Cristiano Ronaldo has been cautioned by Merseyside Police over an incident involving an Everton fan following Manchester United's defeat at Goodison Park last season.

A video emerged on social media of United forward Ronaldo appearing to smash a supporter's phone as he left the field after the Toffees' 1-0 Premier League win in April.

The Portugal captain issued an apology on Instagram, stating: "It's never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing.

"Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.

"I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.”

Ronaldo has now been interviewed by police and given a caution.

Merseyside Police said in a statement: "We can confirm that a 37-year-old man voluntarily attended and was interviewed under caution in relation to an allegation of assault and criminal damage.
 
"The allegation relates to an incident following the Everton v Manchester United football match at Goodison Park on Saturday 9 April.
 
"The matter has been dealt with by way of conditional caution. The matter has now concluded."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner could leave United before the transfer window closes on September 1, with his future the subject of constant speculation just under a year after he returned to the club.

The Premier League is officially 30 years old.

On Saturday, August 15, 1992, the Premier League's inaugural season began with a packed schedule of 15:00 kick-offs.

Its foundation came as a result of clubs in the old First Division breaking away from the Football League in order to maximise their earning potential, with much of that initially focused around the possibility of lucrative TV rights deals.

As the Football Association (FA) had a strained relationship with the Football League at the time, the FA backed plans for the formation of the breakaway league, and in July 1991 the Founder Members Agreement was signed by the top-flight clubs.

While the Premier League fell under the auspices of the FA, the league was given economic independence from the governing body and the Football League, and that has been a major contributing factor in it becoming the behemoth we know in 2022.

Thirty years on, many believe it to be the best league in world football, and on this day it only seems right to take a trip down memory lane with a look at key records, stats and figures from the competition's three decades...

Managing expectations

This is classic 'pub quiz' territory: which manager has presided over the most Premier League games?

You know it's either Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger, don't you? You probably end up going for the Manchester United icon because of his sheer longevity.

Alas, you'd be wrong.

Wenger took charge of 18 more Premier League games (828) than 'Fergie' before he brought his long Arsenal career to a close.

Nevertheless, Ferguson's 13 titles look unlikely to ever be matched. His closest rival in that respect is Pep Guardiola (four), with Wenger joined on three by Jose Mourinho.

Play on, player

Over the first 30 seasons of the Premier League, 4,488 players appeared in the competition at an average of 149.6 debutants per campaign.

If we ignore the inaugural and ongoing seasons for obvious reasons, the campaign with the most debutants was 2015-16 when 162 players made their Premier League bows.

Of the nearly 4,500 individuals to feature in the competition up to the start of the 2022-23 season, Gareth Barry sits clear with the most appearances (653), the last of which came during the 2017-18 season with West Brom.

It's a record that will take some beating, but if anyone's got a chance of toppling him, it's his former Manchester City team-mate James Milner.

The 36-year-old, now of Liverpool, is fourth on the all-time list with 589 outings.

Forever young

Everyone loves a 'wonderkid'. The Premier League has seen more than its fair share over the years, and some got started very, very young.

Mark Platts was the first 16-year-old to ever play in the Premier League when he made his Sheffield Wednesday debut in February 1996.

When Matthew Briggs came along 11 years later and featured for Fulham at 16 years and 68 days old, you'd have been forgiven for thinking his record would stand the test of time.

It lasted 12 years until another Fulham player shaved 38 days off Briggs' record – that player was Harvey Elliott. Now at Liverpool, the young midfielder looks set for a glittering career.

The name of the game

Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Wayne Rooney – when you think of Premier League goalscorers, these are probably the names that immediately spring to mind.

Well, you're wrong. You should be thinking about Andrew Johnson, Glen Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Bradley Johnson, Roger Johnson et al.

Why? Because there are more players with the surname Johnson to have scored in the Premier League than any other surname.

There have been 21 of them to be exact, two more than the Williams clan.

Synonymous.

Get to the points

It's been a frustrating few (nine?) years for Man United fans, and this season has started in horrific fashion. But don't worry, folks, if you just look at the big (massive) picture, it'll definitely all feel much better.

United still sit top of the overall Premier League table with 2,366 points, giving them a healthy 219-point cushion over second-placed Arsenal.

Manchester City may have won four of the past five league titles, a feat only United had achieved before them in the Premier League, but the real story is that they're way back on 1,635 Premier League points.

