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Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel criticised his players for easing off the pace in the second half of their 2-0 victory against Reims on Sunday.

Mauro Icardi scored his first two goals since February for PSG at the Stade Auguste-Delaune as the Ligue 1 champions made it three victories in succession without conceding.

PSG started with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar together for the first time this season, while Angel Di Maria and Icardi were also named in an attacking line-up.

Despite the comfortable nature of the victory, Tuchel was not overly pleased with his side's performance against a Reims side without a win this term.

"I liked it in the first half, but I don't understand why we missed a lot of chances," he told Telefoot. "After 20 or 30 minutes we should be three or four up. 

"But I am not happy with the second half that we did. It wasn't serious. There was not the same aggressiveness and the same intensity

"The plan was to put Neymar close to Mbappe. We chose an offensive structure. We tried something and I have a lot of confidence in my team. 

"We had a lot of chances and had 70 per cent of the ball. If we put three or four chances away after 30 minutes, we have a different analysis. 

"So we can see that we missed a lot. The efficiency was not there. You can't play a game like that. In the second half, we weren't serious."

Match-winner Icardi struggled towards the end of last season and did not feature in PSG's Champions League semi-final win over RB Leipzig nor the defeat to Bayern Munich in the final.

And he is relieved to have got off the mark in 2020-21 against Reims, the ex-Inter forward scoring from two of his three attempts on target and creating a joint-high four chances.

"It was important for me to score these goals," he said. "I'm happy to score. I was relaxed during my non-scoring period as I was helping the team defensively. Now we must continue. 

"I'm happy to create chances for my team-mates. We could have put in more to kill the game faster, but satisfaction prevails anyway."

Asked if PSG need another forward before the transfer window closes, Icardi said: "This is a question for the directors. The players are here to play."

Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati thanked Lionel Messi for his advice after the teenage attacker struck twice in the club's 4-0 win over Villarreal on Sunday.

Fati scored twice in the opening 20 minutes as Ronald Koeman's side opened their new La Liga campaign in style following a turbulent off-season.

Messi would score Barca's third goal from the penalty spot before forcing Pau Torres into an own goal just before half-time. 

It was Fati who truly starred on the night however as he showed why some are already tipping him to the fill shoes of Messi at Camp Nou one day. 

For now though, the 17-year-old is savouring every minute playing alongside the Argentine, who has been playing a big role in the young attacker's development. 

"Playing with Messi is a dream I had since I was a child and now I am living it,” Fati told reporters post-match.

"He gives me a lot of advice, he helps me a lot on the pitch and in training, but away from it too, and that makes me very happy.

"I want to keep improving every day, to continue to learn from my team-mates because they are the best around and they are trying to help me every day."

Fati scored eight goals in all competitions last season as he burst onto the scene after coming through Barcelona's youth ranks. 

Koeman looks ready to develop Fati further after handing him a start on Sunday and revealed he wasn't happy with the youngster's most recent performance. 

"I had criticised him against Elche but today I told him he had a great game, he was very direct and we made the most of his quality,” Koeman said.

"He’s a young player who has to look to perform consistently and he showed he had a great future and I’m so happy after his game today.”

Barcelona next face Celta Vigo in La Liga on Thursday with the Sky Blues undefeated across their first three league games of the new season. 

Koeman has won all four of his games since being appointed manager at Camp Nou with the club claiming consecutive friendly victories before also seeing off Elche in the Joan Gamper Trophy. 

Percy Tau’s Anderlecht settled for a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s Belgian topflight encounter against Eupen.

Vincent Kompany’s team looked to be heading for a home win having taken the lead, but the visitors had another idea as result at Lotto Park ended on a no winner, no vanquished note.

Both teams enjoyed scoring chances in the opening minute of the encounter, nevertheless, they were wasteful in front of goal.

Four minutes into the half-time break, manager Benat San Jose was forced to make a change. Benoit Poulain had to leave the turf due to injury, with Menno Koch taking his place.

In the 45th minute, Zimbabwe international Knowledge Musona almost profited from a careless defending from the hosts to hand the visitors the lead, but his effort went past the goal.

Eupen had the first chance of the second half but Hendrik Van Crombrugge was at alert to prevent Smail Prevljak from wreaking havoc.

San Jose’s men continuous dominance also saw Cote d’Ivoire forward Mamadou Kone aim at goal, however his attempt was cleared by the hosts’ backline.

In the 70th minute, Eupen had two great chances. First, Crombrugge stopped a powerful long-range effort from Brazilian defender Adriano before he also defused Julien Ngoy’s shot.

Almost in return, the hosts took the lead courtesy of Belgium youth international and Congo DR prospect Sambi Lokonga who beat goalkeeper Ortwin de Wolf from a long range.

