Premier League

THE Premier League’s biggest transfer spenders have been revealed.And Chelsea have blown their rivals away by occupying FOUR of the top five spots.Chelsea have spent well over a billion under Todd Boehly and Behdad EghbaliCredit: GettyThe Prem’s status and wealth has long been a source of envy for rival continental leagues.Superstars including Mo Salah, Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne all ply their trade in England’s top flight.And each summer sees clubs splash the cash in a bid for fight for trophies.Now, the biggest window spenders in history have been revealed.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFinancial expert Kevin Maguire produced a list of the top money kings including Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United.But it’s Chelsea who are the largest spenders with some eye-watering figures in the last few years.Money was no object for former Blues owner Roman Abramovich.Yet even that has paled in comparison to the billion-plus spent by successors Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnd Chelsea occupy no less than four of the top five spots in the list.But are they number one? Read on to find out…PREM RULE CHANGESJosko Gvardiol was a big purchase for Man City last yearCredit: Getty10. MANCHESTER CITY (2023/24): £222mPEP GUARDIOLA went on the offensive after winning the Treble.The Spaniard lost several big players including Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte, with Cole Palmer also departing.And he made sure to replace them as best as he could, starting with the £75m capture of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig.Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku and Mateo Kovacic all followed too.And Guardiola even forked out to secure the services of Argentina wonderkid Claudio Echeverri.Alisson remains a key player for LiverpoolCredit: Getty9. LIVERPOOL (2018/19): £223mJURGEN KLOPP’S historic season saw him lead the Reds to Champions League glory.Liverpool also finished second to Man City in the league with 97 points while losing only one match.And their savvy shopping played a huge role, with the Reds deciding to drop £53m on Brazil goalie Alisson.A similar fee was spent on RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, with key man Fabinho also brought in from Monaco.And Klopp made sure he had quality on the bench too as he raided relegated Stoke for star forward Xherdan Shaqiri.Brennan Johnson was Ange Postecoglou’s first big-money signingCredit: Getty8. TOTTENHAM (2023/24): £232mANGE POSTECOGLOU’S first season saw some big changes.The Aussie was forced to deal with the loss of captain Harry Kane for starters.But he made sure Bayern’s £82m fee was wisely reinvested in numerous signings, with £46m Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest the biggest deal.James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro all came in alongside Guglielmo Vicario and Radu Dragusin.And Postecoglou also made sure Dejan Kulusevksi’s loan from Juventus was made permanent, while also planning for the future with the capture of young forward Alejo Veliz.Romelu Lukaku was a key figure at United under Jose MourinhoCredit: PA:Press Association7. MAN UTD (2017/18): £243mJOSE MOURINHO led United to their best-place finish since the Sir Alex Ferguson days during this term, coming second while also tasting defeat in the FA Cup final.After winning the Europa League the previous season, Jose attacked the market by beating Chelsea to the £84m signing of Romelu Lukaku from Everton.He then raided his old club for key midfielder Nemanja Matic.And the Special One also poached a young Victor Lindelof from Benfica.But Mourinho was not done yet, finishing January with an audacious swoop for Arsenal’s key player Alexis Sanchez.Arsenal sent out shockwaves with the signing of Gabriel JesusCredit: Getty6. ARSENAL (2022/23): £251mMIKEL ARTETA was eager to make up for a disappointing season by strengthening Arsenal’s squad with higher-quality players.His first move was to sanction a £73m double-swoop for Man City duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.And he followed that up with deals for Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos.But Arsenal challenged for the title, Arteta realised he needed more depth.So in January, he splashed out again on Leandro Trossard, Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior before