Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke's second-half goals gave Chelsea a 2-0 advantage over Servette in their Europa Conference League play-off tie.

The Blues put the disappointment of their Premier League defeat to Manchester City behind them, taking control of qualifying in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea made a slow start to the game, with Gael Ondoua causing an early scare for Filip Jorgensen from a tight angle, though the goalkeeper was equal to it.

The Blues then stepped up the pace after the break – Nkunku darted in behind Servette's defence before being taken out by Jeremy Frick, and he made no mistake with the resulting penalty, emphatically firing it into the back of the net.

Marc Guiu should have doubled their lead moments later, picking Frick's pocket outside the box, but the goalkeeper recovered brilliantly to race back and smother both attempts by the Spaniard, who should have done better.

Madueke then made sure of the win with 14 minutes left on the clock, latching onto Enzo Fernandez's throughball before rifling his shot over Frick and into the roof of the net. 

Jeremy Guillermenot should have halved the deficit in stoppage time but lifted his volley over the bar from point-blank range before Jorgensen denied him again with the last touch of the game.

Data Debrief: Blues up and running

Chelsea look like they are starting to gel in the final third, after struggling to do so in their opening league game.

They had seven shots on target out of 14, both more than they managed last Sunday, generating 1.87 expected goals, and had 56 final third entries.

There is still work to do at the back though, as they gave up 22 shots from the Swiss side, but Enzo Maresca will still take confidence from their clean sheet. 

John Herdman hopes a short break from action allowed Toronto FC an "emotional reset" and the chance to build chemistry ahead of Saturday's return to MLS play at the Houston Dynamo.

Toronto reached the first knockout stage of the Leagues Cup but were beaten 4-3 by Inter Miami in a thrilling tie on August 9, giving them over two weeks to prepare for their next game. 

With Toronto currently occupying a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, Herdman hopes they can use that match as a learning experience ahead of the run-in.

"We've had a good crack at it. Miami will always be some way around the finals," Herdman said, reflecting on the Reds' Leagues Cup run.

"It's a good lesson for us because if you want to make the playoffs, these are the teams you have to learn to beat.

"Now it's about work. We've had a chance to really bring this team together. It's a chance to build chemistry, to have an emotional reset ahead of the MLS playoff push, with some big games coming up."

Houston went out at the same stage, losing on penalties following a 2-2 draw with Toluca.

They also harbour postseason dreams, sitting sixth in the Western Conference but just one point clear of the play-in spots, and coach Ben Olsen is keen for them to kick on.

"We'll try to get better and continue to push the group," Olsen said. 

"Now we just have one tournament left, and hopefully it's all about doing what we can to put ourselves in a good spot towards the latter stages of the league."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Houston Dynamo – Ibrahim Aliyu

Aliyu has six goals and four assists for Houston in MLS this season, with his overall tally of 10 goal contributions two more than any of his team-mates have managed (Amine Bassi and Sebastian Ferreira have eight apiece).

Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi

Excluding own goals, 22 of the last 23 regular-season goals Toronto have scored dating back to late April have featured a goal contribution by at least one of the Italian trio of Federico Bernardeschi, Lorenzo Insigne or Raoul Petretta.

Bernardeschi has recorded more goal involvements (12, eight goals and four assists) and created more chances (54) than any other Toronto player this term. 

MATCH PREDICTION – HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN

This will be the first meeting between Toronto and the Dynamo in Houston since April 2018, with Saturday's hosts unbeaten in their last seven home matches against the Reds (two wins, five draws) dating back to 2011.

Houston have only lost four regular-season home matches since the start of the 2023 MLS season, the second-fewest in the league in that time (behind the Columbus Crew, two).

They are also unbeaten in their last six regular-season matches at Shell Energy Stadium (two wins, four draws), making them favourites to beat a Toronto team who have not won consecutive regular-season road games since July 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Houston Dynamo – 64.8%

Toronto FC – 16.3%

Draw – 18.9%

Steve Cooper insisted that keeping veteran striker Jamie Vardy fit throughout the season would be vital in confirming their Premier League status for another year. 

Vardy netted the Foxes' equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, scoring his ninth goal against Spurs and his 137th in the competition. 

While their talisman is coming to the end of his Leicester career and is the oldest player in the squad by five years, Cooper said his influence on the side is crucial. 

