{"id":864316,"date":"2026-08-22T11:36:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T11:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/864316\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T11:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T11:36:14","slug":"pick-your-premier-league-team-plus-nba-vets-on-the-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/864316\/","title":{"rendered":"Pick your Premier League team, plus NBA vets on the move"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning! Embrace all the footballs today. Inside:<\/p>\n

New Obsessions: Help me pick a Premier League team<\/p>\n

Hi! I\u2019m Hannah. I co-wrote\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0World Cup newsletter over the summer, and in the weeks since it ended, I\u2019ve plummeted down the rabbit hole of international soccer mania.<\/p>\n

Actual footage of me jumping into my next sports fandom:<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

I was born into the swamps of south Louisiana and into the blood of two fandoms: the LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints. About 15 years ago, I moved to New York City and adopted two more: the New York Knicks and the New York Mets.<\/p>\n

Fate laid these alliances out for me. Now, something much more knotty: choosing my own fate in the form of a Premier League team.<\/p>\n

How does one DIY that powerful concoction of emotional resonance, intellectual connection, community devotion and manic obsession \u2014 without the proximity?\u00a0That is the grand task before us today. Generate new sports fandoms \u2026 together.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

The first rule of joining Premier League fandom is: You\u2019re entering a sacred space. Just as you wouldn\u2019t walk into someone\u2019s kitchen and start mucking about with their grandma\u2019s china, when picking a club to support,\u00a0it\u2019s best to lead with curiosity, deference and a willingness to learn.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, with that said, here are six ways to pick your Premier League team if you weren\u2019t born into it. (Video version here!<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Start by taking\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0Premier League quiz<\/a> to give you a suggestion to test out. I got \u2014 *drumroll* \u2014 Arsenal! Defending champs, let\u2019s gooooo! (As a Knicks fan, this feels right.) I got lucky here considering the next one\u2026
\nAny family or national connections? My sister is an Arsenal fan because her husband is an Arsenal fan because he emigrated from Russia as a kid, and when he started watching club soccer, Arsenal had a Russian star in Andrey Arshavin. Thus, a new family legacy began.
(If you want to follow U.S. players, some of our guys from the USMNT are spread across Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Coventry and Leeds.)
\nAny great local watch bars\/pubs where you live?\u00a0This is one of the BEST ways to recreate the communal devotion that the Premier League inspires. Plus, if you\u2019re going to be drinking beer at the crack of dawn every Saturday thanks to time zone madness, you might as well do it with other d\u0336e\u0336g\u0336e\u0336n\u0336e\u0336r\u0336a\u0336t\u0336e\u0336 passionate friends!
\nWhat\u2019s your sports-fan personality?\u00a0Do you love a villain origin story? Prefer the hopeful underdog? Require a good theme song? Will follow any team Idris Elba likes?\u00a0I wrote something for you<\/a>.
\nWhere would you actually like to visit?\u00a0Sorry to most of the cities that aren\u2019t London.
\nWhat team do you\u00a0actually\u00a0fall in love with?\u00a0This is the best method of all, and I recommend it as our final step. Take your time, watch matches, get to know some teams, get to know their fans, listen to their chants and let your heart lead.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udea8Paging all CURRENT Premier League fans: Make your pitch!\u00a0What team should we ride for? Why should new fans go with your squad?\u00a0Email us<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few key storylines to know heading in:<\/p>\n

Arsenal are favorites to win it again.\u00a0Only three managers have ever won back-to-backs in the Premier League era. Can Mikel Arteta (N.B. That\u2019s a good-looking man!) do it?\u00a0See the odds<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0our predictions<\/a>.
\nAlmost\u00a0half\u00a0the teams have a new manager (coach).\u00a0The most seismic shift is the departure of Manchester City\u2019s legendary Pep Guardiola. In terms of Pep\u2019s impact on the team, and English football as a whole, it\u2019s not unlike Steve Kerr retiring!? (Check out\u00a0this piece<\/a> about how the Boston Celtics\u2019 Joe Mazzulla studied Pep!)
\nErling Haaland is chasing a record-tying\u00a0fourth\u00a0Premier League Golden Boot.\u00a0He won it last year.<\/p>\n

Want more?\u00a0Here\u2019s our\u00a0Beginner\u2019s Guide to Premier League teams<\/a>, with history, mascots, kits and the most surprising or delightful fact\u00a0about each team from our reporters.<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s our\u00a0mega guide on how to watch the Prem<\/a>\u00a0this season.<\/p>\n

News to Know<\/p>\n

\n Clive Brunskill \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Skinner will miss the U.S. Open<\/p>\n

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will not play each other in a 2026 Grand Slam \u2014 which is crazy given they made up seven of eight finalists in 2025. Less than a day after Alcaraz announced his\u00a0return\u00a0from a four-month injury absence, Sinner withdrew from the U.S. Open with a knee injury. The world No. 1\u2019s absence means French Open champ Alexander Zverev will be the top seed while Alcaraz \u2014 if he\u2019s near 100 percent \u2014 will see a clear path to his eighth major title.\u00a0Our writers\u2019 analysis here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Big-name vets on the move<\/p>\n

Two very accomplished NBA scorers appear to be landing in spots with solid swan song potential. DeMar DeRozan agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Nuggets that\u00a0gives Denver a still-excellent midrange shooter<\/a>\u00a0to pair with Nikola Joki\u0107 and Jamal Murray, while Klay Thompson and the Mavericks reached a buyout agreement that paves the way for\u00a0Thompson to sign with the Heat<\/a>\u00a0tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Another eligibility twist<\/p>\n

