Gareth Southgate praised Trent Alexander-Arnold for buying into England’s midfield experiment and showing what he was capable of in the comfortable win away to Malta. The 24-year-old may be an established star at Liverpool but he has often flattered to deceive with the national team, with intense competition at right-back restricting opportunities. Alexander-Arnold struggled in a midfield against Andorra when Southgate tried him there in September 2021, but things worked far better in Malta as he won just his 19th cap on Friday evening. The England star had a hand in all three first-half goals, including curling home superbly either side of Ferdinando Apap’s own goal and a Harry Kane penalty. Substitute Callum Wilson completed a 4-0 win with a spot-kick of his own but this was Alexander-Arnold’s night as Southgate’s side continued their winning start to Euro 2024 qualification. “Inevitably a lot of what happens is going to be a little bit dependent on his club,” the England boss said. “The fact that he’s been playing partly in there with the ball, albeit a bit deeper, I think has helped his transition tonight. “What was pleasing tonight, he’s getting used to receiving in tight areas with his back to goal, with players behind him. “Whereas he’s used to receiving on the touchline, with the play in front of him, and he was very comfortable doing that. “Look, I’ve got no questions in my head he can do it. It’s just learning some nuances of the role, without the ball especially very different for him. “But he’s very keen to do it. He’s enjoyed the sort of project, if you like. “We talked about it about four weeks ago on the phone, and I think he’s been excited by it and, yeah, he showed exactly what we think he could be capable of. He gives us something different to our other midfield players.” This was a far more simple night for England compared to their last trip to Malta, when a drab, goalless first half against the limited hosts saw the travelling support turn on the team. Southgate’s side have come a long way in the six intervening years and there was never any danger of their 100 per cent Euro 2024 qualification record slipping in their third Group C match. “Of course we know we have the quality to win the games, but it’s about your mentality then and I thought that was excellent right from the start,” Southgate said. “We tried to balance looking at a few things with some experienced players that give you leadership on the pitch and set the tone. That’s how they’ve trained all week. “In particular when we lost the ball, the reaction to winning it back was a sign that the team were in a good place mentally. “Then of course some really good quality for the first couple of goals, especially, so yeah, we’ve made it look fairly straightforward. We tried to balance looking at a few things with some experienced players that give you leadership on the pitch and set the tone Gareth Southgate “That, as we know from last time, here isn’t always the case! “We’ve been able to look at a few things, we’ve been able to get players on, we’ve been able to get some players off, so very pleased with the night.” England now turn their attention to Monday’s home game North Macedonia after preventing Malta – ranked 172nd in the world – from having a shot in their box, never mind an attempt on goal. Head coach Michele Marcolini said: “I think that we don’t shoot on goal because England for 90 minutes pressed very high and didn’t give us the chance to play easy. Never, never. “To be honest, the difference physically was clear. To build the action easily, we cannot, to be honest. “We are sorry about that but at the end we have to be honest and say that this kind of match for us with this kind of behaviour from the opponent it’s very tough. “When you play with this difference between the teams, you have to hope that the opponent comes here a little bit calmer or they take the match easily. “But this didn’t happen today because England has an amazing attitude on the pitch from the first minute until the end.”

