Liverpool overcame a torrid start and a red card for Alexis Mac Allister to beat Bournemouth 3-1 for their first win of the Premier League campaign.

Antoine Semenyo gave the visitors a stunning third-minute lead but Luis Diaz levelled with a neat finish and before half-time Mo Salah tucked in the rebound from his own missed penalty, his 187th Liverpool goal moving him ahead of Steven Gerrard and into fifth in the club’s scoring charts.

Liverpool could have been rocked when Mac Allister was harshly shown a straight red for catching Christie on the foot just before the hour mark, but instead they scored a third moments later as Diogo Jota rifled in a rebound to settle it.

The hosts were fortunate they had not dug themselves an even deeper hole in a chaotic opening few minutes which illustrated the work still ahead as Jurgen Klopp reshapes his side.

With new signing Wataru Endo watching on from the bench after receiving international clearance, the need for such a defensive midfielder was clear as Liverpool repeatedly played themselves into trouble and were made to pay a price by Bournemouth’s energetic press.

The visitors, who have never won a league match at Anfield and who lost here 9-0 12 months ago, thought they had an opener inside 60 seconds as Alisson and Ibrahima Konate both went to try to intercept a long ball down Bournemouth’s left channel, but Jaidon Anthony was offside before tucking the ball in.

No matter, as the opener came two minutes later. Virgil van Dijk played a routine pass to Trent Alexander-Arnold but the England man showed his deficiencies in an inverted role, with a loose touch allowing Philip Billing to prod the ball through for Dominic Solanke.

Andy Robertson prevented the ex-Liverpool man from getting a shot away but the ball fell for Semenyo to thump home.

Van Dijk then headed against the crossbar from Robertson’s corner, briefly lifting the mood inside Anfield before Alisson provided another moment of panic.

The Brazil goalkeeper mis-placed a pass and then felled Anthony just outside the area as he threatened to race through on goal, his punishment limited to a booking with Konate covering.

The brittle nature of Liverpool’s midfield was seen again in the 25th minute when Marcos Senesi strode out of the Bournemouth defence and simply kept going all the way to the final third, slipping in Solanke who was sandwiched by Robertson and Van Dijk but made no great appeal for a penalty.

Moments later, Liverpool were level. Jota’s ball from the right was slightly behind Diaz after Senesi got a touch, but the Colombian adjusted well to control and then fire home from close range.

The penalty came eight minutes later as Dominik Szoboszlai made the most of a dangling leg left by Joe Rothwell and went down in the corner of the box. Neto saved a relatively tame effort from Salah but the Egyptian was there to finish at the second opportunity, his ninth goal in nine against Bournemouth.

Liverpool looked much more settled in a strong start to the second half as Jota and Salah threatened.

It might have all changed when Mac Allister’s home debut was cut short just before the hour, but if anything a sense of injustice fired Liverpool up.

Endo was waiting to come on for his debut in a midfield reshuffle when Neto could only parry a deflected shot from Szoboszlai and Jota tucked in the rebound.

Endo slotted in well as Liverpool adopted a more conservative approach to see the game out, although Alisson still needed to make a fine late saves from Solanke and Hamed Traore to prevent a more nervous finish to the afternoon.

Goals from substitutes Koji Miyoshi and Lukas Jutkiewicz gave Birmingham a 2-0 Championship away win against a Bristol City side who finished with 10 men.

The visitors took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Keshi Anderson’s corner was not cleared and Miyoshi, just introduced for the injured Ethan Laird, found the roof of the net with a sweet right-footed volley.

The home side’s task became more difficult when centre-back Rob Dickie was shown a second yellow card on 75 minutes for blocking a run by substitute Jordan James, having already been booked for dissent in the first half.

And any hope the home side had of a recovery was snuffed out six minutes from time when Jutkiewicz, introduced on 73 minutes as a replacement for Anderson, converted a low right-wing cross from close range.

Birmingham were good value for a win that maintained their promising start to the season, while inflicting a first defeat on their hosts.

Robins boss Nigel Pearson gave a first start of the season to winger Anis Mehmeti, while Birmingham were unchanged from their 1-0 home victory over Leeds.

Blues made a bright start and their first attack saw Scott Hogan head over from Juninho Bacuna’s left-wing cross.

Defences dominated for much of the first half and chances were at a premium. Siriki Dembele fired over from distance for Birmingham on 21 minutes.

Four minutes later the hosts’ first meaningful goal attempt saw Sam Bell’s shot blocked. Dickie headed over from the resulting corner.

Birmingham looked more dangerous and Max O’Leary had to save a Bacuna shot on 35 minutes. Then came the injury to Laird that saw Miyoshi sent on as a 40th-minute replacement.

The Japanese substitute made an immediate impact, forcing a good save from O’Leary before breaking the deadlock deep into three minutes of injury time.

Both managers made changes at the break, Pearson sending on Haydon Roberts and Mark Sykes for Cameron Pring and Harry Cornick while Blues boss John Eustace introduced James for Dembele.

Bristol City began the second half on the front foot, Zak Vyner failing to make contact with a Mehmeti corner and a Sykes run halted by a foul that earned Lee Buchanan a booking.

But Birmingham soon responded and Bacuna grazed a post with a left-footed shot before Miyoshi sent another effort wide.

