When Jack Grealish charged into the penalty area in the 87th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu late last season and saw his shot cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy, there seemed no way Manchester City would not be in the Champions League final.
They were 1-0 up in the semi-final second leg, 5-3 ahead on aggregate. Real Madrid had three minutes plus stoppage time to turn things around – even for a side who produced some memorable comebacks en route to the semi-finals, turning this tie around looked impossible.
Yet the tale unfolded in a matter of minutes, with City's Champions League aspirations dissolving for another season.
Over the course of the two legs, City were comfortably the better team and yet failed to advance to the final in Paris, where Madrid went on to beat Liverpool 1-0.
City's failure served to highlight a key deficiency in their squad.
Whether that's fair or not is up for debate, because they subsequently went on to win a fourth Premier League title in five years, and no one would have questioned the legitimacy of them seeing off Madrid, but when the victor is led by the type of figure the loser is lacking, it's an easy conclusion to jump to.
Karim Benzema may not have been at his unplayable best in that second leg, but he won and converted the ultimately decisive penalty, and the effectiveness with which he led the line in the first game ensured Madrid were still in with a shout upon the return to Spain.
City will now hope they have such a goalscoring talisman in Erling Haaland.
After a slightly unconvincing City debut in the Community Shield last week, failing to score against Liverpool from his game-high 1.04 expected goals (xG), Haaland will make his Premier League bow as the new season begins this weekend, with attention sure to soon turn to European action.
City apparently paid £51.3million (€60m) to Borussia Dortmund for his transfer. Even when you consider the apparently significant agents' fees, it is difficult to see this as anything other than a bargain for City.
The dust may now have settled on City's 2021-22 collapse in the Spanish capital, but it's hard not to look at the deal through the prism of Champions League failure because of what will now be expected – rather than hoped for – with a player like Haaland in the team.
When trying to understand what has specifically gone wrong for City in the Champions League since Pep Guardiola was hired, most observers seem to have different opinions. Some might point to an apparent lack of on-field leaders, others highlight wastefulness at crucial moments, and of course there are many who have bemoaned Pep's dreaded "overthinking".
The idea of there being a lack of on-field leaders has always seemed wide of the mark, while no one can accuse Guardiola of overcomplicating his selections against Madrid. Even if one were to try to claim that, City were on course for the final until the 90th minute of the second leg.
Similarly, wastefulness is something most clubs can be accused of at one time or another, and, in fact, across all the Champions League ties from which City have been eliminated under Guardiola, they have scored 17 times from 16.99 xG. Granted, there were occasions where they didn't score as often as they should have, but over time it evens itself out.
Yet perhaps this is where Haaland can make the difference. Sure, City's xG has evened out over the unsuccessful ties in question, but with a striker as freakishly deadly as the Norwegian – last Saturday at the King Power Stadium excepted – there becomes a greater opportunity to finish chances that maybe you wouldn't generally expect to.
Following his Bundesliga debut on January 18, 2020, Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund in all competitions, averaging a goal every 84 minutes.
Only Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski (123 goals in 108 games) boasted a better scoring rate over that period among players from Europe's top five leagues.
Despite struggling with injuries in the 2021-22 season, Haaland still managed 29 goals in 30 games for BVB, including a strike in his final game. Twenty-one of those goals were scored via his favoured left foot, three came via his right and the other five were headers.
One thing you cannot accuse City of is being ineffective when it comes to controlling football matches and creating chances – they wouldn't have enjoyed the success they have in the Premier League, under intense pressure from an incredible Liverpool side, if not.
But in knockout ties when there is such a limited amount of time to respond to setbacks or make amends for certain mistakes, whether defensive or in front of goal, the value of the greatest strikers can shine through even more: Benzema showed that against City.
While there remain stylistic compatibility questions to be asked regarding City and Haaland – there were occasions last week when dangerous runs were not quite met by passes, as City adjust to playing with an out-and-out striker – they suddenly have arguably the finest finisher of his generation in their arsenal.
If Haaland isn't the final piece of the puzzle in City's quest for a maiden Champions League crown, Guardiola might as well give up.
Newcastle United had not played a game under their new ownership group last October when Amanda Staveley confirmed a desire to win the Premier League on Tyneside.
"We have the same ambitions as PSG and Manchester City in terms of trophies," the co-owner added.
Newcastle were winless and in the bottom three, where they would remain until February, so this seemed an optimistic target, even given the wealth of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
The Magpies are highly unlikely to challenge City for their title this season either, but they are at least looking up now.
