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Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he will be fit "in a few weeks" after having an operation following the 2-0 Premier League win at Everton on Saturday. The 34-year-old Argentina international reportedly broke his jaw after a head collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the second half at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Martinez needed treatment for eight minutes before leaving the pitch on a stretcher. He was taken to hospital and manager Xabi Alonso later said he was concussed. Martinez, wearing a hospital gown, wrote on social media, external on ‌Sunday: "Thanks to everyone for the messages. The operation ‌went well. "The most important thing is that we won, and kept a clean sheet. In a few weeks we'll be back." Mike Penders, who replaced Martinez to make his Premier League debut, looks set to play in Chelsea's next three matches at least. They face Tottenham and Manchester United in the Premier League, with a Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool in between. Penders, 21, signed from Belgium club Genk for £17m in 2024. Alonso said: "Mike has personality. He's brave and we have full trust ‌with him. He did well when he came on. "He played in the cup games and whenever he's ⁠needed. Like the other players, whenever they are needed they can perform. "It's all about the squad - ‌that all the ​players feel important and can have ‌their moment whenever they are needed, ​and that's very positive." Chelsea's Martinez taken to hospital for 'precautionary tests' Injured Martinez taken to hospital as Chelsea beat Everton

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The rules are simple. Each day there's a new Women's Super League footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible. After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score. Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional. So take part and return for more tomorrow. Today's player and clues set by BBC Sport's Flora Snelson. After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device. All our Five in Five quizzes in one place Play BBC Sport's Match of the Day Predictor game Can you name the 10 Lionesses with most England caps?

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Former England striker Fran Kirby says the departure of Brighton head coach Dario Vidosic on the eve of the season left her feeling "stressed" and "disappointed". Vidosic guided Brighton to the club's first FA Cup final this year and finished a club-record fifth and seventh in the Women's Super League before leaving abruptly on 28 August, nine days before their opener against Arsenal. He was replaced by Real Sociedad manager Arturo Ruiz on the same day. "It wasn't easy when I heard," Kirby told the Women's Football Weekly podcast. "I was a bit disappointed. "I had a really good relationship with Dario and think he's a fantastic coach that can go on and achieve amazing things with top clubs. "But we had Arsenal coming up and hadn't had a coaching session with the new manager. Ruiz named Brighton boss after shock Vidosic exit Brighton lost their season curtain-raiser to the Gunners, the only game Arsenal have won so far in the WSL, and went winless through their first four league matches under Ruiz. The 29-year-old did secure his first victory in the English top-flight before the international break, thrashing promoted Charlton 5-1. However, this Sunday, Brighton travel to champions Manchester City, who have won all five WSL matches this season, for a game live on BBC Two (Sunday, 14:30 BST). It is the first time the two sides have met since City won 4-0 in the FA Cup final in May. A seven-time winner of the WSL with Chelsea, Kirby conceded 2026-27 has not been easy. "We're under no illusions – it's been a tough start," said Kirby. "Getting the manager in so late and trying to adapt to his style of play. It's difficult when it comes so close to the start of the season. "People say, 'Who have you got after the international break?' and it's Man City. We're trying not to think too much about it." Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion Under Vidosic, Brighton became a team seeking to dominate the ball, and during his first season in charge, they were very successful with only Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City averaging more possession per game. They were physical too, committing the most fouls and accruing the most yellow cards in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. "They could soak up pressure, and then build from the back," women's football journalist Annabel Bassett from The Brighton Base said. "They would overload in midfield and then possessed a real goal threat. It all came together." That culminated in that inaugural FA Cup final in May, where they initially played well before being overrun. Vidosic's departure damaged hopes for further progression, although Ruiz's success in leading unfancied Real Sociedad to Champions League qualification through finishing third in Liga F last year offers encouragement. It has been a slow start. Following that opening defeat by Arsenal, Brighton dropped points against struggling Birmingham City and Aston Villa, despite strong performances. Two League Cup wins helped, and the nature of that commanding victory over Charlton suggests Ruiz's style is starting to take root. "We still want to play," said Kirby, "[but] now it's more about how we harm the opposition quicker. There was an element previously where we overplayed when we could have gone forward. "It's hard to change the mindset quickly, but we've got a great group of people. "I'm very black and white. Tell me what you want and I'll do my best for you." Bassett has noticed the desire for possession has become even more pronounced. "[Ruiz] talks a lot about nullifying opponents," she said. "He likes to win the ball high and their key threats are on the flanks to open up space in the middle. "He seems really willing to try things and the message from the club is that behind the scenes, everything is working." For his part, Ruiz is also confident his methods are getting through. "I'm really happy with the performances and the work we have been doing," he told BBC Sport. "We could have done better to get more points but the beginning is very difficult without previous time to build identity and clarity. "I hope that from this Sunday we can be more solid and have more consistency and clarity with and without the ball." Beating Charlton was important for Brighton before the pause in action, especially given hosts City are on a club-record run of 15 straight home wins. "They're a quality side," Kirby said. "You can nullify one player but then they've got another two or three. "But we've got quality that can harm teams. Hopefully, we can put on a good performance." Seike double helps Brighton to first WSL win of season Brighton plan Europe's first purpose-built £80m women's stadium Lionesses on track, Cuthbert returns and Kirby on Brighton's start

