The eyebrows that were raised when Brighton replaced Graham Potter with Roberto De Zerbi have been put firmly in their place over the last 12 months. It was on September 18 a year ago, only 10 days after Potter’s departure for Chelsea, that the Seagulls announced their new boss would be a little-known Italian. Brighton chairman Tony Bloom had identified De Zerbi as his next managerial target some time before after being impressed by his work in Italy with Benevento and Sassuolo, which then continued when he moved to Shakhtar Donetsk. Arriving at Brighton with little English and big boots to fill, it was perhaps not surprising it was seen as a risky move but the only question now is how long the Seagulls will be able to hang onto him. De Zerbi did not win any of his first five games in charge but thumped Potter’s Chelsea 4-1 for his maiden victory and did not look back. Premier League highlights included the double over Chelsea and wins over Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal while they also beat Liverpool during a run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup that only ended with a penalty shoot-out loss to United. Brighton eventually finished sixth, securing European football for the first time in the club’s history with a place in the Europa League. And they have picked up where they left off this season, winning four of their opening five matches, including back-to-back 3-1 wins over Newcastle and Manchester United. That is despite again selling a number of their star performers, with Moises Caicedo and Robert Sanchez heading to Chelsea and Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool. Selling on players and reinvesting the money in potential stars of the future is central to the Brighton model. Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, Leandro Trossard, Ben White and Dan Burn have all departed the Amex Stadium for bigger Premier League names in recent seasons while the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson are sure to be on many wishlists. The no-nonsense De Zerbi has clearly had a big impact on the players he has worked with, and Lewis Dunk opened up on the Italian’s methods after regaining his place in the England squad. “Football-wise, since the new manager at Brighton has come in I see football in a completely different way, I picture it in a different way and that is the biggest thing,” he said earlier this month. “Football is not what I thought it was. Just how we play now. The idea of what I did before, I thought it made sense. But when you learn something completely different, you believe in it and this makes sense. “You think, ‘Why didn’t I know this?’ and, ‘Why didn’t I do this before?’ “(I) know every position on the pitch and where they should be. The time they should move and what angles they should give. We see it every day and it makes life simpler.” That attention to detail and precision is at the heart of De Zerbi’s footballing philosophy, with Brighton widely praised for their attacking panache and high-energy game. Balancing trying to take another step forward in the Premier League this season with the demands of European football is a new challenge for De Zerbi but, based on the last 12 months, it would be no surprise if he found the right formula. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Paul Collingwood backs Zak Crawley to excel in role of England captain Pep Guardiola challenges Man City to win back-to-back Champions League titles Conor Murray: Ireland squad in ‘unbelievable nick’ ahead of South Africa clash

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Everton midfielder Tom Davies will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month after turning down a new deal, the club have announced. The 24-year-old former academy player, who made his debut aged 17 in April 2016, will exit Goodison Park in search of regular playing time after featuring only 19 times in the Premier League last season. Manager Sean Dyche was keen for Davies to stay and fight for a place in the team as Everton look to avoid a third straight top-flight relegation scrap next campaign. Instead, he will become the third first-team player to move on at the end of their deals, after it was confirmed earlier in June that Andros Townsend and Yerry Mina would not be offered new contracts. Everton director of football, Kevin Thelwell, said: “We offered Tom a new contract, but he feels he has reached the stage in his career where he needs regular first-team football and, as a result, he wants to look at alternative options away from Everton. “As a lifelong Evertonian and proud Scouser, Tom has always given everything for the club. We respect his decision and thank him for his service and commitment. Everyone at Everton wishes him the very best for the future.” One of Davies’ most memorable moments at Goodison Park came when he scored the third goal in a 4-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in 2017. That season saw the team finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League, but the former England Under-21 captain’s time with the Toffees coincided with a steady slide down the table, culminating in 16th and 17th-place finishes that saw them only narrowly beat the drop. He leaves having made 179 appearances across seven seasons for the club in all competitions, scoring seven goals. Club captain Seamus Coleman and backup goalkeeper Andy Lonergan have both been offered new deals, but Asmir Begovic will leave the club after rejecting new terms. