Author: Rowan Clarke

England head coach Thomas Tuchel is looking to replicate the set-piece success of Premier League champions Arsenal ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States. No club supplied more players to England’s World Cup squad than Arsenal, making it a natural decision for Tuchel to lean into the Gunners’ well-documented strengths at dead-ball situations. Mikel Arteta’s dedication to perfecting Arsenal’s set-piece routines has clearly caught Tuchel’s attention, with the England boss impressing on his players the importance of exploiting these situations in a tournament environment. Arsenal landed their first Premier League title in 22 years in May and…

It was a humid Sunday evening at Fenway Park in Boston, and the Red Sox were trailing by three heading into the seventh inning. “A few weeks ago, fans came to watch with bags over their heads, they were that disillusioned,” one supporter explained from the seat behind. Then, cutting through the east coast accents and the chatter of the old main stand, a familiar song suddenly cranked through the speakers above. “Mister, your eyes are full of hesitation…” — and with that, Fenway Park became something it had never been before. The ground opened the week the Titanic sank,…

Liverpool’s new head coach Andoni Iraola is using the World Cup as a personal fact-finding mission, assessing inherited players and potential signings to revive a struggling squad. The Spaniard replaced sacked Arne Slot and arrives from Bournemouth with a clear mandate to rebuild a Liverpool side that endured a miserable defence of their Premier League title last season. Day four of the tournament gave Iraola plenty to consider, with several Liverpool players and reported targets all in action across multiple fixtures. Florian Wirtz arrived at Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for a then-British record £116m, yet fell well short…

Manchester United winger Amad Diallo proved to be the match-winner as Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador 1-0 in Philadelphia. The Manchester United forward scored a superb 90th-minute winner to settle the contest in dramatic fashion at the death. Amad has been one of the more exciting young wingers in European football, and his ability to influence games in big moments was on full display here. The goal arrived right at the death, denying Ecuador any opportunity to respond and securing all three points for the Ivory Coast. It was the kind of decisive contribution that will only strengthen Amad’s reputation on…

England’s opening World Cup fixture against Croatia on Wednesday will be officiated by French referee Clement Turpin, a man their own head coach once brutally criticised. Thomas Tuchel labelled Turpin a “Grade E” official following a fiery Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Manchester City in April 2023. Turpin sent Tuchel to the stands that night at the Allianz Arena after showing the then Bayern boss two yellow cards during the heated contest. The match was a turbulent one for Turpin, who issued five yellow cards in the first half alone before a red card controversy took…

Super-agent Jorge Mendes has played a central role in a remarkable chain of managerial moves spanning Real Madrid, Benfica and Fulham. Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid from Benfica set off a sequence of events that could see former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa arrive in west London. With Mourinho heading back to the Santiago Bernabeu following Florentino Perez’s re-election as Real Madrid president, Benfica were immediately left searching for a new manager. Marco Silva had already attracted attention after being shortlisted by Chelsea, and he subsequently emerged as Benfica’s primary target to fill the vacancy. Benfica secured Silva’s services despite…

Somali referee Omar Artan will receive his full World Cup tournament fee despite being denied entry to the United States and taking no part in the competition. Artan was held for 11 hours by US immigration authorities at Miami International Airport on Monday before officials refused him entry into the country. His diplomatic passport and single entry US visa were both rejected during what became an exhausting and deeply distressing ordeal for the referee. A US government official stated that Artan had not been permitted to enter the country due to an alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”…

England’s World Cup campaign gets underway on 17 June when Thomas Tuchel’s side face Croatia in Dallas, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 BST. BBC Sport pundits have been sharing their preferred starting elevens ahead of the Three Lions’ opening Group Stage fixture at the tournament. One of the key debates centres on the centre-back pairing, with Marc Guehi, John Stones, and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa all competing for starting berths in defence. Another talking point is whether Jude Bellingham, who will wear the number 10 shirt at the tournament, actually starts the opening game against Croatia. Former England defender Micah…

Nestory Irankunda etched his name into Australian football history by becoming the Socceroos’ youngest ever World Cup scorer against Turkey in Vancouver. The 20-year-old Watford forward opened the scoring in a commanding 2-0 victory, finishing with pace and power in the 27th minute to spark wild celebrations. “It is unreal and a dream come true,” Irankunda said shortly after the final whistle, reflecting on a moment that crowned a quite extraordinary personal journey. Born in a Tanzanian refugee camp in 2006 to Burundian parents who fled their homeland due to civil war, Irankunda’s path to the World Cup is genuinely…

After 28 years absent from the World Cup stage, Scotland supporters were never going to let a traffic jam dampen their spirits on the road to Foxborough. Fans revelled in the gridlock for hours before kick-off, hanging out of yellow school buses on the I-95, singing songs and waving flags at a crawl of barely a mile an hour. The sense of joy was so palpable you could have reached out and touched it, with vast waves of Tartan Army supporters occupying every street corner across Boston. Seven minutes before 9pm local time, Scotland walked out into Boston Stadium, a…