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Arne Slot believes Chelsea will be a top contender who can challenge Liverpool in the Premier League title race. The Dutchman, who stunned England last term by strolling to the championship ahead of Arsenal, now insists the west London giants have the weapons to push his Reds all the way.

Slot tips Chelsea as major threatMaresca refuses to take baitReds & Blues on summer spending spreesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Anfield outfit have flexed their financial muscle like never before, splashing around £300 million ($407m) in the summer window. Among the arrivals, Florian Wirtz stands out as a blockbuster signing, with the £116 million ($157m) record-breaking recruit billed as one of the brightest talents on the planet. The spending spree strengthens Liverpool’s case for back-to-back titles, but Slot knows that money isn’t the only factor in the fight.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT SLOT SAID

When asked about Chelsea’s prospects during an interview with Slot didn’t mince his words: "I expected them to win last season already. The amount of quality they have and they were there at the start of the season. They were in [the title race] after ten games. They were still there [in December 2024].

"Squad depth, quality, they have a very good manager as well, and I think they've shown this by winning the trophies they won last season. It was good for us that they also had a period last season where they struggled and that's why they couldn't compete till the end for the league title. But now they're strengthening the team again, so a team that's, in my opinion, one of the ones that are going to challenge for a league title."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

But Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca wasn’t about to get swept up in the praise. His response was cool, clipped, and utterly dismissive.

"I don’t pay attention to what other people say about us," Maresca shot back. “It’s easy to say more clubs are involved – I’m not into that game. My focus is on the players, on improving, and people can say whatever they want.”

Pressed on whether Chelsea are better placed to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool this time, the Italian allowed himself a rare nod of approval.

"We are a better team for sure, compared to a year ago," he admitted. "We’ve worked together every day for a season. What we achieved last year was top – fantastic. Champions League, Conference League, the competitions we were in, we did the job. Beyond that, it was difficult to do more. Now it’s a new season, we’ll see."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL & CHELSEA?

Chelsea open their campaign at Stamford Bridge on Sunday against Crystal Palace, a fixture they’ll expect to win. Liverpool, meanwhile, will raise the curtain on the Premier League season at Anfield against Bournemouth on Friday night.

Australia’s bowlers were carted all over Lord’s, before England’s dominated under the floodlights

