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Gareth Southgate focused on England’s important point and a valuable learning experience after admitting his side did not “quite click” in attack in the Euro 2024 qualifying draw against Ukraine. Having won their first four Group C matches on the road to next summer’s tournament in Germany, Saturday saw them fail to win a European Championship qualifier for just the second time in 23 attempts. Ukraine, playing on the road due to the ongoing Russian invasion in their homeland, took the lead through skipper Oleksandr Zinchenko to the delight of the partisan crowd in Wroclaw, Poland. England levelled before half-time through Kyle Walker’s first international goal on his 77th appearance for the national team, but Southgate’s side could not find a winner as they struggled for attacking fluidity and a cutting edge. “The reality is we’re not going to win every game by fours and sevens as we’ve done in this qualifying campaign,” the England boss said after Saturday’s 1-1 draw. “That was a really good test – away from home, very passionate atmosphere, quite a few changes forced from the last game. “For people like Marc Guehi, for instance, his first experience of the game like that with England, which he came through really strongly. “So, sometimes, especially with attacking play, it doesn’t quite click. We know that the patterns that we worked during the week are what we always do, so it’s not that we approach the game in a different way. “We tried to refresh things to give them a different sort of problem but today our forward play bar the goal and probably Bukayo’s effort that hit the bar wasn’t at the level that it has been in our previous games.” The Bukayo Saka attempt that was tipped onto the bar by Ukraine goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan was the closest England came to a winner on a night where they were often passive in possession and toothless in attack. “I think what I liked was the control of the game that we had when you come into an intense atmosphere like there was,” Southgate said in the bowels of the Tarczynski Arena. “I thought we played with real composure up until the final third and then I think by the time we scored the goal we’d had over 70 per cent of the ball but that was our first attempt on target. “So clearly, most of our attacking play wasn’t at the level that we would have hoped it to be. But I thought given the circumstances and the importance of the point in terms of qualification and coming from behind when the crowd are full and the opposition have something to hang on to. We tried to refresh things to give them a different sort of problem but today our forward play bar the goal and probably Bukayo’s effort that hit the bar wasn't at the level that it has been in our previous games Gareth Southgate “It’s a very important point for us and we’ve now played the two best ranked teams away from home and we’ve got four points from those two games.” Despite the frustrating draw, it still remains a case of when rather than if England qualify for the Euros. Southgate’s men now turn their attention to their friendly away to old foes Scotland on Tuesday, when Ukraine travel to Italy for a key clash in the fight for qualification. Ukraine head coach Sergey Rebrov said: “The atmosphere was really great – simply amazing. A big thank you to our fans. I thanked my players for their performance, especially in defence. “It is very difficult to stop such good attacking players as England have, but we did it on many occasions. This is a satisfactory result – another step towards reaching the finals.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s crucial clash with Netherlands Fit, healthy and firing – Andy Farrell hails Johnny Sexton’s Ireland comeback George North still loving ‘wicked’ World Cup life on eve of fourth tournament

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The Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualification campaign has reached crunch-point after just four games with Sunday’s Group B clash with the Netherlands pivotal to their dwindling hopes. Defeat would leave Ireland trailing in the wake of France, the Dutch and Greece and all but mathematically unable to make it to Germany next year. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding a crucial fixture. Clock running for Kenny? For his critics, Kenny’s reign is fast reaching the point of no return. Under the 51-year-old, who was appointed as Mick McCarthy’s successor in April 2020, Ireland have won only five of the 25 competitive matches they have played – against Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Scotland, Armenia and Gibraltar – and are perilously close to missing out on a third tournament. Kenny has blooded a new generation of players with the 18-year-old Evan Ferguson, injured for the fixtures against France and the Netherlands, in particular prompting genuine excitement, and has vowed to play an exciting brand of football, a blend which has been welcomed by supporters. However, it is yet to pay off the hard currency of meaningful wins and a failure to buck that trend against the Dutch could signal the beginning of the end. Rank outsiders Ireland will have to significantly out-perform their FIFA ranking if they are to get the better of Ronald Koeman’s men at the Aviva Stadium. They are currently ranked 53rd while the Dutch are