From the date of the takeover until the end of the season, Newcastle earned the sixth-most points in the division (46); in 2022, they have earned the fourth-most (38); in points-per-game terms, Eddie Howe's men are third for the calendar year (2.0).
Howe – appointed a month after Staveley arrived at St James' Park – has since had the benefit of a pre-season, while Newcastle have again invested in the transfer market following January's world-leading £90million outlay.
So, how far can Newcastle go in 2022-23? And which of the established big boys might be under threat?
'Europe is definitely a goal'
Staveley's aims appeared quite modest by the time Bruno Guimaraes took to the podium in his introductory news conference following a £35m switch from Lyon.
"We want more, we want to win the Champions League," the Brazil midfielder announced.
Let alone winning the Champions League, Newcastle have not played in the competition since 2003; their last appearance in any European tournament came back in 2013.
But the Magpies now have a squad determined to end the club's absence from continental action after 10 years.
"I believe we can challenge for European football this season," Joelinton told FourFourTwo. "It might be hard to qualify for the Champions League just yet, but why not? We want to at least compete for a Europa League spot."
Sven Botman, a new signing from Lille, added to Mail Online: "Europe is definitely a goal this season. I believe we can achieve that."
If Newcastle can maintain their form to date under Howe, Europa League qualification should be comfortably within their reach.
But the coach, perhaps understandably, is a little more guarded than his ambitious stars, offering only: "As long as expectations are controlled, then we'll be fine.
"This season is about progression, improvement. We want to evolve into the team we want to be in the future."
Better even before buying
Newcastle's evolution to this point has primarily centred around their defence – understandably, given they shipped 80 goals in 2021, a Premier League record for a calendar year.
It was this sort of worrying statistic that prompted doubts about Howe's suitability as the man to turn the Magpies around, with his stint as Bournemouth boss seeing at least 60 conceded in each Premier League season.
Yet in 2022, just four sides have let in fewer than Newcastle (20); only three have kept more clean sheets (seven).
Three of the five players signed in January were defenders, while Botman and goalkeeper Nick Pope have since followed, and the pre-season focus on maintaining possession should ease the pressure on that back line considerably.
It is now at the other end of the pitch where there are slight concerns.
Howe has openly discussed the need for offensive recruits, with the week before Saturday's opener at Nottingham Forest bringing reports of two failed bids for Leicester City playmaker James Maddison.
There clearly remains an over-reliance on Allan Saint-Maximin, who created 50 chances last season – two more than Maddison but also an alarming 21 more than his next team-mate (Joelinton).
Getting on the end of those passes, Newcastle also need Callum Wilson to stay healthy. He has scored 20 goals from just 84 shots over the past two seasons; of the Premier League players to tally 20 or more in that time, only Son Heung-min could better Wilson's conversion rate of 23.8 per cent.
That Wilson's fitness record was so poor last season actually suggests Newcastle could get better without significant reinforcement, though.
Not until the final two matches of the season, in wins over Arsenal and Burnley, did Guimaraes, Saint-Maximin and Wilson all start together.
'Big six' in Howe's sights
With all of the 'big six' pursuing a top-four finish, there are not enough Champions League places to go around even before considering the league's third-best team this year.
Newcastle will not catch City or Liverpool this season – even if Stats Perform's League Prediction model, calculated using betting market odds and Stats Perform's team rankings, counts the Magpies among seven potential title winners (albeit just a 0.03 per cent shot) – but the teams below the top two might all be within Howe's sights after warning shots were fired last term.
Chelsea ended a nine-game unbeaten run for Newcastle in controversial circumstances in March, snatching a 1-0 victory, while Tottenham capitalised on a rare off-day to win 5-1 the following month, but only after trailing to a Fabian Schar free-kick.
Arsenal were not so lucky, seeing their top-four hopes dashed on a brutal evening at St James' Park when Guimaraes, Saint-Maximin and Wilson teamed up from the start for the first time.
Manchester United are yet to play Newcastle in 2022 but were fortunate to escape with a draw from Tyneside in the final game of the previous calendar year.
Spurs and Arsenal are at least widely considered to have improved since the end of last season, spending well, but the same may not be true of Chelsea and United.
In the 2022 standings, Chelsea are sixth, and their transfer window has not panned out quite as they hoped. United have been frustrated, too, and they are a distant ninth since the turn of the year – nine points shy of Newcastle having played a game more.
If the team from Tyneside continue to go from strength to strength, two of English football's giants may have to improve merely to make the Europa League, let alone the Champions League.
