With Thibaut Courtois headed for Real Madrid, Chelsea have wasted no time, or money, in replacing the goalkeeper with Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga.
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The £72.1 million signing comes with a world record fee for a stopper, but also a caveat commentators will be dreading – a heck of a name.
To help out the pundits and fans though, here’s the 23-year-old and similarly unpronounceable Spaniard Cesar Azpilicueta.
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All much clearer now? No?
Try using this Twitter user’s phonetic spelling of the name.
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There. All sorted?
Maybe not, but at least it’s memorable.
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It seems not everyone is finding the last name easy, so they’re sticking to the first name – which it turns out is a pun goldmine.
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But some have decided a nickname is easiest.
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Chelsea faces Huddersfield away on Saturday in their opening game of the Premier League season.
If their new signing starts, be sure to keep an ear out for how the commentators get on.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City's Premier League title hopes took another blow after a 1-1 draw with Brighton on Wednesday.
Not even Erling Haaland’s 150th goal for the club was enough to stop City from dropping points at home for the second time in as many games and recording a third-straight draw. Kaoru Mitoma’s equalizer stopped Pep Guardiola’s team from closing the gap to first-place Arsenal to three points.
The City manager blamed missed chances for the latest setback.
“We were expecting goals but it’s not about that, we have to score goals. We could not do it, and we have to accept it,” he said.
Aston Villa also missed out on the chance to move within three points of first-place Arsenal after a goalless draw at Crystal Palace.
Manchester United’s first game since firing Ruben Amorim on Monday ended in a 2-2 draw at relegation-fighting Burnley and new Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior watched on from the stands as his team was beaten 2-1 by Fulham.
Newcastle scored in the 12th minute of added time to beat Leeds 4-3. According to the Premier League it was latest winner on record in the competition. And Antoine Semenyo also struck in added time as Bournemouth beat Tottenham 3-2 in what could be his last game before a widely anticipated move to City.
For the second time is as many games City blew a lead at home to ease the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the standings.
After the 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday Pep Guardiola's team was held again, this time by Brighton.
Haaland's 41st-minute penalty put City ahead at halftime. But after Mitoma's equalizer on the hour, Haaland was guilty of wasting a golden chance to score the winner when he shot straight at Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen late on.
“It’s not just one or two players, it’s all the players up front,” Guardiola said.
A run of three draws also included a 0-0 with Sunderland on New Year's Day.
Second-placed City is five points behind Arsenal, having played a game more. The gap to the top could be extended to eight points if Arsenal beats Liverpool on Thursday.
Villa is third and level on points with City after a 0-0 draw at Palace — the second time in three games that Unai Emery's team has dropped points.
Darren Fletcher couldn’t lead United to victory in his first game as interim coach, with Jaidon Anthony scoring a long-range equalizer for second-from-bottom Burnley.
Two goals from Benjamin Sesko saw United bounce back from Ayden Heaven’s early own goal. But Burnley salvaged a draw with the stunning strike from Anthony.
United has won one of its last six games and only three from 12.
Fletcher said afterward that he would remain in charge for the FA Cup tie against Brighton on Sunday. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick among the candidates to become interim coach until the end of the season.
"It’s an amazing experience. I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game, I can’t hide that, but the experience of leading the team out, preparing the team, the support, it’s a pleasure, an honor," Fletcher said.
Rosenior has a job on his hands at Chelsea.
The Club World Cup winner is eighth in the standings after extending its winless run to five games.
Harry Wilson's 82-minute goal secured victory for Fulham against a Chelsea team that had Marc Cucurella sent off early in the match and was led by interim Calum McFarlane, despite the appointment of Rosenior on Tuesday.
Rosenior's first game will be the FA Cup tie against Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
In what might go down as one of the best Premier League games of the season, Harvey Barnes scored in the 102nd minute as Newcastle beat Leeds 4-3.
Leeds led three time at St James' Park and was 3-2 ahead as the clock ticked past 90 minutes.
But there was still plenty of drama to come.
Bruno Guimaraes made it 3-3 from the penalty spot in the 91st and Barnes spun to squeeze home his second of the match and the winner.
Brentford is up to fifth after a 3-0 win over Sunderland, with Igor Thiago continuing his outstanding scoring run.
The Brazilian struck two more for Keith Andrews’ team to take his personal tally to 17 goals for the season. With 16 in the Premier League, only Haaland on 20 has more.
His double also followed the hat trick he scored against Everton on Sunday.
According to stats firm Opta, Thiago has now has the record for the most Premier League goals by a Brazilian in a single season.
“Goals are what you get judged on as a striker and it is fair to say he is having a special season,” Andrews said.
Nine-man Everton drew 1-1 with last-place Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After 12 straight losses, Wolves are now three games unbeaten, but still 14 points adrift of safety.
He is widely expected to complete a move to City and if this was his last game for Bournemouth, Semenyo went out with a bang.
With a goal in the fifth minute of added time, the forward sealed a dramatic late victory over Spurs and ended Bournemouth's 11-game winless run.
"There are still formalities. I’m afraid to say because I don’t want to lose him, but that looks like it will be his last moments with us,” Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola said.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Newcastle United's Harvey Barnes, left, scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Leeds United in Newcastle, England, Wednesday Jan. 7, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Manchester United's interim manager Darren Fletcher and Lisandro Martinez walk off the pitch after the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester United in Burnley, England Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Chelsea's head coach Liam Rosenior, centre, and Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali, right, watch the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Chelsea in London, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, right, attempts a shot at goal in front of Brighton's Lewis Dunk during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola reacts after Erling Haaland missed a scoring opportunity during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
