England’s failure to make the most of their scoring opportunities has been a recurring issue since 2023, when they lost to Spain in the World Cup final. During that competition, they advanced from the group stage without producing their best football, recording narrow 1-0 victories over lower-ranked Haiti and Denmark. England then needed a penalty […]
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“Oli McBurnie has returned to the Scotland squad,” John Cant pointed out last week. “After 20 appearances without a goal, he recently said in an interview: ‘I would gladly take a tap-in on Saturday, or even one that goes in off my backside.’ Players often mention scoring with that part of the body when discussing […]
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Michael Olise produced a superb late goal to secure a 1-0 Nations League win for France over Belgium in Brussels, giving Zinedine Zidane a second consecutive victory since taking charge. Introduced from the bench with the match still scoreless, Olise collected the ball inside his own half before launching a decisive run in the 88th […]
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Another dramatic night in Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable career unfolded almost like a comic book. His number appeared on the fourth official’s board in the 67th minute, prompting him to remove the captain’s armband before leaving the field to widespread applause, apart from the travelling Wales fans. Referee Donatas Rumsas urged him to make a quicker […]
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Borrowing the words of a former Manchester United manager, Michael Carrick had always expected difficult times to arrive. The second half of last season had gone almost flawlessly, but that level of success was never likely to continue indefinitely. Carrick sensed growing pressure before the trip to Fulham, making his feelings after the match easy […]
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Enzo Maresca believes Manchester United have little reason to protest Sunday’s disputed derby winner, pointing out that Manchester City are still waiting for referees’ chief Howard Webb to apologise for a decisive call in the same fixture three years earlier. City were beaten at Old Trafford in 2023 after Bruno Fernandes scored an equaliser while […]
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Is talk of a Tottenham crisis premature? At this club, it rarely feels too soon. Four Premier League matches into the season, Spurs are still waiting for their first goal, something that has never previously happened to them at the start of a league campaign. They at least registered two efforts on target, having managed […]
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Miovski’s goal was hugely important. Celtic’s victory over St Johnstone in Perth preserved their perfect league record, meaning Rangers had been moments away from trailing the defending champions by seven points after only six matches. Such a setback would have damaged their confidence ahead of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Martin O’Neill’s side and […]
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Forest’s 3-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last March gave the visitors a crucial foundation for their fight against relegation, while Spurs continued to struggle until the final day. Tottenham have since invested more than £300m in new talent, forming part of the Premier League’s record £3.49bn summer spending total. New arrivals Sandro Tonali, […]
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Southampton may need to become accustomed to hostile receptions during their Championship travels this autumn, with the team involved in the spying controversy likely to attract plenty of jeers across the division. That was certainly true in Hertfordshire, where Watford supporters and players celebrated an intense victory secured by two outstanding first-half goals. Before kick-off, […]
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