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Showing posts from September 7, 2025

The first Premier League Saturday after an international break

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The first hours of the Premier League after the international break had lot's of talking points There was a new era starting for at least two Premier League sides Author | Josh D Postecoglou era starts with defeat at Arsenal Former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou had failed to beat Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta in four previous meetings, with three defeats and one draw. That run was never in serious danger of ending as, while Nottingham Forest showed glimpses of quality, Arsenal controlled the contest throughout. Sunderland earn deserved point at Palace Both sides struggled to find any rhythm in a drab and underwhelming opening 45 minutes. Palace winger Yeremy Pino looked the most likely to break the deadlock but fired wide on two occasions after finding pockets of space on the edge of the box. Jean-Philippe Mateta struck the game's first shot on target in the 49th minute, forcing a save out of Robin Roefs with Pino's rebound blocked away for a corner. Leeds United attack f...

Ireland’s hopes of reaching the World Cup take a damaging hit

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Armenia 2 - 1 Republic of Ireland The Republic of Ireland’s hopes of reaching the World Cup took a damaging hit as they slumped to a deserved defeat against Armenia in Yerevan. Author | Jordan F Stadium | Vazgen Sargsyan anvan Hanrapetakan Marzadasht Three years after a shock Nations League loss to the same opposition, Ireland were humbled once more by a side ranked 105th in the world, 45 places below them. Eduard Spertsyan, who struck the winner in 2022, gave Armenia the lead from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after captain Nathan Collins fouled Lucas Zelarayan. Ireland’s problems deepened when Grant-Leon Ranos doubled the advantage six minutes into the second half. Evan Ferguson pulled one back almost immediately, but Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side were fortunate not to concede again, with Artur Serobyan’s late effort ruled out for offside. READ MORE |  Scotland secure a routine but important victory over Belarus READ MORE |  World Cup 2026 Qualifying news an...

Analysis of Thomas Tuchel's best night as England manager

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Serbia 0 - 5 England analysis Thomas Tuchel spoke like a man who sensed his best night as England manager was coming the moment he touched down in Belgrade. Author | Josh D Goals from Harry Kane , Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa , Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford seal a wonderful night in Belgrade for the Three Lions. They have taken a huge step towards next summer’s World Cup. A much improved performance Questions over Tuchel 's methods had grown louder after Saturday’s laboured World Cup qualifying win against Andorra. It was a fourth straight competitive victory, yet one that ended with swathes of the Villa Park crowd heading for the exits long before full time. This was an emphatic response. Tuchel’s team produced a masterclass that dismantled Serbia in their own fortress, silencing a hostile crowd almost from the first whistle with a performance of complete dominance. For Tuchel it was close to perfection. England not only claimed a resounding win that leaves them five points fro...

Live text commentary recap | England thrash Serbia

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Serbia 0 - 5 England live text commentary recap Thomas Tuchel's side made it five wins from five in their qualifying campaign Author | Josh D Stadium | Rajko Mitic Stadium Goals from Harry Kane , Noni Madueke , Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford seal a memorable night in Belgrade for the Three Lions , who have taken a huge step towards next summer’s World Cup. Full-time | A five-star performance from Tuchel's side On paper this was a daunting trip, yet England have delivered one of their best performances in some time. The job is complete and the mission accomplished in Serbia. 90 minutes | Rashford makes it 5 (five) from the penalty spot. Ollie Watkins was brought down in the penalty area by Strahinja Erakovic . Marcus Rashford took the penalty and calmly placed it beyond the Serbian keeper. 75 minutes | Another goal. It’s becoming too easy for England. Nikola Milenkovic ’s foul proves doubly costly for Serbia. He is shown a red card and from the resulting free-k...

Postecoglou appointed as Nottingham Forest’s new manager

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Update - Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as head coach of Nottingham Forest  He replaces the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo Author |  Kieran M Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis told the media: "We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies. "His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions."

England’s greatest World Cup qualifiers

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What has been the best England World Cup qualifier? Let's explore some memorable moments from this stage of the competition. Author | Mark Lee England's recent qualifier against Andorra wasn't exactly a classic Of course, qualifying for the World Cup should be the absolute minimum for England. However, there have been some classic moments along the way. Italy 0 - 0 England | Qualification is secured England only needed a point from their final match to qualify for the following summer's World Cup. Easier said than done when that final match is Italy away.  A battling and sometimes heroic display from the Three Lions earned them a 0-0 draw and qualification was secured. Not a lot of flair from the attacking players but the point was well deserved. Watch some of the highlights from the game in the video below. Germany 1 - 5 England | Even Heskey scored Germany had beaten England at the start of the end of the qualifying campaign. A disappointing end to the reign of ...

