Mauricio Pochettino believes his players have been their own worst enemies this season after Chelsea’s recent good form was derailed by last weekend’s thrashing at Newcastle.

The 4-1 loss on Tyneside came after the team had given arguably their two most promising performances of the season, first winning by the same score away at previously unbeaten Tottenham, then in drawing a frenetic match 4-4 against Premier League and European champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Yet at St. James’s Park they were routed by Eddie Howe’s side, with Pochettino admitting to feeling angry and disappointed at the manner in which his players capitulated in the second half against a Newcastle team ravaged by injuries.

Inconsistency has been a thorn in the manager’s side since he took over in July, with only four wins in 13 league matches.

Home form has been a particular concern, with one victory so far and defeats against Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Brentford, though performances in earning creditable draws against Arsenal, Liverpool and City had offered cause for hope.

However, the heavy defeat to Newcastle, which was compounded by a red card for captain Reece James, has brought questions about the rate of progress under the Argentinian back to the fore ahead of welcoming Brighton to west London on Sunday.

“It was a tough week for everyone,” said Pochettino. “I’m very happy because the players reacted really well. We blame ourselves because our approach (at Newcastle) maybe was wrong.

“But the week was good to realise what we need to improve. We need to be more consistent and mature. I’m very, very happy so far. It was tough in training and in meetings, but sometimes this type of situation helps you to improve a lot.

“The important thing is not to look at the end of the season, but to see the process and to improve every day. That’s the most difficult thing always in this type of process, to be focused on today and not on tomorrow.

“We beat Tottenham, had an amazing game against Manchester City, then we lose against Newcastle. We are our worst enemies and we need to be focused on us.

“If we are in a good place (against Brighton), I think for sure we will compete in a very good way. Brighton are not going to be the problem. We need to pay attention (to the opposition), but in this process I think we need to pay more attention to ourselves than to the opponent.”

Summer signings Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia will be assessed on Saturday ahead of the Brighton game, with Pochettino confirming “they are close” to being fit enough to make long-awaited debuts.

Nkunku, a £52million capture from RB Leipzig, suffered a knee injury during a pre-season game against Borussia Dortmund, disrupting a promising start to his Chelsea career on the club’s United States tour, whilst Lavia has been out with an ankle problem and has not played since joining from Southampton.

Pochettino added that he had not held back in showing his anger to the players following the surrender to Newcastle.

“The players know very well how my mood was,” he said. “I’m not going to act. I’m not going to show a face that I don’t feel.

“I think it’s important the players feel the coaches in a natural way when we are angry, when we’re happy we’re happy. We were tough in our analysis, but tough is about telling the truth.”

Stephen Kingsley hopes improving Hearts can become more emphatic winners as they bid to assert themselves in the race for Europe.

The Jambos have climbed to fourth in the cinch Premiership after three successive league victories by a one-goal margin.

Hearts have comfortably the best defensive record in the league outside the Old Firm, with six clean sheets and only 12 goals conceded in their 13 matches.

However, Steven Naismith’s side have scored only 13 times, with only three teams, Ross County plus the bottom two of St Johnstone and Livingston, netting less.

“One thing we’ve spoken about, even though we’ve had three good results recently, is that we need to score more goals,” said defender Kingsley.

“We’ve done well defensively and kept a lot of clean sheets this season, so the next thing is to go and really take it by the scruff of the neck and kill teams off as early as we can and make it more enjoyable for ourselves.”

Hearts last weekend made it three league wins in a row for the first time since January 2022.

If they beat Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Saturday – a result that would lift them up to third place – it will be the first time since the start of the 2018/19 season under Craig Levein that they have recorded four top-flight victories on the spin.

“It just shows that we’ve not really shown that level of consistency we need for a long time,” said Kingsley. “Two seasons ago we had a really good run of games where we went into games feeling like we were going to get a win or a positive result no matter how we played.

“We need to build ourselves back up to that. I don’t think any team has shown that level of consistency this season. That’s why the league is so tight and it’s why we’re sitting up in fourth after not having the best of results earlier in the season.