Yo-yo with the flow

To be fair, almost every single one of you knows what's coming here.

You guessed it, Norwich City's relegation from the last season makes them the yo-yoingest (yes, we've just made that up) club in Premier League history.

That was their sixth relegation to go with their five promotions to the top flight since 1992, taking them one clear of West Brom, who have the same number of ascensions but only five demotions to their name.

I love goals, goals, goals, goals

Of course, Shearer remains the Premier's League all-time leading scorer with 260, 52 more than Wayne Rooney in second.

But Harry Kane looks to be in with a chance of usurping both England greats – in fact, another solid season could take him beyond 200 as his header against Chelsea on Sunday took him to 184.

Kane also appears among the very best goalscoring combinations in the competition's history as he and Son Heung-min have linked up for 41 goals – that's five more than Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard as the next-best.

As for high-scoring matches, there have been three Premier League games that have finished with a nine-goal margin – two were achieved by Man Utd (9-0 v Southampton in February 2021, and v Ipswich Town in March 1995) and Leicester City managed it in October 2019, also crushing Saints 9-0.

Do call it a comeback

Your team's trailing 2-0, you're despondent and bereft of hope. But then, out of nowhere, you've got a goal back. Then the equaliser. And then, just when you'd convinced yourself "this draw feels like a win", a third goes in, and it's pandemonium.

There are few more satisfying situations in football than when you team produces such a turnaround – the despair you were feeling earlier only makes your full-time jubilation that bit more intense.

The biggest such turnarounds that led to wins all involved teams coming back from three goals down. Leeds United, Wimbledon and Wolves have all managed it in 4-3 victories, while Man United beat Spurs 5-3 from 3-0 down.

No team have done so since Wolves in October 2003, although Newcastle United certainly deserve a special mention – they are the only team to find themselves 4-0 down and avoid defeat. Their 4-4 draw with Arsenal in February 2011 remains a Premier League classic.

Stop the clock!

Here's another for the pub quiz enthusiasts: who scored the quickest goal in Premier League history?

Netting just 7.69 seconds into an April 2019 game between Southampton and Watford, Shane Long opened the scoring to break a 19-year record that had been set by Spurs defender Ledley King.

To put that into context, it'd take you longer to read that sentence. It was also quicker than Usain Bolt's world-record time in the 100 metres (9.58 seconds).

The latest goal ever is maybe a less notable record, but it nonetheless belongs to Bruno Fernandes, who in September 2020 scored a penalty after 99 minutes and 45 seconds to seal United a dramatic 3-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion – yes, that's the game when the Seagulls hit the woodwork a record five times.

As for the quickest hat-trick, that was scored by Sadio Mane for Southampton against Aston Villa in May 2015, with his first and third goals separated by just two minutes and 56 seconds.

Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a second bid for 21-year-old Everton winger Anthony Gordon after their initial £40million offer was turned down.

Gordon, a product of Everton's youth academy, broke into the first team this past season, tallying four goals and two assists in 35 Premier League appearances.

Manager Frank Lampard has publicly said the club values him highly and that he is not for sale, but with a bidding war beginning to emerge, it remains to be seen if there is a price that could change that mindset.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA CHASE ENGLAND UNDER-21 WINGER

According to ChronicleLive, it was Newcastle United who first approached Everton with a £35m offer, which Chelsea caught wind of and immediately began the process of coming in over the top with a larger bid.

Gordon is only a couple of seasons into a five-year extension that ties him to the club until 2025, although further reporting from CBS claims Everton have told interested parties that a figure of £50m would trigger a serious conversation.

CBS's Ben Jacobs adds that Chelsea are very interested in including players in their offer, although Everton have no desire to bring back Ross Barkley, and the Stamford Bridge club do not want to include Armando Broja, although Michy Batshuayi was mentioned as a possibility.

Newcastle are expected to re-enter the chase for Gordon if Chelsea can agree on a fee.

ROUND-UP

– Deportivo Mundo are reporting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wants to stay at Barcelona and fight for a starting spot after a £12m bid from Chelsea was turned down, although Metro claims the Spanish giants would accept a bid in the range of £23m.

– According to the Mirror, Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham are all interested in 20-year-old Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.

– Sky Sports Italy reports Nottingham Forest are close to landing Arsenal target Houssem Aouar from Lyon, and talkSPORT add the newly promoted Premier League side have also bid £17m for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Djibril Sow.

