WELCOME TO SASNAIJA

TEAM NEWS Man Utd have Nemanja Matic, Antonio Valencia and Alexis Sanchez back in training but Jose Mourinho is yet to decide if they can play. Diogo Dalot (knee) has also fully trained for the first time since joining United but Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero remain out due to injury. For Spurs, Victor Wanyama is recovering from a knee problem and is likely to remain sidelined with Juan Foyth (thigh). Son Heung-min is also unavailable while he represents South Korea at the 2018 Asian Games. Did you know? Man Utd have won 21 of their 26 Premier League home matches against Spurs (D3 L2), and have been victorious in each of the last four without conceding a goal. The home team have won the last seven PL meetings between Man Utd and Spurs, a run stretching back to March 2015. Spurs were the last team from London to win a PL match at Old Trafford, on New Year’s Day in 2014. Mauricio Pochettino has won 199 matches in all competitions as a manager, excluding shootouts, wi

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice as Fulham beat Burnley 4-2 for their first victory since returning to the Premier League. A frantic first half began with Fulham taking the lead in the fourth minute, when Jean Michael Seri rifled a spectacular long-range effort beyond Joe Hart and into the top-right corner. Jeff Hendrick equalised for Burnley six minutes later, finding the net at the second attempt after his initial effort was blocked by Denis Odoi. Mitrovic scored twice in the space of three minutes near the end of the first half, heading in from crosses by Tom Cairney and Luciano Vietto. Five minutes before the break, James Tarkowski scored following Ben Mee's header. Andre Schurrle wrapped up Fulham's first points of the season, leaving Burnley on one point from three matches.

Adrian Clarke looks at tactical battles set to take place in Matchweek 3. Man Utd v Spurs Mauricio Pochettino has a big decision to make ahead of Monday night’s trip to Old Trafford. Does the Tottenham Hotspur manager choose the 3-1-4-2 formation he started with in their 3-1 win over Fulham? Or will he revert to the 4-2-3-1 that has worked so well since he moved away from a regular back three in December 2017? What Pochettino saw in the final stages of Matchweek 2 might help him decide. A SUCCESSFUL SWITCH Spurs changed formation in the 63rd minute last weekend after Fulham had equalised to make it 1-1. Pochettino substituted centre-back Davinson Sanchez for midfielder Mousa Dembele as Spurs moved back to a familiar 4-2-3-1. Ten minutes later they made another bold change in bringing on the creative Erik Lamela for Eric Dier. It made them instantly more effective at both ends of the pitch. Spurs found improved control, variety and dynamism, and asserted their authorit

A late own-goal by DeAndre Yedlin was enough for Chelsea to continue their perfect start to the season as they beat Newcastle United 2-1 at St James' Park. Chelsea took the lead when Eden Hazard scored a 76th-minute penalty on his first start of the season, after Fabian Schar was adjudged to have fouled Marcos Alonso. Newcastle levelled on 83 minutes when Yedlin crossed for Joselu to head in. But Chelsea earned their third successive Premier League win under Maurizio Sarri when Alonso's shot was turned into his own net by Yedlin. The victory puts Chelsea second in the table, level on points with leaders Liverpool and Watford. Newcastle have one point from three matches.

If anyone had suspected N’Golo Kante’s goal on the opening weekend against Huddersfield Town was a one-off, his performance in a 3-2 win over Arsenal confirmed it was not. The Frenchman has a very different role under Maurizio Sarri, whose side travel to Newcastle United on Sunday. Freed to attack The energy was familiar; Kante covered 12.47 kilometres against Arsenal. What was different was where he was expending it. Kante’s three shots in the match were four times his average per 90 minutes last season and he created four chances for others too, more than any other Chelsea player. Even more unusually, he had five touches in the opposition penalty area. That is almost 10 times his average from last season. The most he managed in any of those matches was just two. An opportunity for opponents Opponents will struggle to enjoy comfortable possession against Chelsea now that Kante has been freed up from his defensive duties to go hunting for the ball. But there are still con