"Jamie doesn’t need any special words from me on his capabilities and impact he can have and the talent he has around the box," Cooper said. 

"Keeping him fresh for games is going to be important. He is an older player now at his age. As they get older, they understand their bodies well and know what is needed to prepare for games.

"It is important we work with him collaboratively to get him ready for games. He really enjoys the games and what it takes to get ready for games, and we have to respect that."

Fulham started the new season by falling to a late defeat at the hands of Manchester United, with new signing Joshua Zirkzee striking late for the hosts. 

It marked the Cottagers' first defeat starting a season away from home since the 2008-09 campaign, but there were positives to take for head coach Marco Silva.

Fulham registered 10 shots, with only two on target, as Silva recognised that his players must take a more precautionary approach to their first home game. 

"When I see our players with some free kicks, trying to rush all the decisions, even with the players on the grass trying to do it quickly, we should have much more balance in decisions, to have longer moments in possession," Silva said.  

"Because the pressure from Man United at that moment was not there any more. We should have longer possession to create the moments, but we started to lose the ball too quickly. 

"And then at the last minute, they scored in one moment that the game was completely broken."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Andreas Pereira

Despite losing their opening game against Manchester United, Andreas Pereira put on a strong showing against his former employers.

Pereira created more chances than any other Premier League player in the opening round of fixtures (six), while also playing the most passes into the final third (16) than any other Fulham player last Friday.

It’s the 19th time on record a Fulham player has created six or more chances in a top-flight match, with the Brazilian responsible for seven of those.

Leicester – Abdul Fatawu

Leicester enjoyed a much better result upon their return to the Premier League, with one of the standout figures from their Championship success, Abdul Fatawu, starring for the Foxes.

No Premier League player won more duels on matchday one than Fatawu (13), while he also led all Foxes players in successful dribbles (three), possession won (eight) and tackles (six).

MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN

Fulham will be hoping to return to winning ways on home soil. They have only started a season with consecutive defeats in just two of their 17 previous Premier League campaigns (2018-19 and 2020-21).

The Cottagers won both Premier League meetings with Leicester the last time the sides met in 2022-23, last winning three consecutive league games against the Foxes between 1966 and 1967.

However, Fulham haven’t won their first home match in any of their last five Premier League campaigns (D1 L4), since a 5-0 win against Norwich City in 2012-13.

For Leicester, they will be looking to carry their away form from the Championship into the Premier League.

No side in the top four tiers of English football won more away league games than Leicester last season (14). The Foxes won each of their first seven away games in the Championship last term, winning the same amount in their final 16 on the road (D3 L6).

Foxes boss Cooper, however, has lost six of his seven meetings with Fulham in all competitions, though his one and only success did come at Craven Cottage (1-0 in April 2022). He’s lost all three Premier League games against the Cottagers by an aggregate score of 10-2.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 51.5%

Draw – 24.3%

Leicester – 24.1%

Brentford have confirmed the arrival of centre-back Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool, in a deal worth an initial £20million.

Van den Berg joined Liverpool from PEC Zwolle as a 17-year-old but never made a Premier League appearance for the Reds, his four outings for the club coming in cup competitions.

He has enjoyed loan spells at Preston North End, Schalke and Mainz in the last four seasons, but was always deemed likely to pursue a permanent move this year, with Virgil van Djik, Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah ahead of him in the pecking order.

Brentford – who also signed attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho from Liverpool earlier this month – have now won the race for his signature, reportedly seeing off competition from Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

The Bees will pay an initial £20m for the Dutchman, with that fee potentially rising to £25m and Liverpool holding a 17.5% sell-on clause.

Boss Thomas Frank told the club's website of the deal: "I think this is a great signing for the club and the team.

"Sepp is a centre-back with a good level and he has the potential to develop even further.

"He fits our culture and the way we want to play: he is quick, he reads the game well and is composed on the ball in the build-up and in the decisive defending actions.

"Sepp is a great character, and I am convinced that he will fit in well with the group and help us to push forward."

Van den Berg's Brentford debut could come against his former club on Sunday, as Brentford visit Anfield for their second game of the Premier League season.

President of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), Keith Wellington, says the move to tighten rules that govern the transfer of students-athletes from overseas to Jamaican schools was done in the interest of encouraging schools to invest more in fostering local talent.

