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AFC Leopards defender Robinson Kamura has confirmed his exit from the Football Kenya Federation Premier League side.

Kamura has been a peripheral figure since Patrick Aussems was appointed as head coach, and the former Mathare United star has now revealed he will no longer be part of the local giants.
 
Apart from relegating the centre-back from the first team, the Belgian coach also stripped him of the captaincy and appointed Isaac Kipyegon and Elvis Rupia as the first and the second captains respectively.

"Thank you Betsafe Kenya for your kind gesture and for making it possible for me to have a good farewell. There's no better way to say thank you and goodbye. Kamura posted on his Facebook page. "You're all welcome to this special weekend."
 
The Ingwe's sponsors and Kamura will conduct a local tournament featuring eight teams in Huruma on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Although AFC Leopards have been facing an injury crisis at the back, Kamura was not played and Australia preferred Kipyegon to work at centre-back despite him being a fullback. The allegations of a poor relationship between the coach and the defender could have played out during a match against Kariobangi Sharks when Robert Ayala - a centre-back - was injured, but Aussems chose to throw on Harrison Mwendwa - a winger by trade - into action even though Kamura was on the bench.

With financial hiccups at the club, a number of players are expected to leave the 13-time Premier League champions. The monetary issue was exacerbated by Betsafe's move to reduce sponsorship grants for the club.

The recent wrangles with FKF - which saw them fined Ksh6 million for skipping a game - will not help matters financially for the club. The Nairobi side will end the season on August 22 with a game against KCB, who are in a tight title race with Tusker.

Ex-Arsenal and Chelsea attacker Karen Carney was left impressed with the way Super Eagles midfielder Frank Onyeka played in the 2-0 win over the Gunners on his Premier League debut.

The Nigeria international moved to the promoted side on a five-year deal from FC Midtjylland in July and was partnering Vitaly Janelt in strengthening the Bees’ midfield.

His impact was effective as he helped to control the midfield department as Sergi Canos completed Ethan Pinnock's pass in the 22nd minute to send the home fans into a frenzy. The second goal came in the 73rd minute courtesy of Christian Norgaard.

In the 80th minute, he was replaced and his position taken over by Mads Bidstrup. But he had done enough according to the 34-year-old former winger who was on duty for the Premier League World Feed commentary.

"He has done well, made forward passing runs, earned him a standing ovation. Solid first performance from him," Carney stated.

Prior to Friday's match, Onyeka delivered impressive performances for the 2021 Championship play-off winners in pre-season friendly outings against Valencia and Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal fully deserved their season-opening loss on Friday. Despite outshooting and out-possessing the hosts on Friday, Arsenal left with nothing to show for it after struggling to truly test a team that played in the Championship last season.

"I am disappointed, we started the season against a good opponent," he told BT Sport.

"I don’t think we deserved anything different. They scored from a long throw-in and we didn’t have enough presence in the box."

Arteta also commented on Brentford's second goal where he felt Bernd Leno was fouled.

"It’s allowed in the Premier League, he cannot move. I can’t change it now. The first goal gave them some hope. We wanted to play better in the second half but we need many more shots on target, then we conceded on a set-piece. 

"A lot of young boys were doing everything they can. For some of them, it was the first experience in the league – that says a lot."

Chairman Ambrose Rachier has revealed it is the pressure from the players that led Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards to skip the Premier League Mashemeji Derby in July.

The fixture was not played when the clubs protested the delay in disbursement of their Shield Cup prize money and Rachier has now said they were influenced to take the decision after receiving immense pressure from the players.

"Our fans need to understand the genesis of this rare occurrence," Rachier told Goal. "Sometimes, teams are given walkovers but not about two teams not turning up. The issue is that we played the cup final and, as far as to our knowledge, we knew the money for the preparation, including the prize money, had been paid several months before the final.

"We expected to be paid immediately because the money ought to have been there, but in the end, the cup was presented, yes, but there was no cash and we demanded it eight days later. 

"We were faced with go-slows from both teams because we had promised incentives to players and because we had not received the money, the players insisted they would not play because they believed we had been paid and we were not willing to settle for what we had agreed on with them.

"The pressure came from the players and the worst could have happened because they could have failed to turn up. It was not to spite the federation, but three days later, they paid the money, so what was the reason for not paying us the money immediately.

