List of All Articles with Tag 'epgb sports'

Esme Morgan, 22, describes herself as “calm” and “assured” on the pitch. It’s no wonder. The Sheffield-born defender started her youth career with Manchester City in 2015 but her love for football first began aged just three. After joining City from her childhood club Eccleshall Rangers, she quickly progressed to the side’s under-16s Regional Talent Squad and then the Development Squad, before being selected by Nick Cushing to accompany the first-team on pre-season tours of Frankfurt and Toulouse. Aside from a loan spell at Everton, Morgan has spent her entire career at City, where she first started off as a striker before taking on a defensive role. She was then mostly employed as a centre-back but has also operated as a defensive midfielder. Morgan first signed her professional contract with the club in June 2019 and scored her first goal in a 4-0 win against Birmingham in the 2020/21 campaign. She signed an extension of her contract with the club last year. At the time, Morgan had also just made her maiden Wembley and Champions League appearances. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here In September 2020, Morgan was called up to the England squad’s training camp, which provided her first taste of life with the senior Lionesses squad. The defender returned to the senior side in September last year, when she was chosen by England boss Sarina Wiegman for the first time after her impressive league performances with City. With Leah Williamson out of action at this World Cup and captain Millie Bright’s fitness in doubt, Morgan may well find herself a crucial part of England’s back four alongside the likes of Alex Greenwood, Jess Carter and Lucy Bronze. Read More England reach World Cup dividing line as Sarina Wiegman faces crunch decision Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Bethany England reveals ‘biggest danger’ facing Lionesses against Colombia

Goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck, 23, started her career at her girlhood club Sheffield United before leaving to join Manchester City at the young age of 15. She went on to sign her first professional contract with the club at 18 in 2018 after impressing on the senior stage in Karen Bardsley’s absence. Roebuck’s success at club level earned her her first senior call-up to Phil Neville’s England squad in the latter stages of 2018 and she was later invited to train with the SheBelieves Cup squad in the US in March 2019. That same year, Roebuck signed a two-year contract extension and was soon awarded the Barclays Women’s Super League’s Golden Glove at the end of the 2019/20 season, having kept 10 clean sheets in 16 league appearances. The Sheffield native was then called up to be Great Britain’s number one for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, starting all four of England’s games when the pandemic-delayed tournament finally took place in summer 2021. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here However, she missed much of the 2021/22 season due to a calf injury, limiting her to 10 league appearances out of 22. She also missed several international fixtures. In February last year, the City goalkeeper made her 100th appearance for the club against Chelsea, before helping the side to Continental Cup success. She was part of the Lionesses’ triumphant Euro 2022-winning side, England’s first major football honour since the men’s side won the 1966 World Cup, but then, as now, she faces the near-impossible task of ousting Mary Earps between the sticks, with the promising Hannah Hampton also waiting in the wings. Read More Pep Guardiola reveals extent of Kevin De Bruyne’s hamstring injury ‘Not my decision’ whether I get time to transform Chelsea – Mauricio Pochettino Erling Haaland at the double as Manchester City kick off new campaign in style

England face Colombia in the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals as the Lionesses continue their knockout campaign in Sydney. The European champions survived a major scare against Nigeria in the last-16, and know they will need to improve when they take on a dangerous Colombia side, who shocked heavyweights Germany in the group stages. Sarina Wiegman’s side are without star forward Lauren James, who will be suspended for the quarter-final after the 21-year-old stamped on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie. The Lionesses will know who could await them in the semi-finals before facing Colombia, as hosts Australia take on France in Brisbane. There will be a new winner of the Women’s World Cup this year after Sweden knocked out Japan on Friday, setting up a clash with Spain on the other side of the draw. Follow live updates from the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals, and get the latest England vs Colombia odds here Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today England reach World Cup dividing line as Sarina Wiegman faces crunch decision How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings?

