Karim Benzema will remain a Real Madrid player through to the end of the 2022-23 season after the talisman agreed a one-year extension to his contract.
The Spanish capital giants continue to be linked with moves for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, but they have ensured Benzema will be around to help any new arrivals settle.
A fresh deal for the 33-year-old was announced on Friday as the France striker pledged his allegiance again to the cause he joined in 2009 after beginning his career at Lyon.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti saw Benzema prove his value to the team with two goals in the 4-1 season-opening LaLiga win at Deportivo Alaves on Saturday.
This season more than ever it appears Benzema will have a crucial role to play, given his seniority and profile at the club. Marcelo has been appointed as captain following the departure of Sergio Ramos, but there is little doubt Benzema will also be expected to show leadership.
With Marcelo absent for the Alaves game, it was Benzema who skippered the team, spearheading the attack as Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard supported from the flanks.
The value of Benzema to Madrid has long been obvious, but since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure to Juventus in July 2018 his goals and forward play have become ever more important.
In the period since record scorer Ronaldo moved on, Benzema has scored 89 goals in 148 games for Madrid, surpassing an expected goals score of 79.88. Only four players from Europe's top five leagues have scored more in that time: Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Ronaldo.
Excluding penalties from the equation, Benzema has netted more times than Ronaldo, scoring 80 to his former team-mate's haul of 72 for Juve.
Only Bayern Munich's Lewandowski (33 goals) has scored more headers than Benzema's 23 in the same period. Messi, who left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain this month, is the only player to have hit the woodwork more often: 33 times to Benzema's 26.
Karim Benzema will remain a Real Madrid player through to the end of the 2022-23 season after the talisman agreed a one-year extension to his contract.
The Spanish capital giants continue to be linked with moves for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, but they have ensured Benzema will be around to help any new arrivals settle.
A fresh deal for the 33-year-old was announced on Friday as the France striker pledged his allegiance again to the cause he joined in 2009 after beginning his career at Lyon.
The 2021-22 Serie A campaign commences on Saturday following a busy close season that saw more than half of the 20 teams change head coach.
Antonio Conte departed Inter after guiding the club to their first Scudetto in more than a decade, with Simone Inzaghi being plucked from Lazio, who in turn turned to Maurizio Sarri.
Sarri's former club Juventus decided to end the Andrea Pirlo experiment after just a year and opted for a familiar face in six-time title winner Massimiliano Allegri as his replacement.
Luciano Spalletti is back in Serie A with Napoli, meanwhile, and Jose Mourinho has returned to Italy with Roma some 11 years on from his hugely successful stint with Inter.
There will be just as much focus on the dugouts as the field when the new season gets up and running this weekend, then, and some coaches are facing a tougher challenge than others.
Stats Perform looks at what the managerial changes could mean for some of Serie A's biggest clubs.
Inter
In: Simone Inzaghi
Out: Antonio Conte
Conte will go down in Inter folklore as the man who ended the club's 11-year wait to return to the top of Italian football.
In an ideal world, one in which the Nerazzurri were not in a position whereby they had to sell star players to balance the books, Conte would still be in charge at San Siro.
As it is, though, Inzaghi will be at the helm this coming season and is in a rather unenviable position of having to pick up where Conte left off, minus the goals of Romelu Lukaku.
Inzaghi has his own vision but does not differ too much from Conte in terms of tactics, both coaches favouring a 3-5-2 formation of sorts throughout their careers.
Moving the ball forward quickly will be the aim, with Milan (90) the only side in Serie A last term to register more direct attacks than Inzaghi's former side Lazio (89). By comparison, Inter were third on that list with 80.
While the structure will remain largely the same, losing Lukaku and influential wing-back Achraf Hakimi – albeit with Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries arriving – means Inzaghi will need to get more out of others if Inter are to retain their crown.
Lazio
In: Maurizio Sarri
Out: Simone Inzaghi
The man tasked with replacing Inzaghi at Lazio is Sarri, who endured mixed fortunes during his most recent two stints in Serie A with Napoli and Juventus.
