As for the visitors, also ending their own losing run by snatching a 1-0 win over a resurging Newcastle last weekend, Burnley find themselves in almost an identical position to Saturday s hosts. With their victories over the Magpies now seeing Sean Dyche s side sit just a single point adrift of breaking into the top half, fans around Turf Moor will be calling on leading marksman Chris Wood to lead their charge on the South Coast. Bagging the winner against Newcastle last weekend, the New Zealand international ended his three-match barron run and has seven Premier League goals in his last 10 appearances. More impressive, the 27-year-old has found the net in three of his last four matches outside of Lancashire. If the Clarets are to land back-to-back victories and pile more pressure onto …

This was not a European performance that will live long in the memory, but Liverpool s 1-0 win over Napoli provided further evidence they can challenge for honours without needing to be at their swashbuckling best.

Faced with needing a 1-0 result or a victory by two clear goals in their final fixture in Group C, it seemed somewhat implausible that the first possible outcome would be achieved by a Liverpool side renowned as much for their attacking brilliance as their defensive fragility in recent years.

In both the quarter-final and semi-final last year, Manchester City and Roma left Anfield flummoxed by first-leg flurries, overwhelmed by the intense approach which led Jurgen Klopp s side all the way to the final in Kiev.

Yet this year s squad feel somewhat d…

England Under-21s got their Euro 2023 finals campaign off to the perfect start with a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Georgia.

Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey broke the deadlock at the start of the second half, with substitute Emile Smith Rowe adding another in stoppage time to seal victory.

There was a lively start to the Group C opener at the Batumi Arena, with Chelsea forward Noni Madueke seeing his early effort from the edge of the penalty area clip the crossbar, while at the other end Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford saved from Vasil Kusej.

…

West Ham United are interested in signing Sead Kolasinac from Premier League rivals Arsenal in the summer transfer window, according to . It has been reported that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told the left-back that he can leave, with Kieran Tierney the first-choice player for that position.

West Ham are looking for a new left-back and have identified Bosnia and Herzegovina international as a potential target. Arthur Masuaku has not been at his best for a while, and he has also made defensive mistakes from time to time.

Arsenal will be challenging for a place in the top four of the Premier League table this season, while West Ham could end up fighting for survival in the top flight of English football again like the 2019-20 campaign. It would be a step-down for Kol…

A majority of leagues around the world want conversations between referees and VARs played out live to broadcasters, a survey has found.

The Premier League was one of 41 leagues to take part in the survey by the World Leagues Forum, an umbrella body currently chaired by Premier League chief executive Richard Masters.

The Premier League has declined to comment on whether it supported the move on VAR in the anonymised survey, but 25 of the 41 leagues were in favour of it.

WLF’s Supervisory Board met in London on 28 June: Match calendar addressed with the issue of international competitions overload. Laws of the Game also discussed. The survey conducted across leagues on testing changes is on our website.

Media Release:

— World Leagues Forum (…

A scintillating first-half display gave Algeria s chances of FIFA World Cup progression a huge boost as they beat South Korea 4-2 on Sunday.

Vahid Halilhodzic s men ran riot in the opening 45 minutes in Porto Alegre as the South Korea defence was found wanting time and again.

Islam Slimani opened the scoring midway through the opening period by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong from a long-range pass before Rafik Halliche doubled the advantage and Abdelmoumene Djabou made it three.

Son Heung-min stopped the rot by slotting the ball between the legs of Rais M Bolhi to reduce the deficit just after the interval, but it proved to be brief respite for the 2002 World Cup co-hosts.

Yacine Brahimi appeared to put the result beyond doubt in the 62n…

Heracles continue to build on their reputation after a 2-0 win over De Graafschap in the Eredivisie on Friday.

The hosts extended their unbeaten run in the league to three games, with strike duo Glynor Plet and Luis Pedro netting at the Polman Stadion.

Plet opened the scoring on 12 minutes, but Peter Bosz s team had to wait until additional time to seal the points through Pedro s goal.

The win moved Heracles into eighth and three points adrift of RKC Waalwijk, who are in seventh. Heracles whose Polman Stadium holds just 8,500 spectators were a Eerste Divisie club just seven seasons ago, and struggled to preserve their Eredivisie status in the first few campaigns back in the top flight.

But they defied the odds to finish sixth in the 2009/10 season, backi…

Leicester City midfielder Jeff Schlupp recalls how Manchester United helped him become the player he has developed into.

Schlupp, 23, trialled at United during the 2012-13 season under Alex Ferguson, a campaign which was the master manager s last in charge.

The Leicester youth graduate and Ghana international would eventually return to his boyhood club, who can seal an incredible Premier League title at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Schlupp said the six-week experience helped shape him as a player, even if Ferguson and Co. decided against offering him a deal.

To me, it was an opportunity, I went there, saw how it worked and came back here a better player, he said.

I did meet Sir Alex a couple of times actually. He was really nice to me and just told m…

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Gregory van der Wiel will leave the club after Saturday s Coupe de France final.

The Netherlands international was expected to call time on his four-year spell in the French capital at the end of the season, when his contract is due to expire.

And PSG announced on Tuesday that the 28-year-old will depart the club after their clash with Marseille at the Stade de France.

After four seasons with the club, Netherlands international defender Gregory van der Wiel will leave Paris Saint-Germain, the club said on their official website as part of a lengthy tribute to his performances for the club.

Van der Wiel, who joined from Ajax in 2012, has won four Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de la Ligue trophies and the Coupe de Fran…

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu played down a possible return to the club for Neymar, saying he had not spoken to the Paris Saint-Germain star.

Neymar, 27, has been linked with a return to the LaLiga champions, the club he left for PSG in 2017.

But Bartomeu said he had not spoken to Neymar, or the Brazilian s father, as Barca prepare for next season.

I have never spoken to them, nor have the father or player called me to return to Barca. They have not called, he told El Partidazo de COPE.

We are preparing for next season and the name of Neymar is not on the table.

We are talking about a PSG player and I do not think that PSG want to get rid of a player like him.

Sidelined with a foot injury, Neymar has scored 20 goals in 23 ga…