"From the 5th of July, we had persistent pressure from our players because that is the time of year when landlords collect rent from tenants, and that is why the treasurer wrote a letter on the 7th and I approved it on the 8th of July."

The federation moved on to fine the clubs a combined Ksh10 million, deducted three points from each and suspended their chairmen. On Friday, after Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards failed to explain how they planned to pay the fines, FKF deducted cash from the sponsorship grants.

Rafa Benitez has admitted that the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules have restricted Everton's transfer plans, forcing him to tell several players they can leave Goodison Park.

The former Liverpool boss, who has swapped red for blue in crossing the Merseyside divide, has been tasked with following Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of the Toffees.

But the Spaniard looks set to be handed a tough hand from the start amid financial constraints and has acknowledged that the club will have to let multiple faces go before the transfer window shuts.

What has been said?

“The reality is that we know the financial fair play rules are there and we have to follow them,” Benítez told The Guardian. “I know what the situation is and we will try to do our best with the players we have.

"If we can strengthen our squad we will try to do it. In these circumstances we have to move players on – that is simple to understand.

“The relationship with the players has to be professional. You have to be honest and you have to do it as soon as possible. Then they have time to manage the situation."

Benitez backs squad to succeed

While the Spaniard is more than aware of the challenges, he also remains wholly committed to the task at hand as he looks to take charge of a Premier League side once more after his time at Newcastle.

"I know the ambition of the owners, the club and everyone here but the financial fair play rules are there and we have to manage that. I believe I can do it," he added.

"My staff is quite good and we have experience and we know this group of players can improve. We will try to do that; we will fight from day one. If something is wrong we will fight even harder."

Everton's transfer activity so far

With the new Premier League season upon them, the Toffees have only added three players to date, with Bayer Leverkusen winger Demarai Gray the major name among their clutch of recruits.

The ex-Leicester man has sealed a Premier League return after half a season in the Bundesliga, while Andros Townsend and Asmir Begovic have also joined from Crystal Palace and Bournemouth respectively.

Outgoings include Theo Walcott, Josh King and Matthew Pennington, all on free transfers, while Yannick Bolasie has lapsed into free agency.

The bigger picture

Regardless of whether Bentiez will be able to help Everton balance the books, he will be focused on ensuring that his tenure gets off to a winning Premier League start this weekend.

The Toffees host Southampton at Goodison Park, as they look to start the post-Ancelotti era with a bang under the Spaniard's watch.

Having lapsed to a 4-0 drubbing against Manchester United in their final pre-season game, the hosts will be determined to lay down an early marker against Ralph Hasenhuttl's side.

Further reading

Harry Kane could sit out Tottenham's season opener against Manchester City, says manager Nuno Espirito Santo, amid continued links between the striker and the Premier League champions.

The England captain has been strongly mooted this summer for a move to the Etihad Stadium following Euro 2020, and returned late from holiday to the chagrin of Spurs powerbrokers.

Having previously offered assurances earlier this month that his star man would be in the frame to face his suitors, Nuno now looks to have walked back on a definite answer, indicating that he may still miss out.

What has been said?

“All the decisions are not only based on fitness,” the manager said. “It’s based on many, many aspects that we have to consider.

"Football players are not only professionals, they are people that deal with many situations. All of us, we have our own lives.

"When we make decisions, I try to get as much info as I can so my decision is the best for the team.”

Kane saga rumbles on

After another barren season on the silverware front - an agony compounded by final defeats for both club and country - speculation had been rife that Kane could leave north London this summer.

But despite City's pursuit of his services, Tottenham - and Daniel Levy - have held firm on their position, a situation further compounded by the striker's late return to pre-season.

Having only trained with his team-mates on Friday for the first time, the matter of the 28-year-old's future looks set to continue to dominate headlines for the near future.

The bigger picture

Whether Kane plays or not, Tottenham will look to begin afresh when they host City this weekend, as Nuno looks to bring the curtain up on a bright post-Jose Mourinho future.

The club may well already have an eye on the first leg of their Europa Conference League playoff clash with Pacos de Ferreira on August 19, with Spurs determined to avoid an early exit from continental football this season.

