Pep Guardiola pleased with Phil Foden form in central position for Man City
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Pep Guardiola said Phil Foden is happiest when playing as a number 10 after another stand-out display in his side’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Huddersfield. Foden has returned to somewhere near his best after last season’s struggles and he set City on their way with a neatly-taken first-half opener. Savinho added City’s second to give the scoreline a truer reflection of their dominance, although they struggled to find the killer pass in the final third. When asked if Foden was happiest in a more central role, Guardiola said: “Absolutely. Close to the box I think he plays in the pockets perfectly. “When he plays a little bit free and close to the box, he can do something that is unique, we know that. “When Phil plays in that position behind the strikers, he’s a real threat. “We’ve seen already with Phil (these last) few games. When the team play better, when every player makes his potential… but it’s not just today. “The game against Arsenal, (Manchester) United, Napoli, he was really good.” Guardiola made nine changes following Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Arsenal, with only Foden and Nico O’Reilly retaining their places in the starting line-up. Teenage forward Divine Mukasa, one of six homegrown players in City’s starting line-up, made his first senior appearance, with two others – Emile Heskey’s sons Reigan and Jaden Heskey – making their senior debuts. Guardiola was delighted with his young players, saying: “Today, six players from the academy making the starting XI, two more came on, the Heskey brothers, I think their father and mother will be so proud of their kids. That’s really cool.” The City boss also handed Kalvin Phillips his first appearance in a City shirt since December 2023 and said the midfielder became a father for the second time on Tuesday. Guardiola added: “It was a good moment because yesterday he became a father (to) Harry Phillips. He came this morning from London and now he’s going back to London to his wife and the kids. “Of course, he came back (to play) for a few minutes. We didn’t know whether he could. But the game was controlled.” Huddersfield boss Lee Grant was proud of his side’s effort, especially for restricting City’s clear-cut chances. Grant said: “Super proud of the group, the collective. I saw a group fighting really hard for each other. “The amount of work and discipline to even come away with a 2-0 defeat is mammoth and not to be underestimated. I’m really proud of them. “We can be really satisfied with limiting the real big moments in front of our goal. “We’re under no illusions that they had lots of control and domination. They can really hide the ball from you.”
Huddersfield 0-2 Man City: Heskey brothers make their debuts
Earlier, it was Phil Foden, perhaps City’s most decorated youth graduate of recent years, who once again caught the eye. The midfielder said last season his struggles were down to off-field issues and carrying an injury, which saw him go on a run of 20 games without scoring. But the 25-year-old looks like he is approaching the form that saw him collect the Player of the Season and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year awards in 2024. In five games this season, Foden has scored two goals and provided two further assists, playing a starring role in Wednesday’s win at Accu Stadium. Guardiola said: “We have seen already Phil in the last few games against Arsenal, Napoli and [Manchester] United, he was really good. “When the team plays better every player makes his potential but it’s not just today. “He can play in the pockets perfectly but when he plays a little bit free, he gives you something unique.” Though this was League One opposition, Foden looked a class above anyone else on the pitch. The goal he scored against the Terriers had the trademarks of a player that was full of confidence, exchanging passes with another debutant in Divine Mukasa and drilling in an unerring finish. The 25-year-old was playing his fourth games in 11 days and determined to showcase his talents, conducting the play by spraying the ball around to team-mates. He showed excellent awareness to lay the ball off for Savinho to smash home the second and secure a passage into the fourth round of the competition, where City will travel to Championship side Swansea. “Phil Foden was instrumental in everything Manchester City did,” former England international Sue Smith said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “It’s great to see him back and playing at this level. Last season was difficult for him with injuries and other things but when he’s at his best he’s unstoppable.” Teammate Rico Lewis told BBC Radio 5 Live that Foden’s happiness is contributing to his success on the pitch. “Everyone has seen in previous years how good a player he is,” Lewis said. “The main thing is he has his confidence back and the goals come with that. “He just needs to carry on doing what he’s doing, most importantly being happy because when he is happy he’s doing well.” City host Burnley on Saturday followed by trips to Monaco and Brentford before the international break and Foden will be hoping to impress further to try and earn a recall into Thomas Tuchel’s England set-up. Foden has 45 caps for the Three Lions, with the last of those coming in March against Latvia. Meanwhile, there was also a return to the team for forgotten England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who was appearing in a City shirt for the first time since 19 December 2023 at the Club World Cup, which Guardiola called a “good moment”. Phillips travelled up to Huddersfield from London on Wednesday after becoming a father for the second time to son Ari. Both Heskey brothers and Phillips will be eyeing up further minutes when City head to Swansea in the next round.
