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Australia will look to advance to the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup as they host Denmark at a sold-out Olympic Stadium in Sydney. The World Cup co-hosts survived a “do or die” clash with Canada to progress to the knockout stages in style, thrashing the Olympic champions 4-0 to finish top of Group B. The Matildas could be boosted by the return of star striker and captain Sam Kerr, who missed all three group games due to injury but could be back for the knockout stages. Denmark are led by Kerr’s former Chelsea team-mate Pernille Harder and reached the last-16 after finishing runner-up to England in Group B. The early exits of Germany, the USA and Brazil have opened up the World Cup and now Australia and Denmark have an opportunity to make a claim. Follow live updates from Australia vs Denmark in the Women’s World Cup last-16, below. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

England face their biggest test of the Women’s World Cup yet as the Lionesses take on Nigeria in the last-16 in Brisbane. It’s been a tournament of shocks and surprises so far and Sarina Wiegman’s side will be wary of becoming another, after the defending champions United States joined Germany, Canada and Brazil in exiting the competition on Sunday. But it means the tournament is opening up, with England among those who are looking like contenders in Australia and New Zealand. The Lionesses produced a brilliant performance to thrash China 6-1 last time out, so confidence is high among the camp. Nigeria are dangerous opposition: led by star striker Asisat Oshoala, the Super Falcons stunned Australia and held Canada on their way to qualifying for the knockout stages. Follow live updates from England vs Nigeria in Brisbane as the Lionesses look to reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Lauren James: England’s new superstar taking World Cup by storm Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings?

England face their biggest test of the Women’s World Cup yet as the Lionesses take on Nigeria in the last-16 in Brisbane. It’s been a tournament of shocks and surprises so far and Sarina Wiegman’s side will be wary of becoming another, after the defending champions United States joined Germany, Canada and Brazil in exiting the competition on Sunday. But it means the tournament is opening up, with England among those who are looking like contenders in Australia and New Zealand. The Lionesses produced a brilliant performance to thrash China 6-1 last time out, so confidence is high among the camp. Follow LIVE: England vs Nigeria in Women’s World Cup last-16 as Keira Walsh starts Nigeria are dangerous opposition: led by star striker Asisat Oshoala, the Super Falcons stunned Australia and held Canada on their way to qualifying for the knockout stages. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of England vs Nigeria at the Women’s World Cup. When is England vs Nigeria? The match will kick off at 8:30am BST on Monday 7 August. What TV channel is it on? England’s first match of the knockout stages against Nigeria will be shown on BBC One, with coverage starting from 8am. The match will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. What is the England team news? Keira Walsh has made a stunning return for England’s last-16 Women’s World Cup clash against Nigeria. Walsh was carried off on a stretcher late in the first half of the Lionesses’ 28 July victory over Denmark, with fears that the influential midfielder’s tournament could be over, but scans revealed her knee injury was not as serious as first suspected. And after taking part in full training over the weekend, Walsh is back in England’s starting line-up. She is the only change to Sarina Wiegman’s side from the team that thrashed China 6-1, replacing Katie Zelem in midfield. It means England keep their 3-5-2 formation, Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly start at full-back, either side of a back three of Jess Carter, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood, with Mary Earps in goal. Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp started as a front two against China and keep their places after both finding the scoresheet in the 6-1 win, while Lauren James is the first name on the teamsheet after her stunning two-goal and three-assist display against China. Walsh partners Georgia Stanway in midfield, with the Bayern Munich star impressing in the number six position in Walsh’s absence. One thing Wiegman may consider is she has three players, Stanway, Hemp and Greenwood, who are on yellow cards and would miss the quarter-final if they pick up another and England make it there. Yellow cards are not wiped until after the last-16. Read More Sharpened England face a World Cup test with a different edge Millie Bright on England captaincy: ‘I don’t give the orders - everyone has a platform’ USA’s dominant era ends on a night of chaos, confusion and heartbreak England vs Nigeria LIVE: Women’s World Cup build-up and team news Sarina Wiegman reveals stunning Keira Walsh fitness update on eve of Nigeria clash Millie Bright: ‘I don’t give the orders - everyone has a platform’

