Helmond Sport defeated Sparta Rotterdam 3-0 in Eerste Divisie. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 16 stage in the 2018 season. The full-time result capped a Helmond Sport vs Sparta Rotterdam meeting in Eerste Divisie with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Helmond Sport and Sparta Rotterdam. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
Eerste Divisie
Helmond Sport HELRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Helmond Sport defeated Sparta Rotterdam 3-0 in Eerste Divisie. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 16 stage in the 2018 season. The full-time result capped a Helmond Sport vs Sparta Rotterdam meeting in Eerste Divisie with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Helmond Sport and Sparta Rotterdam. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
Eerste DivisieHelmond Sport HELRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
After Thiago Mendes denied him a handshake, Neymar issued a harsh response to the midfielder: "He's a nobody." Neymar was involved in one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend in Brazil after Thiago Mendes snubbed him during the pre-match handshakes before Santos faced Vasco da Gama. Following the match, the former Barcelona star offered a blunt response regarding the midfielder, stating: “He’s a nobody.” Santos traveled to face Vasco on Sunday, August 16, in a critical match to climb out of the relegation zone. Tensions flared early when the teams lined up for pre-game greetings, as Thiago Mendes was captured on camera refusing to shake Neymar’s hand, leaving the forward’s hand hanging before Neymar smirked and proceeded to greet the match officials. الاسطورة نيمار يمد يده ليصافح تياغو مينديز ولكنه يتجاهل نيمار 😨😨😨😨😨😨😨😨 pic.twitter.com/rYOAdTpbgR— Team Neymar (@TeamNey10) August 16, 2026 Behind goals from Gabriel Barbosa, Willian Arao, and Luan Peres, Santos secured a vital 3-0 victory in the Campeonato Brasileiro, but post-match discussions remained centered on the pre-game friction between the two captains. Speaking in the mixed zone at the Estadio Sao Januario, Neymar was asked directly about the snub and pulled no punches: “To be honest, I don’t care much about that guy. To me, he is a nobody. In 2020, he broke my ankle, which I think he did on purpose. And I didn’t let it go: we had a little fight in our last match against each other, which I think is normal in a football match.” Reflecting on their history across European and Brazilian soccer, Neymar continued his critique. “I wasn’t even thinking much about him in today’s match because I don’t care. He refused to shake my hand, which I see as very disrespectful. The most important thing is that we still won against them and he can keep crying. Everyone knows Neymar Jr., but nobody even knew Thiago Mendes’s name until today,” he concluded. The viral moment drew widespread attention across social media, with Santos’ official Instagram account adding fuel to the fire by posting a video referencing the snub. Neymar commented on the post with a laughing-crying emoji, adding the caption: “Pride comes before a fall.“ Neymar and Mendes’ history of friction Despite both hailing from Brazil, the rivalry between Neymar and Thiago Mendes dates back to their time playing in Europe, specifically in France. During a Ligue 1 clash between PSG and Olympique Lyonnais in 2020, Mendes committed a heavy tackle on Neymar that resulted in a severe ankle injury, forcing the superstar off the pitch in tears. Essa foi a famosa entrada do Thiago Mendes "para quebrar" o Neymar.Uma fake criada em época que o Neymar era intocável para os brasileiros.Alguém sem clubismo acha realmente que isso é uma falta absurdamente dura?Você sabia que o piti do Neymar era um lance "normal" assim? pic.twitter.com/wTgZ66BWGc— Rafael Rocha (@RR_VASCO) August 18, 2026 Medical reports later confirmed Neymar suffered a severe left ankle sprain, though initial fears had pointed to a fracture. The two players crossed paths again in February 2026 during a 2-1 victory for Santos, where they engaged in a heated mid-pitch argument that ended with Mendes aiming a headbutt at the Santos captain. Following that February incident, Neymar addressed Mendes’ conduct during his post-match press conference: “He is always the one starting problems, he always tries to act tough, he is always like that. With all due respect, he is an idiot. He broke me once at PSG and he made me a promise today. Let’s see if he has the manhood to break me again.“
1892 Holdings has first refusal if FSG opts to sellGroup paid more than £2bn for initial 38% slice of club1892 Holdings, the new investor in Liverpool, has first refusal to become the majority shareholder in the next 12 months should Fenway Sports Group decide to sell.The consortium led by Amit Bhatia and including the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was believed to have bought 30% to one-third of Liverpool when the deal was announced on Friday. However, the agreement is for 38% of the Anfield club, meaning 1892 has paid FSG just over £2bn to become a minority shareholder. The increased stake, first reported by the Athletic, still values Liverpool at about £5.5bn. Continue reading...
