Kategori: Football

Paul Merson says Tottenham cannot reject Bayern Munich’s imminent £94.6m bid for Harry Kane – but warns Spurs they are not a top-10 side if the England captain leaves the club.

Tottenham can’t turn this money down with one year left on his contract when they think he is going to walk for free at the end of it.

Yes, he’s 30 years of age but I don’t really pay attention to any of that. The way he plays, I think he can play until 35, 36 easily. He doesn’t rely on pace, his brain is as good as anybody’s.

I’m still shocked here today and I don’t know why Manchester United didn’t buy him. If they had, they would have got a good four or five years out of him and they would have won the Premier League.

You have got no choice – surely they can’t let him go for nothing next season. Whoever you are and in this day and age – and I know there’s a lot of money in the Premier League – but you’d be mad to reject this.

Will this Tottenham team get in the top four next season? I’d be shocked. So it’s not like you’re keeping him and definitely getting in the top four, so whatever we lose by selling him, you’re making it back in the Champions League. That isn’t going to be the case.

Why couldn’t he go to Chelsea? He can go wherever he wants next summer. It all depends on what is going on now. Is he sitting there and Levy is bidding him out of going to these other clubs? So could Kane go: I’ll sit quietly and do you [a disservice] and leave to sign for Chelsea? Mauricio Pochettino is there too.

Manchester United have just paid £72m for Rasmus Hojlund, so they can’t go and buy Harry Kane. If this lad doesn’t produce, he will be under enough pressure as it is. The only way he joins Man City is if Spurs say: can we get Julian Alvarez in return? Because he will score goals.

Kane scored 30 goals last season and Spurs finished nowhere near. You feel sorry for Ange Postecoglou, but you’re talking about a team who might, might, get in the top four if he stays, then a team who doesn’t get in the top half if he leaves.

They’re 100 per cent a bottom half team if he leaves. Who is going to get the goals? They finished eighth last season. I like James Maddison, he’s a good player. But Leicester got relegated.

Wolves playing dangerous game, I don’t see them staying up

A lot of the owners in the bottom half of the Premier League table are taking a chance.

They’re looking at Luton and Sheffield United coming up and thinking: “We’re going to be better than them, if we’re better than one more team, why do we have to spend £100m wage and give £100,000 a week wages?”

That’s the problem with Wolves, they’re getting rid of all these players and not getting anyone in. My only thinking is they’re saying: “we need to be better than Luton and Sheffield United”. And it’s a dangerous game.

Looking at the current picture, I don’t think Wolves stay up. If Gary O’Neil comes in, he will do a good job. If they do bring someone in, they would need the advantage of someone managing in the Premier League as good as yesterday. So he would come in and know the teams.

You wouldn’t want to bring someone in from abroad who would just have to get used to it. Gary would know all those players, he wouldn’t have worked with them but played against them. But someone else would ask for six months and then they’re relegated by Christmas.

Watch Brentford vs Tottenham and Manchester United vs Wolves live on Sky Sports this weekend on the opening round of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Sunday 13th August 1:00pm


Kick off 2:00pm

Monday 14th August 6:30pm


Kick off 8:00pm

Barcelona scored three goals in the final nine minutes to clinch the Joan Gamper Trophy and condemn Tottenham to a 4-2 defeat in their final pre-season fixture.

Spurs were without Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona but produced an encouraging performance before fatigue caught up with them.

Oliver Skipp’s first-half double cancelled out Robert Lewandowski’s early opener and moved Ange Postecoglou’s side to within touching distance of third consecutive pre-season win.

But Ferran Torres’ equaliser (81) broke the Spurs resistance before Ansu Fati (90) and Abde Ezzalzouli (90+3) fired Barca to a dramatic maiden victory at their temporary home while redevelopments works at the Camp Nou continue.

Tottenham found themselves a goal down with barely two minutes on the clock when Raphinha’s darting run and pin-point cross to the far post found Lewandowski, who rifled a left-footed volley past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Spurs levelled against the run of play with their first meaningful attack, as Skipp pounced to convert after Giovani Lo Celso struck the post at the end of a flowing counter-attack.

Skipp, who has scored just one competitive goal in his entire Spurs career, completed an impressive first-half turnaround as the first period drew to a close, rising high above Frenkie de Jong to head Ivan Perisic’s cross past the hapless Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Spurs’ lead came under intense pressure after the break as Barca laid siege to the visiting goal but a disciplined defensive display, epitomised by Davinson Sanchez, looked as though it would frustrate the hosts.