Harry Kane is set to complete his move to Bayern Munich today and could even make his debut for the Bundesliga champions in the German Super Cup final, while Chelsea and Liverpool continue to battle for a deal for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo. After a dramatic few hours on Friday that saw the England captain waiting in a car for the green light to make the trip to Munich, Kane finally signed the paperwork on a £120m deal at 2am German time on Saturday morning. Kane will wear the number-nine shirt for Bayern and could even play in the German Super Cup against RB Leipzig this afternoon, after Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy agreed to a total package of £120m with add-ons, with £105m guaranteed, and £86m up front. Meanwhile, Chelsea were still negotiating with Brighton for Caicedo into the early hours of Saturday morning, but the ongoing delay could yet work in Liverpool’s favour in a multi-layered saga that has also seen both clubs also compete for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia. We’ll have all the latest transfer news from the two deal as the Premier League kicks off, with champions Manchester City defeating Burnley 3-0 in the opening game on Friday night. Read More Harry Kane set to complete Bayern move after late Tottenham request Liverpool offered hope in battle with Chelsea over Moises Caicedo transfer Fantasy Premier League: 30 players you must consider for 2023/24 season

Chelsea were still negotiating with Brighton for Moises Caicedo into the early hours of Saturday morning, but the ongoing delay could yet work in Liverpool’s favour in a multi-layered saga that has also seen both clubs also compete for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia. Liverpool went higher than Chelsea in Thursday’s effective auction for Caicedo, bidding £110m, which then saw the Stamford Bridge club go to £55m for Lavia. Chelsea are trying to do both deals, but there is some skepticism whether they can make the two work under Financial Fair Play without significant sales. This led to a late offer of players on top of a fee for Caicedo, but Brighton were not interested in any part exchange as of early Saturday morning. The fluid nature of the situation was illustrated in how Chelsea dropped interest in Leeds United’s Tyler Adams despite the player travelling to London in what was supposed to be a £20m deal. In another twist, Brighton are themselves interested in the US international, as well as Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus. The latter deal has not yet taken place due to a disagreement over a release clause should the Ghanaian sign. Such moves are being made as Brighton prepare to sell Caicedo, and manager Roberto De Zerbi has already confirmed he is now working on his team without the Ecuadorian in his plans. That has increased Liverpool’s chances the longer Chelsea go without a deal. While the preference from the player’s camp has been to go to Stamford Bridge, and Liverpool do not have a concrete agreement, Caicedo’s main intention is just to play for a top club. The Anfield club have not pulled out of the deal despite reports.It forms another subplot to Sunday’s meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Read More Premier League LIVE: Chelsea offer player swap to hijack Liverpool’s Moises Caicedo deal plus Harry Kane latest Moises Caicedo transfer takes twist as Chelsea look to hijack Liverpool offer Liverpool, Moises Caicedo, and the £100m bid that Jurgen Klopp said he’d never make Liverpool, Moises Caicedo, and the £100m bid that Jurgen Klopp said he’d never make Moises Caicedo transfer takes twist as Chelsea look to hijack Liverpool offer Jurgen Klopp urges caution over Liverpool’s move for Moises Caicedo

Australia face France in the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals as the tournament co-hosts continue their quest for home glory. The Matildas were on the brink of an early exit in the group stages but have overcome challenges impressively to reach the quarter-finals, with Caitlin Foord and Mary Fowler starring in their 2-0 victory over Denmark in the last-16. The Matildas have now been boosted by the return of star striker and captain Sam Kerr, who faces a battle to get back into the starting line-up given how well Australia have adjusted to her absence. France, meanwhile, cruised into their quarter-finals with a 4-0 win over Morocco. Les Bleues understand the pressure that now faces Australia, after they were knocked out of their home World Cup at the quarter-final stage by the United States four years ago. These sides have met recently, with Australia defeating France 1-0 in a warm-up game just before the start of the World Cup. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Australia vs France? The match takes place on Saturday 12 August in Brisbane, Australia. It will kick off at 8am UK time (BST). How can I watch it? It will be shown live on ITV 1 and ITV X, with coverage starting from 7:30am. What is the team news? After missing all three group games with a calf injury, Sam Kerr returned for Australia against Denmark as she played the final 15 minutes of the 2-0 win. The decision for head coach Tony Gustavsson is now whether to change a winning line-up and bring Kerr back into the starting XI. Australia’s counter-attacking 4-4-2 has clicked, with Mary Fowler and Emily van Egmond working well in tandem up front and Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso providing goal threat from the wings. But Kerr remains one the best strikers in the world and will be pushing hard for a place against France. Herve Renard is unlikely to change a winning team after France’s comfortable 4-0 win over Morocco, although Vicki Becho impressed from the bench. Kadidiatou Diani has four goals and three assists so far and has struck up a dangerous partnership with France’s record goalscorer Eugenie Le Sommer. How did both teams reach the quarter-finals? Australia (Winner Group B) 1-0 vs Ireland 2-3 vs Nigeria 4-0 vs Canada 2-0 vs Denmark France (Winner Group F) 0-0 vs Jamaica 2-1 vs Brazil 6-3 vs Panama 4-0 vs Morocco If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch Australia vs France 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. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final England reach World Cup dividing line as Sarina Wiegman faces crunch decision Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup LIVE: Today’s results as England prepare for Colombia