The club is taking no chances with its captain after his extended summer break, and the latest update suggests supporters may not have to wait much longer to see him back on the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo‘s return to competitive action with Al-Nassr is beginning to take clearer shape after the Portuguese superstar was handed a carefully managed fitness plan. The club is taking no chances with its captain after his extended summer break, and the latest update suggests supporters may not have to wait much longer to see him back on the pitch. Ronaldo has already returned to training, but Al-Nassr has decided to ease him back into competitive football rather than immediately throw him into the opening fixtures. A special fitness program has now been designed to prepare the 41-year-old for his comeback, with his workload being closely monitored by the club’s fitness staff. The Portuguese forward spent an extended period away from Al-Nassr following Portugal’s campaign at the 2026 World Cup. He subsequently returned to the Saudi club last week after enjoying time away from soccer, including his holiday with Georgina Rodriguez. Although Ronaldo missed the club’s preseason preparations in Lisbon, reports indicate that he maintained a good level of physical condition during his break. That has allowed Al-Nassr’s coaching staff to focus primarily on restoring his match sharpness rather than starting his conditioning work from scratch. The return of the GOAT is more likely than ever!🐐🥵 https://t.co/0mFElPY1dA pic.twitter.com/6zER04pEBD— The Nassr Tribune™️ (@AlNassrTribune) August 18, 2026 Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah reported that Ronaldo has been placed on a special fitness plan designed by Al-Nassr’s fitness coach to raise his physical levels ahead of his return. Special 90-minute session forms part of comeback plan The latest update came as Ronaldo was scheduled to complete a 90-minute fitness session on Tuesday at Al-Nassr’s training center in Riyadh. The session is part of a tailored program intended to prepare him for competitive action in the coming weeks. Al-Riyadiyah reported that the club’s fitness coach had prepared a special program for the Portuguese star to build his fitness ahead of the upcoming matches. The session comes after Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s opening Saudi Pro League match against Al-Fateh, which the club won 3-0. He was also expected to sit out Tuesday’s King’s Cup Round of 32 clash against Al-Diriyah, with the coaching staff continuing to prioritize his gradual return. Cristiano Ronaldo in Al-Nassr training The exact return date is finally taking shape With the Al-Diriyah match effectively serving as another game Ronaldo will miss, attention now turns to Al-Nassr’s next league fixture. Ronaldo is now expected to return against Al-Riyadh on Friday, August 21, assuming he completes the fitness plan without any setbacks. That would give the veteran forward several more days to work on his conditioning before being reintroduced to competitive play. The timing also makes sense for Al-Nassr, which has little reason to rush its biggest star this early in a long campaign. Reports from Al-Riyadiyah also suggest Ronaldo has lost little of his sharpness during his time away from the club, providing further encouragement that his return could arrive sooner rather than later. The special fitness plan is therefore less about rebuilding his physical condition completely and more about making sure he is ready to handle the intensity of a competitive match.
