Author: WTX Sports Team

The Sports Team is responsible for delivering your Sports Brief. Weekly roundup to cover all things Football, Cricket, Tennis Formula 1, Boxing and Olympics and more.

Troy Deeney has questioned Arsenal’s decision to sell Emile Smith Rowe and believes the midfielder could have been the player to come in and replace the injured Martin Odegaard. Odegaard, 25, has emerged as a major doubt ahead of Arsenal’s north London derby clash with Tottenham after sustaining an ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League win over Austria. The Arsenal captain had to be helped off the pitch by Norway’s medical staff in Oslo and…

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Lee Carsley is a man keen to keep his cards close to his chest but even he must be quietly confident about the start he has made to life as England interim manager. Two wins from two against the Republic of Ireland and Finland was expected, and sterner tests are to come, but the 50-year-old is now the overwhelming favourite to be the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate. That, in large part, is down to…

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Martin Odegaard is likely to be out of action for the next three weeks but the Arsenal captain has avoided serious ankle fracture, according to Norway’s team doctor. Already without midfield duo Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, Mikel Arteta suffered another huge blow earlier this week when Odegaard was forced off in obvious pain during Norway’s Nations League win over Austria. The 25-year-old was pictured boarding a private plane back to London on Tuesday with…

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Jarell Quansah has admitted ‘it wasn’t a nice feeling’ after being hauled off at half-time in Arne Slot’s first game in charge but says he accepted the decision of the new Liverpool boss. Quansah was named in the starting XI alongside Virgil van Dijk as Jurgen Klopp’s successor got his first taste of Premier League action against Ipswich Town on the opening weekend of the season. With the game goalless at the break, Slot made…

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John Obi Mikel claims Chelsea had agreed personal terms with Victor Osimhen but the deal for the Napoli striker broke down over ‘minor details’. Chelsea made a late attempt to sign the Nigeria international in the closing stages of the summer transfer window but the Premier League club were unable to complete a move. The 25-year-old had previously rejected an offer to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, whose €80 million (£67.3m) bid was accepted by…

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Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares has been showered with compliments by Lazio owner Claudio Lotito after his bright debut for the Serie A club. Tavares joined the Italian side on a season-long loan in July having fallen out of favour with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. The full-back signed for the Gunners from Benfica in 2021 for around £8million but spent the last two previous seasons on loan at Marseille and Nottingham Forest respectively. The Portuguese defender…

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Republic of Ireland fans were filmed taunting England fans with chants of ‘Lizzie’s in a box’ ahead of Saturday’s Nations League clash between the two sides. The day before the second anniversary of the death of Elizabeth II, England sealed a 2-0 win over Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish on the score sheet. Ahead of kick-off, a group of Irish supporters were filmed singing the chant at…

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Harry Kane may be beyond reproach with 62 goals as England’s leading scorer but he’s far from being a value bet to celebrate his 100th international cap by breaking the deadlock against Finland at Wembley. The 31-year-old Londoner is the only Englishman to win Golden Boots at the World Cup and European Championship and has won three of those trophies in the Premier League with Tottenham and the Bundesliga’s equivalent with Bayern Munich last season.…

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UEFA Nations League fixtures today 09/09 – where to watch, kick-off Nations League – Group 2 fixtures Group 2 fixturesKick offwhere to watch? Cyprus vs Kosovo17:00Viaplay International YouTubeFrance vs Belgium19:45Viaplay International YouTubeIsrael vs Italy19:45Viaplay International YouTubeRomania vs Lithuania19:45Viaplay International YouTube Nations League – Group 3 fixtures Group 3 fixturesKick-offwhere to watch? Norway vs Austria19:45Viaplay International YouTubeSlovenia vs Kazakhstan19:45Viaplay International YouTube Nations League – Group 4 fixtures Group 4 fixtures Kick-offwhere to watch? Montenegro vs Wales19:45Viaplay International YouTube…

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Chelsea’s co-owners are looking to buy each other out amid a rift at board level. Chairman Todd Boehly and majority owners Clearlake Capital are both prepared to take full control of the club. Boehly has gradually lost power despite being named co-controlling owner after the club’s purchase from Roman Abramovich for £2.5bn in July 2022, with Clearlake – which owns a 61.5% stake – in primary control at Stamford Bridge. Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali has…

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Lee Carsley’s reign as England boss began in style on Saturday as the ThreeLions beat the Republic Ireland 2-0 in Dublin. Goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish – much to the fury of the Irish fans – got England on their way in their first game since the Euro 2024 final defeat and Gareth Southgate’s resignation. Carsley’s side were fast, fluid and near unstoppable in the first-half but couldn’t keep the momentum up after…

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England supporters are calling for Lee Carsley to be appointed as manager on a permanent basis after he steered the side to a convincing 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland. Carsley’s refusal to sing the national anthem dominated the headlines heading into the Nations League opener but the 50-year-old interim boss silenced his critics with an impressive debut showing in Dublin. The Three Lions implemented a cautious approach throughout much of Euro 2024 and…