Having come so close to ending Juve's stranglehold on the title in 2017-18 while at Napoli, the 62-year-old won the Europa League in his solitary season at Chelsea and was then given just 14 months at the Allianz Stadium.
His stint in Turin came to an early end despite leading Juve to top spot, his style of play – coined 'Sarriball' – deemed too distant from what Juventus typically expect from a head coach (more on that later!).
At the Stadio Olimpico, Sarri will have more freedom to put his spin on things as he looks to build or improve upon last season's sixth-placed finish. A back four, rather than the three-man defence Inzaghi favoured, can be expected.
Sarri teams are known for their verticality, meaning they like to move the ball forwards. Lazio, as already touched upon, are a good fit in that regard.
They ranked lowest in the top eight last season for build-up attacks (83), which is defined as the number of open play sequences that contain 10 or more passes and either ends in a shot or has at least one touch in the opposition box.
The big question, though, is whether Sarri has the personnel to turn Lazio into top-four regulars in the same way he did at Napoli. With Immobile taking on the Gonzalo Higuain role up top, it might just be a possibility.
Juventus
In: Massimiliano Allegri
Out: Andrea Pirlo
While a lot of clubs mentioned are entering the unknown with their managerial appointments, Juve know exactly what they are getting in Allegri.
The 54-year-old guided Juve to five straight Serie A titles and two Champions League finals between 2014 and 2019, having also previously lifted the Scudetto at Milan.
Only one coach in the Bianconeri's history, Giovanni Trapattoni, has overseen more league games than Allegri's 190, while Juve's two highest-scoring seasons dating back as far as 1930 have both come under the stewardship of the returning favourite.
This Juve side has changed since Allegri's first stint, though, and it may take him time to make this team his own again following the aforementioned reigns of Sarri and Pirlo.
Whereas Sarri and Pirlo were a little complex with their tactics and what they expected from players, Allegri will take a different approach. That is not to say Juve will not be able to chop and change things under Allegri, as they did in his previous spell.
One aspect that will surely differ from last season is the number of goals Juve score. They found the net an underwhelming 56 times from open play last season from an expected goals return (xG) of 54.3.
By comparison, champions Inter scored 65 open play goals from a near identical xG as Juve of 54.6. With the prolific Cristiano Ronaldo set to stay at the club for at least one more season, there is hope of reclaiming the title this time around.
Roma
In: Jose Mourinho
Out: Paulo Fonseca
The highest-profile of the incoming coaches in Serie A this season, Mourinho arrives with his 'Special One' status still intact in Italy thanks to his success at Inter a little over a decade ago.
Mourinho won as many league titles in two seasons at San Siro (two) as he has in the 11 years since (one), while also lifting the second of his Champions League crowns, the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana during that trophy-laden stay.
The Portuguese won 62 per cent of his matches at Inter but that win rate has steadily declined and he won just 51.2 per cent of his games with Tottenham, leaving the club in April after just 17 months in charge.
Mourinho's sides were so often hard to beat, but Spurs lost 13 times in 2020-21 under him, making it his worst ever season in that regard and he did not even see it all the way through.
But could his career take a turn in the right direction in Rome? Mourinho's tactics have remained largely consistent throughout his career, no matter the club or country he is coaching in.
The back three largely favoured by Paulo Fonseca will become a back four and there will be particular emphasis on Bryan Cristante, a typical Mourinho player in many ways, to shield the defence and get the ball forward.
The addition of Tammy Abraham from Chelsea is clearly a Mourinho signing, helping the fill the void left by Edin Dzeko, but Mou's pragmatic approach is surely a concern for a Roma side that looked better offensively than defensively last season.
Finding the correct balance will be key, and that ultimately depends on whether Roma have hired the pre-2015 Mourinho or post.
Napoli
In: Luciano Spalletti
Out: Gennaro Gattuso
With spells at seven different Italian clubs under his belt, including two years at Inter, Spalletti certainly does not lack of experience. After two years out of the game, however, the 62-year-old has to quickly prove he is not yesterday's man.