Andrew McGlashan27-Sep-2024England produced an electric all-round display to set up a series decider at Bristol on Sunday, as they thrashed Australia by 186 runs at Lord’s. Harry Brook’s sublime 87 formed the backbone of the innings which was capped off by the thunderous hitting of Liam Livingstone in a ground-record 25-ball half-century. Jofra Archer then briefly rekindled memories of 2019 with the best spell of his latest comeback, while Matthew Potts bagged a career-best 4 for 38 in an overwhelming performance.Harking back to last year’s dramatic Ashes Test, there was also, briefly, a moment with an Australian wicketkeeper in the spotlight. On 17, Brook glanced Mitchell Starc down the leg side and was given out but queried whether the catch had carried to Josh Inglis, who had been recalled to the side after injury. The replays showed the ball pitching just before his gloves. The crowd booed as the pictures came on the big screen, accompanied by a few chants of ‘same old Aussies, always cheating’, but it was a tame interlude compared to 2023.Following his maiden ODI hundred in Durham, Brook cruised to a 37-ball fifty, adding 79 in 53 balls for the third wicket with Ben Duckett and 75 in 47 with Jamie Smith for the fourth, as England went through the gears in a game cut to 39 overs by heavy morning rain. Livingstone produced a grandstand finish to the innings with a mighty display of striking, including four sixes off the last over bowled by Starc, whose 28 runs conceded amounted to the most expensive over by an Australian bowler in men’s ODIs. England amassed 156 off their last 15 overs.Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh gave the daunting chase a promising start – Head launching a gigantic pull out of the ground over the Tavern Stand – and after the eight-over powerplay Australia were 66 without loss compared to England’s 34 without loss. Overall, the 16 sixes hit in the match was a record for a Lord’s ODI. However, sustaining the tempo was a tall order. Head swung across the line at Brydon Carse and Steven Smith edged an ugly charge at Potts.Then Archer produced something special. An off-cutter at 88.2mph initially shaped in at Marsh before straightening to beat the edge and clatter off stump. It was a gem of a delivery to give Archer his first Lord’s wicket since 2019 and he rightly wheeled away in celebration. When his next ball clattered into the forearm of Marnus Labuschagne, the 2019 flashbacks were in full flow, albeit in coloured clothes, and Archer also added Glenn Maxwell during Australia’s collapseBefore long, however, his ball to Marsh had a contender for delivery of the game (or series) when Carse found an unplayable offering to flatten Labuschagne’s off stump. It was a collective effort from England’s quicks who shared nine wickets – Potts taking three wickets in four balls to rush through the lower order – before Adil Rashid finished things off.Matthew Potts starred with four wickets•Getty ImagesUnder heavy cloud, the ball nipped around early after England had been put into bat. Phil Salt fell shortly after the powerplay, skewing the excellent Josh Hazlewood to backward point, and Will Jacks picked out the same fielder to give Marsh a wicket in his second over – the first he had bowled since April 3. On a day when Cameron Green was revealed to have a back injury, it was not insignificant that Marsh was back with the ball.Brook initially appeared to be playing a different game to the other batters, as he skipped out of the blocks with three leg-side boundaries prior to his near-dismissal, and England’s momentum built around him. Sean Abbott’s expensive series continued – by the end of the innings his combined figures for three outings were 19.4-0-165-0 – while both Brook and Duckett took on Adam Zampa as well as the other overs of spin from Maxwell and Labuschagne.Duckett, who had offered a tough return catch to Starc before scoring, sent Zampa over long-on for six before moving to a hard-working 51-ball half-century one ball later, before top-edging the legspinner to deep backward square. Smith continued the aggressive approach against Zampa, sending him over wide long-on, and Brook added a second six in the same over to deep midwicket. The 12 overs of spin went for 106.A moment of absent-mindedness nearly did for Smith when he only just avoided being run out when he didn’t run his bat in at the non-striker’s end, although the ball ended up costing Australia six runs as the deflection went to the rope. By then, Brook was challenging for England’s fastest ODI hundred at Lord’s – 61 balls by Jos Buttler – but picked out long-on as Zampa ended his stay from his 58th.Smith fell in the next over, slicing Maxwell to short third, but any concerns the innings may limp to a finish vanished as Livingstone provided stunning late power. A huge blow over midwicket off Hazlewood was followed by the dismantling of Starc’s figures, including two sixes into the pavilion, to the increasingly joyous roars of a large crowd. Unlike last summer, an England-Australia series goes to the final game 2-2, although the weather in Bristol may yet have the final say.

After an IPL to forget in 2022, he has a new franchise, a fit-again elbow and – having given up captaincy – a freed-up mind to help him find his best form again

Shashank Kishore29-Mar-2023As you enter the lounge area of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) inside the Motera complex in Ahmedabad, you see plenty of cricket photographs adorning the walls on all four sides. Kane Williamson is seen in the background of one of them, in which India’s prime minister and then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is seen shaking hands with Jeetan Patel.That picture is from 13 years ago, from the same Ahmedabad Test where Williamson became New Zealand’s youngest debutant centurion. That day, as he removed his helmet to acknowledge the applause of his team-mates, all Williamson managed was a shy smile along with his raised bat. In fact, Daniel Vettori, his captain, was the more animated of the two as he ran over to put his arm around the youngster’s shoulder, embraced him in a big hug and handed out a few pats on his back.That baby-faced, fresh-out-of-teens kid who didn’t even have stubble back then now returns to Ahmedabad for the first time since that hundred. Still, he’s as calm as a sage, but now he comes with a with a full-fledged beard that he often tends to as he speaks at a media interaction organised by Gujarat Titans, the reigning IPL champions. One second, he’s reminiscing about his debut in the city, the next he’s speaking of being part of two thrilling Tests within a month and hopping onto the next flight to India.Related

