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Chelsea were not at their best on Monday evening but just about did enough to edge past Brighton at the Amex to get their 2020/21 Premier League season off to a perfect start.

The Blues ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Jorginho, Reece James and Kurt Zouma, but all the talk before hand concerned their two marquee signings.

Chelsea have spent big in the summer window, making up for lost time following last season’s transfer ban to bring in two of the Bundesliga’s star performers, setting themselves back well over £100m in the process.

Frank Lampard’s side recruited Timo Werner from right under the nose of rivals Liverpool, and signed one of the brightest young talents in world football in the shape of Kai Havertz, and the pair were both thrown into the thick of Premier League action from the off by manager Frank Lampard.

Despite the lengths Chelsea went to in order to bring him to the Bridge, Havertz was the quieter of the two. Playing on the right of the front three, he produced a couple of neat touches here and there, including one glorious piece of control in the first half, and one lovely deft pass in the second to send Chelsea away on the counter.

But from an attacking point of view, it was an otherwise nondescript evening from the 21-year-old.

Although not famed for his defensive abilities, this is arguably where Havertz impressed most on his debut. He diligently helped James contain the dogged Solly March, with a surging recovery run to keep up with and then dispossess the Brighton left wing back his most outstanding contribution.

In contrast, Werner really caught the eye. With his energy, desire and willingness to press, it is no surprise he was cited as a target of Liverpool’s for so long – he would fit seamlessly into Jurgen Klopp’s all action, high pressing front three.

The forward looked so quick and sharp from the off, playing right on the shoulder of the last defender and showing a real eagerness to get in behind the Brighton backline.

Werner’s sharpness paid dividends in the first half, as his anticipation and awareness enabled him to steal a march on the Brighton defence to capitalise on Steven Alzate’s misplaced pass, round Matt Ryan before being brought down by the Seagulls’ keeper to earn his side a penalty.

The 24-year-old’s eagerness and desire were common themes all evening. He produced a gut busting surging run in the first period from inside his own half, streaking past the Brighton midfield and he could have been played clean through on goal had Ruben Loftus-Cheek better executed his pass.

He then charged forward menacingly and almost caught Ryan out at his near post with a fizzing effort.

Werner’s sheer appetite to score was evident all night. He wanted more. And so will Chelsea fans

The forward will have left the Stamford Bridge faithful with plenty to get excited about for the coming season.

When Liverpool travelled to Vicarage Road in February, the Reds still harboured hopes of completing the 2019/20 Premier League campaign unbeaten.

This was Jurgen Klopp’s Reds at their footballing peak, not just irresistible on the counter but controlled in possession and stingy at the back. No one looked capable of defeating them. Except Atletico Madrid, obviously…

Watford, meanwhile, were deep in relegation trouble, starting proceedings in 19th position. Few if any gave the Hornets any hope of victory. 90 minutes later, Liverpool’s dreams of an invincible season were over following a shocking 3-0 defeat.

It was a fine, collective performance by Nigel Pearson’s side but in truth, the victory simply would not have happened without one man – Ismaila Sarr. Sarr not only grabbed a brace, but he was also a complete menace all game and gave Andy Robertson his toughest 90 minutes of the season.

For his first goal, the Senegal international darted in front of Robertson to tap in Abdoulaye Doucoure’s cut back. It showed attacking awareness that defied his tender years, as well as the fact that he is supposed to be a winger. A true poacher’s finish.

His second strike was even better. Racing onto Troy Deeney’s through ball, Sarr left Virgil van Dijk – the best defender in the world – in the dust, before finishing with an audacious chip over Alisson. Not content with his brace, the former Rennes man then showed ice cold composure to return the favour, setting up Deeney who gladly made it 3-0.

Sarr had been attracting plenty of attention prior to this man of the match performance, but this was the night when his world class potential became apparent across the world.

He’s clearly destined for big things and yet at the time of writing he is set to spend the season in the Championship thanks to Watford’s untimely relegation. With all due respect to the most exciting league in the world, this seems a bit odd. Particularly when you analyse Sarr’s performances over the entire campaign.

Baring in mind he was lumbered with a stodgy Watford side during his first ever Premier League season, Sarr’s output was impressive. Blessed with frightening pace and plenty of trickery, dribbling is unsurprisingly one of his main attributes.

