Match story
- Real Sociedad fired more attempts (15 vs 9 shots).
- Villarreal was more accurate in front of goal (44% on target vs 13%).
- Real Sociedad held more of the ball (60% possession).
Villarreal defeated Real Sociedad 2-1 in La Liga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 4 stage in the 2016 season. The match was played at Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal. Carlos Clos Gomez, Spain officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Villarreal vs Real Sociedad meeting in La Liga 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 Villarreal and Real Sociedad. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
La LigaRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Villarreal defeated Real Sociedad 2-1 in La Liga. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 4 stage in the 2016 season. The match was played at Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal. Carlos Clos Gomez, Spain officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Villarreal vs Real Sociedad meeting in La Liga 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 Villarreal and Real Sociedad. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
La LigaRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty) Arsenal are planning to offload Ethan Nwaneri before the summer transfer window closes after he was left out of the Community Shield against Manchester City. Nwaneri has been linked with another move away from Arsenal this summer after spending the second-half of last season on loan at Marseille. The 19-year-old is one of the most highly-rated players in Europe despite a disappointing 2025-26 campaign. The midfielder became the youngest player to ever feature in the Premier League when he made his debut for Arsenal in 2022, and established himself as a regular member of Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad during the 2024-25 season. 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. Nwaneri made 37 appearances for his boyhood club that term and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award while being rewarded with a new long-term contract. The 19-year-old was expected to continue to contribute last season but only featured in six league games before being sent on loan to Marseille in January. Arsenal bosses were confident he would develop in France but Nwaneri only made nine appearances during an underwhelming loan before returning to the Premier League champions. Ethan Nwaneri looks set to leave Arsenal (Picture: Getty) Despite failing to make an impact for Marseille, Arteta insisted Nwaneri would benefit from his time away from Arsenal and returned ‘looking like a different man’. ‘On the pitch, he didn’t [work] because a lot happened in Marseille,’ Arteta said after Arsenal beat Girona 4-1 in their first pre-season friendly. ‘But when you just stand in front of him, you sense the maturity and he looks like a different man. Arteta ahead of Arsenal’s Community Shield clash (Picture: Getty) ‘The experience on paper, it wasn’t ideal but I think he went through something that is going to help him a lot in his career.’ Speaking on Friday before the Community Shield, Arteta admitted Nwaneri could still leave Arsenal before the transfer deadline. ‘I want him to be at the club. But we have to think about the medium and long term,’ Arteta said. Nwaneri was left out of the Community Shield (Picture: Getty) ‘What is best for the player? Ethan needs to play football. If he stays here, we must be able to guarantee him those minutes, otherwise it won’t be beneficial for either side.’ Nwaneri has attracted interest from Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in recent weeks and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Arsenal plan to offload him after he was left out of the Community Shield. It is not clear whether Arsenal will sanction another loan move for the teenager or sell him in a possible deal with a buy-back option. While Nwaneri was left out of the Premier League curtain-raiser in Cardiff, summer signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis were both handed their Arsenal debuts by Arteta. ‘Christos [Tzolis] came early so that always helps,’ Arteta said. ‘Bruno [Guimaraes] only joined us last week, but he’s in good condition and we know what he will bring to the team. ‘He is a ball of energy. He has an unbelievable desire to win every ball. You sense he will drive the dressing room and when you bring someone with that competitive nature, it will only drive the boys.’ Asked about Arsenal’s plan to retain the Premier League trophy, Arteta added: ‘It’s very difficult, that’s why we haven’t done it in this football club. You have to raise the level from every angle.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