After a summer bursting with unexpected plot lines, a familiar story. As a host of intriguing new characters are added to the cast list, the main man reasserted his dominance. As the Premier League returned, so did Erling Haaland. Perhaps it was the most crushingly predictable start to a season imaginable. For now, Manchester City are top of the table and Haaland is the top scorer. Fast forward nine months and each statement may remain true. There was, though, something devastatingly awesome amid the sense of the normal. Haaland’s defence of his Golden Boot began within 185 seconds of the opening whistle. He is a fine first-time finisher, but this was a different kind of first touch: his first of the top-flight campaign entered the Burnley net. His second goal arrived before half-time, too, a goal with a devastating blend of power and accuracy. None of which spared him an animated tongue-lashing from Pep Guardiola as they made their way off at half-time but, along with a Rodri goal, it proved too much for Burnley. Champions of the Championship lost to champions of the Premier League and, indeed, Europe. None of which may surprise Vincent Kompany – a man with a statue outside the Etihad Stadium was a regular visitor to the ground last season – or the Turf Moor faithful. There are one-sided rivalries and then there is Burnley against City: Guardiola’s 12th consecutive win against the Clarets took the aggregate score in that time to 43-1. Each has an added dimension: it was Burnley, but not as the Premier League last knew them, with the passing principles Kompany has borrowed from Guardiola, but undone by the Haaland factor. City effected a swift transition from a team who excelled at sharing the goals around to one who were comfortable relying on one potent individual. They were not at their superlative best at Turf Moor: but with a finisher of Haaland’s calibre they did not need to be. His debut campaign in England yielded 52 goals, the best by a top-flight player for almost a century, and 36 in the Premier League, a divisional record. It was exceptional, but perhaps not a one-off. Normal service was soon resumed: Haaland may deem a quiet Community Shield as a lucky omen, given he has now started successive Premier League campaigns with a brace. Turf Moor, even refurbished to add some hints of gleaming modernity, can prove an unpleasant place to visit and a missile was thrown at Rico Lewis, leading to a fan being removed by police, while the substitute Anass Zaroury got an injury-time red card for an ugly lunge at Kyle Walker. Yet its intimidatory powers were diminished when Haaland swept City into an early lead. Kompany started with three centre-backs and Burnley conceded after three minutes. The Norwegian’s longest goal drought in a City shirt had spanned six games in four competitions, three of them finals. It was ended so swiftly and calmly to suggest he had not spent the summer fretting about a rare barren spell. Kevin De Bruyne crossed, Rodri headed the ball back across the box and Haaland slotted in a low shot. It was a reminder that his greatest asset may not be height or pace, even though they give him a physical advantage over most opponents, but the uncanny ability to get the ball in a crowded box. He is, too, much more than just a poacher, as his second goal showed. A left-foot curler, whipped with power, in off the underside of the bar, after Julian Alvarez found him was the sort of goal De Bruyne might have scored, albeit with his other foot. But the City captain had departed by then: much like in his previous start, the Champions League final, the Belgian limped off in the first half. He may miss the European Super Cup but his departure had a more immediate impact, with Guardiola bringing on Mateo Kovacic and shuffling Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Alvarez around to restore a little control during Burnley’s best spell of the game. They were muted thereafter, conceding a third when Rodri lashed in after Burnley failed to clear Silva’s free kick. But there had been an enterprising element to Kompany’s team. The Swiss striker Mohamed Zeki Amdouni was a livewire on his debut, indicating he has the verve to trouble plenty of teams. He tested Ederson with one shot, but it remained Burnley’s lone shot on target. It helped that City could bolster its defence with the £77m signing Josko Gvardiol, whose late bow came as a substitute left-back. A previous City defender, Kompany, had shown his boldness. He selected six summer signings in his starting 11, picking a team with an average age of just 23 years and 306 days. It was the youngest Burnley have named in the Premier League and featured a lone survivor, Connor Roberts, from their last game at this level. They have been reinvented during their exile in the Championship. It coincided with Haaland’s arrival and, if he never had the air of a one-season wonder, Burnley got unwanted evidence his second year at City could be just as productive as his first. Read More The Premier League is having an identity crisis – but one thing can save it Pep Guardiola expects Man City’s standards ‘to drop’ this season Premier League 2023/24 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more Kevin De Bruyne faces ‘few weeks out’ after suffering another hamstring injury ‘Not my decision’ whether I get time to transform Chelsea – Mauricio Pochettino Erling Haaland at the double as Manchester City kick off new campaign in style

