The Community Shield kick-off time has been brought forward by 90 minutes following fan complaints. The Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that the match between treble winners Manchester City and Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday, August 6 would now kick off at 4pm instead of 5.30pm. Yet this change does not go far enough for some City supporters, who would like to see the fixture, which is due to be broadcast live by ITV, moved even further to 3pm. Calls for this change have been led by the City fans’ group 1894, which had initially urged supporters to boycott the match when it was scheduled for 5.30pm, encouraging people to donate to foodbanks instead. An updated statement from 1894 read: “We would like to see the kick off time for the Community Shield brought forward to 3pm if it has to be on the Sunday. “4pm will still mean significant travel challenges for supporters. Whilst some fans will now feel they can attend the game, the best way to ensure an excellent turnout would be to move the game to 3pm and there is no reason why ITV, with its numerous free-to-air channels, cannot make this happen. “This is not just a Manchester City issue. Next year this could be two other northern clubs being asked to kick off at 5.30pm – or later still. “Fans of many other clubs can see this could apply to them in the future and we thank them for their support. “Finally, thousands of pounds has been raised for the MCFC Foodbank in three days, so thanks to all City fans for their generosity.” Travel arrangements for Wembley fixtures have been a recurring source of frustration for north west teams in recent years. Last year the FA Cup semi-final between City and Liverpool fell on a weekend when there were no direct trains from the region to London due to engineering works. There were then strikes by rail staff on the day of this year’s FA Cup final between City and Manchester United. Late kick-offs also leave supporters limited time to get back to stations before the final trains north. On August 6, the last service to Manchester from the capital is due to leave Euston at 9.48pm. A statement from the FA read: “The new earlier kick-off time for the traditional ‘curtain raiser’ of the domestic season has been agreed following consultation with our broadcast partners, the local authorities, police, and the competing clubs. “The decision to move the kick-off time was taken following full consideration of the transport challenges for fans returning to Manchester after the match.” The PA news agency has contacted ITV for comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Northern Ireland must expect ‘hiccups’ during transitional time – Ali McCann Final day of first Ashes Test under way after morning rain at Edgbaston French anti-corruption police raid HQ of Paris 2024 Olympic organising committee

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You may have seen the video of Jordan Henderson promoting Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup. It is a moving watch. There’s his giant face plastered across the screen, while wearing the famous green and black colours of Al Ettifaq FC. “Very excited about the announcement,” Henderson says in his excited voice. “Go Saudi Arabia 2034.” It is important to note that his World Cup promotional work is voluntary. We know this because he said so in an interview with The Athletic. So when we see raw emotion like this on social media, we know we are getting real Henderson, authentic Henderson, out there backing the bid. Not a paid ambassador, just a boy who fell in love with a gulf state. Henderson is having one of his all-time great seasons: four assists in eight games as captain of Steven Gerrard’s Ettifaq outfit; still in the England squad despite no discernible superior attributes to James Ward-Prowse; all while getting the chance to grow the Saudi Pro League, one of his big motivations for moving there. He is not the only one excited. Gerrard described the prospect of a Saudi World Cup as “potentially one of the best shows the world’s seen”. Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema was stunned, tweeting: “Wow! Amazing news.” Al-Ahli winger Riyadh Mahrez was relieved the world will finally get to see the country’s “passion and love of the game”. If it sounds like they think the bid is already won, that’s because it might be. To catch up on a whirlwind week at Fifa HQ, it was announced on Wednesday that six countries across three continents would host the 2030 World Cup. That satisfied the confederations of Europe, Africa and South America. And barely an hour later, Saudi Arabia publicly launched its bid for 2034. Things have fallen into place quite nicely. Fifa’s rules on rotating the World Cup around the globe mean there are only two possible federations left to stage the 2034 World Cup: Oceania and Asia. That doesn’t leave a lot of competition. What’s more, Fifa gave any rivals to the Saudi bid a 25-day deadline for submission. Australia has hinted at joining the race, but a cynic might conclude it would be the tortoise chasing a wealthy and well-prepared hare that’s already crossed the finish line. The World Cup is a logical endpoint to something much bigger. Sport is a mirror to the world order, and Saudi’s emergence in football is both a consequence and a signal of a gravitational shift. As Rory McIlroy put it recently, upon accepting the increasing influence of Saudi Arabia on the