Club football returned with a bang! Mo Salah resumed smashing records, Antoine Semenyo continued his brilliant start to the season, Fadera was clutch, and Ilenikhena snatched a last-gasp victory. We bring you all the action across Europe in the latest weekly football recap episode.
MOHAMED SALAH SMASHES ANOTHER RECORD
Mo Salah hit another milestone achievement as his stoppage-time winner helped Liverpool maintain their perfect start to the 2025/2026 Premier League season.
The Reds visited Burnley at Turf Moor, eager to dispatch the newly-promoted side in their title defence quest.
Liverpool were frustrated repeatedly by a well-organised Burnley side in the opening half, and the half ended on level terms. Despite upping the tempo of their performance after the restart, Liverpool struggled to break down a disciplined Burnley side, and the match remained goalless till their persistence paid off.
Tunisian midfielder Hannibal Mejbri handled Jeremie Frimpong’s cross in Burnley’s penalty area in stoppage time, and the referee pointed to the spot. Liverpool’s Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, stepped up and delivered brilliantly. With the fate of Liverpool’s title defence quest on his shoulders, he laced his shot with power and precision. He buried the penalty emphatically into the top corner, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way in the 95th minute. There was no stopping his venomous shot! Salah overtook Andy Cole on the Premier League all-time goalscorers list with his penalty goal and sits comfortably in 4th position.
Three vital points as Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the season and reclaimed top spot in the Premier League.
RED-HOT ANTOINE SEMENYO LEADS BOURNEMOUTH TO VICTORY
Antoine Semenyo was the star of the show as Bournemouth clinched an impressive victory over Brighton FC at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth got off to a much-desired start in the 18th minute, going ahead through Alex Scott. Skipping past his marker, Semenyo released a short pass to Scott on the edge of the penalty area, and the Englishman unleashed a thunderbolt into the back of the net. Scott’s goal was the difference between the sides at the break.
Brighton’s half-time team talk worked wonders as they grabbed an equaliser three minutes into the second half. Yankuba Minteh teased a deep, inviting cross towards the back post, and Kaoru Mitoma applied a simple header to guide it into the net. Game on!
Brighton’s fortune was reversed as Bournemouth were awarded a penalty after Evanilson was brought down before the stroke of the hour mark, and Antoine Semenyo stepped up. Composed and assuredly, the Ghanaian winger rolled the ball into the net with relative ease to restore his side’s lead in the 61st minute.
Antoine Semenyo has been in unstoppable form since he was racially abused in Bournemouth’s season opener against Liverpool. With his goal and assist against Brighton, Semenyo became the first player to be directly involved in five Premier League goals this season, three goals and two assists across four league appearances. He has justified Bournemouth’s decision to reject all offers for him and reward him with a new long-term contract.
Both sides made a couple of substitutions afterwards, but the scores remained unchanged as Bournemouth held on for the win—a third consecutive victory for The Cherries.
ALIEU FADERA WINS IT FOR SASSUOLO
Alieu Fadera was the hero as Sassuolo claimed a hard-fought victory over SS Lazio at the Mapei Stadium. The 2024/2025 Serie B champions have had a tough start to life in the top flight this season, losing their two opening games to Napoli and Cremonese. They desperately needed a win to get their season back on track.
The first half was lacklustre and dull as both sides struggled to create clear-cut goalscoring chances. There was nothing to separate them at the break.
Both coaches made several substitutions to swing the match in their favour, and Sassuolo’s gamble paid off.
64th-minute substitute Alieu Fadera popped up at the right place at the right time to hand Sassuolo the three points in the 70th minute. Tarik Muharemović nodded a corner kick goalwards and Fadera reacted instinctively, flicking the ball home from close range to send the home fans into raptures. Despite appeals for offside, the goal was given. The on-loan Gambian winger is off the mark for his new club. A perfect week for Fadera, who scored his first international goal for Gambia midweek.
