Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 24.

Football

Tributes flooded in for Trevor Francis.

James Maddison hit the target!

Wilfried Zaha said goodbye to Crystal Palace.

Harvey Barnes made his Newcastle debut without having a training session with his new club.

United released their new away kit.

Shrewsbury were thwarted.

England defender Esme Morgan reveals all to Jill Scott.

Jude Bellingham enjoyed his first outing as a Real Madrid player.

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Cricket

Australia hit back.

Isa Guha continued the lookalike banter.

Formula One

Lando Norris was still celebrating his second-successive runners-up finish.

Max Verstappen salvaged his broken winner’s trophy.

Valtteri Bottas was already looking towards this weekend’s race at Spa.

Ary Borges stole the headlines on day five of the Women’s World Cup as her hat-trick helped Brazil thrash tournament debutants Panama 4-0 in Adelaide.

There were also plenty of goals in Melbourne where Germany brushed aside Morocco 6-0, with captain Alexandra Popp bagging a brace, while Italy left it late to beat Argentina 1-0.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at all of Monday’s action.

Borges powers Brazil

Brazil’s opening match of the tournament was all about Borges, who scored the tournament’s first hat-trick and set up Bia Zaneratto for the other in a one-sided match in Group F.

The winger had a first-half brace, both headers from Debinha’s crosses, before her neat backheel laid on the third of the match for Zaneratto just three minutes into the second half.

Borges then headed in Brazil’s fourth 20 minutes from time to put her side in a strong position in the group after France’s draw with Jamaica.

Germany lay down a marker

Germany, the world’s number two side, immediately set out their stall in Melbourne with a dominant performance against Morocco.

Captain Popp, who missed the Euro 2022 final against England with an injury picked up in the warm-up, found the net with two clinical headers inside the opening 45 minutes.

Klara Buhl then added a third early in the second half before Morocco crumbled, both Hanane Ait el Haj and Yasmin Mrabet putting through their own net.

Substitute Lea Schuller then added a sixth late on after Germany had struck the frame of the goal twice and had another ruled out for offside.

Italy snatch late victory

Cristiana Girelli came off the bench to make the difference for Italy as her 87th-minute goal secured a 1-0 win over Argentina.

Italy had been grown frustrated against a stubborn display from their opponents, with goals from Arianna Caruso and Valentina Giacinti ruled out for offside.

Girelli came on to replace 16-year-old midfielder Giulio Dragoni, who justified her selection with a composed display in midfield.

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Group H: Colombia v South Korea (3am Tuesday, Allianz Stadium, Sydney)
Group A: New Zealand v Philippines (630am Tuesday, Wellington Regional Stadium)
Group A: Switzerland v Norway (9am Tuesday, FMG Stadium Waikato)
all times BST

Borussia Dortmund have signed Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer from Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.

The 29-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Manchester United, has put pen to paper on a four-year deal after ending his two-year stay in Bavaria.

Former RB Leipzig star Sabitzer told Dortmund’s website: “I can’t wait to finally join the team and wear the BVB jersey. The discussions with Borussia Dortmund’s managers were excellent and showed me how ambitious the club wants to be in the coming years.

“I would like to do my part to ensure that BVB achieves its goals and that it has every reason to celebrate something special with its fans again as soon as possible.”

Sabitzer joins a club who lost the league title to Bayern on goal difference last season after being held to a 2-2 home draw by Mainz on the final day of the campaign.

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, who along with Sabitzer will join up with the rest of the squad in the United States on Tuesday, said: “Marcel is an experienced player who has been playing at the top international level for years.

“We are convinced that his personality will also become an important pillar of the team and that he will help us to become even more effective in hard-fought games.”

Hearts have completed the signing of centre-back Frankie Kent from Peterborough after fending off an attempt to hijack the deal by a cinch Premiership rival.

The 27-year-old former Arsenal youth player has signed a three-year contract after Peterborough received an undisclosed fee.