Further reading

Attacking duo Raphinha and Claudinho have been handed their first senior call-ups to the Brazil national team ahead of the Selecao's Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September.

The Leeds playmaker and Zenit forward have both earned their maiden place amid Tite's squad, with the latter rewarded for a successful gold-medal campaign at Tokyo 2020.

Now, they will be in the frame to make their debut for their country's qualifiers as they face a Copa America rematch with Argentina, sandwiched between games against Chile and Peru.

What has been said?

"We've been following Raphinha for some time now, since he moved to the Premier League," Tite told a press conference upon confirmation of his squad.

"We look for information in every way, and he has an accentuated dribbling technique. He has scored a number of important goals too, a decisive player."

Brazil squad in full

Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras); Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Lucas Veríssimo (Benfica), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Daniel Alves (Sao Paulo), Guilherme Arana (Atletico Mineiro); Casemiro (Real Madrid), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (Lyon), Claudinho (Zenit), Bruno Guimaraes (Lyon), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool); Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Richarlison (Everton), Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Gabriel Barbosa (Flamengo), Raphinha (Leeds United).

The bigger picture

Call-ups for both Claudinho - a star of the Selecao's Tokyo 2020, gold-medal-winning campaign in Japan during the off-season - and Raphinha will likely only increase the standing of both players over the coming months.

The former has transitioned to Europe to further his career, while the latter was already linked with a move away from Leeds amid fine form last term, though he looks set to remain at Elland Road for now.

They may well feature against Chile on September 2, the first of Brazil's three games during the international break, with Argentina set to follow three days later on September 5 before the visit of Peru on September 9 wraps things up.

Further reading

Many Arsenal fans have called for the disbandment of the team and the sacking of Mikel Arteta after they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Brentford on Friday.

The Gunners were beaten 2-0 by the newly-promoted side with goals from Sergi Canos in the 22nd minute and Christian Norgaard condemning them to a first Premier League defeat at Community Stadium.

The defeat has left Arsenal fans across Africa very upset and others calling for the team’s management to reinforce the squad with signings of a new goalkeeper, right back, creative midfielder, and a forward.

Below is how the fans reacted on Twitter following the defeat at Brentford Community Stadium.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame has blamed Arsenal's planning for the club’s first defeat of the season against Brentford on Friday.

The Gunners were soundly beaten 2-0 by the newly-promoted side with goals from Sergi Canos in the 22nd minute and Christian Norgaard in the 73rd minute condemning them to Premier League defeat on the first day of action at Brentford Community Stadium.

The win has disappointed Kagame, an ardent fan of the Gunners, and forced him to pour his pain on his social media pages by calling out at the management suggesting the club’s fans don’t deserve that.

“What?? It's football, it's a loss for Arsenal against Brentford,” Kagame wrote on his social media pages. “Brentford deserved to win and they did.

“The game itself aside, Arsenal and the fans don't deserve to kind of get used to this....NO!!! I say this as one of the big fans of Arsenal.

“The change has taken too long to come!”

Kagame also wondered why Arsenal doesn’t have a working plan especially when it comes to buying new players.

“It's been a struggle of about decade(s) - ups and downs - more downs until this point. Can't we have a plan that really works? “One part to look at is how we deal in the market - players we buy to execute the plan.

“The touch and go mentality does not bring change.”

The East African Head of State further stated Arsenal fans should not accept mediocrity insisting those in charge of the club understand where the problem is and should take the burden.

“We just must not excuse or accept mediocrity,” Kagame continued. “A team has to be built with a purpose to win win-win. So that when we lose...it was not to be expected!

“I am sure we all know on whose shoulders the heaviest burden rests. I hope they know too or even accept it.”

It was Brentford who started the game on a high note but they had to wait until the 22nd minute to score the opener when Canos dribbled past Arsenal's defenders after a clever pass from Ethan Pinnock to sneak the ball past Bernd Leno and in the 73rd minute Norgaard netted the second.

Orlando Pirates are set to start their defence of the MTN8 when they take on Swallows FC in a quarter-final encounter at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

The Bucs fans will be keen to see how the team performs in a competitive match after being defeated in the 2021 Carling Black Label Cup by Kaizer Chiefs almost two weeks ago.