Coco Gauff was too sharp with her return game for Naomi Osaka in the second round of the Silicon Valley Classic on Thursday, coming away with a 6-4 6-4 win.
Gauff – the world number 11 and tournament's sixth seed – created 12 break point opportunities in the match, while only allowing one for Osaka, despite eight double-faults.
Ultimately, Gauff won 41 per cent (29-of-71) of the points off Osaka's serve, while converting 85 per cent (28-of-33) of her successful first serves into points.
Earlier in the day in a major upset, top seed Maria Sakkari was eliminated in straight sets 6-1 6-3 by American Shelby Rogers.
The world number three struggled with her serve throughout, landing only 45 per cent of her first serves, and winning just 52 per cent (12-of-23) of those points.
World number six Aryna Sabalenka needed three sets to defeat unseeded American Carolina Dolehide 5-7 6-1 7-5, and Russia's Veronika Kudermetova had less trouble dispatching Claire Liu 6-2 7-5 to set up an exciting match with Ons Jabeur in the quarter-final.
Meanwhile, in Washington at the Citi Open, Emma Raducanu played in the longest two-set match of the WTA season, defeating Camila Osorio 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) in two hours and 49 minutes.
Both women created at least a dozen break point opportunities, with four total breaks each as the young British star battled blisters on her hands.
Raducanu will play Liudmila Samsonova after the Russian eliminated Australia's Ajla Tomljanovich 4-6 6-3 6-2.
In the last match of the day, China's Xiyu Wang got the better of Croatia's Donna Vekic 4-6 7-5 6-1, and she will meet the winner between Tereza Martincova and Victoria Azarenka in the quarter-final.
The Los Angeles Angels made the wrong kind of history on Thursday, becoming the sixth team in MLB history to hit seven home runs in a loss, going down 8-7 at home against the Oakland Athletics.
It was also the first time ever that a team has scored seven runs with every run coming courtesy of a solo long-ball.
As has been a recurring theme of superstar Shohei Ohtani's tenure with the Angels, he put on a dazzling display only for his team to fall short. The reigning AL MVP opened the scoring with a solo blast in the first inning, and added a second homer later in the contest.
Kurt Suzuki, Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, Jared Walsh and Mickey Moniak all sent a ball over the fence for the Angels, but it was not enough as starting pitcher Janson Junk struggled mightily.
Junk gave up six earned runs in just the third inning as Ramon Laureano and Sean Murphy hit back-to-back two-RBI doubles, followed by a two-run homer from Seth Brown. Laureano later added his own two-run shot, giving him four RBIs in the contest.
The loss relegates the Angels to a disappointing 44-61 record, while Ohtani is now top-five in the American League in home runs (24) as a batter, and strikeouts as a pitcher (152 in 18 starts).
All-Star Dodgers duo flex their power
Known primarily for their contact, speed and defense, Los Angeles Dodgers All-Stars Mookie Betts and Trea Turner both showed off their power in a 5-3 win against the San Francisco Giants.
In a game where starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw was forced to leave his start after four innings due to lower-back pain, the offense picked up the slack, with a three-run launch from Betts in the fourth inning turning a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead.
The Dodgers would never allow the Giants back into the game, and Turner got in on the action in the seventh inning with a 419-foot whack for the longest hit of the game.
Betts, Turner and Freddie Freeman – who also had a hit for the Dodgers – are all considered candidates for the National League MVP.
Verlander dominates for the Astros
Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander showed why he is the American League Cy Young Award favourite, keeping the Cleveland Guardians quiet in a 6-0 victory.
Verlander held the Guardians to just two hits and one walk in his six scoreless frames, striking out five batters in the process. He is expected to battle it out for the AL's best pitcher award with Tampa Bay Rays star Shane McClanahan.
With the bat, Fabio Maldonado and Chas McCormick collected three RBIs each, with key trio Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Pena also combining for six hits and three walks.
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said Thursday that the continuing elbow pain quarterback Matthew Stafford is experiencing is unusual for a football player, comparing it to what baseball pitchers often deal with.
Stafford has been skipping the Rams’ full-team portions of training camp practices and instead has been throwing in individual drills and 7-on-7 setups. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback dealt with an elbow injury last season and received an injection in the affected area during the offseason.
''It's a little bit abnormal for a quarterback,'' McVay said Thursday. ''Some of this stuff is things that MLB pitchers deal with, so it is something that we're kind of learning about on the fly with his feedback.''