The visitors continued to play well and the efforts of the Black and Whites were rewarded in the 90th minute through another Belgium youth international of Congolese descent Ngoy. He benefitted from the opposing defenders to get the equaliser.

South Africa international Tau was in action from start to finish alongside Lokonga, while Sierra Leone's Mustapha Bundu was handed a starter's role by Kompany but was replaced in the 74th minute by Belgian striker of Ghanaian origin Francis Amuzu.

For Eupen, Belgian defender of Congolese background, Senna Miangue, Ngoy, Musona, Kone starred from start to finish with Cote d'Ivoire's Konan N'Dri was a 65th minute substitute for Smail Prevljak, while Senegal's Amara Baby, Guinea Bissau's Carlos Embalo and Congo's Edo Kayembe.

AS Eupen who are unbeaten in their last six games across all competitions host Cercle Brugge on October 3, with Anderlecht travelling to Club Brugge a day after.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick applauded his Hoffenheim counterpart Sebastian Hoeness for masterminding the Bundesliga champions' first defeat since December.

Flick's side came into Sunday's clash in Sinsheim on the back of a 2-1 extra-time win over Sevilla in the European Super Cup, perhaps explaining why Robert Lewandowski was rested and Joshua Zirkzee started.

Even if the talismanic Poland striker had started, it is difficult to imagine even him having the influence to halt a Hoffenheim side that played with great intensity and craft in attack as they secured a stunning 4-1 victory.

Hoffenheim were 2-1 up at half-time as Joshua Kimmich got Bayern back into the contest after goals from Ermin Bicakcic and Munas Dabbur had the hosts 2-0 to the good.

The excellent Andrej Kramaric put the game beyond the European champions with a brace in the final 13 minutes, ending a 32-match unbeaten run.

Bayern fans might have put their struggles down to the fact they played for 120 minutes less than 72 hours earlier, but Flick would not as he saluted the work of Hoeness, once a youth coach at the club where his uncle Uli Hoeness played and reigned as president.

"There were many reasons for the defeat, but in terms of their willingness and desire, I can't blame the team at all," Flick told Sky. "The mentality after the 120 minutes on Thursday was great.

"We gave our opponents too many chances and we weren't as effective on the offensive side as we normally are.

"Big compliments to Hoffenheim. The team showed a very strong performance, and also a compliment to Sebastian Hoeness himself – his team was very well adjusted.

"They closed our spaces very well, we didn't have a lot of opportunities to play our offensive game in the way we normally can.

"I don't blame fatigue for defeat. We just haven't been able to play our way, with the dynamism with which we normally can."

Flick's side will look to get back to winning ways on Wednesday when they face fierce rivals Borussia Dortmund in the DFL Supercup final. In the same fixture last season, Bayern were handed a 2-0 defeat. 

Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli believes star defender Kalidou Koulibaly will remain at the Serie A club, despite links to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

Koulibaly had been strongly linked with Premier League giants City but Pep Guardiola's side agreed a deal to sign Benfica centre-back Ruben Dias on Sunday.

Ligue 1 champions PSG are also reportedly interested following Thiago Silva's departure, while the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked previously.

Asked about Koulibaly prior to Sunday's 6-0 demolition of Genoa, Giuntoli told Sky Sport Italia: "The team was completed in January with Stanislav Lobotka and Diego Demme, who can play in a few different roles. With Amir Rrahmani, [Victor] Osimhen and [Andrea] Petagna, we are complete, so will now try to release players who won't have much time on the pitch.

"I think Koulibaly is staying, we are very happy and so is he. I believe that he is staying."

Koulibaly helped keep a clean sheet as high-flying Napoli preserved their perfect start to the season against Genoa.

Napoli are yet to concede in two Serie A fixtures this season, while scoring eight goals to top the standings.

Gennaro Gattuso was also quizzed on Koulibaly following Giuntoli's comments and the Napoli head coach told Sky Sport Italia post-match: "I hope he remains with us, selfishly speaking, because he gives us so much both in technical terms and as a character.

"The world has changed because of the pandemic and I realise all clubs need to balance the books. I hope the call won't arrive, but I'll be nervous about it until transfer deadline day."

Senegal international Koulibaly has called Napoli home since arriving from Genk in 2014.

The 29-year-old was instrumental as Napoli claimed the Coppa Italia title last season – the club's first piece of silverware since 2014.

Despite Napoli's big win on Sunday, Gattuso was quick to stress the scoreline was deceiving. 

"This result is very harsh and does not reflect the game," Gattuso said. 

"If Piotr Zielinski hadn’t scored 30 seconds after the restart, it would’ve been a very different match. We have to focus on improving and finding the right balance, because we need balance in order to play this type of football."