He averaged around five dribbles per game during the 2019/20 campaign and was fairly efficient. Sarr’s success rate was shade over 50% – higher than the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Pulisic and Harvey Barnes.

Defenders often struggle to stop the winger when he is firing on all cylinders and he drew an incredible 98 fouls during his final season at Rennes in 2018/19. He was only fouled on 47 occasions last season, but that still made him the 21st most targeted played in the division. Impressive stuff, considering he completed just 22.5 90 minutes.

It’s not only his direct running that causes problem. As his fine display against Liverpool showed, he also has the potential to develop in a productive player in the final third. Last season, five goals and four assists represented a solid start to life in England, but he could produce much more in the right system.

Step forward Leicester City. The Foxes are in need of some reinforcements out wide and Sarr could be exactly what they’re looking for. Capable of playing on either flank, the 22-year-old offers far more than Ayoze Perez going forward and would add some much needed penetration to the Foxes attack.

As much as the deal makes good sense, one potential sticking point would be finances. Sarr became Watford’s record signing last summer, arriving at Vicarage Road for a hefty £27m. There are currently four years remaining on his deal and with Leicester cutting their cloth amid coronavirus uncertainty, they would have to get inventive when financing any deal.

Throwing Islam Slimani into the mix is an option, particularly if Troy Deeney departs Hertfordshire. There could also be the possibility of hammering out a loan deal with an option to buy. That seems to be very fashionable these days.

Whatever the specifics, it’s clear that Sarr is worth the hassle. Raw pace and inventiveness like his is unteachable and, under the right tutelage, the sky’s the limit.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has hit out at the clamour for the Reds to sign Bayern star Thiago Alcantara this summer, claiming it is ‘disrespectful’ to the current crop of midfielders who ended their long wait for Premier League glory.

Jurgen Klopp’s troops broke the 30-year curse last season, as the Merseysiders romped to title glory in a breathtaking year of football. But supporters are growing concerned by the lack of investment over the summer, and this has led to many fans begging for the signing of Bayern star Thiago.

The 29-year-old has been linked with a move to Anfield all summer, having guided Bayern to Champions League glory last season before openly admitting his desire to leave the German giants.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher is refusing to get caught up in the hype to sign the Spaniard, however, and even brandished the calls for his arrival as ‘disrespectful’ to the current set of heroes, quoted by the Metro.

“Liverpool have got three or four players in the squad they are looking to move on,” Carragher explained. “It seems like they have to sell before they buy, that was the case with Dejan Lovren. He had to leave before a left-back could come in.

“Thiago would give Liverpool’s midfield something different, no doubt. I think the huge clamour for Thiago is a little bit disrespectful to Liverpool’s current midfield three.

“Yes he would add something different. But if he doesn’t come in, it’s not the end of the world, this is still a fantastic midfield for Liverpool.”

The Reds did look in need of an injection of freshness on Saturday afternoon, as they were pushed all the way by newly-promoted Leeds United in a narrow 4-3 victory at Anfield. Klopp’s side defended poorly, and their midfield was run ragged at times by a dynamic and energetic side orchestrated by the mercurial Marcelo Bielsa.

Calls for Thiago won’t be subsiding anytime soon then – probably until the transfer window closes.

We’re only a few days away from the start of the season and Leicester City currently have one actual Premier League centre-back available for selection.

Admittedly it is Caglar Soyuncu, who was recently named in the 2019/2020 PFA Team of the Year, but even a defender as talented as this cannot hold things down on his own.

So where have all of his potential partners gone? Well, Jonny Evans is suspended, Wes Morgan is looking likely to miss their opener through injury and…oh, that’s it. We forget how little depth Leicester have in this department.

With neither veteran stopper expected to make it back in time for their Premier League curtain raiser against West Brom, 90min donned our thinking caps to assess all the candidates to partner Soyuncu at the heart of defence.

This would certainly be the romantic’s choice. Josh Knight comes from a family of die hard Leicester fans and he joined the Foxes academy aged just eight.

He’s spent the last two seasons on loan at League One Peterborough, so making the step up to the Premier League would be some achievement.

Knight is also 23 years old. Now, we don’t want to write him off completely, but surely if he was any good the defender would’ve at least had half a sniff at the Foxes first team by now?