Hearts say they saw off some “stiff, late opposition” to sign the former Colchester player, who joined Posh in 2019 and made 170 appearances, helping the club to promotion to the Championship in 2021 and the League One play-offs last season.

Sporting director Joe Savage told the Hearts website: “We’ve said all along that we’ll be patient to make sure we get the right players in and Frankie certainly fits the bill.

“It’s also pleasing that he remained committed to joining us despite another Scottish club trying to get involved late on and I suppose we should take it as a compliment that our recruitment strategy is being mimicked elsewhere.”

Technical director Steven Naismith added: “We identified Frankie as a player who could come in and improve the team so we’re delighted to get him in.

“He was a big part of Peterborough’s recent success in winning promotion and we believe that he can make himself a success at Tynecastle Park.

“He is an aggressive centre-half in the way that he defends and starts phases of play and his leadership skills stand out.

“He was very keen to come to Hearts and take the next step in his career, so it’s a great move all round.”

Paris St Germain have granted superstar striker Kylian Mbappe permission to talk to Al Hilal after the Saudi Arabian club submitted a world-record £259million offer, the PA news agency understands.

The 24-year-old has not signed a one-year extension to his existing PSG deal, meaning he will be a free agent next summer and able to walk away for nothing.

The player, who starred in France’s 2018 World Cup success and again as Les Bleus reached the final in Qatar last year, was left out of PSG’s squad for a pre-season tour of Japan.

That move by PSG made it clear to other clubs the player was available for sale this summer, sparking Al Hilal’s gigantic 300m euro bid.

Sources close to the French club say there has also been interest in the player from other clubs in recent days, including Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona.

If the deal for Al Hilal was completed, it would smash the world transfer record fee paid by PSG to Barcelona for Neymar in 2017, which was reported at £200m at the time.

PSG are understood to be certain that Mbappe has agreed a free transfer to Real Madrid next summer, with Parisian sources saying he would benefit from a 160m euro (£138m) signing-on fee if he wound down his existing contract and moved to the Spanish capital in 2024.

A sale this summer would enable PSG to secure a return on their investment in Mbappe, who they signed for 180m euros from Monaco and retained last summer on a lucrative new contract amid earlier interest from Real.

The ball is now firmly in Mbappe’s court to make a decision on his future.

Al Hilal are one of four Saudi Pro League clubs who are now majority-owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), a sovereign wealth fund with assets under management reportedly worth over £500billion.

The club – along with three others under majority control by the PIF – have invested heavily in the European transfer market already this summer but the acquisition of Mbappe, who is arguably the best player on the planet at the current time, would be the biggest statement of Saudi Arabian strength yet.

Celtic have completed a double signing from South Korea by bringing in Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeon-kyu.

The signing of 21-year-old winger Yang from Gangwon was confirmed before the club announced they had also wrapped up a deal for 22-year-old midfielder Kwon from Busan I-Park.

Both players have signed five-year contracts and will link up with compatriot Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Manager Brendan Rodgers told Celtic’s website: “We’re delighted to bring Yang to the club and I’m sure he’s going to be another great addition to the squad.

“He’s a player that we’ve looked at closely and who we think will further enhance our attacking options which, of course, already include his fellow countryman Oh.

“He’s an exciting player who was the young player of the year in South Korea last season, which is an indication of his quality, and I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to having a big impact at the club.

“It’s also clear that he was very keen to make this move to Celtic, so I know he’ll be delighted that everything has now been agreed and we’re really looking forward to working with him.

“We’re also very pleased to bring Kwon to the club, on the same day that we’ve also announced the signing of Yang.

“Again, he is a player that the club has been aware of for some time, so it’s great that we’ve completed the deal and I know that the player is delighted with the move.

“We’re looking forward to both players joining up with the squad and playing their part in what we hope will be another successful campaign.”