Franklin Sasere was ecstatic to mark his "dream" Hamrun Spartans debut with a goal in Sunday’s Maltese Premier League triumph over rivals Santa Lucia.

The Nigerian forward, who joined the Maltese elite division side on loan from Swiss Super League outfit Lugano - with the ambition of getting regular first team football - needed just six minutes to announce his presence after replacing Brazil’s Marcelina Emerson in the 39th minute.

Profiting from a cross, the former Sunshine Stars’ man unleashed an unstoppable left-footed shot past goalkeeper Andreas Vella to hand the Spartans an unassailable four-goal lead before the half time break.

Ige Adeshina, Nigerian-born Maltese forward Joseph Mbong and Marcelo Barbosa had given Mark Buttigieg’s men a three-goal advantage before his introduction.

Sasere completed his double in the second-half, but it was ruled out for an offside while Kevin Rosero’s late minute goal proved as mere consolation for Santa Lucia in the 4-1 triumph.

“I’m happy to make a scoring debut today pSunday] and I can boldly say it’s a dream start for me in Malta,” the striker told Goal.

“It is disheartening not to have walked home with a brace because the second was ruled offside, nevertheless, I’m so happy with the general performance of my teammates.

“Playing against the hosts was extremely difficult but we deserved to win because we dominated every department.

“Even though I came here [Malta] few days ago, I’ve been able to settle quick thanks to the support of my teammates and coaches.

“With this win and goal, I am now focused on working hard towards ensuring that I maintain this goalscoring form.”

Thanks to this result, the Victor Tedesco Stadium giants lead the Maltese topflight log with six points after recording two wins out of two games in the ongoing 2020-21 campaign.

Santa Lucia are still without a win and they occupy the 13th spot having garnered just one point from the same number of matches.

Sasere and his Hamrun Spartans teammates would be hoping to continue with their breathe taking start to the season when they host Senglea Athletic in their next outing on Wednesday. 

Club Brugge edged Cercle Brugge 2-1 in Sunday’s Belgian top-flight encounter staged at the Jan Breydel Stadium, with Krepin Diatta and Simon Deli’s goals making the difference.

The Blue-Black played the Bruges derby with the same staring line-up that swept aside Zulte Waregem 6-0 in their last outing and was keen to keep that momentum against Paul Clement’s men.

Diatta had the first chance of the game after 20 seconds, but the Senegal international shot awkwardly at goal with only goalkeeper Thomas Didillon to beat.

Another chance beckoned six minutes later as Diatta passed to Michael Krmencik, but the Czech Republic international missed the target.

In the 22nd minute, Diatta fired his team ahead after unleashing a low shot past goalkeeper Thomas Didillon after getting a pass from Krmencik

A few minutes later, a beautiful combination between Krmencik and the Senegal international resulted in another goal but it was ruled out for offside.

Belgium’s Mats Rits also tried his luck from a long range, but he could not frame his attempt.

The visitors commenced the second-half aggressively and it took them just one minute to level matters through Anthony Musaba, who had only Simon Mignolet to beat after receiving a short pass from Ruud Vormer.

That strike woke Philippe Clement’s team from their slumber and they almost reacted immediately, however, Hans Vanaken was unable to connect with Diatta’s cross.

At the other end, on-loan Chelsea player Ike Ugbo fell after clashing with Deli. Referee Lawrence Visser had pointed to the penalty mark, but VAR replays ruled otherwise.

Victory was guaranteed for Club Brugge in the 68th minute after Deli headed home a corner kick floated in by Vormer.

No goals were scored in the remainder of the game as the hosts secured maximum points in the local derby.

Diatta, Deli, Angola’s Odilon Kossounou and Cote d’Ivoire’s Odilon Kossounou played from start to finish. However, Nigeria’s Emmanuel Dennis was a 73rd minute replacement for Charles de Ketelaere.

For Cercle Brugge, the visitors were with Mali's Aldom Deuro, Congo's Guy Mbenza and Kenya's Johanna Omolo.

With this result, Club Brugge are now second in the Belgian Jupiler League log having accrued 15 points from seven games. They host Anderlecht in their next league outing on October 4.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Juventus secured a scarcely deserved 2-2 draw with Roma after Adrien Rabiot was sent off on Sunday.

The Serie A champions cruised to victory against Sampdoria in Andrea Pirlo's first game in charge last weekend but they looked badly off the pace at Stadio Olimpico against a Roma side full of verve, vigour and no little skill. 

Jordan Veretout opened the scoring early on from the penalty spot before adding a second in first-half stoppage time, just moments after Ronaldo had drawn Juve level with a spot-kick. 

