Category Sport News

Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham says self belief has inspired him to overcome a tough start to life in the2019/20 Premier League season at Chelsea.

Abraham, who joined the Chelsea academy in 2004, scored his first goals for the Blues as his two strikes against Norwich City on Saturday helped Lampard earn his first win as manager of the side.

After starting the season with a Super Cup penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool, a defeat to Manchester United at the Old Trafford and a draw at home to Leicester City, Lampard finally tasted victory with a 3-2 win at Carrow Road on Satuday.

Abraham is also determined to kick on after a successful outing against the Premier League new boys.

“I have always believed in myself,” Abraham told Chelsea’s official website.

“I know I have had a bit of a sticky time at the start of the season, but I’m someone who doesn’t let that affect me. It drives me on.

“Now I have scored two good goals, and hopefully, I can keep scoring for Chelsea.

FC Nantes coach Christian Gourcuff has described the club’s summer loan signing from Levante, Moses Simon, as an important creative player who will help improve his team this term, Completesports.com reports.

Super Eagles winger, Simon, was the last summer signing FC Nantes secured. He joined as a one-season loanee from Laliga side Levante.

Gourcuff handed the AFCON 2019 bronze medal winner his debut in FC Nantes’ second Ligue 1 match of the season at Amiens on Saturday, replacing Abdoul Kaer Bamba in the 73rd minute with the scoreline at 1-1. He scored in the 84th minute to secure a 2-1 win for the Canaries.

Simon could have bagged a brace if his header later in the game hadn’t come off the crossbar.

Aside his goal, the Nigerian brought in creativity in the final third for Nantes to the admiration of Gourcuff.

“We cannot hide the fact that we played with numerical superiority for a long time. We are progressing. In game run, we are consistent. We must know how to hold on to this and be comfortable. I think We are progressing, but the observations are the same: we need a little more creativity in the last 25 meters. Moses’ [Simon] entry is interesting in this sense,” Gourcuff told FC Nantes official website.

“We have worked a lot for the past two weeks. What I see makes me feel good, there is a buy-in from the players, we see that we can be competitive, but the points are important to build confidence. We still have some things to improve at all levels.

“But we were not solid in the last 25 meters. Maybe we were missing these creative players, like Bamba or Simon.”

FC Nantes are currently in ninth position in the 20-team French Ligue 1, on four points after three games.

The Gourcuff’s team will host Montpellier in their next Ligue one game on Sunday August 31.

Brendan Rodgers is hopeful that Wilfred Ndidi will be fit for Leicester City’s meeting with Bournemouth after a minor hamstring strain kept the midfielder out of the victory over Sheffield United on Saturday.

The City boss revealed after the 2-1 win at Bramall Lane that Ndidi had actually suffered the injury during last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea in which the 22-year-old had headed in the equaliser.

Ndidi’s absence, his first in a Premier League game since the 5-4 defeat to Spurs in the final match of the 2017-18 campaign, allowed Dennis Praet to make his first City start, with Hamza Choudhury dropping into the deeper midfield role.

Ndidi will definitely miss the midweek Carabao Cup tie at Newcastle but could take back his place next Saturday, August 31, when the Cherries visit the King Power Stadium.

“He tweaked his hamstring just slightly against Chelsea, and he just felt it,” said Rodgers.

Super Eagles winger Moses Simon enjoyed a memorable start to his career with Nantes by scoring the winning goal in the side’s 2-1 away win against Amiens at the Stade Credit Agricole de la Licorne on Saturday night, reports Completesports.com.

Simon started the game on the bench and took the place of Kader Bamba in the 73rd minute.

The Nigeria international then hit the winner for the visitors six minutes from time.

Khalifa Coulibaly opened scoring for Nantes in the 53rd minute, while Bongani Zungu equalised for the hosts in the 71st minute.

At the Stade Gaston-Gerard, Samuel Kalu provided an assist in Bordeaux 2-0 away win against Dijon.

Kalu laid the pass for Hwang Ui-jo’s opening goal for Bordeaux.

He was replaced by Yassine Benrahou 10 minutes from time.