Category: Slides

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has signed a new five-year deal with the club.

The 25-year-old England playmaker had been linked with a move away from Villa Park this summer but announced he is staying on the club’s social media.

Grealish has been with his hometown club since he was eight-years-old, making his debut in the 2013-14 season.

“It is my club, my home and I am very happy here,” Grealish said after agreeing the new contract on Tuesday.

The attacking midfielder, who made his first appearance for England against Denmark last week, has signed a contract until 2025.

“We are determined to build a top team around him and are delighted he is extending his contract and committing himself to the club he loves,” Villa chief executive Christian Purslow said.

Villa begin their Premier League campaign at home to Sheffield United on Monday after Grealish played a key role in the club retaining its place in the top flight last season.

He made 36 league appearances during 2019-20, scoring eight goals including in the 1-1 draw against West Ham United which secured Premier League survival on the final day of the elongated season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers got their season off to a flying start with two goals in the first six minutes through Raul Jimenez and Romain Saiss to earn a 2-0 victory at Sheffield United in the Premier League on Monday.

Wolves’ 2019-20 season only finished on Aug. 11 after a mammoth campaign which took in 59 games in all competitions, but they showed no signs of weariness as they took the lead inside three minutes in the sunshine at Bramall Lane.

The goal came from a familiar source — the club’s top scorer last season Jimenez — and 205 seconds later they scored again as Saiss headed in a corner to stun the hosts.

It meant Wolves are the first Premier League side to score two goals inside six minutes on the opening day of the season.

United stepped it up a gear after the interval and almost got back in the match through John Fleck, but the Scotland international’s powerful strike came back off the post.

Wolves should have extended their lead in the 71st minute after home goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale brilliantly tipped Saiss’ strike onto the post but Jimenez stabbed the ball just wide with the empty goal at his mercy.

The hosts kept coming but, while they created plenty of openings, Chris Wilder’s side could only muster two shots on target in the match as their second season back in the top flight began in disappointing fashion.

“We started fast and aggressive,” said Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who has just signed a new three-year deal. “We went for the game in those moments and it made all the difference.

“It was a quick turnaround (between seasons) but the players were amazing the way they worked.”

Wilder was not too disheartened with his side’s overall performance.

“To recover from as poor a start as I can remember here was always going to be a tough ask,” Wilder said.

“We gave it a right go, got into the right positions and when you do you have to find that little bit. I felt we just missed something.”

Chelsea got their Premier League campaign off to a winning start but were made to work hard for it by an impressive Brighton display.

With their summer spending in excess of £200million, and counting, much is expected of the Blues this season and goals from Jorginho, Reece James and Kurt Zouma ensured they began with three points, though a 3-1 final scoreline was perhaps a touch flattering.

Frank Lampard gave debuts to his two summer signings from the Bundesliga in Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, while Kepa Arrizabalaga was given the nod to start in goal despite speculation over his future, with Rennes stopper Edouard Mendy set to arrive.

Werner’s sharpness was the bright point in a disjointed first half display from Chelsea, as Brighton more than matched them, with former Blues academy man Tariq Lamptey particularly lively.

However, Lampard’s men were gifted the chance to take the lead on 23 minutes, when Steven Alzate’s loose pass in midfield allowed Jorginho to play Werner in on goal and the German was brought down as he attempted to round Mat Ryan. Jorginho resumed spot-kick duties and made no mistake with a trademark hop and skip before sending the Australian the wrong way.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek wasted a terrific chance to play Werner in again on the counter, poking a tame pass straight at Ben White, who had been the only Brighton defender back, and while Seagulls boss Graham Potter would’ve been pleased with his side’s display, the sight of debutant Adam Lallana limping off before the interval provided cause for concern.

A smile was back on his face soon after the restart as Leandro Trossard levelled the scores with a low strike into the far corner, though there were serious questions about Kepa’s attempt at a save yet again.

The home joy was short-lived, however, as James’ rocket into the top corner from 25 yards put Chelsea back in front only 100 seconds later, the full-back scoring his first Premier League goal.

Brighton should have capped a crazy few minutes with a second equaliser as Lewis Dunk was somehow allowed to steal in completely unmarked at the back post, only to somehow head wide from six yards.

His wastefulness was punished on 66 minutes when fellow defender Adam Webster diverted Zouma’s tame effort beyond a wrong-footed Ryan to give the visitors a two-goal cushion they never surrendered.

Neymar was one of five players sent off after an injury-time brawl as Marseille beat Paris St-Germain in Ligue 1.

As he left the pitch, PSG’s Brazil forward told the fourth official he had heard a racist comment.

Florian Thauvin scored the only goal as PSG lost their opening two league games for the first time since 1984-85.

Home substitutes Leandro Paredes and Layvin Kurzawa, and Marseille’s Jordan Amavi and Dario Benedetto, were dismissed along with Neymar.