Rabiot was dismissed for a second yellow card shortly after the hour mark but, as is so often the way, Ronaldo rose highest to power home a header seven minutes later and seal a point for the Bianconeri. 

Roma started brightly and should been in front after 12 minutes but Henrikh Mkhitaryan fired straight at Wojciech Szczesny after an exhilarating run from inside his own half. 

The hosts did forge ahead shortly after the half-hour mark when Veretout squeezed home from the penalty spot after Rabiot had blocked the Frenchman's powerful shot with his arm. 

That woke Juve from their slumber and they pulled level shortly before the interval, Ronaldo slotting into the bottom-right corner from 12 yards after Lorenzo Pellegrini had handled the Portugal superstar's pass inside the area. 

Veretout restored Roma's advantage two minutes later, however, taking advantage of generous Juve defending to collect Mkhitaryan's pass in acres of space and slot past Szczesny.

Edin Dzeko squandered a golden opportunity to add a third shortly before the hour mark, clipping the outside of the post from 10 yards with scarcely a Juve defender in sight. 

The visitors' task was made harder in the 62nd minute when Rabiot was given his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Mkhitaryan. 

Juve's numerical disadvantage was of little concern to Ronaldo, though, who towered above a posse of Roma defenders to seal a point from Danilo's cross in the 69th minute.

What does it mean? Lacklustre Juve escape with a point

Roma were comfortably the more dangerous side but a combination of wayward finishing and Juve being able to call upon the irrepressible Ronaldo meant Pirlo's men returned to Turin with a share of the spoils. The season is only two games old but Juve's rookie head coach knows his side will need to improve dramatically if they are to claim a 10th consecutive Serie A title.

Ronaldo the saviour… again 

He might be 35, but Ronaldo does not look like slowing down anytime soon. He had more shots than the rest of his team-mates combined and proved his athleticism is not diminished, powering above three Roma defenders to score his second. 

Morata endures a game to forget

Making his second debut for the club following his loan move from Atletico Madrid earlier in the week, Alvaro Morata was an insipid presence up front. He had just one shot on goal and completed only 10 passes before he was hauled off for Douglas Costa in the 58th minute. 

What's next?

Roma travel to Udinese on Saturday, while Juve host Napoli - fresh from their 6-0 thumping of Genoa on Sunday - a day later at the Allianz Stadium.

Micah Richards has slammed the Manchester City defence for their performance in their hammering by Leicester, accusing them of being “reactive, rather than proactive”.

City’s weaknesses at the back were ruthlessly exposed by the Foxes, who fought back from a goal down to claim a famous 5-2 victory.

Jamie Vardy was the star performer, hitting a hat-trick, with further goals from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans sealing the win.

It is the first time a team managed by Pep Guardiola has shipped five goals  and the first time City have conceded five goals at home in 17 years.

It is not, however, the first time the team’s defence has been questioned, with a shaky back line one of the reasons why City failed to mount a sustained defence of their title last season.

Richards certainly didn’t hold back in his criticism of their performance, particularly when they fell behind to Vardy’s second goal at the start of the second half.

"You can’t say they are not good enough,” the former City defender told Sky Sports. “[Kyle] Walker has been first choice for England for years, though in this system it’s probably a fair comment.

“[But] the problem is, £50 million for [Benjamin] Mendy, £50m for Walker, £50m for [John] Stones, £60m for [Joao] Cancelo, Now Ruben Dias, another talked-about £55m.

"If you’re going to pay £50m for defenders you have got to defend better than that.

"But, for me, Man City defenders are just reactive, rather than proactive.

“All of them are thinking about going forward rather than holding their position.”

Richards’ criticism of City went further still, with the 32-year-old also singling out midfielder Rodri for criticism.

“City have become a possession-based team," he added. "Everyone talks about Rodri and his pass completion, but the balls he plays are five yards in front, to the side. 

"As soon as Fernandinho went off the pitch, I knew that would happen without protection. 

“In the middle by himself, Rodri doesn't read danger like Fernandinho and they get exposed. 

“The defence was a shambles, conceding five goals here is embarrassing. Too weak.”

Lionel Messi's desire to leave Barcelona showed no sign of impacting his on-pitch performance as he and Ansu Fati led the 4-0 dismantling of Villarreal on Sunday, marking a triumphant start to the Ronald Koeman era.

Barca have been engulfed by all manner of turmoil since losing 8-2 to Bayern Munich in their previous competitive match on August 14, with the unsuccessful attempt to force a transfer by club talisman Messi undoubtedly the major headline, but as they started their 2020-21 season they proved this is not a team to write off lightly.

