It has been another off-season of change in Italy, but Serie A returns this week and another intriguing campaign awaits.
Inter were champions last term, ending Juventus' run of nine straight Scudetti, but they have not been able to keep their title-winning side together.
Romelu Lukaku is gone, as is coach Antonio Conte, while Massimiliano Allegri has returned to Juve to tee up another tilt.
So, what does that all mean for the coming season? Stats Perform attempts to find out.
The Stats Perform League Prediction Model, created by Stats Perform AI using Opta data, has analysed the division ahead of the new season to assign percentages to potential outcomes for each club.
The model estimates the probability of each match outcome (win, draw or loss) based on teams' attacking and defensive qualities, which considers four years' worth of results, with weighting based on recency and the quality of opposition. The season is then simulated 10,000 times to calculate the likelihood of each outcome.
Read on to see who can realistically compete with Inter and who should be looking over their shoulders...
THREE FIGHTING FOR TITLE
Inter might have lost some key men, but the model is backing a team that finished second and then first to lead the way again.
The Nerazzurri are given the best chance of taking the title (45.1 per cent), while they certainly should make the top four even without Lukaku and Conte, rated as a 94.2 per cent likelihood.
Unsurprisingly, Juve are the closest challengers to Inter's crown, with a 21.5 per cent shot.
It is not set to be a two-horse race, though, as Atalanta are the third and final team to be given a substantial chance at 19.6 per cent.
In fact, Atalanta's lowest probable finish of ninth is higher than Juve's 10th, with another exciting season expected for La Dea.
TOP FOUR SETTLED?
There is strength in depth in Serie A this season, but the model has identified a clear frontrunner for the fourth Champions League place.
Napoli, with a 9.4 per cent title chance, have a 68.6 per cent likelihood of making the top four, putting them well clear of the rest despite finishing fifth in 2020-21.
That means disappointment for big names like Milan, Lazio and Jose Mourinho's Roma.
Milan do have a 44.0 per cent shot at Champions League qualification, but that is a modest opportunity given they were second last term and led the league for half the season. A Scudetto triumph is rated at 3.6 per cent.
Lazio, under Maurizio Sarri, have a 14.9 per cent hope of a top-four place, while Mourinho clearly has work to do as rivals Roma are only given an 8.2 per cent likelihood.
Besides those sides, only Sassuolo – 1.1 per cent for the Champions League, 2.6 for the Europa League and 8.2 per cent for the Europa Conference League – are realistically also in the European picture.
STRAIGHT BACK DOWN AGAIN
The model does not make for pretty reading for the three promoted sides, who are all expected to spend only a single season in the top flight before returning to Serie B.
For Salernitana and Venezia, a particularly brutal campaign could be in store. They are highly likely to go down, rated at 95.9 per cent and 94.8 per cent respectively.
Empoli are given a slightly improved chance but are still expected to be relegated, at 79.3 per cent.
Torino's awful season, finishing 17th in 2020-21, should not be repeated, with merely a 4.3 per cent likelihood of demotion.
That still makes them sixth favourites for the drop, also behind Spezia (6.0 per cent) and Hellas Verona (5.4 per cent).
Romelu Lukaku will look to inflict more pain on wounded Arsenal when he makes his second Chelsea debut on Sunday.
Lukaku is set to be unleashed on the Gunners for a Premier League return at the Emirates Stadium after completing a record £97.5million (€115m) move from Inter.
The Belgium striker played a massive part in Inter's Serie A triumph last season and is back at Stamford Bridge hunting more trophies.
While Chelsea started their Premier League season with an emphatic 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, the Gunners suffered a 2-0 derby defeat to newly promoted Brentford.
Using Opta data, Stats Perform previews the big showdown in North London, with the Blues out for revenge after Arsenal did the double over them last season.
LUKAKU CAN FIRE AGAINST GUNNERS DESPITE POOR RECORD
Lukaku is relishing the challenge of taking the Blues' supposedly cursed number nine shirt.
If his record against Arsenal is anything to go by, a debut goal may be unlikely for the prolific frontman.
The former Everton and Manchester United striker has scored only twice in 15 Premier League appearances versus with Gunners, although he returns to England seemingly at another level.
