The spacious, accommodating Wembley Taphouse concourse on Friday night was a family-friendly environment. It was refreshing to see a melting pot of England spectators from different walks of life.
There was a little magic in the atmosphere, Pellegrino Matarazzo said. Real Sociedad's new coach could feel it; he could hear it too, the sound of drums beating on every street of the city he has embraced and into the stadium that has embraced him back already. When he and his players arrived at Anoeta on Sunday evening, they entered through a guard of honour, a band of soldiers and chefs lined up in the rain, hammering out the club anthem and hoping.
Everton take on Leeds under the lights at 8pm this coming Monday at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. With Everton looking to stay in touch with the European spots and Leeds' continued push away from the relegation places, both teams will be keenly looking for three points. Starting at 72, VIP tickets with a host of extras are still available for the clash that's a decent price when you consider a standard seat for this fixture costs 62.
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored one and made one in a dominant first half as the Elephants cruised to victory in Marrakech. Four of the previous seven meetings between the sides had ended in draws but Amad was in no mood to extend that sequence. He drove in the opener before setting up the second for Yan Diomande, with Bazoumana Toure adding a third late on.
Palace started brightly and should have taken the lead inside the first ten minutes. Benoit Badiashile was caught in possession, allowing Jean-Philippe Mateta to run through on goal, but Robert Sanchez produced a strong save to bail out his defence. That miss proved costly. Chelsea gradually settled into the contest and found the breakthrough in the 34th minute through Estevao. Jaydee Canvot's underhit back pass invited pressure, and the 18-year-old raced clear from halfway before finishing confidently past Dean Henderson.
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Earthquakes loaned Chicho Arango, last winter's prize trade acquisition and this offseason's re-signee, to Colombia's Atletico Nacional before Monday's transfer deadline. Arango, a forward who scored 13 goals for the Quakes last season, is a native of Medellin, where Nacional is based. The loan includes a purchase option on Arango's new contract, which runs through December 2027, with club options for two seasons after.
Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Barry Subs: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Beto, Dibling, Alcaraz, Rohl, Iroegbunam, Armstrong Bournemouth (4-3-3): Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Toth, Scott, Christie; Rayan, Adli, Evanilson. Subs: Mandas, Cook, Brooks, Adams, Smith, Diakite, Kroupi, Unal, Milosavljevic. Share Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Andrey Santos; Palmer, Fernandes, Estevao; Joao Pedro. Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Badiashile, Fofana, Sarr, Hato, Garnacho, Neto, Delap, Guiu.
Share Fun fact: When Bruno Guimaraes doesn't start, Newcastle tend not to win. They have only won of the 13 matches which the Brazilian midfielder has not started since his full debut in March 2022, losing six and drawing six. Today they were rocked by the news that he will miss at least eight matches with a hamstring injury.