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There's a crackdown on sports piracy - but is it already out of control? "Football's Gone Round the Spend!" screamed The People newspaper one Sunday in July 1995. It reported breathlessly that three clubs between them were set to pay out more than £20m on new players. The highlight that summer was the transfer of Stan Collymore from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for a British record fee of £8.5m. That number might not seem too impressive today, in an age when £100m transfers are almost commonplace. But at the time it was seismic stuff, and it symbolised the conversion of football from sport into big business. All of this had been made possible in the early 1990s by the creation of the Premier League, and its initial TV deal with the broadcaster Sky, which paid more than £300m for five years of rights. The agreement put live top-tier football behind a TV paywall for the first time. It was a lucrative model, one that other leading championships in motorsport, rugby, golf and cricket would later seek to replicate. But now, that model is coming under pressure. Piracy has become endemic in British sports: around half of sports fans now admit to using what they might euphemistically call "alternative" means to watch paywalled material, according to the consultancy Ampere Analysis. And this summer saw signs of a clampdown. In August, a man in Lancashire was jailed for six and a half years for running an illegal streaming service that police said had generated almost £1m in illicit profits. In June, a postman from Pembrokeshire was jailed for over three years for selling illegal subscriptions and supplying pirate software to nearly 2,000 people. A third man, from Merseyside, received a suspended 32-month sentence in August for similar offences. Several pubs have been fined thousands of pounds for screening matches illegally. TV companies that have paid huge sums for exclusive rights to high-profile sports are having to work harder than ever to protect their investments. To some extent, broadcasters used to see copyright theft as a cost of doing business: irritating and expensive, but not an existential threat. But now, as advertising revenues fall, and viewers move away from long-term subscription services like Sky or TNT Sports, the industry is getting seriously worried. There is a great deal at stake. The Premier League alone is a sporting monster. In its most recent deal, it sold its viewing rights to domestic audiences for £6.7bn over four years, with almost as much coming from foreign rights. Armed with bundles of TV cash, clubs have been able to attract the finest players in the world. That in turn has given the league a major international profile. Although football has been the main beneficiary of paid-for TV in the UK, other competitions such as Formula One, Six Nations rugby and the Wimbledon tennis championships have also commanded very high fees for selling exclusive rights. Live sport on free-to-air television has become increasingly rare. Yet that wealth could be threatened by a surge in piracy and illegal viewing. The practice is most common among younger, digital-native audiences, who each year become a larger and larger share of sports fans. But many older viewers also seem comfortable with it. "For 18 to 34-year-olds, it's over 70% who admit to doing this regularly," says Daniel Monaghan, a researcher at Ampere Analysis. "Over half of 35 to 44s admit to doing it, and about a third of those aged 45 to 64." This year's Champions League final went behind a paywall in the UK for the first time in more than 30 years. Viewers were asked to pay at least £4.99 to watch it, prompting a backlash, including from the then-prime minister, Arsenal fan Sir Keir Starmer. "Hardworking people shouldn't have to fork out for a subscription to watch this match," he wrote on X. Many simply refused to pay: 3.7 million IP addresses accessed illegal streams of the match in the UK, according to research carried out by the Gaming Compliance International consultancy, on behalf of the Guardian newspaper. That compared to around seven million people who watched it legally in the UK. One prolific user of pirate streams is "Kiran", a tech sector worker in his 30s, who prefers not to give his real name. A keen Arsenal fan, he likes to watch Premier League and Champions League games, as well as big matches in Spain's La Liga. He has a paid subscription to TNT Sports, but uses streaming websites to see games that are not available there. "What it comes down to is the financial side - that's the big one - and ease of access as well," he says. "Getting every single game will cost you hundreds of pounds a year." Meanwhile the streams he uses are free, with links readily obtainable on social media. But there's another issue, he says: the famous blackout. Games taking place between 14:45 and 17:15 on a Saturday are not usually screened live in the UK, a decades-old policy designed to protect crowds at lower league matches. But broadcasters outside the UK can and do show those matches, fuelling pirated streams. "I pretty much got into streaming stuff due to [the blackout]," Kiran says, "and I'd say I sort of did it a bit more as subscriptions got more expensive." Those searching for pirated material have plenty of options. Streaming links, along with advice on how to avoid their pitfalls, are freely available in online discussion groups. These links, used by Kiran and his friends, have practical downsides – such as frequent buffering or poor quality, or platforms that disappear without warning. In some cases, they can also be used to bombard viewers with explicit ads for porn sites. Many people prefer to access illegal content with a streaming device, such as an Amazon Fire Stick, a pocket-sized gadget that plugs into a TV. The sticks are legitimate products, but they can also be "sideloaded" with unauthorised software, allowing pirates to mimic the output of legitimate outlets by offering packages of selected channels. A third option for illicit viewing is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, which effectively allows your computer to pretend it's in a different country, one in which access to sports programming is cheaper than it is in the UK (or totally free). Earlier this year, the Sports Industry Group found that 58% of fans surveyed considered illegal streaming to be socially acceptable. That may be because viewers have simply come to resent the amount of money they are expected to pay. As the government's Intellectual Property Office puts it, "a main driver of illegal content access is the perception of unfair or high pricing for legal services". A British person wanting to access all live Premier League games, for example, would need subscriptions to both Sky Sports and TNT Sports. Throw in some matches from Spain, or European Champions Cup rugby, and Premier Sports has to be added to the list. Many boxing matches and NFL games are on DAZN. A keen fan could easily end up paying £80 to £100 a month. Until relatively recently, clamping down on piracy was not seen as a priority by the broadcasters themselves. They were focused on audience growth, and copyright infringement was simply a cost of doing business. In some parts of the industry, it was even seen as a benefit. In 2013, the then-chief executive of Time Warner, Jeff Bewkes, notoriously welcomed the drama series Game of Thrones becoming the most pirated show in the world. He suggested that the attention generated by illegal viewing was "better than an Emmy" because it helped create buzz and ultimately attract new subscribers. Now, however, the mood has shifted. Conventional broadcasting is under pressure as advertising revenues fall and viewers move away from long-term subscription services, towards more flexible offers from streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Both Sky and TNT Sports have reported losses. According to a recent report by WPI Economics, illegal sports streaming costs the broadcasting industry