While aware that the onus is on the schools to decide how they expend limited resources, Wellington believes the amendments to the rules will serve as a push for those resources to be channeled toward developing Jamaica’s student-athletes.

ISSA, in a release on Tuesday, announced that foreign students with no family ties to Jamaica or whose families are not in the island as part of the diplomatic corps or United Nations convention will have to sit out a year, regardless of their ages. This means that students coming from secondary schools abroad are now subjected to the waiting period and will also now be regarded as members of the school's quota for each sport.

“If they started high school outside of Jamaica and come to Jamaica now, they are going to all be counted as quota players. Previously, it would have been that they had to be 16 or over to be regarded as quota players, but now they are,” Wellington told SportsMax.Tv during the ISSA Schoolboy football season’s launch at Stadium East on Wednesday.

That said, Wellington explained that overseas students who meet ISSA's eligibility criteria for Sixth Form Studies and are enrolled in Sixth Form at a member school will not be required to wait out a year but will still be deemed a member of the school's quota.

While the amendment, which is set to take effect on September 1, 2024, will impact those schools that rely on overseas students to bolster their respective sport programmes, particularly football and track and field, as students enrolled for the new academic year beginning in September will be affected.

Wellington stressed that the decision arrived at by various principals was necessary for the development of Jamaica’s student-athletes and the country, as there has been an explosion of overseas athletes coming to the island, some from as far as Africa.

“Part of our responsibility as principals is to develop our nation's children. We have to focus on ensuring that they benefit from what the schools have to offer, and so we feel that there comes a time when we have to ensure that the resources—the limited resources that many of our schools have—must be properly channeled toward what our objectives are,” Wellington shared.

“And so what we have done is to not prevent persons from coming to Jamaica to study or to participate in our activities, but to put a cap and a restriction on how many can go to one particular school. That way, we don't have one school spending an inordinate proportion of their resources on non-Jamaicans who have no obligation to contribute to Jamaica's development, whether directly in sports or through whatever aspect of life. So, as principals, that is why we arrived at that decision,” he added.

Erik ten Hag has warned Manchester United players that they will not be guaranteed a place in every matchday squad.

The Red Devils have already made four signings this transfer window, bringing in Joshua Zirkzee, Lenny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, while there are still reports that more business could be done.

Jadon Sancho, who has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, was not involved in United's opening-day 1-0 win over Fulham last week due to an ear infection.

The 24-year-old is back at the club after a successful loan spell at Borussia Dortmund during the second half of last season. He created the fourth-most chances of any Dortmund player in the Bundesliga (25), and scored two goals, while also registering two assists.

However, Ten Hag says that with more options at his disposal this season, there is a chance that some high-profile names, like Sancho, may be on the sidelines.

"We will see [if Sancho is involved against Brighton]," Ten Hag said. "We have a squad, and I hope we will have a squad with double positioning.

"You need them all throughout the season because it is survival of the fittest.

"We have to manage it, the attitude of the players is very important, sometimes they will be disappointed they are not in the starting XI, but they have to deal with it, you win as a squad.

"The prizes are decided next May and until then we need all the players in the squad highly motivated. That is not an expectation, that is a demand on the squad. The team is always more important than any individual."

United are also reportedly close to agreeing a deal for Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte to bolster their midfield options.

While Ten Hag did not confirm their approach for the Uruguayan, he did express his appreciation for the business already done by the club.

"They're showing we're going in the right direction," he added.

"We know as a club we have to catch up, but it shows our ambition, the way we want to go. We have done good business, very good players, quality players who will contribute to our squad and the quality of our squad."

United will face Brighton in their first away match of the Premier League season on Saturday. 

Seattle Sounders midfielder Joao Paolo insists every game matters and wants his team-mates to prove that against Minnesota United.

The Sounders return to MLS action on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Los Angeles FC in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal but will meet them again in the US Open Cup semifinal next week.

Seattle sit seventh in the tightly contested Western Conference, and Paulo has warned against the danger of looking past their test against Minnesota and focusing on the wrong game.

"We need to make a good game this weekend against Minnesota," he said.

"We need to try to build some momentum again and go in strong for the last few games. I think it's a good test for us ahead of next week [US Open Cup semi-final].

