World Cup Semi Finals – Tues 4 am Spain vs Sweden/Wed 6 am Eng/Australia on Fox
We are down to 4 with 3 of them European squads – along with the home team in Australia. So who do you like? As much as my English Friends want the Lioness’ to bring it on home – I like Australia in the this semi-final. Australia has managed without best player on the planet for the last 5 years – Sam Kerr for most of this tourney and she played 65 minutes last game and could go for more in this one? I see Australia winning a close one 2-1 in normal time. (enough shootouts). On the other side I like Sweden over a young Spain side that has simply never played at this level before. They might be more skilled but will take Grit and Great Defense and Head balls on set pieces in tight games so I like Sweden 2-0. Beside Sweden took out the US – then defended them by saying no one should take potshots at the strongest program the world has ever seen. Give me Sweden to take it home. (tons of stories below) Now interesting in this one as we watch the Aussies – who have flat captured the nation – my daughter is there – and she says the Aussies are so fun to root for! Unfortunately my girlie Courtney is over there like these US fans – looking for a team to root for. (check below for tons of stories & Great GK Saves)
MLS Leagues Cup Semi-Finals Tues Night 7 pm Miami @ Philly, 9:30 pm Monterrey @ Nashville Apple TV MLS Pass
So 3 of the Final 4 teams in the New Leagues Cup between MLS and Liga MX are MLS. At 7 pm Messi and Miami will travel to Philly who pulled it out in the final minutes. While on the other side Nashville pulled out the miracle PK win and will host Mexican power Monterrey at 9:30 pm all on Apple TV MLS Season Pass. (Read stories below) I like Messi & Miami to pull off the win 3-2 in PKs, while Nashville will ride the home crowd to take down Monterrey again 2-1 in PKs.
EPL off to Roaring Start for American Players
What a start for Fulham football club with a solid 1-0 win over Everton with American defenders Tim Ream and Jedi Robinson holding down the defense, couple that with a fine showing for American #1 GK Matt Turner at Nottingham Forest as they almost upset Arsenal at home (2-1) thanks in part to some great saves by Turner.
Australia and England round out semifinalists
The Matildas and the Lionesses are through to the semifinals after quarterfinal dramatics on Saturday.
Australia becomes the first home nation to make the Women’s World Cup semifinals since 2003.
England is the only team to make the semifinals of the 2015, 2019 and 2023 World Cup.
Nerves of steel: Australia took the long route to victory, advancing past France in a historically lengthy penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw through extra time. Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold became the hero of the match for the Matildas, making multiple penalty saves to put Australia through.
England also had to battle adversity, coming back to defeat Colombia 2-1 after conceding the first goal.
An equalizer from Lauren Hemp sent the game into halftime all level, and Alessia Russo scored the game-winner in the second half. There hasn’t been a European Women’s World Cup winner since 2007, but 2023 might be the year that changes. Three of the four semifinalists are from UEFA: Sweden, Spain and England. With Spain taking on Sweden in the semifinals, at least one European team will have a shot at the trophy. Making history: No matter what, there will be a team winning the World Cup for the first time in 2023.England, Spain and Australia have all yet to reach a World Cup final.
Spain, Australia and Sweden have all yet to win a major tournament.
Bottom line: The last few years have made waves about European investment in women’s football. It’s now time to see if that pays off on the biggest of stages.
Spain vs. Sweden, Tuesday at 4 am ET (FOX)
England vs. Australia, Wednesday at 6 am ET (FOX)
Carmel FC GK Training starts Monday, Aug 21
Mondays – Shelbourne Field 2 U11/U12 5-5:45 pm U13+ 5:45 -6:30 pm w/Coach Shane Best
GAMES ON TV
Tues Aug 15
4 am FOX Semi Spain vs Sweden WC
7 pm Apple MLS Philly Union vs Inter Miami (Messi)
Weds Aug 16
6 am FOX Semi Australia vs England WC
3 pm CBSSN Man City vs Sevilla (UEFA Super Cup)
Fir, Aug 18
2:30 pm ESPN+ Werder Bremen vs Bayern Munich
2:45 pm USA Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Shelfield United
Sat, Aug 19
4 am FOX WORLD CUP 3rd place Game
9 am ESPN+ Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig
10 am USA Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs Brentford
10 am Peacock Liverpool vs AFC Bournemouth
12:30 pm NBC Tottenham vs Man United
3 pm USA Man City vs New Castle United
8 pm Apple MLS Pass Nashville vs Miami (Messi, Alba, Bisquets) Leagues Cup Final
9::30 pm ESPN2 San Diego Loyal vs New Mexico United USL
Sun, Aug 20
6 am FOX England vs Spain WORLD CUP FINALS
9 am USA Aston Villa vs Everton
9:30 am ESPN + Union Berlin vs Mainz
11:30 am USA West Ham United vs Chelsea
1:30 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Cadiz
2:45 pm Para+ Udinese vs Juventus (Mckinney, Musah)
3:30 pm ESPND Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid
7:30 pm Apple TV Columbus Crew vs Cincy
7:15 Apple TV Free NY Red Bulls vs DC United
Mon, Aug 21
2:45 pm Para+ Bologna vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
3 pm USA Crystal Palace vs Arsenal
Wed, Aug 23
7 pm Para + Cincy (Vasquez) vs Inter Miami (MESSI. Busquets, Alba)
8 pm ESPN+ Memphis vs Indy 11
US Women + World Cup
Evaluating Possible USMNT Coaching Candidates Stars and Stripes Donald Wine II
Race for the Golden Boot: Who will be top goal scorer at Women’s World Cup?
World Cup Daily: Australia united in wild celebration for Matildas
The Matildas’ moment: Each penalty had its own story to tell
The football gods have the Matildas on the precipice of Australian immortality
England driven by 2019 World Cup loss – Bright
Bring on Australia! – Hemp confident ahead of semi
Colombia’s World Cup breakout start of something special, but off-field issues remain
France exit Women’s World Cup with mix of regret and optimism
Super Falcons show what Nigeria can achieve with a little less chaos
Sweden’s flawless tactics, team vibes too much for Japan in World Cup quarterfinal
England’s Lauren James receives two-game ban for red card
Sydney Leroux mocks Netherlands after loss: ‘Now you’re bye too’
World Cup 2023 quarterfinals: State of the Golden Boot race
MLS – Leagues Cup
Messi raises “expectations”: Inter Miami now Leagues Cup favorite
Who Are the Favorites to Win the Inaugural Leagues Cup?
Monterrey prez: Leagues Cup setup favors MLS
Welcome to ‘Messitown’: How Rosario shaped Inter Miami star
Martino: Messi’s Miami leadership similar to WC
Goalkeeping
Top Saves in the World Cup So Far
Women’s World Cup 2023: Mackenzie Arnold, Zecira Musovic & Mary Earps star in best saves so far – BBC Sport
2023 FIFA Women’s Assie GK Arnold
France’s Elisa De Almeida saves the day after blocking a shot …
Turner: U.S. No. 1 spot validates Arsenal move
Real Madrid sign Chelsea keeper Kepa on season-long loan to replace Courtois
Reffing
How USA fans watched the World Cup after USWNT exit
- Caitlin Murray, ESPNAug 14, 2023, 03:03 AM ET
SYDNEY — After Bill and Heather Drake took their two daughters to see the U.S. women’s national team compete in the group stage games of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the American team went on to win the whole thing in a captivating run through the knockout stage. So, when the 2023 tournament rolled around, this time the Drakes wanted to see the U.S. in the later rounds.They booked flights from Detroit, Michigan to Auckland, New Zealand — a travel day of around 24 hours — where they planned to see the USWNT compete in the quarterfinals and semifinals, both set to take place in Auckland. Two days before their flight, however, they woke up at 5 a.m. and watched on TV as Sweden knocked the Americans out in the round of 16.”It was heartbreaking,” Heather said. “I was happy — I felt like they were playing well. Up until that game, I didn’t think they were playing like the U.S. team that we expected. So I was excited — I was like, ‘OK, maybe this can happen.'”But then it didn’t happen. The U.S. previously had never failed to reach the semifinals of a Women’s World Cup, but after a 0-0 deadlock, the round-of-16 match turned to penalty kicks, where Sweden gave the Americans a shocking early exit.
And with that, countless travel itineraries went up in smoke for USWNT fans.The Drakes and their daughters, Claire and Claudia, made the most of their trip, chatting with ESPN on a ferry bringing them back to Auckland’s downtown from picturesque Waiheke Island. But when first confronted with the notion of flying around the world to see a team that was no longer even in the World Cup, it was hard not to feel let down.It was a little disappointing,” Bill said. “The more the thought sunk in, the more disappointing it got.”How much blame lies with Andonovski for USWNT’s World Cup failure?Luis Miguel Echegaray questions the tactics of head coach Vlatko Andonovski after the USWNT crashed out of the Women’s World Cup vs. Sweden.Fans based in the United States bought nearly 100,000 tickets for the Women’s World Cup, according to FIFA — the most of any nation outside host countries Australia and New Zealand. That’s a lot of disappointed fans, some of whom might have never had a chance to watch their team play as they banked on the U.S. making it deeper into the tournament.On Saturday at the Auckland airport, a familiar scene played out at an Air New Zealand gate where passengers waited to fly to Sydney, the host city of a semifinal game and the final. Two sets of strangers, a family of four — a mom, dad, daughter and son — and a couple of women (one wearing a Portland Thorns T-shirt) shared updates on the ongoing Australia-France game and recognized each other as Americans and got to chatting.
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“You’re here for the World Cup too?” “Yep. We’re from L.A. Where are you from?” “The Bay Area.” “Ah.” They had rearranged their plans when the USWNT got knocked out, and the talk quickly turned to the team and questioning coach Vlatko Andonovski’s choice of lineups and substitutions.
