Review of yesterday’s actions in Europe

Emmanuel Alfred 

Chelsea stunned by West Ham

So they got Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia during the week but the result hasn’t changed.

Chelsea faced West Ham at the Olympic Stadium in the London derby but it was the blues who got hammered by the Hammers.
Defender Nayef Aguerd opened the scoring with a seventh-minute header, before an equalizer by teenager Carney Chukwuemeka who scored his first goal for the Blues.

Enzo Fernandez wasted a chance to put Chelsea ahead when his penalty was saved by Alphonse Areola. Michail Antonio put West Ham back in front with a powerful angled strike in the 53rd minute, before the hosts were reduced to 10 men after Aguerd was booked for the second time.

Chelsea couldn’t capitalize on their numerical advantage as Caicedo fouled Emerson and a penalty was awarded with Paqueta scoring from the spot to seal West Ham’s victory.

This result means Chelsea have won just 5 games out of 31 in the Premier League.
West Ham 3-1 Chelsea

Villains hand a thumping to Toffees

After their embarrassing defeat to Newcastle United in week one, Aston Villa needed to win at home against Everton and they did it with style.

Skipper John Mcginn open the scoring after a cut back from Leon Bailey before Everton goalie Jordan Pickford brought down Villa striker, Ollie Watkins for the penalty which Douglas Luiz converted.

Aston Villa continued the second half from the first as Leon Bailey benefitted from calamitous defending by Everton to score and make it 3-0.

Another defensive error saw John Duran score to end a miserable afternoon and leave Everton bottom of the log after match day two.

Ashton Villa 4-0 Everton FC

Serie A returns with goals

Belotti and Candreva gets braces

It was all about two men who made the headlines in the match between AS Roma and Salernitania at the Stadio Olympico.

Andrea Belotti finally scored his first league goals for Roma after joining last season from Torino. He brought down Diego Llorente’s ball over the top, rounded Salernitana defender Norbert Gyömbér and beat Guillermo Ochoa from 12 yards.

Salernitana equalized three minutes later after a sweet move that saw Candreva burst forward from halfway line, collect a pass from Federico Fazio and turn Smalling inside out before firing into the roof of the net.

If the first goal by Candreva was good, the second was even better: the 36-year-old controlled a cross-field pass and twisted his way past Bryan Cristante to curl a precise and powerful strike into the top far corner.

Belotti saved a point for Roma who were without head coach, Jose Mourinho and his assistant for dissent when he headed in a corner with eight minutes to burn.

AS Roma 2-2 Salernitania

The Old Ladies make a statement against Udinese

Juventus Kick-started their 2023/2024 campaign with an emphatic win over Udinese at the Dacia Arena.
Federico Chiesa opened scoring in just two minutes as he fired his low effort into the bottom corner from just outside the penalty area. Dusan Vlahovic made it two from the spot kick.

Juve settled the game in the first half after Adrien Rabiot scored a header as a result of poor defending from the home side.

Udinese 0-3 Juventus

Ketelaere and Zortea seals victory for Atalanta

De Ketelaere who joined Atalanta on loan after a forgettable season at AC Milan after a big-money move from Belgian club Brugge got his first goal in the Serie A.

The Belgium international headed in the opener seven minutes from time. Nadir Zortea sealed the result in stoppage time with an absolute beauty.

Sassuolo 0-2 Atalanta

Barcelona leave it late against Cadiz

Two late goals from Pedri and Ferran Torres gave FC Barcelona victory against a stubborn side.

In what was a scrappy affair, Cadiz made life difficult for the Catalans who played their first game at Montjuic as the Camp Nou undergoes renovation work.

Barca was on the verge of going goalless in their first two games of the Liga season for the first time in 50 years but Pedri scored after receiving a beautiful pass German midfielder, Ilkay Gundogan. Then in added time Robert Lewandowski teed up Torres to slot home the second.

FC Barcelona 2- 0 Cadiz

Football news

Stones out till September

Report has it that Premier League champions Manchester City will be without the services of defender John Stones who has been ruled out of action until after the international break.

This was confirmed by the Head Coach, manager Pep Guardiola in a press conference.

The 29 year old suffered a muscle injury in pre-season and missed City’s opening two Premier League matches and remained on the bench for their Super Cup win.

The injury means he will miss two Premier League games against Sheffield United on 27 August and Fulham on 2 September.

This adds to midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who has suffered a hamstring injury and is set to be out of action for four months.