Ridiculous was a word used by Frank Lampard to sum up N Golo Kante last week and with good reason. 

The Chelsea midfielder is back fit, back in the side and more or less back to his best, having missed 16 Premier League matches last season. 

Kante s quietly influential form has helped Lampard s side to a strong start to the season that has left some to bill Sunday s derby clash with Tottenham as something of a title showdown – or at least a game that could well highlight which of the two has the best chance of dethroning Liverpool. 

A win for either side will move them top of the table after 10 games, but Kante s recent performances might just indicate Chelsea have the edge.

7.7 Chelsea have the best xG conceded numbers in the Premier League th…

Kylian Mbappe netted a first-half brace as Paris Saint-Germain continued their march towards the Ligue 1 title with a 2-1 win over Angers – despite playing the majority of Wednesday s game at the Parc des Princes with 10 men.

Mbappe s 18th and 19th goals in PSG colours came either side Thiago Motta s red card for raking studs across Romain Thomas – an incident that left the Angers defender with a nasty graze across his ribcage.

Unai Emery s side continued to attack despite being depleted, with Julian Draxler a majestic playmaking influence in midfield, and should have led more handsomely before Angers top scorer Karl Toko Ekambi came off the bench to set up a grandstand finish.

PSG are 17 points ahead of Monaco at the summit having played a game more ahead of…

Jose Mourinho insists Manchester United deserve to finish at least second in the Premier League and claims critics have been too quick to praise their rivals further down the table.

United s 2-0 win over Swansea City on Saturday moved them back into second in the table, two points above third-place Liverpool, who have played a game more.

Runaway leaders Manchester City will win the title if they beat United in the derby next weekend, but finishing in at least the top two for the first time since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 remains in the Red Devils hands.

And Mourinho says their league position proves they have been better than the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea behind them.

Asked about the derby at the Etihad Stadium next Saturday, he told a…

Steven Davis is determined to make the most of his chance in the Rangers hotseat as he admitted it came sooner than expected.

The 38-year-old Northern Ireland international, who had two successful spells as a player at Ibrox, was asked by the Gers board on Sunday evening to take the reins until they appoint a new permanent boss following the departure of Michael Beale.

The former Gers midfielder, who had been returning to fitness at the Ibrox club after a serious knee injury despite his contract expiring in the summer, will be assisted by fellow former Rangers players Alex Rae and Steven Smith, as well as coach Brian Gilmour and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart.

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC)

Speaking in Cyprus ahead of the Europa League…

Lionel Messi is yet to play for Paris Saint-Germain this season, but has been called up to Argentina s squad for their World Cup qualifiers next month, with Paulo Dybala making a long-awaited return.

Having led Argentina to Copa America glory, Messi made the shock switch from Barcelona to Paris earlier in August, though he is yet to make his debut for Mauricio Pochettino s team.

The 34-year-old, along with fellow former Barca star Neymar, is expected to make his bow against Reims in PSG s final game before the international break.

Messi, along with club-mates Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes, would then travel to South America for matches against Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia.

However, despite Pochettino having given his blessing for Messi to play for h…

Torino have dismissed Walter Mazzarri as head coach and hired Moreno Longo as his replacement.

Toro have endured a wretched run of form, losing their past four matches in all competitions and conceding 17 goals.

A 4-0 hammering at Lecce proved the end for Mazzarri, who had his contract terminated by mutual consent following a meeting with club president Urbano Cairo.

The club wishes to thank the coach and all of his staff for the commitment, fairness, and professionalism shown in these last two years, Torino said in a statement on Tuesday.

Longo, a former full-back for Torino and previously a youth coach at the club, has since been confirmed as Mazzarri s replacement.

Longo led Frosinone back to Serie A via the play-offs in 2017-18 but was sacke…

Cristiano Ronaldo s record-breaking seventh assist at the European Championships should be shown to all young players across the world, says Portugal boss Roberto Martinez.

Portugal sealed their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 as Group F winners with a game to spare on Saturday, thrashing Turkiye 3-0 in Dortmund.

Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes scored either side of a comical own goal from Samet Akaydin, as the Selecao produced a far more complete performance than they managed in their last-gasp 2-1 win over Czechia on matchday one.

Fernandes clinching goal came when Ronaldo sprang the Turkiye offside trap before unselfishly squaring for his former Manchester United team-mate when they were two-on-one versus goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

Ronaldo s assis…

It s shameful, a shellshocked Gerard Pique said in the aftermath of Barcelona s 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. Shame is the word.

The sentiment was different on Tuesday, as Barca at least this time battled, but Bayern were comfortable again, 3-0 winners in the Champions League at Camp Nou.

The Blaugrana s remarkable August 2020 humiliation was so significant because these sides were supposed to be rivals of a similar standard. Thirteen months on to the day, Bayern were backed to win big again. The only surprise was that Barca limited their opponents to three.

The Catalan club eventually heeded Pique s calls for changes at all levels – new president, new coach, new team – but it is tough to sincerely suggest this is a better outfit, even if they have a little …

Zinedine Zidane urged Isco to maintain his fine form after the midfielder scored for the second time in two LaLiga games since the Real Madrid coach s return.

Isco equalised for Madrid in Sunday s 3-2 victory at home to bottom side Huesca, with the five-goal thriller settled by a Karim Benzema strike in the 89th minute.

The Spain international did not start any LaLiga matches under Zidane s predecessor Santiago Solari but has been reintroduced into the fold by the Frenchman.

Solari questioned Isco s commitment and attitude during his brief time in charge of Madrid and Zidane warned the midfielder to keep up his performance levels.

We all know the player Isco is, Zidane told a post-match news conference.

I have started him twice, he has scored tw…

Alan Pardew has quit his role as CSKA Sofia boss after several of the club s players were subjected to racist abuse by their own fans.

Pardew initially joined the Bulgarian club in an advisory capacity in 2020 but moved into the dugout after Stoycho Mladenov s resignation this April.

But the former Newcastle United boss has now left the club after four CSKA black players had bananas thrown at them by their own fans before a game against Botev Plovdiv last month, one week on from losing the Bulgarian cup final to fierce rivals Levski Sofia.

In a statement released on the club s website, Pardew said: First, I want to thank all the real CSKA fans for their support and passion for the club.

It was a privilege for me to be a part of and to serve this club. …