Z-PRO MEDIA

  Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said he wants to see greater hunger and a desire to improve from his players as he prepares for his first Premier League season in charge. Chelsea finished tenth in the league last season following a disappointing, trophyless campaign and failed to qualify for European competition. "We need hunger, passion, we need to want to improve," Alonso ‌told reporters on Monday. "The Premier League is so competitive. We need to prepare ourselves, we need to be determined in the details, in how we want to play. But the most important bit is our game." SQUAD CHANGES Alonso also addressed the future of winger Alejandro Garnacho, who has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge as the club look to reshape their squad. "There is interest in him from other clubs, so let's see how this develops. Hopefully it finishes in the best possible way for all parties," ⁠he said. Garnacho struggled for form after his move from Manchester Uni...

  Premier League champions Arsenal will begin their title defence at home to newly promoted Coventry City when the ‌2026–27 season kicks off on August 21. Coventry return to the top flight for the first time in 25 years and face a daunting test against Mikel Arteta's side, ⁠who ended a 22-year wait for the title last season. Hull City, promoted via the playoffs, host Manchester United in the first round of games, while fellow promoted club Ipswich Town take on Sunderland at home, according to fixtures released on Friday. Manchester City, starting the ‌campaign ⁠without former coach Pep Guardiola, host Bournemouth, while Newcastle United take on Liverpool, now led by Andoni Iraola, at St. James' Park. Chelsea will be ⁠seen in action under new coach Xabi Alonso with a London derby away to Fulham, while the ⁠highly anticipated Manchester derby is scheduled for September 12. The campaign will conclude on ⁠May 30, 2027, with the Champions League final set for six days later.

  Hundreds of thousands of Arsenal fans from far and wide lined the streets of north London on Sunday chanting and lighting red flares as they celebrated their club's first Premier League title in 22 years. The players celebrated in an open-top bus along with the gleaming ‌Premier League trophy that the club had finally got their hands on after Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' last won it in the 2003-04 season. Arsenal had clinched the Premier League title prior to the final game of the season when they had an unassailable lead over second-placed Manchester City, who eventually finished seven points behind Mikel Arteta's side. It was Arsenal's first trophy since Arteta won the FA Cup in his debut season ⁠as manager in 2020 as a dream was finally fulfilled for the club after finishing second three years in a row prior to this season. Even Saturday's Champions League final loss to Paris St Germain on penalties in Budapest could not dampen the enthusiasm of the fa...

    Chelsea have been fined £150,000 following an incident at the end of their Premier League match against Aston Villa in December, raising questions about behaviour and accountability inside the club during what has been, by the Blues’ standard, a turbulent period on and off the pitch. The fine relates to a plastic water bottle thrown towards Villa’s technical area after the final whistle of the Villains’ 2-1 comeback victory at Stamford Bridge. Two late goals from Ollie Watkins triggered wild celebrations from the away bench, after which an unidentified member of Chelsea’s staff hurled the bottle in their direction. Chelsea accepted a Football Association misconduct charge for breaching FA Rule E20.1, after the club “failed to ensure its players and/or other relevant personnel around the technical area did not behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or abusive way after the final whistle”. An independent FA regulatory commission imposed the sanction followi...