List of All Articles with Tag 'epgb sports'

Trent Alexander-Arnold stood and surveyed. He saw the run from Marcus Rashford and the pass was a delight; cutting across the ball from right to left, it floated into the space. But what followed was something out of a cartoon drawn specifically to show what England struggling to beat Malta at home would look like. As Rashford’s run into the box was stopped and Malta cleared, Alexander-Arnold controlled and drove forward in one movement. But it was too much: Alexander-Arnold crashed into Rashford. Wembley groaned. Rashford limped off, injured. It was that kind of night. The paper aeroplanes quickly overtook England to take the lead: more had landed on the Wembley pitch than England had managed shots against the side ranked 171st in the world. Sailing down from high up in the stands, those folded pieces of A4 perhaps made for a more entertaining sight than Gareth Southgate’s side as they toiled and strugged and led only to Enrico Pepe’s eighth-minute own goal. That was obviously not enough to please the masses. It took until the 74th minute for England to finally click. Alexander-Arnold surging through a challenge in midfield to play in Kyle Walker, Phil Foden cleverly finding Bukayo Saka with a slided pass, Harry Kane dropping into position to tuck away England’s second and final goal of the night with what was only their second shot on target. Soon enough, Declan Rice curled in a pleasing third, only for VAR to disallow it due to Kane being stood in an offside position. Again, it was that kind of night. Still, job done, of sorts. England will be among the seeded teams in next month’s Euro 2024 draw. England, though, played as if there wasn’t a job to be done. It was a completely forgettable exercise, the sort of occasion where even Southgate will have struggled to learn much from. Except one thing, perhaps. In some respects, this was the night where Southgate handed Alexander-Arnold the keys to his midfield. So much for the supposed hesitancy to trust – this was Alexander-Arnold having the license to be what he wanted to be, to go everywhere if he wanted to. And for the most part, Alexander-Arnold really was everywhere, ghosting into several roles at once, like a hurried waiter attempting to cater to several overly demanding tables on a busy night. Ultimately for Rashford, Alexander-Arnold’s exuberance to burst forward resulted in an early substitution. Which, for Alexander-Arnold, was not a great look. Nor was the scoreline, or England’s overall performance, which should not, it has to be said, be attributed solely down to him. But this was also, in some ways, his night: his audition for a role in England’s midfield at Euro 2024. Alexander-Arnold, the 4, the 6, and the 8, wearing the 10, was given Wembley to do some free jazz. Asked what he wanted to be for England, Alexander-Arnold’s response was to be a bit of everything. There was the deep-lying Trent, the constructor, with his studs on the ball and his head aloft. The deep-lying Trent also showed a burst of speed, turning and accelerating to quicken England’s play, and was chopped down by Maltese opponents three times within the opening 10 minutes – once rather unceremoniously by Kemar Reid. Then there was the combining Trent, the one who roamed and drifted into the little pockets that popped up just inside Malta’s half, stopping and waiting, building the picture of what was around him. At first glance, most of his work here involved short return passes, but then came the acceleration again, the delightful flick around the corner to Foden, the lofted ball through to Kane, delivered with the quick snap of his instep. At which point Alexander-Arnold became something else: the driving Trent, the arriving Trent, reaching the edge of the box with a surge. There was a hint of the Gerrard to this Trent, a sense that he wanted to be on the receiving end of his own pass. There was the first-time shot from the angle of the penalty area, curled towards the top corner. Given England’s half, though, it curled harmlessly over the bar. But on a dull night, it was something to hold onto. On the other side of England’s midfield was Conor Gallagher. Brought off at half-time, barely having a touch, it illustrated how much came through Alexander-Arnold instead. Cole Palmer later came on and brought a flash with a couple of weaves and shimmies off the right. It belatedly offered a glimpse of some freshness on an evening where Southgate looked reluctant to experiment with anything new. But he did try something with Alexander-Arnold – the last to come off the pitch at the end, long after most at Wembley had already left. There were a few messages like that here. After all, there will be a space in England’s midfield this summer next to Rice and Jude Bellingham, who was desperately missed – even though he clearly should not have been. On a completely forgettable night there was perhaps one conclusion, and that is that Alexander-Arnold is closer to starting for England, and having more responsibility within that side, than we maybe realised. Read More England labour to win over Malta in front of bored Wembley crowd Gareth Southgate privileged as he closes in on 100 games in charge of England Gareth Southgate highlights Sir Bobby Charlton legacy ahead of Wembley tribute How Gareth Southgate can make England vs Malta exciting England vs Malta LIVE: Euro 2024 qualifier result and reaction Marc Guehi on what he brings for England: ‘I can be aggressive, I can be cute’

