List of All Articles with Tag 'a'

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

Follow live coverage as Watford face Millwall in the Championship today. An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season. Last year Southampton, Leicester City and Leeds United were relegated from the top flight and all are hopeful of making a quick return - but the likes of Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland all have real promotion ambitions too. At the other end of the table, QPR, Cardiff City and Birmingham City will hope for better campaigns than last year’s relegation struggle - while newcomers Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to survive after dramatic progress through the play-offs. Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.

Follow live coverage as Ipswich Town face Plymouth Argyle in the Championship today. An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season. Last year Southampton, Leicester City and Leeds United were relegated from the top flight and all are hopeful of making a quick return - but the likes of Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland all have real promotion ambitions too. At the other end of the table, QPR, Cardiff City and Birmingham City will hope for better campaigns than last year’s relegation struggle - while newcomers Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to survive after dramatic progress through the play-offs. Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.

Follow live coverage as Augsburg face Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga today. Bayern Munich remain the dominant force in German football and secured another title win last season, while they signed England captain Harry Kane over the summer to further boost their attacking prowess. Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are their main challengers, but behind them a fierce battle for European football continues with Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt expected to be among the best of the rest once more. At the other end, Stuttgart and Augsburg will be aiming for better after they only just survived last season, while FC Heidenheim are this year in the top flight for the first time in their entire history. Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.

The massive two-day manhunt for the suspect in a shooting rampage that killed 18 people in a bowling

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed the key aspect of his that he felt has let the club down in the past.

Chelsea host Brentford in the lunchtime Premier League fixture with the Blues aiming to stop the Bees from winning a third successive gae at Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino must contend without Enzo Fernandez and Mikhailo Mudryk, but Nicolas Jackson returns. Meanwhile, Thomas Frank will hope Bryan Mbuemo can hurt the hosts on the break. The Bees are confident after victory over Burnley last time out, while the Blues must bounce back after coughing up a 2-0 lead to rivals Arsenal last weekend to only draw 2-2. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below. And find the latest betting tips and advice here. Read More Christopher Nkunku return teased by Mauricio Pochettino ahead of long-awaited Chelsea debut Mauricio Pochettino secures greater Chelsea transfer influence and identifies key January target Wolves v Chelsea on Christmas Eve means ‘unhappy wife’ for Mauricio Pochettino

Kyle Walker says Marcus Rashford's quality must not be ignored when Manchester City take on rivals United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Fran Kirby shook off suggestions she might feel intimidated by the new faces in England’s camp after she returned from her long absence in the 1-0 victory over Belgium on Friday. Kirby had not played for England since the Lionesses faced the Czech Republic in a friendly last October and missed this year’s World Cup after undergoing knee surgery. The Chelsea midfielder received a warm reception by the sold-out crowd in Leicester when she came on in the 65th minute of the Nations League clash. Kirby said: “It feels like I haven’t been away. Obviously, I know a lot of the girls from playing against them. “Everyone who has come in has brought a fresh face and a new standard. It has been nice to be in training around them and getting to know them more personally. “I don’t think I need to mould in at all, I’m probably one of the oldest players here now. I think I know what I’m doing. “It’s nice to be on the pitch, it’s nice to get a win, so I’m happy. “I’ve been working really hard over the summer to try and get back as quickly as possible and to be involved tonight was really special.” Kirby, who has suffered a spate of injuries and fitness issues in recent years, announced in May she would be going under the knife to fix a knee issue that had long plagued her, with doctors determining surgery was the only way to rectify the situation. The 2019-20 season saw Kirby diagnosed with pericarditis, a heart condition, and in 2022 she was sidelined with a fatigue-related illness that led to her installing an oxygen tent at her home. As for this most recent problem, Kirby said: “At the beginning it was quite tough because you don’t really know when the end of the injury is. I accepted quite early on that I wasn’t going to be part of the World Cup squad, not that it made it any easier. “I was able to support the girls and feel the same emotions that they were feeling and going through. Being back with them now just means that all of the hard work paid off in the summer.” Friday’s victory moved the Lionesses up to second place in Group One, with a quick turnaround before they face Belgium again in Tuesday’s return fixture. England need to finish top to advance in the tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for next summer’s Olympics in Paris. Kirby’s reception from supporters was perhaps second-loudest to only former Leicester goalkeeper Mary Earps, who seemed to elicit a roar every time she made a stop en route to earning England a first clean sheet since they faced Nigeria in the last-16 at the World Cup. Kirby said: “The support that I’ve had over the past year has been incredible from fans – national team and Chelsea. I can’t fault anyone for their support and that has been really pivotal for me coming back. “It’s frustrating when I’m injured and can’t be out there, so to hear that reception when I came on is really special and it’s something that I won’t forget. “I’ve been working really hard to get back out on the pitch as much as possible and I want to stay there.” Read More England ‘feeling the heat’ of World Cup implosion – Marcus Trescothick Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘have a way to go’ as they prepare for derby day Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace Luka Doncic scores 49 with four straight three-pointers to beat Brooklyn Texas Rangers win World Series opener in extra innings On this day in 2017: Anthony Joshua beats Carlos Takam to retain world titles

Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season as Jude Bellingham gets his first taste of one of the biggest games in world football. Barcelona won last season’s La Liga crown as they surged to their first league title since 2019 under Xavi. The champions are undefeated this season with seven wins and three draws but trail leaders Real Madrid by one point. Bellingham has made an astonishing start to life in the Spanish capital with 11 goals in his first 12 games for the club since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. The 20-year-old England star will now take centre stage in El Clasico as Real Madrid look to get revenge on Barcelona for last year’s title win. Here’s everything you need to know; get the latest Clasico odds and tips here. When is Barcelona vs Real Madrid? El Clasico will kick off at 3:15pm BST (UK time) on Saturday 29 October. It will be played at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, which is where Barcelona are playing all their home games this season due to renovations at the Camp Nou. Why isn’t Barcelona vs Real Madrid on TV in the UK? El Clasico is not available to watch live in the UK due to the 3pm blackout rule - a law which dates back to the 1960s preventing football from being shown on UK TV between 2:45pm and 5:15pm, in an effort to protect the attendances of lower league clubs. This includes international football, which is why ViaPlay - who hold the rights for LaLiga in the UK - cannot broadcast the match on TV or online until they show a re-run at 5:15pm. The re-run will be shown on ViaPlay Sports 2 and will also be available to watch on the ViaPlay website for ViaPlay subscribers. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. How can I follow the match? The Independent will be running a live blog of El Classico with the latest score and goal updates. What is the team news? Robert Lewandowski is a major doubt for Barcelona but Xavi is hopeful the striker will be able to face Real Madrid. Barcelona have been hit by several injuries to key players in recent weeks and although Jules Kounde, Pedri and Sergi Roberto have been ruled out, Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, and Raphinha could return in time. Real Madrid have been without Thibaut Courtois all season and the goalkeeper remains a long-term absentee due to an ACL injury. Eder Militao also remains out but Real Madrid have fewer injury issues than their rivals. Predicted line-ups Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Cancelo, Araujo, Martinez, Balde; Gavi, Romeu, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Felix Real Madrid: Kepa; Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Camavinga; Valverde, Tchouameni, Kroos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Read More Fran Kirby felt like she’d never been away on return to England side Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘have a way to go’ as they prepare for derby day Fran Kirby felt like she’d never been away on return to England side Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd ‘have a way to go’ as they prepare for derby day

How Tottenham's Premier League record from their first ten games of the 2023/24 season compares to Arsenal's Invincibles team from 2003/04.