Luis de la Fuente said he wanted a new jumper for his birthday but this was even better. On the day that the Spain coach turned 65, his players gave him the perfect afternoon in Atlanta, all the doubts from their opener blown away. Unable to find a way through in 97 minutes here against Cape Verde, this time they put three past Saudi Arabia before anyone had even stopped for the first drink. Life is there to be enjoyed, Lamine Yamal had said and they did.
Lamine scored ten minutes into his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in April and Mikel Oyarzabal added two more in the first quarter. By the end it was four and it could hardly have worked out more nicely, Spain’s victory secured so early that the coach could use the occasion to offer opportunities to those that needed them, Mikel Merino and Nico Williams invited to join the party too. De la Fuente said that Spain wanted to be Spain again, and here they were.
Continue reading...While PM’s desire to fight was strong, time with his inner circle at Chequers sharpened his sense of the inevitable
On Friday, as the dust settled on Andy Burnham’s thumping victory in the Makerfield byelection, Keir Starmer was in defiant mood. “I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away,” the prime minister said, adding: “Let’s pull together as a party and a movement.”
Just 48 hours later, one of his most loyal ministers was on the BBC sending a very different message. “I don’t want to come on here and be delusional that there is no process, there are no forces at work which are challenging the prime minister as leader – that is clearly the case,” said the business secretary, Peter Kyle.
Continue reading...Ministers say Starmer will set out his intentions on Monday morning with an autumn departure the most likely option
Keir Starmer is expected to announce a timetable for his departure on Monday morning, clearing the way for Andy Burnham to become prime minister without a formal contest by the autumn.
Cabinet ministers say Starmer will set out his intentions outside No 10 Downing Street, starting a process of the UK installing its seventh prime minister in a decade.
Continue reading...Chelsea defender has mad scramble for boots and cuts short holiday after belatedly receiving the message of a lifetime from Thomas Tuchel
Trevoh Chalobah has always thought he would be part of an England World Cup squad. In July 2018, the Chelsea centre‑half even put it on the record. “One day … believe,” he posted on social media, alongside a picture of the World Cup trophy. He was 19 and had just joined Ipswich in the Championship on a season loan. The message has aged exceptionally well.
Despite his faith, Chalobah did not think it would be this summer. The chance had surely gone when Thomas Tuchel did not name him in his squad for the tournament in North America. He was close after a fine season at Chelsea, when he made a career-high 47 club appearances, but not close enough.
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