A predictable start to the Premier League season sees Erling Haaland pick up where he left off
After a summer bursting with unexpected plot lines, a familiar story. As a host of intriguing new characters are added to the cast list, the main man reasserted his dominance. As the Premier League returned, so did Erling Haaland. Perhaps it was the most crushingly predictable start to a season imaginable. For now, Manchester City are top of the table and Haaland is the top scorer. Fast forward nine months and each statement may remain true. There was, though, something devastatingly awesome amid the sense of the normal. Haaland’s defence of his Golden Boot began within 185 seconds of the opening whistle. He is a fine first-time finisher, but this was a different kind of first touch: his first of the top-flight campaign entered the Burnley net. His second goal arrived before half-time, too, a goal with a devastating blend of power and accuracy. None of which spared him an animated tongue-lashing from Pep Guardiola as they made their way off at half-time but, along with a Rodri goal, it proved too much for Burnley. Champions of the Championship lost to champions of the Premier League and, indeed, Europe. None of which may surprise Vincent Kompany – a man with a statue outside the Etihad Stadium was a regular visitor to the ground last season – or the Turf Moor faithful. There are one-sided rivalries and then there is Burnley against City: Guardiola’s 12th consecutive win against the Clarets took the aggregate score in that time to 43-1. Each has an added dimension: it was Burnley, but not as the Premier League last knew them, with the passing principles Kompany has borrowed from Guardiola, but undone by the Haaland factor. City effected a swift transition from a team who excelled at sharing the goals around to one who were comfortable relying on one potent individual. They were not at their superlative best at Turf Moor: but with a finisher of Haaland’s calibre they did not need to be. His debut campaign in England yielded 52 goals, the best by a top-flight player for almost a century, and 36 in the Premier League, a divisional record. It was exceptional, but perhaps not a one-off. Normal service was soon resumed: Haaland may deem a quiet Community Shield as a lucky omen, given he has now started successive Premier League campaigns with a brace. Turf Moor, even refurbished to add some hints of gleaming modernity, can prove an unpleasant place to visit and a missile was thrown at Rico Lewis, leading to a fan being removed by police, while the substitute Anass Zaroury got an injury-time red card for an ugly lunge at Kyle Walker. Yet its intimidatory powers were diminished when Haaland swept City into an early lead. Kompany started with three centre-backs and Burnley conceded after three minutes. The Norwegian’s longest goal drought in a City shirt had spanned six games in four competitions, three of them finals. It was ended so swiftly and calmly to suggest he had not spent the summer fretting about a rare barren spell. Kevin De Bruyne crossed, Rodri headed the ball back across the box and Haaland slotted in a low shot. It was a reminder that his greatest asset may not be height or pace, even though they give him a physical advantage over most opponents, but the uncanny ability to get the ball in a crowded box. He is, too, much more than just a poacher, as his second goal showed. A left-foot curler, whipped with power, in off the underside of the bar, after Julian Alvarez found him was the sort of goal De Bruyne might have scored, albeit with his other foot. But the City captain had departed by then: much like in his previous start, the Champions League final, the Belgian limped off in the first half. He may miss the European Super Cup but his departure had a more immediate impact, with Guardiola bringing on Mateo Kovacic and shuffling Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Alvarez around to restore a little control during Burnley’s best spell of the game. They were muted thereafter, conceding a third when Rodri lashed in after Burnley failed to clear Silva’s free kick. But there had been an enterprising element to Kompany’s team. The Swiss striker Mohamed Zeki Amdouni was a livewire on his debut, indicating he has the verve to trouble plenty of teams. He tested Ederson with one shot, but it remained Burnley’s lone shot on target. It helped that City could bolster its defence with the £77m signing Josko Gvardiol, whose late bow came as a substitute left-back. A previous City defender, Kompany, had shown his boldness. He selected six summer signings in his starting 11, picking a team with an average age of just 23 years and 306 days. It was the youngest Burnley have named in the Premier League and featured a lone survivor, Connor Roberts, from their last game at this level. They have been reinvented during their exile in the Championship. It coincided with Haaland’s arrival and, if he never had the air of a one-season wonder, Burnley got unwanted evidence his second year at City could be just as productive as his first. Read More The Premier League is having an identity crisis – but one thing can save it Pep Guardiola expects Man City’s standards ‘to drop’ this season Premier League 2023/24 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more Kevin De Bruyne faces ‘few weeks out’ after suffering another hamstring injury ‘Not my decision’ whether I get time to transform Chelsea – Mauricio Pochettino Erling Haaland at the double as Manchester City kick off new campaign in style