The scale of Everton’s 10-point deduction has shocked football in a way that is felt beyond Goodison Park. Even figures from other clubs were stunned as they went through the 41 pages of the judgement for breaches of profit and sustainability rules. Part of that is that there was no precedent for this; the Premier League had never done anything like it. That is why many in the rest of world football are watching just as keenly. Over the last few years, a constant refrain in the highest-level boardrooms has been the following: “something must be done about the power of the Premier League”. A fair question is now whether something big is going to change because the Premier League itself has finally done something. Except, the Premier League would be keen to say they didn’t do this. The English top-flight just believed there was a breach and referred it to an independent commission. Even the statement on the competition website was headlined with that. “Everton FC deducted 10 points by independent commission.” That language is read as quite pointed at a time when the Premier League is posing the biggest resistance to an independent regulator. This is all a show of governance. Some of the response, however, has already been an illustration of where the Premier League might be headed over the next decade. That might well be ongoing and fractious debates about what happens in court rooms and legal meetings rather than what happens on the pitch - to say nothing of that said between supporters. Everton, who have publicly made their severe grievance with the outcome clear, have 14 days to launch their inevitable appeal. After that, if the decision is upheld, they can’t go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Leeds United, Leicester City, Burnley and - potentially - Southampton have 28 days to lodge compensation claims from loss of earnings due to Everton staying up at their expense. Such long legal cases might be more concerning for the club, rather than what comes next, especially since the weakness of this season’s promoted clubs may well mean 10 points isn’t enough to see Sean Dyche’s side relegated. Sources connected to Everton do also feel that points number will come down on appeal. Coincidentally, some of the club’s harsher critics have already pointed to the example of Luton Town in 2008-09. There is a view, particularly among those relegated, that they shouldn’t have lost out for conforming to the rules. That is where the discussion has gone now the initial shock has passed. On the other side, there has been debate about the logic of the profit and sustainability rules. Most criticism has been reserved for the idea of getting points deductions for losses of £124.5m instead of £105m, particularly when knowledge of that came from internal documents the club openly shared in order to co-operate. Everton themselves closed their statement with what looked like a warning. “The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules,” it read. There remains so much uncertainty over similar cases. An independent commission is still looking over the 115 Manchester City charges, which is a case of far greater complexity. Chelsea are meanwhile under investigation for a range of potential breaches from the Roman Abramovich era, after the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported allegations of secret payments possibly relating to transfers and managerial appointments. The new ownership already paid an £8m settlement with Uefa earlier this year for self-reporting potential breaches to the European body and the Premier League. There had been a feeling this may earn good will with authorities but the Everton case illustrates that may not lead to clemency. This is an issue of perception, but one much bigger than how certain details are looked at. Taking in all those cases, and with the added complexity of how interlinked these situations and seasons are, it only deepens this wider debate about where English football is headed. There is now a cloud over at least nine Premier League titles, eight Champions League qualifications and two relegation places, before you even get into more mundane, but still costly issues, like prize money for placings. This isn’t what football is supposed to be about. Supporters are supposed to be able to trust what they see. The entire concept of sport is dependent on it. This certainly isn’t what the Premier League is supposed to be about, especially when so many foreign league executives say that the image of good governance has been part of its immense international growth. There may end being a huge irony to that. This potential explosion of off-field examinations and litigations is increasingly seen as the inevitable consequence of an era when the Premier League was just too laissez-faire in regulation. The view of many competition insiders is that the old Richard Scudamore regime didn’t look seriously enough for breaches as they didn’t want to damage the Premier League brand. What it potentially did, however, was create conditions that could end up harming the brand more than anything. “Nobody likes points deductions or asterisks on the league table,” one source said, “but doing it for smaller cases prevents far bigger problems. “This is all coming home to roost.” The argument can of course be extended to the much wider issue of ownership and how lacking in regulation the Premier League has been on that, too. Two of the cases referenced here involve two of the takeovers that are seen as landmarks in modern football history, in the 2003 Abramovich purchase of Chelsea and the 2008 Abu Dhabi purchase of City. Much of the Everton case could be instructive for both. The scale for punishment is clearly now very high. One paragraph of the judgement makes this all too clear. “At one level, disregard of the potential PSR [profit and sustainability rules] difficulties can be said to increase Everton’s culpability. But the Commission considers that there is a danger of double counting. We have already made clear that our approach is to start by considering the extent by which the PSR threshold has been exceeded: the greater the excess, the greater the culpability. We do not consider that the reasons for the PSR breach should aggravate that culpability unless they can be said to constitute exceptional conduct. For example, a deliberate cynical breach of the PSR to achieve a sporting advantage might increase culpability beyond that already arrived at by the extent of the breach.” These sentences are why many are now openly saying that City and Chelsea could be facing huge points deductions or even demotion, in the event they are charged and found guilty. No punishment could be as straight as direct relegation, though. Any punishment going that far would be an expulsion, at which point the English Football League would have to decide whether they want to admit them. While there may be harsh penalties, though, there evidently isn’t as much of an appetite for retrospective punishment. This could leave previous league tables and records untouched. Public opinion would be very different, though. This is the danger the Premier League has got itself into. Over a decade of English football is under scrutiny. Might this lead into something akin to the Premier League’s “Calciopoli era”, where there is so much litigation; where the very reputation of the game is affected? For all the grimness of that, there are many who believe it could be for the greater good. One source from a football body summed up another view. “Everything has to fall apart to get better.” Read More Why Everton have been handed 10 point deduction as Premier League takes FFP stand Watch: Everton CEO responds to Premier League after point deduction Everton vow to fight to ‘unjust’ Premier League points deduction Everton rocked by points deduction as Premier League toughens on financial fair play Victor Lindelof: Scoring more goals is next step for Manchester United Sean Dyche: Everton are starting to show belief on the road after latest win

