An early goal from Lorenzo Pellegrini and a late strike from Nicolo Barella gave a revamped Italy side a 2-0 win over Ecuador in a friendly at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on Sunday.

‘Genius’ manager is back in his homeland as his side’s remarkable progress leads them to Rome Brighton’s European adventure will once again tread new ground this week but not Roberto De Zerbi. While the chairman, Tony Bloom, was among the 3,500 fans who have made the pilgrimage to the Eternal City for Thursday’s Europa League tie against Roma, a first meeting with Serie A opposition, their manager is no stranger to Italian stadiums and returns to his homeland with his stock higher than ever. No matter that Brighton have gone three games without a win and come into the Europa League last-16 tie with several absences through injury including star winger Kaoru Mitoma. It is their manager who is the visitors’ main attraction, although De Zerbi rejected opposite number Daniele De Rossi’s description of him as “a genius” when he held court at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday evening. Continue reading...

Six days after losing at Wembley, Mauricio Pochettino’s position at Chelsea looked as precarious as ever. Away fans were taking his name in vain, alongside that of Todd Boehly while José Mourinho was regaled to the rafters. If only his team could show anything like the spirit of depleted Brentford. Cole Palmer, yet again Chelsea’s talisman, supplied the equaliser that Axel Disasi headed. The pressure is relieved for now, this weekend at least. The club’s myriad execs need not jump on an emergency Zoom call just yet but the tide sounded almost completely against the Chelsea manager. Brentford’s state of flux is far more understandable; Thomas Frank’s squad has a chronic casualty list, Ben Mee now out for the rest of the season to rob the Dane of an entire first-choice defence. That Matthew Benham, their owner, has begun a search for new investment reminds of the high finance required to establish a Premier League club. Fortune and fitness play their part, too, but so too a togetherness absent in the first half and revived in the second. Yoane Wissa’s goal to put Brentford ahead was a spectacular moment of inspiration but also involved a determination to be first to the ball that few Chelsea players appeared to possess. Continue reading...