Charlton Athletic maintain their good start by easing past newcomers Wigan Athletic.

In the Championship, Coventry City open their new Ricoh Arena with a 3-0 win against Queens Park Rangers.- Tottenham Hotspur - with Edgar Davids making his debut - go top of the Premiership with a 2-0 won over Middlesbrough. Charlton Athletic maintain their good start by easing past newcomers Wigan Athletic. Manchester United also have a 100% record after beating Aston Villa 1-0 at Old Trafford.

- In the Championship, Coventry City open their new Ricoh Arena with a 3-0 win against Queens Park Rangers. Reading are the new leaders after thumping Millwall 5-0 at the Madejski Stadium. The visitors - who are now bottom - had keeper Andy Marshall sent-off after 23 minutes. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ club record unbeaten run comes to an end with a 0-2 setback at Leeds United.

- Brentford take over at the helm of League One. They beat Tranmere Rovers 2-0 while Oldham Athletic jump up to second after a 4-1 win against Chesterfield.

- Leyton Orient’s winning start comes to a crashing end as they are beaten 4-1 by Rochdale at the Matchroom Stadium. New boys Barnet are the new leaders - they beat Macclesfield Town 1-0 at Underhill.

- The first Old Firm meeting of the season sees Rangers beat Celtic 3-1 at Ibrox but Hearts still lead the way after a 2-0 win against Aberdeen.

The Ghana international has been pursued all summer by the Premiership champions but Lyon steadfastly insisted that the 22 year-old would be staying in France.

Paul Gascoigne has held informal talks about investing in Peterborough United.- Chelsea complete one of the most drawn out transfers of the summer with the signing of Lyon midfielder Michael Essien. The Ghana international has been pursued all summer by the Premiership champions but Lyon steadfastly insisted that the 22 year-old would be staying in France. Chelsea’s patience has paid off though with the capture of their primary summer target in a €38 million (£26 million) move. The Essien fee eclipses the £24 million they paid for Didier Drogba in June 2004.

- Paul Gascoigne has held informal talks about investing in Peterborough United. The former England midfielder has reportedly met with Barry Fry - the owner of the League Two club - about the possibility of buying his shares in the London Road club.

- West Ham United could be in line for a takeover by Media Sport Investment, the company headed by Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian. The Hammers say no bid proposal had been put to the board while MIS state they are considering making an offer for the Premiership new boys. They also admit that plans were at a very early stage and there was no guarantee that a firm offer would be made.

- Veteran striker Steve Claridge has joined Gillingham on a non-contract basis. The 39-year-old has agreed a match-by-match deal at the Priestfield Stadium after being sacked as manager of Millwall after less than a month in charge at the New Den.

The Manchester City keeper conceded all four goals as a second-half sub.

Multiplex, the developers of the new Wembley Stadium, report lower-than-expected profits and warned of tougher times ahead.- David James receives a storm of criticism after he admits to failing to prepare properly for England’s 4-1 defeat in Denmark last night. The Manchester City keeper conceded all four goals as a second-half sub. He was clearly at fault with the first goal and continued to look uneasy throughout the 45 minutes as England suffered their heaviest defeat under Sven Goran Eriksson. James must now wait to see if he will be given a reprieve by the England coach during the World Cup qualifiers with Wales and Northern Ireland next month.

- Multiplex, the developers of the new Wembley Stadium, report lower-than-expected profits and warned of tougher times ahead. The property firm described full-year net profits of 148.1m Australian dollars (£62.3m) as ‘disappointing’. They been hit by delays and cost overruns at the Wembley project where work is due to end in March in time for the FA Cup Final in May.

- Northern Ireland’s Keith Gillespie will be allowed to play in next month’s World Cup qualifiers despite being sent-off in last night’s friendly in Malta. FIFA confirm that the suspension will carry over to other friendly matches, leaving the Sheffield United winger free to face Azerbaijan, England and Wales.