The referee watched a video assistant referee (VAR) replay of a punch by Neymar before showing the 28-year-old a straight red card.

After the match, Neymar posted on social media to say that his “only regret” was not hitting Marseille’s Spanish defender Alvaro Gonzalez in the face, having struck him on the back of the head.

In response, Gonzalez denied claims of any wrongdoing, posting on social media: “There is no place for racism.”

In the post-match news conference Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas said: “There is no place for racism in football but I don’t think that was the case.

“We’ll have to look at it.”

The game, which was watched by a crowd of about 5,000 fans at the Parc des Princes, was fractious even before that late brawl. There were 17 cards shown, a record for a Ligue 1 game in the 21st Century.

The injury-time drama started when Marseille’s Benedetto nudged Paredes in the back, with the PSG midfielder then punching him to the ground before appearing to headbutt Alvaro.

A melee broke out, with Kurzawa and Amavi punching and kicking each other.

Benedetto and Paredes were shown second yellow cards, with Kurzawa and Amavi given straight reds.

The VAR review showed Neymar had punched Alvaro, a player he had been in a running battle with, and the forward was shown a straight red card, having earlier been booked.

Alvaro had also been involved in a big first-half flashpoint when he suggested Angel di Maria spat at him.

Di Maria was one of seven PSG players – along with Neymar – to test positive for coronavirus before the season started, although he had since provided a negative test.

Bayern Munich’s former president, Uli Hoeness, claims that Manchester United have “probably agreed personal terms” with Thiago Alcantara, as the Champions League winner’s future remains in limbo.

Thiago had all but agreed a new deal with the German champions before suddenly deciding to leave, much to the dismay of the club’s hierarchy.

Bayern have remained firm in their £28m evaluation of the Spain international, who has just one-year remaining on his contract, with Liverpool considered clear favourites for his signature.

However, Hoeness said Bayern are still yet to receive any official offers, and believes clubs are waiting until the twilight hours of the window in order to negotiate a cut-price deal.

“Both Liverpool and Manchester United did not come to us with an offer for Thiago,” he said. “They are bluffing and waiting until the last week of the window to make a cheap offer. Bayern must decide whether they want to play this game or stand their ground and keep him.”

A transfer tug of war for the services of French superstar Kylian Mbappe looks set to begin in earnest amid reports that that the 21-year-old wants out of the French capital next summer.

Mbappe currently stands as the second most expensive transfer of all time when he joined Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco three years ago as he became the most expensive teenager in history for a reported fee in the region of $211 million.

But that fee may well be broken next summer after the Times reported that he has told the French club of his desire for a new challenge.

PSG are understood to be resistant to let Mbappe depart from the club and have made multiple lucrative offers to extend his contract past its 2022 expiration date.

These included promises to make him the club’s best-ever paid player, as well as a declaration that they will build the team around the French international.

However, the 2018 World Cup winner appears to be resolved in his desire to move to another European powerhouse, with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool thought to be circling.

For now, though, the club with the firmest interest in Mbappe appears to be Real Madrid who have shortlisted him with the intention of making him the latest ‘Galactico’ recruit as Zinedine Zidane looks to build upon the club’s first La Liga crown since the 2016/17 season.

Mbappe is understood to have informed PSG director Leonardo of his intention to leave, allowing the club to recoup a transfer fee next season.

He would be available on a free transfer in 2022 if he doesn’t extend his deal and a transfer away isn’t completed in a year’s time.

The 35-times capped French international has very much delivered on his potential, scoring an impressive 77 goals in just over 100 appearances for the Ligue 1 champions.

In addition to Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are among the clubs who could bankroll a deal for the player, while Liverpool have also been mentioned in the press as a potential destination after Mbappe publicly lauded the job that Jurgen Klopp has done on Merseyside.

Arsenal got their Premier League campaign underway with a 3-0 win at promoted Fulham thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette, new signing Gabriel and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the opening game of the season on Saturday.

Lacazette fired the Gunners ahead in the eighth minute after poor defending by the home side before new signing Gabriel made it 2-0 in the 49th and Aubameyang put the icing on the cake with a superb shot into the top corner.

Right back Denis Odoi forced a save from Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno early on but that was as good as it got for Fulham, whose opening-day performance suggests that staying in the top flight could be a tall order.

Lacazette was left with the simple task of poking the ball in from close range after a comedy of errors by the home side, who enjoyed a slice of good fortune when Willian hit the post with a 22nd-minute free kick.

Brazilian defender Gabriel, who joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 side Lille, made it 2-0 with a thumping header after a corner swung in by Willian, who enjoyed a fine debut after his summer move from cross-town rivals Chelsea.

Aubameyang put the icing on the cake in the 57th minute with a rasping shot from inside the penalty area and Arsenal missed several chances in the closing stages to win by an even bigger margin at Craven Cottage.