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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...