive note after an enjoyable spell at Aberdeen, having brought a lot of success to the club. Mitov spoke to the club for one last time following his departure: “I leave Aberdeen knowing I’ve given my absolute best for the Club, both on and off the pitch. “I’ve been fortunate to share some unbelievable memories with the supporters, from that afternoon at Hampden to the European nights at Pittodrie, and those are moments I will always remember. “I’d like to thank all my teammates, the coaches I’ve worked with, and everyone behind the scenes at the Club for their support during my time here. “I wish everyone involved with Aberdeen FC all the very best for the future, and I hope the Club has a successful season ahead.”

McInnes’ management style compared to Jürgen Klopp, says Rangers chief executive

Rangers chief executive Jim Gillespie compared McInnes’ management style to Jurgen Klopp, which is why the former Hearts boss was hired. The former Hearts boss, who came to Ibrox after almost guiding Hearts to their first league title since 1960 but losing out to Celtic on the final day, was compared to one of Europe’s top managers, Jurgen Klopp. The Rangers boss was brought in to replace Danny Röhl, who left for Austria, but hasn’t had the best start to his Rangers career: three games played, yet to register a single win, and most recently losing late on at home to Hibs on Sunday. During a stakeholders’ meeting, the Rangers chief executive answered a question regarding the thinking behind hiring McInnes, and compared the new Rangers boss to former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, as well as former Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. He said: “It’s very simple. There are two different types of managers – you get a Klopp-type manager and you get a Guardiola-type manager. “I think in terms of Rangers’ game model and what fans’ expectations are, we wanted a Klopp-type manager who was on the front foot, played aggressive football, created chances and scored goals. “Derek McInnes is a Klopp-style manager. Underneath that is the structure that he wants to play, the conversations about how successful he has been. “He is just off the back of a great season at Hearts, and the character the Hearts team showed and some of the characteristics that he has, his Scottish experience – he has managed over 500 games, I think.” Gillespie revealed McInnes had been spoken about well before the end of the season, while Röhl was still in post, as part of ongoing ‘contingency’ planning. “We have always got a list of managers who we believe fit our squad and game model,” he said. “When the managerial appointment came about, there was only one name that ticked all the boxes for us to go and get, and it was Derek. “We have strong beliefs – I know we have had difficult results – that Derek will bring success to the club. “It wasn’t just ‘get Derek McInnes’. In April, when we were away in Spain, we were talking about managers, because you just don’t know when – if you’re playing really well, someone will come in and take them, and if you’re doing really badly, you have to make a change. “So you always have to have the contingency, and Derek McInnes was high on the list for a long time. “You always like to see the whites of people’s eyes, because that tells you if they have the passion, and we had lots of conversations around that. “Although it took a week, in a sense it could have taken a day. But we wanted to make sure, and Derek, to be fair, had a lot of questions he wanted to have answered as well. “No one gets a free ride. You don’t get a job at Rangers unless you’ve gone through a thorough process, and we believe we have the right person for that role.”

Weekend Review: Hibs Stun Rangers and Celtic Hit Five in a Dramatic Weekend of Scottish Football