Anthony Joshua was expecting to fight a familiar face this weekend, just not this one. Until last Saturday, the former two-time world heavyweight champion was on course for a clash with Dillian Whyte, who outpointed Joshua when the Britons were amateurs, but who “AJ” knocked out brutally in a professional rematch in 2015. The trilogy bout was set for this Saturday, at London’s O2 Arena, which hosted the rivals’ last meeting. But then Whyte completed his own trilogy, returning an adverse drug-test finding for the third time in his career. Whyte served a two-year ban from 2012 to 2014 in the first instance, before being exonerated during his 2019 episode, and now fans await the outcome of this latest saga. Stepping in for the 35-year-old, in any case, is Robert Helenius, who Joshua also knows well. The pair sparred in 2017, as Joshua prepared for his fight with Wladimir Klitschko, and Helenius recalled of AJ this week: “[He was a] hard hitter, good technicals, a little bit robotic. I felt pretty confident.” Those comments are put to Joshua. “A bit robotic? Maybe,” he said. “But I became a champion being robotic. It’s true, right? It’s paid off.” Helenius, 39, also said he would not have accepted a short-notice showdown with Joshua, 33, if he didn’t think the Briton was “vulnerable”. “I’m gonna take my chances and say now is the best time to fight him,” said the Finn. Regardless, Joshua is not taking Helenius lightly. “I can’t fail,” he said gravely. “That’s good pressure. “It’s the wrong mindset [to underestimate] Helenius. He’s gonna roll the dice, what’s he got to lose? But then I’m gonna go in there and have to f*** him up myself as well. It’s gonna be a good fight, may the best man win. I can’t afford to think it’s a light, late replacement, that I’m gonna take him 12 rounds; no, I want to take him out in round one if I can.” Deontay Wilder did just that in October, detonating a short, counter right hook to put Helenius out cold in the first round. The Finn has since bounced back, beating Mike Mielonen just last Saturday, but it was Wilder’s performance against Helenius that made Joshua hesitant to accept him as a late-notice opponent. “It’s just the comparisons,” Joshua says, “but this is my fight with Helenius – my own fight, not Wilder’s fight, no one else’s.” Joshua has always been aware of comparisons between his and Wilder’s performances against mutual opponents, and he notes Dominic Breazeale, Eric Molina and Jason Gavern as examples. AJ stopped Breazeale in round seven; Wilder stopped him in round one. Joshua beat Molina in round three; Wilder beat him in round nine. Joshua stopped Gavern in round three; Wilder stopped him in round four. But the Briton argues: “You never know until I step in the ring, potentially, with Wilder.” That may yet happen next year, though many are sceptical, given such a clash was in the works for the end of 2023 and has in fact been discussed for several years. As rumours swirl and talks rumble on, Joshua insists that his best approach is to “ignore, ignore, ignore it, ignore it”. “One step at a time,” he says. “Yeah, ignore it – I think that’s better.” And so, Joshua’s focus remains on Helenius – and staying focused was essential this week, even when AJ did not know what he was focusing on. “There was one session where I was like: ‘What are we training for?’” he says. “But we just had to flip the script. Due to this late replacement, whoever it may be, I couldn’t put my energy into complaining. I changed the screensaver on my phone from Dillian at a weigh-in to me and Klitschko.” Having Whyte as his screensaver was a tactic that Joshua picked up from Jarrell Miller, ironically, ahead of his cancelled bout with the American in 2019. Miller tested positive for numerous banned substances, leading him to be replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr, who famously stunned Joshua with a TKO win. “I just wanted to visualise what my life’s focused on at the minute,” Joshua explained. “When you’re psyched up about fighting someone, you want them on your mind. When I was slacking, I wanted to think about Dillian; if I was gonna eat a piece of chocolate, I wanted to think about Dillian. “I’ve had to flip the script now. I gave myself until 12 August to be committed. That was the date, so I’m gonna stay focused. On 13 August, I’m gonna relax a bit, but I just thought: ‘Even if I don’t fight on 12 August, I’m gonna stay committed to training this week.’” Helenius wants to do more than flip the script when the action starts at around 10pm; he wants to tear it up. It is Joshua’s job to ensure that does not happen. Watch Joshua vs Helenius live on Dazn by clicking here. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Read More It’s time to stop taking Anthony Joshua for granted Robert Helenius on accepting Anthony Joshua fight: ‘Nobody will remember a coward’ ‘We need to get it at the root’: Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius on boxing’s doping ‘problem’ Anthony Joshua weighs in ahead of bout against Robert Helenius ‘Have you got a problem?’ Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius share intense staredown Campbell Hatton talks next steps of his career and being part of a boxing dynasty