Both sides were fully committed but still it was Blues creating more openings as a James shot brought a diving O’Leary save.

Dickie’s dismissal only seemed to fire up the home side and substitute Nahki Wells should have equalised on 82 minutes when shooting wide from Bell’s low cross.

It proved an expensive miss as Jutkiewicz quickly settled the outcome.

It says something about England manager Sarina Wiegman that even her own players have to remind themselves that their boss is a mere mortal.

One of the most memorable moments of this World Cup came when, on the eve of the Lionesses’ final group stage match against China, midfielder Georgia Stanway relayed an anecdote about meeting members of Wiegman’s family in Australia that concluded with the quip, “Sometimes you don’t realise your head coach is actually human.”

it would be easy to look at the 53-year-old’s incredible record and insist she must be some kind of superhero from Planet Football who six years ago arrived on Earth with the mission of conquering as many major competitions as possible, beginning when she steered the Netherlands – her actual place of origin – to the Euro 2017 title.

The reality is far more interesting – and relatable. In 2007, the part-time coach and PE teacher was offered a  semi-professional role leading ADO Den Hag in the newly-formed Eredivisie Vrouwen, a risky move she resolutely replied she would only make if it was upgraded to a full-time gig.

“I never talk about my husband (Marten Glotzbach) that much but then it was about my family,” she told the PA news agency.

“I quit my job. We didn’t earn a lot of money by being a professional coach, but I really wanted to do the job. And he said, ‘this is your passion. Go for your passion, and we’ll be alright with the two daughters.’

“And that was for me the most important thing, that we as a family were OK, and I could do this job properly. I said I want to do it full time because I want to focus on football, and if I couldn’t do it full-time I wouldn’t have done it, because then I couldn’t bring the quality that was needed to develop the game.”

Under the former Netherlands midfielder, who as a child cut her hair and pretended to be a boy to evade a ban forbidding girls from playing football, ADO Den Haag won the national championship in 2012, and the FA Cup-equivalent KNVB Cup in 2012 and 2013.

Wiegman, who earned 104 caps for her country, had witnessed what investment in the women’s game could yield from her time spent playing for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels – also the alma mater of current Lionesses Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo and Lotte Wubben-Moy – in the late 1980s.

The opportunity to play in America came after a chance meeting with then-US women’s national team head coach Anson Dorrance at a 1988 FIFA-sanctioned proof-of-concept tournament in China that would eventually lead to the establishment of the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991.

Dorrance, who still works at UNC and remains in touch with Wiegman and her playing trio, told the PA news agency:  “You could see something in her even incredibly early that set her apart.”

Writing in the Coaches’ Voice, Wiegman said: “America was like a soccer paradise for me. There was recognition, the facilities were great and we had good coaches – passionate coaches.

The year I spent there changed my life. It changed my mindset.”

Seven years after turning full time, Wiegman was back in the national team set up, this time as head coach Roger Reijners’ assistant.

She soon upskilled, interning with men’s side Sparta Rotterdam whilst on her pro license course, in the process anointing Wiegman as the first woman to coach with a Dutch men’s professional club.

The true pioneer was handed the Netherlands’ top job permanently in 2017, just six months before she would guide the hosts to a maiden Euros victory.

Less than a year after leaving the ‘Orange Lionesses’ for the English ones in 2021, Wiegman steered her new side to the same trophy, the first coach to do so with two different countries.

When England sealed their trip to a first-ever World Cup final with Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over co-hosts Australia, Wiegman also became the first manager to reach the showpiece’s final hurdle with two different teams.

Four years ago in France, the Netherlands finished runners-up to the United States.

England – and Wiegman – are determined to do one better this year. The Lionesses have lost just once in 38 games under Wiegman, a record they are aching to extend to 39 on Sunday.

Both Wiegman and Dorrance would describe the England boss as “serious”, someone who has imported a sense of Dutch directness to the culture at St George’s Park.

That reputation – combined with a reluctance to steal any of the spotlight away from her players – belies a delightful and often self-deprecating sense of humour, impeccable comedic timing, and awareness that she does often have a resting “focused face” until she erupts with emotion after a goal or final whistle.

Despite her reputation as a serial winner, who FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said this week “could do any job in football”,  Wiegman revealed her biggest motivation and “love”, no matter how full her trophy cabinet gets, “is to work with work with very ambitious, talented people.

“Connecting people, trying to help players to support players and help them a little bit in their development, which helps them in life too.

“Yes I want to win and I want to be the best too but that gives me the energy.”

Richarlison is not capable of filling the hole Harry Kane has left at Tottenham, according to former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp.

Kane joined Bayern Munich for a Bundesliga-record €117million (£100m) earlier this month, leaving Tottenham as the club's all-time top goalscorer having netted 280 times in 435 appearances in all competitions, including 30 in 38 Premier League games last season as Spurs finished a disappointing eighth.

Kane's departure has left Tottenham fans concerned over their attacking options for this season, with the striker's impressive output last term making up for disappointing campaigns from the likes of Son Heung-min and Richarlison, who only scored 11 league goals between them.

Richarlison particularly struggled in his first season with Spurs, netting just once in the Premier League after joining from Everton for £60m, and Redknapp doubts whether the Brazil international can step up in Kane's absence.

"[Richarlison] can't fill Harry [Kane's] boots," Redknapp told Stats Perform. "No, he's not on the same level as Harry Kane.