Liverpool v Brighton Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has found a new role for Georginio Wijnaldum during the early stages of 2018/19. Widely regarded as a box-to-box operator, he has impressed as the main holding midfielder ahead of new signing Fabinho and club captain Jordan Henderson. "I think it went well [playing in a three with Naby Keita and James Milner]," Wijnaldum told Liverpool's official website. "It’s more difficult than it looks because sometimes on the pitch I also want to run forward and to help the attack as well and even score a goal, but when you’re playing in that position it’s not always possible so you have to keep the balance between the attackers and the two No 8s and the defence." Rapid passing He may be operating in the centre of a midfield three, but Wijnaldum is not a combative ball-winner. He has won just two tackles and made only one interception across the opening 180 minutes of the campaign. Instead, his job is to kee

Everton's Richarlison was shown a red card for violent conduct four minutes before half-time but Theo Walcott gave them the lead on 56 minutes, converting a Cenk Tosun through-ball. Adam Smith was then sent off just after the hour for bringing down Walcott, and the visitors capitalised as Michael Keane headed in Gylfi Sigurdsson's cross five minutes later. Joshua King converted a penalty won by Callum Wilson before Nathan Ake completed the comeback in the 79th minute. Keane was carried off on a stretcher late on after a clash of heads with Idrissa Gueye. The result means AFC Bournemouth, despite losing their 100 per cent record, move second, level with Manchester City, on seven points. Everton lie eighth with five.

Saturday 25 August FT WOL 1-1 MCI FT ARS 3-1 WHU FT BOU 2-2 EVE FT HUD 0-0 CAR FT SOU 1-2 LEI Sunday 26 August WAT 05:30 CRY FUL 08:00 BUR NEW 08:00 CHE

Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has praised Reds fans for the standing ovation they gave him during a pre-season friendly. In his first Anfield appearance since the fateful Champions League final, the German replaced new signing Alisson Becker with just 18 minutes remaining against Torino last night. The Brazilian number one came on to a rousing reception, and the crowd stayed on their feet to welcome Karius. The German stopper has suffered a torrid time since his mistakes in the defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev in May,

Real Madrid are closing in on Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian made clear his intentions to leave the Stamford Bridge club early into this summer's transfer window, before he went on to represent his nation at the World Cup in Russia. Courtois was a no show for Chelsea's Community Shield defeat by Manchester City on the weekend, before he then went AWOL on Monday. The shot-stopper was due to attend the Blues' Cobham HQ for training, but defied his club, and was later pictured in Marbella. Courtois is now on the verge of signing for Real Madrid in a deal worth £35million. Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri refused to shed light on the future of the keeper after his side's penalty shoot-out win against Lyon on Tuesday. "I don't know in this moment," said Sarri. "I want to speak with my club and then we will decide about it. I am here to talk about this match."

Joao Mario is hoping for a Premier League lifeline as he eyes a loan switch to Tottenham. Inter Milan’s Portuguese international midfielder Mario made 13 top-flight appearances on loan at West Ham last season. Mario,25, got two goals and an assist to help the Hammers stay up after arriving in January from Italy. But West Ham failed to sign the star, who cost Inter Milan £35million in August 2016 from Sporting Lisbon. Mario enjoyed his stint in the Premier League and likes London and is hopeful of coming back. He has admirers after also playing for Portugal four times at the World Cup. Suitors are believed to include Tottenham with Daniel Levy considering a late loan move to bolster Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.