“I think whoever can show that bit of consistency will be the ones who do well come the end of the season.”

Despite being a defender, Kingsley netted 12 goals in his first two seasons at Hearts, including seven in the 2021/22 campaign.

Remarkably, however, the 29-year-old has not found the next in the past 19 months since his sensational free-kick in the Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Hibernian in April 2022.

“As long as we win I don’t care,” he said when asked about his goal drought. “I’d obviously love to get back on the score-sheet and help the boys out, but as long as I’m keeping clean sheets and the team’s winning, that’s the most important thing.

“I had a run of form a couple of seasons ago where I was getting loads of free-kicks and getting chances to score, but they’ve kind of dried up.

“I had a few free-kicks I was disappointed with earlier in the season, but my main job is to be a defender and we’ve been keeping clean sheets so I’m happy with that.

“I really couldn’t care who is scoring the goals as long as we’re winning games.”

Thomas Tuchel wants his Bayern Munich team to “take it up a notch” when they face Bundesliga strugglers Union Berlin on Saturday.

Bayern are unbeaten in all 12 of their league matches this season and sit two points off leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

They face a Union side who recently hired new manager Nenad Bjelica and find themselves in the relegation zone, having lost nine of their last 10 games.

Tuchel called for a reaction from his players after Bayern’s midweek 0-0 draw with Copenhagen in the Champions League.

“They’ve changed the formation to a 4-1-4-1 (Union),” Tuchel told a press conference.

“You can’t read too much into their game (1-1 draw against Braga) because there was an early red card. We’ll also look at games involving the clubs he’s coached previously.

“We have to concentrate on ourselves and do things better. We want to take it up a notch. The main attention is on us.”

Bayern left-back Alphonso Davies has recently been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena.

Tuchel lauded the Canada international, highlighting him as a “key player” for the German champions.

“He’s our player and an absolutely key player,” Tuchel added.

“He knows how highly we value him. For me, how long the player is under contract doesn’t change anything.

“He’s playing regularly at the highest level. I trust the management. He’s still a very young player, which we often forget. He has room for improvement in every area, but all at an extremely high level.”

Midfielder Leon Goretzka has previously featured as a centre-back and Tuchel talked up the player’s versatility.

He said: “You can’t overstate it. We moved Leon from the centre of midfield to centre-back in the final training session. He did it very well. His best position is when he can use his running strength between the boxes.

“He’s had very good performances in midfield and that’s still where we see him. Every time he’s played at centre-back, he’s played well.”

Ange Postecoglou insists he will relish the prospect of taking injury-hit Tottenham to Premier League champions Manchester City this weekend.

Spurs make the trip to the Etihad on a three-match losing run and with their list of absentees into double figures with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur among those sidelined.

Tottenham boast a good record against Pep Guardiola’s City with five wins from their last eight meetings, but that has come from playing a more pragmatic style compared to Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy.

Even with a growing injury list, the Australian is not about to ditch his possession-based, front-foot tactics any time soon despite a seemingly daunting visit to last season’s treble-winners.

“It’s always a challenge playing against City or any team Pep manages. You love that, you relish that, that’s the arena you want to be in, measuring yourself against the very best,” Postecoglou stated.

“Yeah, great if things were a bit smoother for us but it is what it is and I still think during this period for us, even last week, there were moments in the game when we played some fantastic football.

“We’ve got to crack on, we’ve got to get on with it. We can’t take our eyes off what we’re trying to achieve here. For me that’s always paramount to everything I do, every decision I make.

“Every time we put a team out there it’s about us becoming the team we want to become. Through that process there’s going to be some challenges, as there is now, some tough times and you just have to stay focused on what you’re trying to achieve.

“For me these are the important times because this will show what kind of football team we want to be. You can sort of shy away, say we have injuries, we’re playing Man City away but you’re either going to be a club that tries to knock off the big clubs or you are a big club. You are one or the other.

“My hope and my ambition for this club is to make it a big club and to do that you have to be successful and win things. To win things you have to have a plan, stick to it and believe in it.”