It took Morgan Rogers only seven minutes to score his first goal in a Chelsea shirt in Saturday's 3-1 friendly win over Real Sociedad as he reacted quickest after Alex Remiro saved Joao Pedro's initial header. The £117m club record signing from Aston Villa initially looked sharp and linked well with Cole Palmer and Pedro in Chelsea's front three. Beyond Rogers, Joao Pedro has been the star of Chelsea's pre-season.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s decision to reject Newcastle United has created major tension at Marseille, with the midfielder now losing the captain’s armband despite remaining part of Bruno Genesio’s first-team plans. Newcastle had identified the 31-year-old as an experienced option following Bruno Guimarães’ £75 million move to Arsenal. Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred […] The post Player stripped of Marseille captaincy after refusing to join Newcastle United appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Coventry manager and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard (Picture: Getty) Frank Lampard has expressed interest in signing a second Chelsea star for Coventry City after making an approach for Mykhailo Mudryk. Lampard is keen to bolster his Coventry squad further as he prepares for their return to the Premier League. Coventry face Premier League champions Arsenal in their opening fixture of the new season after storming to the Championship title last term. The Sky Blues have signed Caleb Yirenkyi, Carl Rushworth, Lous Tchauouna, Aurele Amenda, Gustavo Hamer, Frank Onyenka and Normal Bassette so far 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 Lampard wants to welcome a few more signings to the Midlands club before the end of the summer transfer window and has informed Chelsea of his interest in Mudryk. Mudryk joined the latter stages of Chelsea’s pre-season tour after resolving his doping case with the Football Association. The Ukraine international has not been allowed to play since November 2024 after being provisionally suspended for returning an ‘adverse finding’ for the banned substance meldonium. Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk (Picture: Reuters) The FA ended its anti-doping proceedings after Mudryk accepted breaching anti-doping rules and agreed to a suspension equal to the one year and eight months already served. New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said he was ‘very happy’ to welcome Mudryk back into his squad but that it was ‘too early’ to determine his performance levels. A loan move seems likely to give Mudryk the chance to get regular minutes and get back to the form that earned him a £62m move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea academy graduate Josh Acheampong (Picture: Getty) Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg are interested in striking a deal but Fabrizio Romano has reported that Mudryk would prefer to remain in the Premier League next season if a loan becomes inevitable. Mudryk is not the only Chelsea player attracting interest from Coventry, with Lampard also keen to discuss a possible deal for Josh Acheampong, according to talkSPORT. Stamford Bridge academy graduate Acheampong has made 44 appearances for Chelsea since making his first-team debut in 2024, including 30 last season. New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty) The 20-year-old is viewed as one of the most highly-rated young defenders in Europe and as a result is deemed ‘untouchable’ by Chelsea bosses. Chelsea have already rejected several approaches for Acheampong but may see the benefit of the youngster spending a season under club legend Lampard. ‘Keep an eye on Josh Acheampong,’ talkSPORT’s Alex Crook said. ‘He’s a player that Frank Lampard would like to take to Coventry. ‘And as we get towards the end of this window, there is a possibility that Chelsea might be willing to do that deal as well.’ Alonso suggested Chelsea would offload multiple centre-backs after signing Maxence Lacroix in a £52m deal from Crystal Palace. England’s Trevor Chalobah has also departed the west London giants, joining ex-Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas at Italian side Como. Chelsea beat Real Sociedad 3-1 in their final pre-season friendly and kick-start the 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Fulham. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Hey, friends of CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano here to update you on the Enzo Fernandez saga. At the moment, what happened is that the deadline is over in terms of a verbal exit clause. Chelsea consider £120m as, basically, a release clause that was active until Friday. But no club arrived, including Manchester City, so that […] The post Fabrizio Romano exclusive: Enzo Fernandez could leave Chelsea in final two weeks of the window appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Newcastle United have turned their attention to Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba as Matthias Jaissle looks to rebuild a midfield transformed by two major summer departures. Bruno Guimarães has joined Arsenal for £75 million, while Sandro Tonali moved to Tottenham for £100m, leaving Newcastle with significant money to reinvest but also two enormous gaps to fill. […] The post Man United cooling interest in midfielder gives clear advantage to Newcastle United appeared first on CaughtOffside.
BOBBY MANZI AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: There were perhaps expected boos when his name was read out before kick-off, with the World Cup runner-up starting on the bench.
Chelsea ended their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad, though there were jeers when Enzo Fernandez came on. The post Alonso keen to build Chelsea connection but Fernandez booed in friendly win appeared first on SoccerNews.
Dan Burn says being named Newcastle captain on a permanent basis is "really special". Following this summer's departure of Bruno Guimaraes the role has been vacant but new Head Coach Matthias Jaissle announced his decision on Saturday. A boyhood Magpies fan, Burn has made 193 appearances for the club since signing in 2021.
