List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich makes him the latest Englishman to ply his trade in the Bundesliga. Only a handful of the small group which has gone to Germany have been truly successful but the England captain will be looking to add his name to that list. Here the PA news agency looks at those who impressed for Bundesliga sides. Kevin Keegan, Hamburg 1977-80 Keegan set the gold standard. Having made his intention to leave Liverpool clear the forward’s £500,000 transfer set a new British record and almost doubled the German mark. His choice of a club which had not finished higher than sixth in two decades was something of a surprise but Hamburg paid him more than five times his salary. There were rewarded though as Keegan helped them win the title in his second season and reach the European Cup final in the next, winning two European footballer of the year awards. Tony Woodcock (Cologne 1979-82 and 1986-88, Fortuna Cologne 1988-90) After being part of the side which won Nottingham Forest’s first European Cup in 1979 Woodcock moved to Cologne for £600,000 after taking advice from Keegan despite interest from Manchester United. He scored 34 goals in just over 100 appearances before returning to England with Arsenal in 1982. Woodcock returned to Cologne four years later before retiring after a brief spell at Fortuna. Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich 200-07) Born in Canada to British parents, Hargreaves moved to Bayern from Calgary Foothills as a 16-year-old. He made his first-team debut in 2000 and went on to make over 200 appearances, winning four Bundesliga titles, the Champions League and three German Cups before moving to Manchester United. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund 2017-21) Sancho left Manchester City for Dortmund as a 17-year-old for an £8m fee. He won the German Cup and Supercup and, aged 18 years and 336 days, broke Lukas Podolski’s record for the youngest player to score nine Bundesliga goals. He made 136 appearances, scoring 49 goals before returning to England to join Manchester United. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund 2020-23) Bellingham became the most expensive 17-year-old in history when he moved from Birmingham for an initial £25m. His form in Germany earned him a senior England call up in 2020 when he became the third-youngest England international after Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney. Consistency at club level and stand-out performances at the 2021 World Cup helped him secure an £88m move to Real Madrid this summer. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Harry Kane’s highs and lows at Tottenham as he signs with Bayern Munich Where Harry Kane’s big-money move stands in British football history Harry Kane completes £100million move to Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane for an initial £100million. The fee could eventually rise to £120m including add-ons, which would be a record for a British player. Here, the PA news agency compares the transfer with previous big-money signings. Most expensive British players Based on initial transfer fees, Kane is tied at the top of the list of most expensive British players of all-time. He joins England team-mates and fellow £100m men Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, with Rice having moved from West Ham to Arsenal in July and Grealish leaving Aston Villa for Manchester City in 2021. Jude Bellingham is fourth, with Real Madrid paying Borussia Dortmund an initial £88.5m for his services in June. Then comes another ex-Tottenham player in Gareth Bale, who Spurs sold to Madrid for £85.1m back in 2013. Kane’s move knocks Harry Maguire out of the top five, although his £80m switch from Leicester to Manchester United in 2019 remains a record for a British defender. Most expensive over-30s Kane has become the most expensive player from any country aged over 30. He surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved from Real Madrid to Juventus for £99.2m in 2018 at the age of 33. The size of the fee is testament to Kane’s form, following a season in which he became the all-time record scorer for both Tottenham and England, with nobody else apart from Ronaldo having come close to commanding a nine-figure bid in their 30s. Ronaldo’s former Real and Manchester United team-mate Casemiro was 30 when he swapped the Bernabeu for Old Trafford for £60m last summer, while Barcelona paid £54.8m for 30-year-old Miralem Pjanic in 2020 and £38.3m for 33-year-old Robert Lewandowski in 2022. Highest fees received by British clubs Tottenham have become the fourth British club to receive a nine-figure sum for an individual player. Liverpool’s sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January 2018 remains the most expensive in Premier League history, with the Reds having received an initial fee of £105m and a further £37m in add-ons. Like Spurs, West Ham and Aston Villa received an initial £100m for Rice and Grealish respectively. Chelsea’s sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid – thought to be worth an initial £88.3 million in 2019 – completes the top five. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Harry Kane’s highs and lows at Tottenham as he signs with Bayern Munich 5 English success stories Harry Kane will look to emulate in Germany Harry Kane completes £100million move to Bayern Munich