Spalletti made clear when he took over from Gennaro Gattuso that he will look to operate with a 4-3-3, though on the basis of pre-season it may well be a more familiar 4-2-3-1 come the opening day.
He inherits a talented squad that includes the likes of Piotr Zielinski, Victor Osimhen, Dries Mertens, Hirving Lozano and Lorenzo Insigne – for now – in attack.
Napoli had no problems scoring goals last time out, with no team managing more shots from open play than their 493 and only Atalanta (77) and Inter (65) scoring more from non-set-piece situations than their 64.
Pressing is a big part of Spalletti's game and that makes Napoli a good fit as they ranked joint-second in Serie A last season for goals scored from high turnovers (nine), behind only Atalanta (10).
There are already a few rumblings of discontent behind the scenes with regards to transfer activity, but a kind fixture list ensures that Spalletti can hit the ground running in his quest to guide Napoli back into the Champions League.
Barely a month has passed since Giorgio Chiellini lifted the European Championship trophy at Wembley, and it would seem logical to expect Serie A to begin amid high fanfare.
This may prove to be the case, as the opening weekend of the season arrives, but a major talent drain from the Italian league since last term cannot be ignored.
Romelu Lukaku, Cristian Romero and Gianluigi Donnarumma have all moved on, swapping Inter, Atalanta and Milan respectively for Chelsea, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
To put those losses into greater context, of the 2020-21 Serie A end-of-season award winners, that is the MVP, the top defender and the leading goalkeeper all exiting the league.
Sweeping changes on the coaching benches also add to uncertainty as the new campaign begins, with a much-changed Inter hoping to successfully defend their title.
JUVE ON A SCUDETTO MISSION
After the folly of handing dugout rookie Andrea Pirlo the reins before last season, Juventus look to be on firmer ground this time with Massimiliano Allegri back as head coach.
They have brought in Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo, primed to play a Pirlo-like role on the pitch, and it seems Cristiano Ronaldo will hang around for the final year of his contract.
Rumours continue to encircle the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, but Allegri can likely count on his reliable flow of goals, just as he did for the 2018-19 season – Ronaldo's debut campaign in Turin and the end of the line for Allegri in his first stint as coach.
A six-time Scudetto winner, Allegri will look to get the best out of wingers Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Chiesa as they enter their second seasons with the Bianconeri, while it remains to be seen how Paulo Dybala performs as he enters the final year of his deal.
Plagued by injury last season, Dybala started just 14 Serie A games, but results were often perkier when he played. Of those 14 games, Juventus won 10, drew three and lost one, with a points-per-game average of 2.4 when he played from the off, compared to 1.9 when he was absent or a substitute. The win percentage of 71.4 per cent when Dybala was in the starting XI (compared to 54.2 per cent when he was not) is in the ball park that Allegri will be eyeing.
INZAGHI STEPS INTO CONTE SHOES
Social media tells us Antonio Conte has been thoroughly enjoying his summer, topping up his tan and seemingly showing no regret over his Inter exit, which came in May, just weeks after he guided the Nerazzurri to title glory.
Conte reportedly left amid concern the club planned to raise funds with sales that have duly come to fruition. The loss of striker Lukaku feels like a body blow, given his influence, and persistent rumours suggest Lautaro Martinez could also move on. Achraf Hakimi is another big loss, but, as with Lukaku, a big fee was banked as the right-back proved a one-season wonder in Italy.
In have come coach Simone Inzaghi, who impressed at Lazio, while Edin Dzeko will be a straight swap for Lukaku in the forward line, albeit unlikely to carry quite the same threat. Former PSV star Denzel Dumfries can replace Hakimi in the attacking right full-back role, and Inter will hope his Euro 2020 form transfers to Serie A duty.
It is hard to see Inter repeating last season's success, and the comedown could be painful. They exceeded their expected goals total last season, scoring 84 goals against an xG of 75.3, and Inzaghi will look for more of the same.