FIFA considering plan for 64-team World Cup in 2030 – FBC News
[Source: Reuters] With the World Cup already set to expand to 48 teams next summer, FIFA is considering an even bigger expansion to 64 countries for the 100th anniversary of the global spectacle in 2030. With the idea receiving mixed reviews, FIFA leaders met with the heads of state from Uruguay and Paraguay in New York, as well as leaders from South America’s CONMEBOL and the head of Argentina’s football association. “We want to call for unity, creativity, and believing big,” CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said in a social media post. Article continues after advertisement “Because when football is shared by everyone, the celebration is truly global.” The Uruguayan Football Association first presented the 64-team plan in March, according to the New York Times. The first World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930. Among the primary concerns is that an expanded World Cup would require 128 matches, further straining the sport’s busy global calendar. If the 64-team plan is approved, the World Cup would then be expected to return to 48 teams in 2034. The first 48-team World Cup will take place primarily in the United States in 2026, with Mexico and Canada playing host to select games. The last time the tournament was in the United States was in 1994 when it was a 24-team gathering. The field expanded to 32 teams in 1998 and has remained that way through the past seven tournaments, through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that was won by Argentina. The 2030 World Cup not only could have its most number of teams ever, it is already set to be played on three continents and in six different countries. Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina each will play host to one game at the start of the tournament. The majority of 2030 games then will be split among Spain, Portugal and Morocco. FIFA has not yet made a decision about expanding the 2030 event to 64 teams. “As we get closer to the date, we must reiterate that this cannot be just another event, it cannot be just another World Cup,” Dominguez said. “We believe this is a once-in-a-century opportunity.” Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Ange Postecoglou pleased with Nottingham Forest’s progress after Real Betis draw
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Ange Postecoglou’s wait for a first win continues but the Nottingham Forest boss saw positives and moments of “beauty” as the club’s long-awaited European return ended in a frustrating draw at Real Betis. The Reds’ first continental campaign since the 1995-96 season started in Seville, where Wednesday’s Europa League opener was heading for a memorable victory at La Cartuja. Igor Jesus scored a brace shortly after Cedric Bakambu had opened the scoring for Betis following fine work by Antony, who made it 2-2 late on after Forest paid for failing to take one of their many chances late in the first half. Postecoglou’s wait for a first victory since replacing the popular Nuno Espirito Santo earlier in the month extends to a fourth game but the Australian took heart from the performance. Put to Forest boss that the style he is trying to implement has been clear in recent displays, he said: “Yeah, I think so. “I guess the challenge now is to make sure the players don’t drop their heads at all because we’re not getting the victories. “I’m really disappointed tonight they didn’t get the rewards for the good play, because that fuels it even more, they feel even better about the way things are going. “But in terms of our progress, they are tough conditions out there. People don’t realise – the humidity, the pitch, just the environment makes it really difficult. “I just thought some of the football we played was outstanding and this group of players have been really receptive to what we’re trying to do. “We’re just lacking that little bit of clinical edge to finish games off.” Forest’s 18th-minute equaliser was particularly special as Jesus converted captain Morgan Gibbs-White’s low ball at the end of a superb team move. “Look, I know I’m out of step with those kind of things, but I still see beauty in that, I love my teams to play that kind of football,” Postecoglou said. “I think the moments when they’re constructed like that are things that make our game so beautiful and I loved it. “I think it wasn’t just that move, there were four or five moves that were quite similar that, like I said, were really exciting. “But we are in the results business and ultimately we need to now convert our good play into victories, but I think that’ll come if we keep playing like that. “I think it’s exciting. I still like teams that play like that. I want my teams to play like that. I want my teams to score goals like that. “But if one goes in in front of the boys’ backsides, I won’t be disappointed with that either at the moment because we’re just missing a little bit of luck going our way.” Forest now turn their attention to Saturday evening’s Premier League match against Sunderland at the City Ground – Postecoglou’s first home game after four matches on the road. “You saw today what a home crowd can do,” he said. “Even though we sort of had them almost knocked out, when you’ve got the crowd behind you, you stay in the game. It certainly lifted them in the second half. “To be fair, the boys haven’t had that for the fourth game in a row and it is tough. There’s no doubt about it. “I’m looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at the ground on Saturday and I’m sure the players are. It’s our job to make sure we reward it.”
