The 2025-26 Premier League season is here, and Liverpool returns as the reigning title-holders.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea rounded out the top four last season. Are there any other clubs that can break into the top four?

Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton were relegated. Promoted from the Championship were Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland. What are those clubs’ chances of staying up in the Premier League?

Last season, Liverpool’s Mo Salah won the Golden Boot with 29 goals; Erling Haaland won the Golden Boot in the two seasons prior. Which player is the favorite to be the Premiership’s top goal scorer this season?

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ experts’ predictions for the upcoming Premier League season:

Premier League 2025-26 top four finishers

Premier League 2025-26 relegated teams

Premier League 2025-26 Golden Boot winner

Potentially the final chapter of the Michigan football sign-stealing saga came and went on Friday, Aug. 15, when the NCAA handed the Wolverines a long list of punishments.

Those punishments included another suspension for coach Sherrone Moore.

Moore, who’s in his second season as Michigan’s head coach after being promoted from offensive coordinator following Jim Harbaugh’s exit to coach the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, is set to miss three more games over the next two years. That’s after being suspended in 2023 for a different infraction in the Harbaugh Era at Michigan.

Moore is set to miss two games in 2025, with the NCAA adding an additional one-game suspension for the 2026 season. Those games are to be served against Central Michigan, Nebraska, and Western Michigan.

Michigan is certainly more willing for Moore to serve multiple suspensions rather than miss postseason play, although the NCAA said there was substantial enough evidence to warrant a postseason ban.

Here’s the full timeline of Moore’s suspensions since he was hired by Michigan in 2018.

Sherrone Moore suspensions timeline

Sept. 2, 2023

Moore was suspended for one game in 2023 due to self-imposed penalties, as he missed Michigan’s season opener against East Carolina as offensive coordinator.

Moore was suspended for the game for a separate recruiting violation unrelated to the sign-stealing scandal that involved communicating with recruits during the COVID-19 dead period. The suspension also led to Harbaugh missing three games, as the Wolverines aimed to get out in front of potential future NCAA sanctions. Harbaugh was eventually given a four-year show-cause penalty and a one-year suspension for the infractions.

Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, 2025

Moore will miss two games in 2025 as part of Michigan’s self-imposed suspension for his role in the advanced scouting scandal headlined by former staffer Connor Stalions.

Moore will coach in Michigan’s Week 1 and 2 games against New Mexico and Oklahoma, his alma mater, before missing consecutive games against Central Michigan and Nebraska. The NCAA accepted Michigan’s self-imposed suspension, but added an extra game for 2026.

Sept. 5, 2026

Moore was handed an additional one-game suspension on Friday, Aug. 15, when the NCAA’s committee of infractions handed a series of fines and penalties for the sign-stealing scandal.

Moore’s one-game suspension will be served in Week 1 of the 2026 season, when Michigan is scheduled to face Western Michigan at home on Sept. 5, 2026. Moore was also handed a two-year show-cause penalty after the investigation.

Since Taylor Swift made her first appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game nearly two years ago, the team has been reaping the benefits.
Chiefs principal owner Clark Hunt says the fanbase’s male-female ratio has gone from 50-50 to 57% female.
Travis Kelce’s jersey sales spiked 400% overnight after Swift’s first appearance at a Chiefs game, according to Fanatics,

Who knew that the beginning of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour would kick off another new era in a totally different part of American culture?

Since she made her first appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game nearly two years ago, the team has been reaping the benefits of its own Taylor Swift era.

Chiefs principal owner Clark Hunt joined the Pat McAfee Show on Friday, Aug. 15, and spoke on the effects that Swift’s relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce have had on the team.

‘It’s been a whirlwind for the organization over the last two years since Taylor literally stepped into our lives,’ Hunt said. ‘She’s done an amazing job, unintentionally, of increasing our female fanbase. We used to be about a 50/50 ratio, male to female fanbase, and now 57% of our fans are female, which I think is probably the highest in the National Football League.

