Ten-man Northern Ireland returned to the all-too-familiar feeling of defeat as Adam Cerin’s early free-kick put Group H leaders Slovenia on the verge of qualifying for Euro 2024 with a scrappy 1-0 win at Windsor Park. Saturday’s 3-0 victory over minnows San Marino ended Northern Ireland’s five-game losing streak but it proved only a temporary reprieve in an injury-ravaged qualifying campaign which has now seen Michael O’Neill’s side suffer five 1-0 defeats in eight games. The defining moment of the match came early on. While there was no doubt about the quality of Adam Cerin’s fifth-minute free-kick, Northern Ireland were fuming at referee Istvan Kovacs’ decision to award it after Jamal Lewis barely clipped Benjamin Sesko on the edge of the box. Shea Charles was booked for dissent and that proved costly just before the hour mark when the Southampton midfielder went in late on Andraz Sporar and was sent off, the first blemish on the 19-year-old’s impressive start in international football. Charles has started every game of this campaign but will now miss November’s trip to Finland, another headache for O’Neill, who was forced into further changes here with Dan Ballard out with a thigh problem and Paddy McNair suspended following his late yellow card on Saturday. The manager responded with bold choices, handing debuts to Bolton defender Eoin Toal and Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons, the 30th and 31st players to be used in eight qualifiers so far, despite more experienced options on the bench. The atmosphere inside a below-capacity Windsor Park was already flat at the start with but it fell silent after Cerin’s goal, the fans not even having the energy to resume the anti-Casement Park chanting heard before kick-off. As the night wore on, a sense of injustice would rouse the fans. Northern Ireland responded quickly when Slovenia scored early in Ljubljana last month, a 4-2 defeat, but struggled to threaten here. Paul Smyth, the star of the show on Saturday, found little joy on the right. On the left Lewis had more joy in finding space but lacked the quality of cross required. Although limited going forward, Northern Ireland were at least ensuring Slovenia’s powerful strike force had few sights of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s goal. After one rare attack, Slovenia appeared to have been gifted a second just after the half hour. Trai Hume’s poor headed clearance went straight to Jan Mlakar and Toal got it all wrong trying to cut out his low cross, allowing Sesko to thump home from close range. However, the visitors’ celebrations were cut short after the referee checked the replay, deeming Sporar to be interfering from an offside position. O’Neill sent on Washington for Josh Magennis at the break and was planning further changes a little over 10 minutes in before Charles saw red, forcing a rethink. Conor McMenamin, amongst the goals on Saturday, had been due to come on but instead it was George Saville, Dion Charles and Isaac Price who entered the fray in a triple change. The substitutes combined for Northern Ireland’s best move in the 69th minute as Price drove down the right, exchanged passes with Washington and then pulled the ball back for Saville but the midfielder, yet to score for Northern Ireland after 49 appearances, did not get enough power on his shot. There was a let-off in the 72nd minute when Mlakar found space in front of goal but got the contact on his shot all wrong, while at the other end Dion Charles blazed harmlessly wide. Northern Ireland still pushed forward but another flowing move ended with Saville shooting straight at Oblak and other attacks were thwarted by the over-officious Kovacs. Captain Jonny Evans, who had treatment on an ankle injury in the first half, ended the game limping heavily after another strong impact when challenging for a corner. Read More Kevin Sinfield says England’s Marcus Smith now ‘world class’ at full-back Jordan Henderson has ‘no regrets’ over Saudi Arabia move despite being booed Rassie Erasmus expects England to have ‘some beef’ with South Africa Netherlands stun South Africa in massive Cricket World Cup shock Marcus Smith on ‘modified training’ as England prepare for South Africa semi-final Beth Mead ‘not close’ to England recall, Sarina Wiegman admits

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says it still “hurts deeply” to have missed out on the Premier League title, but he is happy with the progress he has made after taking over a club that had lost its “soul”. The Gunners led the Premier League title race for 248 days last season before they were eventually chased down by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who went on to win the treble, leaving the Gunners trophyless for a third straight season. Arteta admits it still pains him that his side fell short but feels there were plenty of positives to take from last term, and from his tenure overall. In an interview with Marca, the 41-year-old Spaniard said: “To this day, it still hurts me deeply, not having won the Premier (League) after spending 10 months fighting with City. “But that’s the sport. That said, what has been achieved with such a young team is worthwhile. That is clear to me too.” The Spaniard, who took over at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019, continued: “This started (over) three years ago. I was Pep’s assistant at City, we played against Arsenal and I saw that the soul of the club had been lost. “It was not enjoyed, it was not felt. I knew that there was the option, shortly after, of being on the other bench and I knew that this club is so big that you had to connect the team with the fans. It has been hard to do, and now I feel happy. “We have a clear identity, there is union and we are full of energy. That’s the biggest thing. From top to bottom, they all push in the same direction.” I feel loved, valued by our owners, Stan and Josh (Kroenke), and I have a lot to do here at this club. I am happy and tremendously grateful to be at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta to Marca Arteta responded to a question about reports linking him with a move to Paris St Germain, where he spent an 18-month loan spell during his playing career, by insisting he was “happy” and “grateful” to be with the north London club. “I can only say that I am happy at Arsenal,” he said. “I feel loved, valued by our owners, Stan and Josh (Kroenke), and I have a lot to do here at this club. I am happy and tremendously grateful to be at Arsenal.” The Gunners kick off their 2023-24 campaign against Nottingham Forest on August 12. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Chicago Cubs’ Marcus Stroman wants MLB to be embraced globally after London trip On this day in 2012: Joey Barton stripped of captaincy by QPR Justin Steele impressed by support for Chicago Cubs at London Stadium

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A British model has recounted her relief at escaping a kidnapping, after she was held prisoner in Italy and put up for sale on the dark web. Chloe Ayling, 25, who was on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, suffered the traumatic experience the previous year, when she was abducted and drugged by two men in Milan. Ayling was 20 at the time, and had travelled there for a modelling job. Instead, she was taken hostage and held at a £265,000 ransom in a farmhouse near Turin. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Speaking on ITV, she recalled: “I walked into the studio and there was just silence. “Normally someone would greet you at the door but I just didn't hear anything. “Before I had time to process my thoughts, that's exactly when the masked man put his arm around my neck and mouth... and another one came to the front of me and injected me in my wrists.” When she woke up, Ayling was in the boot of a car with “tape on my mouth and handcuffs on my feet and my hands”. The model also saw an empty suitcase in the boot of the car with her, which she assumed her kidnappers planned to put her in. She was held in the farmhouse near Milan for six days as she tried to convince the men to let her go. Ayling was released on 17 July at the British consulate in Milan, after telling the kidnappers about her child at home. Polish national, Lukasz Herba, and his brother, Michal Herba, were subsequently jailed after an Italian court convicted them of kidnapping Ayling. Ayling’s story will be covered in a six-part BBC series called Kidnapped. Georgia Lester, who worked on Killing Eve, will cover her time in captivity, and the subsequent court case. Lester said: “Every moment that I have spent researching this series and spending time with Chloe, learning about the ordeal she suffered both by the men who abducted her and the people who doubted her, has been shocking and infuriating. “It’s been an honour to work with Chloe and I can’t wait for audiences to finally see her courage, her charm and her unwavering resilience.” The BBC Three series will begin filming later this year. 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.

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