Fati got the ball rolling with an impressive double in a five-minute period, before then winning the penalty that was scored by Messi, who subsequently saw a cross of his turned in by Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

Unai Emery's side tightened up in the second half, with Barca consequentially having a little less freedom in the final third, but Villarreal's slight improvement had no impact on what was an easy start for Koeman in LaLiga.

With Messi's future up in the air, Fati had seemingly been billed as the poster boy of this new era at Barca and fittingly he was their inspiration here, opening the scoring 15 minutes in with an emphatic first-time finish from Jordi Alba's cut-back.

The teenager was decisive again a few moments later, latching on to Philippe Coutinho's throughball and coolly slotting past the helpless Sergio Asenjo, who also had no answer to Messi's penalty, which was won by the omnipresent Fati as well.

Things got even worse for the visitors on the stroke of half-time, Torres poking Messi's cross beyond Asenjo as the unlikely spectre of Sergio Busquets lurked for a tap-in.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Barca's intensity did drop after the interval and Villarreal became a more compact unit following a couple of half-time changes.

Koeman took the opportunity to give Fati a bit of a rest with 20 minutes to go, with another talented teenager – Pedri – given the chance to come off the bench for his LaLiga debut after joining from Las Palmas.

Miralem Pjanic and Francisco Trincao were also given their debuts as substitutes, with the young Portuguese winger almost adding a fifth goal when stinging the palms of Asenjo, but Villarreal managed to avoid any further embarrassment.

What does it mean? A smooth landing for Koeman

The first five-and-a-bit weeks of Koeman's reign had been anything but straightforward, from watching the fallout of Barca's Champions League humiliation to partaking in the unceremonious dumping of Luis Suarez that – in part – contributed to Messi's disillusionment.

Even just this week Messi vocalised his disdain for the Barca hierarchy following their treatment of Suarez, who earlier enjoyed a goalscoring debut for Atletico Madrid.

But once out on the pitch, Barca's baggage vanished. While this certainly remains a flawed squad, Messi, Coutinho and Fati provided a devastating reminder that it is also a group with immense attacking ability.

Fati sinks Yellow Submarine

While Messi certainly did well with all eyes on him, Fati was the standout, even more so given his age.

In scoring twice, Fati became the youngest player from Europe's top five leagues to net 10 times in all competitions since 2019-20 began, but he also won the penalty and provided a couple of key passes before his 70th-minute withdrawal.

The Griezmann conundrum lingers on

It will be hoped that Koeman finds the secret to getting the best out of Antoine Griezmann this term.

Leading the attack in Suarez's place might help in the long run, but he was practically anonymous here, touching the ball just 30 times (seven fewer than goalkeeper Neto), having only one shot and failing to create a single chance in his 78 minutes on the pitch.

Key Opta Facts

- Aged 17 years and 332 days, Barcelona's Ansu Fati is the youngest player from the top five European leagues to score 10+ goals in all competitions since the start of last season.
- Lionel Messi has become the fourth player in LaLiga history to score in 17 consecutive seasons, after Agustin 'Piru' Gainza (19), Carlos Alonso, 'Santillana' (17) and Sergio Ramos (17).
- Between Barcelona and Spain, Fati has scored seven goals in his past nine starts in all competitions, scoring with his nine shots on target and winning two penalties in his last two starts.
- Barca have scored four goals in a first half of a game in all competitions for the first time since December 2019 against Real Mallorca in LaLiga, under Ernesto Valverde.
- Koeman has won 4-0 in his first LaLiga game as Barcelona boss, the best debut in the competition for the club since Gerardo Martino in 2013 (7-0 vs Levante).
- Philippe Coutinho has made his first assist for Barca in all competitions since January 2019 against Eibar, ending with his worst run without an assist for the club in all comps (29 games).
- Villarreal boss Unai Emery has lost each of his 13 away games at Camp Nou in all competitions, conceding 10 goals in his last two (1-6 with Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the last 16 in the 2016-17 Champions League and 0-4 on Sunday).

What's next?

Barca go to Celta Vigo on Thursday, while Villarreal will hope to bounce back at home to Deportivo Alaves a day earlier.

Mauro Icardi scored a goal in each half to earn Paris Saint-Germain a straightforward 2-0 Ligue 1 win over Reims at the Stade Auguste-Delaune on Sunday.

PSG started their latest title defence with back-to-back defeats but have now won three games in a row without conceding.

Icardi put the champions in front against out-of-form Reims with a clinical finish past Predrag Rajkovic inside nine minutes and added a second with a little over an hour played. 

Thomas Tuchel's side had further opportunities to extend their lead but in the end two goals were enough against a Reims side still without a win this term.

Kylian Mbappe was denied by Rajkovic after six minutes but he played a big part in PSG's opener by slipping the ball through for Icardi to control and fire into the far corner.