Probably best to avoid this one.

Daniel Amartey…that’s a name we haven’t heard for some time. Joining Leicester in January 2015 is surely the best decision the Ghanaian has ever made?

Not only did he scoop a Premier League winners medal, he also got a few run outs in the Champions League the following season. He had a good spell in the team under Claude Puel in 2017 but a nasty injury then saw him fall off the radar. His last Foxes appearances came all the way back in 2018, surely that won’t change on Sunday?

Then again, he has played three games at centre-back during his career, which ridiculously, makes him one of the more likely candidates to partner Soyuncu.

Coming in at number three is a player who has featured at centre-back on one more occasion than Amartey, Wilfred Ndidi.

Although needs must and all that, moving the Nigerian to the heart of defence is a terrible idea.

Whenever Ndidi was absent for the Foxes last season, they sacrificed an extraordinary amount of solidity in midifield. Unless Hamza Choudhury has suddenly developed some defensive discipline over lockdown, Leicester should look elsewhere to plug their defensive hole.

James Justin was one of the few Leicester players to come out of that post-lockdown run of fixtures with his pride in tact.

While many of his defensive counterparts were buckling under the pressure, the former Luton Town man was a steady presence on the right side of defence.

Justin also played as part of a back three and while this is obviously different to operating at the heart of a back four, it’s better experience than many of the other options have.

Moving him centre-back would likely see new signing Timothy Castagne fill in at right-back. Prospect Luke Thomas is also set to start on the left due to Christian Fuchs injury. This would leave a Foxes back four with an average age of just 22. Gulp

Filip Benkovic and Soyuncu may have both been signed on transfer deadline day in 2018 but since then, their Leicester careers have taken widely different paths.

While the latter has carved out a reputation as one of the best young centre-back on the planet, Benkovic has struggled to establish himself at the King Power Stadium.

Impressing out on loan to Celtic during the 2018/2019 campaign – where he made 23 appearances for current Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers – the Croat was widely expected to fill the void left by Harry Maguire’s departure last season.

Instead that particular spot was taken by Soyuncu, with Benkovic instead spending the campaign struggling at Bristol City. On Sunday, the 23-year-old should finally get his chance to impress.

If he can make half as good an impression as Soyuncu did during Leicester’s opening day draw with Wolves last season, concerns about the Foxes’ injury crisis will soon subside.

Newcastle have released a strongly worded statement condemning the Premier League’s decision to reject a takeover bid made by PCP Capital Partners, the Reuben Brothers and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) based on its Owners and Directors test.

The Magpies have been linked with a takeover bid for most of the calendar year, but all their efforts for new ownership fell through when the Saudi Arabian-backed consortium rejected the Premier League’s offer of arbitration to determine who would own the club.

Hoping to have their latest bid accepted by the Premier League – a deal worth £300m that would end Mike Ashley’s 13-year tenure owning the club – a new deal proposed, but despite claims that Newcastle have provided the necessary evidence to allow the takeover to go ahead, they’ve been pushed back once more.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Newcastle United can confirm that the Premier League has rejected a takeover bid made by PCP Capital Partners, the Reuben Brothers and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) based on its Owners and Directors test.

“This conclusion has been reached despite the club providing the Premier League with overwhelming evidence and legal opinions that PIF is independent and autonomous of the Saudi Arabian government.

“The club and its owners do not accept that Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and the Premier League have acted appropriately in relation to this matter and will be considering all relevant options available to them.

“Mike Ashley understands fans’ frustrations and would like to reassure them that he has been fully committed to ensuring this takeover process reached completion as he felt it was in the best interests of the club. Mike continues to be fully supportive to Steve Bruce, the players and all the staff and wishes them well for the upcoming season.”

Gareth Southgate’s England were poor once again as they were held by Denmark in a dull 0-0 draw in Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

The personnel in the Three Lions’ 3-4-3 saw them struggle in the opening period, with the hosts undoubtedly the superior side.

The visitors improved following Mason Mount’s arrival on the hour mark, but they failed to work any clear-cut openings before Harry Kane had his effort cleared off the line by Mathias Jorgensen after Andreas Christensen misjudged Kieran Trippier’s ‘thump’ in behind.

