European Super Football

 It has been reported that Chelsea have opened preliminary talks with Leandro Trossard. Those stories have suggested that Chelsea made the Brighton attacker a top target ahead of his Brighton contract expiring next summer. Brighton are allegedly not willing to sell the Belgian international in January but they could face losing him on a free transfer next summer. He was in outstanding form before the World Cup break, with his 14 Premier League matches seeing him score seven goals and made three assists. He has earned 22 Belgium caps and scored five goals for his country and made his first World Cup appearance off the bench against Canada. Reaction from the internet One Chelsea fan said on Twitter: "Not sure about him, he’s not creative and not a dribbler, so exactly the opposite of what we need right now, maybe if the price is decent it’s okay. If we spend more than 20 million and think he can improve us then we are going nowhere with this board." https://t.co/7s63UB1

The UEFA Nations League is still a fairly new idea. It is a biennial international football competition contested by the member associations of UEFA. The last edition of the competition was won by France. You can read about it here. UEFA Nations League: Spain 1 - 2 France (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Ahead of a busy year of international football, nations are now preparing for the next edition of the competition. Here are the UEFA Nations League groups in full. We have highlighted some of the more interesting groups. Group A1: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France. Group A2: Czech Republic, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain. Group A3: Hungary, England, Germany, Italy. England have faced all of these sides in recent times. They beat Germany in a memorable Euro 2020 last-16 match before eventually losing to Italy in the final of the same competition. More recently, they beat Hungary in a World Cup qualifier. England manager Gareth Southgate believes that the tough Nations League group is

Jesse Lingard's future career at Manchester United is in doubt after talks over a new contract collapsed. Lingard's present deal expires next summer and United hoped to extend the England midfielder's time at the club following an exciting loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season. Despite being linked with moves to several clubs, the English midfielder opted to stay at Manchester United this season. He reportedly believed manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would provide him with more game time. Instead, he has just started just one game throughout the current campaign. This was the EFL Cup defeat by West Ham in September. He has also made seven substitute appearances, totalling just 76 minutes.  Manchester United news from European Super Football He's had more game time for England during the current campaign than United, even though he also lost his place in Gareth Southgate's squad for the recent World Cup qualifying victories. Reportedly, Lingard is

UEFA has confirmed that the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will host the 2028 European Championships . The joint bid was unopposed after Turkey withdrew to focus on a bid with Italy for Euro 2032, which was also confirmed at a meeting in Switzerland. Check out this video from  FAI TV - YouTube The UK and Ireland focused on Euro 2028, with UEFA's approval, after they had previously cancelled a plan to be Europe's preferred candidate for the 2030 World Cup. London's Wembley Stadium and Glasgow's Hampden Park hosted games at Euro 2020. Wembley hosted the final after what proved to be a hugely controversial day where there were reports of carnage and hooliganism outside the stadium.  Matches at Euro 2028 are set to be held at 10 different grounds, including Wembley and Hampden Park alongside Cardiff's Principality Stadium and Dublin's Aviva Stadium. Belfast's Casement Park and Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, the former unbuilt while the

 Arsenal 1-0 Zurich Let's look at all the best reaction as Arsenal clinched top spot in their Europa League group Kieran Tierney's stunning 20-yard drive into the bottom right corner ensured the Gunners finished top of Group A on 15 points, two clear of PSV Eindhoven. It was their 10th victory in 12 matches in all competitions. This was the reaction of  ArsenalVision Podcast - YouTube What did the papers say? The Guardian's match report said: "In this uniquely concertinaed season, matches played every few days, squads in permanent rotation, results are probably all that matter. Though performances remain important, too, and as Arsenal lost focus against opponents who grew in belief, it appeared their minds had drifted to Sunday, and Chelsea. Three matches remain before Arsenal sign off for the World Cup, two in the Premier League, and still being leaders when football turns its focus on Qatar is clearly top priority. "  Arsenal seal Europa League top spot after

