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As she breaks into the team, the attacking midfielder explains how she has balanced her family and education with her career When she was at school, Amy Sayer wanted to be a doctor, but quickly realised it probably wasn’t a viable option alongside a professional football career. Now, in between aiming to score her first Matildas goal and cementing her spot in the squad, she thinks law could be a future path for her. That’s on top of her degree from Stanford in human biology and philosophy. One thing is instantly clear about Sayer, the 21-year-old is deeply determined to be the best version of herself. As a footballer, a student and for her family and community. Yes, she used her omission from the Matildas World Cup squad as motivation to improve and get selected this time. But the drive was there long before that. Continue reading...

The last time Emiliano Martínez scored a late own goal, after the ball rebounded off the woodwork and in off the back of his head, Aston Villa were unlucky to lose to Arsenal. Since then, however, Unai Emery’s team have been just about perfect at Villa Park, winning all 12 Premier League games, scoring 34 times in the process. The Argentina goalkeeper’s misfortune on this occasion, after Ezri Konsa had nonchalantly headed against his own bar with Villa three goals to the good, was the only blip on an afternoon when Villa barely had to break sweat to consolidate fifth place. Especially once Villa went ahead, through John McGinn’s fourth goal of the season in the 17th minute, the match resembled more of a training game of attack versus defence than an equitable top-flight contest. The mismatch between these sides who were four divisions apart only nine years ago was epitomised by the Luton fans predicting wryly: “Conference champions, you’ll never sing that.” Continue reading...

Vincent Kompany had no qualms about the lengthy delay to check an offside call late on in Burnley’s defeat, but was incensed by the decision not to review a possible Bournemouth handball in the final moments of the match. The Clarets suffered an eighth defeat of the campaign after goals by Antoine Semenyo and Philip Billing cancelled out Charlie Taylor’s sweet strike in the 11th minute. A controversial moment occurred after 89 minutes when Jay Rodriguez fired into the bottom corner and – although it was immediately ruled out for offside – the video assistant referee David Coote at Stockley Park took six minutes to review it. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Football Daily isn’t in the finest fettle. We were up half the night, reluctantly drinking cans of Good Times with our inconsolable cousin, Cricket Occasionally. On the plus side, at least we’re not Erik ten Hag. The poor bloke has been putting out fires ever since arriving at Old Trafford, but they keep coming. One of these days he’s going to become the first bald person in human history to go even balder due to stress. Ten Hag has two new problems. First there’s Alejandro Garnacho, who got the wrong end of the stick when somebody told him to follow Edinson Cavani’s example. Then there’s a potential Sunday roasting when Manchester City and Erling Haaland visit for the derby. As massive Chester-based Atleti fans (won’t bore you), me and the lad always take in their UK Big Cup appearances, despite my catching Covid at Anfield in 2020. Anyway, to Celtic Park on Wednesday. I just loved their refusal to pander to Spanish sensibilities...

* Fofana suspended for week over incident during Napoli loss * On-loan Chelsea forward has apologised for his actions Union Berlin have suspended David Datro Fofana for a week after he refused to shake his coach’s hand during the team’s Champions League loss to Napoli on Tuesday. Fofana, who is on loan at the Bundesliga club from Chelsea, walked past Urs Fischer’s outstretched hand on Tuesday after the head coach substituted him in the 70th minute of their 1-0 home defeat to the Italian champions. Continue reading...

* FA now spreading talent centres around the country * Defender Charles: ‘We’ve probably failed at some point’ The Chelsea defender Niamh Charles hopes that new Football Association initiatives will mean the England Women’s team will be “more representative of society” for generations to come. Three of the Lionesses called up to Sarina Wiegman’s squad to face Belgium in the Nations League this month are from mixed ethnic backgrounds, in stark contrast to the squad picked by Gareth Southgate earlier in October for the internationals against Australia and Italy. Continue reading...