Youri Tielemans completed a £35m transfer move from Aston Villa to Manchester United (Picture: Getty) Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy has heaped praise on Youri Tielemans and backed his ‘unbelievable’ former team-mate to reach another level altogether at Manchester United. United ramped up their interest in Tielemans in their search for midfield reinforcements last month, before triggering a £35million release clause in the Belgian’s contract at Aston Villa. Tielemans pen to paper on a five-year deal at Old Trafford, tying him to the club until 2031, and will be expected to add an extra dimension to Michael Carrick’s engine room along with fellow signing Andrey Santos. After joining up with his new team-mates, Tielemans revealed he had held discussions with United on two previous occasions before his move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. But Villa managed to cling on to Tielemans ahead of last season and the 29-year-old played an instrumental role as Unai Emery’s men won the Europa League while also securing Champions League football with a fourth-placed finish. Before that, Tielemans ensured he went down in Leicester folklore by scoring the winning goal in the side’s stunning FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley. Vardy was also a part of Leicester’s success that day and after four-and-a-half years together at the King Power Stadium, it’s clear Tielemans left a sizeable impression on the iconic striker. Vardy has backed Tielemans to ‘kick on’ at Old Trafford (Picture: Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party) Tielemans and Vardy were team-mates for four-and-a-half years (Picture: Getty) ‘I just think he’ll start kicking on again if I’m honest,’ Vardy said on his Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party podcast when discussing Tielemans’ summer switch to United. ‘I played against him with Belgium, he was unbelievable and you were like, “Wow, who is this?”, because he was only young at the time. ‘It then came through that we [Leicester] had signed him on loan at first and I remember going around all the lads and saying, “We’ve signed a player here!”, and I mean a really good player. The Belgian will be desperate for a starting role against Hull this weekend (Picture: Getty) ‘He came in and straight away you could tell… the dedication, 100 per cent every day. ‘He would then get in the dressing room and he was so down to earth, so normal. ‘He was a real breath of fresh air for us at that time.’ Tielemans signed a five-year contract with the Red Devils (Picture: Getty) Wes Morgan, featuring as a guest on the podcast, echoed Vardy’s glowing remaks about Tielemans while highlighting the playmaker’s ‘dedication’ to his profession both on and off the pitch. ‘What I’ve seen with Youri is dedication to his job,’ the ex-Leicester captain expolained. ‘I always used to see him in the gym, working extra hard and doing extra work. He was really working on improving himself. ‘He never took it easy in training, he always gave it 100 per cent, but he’s another one that has that technical capability, that awareness and that speed of thought. United have made sure to strengthen their midfield options (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m not surprised to see him go to the top and be at Manchester United now. Hopefully he’ll show everyone how good he is. ‘He deserves everything that he’s got so far.’ United got a chance to see Tielemans in their colours for the first time during the side’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. The Belgium international also came off the bench against bitter rivals Leeds before completing the full 90 minutes in the Red Devils’ 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Poland. He will no doubt be chomping at the bit to continue his run in the side this weekend as Carrick’s men prepare to kick off their Premier League campaign away to newly promoted Hull City. For
Chelsea have announced they will now be referring to their under-21 and under-19 teams as Cobham Next Gen, inspired by the name of the club's training ground. The new name will be showcased in Premier League 2 and they will be known as CNG for short. "It recognises a group of young players with momentum, taking the next step in their development – the final one in the pathway to senior football – competing at a higher level as they continue their journey through Cobham towards the men's team."
Mason Mount was missing from Manchester United training this morning, sparking fears he will not be fit for the Premier League opener at Hull on Saturday. Mount was arguably United's player of the first three games of their pre-season campaign and his partnership with new signing Andrey Santos looked like being productive. It had been suggested the England international could be the 'third' midfielder the club had been looking for this summer, following the arrivals of Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
Strasbourg are among the clubs in talks to sign Chelsea striker Deivid Washington before the transfer deadline. The Brazilian, 21, is attracting interest from the Ligue 1 club, which is under the same ownership as Chelsea, although sides in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe are also interested. A move to France is understood to appeal to Washington, who is looking to get his career back on track after struggling to break through at Chelsea since his £17m move from Santos in 2023.
Chelsea will challenge for the Premier League title this season, says The Athletic reporter Adam Crafton. BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club gave their predictions for Xabi Alonso's side before the league returns on Friday, and Crafton believes Chelsea fans will be "quietly optimistic" for the campaign ahead. "But just looking at the selection of players, I think there will be a lot of Chelsea fans quietly optimistic that they might be able to challenge, if not win, the league."