Arsenal finished second.Kepa Arrizabalaga remains the most expensive goalie in historyCredit: PA5. CHELSEA (2018/19): £281mMAURIZIO SARRI was not shy upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge.The Blues had lost Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.And Sarri responded by spending a record £67m on goalie Kepa Arrizbalaga from Athletic Bilbao.A big fee was also spent to bring key player Jorginho from Napoli, while Chelsea even forked out a huge loan fee to sign Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus in January.That same month saw them pre-purchase Christian Pulisic ahead of a season-long transfer ban, with Sarri going on to lift the Europa League before quitting his post.Alvaro Morata struggled to impress at ChelseaCredit: PA:Empics Sport4. CHELSEA (2017/18): £290mA YEAR earlier, the Blues set out to defend their title under Antonio Conte — which remains the last time Chelsea won the Premier League.Key figures in Diego Costa, Nemanja Matic and John Terry departed.And Chelsea were left with some questionable replacements — who still cost a king’s ransom.A sweet £55m was spent on Alvaro Morata alone, with the striker proving to be one of the worst signings of the Abramovich era.Chelsea also splashed out on flops like Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and Davide Zappacosta, although Antonio Rudiger and Olivier Giroud eventually showed their worth.Kyle Walker was one of Pep Guardiola’s big early signingsCredit: Getty3. MAN CITY (2017/18): £328mPEP GUARDIOLA was not used to losing titles and decided to go big in the market after his debut City season ended in a third-place finish.Aymeric Laporte was his most expensive signing that term at £65m.While a new defence was completed with the purchases of Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, Danilo and Ederson.Guardiola also made a key purchase in Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva.While fees were also paid on youngsters like Douglas Luiz and Jack Harrison.Moises Caicedo is the most expensive signing in Premier League historyCredit: Getty2. CHELSEA (2023/24): £396mNOT content with their splurge the previous January, Chelsea decided to shell out on no less than 12 players.Moises Caicedo was the biggest signing at £115m, with fellow midfielders Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu also arriving for big fees.In attack, Christopher Nkunku was joined by Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.While defender Axel Disasi came in with TWO goalies in Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic.And in true BlueCo fashion, youngsters like Deivid Washington and Angelo arrived for fees usually spent on more senior figures.Chelsea rocked the boat with the £105m capture of Enzo FernandezCredit: Reuters1. CHELSEA (2022/23): £754mTHE BLUES rewrote the book in the first full season under Boehly and Eghbali.A bizarre summer window under Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked the following month, saw huge fees dropped on stars like Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marc Cucurella.Fast forward several months and this time it was Graham Potter who was having to deal with a bloated squad as Chelsea embarked on more major spending.READ MORE SUN STORIESA stunning £105m was spent on Enzo Fernandez, while Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, and Noni Madueke were signed for tasty fees.There were more big deals for teens completed too, while Joao Felix’s loan from Atletico cost a cool £10m — and all that spending resulted in a 12th place finish. More

CHELSEA fans have praised Cole Palmer for his “mind games” in the build-up to Bournemouth’s penalty miss.The Blues secured their second Premier League win of the season last night as they beat the Cherries 1-0.Cole Palmer was seen trying to put off Evanilson before his penaltyCredit: Instagram @skysportsPalmer said something to him before being pushed awayCredit: Instagram @skysportsRobert Sanchez brilliantly denied Evanilson from the spotCredit: GettyChristopher Nkunku’s strike made the difference as Jadon Sancho impressed in his cameo and set up the goal.But some Chelsea supporters are demanding Palmer also gets registered with an assist for his role in a decisive moment.With the score level in the first-half, Bournemouth were given a penalty after Evanilson was fouled by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.But Chelsea’s No1 immediately redeemed himself and saved the spot-kick brilliantly.