List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

With the 2023 college football season right around the corner, let's turn our attention to the first AP Top 25 Poll of the year.While Georgia certainly earned the right to enter the 2023 college season ranked No. 1 inside the initial AP Top 25 Poll, Michigan did just enough to edge out arch...

Erik ten Hag will be hoping to improve on Manchester United’s third place finish in the Premier League last season and get the new campaign off to a winning start when his side host Wolverhampton Wanderers tonight. United have been busy this summer with the manager deciding to overhaul the squad ahead of the new season. David De Gea, the last player remaining from Sir Alex Ferguson’s era, has been released with the likes of Fred, Alex Telles, Anthony Elanga and Phil Jones also moved on. The arrivals of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund should bring an extra layer of dynamism and creativity to the team which should in theory help them close the gap on rivals Manchester City. Wolves, meanwhile, are hoping that a change of manager will not hinder their progress. The midlands team comfortably finished 13th last year but key players like Ruben Neves and Adama Traore have left the team. New boss Gary O’Neil kept Bournemouth in the top flight last year and may have a relegation battle on his hands again this term unless Wolves get off to a good start. Get all the latest football betting sites offers here and get the latest Manchester United vs Wolves tips here. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Manchester United vs Wolves? Manchester United vs Wolves is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Monday 14 August at Old Trafford in Manchester. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League with coverage from 6.30pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via the Sky Go app. Team news Manchester United’s new striker, Rasmus Hojlund, will not feature in their opening match as he fights off a niggling injury while there are doubts over Tyrell Malacia, Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo. Andre Onana will make his Premier League debut for the club as goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Dean Henderson are definitely ruled out. Wolves have confirmed that they do not have any injury concerns ahead of the game with defender Matt Doherty primed to start after returning to the club this summer. Predicted line-ups Manchester United XI: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mount, Fernandes; Antony, Rashford, Garnacho. Wolves XI: Sa; Doherty, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Lemina, Joao Gomes; Nunes, Sarabia, Neto; Cunha. Odds Manchester United win 2/9 Draw 4/1 Wolves win 17/2 Prediction Manchester United will open their campaign with a hard-fought for victory against a Wolves side that tend to play well against the Red Devils. Manchester United 2-0 Wolves Read More Sandro Tonali inspires Newcastle to stunning Premier League start in Aston Villa thrashing Sean Dyche hopes Everton are close to solving their goalscoring problems How Sandro Tonali and his Italian predecessors fared on Premier League debuts Football rumours: Manchester United weighing up approach for Amadou Onana Erik ten Hag sends strong message to Harry Maguire as Manchester United exit looms

Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was the most notable absentee from the travelling party for Manchester City’s UEFA Super Cup clash with Seville after being struck down by a hamstring injury. De Bruyne limped out of Friday night’s 3-0 Premier League win at promoted Burnley with a recurrence of the problem which prompted his early withdrawal from last season’s Champions League final, and City boss Pep Guardiola later revealed the 32-year-old Belgium international would be sidelined for “a few weeks”. The club is yet to provide an update on the severity of the damage, but the midfielder’s name was conspicuous by its absence from the 22-man squad list for Wednesday night’s game in Athens when it was published on City’s official website on Monday afternoon. De Bruyne has been one of City’s key performers since his £55million arrival from Wolfsburg in August 2015, and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished midfielders in world football. There was no place either for midfielder Bernardo Silva, the only other member of the matchday squad at Burnley who was not included, or central defender Ruben Dias, who was not involved in the opening league fixture under concussion protocols. Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish, who were unused substitutes at Turf Moor, did make it, as did the versatile John Stones, who sat out on Friday evening through injury. Squad (in number order): Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Mateo Kovacic, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish, Aymeric Laporte, Rodrigo, Stefan Ortega Moreno, Julian Alvarez, Sergio Gomez, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Ederson, Maximo Perrone, Scott Carson, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, James McAtee. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Spain take on Sweden and England face co-hosts Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals. Here, the PA news agency looks at what the tournament statistics can tell us about the games ahead. Spain v Sweden The two top-scoring semi-finalists meet in Auckland on Tuesday, with Spain having scored 15 goals – matching eliminated Japan for the tournament high – and Sweden 11. The Scandinavians have actually had the fewest attempts on goal of any of the last four, just 62, but have the best conversion rate, having scored with 18 per cent of their shots. Four-goal defender Amanda Ilestedt is also the unlikely leading challenger to current Golden Boot leader Hinata Miyazawa, whose Japan side Sweden knocked out in the quarter-finals. Ilestedt aside, the statistics heavily favour Sweden. Among the semi-finalists, they rank first and Spain fourth for total shots and shots on target, ball progressions both attempted and completed, line breaks attempted and take-ons completed. Some hope for Sweden comes from Spain’s defensive record – their six goals conceded is at least twice as many as any of the other remaining teams. Japan scored four of those, and Miyazawa two, in a surprisingly one-sided final game in Group C – but having beaten the Nadeshiko, Sweden will be confident. They will also know they can respond if, as the statistics point to, they fall behind – Spain have scored nine goals in the first half of games but seven of Sweden’s 11 have come after the break. The two teams have each used 22 of their 23 available players, with only their respective third-choice goalkeepers Enith Salon and Tove Enblom yet to play a single minute in the tournament. Australia v England England and Australia, by contrast, have used only 17 players apiece and fatigue could be a factor in the second semi-final in Sydney. England’s 553 minutes played is the most in the tournament, closely followed by their opponents with almost 548 minutes. Five Australians and three England players have played every one of those minutes, with Australia naming nine of the same 11 starters in every game – goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and the back four of Ellie Carpenter, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy and Steph Catley, plus Hayley Raso, Katrina Gorry, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Caitlin Foord – and England six. Working in England’s favour in that regard could be the distance the respective teams have covered. Their 562.3km is 2.5km lower than any other semi-finalist, with Australia once more ranking second in that regard, and England also have the lowest proportion of that spent sprinting or “high-speed running” at 27 per cent, according to FIFA’s official statistics, and the highest proportion of walking at 39 per cent. England have scored 10 goals to Australia’s nine and are the most accurate shooters of the remaining teams, with 44 per cent of their efforts on target, while Australia are least accurate at 30 per cent. The co-hosts have had more total shots, 76 to England’s 68, but have allowed 64 at the other end compared to just 52 on Mary Earps’ goal. Expect England to have the bulk of the possession – they have attempted and completed over 1,000 more passes than Australia, 2,691 of 3,100 compared to 1,584 of 2,061. Australia are only the second country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup as host nation, following the United States who won the 1999 final at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl and were also semi-finalists in 2003.

Newcastle new boy Sandro Tonali announced himself in the Premier League with a stunning debut in Saturday’s 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa. However, the £52million former AC Milan midfielder is not the first Italian to make an early impact, for better or for worse, in England’s top flight. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how he and some of his predecessors fared in their first appearances. Sandro Tonali Newcastle invested heavily in 23-year-old Italy international Tonali this summer and he wasted little time in starting to pay off his fee. He scored six minutes into his competitive debut at St James’ Park and went on to produce a fine individual display to inspire the Magpies to a victory which suggested they picked up where they left off at the end of the previous campaign. Fabrizio Ravanelli Former Juventus frontman Ravanelli made perhaps the most eye-catching debut of all the Premier League’s Italian stars after swapping Turin for Middlesbrough in a £7million move. The man known as “The White Feather” plundered a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool at the Riverside Stadium on the opening day of the 1996-97 season, in the process unveiling his trademark shirt-over-head celebration to a new audience. Attilio Lombardo Promoted Crystal Palace raised eyebrows with the £1.6million swoop for Lombardo, who had played a key role in Juventus’ Serie A title win the previous season, during the summer of 1997. Dubbed “The Bald Eagle” by Palace supporters, he made his Premier League bow on August 9 in a 2-1 victory at Everton in which he scored the opening goal and swiftly endeared himself to the Eagles faithful with an inspirational display. Massimo Taibi Goalkeeper Taibi’s arrival at Manchester United came amid an injury crisis following the departure of treble-winning Peter Schmeichel with Mark Bosnich and Raimond Van Der Gouw both unavailable. The £4.5m signing from Venezia endured mixed fortunes on his debut at Liverpool in September 1999, his error allowing Sami Hyypia to drag the home side back into the game before he made late saves to deny Vladimir Smicer and Robbie Fowler and secure a 3-2 victory in which Jamie Carragher scored two own goals. Bernardo Corradi Former Inter Milan, Lazio and Valencia striker Corradi arrived at Manchester City during the summer of 2006, but his career in England got off to a bad start and went downhill from there. He made his debut in a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea in which he was sent off for two bookable offences – and took 13 games to score the first of just three goals for the club before eventually being released with a year of his contract remaining.