"The most important game is the next one, so we need to go in with that mentality."

Meanwhile, Minnesota sit four points below Saturday's opponents in ninth in the table.

They suffered disappointment in the Leagues Cup, bowing out in the group stage having lost their opener 2-0 to Seattle.

Minnesota suffered a dip in form prior to the break, but new signing Kelvin Yeboah says he buys into the club's promise.

"The project intrigued me, and speaking to the coach drew me to the club," Yeboah said.

"I made this decision based on the club's project and on the league, it's all growing, and that's what intrigued me."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Minnesota United – Robin Lod

Robin Lod has been involved in a career-high 17 regular-season goals in 2024 (six goals, 11 assists).

Only Darwin Quintero (26) in 2018 and Emanuel Reynoso (21) in 2022 have been involved in more in a single regular season in Minnesota's MLS history.

Seattle Sounders – Jordan Morris

Jordan Morris has scored a team-high nine regular-season goals for the Sounders in 2024.

With another goal, the American would become the ninth player in MLS history, and the first for Seattle, to have five double-digit scoring seasons with a single team.

MATCH PREDICTION: SEATTLE SOUNDERS WIN

Minnesota have won only one of 16 all-time meetings with the Sounders in all competitions (two draws, 13 losses). All three matches in which the Loons avoided defeat against Seattle came at home, including a 1-1 draw at Allianz Field last August.

The Sounders have won 10 of their 12 matches in all competitions dating back to late June. Both defeats in that time were 3-0 home losses to Los Angeles FC.

Meanwhile, Minnesota have won their last two home matches in all competitions, recording a 2-0 league win over San Jose Earthquakes before defeating Necaxa, 1-0, in the Leagues Cup. This is the first time the Loons have kept clean sheets in two straight home matches since a run of three straight in August-September 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Minnesota United – 34.2%

Draw – 25.8%

Seattle Sounders – 40%

Adidas has announced the launch of its new Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) LFSTLR capsule collection paying homage to Jamaica’s historic 1998 FIFA World Cup team.

LFSTLR blurs the lines between football performance and streetwear culture, re-defining what it means to represent your team away from the terraces.

The collection is designed for all fashion-conscious fans who live and breathe football as much as they value their own individual style.

The heart of the collection is the LFSTLR jersey. A tribute to early 90s football, all the retro details are there.

The jersey boasts a unique blend of dull shiny trefoil engineered fabric, classic puff transfer prints, and refined flat knit cuff details.

This fashion-forward design is complemented by a polo collar, which was a stand-out design feature from the matchday jerseys worn by Jamaica's historic FIFA World Cup 1998 squad.

The full collection also features a supporting capsule of tracksuit, tee-shirt and shorts based on the iconic Adidas Originals Rekive silhouette.

With its vibrant combination of the unmistakable black, green and yellow of Jamaica, the collection’s colour arrangement is inspired by the heroics of the 1988 Jamaican bobsleigh team.

The iconic trefoil logo, rendered in white, stands out against the nation's colours. The collection's launch coincides with the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival, celebrating the rich cultural heritage and vibrant spirit of the Jamaican community in London.

Reflecting the link between football and the island’s distinctive musical flavour, Jamaican dancehall star, Shenseea joins the collections launch campaign in a series of exclusive shots.

The adidas Jamaica LFSTLR collection is available from Thursday from adidas.com and selected adidas stores and retailers.

Russell Martin is excited about leading Southampton out for their first home game of the season when they welcome Nottingham Forest to St. Mary's on Saturday. 

Martin, who made 125 appearances in the Premier League as a player, managed his first top flight fixture last weekend in the Saints' 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United. 

Southampton's last Premier League encounter on home soil saw them share the spoils in an eight-goal thriller against Liverpool, and Martin is hoping for another memorable occasion when Forest visit the South Coast. 

"It's going to be really exciting for us. Last time we were there was West Brom in the semi-finals of the playoffs - it was incredible," Martin said. 

"The atmosphere was one of best I’ve heard so if we can get anywhere near that, that would be amazing.

"It is just reward for fans after last season and support they showed, the connection between them and the team, I hope everyone can enjoy it."

Meanwhile, Forest laid solid foundations to build from after their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth last weekend, a game that was overshadowed by Danilo's horrific injury. 