The Devils' Advocate podcast co-host Joe McGrath says Harry Maguire is going to be "a big player" for Manchester United this coming season. The 33-year-old defender signed a new one-year contract with United in April, with the option to extend for a further year. Maguire has enjoyed a revival under Michael Carrick, starting all 10 matches since his appointment in mid-January.
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After Thiago Mendes denied him a handshake, Neymar issued a harsh response to the midfielder: "He's a nobody." Neymar was involved in one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend in Brazil after Thiago Mendes snubbed him during the pre-match handshakes before Santos faced Vasco da Gama. Following the match, the former Barcelona star offered a blunt response regarding the midfielder, stating: “He’s a nobody.” Santos traveled to face Vasco on Sunday, August 16, in a critical match to climb out of the relegation zone. Tensions flared early when the teams lined up for pre-game greetings, as Thiago Mendes was captured on camera refusing to shake Neymar’s hand, leaving the forward’s hand hanging before Neymar smirked and proceeded to greet the match officials. الاسطورة نيمار يمد يده ليصافح تياغو مينديز ولكنه يتجاهل نيمار 😨😨😨😨😨😨😨😨 pic.twitter.com/rYOAdTpbgR— Team Neymar (@TeamNey10) August 16, 2026 Behind goals from Gabriel Barbosa, Willian Arao, and Luan Peres, Santos secured a vital 3-0 victory in the Campeonato Brasileiro, but post-match discussions remained centered on the pre-game friction between the two captains. Speaking in the mixed zone at the Estadio Sao Januario, Neymar was asked directly about the snub and pulled no punches: “To be honest, I don’t care much about that guy. To me, he is a nobody. In 2020, he broke my ankle, which I think he did on purpose. And I didn’t let it go: we had a little fight in our last match against each other, which I think is normal in a football match.” Reflecting on their history across European and Brazilian soccer, Neymar continued his critique. “I wasn’t even thinking much about him in today’s match because I don’t care. He refused to shake my hand, which I see as very disrespectful. The most important thing is that we still won against them and he can keep crying. Everyone knows Neymar Jr., but nobody even knew Thiago Mendes’s name until today,” he concluded. The viral moment drew widespread attention across social media, with Santos’ official Instagram account adding fuel to the fire by posting a video referencing the snub. Neymar commented on the post with a laughing-crying emoji, adding the caption: “Pride comes before a fall.“ Neymar and Mendes’ history of friction Despite both hailing from Brazil, the rivalry between Neymar and Thiago Mendes dates back to their time playing in Europe, specifically in France. During a Ligue 1 clash between PSG and Olympique Lyonnais in 2020, Mendes committed a heavy tackle on Neymar that resulted in a severe ankle injury, forcing the superstar off the pitch in tears. Essa foi a famosa entrada do Thiago Mendes "para quebrar" o Neymar.Uma fake criada em época que o Neymar era intocável para os brasileiros.Alguém sem clubismo acha realmente que isso é uma falta absurdamente dura?Você sabia que o piti do Neymar era um lance "normal" assim? pic.twitter.com/wTgZ66BWGc— Rafael Rocha (@RR_VASCO) August 18, 2026 Medical reports later confirmed Neymar suffered a severe left ankle sprain, though initial fears had pointed to a fracture. The two players crossed paths again in February 2026 during a 2-1 victory for Santos, where they engaged in a heated mid-pitch argument that ended with Mendes aiming a headbutt at the Santos captain. Following that February incident, Neymar addressed Mendes’ conduct during his post-match press conference: “He is always the one starting problems, he always tries to act tough, he is always like that. With all due respect, he is an idiot. He broke me once at PSG and he made me a promise today. Let’s see if he has the manhood to break me again.“
1892 Holdings has first refusal if FSG opts to sellGroup paid more than £2bn for initial 38% slice of club1892 Holdings, the new investor in Liverpool, has first refusal to become the majority shareholder in the next 12 months should Fenway Sports Group decide to sell.The consortium led by Amit Bhatia and including the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was believed to have bought 30% to one-third of Liverpool when the deal was announced on Friday. However, the agreement is for 38% of the Anfield club, meaning 1892 has paid FSG just over £2bn to become a minority shareholder. The increased stake, first reported by the Athletic, still values Liverpool at about £5.5bn. Continue reading...