That was until Sergio Reguilon was caught out of position, allowing substitute Ezzalzouli to race away and cross for Torres to scoop Barcelona back on level terms.

From there on, the hosts looked like the only team capable of winning the game. Vicario brilliantly kept out a Marcos Alonso free-kick but there was no stopping the late Barcelona onslaught as Fati and Ezzalzouli found the net to earn the hosts victory.

Harry Kane latest: Bayern preparing new £94.6m bid

Bayern Munich want to submit a new offer of €110m (£94.6m) including add-ons for Harry Kane on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The German champions are not giving up on signing the 30-year-old despite their latest offer, worth more than €100m (£86m) including add-ons, being rejected on Monday.

Bayern are aware that Kane wants his future sorted out this week, ahead of Tottenham’s opening game of the season at Brentford on Sunday. Kane’s addition remains the top priority among Bayern’s hierarchy, according to Sky Germany.

Nevertheless, an agreement between the clubs is not currently in sight and – as things stand – Kane is leaning towards staying at Tottenham.

Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this summer ahead of the transfer window closing at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.

Tottenham’s pre-season results

Tottenham’s first five fixtures

• August 13: Brentford vs Tottenham, live on Sky Sports – kick-off 2pm
• August 19: Tottenham vs Manchester United, live on Sky Sports – kick-off 5.30pm
• August 26: Bournemouth vs Tottenham – kick-off 12.30pm
• September 2: Burnley vs Tottenham – kick-off 3pm
• September 16: Tottenham vs Sheffield United – kick-off 3pm

Ashleigh Buhai to begin title defence alongside Brooke Henderson and rising star Rose Zhang; Celine Boutier starts bid for successive titles alongside 2018 champion Georgia Hall and Atthaya Thitikul; Watch the AIG Women’s Open live on Thursday from 11am on Sky Sports Golf

England’s Charley Hull has been handed a star-studded grouping alongside world No 1 Nelly Korda and two-time major champion Lydia Ko for the first two rounds of the AIG Women’s Open.

Hull, chasing a maiden major title this week at Walton Heath and looking to complete a season of first-time major winners, has been handed an early-late draw as she begins at 8.20am on Thursday.

The 27-year-old will tee off alongside Korda, looking to enjoy more success in England after winning the Aramco Team Series event in London last month, while Ko will be searching for a return to form as he she aims to end her seven-year major drought.

Charley Hull is looking to become the first English women’s major winner since Georgia Hall in 2018

World No 2 Jin Young Ko plays alongside former champion Anna Nordqvist and Ireland’s Leona Maguire, likely to play a key part in Team Europe’s Solheim Cup team this September, with that group also in the morning wave on the opening day.

Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai is on the other side of the draw and begins at 12.49pm with Brooke Henderson and rising start Rose Zhang, with US Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz in the next threeball out with fellow former major winners Hyo Joo Kim and Hannah Green.

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Highlights from day four of the 2022 AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield, where Ashleigh Buhai claimed a dramatic victory

Minjee Lee has been paired with Danielle Kang and Nasa Hataoka, while Lexi Thompson will hope to find some form and enhance her Solheim Cup prospects with compatriot Lilia Vu and Sweden’s Linn Grant.

Celine Boutier, who claimed a maiden major victory on home soil at the Evian Championship last month before winning the Women’s Scottish Open on Sunday, is also an afternoon starter as she joins Georgia Hall – her Solheim Cup teammate in 2019 – and Atthaya Thitikul.

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In-form Celine Boutier says she is looking to maintain her winning streak with victory at the Women’s Open at Walton Heath this week.

Mel Reid is in the first group out on Thursday morning, with the Englishwoman handed a 6.30am tee time alongside Alison Lee and Maria Fassi.

Thursday’s key tee times (all BST)

0747 Jiyai Shin (Kor), Yuka Saso (Jpn), Gaby Lopez (Mex)

0758 Minjee Lee (Aus), Nasa Hataoka (Jpn), Danielle Kang (USA)

0809 Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Jin Young Ko (Kor), Leona Maguire (Irel)

0820 Nelly Korda (USA), Lydia Ko (Nzl), Charley Hull (Eng)

1227 Georgia Hall (Eng), Celine Boutier (Fra), Atthaya Thitikul (Tha)

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Despite Celine Boutier winning her last two tournaments, former AIG Women’s Open champion Catriona Matthew believes it’ll be difficult for the Frenchwoman to win three events in a row.