about £700m each year. And piracy is already having impacts on the pitch. At a conference last year, Tom Burrows, the head of global rights at the sports streaming platform DAZN, described piracy as a "huge problem" for his company, and "almost a crisis for the sports rights industry". Just months after he made those comments, DAZN agreed to end its deal with the French football league, under which it was allowed to screen the top tier of French football matches within France. The agreement followed a bitter dispute, which focused in part on the streamer's claims the league had not done enough to combat piracy – although subscriber numbers were also understood to be an issue. Even though DAZN paid a reported €100m (£85m) to end the contract (along with outstanding rights fees worth another €140m), its departure created a hole in the French league's finances. It was left to set up its own streaming service, and the amount of broadcast income fell from roughly €700m per year to €412m this season, according to figures compiled by football-finance.com. For a European powerhouse like Paris St Germain, with plenty of other revenue sources, this probably matters little. But for smaller teams it has been a serious problem. Angers SCO, a club in the west of France, said last year the affair had cost it €30m over two seasons, and forced it to sell its striker Estéban Lepaul. It's unlikely that a competition on the scale of the Premier League would lose its broadcaster. But piracy could ultimately limit how much they will be willing to pay in future. "If you look at the finances of some of the broadcasters, they're losing money," says Kieran Maguire, associate professor of football finance at the University of Liverpool. "Piracy… is taking up a larger and larger share of the revenues that they would anticipate being able to generate through their subscription models. So yes, it is a worry for them." Daniel Monaghan of Ampere thinks piracy "is at the very least a significant constraint on the sports rights models that have been highly lucrative for broadcasters and rights holders over the last 30 years". If left unchecked, he thinks this will make it harder for rights holders to generate a return on their investments. At best this could hamper future growth. At worst it could lead to falling revenues over time, hitting the sports that have benefitted most from the wave of TV money. In the case of the Premier League, this might just mean fewer blockbuster transfers - but it could also reduce the sum the League gives to the wider football game, from grassroots upwards, which amounted to £1.6bn over the three years to 2025. A key part of the solution, according to the industry-funded Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact), is changing attitudes among consumers. Nick Sumner, the organisation's investigations manager, insists piracy is not a victimless crime. "Organised crime is behind this, and they want to make money by any means possible," he explains. It also leaves users at risk of fraud, he warns. "They capture… a lot of personal data, which they can then sell for criminal gain." Broadcasters and sporting bodies have been working hard to shut off illegal online streams. Hundreds of thousands are taken down each year. But tackling them is, as Monaghan puts it, like whack-a-mole: "Some get taken down, others come up, often in different countries." In the UK, downloading or streaming pirated content can be a crime. Yet the chances of viewers themselves being prosecuted for watching a cheeky Saturday game on a pirate stream are extremely low. The £5 coffee that tells a story of global economic turmoil Europe's car makers are in crisis. Will the threat of war rescue them? Why some experts increasingly fear AI will take over Nick Sumner of Fact says the current priority is to educate people about the risks of piracy - but he conspicuously stops short of ruling out a more punitive future policy. "There are crimes being committed here," he says. So it is possible that viewers of illicit material just might one day find themselves in expensive legal trouble. However, the sheer scale of a major clampdown would present a formidable challenge, and could generate resentment. There would be no guarantees that those watching illegally today would take out legitimate subscriptions tomorrow.

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As far as optimism goes, Rangers were blown full of positive energy as they made the Saturday-night trip to Dundee on the back of seven straight wins. However, a Dan Neil error felt "like a balloon popping", said manager Derek McInnes, resulting in the Ibrox side fluffing their chance to move back to the Scottish Premiership summit after a gripping 2-2 draw at Dens Park. McInnes' men were punished for a disjointed first half when the impressive hosts went ahead through Bradley Fink, but Badredine Bouanani fired in a leveller just before the break. Rangers lifted their intensity and level of dominance after the interval and were heading for an eighth consecutive victory when Nicolas Raskin slammed in a long-range stunner. But a mishit Neil backpass to goalkeeper Ivor Pandur was pounced on by Callum Jones to earn Dundee a deserved point, opening the door for Celtic to extend their lead at the top to four points when they welcome Hearts on Sunday (15:00 BST). "We've made a mistake for Dundee's equaliser and it was like a balloon popping," McInnes told BBC Scotland. "We then had to dig deep and go again, and we never quite managed to get to the same levels. "It does feel like a missed opportunity, but in fairness to Dundee they were good value in the first half - it shows you why they are where they are in the league. "But we can't come away from home and have to score three goals to win a game." Dundee & Rangers fight out captivating draw Can Hearts prove credentials at scene of title heartbreak? Visit our Rangers page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views McInnes was critical of his side's first half but praised the 25 minutes that came after the break, saying the dominant period "shows what the team are capable of". "When we play in that manner, we're a very good team," he added. The problem is 25-minute performances don't win leagues, said Rangers title winner Derek Ferguson post-match. "If Rangers want to win games in this league, then they can't just play for 20 or 25 minutes," the former midfielder said on BBC Sportsound. "When you look back at it, they were sensational for that amount of time, but that has to be for 70 minutes or so if they are going to win league titles." While McInnes was keen to point out that his team should not be required to score three goals to win matches, he did touch on a theme of wastefulness. Rangers' expected goals (xG) rating of almost two reflects the goals they scored at Dens Park, but over the course of the season they are underperforming. The Ibrox side have scored 13 league goals from a total accumulated xG of just under 20 - an underperformance of almost seven goals. Having worked so hard to reel Celtic back to within touching distance after a shaky start to the campaign, McInnes cannot afford a pattern of profligacy to plague his team with a challenging run of fixtures on the horizon. "We had so many better chances than [Raskin's goal] to take the game away from Dundee," McInnes said on Sky Sports. "It's something we need to be far better at. "It's the same kind of theme for me a lot of the time. We've had dominant performances but not really had the goals to show for it."