While McVay stressed that Stafford could probably play in a game this week, the Rams clearly are trying to figure out how to keep him healthy for the season and are being careful not to overtax his arm.
"We want to try to have him operate in as little pain as possible,'' McVay said. ''I think anytime that you've played as long and are as tough as he is, I don't know if you're ever truly pain-free, but the goal would be for September 8, and really looking towards 17 games, then hopefully some games after that, if we earn that opportunity.
"That's kind of the perspective and the big-picture approach that we want to be able to take. I don't know that I would feel as comfortable taking that approach if it wasn't for the experience that he's accumulated.''
Stafford, 34, played in all 17 regular-season games in 2021 and then played four postseason games, leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl title since returning from St. Louis. He finished with 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season, his first with Los Angeles after 12 in Detroit.
World Athletics U-20 Championships 100m silver medalist Serena Cole admits she still prefers the long jump event despite an outstanding performance in the final on Wednesday.
A fast-finishing Cole powered home to come in behind compatriot and high school teammate Tia Clayton, who stopped the clock in a championship record of 10.95. Cole finished a respectable 11.14 for second spot.
The athlete is, however, also a strong competitor in the long jump event and in fact, claimed the title at the Caribbean’s Carifta Games earlier this year. Despite not competing in the event at the U-20 World Championships due to a scheduling conflict, she has no intention of giving it up.
“It (Long Jump) was going to be right in the time of the 100m so my coach said I shouldn’t do it this year,” Cole explained.
“Last year I was supposed to be in the 100m but had some difficulties in my season, so I didn’t get a chance but I came out and did my best this year and I am so proud of my performance,” she added.
Heading back to high school in September, however, the athlete will return to her preferred long jump event with a view to balancing it with the sprints.
“Right now, my pet event is the long jump. I really prefer the long jump to the 100m. Going back to training, I know coach Jeremy will have a lot of programs for me to do with the long jump and the same with coach Dyke. So, I just have to put everything into the programs and train really hard.”
Cole has a personal best of 6.36m in the long jump.
John Huh leads by two strokes after the first round of the Wyndham Championship, shooting a career-low nine-under 61 in his first trip around Sedgefield Country Club on Thursday.
With seven birdies, one eagle and no bogeys in his round, Huh had his game working from all areas. According to Data Golf's strokes gained stats, the American was the second-best in the tee-to-green category (5.29 strokes gained), third in approach shots (3.25) and sixth in putting (3.21).
Speaking to the media after his round, Huh said he did not feel like he was playing his best, but he is glad to be in such a strong position after entering the week on the fringe of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
"It’s kind of strange," he said, "because I wasn’t really feeling great with my game and I shoot my career low – it’s kind of weird.
"Sort of mixed feelings, but I’ll take this any day. I was able to take advantage of a good break and good shots, that’s all I can say."
Major League Baseball is heading back across the pond next year with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs to meet in the second instalment of the London Series.
MLB announced on Thursday that the long-time rivals will face off at London Stadium for a two-game series on June 24 and 25, 2023.
The teams were originally scheduled to play in London in 2020, but the games were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"The Cardinals are excited and honoured to be a part of the London Series next year," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a release.
"The Cardinals-Cubs rivalry is one of the best in sports, and it will be exciting to bring it to Europe for a new audience to experience."
MLB returns to England after the New York Yankees swept a two-game set from the Boston Red Sox at London Stadium in 2019. Those were baseball's first regular-season games played in Europe.
"The MLB London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals has been in the works for years now, and we're thrilled to finally be able to bring one of baseball's biggest rivalries to fans abroad in 2023," Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a release.
The 2023 London Series is part of an international slate that was approved in the March labour agreement between MLB and the players' association. It also calls for London games in 2024 and 2026, the first France games in 2025, annual Mexico City games from 2023-26, an Asian opener in 2024 and a Tokyo opener in 2025.
Diontae Johnson arrived at the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on time but had been sitting out practices while seeking a new contract.
He will now be reporting to practice after signing an extension with the Steelers with a new three-year contract on Thursday.
The 26-year-old Johnson was entering the final season of his rookie deal, and in his new contract he’ll be paid $36.71million over the next two years, according to NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo.
"I felt it in my gut it was the right move for me and my family," Johnson said. "I am just glad to get back to work. I love being a Steeler. I love it here. Just being around my teammates, the atmosphere, the energy they show every day. I feel like I made the right choice to continue to be here for a long time."