Lukaku terrorised defences in Serie A and has been consistently outstanding at international level, the Red Devils' all-time leading goalscorer netting four times in five Euro 2020 games
Brentford exposed Arsenal's defensive frailties in the first game of the season and Lukaku could cause them all sorts of problems.
WERNER COULD CASH IN
Timo Werner came in for plenty of criticism for poor finishing in his first season in England, although the Germany international's pace and intelligent movement still made him a real handful.
Thomas Tuchel said Lukaku's arrival is good news for Werner, whose 29 touches in the win over Palace was the fewest by any Chelsea outfield player.
The presence of the powerhouse Lukaku and his ability to hold the ball up can help Werner thrive this season if they are both given the nod from the start.
Werner scored only six Premier League goals last season and provided eight assists, missing 18 of what were deemed by Opta to be big chances and falling short of the 11.5 expected goals (xG) tally.
He should not be short of opportunities with Lukaku leading the line and can silence any critics in the 2021-21 campaign.
GUNNERS NEED A CUTTING EDGE
Arsenal have only been beaten in three of their past 14 meetings with Chelsea but they will have to show a marked improvement from a lacklustre display against the Bees.
Strike duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette were absent for that loss, with the club confirming on Thursday both players had tested positive for coronavirus.
Lacazette will not face the Blues and Aubameyang is to be assessed ahead of the game.
Mikel Arteta's side played 15 Premier League games without at least one of Aubameyang or Lacazette - both linked with moves ahead of the transfer deadline - last season, winning nine, drawing four and losing two.
With the pair both in action, they won nine of 23 matches, lost 11 and drew three.
Folarin Balogun failed to hit the target with his three shots in his first Premier League start at Brentford, with Nicolas Pepe only testing David Raya once with his four attempts.
Arsenal must show more of a cutting edge if they are to get one over on their London rivals again and Chelsea will be wary of Kieran Tierney, who created six chances against the Bees.
The surging New York Yankees posted their season-high seventh consecutive victory after topping the Minnesota Twins 7-5 in MLB.
Luke Voit fuelled the in-form Yankees with a two-run double in the team's four-run third inning on Thursday, while Kyle Higashioka and Giancarlo Stanton homered.
The Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, Boston Red Sox on Tuesday (twice) and Wednesday, and the Twins on Thursday.
According to Stats Perform, they are the first team in American League (AL) history to win six games against four different teams over a span of five days.
Dodgers win again
World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to seven games thanks to a 4-1 win against the New York Mets. Trea Turner went two for four and drove in a run. The Dodgers moved within two and a half games of the National League (NL) West-leading San Francisco Giants.
The Los Angeles Angels rallied to a 13-10 victory over the Detroit Tigers. The Angels matched a franchise record with an eight-run comeback, having trailed 10-2. They also overturned an eight-run deficit in 1986.
Orioles' woes continue
The Baltimore Orioles suffered a 15th straight defeat after going down 7-2 to the high-flying Tampa Bay Rays. Baltimore pitcher Jorge Lopez became the majors' first 14-game loser in 2021, allowing four runs, four hits, two walks and hitting a batter over two innings.
Votto goes big!
Joey Votto blasted a three-run homer to lead the Cincinnati Reds past the Miami Marlins 6-1.
Thursday's results
Los Angeles Angels 13-10 Detroit Tigers
Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 Baltimore Orioles
Seattle Mariners 9-8 Texas Rangers
Houston Astros 6-3 Kansas City Royals
Oakland Athletics 5-4 Chicago White Sox
Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 Philadelphia Phillies
New York Yankees 7-5 Minnesota Twins
Cincinnati Reds 6-1 Miami Marlins
St Louis Cardinals 8-4 Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 New York Mets
White Sox and Rays
It will be a clash of the titans when the AL Central-leading White Sox (71-51) visit AL West pacesetters the Rays (75-47) on Friday. Lucas Giolito is the starter for the White Sox, while the Rays counter with Michael Wacha.
Rugby Australia (RA) has been left "incredibly disappointed" after New Zealand Rugby (NZR) opted against sending the All Blacks to Perth for game three of the Bledisloe Cup against the Wallabies.
