Backed by a clutch of costly summer arrivals, the bristling Chelsea manager must back his jibes with results “Only title you’ve won and you’re giving it the big ’un.”There were some fascinating shades to the touchline stramash between Frank Lampard and Jürgen Klopp in the dog days of the Premier League’s summer season. Related: Frank Lampard tells Callum Hudson-Odoi to work harder for Chelsea place Uncle Harry Redknapp told a televised fans forum that Frank would go 'right to the very top' as a player Related: Chelsea's swanky rebuild is in need of more solid foundations | Jacob Steinberg Continue reading...
Bielsa’s side were fun to watch and wildly entertaining but the champions were far more dominant than 4-3 scoreline suggestsOn his first day in his new prison, Marcelo Bielsa walked into the yard and, following the time-honoured precedent, approached the biggest fellow. convict he could find, and smashed him in the mouth. He may have lost the fight that ensued, but he landed sufficient blows for the wider point to be made. El Loco hasn’t changed. There will be no tempering of the approach – not that anybody should ever have thought there would be. Leeds are dangerous and demand respect.Or at least that was how it felt during Liverpool’s breathless 4-3 win at Anfield on Saturday. The spectacle, the...
Leeds went toe to toe with the champions in a majestic opening half-hour that broke all the rules of football as we know itOh yes, you can definitely come again. This was, frankly, a bonkers game of football. At 5.30pm Michael Oliver blew the starting whistle on Liverpool’s defence of their Premier League title. At which point, enter: the Bielsa zone.In that opening half-hour the hands of the clock seemed to spin, the sun turned a shade of purple, the birds above Anfield flew backward through the sky. Related: Liverpool finally sink Leeds with Mo Salah hat-trick in thriller Continue reading...
The striker must hope the intense demands of the upcoming campaign will throw up chances to fill in for Jürgen Klopp’s established front three – if he remains at AnfieldIt will be three years next month since Rhian Brewster’s eight goals helped England win the under-17s World Cup, brought him the Golden Boot and announced the striker as Liverpool’s future. The idea he may not be part of the club’s present has prompted understandable resistance among supporters already concerned at a lack of incomings this summer, although their angst pales alongside the dilemma confronting Brewster. Fight or flight? He is not the first young talent to wrestle with the answer at an elite club, but the predicament at Liverpool in...
Jürgen Klopp may need to freshen up his squad if they are to retain the focus and consistency that made them unstoppableGuardian writers’ predicted position: 1st (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 1st Related: Premier League 2020-21 preview No 10: Leicester City A bronze bust of John Houlding was unveiled outside Anfield two years ago and you suspect the club’s founder would argue it was long overdue. But for the decision of the landlord of Anfield, local brewer, JP and later Lord Mayor of Liverpool to more than double Everton’s rent in 1889 his tenants might not have eventually quit, and he might not have set Liverpool Association Football...