In the hours after Tottenham Hotspur finally agreed they would sell Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, there was actually some doubt, and a lot to consider. The player’s camp now had to actually go through with a decision that had been a long time coming, which only made it all the heavier in the moment. There was still some thinking that Real Madrid or Manchester United - Kane’s first choice - might come in now they knew Levy’s price. Even he wanted that higher going into the final hours. Those other bids didn’t happen, though, and it is now happening that Kane is leaving Spurs. Some within White Hart Lane couldn’t make sense of it, even though it had long been anticipated. A player who hailed as one of their own is no longer that. He’s gone. There is actually a sadness to that, in how the modern economy of football essentially forces players towards a narrow band of clubs. Spurs have once again been shown the reality of the game, although this is admittedly one where you can sympathise with some of the confusion. None of this is to disparage Bayern, one of the game’s great clubs, of the status that it is a genuine privilege to play for them. It is an honour to be their number-nine, following in the line of Gerd Muller, Jurgen Klinsmann and the player he most directly replaces in Robert Lewandowski. That will stand to Kane, especially as a rare high-profile English player to go abroad. In some ways, though, Bayern have been victims of the modern game as much as Spurs. Its distorted economics have given them a longer run of titles than they could have ever imagined, but with a cost. The more leagues they win, the less it means. Borussia Dortmund’s challenge last season should almost have been welcomed as it offered tension and significance. There’s then the manner that even Bayern have had to adapt to football’s new world, which is almost completely made up of the Premier League. This is where the real intrigue of the entire Kane situation lies. England’s captain and greatest star has left England when it has become almost the only place to be in football. That’s an irony only deepened by how a player commonly seen as the next great star, and a future captain in Jude Bellingham, is also employed outside. That point shouldn’t be taken as an old-fashioned parochial view, since it has generally been a positive thing for players to go and sample other football cultures and countries. Kane himself will doubtless benefit from that. It is healthy, even on a human level. The issue is how much the game has changed even in a decade. That world has become smaller, centred around England. Broadcasting figures illustrate how the Premier League has become the biggest show in town, “a football NBA”, in the words of one major club chief executive. “If you’re not there, you’re nowhere.” It’s not like Kane is going to Spain or Italy, either, the two most historically glamorous leagues that remain enriched by the nostalgia around them. Germany has always been the most unfashionable of the “big five”, although another consequence of the modern game is that term no longer really applies. It is the Premier League and some satellite clubs, one of them being Bayern. They will almost certainly allow Kane to claim that first medal of his career, but does it have the same value? For Kane’s part, that won’t matter if he’s looking at that medal. There’s also the fact that some of the more confusing aspects of this transfer are a logical consequence of how the game has gone. Levy is determined to gradually push Spurs into the elite bracket of super-clubs, even if so many supporters would fairly question the manner he goes about that. To the Tottenham chairman, though, it makes no sense to allow one of the clubs they see as direct rivals to strengthen at their expense. A club is always falling behind in that way. It is where there is even more intrigue to this transfer, though. While the public perception has been that Levy did not want to sell, some in the industry believe it has been more driven from within Spurs than would be expected. This allows the club a degree of control over the transfer, as well as - crucially - income. The great question from Kane’s part is why he has ceded that control. His leverage will never be greater. A contract with a year to go is the point of maximum opportunity for a player. His first choice was clearly Manchester United. The entire England squad were talking about it in the June camp. He has instead given that power up. That, admittedly, is partly about something greater. This isn’t about just getting Bundesligas, after all. Bayern have sold Kane a vision of winning the Champions League with him. They have quietly gone about building one of the most vibrant squads in Europe, but were just lacking experience last season as well as a finisher after Robert Lewandowski. They now have both in Kane. Him bringing them to a moment of completion such as Champions League glory would be worth it all. There is even the possibility that he could do two seasons at Bayern then go back to the Premier League club of his choosing, given how he looks after his body. This is another facet of Kane’s career. He sees Tom Brady as an idol, and is one of those who will do absolutely everything physically possible to maximise his talent. Except, many have long said, what is really necessary: go to a winning club. That is now happening. There is an undeniable poignancy to it, that should be felt beyond Spurs. More clubs should be able to compete. It shouldn’t always be so inevitable that such players leave. That is the nature of football’s economy now, as this transfer sums up, even if some of it seems to go against the modern game. Read More Harry Kane sends message to Tottenham fans as Bayern move confirmed Harry Kane saga leaves Tottenham paying the price for Daniel Levy’s ‘ego’ — again Premier League record scorers: How many goals do Alan Shearer and Harry Kane have? Harry Kane’s highs and lows at Tottenham as he signs with Bayern Munich Where Harry Kane’s big-money move stands in British football history 5 English success stories Harry Kane will look to emulate in Germany