The Italian international has become one of the most sought after midfielders in European football over the past few years after starring for Napoli since joining the club from Verona in the summer of 2014. The 26-year-old played a key role in helping Maurizio Sarri’s side challenge Juventus for the Serie A title last season before they fell short at the final hurdle and his superb displays attracted interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs. Man City emerged as the clear favourites for his signature and a move to Pep Guardiola’s side was reportedly on the verge of completion but the Express claim Chelsea have hijacked the deal after trumping their rivals with a higher offer worth £57.5m. Italian outlet CalcioNapoli24 have footage of Jorginho at an airport on his way to London to complete his move to Stamford Bridge and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has now confirmed the midfielder has opted to join Chelsea over City. De Laurentiis also revealed that a deal for

Football Talk | Premier League News Chelsea Agreed Deal To Sign £53.5m Star As Sarri Closes-In On Key Signing The summer transfer window is drawing to a close and managers are working hard to secure last minute deals so we’ll bring you all the latest gossip from around the globe. Today, Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Mateo Kovacic… Mateo-Kovacic-real-madrid Chelsea have agreed an initial loan deal to sign Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic with the option to make the transfer permanent for £53.5m next summer, according to Marca via TeamTalk. Kovacic has been pushing for a move away from Madrid this summer after struggling to force his way in to the first team since joining from Inter Milan in 2015 with the likes of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro restricting him to just 10 starts last season. The 24-year-old has gone public with his desire to leave in search of regular first team football and TeamTalk claim the Croatian international has refused to train or

The France international’s agent Mino Raiola has reportedly held talks with Barcelona this summer and the Spanish champions have offered £45 million plus Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes for the midfielder. Pogba, meanwhile, is also said to be upset with Mourinho’s comments about his performances during France’s World Cup campaign earlier this summer. Mourinho suggested that Pogba played better in Russia because he had no distractions with the national team and ‘hoped’ the midfielder understood why his performances improved following his inconsistent season at United.

​Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard looks set to stay at Stamford Bridge for this season at least after a 'dream' move to Real Madrid failed to materialise. Hazard may still see Chelsea and Belgium colleague Thibaut Courtois make the switch to Real, but his own chances of wearing the famous all-white kit appear slim at best as it has been reported that talks between the two clubs were never even formally opened. Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages Eden Hazard Returns to Chelsea Training After Real Madrid Move Fails to Materialise Jamie Spencer 06 AUG 2018 34 k ​Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard looks set to stay at Stamford Bridge for this season at least after a 'dream' move to Real Madrid failed to materialise. Hazard may still see Chelsea and Belgium colleague Thibaut Courtois make the switch to Real, but his own chances of wearing the famous all-white kit appear slim at best as it has been reported that talks between the two clubs were never even formally

It is understood the 23-year-old - a Spain international with one cap - would cost the Blues £71.6m, which would be a world-record fee for a 'keeper. Speaking after Chelsea's pre-season friendly win over Lyon, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said: "I saw him one year ago. "My first impression was that he is a very good goalkeeper, very young, but very, very good." Reports in Spain on Tuesday evening have gone as far as to say that Chelsea's intentions are to fly the player to London on Wednesday and have him train on Thursday, with the hope he could make his debut in their season-opener against Huddersfield on Saturday. Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that Kepa had emerged as a new target for the Blues as they look to find a replacement for Thibaut Courtois, who has told the club he wants to leave and join Real Madrid. Chelsea also have Diego Rico and Stoke's Jack Butland on their list - but Kepa has become their top priority over over the course

Alfie Mawson (£5.0m) has the qualities to become a big factor in Fantasy Premier League this season. He arrives at Fulham from Swansea City and is expected to partner Tim Ream (£4.5m) at centre-half in the Cottagers' back four. Mawson boasted a major threat from defence for his former club. He scored six goals across the last two Premier League campaigns. And he recorded 20 shots on goal, 17 of which were inside the opposition penalty area, in 2017/18. Defensive points But his defensive contributions cannot be ignored either. Mawson made 288 clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI) last season. CBI is a key metric in the Bonus Points System (BPS), which decides how bonus points in matches are awarded. So, too, is passing. Players who attempt at least 30 passes in a match can score BPS. If they complete 70, 80 or 90 per cent of their passes, they pick up two, four or six BPS points respectively. Mawson averaged 45.9 passes a match, with a completion rate of