The visitors, beaten in their last two meetings with Reims, nearly added a second through Angel Di Maria's drive and Icardi's saved header in the space of two minutes.

Neymar also went close to doubling his side's tally with a mazy run that ended with the superstar forward firing a shot past the far post from inside the six-yard box.

Those wasted chances did not come back to haunt Tuchel's men, though, as Icardi converted Mbappe's squared pass to round off a fine team move with 62 minutes gone.

Mbappe should have added some gloss to the scoreline late on but was guilty of a horror miss, somehow firing wide with plenty of the unguarded goal to aim for, while substitute Pablo Sarabia also blazed over an effort from inside the box.

What does it mean? Three and easy for PSG

It is now three wins in a row for PSG without conceding, moving them up to seventh in the table and within four points of early pacesetters Rennes.

The champions may only have managed two goals from 21 attempts, but the victory is all that counts and Tuchel will be hoping to maintain this momentum.

Icardi leads from the front

Former Inter frontman Icardi spearheaded an attacking PSG line-up that also included Neymar, Mbappe, Di Maria and Julian Draxler.

He scored both goals to get off the mark for the season and also created four chances for his team-mates in an impressive all-round display.

Mbappe misses a sitter

The victory was never in doubt for dominant PSG, but they should have won by an even more convincing margin.Mbappe was teed up by Sarabia but contrived to miss from close range, although the France international did lay on both assists for Icardi and - that miss aside - can be pleased with his performance.

What's next?

Reims head to league leaders Rennes for their next outing in a week's time, while PSG host Angers on Friday.

Frank Lampard has defended Thiago Silva after the defender was questioned on whether his inability to speak English represented a problem for Chelsea.

The 36-year-old signing from Paris Saint-Germain made his Premier League debut as captain in Chelsea’s 3-3 draw at West Brom on Saturday, but he made a mistake to allow Callum Robinson to net the second goal as the Baggies eventually went 3-0 up.

The Blues would produce a comeback to earn a 3-3 draw with Silva coming off late for Olivier Giroud as Lampard took an all-out attacking approach.

With captain Cesar Azpilicueta also coming on and taking the armband back off the Brazil international, Lampard was questioned whether Silva can lead without speaking English.

“I am not sure how relative it was today but he doesn’t speak the language very well,” the Cheslea manager said in a Zoom press conference. “It is something that we will work through because it is what it is.

“He hasn’t had any time. Thiago turns up here pretty fresh and he is in and around us. He will learn it quickly; I am sure some players do speak the languages that he speaks in the squad.

“He speaks French, being the main one, but we have lads here who speak Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and Italian so that one is again, if the language is a slight barrier, we need time to work. That’s what we have in front of us.

“We have seen that leadership already and people are going to want to talk about the second goal and that’s fair play and that’s the nature of being the top player that he has been all his career, but at the same time, we saw how he is, his leadership and his qualities and we are going to see more of that.”

Despite the dramatic comeback, much of the focus after the match was on the poor first half that saw Chelsea's opponents run riot despite being one of the favourites for relegation this season.

Marcos Alonso took criticism from Lampard after the match, while as a whole, the Blues were poor defensively.

Recently, Lampard admitted that club legend Petr Cech is training with Chelsea’s goalkeepers to help resolve problems with under-fire Kepa Arrizabalaga. Lampard said he wouldn’t bring in a club legend to help the defence but wants to see simple errors stamped out at set plays.

“No,” he simply said when asked about another legend coming in before talking about errors as a whole. “I was relating pretty much to the set-piece goal because that’s something that’s not difficult.

"At times, there can be areas of the pitch that could look different or the shape of the team. But at set-pieces, we have meetings about who marks who, if you let someone roll off the back of you and be free to score a goal then that’s a clear mistake."

West Brom manager Slaven Bilic backed Lampard's assessment of Silva, saying the veteran defender will quickly adjust to the Premier League.

"Some need time players, yes, but for Thiago Silva no," Bilic said. "Thiago Silva captained Brazil, played for Milan and PSG. Now he is at Chelsea but he doesn’t need [time], he is a top player.

"Knowing Frank and he is a very serious guy, a top-quality manager, I don’t think Silva needs time. [The] Premier League is a global league, not an English league. I think players can make that kind of mistake in their 45th mistake.

"He made a mistake; he has made very few in his career. Maybe one in 100 games at PSG. It is nothing to do with age or his debut in the Premier League."

Samuel Chukwueze was in action as Villarreal were handed a 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in Sunday’s La Liga game.

The forward delivered impressive performances last time out, grabbing an assist to help the Yellow Submarine secure all three points against Eibar.

