Eden Hazard scored twice as Chelsea moved to the top of the Premier League with a scintillating 5-0 victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Not since winning the 2014-15 title have Chelsea led the top flight, but they took advantage of Manchester City s 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough earlier on Saturday to do so, though Arsenal or Liverpool could displace them by winning their respective matches on Sunday.
Antonio Conte s team, unchanged for the fourth straight league match, ran riot and punished visiting manager Ronald Koeman for his decision to switch to a three-man defence.
That surprise tactical change came despite Everton having ended a run of five games in all competitions without a win at home to West Ham last time out.
Hazard opened the scoring in t…
According to , Timo Werner may leave Chelsea at the end of the season. The Germany international forward joined the Blues from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2020 for £45 million and was expected to be a massive success in the Premier League. However, Werner has failed to set English football alight and may leave the London club in the summer of 2021 or in the next year or two.
According to , Werner has made 23 starts and four substitute appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea so far this season, scoring five goals and providing five assists in the process. The 25-year-old forward has also made five starts and two substitute appearances in the Champions League for the English club this campaign, scoring three goals and providing one assist in the process, according to .
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Germany made it three wins from three under Hansi Flick and tightened their grip on top spot in World Cup qualifying Group J with a routine 4-0 victory over Iceland.
After putting eight unanswered goals past Liechtenstein and Armenia in their opening two games under Flick, Die Mannschaft kept up their positive start in Reykjavik.
Serge Gnabry s tap-in and Antonio Rudiger s header had Germany two goals ahead inside 24 minutes and Leroy Sane killed off the contest early in the second half.
Germany passed up a number of further opportunities before Timo Werner added a late fourth to seal a win that moves his side four points clear of second-place Armenia, who were held to a surprise 1-1 draw by Liechtenstein earlier on Wednesday.
Looking good
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New Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has revealed Jose Mourinho played a huge role in persuading him to join the club.
The 40-year-old completed an unexpected move to Stamford Bridge from Premier League neighbours Fulham earlier in July.
And the Australia international concedes he had reservations about the amount of football he would play with Petr Cech firmly established as Chelsea s number one.
However, a conversation with new boss Mourinho rapidly allayed those fears.
Before I spoke to the manager I had some doubts, but once I spoke to the manager those doubts disappeared pretty quickly, Schwarzer commented.
The amount of games Chelsea play, there is going to be opportunities to play games and that s also important for me.
The former Middlesbro…
Andre-Pierre Gignac has reaffirmed his commitment to Marseille, quashing rumours of a move to Newcastle United.
The 27-year-old striker top-scored for Marseille last season with 18 goals in all competitions as the club finished runners-up behind PSG.
Gignac is preparing for his fourth campaign at Stade Velodrome after signing for the club in 2010 from Toulouse.
He struggled to find form in his first two seasons and only scored 14 goals, but his fortunes improved under Elie Baup last term to the extent that he has attracted interest from elsewhere.
However, Cignac is adamant that his future is with Marseille.
I have never wanted to leave, he told L Equipe. (The links with) Newcastle and the rest, it is all b******t.
My mind is always on OM and I let Je…
Barcelona have confirmed midfielder Sergi Samper will remain at the club this season and be part of the first-team squad.
The 23-year-old has agreed to stay at Camp Nou and will wear the number 16 shirt for the rest of the 2018-19 campaign.
Samper, a graduate of Barca s academy, was loaned to Las Palmas last term but missed the majority of the second half of the season due to a serious leg and ankle injury.
He had previously spent 2016-17 with Granada, making 22 appearances in LaLiga.
Samper inherits the number 16 jersey from Gerard Deulofeu, who is now at Watford, while Sergio Busquets and former club captain Xavi have both worn the number in the past.
to be included first team squad with on the back of his shirt
— FC Barcelona …
Niko Kovac lauded hat-trick hero Robert Lewandowski but the Bayern Munich head coach thanked former boss Jupp Heynckes following Sunday s DFL-Supercup victory.
Kovac s tenure got off to a winning start thanks to star striker Lewandowski, who scored three goals in Bayern s 5-0 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Former Eintracht coach Kovac – who masterminded a DFL-Pokal final win over Bayern in May – claimed his first piece of silverware since replacing Heynckes at the end of 2017-18.
Lewandowski was the catalyst at Commerzbank-Arena, where he scored twice in the first half before completing his three-goal haul in the 54th minute.
The Poland international earned praise from Kovac, who also singled out club great Heynckes as German champions Bayern celebrated…
Fabio Capello s decision to leave Theo Walcott out of his final 23-man squad for the World Cup has sent a clear message to England s stars as they head to South Africa.
Walcott is the latest high-profile victim of Capello s ruthless determination to stamp his authority on his teams and his absence should leave the squad in no doubt that their manager won t tolerate underachievement in the finals.
The Arsenal winger was widely expected to feature in Capello s plans for the World Cup in South Africa after playing a significant role in the qualifying campaign.
He appeared to underline his importance with a hat-trick in the vital 4-1 victory over Croatia in September 2008, but injuries and a series of erractic performances for Arsenal this season have changed Capell…
Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City’s latest Premier League title success should not be demeaned by suggestions Arsenal ‘bottled it’ in the run-in.
Yet the City boss conceded his side would need to go on to win the Champions League to be regarded among the greats.
City were confirmed as English champions for a fifth time in six years and a third season in succession after Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
And your champions… Manchester City!
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
The Gunners had led City by eight points as recently as last month but their form deserted them at a crucial stage.
Guardiola, however, paid tribute to his former assistant Mikel Arteta’s team after City celebrated their triumph with a 1-0 vic…
Jamaica defender Alvas Powell has apologised for walking out on his team-mates at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but refuted reports his reasoning was due to a lack of game time.
Powell, who plays for MLS club Portland Timbers, played just 20 minutes of Jamaica s three Group B fixtures at the continental event, coming on as a second-half substitute in their 1-0 win over El Salvador in Toronto.
It was reported the 20-year-old was frustrated with coach Winfried Schafer due to a lack of game time, but Powell claimed this was not his reason for walking out but did not reveal an alternative.
Firstly, I would like to sincerely apologise to the people of Jamaica, the JFF [Jamaica Football Federation] and my team-mates, Powell s statement read.
I am truly sorry this si…