The Premier League is back! The new season gets underway tonight with newly-promoted Burnley hosting the reigning champions Manchester City at Turf Moor. It’s been two months since the conclusion of the 2022/23 season saw City defeat Inter Milan and claim a treble of trophies in the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. Pep Guardiola will be hoping to repeat that success in this new campaign but City have been updating their squad this summer. Captain, Ilkay Gundogan, has moved to Barcelona, and Riyad Mahrez has joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol have since joined up with the champions and could feature in their first league game for the club this evening. Get all the latest Premier League betting sites offers Burnley, meanwhile, are hoping to build on an outstanding season in the Championship under boss Vincent Kompany. They notched up 101 points in 46 games, scoring the most goals (87) and conceding the fewest (35) after a successful rebuild in the second tier. As Kompany prepares to face off against his old team he’ll be hoping that the Clarets bring this form and skill into the Premier League. Follow all the action as the Premier League returns with Burnley hosting Manchester City: Read More The Premier League is having an identity crisis – but one thing can save it Premier League 2023/24 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more Pep Guardiola expects Man City’s standards ‘to drop’ this season

Manchester United have agreed to sell midfielder Fred to Fenerbahce for €15 million. The Brazil international will end his five-year stay at Old Trafford and join the Turkish club, providing he passes his medical, agrees personal terms and gets international clearance. Fred, who had also attracted interest from Galatasaray and Fulham, has scored 14 goals in 213 games for United, was a first-choice under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and, even as a squad player, made 56 appearances under Erik ten Hag last season. Fenerbahce will pay an initial €10 million plus a further €5 million in add-ons. The 30-year-old only had one year left on his contract and, while Fred cost £52 million in 2018, United believe it is a good deal for a player who could have left on a free transfer next summer. He joins Anthony Elanga and Alex Telles among their summer sales as United look to raise funds after spending around £170 million this summer. United could also sell Harry Maguire, after accepting a £30 million offer from West Ham, while they are in talks with Nottingham Forest about Dean Henderson and Real Sociedad for Donny van de Beek. Read More Manchester United delay decision over Mason Greenwood’s return David Moyes: Man City bid for Lucas Paqueta was nowhere near our valuation Erik ten Hag has no regrets over Harry Kane ahead of Bayern Munich move

Manchester United have delayed their announcement of whether Mason Greenwood has a future at the club as they consult with members of their women’s team, among others, until after the start of the season. United have conducted a thorough investigation into the forward over the last six months and had intended to announce their decision at some point before Monday’s opening game against Wolves. The Carabao Cup holders intend to talk to stakeholders including the club’s commercial partners, fans and the women’s team – three of whom, Mary Earps, Ella Toone and Katie Zelem, are at the World Cup, which finishes on 20 August– and explain their findings. United believe it is important to take more time to reach and describe the right decision amid concerns about a sensitive issue. Greenwood has been suspended by the club since January 2022, when he was arrested on suspicion of raping and assaulting a woman. He was charged in October 2022 with rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour, which he denied. Those charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Services in February 2023 because key witnesses withdrew their involvement. Greenwood has not played for United since January 2022 and has two years left on his current contract. Read More David Moyes: Man City bid for Lucas Paqueta was nowhere near our valuation Erik ten Hag has no regrets over Harry Kane ahead of Bayern Munich move Can Arsenal better Man City? Talking points as the Premier League kicks off

Anthony Joshua stared down his heavyweight challenger Robert Helenius at their weigh in on ahead of their bout at the O2 Arena on 12 August. Joshua repeatedly asked if Helenius was “alright” in a tense face off with his opponent. Joshua was due to fight Dillian Whyte on Saturday, but the all-British bout was cancelled when the 35-year-old failed a voluntary drugs test, and Finland’s Helenius was called in as a replacement. The Brit weighed in at 250 pounds for the fight, while Helenius was just below at 249.5.