Upstairs at the Auckland airport that night, Tehya Mondala was playing cards with her dad, Bryan, and her mom, Helen. They were waiting for their flight to head back to San Diego after watching the USWNT in only one of the three games they had planned to see. They attended the group stage game against Portugal, but when the USWNT failed to win the group and took an unexpected path, the family couldn’t see the team in the round of 16 — and then, well, the Americans weren’t even in the quarterfinals.
“We knew that was a risk — although it’s the first time in history it happened,” Bryan Hageman said. “We weren’t going to change our hotel and our airfare and everything else.”
The team’s poor form early in the tournament had braced the family for the possibility beforehand, Bryan added: “Before we came here, we knew in that Portugal game they had to score four goals and they didn’t look like they were going to score one goal, even before the game.”
LIVE ON ESPN+ (SELECTED GAMES)
FRIDAY, AUG. 18 (all times ET)
• Mallorca vs. Villarreal (1:30 p.m.)
• Werder Bremen vs. Bayern (2:30 p.m.)
• Valencia vs. Las Palmas (3:30 p.m.)
Some fans did rearrange their plans, however.
Before the tournament started, the consensus prediction was that the U.S. would win Group E, which meant that the team would have played its round-of-16 match in Sydney before returning to New Zealand for a quarterfinal in Wellington. (The organizers of the tournament, FIFA, thought the same and plotted a schedule where the winner of Group E would play locally in the afternoon so the games could air during primetime for an American TV audience.)
But the U.S. finishing second in the group meant a detour to the round of 16 in Melbourne, Australia, and then a return to Auckland for the quarterfinal. (Those games were set to be played at night locally, which meant kickoff times in the middle of the night back in the United States.)
Cassidy Fialkiewicz and Zion Moore of Seattle booked travel from Auckland to Sydney, expecting the Americans to top their group, but made an impromptu 24-hour whirlwind trip to Melbourne to follow the team when the path changed. The pair managed to get last-minute match tickets and flights, so they went for it.
“Our base is in Sydney because we thought they were going to be in Sydney,” Cassidy said on the day of the U.S.-Sweden game. “We flew in this morning and we’re leaving tomorrow at 6 a.m. and no hotel.”
Asked what she’d do if the USWNT unexpectedly got knocked out that night, she said she planned to make the most of the World Cup. “I love soccer,” Cassidy said. “We’re just going to go to Sydney and watch some good football. That’s what it’s all about.”
But the World Cup has largely continued on without the U.S. fans who have been such a presence at past tournaments — including the American Outlaws, the superfans who travel in groups to major tournaments and friendlies for both the men’s and women’s national teams. Monica Bosiljevac of the American Outlaws estimated that about 3,000 fans attended the march to the stadium before the USA-Netherlands group game in Wellington, comparable to the turnout in Paris for the USWNT’s 2019 quarterfinal against France.
“It seems less accessible, or like less people are traveling here than they did for Canada [in 2015] or France because it’s a longer trip, but I’ll say that the turnout for AO has still been blowing us out of the water,” Bosiljevac said early in the tournament when the U.S. was still in it.
Carlisle: Rapinoe was disappointing throughout World Cup
Jeff Carlisle looks back on the USWNT’s World Cup exit and the underwhelming performances from Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.
Of fans who made the American Outlaws events part of their itinerary, a popular choice was to plan to see the third game of the group stage and then continue on to the knockout stage. Some fans hedged their bets, booking refundable options for the USWNT winning the group or finishing second.
That means some American fans, of course, were left having to find new teams to root for. Many U.S. fans had tickets to watch the quarterfinal in Auckland that, without the USWNT, turned into a match-up between Sweden and Japan. Early on, it became clear many Americans were rooting against Sweden, the team that sent the U.S. home.
The Drakes had tickets to that game, too. When ESPN asked whether they’d be rooting for Sweden or Japan, they didn’t hesitate, all responding in unison: “Japan.”
Of course, Sweden knocked Japan out of the tournament that night. American fans just can’t catch a break at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
England vs. Australia World Cup semifinal odds: Lionesses favored against host Matildas
By Dan Santaromita7h ago
The England-Australia Women’s World Cup semifinal has plenty of storylines to watch. Not only is this England against a former colony, one that still bears the Union Jack on its flag, but this is one of the pre-tournament favorites against the host nation.Stadium Australia in Sydney will be rocking with more than 75,000 fans. The Matildas played in this venue for their opening group play match against Ireland (a 1-0 win) and their opening knockout match against Denmark (a 2-0 win). England played its come-from-behind quarterfinal win against Colombia in Stadium Australia.England is -155 (20-to-31) to advance with Australia at +110 (11-to-10) on BetMGM. The Lionesses had emerged as the favorite to win the tournament after the Americans went out, but Spain has taken the top spot in the odds ahead of the semifinals.All odds from BetMGM. Here’s where you can buy tickets to upcoming games.
England vs. Australia
Kickoff time: 6 a.m. ET/11 a.m. BST Wednesday
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney
https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/womens-world-cup/org:the-athletic/event:2023-semifinals/topic:england-australia/variant:1/sportsbook:betmgm
Neither of these teams had an easy time in the quarterfinals. England fell behind Colombia late in the first half and Australia had its back up against the wall in the penalty shootout multiple times against France.
Australia became the second host nation to advance past the quarterfinals and is getting star striker Sam Kerr back to fitness. Kerr subbed on in the 55th minute against France, her longest appearance of the tournament. After playing for more than an hour with extra time, she could be ready to start in the semifinal.
The Matildas have had clean sheets in four of their five matches. The one that was not was a 3-2 loss to Nigeria in group play.The Lionesses have had plenty of close matches this World Cup. Outside of a 6-1 shellacking of China, England had two 1-0 wins in group play, survived in penalties against Nigeria (after 120 minutes of goalless play) and beat Colombia 2-1. With a rocking crowd in Sydney, it would be a minor surprise to see the English get an easy victory despite an edge in talent and big match experience after winning the Euros last year.
This is the first time Australia has made it this far in a World Cup, but it is England’s third straight semifinal. In the previous two, the Lionesses lost 2-1. For this match, however, the English are favored.
The winner of this game will get a minor edge in the final. Both this semifinal and the final take place in Stadium Australia.
More from the 2023 World Cup
Australia are gaining momentum but England are now better placed to deal with their threats
Football in Australia finds its moment – ‘The rest of the world has woken up’
England’s defence might just win them the Women’s World Cup
(Photo of Sam Kerr: Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images)
Center back Amanda Ilestedt’s golden boot bid shows Sweden’s set piece strength
By Kudzi Musarurwa4h ago1
After Sweden’s 2-1 win over Japan in its World Cup quarterfinal, a journalist asked Amanda Ilestedt when she would ask her coach to move her up the field to play as a striker. The Swedish center back laughed and said, “I already did (move up the field).”
Ilestedt currently leads Sweden in goals scored (four) and is one of four players tied for second place in the tournament’s golden boot race. The reasoning is quite simple, Sweden effectively uses its set piece opportunities and Ilestedt is in the right place at the right time.
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“Set pieces are very important. Amanda is very good there. (She) can score goals in different ways,” Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson said. “Old fruits in trees when they fall down, you have to pick them up. That’s what we did in the last game (scoring goals from the set pieces).”
All but one of Ilestedt’s goals have come from headed corner kicks. The goal Gerhardsson referred to as “old fruits in trees” falling down was the one against Japan. Kosovare Asllani sent a free kick into the box and Nathalie Björn and Magdalena Eriksson both attempted shots, but it was Ilestedt who cleaned up from close range.
With a semifinal against Spain beckoning, Sweden looks to reach its sixth major tournament final. They haven’t made a final of the World Cup since 2003, when they lost to Germany, but they have a great chance this time around. First, Sweden must get through Spain on Tuesday at Eden Park in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, though.
If they want to use their strength, Ilestedt will be crucial. Along with her goals, her partnership with Eriksson in the center of Sweden’s defense has helped them progress throughout the tournament — including beating the U.S.
A golden boot contender
Sweden’s set piece success is no secret.Against Japan, Sweden profited twice from set pieces. The first was a close-range goal from Ilestedt. The second came from a converted penalty after a handball by Fuka Nagano during another corner kick for Sweden. But with that goal, Ilestedt’s teammates are now confident she’s demonstrated everything needed to be the tournament’s top scorer.“I also want to score some goals, but if you have Ilestedt then I’m like, ‘OK, she can score, it’s fine,’” Björn said with a laugh. “I think she can (win the golden boot) now that she showed she can shoot, as well. ”Sweden has mostly used in-swinging set pieces throughout the tournament. They have varied on occasion with out-swinging deliveries, but putting a ball directly in front of the goal has proven to be more successful for the team. It gives players like Ilestedt the chance to get on the ball and not have to generate too much power to turn it goalward.“I think set pieces are one of our biggest strengths, it’s something we work on. Amanda is amazing but we have so many players that are really good in the area,” Asllani said. “In the end, I don’t think anyone cares who’s the leading goal scorer, the only thing we’re thinking about is winning games.”
As seen with her previous goals before Japan, all Ilestedt had to do was redirect the ball when it came to her. She didn’t have to try to angle it in a certain way. The power and direction came due to the set piece delivery, which both Asllani and Jonna Andersson have been very good at throughout the tournament.