One of the most experienced and dependable names in Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad, Alex Greenwood might have been expected to start at left-back after Rachel Daly’s devastating season up front for Aston Villa meant her moving out of the defensive position she held throughout the last year’s triumphant Euros campaign. But with injuries ruling out Leah Williamson, Wiegman may prefer to deploy Greenwood through the centre and place Jess Carter at full-back, an uncertainty the Liverpudlian says does not concern her, insisting she is equally comfortable in either position. A dead-ball specialist as well as a no-nonsense defensive stalwart, Greenwood, 29, began her career at Northfield in Liverpool before being selected by Everton aged eight to enter the club’s Centre of Excellence. She eventually broke into the first team at 17 in 2010 and was named FA Young Player of the Year in 2012 before leaving with a heavy heart when the Toffees were relegated in 2014. Thereafter playing for Notts County, Liverpool and Manchester United – captaining the latter in their inaugural Championship-winning season in 2018/19 – she then moved to the all-conquering Lyon in France for a season, picking up the Champions League and three domestic honours, before (controversially) finding a permanent home at former rivals Manchester City in 2020. Greenwood has also picked up 75 senior England caps in that time, captaining the side in this year’s Arnold Clark Cup tie against Italy, and is otherwise known as an outspoken advocate for the women’s game, unafraid to speak frankly about the “draining” misogynistic abuse she and her teammates have been subjected to on social media. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

Despite being a Manchester City fan so committed to the club that she had pet goldfish named Shaun Goater and Nicolas Anelka as a child, Keira Walsh was also a keen student of “tiki-taka”-era Barcelona growing up in Rochdale, admiring the total control demonstrated by Pep Guardiola’s sides through elegant possession football. These days, Pep is managing City and it is Walsh herself sitting at the heart of Barca’s midfield. She made that move last summer for a world record fee after starring for the Lionesses at Euro 2022, pulling the strings at the centre of the park like another of her idols, David Silva, always knowing precisely when to play the killer pass. There was no finer example of this than the perfectly-weighted long ball she dinked into Ella Toone for England’s opener against Germany in the final, for which she was deservingly named player of the match. Another famed instance of Walsh’s artistry in action came at the SheBelieves Cup in Japan in 2019, when she played in Beth Mead with a pass that took out no fewer than eight separate opposition players in one move, a clip of which swiftly went viral. Her performances during the Euros inspired French journalist Julien Laurens to hail her as “the best player in the world”, an accolade that will place renewed pressure on her to stamp her authority on the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. However, a nasty-looking injury sustained in England’s second group game against Denmark saw her carried from the field on a stretcher, potentially bringing her tournament to a premature end. Walsh, now 26, abandoned youthful passions for badminton and cricket to commit to football, emerging from Blackburn Rovers’ youth system before transferring to her beloved City in 2014, where she made 118 appearances and became known to the club’s Oasis-besotted fans as “WonderWalsh” in tribute to her dependable presence. Former teammate Jill Scott, incidentally, has said her nickname among the Lionesses is “Sat Nav Foot” for the extraordinary precision of her passing. For England, Walsh has effortlessly succeeded Fara Williams in central midfield, having been handed the captain’s armband in just her seventh outing for the Lionesses, aged 21, and is no doubt the first name on Sarina Wiegman’s team sheet these days. Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture Who do England women play next? World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, affectionately known as “Mearps”, may now be firmly ensconced as England’s number one after her heroic displays at the Euros – and impassioned leadership of the table-dancing celebrations that followed – but her chances of even being part of the squad once looked remote. Prior to the arrival of Sarina Wiegman as England manager in September 2021, Earps believed her form was so poor she might never return to the national team, having made her debut against Switzerland in 2017 but received only a handful of caps thereafter before falling out of favour. While Earps went on to win the Fifa ‘Best’ award following the Euros, it was not long after she had considered quitting the game altogether. “I can vividly remember the days of feeling really down and I’d sort of reached my limits and given it a good go but I just wasn’t quite good enough. I had responsibilities, I had a mortgage and it wasn’t adding up,” she told the BBC earlier this year. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here “Eventually I decided ‘OK, I’ll give it a couple more years…’ And then Sarina came in and life changed, literally like that. I felt like she really understood where I came from and had empathy for me as a human being. Not something I’ve experienced a lot in football over the years. I like her directness, her honesty.” Originally from Nottingham, Earps, now 30, was spotted playing for West Bridgford Colts by Leicester City and was taken into its youth academy but never made a senior appearance, moving on to Nottingham Forest and then Doncaster Rovers Belles, where she briefly established herself before being sent out on loan to Coventry City without playing. Spells with Birmingham City, Bristol Academy and Reading followed – during which period she completed a business studies degree at Loughborough University – and then a move to Frauen-Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg before she finally found a permanent home at United in 2019. Now one of the most confident performers in the squad thanks to Wiegman’s encouragement, the shift in Earps’ self-esteem was evident in her reaction to narrowly failing to save Brazil’s first penalty in April’s Finalissima shootout, the keeper remembering in an interview this month: “In that moment, I’m thinking: ‘Is this going to be how my day is going to go? I’m going to be close, but not close enough?’ “I said to myself: ‘No chance. This is mine – and I’m having it.’” Read More How to watch England vs Nigeria: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