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Two games in, no points gathered and a chorus of boos greeting him at full-time at Easter Road... The honeymoon is well and truly over for Marink Reedijk. Defeat in the new Hibs manager's opening two fixtures means the men from Leith have slumped to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership table. It's left the Dutchman with what he described as "a strange feeling" in his stomach. So that begs the question: is his gut telling him his new side is now in a fight to avoid the drop? With Halloween still a fortnight away, it may seem premature to drop the dreaded 'relegation' word into the Hibs conversation. But the fact the green half of Edinburgh is now looking up at the rest of the league a quarter of the way into the season is nonetheless cause for concern. "I hate it," Reedijk told BBC Scotland after Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Falkirk when asked about his side's place in the division. "It's something I don't want. "I also think that based on today, we don't deserve it. But it's a fact and it's up to us to continue what we do, unpack the things we need to really work on, make sure these little mistakes don't happen and that we create momentum in our matches." Hibs bottom after Falkirk mete out seventh home league defeat in row The 35-year-old took former club Beveren into the Belgian top flight on the back of an undefeated season last term. But his new side have won none of their last six in the league. It's now over six months since Hibs celebrated a Premiership win in front of their own fans. Supporter patience, usually as rare as hens' teeth in football anyway, is in especially short supply around Easter Road these days. "We need to work hard, stick to the things we do, develop the things we do, make sure that we make fewer and fewer mistakes and make sure that we take our chances," Reedijk said. "I leave very disappointed with a strange feeling in my stomach because I think the guys worked their guts out. I think we deserved more, however we didn't get more. I'm therefore positive but with a sick feeling in my stomach." That sick feeling may take a while to dislodge. Six home defeats from the club's last seven Premiership matches isn't on Reedijk. He's only been in the building a matter of weeks. The task facing him, however, is culture change while winning. Tricky enough at the best of times but especially so when two of your next three games are against champions Celtic and arch-rivals Hearts in a national cup semi-final at Hampden. Reedijk wants his side to dominate games. That happened, to a large extent, against Falkirk, with Hibs enjoying 70% possession. It's what they do with the ball though that is their undoing at present. A failure to convert chances allied to individual errors. They had 17 shots to Falkirk's 10. Tellingly, the visitors had more on target: five compared to the hosts' three. Reedijk can be encouraged by some of the other metrics: more entries into the final third (68 to 48); more touches in the opposition box (29 to 16); a higher tally of expected goals (1.35 to 0.76). The only stat that matters to the external world however is a scoreline that leaves Hibs flailing at the wrong end of the table having taken a single point from the last available 18. Under Reedijk's predecessor David Gray, Hibs enjoyed back-to-back top-six finishes for the first time since the late 2000s and were just minutes away from group-stage European football until a late collapse at home to Gent. It was put to the former Hearts forward Ryan Stevenson that, right now, Hibs look a mess. "Yes, they do," he said on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. "I don't know David Gray but I like David Gray. I know people say it came to a natural end but sometimes the grass is not always greener. "They were better in the second half but did Falkirk ever really look like they were going to concede a goal? I don't think so. "It's worrying, the fact that they're bottom of the league. It's still tight down there. It was a massive three points from Kilmarnock that's allowed them to go above Hibs. They need results fast." Former Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart agrees but accepts finding those improved performances is not easy when the manager is still assessing his available options. "There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered," he said on Sportsound. "It feels a little bit like that at this moment where they're searching for something. Searching for a system. Searching for personnel. Searching for partnerships to evolve and bring them results. "The new manager's in the door, he's got three massive games coming up, right on the back of two defeats." Reedijk is adamant he sees positive signs and that there was improvement on the first performance under his watch at Dundee United last Saturday. That, too, ended in defeat. The manager now has the dual task of keeping players and supporters alike onside while dragging the team away from the relegation zone. Hearts at Hampden also looms large on his horizon the day after Halloween. The timescale to turn the Hibs tanker around could look a whole lot less scary if there's a national cup final to look forward to. Michael: Hibs squad since we finished third has got progressively worse each transfer window as players leave and replacements are not made. Malky Mackay 100% needs to leave. Colin: It's small margins that's costing us points. Cut out the individual errors and be more clinical and the manager will turn things around. He also needs the characters and leaders in the dressing room to step up. Col: Garbage from start to finish, relegation fodder. Hibs have bigger problems than the players who can be sold/fired into space. The Gordons need to sell Hibs to someone who knows something about running a football club and move on. Ringo: I said last week the players ain't good enough and again today they proved me right. These players got David Gray sacked. I'm 60 and I'd try harder than most of those players. David: Malky Mackay needs to be the next one out of Easter Road. Ultimately he's the one to sign off on these signings as sporting director and the recruitment has been horrendous. These players don't have it in them and we are at serious risk of relegation come the end of the season. Steven: This is one of the worst Hibs squads I've seen in a long time. They will get the new manager sacked by the end of the month.

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Johan Manzambi saw first hand how good Aston Villa were last season and is now playing a crucial part in Unai Emery's rebuild in this campaign. Switzerland midfielder Manzambi, who turned 21 on Wednesday, scored his third goal in Villa colours with the winner in a 1-0 victory over Newcastle - the club he turned down before moving to Villa Park in the summer. Manzambi played a crucial role in helping Freiburg reach the Europa League final, before the Germans were comprehensively beaten by a Villa side that scored three times in the opening hour on their way to a 3-0 success. Asked why he had joined Villa, Manzambi said: "The team was very good and I played against them in the final. It's a very good team with a big coach and that was perfect for me." For Newcastle fans it was one that had got away, as Manzambi had looked set for a move to St James' Park before opting to join Villa in a club record deal of just over £50m. Manzambi headed in the winner in the north east on Saturday, unmarked eight yards out when found by Joao Gomes' excellent cross. It comes after he also found the back of the net in the 3-2 win at Tottenham and in the 6-0 thrashing of Fenerbahce in the Champions League. "He has made a very good impact with his qualities," said a delighted Emery. "Skills and intelligence, both he has, and his physicality is very important as well to help us defensively and to help us try to keep the duels offensively. "So happy he has scored another goal, fantastic for him." Among players in the Bundesliga in his position last season, Manzambi ranked first for progressive carries of 10 metres or more (116), shot-ending carries (13) and fouls won (78). He then impressed in the World Cup, scoring twice in the 4-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, getting a goal and an assist in the 2-1 victory over co-hosts Canada and also registering an assist in the 2-0 success over Algeria. Unfortunately for Manzambi and Switzerland, a knee injury ruled him out of the last-16 penalty shootout win over Colombia and their quarter-final loss to Argentina. So impressive were his performances last season, that Manzambi finds himself on a 10-man list for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world's best player aged under 21. Also on the shortlist are Spain World Cup winners Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, along with Yan Diomande - whose performances earned him a move to Real Madrid, with the winner named on 26 October. Since his first start for Aston Villa on 19 September against Spurs, only Manchester City's Erling Haaland - with six - has been involved in more goals among Premier League players in all competitions than Manzambi's five (three goals, two assists). Team-mate Nicolas Jackson, another to join Villa in the transfer window in a deal worth up to £65m from Chelsea, was quick to praise the youngster. "He's an amazing player," said Jackson. "He's still growing. Hopefully he can be better and better every game, score goals and assist me as well. Hopefully we work together and achieve many things together. "He will go a long way and hopefully gets no injuries." While playing a crucial role in Villa's present and future, the team he has joined is a lot different to the one he played against in the Europa League final. From the Villa side that won in Istanbul, six of them - goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, defenders Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa, midfielders Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers and striker Ollie Watkins - all left in high-profile moves, while substitutes Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Leon Bailey are also no longer at the club. It proved a challenging start to the season for Villa as they only picked up one point from their opening four league games, but this win over Newcastle has extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches. As well as moving up to 12th in the Premier League, Villa have six points from two ties in the Champions League after thrashing Fenerbahce 6-0 on Wednesday and are in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, where they play at Bournemouth. How Manzambi became one of Europe's best young talents Jackson has scored five times for Villa since his move and said he was lucky to avoid a serious injury when he was caught in the first half by Newcastle's Sven Botman, who was only shown a yellow card despite an over-the-ball challenge. "I know the referee said yellow card but it was so high and hopefully maybe next time a red card, but it was a yellow," said Jackson. "I nearly broke my leg but anyway it's part of football. The most important thing is we win and we won, so I'm OK." Villa entertain Norwegian side Viking in their third Champions League match of the season on Wednesday before hosting a Manchester City side that have won all seven of their Premier League matches this season. "It was very important after our poor start [to the season] that we needed to try to come back feeling confident, feeling comfortable in how we are building our structure," added Emery. "The players themselves tried to be demanding to change the situation where we are. "Through the [Premier] league we are going to achieve our priority this year, so the league is the competition where we must try to be very consistent." With seven points from their past three league matches, Villa are a side on the rise again. Pre-match, post-match and topical Villa content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Villa Latest Aston Villa news, analysis and fan views Ask about Aston Villa - what do you want to know?