* Newcastle manager talked with Keegan on Monday * ‘If you’re in a competition, you have to try and win it’ Eddie Howe has refused to rule out the possibility of Newcastle winning the Champions League this season after an inspiring chat with Kevin Keegan on Monday night. “You have to be a dreamer,” the manager said as Borussia Dortmund flew into Tyneside for their third Group F fixture at St James’ Park on Wednesday night. “My aim, and our aim, is to try and win a trophy. I’m not shy of saying that, no matter what competition we’re playing in.” Continue reading...

The Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, along with the media, observed a minute's silence in honour of Bobby Charlton, who died on October 21. Following the silence the Dutchman said 'Bobby was a legend, a giant not only for Manchester United, but for all of football.' Continue reading...

* Talks continuing at club on how to further honour his life * England’s 1966 World Cup winner died on Saturday aged 86 Manchester United will pay tribute to the life of Sir Bobby Charlton before their home matches against FC Copenhagen and Manchester City this week. A minute’s silence will be held before kick-off at Old Trafford, where Charlton had a stand named in his honour in 2016, on Tuesday and Sunday, while talks are continuing about additional ways to commemorate his life. Continue reading...

A blurry image of open affection after England’s triumph in 1966 was a rare snapshot in a complicated relationship There is a photograph taken seconds after the final whistle had blown in the 1966 World Cup final that shows Jack and Bobby Charlton kneeling in exhausted embrace. It was taken by Albert Cooper, one of the Sun’s northern sports photographers, who had been sent to Wembley for the game. Denied pitch access, perched on a plank at the back of a stand. Too far from the action and struggling with a 300mm f5.6 Novoflex lens and no tripod, he shot pretty much nothing of any value that day until, with fans jumping all around him and the makeshift platform wobbling, he captured the brothers in the moment of their greatest triumph. It is not, by his own admission, the sharpest shot. A dark triangle – a shoulder? A flag? – covers the bottom left of the uncropped image, but that only adds to the sense of intimacy. For this is an extraordinary moment. There, amid 100,000 celebrating...

* Playoff field set after dramatic final day of the season * The Red Bulls have advanced to the postseason for 14 consecutive seasons Major League Soccer’s playoff matchups were set after a chaotic Decision Day across the league on Saturday. The postseason opens on Wednesday with a pair of wild-card games. Eighth-seeded Sporting Kansas City will host the ninth-seeded San Jose Earthquakes in the Western Conference. In the East, the eighth-seeded New York Red Bulls will host ninth-seeded Charlotte, which made the playoffs for the first time. Continue reading...

The manager is the most visible symbol of the failing leadership and culture since the club last mounted a title bid a decade ago Desperation breeds a desire for messiahs. And as time goes by and the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, a triumphant farewell at Old Trafford reaping his 13th league title, drifts further into the memory, so Manchester United’s scrabble for solutions becomes increasingly urgent. With every new arrival, the hope has been that this will be the one: that José Mourinho would bring success because he had won things in the past; that Ole Gunnar Solskjær would do so through nostalgia; that Jadon Sancho would by his youthful promise; that Cristiano Ronaldo would by not eating dessert; that André Onana would because he can play out from the back. Continue reading...

In an exclusive interview, the 27-year-old opens up on criticism, becoming a midfielder, Eddie Howe and scoring on his Brazil debut Joelinton knows a thing or two about perseverance. There have been many times during the 27-year-old’s career where he could have said: “I’ve had enough of this.” There were early setbacks, a struggle to acclimatise after moving to Europe, a 2,000-minute-plus Premier League scoring drought and a fine for drink-driving. Yet, here we are in October 2023 with the Newcastle player a fan favourite for a club playing in the Champions League and with title ambitions, having scored on his debut for Brazil in June. Continue reading...

The Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has been upstaging some of his players during training with the Bundesliga club, showing off the expert distribution that defined his career. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder relished the chance to take an active role in a passing drill, sweeping precise passes across the field. Alonso is having a great impact off the pitch as well, leading the German side to the top of the table * Leverkusen celebrate Alonso Day with table-topping party against Köln Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! “Oi, you there – Football … Daily, isn’t it?” The water cooler is cast into darkness by the unmistakable, seven-foot shadow of The Man. “Y-y-yes, sir,” your favourite tea-timely email splutters. “That’s us … Football Daily … glad you’ve noticed our recent rebranding effort, although you can still call us The Fiv …” “See the goal last night?” The Man roars, crushing his way through several tiny cardboard cups. “What a finish!” “Very nice indeed sir,” we reply, fumbling with the buttons and getting a cup of lukewarm water. “And what about that buildup play?” bellows The Man, clapping a giant hand on our shoulder. “Buildup play sir? But it was from a corner …” I just had to comment after reading Douglas Hardie’s wonderfully evocative missive re Mitre Mouldmasters (Tuesday’s Football Daily letters). As a retired primary schoolteacher who was initially roped in to do the under-11s football for the school in my first teaching post in th...

* Midfielder investigated for alleged betting on illegal websites * Tonali’s agent says Newcastle player has gambling addiction The Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli has been handed a seven-month ban as part of a settlement with the Italian football federation (FIGC) after breaching rules surrounding betting on matches, the governing body said on Tuesday. Fagioli was banned for 12 months, of which five months were suspended, and fined €12,500 (£10,843). He has also agreed to a treatment programme for gambling problems. The 22-year-old has been placed under investigation by prosecutors in Turin for allegedly betting on illegal websites. Continue reading...

* Shadreck Mlauzi arrested after return from tournament * Female staff member reported allegations to Harare police The coach of the Zimbabwe women’s football team has been remanded in police custody after being accused of indecent assault against a female member of staff during an international tournament. Shadreck Mlauzi, who was reappointed as coach at the end of last month having previously guided Zimbabwe to the 2016 Olympics, was arrested on Tuesday after returning to Harare from the Council of Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa) women’s championship in South Africa. Continue reading...

* Prospective minority owner aired concerns during visit * Ratcliffe wants control of football side of operations Sir Jim Ratcliffe questioned Manchester United’s recent transfer policy during his visit to the club in March, with the prospective new minority owner citing the previous summer’s acquisition of Casemiro as an example of what he views as questionable recruitment. Ratcliffe, whose bid to purchase 25% of the club is expected to be voted on during a board meeting on Thursday, believes United run a productive commercial operation but that investment in the squad could be markedly improved. Continue reading...

André Onana has had a miserable start to life at Manchester United, but his struggles are emblematic of a broader shift in the sport * Sign up to Jonathan’s weekly newsletter here Johan Cruyff believed soccer was too obsessed by obvious mistakes, by what looked embarrassing. What did it matter, he asked, if his goalkeeper was caught out of position a couple of times a season if the risk of playing a long way from goal contributed to a better structure overall? It was a line he used repeatedly to defend Stanley Menzo, his goalkeeper when he was Ajax manager in the late 80s, at a time when sweeper-keepers were still rare. The change in the backpass law in 1992 meant that goalkeepers had to improve with the ball at their feet and, as more and more teams began to use a high press, it became almost essential for elite-level keepers to be comfortable operating outside their box, not only protecting the space behind a high line but also being able to initiate attacks. That’s the ort...

* Former Monaco coach agrees three-and-a-half-year contract * Clement replaces Michael Beale who was sacked this month Rangers have confirmed the appointment of Philippe Clement as their new manager. The 49-year-old arrives at Ibrox following the departure of Michael Beale at the start of the month. He inherits a Rangers side who are joint-second in the Premiership, seven points behind Celtic, the league leaders and defending champions. Continue reading...

* Supporters were stuck after their Euro 2024 qualifying trip * Andrzej Bobowski joins national team’s flight to Moldova The Poland national team were delayed leaving Faroe Islands after Thursday’s Euro 2024 qualifying win and when they finally departed on Saturday they took some stranded supporters with them including Andrzej Bobowski, known as “the king of Polish fans”. Bobowski has attended the last 12 World Cups but could easily have been stranded and missed the crucial game with Moldova on Sunday without the intervention of the Polish Football Federation (PZPN). Continue reading...