Yang’s club had been hoping to keep him until the end of their season but the player made it clear he wanted an immediate transfer rather than waiting until the January window.

He said: “I’m very pleased to come to Celtic and I’m looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to begin training with them.

“This is a move that I wanted to make and so it is great to be here in Scotland now as a Celtic player.

“I have spoken to Hyeon-gyu Oh who has already told me great things about the club and its supporters, so I can’t wait to meet them and play in front of them.”

Kwon said: “This is a great move for me, to be joining the Scottish champions, and I am looking forward to working with the manager and the players.

“I know that Celtic is already very well-known back home, and I am sure the support will continue to increase now there are three South Korean players, and it will be good to play alongside them.”

Trevor Francis was a footballer best known not for scoring in a European Cup final, earning 52 England appearances or later managing in major finals – all notable achievements – but for one of the game’s historical landmarks, as British football’s first £1million player.

In these days of £100million-plus fees, few now bat an eyelid at modest seven-figure moves but in 1979, when Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest smashed the British transfer record to sign Francis from Birmingham, the sum caused quite a stir.

Naturally Francis, who has died aged 69, felt he deserved to be remembered for much more, after a 34-year career in football that began in his prodigious teenage years and took him around the world, but he was nevertheless pleased to have his own unique place in the game’s history.

“I played professional football for 23 years until I was 39,” said Francis in an interview with The Guardian in 2019.

“I won European Cups with Nottingham Forest, I played 52 times over nine years for England, but whenever I go to a sporting occasion I’m always introduced as the first £1million footballer, as if that’s the only thing I achieved in my career.

“But do I feel proud of being the first £1million player? Absolutely.”

Trevor John Francis was born at 41 Morley Place in Plymouth on April 19, 1954. He was the son of Roy Francis, a shift foreman with the South West Gas Board, and his wife Phyllis. Francis was the eldest of three children, having a younger brother Ian and sister Carolyn.

His love of football was fostered at a young age by his father, who had played at semi-professional level. By the age of seven Francis was representing his school, Pennycross Primary, with boys at least two years older.

He went on to Plymouth Public Secondary School for boys and was selected for the town’s schools side at under-11, under-13, under-14 and under-15 levels. In all he scored more than 800 goals in the Devon schools system and was soon attracting interest from Plymouth Argyle, Bristol City and Birmingham. The latter offered him an apprenticeship and he joined them at the age of 15.

His dedication and determination made him stand out. This was underlined by his desire to improve his speed. Francis was known throughout his career for his pace but as a junior it had been one area where he was criticised.

He wrote: “At that stage of my development I took the advice and I would come back to St Andrew’s in the afternoon wearing my spikes and I just ran sprints over and over again. It was worth it.”

It certainly was. Francis scored at a prolific rate in the youth team and almost bypassed the reserves as he was fast-tracked into the first team. He became Birmingham’s youngest senior player as he made his debut at the age of 16 years, 139 days as a substitute against Cardiff.

He made an instant impact with 15 goals in his first 15 games, including all four in a victory over Bolton – a match he did not finish because of injury.

He was tagged “Super Boy” and comparisons with Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law were rife. Such was his impact the BBC Sports Report once began a segment with the announcement, “And Trevor Francis did not score today!”

Birmingham, then in the Second Division, saw their crowds swell to nearly 50,000. The club even reported a gate of 10,000 after Francis appeared in a youth game. All the while Francis remained an apprentice and still had to sweep terraces, mop floors and clean senior players’ boots.

Birmingham were promoted in 1972 and survived in the top flight for seven years. In all Francis scored 133 goals for the club in 328 appearances before that ground-breaking move to Forest. By then he was almost 25 and yearning to join a club that could challenge for silverware.

“I want to be part of a successful team and unless I see signs that we are going somewhere I won’t stay,” he said after submitting one of six transfer requests that were swiftly rejected by the club.

