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Zappacosta on his way out of Chelsea

Recent reports suggest that fullback Davide Zappacosta has received offers to leave Chelsea for more game time

The Italian defender joined the Blues in 2017 and played intermittently for two seasons. His most recent spell for Chelsea was for four games in the 2018/19 season, starting only one match.

He is not a part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans with Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso higher in the pecking order. The 29-year-old showed good promise when he first joined the club but never delivered on that excitement.

Now according to Fabricio Romano, Chelsea have received offers from some Serie A clubs to take him away permanently. One of the clubs reported having held ‘concrete’ talks with the team over the player was Atalanta.

The other Italian club vying for his signature is Fiorentina.

Chelsea have been attempting to offload the Italian all summer with him being part of a player plus cash deal to sign Romelu Lukaku. This deal did not go through as Inter Milan are already stacked with fullback options.

Zappacosta has been on loan in Serie A with Roma and Genoa for the last two seasons. Both loan spells were considered successful but not enough to warrant a permanent deal.

Last season, he scored four goals and got two assists in 23 starts for the Genoese side. The Serie A appears to be a more comfortable home for the aging Italian.

With only one year left on his contract, Chelsea have two options: sell him as quickly as possible or hand him a new contract making him one of their famous loan players.

All-Ireland Semi-Final & Final Times Confirmed

The GAA have confirmed the throw-in times for the two outstanding fixtures on the inter-county football calendar – Kerry v Tyrone and the All-Ireland final.

The second All-Ireland semi-final will start at 3.30 pm on Saturday, August 28 at Croke Park and the winners of the tie will face Mayo in the All-Ireland final at 5 pm on Saturday, September 11.

The fixtures were delayed for a second time after Tyrone announced they could not fulfil their upcoming fixture on Saturday, August 21 after a Covid outbreak in the camp.

The Covid outbreak in the setup has caused the county to play without some players in the Ulster Senior Football Championship final against Monaghan.

Their semi-final was originally intended to be played on the same weekend as Mayo’s victory over the defending champions Dublin.

The GAA say the revised schedule has been finalised with the integrity of the championship in mind and to ensure that Kerry were not denied a semi-final outing.

Tyrone’s county board have welcomed the decision made by the CCCC to postpone their fixture for a second time.

A statement released on the Tyrone GAA website reads: “Tyrone GAA welcomes the decision taken by the CCCC at national level, this evening, to defer the All-Ireland football semifinal between Tyrone and Kerry to Saturday 28th August, as a result of the transmission of the Covid19 virus among a number of players on the Tyrone panel.
“
Tyrone has also paid tribute to Kerry GAA and its senior football team for its assistance and co-operation in creating the circumstances that allowed this decision to be reached.
“The Tyrone players and management will prepare as safely as possible, in the continuing difficult circumstances, to ensure that the best available team will now fulfil this very important fixture.”
Both games will be shown live on RTÉ 2 and on the RTÉ Player.

Kilcar Appeal 2020 Donegal SFC Final

CLG Chill Chartha, or Kilcar, have lodged an appeal to the result of the 2020 Donegal Senior Football Championship final which states that the winners Naomh Conaill used too many substitutes in extra-time.

Rule 2.4(ii) of the GAA’s official guide says that only three substitutes can be used in extra-time – Kilcar is claiming that their opponents used four in this period.

Naomh Conaill retained their county championship crown after a 4-2 penalty shootout victory against Kilcar.

Kilcar’s appeal was lodged with the Donegal GAA’s Competitions Controls Committee (CCC) on Tuesday evening.

The Donegal Competitions’ Controls Committee (CCC) has confirmed it has been in communication with the 2020 Donegal SFC runners-up.

The CCC will meet in due course to discuss the objection and will then notify the Naomh Conaill club, who will, in turn, have three days to reply.

If the outcome of the appeal is in favour of Kilcar, the game could either be awarded to Kilcar or replayed, or Naomh Conaill could be fined for their actions.

The game in Ballybofey on Saturday went to penalties after two ten-minute periods of extra-time could not separate the sides.

Ciaran Thompson was the hero on the night for the victors as he slotted home the winning penalty following a strong individual performance.

The Donegal forward carried the club on the attacking end with a 1-5 performance, including a first-half penalty.

The 26-year-old scored all of his team’s points in the first half as the sides went in level at the break at 0-6 to 1-3.

His side went on to win the tie and make him one of the few players to win the Dr Maguire Cup two times in a row.