They possess plenty of quality still, but they have likely lost Christian Eriksen for the long term too after his cardiac arrest on Denmark duty at Euro 2020. His survival was everything in June, and now his recovery is all-important. The knock-on effect is that Inter have lost a player who became important over the second half of the season.
So much has changed since that title was secured. Landing Hakan Calhanoglu on a free from Milan looks like great business, but consolidation with a top-four finish may be their limit in the new campaign. That, and being sure to secure city bragging rights again.
MOURINHO'S BACK AMID MERRY-GO-ROUND
Never mind Inzaghi and Allegri at Inter and Juve, now is the time to get used to the sound of Maurizio Sarri's Lazio, Vincenzo Italiano's Fiorentina, Luciano Spalletti's Napoli ... and Jose Mourinho's Roma. Milan rather feel like the odd ones out, keeping faith with Stefano Pioli.
A whirlwind of change has swept through Serie A, and it will be worth watching to see quite what impact Mourinho can have on a side who finished 16 points short of the Champions League places last term.
His 'Special One' reputation was enhanced the last time he coached in Italy, guiding Inter to a treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League in the 2009-10 campaign.
Spells at Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham have followed, but Mourinho's cachet has diminished over the past decade.
Tammy Abraham has followed him in swapping London for Rome, with the Chelsea striker arriving, along with Eldor Shomurodov from Genoa, to pep up an attack depleted by the loss of Dzeko. Rui Patricio has joined fellow Portuguese Mourinho, and the goalkeeper's arrival from Wolves could prove a fine signing.
Roma won just five Serie A away games last term, and have only had fewer once in a season beginning in the 20th century (4 in 2002-03), while their shot conversion rate of 41.35 per cent can be improved upon, given they topped 50 per cent twice in the 2010s.
Most important for Mourinho, perhaps, will be to build on Roma's poor duel success rate (48.97 per cent) and cutting out the errors leading to goals (10 in 2020-21 in Serie A).
The duel figures are important and were the worst Roma had managed in at least 15 years, while the error count will be simply intolerable to the new boss. Only Bologna committed so many costly errors (also 10). Mourinho has his work cut out.
Arsenal have completed the signing of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid on a permanent deal for a reported fee of around £30million (€35.2m).
The Norway international, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Emirates Stadium, is thought to have agreed a four-year deal with the Premier League side.
Odegaard returned to parent club Madrid but was not part of their matchday squad for last week's 4-1 win over Deportivo Alaves on the opening weekend of the new LaLiga season.
Having been restricted to just eight league appearances for Los Blancos since joining in 2015, the majority of that time spent out on loan, the attacking midfielder has now departed the Spanish capital on a permanent basis.
Arsenal confirmed the news on their official website on Friday and the 22-year-old is now in contention for the Gunners' home league clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
Odegaard made 20 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal after joining on loan at the end of the January transfer window, 14 of those outings coming in the Premier League.
He scored one goal and provided two assists, while his 20 chances created was the most of any Arsenal player during his spell on loan, three more than Emile Smith Rowe.
The Stromsgodset product also ranked highly for dribbles completed, his tally of 13 in the league bettered only by Nicolas Pepe (14), Thomas Partey (15) and Bukayo Saka (18).
Odegaard becomes Arsenal's third signing of the window following the arrivals of Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ben White.
Mikel Arteta's side were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Brentford in their first game of the campaign.
The 22 shots they registered without scoring against the Bees was their most without finding the net in a league match since December 2017 against West Ham (also 22).
Arsenal have completed the signing of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid on a permanent deal for a reported fee of around £30million (€35.2m).
The Norway international, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Emirates Stadium, is thought to have agreed a four-year deal with the Premier League side.
Odegaard returned to parent club Madrid but was not part of their matchday squad for last week's 4-1 win over Deportivo Alaves on the opening weekend of the new LaLiga season.
Having been restricted to just eight league appearances for Los Blancos since joining in 2015, the majority of that time spent out on loan, the attacking midfielder has now departed the Spanish capital on a permanent basis.
