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Former England and Manchester City midfielder Jill Scott said she is “absolutely buzzing” at being inducted into the Women’s Super League Hall of Fame and seeing her name up alongside some of her heroes. Scott joins former Lionesses team-mates Ellen White and Anita Asante as the third batch of players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which was launched in 2021. The 36-year-old retired from football in August 2022, capping off a glittering 18-year career by winning the European Championship crown with England at Wembley. Previous years have seen the likes of Emma Hayes, Eni Aluko, Rachel Yankey and Fara Williams all inducted into the Hall of Fame and Scott described her pride at joining some of the most illustrious names in women’s football. She said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be honest, over the years I’ve seen Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey, Karen Carney, players like that getting inducted in. “Just to have your name alongside those fantastic players who over the years were my heroes really - even when we played in England together I would question why I was even with those players at times. “Then the WSL, it’s been such a big part of my life. I’ve dedicated my life to it really, getting a result on the weekend was literally everything. It brings back so many good memories stacked into this little trophy. I’m really honoured.” Scott began her career with her hometown side Sunderland before securing a move to Everton in 2006, where she won the FA Cup in 2010 and spent seven years with the Toffees. The midfielder then moved to Manchester City and won the Continental Cup in her first season before going on to win a further six domestic trophies with the club, including the WSL title in 2016. Scott finished her career with loan spells at Everton and Aston Villa and, a year after calling time on her playing days, reflected on the changes she has seen in the top flight of women’s football. “When I look at the midfielders I used to play against, I played top league before it was WSL, when I was playing against the likes of Katie Chapman, Fara Williams and players like that, we used to have such battles,” she said. “I think I then wanted to pass that baton on and bring in that competitiveness into the league. I hope that as players who previously played in the league we did that and showed how much it meant to play for our club, no matter who that was. “You look at where the game is now, I think technically and tactically it’s probably one of the reasons I retired because the level has just gone through the roof! It’s just great to sit here and see where the league is now.” Scott was at Everton when the Women’s Super League was launched in 2011 and admitted the sport is a “completely different ball game” to when she first started almost two decades ago. “What I’ve liked about this Super League throughout the years is it’s followed the right process in getting better,” said Scott, who made 161 appearances for England - second only to Fara Williams - and scored 27 goals. “There’s always going to be things that can still be better, that’s what everyone keeps pushing for, but for where it is now compared to 13 years ago it’s like a completely different ball game with everything. “Like I say, I’m proud I got to play in this league for as many years as I did. Those battles, like when I knew we were playing Chelsea or Arsenal at the weekend I was just training - there was a massive buzz around and it was your life to play in those games. “I miss that now but the fact I can turn on my TV or get a ticket, sometimes, and go to the stadium and watch it, it’s great that we have that access now.”

Aaron Ramsdale’s father has criticised Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for not telling his son why he has been dropped in favour of David Raya. England goalkeeper Ramsdale started in Arsenal’s first four Premier League games, but has been relegated to the bench following Raya’s arrival on loan from Brentford. Ramsdale’s father, Nick, told The Highbury Corner podcast that his son had “lost his smile” and was finding it difficult after not being given an explanation by Arteta. Nick Ramsdale said: “Aaron’s lost that smile to when he was holding on to that ball at this moment in time and it is difficult. “It really is difficult to see him there and we all keep saying ‘you need to keep smiling’.” He added: “It’s possibly the way it’s been done. Not knowing the reason why, and this is me because we don’t know why. Again, Aaron is working as hard as he can. He’s trying to do his best for the squad. He’s upbeat and he’ll do everything for Arsenal to try and win the league.” Ramsdale signed a new long-term deal with the Gunners in May, but has played second fiddle since Raya arrived in August on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move. Nick Ramsdale added: “Aaron is going to be the cup goalkeeper, and David Raya is going to be the main man unless something happens, an injury or a sending-off. Aaron’s got to live with that and he is living with that even though he’s not been told it. By anybody.” Read More Anybody can beat anybody on the day – Kane Williamson hopeful NZ can upset India Denver Broncos capitalise on second chance to beat Buffalo Bills World trampoline champion Bryony Page eyes landmark Olympic appearance in Paris