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBefore Evanilson took his shot, eagle-eyed fans noticed Palmer trying to put him off.The England star was seen speaking to him before being ushered away by Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier.Chelsea fans loved his tricks, with one saying: “Palmer needs credit as he got into penalty taker’s head.”Another added: “Palmer with another assist…this time for a penalty save. Mind games.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSMore reacted: “Palmer man of the match for getting in Evanilson’s head before the penalty.”Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said: “The Bournemouth players were having a chat, Palmer is trying to get into peoples’ heads, ‘are you going to take it?’Chelsea boss Maresca aims cheeky dig at Erik ten Hag after Jadon Sancho makes dazzling debut after Man Utd transfer”Having a little discussion about it, trying to get into his head, all part of the psychology of football.”Interesting to see how good his [Evanilson’s] English is. He hasn’t been here that long, he probably doesn’t understand Palmer. He got the gist of it I’m sure.”Chelsea ratings vs Bournemouth as Sanchez and Sancho are heroes… and Palmer strugglesCHELSEA needed a late moment of magic from Christopher Nkunku to snatch all three points from Bournemouth.Marcus Tavernier crashed a super strike against the crossbar early on and Robert Sanchez saved an Evanilson penalty before the break.Jadon Sancho came on for his debut at half-time and made the difference for the Blues as he set up Nkunku’s winner.Here’s how SunSport’s Graham Nickless rated Maresca’s men…Robert Sanchez – 8Man-of-the-match show with first-half penalty save from Evanilson and a handful of excellent saves.But rather fortunate to stay on the pitch after denying Evanilson a clear goalscoring opportunity with a deliberate foul that led to the spot-kick.Axel Disasi – 5The right-back was given an uncomfortable night down the right side.Given the runaround by Cherries dangerman Antoine Semenyo and was replaced just after the hour.Wesley Fofana – 6Did his best to keep a clean sheet when run ragged by the home strikers.Luckily for the centre-back, he could rely on Sanchez to keep them out.Levi Colwill – 6Did his best to calm the storm that came the Blues’ way for most of the match.Made sure he kept record-signing Evanilson away from notching his first Premier League goal.Marc Cucurella – 7Always busy and making a nuisance of himself when he wasn’t being buffeted by Semenyo’s marking.But overdid it with one stupid, deliberate shoulder barge on the Bournemouth winger.Renato Veiga – 5Suffered like most of his team-mates to open up the home side’s defence.The Portuguese midfielder didn’t see enough of the ball to make an impact.Moises Caicedo – 7The captain was always looking for that defence-splitting pass when he wasn’t on defensive duty.Gave an example to others around him who weren’t putting in a decent shift.Noni Madueke – 5Was quite mad attempting an early shot at the home goal that ended up as a throw-in.And it didn’t get much better than that for the winger who was hauled off just after the hour.Cole Palmer – 5Rested by England for tired muscles and there wasn’t much energy in this performance.But the Cherries, worried by his reputation, did target him in the first half.Pedro Neto – 5Failed to make any impact on the wing but could claim he had little or no service.Boss Maresca had seen enough and brought on Sancho to replace him at half-time.Nicolas Jackson – 5Chelsea fans won’t want to suffer another nine years of this from the big striker.Had one shot comfortably saved and another blocked but will need to show more upfront for his ludicrous long contract.SUBSJadon Sancho (for Neto) – 8Was booked 11 minutes after coming on then, looked likely throughout second half and set up Nkunku’s equaliser on super debut.Tosin Adarabioyo (for Disasi) – 6Was seldom troubled.Joao Felix (for Madueke) – 5Tidied up in midfield.Christopher Nkunku (for Jackson) – 8Burst through three players to score and snatch the winner. More