Ryder Cup 2025: Collin Morikawa says United States players want to win for their country
Collin Morikawa has dismissed the idea that the United States’ Ryder Cup players receiving payment might mean they have less desire than Europe’s team. All 12 of the American team – plus captain Keegan Bradley – are being given $500,000 (£370,000), with $300,000 (£220,000) of that going to a charity of their choice. It is the first time in the biennial tournament’s 98-year history that players have received a stipend. The Europeans are not paid to play. Asked how much he thinks each American deserves, Morikawa said: “There’s no number. It could be zero. It could be one dollar. There isn’t a right or a wrong amount. “Look, I think at the end of the day, all 12 of us here playing when we tee it up on Friday, and before this all started, we just want to win the Ryder Cup. “We want to win it for ourselves. We want to win it for our country.” The payment for the Americans has brought a lot of negative attention, with critics believing it does not fit with the ethos of the Ryder Cup. Detractors also argue the players – who earn multi-millions on the tours – do not need the extra income. Former European Ryder Cup player Darren Clarke has previously said the idea of being paid to play in the tournament “does not sit well with me”, while former European captain Paul McGinley has described the move as “a massive mistake”. American player Xander Schauffele accused the media of trying to make the issue “a negative thing”.
Arsenal vs Port Vale live: Latest score and updates as injury-hit Premier League side bid to avoid Carabao Cup shock
Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 75 mins: 15 minutes to go and the pressure from Port Vale is immense. Devante Cole takes a shot from outside the area and just sees his effort dip over the crossbar! Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:34 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 72 mins: Gabriel Martinelli attempts to get Arsenal into the final third and makes a dart in behind. Port Vale manage to keep him outside the area and the winger is forced to retreat. There’s more of an urgency to Arsenal. They seem to know they need another goal to be safe. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:30 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 69 mins: The Port Vale fans believe. They’re getting louder and louder as this match goes on. A long throw comes to the edge of the Arsenal box but it’s dealt with. Vale recover the ball and whip in a cross but it flies out of play for a goal kick. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:27 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 66 mins: The Arsenal fans greet the introduction of Max Dowman with excitement and start to chant: ‘He’s got school in the morning, he’s got school in the morning!’ Downman sets up on the right wing and makes a run off the ball. The pass comes over to him but the ball drops over his head and out of play. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:24 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 63 mins: With the hour mark come and gone Arteta now turns to his bench. 15-year-old Max Dowman, a highly-rated youth player with Arsenal, is introduced to replace Bukayo Saka. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:20 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 60 mins: Mikel Arteta doesn’t look too happy. He’d like his team to put the game to bed so he can make some changes but Arsenal have been stuck for a little while. There’s no real click going forward. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:17 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 57 mins: Arsenal win a corner that gets swung into the near post by Saka. Mosquera attacks it and the ball heads behind. He thinks it’s another corner but the referee awards a goal kick. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:16 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 54 mins: Ronan Curtis is grappled to the ground by Mikel Merino and wins a free kick. Over 16,000 fans are in attendance tonight and this is the biggest attendance at Vale Park since the last time they hosted Liverpool here. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:13 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 51 mins: Saka takes a clatter and hits the deck. He hobbles back to his feet and grimaces. Mikel Arteta looks worried but his star man is fine and jogs off the pain. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:10 Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal 48 mins: Port Vale fling the ball into the box from the right and it almost drops to Ronan Curtis. There’s a scramble and Ethan Nwaneri scoops the ball away. Somehow it frees up Martinelli to drive forward on a counter-attack but Gauci comes sprinting off his line and beats the attacker to the ball. Mike Jones24 September 2025 21:06
Canada-based footballer embraces Fijian roots – FBC News
Emily Narayan. [Photo Credit: Edmonton Fiji Sports Association] For Canadian-based footballer Emily Narayan, joining the Fiji women’s football team has been a journey of reconnecting with her heritage. Despite only being with the team for a short time, she has quickly embraced the culture and feels a strong connection to her Fijian roots. Narayan says she felt welcomed by the team instantly, with the players showing a lot of warmth and kindness. Article continues after advertisement “I’m just ultimately proud of them, with them, I’m glad they accepted me even though I’ve known them for less than a week honestly. Playing with them, I feel so much more connected to my roots entirely, they’re teaching me Fiji language and stuff and like the culture they do. I love it.” She stated that playing for the team means a great deal to her, as it gives her the chance to represent her country and potentially help them qualify for the World Cup. “Football is my life, it’s what I was based around since I was a very young age, I play for my brothers now, I play for my mom, I play for my dad, I play for relatives in heaven, I play for these girls.” Fiji will play Cook Islands in their first group match today at 1pm. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Asia Cup 2025: India beat Bangladesh to reach final
Defending champions India booked their spot in the Asia Cup final with a 41-run victory over Bangladesh. The win moves India, who are yet to lose a match, two points clear at the top of the table while also eliminating Sri Lanka, who have lost their first two matches in the Super Fours. Pakistan and Bangladesh, level on two points, face each other in the penultimate group match on Thursday, with the result determining who will join India in the final. Batting first in Dubai, opener Abhishek Sharma scored his second half-century in as many matches to kickstart India’s innings. He dominated an explosive first-wicket stand with Shubman Gill, amassing 46 (19) in the powerplay alone. He went on to score 75 (37), including six fours and five sixes, before being run out in the 12th over. His dismissal – India’s third – sparked a mini collapse as they lost 3-17 in 3.3 overs before all-rounder Hardik Pandya steadied the ship with 38 (29) to set Bangladesh a target of 169. Bangladesh opener Saif Hassan posted a brisk half-century of his own, top-scoring with 69 (51), including five sixes. However, he lacked support, with Parvez Hossain Emon (21 off 19) the only other player to reach double figures. Kuldeep Yadav picked up 3-18 and Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy shared two wickets apiece as Bangladesh were bowled out for 127 in the final over.