The extension includes $27million guaranteed, and Johnson will be able to hit free agency in 2025, giving him an opportunity to sign another big deal when he’s still in his prime if he’s able to replicate the success he enjoyed last season.
Johnson had a career year in 2021, tying for fifth in the NFL in receptions (107, along with Mark Andrews) and ranking 10th in receiving yards (1,161) while hauling in eight touchdown receptions to earn a Pro Bowl selection.
Selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, Johnson has 254 career receptions – the most for anyone drafted in 2019 – for 2,767 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Finalising a new deal early in camp was important for the Steelers as it will give Johnson time to work on his chemistry with the three quarterbacks vying for the starting job in Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and rookie Kenny Pickett following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger.
Jed Holloway will make his Test debut and Quade Cooper returns to the Australia starting line-up for their first game of the Rugby Championship against Argentina on Saturday.
Holloway has been given the nod at blindside flanker for the game at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, while Cooper is back at fly-half after recovering from a calf strain.
Prop Matt Gibbon is set to make his Wallabies bow off the bench in Mendoza, where hooker Folau Fainga'a makes his first international start this year.
Second row Darcy Swain has been restored to the team after serving a ban for the red card he was given for a clash with Jonny Hill in the first Test against England.
Dave Rennie's side have been licking their wounds since losing the decisive final match of the series to the Red Rose last month.
Head coach Rennie said: "We've had a strong week of preparation over here in Argentina, and we are highly motivated to put on a performance that makes our supporters proud back home in Australia.
"It's an extremely special occasion for Jed, Matt and their families, and it's up to the rest of us to make sure it's a positive memory on their Test debuts.
"Argentina will be full of confidence after their home series win over Scotland, and we know we'll need to be at our best to get a good result on Saturday afternoon."
Australia team: Tom Wright, Jordan Petaia, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Marika Koroibete, Quade Cooper, Nic White; James Slipper, Folau Fainga'a, Allan Alaalatoa, Darcy Swain, Matt Philip, Jed Holloway, Michael Hooper (captain), Rob Valetini.
Replacements: Lachlan Lonergan, Matt Gibbon, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Rob Leota, Pete Samu, Jake Gordon, Reece Hodge.
Ian Foster will know there is more than just Rugby Championship points at stake when wounded New Zealand start their campaign against South Africa on Saturday.
Foster is under huge pressure after the All Blacks suffered a first home Test series defeat to Ireland last month.
New Zealand have come under fire following a 32-22 loss against Andy Farrell's inspired side in the decider in Wellington, with growing calls for Foster to be sacked.
Mark Robinson, the New Zealand Rugby chief executive, was unable to offer head coach Foster long-term backing before the squad boarded the plane for two Tests against the world champions.
Asked about Foster's future, he told Newstalk ZB: "He's certainly the person to lead the team to South Africa, and we're making sure they've got everything possible in the way of resourcing and support to make sure that's successful."
Robinson had stated that the 2-1 series defeat to Ireland was "not acceptable", and it would appear he will not tolerate further painful setbacks in South Africa.
Assistant coaches John Plumtree and Brad Mooar lost their jobs after Ireland's historic triumph, but Foster has vowed to fight on just 13 months before the Rugby World Cup starts in France.
Winning the Rugby Championship title last year must seem like a distant memory for Foster as his side prepared to start the defence of their crown at Mbombela Stadium.
Following years of dominance, New Zealand are fourth in the rankings, and this is something of a crisis by their standards.
Victory for the Springboks in Nelspruit this weekend would represent a third defeat in a row for New Zealand for the first time since they lost five consecutive Tests in July and August 1998, two of which came at the hands of South Africa.
Foster has made four changes to his team for the opening match of the tournament, bringing in lock Scott Barrett, hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho, tighthead prop Angus Ta'avao and wing Caleb Clarke.
South Africa have not beaten New Zealand at home since a 27-25 success in 2014, but Jacques Nienaber's men will be favourites to end that wait on Saturday.
The Springboks have won six of their past seven Tests on home soil, the last of which was a 30-14 defeat of Wales in Cape Town that sealed a 2-1 series victory.
A formidable, powerful force when at their brutal best, facing South Africa in their own backyard is an almighty challenge, and Foster will need warriors to step up with his job seemingly on the line.
Argentina and Australia get the tournament under way at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas on Saturday, with the Pumas on a high from securing a dramatic series win over Scotland.
They won the decider against Gregor Townsend's men 34-31 last month thanks to a last-gasp try from Emiliano Boffelli and will now attempt to end a six-Test winless streak against the Wallabies.