The club is taking no chances with its captain after his extended summer break, and the latest update suggests supporters may not have to wait much longer to see him back on the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo‘s return to competitive action with Al-Nassr is beginning to take clearer shape after the Portuguese superstar was handed a carefully managed fitness plan. The club is taking no chances with its captain after his extended summer break, and the latest update suggests supporters may not have to wait much longer to see him back on the pitch. Ronaldo has already returned to training, but Al-Nassr has decided to ease him back into competitive football rather than immediately throw him into the opening fixtures. A special fitness program has now been designed to prepare the 41-year-old for his comeback, with his workload being closely monitored by the club’s fitness staff. The Portuguese forward spent an extended period away from Al-Nassr following Portugal’s campaign at the 2026 World Cup. He subsequently returned to the Saudi club last week after enjoying time away from soccer, including his holiday with Georgina Rodriguez. Although Ronaldo missed the club’s preseason preparations in Lisbon, reports indicate that he maintained a good level of physical condition during his break. That has allowed Al-Nassr’s coaching staff to focus primarily on restoring his match sharpness rather than starting his conditioning work from scratch. The return of the GOAT is more likely than ever!🐐🥵 https://t.co/0mFElPY1dA pic.twitter.com/6zER04pEBD— The Nassr Tribune™️ (@AlNassrTribune) August 18, 2026 Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah reported that Ronaldo has been placed on a special fitness plan designed by Al-Nassr’s fitness coach to raise his physical levels ahead of his return. Special 90-minute session forms part of comeback plan The latest update came as Ronaldo was scheduled to complete a 90-minute fitness session on Tuesday at Al-Nassr’s training center in Riyadh. The session is part of a tailored program intended to prepare him for competitive action in the coming weeks. Al-Riyadiyah reported that the club’s fitness coach had prepared a special program for the Portuguese star to build his fitness ahead of the upcoming matches. The session comes after Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s opening Saudi Pro League match against Al-Fateh, which the club won 3-0. He was also expected to sit out Tuesday’s King’s Cup Round of 32 clash against Al-Diriyah, with the coaching staff continuing to prioritize his gradual return. Cristiano Ronaldo in Al-Nassr training The exact return date is finally taking shape With the Al-Diriyah match effectively serving as another game Ronaldo will miss, attention now turns to Al-Nassr’s next league fixture. Ronaldo is now expected to return against Al-Riyadh on Friday, August 21, assuming he completes the fitness plan without any setbacks. That would give the veteran forward several more days to work on his conditioning before being reintroduced to competitive play. The timing also makes sense for Al-Nassr, which has little reason to rush its biggest star this early in a long campaign. Reports from Al-Riyadiyah also suggest Ronaldo has lost little of his sharpness during his time away from the club, providing further encouragement that his return could arrive sooner rather than later. The special fitness plan is therefore less about rebuilding his physical condition completely and more about making sure he is ready to handle the intensity of a competitive match.