– Leicester City are prepared to let Youri Tielemans leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, according to the Times.

– West Ham have made a €10m offer for 22-year-old Spezia centre-back and Polish international Jakub Kiwior, per Calciomercato, with Milan also said to have interest.

Newcastle United will travel to League Two side Tranmere Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup.

The Magpies, who are one of the richest clubs in the world, will travel to Prenton Park later this month after Micky Mellon's men beat Accrington Stanley on penalties in the first round on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard's Everton travel to League One outfit Fleetwood Town, while Leeds United host Barnsley at Elland Road.

Aston Villa travel to Bolton Wanderers, Brighton and Hove Albion visit Forest Green Rovers, and Fulham are on the road to Crawley Town.

All fixtures will take place during the week commencing August 22, with the seven Premier League sides in European competition set to join in round three. 

EFL Cup second-round draw in full:

Northern Section

Bolton Wanderers v Aston Villa
Derby County v West Brom/Sheffield United
Wolves v Preston North End
Leeds United v Barnsley
Fleetwood Town v Everton
Sheffield Wednesday v Rochdale
Tranmere Rovers v Newcastle United
Rotherham United v Morecambe
Barrow v Lincoln City
Stockport County v Leicester City
Bradford City v Blackburn Rovers
Grimsby Town v Nottingham Forest
Shrewsbury Town v Burnley

Southern Section

Stevenage v Peterborough United
Norwich City v Bournemouth
Newport County v Portsmouth
Oxford United v Crystal Palace
Watford v MK Dons
Colchester United v Brentford
Wycombe Wanderers v Bristol City
Walsall v Charlton Athletic
Crawley Town v Fulham
Cambridge United v Southampton
Gillingham v Exeter
Forest Green Rovers v Brighton and Hove Albion

Everton have completed the signing of midfielder Amadou Onana from Lille.

Onana, who joined Lille from Hamburg in 2021 and made 43 appearances for the Ligue 1 side last season, has signed a five-year contract with the Toffees.

Frank Lampard has been eager to reinforce his midfield ranks, and Onana represents something of a coup for a club that finished 16th in the Premier League last term.

The 20-year-old Belgium international, who only made 15 starts for Lille, looked set to join West Ham, but Everton reportedly matched the Hammers' offer, agreeing a fee of £25.3million (€30m) with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £33.7m (€40m).

After sealing his move, Onana told the club's website his desire to learn from Lampard was a key factor in enticing him to Goodison Park. 

"It feels great to join Everton. I know it's a big, big club, one of the biggest in England. It's something I want to be part of for many years," he said. 

"Everyone here showed they really wanted me and they have a plan for me, so I really appreciated the talks I had with the manager and director of football [Kevin Thelwell]. They told me how they wanted me to play and I enjoyed it. 

"They both have a lot of ambition and that's the type of guy I am, so it matches. 

"The manager was one of the big reasons. He played at the highest level, won many things and was a midfielder, too. It means a lot to have interest from him and I think he can teach me many things."

Onana, who was in attendance as Everton lost 1-0 to Chelsea on Saturday in their Premier League opener, is set to be one of two midfield signings, with Idrissa Gueye on the verge of rejoining from Paris Saint-Germain.

Gueye was sold to PSG in 2019, having signed for Everton from Aston Villa in 2016.

Lampard, who brought in James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Ruben Vinagre in July, is also keen to bolster Everton's attacking options, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin set to miss at least six weeks with a knee injury sustained in training, while Richarlison was sold to Tottenham in June for a reported £50m, with add-ons taking that fee to £60m.

The Toffees have also signed Wolves defender Conor Coady on a season-long loan after losing both Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina to injury against the Blues.

Everton have announced the signing of England international Conor Coady from Wolves.

The 29-year-old defender joins Frank Lampard's side on a season-long loan, becoming the club's fourth signing of the window after James Tarkowski, Ruben Vinagre and Dwight McNeil.

Capped 10 times by England, Coady has captained Wolves for the past four seasons and will be hopeful of making Gareth Southgate's squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

"It's incredible to join Everton. As soon as I heard the interest, from the manager but also the football club itself, I really wanted to be part of it straight away. I'm over the moon to join," he told the club's official website.