Postecoglou confirmed that Bentancur is set for a “couple of months” on the treatment table with a torn ankle ligament sustained in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

While disappointed for the Uruguay international, Postecoglou has been impressed by his attitude after only returning from an ACL injury last month.

He added: “We’re still getting some information, but it’ll be well into early next year. A couple of months at least.

“Talking to him yesterday, he’s such a positive guy. If it was me I’d be a hell of a lot grumpier around the place.

“He’s got a really positive outlook. He knows that he’s been through a tough time and now he’s got to go through a shorter tough time but he also knows that, and he felt it when he was out there, that he hasn’t lost anything as a footballer.

“That’s the important thing. I think that’s given him the incentive to be back as quickly as possible and again make an impact for us.”

This week has also seen talk of sin bins being introduced in football after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) backed the idea that temporary dismissals of players for offences such as dissent and specific tactical fouls could be implemented.

But Postecoglou responded: “Bin it mate, bin the whole idea. Just forget about it.”

Mikel Arteta has called for patience with VAR and wants to see the technology remain in the Premier League despite the Arsenal boss facing a Football Association charge following recent criticism of the system.

After last month’s 1-0 loss at Newcastle, Arteta labelled the decision to award Anthony Gordon’s matchwinner “embarrassing” and a “disgrace” while Arsenal followed up his comments with an official statement backing his take.

Arteta has since been charged by the FA and will find out if he faces any punishment for his comments next week.

Arsenal, who sit top of the Premier League after a late win at Brentford last weekend, host Wolves on Saturday – themselves having been stung by controversial VAR calls this season.

Having already been told of incorrect decisions going against his side this term, Wolves boss Gary O’Neil turned on VAR after their 3-2 loss at Fulham on Monday.

Fulham were awarded two penalties which O’Neil was not happy with and he asked “what is the point” of VAR – but Arteta has urged tolerance despite his own misgivings over the technology.

“I think we can improve it and we are trying to do that,” Arteta said.

“All those things that are happening I think are probably necessary to improve it and we have to take it that way. It has been a big change.

“Technology is taking a huge responsibility in games and it needs time. If we use it the right way, we are listening to people, we are open, we are humble and we are trying to be constructive, I think we will get to a really, really good place.”

Arteta also revealed that recent VAR issues have been leading conversations between managers, with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe the latest to be left fuming following a late penalty award in their Champions League draw at Paris St Germain.

“I have sympathy with all my colleagues because I know how beautiful and how challenging the job is,” added the Spaniard.

“Those moments in front of the camera are not easy ones. You see that in many, many situations already this season as well as last season. We’re here to make the game better and make clubs better. We all need to win to do that.

“It’s a topic that comes up for sure. We talk about many things but that’s one of those as well because at the end it has a huge impact on results and our job depends on that.”

Having thrashed Lens 6-0 on Wednesday to seal their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, Arteta is expecting an altogether different challenge as Arsenal look to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League with victory over Wolves.

“It will be different, it won’t be the same. We cannot expect the same,” he said.

“This team is going to be different to last season and hopefully very different to the season next. That’s part of the evolution. Leaving some of the things in the past to the new things. That has a transition. We want to still be competitive and win matches and I think the team is competing really well.

“They have a lot of quality over there. It’s not a coincidence what they’re doing. They perform really well against the top sides and that says a lot about the coaching staff, what Gary is doing, the way they have prepared and how they control opponents.”

Pep Guardiola believes the Premier League is better for the arrival of Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.

Postecoglou has made a positive impact since taking charge at Spurs in the summer, with the Londoners having gone unbeaten through their first 10 games while playing in a dynamic style.

Guardiola’s treble-winning Manchester City are the next side to come up against the Australian’s troops as they host Spurs on Sunday.

The City manager said: “He came here and, from nothing, in few months you recognise perfectly his team.

“Even the games that they didn’t win lately, I’ve been impressed how good many, many things they do are, how many chances they create and how aggressive (they are) in all departments.

“Every team plays with the desire of the manager. His have done in the past, in Japan, of course in Glasgow with Celtic and now. I think he makes football a better place.