England have already qualified for Euro 2024 but there are still a couple of qualifying fixtures to play before the campaign concludes. The Three Lions face Malta this evening and North Macedonia on Monday as they bid to finish top of Group C and receive a high seeding at next summer’s tournament in Germany. Gareth Southgate will hope to use these fixtures to bed in some of the fringe players in his squad with the likes of Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Cole Palmer set for some gametime. All three could feature against Malta who are bottom of the group and without a point with just this one match left to play. They lost the reverse fixture 4-0 back in June and have a more task to take any points off England at Wembley. If Southgate does start some of the lesser experienced members of the squad, Malta will believe they have a chance of challenging the Three Lions though this encounter should be a relatively simple outing for the national side. Follow all the action from the Euro 2024 qualifiers plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Everton have been given a 10-point deduction after an independent commission found them guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial fair play (FFP) rules. The club plan to appeal against what they regard as a disproportionate and “unjust” punishment and said they were “shocked and disappointed” by the decision and the sanction. But as it stands, Sean Dyche’s men will drop from 14th to 19th place in the Premier League table and be plunged into greater danger of relegation as they only stay above bottom side Burnley on goal difference. The Toffees become the first English top-flight club to receive such a punishment for falling foul of FFP guidelines. They are just the third club in the Premier League era to be deducted points for any reason: Portsmouth saw nine points taken away for entering administration in 2010 and Middlesbrough were slapped with a three-point deduction for illegally postponing a game in 1997 – both teams subsequently suffering relegation at the end of the season. A statement from the Premier League read: “An independent commission has imposed an immediate deduction of 10 points on Everton FC for a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs). “The Premier League issued a complaint against the club and referred the case to an independent commission earlier this year. During the proceedings, the club admitted it was in breach of the PSRs for the period ending season 2021-22 but the extent of the breach remained in dispute. “Following a five-day hearing last month, the commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5m, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted under the PSRs. The commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed. That sanction has immediate effect.” Last month, the Premier League had recommended a deduction of up to 12 points for the Toffees, as they urged the independent commission to impose a severe sanction. Everton responded in a club statement that said: “Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s commission. “The club believes that the commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction. The club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence and the club’s case will be heard by an appeal board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course. “Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process. “The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings. Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted. “The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules.” Manchester City face 115 charges for allegedly breaching FFP rules in a case that has not yet been heard while Chelsea could also face charges relating to former owner Roman Abramovich’s reign. Everton had announced a total loss of over £300m for the three-year period from 2019 to 2022, far above the £105m permitted. However, clubs were also permitted additional losses related to the Covid-19 pandemic and infrastructure costs are exempt, meaning there is a grey area in terms of interest payments on the costs of building Everton’s new stadium. Everton contend that that is where the discrepancy lies and that it is a matter of the interpretation of accounting. In addition, Everton had a £200m pre-agreement for a naming rights deal for their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium with USM, Alisher Usmanov’s company, which they had to abandon after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Everton have willingly operated under a de facto salary cap since then. The Premier League provided the club with financial guidelines and Everton have a net profit of £28m from the last four transfer windows – the third largest, after Leicester and Brighton, in that time. The Independent has previously reported that an extra layer of political pressure was exerted by the anticipated introduction of an independent football regulator – as laid out by prime minister Rishi Sunak in the King’s Speech earlier this month – with other figures in the sport believing the Premier League is attempting to show the government it can regulate itself. Eyes will now turn to Burnley, Leeds United and Leicester City, who had threatened to sue the Merseyside club for financial losses should they be found guilty of an FFP breach. Read More Watch: Everton CEO responds to Premier League after point deduction Everton vow to fight to ‘unjust’ Premier League points deduction Victor Lindelof: Scoring more goals is next step for Manchester United Sean Dyche: Everton are starting to show belief on the road after latest win Everton edge Crystal Palace in five-goal thriller On this day in 2014: David Moyes appointed Real Sociedad head coach