- Former Blackburn Rovers boss Roy Hodgson will become Finland’s national manager from August 2006, according to the country’s Football Association. The current boss of Norwegian club Viking Stavanger, led Switzerland to the World Cup finals in 1994. He will replace Jyrki Heliskoski, who became caretaker boss after Antti Muurinen was sacked in June.

It’s England heaviest-defeat since Ron Greenwood’s Lions lost in Wales by the same scoreline in May 1980.

Walter Smith’s improving Scotland are denied victory in Austria by two late goals.- England’s World Cup credentials are dented with a humiliating 4-1 defeat in a friendly international in Denmark. It’s England heaviest-defeat since Ron Greenwood’s Lions lost in Wales by the same scoreline in May 1980. The Danes score all four goals in the second-half with Wayne Rooney netting England’s late consolation.

- Walter Smith’s improving Scotland are denied victory in Austria by two late goals. Strikes from Kenny Miller and Garry O’Connor give the Scots a 2-0 interval lead but the Austrians recover to force a draw.

- A new-look Wales under John Toshack play their first game in Swansea for 17 years. A disappointing crowd of 10,016 at the New Stadium see an encouraging 0-0 draw against Slovenia.

- Only a last-minute penalty save from Maik Taylor saves Northern Ireland from further blushes in Malta. After David Healy gave them the lead, Malta scored their first-ever goal against NI to earn a draw. To add to their woes, Keith Gillespie is sent-off.

- Tottenham Hotspur’s Fredi Kanoute agrees to join Sevilla for £4.4million in a four-year deal. The La Liga club recently sold their star striker Julio Baptista to Real Madrid.

The civil service arm of the European Union has been unhappy about the way Premier League football matches have been sold.

A last minute goal from Charlton Athletic’s Darren Ambrose earns England’s Under-21 a deserved 1-0 win in the friendly international in Denmark.- The European Commission expresses its concerns about distribution of Premiership TV rights in 2007. The civil service arm of the European Union has been unhappy about the way Premier League football matches in the UK have been sold. Sky Sports will show 138 live televised matches from the Premier League this season, via Sky Sports but the commission wants the market opened to competitors when current deals expires in two years time.

- A last minute goal from Charlton Athletic’s Darren Ambrose earns England’s Under-21 a deserved 1-0 win in the friendly international in Denmark.

- St Mirren believe they have been saved from liquidation after the Scottish Executive decided not to call-in their plan for a new stadium. The First Division club will now sell their Love Street ground to a supermarket and build a new arena in nearby Greenhill Road.

- The allocation of friendly internationals being played in the midweek following the first weekend of the Premiership has brought stinging criticism from Newcastle United manager Graeme Souness. Former England boss Glenn Hoddle joins the debate as he thinks the following weekend’s games should all be played on a Sunday.

The Latics push champions Chelsea all the way on their Premiership debut.

Hearts are top of the SPL with a 100% record after three games.- Brave Wigan Athletic are devastated by a last gasp Hernan Crespo winner as the Latics push champions Chelsea all the way on their Premiership debut. Arsenal start their last season at Highbury with a hard fought 2-0 win against Newcastle United. Jermaine Jenas - recently linked to the Gunners - is sent-off in the first half.

- With a 3-0 win at Dundee, Hearts are top of the SPL with a 100% record after three games. Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood plays downs suggestions that Old Firm domination can be challenged after their 3-2 defeat of Rangers at Pittodrie.

Wayne Rooney scores his first goal at Everton in Manchester United’s 2-0 win.

Luton Town are held to a goalless draw by Leeds United but share top spot in the Championship with Queens Park Rangers.- Ten-man Charlton Athletic and new boys West Ham United are the big winners on the opening day of the Premiership - 3-1 at Sunderland and home to Blackburn Rovers respectively. Wayne Rooney scores his first goal at Everton in Manchester United’s 2-0 win. Ruud Van Nistelrooy nets the first Premiership goal of 2005-06 but three of the eight games are goalless.

- Luton Town are held to a goalless draw by Leeds United but share top spot in the Championship with Queens Park Rangers. QPR beat Sheffield United 2-1 but the game is preceded by director Gianni Paladini being held at gunpoint as he is forced to resign from the board. Wolverhampton Wanderers create a new club record of 21 consecutive league games without defeat with a 1-0 win against Hull City at Molineux.