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Viktor Gyokeres wants to leave Arsenal , Xabi Alonso eyes Barcelona duo and Liverpool target Dortmund's Felix Nmecha. Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 28, is set to push for a move away from Arsenal in the January transfer window because of a lack of playing time. (TeamTalk, external) Liverpool are keeping an eye on Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, 26, if they are unable to secure midfielder Alex Scott, 23, from Bournemouth. (CaughtOffside), external AC Milan are preparing to offer French midfielder Adrien Rabiot a new contract until 2030 after the 31-year-old's impressive start to the season. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian), external Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is looking to strengthen the depth of his squad in January with two signings from Barcelona in French defender Jules Kounde, 27, and Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 29. (Football365), external Chelsea are also interested in Borussia Dortmund and USA 17-year-old winger Mathis Albert, who has made just one appearance for the German side. (FootballTransfers, external) AS Roma and Brazil defender Wesley, 23, has been getting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle. (SportWitness, external) Former Brighton defender Solly March, 32, is set to join Championship side Charlton on a free. The Englishman has been out of contract since he was released by the Seagulls in July. (Football Insider), external IFK Goteborg 's 17-year-old Swedish midfielder Oliver Mansson has attracted interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. (TeamTalk), external Arsenal and Manchester United have ruled out any interest in Sporting and Uruguay left-back Maxi Araujo, 26. (Sport Witness), external Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Moroccan winger Gessime Yassine, 20, from Strasbourg . (Ekrem Konur), external Bellingham agrees new Real deal - Saturday's gossip Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Florian Wirtz was instrumental as Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League at Brentford on Saturday, but does the German playmaker remain boss Andoni Iraola's greatest conundrum? Wirtz has come in for criticism amid his struggles to replicate the form which persuaded the Reds to pay Bayer Leverkusen what was a club record £116m in June 2025. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard even said this week that the 23-year-old could benefit from being taken out of the team altogether, to overcome what the club's former captain perceives as a lack of confidence. The key dilemma facing Iraola was again evident in west London on Saturday. Liverpool bounced back from their first league defeat of the season against Manchester City last weekend by scoring twice in the second half against a Brentford side reduced to 10 men before half-time. The visitors produced plenty of chances, particularly with their man advantage in the second half when they registered 14 of their total 21 attempts. Wirtz was at the heart of things in the final third. The Germany international created more chances from open play (nine) than any other player has managed in a Premier League game over the past six seasons. The last player to create as many chances in a single game in the competition was Sadio Mane, for Liverpool against Burnley, in January 2021 (also nine). In an away game, he is the first player to reach that tally in more than 15 years, since Samir Nasri registered 10 for Manchester City against Tottenham in August 2011. Despite answering his critics with those standout statistics, the impact of his playing style on the dynamic of the team continues to come under scrutiny. BBC Sport pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes a midfield which features Wirtz as the number 10 remains a problem as it makes Iraola's side too easy to play against. "They got the job done. First and foremost, that's another win on the road, which is always positive," Murphy said of Liverpool's performance. "But I thought they looked too easy to play against. The spaces are too big. "They're playing with two wingers and Wirtz at 10, so they're relying heavily on the two midfield players to try and cover so much space. "It was too easy for Brentford to play out and to get in behind. That would be the biggest concern today for me." Liverpool stage comeback to win at nine-man Brentford Haaland scores twice as Man City beat Ipswich Injured Martinez taken to hospital as Chelsea beat Everton Following his latest performance, no player has created more chances in the Premier League this season. He is level with Brighton's Pascal Gross on 18. He played in Munoz to begin Liverpool's fightback, meaning Wirtz has assisted in back-to-back games for Liverpool across all competitions for the first time - although this was only his second goal involvement in seven league games this term. He was at the heart of Liverpool's attack, with a match-leading 12 final-third entries and 37 passes in the final third. However, only Milos Kerkez (20) lost possession on more occasions than Wirtz (19) among Liverpool players, and he won just one of his nine duels. "They don't look solid and don't look together in terms of shape," Murphy said. "Instead of a number 10, where Wirtz is struggling to impact games, put three midfielders in. "Always, the priority is foundation, defence, stability, being hard to beat. The other stuff can follow from there. "At the moment, it just looks a little bit open. Against better teams, you're going to get hurt." Victory took Liverpool up to fifth in the table, with three wins from their first seven league games under Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot in the summer. The Spaniard oversaw the Reds' first away league win after conceding first since December 2023, ending a run of 19 winless away games when going 1-0 behind. But, while striker Alexander Isak returned from injury, Iraola was dealt fresh blows as Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong suffered injuries on Saturday. Iraola told BBC Sport: "When you come here, you see the results of Brentford at home and you have to be ready for this kind of battle. "We had a lot of chances. Even at the end, we had some counters where we were three against one and need to finish. When we go 2-1, every throw-in and every free-kick can be a problem. "We are in a delicate situation with some of the players. We were talking about this run of four games in 10 days, it's very, very demanding. "We have to rest again because we have another big, big game against Villarreal [in the Champions League on Tuesday]." Pre-match, post-match and topical Reds content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Liverpool Liverpool's Wirtz problem - does he need to be dropped? Latest Liverpool news, analysis and fan views Ask about Liverpool - what do you want to know?