Let’s get into some player ratings from what was a pretty drab international fixture.

Kasper Schmeichel (GK) – 6/10 – Did he actually have to do anything?

Daniel Wass (RB) – 7/10 – Dynamic, energetic and offered a threat in the final third. Diligent defensively and aggressively tracked Raheem Sterling’s movement into the half-space.

Mathias Jørgensen (CB) – 7/10 – Pretty inactive on the night but superb bit of last-ditch defending denied Kane late on and bailed out his centre-back partner.

Andreas Christensen (CB) – 7/10 – Attempted to assert his authority against Kane throughout and impressed in their battle. Error in the dying embers almost cost his side, however.

Robert Skov (LB) – 7/10 – Dangerous left-foot was only teased from set-piece situations and failed to hit the mark when crossing opportunities opened up down the left. Nonetheless, Skov – like Wass – impressed defensively, with his aggression thwarting Jadon Sancho for much of the contest.

Christian Norgaard (DM) – 7/10 – A fine debut. Aggressive in duels and comfortably protected Denmark’s centre-back pairing. Was also tasked with dropping behind England’s first line to aid his side’s build-up from the back.

Thomas Delaney (CM) – 7/10 – Typically industrious in the middle of the park, astute positioning helped shun the opposition’s counters and was instrumental in Denmark’s impressive work out of possession – especially in counter-pressing situations.

Christian Eriksen (CM) – 6/10 – A quiet night for Denmark’s star, but the sequence in which he left Eric Dier for dead before teeing up Kasper Dolberg with a perfectly weighted pass was vintage Eriksen. Spurned the best chance of the night late on.

Yussuf Poulsen (RW) – 5/10 – Served as a wide target-man almost. Caused problems late on but was rarely involved for much of the contest. Defensive work can’t be overlooked.

Kasper Dolberg (ST) – 6/10 – Held the ball up well at times and led Denmark’s fierce press from the front. Spurned two of their better chances on the night, however.

Martin Braithwaite (LW) – 6/10 – Bright drifting in from the left and posed a threat to Jordan Pickford’s goal. Worked profusely to deny threat of Trent Alexander-Arnold at the other end as well.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 6/10

Rasmus Falk – N/A

Simon Kjaer – N/A

Jordan Pickford (GK) – 7/10 – Rarely tested despite Denmark having their fair share of efforts on goal. Erratic in possession but made a superb save to deny Dolberg in the opening period.

Joe Gomez (CB) – 7/10 – England’s best defender on the night. Looked at home as an exterior centre back where he was granted more time in possession and impressive recovery speed allowed him to cover ground expertly and deny the hosts when Alexander-Arnold was caught high upfield.

Conor Coady (CB) – 6/10 – A promising debut for the Wolves skipper who defended stoutly throughout in a familiar role. Inconsistent in possession, though, and failed to deliver penetrative passes into England’s inside forwards with requisite ‘punch’ to bypass Denmark’s savvy midfield.

Eric Dier (CB) – 5/10 – Saw plenty of the ball but position meant he was able to do little with it. Rarely progressed play and often looked inside for safe option – understandable. Had similar passing issues to Coady, although there was the rare example of a beautiful switch of play. Looked the most vulnerable of England’s backline throughout.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (RWB) – 6/10 – Served as a primary outlet on the night with his aggressive positioning but the work of Denmark’s wingers ensured he wasn’t handed the desired room to wreak havoc with his supreme crossing ability. Was bright, though, and teased his threat on occasions.

Kalvin Phillips (CM) – 6/10 – A nervy debut from the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ who wasn’t helped by being partnered with an almost identical profile in midfield. Struggled in possession early but settled nicely and certainly improved in the second period. Tenacious as ever.

Declan Rice (CM) – 5/10 – Similarly proved himself not to be a double pivot midfielder. Showed off his ball-winning prowess on occasions but didn’t impose himself on the contest at all. Poor angles when the visitors attempted to build-up which contributed to England’s progression woes.

Kieran Trippier (LWB) – 5/10 – Had the tough task on playing on the left flank and it was no surprised he struggled.

Jadon Sancho (RW) – 5/10 – Another disappointing night for the Borussia Dortmund star, who was substituted on the hour mark after failing to make any sort of impact.

