Scott Murray's Blog, page 29

August 11, 2023

Burnley 0-3 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened

Erling Haaland scored twice as the treble-winning champions picked up where they left off

2 min: City quickly establish control, stroking it around the back smoothly and calmly. That didn’t take long.

1 min: A knee was taken by all the players before kick-off, by the way. A light smattering of boos – what’s wrong with people? – but much more in the way of supportive applause.

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Published on August 11, 2023 14:45

August 9, 2023

‘I know the odds’: Céline Boutier plays down chances at Women’s Open

Frenchwoman has won her past two outings, including a major, but realises history is against her making it three

Predicting the winner of any tournament is a hard enough task at the best of times; trying to identify the winner of a women’s major championship right now is proving one of golf’s most elusive goals, a riddle wrapped in an ace inside an albatross. The past 22 majors have produced 21 different champions – only Minjee Lee, at the 2021 Evian Championship and 2022 US Open, has doubled up during that time – and of those 21 players, 17 were first‑time major winners. Godspeed your pin as you stick it into the tee sheet before the Women’s Open at Walton Heath.

Céline Boutier, who won her first major at the Evian 11 days ago, followed it up last weekend with victory at the Scottish Open. She’s in the form of her life, her long game solid, her approaches dialled in, her flat stick rolling true. She’s the hottest ticket in town – yet the 29-year-old Parisian, aiming to become the first woman to win back‑to‑back majors since Inbee Park captured the Dinah Shore, PGA and US Open in short order in 2013, isn’t particularly willing to talk up her chances of winning the record $1.35m (£1.06m) winner’s purse this week.

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Published on August 09, 2023 09:18

August 5, 2023

Japan 3-1 Norway: Women’s World Cup 2023 last 16 – as it happened

Japan were pegged back by Guro Reiten’s header before Risa Shimizu and Hinata Miyazawa struck to set up a clash with Sweden or USA

4 min: Japan are seeing quite a lot of the ball in these early exchanges. The possession stats are unlikely to mirror the ones from the Spain game.

2 min: Nothing comes of the corner but that’s a gauntlet thrown down immediately by Japan. Norway looked a little shaky at the back there.

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Published on August 05, 2023 03:23

Japan v Norway: Women’s World Cup 2023 last 16 – live

Updates from the round of 16 game in WellingtonSwitzerland 1-5 Spain – as it happenedAny thoughts? You can email Scott here

4 min: Japan are seeing quite a lot of the ball in these early exchanges. The possession stats are unlikely to mirror the ones from the Spain game.

2 min: Nothing comes of the corner but that’s a gauntlet thrown down immediately by Japan. Norway looked a little shaky at the back there.

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Published on August 05, 2023 01:34

August 4, 2023

Football Daily | Get ready for a huge weekend of action. And the Community Shield

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It was early June 2023. Rishi Sunak was prime minister of the UK, Dave and Central Cee were number one with Sprinter, the world was succumbing to Barbiemania, and Manchester City had just been crowned champions of Europe. Different times, different times. But here we are now, a whopping 55 days on, and football is at long last back, baby. This weekend, Manchester City prepare to lock horns with Arsenal, Roméo Lavia will pull on a Southampton shirt, and Chelsea are spending money like half-cut sailors on shore leave. It’s a whole new ball game! We’re alive and kicking!

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Published on August 04, 2023 08:54

August 3, 2023

Football Daily | Germany find themselves on the end of the biggest Women’s World Cup shock

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Germany were the beneficiaries of what stands to this day as the biggest shock in the entire history of the men’s World Cup: the time they stunned Hungary’s world-famous Golden Team in the 1954 final. That was fair enough, all good and well, but the rules of karmic cash-out meant that a terrible debt at some point needed to be settled. You might have thought that back-to-back group exits for the current shower representing the men had levelled the scales somewhat. But no! The football gods were never going to respond to the demise of teams featuring the likes of Timo Werner, Mesut Özil and Kai Havertz with anything more than a disengaged shrug. It’s simply not enough of a jaw-dropper. When you boil it down, it’s not really a shock at all.

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Published on August 03, 2023 08:00

Morocco 1-0 Colombia: Women’s World Cup 2023 – as it happened

Morocco bettered Germany’s result to knock the two-time champions out in arguably the biggest shock in Women’s World Cup history

4 min: Colombia are beginning to show in attack after their slow start. Ramirez barges her way in from the left but can’t quite make enough space to shoot.

2 min: From the resulting corner, Chebbak whips low and hard towards the same bottom-left corner. Obviously a plan to catch Perez out. Carolina Arias pokes out for a second corner that leads to nowt. A fast start by Morocco, though.

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Published on August 03, 2023 05:41

August 2, 2023

Jamaica 0-0 Brazil: Women’s World Cup 2023 – as it happened

Jamaica deservedly made it to the knockout stage as Brazil crashed out at the group stage for the first time in 28 years

5 min: Debinha and Marta nearly open Jamaica up with a combination down the inside-left channel. The ball dribbles through to Spencer in the Jamaican goal, and play continues, even though Allyson Swaby had a small handful of Debinha’s shirt there, tugging her back gently. You know what, you’ve seen them given. Swaby taking one heck of a chance.

3 min: Panama have taken a shock lead against France! Marta Cox whistles a free kick into the top-left corner from distance, and all of a sudden Brazil qualify as things stand.

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Published on August 02, 2023 05:23

Football transfer rumours: Gvardiol, Olise and Doku to Manchester City?

Today’s tittle-tattle will buy or sell any spares

Manchester City will be going for the quadruple this coming season, because what else is left to achieve? A quintuple, perhaps, if you count the Community Shield, and why not? With the latter in mind, they want to sign the Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol in time for Sunday’s big showdown with Arsenal, a signing they intend to follow up quicksmart with the Crystal Palace prospect Michael Olise and Rennes winger Jérémy Doku. After that, the conquering of Mars and beyond.

Chelsea are in for Tyler Adams, one of the few Leeds success stories from last season. If they can’t get the 24-year-old USA midfielder, they’ll turn their attention to Edson Álvarez of Ajax and Mexico.

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Published on August 02, 2023 01:13

July 30, 2023

Celine Boutier wins the 2023 Evian Championship: final round – as it happened

Celine Boutier wins her maiden major at Évian-les-BainsBoutier becomes the first French winner in tournament historyOfficial leaderboard

Hataoka chips up to six feet and leaves herself an uphill putt. She pours it into the centre of the cup to save her par. Boutier also lobs to six feet, but she’s got a slight dribbler coming downhill. No matter, though, because she guides the left-to-right slider into the hole and her impressive start continues. Par.

-13: Boutier (3)
-9: Hataoka (3)

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Published on July 30, 2023 08:10

Scott Murray's Blog

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