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Declan Rice says it would have been ‘really disrespectful’ to celebrate his goal in England’s 2-0 victory over Republic of Ireland given his family history. Lee Carsley got his reign as England’s interim manager off to a convincing start in the Nations League, with a pair of unanswered first-half goals from Rice and Jack Grealish proving decisive. Rice and Grealish – who have both represented Ireland in the past – were the target of loud…

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Roy Keane has hit out at England’s ‘awful’ second-half performance against the Republic of Ireland and branded Lee Carsley’s players ‘arrogant’ despite the side’s 2-0 victory in Dublin. A pair of first-half goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish got Lee Carsley’s tenure as interim manager off to a winning start in the Nations League. Rice and Grealish – who have both represented Ireland in the past – were the target of loud boos and…

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Wayne Rooney poked fun at his fitness levels after rolling back the years to fire in a sensational free-kick for the Manchester United Legends against Celtic on his return to Old Trafford. The star-studded match, which raised over £1million for the Manchester United Foundation, ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Gary Hooper cancelling out Rooney’s 42nd-minute wondergoal. United’s team, managed by Bryan Robson and featuring the likes of Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Dimitar Berbatov and…

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Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman jumped to Matthijs de Ligt’s defence following the side’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying it was ‘unfair’ to make a ‘big deal’ out of his mistakes on the night. The hosts won in convincing fashion to get their Nations League campaign off to a perfect start, with Joshua Zirkzee, Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo, Wout Weghorst and Xavi Simons all hitting the target in a 5-2 win in Eindhoven. Bosnia and…

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Nicky Butt has urged Manchester United’s hierarchy to keep faith with Erik ten Hag and give the manager ‘time to get it right’ after the club’s shaky start to the season. United have lost two of their first three matches in the Premier League and suffered defeat in the Community Shield at the hands of Manchester City last month. The Red Devils’ 3-0 capitulation at home to arch-rivals Liverpool before the international break drew widespread…

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Nick Kyrgios is facing calls to be sacked from his commentary position at the US Open over a comment he made about ex-girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya. In response to a picture of himself alongside Kalinskaya at an LA Lakers basketball match in 2020, Kyrgios wrote on X: ‘Second serve’. Kalinskaya, a Russian tennis player, is currently dating world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who will face Taylor Fritz in the final of the US Open men’s singles on…

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Snooker icon Tony Drago is back on the baize on Sunday at the Seniors 900 and can’t wait for his blockbuster clashes with old friends and rivals Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry. It’s a great line-up in Hull this weekend, with Ken Doherty, World Seniors champion Igor Figueiredo and Barry Pinches in the other group for the fast-paced tournament. Drago is relishing the chance to face his good pal White once again, while he would…

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Jonathan Haggerty is promising blood and fireworks on his ‘revenge mission’ against Superlek Kiatmoo9 as he looks to defend his ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai belt. The double-champ Londoner holds the bantamweight belts in Muay Thai and kickboxing, putting the former strap on the line in Denver on Friday night. His clash with the brilliant Thai known as ‘The Kicking Machine’ is a rematch from a 2018 bout when the young Brit was beaten by…

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Arsenal considered a move for in-form Brentford forward Bryan Mbuemo during the closing stages of the summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta looked unlikely to strengthen his attack right up until the moment he and Edu pulled off an audacious loan deal to bring Raheem Sterling to the Emirates from Cheslea. Having failed in their attempts to sign the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Nico Williams, Arsenal looked set to rely upon the players which scored…

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Former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka was labelled a ‘b***h’ by Fulham defender Joachim Andersen following the bad tempered Nations League clash between Denmark and Switzerland. Denmark sealed a 2-0 win on Thursday thanks to late goals from Patrick Dorgu and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg with Xhaka one of two Swiss players sent off. Switzerland were furious with Dorgu’s opener, believing the ball should have been put out of play for a foul on Breel Embolo with Xhaka…

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Declan Rice and Jack Grealish will be in for a hostile reception when England take on Republic of Ireland in Dublin. The two nations begin their Nations League campaign on Saturday evening with Lee Carsley, a former Ireland international, leading the Three Lions out for the first time since being named interim manager. The connections don’t stop there. Rice and Grealish are hoping to start against the country they both previously played for – with…

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Ali Truwit completed one of the most astonishing success stories of the Paralympics, winning a silver medal just 16 months on from losing a leg in a vicious shark attack. The American fought off the animal last year in the waters of Turks and Caicos in the Atlantic Ocean, but it came at a significant cost. Having miraculously survived the attack, Truwit swam 70 metres to the safety of a boat, but not in time…

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The dawn of a new era for England is here as Lee Carsley begins his reign with a Nations League clash against the Republic of Ireland. The Three Lions travel to Dublin on Saturday evening with interim manager Carsley looking to prove he can be Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor. And if his first squad selection is anything to go by, the new boss isn’t afraid to take risks and make big changes, calling up nine…

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