There are wins that move a team through a tournament, and wins that change the mood around it. England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca did both. Until now, Thomas Tuchel’s side had been effective rather than stirring. They had beaten Croatia, drawn with Ghana, seen
There are World Cup nights that are remembered for the goals, and there are others that linger because of the strain visible on every face by the end. This was one of the latter. Egypt’s penalty shootout victory over Australia was not the cleanest knockout tie this tournament will
Nottingham Forest’s decision to part company with Vítor Pereira looks brutal because, on the surface, it contradicts the evidence of the previous four months. Pereira arrived in February as the fourth head coach of a season that already felt unmanageable. Forest were not looking for a philosopher then. They
The first expanded World Cup was always going to be judged harshly. Too many teams, too much travel, too much group-stage arithmetic, too much risk of dilution. Then the knockout phase arrived and the tournament found something sharper than format debate. It found jeopardy. France have looked like a
Everton’s signing of Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough feels less like a speculative Championship punt and more like a targeted attempt to change the texture of David Moyes’ midfield. The club have confirmed the arrival of the 24-year-old midfielder on a five-year contract, adding one of the
Harry Kane rescued England from a night that was drifting towards something far more damaging. Now they have to stop themselves from inviting the same trouble on a louder, thinner and less forgiving stage. A 2-1 win over DR Congo sends Thomas Tuchel’s side into the last 16,
France did not so much beat Sweden as reduce the idea of a contest to something theoretical. There was a scoreline, a structure, a period before the first goal when Sweden could still pretend the game was within reach. By the end, the 3-0 felt almost modest. Kylian Mbappé
For Germany and Holland, early World Cup exits always carry disbelief. These are not ordinary football nations. Their names sit heavily in the tournament’s history. Their shirts bring memories of finals, great players, tactical eras and teams that helped shape the modern game. So when both disappear before the
Manchester City have confirmed Enzo Maresca as their new manager, ending one long-running rumour and opening the first chapter of the post-Pep Guardiola era. City have framed the appointment as both a new beginning and a return. Maresca has signed a three-year contract until the summer of
Burnley’s search for a new manager was supposed to signal clarity. Instead, it has started to look like the first test of a club that decided it wanted a new direction before fully securing the person to lead it. Scott Parker’s departure was announced on 30 April. The
England have done what every serious World Cup contender sets out to do. They have won their group, avoided unnecessary drama and reached the knockout stage unbeaten. On paper, Thomas Tuchel’s side have done exactly what was required. Still, after three matches, there is a slightly unresolved feeling around
If Chelsea complete a deal for Granit Xhaka this summer, it would rank among the most unexpected transfers of the window. For the last three years, their recruitment has followed a clear philosophy: buy young, buy potential and develop elite talent. From Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia to Cole Palmer,
Premier League
Fabrizio Romano’s trademark “Here we go” rarely arrives without weeks of expectation. Yet confirmation that Manchester City have reached an agreement to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest still lands as one of the summer’s biggest statements. Multiple outlets, including Reuters citing BBC reporting, say City have agreed
England
Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of England’s World Cup squad was always going to follow him. It only needed a trigger. Reece James’ hamstring injury has supplied it. James did not travel for England’s final Group L game against Panama, with Tuchel confirming
World Cup
The temptation is to call Cape Verde’s World Cup run a fairytale and leave it there. The smallest nation by population to reach the knockout stages. Three group games, no defeats. A 40-year-old goalkeeper who went from relative anonymity to global celebrity in little more than a
EFL
West Ham’s next step is not simply to build a Championship squad. It is to rebuild a football club that currently feels fractured from almost every angle. Relegation has changed the conversation, but it has not created the problems on its own. The drop has exposed them. Supporters see
The World Cup has not produced a single obvious champion yet. That is usually a good sign. Tournaments that look settled too early often change completely once the knockout stage begins. Group football rewards energy, freshness and style. Knockout football rewards adaptability, emotional control and the ability to survive the
Thomas Tuchel’s England squad is not an accident of form, reputation or public mood. It is a tournament machine built backwards from the games England expect to face last: France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Germany, the kind of opponents who do not give you 90 minutes to express yourself
Scotland’s World Cup campaign deserves neither a parade nor a public inquest. It sits somewhere more complicated, and more useful, than either extreme.
Premier League
Arsenal are no longer building towards being taken seriously. That part of the project has been completed. Mikel Arteta’s side ended their 22-year wait for a Premier League title in May, finishing the job after three seasons of near-misses and establishing themselves as the standard others now
Premier League
The delay around Enzo Maresca’s move to Manchester City should not be mistaken for uncertainty about the football idea. If City wanted a radical departure from Pep Guardiola, they would not be pushing for Maresca. They would be looking for a disruptor, a personality appointment, or a manager with