"He's got to do better than what he did last year for sure. He's played for the Brazilian team and is a regular for them, he played at the World Cup. [He] scored goals at Everton, did okay there.

"I think Son will play through the middle. They'll let him off the leash and stick him through the middle. I think that's where he wants to play. He'll score goals, he will get between 15 and 20 goals, I think. 

"But Harry Kane and Son together is definitely better than Son on his own. So that is the problem."

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy decided to cash in on Kane with a year left on the striker's contract, a decision that Redknapp understands but does not necessarily agree with, adding: "It's difficult. Daniel had that problem with him at the end of the year as a free agent.

"So do you wait and let him walk away for free, or do you take the 100 million? Could he have bought in that type of money by just staying this year and getting them back in the Champions League? Quite possibly.

"I thought Tottenham made some good signings, [James] Maddison coming in would be a big plus for Harry. He'd supply and make goals for him.

"[It is a] difficult one, but Daniel does what he feels is right for the football club at the end of the day, and he obviously feels it's better to take the 100 million now than get nothing at the end of the season."

Kane's exit is one of several big changes at Spurs, with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou appointed ahead of this season as Tottenham bid to return to the top four.

Redknapp feels Postecoglou is in for a baptism of fire in Premier League management, having to cope without Kane in a league that will prove to be very competitive at the top end again, explaining: "He's got a great job. He's got a result as he's come from nowhere, really, in the last few years to manage Celtic and then manage Tottenham.

"I like him. When I see him, I like him an awful lot. It looks good. He's a good character. And I think he'll do a good job. I suppose when he came he always knew that he would have Harry for a year at most.

"I'm sure he's excited with the players he's working with, it will be the best players he's ever worked with anyway. 

"He's never worked with a squad of players near that standard before. It's going to be a tougher division this year and he needs time.

"There's Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle [United] and Tottenham. Seven teams here scrapping it out for four places.

"I think Spurs will be okay. I think Maddison was a great signing. They just took the centre-half now, the Dutchman [Micky van de Ven], who is supposed to be a good player. They'll bring two or three more in.

"They will be pushing for a top-four place, [but] whether they can make it without Harry Kane, I'm not sure now."

Harry Kane can lead Bayern Munich back to Champions League glory, according to his former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.

Kane joined the Bavarian giants from Tottenham last week for an estimated €117million (£100m), leaving as Spurs' record goalscorer and joining a Bayern side targeting their 12th consecutive Bundesliga title this season.

For all their domestic success, however, Bayern have suffered three consecutive quarter-final exits from the Champions League, last winning Europe's premier club competition in 2019-20.

But Redknapp, who handed Kane his Spurs debut in a Europa League qualifier against Hearts in 2011, believes the 30-year-old is the best striker in the world and can spearhead Bayern's return to Champions League glory.

"He's just for me the best centre-forward in the world," Redknapp told Stats Perform. "He can do absolutely everything. 

"He's an amazing player. He scores goals. He makes goals, he can head it, he can score left foot, right foot, there's not a weakness in his game.

"Wherever he goes, he'll be a sensation. He could push Bayern Munich onto getting even closer to winning the Champions League this year and what they've been in the past.

"They'll probably win the league again. But the Champions League has got to be what they're looking to win and he's certainly the man to help them do that."

Kane's Spurs departure ended a 19-year association with the London club, the latter stages of which were clouded by rumours of a potential exit as major silverware evaded him. 

Redknapp is surprised Bayern managed to acquire Kane, questioning why Manchester United did not attempt to sign a player who sits just 47 goals shy of Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League scoring record.

"It was a surprise to me that he decided to go to Bayern Munich," Redknapp said. "Even if he had gone to Real Madrid, I could have understood it, maybe.

"For me, he'd have been a great signing for Man United. We see [Moises] Caicedo going [to Chelsea] for over 100 million pounds. He's a defensive midfield player, doesn't score goals, doesn't make goals, breaks the play up. 

"Harry Kane, for less money, who guarantees you between 25 and 30 goals a year, he could have pushed Man United onto maybe winning a title this year. So I was surprised they didn't go for him.

"I thought he might stay on and beat Shearer's record. I suppose the only person that's pleased he's going to Germany probably is Alan Shearer. It will keep the record intact."

Kane netted on his Bundesliga debut as Bayern began their title defence with a 4-0 thrashing of Werder Bremen on Friday.

Redknapp is confident his former player will adapt quickly and doubts he will be worried by the shadow of Robert Lewandowski, who scored 238 goals in 253 Bundesliga outings for Bayern before leaving for Barcelona last year.

"It'll be a different way of football, the style will be slightly different," Redknapp added. "It's still football, but it'll be slightly different to what he's been used to here.

"He's so low maintenance as a player, he's confident in his own abilities, he works hard, trains hard, lives right, family man. He'll score goals, make goals, he'll be a sensation.

"You know, Lewandowski was a great player, but Harry Kane's a better player."

Southampton boss Russell Martin felt Che Adams’ stoppage-time winner against Plymouth was no coincidence after a “relentless” second-half showing from his side at Home Park.

The clash between last season’s League One champions Argyle and relegated Premier League side Saints looked set to end in a draw after Ryan Hardie quickly cancelled out Nathan Tella’s 49th-minute opener for the visitors.