1238 Lilia Vu (USA), Lexi Thompson (USA), Linn Grant (Swe)

1249 Ashleigh Buhai (Rsa), Brooke Henderson (Can), Rose Zhang (USA)

1300 Allisen Corpuz (USA), Hyo Joo Kim (Kor), Hannah Green (Aus)

When is the AIG Women’s Open on Sky?

Sky Sports will have extended live coverage from the final women’s major of the year, with seven hours of live action for each tournament day and a special preview show looking ahead to the event.

Coverage will begin from 11am for the first two rounds and midday over the weekend, while there will be a daily one-hour highlights show to look back at the best of the previous rounds’ action on Sky Sports Golf.

You can download the Sky Sports App to get news, interviews, highlights, clips, leaderboard scores and a dedicated blog, while other special AIG Women’s Open programming will be available to download via Sky Sports On Demand.

Watch the AIG Women’s Open this month live on Sky Sports. The preview show is live on Wednesday August 9 from 4pm on Sky Sports Golf, while coverage of the opening round starts on Thursday August 10 at 11am. Stream the AIG Women’s Open with NOW.

All the top stories and transfer rumours from Tuesday’s newspapers…

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Harry Kane will call time on Bayern Munich’s bid to sign him if the German club cannot agree a deal with Tottenham Hotspur this week after seeing their latest offer rejected.

The future of David Moyes as West Ham United manager is in doubt, despite the club closing in on their first signing of the summer.

Jorginho is prepared to snub interest from Turkey and fight for his place at Arsenal. Fenerbahce were keen on his signature but the 31-year-old Italy midfielder isn’t willing to ditch the Gunners.

Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge is in talks with Burnley over a potential move. The 25 year-old has one year left on his contract.

THE MIRROR

The Premier League will not move Arsenal’s match with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, despite the game clashing with England’s Women’s World Cup quarter-final.

Manchester United are eyeing Leeds star Tyler Adams as an alternative to Sofyan Amrabat as they seek more summer signings.

Erik ten Hag will try and offload six more players before the summer transfer window opens. Dean Henderson, Fred, Eric Bailly, Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire could all leave.

THE TIMES

Bayern Munich are considering whether to make a fourth bid for Harry Kane after having an £86m offer rejected by Tottenham Hotspur.

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to sell Neymar in another sign of the end of the “galácticos” era at the club. The 31-year-old has told the French club that he wants to leave and it is understood PSG would accept an offer of between £60m and £70m for the player.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has compared his latest fitness programme to undergoing a “factory reset” and is convinced he can recapture the form that made him an England regular.

West Ham are close to making their first signing of the summer after agreeing a fee of £34m for the Ajax defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez.

THE ATHLETIC

Arsenal have turned down an opening offer from Monaco for Folarin Balogun. Monaco want a striker to replace the injured Breel Embolo and are keen on the Arsenal striker, who impressed on loan with Reims last season.

DAILY MAIL

Moises Caicedo was absent from Brighton training on Monday as he tries to force through his move to Chelsea. Chief executive Paul Barber, however, had earlier stressed the club expect him to be available for their Premier League opener at home to Luton Town on Saturday.

Chelsea could break through the £1bn barrier in player purchases under Todd Boehly’s ownership by the end of this month. Last week’s £38m signing of Axel Disasi from Monaco took the total spend on players since Boehly bought the club to £768.7m.

Chelsea followed that with the £25m signing of Robert Sanchez from Brighton and want to land at least four more players for manager Mauricio Pochettino before the window closes.

Nottingham Forest are among those to have approached Kasper Schmeichel about a return to England from Nice.

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

Tom Heaton is expected to remain a Manchester United player following productive talks with Erik ten Hag.

THE SUN

Chelsea are in talks to sign Neymar after he handed in a transfer request at PSG, according to reports. The forward has attracted interest from several clubs this summer. The Blues have been in contact with Brazilian’s representatives over a transfer all summer, according to RMC Sport.

Matt Turner is set to be in goal for Nottingham Forest against his old Arsenal team-mates on the opening day of the season. The 29-year-old USA international is expected to complete his £7m move to Forest on Tuesday.

Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.

Who will claim the FedExCup on the 2024 PGA Tour?