‘So there’s absolutely been a Taylor Swift effect.’

The Chiefs’ Swiftie era can trace its roots back to the pop superstar’s concert at Arrowhead Stadium in July 2023, with two concerts making up one of the earliest stops on her 149-show Eras Tour. Weeks after the tour stop in Kansas City, Kelce lamented on his and his brother’s ‘New Heights’ podcast that he wasn’t able to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it.

Roughly two months later, Swift was spotted on the broadcast cheering on Kelce from a suite at her first Chiefs game. (Hunt said Friday she insisted on getting a ‘normal fan’ experience at that first game with no additional security – ‘she literally walked through the front door,’ he said. With fans largely expecting her to attend the Chiefs’ home games, she has received heightened security from the team in the time since.)

According to analysis by marketing firm Apex Marketing, from September 2023 – when Swift attended that first game – through this past February – the date of the most recent Super Bowl – Swift brought in nearly $1 billion worth of publicity to the NFL.

Swift’s connection to the Chiefs means that Kansas City has undoubtedly gotten one of the largest pieces of that metaphorical pie – and the demographic shift that Hunt pointed out Friday certainly suggests that.

To that end, Kelce’s jersey sales spiked 400% overnight after Swift’s first appearance at a Chiefs game, according to Fanatics, and Kelce, Swift and the Chiefs have not looked back in the time since that first outing. The singer has attended 23 Chiefs games – including five playoff games and two Super Bowls – since the two began their relationship.

On Wednesday, Swift made her first-ever podcast appearance on ‘New Heights’ and spoke about her relationship with Kelce and her experience as a new Chiefs fan. The episode had a record-setting 1.3 million concurrent viewers during its YouTube premiere and now has 15 million views (and counting) on the video streaming site as of Friday afternoon.

Chicago Sky All-Star Angel Reese hasn’t played since the end of July because of a back injury.

The forward still made news off the court on Thursday, Aug. 14, when she announced her signature Reebok shoe will go on sale earlier than expected. The Angel Reese 1s, originally slated for release in 2026, will drop on Sept. 18 for $120.

The AR1s will come in three color combos called Mebounds, Receipts Ready and Diamond Dust.

Reese, 23, has been out with a back injury since the Sky’s 103-86 loss to the Washington Mystics on July 29. She was averaging 14.2 points, a league-leading 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in her second season in the league.

The 2025-26 Premier League season got off to an entertaining start, with defending champions Liverpool claiming a 4-2 win over Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, Aug. 15.

The match was infused with emotion from the start, as fans from both teams honored Diogo Jota, the late Liverpool player who passed away in July after a car crash. The Reds eventually rode the crowd support to a first-half lead, with Hugo Ekitiké marking his Liverpool debut by scoring a 37th-minute opener.

Ekitiké would add an assist early in the second half, setting up Cody Gakpo to give Liverpool a two-goal cushion, but the game’s final half-hour ended up being an adventure. Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo — who in the first half reported to the refereeing crew that a racist remark had been directed at him — struck twice in an eight-minute span, flipping what seemed like a comfortable Liverpool win on its head.

However, the hosts recovered from an unlikely source. Federico Chiesa, who has seen his place on Liverpool’s depth chart fall due to an influx of attacking talent, rewarded manager Arne Slot for sending him on as a late substitute, slotting home an 89th-minute game-winning goal that sent Anfield into raptures. Deep in stoppage time, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah bagged the fourth, with the Egypt forward now tied with Andy Cole for fourth all-time in Premier League goals with 187.

Here’s how the Premier League game between Liverpool and Bournemouth went down, including goal highlights and commentary:

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth highlights

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: Reds claim 4-2 win in season opener

The Premier League has gotten off to an entertaining start, with Liverpool claiming a 4-2 win despite having thrown away an early two-goal lead.

Debutant Hugo Ekitiké had a goal and an assist in the game’s first 49 minutes to give Liverpool a 2-0 lead, but Antoine Semenyo — who in the first half reported to the refereeing crew that a racist remark had been directed at him, apparently from the stands — stunned Anfield with two second-half goals in an eight-minute span.

