Chelsea got their Premier League campaign on track after lethal finishing coupled with a slice of good fortune gave them a 3-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday.
New signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz made their debuts up front after the German internationals joined Frank Lampard's side from the Bundesliga during the close season as Chelsea prevailed thanks to goals from somewhat unlikely sources.
Borussia Dortmund’s 2020-21 campaign began in earnest today with a DFB-Pokal first round match against third division side MSV Duisburg. Dortmund fielded a strong starting 11, but there was also room for a pair of teenagers in Giovanni Reyna and Jude Bellingham (both 17).
Dortmund got things started in the 14th-minute with Jadon Sancho converting from the penalty spot, and then Bellingham marked his competitive Dortmund debut with a goal following an excellent backheel from Thorgan Hazard.
After scoring 17 goals across all competitions during his first season with Wolves — including 13 in the Premier League — many wondered if Raúl Jiménez would experience a sophomore slump last year as defenders came to grips with the Mexican striker.
That certainly wasn’t the case as Jiménez scored 27, including 17 in the EPL and 10 during his side’s run to the Europa League quarterfinals. What’s more, he outlined his overall contribution to the side by providing 10 assists across all competitions.
When Wycombe Wanderers faced off against Rotherham United over the weekend, very few fans were expecting a footballing masterclass.
Both sides were newly promoted from League One; Wycombe gained promotion to the Championship for the first time ever this season, doing so after being relegation favorites last year, while Rotherham has bounced between the two divisions each of the last five seasons.
It’s been almost four years since the LaMia Flight 2933 disaster which claimed the lives of 77 people, including 19 Chapecoense players. Of the three surviving players, two are still directly involved with the club.
Between August 12 and 23 in Lisbon, Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain changed the narrative surrounding the club by advancing to the Champions League final and performing admirably against Bayern Munich.
In the space of four days coinciding with the club’s start to the 2020-21 season, you could say that PSG has reverted to an even lesser version of its old self.
The Premier League’s billing as the world’s best division is a contentious one. While there’s no doubting its supreme viewership numbers around the globe, the quality on the pitch is occasionally more helter skelter than fine flowing.
At its best, its a blood and thunder experience with two sides going after it hammer and tongs. At its worse, its a series of hit and hope long balls with zero sense of midfield control.
Jamie Vardy converted two penalties to help Leicester City get off to a winning start in the Premier League season with a 3-0 victory at promoted West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Vardy, the league's top scorer last season, and Dennis Praet both had drilled efforts well saved by West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in bright sunshine at the Hawthorns, with the hosts offering little in attack in the first half.
In a matchup of the last two NWSL clubs to lift a trophy, the N.C. Courage once again showed they’re the best in the league. The 2019 NWSL champions rallied late to beat the Challenge Cup winners 4-3 in a match that actually upstaged the Liverpool-Leeds game as the most entertaining 90 minutes of action on Saturday.
Houston led 2-1 at halftime thanks to a pair of assists from Challenge Cup final MVP Shea Groom, but Debinha took over the second half with two incredible goals.
Leeds United returned to the Premier League after a wild 16-year journey into the depths of the English league system with a match at Anfield, home of reigning Premier League champion Liverpool. The remarkable occasion for both clubs — the Reds hadn’t won a league title in 30 years — was played without fans, but the action on the pitch more than made up for the lack of atmosphere.