Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz got off the mark with a hat trick in a 6-0 thrashing of Barnsley at Stamford Bridge in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday.
Havertz, who joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen for 71 million pounds ($90 million), started both of his side's Premier League games against Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool but showed his class against Championship (second tier) side Barnsley.
It’s been a challenging couple weeks for Americans keeping tabs on Yanks abroad. With Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Sergiño Dest making headlines, Zack Steffen’s new role as understudy to Ederson at Manchester City has been largely overshadowed.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed 26-year-old Portuguese defender Nelson Semedo from Barcelona for 30 million euros ($35.1 million) plus add-ons, the La Liga club announced on Wednesday.
The right back, 26, has penned a deal that will keep him at Molineux until June 2023, with an option to extend it to June 2025.
Semedo made 122 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions after arriving from Benfica in 2017. He won two Spanish league titles, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.
On paper, Watford traveled to southeast Wales on Tuesday as overwhelming favorite over Newport County in their third-round League Cup tie. Watford was a Premier League club last season, while Newport County was a middling League Two side. What the Hornets failed to account for though was Newport's penchant for upsetting upper-league opposition in cup competitions.
Seamus Coleman was just an 18-year-old lad from Donegal when he joined Everton from Sligo Rovers for £60,000 in 2009. Since then, he has developed into one of the Premier League's finest right backs, amassing 321 senior appearances for the club to go with 56 international caps for the Republic of Ireland.
After the departure of Phil Jagielka last summer, Coleman was named club captain, an honor he also earned for his home country.
Tuesday's League Cup third round match between Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed after a number of Orient players tested positive for COVID-19, the Football League has confirmed.
Orient announced on Monday that some of their players had tested positive and that its Breyer Group Stadium and training ground facilities would be closed until further notice.
After defeating Manchester City in both their meetings last season, many predicted another trial by fire for Pep Guardiola’s side against Wolves at the Molineux on Monday night, especially so with Nathan Aké and John Stones anchoring City’s backline.
But the opening 45 minutes was a master class in command from the Sky Blues (although looking very much like the Lilywhites) with Rodri and Fernandinho protecting the backline and Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling playing in perfect harmony.
Aston Villa got their season up and running with a labored 1-0 home win against 10-man Sheffield United on Monday as Ezri Konsa's second-half header proved enough to settle a dour game.
All eyes were on Villa's new record signing Ollie Watkins but it was defender Konsa, a former teammate of Watkins' at Brentford, and debutant goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez who earned their side three points.
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has said the Premier League club must bring in reinforcements after they opened their Premier League campaign with a 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday.
United have made just one signing in the close season with Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek arriving from Ajax.
"We have a very good group but, personally, I think we need more players to strengthen the squad," Shaw told TV2. "When you look around at how other teams are strengthening their teams, then we must also do it to keep up with the others."
Of the Tottenham Hotspur players impacted by the loan signing of Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, Dele Alli appears the most vulnerable but manager José Mourinho has said he will not be sacrificed in the transfer window.
Bale will not be ready to resume his Tottenham career until October as he regains fitness, but when he does it is likely to be in an attacking trio with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.