Pirates succumbed to a 4-3 defeat on penalties following a 0-0 draw in a high-profile pre-season match against Chiefs and they will now get their 2021/22 campaign underway against Swallows. 

They will be up against Swallows side they have failed to defeat in their last four competitive matches including three successive 1-1 draws.

The Beautiful Birds will be able to measure just how well they have done in pre-season preparations when they take on the Buccaneers in the original Soweto Derby clash.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

The game will be shown live on SuperSport TV's PSL channel 202 

Squads & Team News

Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer has revealed that injury-prone strikers Tshegofatso Mabasa and Zakhele Lepasa will be unavailable this weekend.

While Richard Ofori and Thembinkosi Lorch are expected to shrug off their respective minor injuries and face Swallows.

Bucs will pin their hopes of securing a win over the Beautiful Birds on Lorch, who looked sharp and hungry against Chiefs earlier this month. 

Pirates remain the only side in the history of the PSL to have retained their Top 8 title the following season having done so 10 years ago in 2011.

Meanwhile, Swallows head coach Brandon Truter has confirmed that they will be without Tlakusani Mthethwa with the player having sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The influential central midfielder is likely to be sidelined for the entire 2021/22 season, while Mwape Musonda is also doubtful due to lack of match fitness.

Pirates loanees Austin Muwowo and Monnapule Saleng are expected to face their parent club and they have what it takes to haunt the Buccaneers by inspiring the Beautiful Birds to a win.

Swallows have won the Top 8 trophy three times and the last time they lifted the title was in 2012 and it was their last appearance in the competition. 

Match Preview

In head-to-head stats, Pirates and Swallows have clashed in 17 cup matches since 1985.

Bucs have recorded seven outright wins (plus one via penalties) compared to five (plus one via penalties) for the Beautiful Birds, while five matches ended in draws.

Overall, the two Soweto rivals have met in 79 matches across all competitions since 1985.

Pirates have 30 wins compared to 17 for Swallows, while no less than 32 games have been drawn.

ATK Mohun Bagan look well on track to mount yet another Indian Super League (ISL) title challenge in the upcoming season. After missing out on the AFC Champions League spot to Mumbai City in the last season, the Mariners will be desperate to clinch the ISL Shield this time around.

They have already finalised their foreign contingent, with six overseas players having already put pen to paper for the Kolkata-based side. While they have retained Roy Krishna, David Williams, Tiri, Carl McHugh, they have added Hugo Boumous and Joni Kauko to the roster. Let us have a look at these six players in detail. 

Roy Krishna

The prolific striker needs no introduction and once again the Fijian will be in charge of leading Bagan's attack for the third season in a row. He was the joint top-scorer with FC Goa's Igor Angulo in the previous season after scoring 14 goals from 23 matches. He also provided eight assists during that period but could not lead his side to the title. However, he had won the title in 2019-20 after defeating Chennaiyin in the finals. 

He has already joined the team's practice sessions in Kolkata and will fly to Maldives on August 14 for the upcoming AFC Cup assignment. Here are his stats for ATK Mohun Bagan. 

David Williams

The Australian forward signed an extension with ATK Mohun Bagan that will keep him at the club for a third year. After a brilliant first season where he scored seven goals and provided five assists, he had a subdued 2020-21 campaign. Injuries hampered his performance and most of his appearances were from the bench. However, he scored six goals and his combination with Krishna in the attacking third was effective at times for Antonio Habas' side. 

The management has done an incredible job in flying him in from Australia just in the nick of time before the AFC campaign. Williams joined the practice on Thursday and will be a part of the squad that will travel to Maldives. Here are his stats for ATK Mohun Bagan. 

Carl McHugh

The versatile player will be a key member for the Mariners in their quest to win the AFC Cup and the ISL title. He is one of the most trusted lieutenants of Antonio Habas who can slot in at the centre of the park and as well as in defence. In the absence of Sandesh Jhingan, it will not be surprising if McHugh is used as a centre back by the Spanish coach. 

He has joined the team's training session and will fly to Maldives for the AFC Cup. Here are his stats for ATK Mohun Bagan. 