“As a manager and a spectator I enjoy a lot watching them play with the approach they have. I think all the Spurs fans and the people in England can admit that his impact has been quick and really good.”

Spurs have gone slightly off the boil since their blistering start, losing their last three Premier League games.

Guardiola, however, does not expect Postecoglou’s approach to change and is preparing for a tough encounter.

The Spaniard, whose side are a point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, said: “Absolutely not (will they change). This is not going to happen. I’d be surprised.

“It is a more difficult competition to win now, every season it is getting better. There are more teams involved and every single game is so difficult.

“Since I arrived, when (Mauricio) Pochettino was in Tottenham always, Spurs have been there. They’re a fantastic team.

“Of course they have important absences but I saw the first 15, 20 minutes against Aston Villa and they created an amount of chances. It’s really good for football, definitely.

“I encourage our fans to come to the stadium because we will have fun.”

Guardiola and Postecoglou have crossed paths just once before, when City faced the Australian’s former side Yokohama F Marinos in a pre-season friendly in the Japanese city in 2019.

Guardiola said: “When we played in Japan I saw some clips before we started. I said, ‘wow, there are things that I like’.

“I said to the players we’re going to face a good team with challenges, intense build-up, intense and high pressing.

“It was the first time I met him and since then I’ve followed him and seen how good he has done in Glasgow with Celtic, winning trebles and winning a lot of games and now look, in a short time he is there.”

Guardiola said he enjoyed meeting with Postecoglou, even if one ritual was not adhered to in Japan.

“He took care of me really well,” he said. “He didn’t offer me a glass of wine, but it was fine!”

A sensational second half strike from Dimitrio Andro earned Robinhood of Suriname a 1-0 victory over Jamaican side Cavalier in the first leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Final at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, on Thursday night.

It was a fairly cagey start to the contest as both teams took their time to feel out each other, before Carlos Da Silva's 15th-minute header gradually broke the shackles for Robinhood.

Cavalier heeded the danger and responded with a warning shot of their own through Shaquille Cairo 33rd-minute attempt.

The Jamaican side upped the tempo after the interval and almost broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, but tournament-leading scorer Shaniel Thomas's effort went just wide.

Minutes later Robinhood's goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel was called upon to make a soaring save to deny Ronaldo Robinson.

Just when it looked like Cavalier had the home side on the ropes and were set to break through, Robinhood turned the half on its head when they found the go-ahead goal in the 69th minute against the run of play. This, as Andro rifled a right-footed shot that lodged into the top right corner of net.

Andro’s excellent strike made for a vibrant finish, with Robinhood buoyed by momentum, while Cavalier tried desperately but couldn't find the elusive equalizer.

With that, the stage is set for what should be an explosive second leg inside Jamaica's National Stadium on December 6.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has defended under-fire Andre Onana and insisted the Cameroon international is among the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.

Onana has repeatedly been in the spotlight since United spent £47million on the 27-year-old this summer to replace David De Gea, and although it had been felt his form was improving in recent weeks, Wednesday’s 3-3 draw against Galatasaray was a clear setback as he was at fault for two goals.

Onana also made a mistake for a goal in United’s Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich, but while he has struggled in Europe, Ten Hag pointed to the statistics that say Onana is second in saves made, save percentage and goals prevented in the Premier League.

“If you analyse it well then you see he is the second best goalkeeper in the Premier League based on stats, so his expected defending goals is the second best in the Premier League,” Ten Hag said.

“He’s doing well. Also he knows that in the Champions League he makes some mistakes but all over you see the first five months he is doing particularly well.”

Onana will face another major test on Saturday evening when United travel to Newcastle, who are on a five-game winning streak at St James’ Park.

But Ten Hag does not expect Onana to suffer any hangover from Wednesday night.

“You have seen how he is reacting on a bad performance like in Munich,” Ten Hag said.

“At Burnley (three days later) he was outstanding. He is a strong character, he is a personality and he will deal with it.”