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He’s also asked about his prospects of being in Titans’ starting XI, and the hurt of not being retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad. Williamson is focused and unhurried. When there’s chatter in the foreground, he stops and waits patiently before he continues. And, as he speaks, as always, there’s an air of calm around him.”My cricketing brain certainly hasn’t been switched off,” he warms up with a laugh, when asked about how life has been since he decided to give up Test captaincy in December. “When you’re out on the field, you’re trying to do as much as you can for the team. Whether that’s assisting where you can when you’re called upon for your ideas or otherwise.”It’s quite a natural thing to be engaged in the game but having said that it [the decision to step down as Test captain] has taken a little bit off my plate, which was a large part of the reason for making that decision. Often, it’s the parts around it [captaincy], where you get a little bit more time back. I’ve always thought it was never a ‘forever job’, it requires a lot of energy, and I really enjoyed my time in that specific role. I do enjoy being involved in leadership, which is basically helping where I can.”Kane Williamson has handed the New Zealand captaincy reins over to Tim Southee•Getty Images”Less commitments off the field” has come as a relief. “It’s been a really enjoyable thing in terms of playing under Tim Southee, who is captaining the Test team and doing a great job,” Williamson says. “Having said that, there’s transition involved [of going from captain to just a player] without a doubt, there’s perhaps less commitments off the field.”It’s still a change, something that I’m experiencing at the moment and working through. I’m fortunate to have a number of leaders in the New Zealand environment. And then to come here and have Hardik [Pandya] captaining the side, it’s something I’m excited about as well.”Williamson isn’t just reinvigorated in mind, but he’s also no longer worried about his “niggling elbow”, which for so long had forced him to manage his workloads and sometimes even curbed certain shots or long throws at training.That elbow certainly appeared to have an effect on his batting. At IPL 2022, Williamson scored just 216 runs in 13 innings. His strike rate of 93.50 was the slowest among batters who faced at least 100 balls in the season. This time around, Williamson believes he’s in as good a physical state as he’s been before.

“My cricketing brain certainly hasn’t been switched off. When you’re out on the field, you’re trying to do as much as you can for the team. Whether that’s assisting where you can when you’re called upon for your ideas or otherwise.”Just because he’s not captain anymore doesn’t mean Kane Williamson switches off in the field

“Yeah, it was something that was improving slowly all the time, it was requiring management,” he explains. “It’s a lot better now and it’s not something that is restricting me in terms of training loads, playing and all those things. Although no injury is ideal and often injuries require time to heal, working through this was no different. It’s nice to be back playing, training and not be burdened by it.”Think Williamson and the IPL, and it’s hard to not imagine him in the orange uniform of Sunrisers Hyderabad, whom he had played for since 2015 and captained since 2018 before being let go after the 2022 season. But a change of teams and perspective, and being unshackled by leadership duties, could just free him up to play a key role, possibly at the top of the order with Shubman Gill.If Williamson pulls it off, helping Titans extend their debut-season success, chances are he’ll find himself in another big photo frame in the GCA lounge, with himself more front and centre, when he potentially returns to the Motera later this year for the ODI World Cup.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim was proud of his players despite seeing the Red Devils lose 1-0 to Arsenal in their season opener.

Man Utd lose opener against ArsenalAmorim proud of his players' effortsBayindir mistake proves costlyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A single goal from Riccardo Calafiori was enough for Arsenal to take all three points away from Old Trafford as Manchester United began the new season with a defeat. Yet there were positives for the Red Devils to take from the game, with new signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha shining on their Premier League debuts for the club.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was to blame for Arsenal's goal after taking over from Andre Onana between the sticks. The hosts battled hard to try and equalise but could not beat an impressive David Raya in the Arsenal goal. Amorim's side may have been beaten again but the manager was still proud of his players after the loss.

WHAT AMORIM SAID

He told Sky Sports: "I'm really proud of the guys. They were really brave in everything they did during the game. Congratulations for the performance. We deserved a different result and we need to move forward to the next one. We were more aggressive than last year. We went one against one all the game and we pressed high. We had quality with the ball. Even when the stadium made some sounds, we continued to play the way we play. You always feel in the game they can do something not just with the ball but without the ball. I am proud of the game we played. We lost and have things to work on. We need to win games but that was completely different to last season."

TELL ME MORE….

Captain Bruno Fernandes also spoke about the goal and felt Bayindir had been impeded before Calafiori nodded home. He told Sky Sports: "We created some chances but we didn't score so that is the main negative of the day. When you touch the goalkeeper and he can't jump, that makes it difficult for [Altay] Bayindir. We know in the Premier League they don't give much. Even if they had a meeting with us saying that they will whistle more if players block and don't look at the ball but it is more of a saying."

Chelsea secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup following an extra-time victory over Benfica at the weekend.

Reece James looked like he had powered the Blues into the next round, but a penalty from Ángel Di María sent the clash into an extra 30 minutes.

The game was suspended for a couple of hours, just minutes from the final whistle, due to a storm threat, but Chelsea finally won the clash 4-1.

It may have taken 4 hours and 39 minutes, but Enzo Maresca’s side now face off against PSG for a spot in the semi-final.

Despite the focus being on the tournament and progressing as far as possible, the manager is still keen on bolstering his squad via the transfer market.