But, with four minutes of added time played, Adams snatched victory for Southampton when he turned the ball home at the far post after Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard had palmed out Adam Armstrong’s goal-bound header from a corner.

Martin said: “The late goal is no coincidence, the amount of work we put into the opposition for games.

“The last half an hour, we were really impressive, really dominant.

“I really wasn’t happy with the first half; I told the players that at half-time and I think they feel the same way.

“We have to be really demanding, I said to them we will have a lot of good moments but there will be tough moments.”

One of those tough moments came just a minute before Adams’ late winner, when Plymouth forward Morgan Whittaker struck the post for the hosts.

Martin, whose side now have seven points from their opening three Championship games, added: “We had plenty of tough moments today in the first half and it was our doing and I was frustrated at that. But the way they responded at half-time, they were brilliant.

“The only downside was conceding a goal so soon after conceding. But the character to come back was impressive. Last season was such a disappointing season for everyone and the supporters as well. Their response to the goal we conceded was amazing.

“The players were relentless in the second half and that is what we need to be.

“We will learn as we are building.

“We will improve, there is a lot to improve on. I was really pleased with the mentality of the players, it has given us the belief, the connection with each other.”

Plymouth’s loss was the first in the Championship since winning promotion, having picked up four points from their opening two games.

Argyle boss Steven Schumacher believes his side can take confidence from their performance despite the late disappointment.

He said: “It was a good standard with some real high quality moments in the game from both teams.

“We played our part and probably edged the first half. The second half Southampton came into the game a little bit more.

“They had the huge spells of possession that we expected but all of the time I thought we were always in the game and to lose it like that right at the end of the game is a bit gutting, a bit of a sucker-punch but that’s football, it can be cruel sometimes.

“We still had five minutes to go so I thought we’d get one back. That’s been a trait of our team over the past couple of seasons. We never give in, we never sit back and accept defeat and we kept pushing with four minutes to go and had a couple of chances from set-plays.

“On another day one of them goes in but I can’t fault the lads’ effort. They gave us everything they had today.

“I felt we had the gameplan right and caused Southampton loads of problems.

“I don’t think we started the second half very well and they got momentum right from the kick off and then managed to score.

“But again the lads responded brilliantly and produced a lovely goal from a well-worked move and a great finish by Ryan and it shows once again we can compete at this level. We should grow in confidence from it.”

Michael Beale called for a big European night at Ibrox on Tuesday after Rangers had to come from behind to beat Morton 2-1 in their Viaplay Cup last-16 tie at Ibrox.

Ahead of the first leg of their Champions League play-off game against PSV Eindhoven, the Light Blues boss made eight changes for the visit of the Championship side, with star players like skipper James Tavernier, John Souttar, Todd Cantwell, Nicolas Raskin, Ryan Jack and Borna Barisic missing altogether.

Rangers were shocked in the 52nd minute when Ton skipper Grant Gillespie scored with a penalty following a VAR check but Gers striker Cyriel Dessers levelled from the spot on the hour mark, also following VAR intervention.

Substitute Danilo drove in a second for the Light Blues in the 68th minute and although Morton goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald was called into action several times during the game, it took a late challenge by Gers debutant Johnly Yfeko on George Oakley in added time to prevent the Morton striker getting a shot away.

Turning his attention to the visit of PSV, Beale said: “It’s got to be a typical Rangers, Ibrox, European night where the fans have to be up and the players have to take the game to PSV.

“It’s a two-legged game. Regardless of the result, it will go to the second leg.

“Our aim is to win the game but we get nothing for the end result on Tuesday.

“It’s a huge game. It’s a game we’re looking forward to, one where the two teams will throw a lot of punches and we have to make sure ours stick.

“If we get chances like we have had in the last few weeks we have to take them and we’ll be in a good place but if we are as wasteful as we’ve been, we’ll be having the same conversation. It’s clear where we need to improve as a team.

“A bit’s on me (today) because I made eight changes and changed the shape. It won’t be a team that plays regularly for Rangers. It will settle and become stronger and there’s no better opportunity than to show what we want our team to be.”

On another patchy performance by his side, Beale said: “Firstly, well done to Johnly Yfeko on his first start.

“Rabbi (Matondo) was eye-catching but Jamie MacDonald was really on form. We started well with good energy, created big chances but didn’t take one.

“The VAR decision comes then you find yourself 1-0 down and you think it’s maybe one of those days.

“But after that we got back to being dominant and Jamie made a couple of saves but we are through.

“Now it gives us a chance to train with the majority of the group fresh for Monday and Tuesday so the plan to get the win and not play everyone has worked.”

Morton boss Dougie Imrie, who named only four substitutes, was proud of his side’s efforts.

He said: “I can take a lot of positives. My team were terrific from start to finish and I’m really proud of them.

“A VAR decision and mistake by ourselves cost us but better teams will come here and get battered. So for the 90 mins, we were brilliant.

“With George’s chance at the end, we could have got 2-2 and took it extra-time and I am proud of the team, especially with the bench having four subs there.

“I’m not saying the VAR penalties are or not but from my view, both were soft. I’d need to see them again though.

“If I can get that every week from my players I’d like to think we’ll be OK.”

Shaun Maloney saluted two-goal marksman Charlie Wyke as Wigan wiped out their eight-point deduction inside four League One games after thrashing Bolton 4-0.