Dundee, St Mirren, Hearts, Celtic and Hibs all claim wins in a weekend full of drama. Dundee 2-0 Aberdeen Dundee defeated a very poor Aberdeen side on the day, beating the Dons for the third time in a row as goals from Joe Westley and Joe Bevan secured Steven Pressley’s first win of the season. It was a very poor overall performance by Aberdeen, as Dundee looked far better throughout the game. Overall, a very deserved win for Dundee as Aberdeen suffered their first defeat of the season, and things certainly don’t get any easier in the coming weeks, as these sides meet again next week in the League Cup. St Mirren 1-0 St Johnstone The Buddies scraped past new boys St Johnstone 1-0 in Paisley, thanks to a Killian Phillips penalty which grabbed his fourth goal of the season so far. St Johnstone did get a first-half penalty, which was taken by Jamie Gullan, but St Mirren shot-stopper Coleman denied the Saints an early lead. Both sides had chances, but ultimately, St Mirren probably just about deserved that one as they continue their great start. Kilmarnock 1-5 Celtic A five-star display by Celtic on Kilmarnock’s new hybrid pitch, after having a grass pitch for the first time since 2014 as the Ayrshire side ditched Astro. In the game itself, it was a thoroughly deserved win for Celtic as a first-half hat-trick by Høgh helped Celtic ease to victory. Shortly into the second half, Nygren gave Celtic a fourth, although Killie pulled one back through Larsen, but a late McCowan goal sealed what was an excellent away-day win which saw Celtic climb to the top of the league. Motherwell 0-0 Falkirk Falkirk earned themselves a point in what wasn’t the most exciting of games at Fir Park. Many people have criticised Falkirk so far after losing so many key players, and as we know, Motherwell is far from an easy place to go to. Both sides just lacked the cutting edge on the day, as Falkirk picked up a crucial point on the road. Hearts 4-0 Dundee United The Jambos have had a tough past few weeks, with a heavy defeat to Sturm Graz on aggregate and an opening-day defeat at Pittodrie followed by a demolition job at the hands of Benfica, but a huge win will only do Hearts good as they got their first league win of the season. Renaud opened the scoring early on with an outrageous strike before Calvin Miller converted a penalty. Braga made it three in the second half, with Josh McPake also getting his first goal in maroon, as Hearts demolished Jim Goodwin’s side, which will only boost confidence going into Thursday despite the tie almost being over. Rangers 1-2 Hibernian A very disappointing afternoon in Govan, as McInnes still awaits his first win as Rangers manager, which has already seen some fans turn against the former Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Hearts boss. The Hibees appear to enjoy a trip to Govan in recent years, as they did yesterday afternoon. Hibs were awarded a penalty after a VAR check just inside 12 minutes, which saw Josh Campbell convert to send the small travelling support into chaos. Rangers kept trying all they could to equalise, and in the 85th minute an own goal by Chaiwa gave Rangers a route back into things, but as Rangers fans started to hope for a winner, it went the other way, as a very late Callum Wright goal gave Hibs the massive win in Glasgow. A short break away from the Premiership awaits, as League Cup football returns this weekend, with Aberdeen looking to get revenge on Dundee. Hibs take on Championship side Partick Thistle, Dundee United take on Celtic — a side they defeated at home twice last campaign — Rangers host St Mirren at Ibrox, Motherwell travel to Championship new boys Stenhousemuir, Killie host Ayr in the Ayrshire derby, and finally Hearts welcome Inverness to Gorgie.

Hearts, Rangers, Motherwell and Hibernian in Europe: European Preview

As four Scottish clubs are on the European stage this evening, let’s take a look at each of the four ties. Benfica v Hearts After Hearts’ 6-0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Sturm Graz, the Edinburgh side have been handed possibly the trickiest tie of the round with a trip to Portugal to face European giants Benfica. The Portuguese side slumped to a 2-1 defeat at St Gallen before coming back to win 5-0 to get through, in order to face Hearts, who, as we know, dropped out of the Champions League. Hearts will most likely be in for a long night if they don’t improve defensively and will have to ensure they don’t concede early doors. Benfica are yet to start their league season, but for Hearts, they started it on the wrong foot, losing 2-1 at Pittodrie against Aberdeen in a game which saw them ahead going into the dying moments. If Hearts do see off Benfica, they will play the winner of Aarhus or Sabah, but defeat will see the Tynecastle outfit face either Rapid Wien or Paide Linnameeskond. Jagiellonia v Rangers The Gers make the trip to Poland as they kick off their European campaign. This is both sides’ first European tie this campaign, as Rangers and Derek McInnes eye up a Europa League spot this season. The Polish side were defeated 5-4 by Italian side Fiorentina in last season’s Conference League, whereas for Rangers, they failed to progress past the league phase of the Europa League. On paper, you’d fancy Rangers tonight, but the game this evening will be far from a breeze. Jagiellonia have already played two games this campaign in the Polish league, winning two from two against both Korona and Motor Lublin, with Rangers, of course, drawing 1-1 at Tannadice last week. If Rangers are to progress, they will face the winner of Larne or Iberia Tbilisi, but should the Gers suffer defeat, they will meet either FC RFS or FK Jablonec. HJK Helsinki v Motherwell The Steelmen are in Europe with a trip to Finland in store. HJK are rather well known on the big stage despite being knocked out of last season’s European campaign with a rather surprising defeat to Bulgarian side Arda Kardzhali on penalties. This is Motherwell’s first season in Europe since 2022, which saw the Steelmen stunned by Sligo Rovers after a 3-0 aggregate defeat. HJK Helsinki came up against fellow Scottish side Aberdeen in 2023, with both meetings ending in draws, in a group that also included PAOK and Frankfurt. The hosts eased past Northern Irish side Coleraine 8-0 on aggregate in the last round, with Motherwell getting past Faroese side HB Tórshavn 5-0 on aggregate, setting up a tasty meeting in Finland. Helsinki have already played 18 games in their league season, as the Finnish side sit fourth with 8 wins, 4 draws, and 6 defeats. For Motherwell, they defeated Hibernian 2-1 in the capital on opening day on Sunday as the Steelmen continue to impress. Should Motherwell progress, they will meet last season’s Europa League finalists, Freiburg. Hibernian v KF Shkëndija The Hibees are back after starting their European campaign in horror with a shock 2-0 defeat away to Malisheva, but made up for it in the second leg with a 4-1 victory at Easter Road. North Macedonian side KF Shkëndija are in town, having defeated Europa FC 6-0 over the course of two legs, as well as defeating NK Bravo in the latest round, to earn them the tie in Leith. The visitors have also met fellow Scottish side Aberdeen before, back in 2015, where the Dons were held to a goalless draw in the Granite City, but Aberdeen drew 1-1 away from home as they progressed via the away goals rule, which, of course, no longer exists. Hibs started their season off on the wrong foot, with a 2-1 defeat against Motherwell, but for the visitors, they began their league season with three points, defeating FK Skopje 3-0 on the opening day. Should David Gray’s men progress, they will meet the winner of IFK Göteborg or KAA Gent in the Play-Off Round.