Everton have criticised the Premier League’s decision to issue the club with a 10-point deduction as punishment for breaching financial fair play rules, and have vowed to appeal against the decision. The Premier League referred Everton to an independent commission in March for an alleged breach of its profitability and sustainability rules in the period ending in the 2021-22 season, and the league recommended a deduction of up to 12 points. On Friday a Premier League statement said: “The Commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR Calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5m, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted. The Commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed. That sanction has immediate effect.” Everton reacted with anger at the news and rejected the finding that they failed to act in good faith during the Premier League’s investigation. “Everton Football Club is both shocked and disappointed by the ruling of the Premier League’s Commission,” it said in a statement. “The Club believes that the Commission has imposed a wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction. The Club has already communicated its intention to appeal the decision to the Premier League. The appeal process will now commence and the Club’s case will be heard by an Appeal Board appointed pursuant to the Premier League’s rules in due course. “Everton maintains that it has been open and transparent in the information it has provided to the Premier League and that it has always respected the integrity of the process. The Club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings. Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the Commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted. “The Club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules. “Everton cannot comment on this matter any further until the appeal process has concluded.” The sanction was put into immediate effect, meaning Everton dropped from 14th to 19th in the Premier League, and from 14 points to four. Everton had announced a total loss of over £300m for the three-year period from 2019 to 2022, far above the £105m permitted. However, clubs were also permitted additional losses related to the Covid-19 pandemic and infrastructure costs are exempt, meaning there is a grey area in terms of interest payments on the costs of building Everton’s new stadium. Everton contend that that is where the discrepancy lies and that it is a matter of the interpretation of accounting. In addition, Everton had a £200m pre-agreement for a naming rights deal for their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium with USM, Alisher Usmanov’s company, which they had to abandon after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Everton have willingly operated under a de facto salary cap since then. The Premier League provided the club with financial guidelines and Everton have a net profit of £28m from the last four transfer windows – the third largest, after Leicester and Brighton, in that time. The Independent have previously reported that an extra layer of political pressure was exerted by the anticipated introduction of an independent football regulator – as laid out by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the King’s Speech earlier this month – with other figures in the sport believing the Premier League is attempting to show the government it can regulate itself. Eyes will now turn to Burnley, Leeds United and Leicester City, who had threatened to sue the Merseyside club for financial losses should they be found guilty of an FFP breach. Read More Watch: Everton CEO responds to Premier League after point deduction Everton rocked by points deduction as Premier League toughens on financial fair play Victor Lindelof: Scoring more goals is next step for Manchester United Sean Dyche: Everton are starting to show belief on the road after latest win Everton edge Crystal Palace in five-goal thriller On this day in 2014: David Moyes appointed Real Sociedad head coach

With qualification secured for Euro 2024, England now bid to secure top spot in Group C and a high seeding at next summer’s tournament. Gareth Southgate’s side face Malta in their penultimate fixture of the qualifying campaign. The Mediterranean nation are bottom of the group and without a point with just one match left to play, losing the reverse fixture 4-0 in June. Malta failed to register even a shot on that occasion but will be hoping for better against an England side missing a couple of regular squad members. Here’s everything you need to know. Get all the latest football betting sites offers here. When is England vs Malta? England vs Malta is due to kick off at 7.45pm GMT on Friday 17 November at Wembley Stadium in London. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Channel 4, with coverage on the channel from 7pm GMT. A live stream will be available via the Channel 4 website and app. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news England have suffered a number of withdrawals from their squad for this fixture and their final qualifier against North Macedonia, with Jude Bellingham and James Maddison the headline names pulling out after strong starts to the season. There is still no place for Raheem Sterling among Gareth Southgate’s group, though, with Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer earning a call up instead and perhaps in line for a senior international debut. Kemar Reid has earned a first call up for Malta, with the Floriana player now a naturalised citizen of the country. Jodi Jones of Notts County is among the foreign-based contingent and should feature up front, while midfielder Teddy Teuma is also back amongst things after missing the fixture against Italy earlier in the month with an ankle injury. Predicted line-ups England XI: Pickford; Walker, Maguiere, Guehi, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Galllagher; Saka, Kane, Foden. Malta XI: Bonnello; Mbong, S. Borg, Pepe, J. Borg, Camenzuli; Teuma, Guillaumier, Muscat; Jones, Nwoko. Odds England win 1/66 Draw 20/1 Malta win 66/1 Get the latest football odds here. Prediction A comfortable England win. England 5-0 Malta Read More Trent Alexander-Arnold shares feelings on England midfield role What do Wales need to qualify for Euro 2024? Son Heung-min responds to injury scare after South Korea win Trent Alexander-Arnold shares feelings on England midfield role What do Wales need to qualify for Euro 2024? Son Heung-min responds to injury scare after South Korea win