Enzo Fernandez received a less then friendly reception upon his return to Chelsea (Photo: Getty) Enzo Fernandez was booed by a section of Stamford Bridge supporters during Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad on Saturday. Xabi Alonso’s side finished pre-season with a 3-1 win over the Spanish side as £117million signing Morgan Rogers opened the scoring before Joao Pedro bagged a brace in the second-half. It was the first opportunity for Alonso to test out Rogers and other players making a late return from the World Cup including captain Reece James, new signing Maxence Lacroix and Fernandez. And the midfielder received a less than welcoming return to west London, with a vocal portion of fans booing him as his name was read out on the tannoy before kick-off. 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. Upon being subbed on in the second-half and donning the captain’s armband, the jeers returned and continued every time the 25-year-old touched the ball. Not all supporters felt the same way however, as other fans looked to drown out the boos by chanting Fernandez’s name. The divisive reaction has been sparked in part by Fernandez’s behaviour during the World Cup, especially when he taunted England fans during and after Argentina’s semi-final win over the Three Lions. Fernandez booed by large sections of the fans at Stamford Bridge but others chanting his name. A polarising figure. He takes the armband from Reece James. pic.twitter.com/6T9D2bc4V7— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) August 15, 2026 But the Blues vice-captain has also been strongly linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge for some time, previously engulfing the wrath of the club and fans when he publicly flirted with Real Madrid last season. While a transfer to Spain is off the table, Manchester City are very interested in reuniting Fernandez with Enzo Maresca. Chelsea have made it clear that they will only accept an offer of £120m and had told City that they if no bid was submitted before last Friday evening, he would not be sold. Team Enzo where I was sitting trying to drown out those boos! pic.twitter.com/29ODxuc4pB— Chelseachewyouout (@Chelseachewsit) August 15, 2026 That deadline has come and gone, and while the Blues expect Fernandez to stay for the 2026/27 season, City’s interest has not gone away It is believed Fernandez himself is keen on moving to the Etihad but in any case, it seems the player has some work to do to repair his relationship with the Chelsea faithful. Alonso did not hold a press conference after the Sociedad win but said he was ‘delighted’ with the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge and thanked fans for the ‘great reception’. Xabi Alonso was experiencing the Stamford Bridge atmosphere for the first time as Chelsea manager (Photo: Getty) ‘It was emotional to feel my first time in the new home,’ Alonso, who was appointed manager over the summer, told Chelsea’s official website. ‘A great reception from the supporters to the team and to the new staff, myself as well, so delighted. ‘We want to create good connections and have that support. We want to give them good football so they will give us energy, and we connect. To have a good atmosphere here in the stadium will be a massive boost for the team.’ As for the match itself, the Liverpool legend added: ‘It was a very good last preparation game.’ ‘For some players it was the first one and the last one. For us, there were some good things, some things we can improve. It’s normal at this moment for some players. ‘It was great to have all the team together. Some of them after three days could play for 60 minutes. It was the last test. Now we have a whole week to prepare for Fulham, but it was a good feeling in the stadium.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty) Arsenal are planning to offload Ethan Nwaneri before the summer transfer window closes after he was left out of the Community Shield against Manchester City. Nwaneri has been linked with another move away from Arsenal this summer after spending the second-half of last season on loan at Marseille. The 19-year-old is one of the most highly-rated players in Europe despite a disappointing 2025-26 campaign. The midfielder became the youngest player to ever feature in the Premier League when he made his debut for Arsenal in 2022, and established himself as a regular member of Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad during the 2024-25 season. 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. Nwaneri made 37 appearances for his boyhood club that term and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award while being rewarded with a new long-term contract. The 19-year-old was expected to continue to contribute last season but only featured in six league games before being sent on loan to Marseille in January. Arsenal bosses were confident he would develop in France but Nwaneri only made nine appearances during an underwhelming loan before returning to the Premier League champions. Ethan Nwaneri looks set to leave Arsenal (Picture: Getty) Despite failing to make an impact for Marseille, Arteta insisted Nwaneri would benefit from his time away from Arsenal and returned ‘looking like a different man’. ‘On the pitch, he didn’t [work] because a lot happened in Marseille,’ Arteta said after Arsenal beat Girona 4-1 in their first pre-season friendly. ‘But when you just stand in front of him, you sense the maturity and he looks like a different man. Arteta ahead of Arsenal’s Community Shield clash (Picture: Getty) ‘The experience on paper, it wasn’t ideal but I think he went through something that is going to help him a lot in his career.’ Speaking on Friday before the Community Shield, Arteta admitted Nwaneri could still leave Arsenal before the transfer deadline. ‘I want him to be at the club. But we have to think about the medium and long term,’ Arteta said. Nwaneri was left out of the Community Shield (Picture: Getty) ‘What is best for the player? Ethan needs to play football. If he stays here, we must be able to guarantee him those minutes, otherwise it won’t be beneficial for either side.’ Nwaneri has attracted interest from Galatasaray, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in recent weeks and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Arsenal plan to offload him after he was left out of the Community Shield. It is not clear whether Arsenal will sanction another loan move for the teenager or sell him in a possible deal with a buy-back option. While Nwaneri was left out of the Premier League curtain-raiser in Cardiff, summer signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis were both handed their Arsenal debuts by Arteta. ‘Christos [Tzolis] came early so that always helps,’ Arteta said. ‘Bruno [Guimaraes] only joined us last week, but he’s in good condition and we know what he will bring to the team. ‘He is a ball of energy. He has an unbelievable desire to win every ball. You sense he will drive the dressing room and when you bring someone with that competitive nature, it will only drive the boys.’ Asked about Arsenal’s plan to retain the Premier League trophy, Arteta added: ‘It’s very difficult, that’s why we haven’t done it in this football club. You have to raise the level from every angle.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
It took Morgan Rogers only seven minutes to score his first goal in a Chelsea shirt in Saturday's 3-1 friendly win over Real Sociedad as he reacted quickest after Alex Remiro saved Joao Pedro's initial header. The £117m club record signing from Aston Villa initially looked sharp and linked well with Cole Palmer and Pedro in Chelsea's front three. Beyond Rogers, Joao Pedro has been the star of Chelsea's pre-season.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s decision to reject Newcastle United has created major tension at Marseille, with the midfielder now losing the captain’s armband despite remaining part of Bruno Genesio’s first-team plans. Newcastle had identified the 31-year-old as an experienced option following Bruno Guimarães’ £75 million move to Arsenal. Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred […] The post Player stripped of Marseille captaincy after refusing to join Newcastle United appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Coventry manager and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard (Picture: Getty) Frank Lampard has expressed interest in signing a second Chelsea star for Coventry City after making an approach for Mykhailo Mudryk. Lampard is keen to bolster his Coventry squad further as he prepares for their return to the Premier League. Coventry face Premier League champions Arsenal in their opening fixture of the new season after storming to the Championship title last term. The Sky Blues have signed Caleb Yirenkyi, Carl Rushworth, Lous Tchauouna, Aurele Amenda, Gustavo Hamer, Frank Onyenka and Normal Bassette so far 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 Lampard wants to welcome a few more signings to the Midlands club before the end of the summer transfer window and has informed Chelsea of his interest in Mudryk. Mudryk joined the latter stages of Chelsea’s pre-season tour after resolving his doping case with the Football Association. The Ukraine international has not been allowed to play since November 2024 after being provisionally suspended for returning an ‘adverse finding’ for the banned substance meldonium. Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk (Picture: Reuters) The FA ended its anti-doping proceedings after Mudryk accepted breaching anti-doping rules and agreed to a suspension equal to the one year and eight months already served. New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said he was ‘very happy’ to welcome Mudryk back into his squad but that it was ‘too early’ to determine his performance levels. A loan move seems likely to give Mudryk the chance to get regular minutes and get back to the form that earned him a £62m move to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea academy graduate Josh Acheampong (Picture: Getty) Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg are interested in striking a deal but Fabrizio Romano has reported that Mudryk would prefer to remain in the Premier League next season if a loan becomes inevitable. Mudryk is not the only Chelsea player attracting interest from Coventry, with Lampard also keen to discuss a possible deal for Josh Acheampong, according to talkSPORT. Stamford Bridge academy graduate Acheampong has made 44 appearances for Chelsea since making his first-team debut in 2024, including 30 last season. New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty) The 20-year-old is viewed as one of the most highly-rated young defenders in Europe and as a result is deemed ‘untouchable’ by Chelsea bosses. Chelsea have already rejected several approaches for Acheampong but may see the benefit of the youngster spending a season under club legend Lampard. ‘Keep an eye on Josh Acheampong,’ talkSPORT’s Alex Crook said. ‘He’s a player that Frank Lampard would like to take to Coventry. ‘And as we get towards the end of this window, there is a possibility that Chelsea might be willing to do that deal as well.’ Alonso suggested Chelsea would offload multiple centre-backs after signing Maxence Lacroix in a £52m deal from Crystal Palace. England’s Trevor Chalobah has also departed the west London giants, joining ex-Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas at Italian side Como. Chelsea beat Real Sociedad 3-1 in their final pre-season friendly and kick-start the 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Fulham. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Hey, friends of CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano here to update you on the Enzo Fernandez saga. At the moment, what happened is that the deadline is over in terms of a verbal exit clause. Chelsea consider £120m as, basically, a release clause that was active until Friday. But no club arrived, including Manchester City, so that […] The post Fabrizio Romano exclusive: Enzo Fernandez could leave Chelsea in final two weeks of the window appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Newcastle United have turned their attention to Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba as Matthias Jaissle looks to rebuild a midfield transformed by two major summer departures. Bruno Guimarães has joined Arsenal for £75 million, while Sandro Tonali moved to Tottenham for £100m, leaving Newcastle with significant money to reinvest but also two enormous gaps to fill. […] The post Man United cooling interest in midfielder gives clear advantage to Newcastle United appeared first on CaughtOffside.