seventh, and their recent record does not make for encouraging reading. Azerbaijan appear in 121st place in the world list, Luxembourg 89th, Scotland 30th – a marked improvement on where they stood ahead of their defeat at the Aviva in June last year – Armenia 90th and Gibraltar 198th. Striker light Timing is everything in football and the loss of blossoming talent Ferguson to a knee injury just days after the Brighton teenager rattled in a Premier League hat-trick against Newcastle could hardy have come at a worse time. Kenny asked Norwich frontman Adam Idah to lead the line with support from Chiedozie Ogbene and Jason Knight in Thursday night’s 2-0 defeat by France, and his options remain limited with the absent quintet of Ferguson, Callum Robinson, Mikey Johnston, Michael Obafemi and Troy Parrott having been joined by Will Keane after the game in Paris. Aaron Connolly will hope for a chance, but Idah remains the most likely spearhead for an attack largely blunted in Paris. Dutch courage If Ireland need inspiration ahead of a daunting task, they can cast their minds back 22 years to the day the Dutch last lost in Dublin. Few neutrals gave McCarthy’s men much chance of beating a star-studded Dutch side which included Edwin van der Sar, Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Patrick Kluivert and substitutes Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Pierre van Hooijdonk in a World Cup qualifier at Lansdowne Road in September 2001, particularly after Gary Kelly’s 58th-minute dismissal. But Jason McAteer’s strike secured a famous win which helped to propel his side to the finals in the Far East on a day which lives long in the nation’s sporting memory. Koeman on strong Ronald Koeman endured an ignominious start to his second spell as Netherlands boss when his side were trounced 4-0 in France at the start of the campaign. However, the former Everton and Barcelona manager has steadied the ship since and a regulation 3-0 victory over Gibraltar coupled with Thursday night’s win against Greece by the same score either side of Nations League finals defeats by Croatia and Italy have got their qualification bid back on track. A third would leave them six points better off than the Republic with a game in hand. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fit, healthy and firing – Andy Farrell hails Johnny Sexton’s Ireland comeback England held by Ukraine in Poland after Kyle Walker equaliser Daniil Medvedev knows he will need to produce perfect performance to win US Open

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England hit a rare bump on the road to next year’s European Championship as Kyle Walker’s first international goal secured Gareth Southgate’s side a 1-1 draw against Ukraine in Poland. Having opened Group C with four wins from as many matches, it has long looked a case of when rather than if the Euro 2020 runners-up seal their place at next summer’s tournament in Germany. England had won 21 of their previous 22 Euros qualifiers but had to make do with a point on Saturday evening having failed to build on Walker brilliantly cancelling out Oleksandr Zinchenko’s opener. Ukraine were vastly improved from their meek March loss at Wembley and, despite being forced to play away from home due to the ongoing Russian invasion, received fantastic support in Wroclaw. Skipper Zinchenko sparked ear-splitting celebrations when opening the scoring at the Tarczynski Arena, where world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk beat Daniel Dubois a fortnight ago. But this time there was no Ukrainian knockout blow against English opposition. Harry Kane’s exceptional pass was met by a similarly impressive Walker touch, before the right-back coolly slotted home to open his international account on his 77th appearance. The 33-year-old became the second-oldest player to score his maiden England goal after ending the longest wait for an outfield player to net their first for the country. Bukayo Saka saw an effort tipped onto the bar as England pushed for a winner that evaded them. As many as 300,000 Ukrainians are said to live in this region of Poland and there was a spine-tingling rendition of their national anthem by the wall of yellow and blue in the ground. The atmosphere was wonderful but England looked unruffled by the partisan support, patiently probing as they sought to land an early blow. But it soon became clear that their domination was passive and Ukraine appeared emboldened by their fans’ raucous backing whenever they got forward. After a few moves broke down, their captain turned the volume up to the max in the 26th minute. Georgiy Sudakov collected Walker’s looping header in his own half and drove inside and away from the attention of Saka, before playing wide to Viktor Tsygankov on the right. The winger held up the ball under pressure before playing onto overlapping Yukhym Konoplya, whose cut back was driven home from eight yards by Arsenal midfielder Zinchenko. It was a perfectly executed counter-attack and Ukraine’s celebrations were deafening. England had been caught cold and Jordan Henderson – picked for the first time since his controversial move to Saudi Arabia – blazed over as they looked to hit back, with frustrated James Maddison booked for a poor challenge. Lacking creativity and a cutting edge, Kane dropped deep and took it upon himself to spark England into life. Ukraine stood off the striker and