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Kim Kardashian mocked Kendall Jenner's love life with a t-shirt – and critics all said the same thing
Kim Kardashian’s used to making headlines with her wardrobe choices, but she usually opts for more elaborate attire than a pretty basic t-shirt. And yet, social media is currently awash with chatter about a classic black tee she wore for a new TikTok with daughter North West. Not because of its uncharacteristically simple style, but because it is emblazoned with a cheeky dig at her younger sister Kendall Jenner. The top, captioned with the words “Kendall Starting Five” shows the supermodel surrounded by five of her NBA star exes: Devin Booker, Jordan Clarkson, Ben Simmons, Kyle Kuzma, and Blake Griffin. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It’s not the first time fans have clocked the sartorial joke, after Kim was filmed wearing the same shirt in the trailer for the latest season of ‘The Kardashians'. And whilst plenty of people have gone wild for the t-shirt, others have accused the older sibling of unnecessary cattiness: And scores of commentators pointed out how Kendall could get her own back, if she wanted to play her big sis at her own game. They suggested she wear her own top featuring a photo of Kim and her ex-boyfriend Ray J – a nod to the notorious sex tape that the then-couple created back in 2007. But, if you ask us, that would be a pretty disproportionately brutal response to what’s clearly a light-hearted quip at Kendall’s comparatively drama-free love life. The 27-year-old is currently linked to Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny but the two have yet to publicly confirm that they’re an item. Meanwhile, Kim is apparently dating a “mystery man” who she refers to using a code name. In a teaser for their eponymous reality Hulu show, Kim made reference to a love interest named only as “Fred”. At the end of March, a source told US Weekly: “Kim isn’t officially dating anybody, but there is somebody who she’s interested in.” Meanwhile, anyone who’d like to copy her style is in luck: the Kendall Starting Five t-shirt is widely available on Etsy. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
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Chanel takes over Manchester for elusive Métiers d’art fashion show
Manchester is undergoing a drastic Chanel makeover ahead of their highly elusive fashion show set to take place on 7 December. The city's famed Thomas Street will play host to the multimillion-pound Métiers d'Art 2023/2024 catwalk with stars expected to be in attendance. The show is rumoured to last between 30 minutes to an hour. Details around the exclusive event have remained sparse after local businesses and those involved in the production were said to have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Metal structures, construction work and boxes labelled 'Chanel Manchester' have taken over the Northern Quarter since 17 November, with the area expected to return to a local hotspot on 15 December. A source told Indy100 that security will remain tight before and during the event, and confirmed it will not be open to members of the public. Giant Chanel fragrance ads featuring Timothée Chalamet have since cropped up across the vicinity, adding further excitement and speculation across the city. The local Selfridges in Exchange Square has also seemingly jumped on the Chanel buzz, with windows lined with the prestigious French fashion house and a newly erected Christmas tree dedicated to the brand. Manchester will follow in the footsteps of New York, Tokyo, Strasbourg, Rome and Shanghai. The event is held annually outside of the traditional schedule. It aims to showcase the talent and craftsmanship of the Chanel workers based in Chanel's Métiers d'art Paris headquarters. Manchester marks Chanel's first show in the UK since Karl Lagerfeld's Amy Winehouse-inspired 'Paris-Londres' collection in 2009. "Every year since 2002, Chanel has been the only house to create a collection dedicated to celebrating the savoir-faire of the Métiers d'art and their central importance to fashion, today and tomorrow," Chanel wrote earlier this year. "Presented in cities and places that inspire the house, from Tokyo to New York, via Dakar last year, this collection bears witness to the historic commitment of Chanel to this exceptional artisanal heritage and its influence around the world," the house added. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
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After castigating video games during riots, France's Macron backpedals and showers them with praise
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