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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 AUGUST 2017 47 Sport SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL Champions Chelsea beaten at home in first game PREMIER League champions Chelsea suffered an embarrass- ing home defeat on the first Sat- urday of the new season, having two men sent off as unfancied Burnley beat them 3-2 at Stam- ford Bridge. Antonio Conte's disjointed side struggled from the early stages when captain Gary Cahill was dismissed for a lunging tackle and they found themselves three-nil down at halftime to a team who gained only seven points away from home all last season. Wales international Sam Vokes scored two of the goals and Ste- phen Ward the other. New signing Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid came on to pull one back midway through the sec- ond half and then provided an as- sist for David Luiz, but in-between midfielder Cesc Fabregas was also sent off for a second yellow card. It was a dispiriting afternoon for Conte, who won the title in his first season at the club but has complained that Chelsea have not signed enough new players while allowing several to leave. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp protested that Watford's stoppage-time equaliser by Ma- nuel Britos in an entertaining 3-3 draw should have been disallowed for offside. Britos was standing almost on the line before nudging in the loose ball after Simon Mignolet pushed it onto the bar. "We were unlucky in the end," Klopp said. "The equaliser was offside. It's obvious because the linesman is on the line. He needs to see it. "We would have had defensive areas we need to work on if we'd won 3-2. We were the better team, we should have won." After the opening game of the season on Friday produced seven goals and a late winner for Arse- nal, who beat Leicester City 4-3, the two teams at Vicarage Road served up more of the same enter- tainment for a worldwide televi- sion audience -- including some poor defending. The home side, under new manager Marco Silva, led twice through Stefano Okaka and Ab- doulaye Doucoure but Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, with a penalty, both equalised. Debutant Mohamed Salah seemed to have won the points for the visitors before Britos's dra- matic late intervention. Promoted Huddersfield Town, playing in the top flight for the first time since 1972 and widely tipped for relegation, cruised to a 3-0 win away to Crystal Palace. Record signing Steve Mounie, the Benin striker from Montpel- lier who cost 13 million euros ($15.36 million), scored once in each half after Palace's Joel Ward put through his own goal. Wayne Rooney scored on his re- turn to Everton from Manchester United to give the Merseysiders a 1-0 victory at home to Stoke City. It was his 199th Premier League goal and first for Everton since 2004. Egyptian defender Ahmed He- gazi, on loan to West Bromwich Albion from Al Ahly, scored on his debut in the 1-0 win at home to Bournemouth. There were no goals on the south coast between Southampton and Swansea City. That meant the Saints have not scored at home in their last six games. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte Zidane says new Real contract no guarantee of job security REAL Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has delivered a remarkable trophy haul in his short spell in charge, yet he knows life in the Bernabeu dugout is never secure. Zidane is set to agree a new deal at the club, according to Spanish media re- ports, but the French coach said on Sat- urday that he could be let go at any time whatever the length of contract he signs. "I know it will end at some point, but I am very happy at the moment," Zidane told a news conference. "A contract could be 10 years, or 20, but I know where I am and what I must do. "Maybe in a year's time, I might be gone. I will never argue with Madrid about this. I'm very happy with their confidence in me. The objectives are al- ways the same. We want to win all the games and titles possible." Zidane is seventh coach in the last 10 years at Madrid, who are notoriously de- manding of their managers. Since being appointed in 2016, the Frenchman has led the club to two Champions League trophies and last season's La Liga title, as well as two UE- FA Super Cups and one Club World Cup. Zidane has the chance on Sunday to take a step towards another trophy, in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup against rivals Barcelona at the Nou Camp. The Frenchman confirmed striker Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to start, after he appeared from the bench against Man- chester United on Tuesday as Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup in Skopje. "He is very good, he has had his holi- days," said Zidane. "He worked very hard physically during his break and he is ready to play now. But we will see the team tomorrow." Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane