⚽️ EPL Stars: Have Goals, Will Travel

Good morning. We are still in a holding pattern waiting for Premier League action to return. Fortunately, many of the EPL’s brightest stars are predictably shining during the international break. We will give you an overview of the Prem goal scorers on international duty and touch on a few other pressing issues. Let’s get it.

In the email today:

While we wait for the Premier League to return, we can at least admire the individual efforts of numerous EPL luminaries who are banging in goals with relative ease. Putting Prem players in these international matches is some “Madden on Rookie setting” ish, but a goal is a goal.

• Denmark (H) 4, San Marino 0 (European Championship Qualifying): Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Christian Eriksen (Spurs) both netted for the Danes.

• Netherlands (H) 3, Greece 0 (European Championship Qualifying): Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) scored in the 31st minute.

• Slovenia 4 (H), Northern Ireland 2 (European Championship Qualifying): Well, you don’t see this every day. Jonny Evans (Manchester United) scored for both his Northern Ireland side and also accounted for an own goal.

• Scotland (A) 3, Cyprus 0 (European Championship Qualifying): United’s Scott McTominay scored in the sixth minute to put Scotland on the path to a win.

• Portugal (A) 1, Slovakia 0 (European Championship Qualifying): Bruno Fernandes (United) gave the Portuguese a crucial victory.

• Ukraine (H) 1, England 1 (European Championship Qualifying): Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal) put Ukraine on the board before his former Manchester City teammate Kyle Walker leveled for England.

• Mexico (H) 2, Australia 2 (International Friendly): Raul Jimenez (Fulham) slotted home a penalty kick to bring his side within one, from which they drew with the Socceroos.

• Denmark 1 (A), Finland 0 (European Championship Qualifying): Hojbjerg again, this time for the win.

• Netherlands 2 (A), Republic of Ireland 1 (European Championship Qualifying): Gakpo cannot stop scoring, and his national team keeps winning.

Our take: A theme you’ll see running through these goals is how many of them were scored by players from teams near the top of the Premier League standings. A player like Gakpo has to fight with Mohamed Salah and others to get touches for Liverpool. On the Netherlands national team, he’s a target man.

2) ⚖️ Manchester United Needs to Stick or Twist with Antony

It’s deja vu all over again for United, who recently had to part ways with former phenom Mason Greenwood over unsavory allegations. That storm has passed, but now United has a “second verse, same as the first” issue with Antony.

• Antony is facing assault allegations made by his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.

• The striker has withdrawn from Brazil's squad for two World Cup qualifying matches due to ongoing police investigations into these allegations.

• Manchester United has issued a statement acknowledging the issue and has agreed with Antony to delay his return to the club until further notice while he addresses the accusations.

• Antony expressed his innocence in an Instagram post and explained the mutual decision with his club to take a period of absence to avoid distractions.

• Two more women have come forward with claims of physical assault by Antony, which he has also denied, and he has not been arrested or charged in relation to these claims.

Our take: Abhorrent behavior from professional athletes is not exactly a novel concept. United’s problem is that it’s possible to explain and wave away a singular instance like the Greenwood case. This Antony circumstance is more mud on the United crest.

3) ❌ Tweet of the Day: Harsh but Fair

It’s just a shame Sir Alex lived long enough to see things go this way.

4) 🗳️ Poll: Do You Follow Your Favorite EPL Players’ International Performances?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

5) 🔗 Links

• 🇦🇺 Australians are stoked about Ange Potsecoglou’s Spurs start.

• 🇸🇦 That knock on the door Premier League sides heard during the transfer period was Saudi teams almost outspending them.

• 😡 You masochists out there will probably enjoy this list of expensive transfer mishaps (and a few successes).

• ⚖️ Put your hands on an EPL manager, go to jail.

• 🪦 In “whistling past the graveyard” news, Everton keeper Jordan Pickford thinks he is in the best form of his life. OK then.

The newsletter today was written by Phil Keidel. Follow Phil on X @philkeidel.

Thanks for reading!