Australia and New Zealand were scheduled to meet at Optus Stadium on August 28, but Bledisloe III has been put on hold following the NZR's decision to keep the All Blacks grounded at home amid uncertainty due to COVID-19.
There have been rising cases of coronavirus in both Australia and New Zealand, with reports claiming the clash could be moved to the United Kingdom or South Africa.
NZR also announced the All Blacks' two home Rugby Championship Tests against South Africa – scheduled for September 25 and October 2 – will not be played in New Zealand following government advice that the Springboks would not be able to enter the country due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
"Without complete certainty on the team's next movements around The Rugby Championship we felt it was prudent for the team to stay put in New Zealand until SANZAAR have announced the full tournament schedule," said NZR CEO Mark Robinson on Friday, with the All Blacks having already retained the Bledisloe Cup.
"Once the team leaves our shores, they currently can't return until November 23 post their Northern Tour, so given the uncertainty, it makes sense to pause and get more clarity on these fixtures.
"We remain 100 percent committed to playing in the entire Fortinet Rugby Championship in 2021 and are working closely with SANZAAR to look at a range of options to reschedule these important matches."
Having been notified of NZR's decision to abort the Perth showdown via the media, RA CEO Andy Marinos said: "It's incredibly disappointing to be informed of this decision via the media, despite having a conversation with the CEO moments before and there no mention that this was the intention.
"Despite this outcome, I am confident we will find a solution for the whole Rugby Championship in what continues to be a very challenging environment in which to work.
"We have been engaging in positive discussions with both teams as well as government partners and were confident we were close to finding a solution."
Harry Kane will join Tottenham's main training group ahead of the Premier League clash against Wolves as speculation continues over his future, said Nuno Espirito Santo.
Kane reportedly wants to leave for Premier League champions Manchester City and the star forward was absent from Tottenham's shock 1-0 first-leg loss to Pacos de Ferreira in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.
The England international remained in England to build up his fitness and head coach Nuno confirmed Kane will link up with the main group on Friday ahead of Sunday's trip to Wolves.
"He trained today. He trained with the group of players that stayed in England," Nuno told reporters after the Conference League defeat.
"He trained well and he is going to train tomorrow and when we return he will join all the players and work as the group and Harry in it."
Nuno made 11 changes following last Sunday's Premier League victory over City, with new signings Cristian Romero, Bryan Gil and Pierluigi Gollini in the line-up.
"I think [Pierluigi Gollini] had a good game," Nuno said. "He was stable and in the action he had to do he did well. With the goal it was a one vs one situation and it was difficult.
"[Cristian] Romero played a good game, intense and this is what we want from our defenders, to be strong in duels. I think Bryan [Gil] started well, but that's my responsibility. I think we still have to find the right position for him and give him exact tasks. In this game he changed two times his position and it's not the best way to go to improve a player.
"We need to be patient with all the players because the Premier League. When a player changes country we need to realise that we need to support him. But honestly I think with the quality and talent that Romero has his adaptation will be very fast."
Jamaica World U20 Championships 100m metres gold medalist Tina Clayton has expressed delight at hitting the ceiling for a junior athlete after taking the title in emphatic fashion on Thursday.
Clayton put on a dominant performance that left the rest of the field drifting in her dust, eventually stopping the clock at a new personal best 11.09. Namibia’s Beatrice Masilingi was a distant second in 11.39, with Switzerland’s Melissa Gutschmidt third in 11.51.
Clayton’s win follows in the footsteps of legendary compatriot Veronica Campbell-Brown and Briana Williams who claimed the sprint double at the 2018 edition.
“Winning was a dream come true because I always wanted a medal at this level. This is the highest level that you can reach as a junior and once you are at this level you know you have been recognized by a lot of persons,” Clayton said following the race.
“Jamaica has a very good sprint team. Coming out here and retaining the title as a Jamaican, it feels really great. I know a lot of Jamaicans back at home are very excited.”
Unlike Williams and Campbell-Brown, however, Clayton will not be doubling at the event. Brianna Lyston and Aalliyah Francis are the athletes registered to compete in the 200m event, which gets underway on Friday.