Paddy McBrearty kept Kilcar in the game when their opponents threatened to pull away and helped the side to a penalty shoot-out with the defending champions.

Ryan and Mark McHugh missed their penalties and gave Thompson the golden opportunity, which he converted.

However, the result could come undone if the appeal is successful.

Manchester City Target Trains With Spurs For First Time This Season

Tottenham Hotspur striker and Manchester City target Harry Kane has trained with his Spurs teammates for the first time this season.

He returned to training with the squad after completing a period of isolation and is in line to make his first appearance for the side this week.

Kane had been staying at Spurs’ training ground hotel, The Lodge, after coming back to the UK from his holiday in the Bahamas, via Florida.

His holiday came after a long season for the Englishman that ended with a silver medal at UEFA Euro 2020.

The isolation period meant he was unable to train with his teammates in the lead-up to their Premier League opening weekend win over his potential suitors, Manchester City.

Kane returned to the Enfield Training Centre five days later than expected which sparked rumours that a move elsewhere was imminent.

Kane has told the club that he wants to leave but chairman Daniel Levy has ruled out the sale of the club’s star player, who has three years left on his contract.

Manchester City had a £100 million offer rejected by Tottenham earlier in the summer and are preparing a second bid for the striker.

City are on the search for a new striker after Sergio Aguero left the club this summer.

Brazilian Gabriel Jesus is also on the side’s books but boss Pep Guardiola opted for a false nine approach for much of last season with Aguero injured.

Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva were among the players to don the role in a season in which City dominated the domestic league and reached their first-ever UEFA Champions League final.

Kane’s possible involvement in Spurs’ UEFA Europa Conference league tie with Pacos de Ferreira will not rule him out of any Champions League action this season, should he join a side in the competition.

The transfer window closes in England on Tuesday, August 31 at 11:00 pm and it remains to be seen what ending one of its biggest sagas will have.

Leicester Linked With PSV Star Noni Madueke

PSV Eindhoven star Noni Madueke has been linked with Leicester City two weeks before the transfer window shuts.

The 19-year-old has performed well during his time in the Netherlands and may be coaxed back to England to play in the Premier League.

The U21 English international would be the fifth addition the Foxes have made to their ranks this summer after Boubakary Soumaré, Patson Daka, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand.

The winger could be useful for the side who are lighter on the right side of attack than they were last season.

Demarai Gray and Cengiz Under are no longer on the Leicester City books and the position is an area the side are light on.

Madueke has been involved in six goals in six games so far this season with five goals and an assist to his name.

The footballer was part of the Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur youth setups before joining the PSV academy, where he has progressed to become a key first-team player.

The youngster is valued at £20 million by the club but a move is more likely to materialise after PSV’s crucial UEFA Champions League play-off clash with Benfica.

His current boss, Roger Schmidt, has warned off any potential suitors after the club sold several star players earlier this summer.

“I’m not afraid [of Madueke leaving], why should I be? He will one day leave PSV if he continues to develop like he is now,” he told ESPN.

“I’m not afraid it will happen now. We can’t sell key players anymore. We’ve already done that with Donyell Malen, Denzel Dumfries and Pablo Rosario, so we can’t lose any more.

“And PSV is also a fantastic club for Noni to develop. He is very young, he can play a lot here, score goals and cheer with the team. I think he feels very good here.”

Arsenal still hoping on Ramsdale and Odegaard moves

This season looks bleak for Arsenal after their 2-0 opening game defeat to newly-promoted Brentford on Friday

The team lacked a drive in most of its squad, needing young players like Emile Smith-Rowe and a substitute Bukayo Saka to breathe any bit of life into the team.

Even with the team’s lack of form and no European football this season, Arsenal still believes that they will be able to make more signings before the end of the transfer window.

Arteta has shown major interest in signing Sheffield United’s current goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale. The club has already had a €30 million offer rejected but this has not squandered their plans.

Dean Jones has spoken about how this deal may still happen:

“They’re so determined to sign Aaron Ramsdale. Ramsdale wants the deal to happen, there’s no doubt about that, it’s just about finding that breakthrough. It’s not the priority right now is the problem for Ramsdale, they have to sign a midfielder.”

That midfielder that the Gunners are looking for is Real Madrid’s, Martin Odegaard. After what was considered a successful loan move last year, Arteta is keen to bring him back to the club.

In nine league starts after joining in January, the Norweigan scored one and assisted two from centre midfield. He has been very famous since he was a young teenager, now he is 22 and looking to lock down a position with a top club.

His transfer value is estimated at €41 million but Real Madrid may not want to sell him yet, hoping he can grow into a future Galactico.