For those in the \u201cI just can\u2019t anymore\u201d camp when it comes to news about college sports eligibility (\u270b), we\u2019ll keep this simple: We\u2019re a week away from college football season and thousands of players from the 2022 class who looked like they\u2019d be eligible to play after a court ruling are now again\u00a0not\u00a0eligible because\u00a0an appeals court paused that decision<\/a>. But for those who are named plaintiffs in state-level lawsuits over the same issue? Totally different! Examples:<\/p>\n

Ex-UCLA point guard Donovan Dent\u00a0is transferring to LSU<\/a> for his fifth year of eligibility after a California injunction (joining fellow ex-Bruin Skyy Clark in Baton Rouge).
\nFormer FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos was granted an injunction in\u00a0Kentucky\u00a0that could allow him to\u00a0bolster Texas Tech\u2019s thin QB room<\/a>.
\nMore News<\/p>\n

Somehow more than half the tickets to the\u00a02028 Olympics\u00a0in\u00a0Los Angeles\u00a0have been sold already<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Timberwolves\u00a0and\u00a0Lynx owner Marc Lore\u00a0is selling his controlling interest in the teams at a $4.5 billion valuation.\u00a0Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Former\u00a0Browns All-Pro running back Nick Chubb\u00a0is retiring after eight seasons.\u00a0Good reflections in his statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Missing trophy alert: The replica 35-pound, sterling silver\u00a0Walter Cup\u00a0belonging to\u00a0Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League champs Montreal\u00a0was\u00a0lost in transit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Worth watching\u00a0this outrageous throw<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Braves right fielder Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr.\u00a0The\u00a0Brewers\u00a0won, though, becoming the first to 80 dubs.<\/p>\n

Baltimore Ravens wideout Rashod Bateman\u00a0faces a family violence charge after a June incident in which he\u2019s accused of breaking the windshield of a car carrying his 3-month-old daughter and her mother.\u00a0Full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Phillies players\u00a0hit golf balls from the upper level of\u00a0Citizens Bank Park\u00a0to determine the order of their fantasy football draft.\u00a0They aren\u2019t the only team going about this ridiculously<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The person accused of throwing a green sex toy on the court of Thursday night\u2019s\u00a0Sparks-Dream\u00a0game was\u00a0arrested and banned<\/a>\u00a0from all\u00a0WNBA\u00a0and\u00a0NBA\u00a0games. (A similar thing\u00a0happened last night<\/a>\u00a0at\u00a0Sky-Valkyries. Argh.)<\/p>\n

Lionel Messi\u00a0was fined by\u00a0MLS\u00a0for\u00a0lightly slapping<\/a>\u00a0Union\u00a0attacker\u00a0Quinn Sullivan.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0\u00a0Find more news here 24\/7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Watch Guide<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa EPL: Everton vs. Crystal Palace
10 a.m. ET on USA Network
Weekend morning sports are so back. Both teams bring managerial intrigue, for opposite reasons: Crystal Palace\u00a0has a new boss<\/a>\u00a0in Pierre Sage, while Everton\u2019s Will Moyes is\u00a0in the final year of his deal<\/a>. There\u2019s also an American connection here, as USMNT fixture Chris Richards plays for Palace.\u00a0Full EPL schedule here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa WNBA: Fever at Liberty
7 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Game 1 of a back-to-back for a surging Indiana team, as we covered\u00a0earlier this week<\/a>. New York is also in playoff position and has won seven of its last 10 games. Star-studded, this one.<\/p>\n

Get tickets to games like this here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pulse Picks<\/p>\n

\n Illustration: Eamonn Dalton\/The Athletic; Getty Images<\/p>\n

More Premier League links to peruse:<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfdf\ufe0f\u00a0Richard Sutcliffe has been to ALL 72 stadiums in the English Football League, the three divisions below the Premier League,\u00a0and he ranked them all<\/a>.\u00a0This is about VIBES, and I loved every second of it.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbd Speaking of rankings:\u00a0KIT RANKINGS!!!<\/a>\u00a0Nick Miller, with his signature brand of lightly mean quippyness, ranks all the Premier League\u00a0home<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0away<\/a>\u00a0kits this season.\u00a0LMAO at the one that looks like Rachel\u2019s baby daddy\u2019s sweater from that \u201cFriends\u201d episode?? Aston Villa\u2019s are my favorite for\u00a0both.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfb8 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve always wondered:\u00a0If Premier League coaches (\u201cmanagers\u201d) were rock stars, what rock star would they be?\u00a0Wonder no more because\u00a0our Tim Spiers has the definitive list<\/a>, plus a \u201crock n roll\u201d rating for each.<\/p>\n

\u26bd Soccer may have been born in England, but it\u2019s the world\u2019s sport now. If you want to learn more about international soccer, here\u2019s a\u00a0GREAT, digestible video from Henry Bushnell explaining soccer around the world<\/a>\u00a0and how to pick what to follow.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcc8 You know what they say: Sometimes all it takes\u00a0to get the hot water back on<\/a>\u00a0is an American billionaire and $27 million. I absolutely LOVED this story about how\u00a0Sheffield Wednesday (yes, that\u2019s a real ! team ! name !) is attempting to turn around a 2-44 season (two ! wins ! only !) into a climb all the way back up the table to the Premier League.\u00a0That\u2019s kind of like a D3 school getting into D1.<\/p>\n

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The Reds managing to lose after\u00a0dropping a fly ball<\/a>\u00a0that would have been the game-ending out.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb That\u2019s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com<\/a>, and check out our other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":864317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-864316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=864316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/864317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=864316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=864316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=864316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}