Delap scores first goals since January in Chelsea draw

Liam Delap scored his first Chelsea goals since January as Xabi Alonso’s side drew with Johor Darul Ta’zim in the final match of their pre-season tour.

With two games in successive days, Alonso named an entirely different XI to the one that beat AC Milan 3-0 in Jakarta on Saturday.

Delap, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Ipswich in 2025, scored just two goals in 41 appearances across all competitions last season.

The 23-year-old matched that tally against Malaysian side – with both goals coming from the penalty spot.

The spot-kicks put Chelsea in front after Arif Aiman’s early opener for the hosts. But the lead lasted just three minutes when Robert Sanchez was beaten by Oscar Arribas’ deflected 65th-minute free-kick.

The Malaysian champions thought they had won it when Bergson found the bottom corner four minutes from time, only for the Blues to find an 89th-minute leveller through Antonio Glauder’s own goal when he headed in a Mikhailo Mudryk cross.

The match was expected to be settled by a penalty shootout, but players never re-emerged at Stadium Sultan Ibrahim Larkin.

Chelsea will return to London before playing Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 15 August in their final pre-season match.

Credit: bbc.com

Semenyo sets up Marmoush double as Man City beat Atletico Madrid

Omar Marmoush scored twice in a three-minute spell in the second half as Manchester City came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid in a friendly in Seoul, South Korea.

The Spanish side took the lead just before half-time when City failed to properly clear Koke’s corner and Morten Hjulmand set up 16-year-old Jorge Dominguez, who shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

But City equalised in the 57th minute. Antoine Semenyo did well to slide and keep the ball in play before he charged into the penalty area down the left flank and his low cross was converted by Marmoush.

The pair linked up again two minutes later with a near identical goal – Marmoush finishing comfortably following Semenyo’s low cross from the left.

There was a crowd of more than 50,000 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium and the loudest cheer was reserved for the second-half introduction of Atletico’s South Korea international Lee Kang-in.

He had a good chance to make it 2-2 when he was found unmarked near the penalty spot, but Lee could only hit his first-time effort just wide of the post.

Rayan Ait-Nouri sealed the 3-1 victory with City’s third in injury time, racing on to Divin Mubama’s through ball and striking low and hard into the bottom corner.

This was City’s third and final game in Asia in pre-season. They lost 3-1 on penalties to Inter Milan after it had finished 1-1 in Hong Kong on 1 August and then beat a K League All-Stars team 3-1 in Seoul on Wednesday.

Credit: bbc.com

Scott and Antony sent off in Bournemouth, Seville 2-2 draw

Bournemouth‘s Alex Scott and Real Betis’ Antony were sent off after a confrontation during a friendly match in Seville, which ended 2-2.

The flashpoint came just before half-time after Betis’ Nelson Deossa kicked the ball at Bafode Diakite after being fouled by the Cherries’ defender.

It sparked a brawl between players from both sides with former Manchester United winger Antony and midfielder Scott pushing each other before they were both shown a red card by the referee.

Marcus Tavernier had given Bournemouth the lead in the 41st minute with Cucho Hernandez equalising for Betis in the 57th minute.

Evanilson put Bournemouth back in front, before Pablo Fornals levelled again for the La Liga side late on.

The Cherries’ final pre-season friendly is against German side Mainz on 15 August (14:30 BST) before they begin their Premier League campaign against Manchester City on 23 August.

Credit: bbc.com

Arsenal lose 2-3 to Borussia Dortmund

Arsenal’s defensive frailties were exposed once again, losing 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup.

The Gunners, who conceded three goals in defeat to Real Betis in midweek, showed very little sign of improvement on Sunday afternoon as Joane Gadou scored what proved the decisive goal.

Bruno Guimaraes, signed from Newcastle for £75million on Saturday, was introduced to supporters inside the Emirates Stadium prior to kick-off before taking a seat in the stands to watch his new team-mates.

After a relatively even open exchange, Dortmund took the lead inside seven minutes when Samuele Inacio ran off Cristhian Mosquera in the box to latch onto a pass from Felix Nmecha and find the bottom corner.

Arsenal responded with some pressure of their own as Viktor Gyokeres smashed an effort against the crossbar, while Kai Havertz and Gabriel both came close to getting on the scoresheet.

However, it was the visitors that went in at the break with a two-goal lead thanks to a superb strike from summer signing Konstantinos Karetsas as he unleaded an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Credit: standard.co.uk

Liverpool throw away two-goal in Monaco defeat

Andoni Iraola’s first game as Liverpool head coach at Anfield ended in a 3-2 loss to Monaco from France’s Ligue 1.

He selected a strong starting XI for Sunday’s friendly and his side raced into a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark, as Alexander Isak opened the scoring on 16 minutes before Florian Wirtz tapped in a second.

Monaco halved the deficit just before half-time when Aleksandr Golovin converted a penalty, which he won when he was fouled by Virgil van Dijk. Mika Biereth equalised 11 minutes after the restart, scoring at the second attempt after being denied by an excellent Giorgi Mamardashvili save.

The intensity of the game dropped in the second half as both teams made a string of substitutions but Liverpool’s set-piece problems continued as they conceded an 88th-minute winner when Paris Brunner headed in from a corner.

If Liverpool can see this version of Isak and Wirtz consistently during the upcoming season, there is plenty to be excited about. Liverpool supporters have had to wait some time to see summer signing Victor Munoz in action, but they finally got their first glimpse of him against Monaco.

He received a loud reception when he was brought on, as one of a number of other changes, just before the hour.

The 23-year-old only joined up with the squad at the start of the week after cutting his post-World Cup holiday short, having been part of the Spain squad that won the tournament.

Credit: nytimes.com