England 0 - 4 Hungary England's awful recent continued as they slumped to a terrible defeat against a ruthless Hungary to leave Gareth Southgate's side rooted to the bottom of their Nations League group. Southgate's side has now gone four games without a victory for the first time since 2014 and they look worryingly out of form and confidence with a World Cup looming at the end of this year. They capitulated to a humiliating and potentially damaging defeat that had the crowd booing and baying for Southgate's job at the final whistle. Watch the highlights of the match in the video below. Footage from Channel 4 Sport Roland Sallai put the visitors in front with a well-taken finish at the back post, then doubled Hungary's lead with his second on the break 20 minutes from time. There was more to come from a rampant Hungary, as Zsolt Nagy fired in from range and after John Stones was sent off to compound a woeful evening for the hosts. Daniel Gazdag finished smartly

This is a full list of all the transfers involving the Premier League clubs on Deadline Day The 20 Premier League sides had already run up a huge net spend this summer as it continued to expand its collection of stars. This video from Sky Sports looks at how a dramatic day concluded.  Sky Sports Premier League - YouTube   Which signing will turn out to be the best? Sylvester Jasper — Fulham to Bristol Rovers — Loan Xavier Simons — Chelsea to Hull City — Loan Rob Street — Crystal Palace to Shrewsbury Town — Loan Jack Stephens — Southampton to Bournemouth — Loan Willy Boly — Wolverhampton Wanderers to Nottingham Forest — Undisclosed The Ivory Coast international has signed a two-year deal at The City Ground following a five-year spell at Molineux, having joined Wolves permanently in 2018 following an initial season-long loan from FC Porto. He was a key member of the Wolves side that won promotion to the Premier League during his first season in England, with his performances earning hi

Hungary 1 - 0 England In this Nations League match, England produced one of their worst performances of recent time.  Southgate’s team were strangely passive, lacking bite in the areas that mattered, especially the final third, and they came to threaten too late, playing with the bit between their teeth only after they fell behind to Dominik Szoboszlai’s 66th minute penalty. The award was soft, but it was correct and punishment for a moment of clumsiness from Reece James, who had only just entered as a substitute. 🇭🇺 Hungary beat England for the first time since 1962! 👏👏👏 #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/62Y3bS88X8 — UEFA Nations League (@EURO2024) June 4, 2022 James touched a cross back towards his goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, and worried that he had not put enough on it. And so he stepped across Zsolt Nagy to make sure that the Hungary wing-back could not give chase. Nagy went down theatrically and England had a sinking feeling. Szoboszlai once told Neymar before he took a p

 Football is the most popular sport across the continent.  This has resulted in thousands (possibly millions) of articles being published each year, all of which combined analyse every inch of the beautiful game.  The disadvantage of this is if you want to read some insightful analysis, it's hard to know where to start. We're here to help. Let's explore some of the best football blogs and articles published in recent months. " Floodlights " ( CC BY 2.0 ) by  It's No Game From Media Referee -  Can Wayne Rooney’s Derby County build a successful future? This interesting article from Media Referee looks at the future of Derby County. After suffering a points deduction, many experts said they were certainties to get relegated and face a grim future. However, this article points out that Derby does have a lot going for them.  Icons: Wayne Rooney Since the article was published, Derby have gone on a great run leading to some changing their predictions. Is the great

 Birmingham City 2 - 0 QPR A resurgent Birmingham City claimed their biggest scalp of the season John Eustace's side battled their way to victory over high-flying Queens Park Rangers. COME ON! @SandowRs ! 😆 pic.twitter.com/Fce5uUqVGc — Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) October 28, 2022 Birmingham fans and players clearly enjoyed their night.   QPR were done no favours by two of their London neighbours as Blues won with first-half goals from two loan men - Arsenal's American defender Auston Trusty and West Ham wing-back Manny Longelo. Any hopes that Michael Beale's side might turn it round after the break were then ended with Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy's fine 79th-minute penalty save to deny Lyndon Dykes. After winning four times in five away games, this was a second straight defeat on the road for QPR, while Blues' third win in five - in front of 19,007, their biggest home crowd since before the Covid pandemic, lifts them into the top half. It looked on the cards ri