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Former Peterborough United and Hull City striker - and Final Score pundit - Aaron McLean gives his five takeaways following Saturday's action in the Championship, League One and League Two. West Ham won their fixture with Swansea City in the Championship, thanks to Divine Mukasa's goal, and have moved to within a point of the Welsh club at the top of the table. They've scored a remarkable 30 goals in their 11 league games. McLean: "I think it was a huge win for West Ham. Take nothing away from Swansea and I think the start they've had has been incredible, but today was always going to be a real test for them. "After the demolition of Lincoln in midweek, it was important West Ham backed that up with three points to close the gap to just one point behind Swansea and they did that. "I think once West Ham go back top of the league, they probably won't come off it again. "I think the fact that Middlesbrough drew today made it even more of a reason why they needed the three points. "Jarrod Bowen has got eight goals and keeping him was probably the best thing that could have happened for West Ham. "There were a lot of questions asked about him and if he had gone to the World Cup, and he was a regular in the England squad, I think maybe it might have been different. "I think the fact he wasn't selected was a huge reason why he was like, 'No, I'm captain of this football club and and I want to help get them back to the Premier League'." Portsmouth's Marezi converted a penalty to send Norwich City crashing to a sixth straight loss, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone when their fans had expected them to mount a promotion bid. McLean: "I've got egg on my face because they were my wild promotion pick so I'm as surprised as anyone that they're doing so badly. "I thought the job Philippe Clement did when he came in last year was incredible and I really fancied them to kick on this season and not only challenge for the play-offs, but challenge for automatic promotion and be right up there. "They've just been so disappointing and they look void of any confidence at the moment. I don't know where they go from here. "With each game they lose, you can see the confidence streaming out of the squad. As soon as they concede a goal, you think 'here we go again'. It's like groundhog day. "The goalkeeper [Daniel Grimshaw] is under a lot of pressure as well, he's not having the best of seasons. The goals they're conceding, some of those are easily avoidable. "So, yeah, I think over the next couple of weeks, there are going to be huge questions asked, not only of the goalkeeper, but of Clement. "It's not so much that they're losing games, I think it's that they're consistently losing. Good teams show they can recover, but at the moment, Norwich don't look like they've got an ounce of recovery in them." Watford ended a miserable run of four straight losses, which looked like it would cost Alessio Dionisi his job, by winning 2-0 against Charlton and they are now three points above the relegation zone. McLean : "That was a huge win for Watford against Charlton and they needed that, but I wouldn't say they've turned a corner just yet. "The timing of the Charlton game was perfect for Watford and it was the right game at the right time. "Charlton came into that game having not won in seven games. They were understandably low on confidence. "I think it was just two out-of-form teams up against each other, and fortunately for Watford, they came out on the right side of it. "That's especially true for the manager, Alessio Dionisi, and he desperately needed that result. I would have feared for him past this weekend if they had lost again, especially given how poorly they played against Cardiff in midweek, when they conceded five. "I think it is a stepping stone, but I still think that the ownership are going to need a lot of convincing. "They've shown in the past they're not scared to make changes and Dionisi is going to need a run of results if he's going to remain in his position." After drawing six of their opening eight League One games, MK Dons finally beat Luton Town 2-1 to get their first league win under manager Paul Warne. McLean : "It was a brilliant result first and foremost. You know Luton are a team that are expected to be up there challenging. "Jack Wilshere will be feeling the pressure that they're expected to be challenging for promotion. "But I think what MK Dons have got on their side is that Paul Warne is a vastly experienced manager at League One level. "So he knows how to get results. At the moment they're probably not getting the wins he would like, but I think that will change now. "He took them up from League Two last season and I think he will get them going again. It will take them a little bit of time to get going and to really gel, but I think they'll be fine. "I think as the season progresses, they'll get stronger. The team will have a lot more cohesion and I expect them to be comfortable at least in mid-table." Alex Bruce is enduring a tough first job in management and his Rotherham United side have slipped into the bottom two in League Two after losing 2-0 at Fleetwood. McLean: "I think when you look at Rotherham and Crawley, the other team at the bottom of League Two, they've both got managers who are in charge for the first time. "That lack of experience in these types of moments is showing. That's not to say that given time they won't be able to come through, but the problem they've got is the average lifespan of a manager in the EFL isn't very long, it's about nine months. "So I do think they'll both be worried and I don't think either team has the strongest of squads. "I'd say Rotherham out of the two will be the ones who really need to put a run of form together and move up with the players they've got. "They were in League One last season and they're underachieving. "In Alex Bruce's defence, he hasn't been given the money to be able to go and improve the squad, so it's very hard. "He needs to galvanise the squad, and they need to just grind out a few results. They need to try and get themselves above that line. Today was a bad day, but it's nothing a few good results can't change." Aaron McLean was speaking to BBC Sport England's David Anderson.

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Manager Phil Parkinson says Wrexham had to "block everything out" as they responded to recent criticism with a convincing 4-1 Championship victory over Preston North End at the Racecourse. Wrexham returned to winning ways after suffering a disappointing 2-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion in midweek. Reports suggesting pressure was beginning to mount on Parkinson following a slow start to the campaign. "I have managed over 1,000 games so I'm used to that," Parkinson told BBC Radio Wales Sport. "When you lose at any level, criticism comes the manager's way and the players' way and you've got to accept that. "Obviously the criticism of Wrexham is intensified because of the profile of the club." First goals for the club from Joe Worrall and Ben Whiteman helped Wrexham establish a 2-1 half-time lead. Sam Smith and Kieffer Moore's second half goals completed an emphatic victory over the Championship's bottom side. "We couldn't wait to get back out here today," Parkinson said. "I look at it as a challenge. Me and Steve [Parkin] were itching to get back in with the lads on Thursday and bring the group together. "We thought long and hard about the team selection and the style of play we needed to implement. "Sometimes you've got to block everything out and put in a performance like we did today. "I'm very confident we've got a squad that can be really competitive this season. I really am." Parkinson also pointed to an extensive injury list as a major factor in Wrexham's inconsistent start, with players including Max Cleworth, Nathan Broadhead and Dan Sheaf currently sidelined. "I don't want to keep going on about the injuries, but it's been unprecedented, probably the worst spell we've had in my time here. "We've lost a lot of quality and football ability on the pitch. "But those players will come back and we'll have great competition for places. I really believe in this group. "While we're waiting for those players to return, it's about galvanising the squad and finding ways to be more effective."