Perhaps David Raya would have saved it. It was a tame penalty, after all. But Aaron Ramsdale did save it, diving to his right, blocking Julian Alvarez’s lacklustre effort, punching the air, just as he had when Kevin de Bruyne thumped the underside of the bar with his spot kick. Whichever, it amounted to a response from Ramsdale. A seeming success story of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, the goalkeeper signed from relegated Sheffield United, who signed him from relegated Bournemouth, who seemed the spirit animal of a young, hungry side who went on to top the table for 248 days. And who, then, suddenly, brutally, seemed undermined when it emerged Arsenal were bidding for Brentford’s Raya. But Ramsdale brings character. The sense is that he will not surrender his position without a fight, even if the Gunners do land Raya or another potential No 1. A Community Shield triumph and a third trophy of Arteta’s reign came courtesy of two of his saves. The first, stopping Phil Foden from doubling Manchester City’s lead, had a hint of fortune, the ball striking the inside of his leg and then rolling past the post. Fortune may have favoured Arsenal again with the goal that secured a shootout. The 101st-minute strike may become a more frequent phenomenon as the amount of added time mushrooms this season. Two months earlier, City won the Champions League in part because of a save deep into added time; when another trophy beckoned and still later, Stefan Ortega was wrongfooted when Leandro Trossard’s shot took a huge deflection off Manuel Akanji. And then Martin Odegaard, Trossard and Bukayo Saka – who had missed in a more famous shootout at Wembley two years earlier – found the net from 12 yards. De Bruyne’s miss and Ramsdale’s save afforded Fabio Vieira the chance to win it: his namesake, Patrick, had decided a shootout against a Manchester club in the 2005 FA Cup final and history repeated itself. At the end of it, Arteta had just a second win in 10 managerial meetings with Guardiola: on penalties, with the aid of added time and deflections, but after losing three previous games in 2023 and eight in all, any victory was welcome. He may feel he had found a method, too. Kai Havertz has been bought to play as a free eight for Arsenal but his debut came as a false nine, the role in which he frequently flattered to deceive at Chelsea. It was the product of an injury to Gabriel Jesus and a tactical ploy alike. If Arteta was camouflaging his main gameplan for the season, his signings shape the way they will probably play against lesser opponents. But not against City, who had eviscerated them 3-1 and 4-1 in games that could be billed as title deciders: that, though, was with De Bruyne and Erling Haaland in harness and when the Belgian came on, the Norwegian went off. But Arsenal had more restraint, more patience as much of the match had the feel of a phoney war. There was a cautiousness to them, with two defensive midfielders, men behind the ball and a willingness to stand off, rather than pressing. The Arteta blueprint may entail Declan Rice operating on his own at the base of the midfield, but he had Thomas Partey for company, and Havertz debuting alone in attack. Chances were a premium; three of different kinds fell to Champions League final scorers. Rodri tried an audacious attempt to lob Ramsdale from the halfway line: the backpedalling goalkeeper was spared embarrassment when the ball landed on the roof of the net. Havertz, whose Champions League final goal came for Chelsea and against City, had his opportunities when Arsenal allied patience and restraint with hints of a counterattacking menace. Ortega saved twice from Havertz after low passes from the right, with Ben White and Saka picking out the German. It continued a theme that felt all too familiar at Stamford Bridge. It was Havertz in a nutshell, the supposed generational talent with the elusiveness to earn chances and the inability to take them. The great xG underachiever scored too few goals for Chelsea, but found the net in Champions League and Club World Cup finals; perhaps the Community Shield was not a big enough occasion. It did, though, seem Cole Palmer’s day. The 20-year-old came on with De Bruyne and put City ahead in sumptuous style, curling a shot past Ramsdale. It earned him the player of the match award – a sign in itself of how little had happened before his arrival – but the verdict was made before Trossard, Akanji and Ramsdale’s interventions. And so City were denied a fourth trophy in as many months and a third in as many games. With honours scarcer for Arsenal, the Community Shield probably meant more to them. And with his place at threat, it may have had an added importance to Ramsdale. Read More Mikel Arteta benefits from new law changes as Arsenal clinch Community Shield Arsenal vs Man City LIVE: Latest Community Shield updates Can Mikel Arteta become Pep Guardiola’s greatest nemesis – or merely the latest? What time is the Community Shield and how to Arsenal vs Man City today Arsenal will need ‘unheard of’ points tally to win title – Mikel Arteta Pep Guardiola expects Arsenal summer signings to take them to the next level