However, Liverpool recovered, with substitute Federico Chiesa scoring an 89th-minute winner, and Mohamed Salah sealed the deal with a fourth in stoppage time.

Liverpool goal! Salah makes sure of Premier League win

Who else but Mohamed Salah could arrive to make sure Liverpool doesn’t let this second lead of the night slip away.

Four minutes into stoppage time, a simple ball over the top catches Bournemouth napping, and Salah charged across from the right to gain possession.

The Cherries managed to collapse two defenders to confront him, but Salah is a master of these situations, putting in a feint before zipping an angled shot past Djordje Petrović to make it 4-2.

That’s 187 Premier League goals for Salah, tied for the fourth-most in league history (now level with former Manchester United striker Andy Cole).

And before this entry is done, that’s full time.

Liverpool goal! Substitute Chiesa pounces late

Liverpool may just have escaped with a win, with Arne Slot’s final substitute Federico Chiesa improvising to steer home an 89th minute goal that may well be the game-winner.

Chiesa has been overlooked with all of Liverpool’s costly offseason additions, but the Italy winger did very well to read an awkward bounce off of the back of a Bournemouth defender.

Shuffling his feet, Chiesa wisely chose placement over power, finding a gap to fire home what may be a dramatic game-winning goal.

Liverpool makes last sub, removing Wirtz

Arne Slot has used his fifth and final substitution in the 82nd minute, replacing Florian Wirtz with Federico Chiesa.

Despite this being the first of 38 games, these could be a very big 10-plus minutes to play. Liverpool picked up 46 of a possible 57 points at Anfield last season, so this would be a disappointment even before you factor in how they held a 2-0 lead in this game.

Bournemouth goal! Semenyo stunner ties this up 2-2

Anfield is stunned as Antoine Semenyo has struck again, making it 2-2 in the 77th minute.

Liverpool was caught with way too many players forward, and Bournemouth needed two simple passes to create a four-on-two break going the other way. Hamed Traorè found Semenyo to start the break, and Liverpool simply never had the options to stop the Ghana winger’s charging run up the middle.

From there, Semenyo had to make one quick move to open up a shot at the top of the box, burying a shock equalizer.

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: Substitutions for both teams

Arne Slot has made two more substitutions in the 72nd minute. Curtis Jones is on for Alexis Mac Allister, and defender Joe Gomez has replaced Hugo Ekitiké.

Ekitiké gets a warm round of applause after marking his debut with a goal and what would be a game-winning assist if Bournemouth can’t manage another goal.

It looks as though Liverpool has Gomez at right back, with Wataru Endo moving into the midfield. Dominik Szoboszlai has moved up a line, becoming an attacking midfielder, while Florian Wirtz is now the center forward.

Two minutes later, Bournemouth makes their first change, replacing Alex Scott with Hamed Traorè. That appears to be a like-for-like change.

Bournemouth goal! Semenyo gets Cherries on the board

Liverpool has barely given Bournemouth a sniff of goal, but the Cherries are back in this game after a razor-sharp transition attack ends in a 64th minute Antoine Semenyo goal.

Bournemouth broke out, finding left winger David Brooks in space out wide, and the situation was suddenly a three-on-three.

Brooks delivered a perfect ball, and Semenyo’s hard work to beat everyone to the spot despite starting on the other touchline paid off, with Alisson not able to keep the shot out despite getting a hand to it.

Game on at Anfield.

Liverpool substitutions: Frimpong, Kerkez depart

At the hour mark, Liverpool is the first team to make substitutions, with Arne Slot switching it up at either fullback position.

Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez jog off, with Wataru Endo on at right back and Andrew Robertson setting up on the left.

Liverpool goal! Gakpo makes it 2-0

And just like that, it’s 2-0 Liverpool, leaving Bournemouth with a mountain to climb in the 49th minute.