“There’s the potential they can do a loan. Real Madrid, I’m told, are open to it. Arteta absolutely loves him. Just take on his wages for a season, not a significant fee, and have that option to buy him next year,” Jones added.

The Gunners have also been looking to purchase English midfielder James Maddison from Leicester City but with each passing day, this rumour grows less likely.

 

Ulster v Munster Ticket Info – 2021 Women’s Interprovincial Championship

Ulster Rugby has released information on tickets for their opening 2021 Women’s Interprovincial Championship clash against Munster.

Ulster Rugby is set to welcome spectators back to Kingspan Stadium for its first fixture of the 2021/22 season on Saturday, August 28th at 4:30 pm.

The competition returns after a year away and will be televised on TG4 and the BBC iPlayer for those unable to attend any games.

Here are the ticketing details for those able to attend the first game of interprovincial action for Ulster and Munster.

The game will be an all-ticket event, meaning that all tickets must be pre-purchased before the game – no tickets will be available at the ground on match-day.

Seated tickets in the Grandstand are available to purchase in pods of two, three, four, five and six for the game.

There will be one metre of social distancing between all pods that attend the match.

Standing tickets will be available for the interprovincial clash on the Promenade.

General sale tickets will be priced at £10 for adults and £5 for under-18s and will be available to purchase from Tuesday at 10 am.

Ulster season ticket holders for the 2021/22 season can claim a free ticket for the match.

They can do so via Account Manager up until 5 pm on Friday, August 20th.

All Season Ticket holders have been emailed with details on how to claim their free ticket, plus full terms and conditions.

For group bookings, Ulster Rugby are asking those who wish to enquire to contact the ticket office at tickets@ulsterrugby.com / 028 9049 3222 (option 1).

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all supporters, Ulster Rugby would ask all supporters to follow the latest public health guidance in relation to COVID-19 restrictions.

They are also advising that supporters travelling to the game attending the fixture should test themselves using Rapid COVID-19 tests before they attend, and on days 2 and 8 after the event, in order to identify any positive cases.

To see all fixtures for the tournament, click here.

Crystal Palace v Brentford – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Crystal Palace will host the newly promoted Brentford at Selhurst Park in a London derby on the Gameweek 2 of the 2021/2022 Premier League season.

This game will mark the first competitive fixture between Crystal Palace and Brentford since the 16th of August 1977 where Crystal Palace came out 5-1 victors in the League Cup.

Crystal Palace is entering a fresh new start under recently appointed Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.

Vieira was appointed in the summer after the departure of Roy Hodgson after four years in the Selhurst Park dugout.

While Brentford is coming into this game after a monumental debut in the Premier League with a stunning 2-0 home win over Arsenal.

Crystal Palace Retrospective

Coming into this season, Crystal Palace is in a year of transition after parting ways with Roy Hodgson.

Patrick Vieira has taken over at the London club and has a major task on his hands for the next few months to steer Palace away from relegation in his first season.

In his first competitive game as manager, he oversaw his team lose 3-0 away to Chelsea.

Chelsea dominated the game from the start and took the lead with a stunning free-kick from Marcos Alonso after 27 minutes.

Christian Pulisic doubled their lead 5 minutes before half-time before Trevor Chalobah finished the game on 58 minutes to seal all three points for the Blues.

Overall, Palace created very little in terms of offence, having 4 shots in 90 minutes with 1 shot on target is nothing to write home about.

However, playing Chelsea is a lot different to playing Brentford, so there will be more opportunities in front of goal.

 

Brentford Retrospective

For their first game ever in the Premier League, Brentford showed that they could cut it against the bigger teams.

Arsenal came to the Brentford Community Stadium with a weakened team, but take nothing away from the hosts. They deserved all 3 points.

Sergi Canos opened the scoring for the home side after a sharp turn and fired the ball in past Bernd Leno at his near post to stun the Gunners.

After that, it was all Brentford and on 73 minutes a long throw-in bounced over a host of players before Christian Norgaard jumped high to head home their second to give them their first top-flight win in over 75 years.

Date, kick-off time and venue

This London derby between Crystal Palace and Brentford will kick off at 3 pm BST (British Summer Time) on Saturday, August 21, 2021, at Selhurst Park.

Where to watch Crystal Palace vs Brentford

As the Premier League returns to its original 3 pm scheduling format with the return of fans to stadiums, this match will not be televised live in the UK.