Wyke started and finished the scoring at Toughsheet Community Stadium with a Stephen Humphreys’ double sandwiched in between as Latics ended Wanderers’ 100 per cent start to the campaign in emphatic fashion.

The visitors’ third win of the season lifted them on to two points while Ian Evatt’s Trotters suffered a harsh reality check after four wins in all competitions.

“Every bit of credit goes to Charlie,” said Wigan manager Maloney of his frontman who had a defibrillator fitted after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2021.

“He came back on day one of pre-season in incredible condition. It was like signing a new player.

“What he has been through is well documented but he has put a lot of hard work in and continues to put hard work in.

“So, every bit of praise he gets is well deserved.”

Wigan’s eight-point deficit over wages payments had some fans fearing a second successive relegation, but the club’s flying start to the season has indicated a much brighter future.

“We came to terms with it (the deficit) in the summer,” added Maloney. “I understand why we got it, the situation the club was in.

“What was hard was how to broach it over the summer. We gave ourselves six games and we are obviously ahead of schedule.

“We could not have thought we would have this good a start. But I knew with the players we brought in and during pre-season, something was happening.”

Wanderers bossed possession and created 20 shots but rarely looked capable of getting back into the contest after Wigan’s Wyke-inspired start.

Wyke opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Humphrys’ brace in the 24th and 45th minutes made it 3-0 at the break.

Bolton boss Ian Evatt said: “There is an awful lot to take in. We can all be honest and say we didn’t see it coming.

“We have got to make sure this result doesn’t define our season which is crazy to say after just four games.

“For the first time though someone has punched us on the jaw and we didn’t recover. The game was gone before we knew it.

“It was one of those games where we lost every moment, lost every duel and just lost the basics of football.

“The ball seemed to fall to them every time but I am a firm believer you make your own luck

“On the day though Wigan played it was like a derby. We played like we were going to come and have everything our own way as we have done so far this season.

“The general performance wasn’t a 4-0 game. But they punished us on every moment and the first 10 minutes rocked us and we didn’t recover.

“Every time we looked like we were going to gain momentum we got punched on the jaw again.”

England are doing their best to make it business as usual as they prepare to face Spain in the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on Sunday.

Defender Jess Carter insists there will be no additional nerves ahead of a game she never envisaged being a part of, while head coach Sarina Wiegman is preoccupied by a selection dilemma.

Here, the PA news agency looks at all the latest news heading into Sunday’s big one:

More the merrier for Carter

England defender Jess Carter admits every extra minute is a bonus as she prepares to feature in Sunday’s World Cup final.

The 25-year-old has been one of the lynchpins of her side’s run to within 90 minutes of a first women’s World Cup win but says she did not expect to get this far.

“When I didn’t play against Denmark, I wasn’t not bothered, but it was just like, ‘I’ve just played in a World Cup, I had more minutes than I thought I was ever going to get coming into this tournament’.

“I didn’t come into the tournament expecting to play at all.”

And the laidback Lioness is adamant there will be no stage-fright on the biggest occasion of all, just “positive energy” at the prospect of making history.

“I’m not really a nervous person,” she added. “I understand and know from the outside, it’s the World Cup final, your biggest moment.

“I play my best when I’m super calm. Maybe some people have nerves but I think that will be challenged into positive energy come the night.”

Wiegman’s selection dilemma

Sarina Wiegman faces a selection dilemma ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final as she decides whether to start striker Lauren James.

James scored three times and picked up the same number of assists before she was sent off in the last 16 win over Nigeria, sitting out the quarter-final and semi-final as a result.

Replacement Ella Toone scored in the 3-1 win over Australia in the last four but Wiegman has indicated she holds nothing against James, who apologised for her rash stamp on Nigeria’s Michele Alozie.

“Of course she really regretted that moment straight away,” said Wiegman. “She apologised, she was punished for that and we all know this should not happen in football.

“She started training again and we supported her, because sometimes when you’re not that experienced at this level some fatigue comes in the game and you have just a split second where you lose your emotions.

“That’s a mistake, that’s a hard learning lesson, but now she’s ready to play in the game.”

Vilda’s revenge bid

Spain coach Jorge Vilda is determined his side learn the lessons of their extra-time loss to England in last summer’s European Championship quarter-finals.

Vilda has guided his nation to their first final despite a backdrop of controversy after over a dozen top stars quit the squad last year in a row over their treatment.

Referencing their narrow defeat in Brighton, Vilda said: “It was a game that we know we were on top, but the result is what counts.

“Games against England really require our best. She (Wiegman) is a trainer that with her results has shown the fruits of her work, it’s not easy what she has achieved.”

Shutting down questions over the ongoing issues in his squad, Vilda added: “What we want to do tomorrow is be the best in the world and we’ll do this by winning the final.”

Opened up!

Cornwall Council were the first to heed a plea from cabinet minister Michael Gove to allow licensed premises to open one hour early for the World Cup final on Sunday.

Current regulations mean the sale of alcohol is widely prohibited before 10am on Sunday, but venues such as pubs also have specific hours they can stay open and serve alcohol depending on individual licences.

Gove urged councils to do everything they can to help premises extend their licenses, saying: “the whole nation is ready to get behind the Lionesses this Sunday in what is England’s biggest game since 1966.”