Gareth Southgate has criticised England supporters who booed the captain, Jordan Henderson. It was Henderson's first appearance at Wembley since his controversial move to Saudi Arabia. Southgate said the fans' actions 'defy logic', adding: 'He’s a player who has won 79 caps for England and his commitment and what he has delivered for England is exceptional. Henderson, who now plays for Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, was one of several players who expressed support for the Saudi Arabian bid to host the 2034 World Cup on social media last week. But asked whether that had been a contributing factor, Southgate insisted that it was counterproductive for his team. * ‘Is that going to help him or the team? I don’t understand it’ Continue reading...

* Mathurin de Chacus alleged to have circumvented Fifa ban * Ofmas-Sad FC is Ainonvi FC on fixture lists for new season The president of the Benin football federation (FBF) is facing a potential legal battle after it was claimed a club he owns circumvented a Fifa transfer ban by changing its name. In July, Ofmas-Sad FC – owned by the FBF president, Mathurin de Chacus, who is also a member of the Fifa council – were ordered to pay almost £9,000 in compensation to their former goalkeeper coach Tiassé Koné for unfair dismissal after a ruling from Fifa’s dispute resolution chamber. The club was banned from recruiting players in August after it refused to pay and a complaint was made to Fifa by Koné’s agents, MIG Mak International Group. Continue reading...

* The Everton chairman is recovering at home after an operation * Club say Kenwright, 78, continued with duties until procedure Everton’s chairman, Bill Kenwright, has been in intensive care following complications during surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his liver. The 78-year-old is recovering at home having undergone surgery six weeks ago. The operation has been deemed a success but resulted in Kenwright spending “a prolonged period in an intensive care unit” according to an announcement from Everton. Kenwright revealed in April that he had been diagnosed in 2015 with “a chronic illness” that would likely worsen. Continue reading...

Two decades on from the historic friendly at Upton Park the rivals meet at Wembley to test how far the two teams have come In the history of the Anglo-Australian sporting rivalry, 2003 was a big year. The Wallabies and England clashed in the Rugby World Cup final in Sydney, the Kangaroos and Great Britain locked horns in rugby league’s Ashes, while in cricket Australia romped to an Ashes triumph on home soil. But it was a round-ball international friendly in mid-February, on a cold night in east London, that perhaps lives longest in the memory, especially for those with antipodean minds. That was when the Socceroos’ motley crew of underdogs took on Sven-Göran Eriksson’s England at Upton Park and sprung a stunning 3-1 upset. Continue reading...

The former England striker’s DC United tenure was mostly a failure. But learning his craft away from the spotlight has allowed him to develop at his own pace DC United wanted Wayne Rooney to pull off the managerial equivalent of his finest moment in Major League Soccer as a player. Every fan of DC United remembers the former England captain’s tackle and assist in the dying moments of a match against Orlando City in August 2018, when Rooney essentially did everything himself to turn around a game on his own. DC United hired him to do the same as a manager. Unsurprisingly, the ploy didn’t work. Rooney announced his departure as DC United boss on Saturday after his team were all but eliminated from playoff contention. Rooney is now expected to take over at Birmingham City, who sacked John Eustace on Monday to clear space in the St Andrew’s dugout. The Championship club co-owned by Tom Brady wanted a big-name manager and Rooney certainly ticks that box. Continue reading...

* Saka reported to St George’s Park after missing City clash * Arsenal had wanted Saka to rest during international break Bukayo Saka has been ruled out of England’s games against Australia and Italy after travelling more than 100 miles to be assessed by Football Association medics. The decision will come as a relief to Arsenal, who were forced to leave the winger out of their victory over Manchester City because of a hamstring injury. Saka reported at St George’s Park on Monday afternoon and about three and a half hours later the FA said he would be returning to his club. Arsenal’s hope was that he would get that go-ahead to rest during the international break. Mikel Arteta made his feelings on the matter clear after Sunday’s game against City, saying the 22-year-old “was not available to play football at the moment” and would not be fit to represent his country. Continue reading...