United said on Friday that left-back Tyrell Malacia, yet to feature this season after knee surgery, is on course to return early next year after requiring a second operation.

Mason Mount was also back in training on Friday but there is no timeframe yet for the midfielder’s return.

Mount’s absence has helped open the door for 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who excelled in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park and was impressive again in Istanbul.

“He showed on Sunday (at Everton) he was ready,” Ten Hag said. “It looks like he always has time.

“He is scanning, he is running free, he is scanning to see the options and make the right decisions. He can delay, can speed up, he makes the right decisions.”

Saturday’s trip to the north east is a third straight away game for United, and another intimidating atmosphere after they faced an angry Goodison Park and the bear pit that is Galatasaray’s Rams Park.

“I really respect them,” Ten Hag said of Newcastle. “It’s a difficult team to play but it’s a good challenge and I like to play against it.

“We have to rise to the occasion, be our best against them because the way they play is very organised.”

United go into the game on the back of five wins in their last six Premier League games, having put a rocky run of domestic form behind them to close in on the top four.

It stands in contrast to their European form, but Ten Hag believes performances have been good across the board.

“On Wednesday, we played very good, also in Copenhagen,” he said. “Even in Bayern Munich we played very good. But we have to do some things better.

“Eliminate individual errors, defensive transition, but we can sort this out and I would be more concerned if we didn’t play well.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Anfield is a “nightmare” for opposition teams as the ground has once again become a fortress for his side.

The 4-0 Europa League victory over LASK extended their 100 per cent home record to 10 matches this season, in which they have scored 31 goals and conceded just four.

Liverpool have not lost at home in any competition since their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in February, and domestically it stretches back to October last year.

They have dropped just six points in the Premier League in that time in a run of 18 wins and three draws.

“It is our home, it must, must, must be a difficult place to come,” said Klopp on their Anfield record.

“I said to the boys (before the LASK game), I think for every player, if they are not playing at Liverpool and play in a different country, playing at Anfield is a dream.

“But actually it must be a nightmare and that is what we try to do. It didn’t work out all the time but when our people are at it, it makes a massive difference.

“So it is cool, but I think my best skill is not feeling at all winning streaks. I just don’t feel it because the next game is so important, so different, so difficult.

“That’s why I don’t think they help really, maybe for the other team to think it’s a difficult place to go, but for us each game stays difficult because of the quality of the opponent.”

Fulham, who have scored just 13 times in as many Premier League matches, are the next side to try to break Liverpool’s streak on Sunday.

They may have been given hope by the hamstring injury to goalkeeper Alisson Becker, which has put back-up Caoimhmin Kelleher in line for his longest run in the side, having never played more than three consecutive games for the club.

The Republic of Ireland international, whose appearances this season have so far been limited to the Europa League and Carabao Cup, warmed up with some good saves in the final 20 minutes of the LASK win having not been tested before that.

Klopp has previously described Kelleher as the world’s best number two and he has no doubts about the 25-year-old’s potential to elevate himself further.

“We see him every day in training, he is an exceptional talent,” said the manager.

“Maybe we don’t mention the name often enough but (goalkeeping coach) John Achterberg said to me from day one when I was in that this will be our homegrown boy who will make it.

“We had discussions in the summer obviously about (moving on), but as long as we don’t have a solution we cannot loan players.

“He is homegrown and the first responsibility is to do the best for Liverpool, then we have to see how we can sort it.

“Now obviously for him it is a situation he did not want to have, but obviously because you want opportunities, you want to play, now he will get a few games, definitely. I trust him.”

Kelleher insists he is ready for an extended run in the side and that LASK proved a useful warm-up.

“I know it’s obviously been a long time (since being in the first-choice team) but I’m always training for that, to try and be ready and if something does happen to Ali – unfortunately something has – then I’m ready to go in and try to help the team get some more wins,” he told LFCTV.

“It was a good performance and that gives me confidence to build on and hopefully I can back that up with another good performance on Sunday.”

Jude Bellingham will be fit for Real Madrid’s home match against Granada on Saturday.

The England midfielder has missed training with an ankle issue after scoring in Wednesday night’s Champions League win over Napoli.