Harry Kane (ST) – 5/10 – Isolated and starved of service for the most part, but was lax in possession when the ball did fall to his feet and wasn’t able to make the most of albeit limited sights of goal.

Raheem Sterling (LW) – 6/10 – Movement into half-spaces was smart but too predictable – mainly due to the horrible dynamic England had down their left-hand side – but enjoyed a better time of it following Mount’s introduction as space started to open up between Denmark’s lines.

Mason Mount – 7/10

Jack Grealish – 7/10

Ainsley Maitland-Niles – N/A

Italy made it two wins from two in the Nations League thanks to a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on Monday evening.

Nicolò Barella applied the finishing touches to a slick Italy move in first half stoppage time in what proved to be the winner. The well worked goal typified Italy’s classy, polished performance, as Roberto Mancini’s side knocked the ball around confidently and were well deserving of their victory.

Let’s get into some player ratings.

Jasper Cillessen (GK) – 6/10 – Could have done little to keep out Barella’s opening goal, and did well to palm Insigne’s curling effort around the post in the second half.

Nathan Ake (LB) – 6/10 – In a slightly unfamiliar position once more but never looked uncomfortable, largely because the majority of Italy’s attacks came from their left hand side.

Virgil van Dijk (CB) – 5/10 – Was caught flat footed as Barella drifted into the box unmarked to give Italy the lead. Good on the ball but was caused problems by Immobile.

Joël Veltman (CB) – 5/10 – Looked vulnerable when Italy attacked at pace, and was static and failed to pick up Barella for Italy’s opening goal.

Hans Hateboer (RB) – 5/10 – Struggled to contain the threat of Insigne and Spinazzola down the Italian left, who wreaked havoc throughout. Produced a wonderful sliding tackle to dispossess Immobile in the second half.

Georginio Wijnaldum (LM) – 6/10 – Had Holland’s best opportunity of the first half after a typical surging run but fired straight at Donnarumma. Was more involved and effective after being moved into the number 10 role in the second half.

Frenkie de Jong (CM) – 5/10 – Struggled to get involved or dictate play with the same effectiveness as Italy’s impressive midfield three.

Marten de Roon (CM) – 5/10 – Picked out Depay with a terrific pass towards the latter stages, but like his midfield partner, de Roon had a quiet evening and struggled to get a foothold in the game.

Donny van de Beek (CAM) – 5/10 – Had a well struck first time effort well saved by Donnarumma after arriving from deep, but was otherwise quiet and unable to exert his creative influence on the game and was substituted before the hour.

Quincy Promes (RM) – 5/10 – Struggled to get involved and exert any creative influence, and left Hateboer with a lot to do defensively.

Memphis Depay (ST) – 6/10 – Was unfortunate to not win a penalty in the first half. Sent a sweetly struck drive narrowly over the bar on the hour mark.

Steven Bergwijn – 6/10

Denzel Dumfries – N/A

Luuk de Jong – N/A

Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) – 6/10 – Acrobatically tipped van de Beek’s fizzing first time effort over the bar but had very little to do.

Leonardo Spinazzola (LB) – 8/10 – So impressive going forward and was at the heart of many of Italy’s best moves. Produced a wonderful flick in the build up to Barella’s opening goal. Fortunate to not concede a penalty in the first half for a shove on Depay.

Giorgio Chiellini (CB) – 7/10 – After being accidentally left out of the side for the Bosnia & Herzegovina clash thanks to a Roberto Mancini glasses-based mixup, demonstrated his enduring defensive class time and time again. So solid, so dependable.

Leonardo Bonucci (CB) – 6/10 – An integral part in Italy’s effectiveness at playing out from the back and slick passing game. Always showed for the ball, rarely gave it away.

Danilo D’Ambrosio (RB) – 6/10 – Never ventured forward as much as Spinazzola but was comfortable and efficient in possession, and rarely troubled defensively.

Jorginho (CDM) – 8/10 – So comfortable in possession and did the simple stuff expertly to keep Italy ticking over. Showed off his incredible vision and effortless passing range with a selection of stunning passes.

Nicolò Barella (CM) – 8/10 – Ghosted into the box unmarked to climb highest, head home and give Italy the lead in the first half. Teed Insigne up with a fabulous deft flick in the second half as Italy came close to doubling their lead. So energetic and eager to get on the ball.