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ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025

Reports coming from the Athletic claim that the Blues have reached an agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion regarding a move for Joao Pedro.

The proposed deal looks set to be in excess of £50m and the Brazilian has agreed personal terms with the club.

With a medical booked in early for next week, it appears as though Maresca is closing in on signing another key target. Just what will Pedro offer the Blues?

Why Chelsea want to sign Joao Pedro

Maresca is looking to sell both Christopher Nkunku and João Félix this summer, with both players struggling for regular gametime last season.

Nkunku may have scored against Benfica, but with clubs such as Manchester United showing some interest in the Frenchman, it looks as though he might be sold.

Felix played just 20 times for Maresca last season, scoring seven times, but the Portuguese star spent the second half of the campaign out on loan at AC Milan.

Pedro’s arrival suggests one, or perhaps both, will soon be departing Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Brighton star is versatile, being able to operate as a centre-forward, second striker or even out wide on the left flank.

Last term, he typically operated in an advanced role centrally, scoring ten goals for the Seagulls and registering seven assists, proving he is adept in front of goal and at creating opportunities for his teammates.

Such were his performances, the 23-year-old ranks highly among his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, not only does the forward rank in the top 12% for assists (0.28) per 90, but he also ranks in the top 10% for shot-creating actions (3.33) and successful take-ons (1.34) per 90.

Furthermore, Pedro’s ability to get the ball into dangerous areas is evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes (3.6) and in the top 3% for progressive carries (3.05) per 90, indicating that he will offer a lot of attacking qualities for the Blues next term.

It won’t be the only area of the squad that the Italian will be keen on strengthening, however, especially with the added demands of Champions League football next term.

As such, it’s certainly worth Chelsea bringing in a defender or two this summer.

Chelsea's search for a defender

Last season, the club conceded a total of 59 goals across all competitions from 57 matches, and this record will be something Maresca aims to improve next term.

Over the same period, Chelsea scored 120 goals. This suggests that bolstering the defence is surely a bigger priority than adding to the forward line, notably Joao Pedro.

It looks as though the Blues are keen on a defender who played against them just last weekend – Antonio Silva.

Journalist Simon Phillips stated via his Substack that the Blues have been impressed with the youngster, saying:

“Chelsea have tried and made approaches and checks on a number of potential new centre back names this summer so far and still have more to look at and in to. Chelsea have been scouting Antonio Silva of Benfica all season and already have him added to our transfer shortlist alongside his team mate, Tomas Araujo.

“But Chelsea are looking for an out and out centre back and attentions have again turned to the 21-year-old Portuguese international who has just two-years remaining on his contract.”

The centre-back is valued at €32m (£27m) according to Transfermarkt, but Benfica will be looking for a much higher fee than that to sanction a sale considering his release clause stands at around £87m.

Given their defensive issues last term, Silva would be a better signing than Pedro, that’s for sure.

Why Chelsea must sign Antonio Silva

The 21-year-old played over 40 times last season, including all four games at the Club World Cup for Benfica.

At the tournament, Silva averaged a 92% pass success rate, while winning a staggering 80% of his total duels contested, made 2.3 tackles per game and lost possession just 4.3 times per match in the States.

These performances have attracted plenty of attention, and there is no doubt that Silva is only going to get better and better.

Accurate passes

52.3

Tackles

1.5

Total duels won

4.5

Possession lost

7.7

Clearances

4.3

Balls recovered

4

After he burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old with a goal against Juventus in the Champions League back in 2022, Jamie Carragher claimed the defender was “going to be a superstar” and his upwards trajectory certainly suggests so.

When compared to his peers in the Champions League last season, Silva ranked in the top 1% for clearances (7.7) per 90, while also ranking in the top 16% for aerials won (2.36) and in the top 9% for touches in the defensive penalty area (12.91) per 90.

An impressive array of statistics indeed, and considering his ceiling is extraordinarily high, Maresca must make signing Silva a key priority this summer.

Pedro will certainly add plenty of dynamism to the club’s attacking department, but it is at the heart of the defence where the real improvements are required given the problems Maresca’s men suffered last term.

As such, spending whatever it takes to bring Silva from Benfica to the Premier League must be the next move BlueCo are planning.

If he lands his signature, Silva will almost certainly be a better signing than Pedro.

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BySean Markus Clifford Jun 30, 2025

Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl is confident that the new-look attack following Luis Diaz's arrival is up there with the best in Europe.