In the end, manager Jim Smith promised to let him go if fortunes did not improve and the club eventually accepted an offer from Forest in February 1979. Coventry pledged to match the deal with their chairman, Jimmy Hill, able to offer extra game time – with good financial incentives – with his American club, Detroit Express. Francis had previously spent a successful summer on loan with the Express but, ultimately, joining First Division champions Forest was more appealing.

“At the time they were the only team in England that could challenge Liverpool,” Francis said.

Forest’s charismatic manager Clough, who famously strolled into a press conference to unveil Francis carrying a squash racquet, immediately downplayed the fee.

The previous record British move had been David Mills’ £516,000 switch from Middlesbrough to West Brom just weeks earlier and Clough feared the pressures the £1million price tag could bring. Clough claimed Forest had actually paid £999,999 for the player and said so persuasively, even if fees and taxes meant the final fee was around £1.15million.

“Brian was very clever with the media,” Francis said. “He used to make headlines, and wasn’t bothered whether they were true or not.”

Francis soon made further headlines himself, scoring the only goal as Forest beat Malmo in the 1979 European Cup final in Munich. Francis raced in at the back post to head a John Robertson cross from the left into the roof of the net.

“I used to write a column for the Roy of the Rovers comic and this was my own Roy of the Rovers moment,” said Francis, whose fame saw his name – and apparent tendency to be photographed in tracksuits – written into the closing theme tune for popular sitcom ‘Only Fools and Horses’.

Francis was on target again in the quarter-finals against Dynamo Berlin and semi-finals against Ajax as Forest retained the trophy the following year, although injury prevented him playing in the final against Hamburg.

Injuries actually repeatedly disrupted his Forest career and, with Clough often playing him as a winger, he arguably never fulfilled his potential at the club. He scored 28 goals in 70 league appearances before moving to Manchester City for £1.2million in September 1981.

That proved a short-lived move as injuries again bit and cash problems forced City to sell on the following summer, but he revived his career in an impressive four-year spell with Sampdoria, with whom he won the Coppa Italia in 1985. He then had a spell with Atalanta, won the Scottish Cup with Rangers in 1988 and finished his playing career with QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.

On the international front, Francis won his first cap against Holland in 1977 and went on to score 12 goals for his country. He scored in group games against Czechoslovakia and Kuwait at the 1982 World Cup but was not selected for the 1986 tournament and did not play for England again.

It was at QPR he took his first steps into management, operating as player-boss from 1988-89. It was not a successful spell and he sparked controversy when he fined Martin Allen for missing a game to attend the birth of a child.

He fared better at Wednesday after taking over, again as player-manager, following Ron Atkinson’s departure in 1991. The Owls finished third in the First Division in 1992 and reached the League Cup and FA Cup finals of 1993, losing both to Arsenal.

He was sacked after a 13th-placed finish in 1995 but returned to management with Birmingham. He took them to the brink of promotion to the top flight as they reached the play-offs three times in succession from 1999-2001 but they missed out each time. They also appeared in the 2001 League Cup final but were beaten by Liverpool on penalties.

Despite those relative successes, he left the club later that year after a poor run of form and a number of disagreements with owners David Gold and David Sullivan and, on one particular occasion, with their chief executive Karren Brady.

“When I sold her husband (Paul Peschisolido) to West Brom, let’s just say she wasn’t very happy,” he said. “Her language was somewhat colourful.”

He returned to the game soon after with Crystal Palace but did not seek work in management again after being sacked at Selhurst Park in 2003.

He went on to forge a media career as a football pundit and co-commentator. He suffered a heart attack in 2013 but made a full recovery.

He leaves two sons, Matthew and James. His wife Helen, whom he married in 1974, died in 2017.

Trevor Francis, British football’s first £1million player, has died at the age of 69.

The ex-Birmingham striker, who scored Nottingham Forest’s winner in their 1979 European Cup final triumph, earned 52 England caps and later guided Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham to major finals as a manager.