"I've grown up around the city, I know the football club, how big this club is and what it means to the supporters. I'm someone who was desperate to come here, to play for this club. I've got family and friends who are massive Evertonians.

"I'm here to give absolutely everything I've got for this football club. It's important I work as hard as I can to help my teammates, help the club move forward and make people proud."

Everton opened the Premier League campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea but are set to strengthen their ranks further before Saturday's trip to face Aston Villa.

The signing of 20-year-old midfielder Amadou Onana from Lille is expected to be announced imminently for Everton, meanwhile, Wolves will use the sale of Coady to help fund their move for Valencia's Goncalo Guedes, which was also confirmed by the Spanish club on Monday.

#welcomeCoady pic.twitter.com/7yx1IMdAc9

Frank Lampard has been dealt a blow as Everton have confirmed Ben Godfrey will be out for "around three months".

Godfrey was stretchered off just 18 minutes into the new Premier League season after a challenge with Chelsea's Kai Havertz at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The Toffees went on to lose 1-0, with Jorginho scoring the only goal from the penalty spot, but Lampard's main concern after the game was his mounting injury list, as Yerry Mina also picked up a knock.

Everton on Monday revealed that Godfrey had undergone successful surgery on a fractured fibula, but could not yet provide a length of absence for Mina, who suffered an ankle ligament injury.

"Ben Godfrey underwent successful surgery this morning on the fractured fibula he sustained during Saturday's Premier League opener against Chelsea at Goodison Park," the statement read.

"The defender will now begin rehabilitation at Finch Farm under the care of the club's medical team and is expected to be out for around three months.

"Meanwhile, Yerry Mina sustained an ankle ligament injury in the second half of Saturday's match and will see a specialist this week to discover the full extent of the problem before undergoing treatment at Finch Farm."

Lampard could be getting a defensive reinforcement before the trip to Aston Villa this weekend, with Conor Coady reportedly close to signing on a loan from Wolves.

Frank Lampard revealed Everton are "very close" to finalising the signing of Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, as he predicted the Belgium international will have a "big impact" at the club.

Everton suffered a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in their Premier League opener on Saturday, with Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina sustaining injuries just three days after Dominic Calvert-Lewin was ruled out for up to six weeks. 

But Toffees supporters are set to receive some positive news after Onana travelled to Merseyside to finalise a transfer reportedly worth up to £33.7million (€40m), having made 43 appearances for Lille in all competitions last season.

And Lampard, who has already added James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Ruben Vinagre to his squad since warding off the threat of relegation last season, expects big things from the towering midfielder. 

"I can talk about Onana because he's here today," Lampard told Sky Sports.

Asked what the 20-year-old will bring to the Toffees, Lampard added: "A lot, I'm a big fan, that's why he's coming. 

"When you come in as a manager you want to influence the team's style, the way that we play. [He's] a midfield player, a young player that has – for me – everything in terms of physicality, quality on the ball, energy, and defensive mindset; an all-rounder.

"For me, he has a big future and he's going to have a big impact on the club. He's a good lad, he's got a good confidence about him, so that's the way we want to go.

"I think he comes in at a really good age for us, I don't want to hang too much on him, it sounds like I'm building him up, but I'm very pleased that we're very close to doing that one."

Frank Lampard admitted Everton's injury situation could force the club's hand in the transfer market, as he revealed Ben Godfrey had suffered a suspected fractured fibula in the Premier League defeat to Chelsea.

Jorginho's first-half penalty was enough to give Thomas Tuchel's Blues a 1-0 win at Goodison Park on Saturday, ending their run of four consecutive league defeats on the ground.

While Chelsea were indebted to Edouard Mendy for preserving their clean sheet with fine saves from James Tarkowski, Demarai Gray and Abdoulaye Doucoure, Lampard's side were hampered by injury problems on the opening day of the new campaign.

Having already been left without a recognised striker through Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury and Salomon Rondon's suspension, the Toffees saw Godfrey leave the pitch on a stretcher following an ugly collision with Kai Havertz, before Yerry Mina was also forced off after 70 minutes.

After seeing Everton lose their opening league game for the first time since 2011-12 (v Queens Park Rangers), Lampard bemoaned their selection woes and revealed Godfrey's injury is thought to be serious. 

"It makes it hard, you know? Ben gets that injury, we think it's a small fracture of his leg, his fibula," he told Sky Sports.