Take a look at the dates, venues and tournament schedule for the 2024 PGA Tour season.

January 4-7 2024: The Sentry, Kapalua, Hawaii

January 11-14: Sony Open in Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

January 18-21: The American Express, La Quinta, California

January 24-27: Farmers Insurance Open, La Jolla, California.

February 1-4: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach, California

February 8-11: WM Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, Arizona

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Matt Fitzpatrick and Ryan Fitzpatrick went undercover around the golf course to learn about WM’s recycling initiatives while in disguise

February 15-18: The Genesis Invitational, Pacific Palisades, California

February 22-25: Mexico Open at Vidanta, Vallarta, Mexico

February 28-March 3: The Classic in The Palm Beaches, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

March 7-10: Arnold Palmer Invitational, Orlando, Florida

March 7-10: Puerto Rico Open, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

March 14-17: The Players, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

March 21-24: Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor, Florida

March 28-31: Texas Children’s Houston Open, Houston, Texas

April 4-7: Valero Texas Open, San Antonio, Texas

April 11-14: Masters Tournament, Augusta, Georgia

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Jon Rahm is the 2023 Masters champion! Watch his best moments from the final round

April 18-21: RBC Heritage, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

April 18-21: Corales Puntacana Championship, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

April 25-28: Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Avondale, Louisiana

May 2-5: AT&T Byron Nelson, Dallas, Texas

May 9-12: Wells Fargo Championship, Charlotte, North Carolina

May 9-12: Myrtle Beach Classic, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

May 16-19: PGA Championship, Louisville, Kentucky

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Watch the moment that Brooks Koepka claimed a third PGA Championship with a two shot victory at Oak Hill

May 23-26: Charles Schwab Challenge, Fort Worth, Texas

May 30-June 2: RBC Canadian Open, Canada

June 6-9: Memorial Tournament, Dublin, Ohio

June 13-16: US Open, Pinehurst, North Carolina

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Watch the moment Wyndham Clark became a major winner with victory at the 2023 US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, two-putting on the 72nd hole to claim the trophy

June 20-23: Travelers Championship, Cromwell, Connecticut

June 27-30: Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit, Michigan

July 4-7: John Deere Classic, Silvis, Illinois

July 11-14: Genesis Scottish Open, North Berwick, Scotland

July 11-14: Event, TBD

July 18-21: The Open, Troon, Scotland

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Brian Harman cards a final round 70 to win The Open by six shots at Royal Liverpool

July 18-21: Barracuda Championship, Truckee, California

July 25-28: 3M Open, Blaine, Minnesota

August 1-4: Men’s Olympic Golf, Paris, France

August 8-11: Wyndham Championship, Greensboro, North Carolina

August 15-18: FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Memphis, Tennessee

August 22-25: BMW Championship, Castle Rock, Colorado

August 29-September 1:Tour Championship, Atlanta, Georgia

Watch all the women’s majors, the Solheim Cup, the Ryder Cup and the end of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour seasons exclusively live over the coming months on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the best sport with NOW

Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland

AIG Women’s Open is the last major for players to try and qualify for Europe’s next Solheim Cup team; Europe will be chasing a third consecutive victory against Team USA from September 22-24 in Spain; Watch the AIG Women’s Open from August 10-13 live on Sky Sports Golf

Former Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew has backed Team Europe to have their strongest side ever when they chase a historic threepeat this September in Spain.

Matthew guided Europe to back-to-back victories over Team USA for the first time in the history of the biennial contest, captaining them to a narrow 14.5-13.5 win at Gleneagles in 2019 before leading them to a 15-13 success in Ohio in 2021.

Suzann Pettersen – who scored the winning point during the 2019 contest – will captain Europe at Finca Cortesin from September 22-24, live on Sky Sports, where the hosts will be aiming to register a third consecutive victory for the first time in the tournament’s history.

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A look back at the best of the action from a thrilling final day at the 2021 Solheim Cup, where Team Europe made it back-to-back victories against Team USA.

Europe will have many of their last two winning teams at their disposal again for this year’s contest, with Matthew impressed with the strength of the options Pettersen has available to choose from.

Asked whether she believed this could be the strongest European side ever, Matthew said: “I really do. Obviously you’ve got the likes of Georgia [Hall], Charley [Hull], Carlota [Ciganda], Celine [Boutier] and Leona [Maguire] and all the experienced ones.

