Sports
EPL: I was under pressure to play Nwaneri against West Ham – Arteta
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Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has claimed he was pressured to play Ethan Nwaneri in their 6-0 win over West Ham on Sunday.
Speaking after the game, Arteta revealed that his players forced him to bring on the 16-year-old.
Nwaneri made his first senior appearance of the season as a substitute in the 77th minute, replacing Gabriel Martinelli.
Arteta has admitted he wasn’t planning on bringing the teenager on.
He said: “There is something that you have to earn in your team and that is the trust of your team-mates. I had two things.
“One, the players on the bench whispering ‘Bring Ethan in!’, which is a great thing to hear.
“The other thing is for your teammates to give you the ball all the time. If they do that, it’s because they really trust you and you only have to see how many times he was involved in that. So it’s a great sign.”
Sports
France Captain, Kylian Mbappe Becomes World Cup All-Time Top Scorer
Kylian Mbappe became the top scorer in World Cup history on Saturday when he netted his second goal in the third-place play-off against England to take his tally to 22.
He became the competition’s all-time top scorer and Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick as England won an extraordinary 10-goal thriller 6-4 against France in Miami tonight to finish third at the 2026 World Cup.
The Three Lions were involved in the bronze match – formerly known as the third-place play-off – after losing their semi-final to Argentina in galling fashion.
However, they showed no hangover from that disappointment by racing into a four-goal first-half lead in a chaotic game which up-ended any gloomy pre-match talk.
Saka – an unused sub against Argentina – scored twice after Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa had put England in control inside the opening 20 minutes.
Momentum completely switched after the break, with France pulling three goals back and missing clear-cut chances to equalise.
Mbappe netted either side of a Bradley Barcola goal, to put himself ahead in the race for the 2026 Golden Boot and leap above Lionel Messi to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer (22 goals).
But Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute after Djed Spence was fouled by Malo Gusto.
Ousmane Dembele curled home in the sixth minute of stoppage time to cut the deficit to 5-4, however Jude Bellingham jinked through France’s defence to seal England’s win in the 98th minute.
Bellingham finished with seven goals at this World Cup – the most of any England men’s player at a single edition.
It means England achieve their highest men’s World Cup finish since winning the tournament in 1966 and their best-ever result on foreign soil.
And they did so in the highest scoring World Cup third-place match ever, surpassing France 6-3 West Germany in 1958.
Sports
Chelsea breaks vault to grab Morgan Rogers in British record £117m deal from Arsenal
In one of the most dramatic transfers of the summer window, Chelsea have reached a full agreement to sign versatile English attacker Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa in a deal worth £117 million.
Renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the news on Saturday, posting: “ BREAKING: MORGAN ROGERS TO CHELSEA, HERE WE GO!” Club-to-club negotiations were concluded rapidly today, with Chelsea beating Arsenal to the 23-year-old’s signature.
The Blues’ £117m proposal, which includes a significant sell-on fee payable to Middlesbrough, has been accepted by Aston Villa.
Rogers has already agreed personal terms on a six-year contract running until June 2032, with the option of a further year. A medical is scheduled for Monday.
The move represents a major coup for Chelsea and new head coach Xabi Alonso, who personally played a key role in persuading the player.
Rogers, who emerged as a standout performer for Villa last season with his technical ability, pace, and versatility across the attacking positions, chose Stamford Bridge over Arsenal despite interest from the north London club.
This transfer sets a new British record fee for an English player and underscores Chelsea’s aggressive spending strategy as they look to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours.
For Aston Villa, the substantial fee provides significant funds for squad rebuilding under Unai Emery.
Rogers’ arrival will be seen as a statement of intent by Chelsea, particularly in strengthening their creative options and linking up with England teammate Cole Palmer.
The deal is expected to be officially announced in the coming days once the medical and paperwork are completed.
Sports
Marc Cucurella Vows Retirement If Spain Beat Argentina At 2026 World Cup Final
Marc Cucurella says he will retire from international football and tattoo Spain coach, Luis de la Fuente’s face on his bicep if La Roja defeat Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final.
The new Real Madrid signing made the remarkable pledge ahead of the World Cup final, insisting there would be nothing left for him to achieve with Spain after winning both the European Championship and the World Cup.
“If we win the World Cup, I’ll call Luis the next day and tell him not to count on me anymore, that I’m retiring from the national team,” Cucurella said.
“With a European Championship and a World Cup, I can’t do any better.
“I would get a little tattoo of Spain manager Luis de la Fuente’s face on my bicep if we were to win the World Cup.”
The Genius Media Nigeria gathered that the promise is the latest in a series of bold vows by Cucurella. Before Euro 2024, he famously vowed to dye his hair red if Spain lifted the trophy, and he did following the triumph.
One thing appears off the table, however. The defender once said: “I prefer being bald to having a tattoo of the Barcelona badge.”
Spain head into the World Cup final in impressive form after seeing off Portugal and France before leaving it late to beat Belgium and book their place in the decider.
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