Back in July, News Ball UK spoke with a number of people about their favourite football matches. Finals, semi-finals and last day relegation battles are all mentioned here. Click here to read the original story. Manchester United 2 - 1 Bayern Munich. 1999 Champions League final On the 26th May 1999, Manchester United won the Champions League in rather dramatic circumstances. They sealed an historic Treble. Ryan Thomas said: "It was the greatest night of my life. Nothing has ever come close." More Manchester United news and stories can be found here>>> Wigan Athletic 1 - 0 Manchester City. 2013 FA Cup Final Dave Whelan's dreams had come true. Wigan Athletic have won the FA Cup. Marcus Thompson, a Wigan fan and occasional contributor, told this blog: "You grew up as a Wigan fan not expecting to ever do or win anything. Getting to the Premier League in 2005 was great but this was another level entirely." Oldham Athletic 4 - 3 Southampton. Oldham stay in th

Mason Greenwood (born October 2001) currently plays for Manchester United. Quick summary Greenwood is a player with great potential. He made his first start for Manchester United in a Europa League match against Astana in September 2019. On the night, he scored and became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in a European competition aged only 17. Stats In his first 135 games for Manchester United, Greenwood managed to score a fairly credible 34 goals. His best season came in 2019/2020 when he scored 17 goals in 49 matches. He played a key part in the club securing a place in the following season's Champions League.  International career His senior international came for England in a UEFA Nations League game against Iceland in September 2020. Despite not playing for the senior team since, Southgate will be hoping that he continues his development. What do people think? In July 2019, former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær was full of praise for Greenwood: "

Poland 1 - 2 Netherlands Substitute Wout Weghorst clinched a late winner just two minutes after coming on, as the Netherlands kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a victory over Poland in Hamburg. Despite missing their all-time top scorer Robert Lewandowski due to a thigh injury, Poland stunned the Dutch early on when Adam Buksa scored with a header. The Netherlands dominated play but missed several chances before Liverpool's Cody Gakpo equalised with a deflected shot past Wojciech Szczesny. The Dutch continued to create opportunities, with Gakpo missing a clear chance before the break, sending Nathan Ake’s pullback over the bar from close range. After the interval, Ronald Koeman’s side maintained their dominance. Szczesny made a crucial save from Denzel Dumfries, and youngster Xavi Simons drove an effort wide after being set up by Gakpo. Just as it seemed they would have to settle for a draw, Weghorst, introduced in the 81st minute, secured the win with a close-range fin

France 1 - 1 Poland A masked Kylian Mbappe scored his first Euro 2024 goal, but France were held to a draw by an already-eliminated Poland, resulting in a second-place finish in Group D. France needed a win to secure the top spot, but Robert Lewandowski's penalty in the 79th minute cancelled out Mbappe’s earlier goal, scored from a penalty 11 minutes into the second half. Ralf Rangnick's Austria put on a brilliant performance to beat the Netherlands 3-2, topping the group, while the Dutch finished third. France, now in the same half of the draw as Portugal, Spain, and Germany , will face the runner-up in Group E. Mbappe, returning to the starting line-up with a protective mask after breaking his nose, finally scored his first European Championship goal to put France ahead. Ousmane Dembele was fouled in the area by Poland and Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior, allowing Mbappe to score from the spot. However, France seemed to relax after the goal, and Dayot Upamecano's clumsy

Austria 0 - 1 France France began their tournament with a composed 1-0 victory over a spirited Austria. The match was decided by a first-half own goal.  Didier Deschamps’ team played within their capabilities, exploiting Austria’s right-side defence whenever Kylian Mbappé, who finished the game with a broken nose, accelerated down the wing. Starting slowly and conserving energy, this French team displayed their confidence and experience. Not much has changed since the 2022 World Cup. They maintained their familiar 4-3-3 formation, embodying Deschamps' philosophy with athleticism and technical prowess in every position. Mbappé remains a constant threat, always poised to deliver a decisive moment. France’s manager will be pleased with the midfield control offered by Adrien Rabiot and the dynamic performance of N’Golo Kanté , who rolled back the years with his display. By the end of the match, one thing was evident: France remains the team to beat. Their victory seems almost inev