Plymouth-born Francis burst onto the scene as a teenager with Birmingham, making his first-team debut at 16 in 1970.

“He died in Spain this morning from a heart attack,” said a spokesman.

Forest shattered the British transfer record when they paid £1.15million for him in 1979, although manager Brian Clough famously claimed the fee was £999,999 to take pressure off the player.

He started his career at Birmingham, playing 328 times and scoring 133 goals.

In 1971, at just 16-years-old, he became the youngest ever player to score four times in Football League history in Blues’ 4-0 win over Bolton.

He earned his record move to Forest in 1979 and headed the winner in the 1-0 victory over Malmo to win the European Cup just a few months later.

Francis missed the European Cup win over Hamburg a year later through injury and joined Manchester City in 1981.

Spells at Sampdoria, where he won the Coppa Italia, Atalanta, Rangers and QPR – where he was player-manager – followed.

He moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 1990 before he replaced Ron Atkinson as manager.

Under Francis, the Owls finished third in the old First Division in his first season in charge before finishing seventh in the newly created Premier League while also being runners up in the FA Cup and League Cup.

He left in 1995 and returned to Birmingham the following year, reaching the play-offs three times and also the 2001 League Cup final where they lost to Liverpool.

Francis left St Andrew’s in October 2001 and joined Crystal Palace soon after, leaving the Eagles in 2003 in what was his last job.

Francis spent half a year in Spain and the rest in Solihull. He suffered a heart attack 11 years ago and had kept himself fit with daily power walks.

He had an annual health check through the League Managers’ Association and, according to his spokesman, was “enjoying life very much having eventually got over the death of his wife”.

Helen passed away in 2017 after a battle with cancer.

Trinidadian-born football analyst and former professional goalkeeper, Shaka Hislop, had a frightening moment during a live broadcast on Sunday night while covering AC Milan and Real Madrid's friendly match at the Rose Bowl in Southern California.

Thankfully, he is doing well after collapsing on air.

The incident occurred while Hislop was in conversation with ESPN's Dan Thomas right before the game. Suddenly, he started swaying on the sidelines and then collapsed, falling face-first and slightly hitting Thomas. The broadcast immediately cut to commercial as viewers were left in shock by the alarming scene.

Shortly after the incident, Thomas provided an update on social media, reassuring concerned fans that Hislop was conscious. During halftime of the match, Thomas went live again to give further information, stating that Hislop was both conscious and talking. He also mentioned that Hislop had expressed his apologies for the incident. However, specific details about what caused the collapse or his current condition have not been disclosed.

Seeing the incident unfold live was undoubtedly a distressing moment, but Thomas provided some relief, sharing that they had spoken to Hislop's wife, and things were looking okay. The incident raised concerns among fans and viewers, but the update on Hislop's condition brought some comfort.

Shaka Hislop, 54, has had a remarkable career as a professional soccer player, spanning 15 years. Notably, he was the starting goalkeeper for Trinidad and Tobago's men's national team during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Hislop also played for prominent clubs in Europe, such as Newcastle United, West Ham, and Portsmouth, before joining Major League Soccer's FC Dallas for two seasons. He retired from professional soccer in 2007.

Ilkay Gundogan is a midfield "heavyweight" and his arrival at Barcelona will raise the level of team-mates including Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi.

That is the view of Barca great Hristo Stoichkov, who is excited by the prospect of the former Manchester City captain slotting into Xavi's title-winning side.

Barca won LaLiga for the first time since Lionel Messi's 2021 departure last season, with a young Blaugrana team finishing 10 points clear of rivals Real Madrid.

Gundogan joined Barca on a free transfer in June after helping City become just the second side to win a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble, and Stoichkov hopes his experience will benefit younger team-mates. 

"I think it's fantastic because he's a great player," Stoichkov told Stats Perform. "I have always liked Gundogan as a player since he did it in Dortmund, then at City and also with his national team. 