Tiri

The Spanish defender has been one of the mainstays of the ATK Mohun Bagan defence. He joined from Jamshedpur FC and was one of the first names on the team sheet for Antonio Habas. However, he is yet to join the squad and will not be travelling for the AFC Cup group stage. However, if Bagan progresses to the knockouts, he can be included in the squad. Here are his stats for ATK Mohun Bagan. 

Joni Kauko 

The Finish midfielder is a new signing for the Mariners and perhaps one of the most interesting ones. He will be expected to further bolster the midfield, provided Habas chooses to deploy McHugh as a centre back. Kauko was a part of the Finland national team at the Euro 2020 where he played as a substitute in all three group stage matches. With Inter Turku and later Esbjerg in 2019, the Finnish player has played four editions of the Europa League and has eight European appearances in his kitty. He was training with the team in Kolkata but has been omitted from the AFC squad. Here are his stats for Esbjerg, a Danish second division side, from last season. 

Hugo Boumous

The prolific attacking midfielder joined ATK Mohun Bagan from Mumbai City FC. The Frenchman has provided the highest number of assists in the history of ISL, 24 in 56 matches, and is one of the best foreign players to have ever played in the league. Boumous had won the Golden Ball award in the 2019-20 season while playing for FC Goa. His inclusion will definitely add more firepower to Bagan's attack. Here are his stats for Mumbai City FC in the previous season.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted that the Gunners fully deserved their season-opening loss to Brentford as the manager was left "disappointed" by his team's start to the new campaign.

The Gunners were outdone by their newly promoted opponents on Friday as Brentford cruised to a 2-0 win.

Despite outshooting and out-possessing the hosts on Friday, Arsenal left with nothing to show for it after struggling to truly test a team that played in the Championship last season.

What did Arteta say?

"I’m disappointed," he told BT Sport. "We started the season against a good opponent. I don’t think we deserved anything different. They scored from a long throw-in and we didn’t have enough presence in the box."

Arteta also weighed in on a bit of controversy stemming from Brentford's second goal.

Brenford scored through a Christian Norgaard header from a long throw-in, one which may have seen Brend Leno fouled in the build-up.

But Arteta wasn't as frustrated by the no-call as he was by Brenford's first goal, a finish from Sergi Canos.

"It’s allowed in the Premier League," he said of the second goal. "He cannot move. I can’t change it now.

"The first goal gave them some hope. We wanted to play better in the second half but we need many more shots on target, then we conceded on a set piece.

"A lot of young boys were doing everything they can. For some of them it was the first experience in the league – that says a lot."

Important absences

Arteta was given a selection headache on Friday as he was without two of his biggest stars.

Arsenal were missing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, whom Arteta said were "feeling unwell" before the match kicked off.

"I can’t change that," he said of their absences. "We knew that before the game. I don’t know [if they'll be available for the next game].

"What I can control and help, I’ll put all my enthusiasm and work into that."

Further reading

Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi is closing in on a move to Besiktas, according to the Turkish club's coach Sergen Yalcin.

Batshuayi did not figure to be in the Blues' plans for 2021-22, with the recent arrival of Romelu Lukaku pushing him further down the depth chart.

Now, the 27-year-old looks set to continue his career in Turkey.

What was said?

"The club is trying to sign a good center forward," Yalcin said. "We are now negotiating with Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi.

"If everything goes well, we expect him to come here next week."

Batshuayi's Chelsea career

Batshuayi joined Chelsea from Marseille ahead of the 2016-17 season in a deal worth €40 million.

The Belgian scored just five league goals during his debut season at Stamford Bridge, but managed to score a late winner against West Brom in May 2017 to clinch the Premier League title for the Blues.

Batshuayi has failed to lock down a regular role with Chelsea during his time with the club, and has spent time on loan with Crystal Palace, Valencia and Borussia Dortmund.

Last season Batshuayi struggled in his second stint with Palace, scoring just two goals all season for the London club.

Batshuayi was named to Belgium's Euro 2020 roster this summer, making one appearance at the tournament as the Red Devils fell to Italy in the quarter-final.

Further reading

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed Anthony Martial to prove his doubters wrong and believes Manchester United fans will see a different player to the one that struggled last season. 

The Frenchman managed just seven goals across all competitions in 37 appearances last term, but Solskjaer has seen something in pre-season which makes him believe the 25-year-old will turn things around.