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Hearts' last trip to Parkhead ended with their crestfallen players being bundled out of a chaotic Celtic Park and back on to the team bus in their strips and boots after watching their title dream die in the space of 11 crushing minutes. Meanwhile, the 800 Jambos in attendance - and the thousands back in Gorgie - were going through their own football trauma. The mere thought of ever returning to the home of the Scottish Premiership champions would have been a harrowing one. However, refreshed and reshaped, Wouter Vrancken's men are embracing the trip to face a Celtic side still failing to convince a support that are becoming increasingly disgruntled after another chastening European defeat at Benfica. Earlier this week, influential Hearts investor Tony Bloom repeated his faith in his title ambition for the Tynecastle club Sunday's fixture (15:00 BST) will give an indication as to whether or not that is likely to come this season. O'Neill defiant in defeat, but Celtic's 'flat-track bullies' fail another big test Celtic suffer fourth defeat in five against classy Benfica Late Nordsjaelland leveller denies Hearts winning start Despite the back story to this weekend's encounter, Vrancken has demanded his side do not "live in the past". Meanwhile, Oisin McEntee, who was part of last season's squad, has insisted the trip to Glasgow is not a revenge mission. Versatile McEntee scored Hearts' opener against Nordsjaelland as they raised the curtain on their Conference League campaign, but they were served a late punch in the gut in the 1-1 draw. The Gorgie side have only won two of their past 11 away league outings, failing to keep a clean sheet in that period. However, last weekend's 5-0 win over St Mirren forms part of a run of five victories and a draw in seven matches under Vrancken after a challenging introduction to his tenure. Now with the opportunity to make a real statement early in his reign, the Belgian coach is urging his players not to dwell on May's heartbreak. "I'm convinced the players will be [focused] on the game on Sunday and not in the past," he said. "You can't live in the past. You have to move forward and look forward, and you have to take on the next one. "I hope the fire is there every game we play, and not only because something happened in the past. You also don't look in the past too much because it is negative energy, and we need positive energy. "This fire has to burn when you play every game, especially the top games." Post-match in Lisbon on Thursday, Martin O'Neill expressed the emotions of a man who had just watched his team cruise to a 4-1 triumph. But the 74-year-old had just witnessed his side suffer a reverse of that, a fourth defeat in five games. The reason for the veteran manager's upbeat vibe was because of his players' response after crumbling in the first half of their Europa League loss to Benfica. The performance level from the Scottish champions improved and they could have scored more than the one goal they managed in the second period, though they were also fortunate not to have shipped more. Like last term, unrest between the fans and board is in the backdrop, but those same supporters are also growing restless at what they are watching on the pitch. Despite that, Celtic have still won 14 of their past 15 league games, scoring two or more goals in 11 of those. They have also won 26 of their past 29 home league games against Hearts, although have lost two of their last six. Last term, Hearts picked up seven points in four league games against Celtic - the most by any non-Old Firm side in a single campaign since the 1999-00 season. O'Neill believes Hearts are genuine contenders again and is anticipating a match that will be as challenging as May's dramatic title decider. "I think it will be every bit as tough as it was on the last day of last season," the Celtic boss said. "I genuinely do [think they are title challengers]. I know they've lost two [league] games, but overall, I do, I think they can challenge."

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It started with Manchester City supporters booing the Premier League anthem and ended with Phil Foden taking an inflatable banana into his Match of the Day interview after helping see off Ipswich to pull six points clear at the top of the table. On a day of defiance in east Manchester, City's fans made their feelings crystal clear in their first top-flight home game since being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. Tens of thousands inside Etihad Stadium booed and jeered when the Premier League anthem was played over the speakers shortly before kick-off, then they started chanting 'City, City, City'. There was a chant about playing Stockport away and the gallows humour continued when City fans sang 'You're going down with the City' to Ipswich's travelling support. City boss Enzo Maresca, who is the first manager in Premier League history to win his first seven games in charge, said afterwards he felt the air of defiance from the stands even before kick-off. "The environment was very good," said the Italian after a game watched by 60,817, a new record crowd at Etihad Stadium. "The fans, the club and the players are all together on this journey." City's best start since 1897 - but injuries a concern City fans arrived at the ground to find hundreds of inflatable bananas had been placed on seats in the home sections for fans to wave throughout the game. They were visible in the away end at Liverpool last week but this was on a different scale and the Etihad was turned into a sea of yellow. The inflatables are a flashback to the late '80s when what began as a light-hearted joke soon turned into one of the most memorable fan crazes in English football. They are enjoying a revival at a time when City have appealed after being found guilty of charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and creating 'sham contracts' to inflate sponsorship deals by £830m. There were surreal scenes at one point on Saturday as fans jeered during the Premier League anthem while waving the inflatables in the air. "You can tell they are behind us and they're pushing us," Phil Foden said when asked about the fans after scoring on his return to the side following suspension after being sent off against Manchester United on 13 September. Foden's 19th-minute opener was his first goal of 2026. "It's nice to play at home and you can hear how loud they are," he added. "They're giving us that extra boost that we need." Taking over from Pep Guardiola - 20 trophies during 10 seasons in charge - was always going to be a big challenge for Maresca. Seven matches in, City's Premier League record remains flawless. No points dropped, seven wins out of seven despite falling behind against Bournemouth and playing for more than an hour with 10 men at Manchester United. "For sure I didn't expect to win seven out of seven," said Maresca. "We are working well and working good. "I'm very happy especially with the situation in general. "Today we controlled the game for 95 minutes. We created chances, we scored. "We finished with a little bit of suffering together but overall, it is good." On Foden's impressive return to action, Maresca added: "I said since day one that I love Phil. I know him from years ago and I know how good he is. "It's a matter of helping him to again be one of the best players in the Premier League." Despite the off-field turmoil, this is City's best start to a league season in 129 years. Only Chelsea in 2005-06 (first nine) and Liverpool in 2019-20 (first eight) have ever won the first seven matches of a Premier League campaign. "First of all, I am very happy because it's a matter of winning games in this business," said Maresca after the game. "We were able to win seven in a row and what made me very happy was day by day with the players, the way they are working and how I can see them improving. "Today I thought we controlled the game, created chances and [were] good off the ball. We are doing well and I think that's the most important thing." On his players dealing with the events surrounding the club off the field, Maresca said: "They are not worried about people who judge from outside because they know people are trying to judge them. "Inside, I promise the players are happy. They're getting credit and I give credit to them." Pre-match, post-match and topical City content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about City Haaland scores twice as Man City beat Ipswich Do Manchester City have any grounds to win their appeal?