watched him fire an exceptional diagonal ball from just outside the centre circle over Everton left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko to Walker. An expert first touch was followed by impressive composure and a smart finish from close range. The England team charged towards Walker to celebrate – an effort cleared after a VAR review for offside. Under-fire Harry Maguire, making his first competitive start of the season, headed over when play resumed and goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan pushed away a threatening Henderson cross. The Group C leaders were pushing to take the lead and Ukraine’s goalkeeper made a fantastic save in the 59th minute. Kane played onto Saka and the Arsenal forward cut inside to unleash a left-footed strike from the edge of the box that Bushchan touched onto the bar. Saka and team-mates soon saw appeals for handball in the box fall on deaf ears as Southgate’s men continued in the ascendancy. Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden were soon introduced to add punch to their game, with Maguire having another headed attempt before being booked when attempting to prod in. England looked most likely to score as the clock wound down but there was to be no winner. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s crucial clash with Netherlands Fit, healthy and firing – Andy Farrell hails Johnny Sexton’s Ireland comeback Daniil Medvedev knows he will need to produce perfect performance to win US Open

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Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny is targeting his best victory yet as he prepares for a must-win Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands. The game in Dublin appears to be a make-or break affair for Ireland, who have collected just three points from their first four Group B fixtures and will effectively be out of the race for qualification if they lose to the Dutch. Memories of a famous Irish victory over the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifier in 2001 have inevitably come to the fore in recent days, but Kenny is reluctant to compare his team to the one in which Shay Given, Roy Keane, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane played. Kenny said: “We’re not comparing ourselves to the team of 2001, they had some of the best players to ever play for Ireland. “We’re an emerging team. We’ve shown a capacity to raise our game in front of our own support, our impassioned support and we’ve put in some very good performances at home there. “It’s a game that will challenge us. Holland have players of the highest calibre, players with the top clubs. “We’ve gone toe-to-toe with some of the best teams and we must raise our game and get our best victory yet as a team. That’s what we’d have to do and that’s the challenge for us. “We’ll need the supporters to help us do that, we need that energy in the ground. We need that high-octane support to be really passionate and get behind the team and give the players energy. “All their physical stats are very high after Paris in the heat, a tough game, so to go again, we’ll need everyone to really fire.” Ireland finalised their preparations at a sunny Abbotstown on Saturday after recovering from Thursday night’s energy-sapping 2-0 defeat in France. Defender Enda Stevens and forward Will Keane are out of the game through injury and strikers Sinclair Armstrong and Jonathan Afolabi have been drafted into the squad. Whatever team Kenny picks, the players will know the stakes could hardly be higher with failure simply not an option. Kenny said: “We know a victory is important for us, we know how important it is, that’s where it is. We’ll prepare well – as well as we can after just coming back on Thursday night – and make sure we’re ready. “The players are clear on how we’re going to play and we’ll certainly be tested against this team. We’ll have to match them and we are capable of doing that and we have to show the belief and conviction to try to get the win that we need.” Defender Shane Duffy, who made his first international appearance since June last year in the game at the Parc des Princes, is a veteran of the 1-0 Euro 2016 victory over Italy and knows he and his team-mates need to summon up a similar spirit to get what they need against the Dutch. Duffy said: “It’s a huge game. Something we’ve to all thrive off and make it another special night as it’s more memories we can create. “I think personally the games, they’re memories that I talk about to my children, big nights for your country. It’s another chance for us to make it another special night at the Aviva and make more memories.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live England’s Lauren Filer enjoying chance to shine after eye-catching ODI debut Ireland open World Cup campaign with 12-try thumping of Romania Debutants dominate as impressive England crush Sri Lanka in opening ODI