Crystal Palace vs Brentford team news

Young centre-back Kristoffer Ajer picked up an ankle injury in their win over Arsenal and is currently being assessed.

For Palace, there are no new injury concerns.

Crystal Palace vs Brentford prediction

On the surface, Palace should win this, given the vast amount of players that would walk into the Brentford team.

However, Palace is still a work in progress, with manager Patrick Vieira asking for patience from the Palace fateful.

Losing to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is not an embarrassing feat in anyone’s mind, but they were for more ways than one, dominated in every aspect.

Opponents Brentford truly outclassed an awful Arsenal performance on Friday night. Defensively solid and vibrant in their attack.

I can see an improvement from Palace here, but not enough to halt the hype around Brentford.

Prediction: Brentford 1-0

Predicted Line-Up

Crystal Palace Predicted XI – (4-4-2)

V.Guaita, T. Mitchell, C. Kouyate, M. Guehi, J. Ward, J. Schlupp, J. Riedewald, J.McArthur, J. Ayew, J. Philippe Mateta, W.Zaha.

Brentford Predicted XI – (3-5-2)

D. Raya, K. Ajer, P. Jansson, E. Pinnock, S. Canós, F. Onyeka, C. Norgaard, V. Janelt, R. Henry, B. Mbeumo, I. Toney.

Betting Odds

Crystal Palace To Win: 13/8

Draw: 2/1

Brentford d to Win: 9/5

 

Liverpool Defender Ben Davies Completes Sheffield United Loan Move

Liverpool defender Ben Davies has completed a loan move to EFL Championship side Sheffield United for the 2021/22 season.

The centre-half, who is yet to appear in a competitive fixture for the Reds, will link up with the Blades for the remainder of the campaign.

Davies will work to help Sheffield United get back to the Premier League at the first time of asking under new manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

There will be no option for the Blades to buy Davies during their first season back in the Championship.

The Liverpool player had taken part in the side’s pre-season ahead of the current season.

The 26-year-old joined Liverpool in January amidst an injury crisis but has failed to play in any competitive fixtures for the side since his arrival.

The former Preston North End defender joined the then-Premier League champions on deadline day in January.

The Englishman signed a long-term deal with the side and was signed to bolster their ranks at centre-back.

Davies had spent three-and-a-half years playing in the Championship with Preston after breaking into the side before leaving and will bring that experience with him to Sheffield.

The defender was Preston’s Player of the Year for 2019.

Davies will join the ranks at Sheffield, which include Republic of Ireland defenders John Egan and Enda Stevens.

He will become the side’s first incoming transfer of the summer after an exodus took place following their relegation last season.

Five centre-backs have left the club this summer and Ethan Ampadu also returned to Chelsea following the end of his loan period, leaving the side in need of reinforcement at the back.

Davies potential season-long loan would leave Liverpool with six centre-backs on their backs, including Rhys Williams.

Liverpool face Burnley in their first home fixture of the new season on Saturday, August 21st at 12:30 pm.

Liverpool Issue Stadium Access Update Ahead Of Burnley Game

Liverpool FC have issued an update to fans on the club’s website, providing information on how to access the stadium to watch the side’s first Premier League home fixture of the season against Burnley.

It will be the first time Anfield will have a capacity crowd in 17 months after the pandemic led to the postponement of football in England.

The club will be using full NFC technology for supporters to access the stadium following trials in pre-season.

A full review of the trials has been carried out and several changes have been made to improve it ahead of the Burnley match.

The Premier League is encouraging a digital-first policy for the season, meaning that NFC tickets and Photo ID will be in use this weekend, as opposed to Print@Home and paper tickets.

Supporters are reminded to download their digital tickets to their smartphones before arriving at Anfield.

Technical advice and support will be available at the stadium for fans who need it.

The club is once again encouraging supporters to come early to avoid queues and allow for checks and search procedures.

On top of this, staggered entry times will be utilised in order to control the flow of fans around the ground.

Supporters will be contacted directly via email with details of their entry time ahead of the match, and fans are asked to enter during their allocated time.

Although no longer required by government guidance, it is recommended that fans wear a face covering and maintain distance from fellow supporters where possible when entering and leaving the stadium.

In line with our city partners at Liverpool City Council’s Ground Safety Advisory Group and Public Health Department, supporters are strongly recommended to take a lateral flow test 24 to 36 hours prior to kick-off.

Fans are also reminded that Anfield is home to many people, so we ask that you respect residents by leaving quietly and taking any litter home with you.

Liverpool welcome Burnley to Anfield on Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm. The game will be televised live on BT Sport.

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