“I don’t think so many people were expecting her to be the one with the most goals for our team but she’s an amazing player and she really deserves this,” said Fridolina Rolfö. “We all know how good she is at heading the ball. As (Asllani) said, set pieces are one of our strengths so I’m not surprised but at the same time, I’m happy for her because she’s an amazing player”
Partnership with Magda Eriksson in central defense
When we talk about Ilestedt, we can’t do so without focusing on her primary job: being a defender. Sweden has conceded two goals so far this tournament, which shows just how strong they have been defensively.Against the U.S., Sweden struggled to maintain possession and avoid pressure. Goalkeeper Zećira Mušović produced some incredible saves to keep the score at 0-0, but the communication between the two center backs also helped Sweden see out the game.“Amanda and I like to talk to each other,” Eriksson said. “It was impressive against the U.S. that we managed to maintain the dialogue despite the pressure.”It was needed again against Japan as Sweden faced an onslaught late in the second half. Similar to the match against the U.S., Ilestedt and Eriksson did just enough to keep Japan from finding the tying goal.
Ilestedt and Eriksson celebrate during Sweden’s match against South Africa. (Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images)
Whether they are in a back three or a back four, the two center backs continue to be key for what Sweden has done right in this tournament so far. Eriksson tends to progress the ball more when Sweden is in possession but that doesn’t mean that Ilestedt isn’t capable of finding the right pass, either. In the first half against Japan, Ilestedt’s understanding of when to move or which lane to step into to cut out the passing lines was part of what Sweden did right. When she had the ball at her feet, she was also able to make the right decision and continue to recycle possession.
Eriksson and Ilestedt have been targets for all of Sweden’s set pieces. And though the former has yet to score, Ilestedt has done it enough for the both of them. She’s already matched Wendie Renard’s World Cup record for most goals by a defender at a single World Cup. She will be someone that Spain has to mark tightly. If they don’t, Ilestedt could become the first defender at a World Cup to win the golden boot award.(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Women’s World Cup Daily: Semifinal previews, predictions
- ESPN
The 2023 Women’s World Cup is in full swing, and these daily files give you the latest reporting from around the tournament as well as betting lines, what-to-watch-for information and best reads. Check in with ESPN throughout the tournament as we bring you the latest from Australia and New Zealand.
The lead: And then there were four
After 32 teams began their 2023 Women’s World Cup campaigns, we’re now down to four, with many of the favourites already sent home, including the United States, Canada, Brazil and Germany.
With Japan, Colombia, France and Netherlands now out after the quarterfinals, there will be a new Women’s World Cup champion crowned. England face co-hosts Australia, while Sweden battle Spain for the right to be called the best women’s international team on the planet.
– Women’s World Cup: Landing page | Bracket | Schedule | News
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ESPN’s writers on the ground in Australia and New Zealand take us through the two semifinal fixtures.
Semifinal previews
Spain vs. Sweden, Tuesday
Eden Park, Auckland; 8 p.m. local, 4 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. BST
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Spain have overcome a lot on their path to the World Cup semifinals, but now is perhaps their biggest challenge: beating Sweden for the first time in their history.
The squad mutiny from last October, when 15 players wrote to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) demanding changes behind the scenes and within the coaching setup, has somehow been put in the rearview mirror at this World Cup, but Jorge Vilda’s team also suffered a 4-0 defeat against Japan in the group stage. And the ongoing battle for fitness of Spain’s leading player, two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, is another issue that Vilda has had to deal with.
While Spain have gotten this far despite their problems, Vilda knows Sweden poses a significant test for his players.
“Yes, we have never beaten Sweden,” Vilda said. “But it is an additional motivation and we have this opportunity now. I am convinced that we can look them in the face and, if we present a good version of ourselves, win the game. We are Spain, everyone knows how we play, and we will stick to the script. But it has to be the best version of Spain for us to win.”
Sweden, having eliminated Japan and the U.S. to reach the semis, go into the clash at Eden Park as the favourites to reach the final. Peter Gerhardsson’s team have made it this far by capitalising on their ability on set pieces, and the coach makes no apology about the direct style of his side.
“One of our strengths are the set pieces in the offense and defence,” he said. “We practice a lot. It’s part of the game and you can work a lot on structure at set pieces. We are not scoring all goals directly from set pieces. It is second balls, too. When old fruit in trees are falling down, you have to pick them up. That’s what we did in the last game — it’s falling fruit.”
Sweden player to watch: Amanda Ilestedt
Ilestedt has scored four goals in five games for Sweden, despite playing in central defence. Only Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa has scored more goals than Ilestedt, who could win the Golden Boot as well as the trophy. All of Ilestedt’s goals have come from set pieces, while eight out of Sweden’s 11 goals at the tournament have followed dead-ball setups. Her performance so far has even surprised some of her teammates. “I don’t think so many of us were expecting her to be top scorer in our team,” forward Fridolina Rolfö said. “But she’s an amazing player, especially with her head, and I am so happy for her.”
Spain player to watch: Salma Paralluelo
At 19, Paralluelo is on course to be the outstanding young player of the tournament. The Barcelona winger showcased her incredible ability with a stunning solo goal to win Spain’s quarterfinal match against the Netherlands. A former 400-metre runner who competed for Spain at the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Paralluelo’s pace is one of Spain’s biggest weapons. Having started on the bench against the Dutch, the big question is whether she will play from the start against Sweden. — Mark Ogden
Lynch: No sweeter win for Australia than beating England
Joey Lynch looks ahead to a rivalry clash in the World Cup semifinals with hosts Australia set to face England.
England vs. Australia, Wednesday
Stadium Australia, Sydney; 8 p.m. local, 6 a.m. ET, 11 a.m. BST
SYDNEY — The front page of Monday’s Australian Daily Telegraph (renamed the “Daily Tillygraph” in honour of the Matildas) said it all: “Now for the Poms.”
This is the latest chapter of a cross-sport Australia-England rivalry, played at a sold-out Stadium Australia. It’s box office. Many of the players know each other, as they play for the same clubs. They’ve crossed paths for years, but never like this. This is the semifinal the 2023 World Cup wanted: the co-hosts against the reigning European champions, all with years of sporting hostility behind them.
Tony Gustavsson’s Matildas will have the benefit of a wall of green and gold inside the stadium. The boisterous home fans will be there roaring on a team that has gripped a nation, and they’re hoping for another huge victory in their first World Cup semifinal.
England’s Lionesses are unbeaten at this World Cup, suffering just one defeat in all since Sarina Wiegman took over as coach in 2021. That loss came against Australia in April, a 2-0 defeat in London, and this is a new-look team with star players injured or retired, and young phenom Lauren James suspended. But England have showed their adaptability in this World Cup as they played a 4-2-3-1 in wins over Haiti and Denmark, before switching to a 3-4-1-2 for their final group-stage match with China, a game they won 6-1.
England’s knockout stage has been tough. But this is the big one, and it’s their sternest test yet.
Player to watch for England: Millie Bright
England are a team packed with stars and have the depth to cope with some absentees, but Bright is indispensable. The England captain has been a rock at the back. She came into the tournament having just recovered from a knee injury but has been the pillar of the back three, heading away anything that has come her way. Bright will be the key to stopping Australia’s attacking threats.
Player to watch for Australia: Caitlin Foord
Foord has had a wonderful tournament so far. The Arsenal forward has been lethal, switching between a role at the front in the opening couple of matches to out wide in the knockout stage. But it’s not just her ability to turn defences inside out which makes her so valuable — it’s also her defensive qualities that make her a world-class player as she tracks back to help her teammates. Foord will be targeting that gap between Lucy Bronze and Jess Carter on England’s right side, and both will be on red alert to stop the Aussie star. — Tom Hamilton
Predictions
Sophie Lawson: Sweden and Australia for me. Sweden have experience at this level; Spain do not. If Sweden can dominate the midfield as they did against Japan, or sit back and let Spain have the ball as they did against the U.S., I think they have the nous to get through 2-1. As for the Matildas, they’ve been growing into this tournament whereas England are a lot more stop-start. Factor in the swell of home support and all signs point to gold vs. gold, Swedish manager vs. Swedish manager in the final. The score? 2-0.
Tom Hamilton: I think it’ll end up being a Sweden vs. England final. The strength of Sweden’s set pieces and defensive stability will see them through 2-1 against Spain, but expect Vilda’s team to dominate possession and territory.
Australia and England can be decided on the flip of a coin, but the Lionesses’ experience at this stage — their third World Cup semifinal in a row — and defensive stability will see them through 1-0, despite the wave of passionate home support.
Mark Ogden: I’m going for a sea of yellow at Stadium Australia in the final on Sunday. Sweden have too much power and belief against a Spain team that have reached the semis for the first time. 2-0.
England have a better all-round team than Australia. The Matildas have the outstanding talents of Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler, as well as the incredible home support which will tilt Wednesday’s semi in their favour. 2-1.
Joey Lynch: Sweden and England to win. Having shown the weight that ruthless pragmatism and strength can have against one technically superior opponent, Sweden should have enough to step up and do similar to Spain and win 2-0. Where England get the goals they’ll need is a massive question, but if they can clamp down on Australia’s transition and Jess Carter and Lucy Bronze do similar to Foord, I can’t see the Matildas getting through their defence. 1-0 to England.
Caitlin Murray: Sweden vs. Australia in the final. Sweden beat my previous winner pick (Japan), so they’ve earned the nod. Sweden also beat the team I came here to cover (the U.S.), so I shifted my coverage accordingly and found that Sweden’s team has remarkably similar vibes to the 2019 USWNT that won it all four years ago. They seem like the kind of team that can stop anyone, even Spain, so I predict 1-0 Sweden. Meanwhile, this is wishful thinking, but I’d love to see Australia make it through as a host country and underdog. The players are stepping up, and Gustavsson is allowing them to be their best, so I think it’s possible. England can and will put up a fight, so I predict the Matildas going through 2-1.
Marissa Lordanic: Sweden vs. Australia as well. Both of these semifinals will be tight contests, but I expect Sweden to continue their upward trajectory, coupled with a healthy smattering of luck, and their experience at this stage of major tournaments. Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic will be key again for a 1-0 win. Australia will top England 2-1, namely because their attack’s potency should trump England’s defensive resoluteness.