BOBBY MANZI AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: There were perhaps expected boos when his name was read out before kick-off, with the World Cup runner-up starting on the bench.
Chelsea ended their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad, though there were jeers when Enzo Fernandez came on. The post Alonso keen to build Chelsea connection but Fernandez booed in friendly win appeared first on SoccerNews.
Dan Burn says being named Newcastle captain on a permanent basis is "really special". Following this summer's departure of Bruno Guimaraes the role has been vacant but new Head Coach Matthias Jaissle announced his decision on Saturday. A boyhood Magpies fan, Burn has made 193 appearances for the club since signing in 2021.
Enzo Fernandez received a less then friendly reception upon his return to Chelsea (Photo: Getty) Enzo Fernandez was booed by a section of Stamford Bridge supporters during Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad on Saturday. Xabi Alonso’s side finished pre-season with a 3-1 win over the Spanish side as £117million signing Morgan Rogers opened the scoring before Joao Pedro bagged a brace in the second-half. It was the first opportunity for Alonso to test out Rogers and other players making a late return from the World Cup including captain Reece James, new signing Maxence Lacroix and Fernandez. And the midfielder received a less than welcoming return to west London, with a vocal portion of fans booing him as his name was read out on the tannoy before kick-off. 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. Upon being subbed on in the second-half and donning the captain’s armband, the jeers returned and continued every time the 25-year-old touched the ball. Not all supporters felt the same way however, as other fans looked to drown out the boos by chanting Fernandez’s name. The divisive reaction has been sparked in part by Fernandez’s behaviour during the World Cup, especially when he taunted England fans during and after Argentina’s semi-final win over the Three Lions. Fernandez booed by large sections of the fans at Stamford Bridge but others chanting his name. A polarising figure. He takes the armband from Reece James. pic.twitter.com/6T9D2bc4V7— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) August 15, 2026 But the Blues vice-captain has also been strongly linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge for some time, previously engulfing the wrath of the club and fans when he publicly flirted with Real Madrid last season. While a transfer to Spain is off the table, Manchester City are very interested in reuniting Fernandez with Enzo Maresca. Chelsea have made it clear that they will only accept an offer of £120m and had told City that they if no bid was submitted before last Friday evening, he would not be sold. Team Enzo where I was sitting trying to drown out those boos! pic.twitter.com/29ODxuc4pB— Chelseachewyouout (@Chelseachewsit) August 15, 2026 That deadline has come and gone, and while the Blues expect Fernandez to stay for the 2026/27 season, City’s interest has not gone away It is believed Fernandez himself is keen on moving to the Etihad but in any case, it seems the player has some work to do to repair his relationship with the Chelsea faithful. Alonso did not hold a press conference after the Sociedad win but said he was ‘delighted’ with the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge and thanked fans for the ‘great reception’. Xabi Alonso was experiencing the Stamford Bridge atmosphere for the first time as Chelsea manager (Photo: Getty) ‘It was emotional to feel my first time in the new home,’ Alonso, who was appointed manager over the summer, told Chelsea’s official website. ‘A great reception from the supporters to the team and to the new staff, myself as well, so delighted. ‘We want to create good connections and have that support. We want to give them good football so they will give us energy, and we connect. To have a good atmosphere here in the stadium will be a massive boost for the team.’ As for the match itself, the Liverpool legend added: ‘It was a very good last preparation game.’ ‘For some players it was the first one and the last one. For us, there were some good things, some things we can improve. It’s normal at this moment for some players. ‘It was great to have all the team together. Some of them after three days could play for 60 minutes. It was the last test. Now we have a whole week to prepare for Fulham, but it was a good feeling in the stadium.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