Emma Hayes is the last manager of an English club left standing in the Women’s Champions League, which, given the group stages are only just kicking off this week, makes difficult reading for Jonas Eidevall and Marc Skinner. While Chelsea and Hayes go again in their quest to win a first European honour, in what is their final season together, Arsenal, last year’s semi-finalists, are already out. As are Manchester United, Chelsea’s closest challengers last season. Yet Arsenal and United were not even the biggest casualties of the Women’s Champions League’s notoriously tricky qualifying process. Last season’s beaten finalists Wolfsburg, the German giants and two-time European champions, are already out as well. Paris FC were responsible for the exits of both Arsenal and Wolfsburg, who played each other in last season’s semi-finals but this year fell victims to the dreaded ‘league path’, criticism of which has reignited the debate around the tournament’s format. Skinner was particularly angry. His United side finished runner-up to Chelsea in both the Women’s Super League and FA Cup but their season was a success as they celebrated their first-ever Champions League qualification. Yet, in qualifying, United were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain, perennial contenders in the knockout stages but also runners-up in France, and were beaten over two legs. United’s European adventure lasted two games but Skinner insisted they “deserved” a longer run. “There are teams going through [to the group stage] that are not good enough,” he said after United’s 3-1 defeat by PSG at the Parc des Princes. “Our standard is better than that standard, and it’s crazy that we have to play PSG at this qualifying round, crazy. It needs to be something that’s addressed.” Perhaps Skinner had a point. There is an argument that this season’s Champions League would be stronger if Wolfsburg, Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus, who were another big name to fall in qualifying, were among the 16 teams in the group stages. As major clubs with large fan bases and talented squads, they have the potential to drive the growth of the competition, as Arsenal showed when they hosted Wolfsburg in front of a sold-out Emirates in last season’s semi-finals. But the Manchester United manager was also accused of being disrespectful after suggesting clubs who won their domestic leagues did not deserve to be in the Champions League. It is particularly harsh on those sides like Brann from Norway and FC Rosengard from Sweden, not to mention Ajax of the Netherlands, Portugal’s Benfica, the Czech Republic’s Slavia Prague and Austria’s St Polten, who all did what Manchester United could not do and become league champions. Their spaces within the Champions League and route into it should be protected. As a 16-team tournament, one of the key differences between the Women’s Champions League and the 32-team men’s tournament is the greater proportional spread of countries within the competition. While the teams in this year’s Women’s Champions League represent 11 different European countries, the men’s Champions League features just 15 – despite having a field that is twice the size. That in itself should be one of the selling points of the Women’s Champions League, and is something many will say the men’s competition has lost. Through that, it has created an environment where only a small handful of teams from three or four countries have a chance of winning the competition and has widened the financial inequalities between leagues and clubs across the continent. Though some would argue that the Women’s Champions League has already reached that point. In the past two seasons since the introduction of a group stage, the eight quarter-finalists have been made up of teams from Spain, England, Germany, France and Italy. Those sides from elsewhere have not been close to qualifying from the group phase in that time, either. But that is also an argument for the Women’s Champions League continuing to offer domestic title winners a separate route into the competition, even with the potential exclusion of runners-up like Wolfsburg and Manchester United. Such representation can have a positive effect within those domestic competitions, which would be increased across the continent if a proportional spread remains when the Champions League does eventually expand in size. Yet for stakeholders like streaming platform Dazn, who hold the exclusive rights for the Women’s Champions League, the early exits of Wolfsburg, Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus would have been a blow to their viewership figures. There is a chance that the group stages are a procession for defending champions Barcelona and Lyon, while Chelsea and Bayern Munich’s draw looks a little tougher. Barcelona are the team to beat, and the Spanish champions will hope their title defence is less dramatic than last season’s final, when they had to come from two goals down to defeat Wolfsburg. They remain the outstanding team in the competition, with Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati its best player and her fellow Spain star Salma Paralluelo expected to take another step up this season after her breakout campaign last year. As for Chelsea, the Champions League has been the only trophy to elude the club under Hayes. For all the debate around the Women’s Champions League format, there is no debate that there could not be a better way for the 47-year-old to sign off as Chelsea manager than the Blues becoming the first English team to win a European title since Arsenal in 2007. 