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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England had covered the gaps, they had filled the holes. They had adjusted, adapted, repositioned, created a new formation, and reached a first World Cup final. Then England changed again. Down 1-0 at half time in the World Cup final, Sarina Wiegman went for a last roll of the dice, a double substitution that saw Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly brought off and Lauren James and Chloe Kelly come on. That 3-5-2 that was England’s revelation of the tournament, that changed their World Cup? It was binned. England went back to 4-2-3-1. They disposed of the wing-backs and brought on the wingers. They stopped pressing Spain and abandoned their plan. With it, and for the first time at the World Cup, the Lionesses did not find the change that was required. James and Kelly brought moments of improvement, but the truth is that England were at their most dangerous when Lauren Hemp and Russo were combining as a front two. Hemp’s switch to a central role took away the threat that was everywhere in the first half and left Wiegman searching for something else. On came Beth England. Up went Millie Bright. But this was a situation England could not overcome. In a tournament that has been defined by England’s ability to adapt and solve the problems they have faced, the changes that were required against Spain were a step too far. Mary Earps’s save from Jenni Hermoso’s penalty gave England some momentum, but this was a final that stuttered and in the second half never found its rhythm, where stoppages played into Spain’s hands and covered the defensive frailties they had previously shown through the tournament. “When Mary saved the penalty I thought we’d go on and score the goal,” Wiegman shrugged. “But we didn’t.” Wiegman felt England improved with the changes and they certainly played with a better balance. But by then the game had changed and in its final moments, Spain managed to stay in control. While England never found the right combinations, Spain never quite felt threatened. While England played with two systems, neither one quite arrived at the right time. Perhaps this was always the natural conclusion for a World Cup that hit its first hurdle in November when Beth Mead suffered a torn ACL, then when England lost Leah Williamson, and then Fran Kirby; the deflating end to a tournament where Wiegman has not had the same consistency or continuity of last summer’s Euros, and where winning the final was beyond the resilience of this side. Perhaps it’s also the rebalance from last summer’s quarter-final in Brighton, where Spain were the better team and lost after England found a moment of magic through Georgia Stanway’s equaliser. England couldn’t produce another one; despite the introductions of Kelly and James, England were at their most threatening when they played into an open, frantic match, even if it left them more vulnerable at the other end and, ultimately, led to Olga Carmona’s winning goal. It was a quality finish, the moment to crown Spain’s golden generation, a magnificent team of sharp passers and quick minds. Aitana Bonmati was the clear player of the tournament and no one will be surprised when the Ballon d’Or follows at the end of the year. They looked a class above England, but the regret is that a head coach who appears to have no impact on how his team plays in Jorge Vilda did not need to have a tactical approach to beat the Lionesses. England gave Spain what they wanted. Wiegman committed to a brave plan but it gave England a hard time. They had pushed high and pressed Spain, hoping to force the error, with Lucy Bronze and Daly defending as forwards as much as wingers, gambling on a misplaced pass. But Spain were too good. They responded by playing through England, isolating a back three that had found strength in its unity. Spain pulled an already stretched team further out of shape and created another problem for England to solve. Bronze’s misadventure then led to another one. As Carmona fired past Earps, Bronze immediately sank to the pitch, as if her legs had been cut from beneath her, the sort of reaction that told you everything about where the goal had come from. It was a run that was too ambitious when what England needed to do was move it faster. Bronze was crowded out, England were outnumbered, and suddenly it was left to Russo to follow Carmona’s run. That was a gap in the team that England could not cover. There had been such a fine balance to it, an open game where the first goal was always going to be crucial. While the final was goalless, England had chances that came from their high press and then found spaces to hit Hemp down the channels. But when Spain scored, the space vanished and Wiegman needed to try something else to protect her side, even if it meant England lost some of their unpredictability. To reach this stage was a triumph of the team’s approach and its mentality; a campaign that always managed to deliver answers. Eventually, and on the biggest stage of all, England were unable to find another. Read More England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Jorge Vilda: Spain’s World Cup coach at the heart of a civil war England v Spain LIVE: Women’s World Cup final result and reaction as Lionesses suffer heartbreak England players ‘heartbroken’ after World Cup final defeat to Spain England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Sarina Wiegman has already made the biggest decision of England’s World Cup

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