Sweden’s advance into the World Cup semifinals ‘came down to millimetres’
Sophie Lawson reacts to Sweden’s 2-1 win vs. Japan to get into the semifinals and compares it to round-of-16 game against USWNT.
Sights and sounds
Amid World Cup hype, talk of All Blacks never far
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — As the Northern Explorer train came to a halt at Auckland Strand station after its 11-hour journey up the North Island from Wellington on Sunday, the train manager had a message for the passengers before disembarking.
The train was busier than usual — winter is the quiet season on the route through New Zealand’s stunning volcanic landscape — and she will have noted the many Americans on board by their accents and sportswear bearing the crests of the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Falcons and New York Yankees, not to mention several in Team USA gear.
FIFA data shows that from the 90,000 tickets bought by U.S. residents, many paid to attend the Wellington quarterfinal, expecting the USWNT to have played in that tie rather than suffer a shocking round-of-16 elimination.
Many of those on the train back to Auckland headed north originally expecting to watch the USWNT in Tuesday’s semifinal in the city. But with the defending champions no longer in the competition, the American fans have time on their hands to explore New Zealand’s biggest sights — and the train manager made sure to tell her passengers what really matters in the country.”If there’s one thing I can recommend you all to do in Auckland, it is the All Blacks Experience [guided tour],” the train manager said. “I know most of you are here for the soccer, but we’re pretty big on rugby here, and it is a definite must for anyone who is visiting Auckland.”
New Zealand has embraced the Women’s World Cup as co-host, but make no mistake, while locals will chat about the football, they move on to rugby as quickly as possible.
The train manager was almost speaking for the nation: “Enjoy the football, but rugby is the real deal here.” — Mark Ogden
Sweden’s unusual approach
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson has been one of the characters of this World Cup, and he admitted that he will adopt an unusual approach to preparing for Tuesday’s semifinal against Spain.
After “going the gym and for a walk,” Gerhardsson plans to read a book: “Resonance: A Sociology of Our Relationship to the World,” by German author Hartmut Rosa.
“I’m glad you asked me this,” Gerhardsson said in his prematch news conference. “It’s a book about sociology and about not knowing what is coming. If you as a human being know everything, it’s not exciting. That’s why football is so exciting — you never know what is going to happen.”Gerhardsson then revealed that his mother has been buying copies of newspapers in Sweden every day during the tournament for his scrapbook.”She is very interested in football,” he said. “She buys all the newspapers so I can read everything when I get back and put them in the scrapbook. It’s costly to pay her back, I can tell you! But it’s the same in every tournament.” — Mark Ogden
England’s Bright ready for Australia semifinal: ‘Bring it on!’
Millie Bright speaks after England fight back from a goal down vs. Colombia to reach the World Cup semifinals.
News of the day
– Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday backed calls for a public holiday if the Matildas win the Women’s World Cup. “I’ve said that the state and territory leaders should consider it and I know that it’s received a pretty warm reception in most quarters,” Albanese said in a radio interview with state broadcaster ABC when asked if calls for a public holiday were justified. “This is something much more than just a sporting event. This is an inspiration to young girls in particular, but also young boys.”
– While many fans will view this match through the lens of the history of the two nations, and in particular their battles in other sports, the Matildas seem genuinely unfazed by any talk of rivalry with England. “I think you see it a lot in the men’s competition, especially in cricket and rugby,” Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams told the media when asked about England. “But for us, we’ve had so many rivalries with other countries that we played against. We’ve played against Brazil at every other World Cup, you could say that about America, you could say that about so many countries. So really for us, it’s just another game. I think for us, Australians are, I don’t want to say unbothered, but we want to go out there and do the job and that’s to play. All the extra stuff of rivalries, it doesn’t really come about.”
– The hurt of England’s 2-1 defeat to the U.S. at the semifinal stage in the 2019 World Cup has stayed with captain Millie Bright. “I think as much as you look forward — and for us our mentality is always looking forward — when you play in tournaments, those moments always stay there and you always want to correct them,” Bright said. “For us, the game is in a very different place and as a team we’re in a very different place. We look forward now, it’s a new challenge and new opportunity. You definitely learn from it, but the game’s in such a different place that a lot has changed since then. Everything is different — the crowd, the atmosphere, the teams, the quality of the tournament. Everything is at a new level, so as much as you still carry some of that with you at this point, you’ve already learned a lot, so for me it’s always about looking forwards.”
And finally …
SYDNEY, Australia — The whole country of Australia was enraptured in the Matildas’ dramatic quarterfinal clash with France on Saturday, and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce was no different. The only problem for the honourable member for New England was that he wasn’t watching the right encounter with Les Bleues.Joyce admitted on a breakfast television appearance on Monday morning that what he thought was Australia defeating France 1-0 and advancing to the semifinals of the World Cup was actually footage of their pretournament warm-up fixture.As the rest of the country went into various states of hyperventilation as the actual game went into extra time and then a remarkable penalty shootout, Joyce went out to dinner, operating under the impression that Mary Fowler had sent his nation into the final four. It was only when he finished his meal did he realise.
Why the Commercial Hotel in Walcha was broadcasting a replay of this game, rather than a live fixture on free-to-air television is unknown. As is why nobody in the pub picked up the footage on the screen very clearly taking place at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium — which is not a World Cup venue — as opposed to Brisbane’s Lang Park.
One hopes that the former leader of the National Party, who readers might remember as the politician who threatened to euthanise actor Johnny Depp’s dogs if he didn’t immediately send them back to California, has better luck in watching Australia’s clash with England. But given that the two nations previously played a friendly in April, he may want to triple check which game is on before he settles in — Joey Lynch
Special report: Women’s goalkeeping has long been ridiculed but not any more – this is why
Chloe MorganAug 11, 2023
Chloe Morgan is The Athletic’s women’s football editor. She is a former professional goalkeeper who played for Tottenham in the Women’s Super League and Crystal Palace in the Women’s Championship.
Coming into this Women’s World Cup, I spent some time trying to pre-empt its emerging stories — who the standout stars might be, where the “Cupsets” might lie, how many more federations will be exposed as failing to properly provide for their players and staff.My heart sank a little as a former goalkeeper when I thought it was inevitable that there would be some obvious and decisive goalkeeping error that would trigger all kinds of debate or, worse, abuse about how female goalkeepers were just not up to scratch.
- Follow live coverage of Australia vs France and England vs Colombia at the Women’s World Cup today.
Then it happened. South Africa’s Kaylin Swart, facing a soft shot directed straight at her by Lineth Beerensteyn of the Netherlands, let the ball slip through her arms and dribble into the back of the net, triggering a collective gasp around the stadium. The goal was a game-changer — the difference between South Africa, who were 1-0 down with 22 minutes still to play — going from hoping for an equaliser to damage limitation as they exited the tournament.For Swart, despite playing in a history-making game for South Africa — this being the first time they had reached the last 16 stage — it will be a match she will want to forget. But this was far from the main focus of the game. In fact, barely any fuss was made and Swart received no backlash. If anything, the goalkeeping story that day was the positive one of Zecira Musovic of Sweden, who made 11 saves against the U.S. as her side went on to defeat the four-time champions on penalties.The narrative around female goalkeeping has changed for good.
Zecira Musovic in action for Sweden in their round-of-16 win against the U.S. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)
I spoke to two goalkeeping legends — and former England No 1s — Karen Bardsley and Rachel Brown-Finnis to get their takes on the situation. “I can see why you might have wanted to protect goalkeepers, but that’s changed,” says Brown-Finnis. “No one is taking their errors as ammunition anymore when comparing the two (male and female).” he reason being the standard is just so bloody good now.“There’s a reason we’re seeing so many goalkeepers get player of the match this year,” adds Bardsley. “Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria), Mary Earps (England), Daphne van Domselaar (the Netherlands), Zecira Musovic, Courtney Brosnan (Republic of Ireland), Becky Spencer (Jamaica). It says a lot about the standards.”So why has this tournament been such a big win for goalkeepers?
Increased data
Football’s modern era uses technology to give players and teams an extra edge. When I first started with Spurs, almost a decade ago, I would have been lucky to have seen a couple of hardback books on the art of goalkeeping, but now the information available is endless. During my career, all players started to wear GPS vests every training session and match. Every game was monitored by video platform Wyscout and the team’s sports scientist tracked certain metrics every game, including interceptions, recovery times, accelerations and decelerations.Most importantly for goalkeepers, there started to be access to data around how the majority of goalscoring chances arrived — through set pieces, penalties (noting players prone to going down a little too easily…) or open play.
The data became so granular that we could map teams’ attacks: whether they progressed via the left- or right-wing or centrally, who took set pieces and the areas or players they would aim for, whether the crosses would be in- or out-swinging.I would have data on where the most likely penalty takers would aim and their success rate. So many elite goalkeepers have taken to printing this out, attaching it to their water bottles — as Musovic did against the U.S.Despite her not saving any of the penalties (the majority of which were unsaveable), she went the right way for all but two — oddly enough one being the penalty taken by U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, on whom, understandably, there was unlikely to be any data.
The downside is that too much information can feel overwhelming. A significant part of goalkeeping will always be instinctive, reacting to the live scenario. It can sometimes be difficult to reconcile data with what is happening in real-time. In a penalty shootout, you might know that Jane Bloggs prefers — and is most successful with — a low, driven strike in the bottom left corner. You might also notice how she opens her body up during the run-up and her foot positioning indicates she will not strike across her body, so it’s important to not rely solely on the data.Ultimately, data is a relatively new weapon in women’s goalkeeping. Approaching a game, you want to be armed with as much information as possible because anything that gives you an advantage can be the difference between making that vital save and not — and sometimes the difference is in a split second or fingertip.