Georgia Hall (left) and Charley Hull (right) have both featured in the last two winning teams

“Then there’s the two young Swedish girls coming in, Maja Stark and Linn Grant, so I think it’s going to be a good team.

“I think the American team will be very different this year, with some of their top players perhaps not playing as well. Lexi [Thompson] hasn’t been playing well and Jessica (Korda) has been injured, so it’s going to be interesting.”

Hall: Europe ‘the best on paper’?

The AIG Women’s Open is the penultimate event in the qualification campaign, with players only having this week’s major and the ISPS Handa World Invitational the following week to try and force their way into consideration.

The top two players in the European Solheim Cup standings and the top six players eligible players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings after those events will secure automatic spots, with Pettersen then having four captain’s picks to complete her side.

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Trish Johnson and Henni Koyack predict who may feature for Team Europe this September

Georgia Hall will make her fourth consecutive appearance for Team Europe, with the Englishman admitting that Pettersen is going to be left with a tough decision on who she selects as her captain’s picks.

“I think we’re going to have the best team on paper for the first time in a long time,” Hall said. “I think we’ve got a very strong side and it’s going to be hard for Suzann to pick the last two or three spots for sure.

“It will be interesting to see who they are. I think a lot of the team is probably set from what I see, but for the last two or three you could pick a rookie or go for someone who has been in it five or six times.”

Watch the AIG Women’s Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 11am on Sky Sports. Stream the AIG Women’s Open, the Solheim Cup and more with NOW.

Jack Welsby scored a match-winning try with 10 minutes remaining as St Helens fought back from 15-2 down at half-time to claim an 18-15 victory over Salford Red Devils; Paul Rowley’s team have now lost seven in a row, while the Saints continue to climb the table

St Helens full-back Jack Welsby scored a match-winning try with 10 minutes remaining as his team fought back from 15-2 down at half-time to claim an 18-15 Super League victory over Salford Red Devils at the AJ Bell Stadium.

Salford, who have now lost their last seven games in all competitions, dominated the first half with tries from Kallum Watkins and Ryan Brierley, while Marc Sneyd kicked two conversions, a penalty and a drop goal.

But Saints roared back after the break for their first away win against Salford since 2019 with tries from Matty Lees and Tommy Makinson before Welsby’s score made it back-to-back wins since they were beaten by Leigh in the Challenge Cup semi-final. Mark Percival also landed three goals from four attempts.

Salford handed a debut to recent signing in former Wigan prop Brad Singleton, while captain Watkins returned after a hamstring injury.

Tim Lafai was named in the centres after missing the trip to Catalans because of the birth of his daughter and there were recalls for Danny Addy, King Vuniyayawa and Sneyd.

However, forward pair Adam Sidlow and Alex Gerrard joined Shane Wright on the casualty list.

St Helens welcomed back centre Mark Percival and forward Curtis Sironen but were still without a number of first-choice players because of injury including Konrad Hurrell, Alex Walmsley, Agnatius Paasi, Jon Bennison and Louis McCarthy
Scarsbrook as well as the suspended Will Hopoate.

Recent signing, Australian hooker Moses Mybe was named on the bench for his 200th career appearance.

The visitors opened the scoring after just four minutes when Percival kicked a penalty following a dangerous tackle by Watkins.

But the rest of the half belonged to Salford who showed flashes of their early-season form with half-backs Brodie Croft and Sneyd impressing and Brierley joining the attack with great effect from full-back.

In contrast, Saints barely got out of their own half and struggled to build any kind of pressure.

Salford took the lead in the ninth minute as Croft’s superb pass in the tackle was taken by Watkins, who crashed over for a try which Sneyd converted.

Croft was instrumental in the Red Devils’ second try – his perfectly-placed kick into space catching out the Saints defence and the onrushing Brierley was able to touch down. Sneyd added the extras again – plus a penalty after 22 minutes, after St Helens were called offside.

With seconds of the half remaining, Sneyd sent over a drop goal to give the hosts a 15-2 lead at the break.

Saints looked a different team after the restart – a complete role reversal of the first. They played with a lot more urgency and finally started to ask questions of the Salford defence.

Their cause was helped in the 47th minute when Deon Cross was sin-binned for obstructing Jonny Lomax as he chased his own grubber kick.

The away side took advantage by scoring their first try a couple of minutes later. The ball appeared to have gone loose but prop forward Lees was quickest to react, touching down by the posts, while Percival’s conversion made it 15-8.