England midfielder Keira Walsh insists the Lionesses are not thinking about the Australian hearts they would break if they eliminate the World Cup co-hosts in Wednesday’s Sydney semi-final. Australia reached the final four for the first time after beating France in a thrilling penalty shootout, while this will be England’s third crack at advancing to the final of the global showpiece – a feat they have yet to accomplish. The fervour with which Australians have embraced their side has grown at a frenetic pace, culminating with thousands gathering in fan parks across the country to watch the quarter-final and millions more breaking viewing records on TV. Walsh said: “Whatever game I play, I want to win. It doesn’t matter who you are playing against. For us, I wouldn’t say we are thinking about spoiling the party. “I think it is just another game and a massive game at that. We are just fully focused on trying to reach a World Cup final, regardless of who we are playing. I think obviously with the support from Australia it is going to be a little bit different for them in that sense. “I think we have seen that the (England) girls are ready to fight. “Obviously, when the whistle ends it is a different story, but I think in the game the girls are very aware of what the game is going to be like, what the stadium is going to be like. I think, for us, we are more than ready for it.” Sydney’s Stadium Australia, where England beat Colombia in the last eight, seats over 75,000 fans, the majority of whom are expected to support the hosts. We are just fully focused on trying to reach a World Cup final, regardless of who we are playing Keira Walsh In that sense, the Lionesses’ 2-1 comeback victory over Colombia to reach this stage served as an excellent dress rehearsal, their fans another sea of raucous yellow who equally viewed England as public enemy number one. Walsh, who in just over a year has secured both the Euro 2022 trophy with England and the Champions League title with Barcelona, said dampening the mood with a goal or two could help the Lionesses take control of the narrative. She said: “(The crowd) was massive for us at the Euros, especially in the final. There are those moments where the opposition could score and it shifts momentum sometimes when you’re playing, it gives you an extra push when you know the crowd is behind you. “But also when you can quieten the crowd it is a very nice feeling. I think for us trying to take the momentum out of the game is going to be important. There are positives and negatives for both. We have experienced both.” Walsh missed England’s third group-stage encounter against China after sustaining a knee injury in the first half of their 1-0 victory over Denmark. At the time it was feared the issue could be tournament-ending, like the anterior cruciate ligament injuries that prevented Euro 2022 captain Leah Williamson and Golden Boot winner Beth Mead from joining Sarina Wiegman’s World Cup squad. It turned out not to be as serious as initially suspected, and the 26-year-old returned to play 120 minutes of England’s last-16 victory over Nigeria, which the Lionesses ultimately won 4-2 on penalties. Williamson has now made the trip to Australia and was in the stands for the Lionesses’ Colombia victory. “It’s a massive boost for the team,” Walsh added. “To see her supporting us on the opposite side of the world, it’s not an easy flight. “I think it kind of shows what she feels about this team. The first time I saw her she was actually standing outside my hotel room waving. “She didn’t want to distract us on game day, so she kind of just stood outside and waved from there. “To get the win and celebrate with her afterwards, I mean I imagine it’s not easy for her to watch those games because she would want to be playing in them, so I think for us we really appreciate her support. “I think it shows what a good character and what type of person she is that she’s able to do that for us.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Andy Murray returns to Great Britain’s Davis Cup team for Finals Group Stage Chelsea loan goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to Real Madrid Steven Finn retires from cricket after ‘admitting defeat’ in injury battle