The inside story of England’s last World Cup final — and the lessons the Red Roses can learn
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more England rugby are hoping to win a first Women’s Rugby World Cup crown in 11 years when they take on Canada at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham this weekend — but glory so nearly arrived three years ago in Auckland in the last tournament decider. The Red Roses entered the World Cup final at Eden Park on a winning streak of 30 matches; after 80 agonising, intense minutes, the Black Ferns were champions again in front of a home New Zealand crowd. As they prepare to attempt to right the wrongs of 2022 against different opposition on Saturday, The Independent spoke to some of those involved to chronicle what went wrong for England in Auckland – and the lessons they can learn. A chaotic and challenging build-up While England have 32 fit and available players for this final, the same was not true three years ago. The injury problems really began before the semi-final, with Hannah Botterman lost to a knee issue, before first-choice full-back Helena Rowland suffered a serious ankle injury during the second half of a hard-fought win over Canada. With Rowland out, head coach Simon Middleton tinkered with his backline for the tournament decider, bringing in Holly Aitchison to midfield at the expense of Tatyana Heard. “We’d been so resilient for a couple of years,” Middleton explains. “We’d changed our training programme and been so robust, we were hardly ever picking injuries up. Then we got to the World Cup…” Most significant, perhaps, was the upheaval at scrum half. Middleton had elected to choose only two specialists in his squad, omitting World Cup winner Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt in a decision that attracted criticism. Come the day of the final, both Leanne Infante and Lucy Packer were dealing with injuries – when the former had to withdraw on the morning of the match having been named in the starting side, Packer – then untested in that sort of occasion – was called in despite dealing with an ankle ligament issue of her own. Claudia Moloney-MacDonald had forced her way in on the wing during the course of the tournament but now her scrum half skills were required as cover. open image in gallery England lost scrum half Leanne Infante to injury on the morning of the final (Getty Images) “At one point, we had all three scrum halves injured in one form or another,” Middleton recalls. “Leanne was really struggling for quite a bit of the tournament. In the week building up to the final, she was really struggling and the medical team couldn’t quite put their finger on what it was. She was as confused as the medics. “On the morning of the final, the first call I got was from the doctor to come down. Leanne’s joints were all swollen up and there was no way she was going to play.” Mitchell stands by his decision to omit Hunt from the original squad. “We had as much depth as you could possibly hope for at nine. It was difficult because I knew how impactful it would be on her. open image in gallery Lucy Packer produced a composed showing in the final having been called in late (Getty Images) “There was this big thing about it being Lucy Packer or Mo, and it wasn’t that at all. Lucy was the first nine on the plane. Leanne was a warrior and I had a lot of faith in her. There was no way I was going to take three out-and-out nines, and Claudia could play on the wing. It was a difficult decision, but it wasn’t the toughest decision.” Even once the game had begun, more injury trouble came. While most of the attention was placed on Lydia Thompson’s 18th-minute red card – more on that in a moment – Middleton believes the loss of Zoe Aldcroft on 27 minutes was equally key. “I felt absolutely helpless,” now-captain Aldcroft told The Independent in 2023, having failed a head injury assessment and departed. “I was sat on the sideline begging the doctor to let me back on. It was just heart-breaking. I thought of everything we had been through as a team and a squad, everything we’d worked towards. There was no doubt in our minds that we were going to win that final.” The World Cup final The injuries played their part but the moment that really swung the final came after 16 and a half minutes. England had made a brilliant start, surging into a 14-point lead, with the Black Ferns yet to get going. But soon enough, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe rounded Ellie Kildunne, and a covering Lydia Thompson came across and made head-to-head contact with the New Zealand wing – an incident that would end both of their evenings early. As Woodman-Wickliffe departed for medical treatment, referee Hollie Davidson – who will also be in charge this weekend – concluded in consultation with television match official (TMO) Ben Whitehouse that Thompson’s challenge merited a red card. open image in gallery Portia Woodman-Wickliffe’s final was ended by a
Namosi U20 secure first win – FBC News
Namosi’s Under-20 side claimed their first win of the 2025 Vodafone Vanua Trophy season, beating Yasawa 33-17 in a dramatic clash at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka today. Namosi raced to an 18-0 lead at halftime, but Yasawa clawed their way back after the break to trail by just one point at 17-18. In the final 15 minutes, however, Namosi found another gear, scoring three back-to-back tries to seal the victory. Article continues after advertisement Team manager Ledua Vosa praised his players for their composure under pressure. “I’m happy our boys managed to fight back and run away with the win as Yasawa kept coming back,” he said. The result gives Namosi Under-20s their first points of the season. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.