The momentum was all with Saints and Sam Stone did brilliantly to deny Welsby from scoring with a last-ditch tackle.

But it proved a temporary respite as the ball was worked to the right edge and Makinson flew in at the corner, just after the hour mark.

Percival’s conversion from the touchline was a beauty and cut Salford’s lead to just a point at 15-14.

The home side could not cope with the weight of Saints’ pressure and they conceded again with 10 minutes remaining – Welsby producing a stylish finish on the right edge to cross over. Percival failed to convert but the points were taken home.

Ipswich marked their Championship return with a 2-1 victory over 10-player Sunderland thanks to goals from Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst.

The Tractor Boys ended a four-year stay in League One last season by claiming automatic promotion and laid down a marker in their new division against Tony Mowbray’s side, who lost in the play-offs in May.

Jobe Bellingham missed a golden chance from close range for the hosts before Nathan Broadhead put the visitors ahead with a clever finish in first-half added time, although he refused to celebrate against his former club.

George Hirst then slammed in a second shortly after the break and, with Sunderland unable to respond, Trai Hume was sent off after being shown a second yellow card.

The hosts, though, pulled one back late on through Dan Neil’s smart finish but Ipswich survived an onslaught during 13 minutes of added time in which goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky turned Neil’s shot against a post to secure an impressive first win.

How Ipswich surprised Sunderland

Sunderland dominated the opening 15 minutes yet it was Ipswich who went closest first. Wes Burns’ deep cross from the right was met by Leif Davis at the back post and his volley was cleared from the goal-line by Luke O’Nien.

The hosts should have led soon after when Pierre Ekwah’s 25-yard effort was pushed away by Hladky straight to Bellingham, who could have controlled but instead blazed over first time with the goal at his mercy.

Sunderland appealed for a penalty four minutes before the break when Jack Clarke broke in behind and went down under pressure from Janoi Donacien although the winger was penalised for handball as he fell to the floor.

Ipswich capitalised on that let-off as Broadhead broke the deadlock in added time by diverting Davis’ shot past Anthony Patterson.

Then they made it two seven minutes into the second half when Broadhead’s sublime pass sent Hirst through and he crashed the ball high into the net.

Within 60 seconds, Conor Chaplin sent an audacious effort from inside the centre circle against the crossbar with Patterson beaten and Hirst could not connect with the rebound under pressure from Dan Ballard.

Sunderland struggled from there with Hume collecting his second booking after a foul on Davis although the hosts did improve late on, Neil turning Dennis Cirkin’s low cross home.

Despite the player advantage, Ipswich panicked during 13 minutes of added time, seeing substitute Freddie Ladapo spurn a good chance before Hladky produced a fine save in the 114th minute to deny Neil.

What’s next?

Sunderland host Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup with kick-off at 7.45pm. They return to action in the Championship on Saturday August 12 when they visit Preston North End. Kick-off 3pm.

Ipswich welcome Bristol Rovers in their Carabao Cup tie on Tuesday at 7.45pm. The Tractor Boys then host Stoke in their first home game back in the Championship on Saturday. Kick-off 3pm.

We assess the big talking points facing England following their 20-9 defeat to Wales in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup warm-up Test in Cardiff; head coach Steve Borthwick names his squad for this year’s World Cup on Monday, with England facing Wales again at Twickenham on Saturday

England’s players were left dejected after beginning their World Cup preparations with a defeat to Wales

England’s preparations for the 2023 Rugby World Cup got off to a bumpy start as they were beaten 20-9 by Wales in their opening Summer Nations Series match in Cardiff.

The loss at the Principality Stadium came just two days before head coach Steve Borthwick names his 33-player squad for next month’s global gathering, although he had previously insisted this game was not make or break in terms of being part of that.

Nevertheless, the nature of the defeat and the performance from England left questions for the team ahead of their opening World Cup pool match against Argentina on September 9, and we take a look at some of those talking points…

Half-back combination fails to fire

With Owen Farrell watching on from the sidelines and Ben Youngs not included in the matchday 23, Saturday’s game in Cardiff offered Harlequins club-mates Marcus Smith and Danny Care a chance to show what they can do in the halves.

Sadly, while showing some bright patches in their individual performances, they were unable to replicate the sparkling partnership they have forged for Quins in the Gallagher Premiership, even with being able to link up with Joe Marchant and Alex Dombrandt as well.