Emerson Palmieri has completed a season-long loan switch from Chelsea to Lyon.
The Italian full-back moved to Stamford Bridge from Roma in January 2018 and has made 71 appearances for the Blues in total.
However, opportunities have proven scarce and Emerson, a part of the side that achieved Europa League glory in 2018-19, has played just 33 Premier League games for Chelsea.
Having helped Italy win Euro 2020 last month, Emerson has now opted for a fresh challenge in Ligue 1 for this campaign.
Lyon confirmed on their official website that an initial fee of €500,000 has been paid with a potential further €500,000 in bonuses, while a purchase option is included.
It has been a difficult start to the 2021-22 campaign for Lyon, who have taken one point from their first two Ligue 1 games and were beaten 3-0 by Angers on Sunday.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexander Lacazette, Willian and Alex Runarsson have all been absent due to coronavirus, Arsenal have confirmed.
Head coach Mikel Arteta explained Aubameyang and Lacazette were feeling unwell prior to the Gunners' lacklustre 2-0 defeat at new boys Brentford to begin their Premier League campaign last Friday.
It has now been confirmed the strike duo are part of a quartet who missed that game following a positive test for COVID-19, with each player at various stages of their recovery.
Aubameyang, who scored 10 goals in 29 Premier League outings last term, has now returned a negative result and could be in contention to feature against Chelsea on Sunday.
Willian's situation will be monitored ahead of the clash against his former club, but Lacazette and Runarsson have both been ruled out of the derby clash.
Arsenal also provided injury updates on Gabriel, Eddie Nketiah and Thomas Partey after being beaten by a newly promoted side in their opening league match of the season for the first time since 1976-77 against Bristol City.
Partey is expected to return to training at the end of August after sustaining an ankle injury in the pre-season friendly against Chelsea.
Nketiah, who suffered an ankle injury in the same game as his team-mate, will be back in training a couple of weeks later in September, while Gabriel is aiming to be back later this month.
Former hurdles star Edwin Moses believes he would have matched Karsten Warholm's world record time at the Tokyo Olympics had the same technology been available to him during his time on top.
One of the more remarkable moments of the 2020 Games was Warholm's victory in the men's 400 metre hurdles, the Norwegian knocking a huge 0.76 seconds off his record pace of 46.70s.
Warholm was not alone in setting a new Games best at this year's showpiece, with the United States' Sydney McLaughlin also doing so in the women's equivalent with a time of 51.46s.
That has prompted some concerns over the design of the Tokyo track, which is said to have given athletes a one to two per cent performance advantage compared to previous years.
The track technology, footwear and indeed training has come a long way since Moses dominated the men's 400m hurdles between 1977 and 1987 when winning 107 successive finals, during which time he set four world records in the sport.
And two-time Olympic gold medallist Moses, whose fastest time was clocked at 47.02s, has told Stats Perform that he could have held his own against today's crop if the playing field was level.
"I would like to think I could," he said. "When I ran 47.02 I had no competition, no one else was running under 49. It was very, very different," he said.
"I was reading an article recently about the track and technology and they built in a two per cent increase in performance.
"It changes things. It makes it very difficult to look back at Kevin Young or mine that had no assist. With tracks and shoes it becomes a statistically significant difference.
"If Kevin Young was running on that then he'd have had run 45.86, my 47.02 would have been a 46.08.
"I wish I had the opportunity to run on that track and to have that competition. I was way out in front of everyone else. The track has been programmed for speed. They've changed the paradigm."
This year's Olympic men's 400m hurdle final was labelled arguably the greatest ever, with USA's Rai Benjamin hot on Warholm's heels to win silver having also beat the previous world record.
Brazil's Alison dos Santos took the bronze medal with a time of 46.72s, meaning three of the top four fastest times ever posted in the event were set in Tokyo.
"I thought it was a very good race," Moses said. "Rai Benjamin made a couple of errors that probably cost him. Warholm made no mistakes. It always comes down to who makes the least.
"The race could have gone either way. Benjamin could have won by a metre.