The Community Shield is always a game for the calendar - the official opening of elite action in England’s men’s game. This time around it’s treble-winners Manchester City and last season’s Premier League runners-up Arsenal who meet at Wembley, fighting for the first prize of the new campaign. Mikel Arteta has added the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to his squad this summer, while Mateo Kovacic has traded Chelsea for Man City as a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. While not usually a match which foretells the fortunes of the season ahead, it’s still an intriguing opportunity to see where these respective squads are ahead of the opening game of the 2023/24 league next term. Follow live updates from the Community Shield at Wembley below:

By Amy Tennery Megan Rapinoe did not get the Women's World Cup farewell she wanted on Sunday, a

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Sweden beat the United States 5-4 on penalties to knock the defending champions out of the Women's World

The United States’ Women’s World Cup hopes are on the line as the defending champions face Sweden in the last-16 in Melbourne. The USA only scraped through Group E as runners-up, with the four-time champions avoiding an early exit by the narrowest of margins as Portugal hit the post in stoppage time Vlatko Andonovski’s side are under pressure after failing to win two World Cup group stage matches for the first time in their history, and face a Sweden side who cruised into the last-16 with three wins out of three. Sweden defeated the USA 3-0 on their way to winning the Olympics silver medal two years ago, and the side ranked third in the world will be confident that they can pull off the upset. Earlier, Jill Roord scored her fourth goal of the tournament as the Netherlands marched into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Sydney Football Stadium. Follow live updates from USA vs Sweden as the World Cup last-16 continues. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final

The first match of any season involving top-flight clubs is the Community Shield, and that’s exactly where we find ourselves once more ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Arsenal and Manchester City will meet at Wembley on Sunday to battle for the first, and most minor, piece of silverware of the year, with the Premier League winners and runners-up having both been head-to-head in the transfer market this summer as well as towards the back-end of last term. It was Pep Guardiola and his side who were triumphant on the pitch, winning the treble including the league ahead of the Gunners, but Mikel Arteta has managed to convince Declan Rice to move to north London instead of the northwest after leaving West Ham where he was captain. We’ll likely see both clubs at least in the mix for major honours much later on this season, but the first meeting could be a far more open affair with minutes on the pitch and honing of tactics more important than the trophy on offer. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match. When is the Community Shield? Arsenal take on Man City at Wembley on Sunday 6 August, with a 4pm BST kick-off. Where can I watch it? The match will be broadcast live free-to-air, with UK viewers able to watch on ITV and STV. It can also be streamed via ITVX and the STV Player. What is the team news? The Gunners have added £105m signing Declan Rice to their midfield as well as former Chelsea man Kai Havertz, who played up front for the Blues but may be another central option for Mikel Arteta. Jurrien Timber will also be looking for involvement after the versatile defender joined from Ajax. In attack, Eddie Nketiah is likely to start the season as the man in possession of the centre-forward jersey, with Gabriel Jesus sidelined after surgery. For Man City, Pep Guardiola will turn to new signing Mateo Kovacic to fill the void left by Ilkay Gundogan’s departure, but the Josko Gvardiol deal is not done in time for the defender to feature here. The likes of Julian Alvarez or Cole Palmer will hope for more involvement this season in attack too, after Riyad Mahrez’s departure left one fewer face competing for a spot. Kevin de Bruyne will miss out with injury, Predicted line-ups ARS - Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Odegaard, Rice, Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli MCI - Ortega, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Rodri, Kovacic, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland, Grealish Odds Arsenal 19/5 Draw 16/5 City 4/5 A further selection of tips and selected odds for the Community Shield can be found here. Prediction City to get their hands on another piece of silverware, albeit one which will make no difference to the rest of the season. An eventful opener is on the cards at Wembley: Arsenal 1-2 Man City Read More Can Mikel Arteta become Pep Guardiola’s greatest nemesis – or merely the latest? Barcelona landed one Man City star for free - now Pep Guardiola won’t allow another Mikel Arteta offers injury update on Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus It’s not normal – Pep Guardiola worried about physical demands on Man City squad Aaron Ramsey: Riches of Saudi league no contest for ‘priceless’ Cardiff return Arsenal will need ‘unheard of’ points tally to win title – Mikel Arteta