Spain face Sweden in the first Women’s World Cup semi-final on Tuesday as both nations go in search of their first tournament crown. Sweden produced their best performance of the World Cup to defeat Japan 2-1 in the quarter-finals, knocking out the team of the tournament with a display of high-tempo pressing while continuing to take their chances at set-pieces. Centre-back Amanda Ilestedt is Sweden’s top-scorer with four goals so far, with the defender in the race for the World Cup golden boot. Spain required Salma Paralluelo’s extra-time goal to defeat Netherlands and have navigated a player mutiny under head coach Jorge Vilda to reach their first ever World Cup semi-final. The winner will play either England or Australia in Sunday’s World Cup final. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Spain vs Sweden? The first World Cup semi-final kicks off at 9am BST on Wednesday 15 August at Eden Park, Auckland. How can I watch it? It will be shown live on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer, with coverage starting from 8:30am. What is the team news? Spain have not started two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas in their last two games, but La Roja did not need the Barcelona star in their victories over Switzerland and the Netherlands. Salma Paralluelo, the match-winner in the quarter-finals, may return to the starting line-up but Vilda may also decide to keep the Barcelona winger as asubstitute. Sweden were unchanged in their win against the USA and coach Peter Gerhardsson confirmed he has a fully fit squad to choose from, with winger Sofia Jakobsson expected to be available after recovering from a cold this week. How did both teams reach the quarter-finals? Spain (runners-up Group C) 3-0 vs Costa Rica 5-0 vs Zambia 0-4 vs Japan 5-1 vs Switzerland 2-1 vs Netherlands (after extra time) Sweden (Winners Group G) 2-1 vs South Africa 5-0 vs Italy 2-0 vs Argentina 0-0 vs United States (Won 5-4 on penalties) 2-1 vs Japan Read More Women’s World Cup LIVE: England news as Lionesses prepare for Australia semi-final Who and when do England play next? Lionesses’ route to the World Cup final How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? England not focused on spoiling Australia’s World Cup party, says Keira Walsh 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?

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Aston Villa and England defender Tyrone Mings is facing a long spell on the sidelines as he is set to undergo an operation on a “significant knee injury”. Mings was carried off on a stretcher in some distress in the first half of Villa’s season-opening 5-1 defeat at Newcastle after a seemingly innocuous tangle of legs with striker Alexander Isak. Villa have not put a timescale on Mings’ recovery but expect a “lengthy rehabilitation”, with his setback coming days after the club lost Emiliano Buendia to a knee ligament injury for up to eight months. The club said in a statement on Monday: “Aston Villa can confirm that Tyrone Mings has sustained a significant knee injury. “The England international was stretchered off from the field after damaging his knee during the first half of Villa’s match at Newcastle United on Saturday. “The defender has undergone scans and will unfortunately require surgery ahead of a lengthy rehabilitation process.” Newcastle posted on Twitter in response to Villa’s update: “Wishing you a speedy recovery, @TyroneMings”. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe signed Mings for Bournemouth in 2015 only to lose the centre-back for 15 months when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament on his Cherries debut. Howe said at the weekend: “I have to say he faced that period out with incredible courage and resilience, and what he’s done since that moment, to go on and play for his country and be outstanding in the Premier League, is testament to that resilience. “We certainly wish him well and I send him all my love.” Read More Eddie Howe reveals his admiration for Newcastle star Sandro Tonali Sandro Tonali inspires Newcastle to stunning Premier League start Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news as England prepare for Australia semi-final

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou insists Eric Dier remains “part of this team” despite his absence from Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Brentford. Dier was one of several senior players left out of the Spurs squad along with Hugo Lloris, Djed Spence, Japhet Tanganga, Sergio Reguilon and Tanguy Ndombele. Postecoglou has been honest about the need for Tottenham to offload players during the final weeks of the transfer window, but he suggested nothing should be read into Dier’s absence. Reports on Sunday which linked Dier with a move to Saudi Arabia were later shut down and he trained at Hotspur Way earlier that day, but he may have to assess his playing options now he seems to be fifth choice at centre-back. “Eric is part of this team. We left a few out,” Postecoglou said. “We left some players on the bench that are very good players. We need a strong squad, it’s not about 11 players. “Eric is in the same boat as all the other boys. He’s working hard in training and available for selection. “My decisions then are what I think will give us the best chance of success for any given game and then we reassess the week after. Nothing really unusual there.” Dier was a regular under Postecoglou’s predecessor Antonio Conte and made 42 appearances last season. The summer arrival of Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg has pushed Dier down the pecking order and despite featuring in pre-season, Ben Davies and Davinson Sanchez appear to have also moved ahead of him. Dier joined Spurs in 2014 but was snubbed for the captaincy roles with Son Heung-min named skipper and James Maddison and fellow centre-back Cristian Romero listed as vice-captains. Romero was part of a new-look defence at Brentford with debuts handed to goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Van de Ven and left-back Destiny Udogie. Postecoglou added: “Obviously we had Micky, Destiny and Vic, three of our back five, making their debut for the clubs and anyone will tell you when it comes to the defensive side of the game, the more understanding you have, the better you are. “We obviously took a bit of a gamble throwing them all in but I thought all three handled themselves really well. It is not an easy place to come, you get put under pressure with balls coming into the box and I thought they all handled themselves really well. “Micky has only had three sessions with us so I could have waited to put him in there, but my feeling is he will be a very good footballer for us and the quicker we introduce him to Premier League football the better he will be.” Sunday marked the start of the post-Harry Kane era for Tottenham, but his departure to Bayern Munich on Saturday night did not alter the plans of Brentford too much. Bees boss Thomas Frank said: “No, that is the short answer. Of course he is a different type to Richarlison. He is the England No 9 compared to the Brazilian No 9. “That we know and the only tweak would have been that if Kane drops down deep, we would have needed to be aware of his fantastic passing skills and get closer to him. “Richarlison is more about the runs but our game plan is our game plan with the things we believe in.” Read More Ange Postecoglou praises Tottenham’s resilience following Harry Kane’s departure Two assists for James Maddison as Tottenham move on without Harry Kane with draw Watch moment Son Heung-min appointed Spurs captain after Harry Kane departure James Maddison promises to fill creative void of recent years at Tottenham Ange Postecoglou backs Richarlison as Tottenham deal with Harry Kane exit Harry Kane in Germany for Bayern Munich medical ahead of move from Tottenham