Despite their impressive recent record against newly promoted sides, Nuno Espirito Santo acknowledged the difficulty of the task that awaits his side on Saturday. 

"Playing the champions Manchester City is equally as difficult as Southampton because the level is very high [in the Premier League]," he said. 

Forest confirmed the arrival of Aston Villa defender Alex Moreno on Wednesday, while they have also been linked with a move for Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah. 

"Anything can happen in a transfer window, right to the last day. I always say it is more important to keep the players here," Espirito Santo said on more potential arrivals

"Every club will try and add to their squad right to the deadline. At Forest it will be the same. We have to be ready to react."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southampton – Ben Brereton Diaz

After being welcomed back into the Premier League with a warm embrace from the Newcastle faithful last week, Ben Brereton Diaz can look forward to a home debut at St. Mary’s. 

Brereton Diaz faces the side he made 57 appearances for at the start of his professional career and will be hoping to end his winless run in English football’s top flight.  

The Chilean is yet to end up on the winning side in a Premier League match in 15 attempts (D4 11), with only Marvin Sordell (17 games) and Emanuel Villa (16) having played more without featuring in a victory.

Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood

After scoring 14 Premier League goals in 31 appearances last campaign, Chris Wood got his tally up and running for the new season with his strike against Bournemouth last Saturday.

His 23rd minute effort was the 70th goal he has scored in the competition, taking him ahead of former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and level with Manchester United great, Eric Cantona.

However, the 32-year-old has never scored in both of a side’s first two games in a league season, although he has netted three times in 11 appearances against the Saints in the past.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Southampton can take the positives from their opening day defeat to Newcastle, boasting 77.8% possession, albeit against 10 men, which was their second highest on record (since 2003-04) in a single match in the competition (78.1% v Aston Villa in December 2013).

But the Saints have struggled against the Reds on home soil, with both their Premier League victories coming in away games and are winless in games at the Dell and St. Mary’s (D2 L2).

Southampton have also won just two of their last 21 Premier League home games (D5 L14), keeping just one clean sheet at St. Mary’s in that run (1-0 v Leicester in March 2023).

Forest’s six away games without defeat against Southampton in the Premier League is the most they’ve faced a side on the road without losing in the competition, and the joint most the Saints have faced a side at home without ever winning (also six v Brighton).

The Reds have won their last two Premier League games against promoted sides, beating both Sheffield United and Burnley in May. They’d only won one of their previous 19 such matches in the competition before this (D12 L6).

They also triumphed in their last two top flight away games of 2023-24, winning against the Blades 3-1 and Burnley 2-1. They last won more consecutive top-flight away games between March and April 1995 (a run of four).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Southampton – 39.3%

Draw – 26.3%

Nottingham Forest – 34.4%

Paris Saint-Germain will not rush into the transfer market even after losing striker Goncalo Ramos to injury, head coach Luis Enrique pledged on Thursday.

Ramos injured his ankle in last week's 4-1 win at Le Havre and is expected to be out for up to three months in a major blow to the French champions, who were already believed to be in the market for attacking reinforcements after losing Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid.

Luis Enrique, however, says PSG will not be pressured into paying over the odds for any player, with Ousmane Dembele, Lee Kang-in, Randal Kolo Muani and Bradley Barcola now the forward options at his disposal.

"It's a shame, it's always sad when you lose a player, but it doesn't change anything," Luis Enrique told reporters ahead of Friday's clash with Montpellier.

"We have a very good team, I have great confidence in all the players who make up my squad.

"We already have a team here which won the league, so we are observing the transfer window and we will see if a player comes up at a normal price. If it is a silly price, we won't. We are not in a rush."

The former Spain boss then explained how PSG face unique difficulties in the market, adding: "When a big team like Paris Saint-Germain has to buy a washing machine, instead of €4 it costs €400, and then the washing machine has to work like a washing machine that costs €400, but it only cost €4.

"But we have already worked well last year with magnificent arrivals and this year I already have a team that has improved in all areas.

"So we have no emergency, I repeat, no emergency, but I repeat, we are always attentive and likely to improve things at the same time."

Luis Enrique expects a difficult test against Montpellier on Friday, despite the Ligue 1 champions beating the same opponents 3-0 and 6-2 last season.

"It's difficult because it's the beginning of the season, there is no team that is 100% yet," he said.