Cornwall Council, in association with Devon and Cornwall Police, were quick to heed Gove’s call, announcing that they will be no “enforcement action” if the alcohol starts to flow slightly earlier.

Swede dreams

Australia’s home World Cup came to a disappointing end as they were beaten 2-0 by Sweden in the third place play-off.

Kosovare Asllani sealed victory with a brilliant second half strike after Fridolina Rolfo had opened the scoring with a penalty on the half-hour mark.

The result rounded off a remarkable campaign from the Matildas, who captured the public’s imagination having only reached the quarter-finals once previously.

Australia coach Tony Gustavsson, whose side suffered a 3-1 semi-final defeat against England, said the journey was far from over, insisting: “We have a massive amount of work to do to capitalise on this.”

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Final: Spain v England (Sydney, Sunday 1100BST)

Brendan Rodgers is not surprised by Kilmarnock’s flying start to the season as he prepares to renew rivalries with the manager who posed him the biggest challenge during his first spell as Celtic manager.

Former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has had the chance to reshape his squad ahead of his second full season in charge at Rugby Park.

McInnes’ Aberdeen side finished as runners-up to Celtic in both of their title-winning campaigns under Rodgers during his first spell in charge, and in three of the five cup finals he won.

Rodgers was therefore not fazed as Killie started their cinch Premiership term with a win over Rangers and a draw at Hearts.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “Obviously he did a fantastic job at Aberdeen and when I was up here first time they were always very competitive, always very tough games.

“He got promoted with Kilmarnock and now he is looking to establish them in the top division, and after that first season he is putting his own stamp on it. He has been able to refresh the squad, get the profile of players that he wants in.

“I watched the game against Rangers and they did very well. Derek’s teams are always very well organised, some of the most competitive in the country, and he is a very experienced and excellent manager. So I anticipate a tough game for sure.

“They are very difficult to play against, that mixture of man-to-man and zonal and they defended deep.

“The surface always plays a part but we can’t have any excuse going into the game.

“We are in the competition to try and win it and if you are going to do that, you have to beat good teams and overcome difficult opponents.”

A 3-0 Hampden win over the Dons in the League Cup final in November 2016 marked Rodgers’ first major trophy of his managerial career and he hopes to follow that success to kick-start his second spell in Glasgow.

“I enjoyed that side of it when I was here last time, there is something to play for early on which is great,” he said.

“So having that opportunity to get to a final early on in the season is very good.

“We have to work hard to get there, you have to earn the right.”

Southampton striker Che Adams scored a stoppage-time winner as Saints claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory at Plymouth.

Adams controlled the ball and volleyed in from close range at the far post after Argyle keeper Conor Hazard had palmed out Adam Armstrong’s goal-bound header from a corner four minutes into added time.

That winner came after Nathan Tella had put the relegated visitors ahead in the 49th minute, only for Ryan Hardie to pull League One champions Argyle level moments later.

Argyle started well against a Saints side making their first visit along the south coast to Plymouth since 2011.

Finn Azaz, on another season-long loan at Home Park from Aston Villa, was quick to win the ball off Saints defender Jan Bednarek but his shot failed to trouble Gavin Bazunu.

Southampton responded with a free-kick from Stuart Armstrong in the 11th minute which was easily gathered by Hazard at the other end.

The best chance of the opening half was created by Saints on the counter after Azaz’s pass went astray in attack.

Southampton broke quickly through Samuel Edozie down the left and his cross along the edge of the penalty area was helped on by Adams and into the path of Tella, whose shot was turned around the post by Hazard.

Following a goalless first half of limited opportunities, Southampton made a much brighter start to the second period and were rewarded with the opening goal barely four minutes after the restart.

Tella had already gone close with an audacious shot which almost beat Hazard at his near post, the Argyle keeper reacting quickly to turn the stinging effort around his post, but there was no denying the Saints forward moments later.

He fired in a superb first-time shot which curled past Northern Ireland keeper Hazard, who could not reach the effort despite being at full stretch.

However, Southampton celebrations were short-lived as Argyle’s response was almost immediate, replying in the next meaningful attack.

Morgan Whittaker sped down the right and his teasing ball into the box was brilliantly converted at the near post by Hardie with a deft touch to lift the ball past Bazunu.

The goals sparked the game into life and, on the hour mark, Saints came within the width of the bar from retaking the lead as Stuart Armstrong’s dipping strike from the edge of the box beat Hazard but thumped off the top of the woodwork.

Edozie also sent a soaring shot just wide of the diving Hazard and the far post while, in the 86th minute, the Argyle keeper made a top drawer save to acrobatically palm Adam Armstrong’s 22-yard free-kick over the bar.

Plymouth also went close themselves late on when Whittaker’s angled shot came back off the foot of the post as he jinked into the Saints box, but it was Southampton who would claim the points thanks to Adams.

Rangers survived a potential Viaplay Cup embarrassment as they came from behind against Championship side Morton at Ibrox to win 2-1 and book their place in the quarter-finals.

Michael Beale’s side – missing half a dozen regulars – found themselves a goal behind and under pressure in the 53rd minute when Ton skipper Grant Gillespie scored with a penalty following a VAR check.

The Greenock side were looking for their first win at Ibrox since 1980 but Gers striker Cyriel Dessers levelled from the spot on the hour mark, also following VAR intervention.