But boss Carlo Ancelotti has declared the former Birmingham youngster fit to line up at the Bernabeu.

“He’s ready to play. He doesn’t have any problems,” Ancelotti said at his pre-match press conference.

“He’s a bit tired and he had a slight discomfort in his ankle. We preferred him not to have contact.”

Bellingham has now scored an incredible 15 goals in just 16 appearances for the LaLiga leaders.

“He’s a spectacular player, fantastic. We’re delighted with him. He’s highly respected because of the work he’s capable of doing,” added Ancelotti.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is also fit after a thigh injury, but Ancelotti confirmed Ukrainian Andriy Lunin will keep his place for now.

“He’s available and I’ll talk to him afterwards,” said the Italian. “He trained for the first time today and has been given the all-clear.

“Tomorrow we’ll go with Lunin and then he’ll have a week to prepare for the Real Betis game.”

Real top the table on goal difference ahead of Girona and lie four points above Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

“The aim is to keep our good run going and to keep displaying quality and collective commitment, which is crucial in this period,” said Ancelotti.

“This is how we have built up this good run and the good results.

“It’s a very tight schedule, especially in this period when the Champions League group stage is being decided and the league table is starting to take shape.

“We have to hang in there and this has been an opportunity for the players who have had less playing time because they’ve been able to show their quality and are contributing significantly to the team.”

Granada are enduring a tough season so far with just one win and seven points from their opening 14 matches.

St Mirren are set to be without Australia international Ryan Strain for three months.

The wing-back is due to undergo surgery on the groin injury he suffered on international duty last month.

Manager Stephen Robinson said: “Ryan has gone to London for surgery. He will have surgery on Monday and unfortunately he will be in the region of three months, which is a huge blow for us.

“But it’s up to other people to step into the plate now. We have a small squad which is tested to the limit with injuries, especially long-term ones, but we are no different to anyone else.

“I don’t work on the excuse mentality, I try and work on the basis that someone else will get an opportunity to prove they should be in the side and make up for Ryan’s loss.”

The 26-year-old is approaching a crucial time in his career with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.

Robinson said: “We spoke with Ryan’s representatives about a new contract and they weren’t interested at that stage in terms of signing.

“Ryan has obviously had a huge blow with his injury and it’s a blow to us because Ryan has been a big, integral part of what we have done in our relative success.

“But you can’t feel sorry for yourself. Ryan will get the best medical treatment possible and he’s got the best physio around that will help him get back.

“He has to buy into that, he has to have the attitude and the work ethic that Jonah Ayunga had with a long-term injury.

“His aim as a young man is to come back stronger and fitter than he was before.

“Then the decision is in his hands in terms of what he does the following season but hopefully he will be back long before then.”

Saints take on Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday and Robinson is optimistic they will show more belief than they did in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat against Ross County, who scored late on through Jordan White.

“You need belief,” Robinson said. “We have got the talent.

“Our lessons from Tuesday night, my biggest frustration wasn’t actually losing the game. If we had drawn the game I would still have been frustrated with our performance because we didn’t put our stamp on the game, our style on the game.

“That has to be what we do at Ibrox, we have a belief that, when we land on the ball, we can play.

“We believe we have players who can hurt Rangers in certain areas and we will go there with a belief.

“We learn our lessons, you have ups and downs. It’s never going to be smooth journey as a football manager or a football squad but we have a group of players who totally believe in each other.

“We looked like we didn’t have a little bit of belief for certain periods but we have spoken about it and I’m sure will be better for it.”

England, Scotland and Wales could be paired together in Saturday’s Euro 2024 finals draw.

The Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg will host the draw ceremony, which gets under way at 5pm UK time.

Gareth Southgate’s England, runners-up at Euro 2020, will be one of the favourites to win the tournament, with in-form Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham set to be the shining light in a strong line-up.

Their performances in qualifying, where they topped Group C ahead of reigning European champions Italy, have earned them a place among the top seeds for the draw in what could be Southgate’s final bow as England boss.