A vital goal and an important victory for Sassuolo, the newly-promoted Serie A side’s first win since May 2024, as they condemned Lazio to a second consecutive away loss.
ETTA EYONG’S DREAM DEBUT
Levante UD’s new boy Etta Eyong came up clutch for his new side, helping the club to a thrilling draw against Real Betis at the Ciutat de València.
The Segunda División Champions were fully intent on snapping their winless run since they returned to the Spanish top-flight, and Betis were the obstacle in their path.
Levante got a glorious start as Iván Romero netted the opener with just two minutes on the clock.
Levante debutant Etta Eyong made an instant impact and announced his name to the Levante faithful in the 10th minute with a beautifully taken goal. Eyong reacted quickly to the loose ball following a brilliant interception by Pablo Martínez. Outmuscling one defender and dancing his way round the goalkeeper, he fired the ball into the net. Dream debut! Eyong has had a bright start to the new top-flight season, registering three goal involvements in three games for Villarreal before his sale to Levante. The Cameroonian Forward picked up from where he left things at Villarreal.
Cucho Hernández halved the deficit for Betis in the additional minutes of the first half to give the away side a lifeline going into the break.
As the three points slipped away from his side in the second half, Betis’ coach looked to his substitutes for inspiration and introduced Moroccan winger Abde Ezzalzouli in the 72nd minute to make his first appearance of the season.
Abde wasted no time making his presence known, teeing up Pablo Fornals for the equaliser in the 81st minute. Abde teased a floating cross to Fornals and unmarked in the box, the Spanish midfielder glanced a header into the net to draw both sides level. The referee’s whistle signalled the end of a thrilling draw.
Levante’s first point of the season as they snapped their three-game losing run.
SUPER SUB ILENIKHENA
George Ilenikhena delivered the goods with a Cristiano Ronaldo-esque header to hand AS Monaco the three points in their Ligue 1 fixture against AJ Auxerre away at the Stade de l’Abbé Deschamps. The first half remained goalless till Takumi Minamino ghosted into Auxerre’s 18-yard box to snatch the opener for Monaco in the closing minutes of the half. His goal was the difference between the two sides at the break.
Auxerre were soon reduced to ten men after the restart as defender Josué Casimir was shown a red card. Against the run of play, Auxerre drew level through a stroke of luck in the 73rd minute as Ghanaian centre back Mohammed Salisu put the ball into his net, deflecting Cameroonian Forward Danny Namaso’s cross into the net.
78th-minute substitute George Ilenikhena came up with the goods for Monaco eleven minutes after his introduction. Vanderson teased a sumptuous cross into the box following a well-worked team move. Rising highest, Ilenikhena powered a looping header into the back of the net to spare AS Monaco’s blushes.
A striker’s goal! A well-timed occasion to net his first Ligue 1 goal of the season. The Nigerian striker is up and running this season.
Consecutive victories for AS Monaco as they climbed into the third position on the Ligue 1 standings, and a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 loss at the hands of Monaco for Auxerre.
AMOURA NETS IN THRILLER
Mohamed Amoura was back among the goals as VfL Wolfsburg played out to an entertaining draw against FC Köln at the Volkswagen Arena.
Köln took the lead through Luca Waldschmidt in the fifth minute of the game, silencing the home fans spectacularly. Wolfsburg asked questions of Köln’s defence, but they were unfruitful till Mohamed Amoura grabbed an equaliser in the 42nd minute. Amoura rose highest in the box and, connecting well with Arnold’s inswinging cross, planted a bullet header into the net. Straight from the training ground! A second Bundesliga goal for the Algerian striker this season as both sides ended the half on level terms.
A 65th-minute goal by Lovro Majer restored Wolfsburg’s lead. In contrast, three goals by Ísak Jóhannesson, Maximilian Arnold, and Jakub Kamiński in the additional minutes of stoppage time resulted in a frantic end. The full-time whistle saw both sides take an equal share of the spoils—a satisfying end to a chaotic game.