The Nigeria international was subsequently afforded his third start of the season by new manager Unai Emery against the 26 league champions but his efforts were not enough to help his side secure a decent result away from home.

Chukwueze made frantic moves to help the Yellow Submarine open the scoring, sending a fine cross into the box in the fourth minute but his effort was intercepted.

The winger was then tripped by Jordi Alba 11 minutes into the game as he aimed to manoeuvre his way past his marker and was deservedly awarded a free-kick but it was not well utilized.  

Ansu Fati then ignited the goal surge for Barcelona when he found the back of the net in the 15th minute of the match after he was set up by Alba.

The 17-year-old, who recently signed a contract extension with Barca, doubled his side’s lead four minutes later.

Lionel Messi made it three for Barca, converting from the penalty spot before Pau Torres turned the ball into his own net as Ronald Koeman's side went into the break with a comfortable lead.

Villarreal’s effort to reduce the deficit after the restart of the game proved abortive as they suffered their first defeat of the season at Camp Nou.

Chukwueze, who featured for 74 minutes before making way for Takefusa Kubo, had 41 touches, completed three dribbles and had a 67% successful pass rate.

The forward will hope to help Villarreal return to winning ways when they take on Deportivo Alaves in their next league game on September 30.

Chukwueze is a key member of the Nigeria national team and has 13 caps and two goals for the West African country.

The winger is part of the Super Eagles side that will square off against African champions Algeria and Tunisia in friendlies next month.

"We will not defend the title next season; we'll attack the next one. I have learned when you think you have reached the pinnacle, you are already on the way down."

That was Jurgen Klopp’s belief soon after Liverpool claimed their first Premier League title after the league’s resumption post-lockdown in June. Having waited three decades to claim the top flight title, the Reds won last year’s crown at a canter with 99 points, finishing a staggering 18 points ahead of Manchester City — winners in 2018 and 2019.

Klopp’s ‘Mentality Monsters’ essentially claimed point tallies in the high 90s for two seasons on the trot, a truly remarkable feat given the standard of the competition. Going again for the third season on the spin will require players to not rest on their laurels, which is easier said than done.

Given the increased level within their direct rivals, and even teams with great ambition to thrive and then improve in the Prem — case in point: Leeds United — the affable German manager will demand a greater effort by his players for a third year.

Interestingly, the group seem to have taken their manager’s words literally, evidenced by their white-knuckle opening day fixture vs new boys Leeds and Chelsea.

Two players were at the heart of both wins: Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Against the Whites, the Egypt superstar netted a stunning treble as the defending champions began the defence of their title in rip-roaring fashion. Three times were Liverpool pegged back after going in front, still, they kept plugging away each time before their top scorer in each of the last three seasons delivered the final blow to Marcelo Bielsa’s troops in the 88th minute.

While two of the North African’s goals were from 12 yards — and penalties remain arguably the easiest way to score — both still needed to be tucked away. The timing of the third certainly fell into the ‘pressure penalty’ category, even though it came in matchday one.

Be that as it may, the pick of the game’s septet was the wide forward’s second, a half-volley from inside the box executed with the nonchalance of a seasoned goalscorer. After flourishing for a trio of campaigns on Merseyside, following a successful two-year spell in Italy, maybe the former Chelsea man can be categorised as one.

Salah lost out on a third consecutive Golden Boot last season, despite his concerted efforts in the final games of 19/20 but scoring the season’s first hat-trick on day one laid down a marker for 2020/21.

And then there’s the irrepressible Sadio Mane.

The current African Footballer of the Year delivered for the Reds in last week’s visit to Stamford Bridge, netting both goals as Liverpool claimed a 2-0 win over Frank Lampard’s troops. In some way, it was fitting that the Senegal attacker was the one to win the game for the visitors owing to his quick thinking on two occasions if not three.

For the first, Mane, aware of the space in behind Andreas Christensen darted beyond the Dane to receive Jordan Henderson’s through pass over the top only to be rugby tackled by the defender when through on goal. After a VAR check, Paul Tierney dismissed the centre-back, leaving the Blues to play the entire second half shorthanded.

Suitably, the West African was quicker to a Roberto Firmino cross after razor-sharp interplay on the right wing between Salah and the Brazilian saw the Reds go 1-0 up through a Mane header. For his second, there was the desire to chase down a lost cause and force yet another mistake from Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Chelsea goal.

It was the inside forward who’d misplaced a forward pass to Firmino initially and, rather than let the West London side rebuild, the Senegalese harried the Blues goalkeeper to show his underrated streetwise nature and quick thinking.

Liverpool have now scored six times in two games, a nod to their dominance going forward.

However, their 7-2 thrashing of Blackpool in a pre-season friendly before their opening match of the new season was striking. They repeated this haul vs Lincoln City in midweek, annihilating the League One outfit by the same score.