CHELSEA’S win over Bournemouth saw the most yellow cards in a Premier League game EVER.Enzo Maresca’s Blues nicked a late win at the Vitality Stadium thanks to a timely strike from super-sub Christopher Nkunku.Chelsea’s win at Bournemouth saw a record amount of yellow cards dished outCredit: ReutersThe result allowed Chelsea to climb up the Premier League table to seventh spot.But Saturday’s game also resulted in a record amount of yellows shown to players by card-happy referee Anthony Taylor.Previously, there had never been more than 12 bookings made in a league match.The first game that saw the huge number of yellows was Wolves vs Newcastle in 2010.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLNo less than 12 cards were shown in that encounter.And it was matched six years later when Chelsea hosted Tottenham in the infamous Battle of the Bridge.However, tonight’s match saw 14 yellows dished out.Taylor could not resist going to his pocket through the heated clash.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnd it was a miracle that nobody was sent off.The official actually flashed the yellow SIXTEEN times.Chelsea fans can’t name their OWN PLAYERS after another wild transfer window under owner Todd BoehlyBut two of those were for the dugout, with Enzo Maresca and a Bournemouth coach getting booked in the second half.A clearly frustrated Andoni Iraola refused to give his opinion on the referee after the final whistle.He told Sky Sports:  “I will not talk about the referee.”I have been talking and it is not working so I have decide now I will try the opposite and see what happens.”Blues boss Maresca revealed how earned his yellow card.He said: “I complained about a foul on Wesley Fofana which for me was quite clear but it can happen.All 14 yellow cards17m 46s – Ryan Christie (Bournemouth) – Tactical foul30m 6s – Wesley Fofana (Chelsea) – Foul reckless34m 11s – Lewis Cook (Bournemouth) – Tactical foul35m 16s – Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) – Reckless offence36m 10s – Robert Sanchez (Chelsea) – Foul37m 25s – Adam Smith (Bournemouth) – Dissent51m 40s – Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) – Dissent56m 7s – Levi Colwill (Chelsea) – Tactical foul56m 14s – Jadon Sancho (Chelsea) – Dissent59m – Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth) – Tactical foul79m 58s – Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth) – Foul reckless86m 2s – Renato Veiga (Chelsea) – Excessive celebration90m 31s – Joao Felix (Chelsea) – Foul reckless95m 36s – Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) – Dissent”Eight yellow cards probably because these sort of games are about duels and fight and this can happen.”It is not a problem for me with this amount of yellow cards. It is what it is.”Sometimes the game demands the way you have to behave.”Taylor’s card-happy antics did not please fans though.One said: “That’s pathetic.”Another declared: “What’s wrong with Anthony Taylor?”READ MORE SUN STORIESOne noted: “Just heard Taylor booked the tea lady.”Another added: “Joke of a referee.”Chelsea ratings vs Bournemouth as Sanchez and Sancho are heroes… and Palmer strugglesCHELSEA needed a late moment of magic from Christopher Nkunku to snatch all three points from Bournemouth.Marcus Tavernier crashed a super strike against the crossbar early on and Robert Sanchez saved an Evanilson penalty before the break.Jadon Sancho came on for his debut at half-time and made the difference for the Blues as he set up Nkunku’s winner.Here’s how SunSport’s Graham Nickless rated Maresca’s men…Robert Sanchez – 8Man-of-the-match show with first-half penalty save from Evanilson and a handful of excellent saves.But rather fortunate to stay on the pitch after denying Evanilson a clear goalscoring opportunity with a deliberate foul that led to the spot-kick.Axel Disasi – 5The right-back was given an uncomfortable night down the right side.Given the runaround by Cherries dangerman Antoine Semenyo and was replaced just after the hour.Wesley Fofana – 6Did his best to keep a clean sheet when run ragged by the home strikers.Luckily for the centre-back, he could rely on Sanchez to keep them out.Levi Colwill – 6Did his best to calm the storm that came the Blues’ way for most of the match.Made sure he kept record-signing Evanilson away from notching his first Premier League goal.Marc Cucurella – 7Always busy and making a nuisance of himself when he wasn’t being buffeted by Semenyo’s marking.But overdid it with one stupid, deliberate shoulder barge on the Bournemouth winger.Renato Veiga – 5Suffered like most of his team-mates to open up the home side’s defence.The Portuguese midfielder didn’t see enough of the