"He is a great professional and I think he will help a lot with his experience because Barcelona have a young team. 

"Frenkie De Jong, Pedri, Gavi, [Alejandro] Balde, [Ronald] Araujo and Ansu Fati are young and having a heavyweight in the squad can help them grow."

Gundogan will have to wait for his Camp Nou debut, with Barca due to play their home games at the Estadi Olimpic while their famous home is renovated next season.

President Joan Laporta pledged to create "the best stadium in the world" as the project began in May, and Stoichkov says the work – which will include the construction of a new roof – is overdue.

"For me Camp Nou is a myth and not only from my time, but since it was built in 1957," he said. "The greatest players, coaches and presidents in history have passed through that stadium. 

"It is a symbol and a temple of world football. When I arrived at Barcelona in 1990 and left at such a huge moment and with 120,000 people shouting my name, it will always remain in my memory. 

"But it is obvious that after so many years a remodelling is necessary, and Camp Nou needed something new. 

"Thank God, Laporta in his second stage as president has managed to rebuild Camp Nou and do something new. Barcelona needed it, Catalonia needed it, FC Barcelona needed it. 

"I will always have good memories. I recently sent some friends to collect a piece of the grass, a stone and a seat so that I can put them in my museum because it was very important in my career. 

"I will always remember my first goal for Barcelona at Camp Nou against Valencia, when we won 3-1. When I saw 120,000 people shouting my name, I realised Camp Nou was a temple."

Stoichkov – who won five league titles and the 1991-92 European Cup during his time with Barca – hopes the modernisation helps the club return to the top of the continental game.

"We must recognise it is the modern era," he added. "I played in very old stadiums in England, Germany, France, Italy and Spain and today there are new cycles, new presidents, new players and everyone wanted something new. 

"Obviously when you have a first-level stadium, you like to enjoy it. This is a time when Barcelona are building a new field and a new team so that in a few years, they can win the Champions League again, which is a great wish I have."

Celtic have confirmed the signing of 21-year-old South Korean winger Yang Hyun-jun.

The attacking player has moved from Gangwon on a five-year contract to link up with compatriot Oh Hyeon-gyu and become Celtic’s third summer signing.

Manager Brendan Rodgers told Celtic’s website: “We’re delighted to bring Yang to the club and I’m sure he’s going to be another great addition to the squad.

“He’s a player that we’ve looked at closely and who we think will further enhance our attacking options which, of course, already include his fellow countryman Oh.

“He’s an exciting player who was the young player of the year in South Korea last season, which is an indication of his quality, and I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to having a big impact at the club.

“It’s also clear that he was very keen to make this move to Celtic so I know he’ll be delighted that everything has now been agreed and we’re really looking forward to working with him.”

Yang’s club had been hoping to keep him until the end of their season but the player made it clear he wanted an immediate transfer rather than waiting until the January transfer window.

He said: “I’m very pleased to come to Celtic and I’m looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to begin training with them.

“This is a move that I wanted to make and so it is great to be here in Scotland now as a Celtic player.

“I have spoken to Hyeon-gyu Oh who has already told me great things about the club and its supporters, so I can’t wait to meet them and play in front of them.”

Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal have submitted a world record 300 million euro (£259m) bid for Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, the PA news agency understands.

Mbappe’s future in Paris is in serious doubt after the 24-year-old was left out of the club’s pre-season tour of Japan.

PA understands Al Hilal have submitted a bid in writing for the player, who is out of contract next summer.

Sources close to the French club say there has also been interest in the player from other clubs in recent days, including Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona.

The current world record transfer fee was paid by PSG, when they signed Neymar from Barcelona for a deal reported at the time as £200m.

John Barnes backed Liverpool for a top-three Premier League finish next season, although the Reds great believes the title race will be between Arsenal and Manchester City again.