Manuel Locatelli (CM) – 7/10 – Popped up with an excellent crunching tackle in the second half to epitomise his performance. Broke up play effectively and quietly but confidently went about his business in a thoroughly impressive debut.

Lorenzo Insigne (LW) – 8/10 – An absolute live wire. Everything Italy produced came from Insigne and Spinazzola down the left flank. Heavily involved in the slick team move that resulted in Italy opening the scoring. Saw curling effort well saved by Cillessen in the second half.

Ciro Immobile (ST) – 8/10 – Had a good opportunity to open the scoring but dragged the ball wide, but atoned for his miss by picking out Barella with a perfectly weighted cross as the midfielder gave Italy the lead.

Nicolò Zaniolo (RW) – 6/10 – Had looked lively but was forced off on the stroke of half time through injury.

Moise Kean – 6/10

Bryan Cristante – N/A

Federico Chiesa – N/A

Well. That happened.

The 2020 edition of Soccer Aid is mercifully over, after this year’s selection of English and non-English celebrities joined a who’s who of English and non-English former pros, to play a game of something vaguely resembling football.

Normally, it goes to penalties, and this year it once again went to penalties, but only after 90 horrible minutes in which a Robbie Keane screamer was undone by a James Bay-assisted strike from *checks notes* Yung Filly.

The celebrity-only shootout, which was of a surprisingly passable standard, was decided when Chunkz hoofed his decisive penalty past the post, and the Rest of the World took the trophy home.

Let’s get into some ‘player’ ratings.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David James (GK) – 8/10 – Looked every bit the England international between the sticks. May be an option for third choice when the Euros eventually roll around – he’s certainly better than Jordan Pickford.

John Bishop (RB) – 4/10 – Hey, at least he had fun.

Wes Brown (CB) – 6/10 – Was a nice surprise to see the ex-Man Utd player, who we assumed had just disintegrated Thanos style at some point during his Sunderland spell.

John Terry (CB) – 7/10 – Marshalled the backline well and was frequently seen cascading forward, evidently confident his defensive counterparts had it covered. Deserves applause for putting Kem Cetinay on his arse.

Mark Bright (LB) – 4/10 – Not even entirely sure where he was playing but he had the no.3 shirt so we’ll say left-back.

Midfielders

Gareth Barry (CM) – 7/10 – Kind of seems like cheating to roll out the player with the most appearances in Premier League history for a charity match. He hasn’t lost a step – or at least Dermot Kennedy made it look like he hadn’t lost a step.

Katie Chapman (CM) – 6/10 – Diligent if unremarkable performance from the ex-Lioness.

Danny Jones (CM) – 3/10 – The effort was there but the everything else was not from the McFly guitarist.

Forwards

Olly Murs (LW) – 6/10 – Begrudge him pass marks on the grounds that his haircut is atrocious but for a ‘celebrity footballer’ he actually isn’t too bad.

Tom Davis (CF) – 1/10 – Literally couldn’t move and it made him the least effective player in football history

Kelly Smith (LW) – 6/10 – Ex-Arsenal striker performed well off the left flank without impacting proceedings.

Substitutes

Chunkz – 2/10 – Pretty big deal on the old YouTube. Slightly better than Davis but not much. Eventually subbed for Emile Heskey.

Yung Filly – 7/10 – Bright, enthusiastic and added some much needed energy to the side when he was introduced. Scored a goal, which was nice.

Lee Mack – 3/10 – Entered the pitch to Chesney Hawkes’ ‘The One and Only’ and it wasn’t funny at all.

Paddy McGuiness – 4/10 – Rarely does a man look so out of place anywhere than Paddy McGuinness does on a football pitch. No likey.

Joe Cole – 5/10 – Surprisingly ineffectual for someone who was playing professionally until 2018.

Ashley Cole – 6/10 – Big improvement on John Bishop at left-back but that’s not saying much.

Alfie Allen – 4/10 – The former Game of Thrones star put in goals for the second half so as to guarantee the ball went into the England net at some stage and he obliged.

James Bay – 6/10 – Apparently doesn’t wear his hat everywhere which is disappointing but played well enough. Good assist for the equalising goal even if the opposing central defenders were nowhere to be seen.