Top-of-the-table clashes can be relied upon to provide scintillating drama. It was an enigmatic start, an enthralling opening 37 minutes for Manchester City, before it all appeared to be derailed by two red cards. Yet somehow City – who had Alex Greenwood sent off in the 38th minute for time-wasting and Lauren Hemp in the 81st for a foul – clung to their 1-0 lead against a Chelsea side who seemed to lack fight until the 95th minute when Guro Reiten scored to cancel out Chloe Kelly’s early goal. Continue reading...

* Leicester stay top with hard-fought win over Stoke * QPR’s 4-0 loss to Blackburn piles pressure on Gareth Ainsworth Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy were both on target as Leicester stayed top of the Championship with a 2-0 victory against Stoke at the King Power Stadium. Iheanacho scored for the third successive game as a dominant Leicester reached the 30-point mark from only 11 games, with a 10-point cushion to third. But Enzo Maresca’s side had to work hard for their victory against stubborn opponents, with the points not secure until substitute Vardy’s 79th-minute close-range effort. Continue reading...

At times like this it is hard for any football fan not to feel a pang of sympathy for Paul Heckingbottom. With each passing week, the size of the rock the Sheffield United manager must push up this Premier League mountain seems to grow exponentially. At almost no point here did his side give any indication they have the required quality to remain in the top tier, despite coming up against a Fulham team that, for much of the season, has appeared implacably opposed to scoring. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! You wait years for a tournament to be awarded to a host country and then 11 come at once. Swiftly following news that the UK and Ireland’s infrastructural expertise will be tested by hosting Euro 2028 came the announcement that the 2030 World Cup will be shared between six countries and across three continents. The Net Zero World Cup, if you will. A 12th host country will be soon incoming if the inescapable hum around Saudi Arabia staging 2034 is anything to go by. Australia, having co-hosted a flamin’ highly successful Women’s World Cup, were given just 25 days to give good PowerPoint for an event 11 years off. The Saudi bid is already in. “Hosting a Fifa World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport,” roared Saudi minister of sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal. Continue reading...

* Reyna has not played for the national team since June * USMNT considered replacing Berhalter over family feud Gio Reyna is in Gregg Berhalter’s US squad for the first time since a family feud caused the coach to lose his job for the first five months of this year. The 20-year midfielder was among 23 players selected on Thursday for exhibition games against Germany on 14 October in Connecticut, and Ghana three days later in Tennessee. Continue reading...

* Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay to host games to mark centenary * Saudi Arabia outlines intention to be sole host in 2034 The 2030 World Cup is to be played on three continents after Morocco, Portugal and Spain won the race to host the 48-team tournament but Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay were handed the opening three matches. The decision, which caught even seasoned Fifa watchers by surprise, means that World Cup 2030 will involve teams playing in six countries, each of which will qualify automatically. The World Cup has never been played on more than one continent before and proposals for a tournament to be played over thousands of miles was met with shock by climate groups. Continue reading...

* Messi has missed four of Miami’s last five matches * Inter are four points out of the playoffs * Team have won one in five without Messi Lionel Messi was on the practice field with Inter Miami on Tuesday, though it remains unclear when, or if, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will play again this season. Inter Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino declined to provide any timetable regarding Messi when he spoke with reporters before the practice session. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! There were 116 teams winning, losing and drawing across the weekend in the Premier League, EFL, WSL and Women’s Championship, but as is so often the case these days, the only team anyone was talking about come Monday morning was, of course, the PGMOL, which released yet another mea culpa on Saturday after wrongly disallowing Luis Díaz’s goal for Liverpool in their defeat at Tottenham. The Reds’ not-exactly-helpful statement on Sunday night – making noises about “sporting integrity” and “full transparency”, and promising to “explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution” – only fanned the flames of online ire. So allow Football Daily to solve everything with eight suggestions for improving VAR. Continue reading...