Pep Guardiola's City overcame Arsenal in a two-horse title tussle last campaign, with Mikel Arteta's Gunners already strengthening for next term by signing Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.

Jurgen Klopp's side were far from their best in the 2021-22 season but battled to a fifth-place finish to secure Europa League football for the upcoming campaign.

Liverpool have bolstered their midfield options by bringing in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, with Barnes expecting the Reds to return to the top four this time round.

"As I've mentioned in the last year the injury situation really worked against us last season," Barnes, a two-time First Division winner with Liverpool, told Stats Perform.

"And of course, from that perspective, in terms of the age of the players we have to reduce the age and we did that in terms of the young players we had.

"So, it's a bit of a transitional period, not just in terms of the injuries and not having all the players available, but also in terms of having younger players coming into the squad.

"We have to give them time to develop and to grow to show their consistency. So, I have no doubt that we will be back, I'm not going to say we're going to win the league, but we'll be much closer to the top and I fully expect us to be in the top three next season."

Experienced midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, two staples of Liverpool's title-winning side under Klopp in the 2019-20 term, are expected to depart for Saudi Arabia.

The additions of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will aid Klopp's cause but former England international Barnes believes Guardiola's City will again have too much quality to be overthrown at the top.

He added: "City are favourites, I think Arsenal have strengthened very well in terms of the players they've got with Declan Rice and Havertz, therefore they will be strong once again.

"There was a little bit of inconsistency towards the end of last season, but that will stand them in good stead. So I'll make those two, alongside ourselves, those two will be the main targets.

"Manchester United will also be stronger as well because of the harmony that they have within that squad and the lack of uncertainty in terms of the manager and the players and who's in charge.

"Chelsea will be interesting, to see how [Mauricio] Pochettino handles that situation. And Tottenham, with a new manager [Ange Postecoglou] from Australia, are they going to take that if all of a sudden they don't win matches?

"Are they then going to be negative because he's not a European? So yeah, I think that probably leaves ourselves, Arsenal and Manchester United [for the top four]."

Former Reds midfielder Lucas Leiva echoed Barnes' sentiment, suggesting Liverpool are strong enough to compete alongside the likes of City, Arsenal and United for the title.

"The top six, normally you expect all of them to challenge," the Brazilian said. "City is in a great moment, Arsenal are improving every year as well.

"I think Chelsea are playing only in the league this year. I think that could be better for them. I would say they could concentrate only on the league.

"And Liverpool like every season will be stronger. United as well. So the teams that we expect to challenge. City today are the team to beat but Liverpool are strong enough to compete for sure."

Liverpool have landed two midfielders perfectly fit for their system in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, according to Reds legend John Barnes.

Jurgen Klopp secured the services of Mac Allister for a reported initial £35million from Brighton and Hove Albion, while Szoboszlai arrived from RB Leipzig for £60m (€69m) ahead of the 2023-24 season.

The pair will likely be utilised as multi-functional midfielders, adding energy to an ageing Liverpool midfield, which is expected to lose Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia.

Having initially played as a winger before moving to a central role, Barnes believes the versatility of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai makes the duo a tailormade fit for Klopp's men.

"Last season I think it was fairly apparent that we needed midfield players," Barnes told Stats Perform. "Of course, what you do is you use every opportunity to get who you can.

"So, in the strikers that we've got, I think that bodes well for the future. But I think you can see that we were a little bit short in midfield from an age perspective but also from a quality and intensity perspective.

"We knew we were going to lose two or three midfield players, so they are welcome additions to the squad from a positional point of view and also from the quality point of view too."

Mac Allister was also the only player to average two-plus shots (2.68), two-plus tackles (2.18) and 50+ passes (56.2) per 90 minutes in last term's Premier League, among players with 1,000 or more minutes.

That all-round approach and energetic demeanour makes the 24-year-old a suitable fit for Klopp's high-pressing philosophy, in the opinion of Barnes.