"We'll see how long that will be, and Yerry, it's an ankle injury that we don't know much about at the moment. 

"We've had that here a little bit; it's hard to put your finger on those freak injuries. I think Ben's foot was caught in the grass, Yerry's I didn't see. They're not muscle injuries, they're freak injuries, so we have to make sure the squad is strong enough to handle those things."

Asked whether the setbacks would impact Everton's recruitment plans, Lampard added: "Maybe, maybe not. We've got centre-backs at the club, but we're looking at different areas where we know what we want to do. 

"We're not going to declare them now, but I think everyone can feel that there's movement and that we're trying to move in the right direction.

"My main focus today is the performance of the lads that were on the pitch. You saw the fans at the end of the game, they responded to what the players did today.

"It's one game out of 38 and we didn't get the point that I felt we probably could've got, but we have to take confidence in not only what the players did out there today, but in how we're going to look going forward, because we're looking to bring in a few players to help the squad."

One area in which Everton are certainly targeting reinforcements is in attack, with Calvert-Lewin expected to miss up to six weeks after suffering a knee injury in training.

Lampard insists replacing Calvert-Lewin, who scored 16 goals in 33 Premier League appearances during the 2020-21 campaign, is crucial after Everton squandered opportunities to snatch a point against Chelsea.

"We're looking at that, because Dominic being out three days before the first game and you can't replace him, Salomon's suspended… We need to look at that to make sure that we've got not just adequate players to play, but players to bring in," he added.

"We've got nine subs now, you look at Chelsea's bench and you understand the difference.

"I think our overall performance deserves us to put the ball in the net once or twice, and of course we'll look for those types of players."

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is hoping to welcome more new faces to Stamford Bridge before the end of the transfer window as he confirmed Marcos Alonso is close to joining Barcelona.

Jorginho's first-half penalty was enough to get Chelsea's 2022-23 Premier League campaign off to a winning start on Saturday, ending a run of four consecutive defeats for the Blues at Goodison Park.

New signings Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling started the hard-fought victory, the latter twice coming close to a debut goal, while Marc Cucurella also made his Chelsea bow from the bench.

Having already parted with substantial fees for that trio, Chelsea have also been linked with moves for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana and Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

After Chelsea won their opening Premier League match for the third consecutive season despite failing to produce a fluid performance, Tuchel insisted more recruits are required. 

"Yeah, if we can add, we'll add," Tuchel told Sky Sports.

"Maybe not midfielders as a first option but we are open for everything, and I think we can use new energy, new legs, and fresh input to bring us to a new level.

"If not, then we will push this team, but I think we could use some more input and some more quality. We are on it, but we will not tell you!"

Having dominated the opening period on Merseyside, winning the second-most corners on record in the first half of a Premier League match (13, second to Tottenham's 15 v Aston Villa in December 2012), Chelsea were indebted to Edouard Mendy for making two strong saves to preserve their lead after the break.

Mendy has now kept a clean sheet on 47 per cent of his Premier League starts (31/66) – only Ederson (50 per cent) has a better record among goalkeepers to have started at least 50 games in the competition.

But with Chelsea having struggled for results at Everton in recent seasons, Tuchel was content with the Blues picking up a victory despite not being at their best.

"We struggled last season to get points here, we have the points, a win is a win," he added. "It's most important for everything to get better, because we have to get better.

"I could assume that we are maybe not on our highest level. We have players in, but they came in late, pre-season was a bit turbulent. 

"The last week in training was promising, some situations in the first half were quite good, and in the second half we had simply not enough movement on the ball. It was a strange second half without the rhythm from our team and the interruptions, 10 minutes extra time... a bit strange.

"But we hung on and we did what was necessary to keep a clean sheet, so there are positive things and from there we go.

"Very classic that we win 1-0 with a penalty from Jorginho. Like I said, we know that we need to get better but first of all, a win helps us to be open for improvement and for the atmosphere and spirit."

Meanwhile, with Chelsea acquiring Cucurella this week, they look set to allow fellow wing-back Alonso to leave for Barcelona.

The Spain international was left out of the squad for the trip to Merseyside, and Tuchel confirmed that decision was the result of his desire to join the Blaugrana.

Asked whether Alonso's absence indicated a move to Camp Nou was close, Tuchel told reporters: "That is the case. 