His contract will be up next December and his future beyond that is uncertain.

Scotland are in Pot Three, while Wales are one of the 12 play-off hopefuls occupying three spots in Pot Four.

Rob Page’s side still have two big hurdles to overcome in order to join England and Scotland at the finals. They must first beat Finland on March 21 then also see off Poland or Estonia on March 26 to book their passage to Germany.

Page said at the time of the play-off draw on November 23: “The form we’re in at the minute and with the ‘Red Wall’ at home, we’ll take anyone on in Cardiff.

“It’s a great opportunity for us: we’re two wins at home away from another qualification to a major tournament. We’re hoping now for two big efforts.”

The placing of England, Scotland and Wales in different pots keeps open the possibility of them all being drawn together.

England faced Scotland in the group stage of Euro 2020 and Wales at the same stage at last year’s World Cup in Qatar. England and Wales also met at the group stage in Euro 2016.

From an England perspective, a ‘Group of Death’ would arguably include Denmark, the highest-ranked side in Pot Two, and the Netherlands or Croatia from Pot Three.

A rematch with Italy would round out a tough-looking pool for Southgate’s men, with the Azzurri alongside Wales in Pot Four.

Southgate, speaking after England’s final qualifier away to North Macedonia, said: “There looks like being really strong teams in Pot Two and Pot Three looks like it could be very strong.

“In the Euros we had Croatia in with us, who proved to be one of the best teams in the world over the last few years, and we managed to navigate that, so we’ve just got to be ready for whatever comes our way.”

Scotland were extremely impressive in qualification, finishing runners-up to Spain in Group A and booking their place in Germany with two matches to spare.

“It’s always nice to qualify for a major tournament,” Clarke said after last month’s final qualifier at home to Norway.

“Obviously the last one was Covid-restricted so we missed that connection and that feel with the fans.

“It’s great for everyone in the country that we have something to look forward to next summer.”

Pot One also contains last year’s World Cup finalists France, a Portugal team who won all 10 of their qualifying matches and a vulnerable-looking host nation Germany, who sacked their coach Hansi Flick in September following a 4-1 friendly defeat to Japan.

Philippe Clement is looking for Rangers to get back to their best against St Mirren on Sunday following their Europa League struggle against Aris Limassol.

A 1-1 draw with the Cypriot side at Ibrox on Thursday night means Group C will go to the final round of fixtures, with the Light Blues taking on Real Betis in Spain on December 14 knowing that only a victory can guarantee progress in that tournament, with a Europa Conference League spot secured as an insurance policy.

Rangers turn their attention back to cinch Premiership duty with the visit of third-placed Saints, and Clement’s side will be looking to keep the pressure on leaders Celtic, who are eight points ahead at the top of the table having played a game more.

The Gers boss said: “It was the first time that I felt real disappointment in the dressing room, they were not happy with their performance.

“That is a good thing that they were not happy with their performance, but now we need to stand up on Sunday and show our best level, with what we are going to need to win that game.

“It is about making the mind-switch really fast every time and not to lose confidence for whatever reason, and go full out and get the three points from the first second the game starts.

“St Mirren will make a wall and make transitions and set-pieces like we have a lot of games in the Scottish league. So there will not be a big difference in that way and they are going to fight.

“For them, games against Rangers are maybe the biggest game of the season, so we know that.”

Defenders Leon Balogun and Ridvan Yilmaz are back in contention after missing the Aris Limassol match as they are not in the European squad.

Centre-back Connor Goldson returns from suspension and winger Scott Wright could be back from illness and a muscle problem, but Ryan Jack (unspecified injury) and fellow midfielder Nico Raskin (knee) are still out.

Clement is likely to make changes for the visit of the Buddies.

He said: “We have work to do but we are nine games together and we haven’t lost any.

“I can tell the fans that everyone is working hard to raise the level.

“With all the injuries, it was impossible for all the players to play at their best level. We play every three days and we can’t always have the same XI so we need to rotate players.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has warned more VAR would “ruin” football after finding himself on the wrong end of a controversial decision.