With Care and Smith being withdrawn on 49 and 60 minutes respectively, England finished the game with Jack van Poortvliet at scrum-half and George Ford at fly-half, with the former having been Borthwick’s first-choice No 9 during this year’s Six Nations.

Even if Van Poortvliet remains in that position, the question remains as to whether Farrell will take over the No 10 shirt or slot back in at inside centre, with Smith at fly-half alongside the Leicester Tigers man.

Marcus Smith did not quite fire in his half-back partnership with Danny Care

It is a conundrum England have faced for a while now and while there are people who will come down firmly on one side or the other, it seems like those charged with running the national team have still not found what they believe is the ideal solution.

Line-out woes will haunt Borthwick

In his playing days as a hard-nosed second-row, Borthwick was regarded as one of the finest line-out exponents of his era and his attention to detail in that area was part of the reason he became so highly regarded as a forwards coach after hanging up his boots.

So, England’s struggles in that area against Wales will have likely proven particularly frustrating for the head coach, with the visitors losing five of the 15 line-outs they had during the defeat to one of their oldest rivals. Comparatively, Wales won all seven of their line-outs.

Those issues will no doubt have concerned hooker Jamie Blamire, with the Newcastle Falcons man getting his first opportunity to play Test rugby since the Six Nations clash with Ireland in 2022 after being named in the starting XV.

England endured some struggles in the line-out against Wales

Things did not improve when the previously-uncapped Theo Dan came off the replacements’ bench in the 55th minute either, although those issues were part of a wider malaise when it came to errors for England in this match.

Chances in attack go to waste

The final score-line may have read a rather one-sided 20-9 for the hosts, but in the first half England enjoyed the better of things, yet could not break through for a try when on top in the contest.

In fact, it was the first Test in over two-and-a-half years when England failed to score a try in a Test match, and that should be a concern.

Within the game, England spent four minutes and 30 seconds in possession within the Welsh 22, while Wales had just two minutes and 27 seconds in the English 22, yet scored two tries.

England registered some 12 entries into the Wales 22, but failed to score a try, while Wales scored twice from seven entries by comparison.

England’s attack failed to execute in the first half, and was non-existent in the second

“Ultimately, there were a large number of handling errors and while our breakdown was good in terms of being against a team who jackal an awful lot, the handling errors cost us,” Borthwick said afterwards.

“We couldn’t sustain pressure because we turned the ball over.

“There are areas for us to work on and build on. Creating that number of entries into the opposition 22 will be a step forward from where we were, and all we’ve got to do is convert those opportunities.”

Such a wealth of time spent in the opposition 22 for no reward, in a Test in which they were facing a side on their knees in terms of confidence and form – Wales avoided a fifth home defeat in succession with this result, remember – is a very disappointing way to begin their World Cup preparations.

A missed opportunity for fringe players?

England went fairly strong for this Test in terms of team selection, but with Borthwick announcing his 33-player squad for the World Cup on Monday, this was the one and only chance players had to stick their hand up for inclusion.

While the likes of Freddie Steward, Max Malins, Smith and Ellis Genge already have place tickets booked, several others may yet have possible slots cancelled.

Centre Guy Porter – who was anonymous – wing Joe Cokanasiga – who made several errors with ball in hand and in defence – and hooker Blamire – who really struggled at the set-piece and was guilty of giving away penalties – will now surely not be involved in the final World Cup selection.

Wing Joe Cokanasiga is one of a number of players whose performance will likely see them miss out on a squad place

Marchant performed strongly, but Care was hot and cold at scrum-half and is another whose place could be in jeopardy.

“This game is one piece of information to help build a full picture [for selecting England’s World Cup squad], and I’ll make the decision in the next 24 hours,” Borthwick said.

“From my point of view, I’m looking forward to announcing the squad on Monday and really looking forward to the Test match against Wales at Twickenham next Saturday.”

Gareth Davies and George North both scored tries, while Leigh Halfpenny kicked two goals and two penalties; Marcus Smith kicked England’s points; England head coach Steve Borthwick names his squad for the World Cup on Monday, with the sides clashing again at Twickenham next Saturday

Gareth Davies goes over for Wales’ first try against England

Second-half tries from Gareth Davies and George North saw Wales kick off their Rugby World Cup preparations with a 20-9 victory over an out-of-sorts England at the Principality Stadium.