"He tries to leave and we agreed to this wish. That's why it would not have made sense to put him on the pitch today. 

"He would've been on the pitch otherwise but in this situation, it was the right thing to do."

Jorginho's first-half penalty got Chelsea's Premier League campaign off to a winning start, as Thomas Tuchel's men overcame a stubborn Everton to claim a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.

Having been left without a striker through Dominic Calvert-Lewin's knee injury and Salomon Rondon's suspension, Frank Lampard's hosts sat deep and successfully frustrated Chelsea early on.

But Everton's resistance was finally broken when Jorginho converted from the spot on the stroke of half-time, and the Toffees were unable to find a way past Edouard Mendy despite an improved showing after the break.

That meant Chelsea won their Premier League opener for a third consecutive season despite failing to produce a fluid performance on Merseyside.

Everton suffered an early blow when Ben Godfrey was carried off with a serious lower-leg injury, but they forced Mendy into the first meaningful save through James Tarkowski's 24th-minute header.

Chelsea debutant Raheem Sterling was denied by the offside flag 42 minutes in, having stabbed home after Jordan Pickford fumbled N'Golo Kante's effort, but Chelsea made their dominance count nine minutes into a lengthy bout of stoppage time. 

Abdoulaye Doucoure hauled Ben Chilwell down as the wing-back burst into the area, allowing Jorginho to convert neatly into the bottom-left corner as Pickford went the wrong way.

Everton found Mendy in inspired form as they looked to respond after the break, with the Senegal stopper denying both Demarai Gray and Doucoure with strong saves.

Ten minutes of additional time were signalled after a medical emergency in the crowd required a brief stoppage, but Chelsea's experienced rear-guard stood firm.

What does it mean? Blues make another strong start 

Tuchel repeatedly cut a frustrated figure throughout Chelsea's less-than-ideal pre-season campaign, but the Blues, so often strong starters, produced a professional performance to win their Premier League opener.

Chelsea have now started 20 of their 31 Premier League campaigns with a win (drawn six, lost five), while Everton have suffered their first opening-day defeat since going down to Queens Park Rangers in 2011.

Everton pay the penalty as Jorginho converts

Jorginho was thwarted by Pickford during Italy's penalty shoot-out win over England in the Euro 2020 final, but the 30-year-old kept his nerve to send the goalkeeper the wrong way this time around.

Eighteen of his 20 Premier League goals have now come from the spot, the highest percentage (90 per cent) among players to have scored at least 10 goals in the competition, while Chelsea's tally of 139 successful penalties is the most in the division's history.

Chelsea put Goodison Park blues behind them

Chelsea's victory saw them end a run of four successive defeats at Everton, which had been their longest active losing streak against another Premier League side.

The Toffees, meanwhile, fell to just their second defeat in seven home league outings, having relied on their Goodison Park performances to ensure survival last term.

What's next?

Chelsea face London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in their next Premier League outing next Sunday, while Everton travel to Aston Villa a day earlier.

Everton have confirmed Ben Godfrey has been taken to hospital after the defender suffered a serious lower leg injury.

Godfrey was injured in the 10th minute of Saturday's Premier League match at Goodison Park, as Everton's rotten luck with injuries continued.

The defender's poor backpass resulted in Jordan Pickford attempting to keep the ball in play, and even though the England goalkeeper failed to do so, it was apparently not spotted by the officials.

Play continued and, in an attempt to rectify his mistake, Godfrey lunged in on Kai Havertz, making a clean challenge, but immediately signalled to the touchline and was clearly in some distress as he held his right leg.

After receiving treatment for eight minutes, the 24-year-old was taken off on a stretcher, with Mason Holgate replacing him.

Chelsea took the lead in the stoppage time created by Godfrey's injury, with Jorginho scoring from the penalty spot after Abdoulaye Doucoure's foul on Ben Chilwell.

At half-time, Everton confirmed Godfrey, who required oxygen as he was taken off the field, had been taken to hospital.

Frank Lampard was already without a recognised striker for Everton's season opener, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin set to miss around six weeks with a knee injury sustained in training.

Manchester United are reportedly willing to meet Salzburg's £41.8million asking price for 19-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko, who does not turn 20 until next May and measures in at 195cm tall, scored 11 goals in 37 games last season, and he opened the new Bundesliga campaign with a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over Austria Vienna.