Emile Heskey – 6/10 – The quickest England striker of the night by absolute default.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Shay Given (GK) – 6/10 – Had literally nothing to do but made no mistakes so, yeah.

Mo Gilligan (RB) – 3/10 – Non-existent. Not even sure he touched the ball.

Locksmith (CB) – 6/10 – Oh, the guy from Rudimental. Right. Had his lock picked a couple of times but held his own well. His lack of mobility might have been exposed by a strike force capable of running.

Mikael Silvestre (CB) – 6/10 – Really scraping the barrel for former pros here aren’t we?

Patrice Evra (LB) – 6/10 – Ran the show and legitimately looked as good as he ever has. Old Trafford summons something in him.

Midfielders

Michael Essien (CM) – 8/10 – Here he is. Might have been a charity game but Essien treated it like a World Cup final, because he’s Michael Essien and he doesn’t do friendlies.

Dermot Kennedy (CM) – 6/10 – Really thought this was Dermot O’Leary for the entire time he was on the pitch.

Chelcee Grimes (CAM) – 7/10 – A real bright spark in the first half and will have felt aggrieved to have been subbed at the break. The only non-international woman ever to play in Soccer Aid to date – this event has a bit of catching up to do.

Forwards

Lianne Sanderson (RW) – 7/10 – Ex-England winger was lively throughout and came close to breaking the deadlock.

Serge Pizorno (CF) – 7/10 – Substituted early because there had to be two women on the pitch at the same time. Yeah.

Jeremy Lynch (LW) – 4/10 – Don’t know who he is and didn’t even realise he was playing. Freestyle footballer? Cool.

Substitutes

Kem Cetinay – 6/10 – Apparently he’s from Love Island and he’s definitely not a very good footballer.

Ore Oduba – 6/10 – Well-known face from BBC TV who apparently won Strictly at one point. Not the best keeper, unfortunately.

Robbie Keane – 8/10 – Scored the wonderful opening goal and is solely responsible for the game becoming something you could describe as watchable. Man of the match.

Darren Fletcher – 6/10 – Leadership and experience was necessary in a team you could very much tell had been thrown together on a whim.

Bad news – it’s international football week. Good news – pre-season friendlies are still a thing!

Even without their superstars, Premier League clubs are stringing together a set of lads and sticking them on a field to play some football. Whether we like to admit it or not, these exhibition matches do affect every supporter’s confidence going into a new season, and any signs of weakness tend to foreshadow the downfalls of the coming campaign.

Still, these matches really mean very little. But let’s not allow that to stop us from massively over-investing in eight friendly matches from Saturday afternoon then, all of which included at least one Premier League side.

‘How did they all do?’ I imagine you ask. Let’s have a look, shall we?

We’ll start with the English champions, Liverpool, who took on League One outfit Blackpool without a number of their key stars. The Reds were left blushing by the Tangerines, who took a shock 2-0 lead inside the opening 33 minutes, leaving Jurgen Klopp’s men reeling.

Luckily, the Merseysiders do have some goals (and goalscorers) in their team. Seven, in fact. Strikes from Joel Matip, Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, Harvey Elliott, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi and Sepp van den Berg saw the champions just about turn the match back in their favour, running out 7-2 winners. Crisis? What crisis?

Liverpool gave us a nine-goal thriller, but West Ham United could only manage the eight in their clash with Bournemouth. In fact, the Hammers only netted three of them, on another tough afternoon for the east Londoners. The Cherries followed in Blackpool’s footsteps by taking a 2-0 lead, and much like the Seasiders, they allowed their opponents to peg them back, with Jarrod Bowen bagging a brace.

However, Bournemouth then exploded into life, scoring three in ten minutes to open up a commanding lead and rock the Hammers. Felipe Anderson did pull a goal back for David Moyes’ men, but they eventually fell to a 5-3 defeat. Worrying. Or not. You decide.

Across London, Tottenham Hotspur were on the end of their own disappointing loss, too. José Mourinho’s side travelled to newly-relegated Watford and lost 2-1 – albeit without a number of important first-teamers. The Hornets took a 2-0 lead into the break, after Andre Gray’s penalty added to Domingos Quina’s opening goal.