Arsenal confirmed the news on their official website on Friday and the 22-year-old is now in contention for the Gunners' home league clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
Odegaard made 20 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal after joining on loan at the end of the January transfer window, 14 of those outings coming in the Premier League.
He scored one goal and provided two assists, while his 20 chances created was the most of any Arsenal player during his spell on loan, three more than Emile Smith Rowe.
The Stromsgodset product also ranked highly for dribbles completed, his tally of 13 in the league bettered only by Nicolas Pepe (14), Thomas Partey (15) and Bukayo Saka (18).
Odegaard becomes Arsenal's third signing of the window following the arrivals of Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ben White.
Mikel Arteta's side were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Brentford in their first game of the campaign.
The 22 shots they registered without scoring against the Bees was their most without finding the net in a league match since December 2017 against West Ham (also 22).
The wait is over. A week-and-a-half after joining Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi could be set to make his debut against Brest on Friday.
Following his shock exit from Barcelona as a free agent, Messi became the Ligue 1 giants' fifth major signing of the transfer window, joining the superstars Mauricio Pochettino already had at his disposal.
Messi, alongside his former Barca star Neymar, has been training this week, and though Pochettino refused to confirm his squad during Thursday's news conference, it is expected the duo will play a part.
With Kylian Mbappe already back, here's how Pochettino could set out at Brest.
GK: Keylor Navas
Navas has been one of Europe's outstanding goalkeepers in recent seasons, ranking third for goals prevented (8.1, using expected goals on target data) in the top five leagues in 2020-21. Gianluigi Donnarumma – the Player of the Tournament at Euro 2020 – did not leave boyhood club Milan just to sit on the bench and, at 22, represents the long-term option, but after only just returning to training, it is likely Pochettino will stick with the former Real Madrid goalkeeper for Friday's game, though the ex-Spurs boss did suggest Donnarumma may be available.
RB: Achraf Hakimi
Alessandro Florenzi headed back to Roma at the end of his loan, but PSG identified just about the best replacement on the market. Over the previous two seasons, Robin Gosens (34) was the only defender with more goal involvements than Hakimi (30), who scored on his first Ligue 1 appearance.
CB: Marquinhos
PSG won 72.5 per cent of the games Marquinhos played last season in all competitions, conceding 0.7 goals on average. Those numbers altered significantly in his absence, with a winning percentage of 52.9 while shipping 1.1 goals per game. Even with the club's superstar signings, their captain remains one of the key men. Even though he has just returned from an extended break following Brazil's Copa America exploits, it would not be surprising to see the former Roma man thrown straight back into the fray given PSG have conceded three times across their opening two matches.
CB: Presnel Kimpembe
Sergio Ramos, another freebie, may no longer be able to play every game – he appeared only 15 times in LaLiga for Real Madrid last term – but PSG better hope he is there for the big ones. However, the 36-year-old will not be available until September, meaning France defender Kimpembe is likely to continue in the heart of defence for now. He made a game-high four clearances in last week's 4-2 home win over Strasbourg.
LB: Abdou Diallo
This is perhaps the one position on the pitch where PSG lack a genuine world-class option. Even if Pochettino were to bring in Kimpembe as a third centre-back, there is no outstanding left-sided wing-back. Diallo, a defensive full-back in an attacking team, gets the nod by virtue of starting the season fit and ahead of Layvin Kurzawa in the pecking order, while he also assisted Mauro Icardi's opener against Strasbourg.
CM: Ander Herrera
At the end of a season in which Marco Verratti was restricted to only 16 Ligue 1 starts, Euro 2020 provided a reminder of his talents. The Italy midfielder created a tournament-leading 14 chances across just five games while still completing 93.1 per cent of his 417 passes. However, it seems likely we will have to wait to see the playmaker link up with Messi, as he too is only just easing his way back into training. In his place, Herrera seems set to carry on in midfield and, in truth, is a more than able back-up. He attempted 100 passes on matchday two, completing 94 of them.