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It might not necessarily be considered a typical football nation, but a striking new academy has been launched in Pakistan with Uefa-accredited coaches. Lahore, the capital of the Punjab in Pakistan and the country’s second-largest city, will now offer a football academy. Called the Legends Academy, it enrols over 300 children, both boys and girls, who take part in regular training sessions. Owner of the academy, Hamza Syed said: “It’s the only one in the country that offers Uefa-licensed coaching. We had another initiative four or five years ago but it collapsed and we are the only one and so far we’ve got 300 kids.” The country has its own Pakistan Premier League, with 16 teams, and although the stadiums are small, it is an important step. Syed added: “My three coaches are all ex-Premier League, Liverpool, Arsenal and the third one is arriving tomorrow morning was at Manchester United, and he was very senior he used to run the under-9s and under-6s as an elite coach. “This is a first of its kind venture in Pakistan.” Football is a growing sport in Pakistan. The World Cup was available on television, and while you may not find children playing from dawn till dusk like you would cricket, it is increasingly popular. Syed said: “The response has been fantastic. In the space (since launching a few months ago) we have 300 kids. Cricket is the national sport but in the city schools everyone follows the big leagues in Europe, everyone knows what’s going on, everyone wants to be Aguero. “Football is big, I would say it’s a misconception [that it isn’t].” The Lahore-based academy has girls in every age group, although the majority of children are boys. It is currently fee-paying to enrol into sessions, but Syed is hoping that can change with further investment more scholarships can be offered. The dream, as always, is to eventually have a Pakistani footballer playing in one of the top leagues in Europe, in a hope that would further encourage everyone in the country to take up the sport. Read More Officials use soccer to highlight climate worries in India's ecologically fragile Ladakh region Arsene Wenger reveals his blueprint for the future of football Ukraine vs England LIVE: Latest updates from Euro 2024 qualifying Harry Kane admits it ‘hurt’ watching England peers win titles while Tottenham toiled Man Utd winger Antony appears on Brazilian TV to deny assault allegations

England are closing in on a spot at next summer’s European Championship in Germany after four consecutive victories in qualifying. Gareth Southgate’s men are six points clear of nearest rivals Ukraine and will move nine points ahead should they defeat their hosts this evening. The Three Lions have excelled against Ukraine in recent meetings running out 4-0 winners against them in Euro 2020 before goals from Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka were enough to earn England a victory when the nations clashed at Wembley back in March. Kane will also captain England on his first international appearance since joining Bayern Munich this summer. FOLLOW LIVE: Teams and all the action as the Three Lions face Ukraine in Poland Due to the ongoing Russian invasion of their country, Ukraine have been playing their international matches in Poland with this game going ahead in Wroclaw. Southgate’s team selection with be a hot topic of conversation with Harry Maguire set to feature despite only making one appearance for Manchester United this season and Raheem Sterling excluded from the squad. England’s qualifier against Ukraine in their only competitive match of September’s international break but they also play Scotland in a friendly on Tuesday. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match, plus all the latest football odds and the latest offers and tips ahead of Ukraine vs England here: When is Ukraine vs England? Ukraine host England in the Euro 2024 qualifiers on Saturday 9 September at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland with kick off at 5pm. Where can I watch it? Channel 4 will be airing the game in the UK and have exclusive live coverage of the rest of England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers. Coverage is scheduled to start at 4pm and is available to watch via a free live stream on the Channel 4 website and app. What is the team news? Mykhailo Mudryk returned to action for Chelsea at the weekend as he overcame an injury and is in line to start for Ukraine but experienced midfielders Ruslan Malinovskyi and Yevhen Konoplyanka have not been included in Serhiy Rebrov’s squad. John Stones, Reece James and Mason Mount are all missing due to injuries with Raheem Sterling and James Ward-Prowse not selected. Jordan Henderson could feature despite moving to the Saudi Pro League while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish have withdrawn from the squad. Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and James Maddison are competing to join Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka in the forward line. Confirmed line-ups Ukraine XI: Trubin, Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Kryvtsov, Matviyenko, Stepanenko, Sudakov, Yarmolenko, Buyalskyi, Tsygankov, Vanat England XI: Pickford, Walker, Maguire, Guehi, Chillwell, Henderson, Rice, Maddison, Bellingham, Kane, Saka Odds and tips Ukraine 7/1 Draw 7/2 England 12/25 Latest odds here. Prediction England have dominated Group C during this qualifying campaign and will once again get the better of Ukraine despite missing a few key players. An impressive victory will all but confirm their place at next summer’s Euros. England 3-0 Ukraine Read More England can benefit from Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich – Gareth Southgate Premier League playing time for England-qualified players drops again Raheem Sterling may have no way back as Gareth Southgate shows his hard edge Harry Kane admits it ‘hurt’ watching England peers win titles while Tottenham toiled Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham is one of a kind, says Gareth Southgate England players expect nothing less than winning Euro 2024, says Gareth Southgate