Substitute Danilo fired the home side ahead in the 68th minute and the afternoon became more comfortable for the Light Blues.

While going into Sunday’s last-eight draw, Rangers have to get ready for Tuesday night’s Champions League play-off first leg tie against PSV Eindhoven at Ibrox where the standard of opposition will be tougher, albeit the Light Blues can take succour from the fact they beat the Dutch side at the same stage of the tournament last season and will have their star players back.

For the first Viaplay Cup tie of the season, and with Tuesday in mind, Beale rested skipper James Tavernier, John Souttar, Todd Cantwell, Nicolas Raskin, Ryan Jack and Borna Barisic, which allowed defender Dujon Sterling to make his first start while 20-year-old Johnly Yfeko made his competitive debut.

On the European theme, the visitors had veteran defender Kirk Broadfoot, who played in the 2008 UEFA Cup final for Rangers, in their rearguard  – he would have a mixed afternoon – as well as other experienced figures such as goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald and midfielder Alan Power, although boss Dougie Imrie named only four substitutes.

Amid early pressure from the home side MacDonald made saves from Gers winger Rabbi Matondo and Dessers.

In the 18th minute at the other end, Morton’s Robbie Muirhead forced Ibrox keeper Jack Butland into a fine save down at his right-hand post from a 25-yard free-kick which sparked a surge of Morton enthusiasm.

Dessers then had the ball in the Morton net but referee David Dickinson had already blown for an infringement on defender Darragh O’Connor, who minutes later cleared a shot from Matondo off the line after the pacy attacker had rounded MacDonald, who finished off the first-half with another fine save, this time from Kieran Dowell’s curling free-kick from 25 yards.

The second-half brought early drama when Dessers clashed with Broadfoot inside the Gers box to bring penalty claims from the Morton players and fans.

Play waited for the VAR check then referee Dickinson checked his pitch-side monitor and pointed to the spot, with Gillespie sending Butland the wrong way.

The mood inside Ibrox changed and as Rangers responded Leon Balogun struck the post with a drive from close range.

There was a VAR check for a possible penalty for a Broadfoot tug on Balogun as Rangers waited to bring on Ianis Hagi, Danilo and Abdallah Sima and when Dickinson pointed to the spot, Dessers levelled with a well-taken penalty.

Danilo soon made his mark by slotting in from 14 yards after turning inside O’Connor and the pressure disappeared as the home side piled forward for more goals.

MacDonald tipped a Hagi drive over the bar before Sima headed a John Lundstram cross on to the bar with MacDonald making yet another fine save from Sima’s deflected shot as Rangers controlled the final stages which included eight minutes of added time, albeit a Yfeko challenge on George Oakley inside the Gers box was timely.

Charlie Wyke and Stephen Humphrys scored twice as Wigan moved out of the Sky Bet League One relegation zone with a 4-0 derby rout of leaders Bolton.

Latics started the campaign with an eight-point deduction but have won three and drawn one of their opening four fixtures to wipe out that deficit.

And this impressive success over previously unbeaten Wanderers could not have been sweeter for Latics’ 4,000 travelling fans.

Striker Wyke started and finished the scoring, heading the visitors in front after 12 minutes and firing in his fifth goal of the season 15 minutes from time.

Humphrys had been the star of Wigan’s first-half show, netting in the 24th minute when Nathan Baxter could only parry skipper Callum Lang’s shot.

In first-half stoppage time, Lang broke the offside trap and as Bolton failed to clear their box, Humphrys fired into the unguarded net.

For all their possession and goal attempts Bolton were well beaten and Josh Dacres-Cogley’s 47th-minute miss from close range summed up their afternoon.

England defender Jess Carter is adamant even the prospect of playing Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final will not sway her steely nerves.

While many footballers will claim they take a business-as-usual approach to even the biggest games, the declaration feels especially genuine when articulated by the laidback 25-year-old, who has been instrumental in ensuring the Lionesses have conceded just three goals in their unbeaten run to the title decider.

The Lionesses have already assured themselves of a best-ever finish in a global showpiece by reaching this stage, and Carter is confident they can go one step further to secure England a first World Cup since 1966.

Asked if she would have any stage fright on Sunday, Carter replied: “Personally, I won’t have. It’s football.

“I’m not really a nervous person. I understand and know from the outside, it’s the World Cup final, your biggest moment. I play my best when I’m super calm. At the end of the day, it’s just a game of football.

“We have to perform as we did in the first group game. Maybe some people have nerves but I think that will be challenged into positive energy come the night.

“I’m super excited – I don’t think it has really sunk in yet.

“There’s been such a quick turnaround between the last game and the next that you almost don’t have time to notice what’s been going on. It’s head down, rest, recovery and get ready to go again.”

Each member of a team brings something different. Though Carter had not fully considered it, she acknowledged serenity could be seen as her signature strength.

She said: “I think I chat with everyone and that’s something that a lot of the girls say, that I am super chill. I’ve had a couple of people feed back to say that it’s a really nice, I guess, aura to be around a little bit.”

Carter’s journey to this point started later than many of her team-mates’.

Though she started playing casually when she was “four or five”, the now 25-year-old did not join an academy until she was 15, following a successful trial with Birmingham and – in her own words – was not a “consistent presence” in England’s youth set-up.