This was the first time since December 2017 (7-0 win over Spartak Moscow) that Klopp’s team have netted seven times in a competitive fixture. If the friendly game before the start of 20/21 is included, the Reds have now hit that figure twice in under three weeks.

While Salah and Mane were only involved in one of those 14 goals, the pair are undoubtedly going to be protagonists in Liverpool’s ‘attack’ of the title. Manchester City were the only side that managed to retain the Premier League in the last decade (17/18 and 18/19), becoming the only club since Manchester United in the 2000s to win back-to-back domestic crowns.

Without question, Klopp will lean on two of the best forwards in Europe as the world champions seek to claim successive title wins in the new decade. If the opening two games give a precursor for the season, then Salah and Mane have certainly taken up the gauntlet.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted his side were “nervous” against Leicester and questioned their mentality during the humbling 5-2 defeat on Sunday.

Guardiola’s side made the perfect start against the Foxes, taking the lead through Riyad Mahrez’s spectacular fourth-minute strike, but collapsed after Jamie Vardy’s penalty levelled the scores shortly before half-time.

Vardy put the Foxes ahead at the start of the second half with a neat flicked finish, before completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot four minutes later.

Nathan Ake pulled a goal back but further strikes from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans sealed a thumping victory for the Foxes.

It was the first time a team managed by Guardiola has conceded five goals and the first time City have shipped five goals at home since 2003.

Speaking after the game Guardiola showed some frustration at Leicester’s counter-attacking tactics, but admitted his side should have performed better at both ends of the pitch.

"They defend so deep and the lack of creating chances we got nervous,” he told the club’s website. “They did not want to play, they just wanted to counter-attack.

"We know that Vardy runs from far, far away and [Harvey] Barnes you have to control him. But the moment we started to get nervous, we thought we were not doing well.

"We are not going to create 10 chances. We have to know it is difficult. Even at 5-2 Leicester were in the 18-yard box.

"I am not going to give up, I am going to try to find solutions.

“Yes of course it’s tough, we have to accept it, it’s still the second [Premier League] game.”

Guardiola also questioned his players’ mentality, suggesting his side lost belief after they failed to quickly add to their early lead.

“We played for 30 minutes so good – we scored a goal in [the fourth] minute,” he added to reporters.

“But then we started to believe we were not playing good when it was the opposite. We are not strong enough to be stable and patient.

“We started to think we were playing bad. We told them at half-time they were playing good, try to be patient and the rest will be in our hands.”

Manchester City have signed centre-back Ruben Dias from Benfica in a transfer worth an initial £62 million (€68m) with Nicolas Otamendi heading the opposite way in a separate deal.

Portugal international Dias, 23, has been a regular for Primeira Liga side Benfica since emerging through the academy ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Dias has been linked with a number of big-name clubs around Europe, including Manchester United, but rivals City have now reached an agreement with Benfica.

The Portuguese side confirmed the news on their official website on Sunday, shortly before announcing a €15m (£13.67m) deal is in place for Otamendi.

Declan Rice stressed the need for West Ham players to “play for the badge” after their thumping 4-0 win over Wolves, with speculation continuing about his long-term future at London Stadium.

Rice took the captain’s armband on Sunday evening with regular skipper Mark Noble only among the substitutes and played his part in a fine Hammers performance.

Jarrod Bowen scored twice, with a Raul Jimenez own goal and stoppage-time Sebastien Haller strike sealing the points.

It was the club’s first Premier League win of the season after they began the campaign with back-to-back defeats against Newcastle and Arsenal.

The win was made all the more impressive by the fact manager David Moyes was self-isolating at home after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier in the week.

Assistant Alan Irvine was on the touchline, while Moyes issued instructions over the phone to coach Stuart Pearce, who watched the game from the stands.

Rice, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea before next week’s deadline, did not discuss his future when he spoke after the game, though he did express his delight his side’s display.

"When I stood here after Newcastle, saying we couldn't have played any poorer," Rice told BBC Sport. "Now two weeks in a row we have seen a massive reaction.

"It could easily have been 6 or 7-0. I am buzzing with the performance. Our manager has tested positive for the Covid, so the backroom staff have taken over. I can't be any happier for the staff tonight.

"We turn up in the big games all the time. Playing for this badge...that is what the fans want.”

Goalscorer Bowen did comment on Rice’s future, expressing his hope that the England international remains in east London.

“Dec’s a great lad on and off the pitch,” he told BT Sport. "Everyone loves him and everyone wants him him to stay, but that’s not for us players to comment on.

“It’s not up to us what happens with him. But we want him to stay and build on what we’ve got at the moment.”