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Manchester United duo Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund face spells on the sidelines following their withdrawal from Denmark’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers. United’s 1-0 victory over Luton ahead of the international break was soured slightly by injuries to midfielder Eriksen and forward Hojlund, who both limped off the pitch at Old Trafford on Saturday. They have pulled out of Denmark’s fixtures against Slovenia on Friday and Northern Ireland next Monday, with United resigned to being without Eriksen until the middle of December due to a knee problem. Hojlund’s muscle strain seems to be less severe and, while he is likely to miss the visit to Everton on November 26, United are keeping their fingers crossed their summer signing will be available for a crucial trip to Galatasaray in the Champions League three days later. A statement on Manchester United’s website said: “Christian has a knee injury that is set to keep him out for around a month, while striker Rasmus suffered a muscle strain. It is hoped he will return before the end of November.” The Danish duo join a lengthy injury list containing Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Jonny Evans and Casemiro, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka missed the win over the Hatters due to illness. Read More World trampoline champion Bryony Page eyes landmark Olympic appearance in Paris Pep Guardiola not concerned that Manchester City only had eight subs at Chelsea John Carver urges Lawrence Shankland to make the most of late Scotland call-up

Sir Alex Ferguson was among the mourners at Sir Bobby Charlton’s memorial service on Monday, alongside a raft of Manchester United players both past and present in the 1,000 invited guests. Prince William, who is president of the Football Association, and the England manager Gareth Southgate were both in attendance in Manchester to pay tribute to one of English football’s greatest players. Invited United stars included David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Bryan Robson and Sir Bobby’s teammate Alex Stepney. The club’s unpopular owners, the Glazer family, did not attend, because it is understood they did not want to become a distraction. The manager, Erik ten Hag, was also absent due to personal commitments in his native Netherlands. Some of the current players were unable to attend after flying to join up with their national teams for upcoming international fixtures. Charlton died last month aged 86, five days after a fall at his care home. The Ashington-born midfielder made 758 appearances and scored 249 goals for United in a glittering 17-year playing career. He survived the Munich Air Disaster in 1958 to help rebuild United, and went on to lift the European Cup in 1968, two years after playing a starring role as England won the World Cup. The funeral cortege began at Old Trafford, where Charlton is celebrated alongside Denis Law and George Best in the “United Trinity” statue, and passed through streets lined with thousands of fans before reaching Manchester Cathedral. The ceremony, which was not filmed or broadcast, included eulogies and tributes from former club chief executive David Gill, former Manchester United Foundation chief executive John Shiels and a personal tribute from the Charlton family. Hymns included “Abide With Me”, which is traditionally sung before the FA Cup final, “Jerusalem” and a rendition of “How Great Thou Art” by opera singer Russell Watson. The family requested donations in lieu of flowers to a series of charities close to Sir Bobby’s heart, the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation, the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust, the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s UK. Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans were among the current United players at the funeral. Liverpool’s appearance record holder Ian Callaghan and Manchester City great Mike Summerbee also attended, along with City director Ferran Soriano, and Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueno.

Pep Guardiola has no complaints about being forced to name an incomplete substitutes bench that included two goalkeepers during Manchester City’s dramatic 4-4 draw with Chelsea on Sunday. The champions took only eight replacements to Stamford Bridge, amongst them reserve keepers Stefan Ortega and Scott Carson, as injuries limited the manager’s options. Guardiola was without John Stones and Nathan Ake, with the latter having been ruled out as late as Friday, whilst Kevin De Bruyne remains a long-term absentee. Yet City looked to have coped well without their missing trio and thought they had nicked three points late on in west London when Rodri’s effort deflected in off Chelsea’s Thiago Silva four minutes from time. That was until former City man Cole Palmer levelled from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Armando Broja had been fouled by Ruben Dias. Despite the enforced absences and dropped points, Guardiola said he was satisfied with the squad depth available to him. “Kevin is long-term, John was injured unfortunately. Nathan was injured. The rest are OK,” he said. “I like to work with a small (group). It’s so tough if five, six, seven players don’t play, they don’t like that. It’s what it is. “If we have injuries, it’s unlucky, but we have done all the time. “For many years we’ve had this type of squad.” Guardiola said he felt his team put in a performance far better than in recent seasons at Stamford Bridge, despite Palmer – who left City for Chelsea in a £42million deal on the last day of the transfer window – coming back to haunt his former manager at the death. It came after the visitors has twice led through Erling Haaland, who scored his 12th and 13th Premier League goals of the season, with Manuel Akanji also netting. For Chelsea, Raheem Sterling also scored against the club with whom he won the league four times, with Silva and Nicolas Jackson also on target. “I don’t remember a game where we’ve come here and had the chances that we had,” said Guardiola. “Even games where we’ve come here and won, last year for example was much, much worse than (Sunday). “Even by a million times it was much worse than today, and we won 1-0. We tried, we created a lot of chances. We take a good point, we created a lot of chances in the right moments Pep Guardiola “The talent cannot be controlled sometimes. They are in a good process, their shape is really good, what they do. “Give credit both teams. The game was tight. It was momentum for everyone, and momentum you can break. It’s a fair result. “Nothing changed. Chelsea is Chelsea, one of the greatest teams in the last 20 years. “I know how good they are. For us, it’s a good test. How long we didn’t lose, that’s a good sign. “Today we didn’t lose, we (played) away. We take a good point, we created a lot of chances in the right moments. “I think it was a fair result for both sides.” Read More John Carver urges Lawrence Shankland to make the most of late Scotland call-up Ben Davies keen to prove doubters wrong as Wales target another major tournament Britain’s Katie Boulter eager to build on her successful season in 2024 On this day in 2006: Gold Cup winning Desert Orchid dies at the age of 27 The sporting weekend in pictures San Francisco 49ers return to winning ways against Jacksonville Jaguars

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Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is embracing his ‘hybrid’ role by watching video clips of some of the world’s greatest midfielders in order to gain greater understanding. Towards the end of last season the 25-year-old was asked to vary his right-back role by stepping into central areas to be able to dictate on the ball more and offer a different attacking dimension. It is something which was first pioneered with John Stones by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and, while Alexander-Arnold has studied how his England team-mate has performed, he has not limited his learning to ‘hybrid’ players. “I enjoy learning about the game, watching things, watching players, different systems, different teams, how different players play it and there are some players who play it really well,” he said after the 3-0 victory over Brentford which set up a top versus second clash against Manchester City when the Premier League resumes after the international break. “I think as someone who plays the inverted, hybrid role – I don’t know what people call it these days – then it is obviously John Stones. “He is someone who, for a long time, I have admired his game; he is exceptional, so I watch him a lot. Clips or even when I am just watching City’s games, I will sit and focus on him. “I have always admired him, I do admire the way Rodri plays. “He is pivotal in that team and someone who is massively underrated but like we have seen recently, when you take him out of the team, they are not the same. That just shows how important he is. “I would say it is those kinds of players I watch, but there are a lot. I will watch players from the past as well – (Sergio) Busquets, (Xabi) Alonso, (Andrea) Pirlo, Stevie G (Gerrard): those players I have always enjoyed watching.” I will watch players from the past as well – Busquets, Alonso, Pirlo, Stevie G Trent Alexander-Arnold on learning from great midfielders It makes sense for Alexander-Arnold to educate himself on the ways of such midfield maestros as there has been more than a hint he could be transformed into a genuine option. He was first tried centrally by Gareth Southgate in a game against Andorra just over two years ago and when the England squad is now published, Alexander-Arnold is listed as a midfielder. At the time Jurgen Klopp questioned why he would play the world’s best right-back in midfield but he has mellowed his stance since then and even brought Alexander-Arnold on as the defensive midfielder in the Carabao Cup win at Bournemouth last month. “The conversations I have had with the (England) manager and the staff there, I go there as a midfielder, I train there and that is where I try and play on the pitch barring the Australia game last time,” he added. “It really does help me in that sense. I am not playing midfield week in, week out here but I am getting on the ball in central areas and knowing how to receive and conduct yourself and play a game in midfield is a lot different to at the side of the pitch. “I think the way I see it and the way I am told and explained to play it (at Liverpool), it is almost when we have the ball I am midfielder and when we don’t have the ball I am a right-back. “I think when the ball advances up the pitch it becomes more about protection and stopping counter attacks. It is more disciplined. “When I come in as a right-back there is still (Wataru) Endo or Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) there, Fabinho last season, and their job is to stay as the number six. “My job is the one who comes in and still has the freedom to underlap Mo (Salah) or overlap him, get into the box, shoot or cross whereas as a number six it is more rigid, your role along with the two centre-backs to ensure that when the ball pops out of the box it doesn’t go into the striker’s feet and they can build from there.” Read More John Carver urges Lawrence Shankland to make the most of late Scotland call-up Ben Davies keen to prove doubters wrong as Wales target another major tournament Britain’s Katie Boulter eager to build on her successful season in 2024 On this day in 2006: Gold Cup winning Desert Orchid dies at the age of 27 The sporting weekend in pictures San Francisco 49ers return to winning ways against Jacksonville Jaguars