It’s pretty simple stuff in the aftermath of a corner kick: Hugo Ekitiké held possession inside the box, drawing a defender and showing some patience for Cody Gakpo’s run to arrive.

With Bournemouth not locked in, Gakpo didn’t even have to sprint to find the gap, and from there the Dutch attacker moved play towards the middle before steering a simple shot into the bottom corner.

Like Ekitiké before him, Gakpo offered a celebration commemorating the late Diogo Jota.

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth back underway

No substitutions from either team as the Premier League’s first game of the 2025-26 season is back underway for the second half.

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: Reds lead 1-0 at halftime

Halftime arrives just as this game threatened to break open, with both teams creating chances in the final seconds.

It’s 1-0 Liverpool, which is more or less a fair reflection of play.

There haven’t been a ton of genuine opportunities, but there are several talking points: a VAR decision that is not going to be popular in most quarters, an alleged racist remark from a Liverpool fan directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, and Hugo Ekitiké’s first goal after a $105 million summer move to Liverpool.

Liverpool goal! Ekitike strikes on his debut

Much has been made of Liverpool’s spending spree this season, and one of the newcomers has delivered on his debut.

Hugo Ekitiké has the first goal of the 2025-26 Premier League season, burying a golden chance in the 37th minute. The French striker seemed to have lost out to Marcos Senesi, but the Bournemouth defender’s tackle was sloppy, and Ekitiké was able to reclaim possession, waltz in alone and fire past Djordje Petrović.

Ekitiké added a touch of class with his celebration, holding up a ’20’ symbol with his hands to honor Diogo Jota, who wore the No. 20 shirt (which, since his passing, has been retired).

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth pauses over reported racist remark

Play at Anfield was halted for nearly two minutes, with referee Antony Taylor bringing both managers together as well as the captains.

The reason for the stoppage is unclear at first, but USA Network relayed from the Premier League that Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo had reported that a racist remark had been directed at him.

There are no further details at this point, and play has resumed.

Liverpool looking for early red card

Bournemouth may be fortunate to escape an early moment at midfield with 11 players.

A bouncing ball confounded Marcos Senesi at midfield, with the Bournemouth center back eventually making clear contact with his fingertips on what could have otherwise been a breakaway from midfield.

The situation was checked by VAR, who ruled that the ball’s earlier contact with Senesi’s thigh is what caused the hand ball, a relatively recent interpretation referees are to use in situations like this. However, replays seem to show that the contact with Senesi missed his arm and took another bounce before the Argentine tipped the ball out of trouble with his hand.

Liverpool isn’t happy, but this game remains 11-on-11 as VAR ruled there was not a denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO).

Around the 27th minute, USA Network’s broadcast team said that the Premier League’s official choice on the play was that the opportunity for Liverpool wasn’t clear enough to be declared ‘obvious,’ rather than the decision being about the handling offense.

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: Premier League season kicks off

Following a touching minute’s silence to commemorate the passing of Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva (who died in a car crash in July), the 2025-26 Premier League season has officially kicked off.

Liverpool has us underway at Anfield.

Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: Time, TV channel and how to watch Premier League soccer

Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Anfield (Liverpool, England)
TV: USA Network (English), Universo (Spanish)
Stream: Fubo

Watch Liverpool vs. Bournemouth on Fubo (free trial)

Liverpool lineup: Starting XI vs. Bournemouth

Liverpool’s first starting 11 of the 2025-26 Premier League season includes all four of its most costly additions from the summer transfer window, with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kirkez, and Jeremie Frimpong all included in Arne Slot’s lineup.

Here is the complete starting 11 to face Bournemouth:

Bournemouth lineup: Starting XI vs. Liverpool

Bournemouth has announced Andoni Iraola’s starting lineup to take on Premier League champions Liverpool. USMNT star Tyler Adams is unsurprisingly on the list, as is another former MLS player in goalkeeper Djordje Petrović (who joined the Cherries this summer in a reported $33.8 million transfer from Chelsea).

Here is the full Bournemouth starting 11:

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!