Talent pathways
When Brown-Finnis, Bardsley and I first started playing, the mentality and perception around goalkeeping was completely different. You were put in goal if you were considered the weakest or least talented on the pitch — I can’t recall the sheer number of times I was told to get in goal because I’d cause the least damage there. I started to receive specific goalkeeper training only in my early-to-mid twenties and, unsurprisingly, I improved massively. In my last year in the Championship at Crystal Palace, I played alongside 18-year-old goalkeeper Emily Orman, who was on loan from Chelsea.
Orman, who had signed with Chelsea aged 16 and had represented England from under-14 to under-19 level, had been training with the first team since her arrival and had been receiving world-class goalkeeper coaching — and also trained alongside some of the world’s best in Ann-Katrin Berger and Musovic.
The difference between my generation and Orman’s is huge. I had seen the position transition from shot-stopping to being inclusive with the back line — with a greater focus on distribution, starting counter-attacks and being involved in game management. These things came more naturally to Orman.
“There has been a significant transformation in the position and we’re now seeing top athletes in goal,” Brown-Finnis explains. “We’re seeing goalkeepers who have started off life really young — perhaps as outfield players first — who are developing neuro-muscular pathways early. They’re learning to strike the ball, change movement and are also being given the opportunity to play in different positions to better understand the roles on the pitch.
“Mary Earps is brilliant at starting attacks, (Germany’s) Merle Frohms is fantastic at playing out from the back. It boils down to better goalkeeper coaching at a younger age. There’s this saying that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. These girls coming through now have been getting those hours in much earlier.”
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Equally, the Championship (the level below England’s WSL) is now being used for budding goalkeepers to gain match experience — to iron out the kinks and learn to bounce back from mistakes in a less pressurised environment, mainly because the Championship has less exposure and generally lower attendances, although the competitiveness is still significant.
Relationship with the back line
Alongside the improvement of goalkeeper-specific training, there is now a focus on working with the back line. “The goalkeeping position has developed and it is now viewed as part of the back four/five unit,” Brown-Finnis says. “They do hours of training together, in and out of possession. It’s drilled into the (defenders and goalkeepers) that they are integral to each other.”
On top of this, squads are now starting to bring in unit specialists. We’ve seen this at Arsenal, where finishing and set-piece specialists (also Kelly Smith) are working with the front line and new addition Alessia Russo.
“Defensive specialists have been brought in to improve output as a unit,” says Brown-Finnis. “We’re seeing goalkeepers being more engaged in games, working on communicating with clarity and tailoring their communication depending on which players they are speaking to. But also goalkeepers are having a chance to work on how they communicate with the outfield players in their respective leagues.”
Earps will be familiar with the playing styles of a significant majority of her team-mates having played alongside Lauren James, Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Katie Zelem at various points in Manchester United’s previous four seasons. She will also be familiar with her other Lionesses team-mates having played against them in the WSL.
Mary Earps has made some vital saves for England at the World Cup (David Rogers/Getty Images)
A prime example of when this defensive cohesion has not been immediately present was when Switzerland took on Spain in the round of 16. Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll made her international debut, being picked over Real Madrid’s Misa (who had started all of the group games). In the 11th minute, defender Laia Codina blindly launched a strong back pass to Coll, who clearly wasn’t expecting it and watched the ball roll into her own net.It was Codina’s error, but that initial cohesion between the back line and keeper was missing — understandably given this was the first time the unit had worked together in a competitive game.
Bardsley notes that Nigeria’s Nnadozie has stood out as someone who has a good relationship with her back line: “She’s a very good shot-stopper, but she links up really well with her centre-backs and full-backs. She’s happy to clip into the full-backs and she can do so using both feet — that’s the standard now.”
Increased focus on goalkeeper-specific training
As a goalkeeper, you face a host of scenarios in a game: one-v-ones, two-v-ones, high crosses, a packed box for a corner, penalties, long-range shots, bouncing shots, cutbacks. The list goes on. The goalkeepers at the Women’s World Cup will have had hundreds, if not thousands of hours with their coaches working on how best to deal with each scenario. Each drill is aimed at optimising their ability to react as the game unfolds.But the outfield drills are just half the work. Training at elite level now includes position-specific, individualised strength and conditioning, with goalkeeper plans being unique. Bardsley notes that focus on plans had been “hyper-accelerated to where we are now”.“I remember, around 2011, we were starting to question why goalkeepers were doing box-to-box runs and outfield workouts when goalkeepers had completely different output and in-game demands. Even with nutrition, it made little sense for us to eat loads of sweet potatoes (as per the outfield nutrition plan) when we wouldn’t be expending the same levels of energy. To me, it made more sense to look at the types of carbs which would help us with concentrating and focusing in key moments.”
My own plan with Spurs included plyometric box jumps — different types of jumps with resistance bands and a focus on core work to improve stability when being crowded in the box. To the delight of the other players, particularly Lucy Quinn, who would rip me to shreds most gym days, I also had wrist-strengthening exercises, such as holding a plate over the edge of a box or wrist curls. To be fair, it did look odd.Brown-Finnis feels the specific plans had a huge impact on goalkeepers and, more specifically, were important to female goalkeepers given the unique challenges they face. “Goalkeepers have very different needs to outfield players as female goalkeepers are shorter (compared to male goalkeepers),” she says.This definitely rings true: the average height of male keepers at the 2022 Qatar World Cup was 6ft 2in (188cm) compared to 5ft 8in (173cm) for the women. The goals are the same size and yet the group stage at this World Cup only saw a handful more goals let in compared to last year’s group stage in Qatar for the men.“What we’re seeing in gym plans now is a focus on plyometrics — short, sharp bursts of work,” Brown-Finnis adds. “Goalkeepers are concentrating on footwork and improving their reaction time, making sure they’re in the right position earlier to make the save.“It can be argued that (female goalkeeper) reactions need to be quicker than men’s/taller goalkeepers so they can push off earlier to give them a better chance of the save. Making a save is a mathematical equation — you need to see the ball, recognise the flight, react with every ounce of plyometric power, have quick feet to initiate the movement and then also decide to go with your top hand for optimal reach.”Bardsley also feels that the focus has now shifted to work on movements that better replicate game scenarios. From her time in the U.S., she recalls coaches using American football pads pushed against players to mimic opponents applying pressure.
Making saves against world-class strikers requires athleticism. One of the best saves in the tournament so far was Musovic’s against the U.S., helping to earn her the player of the match award. Lindsey Horan shot from the edge of the box — its speed was recorded at 92km/h — and the strike went through a sea of bodies, meaning Musovic was late to see it. But what happens before is key — and this is where the gym work is critical. Her quick footwork gets her across goal, her explosive leg power enables her to dive, and her wrist/finger strength takes the impact of the shot as she tips it around the post for a critical save.For another example of goalkeeping athleticism, look no further than Japan’s Ayaka Yamashita — and another contender for the save of the tournament — in their last-16 game against Norway. It was a huge leap; Yamashita (who is 5ft 7) reaches to claw a header away at the back post from Karina Saevik at point-blank range. The save denied Norway a chance at mounting a comeback, sending Japan through to the quarter-finals.
Ayaka Yamashita is in great form for Japan (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Mental resilience
The mental stress of goalkeeping is intense. One lapse of concentration or judgment could mean fatal error — and a loss. No other position has quite the same level of pressure, especially with 40,000-plus fans watching — with millions more at home — in a stadium on the other side of the world and in the most important international tournament on the planet. But what we’ve seen this year in bundles from goalkeepers is resilience, focus and presence. In terms of making the difference, Brown-Finnis feels there had been increasing focus on “the mental side (of the game); mental preparation and mental rehearsal”.“There is a greater capacity to stay present, to be unwaveringly unemotional on the pitch,” she continues. “Goalkeepers want to reach an optimal emotional level of excitability to enhance their ability to concentrate and be ready to perform.”At the elite level, goalkeepers are being given greater access to sports psychologists to help with mental performance. Being prepared is key. “I do a lot of visualising mental training, brain training,” Musovic said recently. “So a lot of hours of extra work that I think you don’t realise if you’re not in this body.”“The support around goalkeepers is a lot different and more holistic now,” Bardsley says. “The staff are not just goalkeeper coaches — they try to understand the person and the player and also create an environment around the goalkeeper to enable them to be themselves.”Within the England camp, that support is very much shared across all the goalkeepers, not just the current No 1 and starting XI. “Everybody is clear on what their role is,” says Bardsley. “It can be an awkward dynamic between ’keepers when you know you need to train and prepare the same way for a game, but there may be some insecurity because you won’t be starting.“The England goalkeeper’s union, while obviously not all being able to make the starting XI, appreciated that if Mary had a good tournament then that would be a success for the whole team. Sarina would have had these conversations early — before the tournament started — so everyone knew the situation and could then be supported by staff, the goalkeeper coach and the players.”In terms of the goalkeeper-specific support that can be provided, Brown-Finnis says: “There are certain tools goalkeepers will develop (with the help of psychologists), such as visualisation as well as reset buttons for when bad moments happen. I used to wipe my hand over my head and that was my rest to detract from a bad moment, to reset and get back to my optimal state. It took practise.”I had my lucky (or sometimes unlucky) towel that my mum had bought me as a housewarming present. It became my glove towel and if I ever had a bad moment or felt I was at fault, I would go to it, wipe my gloves and start again mentally. You only ever have limited time on the pitch to make a difference so can’t dwell on a mistake and possibly perpetuate the cycle and make another. After the game — likely the following day — it’s appropriate to reflect on the events with your coach.On mental resilience, Bardsley feels having access to mental support had the “biggest impact” on her career, specifically in helping to increase her self-awareness and understanding of how she liked to work.“The (support) helped me to become more efficient in my training and preparation. What we see now is that goalkeepers have access to performance and lifestyle coaches and that support is more qualified and skilled. Before, it would often be someone who might have been a bit newer to the profession or with less experience.”Returning to Swart’s error, the quality of her positioning, movement and footwork in the lead-up to the relatively soft strike from Beerensteyn is not in dispute. Her handling let her down — the ball went through her arms and trickled into the back of the net. What’s noticeable is that Swart did not appear to dwell on her error, coming off her line to sweep up a ball heading for the path of Beerensteyn again. It also did not detract from her magnificent save in the 8th minute, when she expertly tipped a high cross over the bar to keep the game level. And, while Swart was responsible for the error, her team also had multiple chances on goal (Thembi Kgatlana in the first half and Linda Motlhalo in the second) to secure a draw and didn’t. Attacking errors should also be considered as such and noted as missed game-changing moments. Swart’s error should not be taken in isolation.This year, and perhaps because of a more understanding fanbase, one-off mistakes can be taken for what they are: isolated, human and bound to happen in moments of relentless high pressure. (Top photo: Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Why Nottingham Forest signed Matt Turner: Strong in the air and a superb shot-stopper
By Paul Taylor and Matt PyzdrowskiAug 9, 2023100
The signing of Matt Turner from Arsenal is the first of two major pieces of incoming transfer business Nottingham Forest hope to complete this summer to bolster their goalkeeping options.