Australia have been licking their wounds since suffering a 2-1 Test series defeat at home to England, and they have won only one of their past nine Tests played away from home – that victory being over Japan last October.
The Caribbean took gold and silver in the Men’s 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Thursday.
Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell ran a personal best 13.08 to equal the Commonwealth games record, set by Colin Jackson in 1990, and win gold ahead of Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite (13.30) and England’s Andrew Pozzi (13.37). Olympic champion Hansle Parchment was scheduled to run out of lane three but didn’t turn up for the final.
In the 400m hurdles, Janieve Russell, Shiann Salmon and Rushell Clayton all advanced to the final.
Salmon and Russell ran times of 55.30 and 55.79, respectively, for first and second in semi-final one while Clayton took the second semi-final in 54.93.
Bahamian long jumper Laquan Nairn struck gold in the Men’s long jump with a distance of 8.08m, the same distance as Indian silver medallist Sreeshankar Sreeshankar while South Africa’s Jovan Van Vuuren finished third with 8.06m. Jamaica’s Shawn-D Thompson narrowly missed out on bronze after achieving 8.05m for fourth.
Jamaica's Traves Smikle threw 64.58m for bronze in the Men's discus throw behind Australia's Matthew Denny (67.26m) and England's Lawrence Okoye (64.99m).
Cesar Azpilicueta has ended speculation that he could join Barcelona by signing a new contract with Chelsea until 2024.
The long-serving captain had less than a year left on his previous deal with the Blues and emerged as a target for Barca.
Azpilicueta will not be returning to his homeland, though, after the defender agreed to remain at Stamford Bridge for at least another two seasons.
The 32-year-old joined the London club from Marseille in August 2012 and has won every major trophy during his decade at Stamford Bridge.
He has won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, lifted the Europa League on two occasions, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
The skipper said: "I am really happy to extend my stay at Chelsea, my home. It is almost 10 years since I first arrived and joined the club so I really feel the love and I am really excited for the new project we have in our hands.
"I would like to say thank you to Mr Todd [Boehly, Chelsea chairman and co-controlling owner] and Mr Behdad [Eghbali, Blues co-controlling owner] for giving me the opportunity to keep my journey at this amazing club and I am really looking forward to continuing our adventure. I am a really proud captain and I hope we can share many good memories together."
Azpilicueta's decision to stay at Chelsea is a major boost for head coach Thomas Tuchel ahead of his side's first game of the Premier League season at Everton on Saturday.
The Spain international, who has played in a back three and as a wing-back under Tuchel, made 47 appearances last season to take his total for the Blues to a mammoth 476.
Boehly said: "We are so happy that Cesar is staying at Chelsea for a minimum of two more years. We are thrilled with our captain showing his exemplary commitment and leadership yet again. There is still so much to do together."
Jessica Korda might have been wearing the wrong trousers, but the American strode purposefully into contention on day one of the Women's Open as former winner Hinako Shibuno led the way at Muirfield.
Korda's suitcase failed to make it to Scotland, meaning she has been borrowing clothes all week, but the 29-year-old from Florida shot a five-under 66 to ease her stress.
She could call on her sponsor to kit her out with emergency supplies on Thursday, but it has been a frustrating few days.
"On Monday I wore Megan Khang's pants. Tuesday, I wore my sister's pants and Wednesday I wore Alison Lee's pants," Korda said, quoted on the tournament website.
Playing for a top prize of $1,095,000 (£900,000) this week, Korda sat one shot behind 23-year-old Japanese star Shibuno, who marked her maiden major three years ago at Woburn by landing the Women's Open title.
It has not been all plain sailing since for Shibuno, who missed the cut at Troon when defending the title in 2020 and finished only 34th last year at Carnoustie, but a round of 65 containing eight birdies and two dropped shots was a terrific start to this week's quest.
Scotland's Louise Duncan, who finished 10th as an amateur at Carnoustie, joined the paid ranks last month and a sparkling 67 put her in a tie of third with Mexican Gaby Lopez.
Korda's sister, world number three Nelly Korda, sat in a tie for 13th on one under through 18 holes, while last year's winner Anna Nordqvist had a round to forget, a three-over 74 leaving the Swede with a battle to make the cut.
World number one Ko Jin-young had an even worse day, with a five-over 76 following her recent miserable tie for 71st at the Scottish Open.
This is the first time Muirfield has staged a women's major, with members having only voted to allow women to join the club five years ago.
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