Solskjaer shut down suggestions the forward could be leaving the club before the transfer window closes at the end of the month and explained why he has hope this season will be different for Martial. 

What was said? 

Solskjaer was asked in his pre-Leeds press conference if he thinks Martial has what it takes to be Man Utd’s No 9. 

He replied: “As I’ve said before we really rate Anthony. Last season was disappointing, we had injuries, he lost some form, the season before he was our top scorer.

"If Anthony is taking all the penalties, or Marcus Rashford last season would have taken all the penalties, that’s another 10-15 goals for a centre forward but we’ve got Bruno [Fernandes] who’s so confident on pens that you can’t take that away from him really.

“I’m very confident and I like what I see from Anthony when I see him in training now, and when I see him in the gym he has that little bit of grit between his teeth again.”

Solskjaer also wants to see the forwards step up their goal tally after Fernandes finished as the club’s highest scorer last season with 28 goals across all competitions. 

“I think with the forwards that we have, yeah, Anthony will score more goals than he did last season. I think Mason [Greenwood] will only develop. Edinson [Cavani] started late in the season, I think he’ll score more goals. Jadon [Sancho] will come in and chip in with goals so I feel confident that the burden is not just on Bruno to score goals,” Solskjaer explained.

“An attacking midfielder shouldn’t be the only one scoring 15-20 goals.” 

Martial struggles in 2020-21

Martial managed just four goals in the league in the last campaign while his other three came in the Champions League (two) and Carabao Cup (one).

The French forward did miss the last 10 league games of the season with a knee injury that saw him sidelined for five months. 

The season before, Martial managed 23 goals across the campaign with 17 of those coming in the league. 

What about Martial’s future? 

There has been plenty of speculation about Martial’s future at Old Trafford. Goal understands his position in the squad has never been in doubt and he has always been in Solskjaer’s plans. 

And the United manager confirmed the Frenchman will not be going anywhere this month. 

“I wouldn't be surprised if other teams targeted Anthony, he's a very very good player,” Solskjaer said. “He has come back strong, hungry and determined to prove his fitness and quality.

"Last season was a difficult one for him and you can see that little bit of grit through his teeth again. He's up for the challenge, he’s a Man Utd player and we're happy we have him. He's proved doubters wrong so many times.”

Further reading 

Thomas Tuchel has revealed that Romelu Lukaku will be ready to play in Chelsea's second Premier League game of the season against Arsenal.

Chelsea's club-record £98 million ($136m) signing from Inter remains in quarantine and he will miss the club's opening Premier League match of the season on Saturday against Crystal Palace.

Lukaku will begin training with the Blues on Monday in preparation for next Sunday's match against Mikel Arteta's side, when he is set to begin his second spell with the Blues.

What did Tuchel say?

"Romulu is still in quarantine and following the protocols," Tuchel told reporters from Cobham Training Centre. "He will be out on Monday doing the whole training with us next week and will play for us against Arsenal. This is the plan.

"We always try to do it as fast as possible and the sooner the better. As I said, if we could have wished for something, he would have been maybe on the pitch and available for even Wednesday.

"But the sooner the better, because every game counts and we are happy."

Tuchel touches on Drogba comparisons

Although different in style, Lukaku finds himself often compared to Chelsea's legendary striker Didier Drogba.

Tuchel thinks that Lukaku is someone, like Drogba, who can embody what it means to be a powerful central striker at Stamford Bridge.

"Before I even entered the club and had the chance to be part of it I thought of personalities up front of a certain category of striker like Didier Drogba, like Diego Costa, that for me embodies Chelsea and what Chelsea stands for," Tuchel added.

"And Mason [Mount], of course, there are a lot of comparisons with Frank Lampard and his style of play in the way that he grew up and how he interprets his game.

"I hope they click together, we have to see it, from next Monday on we will work on that and hopefully they can be together with our other guys, the guys that our fans really like to see on the pitch and can shape a certain profile of Chelsea Football Club.

"He will take the weight off the shoulders from our younger strikers, from our younger players around him, and I think this is a huge part of the story, that he does not step away and is also happy to make life easier for players around him.

"I think these players like Christian [Pulisic], like Kai [Havertz], like Timo [Werner], they will benefit from him."

Further reading