CM: Danilo Pereira
Leandro Paredes, Messi's international colleague, was trusted for the big occasions in the Champions League. However, he has just returned to training after helping Argentina win the Copa America, while Idrissa Gueye has been out due to COVID-19 protocols. Youngster Eric Ebimbe started against Strasbourg but was replaced by Pereira after an hour, and the towering Portuguese would add some presence in the middle of the park.
CM: Georginio Wijnaldum
Angel Di Maria would be very unfortunate to miss out on a full-strength XI and undoubtedly still has a part to play even with Messi in place, but he too is only just back from international duty. Wijnaldum has featured in both of PSG's Ligue 1 games so far and across his Liverpool Premier League career, led all Reds midfielders in recoveries (951) and duels won (645) and ranked second in interceptions (115) and third in tackles (181).
RW: Lionel Messi
Of course, Messi can play across the front three, but starting from the right – with Hakimi in the Dani Alves role outside him – will bring back memories of Barca teams of old. It is the role he occupied in 2014-15, forming part of perhaps the Blaugrana's most exciting attacking trio, which of course Neymar was also part of.
CF: Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has the Luis Suarez role, providing the direct runs in behind that create space in front of the defence for Messi and Co, and a video of the two stars linking up in training went viral this week. Last season's 53 goal involvements did not quite match the forward's career-high of 54 in 2018-19, but Mbappe can expect to break all sorts of records in this thrillingly creative line-up this term. He already has two Ligue 1 assists to his name this season, and that is without playing alongside two of the world's best players.
LW: Neymar
Still the world's most expensive player if no longer the biggest name in his own dressing room, Neymar was the third member of that 2014-15 front three. Having decided to step out of Messi's shadow, the Brazil superstar wanted his old friend back. During their four years together at Barca, Neymar assisted Messi 22 times, while the six-time Ballon d'Or winner returned the favour on 20 occasions, and surely the chance to have this sensational front three starting together will be too tempting for Pochettino to turn down – even if it is harsh on the in-form Icardi.
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.
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).
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.
Tottenham have work to do in their Europa Conference League qualifying play-off tie with Pacos de Ferreira after losing 1-0 in Thursday's first leg at Estadio Capital do Movel.
Nuno Espirito Santo made 11 changes from last weekend's Premier League victory over Manchester City, with Harry Kane again not involved, and that told in a disappointing display from Spurs.
Lucas Silva fired the Portuguese hosts ahead in the 45th minute and Nuno's side, who had five full debutants in their ranks, struggled to find any sort of response.
Tottenham did not register a single attempt on target and are now battling to avoid an early European exit when the sides reconvene in north London next Thursday.
Spurs initially started well, with Bryan Gil in particular getting into promising positions, but they failed to register a meaningful attempt in the first half and were behind just before the interval.
The home side steadily built some momentum and Lucas Silva coolly tucked the ball past Pierluigi Gollini when played through on goal by Nuno Santos.
Pacos, who finished fifth in the Primeira Liga last season, came under a little more pressure in the second period, but Spurs' possession did not lead to any chances being created.
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."
Borussia Monchengladbach are reluctant on selling Inter target Marcus Thuram, but sporting director Max Eberl fears they may have to do so with a "heavy heart".
Thuram has reportedly emerged as one of Inter's main candidates to partner new signing Edin Dzeko, following the departure of talisman Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea.
Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata was initially the man new head coach Simone Inzaghi was chasing, though his focus has changed to the France international after being priced out of a deal for the Colombian.
Eberl is concerned that, with no Champions League football on offer this term, the Bundesliga side may lose the 24-year-old to the Italian champions.
"I can't exclude anything until the transfer window shuts, so it's all speculation so far," Eberl told reporters in Germany.
"The fact is we would be extremely reluctant to lose Marcus, so we'd do it with a heavy heart."
Since Thuram arrived from Guingamp in 2019, only five players have played more than his 80 outings for Gladbach.
In the same period, only Alassane Plea (32), Florian Neuhaus (21) and Lars Stindl (21) have created more 'big' chances, defined by Opta, than Thuram's 20, while no player has recorded as many as his 78 shots on target.