The NCAA is handing out four different show-cause orders to the four people most involved in the Michigan football team’s sign-stealing scandal in 2023.
The show-cause orders are against former Wolverines Connor Stalions, Jim Harbaugh, Denard Robinson and current head coach Sherrone Moore.
A program seeking to hire someone with an active show-cause would have to appear before the NCAA’s committee on infractions and make a strong case why it specifically wants to hire the person.

The NCAA announced Friday it was handing out four different show-cause orders to the four people most involved in the University of Michigan football team’s sign-stealing scandal in 2023.

But what is a show-cause order? And who is it affecting?

The NCAA’s announcement on Aug. 15 of sanctions against the Michigan program included penalties for four people associated with the scandal: Connor Stalions, the former Michigan defensive analyst who orchestrated much of the illicit ‘off-campus, in-person scouting scheme;’ Jim Harbaugh, former Michigan head coach and current Los Angeles Chargers head coach; Denard Robinson, former assistant director of player personnel for Michigan; and Sherrone Moore, Michigan’s active head coach.

Here’s what to know about the show-cause orders imposed on each of them:

Who was penalized by the NCAA for Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal?

The NCAA announced its sanctions for Michigan’s illicit activities in the 2023 season on Friday.

Here are the four active or former personnel members of the Michigan football program hit with sanctions for their involvement in the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal and what their penalties are, per the NCAA:

Former defensive analyst Connor Stalions: Eight-year show-cause order
Former head coach Jim Harbaugh: 10-year show-cause order, which begins Aug. 7, 2028 after the conclusion of a current, four-year show-cause order from a previous rules violation.
Former assistant director of player personnel Denard Robinson: Three-year show-cause order
Current head coach Sherrone Moore: Two-year show-cause order, plus a three-game ban. Michigan self-imposed a two-game ban for Moore during the 2025 season, which he will serve in Weeks 3 and 4 (vs. Central Michigan, at Nebraska) this year. The NCAA also imposed its own one-game ban for the Wolverines’ first game in the 2026 season (vs. Western Michigan in Germany).

All three former members of Michigan’s football program are not currently employed by a college football program and are restricted ‘from all athletically related activities during the show-cause period.’

Moore, who is Michigan’s active head coach, did not receive the same prohibitions.

The football program as a whole also received its own list of penalties. They include four years’ probation, a ‘multimillion-dollar fine’ and certain prohibitions on recruitment: ‘a 25% reduction in football official visits during the 2025-26 season’ and ‘a 14-week prohibition on recruiting communications in the football program during the probation period.’

What is a show-cause order?

A show-cause order is essentially a college football-wide ban on hiring a person to join their coaching staff.

If Michigan or any other college football program wanted to hire Stalions, Harbaugh, Robinson or Moore (or any other person with an active show-cause), it would have to appear before the NCAA’s committee on infractions and make a strong case for why it specifically wants to hire one of them.

The name ‘show cause’ comes from the case that the prospective employer must make to the NCAA, showing cause for why previous infractions will not happen again if a previous offender is hired at a new program.

Show-cause orders are a somewhat common penalty imposed on coaches or other personnel found to have violated major rules.

Other recent/active show-cause orders in college athletics

Here are a few other examples of recent or active show-cause orders in college sports:

Kelvin Sampson, 2008: The former Indiana head basketball coach and current Houston head coach received a five-year show-cause for NCAA violations during his time at Indiana, including impermissible calls to recruits.
Bruce Pearl, 2011: The former Tennessee head basketball coach and current head coach at Auburn received a three-year show-cause for lying to the NCAA about hosting a recruit during a cookout at his home.
Jim Tressel, 2011: The former Ohio State head coach received a five-year show-cause for failing to report NCAA violations involving his team’s players.
Jeremy Pruitt, 2023: The former Tennessee head football coach received a six-year show-cause for providing impermissible benefits to recruits during his time coaching the Volunteers. Pruitt’s show-cause is still active and runs through July 13, 2029.