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Vitor Matos has told Swansea City to use the frustration of defeat by West Ham United as fuel in their bid to keep pace in the Championship promotion race. Swansea's four-game winning streak came to an end as they lost in the league for only the second time this season thanks to Divine Mukasa's first-half goal. The Swans, who remain top of the table despite defeat, had their chances against the second-tier title favourites, with Ben Cabango going closest when he hit the woodwork. And Matos says the manner of the West Ham loss means it should not halt Swansea's early-season momentum. "I think it's important that when the game finished we all felt that we could have taken something out of the game," said the Swansea head coach. "I think that's the most important thing today, that we played against a really good opposition, a team that of course is one of the main contenders to go to the Premier League, and we felt that we can compete and we can beat them as well. "That frustration, that's something that should stay, but that's something that more than anything should give us the fuel to push ourselves in training, push our standards and keep improving." West Ham climbed to second in the table having become the first visiting side since Southampton in April to win a league game at Swansea. The game was tight until Mukasa struck, but opened up from that point as Swansea went in search of an equaliser. The hosts' two best chances fell to Cabango at set-pieces, with the centre-back rattling one shot against the bar and then dragging another wide of the target when he appeared to destined to equalise. West Ham win top-of-the-table meeting at Swansea Latest Swansea City news, analysis and fan views West Ham had further opportunities, with Lawrence Vigouroux making second-half saves from Jarrod Bowen – twice – and Pablo. Matos felt Swansea proved their credentials despite losing a league game on their own ground for the first time since April. "What I saw today, I think we can compete against every team and that's what we need to do," Matos added. "We need to keep pushing ourselves to beat the best teams of the league. West Ham is one of the best teams. "We tried [against them]. Unfortunately, we could not get something out of the game and that's the story."

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Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was taken to hospital for "precautionary tests" after suffering what boss Xabi Alonso said was a concussion during Chelsea 's win at Everton on Saturday. Martinez had earlier played his part in the Blues securing a first Premier League clean sheet in nine months, a run stretching back 23 matches. But the incident overshadowed an important 2-0 victory for Alonso's side at Hill Dickinson Stadium, secured by two goals from Pedro Neto. Martinez collided with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the 68th minute while attempting to claim a cross from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's free-kick. There was an eight-minute stoppage before the Argentina international was replaced by Mike Penders, who made his Premier League debut for Chelsea, and saw out the remainder of the match. Asked about the incident after the match, Alonso said: "It was a concussion, but beyond that I do not know. I have only seen one clip of the incident, so we need to wait. "What we know is that he left the stadium conscious and is now in hospital undergoing precautionary tests. "We need to wait. Hopefully it will not be too serious, but at the moment we just have to wait." There are now doubts over whether Martinez will be fit for Chelsea's next three matches - they face Tottenham and Manchester United in the Premier League, with a Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool in between. Neto stars but who was subdued? - player ratings for Everton v Chelsea Chelsea recorded their first Premier League clean sheet for nine months, since a 2-0 win against Brentford in January. Although Alonso said he was "not obsessed" with keeping a clean sheet, his side, who had conceded a league-high 13 goals before kick-off, were keen to address that record after a much-improved 5-1 win over Bournemouth following the international break. There had also been discussion about Chelsea being a "soft" team, particularly away from home in the north of England, having lost 19 of their previous 41 matches north of Luton over the past four years. Last season, Chelsea lost 3-0 at Everton during Liam Rosenior's five-match winless run, a sequence that ultimately cost him his job. The Blues had also won just one of their past nine matches at the Toffees. This time, however, Everton managed just six shots, their fewest in a Premier League game since recording five against Arsenal last December. Chelsea also conceded only one clear-cut opportunity and allowed their lowest expected goals against (xG) figure against top-flight opposition this season at 0.45. They started with a back three of Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill, while goalscorer Neto and Jorrel Hato, who provided the assist, operated as wing-backs. The midfield pairing of Moises Caicedo, returning from international duty, and new signing Jordan Henderson also brought much-needed solidity and experience. It was £117m club-record signing Morgan Rogers, however, who set the tone for a combative display, squaring up to Everton defender James Tarkowski during an eventful first half. "We needed to show that we can win in this way," Alonso added. "We looked solid, we played solidly, we were strong and we stayed in control. "In the first half there were difficult periods with throw-ins, corners and pressure from Everton. You have to overcome those moments. "In the Premier League it is very hard to have complete control in an away game, but you cannot lose your shape or your conviction." With difficult matches to come, there will be questions over whether Penders, who became Chelsea's youngest goalkeeper to play in the Premier League at the age of 21, is ready for the demanding run of fixtures ahead. That concern would be heightened if tests confirm Martinez suffered a concussion, with Premier League protocols typically requiring a minimum 14-day return-to-play process. Chelsea signed Penders from Genk for £17m in 2024 before loaning him back to the Belgian club. He then spent last season on loan at sister club Strasbourg, where he impressed in both the Conference League and Ligue 1. Genk have developed a reputation for producing elite goalkeepers, and Penders is frequently compared to Thibaut Courtois by those who know him best. Like the Real Madrid goalkeeper, Penders stands at 6ft 7in and has recently served as his understudy in the Belgium national team set-up. He has worked with the same legendary youth goalkeeping coaches, Guy Martens and Gilbert Roex, who also helped develop Koen Casteels, Maarten Vandevoordt, now at RB Leipzig, Lucca Brughmans, who will join Liverpool next summer from Genk, and Nordin Jackers of Club Brugge. They specialise in developing goalkeepers who are good with their feet, including Penders, who recorded the highest average position while playing out from the back under Rosenior at the Ligue 1 club early last season. Roex, who has known Penders since his academy days, believes he is capable of matching Courtois' level of success at Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. He said: "We have produced a lot of great goalkeepers, but Mike is the one with the potential to reach the same level as Thibaut. His sense of calm is gold in goalkeeping." Latest Chelsea news, analysis and fan views Ask about Chelsea - what do you want to know?