It was a battle of the kickers in the first 40 minutes, with three successful penalties from the boot of Marcus Smith compared to two from Wales’ Test centurion Leigh Halfpenny, giving the visitors a 9-6 lead at half-time.

But the hosts seized the initiative eight minutes into the second half when Gareth Davies was on hand to finish for a try and they surged further in front thanks to George North going over from close range just before the hour mark, with Halfpenny converting both.

Louis Rees-Zammit was unfortunate not to add a third try for the hosts before full-time when he was adjudged to have knocked on after a TMO review, but that did not take the shine off the result or the performance from Warren Gatland’s new-look team.

Inexperience no barrier as Wales youngsters seize opportunity

Halfpenny may have been making his 100th Test appearance for Wales, but the relative inexperience of the rest of Gatland’s team was shown by the fact the only other members of the starting XV with more than 50 caps were North and scrum-half Davies.

They were dealt an early blow too when hooker Ryan Elias was forced off six minutes in with a suspected hamstring injury, which will be of particular concern to Gatland given Ken Owens has already been ruled out of the World Cup due to a back problem.

Nevertheless, several of those players with only a handful of caps to their name came to the fore, with lively fly-half Sam Costelow, making his first Test start, and skipper in only his 10th appearance Jac Morgan playing key roles in the first try of the game.

Having kept in touch with England thanks to Halfpenny’s goals in the first half, Wales took a 48th-minute lead after 22-year-old Costelow put a deft attacking kick to the right wing for Aaron Wainwright. The No 8 then sent fellow back-row Morgan racing away, who in turn fed support-runner Davies to finish.

Then it was the turn of the big guns to make their mark, with Dan Biggar – off the bench in place of Costelow – putting in a testing grubber kick which set in motion an attack finished by North on 59 minutes after he stepped a defender to create space and ghost over from close range.

Exciting winger Rees-Zammit, still only 22 but with 26 international caps already, was unfortunate not to add his 10th Test try when he chased down his own chip kick, knocking on while trying to ground the ball. Nevertheless, it was still a dominant display from Wales and a proud day for the 23-year-old Morgan, who was named player of the match as well.

Disjointed showing leaves England with plenty of questions

For England, meanwhile, the intrigue beforehand had been as to how Harlequins club-mates Smith and Danny Care would perform alongside each other in the halves, although in the 49 minutes they were on the field together there was not much to show for their partnership.

George North dives in for Wales’ second try against England

Care’s kicking game was solid and his determination to get quick ball from the ruck encouraging, yet he was unable to make any of his trademark sniping runs before being replaced by Jack van Poortvliet, while in the first half Smith was always looking to run and put in some good kicks along with booting three penalties to put the hosts in front.

England’s best chance for a try arguably came when the fly-half and two other Quins team-mates, Alex Dombrandt and Joe Marchant, linked up in the 29th minute for an attack which opened Wales up. However, Max Mallins was unable to finish and Wales regathered the ball after a wayward offload.

Handling errors were a concerningly recurring theme for England in the match and they ended with those in double figures by full-time, ceding scrum dominance and the foothold they had given themselves in the first half by gaining more metres and dominating the territory.

What they said

Wales head coach Warren Gatland, speaking to Amazon Prime:

“I was a little bit apprehensive this morning because I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to go. I know the players have been working hard.

“I was looking for a performance and it was a good start today. It was a performance I was looking for and I thought the guys out there gave a performance today.”

England head coach Steve Borthwick, speaking to Amazon Prime:

“I thought in the first half we created lots of opportunities, but we turned over too much ball in the opposite 22 and you can’t do that in Test rugby. There are areas for improvement, but I thought the positive was how many entries we got into the opposition scoring zone.

“This game is one piece of information to help build a full picture [for selecting England’s World Cup squad], and I’ll make the decision in the next 24 hours.”

England did look the better side in the opening period, their sloppiness in possession aside, but as Wales stepped up their intensity in the second half, the visitors inexplicably dropped off.

“Credit to Wales in that 50-65 minute period, they were very, very good,” Borthwick said.

“Every one of these experiences will be positive for us as we build over the next few weeks to the World Cup.”

What’s next?

Wales and England do it all again on Saturday August 12 when they reconvene at Twickenham for the second Rugby World Cup warm-up clash against each other. First, though, England’s players face a nervous wait to see who will make Steve Borthwick’s 33-player squad for the global gathering when it is announced on Monday.