Scotland secure a routine but important victory over Belarus

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Belarus 0 - 2 Scotland Scotland claimed a straightforward but valuable win over Belarus to maintain their promising start to World Cup qualifying. Author | Sean M Stadium | ZTE-ArĂ©na  Friday’s battling draw in Denmark had been hard won but risked being diminished had Steve Clarke ’s side slipped against the group’s lowest-ranked team. There was little danger of that once Che Adams struck the opener before forcing the own goal that sealed the points after the interval. Closer look at what happened With no atmosphere to feed off, the onus was on Scotland to create their own intensity. This had the potential to be a difficult match.  Clarke made four changes, one of them recalling Bournemouth’s Ben Gannon Doak. The 19-year-old was the player who most often quickened the pulse with his direct running, even if his final ball occasionally lacked precision. More established figures again carried the threat, with Scott McTominay heading John McGinn ’s cross into Adams’ path fo...

Nottingham Forest sack Nuno EspĂ­rito Santo

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Nottingham Forest have dismissed head coach Nuno EspĂ­rito Santo This news comes just three games into the new season. Author | Kieran M How are you feeling Forest fans? [image or embed] — Super News Affiliate ( @sup3rnew5affiliate.bsky.social ) 9 September 2025 at 09:22 Doubts over his future had lingered for a fortnight, ever since he admitted publicly that his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had broken down. Discussions are ongoing over his successor, with an appointment expected soon. Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is among those under consideration. From survival fight to European return Nuno EspĂ­rito Santo took charge of Nottingham Forest in December 2023 with the club languishing in 17th place after five defeats in six matches. Even with a four-point deduction for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules, he steered them to safety, finishing 17th and six points above Luton Town . He won six league matches during the remainder of that s...

Gutsy Northern Ireland performance not quite enough

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Germany 3 - 1 Northern Ireland Northern Ireland produced a determined display but could not prevent Germany from claiming a first win in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Author | Ed Stadium | RheinEnergieSTADION The under-pressure hosts took an early lead in the seventh minute through Serge Gnabry, but on a tense night in Cologne, Isaac Price's volley 11 minutes before half-time brought Northern Ireland back on level terms against Julian Nagelsmann's side. Northern Ireland held firm until the 69th minute, when Nadiem Amiri took advantage of a rare lapse at the back before a curling free-kick from Liverpool's Florian Wirtz made it 3-1. Closer analysis of what happened Coming off three successive defeats, including Thursday's 2-0 loss in Slovakia to begin their Group A campaign, Germany could hardly have hoped for a stronger start. A heavy touch from centre-back Eoin Toal allowed Newcastle United's new signing Nick Woltemade to nip in and steal the ball, ...

Opening weekend of the WSL

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Six games, 18 goals, and plenty of entertainment. It's so good to have the Women's Super League back! Author | Josh D Let’s have a closer look at what happened on opening weekend. There were several talking points that we need to explore. Chelsea 2 - 1 Manchester City  The season kicked off with two of the contenders and favourites for the title. City lost at Stamford Bridge despite a promising second-half performance away against current champions Chelsea.  For all the encouraging passages of play from his reshaped City side, and a Greenwood free-kick that struck the bar, the pattern was a familiar one as Chelsea proved decisive once again when it mattered. Arsenal 4 - 1 London City Lionesses This was a positive start to the season for Arsenal. They began their WSL campaign with victory at the Emirates, though new arrivals London City Lionesses provided an early scare. Manchester United 4 - 0 Leicester City United began their Women’s Super League campaign with an emphatic...

England overcome stubborn resistance from Andorra

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England 2 - 0 Andorra England overcame stubborn resistance from Andorra to record a fourth successive victory under head coach Thomas Tuchel in World Cup qualifiers. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Villa Park In what was effectively a match of defence against attack, England once again laboured for long periods before finally making their quality count against the minnows ranked 174th in the world. Tuchel gave a debut to Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson , who was one of the more impressive performers in a largely drab encounter at Villa Park. England broke the deadlock after 25 minutes when Andorra defender Christian Garcia headed Noni Madueke 's cross past keeper Iker Alvarez into his own net. Andorra's defensive ranks held firm, helped by keeper Alvarez when he saved superbly from Anderson, until Declan Rice headed in Reece James ' fine cross at the far post after 67 minutes. England now move on to what will be the toughest test of Tuchel's reign so...