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 in Germany to seal his move to Bayern Munich in a deal that could rise to £120million. Tottenham’s record goalscorer landed in Munich on Friday night for a medical ahead of his transfer to the Bundesliga giants. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou had revealed earlier in the day that the move was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night. It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m, the PA news agency understands. Reports on Friday morning initially suggested Spurs had refused to give Kane permission to travel to Germany, but they were squashed by Tottenham and hours later he set off for Munich via a private jet from London Stansted airport. Postecoglou, speaking before Spurs’ trip to Brentford on Sunday, said: “Fair to say I don’t have a blow-by-blow account, but my understanding is it has progressed to the point where it looks like it will happen. “From that perspective, at least it gives us some clarity and we move forward without Harry. “From my perspective it is just about understanding where we are at and the information I have at the moment is the deal is imminent but, like with all these things, you leave yourself some leeway. “But moving forward and training today preparing for Brentford, we are doing it without Harry. “It is best Harry speaks for himself in terms of the decision, but no doubt he is one of the greats of this football club and that never changes. “I am only new in the building, but (it is) fairly evident Harry Kane will always be one of the greats for this football club.” It remains to be seen whether the deal will be done in time for Kane to play any part in Bayern’s DFB Super Cup match with RB Leipzig on Saturday night. However, with the clash taking place at Bayern’s Allianz Arena home, the England captain could well be unveiled to supporters before kick-off. Bayern saw bids for Kane, who is in the last 12 months of his contract at Spurs, reportedly turned down in June and July but they made their intentions clear, with honorary president Uli Hoeness and president Herbert Hainer speaking openly in the media about the player’s desire to join the Bundesliga champions. A third bid was submitted last Friday and Spurs spent all weekend deliberating before chairman Daniel Levy rejected the offer on Monday. With noises coming out that Kane, who scored four goals in a friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday, had enjoyed working with Postecoglou, confidence started to grow that he could spend the season with his boyhood team. But Bayern’s latest bid proved enough for an agreement to be reached and, after taking his time to weigh up the decision, Kane decided to end his 19-year stay at Spurs. It means his pursuit of Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record will be put on hold, with the Tottenham forward still 47 goals off equalling Shearer’s tally of 260. However, the move will almost guarantee him the first major trophies of his career, as well as giving him a shot at Champions League glory. Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel has been a long-term admirer of Kane but was coy when asked about the forward ahead of Saturday’s match with Leipzig. Tuchel told a press conference: “We are working with full pressure on this deal. “I understand there are a lot of ifs and whens. All options are open. The first is to have him as a player and at the moment he is not yet that. “This is a big deal. We are trying to take the England captain away from the Premier League.”

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

Pep Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be out for “a few weeks” after being forced out of Manchester City’s opening-day win at Burnley. City launched their defence of the Premier League title by cruising to a 3-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley as Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half before Rodri slammed home a third midway through the second. Victory over former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley was tainted by De Bruyne’s 23rd-minute withdrawal, with Guardiola revealing his talisman had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season. Guardiola said: “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but will be a few weeks out.” De Bruyne returned from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June but lasted only 36 minutes. Asked if the Belgium midfielder had returned too soon to start against Burnley, Guardiola said: “Maybe. Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong, when it is 65 it is the fatigue of the muscle. “We have to talk with the doctors and him. He was one year a long time injured, he came back from that position. “He is down. He fought a lot. The final of the Champions League. He felt really good. I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes. He is disappointed, but he is strong and will be back.” Guardiola appeared to be involved in a furious bust-up with Haaland as the players left the pitch at half-time and the Spaniard explained why both were so animated. He added: “We discuss a lot. Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo (Silva) don’t give it, it was one minute left and 0-2. “A minute earlier (the ball went) to Mateo Kovacic and we lost it. We have to finish at 0-2 and go to the second. I understand Erling, he wanted the ball, but Bernardo took the right decision.” Kompany, who won four Premier League titles at City, steered Burnley to the Sky Bet Championship title in his first season in charge and handed five summer signings their debuts. The Belgian said his new-look side will only get better and there were positives to take from their performance. He said: “It is progress again. This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time. “You want to get a result, that is a given, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.” Second-half substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in the closing stages after his yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker was changed to a red after referee Craig Pawson watched a replay on the pitch-side moniter. Kompany added: “The crowd has always been behind us. I wish we could’ve turned the momentum again in the last 20 minutes and created some more danger, but with the red card the game kind of settled. “We had enough today to get something. I am not saying a result, but to get on the score sheet.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘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 focused only on Robert Helenius amid Deontay Wilder speculation