- Shaun Goater grabs a late equaliser at the Bescot Stadium to deny Walsall a club record eight league wins in a row but the Saddlers are still top of League One. Leyton Orient make it three wins out of three in League Two as the Os make their best start for 93 years.

His proposal for a new FA board is seen as a dilution of the power of the Premier League.

Under a tough new crackdown, hooligans who cause trouble at matches in England or Wales risk being banned from every ground and having their passports confiscated.- Lord Burns releases his report in to the restructuring of the Football Association. His proposal for a new FA board is seen as a dilution of the power of the Premier League. Lord Burns was asked to conduct a six-month review of the structure of the FA by the government, following a year of controversy at Soho Square. His new FA Board would reduce the professional game’s influence. The 12-man board should only feature three professional and three amateur members as well two non-executive directors from outside football.

- Under a tough new crackdown, hooligans who cause trouble at matches in England or Wales risk being banned from every ground and having their passports confiscated. The Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers announce that troublemakers will be taken to court rather than being cautioned or given a fixed penalty fine. The announcement comes with next year’s World Cup in Germany in mind with the police revealing that 900 suspected hooligans are being targeted by 29 dedicated policing operations.

Sadly, racial abuse is aimed at Liverpool’s Djibil Cisse.

Arsenal’s Ashley Cole could go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after failing to overturn a guilty verdict at his tapping-up appeal. - Liverpool are almost certain of reaching the group stages of the Champions League following their 3-1 win at CSKA Sofia. Sadly, racial abuse is aimed at one of the Reds’ scorers Djibil Cisse. A Bulgarian journalist claims Cisse provoked the crowd, but manager Rafa Benitez states ‘That is stupid. To score goals is not to provoke the fans’. Fernando Morientes nets the other two goals.

- Arsenal’s Ashley Cole could go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after failing to overturn a guilty verdict at his tapping-up appeal. The England left-back’s fine for illegal talks with Chelsea is reduced from £100,000 to £75,000 by the Premier League appeal panel. His solicitor Graham Shear responded ‘an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne is very likely.’ Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho guilty verdict is also upheld with his fine reduced from £200,000 to £75,000.

- In the night’s domestic action, Brentford go to the top of League One with a 3-1 win at Chesterfield. In League Two, Oxford United claim their first win under Brian Talbot (1-0 against Torquay United) while Boston United and Shrewsbury Town share two goals at York Street.

Manchester United look likely to progress to the group stages after they beat Hungary’s Debrecen 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Sheffield United and Luton Town are the only teams with 100% records in the Championship after two games.- Everton’s first taste of Champions League football is a 2-1 defeat by Villarreal at Goodison Park. After Luciano Figueroa gave the Spaniards the lead, James Beattie revived the Toffess hopes on 42 minutes but they were short lived as Jose Moreno Josico restored the visitors’ advantage before the interval. Manchester United look likely to progress to the group stages after they beat Hungary’s Debrecen 3-0 at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo are on the mark but the talking point is the relatively low attendance of 51,701. It’s the first game at Old Trafford since the Glazer takeover with the new owners detractors claim the below capacity attendance is an obvious protest. The game is also screened live on terrestrial TV.

- Sheffield United and Luton Town are the only teams with 100% records in the Championship after two games. The Blades win 2-1 at Burnley while the promoted Hatters post a second success against one of the clubs relegated from the Premiership with a 3-2 victory against Southampton at Kenilworth Road. Crystal Palace are bottom and, along with Burnley, they are one of two clubs without a point.

- Walsall beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 at the Bescot Stadium and are joined by Oldham Athletic and Swansea City at the head of League One with six points from their opening two games. Carrying on from last season, Paul Merson’s Saddlers have now won seven league games in a row to equal a club record dating back to 1959.

- Leyton Orient are the only League Two team with a two wins out of two start with their 2-1 win at Bury. The Shakers are still to gain their first point, as are Mark Wright’s Peterborough United.