ball to make an impact.Moises Caicedo – 7The captain was always looking for that defence-splitting pass when he wasn’t on defensive duty.Gave an example to others around him who weren’t putting in a decent shift.Noni Madueke – 5Was quite mad attempting an early shot at the home goal that ended up as a throw-in.And it didn’t get much better than that for the winger who was hauled off just after the hour.Cole Palmer – 5Rested by England for tired muscles and there wasn’t much energy in this performance.But the Cherries, worried by his reputation, did target him in the first half.Pedro Neto – 5Failed to make any impact on the wing but could claim he had little or no service.Boss Maresca had seen enough and brought on Sancho to replace him at half-time.Nicolas Jackson – 5Chelsea fans won’t want to suffer another nine years of this from the big striker.Had one shot comfortably saved and another blocked but will need to show more upfront for his ludicrous long contract.SUBSJadon Sancho (for Neto) – 8Was booked 11 minutes after coming on then, looked likely throughout second half and set up Nkunku’s equaliser on super debut.Tosin Adarabioyo (for Disasi) – 6Was seldom troubled.Joao Felix (for Madueke) – 5Tidied up in midfield.Christopher Nkunku (for Jackson) – 8Burst through three players to score and snatch the winner. 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CHELSEA needed a late moment of magic from Christopher Nkunku to snatch all three points from Bournemouth. Marcus Tavernier crashed a super strike against the crossbar early on and Robert Sanchez saved an Evanilson penalty before the break.Robert Sanchez flew to his left to save Evanilson’s penaltyCredit: GettyChristopher Nkunku grabbed the late matchwinner on the south coastCredit: PAJadon Sancho came on at half-time while Joao Felix then Nkunku also got thrown on by Enzo Maresca as the Blues struggled to find a breakthrough.In fact there were more yellow cards than shots on target as Anthony Taylor ran out of space in his notebook.But with five minutes to go, Sancho cut inside and threaded a superb pass for Nkunku, who held off his markers and found the net in style.Here’s how SunSport’s Graham Nickless rated Maresca’s men…READ MORE ON FOOTBALLRobert Sanchez – 8Man-of-the-match show with first-half penalty save from Evanilson and a handful of excellent saves.But rather fortunate to stay on the pitch after denying Evanilson a clear goalscoring opportunity with a deliberate foul that led to the spot-kick.Axel Disasi – 5The right-back was given an uncomfortable night down the right side.Given the runaround by Cherries dangerman Antoine Semenyo and was replaced just after the hour. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSWesley Fofana – 6Did his best to keep a clean sheet when run ragged by the home strikers.Luckily for the centre-back, he could rely on Sanchez to keep them out. Man Utd flop Jadon Sancho makes bizarre claim about Enzo Maresca being reason he joined Chelsea but it doesn’t add upSanchez picked up a yellow card for clattering the BrazilianCredit: GettyChelsea struggled to break down the Bournemouth defenceCredit: GettyRenato Veiga and Moises Caicedo double up on Antoine SemenyoCredit: PALevi Colwill – 6Did his best to calm the storm that came the Blues’ way for most of the match.Made sure he kept record-signing Evanilson away from notching his first Premier League goal. Marc Cucurella – 7Always busy and making a nuisance of himself when he wasn’t being buffeted by Semenyo’s marking.But overdid it with one stupid, deliberate shoulder barge on the Bournemouth winger. Renato Veiga – 5 Suffered like most of his team-mates to open up the home side’s defence.The Portuguese midfielder didn’t see enough of the ball to make an impact.Moises Caicedo – 7 The captain was always looking for that defence-splitting pass when he wasn’t on defensive duty.Gave an example to others around him who weren’t putting in a decent shift. Noni Madueke – 5Was quite mad attempting an early shot at the home goal that ended up as a throw-in.And it didn’t get much better than that for the winger who was hauled off just after the hour. Cole Palmer – 5Rested by England for tired muscles and there wasn’t much energy in this performance.But the Cherries, worried by his reputation, did target him in the first half. Pedro Neto – 5Failed to make any impact on the wing but could claim he had little or no service.Boss Maresca had