"It's not all about what impresses me, but he's the type of player who will suit our style," Barnes said of Mac Allister, who hit 10 league goals for Brighton last term.

"He may not be able to play for Manchester City but that doesn't mean he's better or worse. It's just that we have to sign players that suit our style and are hardworking all-action midfield players.

"He's not a Bernardo Silva type, but he suits what we want. Liverpool have always done that and looked to get players who suit their system, regardless of how other good other people think they are, or not.

"He suits our midfield profile and the template of a midfield player that we want. Hardworking, aggression and playing the ball forward quickly. He suits our style perfectly."

While Mac Allister impressed for Brighton and also Argentina during their triumphant World Cup campaign in Qatar, Szoboszlai arrives as a lesser-known star on English soil.

The Hungary international again fits Klopp's criteria for free-flowing aggressive football, having been involved in 163 open play shot-ending sequences in last season's Bundesliga – 49 shots, 48 chances created, 66 in the build-up – the fourth-highest figure of any player.

Barnes added: "I haven't seen much of him. But once again, you look at him in terms of his size, his aggression, his ability to get up and down.

"And once again, I trust in Jurgen Klopp and the staff to know exactly what they want. Not many people have heard of him, I'm one who didn't hear of him but they would have done their homework on him.

"So I have faith in them because they know the type of player they want. As I said, I haven't seen much of him but he seems to be quite impressive."

England defender Lucy Bronze is drawing on the experience of her first World Cup eight years ago to allay fears that the Lionesses did not play like favourites in their 1-0 opening victory against Haiti in Brisbane.

That win, sealed by Georgia Stanway’s twice-taken penalty against a side 49 places below England in the FIFA rankings, extended the Lionesses’ streak without a goal from open play to three games, including their 0-0 behind-closed-doors pre-tournament training match with Canada.

Bronze made her World Cup debut at the 2015 tournament, where England fell to France in their opener but ultimately finished up with the third-place medal for their best-ever finish in a global showpiece.

She said: “Well, in my first World Cup we lost the first game and ended finishing third. There’s only so much you can take from the game. The most important thing is it gives us momentum but it’s better than having to chase points and we get to focus on the next two games.

“We’re playing against players we’ve never played before. It takes a little while to get into those games. Once we got going you saw England coming back to life again. We need to do that more for longer.”

Bronze had no doubt Stanway would step up to the spot twice on Saturday, after her initial penalty was saved by Haiti’s 5ft 4in goalkeeper Kerly Theus.

That would have left Stanway with a career record of six penalties scored and two missed, but she was given another chance after the referee ruled Theus had come off her line.

Bronze had full faith in Stanway to put the ball in the back of the net with her second opportunity, which the Bayern Munich midfielder did handily.

She said: “I don’t think anyone doubted that Georgia would take it. We just picked it up and gave it to her. She doesn’t need any encouragement to do that. Georgia is not the type of player that needs telling what to do or is lacking confidence. We all knew that a second chance was enough for her to bury it.”

England, who have now checked into their World Cup base on the New South Wales’ Central Coast, next face world number 13 Denmark on Friday in Sydney before taking on 14th-placed China in Adelaide to conclude the group stage, with the top two teams advancing to the last 16.

Bronze’s team-mate Alessia Russo, who on Saturday was favoured for the centre-forward role by Sarina Wiegman over Women’s Super League Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly, was one of the only England players to admit their first half against Haiti looked a bit rusty.

She said: “Yeah, I think so. Us as players are the first to recognise that. We’ll be back to training this week and training hard to push on now but tournaments are always about winning and that’s the most important thing.

“I don’t think I ever worry about goals and winning with this team. I think we’ve got a very special talented squad and I know that people show up at the right times.

“The first game, we’ve been building up to it for a long time. It’s done now, three points under the belt. Now we really push on. Moments were good and we’ll reflect on it, we’ll analyse and we’ll be ready for Denmark.”