It's almost a ritual for Fantasy Premier League managers to spend their Saturday morning agonising over their team. Be it a late transfer or a last-minute captain swap, these vital moments before a Gameweek deadline can decide where mini-leagues are won or lost. But be warned. If you leave it until Saturday this time it will be too late. Because the 2018/19 season starts on Friday 10 August, all Gameweek 1 teams must be finalised an hour before the opening match of the season kicks off. That means managers must submit their final selections by 19:00 BST on Friday 10 August... a week from today! Don't get caught out Similarly, those waiting for the transfer window to close before starting on their FPL team are at risk. While big-name signings could yet be added to the game before 17:00 BST 9 August, managers putting off registration could pay a big price. Remember, the speed with which managers register their FPL teams can affect their chances of winning mini-leag

As the days count down to the first match of the season, premierleague.com looks at things new to the competition for 2018/19. Technical-area behaviour A totting-up system similar to player cautions has been introduced this season for breaches of discipline during matches by managers or other members of team staff in the technical area. Every time a referee issues an official, stage-one warning to a manager or other member of team staff in the technical area, the caution will be logged. The match official will not show a yellow or a red card to the offender during the match but they will be informed that a stage-one warning has been administered. Sanctions will subsequently be imposed after four, eight, 12 and 16 warnings per individual. Competition specific Also in 2018/19 player cautions will now be competition specific. This means yellow cards picked up in Premier League matches will only be relevant to that competition. A player who receives five cautions in the Pre

The Premier League's summer transfer window is open and will close at 17:00 BST on Thursday, 9 August. All of the signings made by the PL clubs and player departures for 2018/19 are below. Please note that some deals may still be subject to international clearance and the completion of regulatory processes. See: January 2018 transfer window - All the deals This list is correct as of 12:28 BST, 4 August. Arsenal In Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus) Free Details Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen) Undisclosed Details Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Dortmund) Undisclosed Details Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria) Undisclosed Details Matteo Guendouzi (Lorient) Undisclosed Details Out Per Mertesacker (retired) Details Santi Cazorla (released) Details Takuma Asano (Hannover) Loan Details Jack Wilshere (West Ham) Free Details Vlad Dragomir (released) Details Ryan Huddart (released) Details Tafari Moore (released) Details Hugo Keto (Brighton) Free Details Chiori Johnson (released) Deta

The mock draft is new to the Fantasy Premier League Draft game this season. It allows managers to experience the draft process before doing one for real. Getting involved is easy. First, simply state how many teams you want to be in a mock draft league with. You will then be allocated a place along with a number of randomly selected managers. The draft will get under way within 30 minutes after the first team joins. Snake draft Before the process begins, a random order is generated which will "snake" from round to round of picks until all squads in a league are completed. In a "snake draft" the pick order is reversed in each round, for example: Round 1: Team A, Team B, Team C, Team D. Round 2: Team D, Team C, Team B, Team A. As managers only have between 30-120 seconds to select a player in the draft, it is best to build a watchlist beforehand. This allows you to react quickly and bring in an alternative should you miss out on a big target. Learning curve

Marco Silva will turn Everton into a more athletic, attacking force this season. Whenever you watch teams coached by the 41-year-old, it is clear how much emphasis he places on tempo, pace and energy. For example, after his first two months in charge of Watford last season, Silva had extracted an additional 4km per 90 minutes from his players in distance covered compared to 2016/17. Pushed hard from the sidelines, the Hornets also made an extra 12 per cent of sprints. Silva will have recognized the need to add fresh legs to his squad and the arrival of Richarlison, a young forward known for power and pace, was a sign of intent. Everton covered 110.6km in the Premier League last season, which ranked them 14th in the division. Under a new head coach who demands intensity, this is certain to change. When he was at Vicarage Road, Watford ran an average of 112.9km per match. Proactive attitude With Sam Allardyce in charge, the Toffees often chose to sit back and soak up pressure