The Warwick native received her first senior call-up in 2017 and made her debut that November against Kazakhstan in a 2017 World Cup qualifier, but was not called back until nearly four years later, when then-new England boss Sarina Wiegman took a chance and named Carter in her first squad in September 2021.

Carter has been vital this campaign, starting every game except England’s second – a 1-0 victory over Denmark – and rapidly adjusted when Wiegman switched systems from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 after that match with Carter, captain Millie Bright and veteran Alex Greenwood forming the back three.

She said: “When I didn’t play against Denmark, I wasn’t not bothered, but it was just like, ‘I’ve just played in a World Cup, I had more minutes than I thought I was ever going to get coming into this tournament’. I didn’t come into the tournament expecting to play at all.

“I was so honoured to be part of the team. Obviously, of course, you always want to play every minute and when I spoke to Sarina and (heard) her reasons and our tactics, she’s going to make the best decisions that she thinks are appropriate to go and win a game.”

Carter, who can slot into both defence and midfield, does wonder how her career might have looked different had she instead been afforded the opportunity to nail down a single position, admitting: “That’s the question I ask myself every single day.

“It’s definitely something that’s a massive positive, but at the same time, sometimes I do wish that if I could just play this one position, absolutely smash it. Then I wonder what level I could get myself to if I could just focus on that point.”

Make no mistake, Carter is competitive and is as determined to win the World Cup as the rest of her team-mates, but the unfailingly calm and collected character comes out again when asked if she has stopped to think about how lifting the trophy could change her life.

She replied: “No. I’m just going to go home. I’m going to go home to my apartment, really and I don’t know, just chill.”

The ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup is almost over with only the final left to play.

A new winner will be crowned when England and Spain do battle in Sydney on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what we learned from this tournament.

USA dominance over

USA have been the leading force in women’s football for the past few decades, winning the previous two World Cups and claiming three gold medals at the Olympics, but they suffered a shock defeat to Sweden in the last 16 in Melbourne.

A number of other nations made early exits, including Olympic champions Canada going out in the group stage along with Euros runners-up Germany, but it was USA’s penalty shoot-out loss which caused the most astonishment.

With Megan Rapinoe retiring and other stalwarts Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara and Alyssa Naeher unlikely to play at another World Cup, it finally feels safe to say USA’s glittering era is over despite the excitement around Sophia Smith.

Year of the underdog!

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Along with USA leaving the tournament early on, a number of emerging nations made their mark in Australia and New Zealand with South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Jamacia all making the knock-out stages.

Morocco qualified through Group H at the expense of Germany, who had thumped the African outfit 6-0 at the start of the World Cup. The Moroccan players were crowded around a phone watching the final seconds of Germany’s draw with South Korea before erupting in celebration.

Their journey only lasted until the last-16 stage and it was the same for South Africa and Nigeria but never before had three African countries all made the knock-out phase. Meanwhile, Jamaica were able to send Brazil packing in the group stage. It helped to highlight the growing depth in the women’s international game.

England’s golden generation

England were close to exiting this World Cup against Nigeria after Lauren James’ red card, but Mary Earps and heroic defending was followed by shoot-out success to send them through to the quarter-finals.

The European Championship winners would have always hoped to go deep in this tournament, but a tricky draw on paper and injuries to Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and Leah Williamson alongside the retirement of several key players last summer could easily have resulted in a poor showing.

In serial winner Sarina Wiegman and a group of players with incredible resolve and belief, England have managed to break new ground to reach a first World Cup final and given so many of this squad are in their twenties, it feels whatever happens on Sunday the Lionesses are ready to be the country to beat over the coming years.

Glass ceiling smashed!

Records have tumbled during this tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The bigger than usual format of 32 teams has resulted in more games and while plenty of drama has followed, the quality of football on show has helped to ensure ticket sales and TV viewing figures continue to go through the roof.

A whopping attendance of 75,784 has been recorded three times at Sydney’s Stadium Australia and according to FIFA, the average crowd across the 10 venues has been 28,900. A big increase from the previous edition in France or any other World Cup, but the world has also tuned in.

Despite matches usually being played outside of prime-time slots, Fox still had 2.52 million viewers watch USA’s last-16 defeat on penalties to Sweden, which kicked off at 5am in the Eastern time zone of the United States. BBC One had 7.3 million viewers watch England’s semi-final win over Australia and millions also turned on the TVs in Brazil, Colombia and China for matches containing their respective countries.

Room for improvement

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There is still plenty of work to achieve in the women’s game though, with the build-up to this World Cup dogged by controversy and several countries playing amid the backdrop of internal tension, which should not be the case when players get the chance to perform on the biggest of stages.

FIFA faced criticism for its ‘Unite’ armbands, which were similar to the OneLove armband banned, but did not promote LGBTQ+ communities. The governing body also found itself in a storm for almost allowing Saudi Arabia to sponsor the tournament and president Gianni Infantino’s peripheral role at this World Cup compared to the men’s edition in Qatar.

Meanwhile, Spain’s presence in the final will conjure mixed emotions after several of their own players threatened to quit international football if head coach Jorge Vilda did not leave his position, citing the impact his regime had on their “emotional state” but he remained. Hati and Zambia’s participation in this World Cup occurred amidst sexual misconduct allegations against staff to highlight the hurdles still facing elite women footballers.