United States international Turner will almost certainly be in goal, back at the Emirates Stadium against the club he just left, for Saturday’s 2023-24 Premier League season opener, having made a £10million ($12.7m) move to the City Ground. However, Forest remain determined to bring Dean Henderson back as well, following last season’s successful loan from Manchester United.In the meantime, they have made a significant addition in Turner.While he will be a familiar face at the Emirates after his one season there, the 29-year-old might be a lesser-known quantity to some Forest fans, given the limited game time he saw for Arsenal after a transfer from MLS last summer.Our Forest correspondent Paul Taylor (PT), along with The Athletic’s goalkeeping expert Matt Pyzdrowski (MP) — an American who spent over a decade playing professionally in Swedish from 2011 — takes a look at what Turner brings to the table, why he wanted to sign for Forest and what it means for the club.
Why has Turner made this move to Forest?
The reality is that he wasn’t going to get close to being first-choice at Arsenal.
He knew that to lock down his place as the No 1 for the USMNT, who co-host the World Cup in 2026, he was going to need to leave the north London club he only joined a year ago.
While it may seem an obvious move, it won’t have been an easy decision to give up the prestige and glamour of being at a Champions League club for one that had to fight hard to avoid relegation to the EFL last season and, let’s face it, accept the financial implications that come with it.
So for Turner to be mature enough to understand that and say, “I’m hungry, I’m not OK sitting on the bench. I want to play!” is a smart and proactive position to take and speaks volumes about his character and ambitions.
Turner playing for Arsenal in the FA Cup last season (Photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
It’s the kind of move his international team-mate Zack Steffen didn’t make early enough after joining Manchester City in 2019. Steffen waited a season too long to leave City (joining Middlesbrough of the Championship on loan for last season) and his development stagnated. This ultimately cost him a squad spot at last year’s World Cup — something that at one point would have been unthinkable.
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Turner is coming off a very strong CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer, where he captained the U.S. and played a key role, highlighted by his heroics in their shootout win over Canada in the quarter-finals. He was arguably the only American player on his team to walk away from the tournament with any credibility (they lost in the semi-finals to Panama).
Moving now, when he’s in form and confident, is ideal. MP
Why do Forest want him?
When on-loan duo Henderson and Keylor Navas returned to their parent clubs at the end of last season, it left a huge void in the squad and there was a growing sense of trepidation that head coach Steve Cooper’s side might start the season without having signed replacements.
Forest have always wanted to bring Henderson back and there is a belief that it will happen, once he is back to fitness after the January injury that ended his season early. But the arrival of Turner eases the pressure on that front.
The club also explored the idea of trying to bring Navas back from Paris Saint-Germain, but the finances involved were prohibitive — particularly when it came to potentially signing both him and Henderson.
One benefit of signing Turner and Henderson is that they are both likely to increase in value if they flourish at the City Ground. Henderson is 26 and Turner three years older — still relatively young for goalkeepers.
Forest will keep 36-year-old Wayne Hennessey as a third option between the posts, while looking to move on Ethan Horvath — another U.S. international. George Shelvey, a 22-year-old who has done well in pre-season but is yet to make his senior debut for the club, will be sent out on loan to gain experience.
Presuming the deal to bring Henderson back from Old Trafford gets completed as well — which is likely to be another loan with either an obligation or an option to make the move permanent — Forest will have two high-quality players fighting it out to be first-choice in goal.
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Legendary Forest manager Brian Clough understood the value of having a good goalkeeper — as he demonstrated when he paid a then significant £270,000 ($344,000) to sign Peter Shilton in 1977 — and that ethos has not been lost at the club 46 years later. PT
What will Turner bring to the Forest team?
One of the biggest question marks for Turner on his arrival at Arsenal a year ago was his ability with the ball at his feet.
Turner admitted this was an area of his game that needed to improve if he wanted to take the next step in his career, and at Arsenal he was in an ideal place to do so.
Their manager, Mikel Arteta, encouraged Turner to take even more risks than he was used to with the U.S. and his MLS side, New England Revolution, and, judging by his performances over the past 12 months, it’s clear that has paid dividends.
While it would be wrong to suddenly classify him as an expert passer, he has undoubtedly improved and grown in confidence — especially in regards to his decision-making — and in a short amount of time added a more expansive skill set to his game.
At Forest, it’s unlikely that Turner will be called upon to play out from the back in a similar way regularly, but he is more than capable of doing so if required. It is more likely that he will be required to play long, accurate passes to his wingers and forwards to stretch the opposition and try to catch them on the counter. This is something he is comfortable doing, which is good news for Forest.
But his biggest strengths have always been his athleticism and shot-stopping.
The test for him will be how he handles the pressure of being on a team most people expect to be in the bottom half of the Premier League, with the threat of relegation again a possibility.
It will also be interesting to see how he responds after making his first big mistake. Will he learn from it or not? Dealing mentally with errors is something that every goalkeeper has to do and the ability to bounce back quickly is what defines them.
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Judging by his performances, it is unquestionable that Turner improved in his year with Arsenal and he now has a chance to prove he is good enough to be a No 1 in the Premier League. MP
Why do Forest want Henderson too?
Forest did well to land a player of Navas’ quality and experience in the January window once it became clear Henderson was going to be sidelined for a considerable amount of time. It was a truly vital mid-season signing and a key factor in their eventual top-flight survival.
Navas played 17 games, including big wins over Brighton, Southampton and Arsenal.
Henderson suffered an injury in January (Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
But the club do not want to have to be scrambling around for such a last-gasp signing again next January if they suffer similar injury misfortune. Rather than having to pull a rabbit out of their hat as they did with Navas, they want to be proactive.
Their desire is to have two quality players fighting it out for the first-team spot — competition for places would help to keep both Turner and Henderson on their toes, regardless of who is in the team. PT
What would the impact of Henderson signing be on the team dynamic?
It has the potential to set up one of the more intriguing goalkeeper battles in this season’s Premier League.
Coming off his injury and being cast aside at United, where £43million Andre Onana has been signed from Inter Milan to replace the departed David de Gea, Henderson will feel like he has a lot to prove, and he won’t be happy sitting on the bench and missing valuable game time with a European Championship squad place with England next summer surely in his sights.
It will be interesting to see how he handles that, should it happen, and also to see how it impacts Turner and the rest of the goalkeeping group. Though it’s quite possible they will support one another, it may potentially challenge the relationships the pair have with each other, and even with the club — much in the same way it did between Henderson and De Gea at United.
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Also fascinating is the fact Turner and Henderson are so similar in their ability as goalkeepers. They are both more traditional in terms of their strengths — strong in the air and good shot-stoppers.
Both will be expecting to be the one to play and there are also those national-team implications for each of them. It will be a very delicate and difficult relationship to navigate. The key for Cooper and the rest of his backroom staff will be to handle the situation well.
What will encourage Forest is Henderson’s attitude last season.
Despite being a loan signing, he moved to the area and, more than that, when sidelined with injury, stayed around rather than return to United and even travelled to away games. He remained a familiar face around the training ground too, even once he had undergone surgery and it was clear he would not play again last season. Such a mentality will be vital again now. PT/MP
Forest already have one U.S. international goalkeeper in Horvath… is Turner an upgrade? And how will all this impact the USMNT?
Steffen’s sporadic and limited game time for Manchester City, in addition to his inconsistent form when he did play, left the door open for Turner’s rise to claim his country’s No 1 jersey.
It is perhaps ironic that those roles have now shifted. Steffen made 45 appearances for Middlesbrough last season and was one of their best performers as they made the promotion play-offs. In total, he played 4,050 minutes of club football in 2022-23, while Turner managed just 630 (way down on what he was registering in MLS).
Though Steffen is currently recovering from knee surgery, Turner knows that another year on the bench at the Emirates would risk seeing him lose his place in the national team. That is a big reason why he has left Arsenal and why he hopes to be the No 1 at Forest.
Turner celebrates after the Gold Cup shootout victory over Canada last month (Photo: Jeff Dean/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Another goalkeeper who had a strong 2022-23 and is in the conversation for the USMNT No 1 jersey is Horvath.
Loaned out to Luton Town, he played a huge part in their promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, registering a total of 4,620 minutes on the pitch, keeping 20 clean sheets in 47 appearances. However, overall Horvath is seen as being a step below Turner — with the latter a much more well-rounded goalkeeper.
Should Turner come in and perform at his best, he has the potential to single-handedly win Forest several points this season. MP
Premier League roundtable: Will City win four in a row? Which teams should fear drop? Who’s heading back from Saudi Arabia?