Thuram has netted 25 goals – a feat only bettered by Stindl's 29 – and provided 13 assists, meaning he is joint-second with Plea for direct goal involvements, again behind Stindl (45).
While the forward has returned impressively in front of goal, he is known as more of a winger at Borussia-Park. He leads the charts for attempted dribbles by a long way with 266, completing just over half of those – Breel Embolo in second with 199.
Eberl said: "Marcus can score even more goals than he did last season.
"He has incredible potential, power and dynamism, so Thuram can do much more. Doing it at Gladbach is certainly a good move for him."
Lionel Messi and Neymar have been training together for Paris Saint-Germain, but Mauricio Pochettino refused to comment whether the pair would feature against Brest.
PSG travel to Brest on Friday fresh from back-to-back Ligue 1 wins against Troyes and Strasbourg, the first time in three years they have begun a new domestic season in such fashion.
Despite a positive start to their campaign, interest continues to centre around Messi, who arrived in Paris after a shock exit from Barcelona amid the club's financial difficulties in August.
However, it remains unclear whether the highly anticipated pairing of Messi and Neymar will be reunited to form a formidable trio with Kylian Mbappe at Stade Francis-Le Ble.
"We haven’t decided the squad yet but we will do so shortly," Pochettino responded in Thursday's news conference when asked about Messi.
"We will analyse whether he can be in the squad. In terms of what Lionel Messi brings, everybody knows that.
"His presence here in terms of what he represents is something we have talked about a lot in recent days.
"I am pleased with how he has settled in and how he has connected with squad. When you have talent at this sort of club, the understanding is not just in the dressing room but also on the pitch."
As part of a fearsome frontline with Luis Suarez at Barcelona between 2014 and 2017, Messi and Neymar between them created 2.1 chances for one another per 90 minutes, resulting in 22 assists for the duo.
But, like Suarez when he moved to Barcelona, it is Messi who will have to quickly link-up with an already established pairing, Mbappe and Neymar.
Neymar's injury troubles have meant that he and Mbappe have only played 3,552 minutes together – less than half as many as Messi and Suarez – though they have combined for 102 chances (2.6 per 90) and 21 assists (one every 169 minutes).
However, as with questioning over Messi's inclusion, Pochettino kept his cards close to his chest as to whether Neymar would feature.
"As I said, we are assessing that and of course, we take physical and footballing attributes into account," the head coach reiterated. "Within the squad, we have to find the right balance."
Mbappe, who is the only player to have recorded more than one assist following a ball carry in Ligue 1 this term (two), is the third part of Pochettino's forward puzzle, but his future remains in question.
With just a year left on his current deal, links to Real Madrid were expected to be quashed by Messi's arrival as the Frenchman realises his opportunity to challenge for Champions League glory at the Parc des Princes.
"I think he [Kylian Mbappe] is very motivated and working hard ahead of this season," the former Tottenham boss added. "We are thinking the same things we have been thinking in recent weeks. He is our player and I want him to be here this season."
"The most important thing is Kylian Mbappe is calm and knows what he is doing. He knows what he wants to do. We know that he is our player. We want him to be here.
"My conversations with Kylian Mbappe are all about football. He has another year on his contract and even if he doesn’t renew, he is still a PSG player and we are pleased with him, and from what I understand, he is pleased with us."
Lazio have completed the signing of Pedro from arch-rivals Roma.
The former Spain winger will remain in the Eternal City in a new era for Lazio under Maurizio Sarri.
Lazio did not state whether they had paid a fee for Pedro or the length of contract he has signed.
The 34-year-old was not part of Jose Mourinho's plans and has now been reunited with Sarri, who he played under at Chelsea.
Pedro has been given the number nine shirt after passing a medical on Thursday.
The former Barcelona wideman made 27 appearances for Roma in Serie A last season, scoring five goals and providing two assists.
Pedro created 29 chances and had a dribble success rate of 64.44.
Lazio travel to Empoli for their first game of the 2021-22 Serie A season on Saturday.
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