Talking Points: St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock

Five talking points as St Johnstone defeat Kilmarnock 4-3. Strong first-half from the Saints. Last season’s Championship winners made their return to the top flight against Kilmarnock, and in the opening period, they looked comfortable. The patterns of play, looked decent defensively (goal aside) and created enough chances to go into the interval ahead, however, Kiltie’s strike in the tail end of the half meant that despite all of the Saints’ positive play, the sides went in level. A sensational second period. The second-half was quite brilliant. The Saints hit the front less than two minutes into it, when Diabate headed home from a corner, however, Hugill equalised just over a minute later. On 53 minutes, Holt found his own net after the ball came off him following a save from Steward. With just over twenty minutes remaining, a dangerous ball into the box came off a Kilmarnock defender and found the bottom corner. And with ten minutes to go, substitute Fotheringham, who looked sharp during his cameo off the bench, found the corner after receiving the ball from Fowler, to give St Johnstone three points on opening weekend. Saints show character. Last campaign, Simo Valakari’s men were solid on home soil, winning eleven, drawing six and only losing one and based on the performance produced against Kilmarnock, it is clear to see how. After conceding two cheap goals in quick succession, it would have been easy for the heads to drop, however, they didn’t let the goals derail them and kept pushing, and got their reward, scoring two in just over ten minutes to secure the three points, which shows that St Johnstone can compete at this level and will not give up, which is a huge testament to manager Simo Valakari, who has clearly got the buy in from the players, which is helped by the fact that ten of the starting XI were at the club last season. Dire defensive display. For the first St Johnstone goal, Tshibola lost control of the ball, then no one picked up Fowler in the penalty area, who converted into the bottom corner. The second goal came from a corner which was met by Diabate, who didn’t even have to jump to meet the ball in the air. And the third goal came from a free kick, which found its way in off of Schjønning-Larsen. Although Kilmarnock were decent going forward, defensively they were very poor, especially from set pieces, which was unexpected due to their League Cup campaign, where they didn’t concede a single goal. On the other hand, they only scored two goals in four games, which they managed to better in 20 minutes of action, which is a slight positive that Neil McCann can take from the game. Alarming signs for Kilmarnock from a defensive perspective with the champions Celtic on the horizon. Fantastic Fowler There were several standouts for St Johnstone, including Gullan, who created five chances (the most in the match) and picked up two assists, Fotheringham, who came off the bench to score the winner and Josh Fowler, who led the line terrifically for St Johnstone. The former Queen’s Park striker took his only chance of the match, slotting the ball past the Kilmarnock goalkeeper, set up the winner and looked comfortable on the ball. The Saints will be hoping from more of that from their number nine for the remainder of the campaign.