The Athletic UK StaffAug 10, 2023216
The Premier League returns tomorrow.
The 2023-24 season kicks off at Turf Moor on Friday night as Vincent Kompany’s new-look, new-vibes Burnley take on treble winners Manchester City. Not only did Pep Guardiola’s team win the FA Cup and the Champions League in 2022-23, they also won the Premier League for the third season in a row.
No team in English top-flight history (since 1888-89) has ever been crowned champions for four successive years. Not yet, anyway.
Can City further their dominance to unprecedented levels? Or will Arsenal go one better than last year and win their first league title for 20 years? Who’s going to struggle? And what revolutionary new tactic will we all be enjoying come May 2024?
We asked seven of our writers to answer those questions and more ahead of the 32nd Premier League campaign.
Will Manchester City become the first team to win the league for four consecutive seasons? If not, why not? And who will?
Joey D’Urso: Arsenal were brilliant for most of last season and their late wilting seemed to be more about experience and mentality than anything else. They have battle scars now as well as three great new signings in Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. It’s on…
Carl Anka: It pains me to write this, but Manchester City are favourites for the title until proven otherwise. They’ve got the best manager in the league (if not the world) who seems quicker and more inventive at finding solutions than anyone else. Their defensive scheme is remarkable. The structure and aggression of their front press can make games claustrophobic and they have a genuine game-breaking striker in Erling Haaland. To dethrone City, you will need to be near perfect and they will have to have endured a down spell. Good luck to any potential usurpers!
Ahmed Walid: For City to win it, they probably need to put in their best shift once again. It’s likely they will because Pep Guardiola is Pep Guardiola and the quality of their players is non-negotiable, but it won’t be completely surprising if one of Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool beat them to it.
Nick Miller: Every year I tell myself I’m not going to be sucked in by an indifferent spell of form from Manchester City. Every year I tell myself that at some point they will peel off a 10-game winning run and leave everyone else in the dust. Every year I tell myself they’re too strong and don’t hope for anyone else to produce a bit of variety. But every year I forget and I’m sucked in by the hope. I should know better. I should know they’re going to be too strong again. I should know not to hope too much for a proper title race. But I don’t know better, so I’m going to say: Arsenal for the title.
Sarah Shephard: My heart says no but my head says yeah, they will. Arsenal will be stronger both in terms of squad depth and experience, but I still can’t see it being quite enough to close the gap on Guardiola’s treble-winners. I can see Manchester United also pushing them hard this season, but again, it’s a struggle to see them surpassing City. The only slight question mark could be if there is any sort of complacency or competition fatigue (if there is such a thing) from City having so much success and fighting on so many fronts for so long last season. But I’m not holding my breath.
How Pep Guardiola will fight ‘Dwight Yorke Effect’ at Manchester City
Adam Hurrey: Yes, because they’ve engineered themselves into a state that every elite club craves: relative stability. Tales of Pep Guardiola’s relentless demands are legion, but through a combination of pathologically obsessive carrot and cold-blooded stick, he has managed to keep his City squad hungry and willing to compete for places. The only candidate from the so-called Big Six who can offer anything like that is Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta’s ship hasn’t been fully sea-trialled across a 60-game season yet. The others still have too far to bounce back in 2023-24.
Jack Lang: Yes, just about. Arsenal were brilliant for long chunks of the 2022-23 season and have added both depth and quality this summer. They should be better equipped to sustain a title challenge and I can see them going closer. Manchester United, too, should put up a decent fight, but City have the best striker in the world and the best manager in the world and remain the team to beat.
In order, who will finish in the top… five* and qualify for the Champions League?
D’Urso: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool
Anka: Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal (the smallest of margins between two and three), Manchester United, Chelsea
Walid: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle United
Miller: Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool
Hurrey: Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool
Shephard: Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle
Lang: Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool
*based on UEFA coefficents, the Premier League should have five spots in the new-look 2024-25 Champions League
Can Arsenal dethrone Manchester City? (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Is the Big Six over? Is it a Big Seven? Eight? Twenty?
D’Urso: No. The Big Six descriptor was always about money, not the league table. Although Tottenham finished below Villa, Newcastle and Brighton last season, their revenue is roughly double each of those clubs’, giving them a huge advantage for the longer term, especially as financial fair play restrictions become increasingly important. The same goes for Chelsea. It would take several bad seasons (and good ones for someone else) for anyone to truly break up the Big Six.
Anka: We’ve been asking this question ever since Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester looked like they would gatecrash the party. Their relegation serves to show how the Big Six is a big club and breaking into it is harder than anticipated. I thoroughly expect Newcastle to have a good 2023-24, leading us to have a conversation with the sub-editors desk as to whether we should use “The Rich Seven” or “The Magnificent Seven” as shorthand, but for now, my answer is the same as last season. The Big Six descriptor has less to do with league position and more to do with money and the cultural history of the clubs included in it. So long as teams change their tactical approach when they play you and it’s treated as a big deal when you lose, then the Big Six remain.
Walid: From a football perspective, it is. The quality of Newcastle United, Brighton, Aston Villa, Brentford and even Fulham makes them a thorn in the side of the Big Six. Any of those teams could beat Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool or Chelsea on any given day.
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Miller: Sort of. The nice thing about the group of financially dominant clubs expanding is that there is an increased chance of a really rich team doing something stupid or having an awful season, which is a) funny and b) good for some semblance of competitive variety. So the top seven probably won’t be the big seven, but they will still buy everyone else’s players.
Hurrey: As unromantic as this will sound, the Big Six was always about more than perennial league position: it’s been about influence, commercial revenue, Champions League knockout experience, stealing players from shrewder, smaller clubs, that sort of thing. Given their apparent legal untouchability and latent sleeping-giantness, I will allow Newcastle into a provisional Big Seven.
Shephard: Not yet. I’m afraid it will take more than one season for a club to be allowed entry. Newcastle seem the most likely to force an expansion but only if they can repeat last season’s form.
Lang: I agree wholeheartedly with Joey.
Newcastle and Chelsea of the… Big Seven? (Jason Allen/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Which clubs will struggle this season?
D’Urso: The obvious answers are Luton Town and Sheffield United, who aren’t spending much. This tells us something interesting about modern football — it might make more sense in the long run for both to just bank a year of TV money and subsequent parachute payments and hopefully get back to the Premier League again with a firmer financial base. It’s a less risky strategy than betting the house on staying up, which worked for Nottingham Forest last season, but things would be very ugly at the City Ground now if it hadn’t.
Anka: Something feels off at Fulham. They were impressive last season in how they maximised set pieces and Aleksandar Mitrovic’s bully-ball stylings, but their summer activity hasn’t moved the needle too much. There’s a good core group there but several players are over the age of 30 and Mitrovic looks to have had his head turned by an offer from the Saudi Pro League, even if he ends up elsewhere. I don’t think they’ll be relegated, but I can see them getting dragged into the mire.
Walid: With a few of the teams getting closer to the Big Six, there was a clear gap in quality between the top half of the table and the bottom half last season. Unless any of the bottom-half teams, in addition to the promoted ones, overachieve, then the struggling clubs could be all of the bottom half once again.
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Miller: Depends on your definition of ‘struggle’, but I can see Spurs finishing mid-table, although nobody will mind too much because they’ve got a manager who doesn’t feel like he’s doing them a massive favour by being there. I wonder whether Crystal Palace will regret sticking with Roy Hodgson. Luton and Sheffield United seem to be in ‘take the money and stabilise’ mode. Nottingham Forest could go either way. Everton have been chancing it for a few seasons. So it could well be a big ol’ bunfight at the bottom.
Hurrey: If you can even call it struggling, in relative terms, I officially ‘fear for’ Luton and Sheffield United. I have also decided that Brentford will plateau, Everton and Wolves will get booed by their fans a lot and that Forest — who will part ways, really messily, with Steve Cooper before Christmas — are basically the new Watford.
Shephard: I have concerns for Wolves after last season’s struggles and the losses of Raul Jimenez, Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves this summer (and clearly former manager Julen Lopetegui did, too). Luton and Sheffield United will also be up against it, but I have a feeling that at least one of them will survive — likely the latter.
Lang: I think it will be quite a tricky few months for Brentford. Ivan Toney is a gigantic loss and although they coped well without him in the final few games of last season, there will surely be a drop-off over the longer term. Thomas Frank is obviously brilliant but I would be hugely impressed if he and his players manage to match last season’s ninth-placed finish.
____ is the player who will outscore Erling Haaland in 2023-24…
D’Urso: Did you see the former intelligence officer who told Congress the other day that the USA has proof that aliens exist? There’s a greater chance of him being right, and Elvis and Tupac being found alive for good measure, than anyone outscoring Erling Haaland this season (barring injury, obvs).
Anka: Lol. Lmao. Julian Alvarez if you want to be goofy. Next question.
Walid: If Harry Kane stays at Tottenham, he is the most logical answer to this question. The England striker’s 30 goals last season have been forgotten among the 300 million mentions of Erling Haaland, but unlike the Norwegian, Kane scored them in a turbulent Spurs side that surely would have finished lower than eighth if not for him. Otherwise, yes, it’s Haaland again.
Miller: Barring a startling revelation that Dixie Dean or Jimmy Greaves were actually cryogenically frozen in their prime and will be thawed out this season, it’s going to be Haaland. But I will play your little game and say… Mo Sal… Harry Ka… Marcus Ra… nope, sorry, can’t do it. Haaland.
Hurrey: Nope.
Shephard: Ugh. On the understanding that his level would have to drop massively for anyone to outscore him, I’ll shoot for… Marcus Rashford.