Tyson Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk on 17 February, as the pair clash to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000. Fury, who holds the WBC title, and unified champion Usyk will go head to head in Saudi Arabia, where both men have fought in recent years. It was confirmed in late September that the unbeaten pair would finally face each other, potentially on 23 December but certainly in Riyadh. However, Fury’s fight with ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou did not go as smoothly as planned, with the Briton winning a controversial decision after being knocked down by the mixed martial artist in Riyadh. Fury and Usyk faced off in the ring after the bout, in which Fury’s WBC title was not on the line, and the “Gypsy King” suggested that his fight with the Ukrainian would be delayed until 2024. At a press conference on Thursday (16 November), it was confirmed that Fury vs Usyk will take place on 17 February, as each heavyweight bids to become the first undisputed champion in the division since Lennox Lewis, who achieved undisputed status in 1999 but was stripped of his WBA belt in 2000. “I’m gonna relieve the Ukrainian of all the belts, I’m gonna bust him,” Fury said, before launching into an explosive rant at his opponent. “Sausage. Ugly, little man. Rabbit. Run, rabbit, run. You know what’s coming: You’re getting smashed to bits, sausage. You beat all the rest of them, but you ain’t beat Tyson Fury yet. “His b*****s have shrivelled up now. Sissy with an earring in, sausage. Motherf****r, you’re getting knocked out cold. You can’t beat me, you can never beat me. If you beat me in your dreams, you better wake up and apologise – I stole that from [Muhammad] Ali, by the way, sorry. “I came here to pick a fight, I didn’t get all dressed up for nothing. I’m getting a little bit carried away here. I’m excited, and I’m enjoying it. I’ve been in many, many heavyweight title fights before; now is the most important one. It’s gonna be a fight for the ages. We’ve been chosen, and I believe we’re both destined to be here. There’s only one winner, and I’m destined to become undisputed champion and to cement my status as the No 1 fighter of this era. “Easier said than done, I know that. He’s tricky, a good boxer, but I’ve seen many men like him before; when they fight the big men, they struggle. He’s gonna struggle on 17 February, and he’s gonna lose. Never mind the size. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. But when you meet a man who’s also got the dog in him and is bigger than you, let’s put it in a nutshell: You’re f****d. “He’s nowhere near the biggest threat [I’ve faced]. We know he’s slick, a southpaw, but I can outbox him or I can get on the front foot and slaughter him. There’s plenty of ways that I can skin this cat.” Usyk was more reserved but said: “Thank you very much, people. I will speak in the ring. You stop, [Fury]? Enough? I’m a little man, but I will be champ. “I want to tell one story, which looks very similar to our story with Tyson, about David and Goliath. When the Lord gives me Tyson in my hands, I will do my job.” Fury replied: “Impossible. The Lord would never deliver me to you, son, ever – especially a man wearing earrings, believe that.” Fury (34-0-1, 24 knockouts) won the WBC title with his stoppage win over Deontay Wilder in 2020, after the pair fought to a controversial split draw in 2018. The 35-year-old has since retained the belt against Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, winning each fight via stoppage. Meanwhile, Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) won the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts with a decision win over Anthony Joshua in 2021. The 36-year-old southpaw then retained the gold with another points victory over the Briton in 2022, before stopping Joshua’s compatriot Daniel Dubois in August. Read More Tyson Fury unleashes explosive verbal assault on Oleksandr Usyk at face-off in London Anthony Joshua sees Otto Wallin as stepping stone on way to title fight Date for Tyson Fury’s title fight with Oleksandr Usyk to be announced on Thursday Boxing’s heavyweight saga sees biggest plot twist yet Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach Tyson Fury promoter Frank Warren promises ‘historical’ fight card on 23 December

Deontay Wilder ducks his head, cramping his 6ft 6in frame under the vent in a seemingly endless, narrow green hallway in Wembley Arena, and howling as he marches towards his dressing room. Across the corridor – three steps for you or me, one for the American – is Anthony Joshua’s dressing room. Once inside his own, Wilder hurries to the bathroom, where he belts out the refrain of “This Is How We Do It” repeatedly, for about 90 seconds. When he emerges, the “Bronze Bomber” is ready to get down to brass tacks. Wilder soon declares that he has been metaphorically “knocking on Joshua’s door for years”, but what if he were to take the short trip across the hall and knock literally? “At this moment in time, I’d tell him it’s good to see him,” the 38-year-old tells The Independent and a small group of reporters. “I’d tell him it has been a long time coming, and I wish him nothing but the best.” Moments later, in Joshua’s dressing room, I ask the Briton the same question. “I’d probably do more listening than talking,” the 34-year-old replies. “I don’t have much to say to these guys. I don’t have much to say. These heavyweights, man...” But these two particular heavyweights are not here for a press conference promoting a long, long, long-awaited fight between them. On this November evening in Wembley, the former world champions share a stage, and on 23 December, they will share a ring in Riyadh – just not at the same