George Kambosos Jr tensed his jaw, forced his teeth further into the hard rubber of his gumshield, bowed his head and hurled as many hooks as he could muster at Devin Haney. All the while, Haney stood before the Australian, eyes alert and mind composed, jettisoning sharp, straight shots into the blood-smeared face of his wincing opponent. Clearly Kambosos, who had spent 12 rounds trying and failing to close range against Haney in June, felt that a more aggressive approach was needed in their rematch four months on – an approach punctuated by a disregard for his own wellbeing. But, Haney, who was so content to school Kambosos with educated jabs in their first encounter, welcomed his opponent’s decision to open up. This time, Haney would punish Kambosos with piston right hands and torquey left hooks, exposing Kambosos’s reckless entries with a greater intensity and variety of offence than was required in their first clash. And so, although the result and location remained the same, the manner of victory did not. Haney’s record now counts back-to-back unanimous-decision wins over Kambosos, both in Melbourne, but the similarity of those results belies the evolution of performance displayed by the “Dream”. At just 23 years old, the American had relieved Kambosos of his unbeaten record and unified lightweight titles in their first bout, before maintaining his own undefeated and now-undisputed status in the rematch. What will 24 bring for Haney? First of all, a showdown with Vasiliy Lomachenko. The Ukrainian is, unquestionably, one of the finest fighters of this generation. “Loma”’s accolades include two Olympic gold medals, a spell as unified lightweight champion, a world title at featherweight, and another at super-featherweight. His arsenal still boasts refined technique, dizzying punch speed and head movement, and balletic footwork, as well as the adaptability to abort and revisit his southpaw stance whenever necessary. However, the question that will be answered under the Las Vegas lights on Saturday will be whether Lomachenko, at 35, is a fading force. It was a question first raised after the Ukrainian’s surprise defeat by Teofimo Lopez in 2020, when Lomachenko’s comeback was too late and too laboured to overturn the American’s early lead. With that result, the second loss of Lomachenko’s professional career and first in six years, the southpaw surrendered the unified lightweight titles that would be passed on to Kambosos and then to Haney. Lomachenko has since responded positively, stopping Masayoshi Nakatani and outpointing Richard Commey in 2021, before beating Jamaine Ortiz via decision last October. Over the past year, much of Lomachenko’s emotion has, understandably, been invested in his home country’s defence against Russia’s ongoing invasion; a meeting with Haney is of course a ‘fight’ in the most irrelevant of senses, compared to what Lomachenko endured back home, taking up arms alongside his compatriots. In fact, Lomachenko gave up the chance to box Kambosos last year, instead opting to return to Ukraine and allowing Haney to achieve undisputed status. Still, Saturday’s main event marks the toughest in-ring test that Lomachenko has faced since his match-up with Lopez, and there is a distinct feeling that this could be the veteran’s last stand. There is a feeling that Haney could faze out Lomachenko to usher in a new generation. It is a generation carried by an American lightweight movement, one that Haney is fronting. Just last month, his compatriots Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia squared off (admittedly at a catchweight just above the lightweight limit), and although the bout was billed as one of the ‘boxing purists’ fights of the year’, it noticeably permeated the mainstream consciousness. Even after his first defeat, 24-year-old Garcia still has untapped crossover potential, while the unbeaten duo of Davis (28) and Shakur Stevenson (25) are infiltrating many pound-for-pound lists. Yet Haney has arguably the greatest potential of all, and in taking on Lomachenko this weekend, he has positioned himself in the biggest fight to feature any of the four Americans. Furthermore, that is within a year of competing in front of more than 40,000 fans in his first fight with Kambosos. Lomachenko, for his part, is unintimated – as one would expect. He even sounds unimpressed by Haney and managed to play down the abilities of the “Dream” and Garcia in one chomping soundbite this week. “It’s the same as Ryan Garcia, [who] has a good left hook,” the Ukrainian said. “It doesn’t work with guys who know boxing. So, it’s the same [with Haney]; if you know about his jab, I know about his jab, too.” That jousting jab was so effective in Haney’s first encounter with Kambosos, while the American demonstrated a wider array of skills and greater aggression in the rematch. It remains to be seen how Haney will approach the puzzle that Lomachenko presents, which so many foes have failed to solve. Haney has suggested, though, that he will fight on the front foot. “I want to beat him bad, I want to send him into retirement,” he said this week. “I’m going to go in there and impose my will on Loma. [I’m going to] show the world how great Devin Haney really is – how versatile, how strong, how young, and how experienced I am in that ring.” Lomachenko’s counter? “I believe that when you say something, you need to prove it.” Haney is proving himself with every outing, yet Lomachenko still has something to prove, too. And if Haney really does set out to impose himself on Lomachenko, the veteran will need to keep the counters coming. This could be his last stand. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Devin Haney vows to ‘impose will’ on Vasiliy Lomachenko in title fight Haney vs Lomachenko live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron are shaming their male counterparts

Oleksandr Usyk has successfully retained his heavyweight boxing titles by stopping British challenger Daniel Dubois in the ninth round in Wroclaw

Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan is certain her grandparents would be beaming with pride had they had lived long enough to see her play in the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup debut. The Girls in Green kick off their campaign against tournament co-hosts Australia at 1100 BST in front of a sold-out crowd at Stadium Australia after demand forced organisers to relocate the meeting to the competition’s largest venue. The Everton keeper is eligible for the Republic through her paternal grandparents Margaret and Brendan, who were born in Roscommon and Kerry but later emigrated to the United States, where Brosnan was born and raised. Asked how she balances her dual identities as a New Jersey native pulling on a Republic shirt, Brosnan said: “I think it’s amazing. I feel like it’s really special because I feel like I’m able to learn so much about my family. “They’ve both passed on now, but I think it’s just amazing for me to see. “Like I know how close my dad was with them as well, and to be able to play for Ireland and still have that connection to them, even if they’re not here, it’s really hard to put into words how special that is. “It just gives me an amazing chance to see all the different parts of my family history. They passed away when I was 15, 16, but growing up it was weekend trips all the time, and we were really close. “They were from a place called Springfield, Massachusetts and they grew up there when they came over from Ireland. They lived in the same house their whole life, so it’s pretty cool.” Brosnan posted five clean sheets in World Cup qualifiers, and also denied Real Madrid’s Caroline Weir the vital first-half penalty that would have given Scotland a 1-0 lead in their World Cup play-off to decide which team would make the tournament. Instead, Brosnan’s save allowed substitute Amber Barrett to swoop in after the restart and score, her goal enough to ensure the Republic would win 1-0 and seal the momentous result. She said: “Me and Amber laugh because people will come up to her and say, ‘Oh, you’re the best goalkeeper I know’ and people will come up to me and say, ‘Oh, what a finish!’ and I’m like, ‘Ok, I know we both have red hair but we are different people!'” More people will surely tell the difference after the Republic walk out at Stadium Australia to begin the next exciting chapter in their history, before facing Canada and Nigeria to conclude the group stage. Brosnan added: “I think it’s a really, really special moment that we’re able to take part in. “This is something we’ve always dreamed of, then there’s the added bonus that you’re playing the host nation, that the crowd’s so big, that this is our first World Cup. “We’ve discussed really openly about how we know the quality of the group that we’re in and the competition is really fierce. I think that underdog-ness is part of being Irish, that you love that challenge and stepping up, facing a big dog and showing what you’re capable of. “We’re not just here to take part. This is something we’ve been working for for years and years. We’re doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to get results.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On This Day in 2005 – England striker Peter Crouch signs for Liverpool England undecided over armband for World Cup opener MLS All-Star boss Wayne Rooney struggles to take lessons out of Arsenal thumping

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A pianist has become an overnight sensation after his performance at a cafe took an unexpected twist. Emil Reinert was at the Dritan Alsela coffee shop in Dusseldorf, Germany, earlier this week when he launched into a piece from the opera ‘La Traviata’. The surrounding diners looked bewildered at the musical outburst as they sat casually sipping their drinks. However, Reinert himself was left with “goosebumps” when a man sitting across the room suddenly erupted into song. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The stranger with the Royal Albert Hall-worthy voice accompanied the piano player until the end of the verse, at which point a second surprise performer piped in. The man’s friend, who was sitting opposite him, also turned out to be an opera singer and, together, the trio wrapped up the impromptu rendition to rapturous applause. @emiliopiano I met 2 SINGERS in a CAFÉ!! ? @Dritan Alsela Song: Libiamo ne' lieti calici Opera: La Traviata #piano #singing #verdi #traviata #libiamo #publicpiano #classicaltok #classicalmusic #opera #dritanalsela Reinert, who goes by the username emiliopiano on TikTok, posted a video of the spontaneous show, with the caption: “I met 2 SINGERS in a CAFÉ!!” In the overlay text to the two-minute clip, he wrote: “This is what happens when you play Italian music in a café.” He then wrote that he was “so happy” when the man joined him and noted that everyone in the room “soon became silent” and started filming on their phones. The Franco-German musician concluded his video by hailing the experience as proof of the unifying power of music. The recording racked up a staggering 53.9 million views in just two days, as fellow TikTokers shared their delight at the heartwarming display. “These people just got free tickets to a very expensive show,” one commented. “It’s fun cause they probably get paid to sing [...] so this was just for the moment,” wrote another. “As a former dancer I can tell you some people just love their art and share it anywhere anytime,” pointed out a third. “Music is a universal language even if you don’t understand the lyrics you can find beauty in the song,” said a fourth. And a fifth said: “I would love to be somewhere when this happens. It makes me so happy to see spontaneous joyful music.” Meanwhile, a number of killjoys were quick to flag that the whole thing was most probably “staged”. Reinert has amassed 2.2 million followers on TikTok thanks to his videos which have been shot in unlikely settings around Europe, from airports to beaches. Each one sees him happily tickling the ivories on his own before he’s joined by a “surprise” bystander who happens to have brought along an instrument or an exceptional singing voice. @emiliopiano I met a VIOLINIST at the Airport ?! ❤️ #piano #pianogare #mentalhealthawarenessweek #tohelpmyanxiety #pianoengare #pianoairport #violin #violinist #pianoduo #pianoduet #pianoduetchallenge #pianotutorial #pianomusic #pianolesson #pianoplayer #pianist #pianocover #pianotok @RIOPY And yet, as many fans point out, it doesn’t matter that the whole thing is pre-planned. “I know these are staged,” one viewer wrote. “But they still make me cry the happy tears.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni called for an investigation into the death of Issam Abdallah, the Reuters video journalist who was killed Friday when he was struck by a shell that originated in Israel while filming cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanon.

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“These are challenging times for us,” CEO Strauss Zelnick told Barron’s. But, he adds, "the pipeline that we've been investing in is coming to fruition.”

A 21-year-old dies after being hit by the car at Ludden just outside Buncrana.

US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that "pariah" Vladimir Putin is "losing" the war in Ukraine, but it is too early to tell whether the Russian president has been weakened...