Half of the Premier teams are part- or fully-owned by Americans or US companies. Fans’ suspicions are understandable * Sign up to Jonathan’s weekly newsletter here It’s just over a year since Gary Neville declared US owners of English soccer clubs “a clear and present danger to the pyramid and fabric of the game”. The comment provoked a furore but the former England full-back turned high-profile pundit was unrepentant, insisting that if profit is the priority, there are vital aspects of the roles of soccer clubs that risk being lost. The issue, clearly, is not restricted to US owners. It’s unlikely that anybody who is not a fan who takes over a club is going to be acting primarily in the best interests of the community it represents. But given half the 20 Premier League clubs (and seven of the 24 Championship clubs) are part- or fully-owned by Americans or US companies, and given the prevalence of private equity companies whose sole interest is short-term profit, it’s perhaps...

Early days but the Tottenham Stadium swings with an excitement not felt in years, and all thanks to the Australian How good could this get? What is the realistic ceiling of Tottenham’s aspirations now? After one of the most unexpected and dramatic days of Premier League football in recent memory, almost unnoticed amid the fury over Luis Díaz’s incorrectly disallowed goal and the two Liverpool red cards, Spurs lie second in the table, still unbeaten. And at the end, striding unflustered through the sulphur and the chaos, there was Ange Postecoglou to point out his side should have varied their attack more against depleted opponents but not to worry because these are still early days. And they are early days. Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday was only their seventh league game under Postecoglou but already he has generated more memories, more moments that will be recalled fondly in 20 or 30 years, than his three predecessors combined. The doubt 10 days ago was that Spurs...

* Ipswich go top as late Williams equaliser earns point * Norwich bounce back with 2-0 win over Birmingham Preston’s unbeaten Championship run came to an abrupt end at a rain-soaked Deepdale as they were beaten 4-0 by West Brom. After six wins and two draws, North End were comprehensively dispatched by an impressive Baggies side. Goals from Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt, Matt Phillips and Kyle Bartley gave West Brom a third win of the season, lifting them to within three points of the play-off places. Continue reading...

Wild celebrations in one small corner of an otherwise deserted Goodison Park encapsulated a momentous, historic day for Luton. For the first time since April 1992, when Brian Stein and Mark Pembridge scored in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, they had a top-flight victory to savour after inflicting fresh torment on clueless Everton. And relish it they did. “It is an amazing day for the supporters, they deserve it and the board deserve it too,” said Rob Edwards, the Luton manager after goals from Tom Lockyer and Carlton Morris, both from Alfie Doughty set-pieces, produced the club’s first win in the Premier League. Continue reading...

On Wednesday night, the Champions League anthem will flood the senses here, Kylian Mbappé may or may not be fit to lead Paris Saint-Germain’s attack and Eddie Howe can, once again, confound the doubters. Newcastle’s manager has exceeded so many expectations in such a tight time frame on Tyneside that it is easy to forget it is almost exactly 11 years since he resigned as Burnley’s manager after a brief spell in east Lancashire. Continue reading...

The strange thing was that none of Sheffield United’s players even tried to rattle West Ham. Paul Heckingbottom’s side were insipid beyond belief on an afternoon devoid of drama and intensity, their defensive foundations crumbling under the slightest pressure, and it said little for their hopes of staying up that they were so easily swatted aside by opponents who spent the second half protecting their legs before visiting Freiburg in the Europa League on Thursday. West Ham were playing the game on their terms by that stage, goals from Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek inside the opening 37 minutes allowing them to save their energy for tougher assignments. If there were positives for Sheffield United, who remain bottom after earning one point from their opening seven games, it was only that they did not lose by more. Continue reading...

Last weekend footage of a Sheffield United supporter engrossed in a book at 7-0 down went viral and before kick-off here a fan was turning the pages of a title called Best New Horror. For Pep Guardiola, observing events from the directors’ box because of a one-match touchline ban, it was probably something close to that as Manchester City suffered a shock defeat at Wolves, their flawless start to defending their crown coming to an abrupt end. The only reading material Guardiola is likely to consume before switching his focus to Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Leipzig is his staff’s analysis of why things unravelled. A couple of minutes before kick-off Guardiola took his position in the front row of the executive area, sandwiched between Manel Estiarte, City’s head of player support, and Txiki Begiristain, their director of football. It was there where Guardiola clenched both fists when Julián Álvarez pulled City level with a stunning free-kick, whipped into the top corner. José ...