time. Joshua will box Otto Wallin, after Wilder fights Joseph Parker. Yet inevitably, our conversation in Joshua’s dressing room revolves almost entirely around Wilder, and vice versa once we cross the hall, with December’s event intended to pave the way to one of the most hotly anticipated fights in history. And while Wilder’s hypothetical message to Joshua is a polite one, it is not necessarily in keeping with his overall thoughts on “AJ” this evening. That’s OK, though, because Joshua has no intention of pleasantries tonight. The Briton’s first issue is with Wilder questioning his identity. Wilder, sitting beside his manager Malik Scott, his arms stretching almost the entire length of their purple, velvet sofa, has this to say: “I worry about every fight Joshua is in. Eddie Hearn built Anthony Joshua; he wasn’t born a champion, he was made a champion. I think they did a f***ing amazing job of promoting him and getting him to the top. I am happy for him as a fellow fighter, I am proud of him and happy for him. But I would have been the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight world champion many years ago, for many years, if I had the opportunities he was given. “If you have a company with only one moneymaker, you will never risk him against the best, you will put him in with mediocre guys. I don’t want to call guys mediocre, I’m not downplaying them, but they’re not at the top of the competition. “Man, Joshua better get ready. That’s all I can say. It’s that time.” Ten minutes later, we hear Joshua’s response. “Who the f*** is he? He’s a boxer, not a psychologist.” The Olympic gold medalist is reclining on a sofa beside Hearn, and sporting a grey tracksuit and a black beanie hat. It is a less ostentatious get-up than Wilder’s tuxedo-and-varsity-jacket combination, and similarly, the dim, grey walls around Joshua are a world away from the flowered wallpaper in Wilder’s room – if just a few steps away in reality. “I’ve stood 10 toes on what I represent, I’ve been two-time champion of the world, defended, fought X amount of world champions,” Joshua continues. “The boy has had 50 fights, and he fought Jason Gavern in his 30-somethingth fight; I fought him in my 11th. We are different; my identity is strong. If they’re looking for weaknesses and gaps, then they need to stop looking over here, because I’m solid. I don’t know what he’s talking about if I’m honest.” Joshua, it must be said, seems to be in a somewhat prickly mood. It’s apparent later, in his back-and-forth on stage with Jarell Miller (understandably, after the American’s failed drug tests derailed their planned clash in 2019, leading to Joshua’s stoppage loss to Andy Ruiz Jr) and his dismissal of host Dev Sahni. Joshua would prefer that Hearn ask him questions, not Sahni, who is employed by Hearn’s rival Frank Warren. It is also evident in his response to a question about Ben Davison, who worked with Tyson Fury and is – in a sense – Joshua’s fourth coach in two years. “I don’t want to talk about trainers,” Joshua says, before pretending not to know about Davison’s past with Fury. Wilder, meanwhile, is in a more playful mood, but he picks his moments to be cutting. After questioning Joshua’s identity, he questions the Briton’s grit. “I don’t want you to get in the ring [with me] because the money’s right; I want you to get into the ring because you feel like you can beat Wilder, in your heart,” he says. “When you get in that ring, you’re going to put on a great performance and not lay down the first time you get hit.” Then, he questions Joshua’s courage, to a degree. “The fight is closing in, and Joshua has nowhere to run. I don’t think he’s scared of me, but the people around him are. Maybe there is some fear in him, but we are in a business where we all risk our lives. The sport and the dangers get under your skin, so I understand that side, [but] everyone will get in the ring for the right price, especially when there is over $50m (£40m) on the table. Everything is going in the right direction now, and the fight will happen. The time is finally here, and people are going to get what they have wanted for years. “There have been a lot of lies and manipulation going on, there have been a lot of years I have been waiting. I have never been the hold-up, and I could say a lot of things. All of these guys – promoters, managers – they don’t want me to say certain things, because it exposes them. But, at the end of the year, we are here now.” Joshua, for his part, says: “We’ve stayed around long enough to see the changes happen, and just the timing factor. It was either going to happen now or 10 years from now, we were just lucky enough to be in the driving seat at this present time.” Yet, again, it is worth remembering: Joshua and Wilder are not fighting each other on 23 December. Instead, their respective bouts will top an admittedly remarkable card involving the likes of Daniel Dubois, Dmitry Bivol, Filip Hrgovic and Jarrell Miller. The event – the likes of which the boxing world has never seen before – marks a sudden, stupefying collaboration between Hearn’s Matchroom, Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, and various other companies. “In terms of Frank and Eddie, you’d have to ask [Eddie],” Joshua says, “but me and Wilder, we’re fighters; we were going to fight each other one day. It was either going to be on his card or someone else’s card. To have us all working together, it’s unbelievable.” But Joshua and Hearn repeatedly stress that Wilder may not even be next for AJ after 23 December. “I want to go for the title – we might fight [Oleksandr] Usyk,” Joshua says of the man who dethroned him in 2021 and outpointed him again in 2022. “It’s better to plan for everything than to plan for nothing. This might happen, this may not. I fought a tall guy, [Robert] Helenius – that’s leading me towards Wilder; I fight a southpaw [Wallin] – that’s leading me towards Usyk. Either way, I’m going down a positive route. “Do you know what’s good? I’ve got opportunities. That’s what I think is the best thing right now. I feel like the fight with Wilder is massive, it will happen, but I have options. I don’t aim to be a part of the circus, I aim to own the circus.” Right now, boxing is certainly a circus. But how could you take your eyes off it? Read More Anthony Joshua sees Otto Wallin as stepping stone on way to title fight Joshua vs Wallin and Wilder vs Parker official for 23 December Boxing’s heavyweight saga sees biggest plot twist yet Joshua and Wilder in line to fight on same Saudi card – but not against each other Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach Anthony Joshua and Louis Theroux break into freestyle rap battle: ‘Fire in the booth’

