Manchester City playmaker Rayan Cherki offered a brutally honest self-assessment despite scoring twice in Saturday's 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace. The France international inspired a dominant second-half surge at Selhurst Park alongside Erling Haaland but insisted his overall display before the interval fell well short of expectations.
Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage pulled no punches regarding his squad's lacklustre display following a comprehensive 4-1 home defeat against Manchester City. Braces from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki condemned the Eagles to the foot of the Premier League table, with the French tactician left furious by a costly second-half drop in intensity.
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique hailed his squad's relentless character following a dramatic 2-2 draw away at Lille on Friday night. The reigning European champions appeared destined for defeat after falling two goals behind, only for stoppage-time strikes from Vitinha and Marquinhos to salvage an unlikely point at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Reigning champions Bayern Munich initiated their Bundesliga title defence with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena. Vincent Kompany's rampant side swiftly recovered from a momentary second-half equaliser, scoring four unanswered goals to extend their remarkable run of avoiding defeat in opening league matches since 2011.
Yaya Toure has guided Slovan Bratislava into the Champions League proper following a sensational away victory against Celje. The rookie manager has now admitted he wants his side to face former clubs Barcelona and Manchester City in the main stage.
Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs has committed his long-term future to the club by signing a contract extension until 2031. The 23-year-old Netherlands international enjoyed a stellar debut campaign on Wearside after arriving from NEC Nijmegen, securing 10 Premier League clean sheets to help the Black Cats qualify for continental competition.