Youri Tielemans completed a £35m transfer move from Aston Villa to Manchester United (Picture: Getty) Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy has heaped praise on Youri Tielemans and backed his ‘unbelievable’ former team-mate to reach another level altogether at Manchester United. United ramped up their interest in Tielemans in their search for midfield reinforcements last month, before triggering a £35million release clause in the Belgian’s contract at Aston Villa. Tielemans pen to paper on a five-year deal at Old Trafford, tying him to the club until 2031, and will be expected to add an extra dimension to Michael Carrick’s engine room along with fellow signing Andrey Santos. After joining up with his new team-mates, Tielemans revealed he had held discussions with United on two previous occasions before his move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. But Villa managed to cling on to Tielemans ahead of last season and the 29-year-old played an instrumental role as Unai Emery’s men won the Europa League while also securing Champions League football with a fourth-placed finish. Before that, Tielemans ensured he went down in Leicester folklore by scoring the winning goal in the side’s stunning FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley. Vardy was also a part of Leicester’s success that day and after four-and-a-half years together at the King Power Stadium, it’s clear Tielemans left a sizeable impression on the iconic striker. Vardy has backed Tielemans to ‘kick on’ at Old Trafford (Picture: Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party) Tielemans and Vardy were team-mates for four-and-a-half years (Picture: Getty) ‘I just think he’ll start kicking on again if I’m honest,’ Vardy said on his Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party podcast when discussing Tielemans’ summer switch to United. ‘I played against him with Belgium, he was unbelievable and you were like, “Wow, who is this?”, because he was only young at the time. ‘It then came through that we [Leicester] had signed him on loan at first and I remember going around all the lads and saying, “We’ve signed a player here!”, and I mean a really good player. The Belgian will be desperate for a starting role against Hull this weekend (Picture: Getty) ‘He came in and straight away you could tell… the dedication, 100 per cent every day. ‘He would then get in the dressing room and he was so down to earth, so normal. ‘He was a real breath of fresh air for us at that time.’ Tielemans signed a five-year contract with the Red Devils (Picture: Getty) Wes Morgan, featuring as a guest on the podcast, echoed Vardy’s glowing remaks about Tielemans while highlighting the playmaker’s ‘dedication’ to his profession both on and off the pitch. ‘What I’ve seen with Youri is dedication to his job,’ the ex-Leicester captain expolained. ‘I always used to see him in the gym, working extra hard and doing extra work. He was really working on improving himself. ‘He never took it easy in training, he always gave it 100 per cent, but he’s another one that has that technical capability, that awareness and that speed of thought. United have made sure to strengthen their midfield options (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m not surprised to see him go to the top and be at Manchester United now. Hopefully he’ll show everyone how good he is. ‘He deserves everything that he’s got so far.’ United got a chance to see Tielemans in their colours for the first time during the side’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. The Belgium international also came off the bench against bitter rivals Leeds before completing the full 90 minutes in the Red Devils’ 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Poland. He will no doubt be chomping at the bit to continue his run in the side this weekend as Carrick’s men prepare to kick off their Premier League campaign away to newly promoted Hull City. For
Chelsea have announced they will now be referring to their under-21 and under-19 teams as Cobham Next Gen, inspired by the name of the club's training ground. The new name will be showcased in Premier League 2 and they will be known as CNG for short. "It recognises a group of young players with momentum, taking the next step in their development – the final one in the pathway to senior football – competing at a higher level as they continue their journey through Cobham towards the men's team."
Mason Mount was missing from Manchester United training this morning, sparking fears he will not be fit for the Premier League opener at Hull on Saturday. Mount was arguably United's player of the first three games of their pre-season campaign and his partnership with new signing Andrey Santos looked like being productive. It had been suggested the England international could be the 'third' midfielder the club had been looking for this summer, following the arrivals of Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
Strasbourg are among the clubs in talks to sign Chelsea striker Deivid Washington before the transfer deadline. The Brazilian, 21, is attracting interest from the Ligue 1 club, which is under the same ownership as Chelsea, although sides in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe are also interested. A move to France is understood to appeal to Washington, who is looking to get his career back on track after struggling to break through at Chelsea since his £17m move from Santos in 2023.
Chelsea will challenge for the Premier League title this season, says The Athletic reporter Adam Crafton. BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club gave their predictions for Xabi Alonso's side before the league returns on Friday, and Crafton believes Chelsea fans will be "quietly optimistic" for the campaign ahead. "But just looking at the selection of players, I think there will be a lot of Chelsea fans quietly optimistic that they might be able to challenge, if not win, the league."
The Devils' Advocate podcast co-host Joe McGrath says Harry Maguire is going to be "a big player" for Manchester United this coming season. The 33-year-old defender signed a new one-year contract with United in April, with the option to extend for a further year. Maguire has enjoyed a revival under Michael Carrick, starting all 10 matches since his appointment in mid-January.
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