"Not many races have come down to the wire like that, especially in a dramatic race like the hurdles. It was a great race, as was the women's."
Warholm may remain the world's best in his discipline, but Moses has tipped compatriot Benjamin to potentially set another world record time in the near future.
"It's possible," he said. "I think Rai could beat the world record this summer. He was still competitive even with those mistakes. Even second placed smashed the record."
Primoz Roglic retook the overall lead at the Vuelta a Espana, while Magnus Cort sealed victory in a tightly contested sixth stage.
Cort claimed a breakaway victory up the summit of Alto de la Montana de Cullera following a 158km route on Thursday.
EF Education-Nippo rider Cort finished just ahead of two-time defending champion Roglic, who could not quite catch the Dane up the 1.9km climb.
However, Roglic's efforts proved too much for Kenny Elissonde, who was dropped on the final ascent and had to relinquish La Roja to Slovenia's Olympic gold medallist.
Indeed, Elissonde fell out of the top 10 altogether, with another pre-race favourite – Colombian star Egan Bernal – rising to fifth in the general classification standings, 41 seconds behind Roglic.
Though Roglic's lead at the top of the GC is 25 seconds, the stage victory belonged to Cort.
"This one is special for me in a very different way. The stages I win are always in sprints and I'm very happy to show I can also do it in other terrains and finish off a breakaway like this today," he said.
"I knew we still had a chance. It's hard to know how big the gap is because they go fast in the bunch before a climb like that to get position.
"I could see we had a little gap. For me it was about getting as quickly as possible to the top. I hoped that none of my breakaway companions could stay in the wheel and I'd keep the bunch behind me. It was very close and I'm very happy that I kept Roglic just behind.
"I looked back with 150 metres to go and I could see him coming. I sprinted with everything I had and I luckily could keep him behind me."
STAGE RESULT
1. Magnus Cort (EF Education-Nippo) 3:30:53
2. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) same time
3. Andrea Bagioli (Deceuninck-QuickStep) +0:00:02
4. Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech) +0:00:04
5. Enric Mas (Movistar) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 21:04:09
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +0:25
3. Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Movistar) +0:36
Points Classification
1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 131
2. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) 130
3. Magnus Cort (EF Education-Nippo) 67
King of the Mountains
1. Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 10
2. Kenny Elissonde (Trek–Segafredo) 7
3. Joe Dombrowski (UAE Team Emirates) 6
What's next?
A 152km route from Gandia to the Balcon de Alicante takes La Vuelta into the mountains. There are six categorised climbs, including a category one summit finish. This is when Roglic, Alejandro Valverde, Bernal and the other favourites could really break clear.
Nick Kyrgios, John Isner and Reilly Opelka have been named by Team World captain John McEnroe as his final three picks for the Laver Cup.
The trio join Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Diego Schwartzman for the team event which runs from September 24-26 at TD Garden in Boston.
Laver Cup newcomer Opelka rose to a career-high world number 23 ranking en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Toronto and defeated world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will play for Bjorn Borg's Team Europe.
Isner, who has featured for Team World since the inaugural event in 2017, reached the semi-finals in Toronto and claimed his 16th ATP Tour title in Atlanta at the start of August.
He described the Laver Cup as "a highlight of my year", adding: "To be on a team with guys we're normally competing against is so different and so much fun. We come together so well as a group, the chemistry is awesome and it's such a great environment to be part of."
Australian firebrand Kyrgios is a striking inclusion in Team World's roster, while Team Europe will be without their big three: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Federer and Dominic Thiem were expected to take part in this year's event, though both were forced to withdraw with injuries.
However, Borg's men still boast six of the world's top 11. World number two Daniil Medvedev leads the line-up, with Tsitsipas and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Alexander Zverev for company.
Casper Ruud, who collected a 14th win in his last 15 completed matches on tour when he beat Opelka on Wednesday, will feature, while Andrey Rublev and Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini complete the six-man team.
Team Europe have landed the title in each of the three editions of the tournament so far, with Prague, Chicago and Geneva having served as hosts.
Seventeen-year-old Tina Clayton ran a personal best 11.09 to win the 100m at the 2021 World U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya this morning.
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