"But we have a lot of hope, we are very motivated, tomorrow's match means getting back in touch with our supporters and we hope to win at the end and for the fans to have a good time, that's our goal." 

Nick Cushing maintains 'sky-high' levels of belief in his New York City squad as they look to bounce back from their Leagues Cup disappointment against the Chicago Fire.

NYCFC reached the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup, only to suffer a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to the Columbus Crew last week.

They resume their MLS campaign in a strong position, though, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and holding an eight-point cushion to the play-in spots.

Cushing does not expect City's Leagues Cup exit to affect them in the run-in, saying: "I said at the start of the season, when we started slowly, that my confidence in the group is sky-high and always has been.

"We fell below our standards last season, but I said then that tough times make top teams.

"If you have guys with a work ethic as high as ours is, you'll learn from your experiences. I have sky-high belief in this group of guys.

"This team has the capability, but it's about how you move forward, it's about the character to take the knocks and move forward."

Chicago, on the other hand, resume their campaign in 14th place, though the congested nature of the Eastern standings means they are only three points off a play-in place.

Head coach Frank Klopas has been grateful for the chance to work with his players on the training ground, with their own Leagues Cup campaign ending in the group stage three weeks ago.

"Putting all pressure and expectations aside, I think we need to be prepared, which we are, and this break has given us an opportunity to really work on that and also the little details," Klopas said. 

"I think we need to go and play the game, not to overthink things, and be focused and organised without the ball."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City – Santiago Rodriguez 

Thirteen (seven goals, six assists) of Rodriguez's 16 regular-season goal contributions for New York City in 2024 have come at home. 

Rodriguez has been involved in seven goals in his last five home league matches (three goals, four assists).

Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers 

Cuypers has recorded a team-high 11 goal contributions in regular-season play for the Fire this year (nine goals, two assists). 

The only player since 2021 with more than 11 goal contributions in a season for Chicago was Xherdan Shaqiri (18) in 2022.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK CITY WIN

New York City have won eight straight regular-season matches against Chicago, tied for the second-longest active home winning streak by one team over another in MLS.

It is also NYCFC's longest home winning run against a particular team in MLS, though they have drawn six of their last eight games in all competitions (one win, one loss).

However, a Chicago team that has lost their last three games in all competitions should not present much of a threat. This is the Fire's 10th losing streak of three or more matches since the start of the 2020 season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 61%

Chicago Fire – 18.5%

Draw – 20.5%

Dean Smith is solely focused on pushing for a playoff place as Charlotte FC prepare to return to MLS action against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Charlotte endured a disappointing Leagues Cup campaign as they finished bottom of a group containing the Philadelphia Union and Cruz Azul, recording one draw and one defeat.

That early exit gave former Aston Villa boss Smith three weeks to work with his players ahead of MLS' return this weekend, with Charlotte currently sixth in the Eastern Conference, some 10 points clear of the teams outside the playoff picture. 

"In the two or three weeks since the exit from the Leagues Cup, we've been solely focused on a playoff push, on getting our mindset right for what it's going to take," Smith said.

"The players have responded really well. We've had some days off when they've needed them, but our focus now is on New York, and then on Atlanta.

"We can take a lot of confidence from what we did in our last three games, all tough away from home, and we came away with five points. We'll take the positives from that."

The Red Bulls also went out of the Leagues Cup early, drawing both of their group matches with Toronto FC and Pachuca before losing penalty shoot-outs to both.

They are four points clear of Charlotte in the standings, but boss Sandro Schwarz feels they needed the time off.

"First of all, we needed to take a break, it was important for us. We played every week at the highest intensity, working since the middle of January without a break," Schwarz said.

"At this point it's good to have the break, then we have clear preparations for how we want to start in Charlotte."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charlotte FC – Ben Bender 

Bender has scored four goals in five career matches against the Red Bulls. No Charlotte player has scored more goals against a single opponent than Bender has against New York.

New York Red Bulls – Elias Manoel 

Manoel has scored six goals in five career matches against Charlotte (including playoffs) while scoring more than once against just one other opponent (two versus D.C. United). 

In fact, Manoel has scored just seven goals in 57 MLS matches against teams other than Charlotte.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHARLOTTE FC WIN

The Red Bulls have only lost one of their seven games against Charlotte in all competitions (four wins, two draws) but have never defeated the Crown on the road (one draw, one loss).

