Megan Rapinoe was dropped to the bench for the United States Women s World Cup semi-final against England, despite scoring back-to-back braces in the previous two rounds.
Christen Press was preferred on the left-hand side of USA s attack, with the defending champions coach Jill Ellis making a bold decision given Rapinoe came into the game as one of the tournament s leading scorers on five goals.
Rapinoe was subsequently absent from her team s warm-up on the field before kick-off and her omission was one of two changes to USA s team, the other being the inclusion of Lindsey Horan for Sam Mewis in midfield.
There was also a surprise name in the England XI as goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was unable to take her place between the posts due to a hamstring injury, Carly…
Arsenal are interested in signing Yeremi Pino from Villarreal in the summer of 2022, according to . It has been reported that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is closely following Pino and has told his bosses at the Premier League club to get him the 18-year-old winger.
Pino has been on the books of Villarreal since 2017 and has been superb for the Yellow Submarine in recent times. The Spain international has made nine starts and two substitute appearances in La Liga for the Yellow Submarine so far this season, scoring one goal and providing three assists in the process.
The Villarreal winger has also scored one goal in four Champions League appearances so far this season. Pino made six starts and 18 substitute appearances in the league last season, scoring three goals and …
Another week, another home defeat for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta s men were humbled 1-0 by Burnley on Sunday, increasing the pressure on the former Gunners captain.
On the other side of the north London divide, Tottenham are enjoying a strong campaign – though a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace will likely frustrate Jose Mourinho.
Nevertheless, they will have been relieved to see Liverpool also drop points once again, with this being the first matchday since January 2016 in which none of the so-called big six managed to win.
Here is the pick of the Opta facts from Sunday s action in the Premier League.
12/38
— Premier League (@premierleague)
Arsenal 0-1 Burnley: Arteta losing control of ill-disciplined Gunners
This is not how it wa…
Incoming, nothing. Outgoing, nothing that I heard about. That does not mean it could not happen.
You can leave Melwood after the press conference to calm down and have a nice evening, or go to another place where it is more exciting. It will be a quiet afternoon!
Those are the words of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp who has made it clear that there will be no more excitement for the Reds during the January transfer window.
There has been a bit of movement at Anfield since the month began, but all in all, it’s business as usual for Liverpool as they attempt to build on their 19-point lead at the top of the Premier League table this weekend when they take on Southampton.
The addition of Takumi Minamino has certainly been a positive step…
Chris Mepham insists the Wales squad are “100 per cent” behind embattled manager Rob Page.
Wales’ terrible run of results has piled the pressure on Page just nine months after he signed a four-year contract as national team manager.
Page has taken Wales to two major tournaments – the delayed Euro 2020 finals and the 2022 World Cup – but a run of one win in 12 games has left serious question marks over whether he is the man to lead the country in the post Gareth Bale-era.
Many Wales fans on social media have made it clear they want managerial change now, but Bournemouth defender Mepham says Page has the full backing of the squad.
Asked if the players were fully behind Page after Monday’s 2-0 European Championship qualifying defeat in Turkey, Me…
Declan Rice is under no illusions as to the test Senegal will present England in the last 16 of the World Cup on Sunday.
Having won Group B, England will be widely expected to progress in their first meeting with Senegal and set up a quarter-final clash with either France or Poland.
But Senegal have proven their mettle in progressing as Group A runners-up behind the Netherlands despite missing Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane through injury.
And Rice, who will likely be at the heart of a key battle in the midfield at Al Khor, knows Senegal are not to be taken lightly.
I think we ve had a really good focus throughout the three group games – three really tough group games as well – but we’re onto a bigger test and we know Senegal are going to be really …
Manchester City s preparations for their eagerly awaited Champions League showdown against Real Madrid have been thrown into flux by the news teenage centre-back Eric Garcia will not sign a new contract at the club.
Garcia has established himself as Pep Guardiola s first-choice central defensive partner for Aymeric Laporte since the Premier League resumed.
However, the 19-year-old has been heavily linked with a return to boyhood club Barcelona and Camp Nou looks increasingly likely to be his next destination following Guardiola s shock disclosure on Thursday.
Garcia is far from the first bright young thing to look beyond the environs of the Etihad Campus. Here, we look at how those next moves panned out, as Phil Foden s impressive first-team breakthrough increas…
Best odds: 61/50
Bookmaker:
Molde will welcome Galatasaray to the Aker Stadion in Norway on Wednesday, for the first leg of their clash in the Champions League qualifications play-off round.
Molde
Molde s journey through the Champions League qualifiers has been marked by both resilience and challenges. Their ability to overturn deficits, as seen in their matches against KI Klaksvik and HJK Helsinki, demonstrates their determination and adaptability. However, they will be aware that facing Galatasaray presents a significant step-up in opposition quality compared to their previous opponents.
KI were the first team from the Faroe Islands ever to reach the third round of the qualifications of UEFA s elite club competitions, and their motivation to do more w…
Julian Draxler implied he will likely leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season due to a lack of minutes.
Draxler played all 90 minutes in Germany s 2-0 friendly win against Israel on Saturday, with Chelsea duo Kai Havertz and Timo Werner contributing the two goals.
He arrived at Paris Saint-Germain from Wolfsburg in 2017, racking up 131 appearances and 17 goals for the French giants, but his playing time has plummeted this season.
Draxler has been brought on as a substitute in his past six appearances for PSG dating back to February 19, playing no more than 25 minutes in any of the short cameos.
Speaking with SPORT1, Draxler highlighted his joy in having an extended run, and the struggles that come with being out of favour back at his club.
Best Odds: 2/1
Bookmaker:
In what is a European heavyweight showdown on Wednesday night, defending champions Chelsea will make the trip to the Allianz Stadium when they face off against Juventus.
Juventus
Starting with the hosts, opening the 2021/22 Serie A campaign last month in the midst of a real nightmare, there is no doubt that Juventus will be boosted by what has become a much-needed bounce. Making the decision to bring back returning boss Massimiliano Allegri over the summer, the Old Lady still have the feel of a squad in the midst of a transition. Watching the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo make the move back to Manchester United, the now-former Italian champions did manage to pick up some perfect momentum over the weekend. Now securing back-to-back action-…