West Ham United have announced the signing of midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Southampton The 28-year-old made 410 appearances for Saints and was captain as they were relegated from the Premier League last season. He has made a swift return to the top flight after joining the Hammers for an undisclosed fee – reported to be in the region of £30m – signing a four-year contract at the London Stadium. Ward-Prowse told the club’s official website: “I’m buzzing to be here at West Ham United. It’s great to be here and I’m looking forward to getting going. “From the outside looking in, this is a club that has been on the rise for a number of years now and coming off the success in the UEFA Europa Conference League last year, you can feel there is real momentum around this club. It’s great to be a part of it and I can’t wait to play my role in the games to come. “When I think about my game, it is based on hard work, graft, and giving 100 per cent. West Ham United has always been a club that epitomises that. You can feel that from the fans and you can see it in the players who are here and the lads that have come through the academy too. “I feel as though I will fit straight in and I can promise I will give my all for this football club in my time here.” Ward-Prowse spent two decades on the south coast having joined Southampton’s academy at the age of eight. During his time at St Mary’s, he earned 11 senior England caps and scored two goals for his country. Ward-Prowse scored 17 Premier League free-kicks for Southampton and needs just one more to draw level with the record, held by David Beckham. He becomes West Ham’s second major signing of the summer following the recent acquisition of fellow midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax. Manchester United defender Harry Maguire could be the next player in at West Ham as manager David Moyes looks to improve a team that finished 14th last season but went on to lift the Europa Conference League. They opened their season with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Saturday and lost former captain Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m in July. Read More David Moyes: Man City bid for Lucas Paqueta was nowhere near our valuation West Ham agree deals for England pair Harry Maguire and James Ward-Prowse Football rumours: Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku player swap bid hits snag West Ham given two key transfer targets by David Moyes Southampton duo set to play Championship opener despite transfer links Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news as England prepare for Australia semi-final

Aston Villa and England defender Tyrone Mings is facing a long spell on the sidelines as he is set to undergo an operation on a “significant knee injury”. Mings was carried off on a stretcher in some distress in the first half of Villa’s season-opening 5-1 defeat at Newcastle after a seemingly innocuous tangle of legs with striker Alexander Isak. Villa have not put a timescale on Mings’ recovery but expect a “lengthy rehabilitation”, with his setback coming days after the club lost Emiliano Buendia to a knee ligament injury for up to eight months. The club said in a statement on Monday: “Aston Villa can confirm that Tyrone Mings has sustained a significant knee injury. “The England international was stretchered off from the field after damaging his knee during the first half of Villa’s match at Newcastle United on Saturday. “The defender has undergone scans and will unfortunately require surgery ahead of a lengthy rehabilitation process.” Newcastle posted on Twitter in response to Villa’s update: “Wishing you a speedy recovery,@TyroneMings”. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe signed Mings for Bournemouth in 2015 only to lose the centre-back for 15 months when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament on his Cherries debut. Howe said at the weekend: “I have to say he faced that period out with incredible courage and resilience, and what he’s done since that moment, to go on and play for his country and be outstanding in the Premier League, is testament to that resilience. “We certainly wish him well and I send him all my love.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live