Saturday's visitors are unbeaten in 10 straight matches (two wins, eight draws), though both of their Leagues Cup matches were draws followed by penalty shoot-out defeats. On the road, they are winless in six (three draws, three defeats).

Charlotte, meanwhile, have kept nine clean sheets in their last 14 regular-season home games dating back to last October, the most in MLS during that time. That solidity could get them over the line here.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Charlotte FC – 41.7%

New York Red Bulls – 31.6%

Draw – 26.7%

Fiorentina have left winger Nico Gonzalez out of their squad for Thursday's Europa Conference League clash with Puskas Akademia amid suggestions he is close to joining Juventus.

Gonzalez is reportedly a top target for new Juve head coach Thiago Motta, with the Bianconeri expected to sell Federico Chiesa and bring in another wide player.

The Argentina international joined Fiorentina in 2021 and has become one of their foremost attacking threats, contributing 12 goals and two assists in 29 league appearances last term.

However, he was left out by new boss Raffaele Palladino as Fiorentina started their Serie A campaign with a 1-1 draw at Parma last week.

He will also play no part when they host Hungarian side Puskas Akademia at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in the first leg of their play-off tie.

La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported Juventus submitted an improved bid of €32million for Gonzalez on Wednesday, with the 26-year-old believed to be keen on the move.

With the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) schoolboy football competitions serving as a feeder for the country's youth programmes, President Keith Wellington believes it is only fair that the schools' efforts are recognised when their respective players are called up for national duties.

Wellington's aired his grievances, as he is of the view that when Manning and daCosta Cup players are mentioned for national duties, they are recognised by their club affiliation and not necessarily by the schools they represent. 

As such, he called on the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to be mindful of this and, by extension, to show the schools and ISSA more respect for their contributions in nurturing and developing these young talents.

“It would be nice when our national youth teams are named; you recognise the schools that these young men come from because we invest so much in them,” Wellington said during the schoolboy football competitions launch at the Stadium East on Wednesday.

“No disrespect to Mr [Rudolph] Speid and other club owners but when a young man turns up to attend national training, the first place he goes is to his coach or principal to say ‘Sir, I don’t have a boots’ or ‘I need fair to go to camp.’

“So give us a little respect and at least say that this boy played for Clarendon College or Mona High in the ISSA competitions because the truth is, without it, as bad Jamaica’s football is now, it would be worse. I’m asking our partners, the JFF, to give us some credit,” he added.

Wellington also urged the Michael Ricketts-led JFF to do their part in assisting ISSA to improve the schoolboy football product.

“Help our competitions be better. Train more referees so we don’t have to take our kids out of school on a Monday to play a match because we have to be spreading the games over five or six days of the week — focus on that,” a seemingly peeved Wellington stated.

ISSA President Keith Wellington accepts a symbolic cheque from Restaurants of Jamaica's brand manager, Andrei Roper.

That said, the ISSA boss has high hopes that this season, scheduled to kick off on September 7, will surpass expectations, as he hinted at some improvements to come.

"I think that if we are to grow the product, we have to look at innovative ways each year of changing the landscape, especially where support is concerned, not just from sponsors but from the public. The monopoly doesn't work in today's world, and so we have to look at what we can do differently to ensure that people remain interested in the sport, not just to play it but to participate as spectators and so on," Wellington shared.

"And so every year we try and do things differently. We will be doing some things differently that weren't announced today, but I'm sure if you visit our social media pages over the next few days, you'll see a difference. We know that the biggest entertainment from football in Jamaica comes from schoolboy football. The involvement of my students in particular, not just as players, but the school. There's just a different atmosphere during the first term of school, and so we look forward to that term when kids really enjoy being at school because of all the hype around the sport, and we expect to see some improvements," he noted.

The Manning and daCosta Cup competitions are set to kick off at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall as Mona High and Clarendon College begin the defence of their respective titles. Jamaica College, McGrath High, and Glenmuir High are holders of the Walker Cup, Ben Francis Cup, and Champions Cup knockout titles.

A total of 86 schools—12 more than last year—will contest the rural area daCosta Cup, while 40 schools will lock horns for supremacy in the urban area Manning Cup. 