Scotland travel to Georgia for their penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier, although Steve Clarke’s sides have already safely secured their passage to next summer’s tournament. Scotland’s marvellous start to qualifying saw them win their first five games, eventually securing their place at Euro 2024 when Spain beat Norway 1-0 last month, The visitors, however, have lost their last three games - against England, Spain and France - and will look to return to winning ways before their final qualifier against Norway on Sunday. Georgia, meanwhile, sit fourth in the group and will be looking for a win to draw level with Norway and boost their chances of a place in the playoffs Here’s everything you need to know. Get the latest match odds and tips here. When is Georgia vs Scotland? Georgia vs Scotland is due to kick off at 5pm GMT on Thursday 16 November at the Boris Paichadze National Stadium. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match on ViaPlay Sports 1, with coverage starting at 4:30pm. All of Scotland’s Euro 2024 qualifiers are being shown on ViaPlay, which requires a ViaPlay Total pass subscription. The match can be accessed by downloading the ViaPlay app or through providers such as Sky, Virgin Media or Prime Video. It can also be streamed directly on the ViaPlay website. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Early team news Georgia’s squad remains settled, with few replacements or changes due to injury. They will, however, be without Basel midfielder Gabriel Sigua after the 18-year-old picked up a knock. Scotland, however, have to contend with a mounting injury list after striker Che Adams became the latest to pull out of the squad due to a groin issue, with Lawrence Shankland replacing him. At full-back, the visitors also have a host of absentees, with Kieran Tierney, Aaron Hickey and captain Andy Robertson all unavailable due to long-term injuries. Predicted line-ups Georgia XI: Mamardashvili, Mamuchashvili, Lochoshvili, Kashia, Kvirkvelia, Azarovi, Kiteishvili, Kvevkveskiri, Chakvetadze; Mikautadze, Kvaratskhelia. Scotland XI: Clark, Hendry, McKenna, Cooper, Patterson, Gilmour, McTominay, Taylor, McGinn, Christie, Dykes. Odds Georgia win 12/5 Draw 9/4 Scotland win 11/10 Prediction Scotland to continue their good form with a narrow away win. Georgia 0-1 Scotland. Read More Clarke targets winning return for Scotland after back-to-back defeats David Beckham meets India cricket star Virat Kohli ahead of World Cup semi-final Newcastle, Man Utd and West Ham target Leverkusen defender David Beckham meets India cricket star Virat Kohli ahead of World Cup semi-final Newcastle, Man Utd and West Ham target Leverkusen defender Chelsea ‘robbed’ by ‘embarrassing’ referee in Real Madrid draw, fumes Emma Hayes

Chelsea travel to Spain to start their Women’s Champions League (WCL) campaign in what will be manager Emma Hayes’ last opportunity to win the European competition before she leaves the club at the end of the season. The WCL is the only piece of silverware that has eluded Hayes in her 11-year tenure at Chelsea but winning the tournament in her final year with the club will not be an easy feat. An opening clash against Real Madrid, runners-up in Liga F, will test the Women’s Super League (WSL) champions and the rise of Paris FC, who defeated Arsenal and Wolfsburg in qualifying, make a difficult tournament that much trickier at the group stage. Chelsea reached the semi-final stage last season before losing 2-1 on aggregate to Barcelona who went on to lift the trophy. Barca were also the team to stop the Blues on their only trip to the final, running out 4-0 winners in the 2021 showpiece to deny them the title. Adding the talented Ashley Lawrence and Catarina Macario this summer brings extra depth to Chelsea’s squad and they will need the experience of multiple WSL winners if they are to go far this time around. Follow all the action from the Women’s Champions League plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Anthony Joshua will fight Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on 23 December, on the same card as a bout between Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker. The fights are just two of several heavyweight clashes that will take place in the same ring in Riyadh, with Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic among the other boxers in action that night, while light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is also set to compete. The event was officially announced at a press conference in London on Wednesday (15 November). Joshua, 34, and Wilder, 38, have long been linked to one another, and there will inevitably be frustration among fans that the Briton and American will share a ring on 23 December but without boxing each other. Joshua will instead box Wallin, whose sole professional loss came against Tyson Fury in 2019. The Swede, 32, almost secured a victory that night after inflicting a severe cut over Fury’s right eye. Wallin has since won six fights in a row, and his professional record stands at 26-1 (14 knockouts). Meanwhile, Wilder will fight Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 KOs), a teammate of Fury. The New Zealander is on a three-fight win streak, having bounced back well from a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce last year. Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) and Wilder (43-2-1, 32 KOs) both beat Robert Helenius last time out, with “AJ” stopping the Finn in Round 7 in August, after Wilder secured a first-round knockout in October 2022. Joshua’s victory over Helenius was his second straight win after his back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, who took the unified heavyweight titles from AJ in 2021 and retained the gold in their 2022 rematch. Meanwhile, Wilder’s win against Helenius saw him respond positively to back-to-back defeats by Tyson Fury, who won the WBC belt from Wilder in 2020 and retained it against the American in 2021. The pair previously fought to a controversial draw in 2018. "People are talking like I've peaked when they've never even seen a peak in their career, so I don't know what they're talking about,” Joshua said, referring to comments made by Wallin, whom he beat twice in the amateurs and with whom he later sparred. "I'm looking forward to relaying my message to Otto Wallin on 23 December. I can't predict the future, but I know where I wanna go, I know what I wanna do, and I'm sticking to my plan. “I'm a man of my word, and I believe in being a three-time champion of the world. This is what I like about the division: There's a roadmap with checkpoints, and I can't wait to get to the final destination. I'm fully focused on this fight, I'm determined to win, and I'm determined to get back to my 'peak'." Meanwhile, Wilder said: “Parker’s good at the end of the day, I think highly of him. He’s an amazing human being as a man, he’s a great fighter as well. It’s gonna be a remarkable feeling to finally share the ring with him. “The blessing is I have the ability to knock a single man out with one punch. This is something that’s been with me all my life, it’s not something I’ve developed. The curse is that it’s allowed people to shy away from me, to be fearful. Sometimes that can be harmful to the business of boxing.“ When asked whether any other fighter on the stage had ever ‘shied away’ from fighting him, Wilder said: “I don’t really have to say much, y’all have heard me many times throughout the years. I don’t feel the need to call out any names. At this time, my mind is focused solely on Joseph Parker. “It’s good to be in the same room [as Joshua], to see him face to face, it’s been a long time coming. I wish you nothing but the best, bro, and hopefully we can get in the ring some time soon.” Elsewhere on the 23 December card, Dubois will box Jarrell Miller, while Hrgovic fights Mark De Mori. Bivol will defend his WBA light-heavyweight title against Lyndon Arthur, and also in that division, Jai Opetaia fights Ellis Zorro. Meanwhile, Frank Sanchez will go up against Junior Fa at heavyweight, where Arslanbek Makhmudov boxes Agit Kabayel. Read More Boxing’s heavyweight saga sees biggest plot twist yet Joshua and Wilder in line to fight on same Saudi card – but not against each other Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach Anthony Joshua and Louis Theroux break into freestyle rap battle: ‘Fire in the booth’ Anthony Joshua relives fight with ‘six guys’ who attacked him in the street Anthony Joshua teases Tyson Fury fight during interview with Louis Theroux

Chief executive Richard Arnold is leaving Manchester United as they begin their search for a new CEO for the Jim Ratcliffe era. Patrick Stewart, the club’s general counsel, is taking over as interim CEO, with Arnold remaining involved for the rest of 2023. But, with Ratcliffe and Ineos set to buy a 25 percent stake in United for £1.3bn, Arnold will end a 16-year stay at Old Trafford after less than two years as chief executive. The petrochemicals billionaire Ratcliffe wants control of football operations when he takes a minority stake. The lifelong United fan was bidding against Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim after United’s owners, the Glazer family, revealed last November that they were open to investment. Much of Arnold’s time in charge has come amid uncertainty about United’s future and he said: “It has been an incredible privilege to serve this great football club for the past 16 years. Through highs and lows, the constant has been the dedication of our employees and fans. I would like to thank all of them for their loyalty and commitment, and wish everyone associated with the club the very best for the future.” Executive co-chairman Joel Glazer added: “I would like to thank Richard for his outstanding service to Manchester United over the past 16 years, and wish him all the best for his future endeavours. We are fortunate to be able to call on the deep knowledge and experience of Patrick Stewart to provide interim stability and continuity as we embark on a search for a new permanent CEO.” A close ally of former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, Arnold was criticised for his attempts to bring Mason Greenwood back into the team. Arnold, who was previously commercial director at Old Trafford, played a significant part in transforming United’s commercial and sponsorship revenue. In his time as chief executive, the club signed lucrative partnership deals with Adidas and Qualcomm. After Woodward had become more involved in sporting decisions, he delegated more of the responsibility to football director John Murtough and helped build a structure inside the club. Director of football operations David Harrison, director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves, head of women’s football Polly Bancroft and deputy football director Andy O’Boyle all joined the club during Arnold’s reign. His tenure also included the appointment of Erik ten Hag and United’s first trophy in six years, in the 2023 Carabao Cup, plus greater investment in the women’s team. Stewart, who has been at United for 17 years, already works closely with governing bodies such as the Premier League, the FA and Uefa. He said: “Together with my leadership team colleagues, my job will be to ensure that the club’s foundations remain stable while we embrace changes that can make us stronger over the long term, on and off the pitch, and to support the search for a new permanent CEO.” Further changes are expected at Old Trafford with Sir Dave Brailsford, the cycling boss, likely to play a major role. Brailsford has worked closely with Ineos chairman Ratcliffe both with the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team and at Ligue 1 club OGC Nice. Read More Chelsea set for more Premier League scrutiny over Roman Abramovich era Chelsea face fresh scrutiny over secret payments made under Roman Abramovich Referees chief Howard Webb backs VAR decision on Anthony Gordon goal against Arsenal Chelsea set for more Premier League scrutiny over Roman Abramovich era Chelsea face fresh scrutiny over secret payments made under Roman Abramovich Referees chief Howard Webb backs VAR decision on Anthony Gordon goal against Arsenal