According to The Athletic, United decided against signing Sesko for £2.5m as a 16-year-old, and they will now have to pay up to secure the services of the in-demand forward.

TOP STORY – UNITED PLAN BIG MOVE FOR TOWERING SLOVENIAN STRIKER

The report from Express calls Sesko "a priority target" for new boss Erik ten Hag, but also mentions that the Austrian club is extremely high on him as a prospect – going as far as comparing his future to that of former Salzburg man Erling Haaland.

Meanwhile, Sport Klub claims Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also monitoring the situation, and that Sesko and Salzburg will be meeting in the next week to make a firm decision on his future.

Sesko is also Slovenia's youngest-ever international debutant, having debuted one day after his 18th birthday, and became their youngest international goalscorer a few months later.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato claims Tottenham are set to sign 19-year-old defender and Manchester City target Destiny Udogie from Udinese for a deal in the range of £25m.

– The Mirror is reporting that Everton have swooped in to land West Ham target Amadou Onana from Lille with a fee of £33.7m.

– Leeds United are making a £22m bid for Paris Saint-Germain forward Arnaud Kalimuendo, according to the Sun.

– A Sky Sports report states Crystal Palace are interested in bringing back defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka from United.

– Liverpool are exploring a potential £50m move to bring in Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich, according to 90min.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel rebuffed former Premier League defender Gary Neville's criticism of new Blues owner Todd Boehly, labelling the American businessman as "super hard-working".

Neville accused Boehly of treating Chelsea as if he "wants to play Football Manager", referring to the video game, and acting "panicky" in the transfer market.

The west London club have missed out on a number of key targets this window, with Jules Kounde from Sevilla and Raphinha from Leeds United reportedly snubbing Chelsea in order to move to Spanish giants Barcelona.

While they have completed the signings of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and England international Raheem Sterling, Neville said about Boehly on The Overlap: "He's reacting to clubs and what they are doing. You hear his name too much, he's too prominent."

However, Tuchel was quick to defend the owner in a news conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League opener against Everton on Saturday.

When asked about Neville's comments, Tuchel said: "Panicking? No, I would describe it as super hard-working and learning while on the job.

"The transfer market is one of the toughest things you can do when you come from outside, but I have nothing but the biggest respect and compliments for both Todd and Behdad [Eghbali, co-owner].

"I don't know when they sleep, I think maybe they never sleep. But we have a very honest, very open, very direct line of communication and the transfers so far speak for itself.

"We have a delay, of course nobody is guilty for that delay. We have a delay because of the sanctions [against the club when Roman Abramovich was owner], and the sanctions led to the loss of key players.

"But both of the owners who are involved in the daily business have done a fantastic job so far."

Ahead of the game against Everton, Chelsea have been boosted by captain Cesar Azpilicueta signing a new two-year contract, ending speculation of a move this window to Barcelona.

They have also completed the signings of 18-year-old midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella.

The Premier League is approaching a landmark age: on August 15, the competition will be 30 years old, with that date ultimately ushering in a golden era for English football.

Although we may be 10 days away from that particular milestone, Friday sees the latest edition of the Premier League kick off with Crystal Palace and Arsenal contesting the opening game of the 2022-23 campaign at Selhurst Park.

As such, it only seems right to jump the gun a little and look back on the first 30 years of what many believe has become the greatest league in world football.

So, buckle up as Stats Perform takes you on a trip down memory lane…

Managing expectations

This is classic 'pub quiz' territory: which manager has presided over the most Premier League games?

You know it's either Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger, don't you? You probably end up going for the Manchester United icon because of his sheer longevity.

Alas, you'd be wrong.

Wenger took charge of 18 more Premier League games (828) than 'Fergie' before he brought his long Arsenal career to a close.

Nevertheless, Ferguson's 13 titles look unlikely to ever be matched. His closest rival in that respect is Pep Guardiola (four), with Wenger joined on three by Jose Mourinho.

Play on, player

Over the first 30 seasons of the Premier League, 4,488 players have appeared in the competition at an average of 149.6 debutants per campaign.

If we ignore the inaugural season for obvious reasons, the campaign with the most debutants was 2015-16 when 162 players made their Premier League bows.

Of the nearly 4,500 individuals to feature in the competition, Gareth Barry sits clear with the most appearances (653), the last of which came during the 2017-18 season with West Brom.