Eberl defends club's transfer businessBelieves Bayern have one of the most potent attacksDirector denies Bavarians have lost international appealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Eberl defended Bayern's summer transfer business after they failed to sign Nico Williams, Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, claiming that the club have built one of "the most dangerous attacking lines in Europe" following the acquisition of Luis Diaz from Liverpool.

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Bayern haven't enjoyed a particularly satisfying transfer window so far. They failed in their pursuit to land priority target Wirtz, while also having to see their efforts to sign Williams from Athletic Club go in vain. Furethermore, they have also seen two bids for Woltemade rejected by Stuttgart, who remain adamant on not entertaining any bids unless an offer worth €65 million (£56m/$75m) arrives. 

They did manage to land Diaz, but not before splashing €75m (£65m/$87m), a fee that has raised eyebrows, with one club legend arguing their reluctance to spend a similar fee on the younger Woltemade shows they do not trust the Stuttgart star.

WHAT MAX EBERL SAID

Regardless, Eberl remains confident that the attacking quartet of Diaz, Kane, Olise and Jamal Musiala, upon his recovery from injury, can wreak havoc on any backline in Europe. Speaking to , the sporting director explained they have the spending power to buy any player they want, but won't do so if they are not "convinced" about the player. 

"Anyone who claims that FC Bayern Munich has lost its international appeal for top stars doesn't know the market," he said. "FC Bayern will get any player if they are willing to pay the asking price. But we only do that if we are 100 percent convinced, as in the case of Luis Diaz."

Responding to the criticism of Die Roten's transfer policy, Eberl said: "We had a clear idea of our new attack. If I imagine, for example, a quartet with Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, and now Luis Diaz on the pitch, we certainly have one of the most dangerous attacking lines in Europe."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

It remains to be seen whether the Bavarian giants can further reinforce their squad before the transfer window deadline. Per reports, the Bundesliga champions have been handed a deadline of Saturday, August 16, by Stuttgart if they want to make one last effort for Woltemade. Vincent Kompany's troops kick off their new season against Die Schwaben in the DFL-Supercup on Saturday.

They finished third in the league in their maiden IPL season, and have strengthened their batting by signing Nicholas Pooran

Himanshu Agrawal26-Mar-2023Where LSG finished last season
In their maiden IPL season, Lucknow Super Giants finished third in the league stage with nine wins and five losses, before losing to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator.LSG squad for IPL 2023
KL Rahul (capt), Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Quinton de Kock (wk), K Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Prerak Mankad, Kyle Mayers, Amit Mishra, Mohsin Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ravi Bishnoi, Daniel Sams, Karan Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Marcus Stoinis, Swapnil Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir SinghPlayer availability – Quinton de Kock’s late start
Quinton de Kock will join the Super Giants only on April 3, after completing South Africa’s ODI series against Netherlands. That means he will miss their season opener, against Delhi Capitals on April 1, and also their second match, against Chennai Super Kings on April 3.Left-arm quick Mohsin Khan, who was a breakthrough star for Super Giants last season, is expected to miss the majority of IPL 2023 with a shoulder injury. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mohsin, who was among the best bowlers last IPL, underwent surgery to remove blood clots in his bowling shoulder last year and is yet to resume bowling.Related

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What’s new with LSG this year
Super Giants paid INR 16 crore (US $1.95 million approx.) to acquire Nicholas Pooran as a finisher. He provides a wicketkeeping option too.They also have an in-form Jaydev Unadkat, who could carry the confidence of returning to the national side to the IPL. Unadkat also provides back-up for the injured Mohsin, who hasn’t played any cricket since IPL 2022.The good – Krunal Pandya and other allrounders
A bunch of allrounders in K Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Sams and Mayers give the Super Giants a lot of flexibility. Two of the seven bowl offspin, one is a left-arm spinner, three are right-arm medium-pacers, and the other bowls left-arm pace.Their frontline attack has genuinely high-pace options in Mark Wood and Avesh Khan, aside from three left-arm seam options in Unadkat, Sams and Mohsin. Their spin-bowling department also offers lots of variety.The not-so-good – Who after KL Rahul?
An area of concern for Super Giants could be the absence of experienced India players apart from their captain KL Rahul. They have plenty of Indian domestic performers, but Super Giants will need them to consistently punch above their weight.Schedule insights
Super Giants’ season starts with three games in seven days, which includes travel from Lucknow to Chennai and back. Their first six matches are all night games, so they can expect dew to play a part and they will have to figure out how to maximise the new rules on naming their XI after the toss quickly.The big question