game of golf: “You see everything else happening in the world, you see big private equity companies in America taking their money, the biggest companies in the world … if this is what’s happening, then the way I’ve framed it is that the world has decided for me.” There is an inevitability to all this. Even so, given the rapid emergence of an oppressive dictatorship in the world of football, it might have been nice for even just one press conference with Fifa’s dear leader, Gianni Infantino, to scrutinise this flurry of announcements that appear to pave the way for Saudi 2034. This, remember, is an organisation whose “corruption” section on Wikipedia is longer than this article. Infantino has himself taken on the distinct air of a dictator in recent years. He was sworn in for another term as Fifa president in March after winning an election unopposed, annointed to obedient applause at a ceremony in Rwanda. Fifa presidents are supposed to serve a maximum of three terms, but Infantino recently “clarified” that his first three years in the job didn’t count as he was only filling in for the deposed Sepp Blatter. It seems likely he will serve until the bitter end in 2031, capping a 15-year stint as the most powerful man in football. Infantino and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have a friendship of sorts and have been pictured at various matches together, most notably in Qatar last year. The 2034 World Cup might be the first tournament after his reign ends, a parting gift to Bin Salman, like a prime minister handing out one last peerage to an old ally. The road to 2034 will no doubt be smoothed by Saudi’s many levers of soft power. It will host the Fifa Club World Cup in December, and will continue to invest heavily in the Saudi Pro League. Lionel Messi remains an ambassador and Cristiano Ronaldo is its marquee player. The league is set to go after more big, bright stars closer to their prime, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah a high priority. All that will lay the groundwork for the ultimate goal, hosting the World Cup, a platform like no other to project Saudi Arabia’s global standing. So as Henderson put his enthusiastic support behind the message, emitting slight hostage energy, perhaps one day he might reflect that he was just a tool. 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Matt O’Riley celebrated his new contract with a winner seven minutes into stoppage time as Celtic edged a 2-1 win over Motherwell after a dramatic finale at Fir Park. Blair Spittal had levelled for Motherwell two minutes earlier after substitute Luis Palma grabbed his first Celtic goal in the 87th minute. Fans were on the pitch after each of the late goals and missiles flew between the two sets of supporters after O’Riley’s winner. The game had been on a knife edge throughout and Scott Bain, deputising for the suspended Joe Hart, made two good saves while the game was goalless. O’Riley’s new four-year deal was announced on the morning of the game and he showed his worth by converting a cushioned volley at the back post following Greg Taylor’s cross. The victory set Celtic up for the visit of Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday and delivered another blow to Motherwell, who have now suffered narrow defeats against the top three in successive weeks. Celtic had the bulk of the early possession but the only chances in the first quarter came from set-pieces. Spittal came close with an overhead kick and Liam Scales headed wide at the other end. Motherwell were looking solid and Kyogo Furuhashi curled wide from 22 yards when Celtic did manage to pass the ball through the lines. The home side had the best chance of the half when Spittal’s quick free-kick found Harry Paton’s run. Bain came out to block Paton’s shot with his foot and Celtic cleared the midfielder’s driven cross on the rebound. Liam Kelly made his only save of the first half from O’Riley after quick feet from Yang Hyun-jun before Spittal got Motherwell in behind again. However, Brodie Spencer could not find a final ball to capitalise. James Forrest replaced Yang at half-time and Celtic began to show more urgency in the final third. Taylor and Gustaf Lagerbielke could not make the most of half chances. Motherwell raised their own tempo in possession and had the ball in the net after Bevis Mugabi challenged Bain at a high ball. Stephen O’Donnell hit the ball off Mugabi on the lone before knocking home the rebound and the offside flag went up. Mugabi’s challenge might have been penalised anyway if the wing-back had netted first time. Taylor created Celtic’s best chance so far when he won the ball on the edge of the box and set up Daizen Maeda but the Japanese attacker shot over with only Kelly to beat. Motherwell responded and Theo Bair volleyed straight at Bain before the goalkeeper’s feet again came to Celtic’s rescue when he blocked Spittal’s effort following Callum Slattery’s through ball. The home side looked tired as the game entered the final 10 minutes and Kelly saved Forrest’s header after Palma’s cross. Then came the drama. Palma curled just inside the far post from just outside the corner of the box as the ball whipped in between defender Dan Casey and Kelly. Fans spilled on to the track from behind the goal in the Tommy McLean Stand. Motherwell found some energy and with plenty of players in the Spittal slotted into the far corner. Dozens of Motherwell fans were suddenly on the pitch and they were barely back in their seats when O’Riley struck and sparked an even bigger pitch invasion. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Effort and hard work is Wales’ ‘bread and butter’ at World Cup – Mike Forshaw Travis Etienne keen to ‘put on great show’ on Jacksonville Jaguars’ London trip France captain Antoine Dupont given go-ahead to return following surgery