Lang: Realistically, it’s going to take a full-on Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan situation to stop him. The pertinent question, therefore, is this: which Premier League striker seems like they would have the most violent, most unhinged entourage? The answer is obviously (heavily redacted on advice of crack legal team).
Haaland celebrating goal number one of 36 in the Premier League last season (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
2023-24 will be a season too far for ____
D’Urso: Fulham. They outran expected goals last season and gravity could catch up with them this time, especially if they lose any one of Aleksandr Mitrovic, Joao Palinha or manager Marco Silva.
Anka: I’m not ready to watch a Premier League without James Milner in it, but I’ll be surprised if he makes more than 10 starts for Brighton this season. He’s probably still amazing at the bleep test, but at 37 years of age and many miles on the clock, let’s not ask too much from him.
Walid: Nottingham Forest. No specific reason, just a hunch.
Miller: Fulham won’t be as good as last season, particularly if their sole plan for replacing Mitrovic is Raul Jimenez. But Wolves appear to be selling everyone and have lost a manager who kept them up but who didn’t want to be there. They could go down.
Hurrey: The Thomas Frank hype machine, Roy Hodgson’s been-there-done-it outlook, David Moyes wearing a slim-fit tracksuit, the chances of Frank Lampard ever again managing a serious top-flight club.
Shephard: Steve Cooper. He’ll have been Nottingham Forest manager for two years in September, which in Forest years is about 35, so I can’t help but feel the end is in sight. Sorry, Steve.
Lang: Possibly Bournemouth. Andoni Iraola is a brave, exciting appointment and I’m rooting for them to thrive, but… well, the squad is a bit of a jumble and a bad start could easily lead to the kind of existential crisis that usually ends with Sam Allardyce taking over in February.
Which player or team are you most looking forward to watching?
D’Urso: Moussa Diaby at Aston Villa. Chalk-on-the-boots wingers who run at people really fast are a dying breed in modern football. Diaby seems a livewire.
Anka: I’m very intrigued to see this new iteration of Manchester United with Andre Onana pinging balls out from the back and Rasmus Hojlund looking like a baby Cavani. I’m curious to see Big Ange’s revolution of Spurs and I predict, big, BIG things for Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto. I was genuinely punching the air when he got picked up last January.
Walid: Dominik Szoboszlai. I am a sucker for brilliant shooters and the Hungarian’s profile makes sense at Liverpool, especially after their shift towards a 3-2-4-1 shape on the ball.
Miller: Whichever player Brighton have found from somewhere that we haven’t really heard of yet who will turn out to be brilliant and worth £50million by next summer.
Hurrey: A fully pre-seasoned Mykhailo Mudryk.
Shephard: I’m intrigued to see how Liverpool shape up with their new-look midfield, but also what Mauricio Pochettino manages to eke out of a Chelsea side that looked so bereft of ideas and oomph last season.
Lang: To me, there is no sight more thrilling than that of a defender dribbling out from the back, accepting the inherent risk because it shrinks in comparison with the possible payoff. What I have seen of Jurrien Timber, therefore, has made me quite excited.
A pre-seasoned Mykhailo Mudryk (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
The player clubs should try to buy back from the Saudi Pro League in Jan is ____
D’Urso: Newcastle have just sold Allan Saint-Maximin to Saudi club Al Ahli for around $30million despite both clubs being owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. If the player was loaned back to Newcastle, they could keep the talented Frenchman while adding a load of cash to Newcastle’s balance sheet that would help them get around financial fair play restrictions and not cost the Public Investment Fund a penny. (This is tongue-in-cheek of course, but there doesn’t seem to be any rules to stop this happening, which is a bit concerning.)
Anka: It’d be dead funny if Sergej Milinkovic-Savic finally made it to the Premier League this Jan after years of being linked with a move to Manchester United. I’m surprised a European club didn’t try to get Marcelo Brozovic on a short-term deal. He remains an exceptional midfielder who could have done a job for many clubs in the top six.
Walid: Surely it’s Ruben Neves?
Miller: The Ruben Neves loan to Newcastle feels quite ‘on the nose’, but if it’s anyone it will be him. Unless Jordan Henderson discovers that floating in pools of money doesn’t quite make up for missing one of Jurgen Klopp’s big hugs.
Hurrey: Nobody in particular, although I can vividly picture Moussa Dembele “ending his Al Ettifaq nightmare” to score three goals in 14 games for Crystal Palace.
Shephard: Ruben Neves. He’s only 26 and he really, really wants to play Champions League football (so he said back in May). It’s only fair on the poor lad.
Lang: No one. Hey, remember all those players who went to China, earned enough money to keep their great grandkids’ great grandkids in Prada pyjamas, then returned to have really successful careers in top European leagues? No, me neither. The players who have made the choice to go to Saudi Arabia have told us something about their priorities and we should listen.
How many of the 20 teams will end the season with the manager they started with?
D’Urso: Less than half. It’s carnage out there. A big factor in this is that England is the place to be for any aspiring manager now, not to mention the most lucrative (Saudi aside). Owners will know they can easily poach top bosses from abroad in a way that wasn’t the case 10-15 years ago.
Anka: Nine bosses are not surviving the season. No club will have three managers across 2023-24. Sean Dyche will teeter, before pulling things back.
Walid: At least nine. The math behind this is that I can’t see any of Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Erik ten Hag, Mikel Arteta or Mauricio Pochettino getting the sack. Thomas Frank, Eddie Howe and Roberto De Zerbi’s credit in the bank will surely keep them safe, plus all three are a big reason why their teams are in those positions in the first place. Finally, Unai Emery’s power at Aston Villa and the success of last season means it would take a crazy campaign to see him get the chop.
Miller: Eight. I’ve got a hunch that a big dog could go mid-season, although I can’t quite tell you which one yet.
Hurrey: A startlingly stable and rational 14-15 teams.
Shephard: At least 11, I think. But there’s no accounting for owners with itchy fingers and panic buttons – one of those gets pressed and the whole Jenga tower begins to crumble.
Lang: Eleven, although just typing that has made me feel like a gullible rube with way too much faith in humanity.
Sam Allardyce at Leeds in 2022-23. Will he take part in 2023-24? (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
What new tactical trend will emerge?
D’Urso: Brentford’s long throw-ins are fun and seem to lead to goals. It’s surprising this hasn’t been copied more widely.
Anka: This summer I have seen many an imagined XI put in a 3-2-4-1 formation with a box midfield. The value of inverted full-backs and the power that box midfields have against counter-attacks is still not properly understood, but I reckon we’ll see multiple teams attempt it and try to figure things out.
Walid: More innovation at set pieces, especially corners. Last season’s 3.9 goals per 100 corners was the highest number of any season since 2007-08, and with more set-piece specialists coaching at Premier League clubs, that number could increase.
Miller: Not so much a new trend but a doubling down on the full-backs in midfield thing: rather than just one moving inside, some madman will do it with both. Probably Arsenal, with Oleksandr Zinchenko on one side and Jurrien Timber on the other.
Hurrey: A step up in the move away from using traditional names for formations. Feels like “4-3-3” and variants don’t quite do justice to how some managers are trying to set their teams up. Also, I have no idea.
Shephard: With the new rules surrounding time-wasting coming into play, might we see a player from each team who has the specific task of reminding everyone to get a move on during goal celebrations/set pieces etc? Probably not the most popular person in the squad… maybe the same one responsible for collecting player fines in the dressing room?
My biggest hope for the new season is ____
D’Urso: Fewer handball penalties. They should be reserved for Luis Suarez vs Ghana-style abominations. No more close games decided by a ball-to-shoulder penalty calls in unthreatening positions. They’re rubbish.
Anka: (Outside my usual hopes for a decrease in racist abuse in the game and less rampant hyper-capitalism squeezing the joy from things) I was hoping that Chelsea wouldn’t get a sponsor for the front of their shirts. It was quite nice the way it was but that dream looks to be over before the season has even begun.
Walid: For it not to be over in March. A competitive Premier League where the title is decided in May, European places touch-and-go towards the end of the season and a relegation battle that makes your head go crazy on the final day of the season is much better than a team just rampaging through the league and three doomed teams we knew were going down from February onwards.
Miller: It would be nice if Roberto De Zerbi lasted the whole season at Brighton. As it is, he’s probably one of the obvious choices if a big club panics, but they were so good at points last season it would be lovely if he could have until May.
Hurrey: Everyone gives the cups a right good go!
Shephard: In line with the above and in response to the criticism some teams received last season for “going OTT”, I hope we continue to see players release their full emotions when they feel it’s warranted (not when the pundits/commentators deem it “right” to do so).
Lang: …that the football community as a whole wises up to the fact that pretty much everyone is using the verb “to invert” incorrectly. To invert something is to turn it upside-down or arrange it in the opposite order. A winger can be inverted if he or she plays on the opposite side than may have been expected historically given his or her stronger foot. A full-back can also be inverted, but invert does not mean move into the centre. Denis Irwin was an inverted full-back because he was right-footed and played on the left; Oleksandr Zinchenko is doing something interesting when he drifts in off the flank, but he’s not inverting.
How we think the Premier League will finish in 2023-24
Some 42 of our writers and editors predicted the final order of the 2023-24 Premier League. This table is an average of those predictions:
Our 2023-24 predicted PL table
| POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 | Man City |
| 2 | Arsenal |
| 3 | Man Utd |
| 4 | Liverpool |
| 5 | Chelsea |
| 6 | Newcastle |
| 7 | Tottenham |
| 8 | Aston Villa |
| 9 | Brighton |
| 10 | Brentford |
| 11 | West Ham |
| 12 | C Palace |
| 13 | Fulham |
| 14 | Burnley |
| 15 | Bournemouth |
| 16 | Everton |
| 17 | N Forest |
| 18 | Wolves |
| 19 | Luton |
| 20 | Sheff Utd |
(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
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