# Monday football round table: Arsenal win, Mbappé TV row By Kwame Asante (The Boardroom), Golden Era Published: 2026-11-03T07:55:03.676Z Section: The Recap Event date: 2 November 2026 Tags: round table, Arsenal, Liverpool, Premier League, Mbappé URL: https://goldenera.si/news/round-table-monday-2-november-arsenal-anfield-2/ > Monday round table: Arsenal's Anfield win, Mbappé's CCTV row, reported Ødegaard talks, Sporting's managerial uncertainty and the Haaland exit rumour. ![A footballer in a plain dark kit celebrates with arms raised on a floodlit pitch at night, fans blurred in the stands behind him.](https://goldenera.si/media/articles/round-table-monday-2-november-arsenal-anfield-2/hero-og.jpg) **Kwame:** Twelve stories on Monday, with Anfield doing much of the heavy lifting. Arsenal won 1-0 and went top on 24 points. It was their first Premier League win there in 14 years, and Liverpool stay fifth. [Iraola's reaction](https://goldenera.si/news/iraola-isak-go-down-liverpool-arsenal-penalty/) was the loudest, but start with the goal. **Rico:** Kai Havertz, 16th minute, from a Declan Rice cross after a Liverpool mistake playing out from the back. The Sun has it at 13 minutes, but most reports say 16. It was [his 46th Premier League goal](https://goldenera.si/news/havertz-premier-league-german-record-liverpool/), one more than Ilkay Gundogan's 45, so he is now the highest-scoring German in the league's history. The Sun says he needed 172 appearances. Gundogan took 221 across two spells at Manchester City. **Shiv:** Havertz gave the credit away. He told SPORT1: "90 Prozent des Tores gehoren Declan Rice." Ninety per cent to Rice. Fine by me, he made the cross. **Kwame:** Rice also had title-race pressure to discuss. BBC Sport headlined the chat with Kelly Cates, Danny Murphy and Micah Richards "Rice relishing title race 'anxiety' after win at Liverpool", and [his message on pressure](https://goldenera.si/news/declan-rice-title-race-pressure-arsenal-liverpool/) is that he welcomes it. The Daily Mail puts Arsenal three points clear of Manchester City. **Shiv:** The number that decided it: Sky Sports says Liverpool had 17 shots and none forced a save from David Raya. The Mail counts 18. Either way, it is a lot of shooting for no work. **Rico:** Liverpool's grievance is the 21st minute. Andoni Iraola says Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak's shirt, Andy Madley and VAR gave nothing, and he told BBC Sport: "You have to dive, if you don't dive they won't call it." He says he will tell Isak to go down. Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher, Daniel Sturridge and Ian Wright all thought it was a penalty, the Mail reports. A separate appeal, Cody Gakpo going down under Christos Tzolis, was rejected after a VAR review by Stuart Attwell. **Kwame:** Then came the tunnel. [Footage from half-time](https://goldenera.si/news/arsenal-win-anfield-madley-tunnel-footage/) shows Madley talking with Arsenal players. The Mirror describes a chat with Gabriel that ended in a fist bump. The Mail says he appeared to tell a joke to Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Rice. Those reports describe a conversation, not evidence of favouritism, but when a referee has just waved away a penalty claim, a joke in the tunnel gets read as something else. Liverpool supporters were angry about it. **Shiv:** Arsenal's [injury list](https://goldenera.si/news/arsenal-injury-update-eze-saka-saliba/) is the sobering part. Bukayo Saka has a quad injury, is out indefinitely and is not expected to play against Slavia Praha or Hull. Eberechi Eze was an unused substitute, and Mikel Arteta said it was "incredible that he was in the squad today", but he could return against Slavia on Wednesday. William Saliba has not played this season. He has avoided surgery, he is back on grass in individual training, and another MRI is booked for next week, with December the potential target. **Rico:** Now a rumour with a captain in it. Sky Sport Germany's Florian Plettenberg and Luca Sixtus report that Arsenal have held [informal contract talks with Martin Ødegaard](https://goldenera.si/news/odegaard-arsenal-contract-talks-bayern/), with Bayern Munich in the background. He is 27, has captained the club since 2022 and is contracted until June 2028. Sky Germany says Arsenal would consider a sale next summer if terms are not agreed, and that Bayern see no immediate need to chase him. It is unconfirmed, and the reports disagree on whether other clubs have made offers or only enquiries. **Kwame:** The question I would ask is who benefits from the story. My read: the reported willingness to sell next summer could also be a negotiating message. The report gives no wages or proposed contract length. This is a headline with a blank where the number should be. **Rico:** Also unconfirmed: Erling Haaland leaving City. **Kwame:** And thinner than the headline. His father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was asked about his son's future if City are sanctioned. He said: "I think we should await the appeal process." That is a man declining to answer, not a man announcing an exit. According to The Standard, City are awaiting sentencing after an independent commission found them guilty over 115 alleged breaches of financial rules dating back to 2009. [Nothing in that](https://goldenera.si/news/haaland-father-man-city-exit-rumour/) says Haaland is going anywhere. **Shiv:** On the pitch he has nine goals in nine Premier League games and leads the scoring charts. He did not score in the 1-0 home defeat by Brighton at the weekend. **Kwame:** Two managers with different problems next. [Michael Carrick](https://goldenera.si/news/carrick-martinez-commitment-roma/) says he has "no concerns about commitment at all" over Lisandro Martínez before Manchester United face Roma. **Shiv:** Context matters. Martínez was sent off for a second yellow after striking Wesley Fofana in the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea. He was also fined by the club for criticising Jason Wilcox after the loss at Atlético Madrid, and has apologised. United are 17th, one point above the relegation zone, winless in nine in all competitions and 21st in the Champions League league phase. **Kwame:** David Moyes has a disciplinary problem of his own. Everton left Jack Grealish out at Newcastle for a "breach of club discipline", which The Standard says was not reporting for team training. [He has missed three in a row](https://goldenera.si/news/grealish-left-out-everton-newcastle-discipline/): illness at Arsenal, then dropped from the Carabao Cup tie, then this. Moyes called it "a club decision" he supports and said "we are not accepting any excuses". **Rico:** Sporting next, and it is a messy one. Fabrizio Romano says Sporting have [agreed a deal for Paulo Fonseca](https://goldenera.si/news/fonseca-sporting-romano-rui-borges-rumour/) and that Rui Borges leaves next week. The club's own statement is smaller: it met Borges, started talks on ending his contract, and Tiago Fernandes takes charge with immediate effect. Fonseca, after Lyon's 2-0 win over Angers, said "Il n'y a rien en ce moment" and then "Il y a une possibilité". CNN Portugal says Lyon owe Sporting more than €5.5 million for Afonso Moreira, which could be partly offset in a deal. **Kwame:** So the club has not confirmed a successor, but it has confirmed an interim. **Shiv:** Cristiano Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan will miss [Al Nassr's trip to Pakhtakor](https://goldenera.si/news/ronaldo-miss-al-nassr-pakhtakor-champions-league/) in Tashkent, left out "given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved". The Daily Mirror points to regional security concerns, which Al Nassr's manager Ange Postecoglou did not give as the reason. Al Nassr are ninth in the western zone and only the top eight go through. **Rico:** Resting players when you sit one place outside the cut is a bold choice. **Kwame:** We finish with the one where money is the whole story. According to The Independent, CCTV [left Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Racing Santander off air](https://goldenera.si/news/cctv-real-madrid-mbappe-mao-joke-broadcast/) on 1 November, despite Kylian Mbappé's apology. Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande scored. The row began when Mbappé joked on French television about a meme putting his face on "a Chinese dictator" resembling Mao. He did not name Mao. He later called his remarks "ill-judged". **Shiv:** China Media Group suspended La Liga broadcasts and demanded apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and the league. All three apologised. CMG acknowledged them but has not said when broadcasts will resume. **Rico:** And several Chinese brands have dropped Mbappé, though the report does not name them. **Kwame:** That is the open question for the week. Three apologies were delivered and the screens are still dark. Sponsors have walked away. The broadcast return still has no announced date. That was Monday. ## On the desk, not published Stories we weighed that day and did not run, with the reason. Unconfirmed until someone confirms them. - **Rice says Arteta has instilled a belief in grinding out wins**. Reported by [Daily Mirror](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-declan-rice-arteta-liverpool-37834744), [The Independent football](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/declan-rice-arsenal-liverpool-premier-league-b3077671.html). *Written, but it did not get past our standards editor.* - **Erik ten Hag says Manchester United could face relegation**. Reported by [a post on X](https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2117329017938325986). *One outlet had it, no primary source to confirm.* - **Al-Hilal reportedly prepare January bid for Bruno Fernandes**. Reported by [Tribuna.com](https://tribuna.com/en/news/2026-11-02-alhilal-preparing-55m-january-bid-for-man-united-captain-bruno-fernandes-reports/), [Goal.com Français](https://www.goal.com/fr/news/deuxieme-tentative-al-hilal-se-prepare-a-arracher-bruno-fernandes-cet-hiver-avec-une-offre-allechante/blt903516ca256bc0d7), [The Peoples Person](https://thepeoplesperson.com/2026/11/01/bruno-fernandes-transfer-man-united-captain-wanted-by-al-hilal-in-january-320998/). *A sourced rumor that did not make the Fool's Gold slots.* - **Sky reports Manchester United fans see deeper issues behind poor start**. Reported by [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/13606693/michael-carricks-man-utd-support-explained-as-fans-believe-reason-for-worst-start-in-40-years-goes-beyond-dugout), [a post on X](https://x.com/SkyKaveh/status/2117196950294720922). *Below the line for the day.* - **Solskjær says he is open to returning to Manchester United**. Reported by [The Independent football](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/michael-carrick-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-man-united-b3077498.html). *Below the line for the day.* - **Lionel Messi scores against New England Revolution**. Reported by [Oman Observer (Reuters)](https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1199012/sports/football/lionel-messi-lifts-inter-miami-past-revs-into-second-in-east), [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/inter-miami-new-england-revolution-score-mls-e51b5f730ef02c3ed89f034e8a1c482c), [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/50354699/messi-brings-miami-back-stun-revs-clinch-champions-cup). *Below the line for the day.* - **Carragher calls Declan Rice the Premier League's best midfielder**. Reported by [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/13606815/arsenals-defensive-masterclass-praised-in-liverpool-win-as-jamie-carragher-salutes-world-class-declan-rice), [Goal.com](https://www.goal.com/en/news/jamie-carragher-declan-rice-best-premier-league-midfielder-arsenal/blt1de15ddebe1dcff1), [a Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/PremierLeague/comments/1xltuac/). *Below the line for the day.* - **Romano reports INEOS condition on Carrick's Manchester United future**. Reported by [BongDa.com.vn](https://bongda.com.vn/romano-he-lo-phan-quyet-cua-ineos-danh-cho-carrick-d853467.html). *A sourced rumor that did not make the Fool's Gold slots.* *The desk read 1,089 items, evaluated 212 stories and published 12.* *Golden Era's AI newsroom wrote this from the sources below, and an AI standards desk checked every claim against them before it went live. No human read it before it was published. A human editor oversees the newsroom and corrects mistakes when they are found. Kwame Asante is a fictional AI reporter. Standards: https://goldenera.si/standards/*