Though the format of the daCosta Cup, Champions Cup, Ben Francis Cup, and Walker Cup remains the same, the Manning Cup, unlike last year, which saw the second round being contested in a round of 32 format, will now be contested as a round of 16. 

This means that the top two from each of seven groups, plus the two best third-placed teams, will be placed in four groups of four teams, with teams playing each other once, after which the top two from each group will progress to the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, main sponsors SportsMax, Digicel, KFC and Wisynco, all expressed delight at being back on board and promised to do their part to ensure the season lives up to its billing. 

Other sponsors include Powerade, Tru Shake, Pringles, Soccer Xpress, Kirk-FP Limited, and Main Event.

The Manning and daCosta Cup competitions can be seen live on SportsMax, SportsMax App and SportsMax YouTube channel.

Pep Guardiola acknowledged that his Manchester City players must improve on their opening day showing as they welcome Ipswich Town to the Etihad on Saturday. 

City kickstarted their Premier League title defence with a 2-0 win against Chelsea, but Guardiola was left wanting more from his squad 

Despite having more shots and shots on target, the Citizens underperformed their expected goals (xG) total by 1.23, something the Spaniard said surprised him. 

"I didn't expect it. We are away from our best so three points is the good news. The bad news is we have 65 games ahead of us," Guardiola said. 

"We have an advantage, it's our ninth season together so we know each other well.

"There is a plan, defensive, offensive. But afterwards, it's how we celebrate the good moments and come back from the bad moments.

"That's what defines these teams and no one talks about it."

Meanwhile, Ipswich marked their return to the Premier League with a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, although the result did not tell the full story of the contest at Portman Road.

The Tractor Boys restricted Arne Slot's side to just three shots in the first half, none of which were on target, while also registering two shots on Alisson's goal of their own. 

But the Reds' quality shone through after the break, with goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah securing an opening day win for their new manager. 

And Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna insisted that lessons will be learned from their second half showing, with the result a solid foundation to build on moving forward. 

“We know we can improve in the second half. Liverpool really hit their stride during that period and there’s bits we can do better there to make the game more competitive," McKenna said. 

“There’s positives to take and lessons to learn, and I think it’s a game that stands us in pretty good stead.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Man City – Erling Haaland

Having opened his account for the season against Chelsea last weekend, Erling Haaland will be licking his lips when Ipswich visit the Etihad on Saturday.

Haaland has scored at least once against all 22 sides he has faced since his move from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. 

The Norwegian has also netted 13 goals in nine appearances during August in the competition, more than he’s struck in any other month.

Ipswich – Omari Hutchinson

While the Tractors Boys face the daunting task of visiting the reigning champions, they showed signs of promise in their first half performance against Liverpool, none more so than Omari Hutchinson.

Hutchinson registered an expected goals (xG) of 0.27 to Ipswich’s 0.45 total, producing the most shots (three) and winning possession on more occasions (six) than any other Ipswich player against the Reds.

MATCH PREDICTION: MAN CITY WIN

City are the overwhelming favourites to continue their unbeaten start to the season, winning 81.6% of Opta’s data-led simulations, with Ipswich given a 7.3% chance of causing a monumental upset.

Guardiola’s side have won 17 of their last 18 Premier League games against promoted sides (D1) since a 2-1 home loss to Leeds in April 2021.

They are also unbeaten in their last 44 home games in all competitions (W37 D7) since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in November 2022. It’s the eighth longest such run among English top-flight clubs in history, and the longest since Chelsea’s run of 74 between February 2006 and October 2008.

This will be Ipswich’s first ever meeting with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium after winning their last two visits to Maine Road, triumphing in a Premier League game 3-2 in November 2000 and a League Cup tie 2-1 the following month.

However, Ipswich haven’t scored in any of their last seven away league games against the reigning top-flight champions (D1 L6), losing the last three by an aggregate score of 15-0. They last scored in such a game in April 1984 (2-2 v Liverpool), while their last such victory was in October 1981 (1-0 v Aston Villa).

Should the Tractor Boys lose at the Etihad, it will be the first time since the 2006-07 Championship season that they have started a league campaign with two straight defeats, last doing so in the top flight in 1985-86.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester City – 81.6%

Draw – 11.1%

Ipswich – 7.3%