Son Heung-min dispatched a spot-kick of his own to half the deficit with ten minutes to play, but it wasn’t enough for the north Londoners, who left Vicarage Road empty-handed.

Newcastle’s preparations for the new campaign took a hit at St James’ Park, where they lost 1-0 to Championship club Stoke City. The Potters took the lead midway through the first half, when Sam Clucas rounded off a nice move with a lovely header into the far corner. The Magpies failed to muster a response, as their worries in front of goal continue.

Everton found more success in their tie with Preston North End, running out 2-0 winners on Merseyside. The Toffees took the lead on seven minutes, when Jonjoe Kenny raced to a loose ball in the penalty area and squeezed a shot beyond the Lilywhites’ goalkeeper.

Carlo Ancelotti had to wait until the second half for his side to wrap up the game, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin rounded off a smart break away with a close range finish.

Back in London, Crystal Palace were held to a 1-1 draw by Danish side Brondby, although Wilfried Zaha did find himself on the scoresheet once more for the Eagles. His super strike was cancelled out with 20 minutes to play by Jesper Lindstrom, and the two sides went on to share the spoils.

Leicester City also played out a 1-1 tie, although they took on Blackburn Rovers in their contest. Daniel Amartey handed the Foxes the advantage on 67 minutes, converting from a corner, but Derrick Williams pegged the Premier League club back with nine minutes left on the clock.

Finally, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Bromwich Albion endured a 0-0 draw in the only all-Premier League battle of the afternoon. Fingers crossed that’s not a sign of things to come…

Brighton 0-0 West Brom
Crystal Palace 1-1 Brondby
Everton 2-0 Preston
Leicester City 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Liverpool 7-2 Blackpool
Newcastle United 0-1 Stoke City
Watford 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham 3-5 Bournemouth

When links between Chelsea and Kai Havertz first emerged, it raised a few eyebrows. Chelsea had just spent a boatload of money on Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, so there didn’t really appear to be a spot for Havertz in the squad on paper.

The thing with Havertz is that he’s one of those players that you sign first and ask questions about later.

If you ask Chelsea fans now how they expect to see the 21-year-old deployed at Stamford Bridge, you’ll get plenty of different answers. Will he play in central midfield? Behind the striker? Over on the right wing?

There’s a good chance he’ll occupy all three roles at one point or another, and he’s good enough to look at home wherever he ends up.

However, to suggest that Chelsea didn’t properly plan for Havertz’s arrival is ludicrous, and signs of just how perfectly he can fit in were clear to see in the pre-season friendly against Brighton.

Werner started in attack but often drifted out wide, as is to be expected from the German. During his final season with RB Leipzig, he often dropped deeper into midfield or strayed out to the wing to create space for other teammates to rotate into a more central role.

When Werner was on the left wing, there was a clear and obvious effort from central midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek to get into the box and operate as a striker. He would drag defenders around by leaving his typical position and gave Chelsea a focal point, and that’s your Havertz role right there.

Stealing the show as a central striker towards the end of the Bundesliga season, Havertz is more than comfortable operating in that advanced role and will give Chelsea the kind of goal threat from deep which Stamford Bridge hasn’t seen since Frank Lampard’s playing days.

Rotation and fluidity look to be key in Lampard’s side. Werner starts central but heads left, Havertz starts deep and drives forward and Ziyech starts wide and drifts inside. It’s a defender’s nightmare as it’s impossible to manage.

When in possession of the ball, the German can do pretty much whatever he wants.

Whether it’s combining with other midfielders with intricate passing or using his terrifying blend of agility and power to bully defenders, Havertz can force himself forward and make things happen with a frightening lack of effort.

He’ll look for those runs from Werner, Ziyech and Pulisic and he’ll drop the ball off when needed, but if he doesn’t like what he sees, he’ll make the chance himself.

For too long, Chelsea’s only real goal threat has come from forwards. It’s why Mason Mount’s emergence was a breath of fresh air and why Ross Barkley has his own set of supporters at the Bridge. They both stop Chelsea from looking one-dimensional.

But Havertz brings his own dimension.

He’s the final piece in Lampard’s attacking puzzle. Now, the focus is on making sure all the cogs gel in the machine as soon as possible. Once Chelsea are up to speed, the results could be devastating.