Thomas Tuchel did not take too kindly to being thrashed by Raheem Sterling at table tennis

The Premier League pre-season is in full flight with sides in the English top flight honing their skills ahead of the new campaign.

Clubs have jetted off to far flung corners of the globe for the first time since the pandemic, playing in front of capacity crowds desperate to get a glimpse of their heroes.

Liverpool and Manchester United tussled it out in Asia while the likes of Everton and Chelsea hopped the pond to the United States.

For new signings, these pre-season games represent the perfect opportunity to stake their claim on a spot in the starting line-ups that will take to the pitch on the opening weekend.

Darwin Nunez finally arrived for Liverpool with four superb goals to break his duck while eyes have also been closely trained on the fortunes of Erling Haaland.

Elsewhere, Raheem Sterling will be doing what he can to impress his new gaffer, Thomas Tuchel, after swapping Manchester City for west London in one of the more surprising switches of the summer.

Sterling signed for the Blues in a £47.5million deal from City after a trophy-laden spell at the Etihad.

He may not have made the best first impression, however, after brutally dispatching the German manager in a game of table tennis while on tour in the States.

In the wholesome clip below, Sterling perfectly sets up Tuchel before ruthlessly finishing off the point.

Tuchel simply couldn’t believe it, joining in with the laughter that had engulfed the room following the point.

Sterling vs Tuchel on Table Tennis