seen enough and brought on Sancho to replace him at half-time. Nicolas Jackson – 5Chelsea fans won’t want to suffer another nine years of this from the big striker.Had one shot comfortably saved and another blocked but will need to show more upfront for his ludicrous long contract.SUBSJadon Sancho (for Neto) – 8Was booked 11 minutes after coming on then, looked likely throughout second half and set up Nkunku’s equaliser on super debut. Tosin Adarabioyo (for Disasi) – 6Was seldom troubled. READ MORE SUN STORIESJoao Felix (for Madueke) – 5Tidied up in midfield. Christopher Nkunku (for Jackson) – 8Burst through three players to score and snatch the winner. Nkunku wriggled free of his markers to find the bottom cornerCredit: RexEnzo Maresca sent on Joao Felix during the second halfCredit: AFPCole Palmer and Jadon Sancho tried to conjure up some magicCredit: GettyAnthony Taylor was a busy man at the Vitality StadiumCredit: AFPSancho celebrates with Nkunku after teeing up the FrenchmanCredit: Getty More

FANS joked “Emi Martinez is all of us” after his priceless reaction to Jhon Duran’s epic wondergoal.The Aston Villa striker, 20, produced a contender for goal of the season to complete his side’s comeback against Everton.Jhon Duran scored an epic goal for Aston Villa from 30 yards out against EvertonCredit: PAGoalkeeper Emi Martinez could not believe what he had witnessedCredit: Sky SportsDuran, the subject of 40 transfer bids this summer, had only been on the pitch for seven minutes when he inexplicably let fly from miles out – well 29.3 yards to be precise.But the Colombian’s audacious left-footed thunderbolt absolutely flew into the top corner, giving the diving Jordan Pickford no chance whatsoever. And after the outrageous strike, the TV camera cut to Duran’s perplexed goalkeeper Martinez.The Argentine stopper, 32, stood open-mouthed and completely gobsmacked by the stupendous goal, walking in shock with his hands on his head as Villa Park erupted.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAnd the goal and Martinez’s reaction prompted a wave of brilliant posts on social media.One said: “Emi Martinez is all of us. DURAN – WHAT A HIT, SON!!!!!!!!!!!”Another wrote: “THAT is a goal to take your breath away!”A third added: “What an incredible moment captured perfectly by Emi Martinez’s reaction! Jhon Duran’s goal was truly spectacular, and it’s wonderful to see the team spirit and excitement it brings. Moments like these remind us why we love the game so much.”Most read in FootballBest new sign-up offersSunSport exclusivesA fourth commented: “Emi Martinez couldn’t believe his eyes. Jhon Duran’s goal is a pure beauty.”A fifth responded: “Emi Martinez’s reaction says it all.”Forgotten Premier League star scores Puskas contender in training as baffled fans say ‘didn’t know he was still playing’A sixth typed: “Emi Martinez is experiencing the same astonishment as everyone else as Jhon Duran delivers a stunning strike.”And a final user replied: “Take a bow.”The goal was not only a super strike but also secured all three points for Villa.Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Everton into a shock 2-0 lead after just 27 minutes.Ollie Watkins pulled one back on 36 minutes then equalised just before the hour mark.The England man could not complete his hat-trick – but sub Duran delivered the goods with his moment of magic and seal a 3-2 victory.Villa have now won three of their first four games of the season.As for pointless Everton, their misery continues, losing all four to remain rooted to the bottom of the table – including their last two from 2-0 up.Asked about Duran’s wondergoal, Martinez said: “I have seen it from behind and I saw the ball moving – it was unstoppable.”It was a great strike, we have been trying to hold Duran in the Premier League and if he can keep the consistency he can be a really big threat.”He can be one of the best strikers in the world, but he needs to keep his feet on the ground and to work hard.”He has one of the top strikers [Ollie Watkins] in England playing in front of him.”READ MORE SUN STORIESOllie Watkins added to Sky Sports: “It takes a moment of magic like that, and Jhon has come up with it. “Everyone knows what he can do, and when he’s got the opportunity he shows it. It’s one of the best [goals] we’ve seen.”Pickford could only watch helpless as the ball flew inCredit: GettyDuran celebrates his winner for VillaCredit: Getty More