Football’s lawmakers are considering options to extend the system’s use at the same time as a debate over its effectiveness in its current form rages on.

The Magpies were denied a Champions League victory at Paris St Germain on Tuesday after Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was asked to review a decision not to award a penalty for handball against Tino Livramento by VAR official Thomas Kwiatkowski and changed his mind to allow Kylian Mbappe to level in stoppage time.

Asked if he would like to see more or less VAR, head coach Howe said: “I’d like to see less VAR.

“I don’t have an issue with offsides because that is as close as it can be to being right, whether you agree with the decision, the lines give you a black and white yes or no. The rest, I’m not in favour.

“I still think it’s just another person’s opinion against another person’s opinion. It’s very subjective. I’d like to see less. I definitely wouldn’t want to see more because I think it would ruin the game.”

Kwiatkowski had been due to oversee Wednesday night’s Real Sociedad versus Red Bull Salzburg game in the same competition, but was stood down, a decision which brought Howe, who revealed the club have contacted UEFA to seek clarity over the penalty award, little comfort.

He said: “That for me, with VAR is an issue – not enough power is given to the on-field decision, which in this case was correct.

“I still believe – I’m old-fashioned in this – that the on-field decision should be given a little bit more strength because the referee is there, he’s feeling the game, he’s managing the game in the middle and I think that is worth something.”

Howe’s comments came as he prepared his players for Saturday evening’s Premier League clash with Manchester United at St James’ Park still contemplating a lengthy injury list, but with no new additions after an attritional night at the Parc des Princes and with hopes high that midfielders Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff will be sidelined for weeks rather than months.

Newcastle have lost just one of their last five encounters in all competitions with the Red Devils, who also suffered Champions League disappointment 24 hours later when they squandered a 3-1 lead at Galatasaray to draw 3-3, although Erik ten Hag’s side have won five of their last six league games.

Asked if he and his players could use their burning sense of injustice from Paris as added motivation, Howe said: “I always want that sense that we are against everybody outside of Newcastle when we play. I think that helps us.

“That is a good mentality to have, that we are competing against everybody else. It’s certainly served us well to this point and if it helps any individual players, then great.”

The draw for the Euro 2024 finals takes place in Hamburg on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency provides the lowdown on what to expect.

Where and when is the draw taking place?

The finals draw will be staged in Hamburg, at the city’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall, starting at 5pm UK time. The full ceremony is slated to last for 50 minutes, with the draw itself expected to occupy 20 of those minutes.

How will the draw work?

Twenty-four countries will be divided into six groups of four. Countries have been split into four pots in accordance with their results in qualifying. Once drawn from their respective pots, a separate draw will allocate the team’s position number within their group. Hosts Germany have automatically been allocated to Group A, position 1.

Which pots are England, Scotland and Wales in?

England, who won qualifying Group C, are in the top pot as Gareth Southgate’s men aim to go one better than at the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 finals.

Scotland are in the third pot after they finished second behind Spain in Group A, while Wales will hope to be Play-Off Winner A in pot four. To do that, they must first beat Finland on March 21 and then either Poland or Estonia on March 26.

The positioning of the nations throws open the possibility of England, Scotland and Wales being drawn in the same group. England and Wales occupied the same group at the last World Cup in Qatar, while Scotland and England were grouped together at the Euro 2020 finals.

Who might those nations be seeking to avoid?

Scotland will be bracing for a tough assignment against whoever comes out of Pot One, but their qualification victory over Spain in March will give Steve Clarke’s men confidence should the draw set up a rematch next summer.

The Netherlands and Croatia are arguably the teams to avoid in Pot Three, while reigning European champions Italy are the ones to avoid in Pot Four.

How will the group stage work?

The Euros will again feature 24 teams, which has been the case since the 2016 finals in France. That means the top two in each group will progress to the last 16, with the four best third-placed teams also making it through.

When are the finals taking place?

The tournament kicks off at 8pm UK time in Munich on Friday, June 14 next year. Berlin hosts the final on July 14.

How many cities are hosting matches?

Ten cities are involved in staging finals matches – Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.