England 1 - 0 Serbia Jude Bellingham inspired England to the start they hoped for at Euro 2024, netting the winning goal and delivering a stellar performance in their victory over Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. Bellingham's dream season continued, after clinching the Champions League in his debut campaign with Real Madrid, he showcased why he’s seen as England's latest superstar. The 20-year-old rose magnificently to meet Bukayo Saka 's deflected cross with a powerful header after 13 minutes, earning Gareth Southgate's side an early lead. Despite starting strongly with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, England fell into familiar patterns after the break, sitting back and allowing Serbia to press. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a crucial late save from Dusan Vlahovic to maintain their lead. Harry Kane nearly doubled England’s tally when his header from Jarrod Bowen's cross was superbly tipped onto the bar by Serbia's keeper, Predrag Rajkovic. Wh

France 1 - 2 Denmark Andreas Cornelius scored twice as Denmark came from behind to beat holders France in the Nations League. Karim Benzema opened the scoring with a stunning effort. He cut in from the right-wing before dummying his way past three defenders and slotting in. Cornelius volleyed in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's ball over the top to level. The 60th-minute substitute won the game when he ran onto a long ball before firing in. This was the first time the former Cardiff striker has scored twice in an international game. What a time to do it! Denmark look like a team that are on the rise. It will be interesting to see them progress over the next few years. Both sides had several chances in a lively opening game to group A1. In the first half, Denmark's Joakim Maehle hit the outside of the post and Benzema had a goal disallowed. In between Cornelius' two goals, France's N'Golo Kante crashed a shot off the post and Denmark's Christian Eriksen forced a save

 Chelsea 6 - 1 Middlesborough (Chelsea won 6-2 on aggregate) Chelsea secured their spot in the Carabao Cup final with a 6-2 aggregate victory over Middlesbrough.  After a 1-0 defeat from the first leg, Chelsea turned the tide in this match with four first-half goals . The scoring spree included an own goal from Jonny Howson, along with goals from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi, and Cole Palmer. Palmer netted his second.  Noni Madueke added another in the 81st minute, delighting the Chelsea supporters. The Wembley songs started and many of their fans will now be excited about a February afternoon in North London.  Morgan Rogers managed a consolation goal for Middlesbrough but Chelsea's victory was already well secured.  Watch first leg highlights Watch second leg highlights How did everything happen? Mauricio Pochettino's team equalised the aggregate score in just 15 minutes, with Ben Chilwell's precise through ball setting up Raheem Sterling, whose pass was inadvertently tur

 For the second year running, Bukayo Saka has been named England men's player of the year. The Arsenal winger, who turned 22 on Tuesday , retained the award he won first in 2021-22. Midfielder Jude Bellingham came second in the ballot, followed by England captain and all-time top scorer Harry Kane. Picture credit -  Premier League 2023/24, Matchday 4 - Arsenal 3:1 Mancheste… | Flickr In the past year, Saka has scored seven goals in 10 appearances for England, including a hat-trick against North Macedonia at Old Trafford. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup , he scored three times for the Three Lions, twice against Iran in the opening group stage and once against Senegal in the last 16. He has 11 England goals in 28 caps. The Arsenal fan favourite is again among England boss Gareth Southgate's squad for Saturday's European Championship qualifier against Ukraine and Tuesday's friendly with Scotland.  Saka will once again be an important player for England in what could be a

England 2 - 1 Switzerland Harry Kane is now level with Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 England goals as England came from behind to beat Switzerland in a friendly at Wembley. The home side were grateful for the excellence of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the first half but they still fell behind when Breel Embolo's England were second best to the confident Swiss but were handed a route back into the game when Fabian Frei's error ended with Luke Shaw providing an emphatic finish for England's equaliser in first-half stoppage time. Marc Guehi, Kyle Walker-Peters and Tyrick Mitchell all made their debuts as England completed the turnaround with 12 minutes left when Kane scored from the spot after VAR adjudged that Steven Zuber had  handled from a corner. Kane scored with his usual expertise and now stands just four goals behind England's record marksman Wayne Rooney. Reaction England manager Gareth Southgate told Sky Sports: "Really good test, we know they are a very g