England are taking on Ukraine in Poland tonight as qualifying for Euro 2024 continues with a meeting at the Tarczynski Arena between the top two sides in Group C. Gareth Southgate’s side already have four wins from four games on the board and sit atop Group C, and victory here over second-placed Ukraine would almost guarantee qualification for the tournament in Germany next summer. This is England’s only competitive match of the September international break, with a friendly against Scotland to come next week. Ukraine are having to stage the fixture in the Polish city of Wroclaw due to the ongoing war at home following Russia’s invasion of the country. They are in a tussle with European champions Italy to take the group’s second automatic qualification spot. Ukraine come into the game with six points from three games, while Italy – who take on North Macedonia later tonight – have three points from two fixtures so far. Follow all the latest from Ukraine vs England below. Read More Harry Kane admits it ‘hurt’ watching England peers win titles while Tottenham toiled Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham is one of a kind, says England manager Gareth Southgate

Manchester United winger Antony has spoken on Brazilian television denying allegations made against him of violence towards women. The 23-year-old earlier this week was dropped from the Brazil squad after accusations of physical aggression on a number of occasions since January towards his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, which are being investigated by police and which he denies. Since then, Brazilian newspaper Extra has reported that influencer and law student Rayssa de Freitas in May 2022 filed a police report against Antony alleging she sustained injuries in an incident involving the player and another woman after a night out in Sao Paulo. Meanwhile, banker Ingrid Lana told Brazil’s RecordTV that in an incident at Antony’s home in Manchester in October 2022 he “pushed me against the wall, and I hit my head”. Antony on Monday had issued a statement on Instagram in which he described Cavallin’s claims as “false”, and speaking on Friday on Brazilian network SBT, the forward said: “I have never and I never will (attack a woman)”. He added: “I am 100 per cent sure that I have never touched a woman. And I will come with the proof. People will see the truth.” His club on Wednesday released a statement regarding the Cavallin claims that said: “Manchester United acknowledges the allegations made against Antony and notes that the police are conducting enquiries. “Pending further information, the club will be making no further comments. As a club, we are taking this matter seriously, with consideration of the impact these allegations and subsequent reporting will have on survivors of abuse.” United, who have not said whether Antony remains available for selection, had no comment to make when contacted by the PA news agency regarding the subsequent accusations against him that emerged. In an interview with Brazilian website UOL – which also published photographs and screenshots of messages between the pair – Cavallin claimed she was attacked by Antony “with a headbutt” in a Manchester hotel room on January 15, leaving her with a cut head which needed treatment from a doctor. Cavallin also alleged she was punched in the chest by Antony, which she claimed caused damage to a silicone breast implant which required corrective surgery back in Brazil. Another alleged incident is claimed to have taken place at a house on May 8, with Cavallin saying she suffered a cut finger while trying to protect herself, accusing Antony of throwing a glass cup towards her as well as then taking her passport. Cavallin is said to have filed a report to Sao Paulo Civil Police concerning allegations of physical and verbal abuse by Antony while on holiday in Brazil during June 2022, when she was pregnant, as well as making a separate complaint to Greater Manchester Police. In his Instagram post on Monday, Antony, who signed for United from Ajax in an £85.5million deal in September 2022, wrote: “From the beginning I have treated this matter with seriousness and respect, providing the necessary clarifications before the police authority. “However, I can calmly state that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and the other evidence that will be produced demonstrate that I am innocent of the accusations made. “My relationship with Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal insults from both sides, but I never committed any physical aggression. “Therefore, I come to vehemently deny the accusations made and inform you that I remain at the entire disposal of the Brazilian authorities to clarify whatever is necessary. “I trust that the ongoing police investigations will demonstrate the truth about my innocence.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sir Mo Farah insists he is solely focused on final race at Great North Run Wales face familiar foes Fiji – 5 talking points before Rugby World Cup clash US Open wrap: 2021 victor Daniil Medvedev powers past Carlos Alcaraz