It's a record that will take some beating, but if anyone's got a chance of toppling him, it's his former Manchester City team-mate James Milner.

The 36-year-old, now of Liverpool, is fourth on the all-time list with 588 outings.

Forever young

Everyone loves a 'wonderkid'. The Premier League has seen more than its fair share over the years, and some got started very, very young.

Mark Platts was the first 16-year-old to ever play in the Premier League when he made his Sheffield Wednesday debut in February 1996.

When Matthew Briggs came along 11 years later and featured for Fulham at 16 years and 68 days old, you'd have been forgiven for thinking his record would stand the test of time.

It lasted 12 years until another Fulham player shaved 38 days off Briggs' record – that player was Harvey Elliott. Now at Liverpool, the young midfielder looks set for a glittering career.

The name of the game

Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Wayne Rooney – when you think of Premier League goalscorers, these are probably the names that immediately spring to mind.

Well, you're wrong. You should be thinking about Andrew Johnson, Glen Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Bradley Johnson, Roger Johnson et al.

Why? Because there are more players with the surname Johnson to have scored in the Premier League than any other surname.

There have been 21 of them to be exact, two more than the Williams clan.

Synonymous.

Get to the points

It's been a frustrating few (nine?) years for Man United fans, but don't worry, folks, if you just look at the big (massive) picture, it'll definitely all feel much better.

United still sit top of the overall Premier League table with 2,366 points, giving them a healthy 225-point cushion over second-placed Arsenal.

Manchester City may have won four of the past five league titles, a feat only United had achieved before them in the Premier League, but the real story is that they're way back on 1,629 Premier League points.

Yo-yo with the flow

To be fair, almost every single one of you knows what's coming here.

You guessed it, Norwich City's relegation from the last season makes them the yo-yoingest (yes, we've just made that up) club in Premier League history.

That was their sixth relegation to go with their five promotions to the top flight since 1992, taking them one clear of West Brom, who have the same number of ascensions but only five demotions to their name.

I love goals, goals, goals, goals

Of course, Shearer remains the Premier's League all-time leading scorer with 260, 52 more than Wayne Rooney in second.

But Harry Kane looks to be in with a chance of usurping both England greats – in fact, another solid season could take him beyond 200 as he begins the 2022-23 campaign on 183.

Kane also appears among the very best goalscoring combinations in the competition's history as he and Son Heung-min have linked up for 41 goals – that's five more than Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard as the next-best.

As for high-scoring matches, there have been three Premier League games that have finished with a nine-goal margin – two were achieved by Man United (9-0 v Southampton in February 2021, and v Ipswich Town in March 1995) and Leicester City managed it in October 2019, also crushing Saints 9-0.

Do call it a comeback

Your team's trailing 2-0, you're despondent and bereft of hope. But then, out of nowhere, you've got a goal back. Then the equaliser. And then, just when you'd convinced yourself "this draw feels like a win", a third goes in, and it's pandemonium.

There are few more satisfying situations in football than when you team produces such a turnaround – the despair you were feeling earlier only makes your full-time jubilation that bit more intense.

The biggest such turnarounds that led to wins all involved teams coming back from three goals down. Leeds United, Wimbledon and Wolves have all managed it in 4-3 victories, while Man United beat Spurs 5-3 from 3-0 down.

No team have done so since Wolves in October 2003, although Newcastle United certainly deserve a special mention – they are the only team to find themselves 4-0 down and avoid defeat. Their 4-4 draw with Arsenal in February 2011 remains a Premier League classic.

Stop the clock!

Here's another for the pub quiz enthusiasts: who scored the quickest goal in Premier League history?

Netting just 7.69 seconds into an April 2019 game between Southampton and Watford, Shane Long opened the scoring to break a 19-year record that had been set by Spurs defender Ledley King.

To put that into context, it'd take you longer to read that sentence. It was also quicker than Usain Bolt's world-record time in the 100 metres (9.58 seconds).

The latest goal ever is maybe a less notable record, but it nonetheless belongs to Bruno Fernandes, who in September 2020 scored a penalty after 99 minutes and 45 seconds to seal United a dramatic 3-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion – yes, that's the game when the Seagulls hit the woodwork a record five times.

As for the quickest hat-trick, that was scored by Sadio Mane for Southampton against Aston Villa in May 2015, with his first and third goals separated by just two minutes and 56 seconds.