14 things we loved this weekend: Arsenal, Messi, Martinez, Seedorf…
The season is officially underway, following the curtain-raiser of the Community Shield at Wembley.
Arsenal lifted the first piece of silverware of 2023-24 after a last-gasp equaliser against Manchester City, while the Football League kicked off, with Leicester, Southampton and Leeds United getting to grips with life back in the Championship with varying degrees of success.
Elsewhere, the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup supplied some outrageous drama.
Here are 14 of our favourite moments from the weekend’s action.
Lionel Messi
Living up the hype.
Good morning. Lionel Messi is still ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/KPmIhEuIRv
— Planet Football (@planetfutebol) August 7, 2023
Arsenal
The Gunners have won the first silverware of the new season.
One game, one 100th minute goal. The 2023/24 season has started strong. 💪pic.twitter.com/2CuQ5sCUlP
— COPA90 (@Copa90) August 6, 2023
Clarence Seedorf
Still got it.
Clarence Seedorf 🔥#Game4Ukraine 🇺🇦pic.twitter.com/iZOA9LJilc
— Planet Football (@planetfutebol) August 5, 2023
Lisandro Martinez
See yer.
Lisandro Martinez with a clean nutmeg 😍 pic.twitter.com/f2XtRh2CQA
— WORLD OF FOOTBALL ⚽️ (@worldofootball_) August 5, 2023
Florian Sotoca
For better or worse, Andre Onana is going to be box office, isn’t he?
Buckle up, Andre, the Premier League awaits 🎯😱
New Man United goalie, Andre Onana, got a rude awakening at his Old Trafford debut when Florian Sotoca of Lens lobbed him from halfway!#ManUtd #OwnGoal pic.twitter.com/wS3O4FDvE9
— Half Time Sports (@ha1ftimesports) August 5, 2023
Nahuel Guzman
Emiliano Martinez could never.
Tigres GK Nahuel Guzman pulls string from his nose then saves a penalty
This is a whole new level of GK distraction techniques 😄pic.twitter.com/0pz05lr1gE
— Felipe Cárdenas (@FelipeCar) August 5, 2023
This own goal
Oh, mate. Fortunately, it didn’t matter for Laia Codina as Spain went on to muller Switzerland.
"It's a terrible backpass, an absolute shocker!"
Spain have had a nightmare here – Switzerland are level in bizarre circumstances.#FIFAWWC #SUI #ESP pic.twitter.com/zjn0ayuISS
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 5, 2023
The greatest penalty shoot-out ever
The USWNT will not be winning a third successive Women’s World Cup after their dramatic defeat to Sweden.
In very bizarre circumstances, VAR had the final say as Sweden knocked #USA out of the #FIFAWWC on penalties #SWE pic.twitter.com/TSK9DzXWRx
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 6, 2023
Rayan Ait-Nouri
Disgusting.
An outrageous finish, Rayan 😳 pic.twitter.com/WQ4vyJwxEz
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 5, 2023
Andre-Pierre Gignac
Still doing his thing in Mexico.
Stop that Gignac. pic.twitter.com/QwU9yEHASK
— Stop That Football (@stopthatfooty) August 5, 2023
Bayer Leverkusen’s social media admin
Well played guys.
𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲⏸️
Are we Massive now, @WestHam?
90’ | 4-0 | #B04WHU | #Bayer04 pic.twitter.com/OZriguSRzH
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) August 5, 2023
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
A Premier League-quality player doing his thing in Championship.
WHAT A FINISH! Dewsbury-Hall grabs his second goal of the game 🔥🦊 pic.twitter.com/lUxNoPpU0r
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 6, 2023
This Aston Villa fan
What a joker.
This Aston Villa fan pretended he was an Aston Villa player & brilliantly confused & convinced these Valencia fans 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/r4UwZoZbjm
— Project Football (@ProjectFootball) August 5, 2023
Emerson Royal
An enjoyably odd bloke.
This is Emerson Royal’s world pic.twitter.com/tMaB7Zj3EJ
— Alok Badri (@alok_TTID) August 6, 2023
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