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England Under-21s’ Tommy Doyle admits Manchester City’s treble winners have given him inspiration for Euro glory. The midfielder watched as his parent club won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League while on loan at Sheffield United. Doyle also won promotion with the Blades after finishing second in the Championship. He is in Georgia ahead of England’s Group C opener with the Czech Republic in Batumi on Thursday and feels Pep Guardiola’s superstars have provided added motivation for him. “It’s massive to see and gives you inspiration as well to go on to win and get yourself in that team as well to enjoy success,” said the 21-year-old. “It was special. Of course you want to be there as well and be involved but you have to respect where you’re at at this moment. “I was 110 per cent focused on Sheffield United and what I needed to do there but, as well as a player of City, I’m a fan as well so I was always watching. I had my fan hat on more because I was at a different club. “It’s massive for the club. They deserved it, they were brilliant and when it got to the business end they stepped up another level.” The Young Lions go into the tournament as one of the favourites in Georgia. Cole Palmer won the treble with Manchester City this season, Ben Johnson helped West Ham win the Europa Conference League, Max Aarons has won the Championship twice and Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes and Emile Smith Rowe lifted the Under-17s World Cup in 2017. Gareth Southgate believes the senior side have serial winners and Doyle feels the Young Lions, who also face Israel and Germany in the group stage, are the same. We have lads who love to win, want to win and who have won before. That obviously does help Tommy Doyle He said: “Yeah, of course. It’s on a little bit of a different scale. A lot of the lads in the seniors, the ones I know from City, have just come off the back of winning a treble and that is obviously massive for anyone as a player. “But lads here have won a lot, whether that be at academy level or stepping up and winning promotions or whatever that is. “We have lads who love to win, want to win and who have won before. That obviously does help.”

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Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek were on target as West Ham strolled to a 2-0 victory over rock-bottom Sheffield United. The Blades, walloped 8-0 by Newcastle six days earlier, had the air of a team already resigned to relegation just seven matches into the season. Their visit to the London Stadium was a welcome one for West Ham, who had suffered back-to-back defeats by Manchester City and Liverpool. The only surprise was that the Hammers did not score more, although it could have been an entirely different story had the Blades opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Cameron Archer turned Kurt Zouma in the area, only for Nayef Aguerd to slide in and block his shot. That was pretty much their only glimpse of Alphonse Areola’s goal in the first half as West Ham went for the jugular. First Bowen out-muscled James McAtee on the byline and cut the ball back for Soucek, who blazed over the crossbar. Then, from a James Ward-Prowse corner, Bowen had a header saved at point-blank range by Wes Foderingham, with Aguerd’s follow-up headed off the line by Luke Thomas. The goal West Ham had been threatening arrived in the 24th minute when Vladimir Coufal crossed low into the penalty area. Bowen had timed his run into the box to perfection and arrowed a first-time finish past Foderingham for his sixth goal in the Premier League this season, and his first at home. West Ham, sensing they could fill their boots just like Newcastle did against the Blades a week earlier, poured forward with Michail Antonio curling a shot just wide and Soucek narrowly off target with a glancing header. Nine minutes before the interval they doubled their lead after the visitors lost possession as they tried to play out from the back. Emerson Palmieri’s pass along the edge of the box found Antonio, who unselfishly slipped in Soucek to slot the ball home. After the break Archer had a half chance in the area but his shot was deflected over the crossbar. And a miserable afternoon for the Blades got even worse when captain John Egan limped off. They should have been further behind when Bowen rounded Foderingham and pulled the ball back, but Antonio could not find the finish. Aguerd headed wide from another Ward-Prowse corner before Blades striker Oliver McBurnie could have set up a nervous finish for the hosts, only to see his header fly the wrong side of the near post. Read More Tomas Soucek helps West Ham avoid upset at Lincoln West Ham storm past minnows Backa Topola after early scare in Europa League Jarrod Bowen, Carlton Morris and 5 players to target for FPL Gameweek 7 Tottenham vs Liverpool LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Ten Hag loses signature strength as Man United’s revival proves a false dawn